Where Worlds Collide

In a lengthy post, HippyDave considers the pre-order campaigns from the likes of Marillion, The Reasoning and Mostly Autumn, and ponders the state of the music industry.

Could the labels have become their own worst enemies by not seeing/appreciating that some of these bands, with their established cult followings, might not be mainstream but would be a sound, long-term investment prospect? The industry is often - and rightly - pilloried for just this reason: the major labels have become so used to “firework” acts (one big bang and then it’s all over) that they’ve stopped looking at acts that require nurturing and time to produce their best work. There’s no way a band like Pink Floyd would have made it past their first two albums in the current climate, for instance: the suits would have listened to A Saucerful Of Secrets, decided that the band had lost the plot, and given them the axe. Yet look at the spectacular record sales that Floyd have accumulated over the years since - all because their label was willing to bankroll their development. Now, bands have to deliver the goods instantly or face being dropped. It’s all about sales, not artistry.

This is not a new argument - it’s been rehashed over and over since the late 70s, when disco - and then punk - arrived. However, as genres of music have increasingly fractured over the past two decades, so we have now arrived at a point in time where the music produced is more diverse and - in my opinion, of course - interesting than ever before - and yet the labels are playing Lowest Common Denominator. Just occasionally an atypical act - like Muse, for instance - will attract the attention of a major, having built up substantial groundroots support. Porcupine Tree and Dream Theater are both now reaping the rewards of a 15+ year-long struggle against the mainstream tide, having both signed recently to Roadrunner, one of the rare large labels with an independent attitude towards their roster. But for every band like them, another couple of dozen are waiting in the wings - some with sizeable fanbases who are more than happy to bankroll the band’s next release before it’s even recorded.

When people prophesy the death of the established music business accompanied by the sound of wailing and gnashing of teeth, my response is ‘bring it on’. Just about everyone producing worthwhile music will not suffer a great deal if most of the big record companies, along with the rest of the ideological infrastructure of the axis of mediocrity (such as the appalling NME or the dreaded Brit School) were to be flushed down the toilet of history.

On the subject of pre-orders, some people have been critical of the prices some bands are charging, with cries of ‘rip-off’. While I’d have to say that twenty-five squid is a lot to pay for ‘just a CD’, I prefer to think of it in terms as an investment in the band. What matters is not whether or not the CD alone gives value for money, but whether or not I get a return on that investment over the next year or so. In my case, that has included seeing those bands live multiple times, and making quite a few new friends though the fan communities. I certainly think I got my return on that investment last time round.

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 12th, 2008 at 9:36 pm and is filed under Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.