Particularly our resident aging rock star. 
I ran across this article, from a speech Courtney Love gave, and am wondering how accurate her facts & figures are.
The article is at:
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2000/06/14/love/index.html
Over-simplification. Frankly, producer Jack Endino did a better job with a similar rant…
Yer pal,
Satan
TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING:
Three months, two days, 9 minutes and 1 second.
3720 cigarettes not smoked, saving $465.03.
Life saved: 1 week, 5 days, 22 hours, 0 minutes.
From everything that I’ve read regarding the record industry. While I’m sure most of her figures are a little skewed… .I do know that most artists end up getting screwed more than we are led to believe.
I know the $2/album is more than what I understand most beginning artists make… (I understand its more like 1… with big sure thing albums by big bands such as Metallica/Madonna, etc. would get upwards of $3)
And yes… the record industry will take back what it spends on you. They don’t just pay for your album… they pay for it with the intention of getting paid back before you get paid.
From what I understand, the real moneymakers for the band are Merchandising (tshirts), and songwriting. (.055 per song up to ten per album is the number I've read). So while the band gets a buck for an album, the songwritings split .55 cents. If I write every song on an album, I make way more on songwriting royalties then I do from performing it.
Again… I’m not a professional… this is just what I’ve read and gathered from various magazine articles, etc. (Mostly Guitar magazine 
)
Bottom line-- I think Courtney’s point is valid… the artists end up getting screwed more often than not.