Seven pages of discussion and the album isn't even out yet. I tried to pay them, but it didn't go through so I 'bought' it for nothing and got the confirmation afterwards.

EDIT: Now 8 pages!

quote:

Originally posted by in limbo:
all of radiohead's albums have been just that...albums, not "collections of songs". collections of songs were the very first beatles albums, mere vehicles for selling hit singles. i don't think any band makes collections of songs and calls them albums anymore.

Whoa dude. I hate to disagree, but there is so much of the modern music industry that is just a vehicle for selling singles. I think "albums" are in the minority these days.

And on the subject of Radiohead, I agree that Amnesiac was just a collection or B-sides, but I liked Hail to the Thief for the most part. I doubt they will do the same with In Rainbows. Maybe the second disk won't be cohesive, but the first most likely will.

ok, i'll give you that...but i would say that most music in the independent scene is being made as Albums, whereas the mainstream definitely could be argued to market hit singles through packaging them with less-worthy candidates.

I agree there Limbo. I think the art of the album reached a peak several years back, and has since become less popular. The internet has made the power of individual songs more important.

I love a good Album. I love how the juxtaposition of songs can change how they are heard and interpretted. I love it when a group can play something that is wild and full of energy and get you pumped and raving, and then can follow it with a song that winds you down, or focuses your energy into some grand thought. Radiohead has done that so many times in the past with me. I think the first real album I ever heard was OKComputer. It was like watching a full length movie when all you had ever seen before was trailers.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:
I agree there Limbo. I think the art of the album reached a peak several years back, and has since become less popular. The internet has made the power of individual songs more important.

I love a good Album. I love how the juxtaposition of songs can change how they are heard and interpretted. I love it when a group can play something that is wild and full of energy and get you pumped and raving, and then can follow it with a song that winds you down, or focuses your energy into some grand thought. Radiohead has done that so many times in the past with me. I think the first real album I ever heard was OKComputer. It was like watching a full length movie when all you had ever seen before was trailers.

Well said. I don't think I really appreciated music until I learned to appreciate albums as a whole.

quote:

I think the art of the album reached a peak several years back

Really? Any chance of defense on this? I'm not sure the "album" was necessarily improved upon any time between 1967 and 2007.

quote:

Originally posted by less_success:
I'm not sure the "album" was necessarily improved upon any time between 1967 and 2007.

Me either.

Can't wait to get it. Does anybody know when, exactly, we can download it? I know it's Oct. 10th, but will that be midnight London time or what?
I'm doing my best to stay away from shoddy bootleg mp3s or YouTube clips of the new songs, but I can't wait much longer.
Oh, and I paid 5 pounds and got my confirmation within 10 minutes....

quote:

I think the art of the album reached a peak several years back, and has since become less popular

Since you don't specify the years, I think you are quite correct. And I'm going to say that the high water mark was reached in 1979, with Pink Floyd's "The Wall."

I think that music consumption has cycled back and forth a number of times. Into the mid 60's most music was bought as "singles." For you youngsters, that meant 45 rpm vinyl, with a single on the A side, and, usually, and more obscure track on the B side (yes, my children, that's where we get the term "B-sides.") In the mid to late 60's, as FM opened up, radio programmers needed to fill up space, and "freeform" radio was born. DJs were allowed, even encouraged, to play extended segments. Once artists no longer had to write 2 minute pop songs in order to ensure radio play, a number of artists ran with it. Hence the birth of AOR, or "album oriented rock." This is the stuff you still hear in the "Classic Rock" format.

That was dominant, with a few blips during the boy band and pop tart years in the 90s. I think the interesting thing is that digital technology is moving us back in the direction of the single. You kids are all about the comps, and mixes. ("So I made my g/f an emo mix, and she broke up with me!")

On the one hand, I think it sends a message to bands and labels, that we're not going to buy a whole album, just to get that one decent single (Are you listening, The Cloud Room?) On the other hand, I'm old enough to think of the album as the proper unit measure for a band's output. I hate to put my iPod on shuffle, and often won't listen to music, if I can't listen to the whole album!

I think since the LP was introduced, you've always had a pretty decent mix of album oriented artists and singles oriented artists (aka one-hit wonders). Even in a world where you can easily buy one song at a time, I don't think you'll see the album go away completely.

I think that, for many artists, the concept of a an album as a whole is just as strong today as it was in 1979.
Just look at the great sequencing of some 2007 releases like those of Of Montreal and Sunset Rubdown. Both of those albums are very close to the top of my year end list, although I'm not sure if any individual songs from them would even make my top 10.

quote:

Originally posted by theelfpat:
I think that, for many artists, the concept of a an album as a whole is just as strong today as it was in 1979.
Just look at the great sequencing of some 2007 releases like those of Of Montreal and Sunset Rubdown. Both of those albums are very close to the top of my year end list, although I'm not sure if any individual songs from them would even make my top 10.

The problem is, we are so wrapped up in our indie mindset that we forget that albums are simply not profitable in today's music industry.

The Wall was a huge financial success. But, what was the last album that was a critical and popular success. Ten? Cracked Rear View? Nevermind? Jagged Little Pill? American Idiot? You could probably name a dozen more, but they are now few and far in between.

When you talk about of Montreal and Sunset Rubdown, you are talking about two albums that a vast majority of music consumers have never heard of.

Albums will always exist, because artists will always exist. But, the question is, will albums ever hold the popular spotlight that they held from the mid-seventies to the early-nineties. Given the way that people consume music these days, unless some shocking new models come up, the album will continue to be a dying art.

Should we assume that most of the media outlets metacritic uses will be reviewing the download of In Rainbows on October 10 and soon thereafter? And that metacritic will have a score?

quote:

Originally posted by Nick85:
Should we assume that most of the media outlets metacritic uses will be reviewing the download of In Rainbows on October 10 and soon thereafter? And that metacritic will have a score?

I was actually wondering if Radiohead was going to send out promos to the usual suspects or not, too. Hmm...

quote:

Originally posted by Jglass:
I was actually wondering if Radiohead was going to send out promos to the usual suspects or not, too. Hmm...

No, I read somewhere that there will be no promos sent out to anyone to avoid leaks.

I'm a bit late with the reply, but after reading this thread, I bought the discbox on the day it was announced and seemed to have zero problems receiving the confirmation through gmail, almost instant hm.

Anyways very excited about the album and from what I've heard so far it's going to be fantastic, we may even have a Radiohead album in the metacritic top 10, surely they can do better than Brian Wilson. :P

quote:

Originally posted by -[Johno]-:
I'm a bit late with the reply, but after reading this thread, I bought the discbox on the day it was announced and seemed to have zero problems receiving the confirmation through gmail, almost instant hm.

Thanks for sharing this. I am probably going to be ordering the discbox tonight, so I will be awaiting my confirmantion and hope it comes as prompt as yours did.

Hopefully, if I had payed that much and hadn't got confirmation I would have been a little peeved to say the least.

I already thought it looked a bit dodgy because of it's sudden apperance. :/

quote:

Originally posted by Nick85:
Should we assume that most of the media outlets metacritic uses will be reviewing the download of In Rainbows on October 10 and soon thereafter? And that metacritic will have a score?

On the front page of greenplastic.com there is an official anouncement that there will be no promos.

Concerning the metascore I assume that metacritic gives a score once there are enough reviews. Given that almost every music publication and blog has reported on the story I assume there will be ample reviews coming through, from pitchfork to rolling stone.

Yeah. I don't think there will be a music publication of any kind that is not going to talk about, and review, the album. For one, it's a Radiohead album, and for two it's the big music moment of the month, if not the year, and some might try to argue the decade or something.

It will be reviewed and Metacritic will post it, hard copy or no hard copy.