For some odd reason, I cannot get out of my mind, a quote that I had read some weeks back in a WSJ article on the expiration of albums as a purchased item. Of course, I’m not referring to downloaded music transferred to CD but rather the label-issued album that is coming from bands. The quote, as a paraphrase, was uttered by a manager of a well known band (it wasn’t listed who, just that the band was a well-known one) in reference to the label-issued CD. It, in essence, stated that those purchasable CDs are no longer viable as an income stream but rather a tool used by bands to gain notoriety and to draw people to concerts, where the real money is made nowadays.
Music will always be music. But how it gets to your ears is a changing paradigm that labels seem to be struggling with. It, quite simply, spells D-o-o-m for that industry. With the vast penetration of the internet and the easy availability of music, bands will soon no longer need the distributive and promoting clout of the labels. They are almost there now. I think what keeps the labels in viability now is the feel that bands have made the “big-time” by the label that they are associated with. In time, that will be shucked and bands will logically base their popularity not on label affiliation but on concert draw and downloads.
The single obstacle is a useable front for band and music introductions and discoveries. iTunes will not be that front, and MySpace, thus far, has not been that front. What will validate new music is an old standby, the radio. The current satellite radios have a potential in this arena but appear to underutilize this potential. How? Well…their problem is that it costs money to listen to and most of this upcoming generation shuns that. What’s left? That’s right, good ole terrestrial radio. But, it is sitting on its ass and not furthering a paradigm shift that is coming down the road – guaranteed.
Also, specific sites like Pop Matters, Pitchfork, as well as MusicTAP and others WILL be like radio in that they will be responsible for introducing and pushing new talent. If loyal readers trust what is written in the sites, then that site can be useful in introducing and pushing talent. The internet isn’t going away…yet. Sites such as these WILL be essential as a whole, believe it or not. Pitchfork Media will give you one thing, Pop Matters another, MusicTAP something else – PAY ATTENTION. If music and the models that govern them are changing, then so are the thrusts of these sites. If they don’t, then they will die. Readers are smart; they know where to come to “learn” about new music.
There are several things that are inevitable:
- Radio WILL be the spontaneous promoter of new music.
- The internet WILL be the fully realized distributor of new music.
- Bands WILL be able to sell (or give away) legitimate copies of their albums at shows or from their websites – AND be able to retain full publishing rights – and dollars – as well as profit completely from their own distribution arrangements. And if fans download their music for free – who cares? As long as fans come to shows.
- Hardware R&D and manufacturers WILL create fun machines that will do some remarkable stuff. Example? How about a portable radio with an iPod sized hard disk and a wi-fi capability that will let me buy a song from a radio station (who will enrich bands yet again with licensing and distributive/sales deals) that just played something I liked, at a whim. We’re a mobile society now and we hear things as we move about. It’s THEN that I want my instagrat (instant gratification), not when I get home. NOW!! Cell phones COULD be the machines that do this…but they won’t be; the companies are too dumb to figure it all out and will charge up the tailpipe to do it…and we won’t buy that.
How can labels brake their current woes? It might be easier than they think although it is only until the above happens completely.
- Rework your signing deals by letting the bands have more of the dollars that come in from sales.
- Plunder that RICH vault by releasing limited release Special Editions of old music; your Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Rolling Stones, as well as all of your unique obscurities. The people that WILL pay for those are nearing retirement where we WILL be much more careful of our purchases. But right now, we have that money to spend AND we want those albums. We WILL pay for them. Trickling them out as is done now will only squander opportunity. There are multitudes of ways to approach this and I know what they are. Need clarity? Talk to me!!
- Enhance services to terrestrial radio and build up internet radios by NOT going after more pennies per song played, and thus stifling the very promotion that is putting food on your tables. Music IS your business; get BACK to it.
- Quit letting iTunes reap all of the money. BE the seller of your own songs. Warner sells Warner songs, EMI sells EMI songs…you get the picture. Make the songs useable across all platforms and we will come to buy. It’s not rocket science.
Oh, and Hollywood? Your turn next because this IS going to happen to you as well…guaranteed.
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George Bennett has turned in a review of Live From Jupiter by 24E. See what he has to say about them.
We'll be back on Monday with a few more reviews and lots more CD release news.
-- News Elsewhere --
There IS NOT a new entry in The Guitar Diaries [May 11].
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THIS time...I wasn't 'sposed to life anything heavy. Yeah, I know...a cheap excuse.
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Decca US will release an Andre Previn collection on CD called Alone: Ballads for Solo Piano. This album is expected to release on June 26.
Varese Sarabande has an album coming for Johnny Winter and Albert King called Blues Guitar Killers and is slated for release on June 19. This set is 4CDs BIG!
Hip-O Select plan to release the Blue Thumb Recordings from Love on June 26.
Hip-O Select also plans to release an Expanded Love Man Edition of In Our Lifetime (1981) by Marvin Gaye, scheduled for June 19.
The big surprise of the day goes to the upcoming reissue of Big Science (1982) by avant garde artist, Laurie Anderson (who should have the rest of her magnificent library treated in the same way). It will be re-released as a 25th Anniversary Edition and will be remastered. Nonesuch will undertake this project and have scheduled a date for June 19. This new edition is expected to have bonus audio ("Walk the Dog") and video ("O Superman"). As a sidenote - Laurie Anderson is currently working on her new project, Homeland, which is scheduled to be released in 2008.
Warner Brothers plans to release Something Real by Meg & Dia on June 19.
Time/Life Records will release a Various Artists collection called Summer of Love on June 19. This will be a 2CD/1DVD box with a massive booklet and will feature the songs of 1967 such as Scott MacKenzie ("San Francisco"), The Seeds ("Pushin' Too Hard"), The Hollies ("Carrie Anne"), amongst others in an avalanche of 40 tracks. The DVD will have some great footage including a commune, a Be-In, The Who, Grateful Dead, and more..
This title is no surprise but we’ll throw it in here regardless as a reminder. Warner Brothers will release the next White Stripes album called Icky Thump and is planned for June 19.
Watch for this release by Lava Records called Modern Minds and Pastimes from The Click Five. Modern Minds and Pastimes is planned for June 26.
Another exciting release coming from the Grateful Dead camp is a 2CD Live (1971) release called Three From the Vault, expected to be released on June 26 on their own Grateful Dead imprint.
It’s been a long while since we’ve heard from Steve Forbert (Just Like There’s Nothin’ To It – 2004), however he is back with Strange Names and New Sensations, scheduled for release on June 26.
Tom Jones fans will get a DVD from Time/Life called This is Tom Jones on June 26. This DVD will have stuff from his TV series seen in the periods of 1969-1971. Spread out over 3 DVDs, this set will features lots of Tom Jones tunes as well as many of his guests (Joplin, Who, Moody Blues, Pryor, Wonder, Cocker, and more).
Rhino plans to release a 2CD Live Queensryche album called Mindcrime at the Moore as well as a 2DVD version of the same show by the same title. Both Rhino issues are scheduled for a street date of June 26.
Warner Brothers will release a 2CD compile (36 songs) for Paul Simon called The Essential Paul Simon. A Special set (2CD/1DVD w/ 45 minutes of video) is also planned for issue as well of The Essential Paul Simon. Both versions are slated for June 26. Watch Paul Simon on PBS on June 26.
Rhino Home Video also plans to release a DVD for Twisted Sister called The Video Years. The Video Years is planned to be released on June 26.
On the Soundtrack front, Atlantic plans to release one for Talk to Me, while Warner Brothers has an OST coming from Transformers. Both discs will street on June 26.
Zomba and Legacy will release Choice Cuts: The Capricorn Years – 1991-1999 from Widespread Panic, scheduling the disc for July 3.
As a reminder, don’t forget that Paula Cole’s first album in 7 years is coming on June 12. The album is called Courage and is from Decca Records.
