This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Top Stories
Guy Garvey: arguing for the album
By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 18 March 2010
Following Pink Floyd’s legal win last week, in theory barring EMI from selling tracks from their albums as single downloads, Elbow frontman Guy Garvey has written an article for The Guardian professing his love for the album format, which, of course, some argue is outdated in the digital age.
Garvey writes: “We wanted our most recent album, ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’, available only to download in full, or in bundles of tracks – but we were met with huge opposition. Big digital vendors such as iTunes don’t like the idea because they think it takes choice away from the consumer. And record companies don’t like it because they think bundling albums will make less money. Some bands, such as Ash, are releasing a song a month, which is fine if it’s what you want to do. But where as they are, in effect, choosing to bring out a collection of short stories, we think of Elbow albums as novels with chapters”.
He concludes: “I’m not saying the labels and iTunes are the bad guys. They’ve revolutionised access to music, and moved with the consumer, improving sound quality and making music available across more platforms. I just think it’d be good if they’d move with artists a little bit, too. They wouldn’t be anywhere without music, and the integrity of the artists making that music should be respected. That’s why I’m knocked out that Pink Floyd won: the album is an art form that deserves protection”.
These may not be earth-shattering opinions, but the piece is interesting nonetheless, have a read of the full thing here: www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/mar/17/album-downloads-elbow-guy-garvey
