One of the hallmarks of the old rockers, a group in which Neil Young occupies a prominent position in his own right for many years, is that if they think something they say it, and if something seems wrong to them they act accordingly, even though that may go against what would pass for their interests. We already had a great example of this a few months ago, with Roger Waters’ response to Facebook’s generous financial offer, which sought to use Another Brick in the Wall, Part. 2 in an Instagram campaign. I still think that Pink Floyd music has been banned from Menlo Park ever since.
But back to Neil Young and his relationship with Spotify. A relationship that we can summarize in that the remastering of Heart of Gold has more than 235 million reproductions on the streaming platform. A good relationship that, however, could be about to go to waste as a result of a recent signing of the company, which has served to reinforce its commitment in the field of podcasts. I speak, of course, of Joe Rogan.
At this point, yes, I clarify that I have not listened to his controversial podcast, although I do know his career as a comedian. Because I cannot say if the content of said podcast is serious or ironic, so I will not make categorical statements in this regard. What is certain is that in the podcast Rogan would speak against vaccines for COVID-19, which for many places him on the anti-vaccine side, in which I do not know if he really militates or not. Neil Young, however, does seem to have it quite clear.
So much so that, in response to his arrival at Spotify, the rocker would have decided to pose an ultimatum to Spotify. He posits that doesn’t want his music to be on the same platform as Rogan’s anti-vaccine content and consequently forces a choice between Joe Rogan or Neil Young. In this way, if Spotify maintains Rogan’s podcast, it will take all necessary measures so that his music is completely removed from the platform.
For those wondering if this is a bluff, remember that Neil Young has previously left Spotify, for a period of four years (between 2015 and 2019), although on that occasion it was because the sound quality offered by the service was, for Young, insufficient. And the fact is that the musician is a stickler for sound quality, as was more than proven with his (sadly) unsuccessful Pono project.
Image: Phil King
