end of the album format? - Lounge - Forums : Best Ever Albums

telefunker

Gender: Male

Age: 40

is it imminent, already in evidence or inevitable?

surely with the i-tunes generation, the record companies are reaping some karma after many years of giving record buyers little choice but to stump up cash for an lp half-full of filler tracks..

anyone see any alternatives? such as a bigger role for e.ps of around 4 or 5 tracks (approximate number of singles from an average album)
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joannajewsom

Location: Philadelphia

This generation and the music business suck. I'm all about albums. I don't have any "loose" tracks on my iPod. All albums. I have very few EPs, but I don't really care much for the format. As soon as I start to get into, it's over. For me, it's the difference between a short film and a feature length film. Although I can enjoy a short film (Maya Deren!), I'd much rather get wrapped up in a feature length.

Charicature

Age: 50

Location: Vermont

I personally have enjoyed the ability (with limited cash) to cherry pick my favorite tracks (and in some cases the only ones I like) from older albums, especially ones that are hard or impossible to find on CD (I haven't had a working record player in over a decade). But when new music comes out by artists I like, I still usually get the CD.

This year off the top of my head that'll be Depeche Mode and Placebo CDs, though I'm sure that's amongst others.

I think ultimately iTunes is most frequented not so much by a particular generation, but rather by the same demographic that constantly gives us one-hit wonders and pop-tarts, where the pre-selected commercial singles race to the top of the charts but no one knows what the hell else is on the album. It's the same types that preferred to buy 45s instead of 12" 33 1/3rpm discs.

Hell, for one of my favorite bands, Jesus Jones, I can mention them and get blank stares, but then mention "Right Here, Right Now" and it's "oh yeah, I love that song!" And that's back in the decade before iTunes. Nothing's really changed, except life's more convenient for them. But you can still download albums off iTunes, it should be pointed out, and burn them to a blank CD. I've gotten two that way myself.
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telefunker

Gender: Male

Age: 40

Personally, I hate iTunes with its silly restrictions and annoying software.

And in my listening experience, I would say that most artists have no business releasing albums. They're simply not up to keeping the standard sufficiently high for more than a couple of tracks. So, for that reason, I think it's a great thing that you can now purchase album tracks as singles, as such.

However, it would be sad to think that the extended art form might be lost upon future - or current - generations. I guess the consumer holds the sword now and it's up to artists to keep the fire alive.
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Charicature

Age: 50

Location: Vermont

telefunker wrote:

Personally, I hate iTunes with its silly restrictions and annoying software.

And in my listening experience, I would say that most artists have no business releasing albums. They're simply not up to keeping the standard sufficiently high for more than a couple of tracks. So, for that reason, I think it's a great thing that you can now purchase album tracks as singles, as such.

However, it would be sad to think that the extended art form might be lost upon future - or current - generations. I guess the consumer holds the sword now and it's up to artists to keep the fire alive.

Oddly enough, there was an article on the local (Burlington, VT) newscast last night about the recent surge in vinyl record shops opening up in downtown, and that the sales of vinyl by existing shops have been up about 900% in recent years. So it may well be the format isn't dying out - they even mentioned a number of current artists are still or have begun releasing on vinyl.
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joannajewsom

Location: Philadelphia

telefunker wrote:

And in my listening experience, I would say that most artists have no business releasing albums. They're simply not up to keeping the standard sufficiently high for more than a couple of tracks. So, for that reason, I think it's a great thing that you can now purchase album tracks as singles, as such.

I doubt I would be interested in a band that had no business making an album, to begin with.

RFNAPLES

Level 8

Gender: Male

Age: 76

Location: Durham, NC, USA

Don't think recorded music is dead yet.

Recorded Music Sales 2007 (revenues from IFPI):
USA 75% physical, 24% digital, 0% performance rights
Japan 82% physical, 16% digital, 2% performance rights
UK 85% physical, 8% digital, 6% performance rights
World-wide 82% physical, 15% digital, 3% performance rights
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RFNAPLES

Level 8

Gender: Male

Age: 76

Location: Durham, NC, USA

In the United States, annual vinyl sales increased by 85.8% between 2006 and 2007, and by 89% between 2007 and 2008. Figures released in the United States in early 2009 showed that sales of vinyl albums nearly doubled in 2008, with 1.88 million sold - up from just under 1 million in 2007. Don't be fooled, that is still a small drop in the bucket.
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willonething

It may be that the business side of music is trying to influence the market towards individual songs (it's not new), but there will always be musicians who love and appreciate the album concept. Albums aren't going away anytime soon.
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1234567890

Location: Hollow tree.

Its all that darn napsters fault. Remember how slow dial up was? now think how long it would have taken to download an entire album. thats why ok computer was so remarkable. ok went against the grain in that respect. not to mention rock being dead, (another nod to radiohead).