The death of the album is a pretty tricky issue. Are you suggesting a world of only” hits”?
I have alot of weird theories and a very strict law on this topic. IF your band can sell out an arena……Im going to steal your music. Im going to borrow it from a friend and Im gonna rip and burn the stuff I like… Its elitist perhaps but I dont really need to hear the 3:48 minutes of bullcrap that the band had to toss on there to make it go from EP to LP. And well if you can fill the stadium then chances are good you have sound business advisors and youre gonna be ok. Youve arrived……..youre on the Edges new label maybe.
On the flip side of this disc is another issue. One I take much more seriously. If you cannot sell out an arena. I wont take a thing from you, I will visit your merch booth and I will buy your shirt or whatever it may be, why? Cuz I love you and as a person who has the abilitty to throw some coin your way Im going to do it. I wont wear the shirt but really you dont care anyway. I will let people hear your works but I will not allow them to duplicate it. I did against my better judgement give away Blue October- I regret that now. I feel like I cheated on them.
It is not cheap to be a musician. Touring, recording, time.. all of these things cost. Promotion, thats staggering. To rip off bands like Blue October or even bands like Mayday Parade is not only wrong but harmful. Your literally ripping funds out of their hands, maybe its beer money but maybe beer is a motiviator, it doesnt really matter. And I will purchase either electronically or physically the works of the ‘unsung’ good and bad. Reason on that is Im not sure whats good yet. Raw talent or undiscovered talent (or the underexposed) is still in the evolution process. Bands like Green Day have been there peaked, plateaued and now (in my humble opinion) should get the hell out of the way. I stole 21 Guns……but only cuz it makes me laugh with the fake ass accent and sounds like 21 Goons. Heres one I bought Weezers Raditude at 6am on iTunes and at 6pm I bought the actual disc, Why? aside from being a Weez a holic……..I wanted the liner notes.
I love going to gigs and a band member is walking around passing out their discs, what do I do? Buy merchandise. I love that you can get music off the net legit from the band as is the case with Love Via Dance Machine, thanks guys……Mary bought your shirt…she sports it pretty strong too and its cute. But WHY are they giving it away? For attention, why do they want attention? Cuz they want to be discovered. Why do they want to be discovered? To record and perform…..Live and Recorded……..yup.
The album will never die. The physical jewel case will never go away..well again it will evolve as it has from the plastic platter and needle, but it will always be there. People want something tangible, “here! look what I made” be it in photograph or recording or a canvas art is a muti sensory event. And who amongst us has upon first spin hated a track only to go back and love it (ahem..)
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