I am not a huge Radiohead fan. I love “The Bends” without question, and like “Pablo Honey” and “OK Computer” quite a bit, but I lost interest around then.
However, allowing your fans to decide how much they want to pay for your new album is a move of such breathtaking awesomenity that I have just pre-ordered it. It is called “In Rainbows”, and if you think the record industry has been taking the piss for untold years then you should do the same.
For the record (hah! geddit?) I paid £5. Had it been a band I really do groove on such as Velvet Revolver or Buckcherry, I would have paid more, but the fiver reflects my level of interest (low) coupled with my gigantic respect for this action.
Nicely,
–c.
3 Comments
It’s something that works for a band who have already achieved notoriety, in part through the efforts of a record company, but I’m not sure how a band with a small following reach the heights where they can do something similar.
Absolutely, and I never suggested it was a good idea for other people - just that it was a genius move on Radiohead’s part. Obviously, for this to work, you need a massive loyal fanbase.
What I think it does is make people think more about the value of music in a time when if you want it for free you can get it anyway, and shops are still charging us anything up to 20 quid for a CD.
Trent Reznor is apparently doing the same with NIN. Hurrah!
A few years ago there was a restaurant in London with no prices, you just paid what you thought was reasonable. It made more money than it had before they switched to doing that. No idea whether that was just because of people going along for the novelty value though, and I don’t think it’s open any more.
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