Yes Men!

This topic has come up from time to time in our business dealings with musicians and their representation with regard to how hard they all work to produce the product that they eventually sell to the public.

There are those who feel that they can't have enough “Yes Men” on their team and continue to look for more and more – all the while avoiding anyone who doesn't fit the criteria and excluding them from entering into the circle.

I suppose it is necessary for everyone to have a few but, if all you have is “Yes Men” in your corner you've gotten short-changed in the friends department.

So, to be clear, just what is the criteria for owning that “Yes Men” label? According to Webster's On-line Dictionary it is: a person who agrees with everything that is said; especially: one who endorses or supports without criticism every opinion or proposal of an associate or superior.

Those who seek to have a full stable of “Yes Men” do so under the guise of being optimistic and seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. If all we have surrounding us on a daily basis to feed our environmental stimuli is our cluster of “Yes Men” then we have severely limited our intellectual diet much like a food diet of nothing but ice cream.

Imagine if Thomas Edison had the attitude and desire to surround himself with none but those in the “Yes Men” category. On his first attempt to invent the light bulb, he produced a magnificent specimen of glass and wire in an elongated bulb shape and everyone marveled at how beautiful it looked but it failed to actually produce light. Would Edison have stopped there and said: “Viola, success!” or would he have doubted those who admired his creation and said: “But that can't be all there is?”

In the music business, it's never perfect. It is as good as it can be until the creator stops the process and says “That's it - we're done.” If no one in the artist's circle of friends will stand up and say..... “I think it can be better,” then who should say it?

Prescription Bluegrass counts all of the bluegrass musicians and their respective representatives in our “friends list.” But we don't feel that our friendship entitles us to be limited to their “Yes Men” circle. Instead, we feel that we can better serve our friends with a more open and honest review of their creations. We try to temper our opinions with a guidance approach. Our reviews are not here to tear apart the warp and woof that makes them into musical fabric but rather to help them tighten up the weave and create a more solid product.

At times we publish reviews of certain CDs from new but very talented groups. Although the reviewers always have some very positive and encouraging comments to share, there are also some considerations, based upon experienced opinion, that we feels could have produced a better work.

In the past, when we have published a review of this type, we've heard the “OUCH” statements and the “How Dare You” statements but amazingly, not always from the individuals in the band but rather from some who probably include themselves in that particular band's “Yes Men” circle.

At one time in the 18^th century the word “Criticize,” from which the word “Critique” is derived, meant to be neutral between praise and censure. However it's usage has now become more of the negative meaning and so “Critique” seems to follow. Since 1969, the American Heritage Dictionary Usage Panel has recommended the word “Review” be used in place of “Critique” to avoid the negative impression.

Still, our Prescription Bluegrass CD REVIEWS have met with feedback from those who feel we're being too critical.

Regardless of your impressions of our reviews or the music of which they are subject, there is never an ill intent.