tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839066832439199043.post2588318395317891564..comments2013-10-20T02:52:38.051+01:00Comments on Paul Cusick: The Album Is Dead?Paul Cusick AKA Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731560344251662424noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839066832439199043.post-50634710047475372752010-03-05T09:54:30.780+00:002010-03-05T09:54:30.780+00:00Joshua... I like the idea that DT have adopted... ...Joshua... I like the idea that DT have adopted... and you're right.., singles and album should be treated as 2 separate entities.<br /><br />Both serve their own purpose.Paul Cusick AKA Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14731560344251662424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839066832439199043.post-57674977323268612752010-03-04T22:54:04.451+00:002010-03-04T22:54:04.451+00:00There is very good technology out there that allow...There is very good technology out there that allows for perfect rips of both vinyl and CD to completely lossless digital versions. I have a mate who buys albums, rips them to FLAC and listens to them through a very good set of speakers, or quality cans. I'm not an audiophile compared to him or my other friends, but I do appreciate high quality recordings. I however only rip CDs in high quality. and with the modern age of hard drive space, people have no reason to rip music to 128kb (yeecchhh).<br /><br />As for albums vs Singles, they both have their different pros and cons, The Album allows for a full length exploration into one or a connection of ideas and ideologies (<3 The Incident) but an interesting thing with singles, the CDs are usually released with 3-4 tracks, an Album Version or Radio Edit but sometimes a different way of playing or singing the song.<br /><br />The Single for Dream Theater's 'Whither' from their newest album is a great example, it features the Album Version, Piano version, and a version with Vocals by the Guitarist (who wrote the song) instead of the usual singer. You wouldn't have that sort of freedom of expression with an album, and it gives the fans a different outlook on the song. I know from my own band experiences that different versions will be inevitable, and I for one love listening to (and playing) different versions of a song.<br /><br />So I guess what i'm saying is that both Albums and Singles have their place, but with a Single, you have more of an avenue to compliment your creativity.Joshua Mutzelburgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839066832439199043.post-17374640694907069622010-03-04T17:28:57.422+00:002010-03-04T17:28:57.422+00:00Interesting thoughts. My take on this is that all ...Interesting thoughts. My take on this is that all artistic endeavors are facing revenue-model challenges. This is because how music gets to the listener has changed quite a bit. I started out listening to radio and vinyl, and discovered that the quality of both varied a lot. If you could afford the equipment, vinyl produced the best sound, with a slight fall-off in the bass and treble ranges (usually compensated for by booster circuitry). Radio improved somewhat with FM broadcasts, especially by ignoring the 'song' strictures (3.5 minutes long, with a hook and a break) but suffered from interference, especially when used in a car. CDs had great clarity and convenience, especially compared with cassette tapes. But mixers were not adjusting to the new format and complaints of a brassy sound or too much bass were heard from some listeners. I ended up with a large collection of vinyl albums, CDs and even reel-to-reel tapes that eventually began collecting dust as my personal life took away the time I had had previous to audit them. Then came digital files, and suddenly I was able to listen to music that I hadn't heard in years without secluding myself to fiddle with electronic devices (just one needed, and it was mobile).<br /><br />So I buy albums whenever I can. Usually the previews of a song are only thirty seconds long (You are an appreciated exception, Paul). This means I might miss some little gem that wasn't promoted by free download or broadcast (radio is only a shadow of what it used to be). My feeling is an album is what the artist decrees it is, not an objective definition. If an album is only one continuous track, 2 hours long (a DJ relative of mine does those), then I'm good with it. So, albums aren't dead, they've just evolved.John Morganhttp://jwmpc.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839066832439199043.post-3544436872622974112010-03-04T17:10:19.848+00:002010-03-04T17:10:19.848+00:00Firstly, i'm an old geezer (50 last December -...Firstly, i'm an old geezer (50 last December - still looks weird written down!) so I do remember the thrill of waiting for Floyd's latest waxing outside the record shop!<br />I stopped buying singles when I was 11 and could afford the occasional album from my pocket money/paper round.<br />With the onset of the digital age however, I find that most of my listening is done while in front of the 'pooter, but I still tend to play a whole album from start to finish, rather than set the media player to random. I find that in order to properly appreciate an artist you need to hear more than one song at a time in order to get a feel for what they are about.<br />I have yet to buy a single track in isolation, and indeed do not buy downloads, as they cannot compare to the CD or LP version on a proper hi-fi (remember them?). Try listening to The Incident on a decent system, and follow it up on an mp3 player - no comparison, so much is lost in compression.<br />Steven Wilson has said he does not care for the low quality of mp3 files, and from his point of view it must be frustrating to have spent many hours mastering a cd to the point of sonic perfection only for Joe Public to prefer the more disposable but undoubtedly lower quality download version, and that includes FLAC.<br />The only time when compilations of tracks on mp3 players come into their own imo is when travelling on a plane or train.<br />Paul - love Focal Point and I hope everything you do in the future is released in album form, because I can't be bothered with single tracks.<br />Long live the album!Roger Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06735262800454812153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839066832439199043.post-86196625281291903892010-03-04T16:36:43.311+00:002010-03-04T16:36:43.311+00:00John, I love The Incident and saw it performed liv...John, I love The Incident and saw it performed live twice. <br /><br />That album is one that keeps getting better the more I listen to it. <br /><br />The themed structure can be heard by the repetition of a set pieces of music throughout the whole album, in much the same way as a chorus is repeated within any standard 4 minute song. <br /><br />By wrapping the songs up as a concept album, PT gave themself the freedom to develop some musical ideas in alternative directions whilst avoiding the pitfals of repetition.<br /><br />It also gave SW freedom to expand on his lyrics within the confines of a theme without being constrained by the limitations of a standard song length.<br /><br />I still haven't managed to determine what the story is, but do understand some of the underlying themes.<br /><br />But as I said probably one of my favourite albums from 2009.Paul Cusick AKA Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14731560344251662424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839066832439199043.post-34072019886523171472010-03-04T16:13:39.735+00:002010-03-04T16:13:39.735+00:00Paul, how do you view the approach that Steven Wil...Paul, how do you view the approach that Steven Wilson is taking with Porcupine Tree, where he sees his latest album The Incident as a collection of songs to be played from start to end, much like reading chapters from a novel.John Thomsettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839066832439199043.post-2439839381441825452010-03-04T15:27:26.166+00:002010-03-04T15:27:26.166+00:00Jem Godfrey of Frost* has said some interesting th...Jem Godfrey of Frost* has said some interesting things on the subject as well. Their contract with InsideOut has expired and he had plans all along to stop releasing under the album format (as he doesn't do concept albums IIRC) and begin releasing single songs digitally as they are finished. i.e. one new song per month or so, instead of waiting a year or more for a new album.<br /><br />I like both approaches. The wait makes it worth it, and hearing the work as a whole is a special thing. I'm a young guy, only 23, never experienced the 'vinyl age'. In fact it wasn't until really 3-4 years ago that I started to actually LISTEN to music. And now I can't do it any other way - I actually "spin" my albums from start to finish, regardless of genre or artist. I find its the only way to truly listen for me, at home at least. In my car is a different story, and that's when I create my own mix of singles to listen to.vkamichtnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839066832439199043.post-77323342322687529352010-03-04T15:24:21.452+00:002010-03-04T15:24:21.452+00:00Interesting thoughts there Paul.
A few ideas miss...Interesting thoughts there Paul.<br /><br />A few ideas missing though. One is, why is a CD 74 minutes in length? Answer: because that is the length of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. Modern "rock" albums will fill this CD space, but it's only filler, more often than not.<br /><br />Secondly, why release a whole album worth of tracks? Because that gives artists and promoters a set of songs they can take out on the road. Concerts are where the money is now, not album or single sales, but the album needs to be out there to entice people to come to the gigs. Sometimes it's good to hear songs for the first time you've not heard before played live, but usually the punters want to hear something they know. That means an album.Bil Irvinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03082372607519078302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839066832439199043.post-13222788651069672062010-03-04T15:17:45.691+00:002010-03-04T15:17:45.691+00:00Very well spoken Paul, I''m in the process...Very well spoken Paul, I''m in the process of researching this very subject for a thesis I plan to do in University. My title being, has the digitalization of music (as a service?) devauled the concept of the album? Something like anyway. I'm trying to convey an unbiased insight into how people actually listen and consume music in their daily lives and what affect this may have on their listening/aestheical experience with music as a product. Could I ask if it possible if you consider allowing me to perform a short interview on you in the near future as part of my preliminaries. I believe you have a point of view that will add another dimension and further discussion to my piece. <br />All the best,<br />AaronAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com