if someone doesn't like it they should just not listen to it, isn't that why there's different music?!? i think its fking incredible, i'll be buying numerous copies for family etc!!
indo_mex wrote:I never said anyone was "supposed" to provide lyrics (although is was a staple of metal albums for decades, as well as artwork with effort) but, unlike Addicted, Ihsahn or even Opeth aren't the most articulate vocalists due to their style. Besides Ihsahn said himself the lyrics on After 'weren't that important' and were like an afterthought which may explain his decision to trivialise them further by not including them on the inlay which I believe was a first. I'd be disappointed if the full lyrics of Decon weren't on the inlay given the nature of the vocals. But generally, sure if bands wish to provide less and less effort with physical CDs they're making the differences between illegal downloads and buying CDs less and less too (and even less so the differences between illegal and legal downloads). It's their choice, once they don't start then complaining about people not buying their CDs. I think the idea of physical music purchasers being disadvantaged is ridiculous. The reason Japanese albums have a history of bonus tracks is because the cost of albums (i.e. imports) to consumers was so high. Western CDs probably costs 2/3 times higher than they do for most other countries. This isn't that situation.
So on the one hand fans will want the song Ho Krll but on the other they don't want the flow of the album wreaked. Seems to be a catch 22. All I'm really saying is this wouldn't have arisen if only one version of the album was released although I understand this most likely has nothing to do with Devin himself.It just amazes me that people freak out if an artist tries to make an extra buck or two. People get all offended.
Just to be clear; I never said or in anyway implied this - "people freak out if an artist tries to make an extra buck or two. People get all offended." Regarding the bonus tracks, you mightn't like, understand or agree with us but some of us fans are entitled to be annoyed. There's nothing unreasonable about that feeling in this situation i.e. if the tracks are only on itunes and especially if they remain 'album only'.
Just a few thoughts in response to some of the things you said...
-The impression I got from Ihsahn's statement about the lyrics was that he didn't want the music to take a back seat to them. Sometimes people get really caught up in what the artist has to say, so to speak, versus paying more attention to what they have to present - that being the music; not just the words contained within in. I didn't think he meant to trivialize the lyrics at all, especially considering After is still supposed to be a nebulous sort of concept album, but I'd have to go back and find the quote to be sure. There's a pretty cool review with him on Popmatters, of all places, about the album and his thoughts on it if you haven't already read it; I'm pretty sure he discusses the lyrics in it.
-Disliking bonus tracks on the regular editions of albums is purely a personal thing, for me. If I want access to bonus tracks that exist/are out there, I'll either find them online, in whatever format the artist is offering them in, or wait until they surface on a single/compilation/etc. Once again, I think the Porcupine Tree approach works great here - there's tons and tons of stuff they've written that hasn't made their main albums, and somehow, it's all surfaced through the years in the forms of albums like Recordings and download-only EPs like Futile, and all that good stuff. They didn't have to clutter up the main releases with the unreleased material, but they've still found ways to release it all. Which brings me to my next point...
-I'm as huge of a proponent of buying physical copies of music as any other passionate fan is. The biggest thing, for me, is presentation - not always content. Yes, I'm always buying for the music contained within the package, ultimately, but presentation matters a lot to me. Burning Shed/Kscope sells a lot of their discs in some seriously beautiful digibooks, and to me, those completely trump plain CDs anyday. A lot of artists are selling some pretty lavish/grandiose deluxe editions of their albums nowdays, in limited numbers, and those are great too. I'm all for everyone interpreting music however they want to, but ultimately, I myself view it as art. So, when it's presented as art (in a really high quality package that makes you go, 'wow, I just picked up something pretty nice!') I get all excited because it just makes it all seem that much more special to me. And, finally, I think that if artists give their fans more incentive to buy their products physically in that type of way (giving them a really nice, quality piece of art to purchase, versus just a CD loaded with extras) then I think they might see an even bigger jump in sales than when they just stick a bonus track on or two.
...so yeah, like I said, just some thoughts, haha.
Oh, and at Dev (since there's most than 10 posts in the window below where I'm typing, can't quote yours) take the rather 'passionate' reactions you've been getting from a lot of people as a good sign - it means that people are paying attention. There'll always be people who don't like what you do, and there'll always be people who love what you do (us), and there'll always be people who respect what you do... but never pay any of the criticism any mind. The only reason you're hearing more of it is because more heads are turning than ever before - which is a good thing, because that likely means more people are now getting into your work as well. Just take the exposure in stride, and keep doing your thing... no one can fault you for being true to what you want to do, and if they do, they obviously haven't paid close enough attention to anything you've ever had to say about yourself and your work.
Just my two cents.
That's...AMAZING.", then I told her the first time I actually noticed what he said in that song, I was on a tube full of city bankers and just started to uncontrollably scream with laughter. Her verdict was that it was like nothing she had ever heard before, but brilliant from start to end 
) life.
