Comments on: Idea: The Album Song http://blog.thoughtwax.com/2007/09/idea-the-album-song Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:22:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: emmetc http://blog.thoughtwax.com/2007/09/idea-the-album-song/comment-page-1#comment-51605 emmetc Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:50:03 +0000 http://blog.thoughtwax.com/2007/09/idea-the-album-song#comment-51605 Oh, and you pay <a href="http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/10/how_much_will_you_pay_for_the.html" rel="nofollow">as much as you like</a> for the In Rainbows download. Yikes. The future, it has arrived. Oh, and you pay as much as you like for the In Rainbows download. Yikes. The future, it has arrived.

]]> By: emmetc http://blog.thoughtwax.com/2007/09/idea-the-album-song/comment-page-1#comment-51600 emmetc Mon, 01 Oct 2007 10:29:12 +0000 http://blog.thoughtwax.com/2007/09/idea-the-album-song#comment-51600 That's interesting about the history of the album. There's a similar overview of the history of novels, and their beginnings as serial chapters that came bundled with newspapers, <a href="http://infovore.org/talks-pdf/telling-stories-print.pdf" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Of course, we don't consider chapters of a book to necessarily stand alone as songs do. Anyway, looks like Radiohead have certainly got an opinion on this type of thing: their new album will be available either as a digital download or a boxed set with CDs, records, booklets, artwork, and the digital download: <a href="http://www.inrainbows.com" rel="nofollow">In Rainbows</a>. That’s interesting about the history of the album. There’s a similar overview of the history of novels, and their beginnings as serial chapters that came bundled with newspapers, here. Of course, we don’t consider chapters of a book to necessarily stand alone as songs do.

Anyway, looks like Radiohead have certainly got an opinion on this type of thing: their new album will be available either as a digital download or a boxed set with CDs, records, booklets, artwork, and the digital download: In Rainbows.

]]> By: MacDara http://blog.thoughtwax.com/2007/09/idea-the-album-song/comment-page-1#comment-51300 MacDara Sat, 22 Sep 2007 22:17:44 +0000 http://blog.thoughtwax.com/2007/09/idea-the-album-song#comment-51300 I remember reading somewhere before about the origin of the term 'album': that it referred to a physical album, a book of cardboard sleeves in which one would keep the individual singles released by a particular artist. Once the LP was invented, that became the preferred format for singles compilations, but the 'album' name was retained. Only later did the idea of the album as a singular work come into being, as you rightly state, and I think for most 'serious' music fans, that would be what's generally regarded as the point of the form as it is today. In other words, an artist or band records a collection of compositions that reflect a particular period or mood or concept or whatever. But, as you say yourself, that doesn't mean that the individual songs can't stand alone. I'm not a Radiohead fan, don't care anything for their music personally, but I do think it's their choice to market their music in whatever way they want to. To disallow individual song downloads/purchases is a mistake (as if they're trying to force their artistic vision on the potential listener/customer; it smacks as a bit precious to me), but it's their decision all the same. I remember reading somewhere before about the origin of the term ‘album’: that it referred to a physical album, a book of cardboard sleeves in which one would keep the individual singles released by a particular artist. Once the LP was invented, that became the preferred format for singles compilations, but the ‘album’ name was retained. Only later did the idea of the album as a singular work come into being, as you rightly state, and I think for most ’serious’ music fans, that would be what’s generally regarded as the point of the form as it is today. In other words, an artist or band records a collection of compositions that reflect a particular period or mood or concept or whatever. But, as you say yourself, that doesn’t mean that the individual songs can’t stand alone.

I’m not a Radiohead fan, don’t care anything for their music personally, but I do think it’s their choice to market their music in whatever way they want to. To disallow individual song downloads/purchases is a mistake (as if they’re trying to force their artistic vision on the potential listener/customer; it smacks as a bit precious to me), but it’s their decision all the same.

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