Comments on: david byrne interviews thom yorke

By: pampelmoose Dave Allen of Gang of Four’s Music and Media Blog » Pampelmoose Music Media MP3 Technology

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:37:41 +0000

[...] So we have Van Morrison and REM complaining about new technology and now here’s the one person who I would have thought knows better using his keynote speech at SXSW to point out that he’s obviously forgotten that when he was growing up he listened to music in mono. Here’s what the one-time member of The Velvet Underground, one of the most influential bands in music history, has to say about MP3s…”It’s like the technology is taking us backwards. It’s making it easier to make things worse. Here’s our song reduced to a pin drop — what, what, what?! It’s like if no one knows any better or doesn’t care, it’s gonna stay on a really, really low level and people who like good sound are gonna be thought of as some kind of strange zoo animal.” It’s rather sad and ironic that when I was in high school I thought that the members of Velvet Underground were each “some kind of strange zoo animal.” As Thom Yorke said, record companies market and sell plastic cases with CDs inside, bands sell emotion. So Lou, it’s not the delivery system, it’s the end result…. Share this Post: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

By: pampelmoose Dave Allen of Gang of Four’s Music and Media Blog » amazon.com mp3 download service, it’s the labels and musicians’ saviour..

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:25:42 +0000

[...] When they mention “devaluing music” it’s apparent that the music executives obviously didn’t read the interview that David Byrne conducted with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke where Thom explained the emotional connection of music and that record companies sell CDs, as in the package, not the music, as in the emotion - Byrne: You’re valuing the delivery system as opposed to the relationship and the emotional thing… Yorke: You’re valuing the company or the interest of the artists rather than the music itself. I don’t know. We’ve always been quite naive. We don’t have any alternative to doing this. It’s the only obvious thing to do. [...]

By: Michael / Q-Burns Abstract Message

Michael / Q-Burns Abstract Message — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:15:17 +0000

Dave — Q-BAM is going great, lots of new things in the works … Eighth Dimension is still running along, too, though it’s more of a publishing company these days. Ran across yr blog and got it in my feed-reader so I’ll be sure to pop in now and then. Drop a line when you have a chance so we can catch up a little …

By: Dave Allen

Dave Allen — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:45:06 +0000

Trent will have to figure it out just like Gang of 4 has to!!

By: Roy Christopher

Roy Christopher — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 18:38:40 +0000

Agreed again, Dave. What will Trent Reznor do to make a splash with his independence? What about Noah and Liam? The Ocho (2008) should bring many much fun!

…And a shout to Michael.

By: Dave Allen

Dave Allen — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 07:17:28 +0000

@Michael,

Yes agree, of course as soon as an album makes it way into the hands of a ‘press’ person two things happen - it ends up online and then it ends up in a record store’s used bins….anyway…. good to see you pile in here and sorry I’ve been awol - much story there. How’s Q-Burns Abstract Message?

By: Michael / Q-Burns Abstract Message

Michael / Q-Burns Abstract Message — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 03:49:29 +0000

I think when Yorke refers to ‘leaking’ in the article, he is actually speaking about the fact that the last few Radiohead albums found their way online on file trading sites months before their release dates. Part of the reason for these leaks are advance copies sent out to the press, etc. (though the leak of Hail To The Thief was an early mix of the album rather than the final version which points to some sort of an inside job*). I took his comments in the interview not entirely as a jab at journalists but rather to say there would be no leaks via advance copies since such a thing won’t exist.

* I’ve theorized that the band/management themselves leaked this. Brilliant if so: “Someone leaked an early mix of our album … that makes us angry as they aren’t hearing the far superior finished version which, by the way, will be released on this date … ” and so on. I’d be disappointed if this wasn’t their plot.

Oh, and - hey there, Dave! … been a while, eh?

By: Dave Allen

Dave Allen — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 02:34:19 +0000

@Roy,

I think it’s noteworthy that it was Radiohead’s management that came up with the ‘give it away’ idea in the first place. That fact gnaws away at my instinctual mistrust of music managers - they rarely do anything that doesn’t benefit themselves. Otherwise Radiohead could have just started their own label, put out a CD, a download and a vinyl album but where’s the story in that? These days it’s all about the story….! Things move too quickly so attention grabbing means more desperate moves.