Hi Everyone,
Hope ye are all well.
This week’s releases are mainly centered on Friday the 28th of November.
It has being a turbulent year for AC/DC, firstly Malcolm Young, founder of the band, had to retire from the group due to ill health back in April after being diagnosed with dementia (was suffering a bit since 2007 but is now in full time care at the age of just 61, terribly sad) and then just three weeks before the launch of AC/DC s new album “Rock or Bust”, their drummer Phil Rudd was arrested on charges of basically paying a hit man to murder two other men.
Initially, I must admit, I thought this was a publicity stunt taken from Mr. Paul Hewson’s book of unused stunts on how to promote your new album but alas it seems to be fairly accurate and looks as if Phil Rudd has being fired from AC/DC for the second time and could well face some prison time.
Rudd was fired the first time in 1983 when himself and Malcolm where in nearly constant conflict, verbally and physically, it is a sad and difficult end to there AC/DC careers now for both men.
AC/DC’s new one is out on the 28th.
(Speaking of the Bono lad above, I must say the acoustic session tracks on the new album are top notch)
Sony also has a new, sincerely L.Cohen live album from the O2 in Dublin, recorded last year.
It is available across 3 formats…3 CD, 3CD/DVD or 3 CD/BLURAY…it is supposed to be a stunning recording.
Now, if you read last weeks ramblings, you would have heard some of my thoughts and views on why record shops have gone under or maybe will all go under, ( hopefully not says he) I could have on till dawn talking about it.
This week a wise man (well an older man anyway) had his thoughts on it, here is what he had to say:
Morning Ray, great news letter again and if I may can I throw my tuppence worth in the ring. You write about how downloading legal or illegal is killing the industry( not all on its own, but its not helping). Remember when the companies ran a campaign saying that HOME TAPING is killing the record industry!!!! Really? The same as my mam knitting at home was killing the clothing industry!!! I tell you whats killing the whole thing. Greed…Greed by the record labels. Looking at the new releases I see that Imelda Mays TRIBAL is being re-released with 5 new tracks. This drives me crazy. They want me to buy the album twice. F**K that…. I’ll download from ‘the bay’. Thats whats killing the goose that lays the golden egg. The labels can only blame themselves. I know many music fans who download…BUT….they also buy product. Most of the time they download to see what a particular artist/music is like and the will end up buying the entire back catalogue…So let the labels look to themselves to see where the problem lies…..Its only roc’n’ roll but I like it…….Besides all that hows trix…..Rant over
Fair points I think you would agree, the reissue with the extra few tracks is a killer, and really harms the pocket of a physical buyer….not fair.
But the labels don’t care, (and I suppose I have to be somewhat careful here as obviously I need and want a good relationship with them, but these decisions are not made by the good sound people I deal with day to day but by big suits in the great city of London.)
The major labels anyway, are a bit like the banks here, the game is rigged so they don’t lose.
Basically they own the sweets, they sell them to me (small indie retailer or the Music Zone Corporation if you prefer), to chain stores ( golden discs), to supermarkets ( blah, blah, blah) to online rulers of the retail world ( blah, blah, blah) and they own the rights to any legal downloads….they have most angles covered once the bold boys don’t liberate too many sweets.
Quick recent example of, lets call them…. antics, by a record company….Depeche Mode released a 2 CD/DVD very recently retailing at 40 quid, Leonard Cohen’s forthcoming 3 CD/ DVD will be 27 quid.
Manufacturing, distribution, royalty costs I would imagine would be pretty similar for both releases….there is very little advertising costs for the Mode release whereas there will be quite a few bob spent on the Cohen release.
Why then you ask is there a 13 euro difference in price?
Those boys in London town know that the Mode have a real hardcore fan base and will pay the Johnny cash (record company probably knows within 5/10% how many units of the Mode release they will sell) whereas with the Cohen, it has a more crossover appeal but would not work in the market at a 40 euro price point….people may take or leave it….
Anyway, I had better drive on or I might get any sleep or any stock for that matter for Christmas.
Sony also has a soundtrack to “Gone Girl” by Trent Reznor (nine inch nails) out on the 28th.
Universal have the new Take That album out on the 28th aptly called “III” ….last time I looked I thought there was 5 of them?…is Robbie gone again?
Had some real catchy pop tunes in recent years to be fair and Herr Barlow writes those songs as well to be fair…. So, let it shine….45 million albums sold and still counting.
New releases also from Universal by McBusted and Kiesza , Vinyl box sets of Blondie and Rod Stewart as well as a Rat Pack Vinyl reissue and Massive Attacks “ mezzanine” gets the LP reissue treatment….blue lines by them is a classic record…..this one is good.
Lastly from Universal is the Band Aid 30 single, due for physical CD release on the 5th of December….all profits go to the charity….well when I say all profits that’s not exactly the whole truth….Enda and his boys and girls take their 23% first and then the rest goes to charity….that kind of galls me to be perfectly honest….it is the same with all charity releases….talk about leading by example.
Speaking of Enda and his boys and girls, (and this is no way going to become any sort of political rambling, music and a hint of sport for me, when the hurling comes back) this past week has me thinking of the Fun Boy Three song “THE LUNATICS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE ASYLUM”, Terry Hall could have wrote that song in the Dail bar during the week….WHAT A FARCE.
Warner have new releases by NICO&VINZ, the WU-TANG CLAN, WILCO best of and rarities box set, EVA CASSIDY LP reissues, PRINCE’S new albums get there release on LP, LP reissues by OFFSPRING and RANCID on epitaph and GAVIN JAMES has a live at Whelan’s CD release.
Pias has the new SMASHING PUMPKINS record on CD and Vinyl , a JOHN GRANT live album with the BBC philharmonic orchestra, the CZARS best of compilation and a mini covers album by JONATHAN WILSON.
On the local scene, the MUSIC ZONE Corporation is pleased to announce two upcoming in store performances and signings by up and coming Irish artists.
First up is the fantastic local lad JOHN BLEK (have I told ye how good he/ they are….stop me ohoooohhh stop me, stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one
before) who is coming into the shop on Saturday the 6th December to help launch his new solo album ‘ the cutting room floor” ….so please come along if you are around. Time TBC.
Secondly, we have the Voice of Ireland winner BRENDAN MCCAHEY who will be with us on Wednesday the 10th of December at 4.30….spread the word please
Right, I’m off to buy a large water gun and go look around the city for Enda and his boys and girls so
Sin e,
Thanks,
Ray.