In Rainbows (Radiohead)

[Kaylia]

wow. i've been checking deadairspace and other fan forums forever now to see news/album updates, and that was really sudden and unexpected that theyre releasing it in 10 days and for free download. theyre still not even on a record label are they?

anyway, i just bought the discbox even though i dont know what the shit im going to do with the vinyls

What? I thought every album were released for free on the internet, days before the actual release too!

What they are doing is the best marketing stunt they could do probably. More people should do that way, I seriously doubt it hurt the sales in any way. Music industry really need to adapt to the new reality of this generation, but they are so damn slow at it.

[Alleya]

The music industry is slow to adapt because they can't make a million billion trillion quadzillion dollars while paying the artist next to nothing. Execs start worrying about their multi-million dollar christmas bonuses when they can't ensure that everyone who hears a song is paying for it in some way. Music will have to be sold on its merit as good music rather than its marketability and tight control (ie, over saturation). How are they going to pay for their fifth mansion?! Eventually they will be forced to realize that over-produced mass market drivel just won't cut it anymore, now that people have a more available medium (the internet) through which to hear artists who have a smidgen of talent and actually write their own songs, and do it for the love of art and expression rather than the love of cash. Like I said before, raidohead is just joining a growing number of artists who believe that music is an art before it's a business. You can go to a gallery and pay nothing to look at hundreds of pieces of art, but of course they're going to have a suggested donation box that they'll want you to drop a little cash in.

Back in the heydey of real music, the romantic era, you could walk into a salon and hear the greatest virtuosos of the day, and some of the most enduring names in art (chopin, liszt, schumman, all of them played for free in public) completely for free. But if you liked them, you gave them money. You bought the sheet music and had your daughter learn to play it, as a proper lady should. This whole system is just getting back to a better time when artists were made popular (and rewarded) by being good artists, not by being a marketable face with lyrics carefully crafted to reach a specific target audience. The death of the music industry is nothing but a good thing for everyone, it means an end to cheap no-talent hacks being elevated to superstar levels when in a just world they'd starve on the streets for being so terrible.

[TimeBomb]

I'm grabbing this now.. damn the site is slower than walking through Al Zahbi during Besieged.

I think the idea behind their marketing is brilliant. They definitely expect people to mise the download now, but big deal. Without a record company there pulling off a ridiculous percentage of their CD sales totals they can get away it because there will be enough honest people who put up $5-10 for the album now, and those people will still buy the official copy for $20 when it finally gets released in stores.

[Kaylia]

The music industry is slow to adapt because they can't make a million billion trillion quadzillion dollars while paying the artist next to nothing. Execs start worrying about their multi-million dollar christmas bonuses when they can't ensure that everyone who hears a song is paying for it in some way. Music will have to be sold on its merit as good music rather than its marketability and tight control (ie, over saturation). How are they going to pay for their fifth mansion?! Eventually they will be forced to realize that over-produced mass market drivel just won't cut it anymore, now that people have a more available medium (the internet) through which to hear artists who have a smidgen of talent and actually write their own songs, and do it for the love of art and expression rather than the love of cash. Like I said before, raidohead is just joining a growing number of artists who believe that music is an art before it's a business. You can go to a gallery and pay nothing to look at hundreds of pieces of art, but of course they're going to have a suggested donation box that they'll want you to drop a little cash in.

What I'm saying is that with the correct model, they can probably milk as much money as they did before. It's true they are never going to make as much money forcing the same shitty artist down our throat with marketing, but there is other alternative for them.

[Pyro]

Looks like the average amount that people are paying for the album is around $8.00 according to couple sources. Hell, they were talking about it on Good Morning America today.

[Norelco]

Looks like the average amount that people are paying for the album is around $8.00 according to couple sources. Hell, they were talking about it on Good Morning America today.

Considering that bands usually only get like $1-$2 per album sold I'd say they're making out pretty fucking well.

[theo]

I stayed up all night so I could d/l it and listen to it. Also played HL2 cause they became available within a couple hours of eachother. :D

I absolutely love 15 Step and Reckoner. The rest is growing on me. A lot of Radiohead's music takes a while to sink in before you really start to get into it, well, for me anyway. Edit: I actually forgot Puzzles Falling into Place, which is my favorite song at the moment.

Oh, and I love how NIN and Madonna are now following in Radiohead's footsteps with dropping their record labels. It seems like its only a matter of time now before the industry crashes in on itself and artists/fans are free from greedy corporations.

[Resin]

I agree with newer Radiohead albums being more sort of "thinking music" in a way (if that makes any sense). On the first couple listens, I'm really liking it. Also really looking forward to all the extra songs that are going to be on the full album.

[TimeBomb]

Oh, and I love how NIN and Madonna are now following in Radiohead's footsteps with dropping their record labels. It seems like its only a matter of time now before the industry crashes in on itself and artists/fans are free from greedy corporations.

Quoted for the fuckin' truth. A-men.

[Maxxthepenguin]

Bump because the album is fucking amazing and letting that fact get lost in the hype of the distribution would be a crying shame

[Stolin]

nude, videotapes, and reckoner are my favorites. Been listening to them all day.

[Maxxthepenguin]

I can't pick favorites It is probably their most consistently great album.

[rezn0r]

reckoner, all i need, & nude are my favorites over here. not disappointed in the least, not surprised about that either. i remember hearing nude years ago which makes it even a bit cooler. i ordered the box because i'm a sucker for my favorite bands.

[Naramaska]

So, apparently they sold 1.3 million downloads...plus whatever number of box sets they were able to sell as well. I'd say they made out pretty well.

[Weeks]

nude, videotapes, and reckoner are my favorites. Been listening to them all day.

Ditto. Much as I loved The Bends and Radiohead's alt rock beginnings, their stronger songs on the last few albums have often been either the more experimental songs or simple instrumental songs like these three. Videotape in particular is very reminiscent of How I Made My Millions, my favorite B-side.

[Brien]

pitchfork's review is up if anyone is interested: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/articl...56-in-rainbows

[Resin]

Good album is GOOOOOOOOD. I can't stop listening...

[Elcura]

Love Nude and Weird Fishes. Everything else is great but these really stand out for me. God I missed good music...

[Rocl]

I can't stop listening to Videotape

[Conrad]

Reading that review made me listen to the whole album again

I think this is one of the only albums I've ever had (I think the Dethalbum and maybe Dark Side of the Moon also) where I can enjoy every single song on it. 15 Step, Bodysnatchers, and Jigsaw are my favorites, but I'm beginning to get into the rest of the tracks.

Simply put, In Rainbows affirms Radiohead's position as one of the best and most influential bands out today for me. It's such a shame that all my friends seem to hate them, except for the one who actually got me started listening to them ._.