Everyone keeps talking about this economy and how awful it is. How we are in a huge recession that keeps dragging down the working folk. Well, I am a working folk and I am not suffering from this economy. I just got my job to be exact. So I do not think we are in a recession. (OK, I know we are officially in a recession based on the terms set by the government. But who put us in this economic state we have in the first place?) But that is not the point of this here post. The point is to talk about what “they” are saying is the worst year for record sales yet. The music industry and album sales is down for yet another year and it is not looking better for 2009. But why is this? And what are the albums that are causing that? Let’s take a look at a few examples from the top 20 reasons that the music industry is failing. (By the way, I do not agree with this list. I also do not agree with the fact that they are blaming record sales on a faulting music industry. The music industry is doing fine. I work in the industry. Bands, and a record number there of, are making albums. They are touring. They are selling merchandise. The reason that record labels are failing is because of digital downloads, peer to peer file sharing, and online radio stations. But that is not the point of this article. The point here is to discuss what “they” say is the reason for a lack in sales.)
#20 – Guns N’ Roses – Chinese Democracy
OK, so let’s start this list off with a bang. Let’s begin by blaming a band that took almost 2 decades to release their latest album. Or a band that is not really a band anymore. This is a band that has one original member left. But they take what seems like a lifetime to create their latest installment that in all honesty is not that bad. It sounds like Guns N’ Roses of years past. But the album did not blow me away. It is an attempt at some continued power ballads that they used to record but just seems to never end. But what did we expect. What did “they” expect? A band that has been working on a set of tracks for this long probably had to re-write the lyrics from time to time because they became outdated. Again, the album is not bad, but how can you blame someone that almost forgot what music was for a reason that album sales are down? They might have actually helped album sales for those rockers from years past.
#15 – Ashelee Simpson – Bittersweet World
Her sister sucks. She sucks. The whole Simpson seems to suck. OK, that might be a little harsh. She did provide some incredible shots in the Dukes of Hazard. She also had a pretty substantial relationship with my boy Nick. And she gave us the line chicken wings that got Pizza Hut all excited. Oh, wait, we are talking about Ashlee, not Jessica. What did Ashlee do again? Oh yeah, she lip sang on Saturday Night Live and married a Fall Out Boy. But she plays music? No, when did that start? See, my point exactly. You don’t know anything she has done either. So how can she release an album that is placed in the top 20 reasons for failure of the record industry? I mean, I listen to a ton of music and I am what I consider a music collector. And I had no idea she even released an album period. I guess I was too busy listening to her baby daddy’s band.
#10 – Gnarles Barkley – The Off Couple
(No, I am not choosing only multiples of 5 if you were wondering.) This album was terrible. This act is terrible. They made one song that people enjoyed and it was a “club favorite” for a summer and then fizzled out. They are a modern day one hit wonder that will not shut up. Now, together they suck. But apart they are pretty decent. Danger Mouse, the DJ for this group, has done quite a bit of solo work. He is the tall one, by the way. He has spun some records for some pretty significant artists as well. But the way I see it is they need to give this up. I am not really sure what they are trying to be here. They have no genre. They have no beat. They wear wedding dresses on stage. And here is a prime example of a band that every single song sounds the same. I might agree that crap that is being put out like this might effect the industry.
#8 – Nelly – Brass Knuckles
This album is not to the quality that I expected out of Nelly, not going to lie. But my God, to put it in the top ten reasons why the industry sucks right now is just beyond me. This album is decent. It is good enough to have held a spot in my iPhone for the last month or so. Songs like “It Ain’t Him” and “Party People” that just happens to feature a stunning voice on her own, Fergie, round out a list of tracks that offer some Usher (Usher is also on this top 20 list. But the album was so bad I decided to not even bring it up.) You have some tracks with the St. Lunatics as well, throwing in a good backbone of production and even though its not the usual quality it is still damn good. So don’t hate on him because he didn’t release another #1 (pun is intended here). Let him go rap and take his shirt off everywhere he goes. I mean, the album cover is evident. I didn’t need to see him live to appreciate his abs.
#7 – Panic at the Disco – Pretty.Odd
Oh my has hell frozen over? Here is something that I can agree on with this album. It’s about time. This album is quite possibly the worst album I have heard all the way through in quite some time. What the hell were these guys thinking? They come out of high school (literally) and record a debut album that blows not only my speakers but also my mind and then take a break. They decide a few years later they want to record a raw album and they lock themselves in a cabin and decide to not leave until the album is over with. They record about 35 total tracks while in the cabin over 3 months. They get out, all furry faced and woodsman like and decide what they had recorded was crap. They tossed it all and began from scratch. They declare they are going back to their roots and build an album off their influences. Listen to the album. See if you can not tell their influences. I bet you say the Beatles. That is because this album is a carbon copy of every Beatles album recorded. I am by no means what I would call a Beatles fan. But Panic stated they wanted to touch base with their roots. They did that, sure. But they also touched base with crap. I loved their first album. I loved them live. And now; I hate them. I hope to God they either get their crap together or they go back into the woods and try again.
#3 – Jessica Simpson – Do You Know
I swear I had not read this article prior to my statements on her sister. I will save more characters and just laugh with you as you see that I am not wrong when it comes to music. That just made my night.
As I was reading I wanted one more album to write on. I wanted one more concept or idea that they stated as being the record industries downfall. Well, the list was not what I wanted. Of course there is a list that I can not agree with. Go figure. R.E.M. got the number one spot, followed in a close second by what seems to be the only normal Jackson left. I am just angry now and have a headache at how stupid this list was. 1/20. Those odds are not so bad, huh? Sorry, the music industry is doing fine. Get over it. Get over the idea we are in a recession. Stop blaming the problems on Bush.
So go to iTunes and listen to some music.
(I want to add that this list was put together by MetroMix. MetroMix is an online pool of things to do in your perspective cities. Chicago, New York, L.A.; they all have a MetroMix. We
ll, Indianapolis just added MetroMix to its namesake. But, the thing is, Indy.com Magazine, which is owned by the same company that owns the Indianapolis Star, are claiming it is their idea, their invention. I just want to let you know for those that are not in the loop, per say, that Indy.com did not create MetroMix. Please do not fall into this idea.)
