Word: albums
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...October 1979, photographer Anton Corbijn, the son of a rural Dutch Protestant minister, set out for England in pursuit of Unknown Pleasures. That was the title of the dark, expansive debut album from the Manchester post-punk band Joy Division, and to Corbijn it was an artistic clarion call. "I thought, 'I want to be where that music comes from,' " says Corbijn, now 52. "It was my mission to photograph Joy Division." Within two weeks he took an iconic picture of the band that showed singer and lyricist Ian Curtis turning back toward the camera, with unwitting portent, while...
Releasing an album with a major record label is similar to giving birth. It usually takes nine months, and the pain can be unbearable. Even at its most efficient, the process requires the input and assent of retail conglomerates, lawyers, marketers, radio promoters and CD manufacturers. And if the project is a runaway success, it might bring in half the revenue it would have a few years...
...members of Radiohead-five prosperous, educated and reasonable men whose major-label contract with EMI expired in 2003-decided that the process could be streamlined. So last week guitarist Jonny Greenwood announced on the band's official blog that a new album, In Rainbows, would be available on Oct. 10 only at Radiohead.com. With a few words, the labels and middlemen were cut out of one of the most anticipated releases of the year...
...that In Rainbows is priced to generate a windfall. While a deluxe boxed-set version for superfans is available for $80, the downloadable album's 10 songs have no price. Drop them into the online checkout basket, and the register says it's up to you. Click again, and the words it's really up to you appear-and really, it is. In Rainbows is the first major release whose price is set by you. And it's perfectly acceptable to pay zero...
...ramifications of Radiohead's pay-what-you-want experiment will take time to sort out, but for established artists at least, turning what was once their highest-value asset - a much-buzzed-about new album - into a loss leader may be the wave of the future. Even under the most lucrative record deals, the ones reserved for repeat, multi-platinum superstars, the artists can end up with less than 30% of overall sales revenue (which often is then split among several band members). Meanwhile, as record sales decline, the concert business is booming. In July, Prince gave away his album...