In Rainbows

[Darloboy]

I'm not particularly into Radiohead as such, but on first listen this album is great.

[YI]

It's definately good...nowhere near best album of the year. But it's pretty good, the only problem is the real lack of 'standout' tracks IMO. "All I Need", "Nude" and "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" are really good, but still I wouldn't call them GREAT songs.

[probablyoliver]

I'm loving it beyond all belief. It's stiff competition for being my second favourite Radiohead album (I've had it on repeat the last 24 hours, pretty much non-stop) behind Kid A and ahead of The Bends. Faust Arp, Jigsaw Falling Into Place, Videotape and House of Cards are probably my favourites, with 15 Step and Bodysnatchers being fantastic openers. Definitely album of the year, blows yourcodenameis:milo out of the window.

[Dan]

Hmm. Upon actual listening, it's kinda boring. I feel let down. :ohwell:

You listened to a Radiohead album and didn't expect to be bored?

They're alright one song every now and again but a full album straight up is like begging to be bored.

[Herr Matzat]

i tend to kick in my full radiohead program without getting bored, and thats houres.

Full Text Of Leaked Guy Hands' Letter To EMI Staff

We've all seen excerpts and the news reports, but now we've got the fill text of the leakedEmi letter from Terra Firma chief Guy Hands to his troops at newly acquired EMI. The subject is Radiohead, but the underlying message is clearly that drastic changes lie ahead.

You can read the full letter after the jump, but an excerpt that we had not seen elewhere:

Guy_hands "EMI Recorded Music still has value to the vast majority of artists - in funding their development and in distributing and marketing their music - but highly successful bands have other alternatives for making money (such as touring) and a few, especially the more established ones, may be able to abandon their label and try to go it alone. You can see why they might choose to do so..."

This according to our sources is the full text of Guy Hands letter to EMI staff.

Dear all

RADIOHEAD

As you know, Radiohead, a band with whom we have enjoyed a long and productive history, have decided to release their new album, In Rainbows, directly to consumers via their own web-site. They have also allowed fans to download the digital album at a price to be set by the consumer. While some recorded music executives and other firms have expressed shock and dismay at this development, it should have come as no surprise. In a digital world, it was inevitable that a band with the necessary financial resources and consumer recognition to be able to distribute their music directly to their fans would do so. Radiohead is one of the most iconic, original and successful bands in the world, and one of the few with a fan base large and devoted enough to support the costs of such an initiative.

However, whilst most bands, including many successful names, will not be able to - or want to - follow in their footsteps, there are some important lessons to be learnt which support our analysis of what needs to change in the recorded music business model and which many of you have touched on in your letters and emails to us since Terra Firma bought EMI.

In this note, I want to address what Radiohead’s decision means for EMI and what it means for artists generally.

For EMI, this is a welcome reminder of the new digital world in which we operate and the need to focus on the services we provide to our artists. Those artists break down into three categories:

• Those who are already established and in whom we have invested heavily;

• Those with whom we are working to make really successful; and

• New, start–up bands.

EMI needs business models which work for all three categories, the reality being that the vast majority of the third category will fail to achieve commercial success and have historically been cross-subsidised by the first category.

EMI Recorded Music still has value to the vast majority of artists - in funding their development and in distributing and marketing their music - but highly successful bands have other alternatives for making money (such as touring) and a few, especially the more established ones, may be able to abandon their label and try to go it alone. You can see why they might choose to do so. Why should they subsidise their label’s new talent roster - or for that matter their record company’s excessive expenditures and advances - particularly when they are providing income to their record company through their catalogue sales?

We will need to give artists at all levels a deal that is fair to both sides, perhaps one that moves away from the large advances model of old and provides a true alignment of interests and transparency.

However, for every artist being signed to us, regardless of level, we need to deliver them maximum value and a world-class service; we need to develop products that the consumer wants. We need to develop revenue streams both for our artists and for EMI that come from many channels and not just from CDs. We need to be best in class at identifying and developing these revenue streams where best in class is not being judged against the recorded music business, but against international businesses of all types. We are determined to do so and to ensure that EMI Recorded Music has the people with the skills to provide such a worldwide service. It is only by doing this that we will be the best home to musical talent and the most innovative and creative music company.

In effect, the recorded music business needs to become more like the music publishing business which provides its writers multiple opportunities for distribution of their product in order to maximise copyright fees and royalties. In this effort, EMI publishing continues to be at the forefront of innovation and provides a broad range of services.

The recorded music industry, while seeking to develop some of these services, has for too long been dependent on how many CDs can be sold. The industry, rather than embracing digitalisation and the opportunities it brings for promotion of product and distribution through multiple channels, has stuck its head in the sand. Radiohead’s actions are a wake up call which we should all welcome and respond to with creativity and energy.

If you have any comments, please do feel free to email me as usual.

With best wishes

Guy

[TEOL]

Finally managed to get it. Matzat's right on the money as far as fan reaction goes - a band as hyped as Radiohead are and who seem to enjoy messing with people's expectations as much as they do are always going to get reactions all across the spectrum. Personally I loved it, especially Videotape and 15 Step. And it was nice to finally get a studio version of Nude, it's only been ten years after all >_> I expect a lot of the people who don't like it now to come around just like the people who hated Kid A for daring to be vastly different from OK Computer eventually came around.

[Herr Matzat]

#

Oasis, Jamiroquai to follow Radiohead - Telegraph

“Now Jamiroquai and Oasis, two major names that are not contracted to a record labels, are rumoured to be considering following Radiohead by offering work for free, according to industry sources.”

[YI]

Yeah, Jamiroquai have been talking about this for a while. In fact when their deal with Sony ended Jay Kay went on a rant and said something like "Next album I'll just put it on the fucking website" or something.

[Crybaby Bunting]

Speaking of artists that give away free music does anyone know of any other albums that can be downloaded legally for free?

Lately i've downloaded both Dog Problems by the Format and Get Warmer by Bomb the Music Industry, both excelent albums for what they're worth and wondering if there are any other quality albums devoid of a price tag

As for the news of possibly Oasis releasing a new album for free. Me =

And by the way, all this publicity for radiohead over the past week or so might have a huge knock on effect to their CD sales, so why are EMI so critical of what they are doing? Radiohead have no contract to fulfil and wont earn anything from EMI anymore

[YI]

Speaking of artists that give away free music does anyone know of any other albums that can be downloaded legally for free?

Lately i've downloaded both Dog Problems by the Format and Get Warmer by Bomb the Music Industry, both excelent albums for what they're worth and wondering if there are any other quality albums devoid of a price tag

Edited October 14, 2007 by YI

[Crybaby Bunting]

>_< I can't believe i forgot about Explosions in the Sky, I downloaded that ages ago and haven't listened to it through yet. I guess that'll be something to do whie the other album is downloading.

EDIT: Although I was almost put off by this album art ->

Edited October 14, 2007 by The General

[METALMAN]

The Crimea

[Crybaby Bunting]

Ultimate-Guitar are saying that Radiohead have already made $10 million and it's not even a full week since it was up.

£4.5 million in a week, they wouldn't get that much from a record deal AND it's going to steadily trickle in more over the next few weeks and then have another boost when the album is finally released in stores.

[Colly]

Did anyone else have any trouble with the download? My zip file is 'invalid or corrupt' and its starting to annoy me that the support contact e-mail is an automated piece of poo. I paid and everything! Anyone fancy MSNing it over, which I believe would be legal due to my paying Radiohead money for nothing!

[Herr Matzat]

There are actualy conspiracy theories around this album in relation to ok computer... quiet freaky.

http://puddlegum.net/radiohead-01-and-10/

[probablyoliver]

There are actualy conspiracy theories around this album in relation to ok computer... quiet freaky.

http://puddlegum.net/radiohead-01-and-10/

half way thru the "double album", and it sounds amazing. It's true, it actually fits together perfectly.

[ROC]

There are actualy conspiracy theories around this album in relation to ok computer... quiet freaky.

http://puddlegum.net/radiohead-01-and-10/

half way thru the "double album", and it sounds amazing. It's true, it actually fits together perfectly.

[Herr Matzat]

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_dis...498111c455e2d0e

Radiohead, XL Label Deal Completed

October 31, 2007 - Global | Indies

By Lars Brandle, London

Radiohead has ended weeks of speculation by confirming it has struck a deal with British indie label XL Recordings for the physical release of its new album, "In Rainbows."

The deal is expected to cover territories outside North America, leaving the band free to sign a separate deal there, but no further details have yet been made available.

A release date for the physical CD has also not been given, but sources suggest it will coincide with the Dec. 3 arrival of the "discbox" edition of "In Rainbows" available only from Radiohead.com. Others speculate it may not appear until next year.

The band broke the industry rulebooks when they made "In Rainbows" available for download on Oct. 10, with fans able to name their own price. No sales figures have been released, but the band's manager Bryce Edge told Billboard recently that reports of 1.2 million were "exaggerated."

London-based XL, which operates under the umbrella of the Beggars Group, last year released Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke's critically lauded solo album, "The Eraser," which was nominated for the annual Mercury Music Prize.

[GoGo Yubari]

... did they really "break rulebooks," though? Obviously they're probably the most famous act to ever do this, but releasing an album online first and then physically later on isn't exactly new (Harvey Danger, for example, did this to great success/effect in 2005 with Little by Little).

[Herr Matzat]

it´s rumored radiohead themself leaked Kid A to napster back in the day. ;-)