Air Miles

"A man is not an orange. You can't eat the fruit and throw the peel away."
– Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman

John Taylor is stressing me out.

Last week, John answered a question from a fan named Peggy, which had been submitted to Ask Katy. Peggy wondered, “with all the advances in technology, if there are any songs from the early days that the guys were unhappy with the final result and would be interested in re-recording?”

John answered, “Hmm.. Good question Peggy. Do you? That is, are there any of the older recordings you would like to hear re-recorded, with Dom playing guitar I guess, instead of Andy? I think most of the early (pre-Notorious) recordings are pretty darn perfect if I say so myself. Come to think of it, I probably wouldn’t change anything on Notorious or Big Thing either. Everyone knows that Liberty is the least satisfactory of the elpees, but that has nothing to do with technology. Do you know, sometimes I really dislike technology? An excuse for a new coat of paint is all it is sometimes..Em, yes.. I think we’ve always been pretty on time technologically speaking. The early albums were very forward for their time. I cannot imagine them being any different. And please feel free to answer my question…”

My first reaction was amazement that John would even dare to utter such a thing… to re-record previous materials with another guitarist would be blasphemy. I’m pretty sure such an event would throw the earth off its axis, causing it to spin so fast that that we actually would, in fact, fly off.

I then realized that he was being sarcastic, probably taking offense to the question. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time. But Peggy wasn’t actually suggesting that things could be done better with another guitarist. I think she was really just inquiring about technology. However, I can see how John could make that leap. As scientists are still unable to create an Artificial Andy, any re-recording would have to be done with a session guitarist, and well, that simply would not do.

And yes, John has made it quite clear lately exactly just how much he hates technology, many times over in just the past few months. I think we’re beginning to understand.

Overall, this response really unsettled me. To me, it seemed a bit more than just the regular grumpiness. It was a continuation of his somber views put forth at the UCLA conference, but even more chilly. With this answer, John had gone from a crotchety old man pining for the album art of yesteryear to an angry young teen, wanting to hide in his room with his “elpees.”

Almost before I could reach for a sweater, the following was posted on duranduran.com:

A “Blog” from John
March 11th, 2010

BARCELONA

There is not one person staying in this hotel
who would rather not be somewhere else.
At home in bed with a warm wife perhaps,
or watching a son play soccer on a winter field,
or walking the dog along a leafy street &
(waving hello to the neighbours).
Helping daughter with last minute homework or
helping her pick out her wedding dress even or
Quality time with ageing Dad or Mom or both.

Not work though, not here, Anywhere but here.

Why do we have to come so far?
It turned out to be a rumour that the world had grown small,
And whoever said it had no frequent flyer miles.
We think nothing these days, of vast distances
and crossings, of two or three oceans for one nights work.
So here we all are, for one night or maybe two,
roaming the halls at midnight, like jagged Willy Lomans.

At least I got my breakfast in bed. That’s different.
Would not have gotten that at home (unless I was sick.)
which I never am, anymore (I’m over that.)
Endless supplies of coffee on tap,
Heuvos Fritos at a moments notice,
Hmmm.. I guess it’s not so uncomfortable!

The only real hurt is the restless gentle pull that
says ‘Don’t stay, get away,
get home & isolate, turn away.
Pull up the covers and don’t play with others, quick,
before you get found out..’

But that would not be living life,
and I must move forward and not be afraid
of the darkness that lives in my skull anymore.
Meet some people, make some friends,
imitate a human being, that’s how they all do it,
and what could be better than that?
At the All-Star Telecom Conference I could win,
a free cell-phone or a blackberry to call home with,
at least.

Not that it isn’t beautiful. I even have a sea view.
Was a time when that would have been more than enough,
(the mid-nineteenth century perhaps) but now, it just gets in the way..
Perception is everything, I have to keep my mind right,
and get it right with God- keep the channel clear, strong, wide, free-flowing.

I see this as the expression of a deeply depressed man. Duran Duran has been on the road almost non-stop for the past seven years, so “world-weary” would probably be an underestimation. Also, John has a milestone birthday coming up, which can cause the best of us to go into a bit of an Existential tailspin. Even so, this communiqué struck me as being heartbreakingly sad.

I can’t help but wonder what John’s motivation is for delivering this “blog” directly to his fans. Yes, it is couched in beautiful, song-like prose that one can romantically imagine being written late at night on hotel stationary… but I am surprised that such rawness was shared so immediately and broadly, via the dreaded technology. Several days had passed since it was penned, so clearly the desire to share it was well thought out. Is it a plea for help, a desire to be comforted or reassured? Is it a warning of terrible things to come? Perhaps, to quote Arthur Miller once more, “One had the right to write because other people needed news of the inner world, and if they went too long without such news they would go mad with the chaos of their lives.”

Whatever John’s motivation may be, this blog has deeply worried, especially in light of past transgressions. There is some kind of struggle going on in his beautiful mind, and it appears that our champion has named “technology" as his foe. He keeps poking at it with a stick… and now it’s making me moody.

This past weekend, as all of this was weighing heavily upon me, Ask Katy asked for questions to be submitted for a “roundtable” discussion with the band. My question is this:

“The topic of technology seems to be on the tip of everyone's tongue lately, from John's speech at UCLA, to Nick's keynote in Barcelona, even creeping into Ask Katy questions. Perhaps this is a result of technology itself being so pervasive... we can't all hide from the world, listening to elpees in our bedrooms, can we?

John mentioned the "immense power of restriction" that artists once held over their audience, before the days of YouTube and Twitter. Do you, as a band, feel that it is in your best interest to adhere to this sentimental notion, or do you see yourselves adapting to and harnessing technology as a way to promote interaction with fans both new and old? If the answer is the latter, what new technologies are you considering, besides content delivery on mobile phones, to promote what will surely be a groundbreaking new album? Also, since there is such a clear dichotomy within the band on this topic, do you think there is a way to blend the traditional with the modern, resulting in a truly innovative approach to fan interaction and music promotion?”

Whether this question merits an answer from the band remains to be seen, but I am obviously keen to hear what the group has to say. I have a few ideas of my own on the subject, but I will continue to wait patiently in hopes of hearing theirs.

In the meantime, I really hope John can feel better. For whatever it's worth, I will offer this advice: spend less time hating technology and more time using it to get what you want. Follow the instinct that tells you to move forward, to not be afraid. If perception is everything, then reality, including technology, is what you make it. Find a way to use it to shine light on those dark places in your skull.

Maybe... this process has already started.