So it seems I got it wrong to think I had to learn to play the guitar first, and then make good money with it in order to buy the fancy clothes that would make pretty girls scream and shout... I should have got the fancy clothes first then... Hummm, thanks LTG, I'll be a minute... You'll be able to say you've known me, and helped me making it...
ZZ Top:
Clean shirt, new shoes
And I don't know where I am goin' to
Silk suit, black tie (black tie)
I don't need a reason why
They come runnin' just as fast as they can
'Cause every girl crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man
One of the kids I used to jam with in high school was a shy, nerdy guy with coke bottle thick glasses. He was one of the most naturally gifted musicians I have ever met (I secretly hated him in my envy
). He had an amazing ear and memory for what he heard and could easily replicate it. He was a lovely singer. He was a very sweet, low tech lead player, all melodic exploration of the tune being played. His huge talent worked against him--he never became great because he never had to work at all at being really good. Not quite of legal age to be doing so, he got his first gig with a house band in a club, pretty much regular work. He learned their entire set list in one afternoon rehearsal. He initially looked like a total nerd on stage, and nobody paid much attention to him. His new band-mates, much older than him, got on his case about his stage image. So he bought some flash clothes. He got contact lenses. He got his hair professionally styled. He traded in his beaten up
old Hagstrom for a new gold top Les Paul.
Suddenly he was noticed. But nothing had changed about his excellent playing and singing. He became cougar-bait. Divorcees, straying wives, and older adventurous singles formed a queue. The experience was not entirely good for his mental health or venereal health. He developed a very unpleasant personality for a bit. "Women are like buses. If you miss one, wait cause another one will be along in 15 minutes." Then one day, he suddenly grew up, and reverted to the uber-nice guy he had previously been.
The moral of the story is that you can sell empty boxes if the boxes are well designed and colourful, and it is easier to sell quality goods with flash packaging. People often don't notice the quality goods if the packaging is bad.