AC/DC DEFENDS DECISIONS ON WAL-MART, iTUNES …AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson defended the band's decision to sell its new album, Black Ice, exclusively through Wal-Mart in a new interview with Reuters, explaining, "A lot of people were saying 'Ah man, you're going to the big Wal-Mart, you're selling out.' Wal-Mart were the only big store to stock all of our albums, every single one of them, and they've never deviated. And they sold AC/DC shirts and pajamas for kids, which we thought was really cool." As for the group's equally controversial stance on keeping its music off iTunes, Johnson said, "Maybe I'm just being old fashioned, but this iTunes, God bless 'em, it's going to kill music if they're not careful. It's a monster, this thing. It just worries me."
Guitarist Angus Young told the New York Times that the band objects to iTunes' insistence that songs must be available individually and not just as part of an album. He said, "It's like an artist who does a painting. If he thinks it's a great piece of work, he protects it. It's the same thing: this is our work."
Black Ice, AC/DC's first album in eight years, comes out on October 20th. It will also be available through acdc.com, with independent record stores selling a vinyl version.
AC/DC has sold 26.4 million albums since 1991, when SoundScan first began tracking record sales, making the group second only to the Beatles.
Wal-Mart has reportedly guaranteed that it will sell 2.5 million copies of Black Ice. The band's last effort, 2000's Stiff Upper Lip, has sold 940,000.
=======================================
METALLICA DRUMMER DOESN'T UNDERSTAND AUDIO COMPLAINTS …Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich told us that he doesn't understand the controversy that has broken out in recent weeks over the audio quality of the band's new album, Death Magnetic. Some fans and publications have accused the group and producer Rick Rubin of mixing the album at such a loud volume that the music is distorted and difficult to listen to. But Ulrich said that he's more than happy with the way it turned out: "I listen to this record, and I listen to it every couple of days. And when I hear it, it puts a smile on my face and it blows me away, and I don't understand what people are talking about. Somebody told me the other day that there were 12,000 people that had signed a petition to remix the record. We've sold two and a half million copies of Death Magnetic. You do the math yourself."
Death Magnetic has sold more than a million copies in the U.S. alone since coming out on September 12th.
A number of fans said online that they prefer the versions of the CD's tracks prepared for the Guitar Hero video game, which are mixed differently.
Metallica begins a North American tour on October 21st in Glendale, Arizona in support of Death Magnetic.
=======================================
U2 BRINGS NEW ALBUM TO NEW YORK …U2 has been hard at work on its next studio album, due out in early 2009. The set was expected to be released this year, but was pushed back after U2 members caught the creative bug while in the studio. Now one of the album's producers, Daniel Lanois, tells Canoe Jam! that he's been in New York City recently producing the set. He says "I enjoy the duality of my laboratory work and studio experiments I'm doing with U2 with my own musical career."
Lanois first worked on U2's The Unforgettable Fire and has teamed with Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson and others.
=======================================
PETE TOWNSHEND EYEING FUTURE 'QUADROPHENIA' PROJECTS ..Pete Townshend said that he's looking forward to revisiting the Who's Quadrophenia, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. Townshend answered fans questions on thewho.com and said that future Quadrophenia-based projects still interest him, explaining, "I would love to see an orchestrated version of Quadrophenia. I would love to do a surround-sound version of the original recording. Roger (Daltrey) is keen to take the 1996 (extended band version of ) Quadrophenia on the road again one day and I'd like that too."
Townshend added, "I'm genuinely excited about the British theatrical production of Quadrophenia because the people involved... really understand the essential poetry of the story. In a rock piece, if you try to overcook the story, the dramatic narrative, you might break its very spine... In rock, narrative can really stop the listener from taking center stage."
He explained that older pieces need to constantly be infused with fresh ideas to continue to work: "What I do must stand to be revisited over and over again by a listener who is growing, changing, using the music like a scent. Rock musicians of all kinds are still struggling to understand how sometimes we pull it off without knowing how we did it."
Last week Roger Daltrey said that troubled British singer Amy Winehouse and Carl Barat -- the former Libertines' bandmate of the equally troubled Brit rocker Pete Doherty -- would make a great addition to a proposed West End musical of Quadrophenia.
Quadrophenia, which was released on October 19th, 1973 featured such classic Who songs as "The Real Me," "5:15," "I'm One," The Punk And The Godfather," "Sea And Sand," and "Love Reign O'er Me," among others. A film version based around the Who's album was produced by the band and released in 1979.
The Who kicks off their 10-date North American mini-tour on October 21st in Auburn Hills, Michigan at the Palace Of Auburn Hills.
=======================================
TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS MULTI-DISC DOCUMENTARY HEADING FOR BEST BUY …Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are reissuing a two-DVD version of their Peter Bogdonovich-directed documentary Runnin' Down A Dream: Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers. The new edition, which features the entire four-hour film -- with newly added bonus material, will be sold exclusively though Best Buy stores. Runnin' Down A Dream was originally released on DVD last year as four-disc set.
The new two-DVD edition features the new bonus performances:
"Too Much Ain't Enough," recorded live on December 31st, 1978 in Los Angeles, California at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.
"The Waiting" featuring Eddie Vedder, recorded live July 3, 2006 in Denver, Colorado at the Pepsi Center.
A cover of Van Morrison's "Mystic Eyes" recorded live on October 27th, 2006 at Los Angeles' Greek Theatre.
Runnin' Down A Dream features interviews and appearances by such heavyweights as Stevie Nicks, Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl, Jackson Browne, Roger McGuinn, Dave Stewart, Jeff Lynne, Rick Rubin, Jimmy Lovine, and others.
The movie also features footage of Petty recording with his Traveling Wilburys bandmates, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison.
Petty says the key to keeping the Heartbreakers a living, breathing unit, is having them spend more time on the road than holed up in recording studios: "I've seen people that have been around a long time, and they just fall into routine and self-parody, and that's just not where we want to wind up. We want to keep this thing fresh, and we really believe in this music -- this rock and roll music that we're playing -- and we want to keep it fresh and contemporary, you know, and avoid any sort of routine to it."
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Aretha Franklin Releases First Christmas Album Through Borders
Aretha Franklin released her first-ever Christmas album today in an exclusive arrangement with Borders. This Christmas Aretha is available at Borders and Waldenbooks stores and at Borders.com.
The album contains eleven holiday themed tracks of which three were produced by Franklin and two more include the singer on piano. The balance of the tracks were produced by Tena Clark who has worked with Natalie Cole, Dionne Warwick, Patti LaBelle and others.
Franklin is also joined by her sons, singer Eddie and guitarist Teddy, on This Christmas and The Lord Will Make a Way. On the latter, Franklin said "It's one of those old time, good time recordings. It's so smashing, right there on the front burner. Check out that groove!"
The track list for The Christmas Aretha:
Angels We Have Heard on High
This Christmas
My Grown-Up Christmas List
The Lord Will Make A Way
Silent Night
Ave Maria
Christmas Ain't Christmas (Without The One You Love)
14 Angels
One Night With The King
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
'Twas The Night Before Christmas
SOURCE: http://winkscollectibles.blogspot.com/
The album contains eleven holiday themed tracks of which three were produced by Franklin and two more include the singer on piano. The balance of the tracks were produced by Tena Clark who has worked with Natalie Cole, Dionne Warwick, Patti LaBelle and others.
Franklin is also joined by her sons, singer Eddie and guitarist Teddy, on This Christmas and The Lord Will Make a Way. On the latter, Franklin said "It's one of those old time, good time recordings. It's so smashing, right there on the front burner. Check out that groove!"
The track list for The Christmas Aretha:
Angels We Have Heard on High
This Christmas
My Grown-Up Christmas List
The Lord Will Make A Way
Silent Night
Ave Maria
Christmas Ain't Christmas (Without The One You Love)
14 Angels
One Night With The King
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
'Twas The Night Before Christmas
SOURCE: http://winkscollectibles.blogspot.com/
Don’t Sell Your LPs!
By Scott Westerman - Curator - Keener13.com
My first 45: Limbo Rock by Chubby Checker. My first LP: Shut Down Vol II by the Beach Boys. LPs who’s grooves I wore out with repeated play: Crosby, Stills & Nash, Blood, Sweat & Tears and Earth, Wind & Fire. The number of LPs and 45s in my library now: 672
Remember the sound of putting a needle to vinyl and waiting for the first track to vibrate out of the grooves, through the cartridge and the pre-amp, across the amplifier’s power transistors (after adding appropriate bass and pressing the ‘loudness’ button) and along the two pairs of copper wires towards those expensive speakers that were the heartbeat of that stereo system that cost almost as much as your first automobile?
In the day, exploring an album often meant discovering a deep track, about three cuts in, that would never be selected as a single, but touched something at your emotional core (Quatermass - Good Lord Knows is one of my faves). If the LP was Abbey Road or Dark Side of the Moon, it meant 45 minutes of bliss, interrupted only by the amount of time it took to flip the disk to side two. If it was The Firesign Theater’s “Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pilers”, it was something you replayed until the Adventures of Porgie and Mudhead were burned, line by line, into your long term memory.
Vinyl was an experience you shared. Listening to the Bridge Over Troubled Water LP while exploring the heights of passion with a half dozen other junior high couples in the dark corners of a friend’s basement. Wondering what the heck the obscure band was that the guys at Discount Records always liked to play while you and your testosterone charged buddies were trying to sneak a peak at banned Jimi Hendrix “Electric Lady Land” album cover. Or running Funkadelic’s “I Got A Thing” over and over so your band could learn the nuances of a bass line, a wah wah peddle, and some drum licks in a hopeless attempt at imitation.
Vinyl, when mixed with the 12AX7A vacuum tubes that powered your stereo created a warmth that added an indescribable something that the best digital Pro Tools plug-in could never recreate. The LP’s cover became a work of art in itself. Sgt. Pepper’s cover launched a hundred analytical dissertations, fed the Beatle rumor mill and became fodder for trivia buffs who memorized the names and faces of every image thereon.
Vinyl, in the hands of the right disc jockey became an instrument that could create a symphony where disparate artists came together in a seamless harmonic whole to take you on an emotional roller coaster ride.
Then came one turn of the evolutionary road, where it was thought that Vinyl was as anachronistic as a pterodactyl, technically deficient and ultimately too fragile to be a permanent part of the audio archive. CDs and their successor, the MP3 were pure digital storage devices that could be identically cloned without the generational losses inherent in the magnetically arranged iron filings on strips of Mylar or the vibratory bands encircling black plastic.
For three decades we’ve believed that digital perfection was the be all and end all. But now, it seems that everything old is new again. Even as CD sales continue to decline, vinyl is in a renaissance.
The Chicago Tribune quotes Ken Shipley, co-owner of the Numero Group, a Chicago label that specializes in reissues of underground soul music. “We’re seeing the (vinyl) resurgence in all walks of life: from 50-year-old guys who want high-quality product to match their high-end stereos to 19-year-old kids who are sick of the minimalist Ikea design that has plagued dorm rooms for the last decade..Vinyl is the new books.”
Pressing plants are being brought out of mothballs and limited edition vinyl box sets are selling out, at price points that would make CD manufacturers salivate. Bill Gagnon, senior vice president of catalog marketing at EMI Music told the Trib that he expects vinyl to eventually make up about 4% of EMI’s revenue. As with everything else, it’s the younger generation that is driving the demand.
Will the LP supplant digital? Nope. The pure ease of carrying your entire record library around in a cigarette box that renders it perfectly and pristine first time, every time ensures a digital future.
But like the Keener generation, new audiences are discovering the same magic we remember from that first time we put needle to groove.
SOURCE: http://scottwesterman.com/
My first 45: Limbo Rock by Chubby Checker. My first LP: Shut Down Vol II by the Beach Boys. LPs who’s grooves I wore out with repeated play: Crosby, Stills & Nash, Blood, Sweat & Tears and Earth, Wind & Fire. The number of LPs and 45s in my library now: 672
Remember the sound of putting a needle to vinyl and waiting for the first track to vibrate out of the grooves, through the cartridge and the pre-amp, across the amplifier’s power transistors (after adding appropriate bass and pressing the ‘loudness’ button) and along the two pairs of copper wires towards those expensive speakers that were the heartbeat of that stereo system that cost almost as much as your first automobile?
In the day, exploring an album often meant discovering a deep track, about three cuts in, that would never be selected as a single, but touched something at your emotional core (Quatermass - Good Lord Knows is one of my faves). If the LP was Abbey Road or Dark Side of the Moon, it meant 45 minutes of bliss, interrupted only by the amount of time it took to flip the disk to side two. If it was The Firesign Theater’s “Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pilers”, it was something you replayed until the Adventures of Porgie and Mudhead were burned, line by line, into your long term memory.
Vinyl was an experience you shared. Listening to the Bridge Over Troubled Water LP while exploring the heights of passion with a half dozen other junior high couples in the dark corners of a friend’s basement. Wondering what the heck the obscure band was that the guys at Discount Records always liked to play while you and your testosterone charged buddies were trying to sneak a peak at banned Jimi Hendrix “Electric Lady Land” album cover. Or running Funkadelic’s “I Got A Thing” over and over so your band could learn the nuances of a bass line, a wah wah peddle, and some drum licks in a hopeless attempt at imitation.
Vinyl, when mixed with the 12AX7A vacuum tubes that powered your stereo created a warmth that added an indescribable something that the best digital Pro Tools plug-in could never recreate. The LP’s cover became a work of art in itself. Sgt. Pepper’s cover launched a hundred analytical dissertations, fed the Beatle rumor mill and became fodder for trivia buffs who memorized the names and faces of every image thereon.
Vinyl, in the hands of the right disc jockey became an instrument that could create a symphony where disparate artists came together in a seamless harmonic whole to take you on an emotional roller coaster ride.
Then came one turn of the evolutionary road, where it was thought that Vinyl was as anachronistic as a pterodactyl, technically deficient and ultimately too fragile to be a permanent part of the audio archive. CDs and their successor, the MP3 were pure digital storage devices that could be identically cloned without the generational losses inherent in the magnetically arranged iron filings on strips of Mylar or the vibratory bands encircling black plastic.
For three decades we’ve believed that digital perfection was the be all and end all. But now, it seems that everything old is new again. Even as CD sales continue to decline, vinyl is in a renaissance.
The Chicago Tribune quotes Ken Shipley, co-owner of the Numero Group, a Chicago label that specializes in reissues of underground soul music. “We’re seeing the (vinyl) resurgence in all walks of life: from 50-year-old guys who want high-quality product to match their high-end stereos to 19-year-old kids who are sick of the minimalist Ikea design that has plagued dorm rooms for the last decade..Vinyl is the new books.”
Pressing plants are being brought out of mothballs and limited edition vinyl box sets are selling out, at price points that would make CD manufacturers salivate. Bill Gagnon, senior vice president of catalog marketing at EMI Music told the Trib that he expects vinyl to eventually make up about 4% of EMI’s revenue. As with everything else, it’s the younger generation that is driving the demand.
Will the LP supplant digital? Nope. The pure ease of carrying your entire record library around in a cigarette box that renders it perfectly and pristine first time, every time ensures a digital future.
But like the Keener generation, new audiences are discovering the same magic we remember from that first time we put needle to groove.
SOURCE: http://scottwesterman.com/
Album Cover Art
Let's continue our look at Gigwise.com's look at the 50 most controversial, weirdest, best and worst album covers as put together by their staff:
Controversial
14. Mortad Hell: ‘There’s A Satanic Butcher In Every One Of Us’ Who, what? Well this cover certainly would explain the music, death metal. And who doesn't love blood and a butcher on any album cover?
-----------------------------------------------
Weirdest
14. Kjell Kraghe: 'Vind I Seglen' Again, the staff has pulled out some obscure artwork from some obscure artist. Wouldn't make my list, but they seem pretty smitten with it.
-----------------------------------------------
Worst
14. ManOwar – ‘Anthology’: Anthology is the second "best of" album by the heavy metal band Manowar.
This 1997 compilation album of ManOwar’s greatest hits perhaps belonged to the Eighties for it’s pure cheesiness value. The boys must clearly have worked out to get that authentic Conan the Barbarian look. After doing some research about the band, all I could find was this cover making list of the 'worst' album covers of all time on a variety of web sites. We get the picture, I don't think that their music mattered.
--------------------------------------------
Best
14. The Beatles: ‘Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band’ Not in the top five? A real slip up for Gigwise, this cover is iconic.
The Grammy Award-winning album packaging was created by art director Robert Fraser, mostly in collaboration with McCartney, designed by Peter Blake, his wife Jann Haworth, and photographed by Michael Cooper. It featured a colourful collage of life-sized cardboard models of famous people on the front of the album cover and lyrics printed on the back cover, the first time this had been done on an English pop LP. The Beatles themselves, in the guise of the Sgt. Pepper band, were dressed in custom-made military-style outfits made of satin dyed in day-glo colours. The suits were designed by Manuel Cuevas.
According to Blake, the original concept was to create a scene that showed the Sgt. Pepper band performing in a park; this gradually evolved into its final form, which shows the Beatles, as the Sgt. Pepper band, surrounded by a large group of their heroes, rendered as lifesized cut-out figures. Also included were wax-work figures of the Beatles as they appeared in the early '60s, borrowed from Madame Tussauds. The wax figures appear to be looking down on the word "Beatles" spelled out in flowers as if it were a grave, and it has been speculated that this symbolises that the innocent mop-tops of yesteryear were now dead and gone. At their feet were several affectations from the Beatles' homes including small statues belonging to Lennon and Harrison, a small portable TV set and a trophy. A young delivery boy who provided the flowers for the photo session was allowed to contribute a guitar made of yellow hyacinths. Although it has long been rumoured that some of the plants in the arrangement were cannabis plants, this is untrue. Also included is a Shirley Temple doll wearing a sweater in homage to the Rolling Stones (who would return the tribute by having the Beatles hidden in the cover of their own Their Satanic Majesties Request LP later that year).
The collage depicted more than 70 famous people, including writers, musicians, film stars and (at Harrison's request) a number of Indian gurus. Starr reportedly made no contribution to the design. The final grouping included Marlene Dietrich, Carl Gustav Jung, W.C. Fields, Diana Dors, Bob Dylan, Marilyn Monroe, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Sigmund Freud, Aleister Crowley, Edgar Allan Poe, Karl Marx, Oscar Wilde, William S. Burroughs, Marlon Brando, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, and controversial comedian Lenny Bruce. Also included was the image of the original Beatles bass player, the late Stuart Sutcliffe. Pete Best said in a later NPR interview that Lennon borrowed family medals from his mother Mona for the shoot, on condition he not lose them. Adolf Hitler was requested by Lennon, but ultimately he was left out.
This cover belongs in any top ten list, why it ranks so low with Gigwise is anyone's guess.
Controversial
14. Mortad Hell: ‘There’s A Satanic Butcher In Every One Of Us’ Who, what? Well this cover certainly would explain the music, death metal. And who doesn't love blood and a butcher on any album cover?
-----------------------------------------------
Weirdest
14. Kjell Kraghe: 'Vind I Seglen' Again, the staff has pulled out some obscure artwork from some obscure artist. Wouldn't make my list, but they seem pretty smitten with it.
-----------------------------------------------
Worst
14. ManOwar – ‘Anthology’: Anthology is the second "best of" album by the heavy metal band Manowar.
This 1997 compilation album of ManOwar’s greatest hits perhaps belonged to the Eighties for it’s pure cheesiness value. The boys must clearly have worked out to get that authentic Conan the Barbarian look. After doing some research about the band, all I could find was this cover making list of the 'worst' album covers of all time on a variety of web sites. We get the picture, I don't think that their music mattered.
--------------------------------------------
Best
14. The Beatles: ‘Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band’ Not in the top five? A real slip up for Gigwise, this cover is iconic.
The Grammy Award-winning album packaging was created by art director Robert Fraser, mostly in collaboration with McCartney, designed by Peter Blake, his wife Jann Haworth, and photographed by Michael Cooper. It featured a colourful collage of life-sized cardboard models of famous people on the front of the album cover and lyrics printed on the back cover, the first time this had been done on an English pop LP. The Beatles themselves, in the guise of the Sgt. Pepper band, were dressed in custom-made military-style outfits made of satin dyed in day-glo colours. The suits were designed by Manuel Cuevas.
According to Blake, the original concept was to create a scene that showed the Sgt. Pepper band performing in a park; this gradually evolved into its final form, which shows the Beatles, as the Sgt. Pepper band, surrounded by a large group of their heroes, rendered as lifesized cut-out figures. Also included were wax-work figures of the Beatles as they appeared in the early '60s, borrowed from Madame Tussauds. The wax figures appear to be looking down on the word "Beatles" spelled out in flowers as if it were a grave, and it has been speculated that this symbolises that the innocent mop-tops of yesteryear were now dead and gone. At their feet were several affectations from the Beatles' homes including small statues belonging to Lennon and Harrison, a small portable TV set and a trophy. A young delivery boy who provided the flowers for the photo session was allowed to contribute a guitar made of yellow hyacinths. Although it has long been rumoured that some of the plants in the arrangement were cannabis plants, this is untrue. Also included is a Shirley Temple doll wearing a sweater in homage to the Rolling Stones (who would return the tribute by having the Beatles hidden in the cover of their own Their Satanic Majesties Request LP later that year).
The collage depicted more than 70 famous people, including writers, musicians, film stars and (at Harrison's request) a number of Indian gurus. Starr reportedly made no contribution to the design. The final grouping included Marlene Dietrich, Carl Gustav Jung, W.C. Fields, Diana Dors, Bob Dylan, Marilyn Monroe, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Sigmund Freud, Aleister Crowley, Edgar Allan Poe, Karl Marx, Oscar Wilde, William S. Burroughs, Marlon Brando, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, and controversial comedian Lenny Bruce. Also included was the image of the original Beatles bass player, the late Stuart Sutcliffe. Pete Best said in a later NPR interview that Lennon borrowed family medals from his mother Mona for the shoot, on condition he not lose them. Adolf Hitler was requested by Lennon, but ultimately he was left out.
This cover belongs in any top ten list, why it ranks so low with Gigwise is anyone's guess.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
How To Make Good Analog Music Recordings
*some Tips from Moritz Illner*
Realizing that many independent artists and bands are more than just curious about the re-emerging possibility to offer something more than just a digital file. We thought it would be interesting to do an interview to get some vinyl manufacturing tips.
From our research and communications with several pressing plants, we have discovered that there is a substantial difference between services and costs across the offering table of vinyl manufacturers. But what we have worked out, is, that if given a few concerts, a supportive family, and active myspace page you can manage to sell between 200-300 records, you will be able to break-even on costs with a price per record as little as Euros 2-4 or USD 3-6.
So to learn more about the process of making vinyl records we contacted a vinyl record pressing plant in Germany and asked them a couple of questions. We found a dedicated and service minded team that taught us a lot about the process of producing vinyl records. Moritz Illner answered some of our questions about how to get one 's music out on vinyl.
Thomas: What is the history of Duophonic? Who is behind the company, and what is your position in the company?
Moritz: Duophonic was founded in 2002. We started as a reseller of CD-Pressings and did small runs on our own CD Duplicator. Me as the technical chief and David did all the controlling and project management. We both, David Jahnke and me were great Vinyl fans so we discovered a way to combine our hobby and our job. Step by step we bought more and more Studio equipment especially old vinyl- cutting rags...
Thomas: When did your start focusing on vinyl, and why?
Moritz: I was always fascinated of the miracle to conserve the stereo-sound information in a little groove. In the mid 90ties when I finished my sound engineer training, this was far more exotic then nowadays. But I always bought vinyl instead of CDs so the way a good record has to sound gets very familiar to me over the years. Then a few months after launching Duophonic we found the curious guy near our hometown how had constructed a vinyl recorder. We bought one machine and started doing small runs for Djs and Producers in the end of 2002 with our own vinyl cutting 'lathe.
Thomas: There are different ways of vinyl production, what are the main ways? And, what way of production does your company offer?
Moritz:You can cut records directly in vinyl as a one-off or small run production. This is only interesting for DJ or home use, not for sale, because its not cheap (round 40 euros at duophonic).
If you run a label or band and you want to sell your LPs or singles you have to press your records. Then you can choose two different ways of cutting your Master. DMM -cutting; there you cut the groove into a copper plate. The second is lacquer cutting, the groove is cut into a lacquer coated aluminium plate, and it 's the most popular way. The pressing process itself is nearly the same. Duophonic has a Neumann VMS 70 Lacquer cutting Lathe and we are very happy with its sound.
Thomas: Should artists use different cutting/pressing methods for different types of music (electronic, indie, rock, punk)? If so, why?
Moritz: The most records you can buy nowadays are lacquer cuts, because there are only a few DMM lathes left and the only advantage cutting into copper is the longer playing time. If you want to have loud records for example electronic 45er Maxis it 's better on lacquer, because DMM can't cut so deep. This is important because your playback stylus have to move very fast if the record is loud and therefore he needs a proper guidance. If you have a lot of stereo information in your music than you need a deep cut too. For example if you have massive panned guitars on a punk rock single.
The big advantage of Dmm cutting is the longer playing time per side. The maximum on our VMS 70 is 24- 25 min per side. With DMM you have up to 30 min. But a record with a playing time like a CD couldn't sound good anyway.
Thomas: How long would it take me to get 200 new pressed 12" records delivered to my home in Norway if I gave you an audiotape today?
Moritz: It takes around 14 working days. But I would advice to make 300 pieces because all the paperwork and the pressing get much cheaper then.
Thomas: There is little doubt about the current vinyl revival, which is occurring in the midst of an industry going through major structural changes. Have you seen development in the demand pattern for vinyl during recent years?
Moritz: Not having the big major customers, we're not affected by this "Madonna makes vinyl again" phenomenon. What we see the last years is much more diversity in genres and scenes the last years. All "electronic dance music" is decreasing because of mp3 DJ software. All other independent stuff is increasing especially 7inches (punk, garage, ect.) and Metal LPs, obscure small runs of everything between art and music..
The editions gone down, the average is around 300. But the packaging and the records itself becomes more individual and sumptuous. Things like engraving or double grooves on the record, or silkscreen printed covers are very hot at the moment. There are fewer labels but much more bands that want to sell their product on concerts and so on. They need more help getting a real professional finished product, so we as a company do a lot of consulting work depending artwork specification, sound mastering and so on. For Duophonic the change in music industry is not bad at all .
Thomas: Where do you see vinyl in 10 years? (Still going strong?)
Moritz: Hopefully! Don1t know, but as a niche product it will survive I think.
Thomas: What are your all-time top five records?
Moritz: Hard question, after typing 12, deleting 10, typing 13, deleting 3, typing 5, deleting 12. Here 's the list:
Die Goldenen Zitronen - Economy class - LP
Beck - Odelay - LP
Trio - Trio - LP
Fugazi - Self titled - EP
Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die - LP About the Author
Nylvi co-founder Thomas Stenumgaard writes about vinyl records and the future of the music industry. Nylvi is a new social marketplace for buying and selling vinyl records. For more information check out http://www.nylvi.com
Realizing that many independent artists and bands are more than just curious about the re-emerging possibility to offer something more than just a digital file. We thought it would be interesting to do an interview to get some vinyl manufacturing tips.
From our research and communications with several pressing plants, we have discovered that there is a substantial difference between services and costs across the offering table of vinyl manufacturers. But what we have worked out, is, that if given a few concerts, a supportive family, and active myspace page you can manage to sell between 200-300 records, you will be able to break-even on costs with a price per record as little as Euros 2-4 or USD 3-6.
So to learn more about the process of making vinyl records we contacted a vinyl record pressing plant in Germany and asked them a couple of questions. We found a dedicated and service minded team that taught us a lot about the process of producing vinyl records. Moritz Illner answered some of our questions about how to get one 's music out on vinyl.
Thomas: What is the history of Duophonic? Who is behind the company, and what is your position in the company?
Moritz: Duophonic was founded in 2002. We started as a reseller of CD-Pressings and did small runs on our own CD Duplicator. Me as the technical chief and David did all the controlling and project management. We both, David Jahnke and me were great Vinyl fans so we discovered a way to combine our hobby and our job. Step by step we bought more and more Studio equipment especially old vinyl- cutting rags...
Thomas: When did your start focusing on vinyl, and why?
Moritz: I was always fascinated of the miracle to conserve the stereo-sound information in a little groove. In the mid 90ties when I finished my sound engineer training, this was far more exotic then nowadays. But I always bought vinyl instead of CDs so the way a good record has to sound gets very familiar to me over the years. Then a few months after launching Duophonic we found the curious guy near our hometown how had constructed a vinyl recorder. We bought one machine and started doing small runs for Djs and Producers in the end of 2002 with our own vinyl cutting 'lathe.
Thomas: There are different ways of vinyl production, what are the main ways? And, what way of production does your company offer?
Moritz:You can cut records directly in vinyl as a one-off or small run production. This is only interesting for DJ or home use, not for sale, because its not cheap (round 40 euros at duophonic).
If you run a label or band and you want to sell your LPs or singles you have to press your records. Then you can choose two different ways of cutting your Master. DMM -cutting; there you cut the groove into a copper plate. The second is lacquer cutting, the groove is cut into a lacquer coated aluminium plate, and it 's the most popular way. The pressing process itself is nearly the same. Duophonic has a Neumann VMS 70 Lacquer cutting Lathe and we are very happy with its sound.
Thomas: Should artists use different cutting/pressing methods for different types of music (electronic, indie, rock, punk)? If so, why?
Moritz: The most records you can buy nowadays are lacquer cuts, because there are only a few DMM lathes left and the only advantage cutting into copper is the longer playing time. If you want to have loud records for example electronic 45er Maxis it 's better on lacquer, because DMM can't cut so deep. This is important because your playback stylus have to move very fast if the record is loud and therefore he needs a proper guidance. If you have a lot of stereo information in your music than you need a deep cut too. For example if you have massive panned guitars on a punk rock single.
The big advantage of Dmm cutting is the longer playing time per side. The maximum on our VMS 70 is 24- 25 min per side. With DMM you have up to 30 min. But a record with a playing time like a CD couldn't sound good anyway.
Thomas: How long would it take me to get 200 new pressed 12" records delivered to my home in Norway if I gave you an audiotape today?
Moritz: It takes around 14 working days. But I would advice to make 300 pieces because all the paperwork and the pressing get much cheaper then.
Thomas: There is little doubt about the current vinyl revival, which is occurring in the midst of an industry going through major structural changes. Have you seen development in the demand pattern for vinyl during recent years?
Moritz: Not having the big major customers, we're not affected by this "Madonna makes vinyl again" phenomenon. What we see the last years is much more diversity in genres and scenes the last years. All "electronic dance music" is decreasing because of mp3 DJ software. All other independent stuff is increasing especially 7inches (punk, garage, ect.) and Metal LPs, obscure small runs of everything between art and music..
The editions gone down, the average is around 300. But the packaging and the records itself becomes more individual and sumptuous. Things like engraving or double grooves on the record, or silkscreen printed covers are very hot at the moment. There are fewer labels but much more bands that want to sell their product on concerts and so on. They need more help getting a real professional finished product, so we as a company do a lot of consulting work depending artwork specification, sound mastering and so on. For Duophonic the change in music industry is not bad at all .
Thomas: Where do you see vinyl in 10 years? (Still going strong?)
Moritz: Hopefully! Don1t know, but as a niche product it will survive I think.
Thomas: What are your all-time top five records?
Moritz: Hard question, after typing 12, deleting 10, typing 13, deleting 3, typing 5, deleting 12. Here 's the list:
Die Goldenen Zitronen - Economy class - LP
Beck - Odelay - LP
Trio - Trio - LP
Fugazi - Self titled - EP
Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die - LP About the Author
Nylvi co-founder Thomas Stenumgaard writes about vinyl records and the future of the music industry. Nylvi is a new social marketplace for buying and selling vinyl records. For more information check out http://www.nylvi.com
Neil Young Releasing 1968 Show, Postponing Archives
Reprise Records has announced that Neil Young's "Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House 1968" will be released on November 25.
The release is a compilation from two shows on November 9 and 10, 1968 at the Canterbury House in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the singer's first performances as a solo artist. Young was only 23 years old and had left the Buffalo Springfield six months earlier. The booking was not widely publicized as it was being used to determine how Young's music would go over with the audience when just performed by the singer and a lone guitar.
Along with the music, Young tells stories between the songs on everything from menial jobs he had in Toronto to the origins of some of the songs. Included are pieces from both his Buffalo Springfield days along with early solo compositions. Sound quality is said to be very good even though the performances were recorded on a small TEAC two-track recorder.
On the down side, Young has also announced that his long promised Archives, Volume 1 is being delayed until early next year. Much discussion has ensued over the distribution method for the multi-disc set with Young preferring Blu-Ray only while the record company opting for multiple-formats.
The track list for Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House 1968
Emcee intro
On the Way Home
Songwriting rap
Mr. Soul
Recording rap
Expecting To Fly
The Last Trip To Tulsa
Bookstore rap
The Loner
"I used to" rap
Birds
Winterlong (excerpt) and Out of My Mind (intro)
Out of My Mind
If I Could Have Her Tonight
Classical Gas rap
Sugar Mountain (intro)
Sugar Mountain
I've Been Waiting for You
Songs rap
Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing
Tuning Rap & The Old Laughing Lady (intro)
The Old Laughing Lady
Broken Arrow
Album Cover Art
We are moving right along with the Gigwise.com look at the most controversial, weirdest, best and worst album covers as complied by their staff. Let's explore what they have at number 15:
Controversial
15. Jane's Addiction: ‘Ritual de lo Habitual’ – Jane's Addiction's second studio album, was released on August 21, 1990 on Warner Brothers. It was the band's final album before their first break up in 1991. Singles from the album include "Been Caught Stealing" and "Stop!".
Two versions of the disc packaging were created: one cover featured artwork by singer Perry Farrell, related to the song "Three Days" and including male and female nudity; the other cover has been called the "clean cover", and features only black text on a white background, listing the band name, album name, and the text of the First Amendment (the "freedom of speech" amendment) of the U.S. Constitution (although it's inaccurately titled "Article 1" which is the section of the Constitution creating the legislative branch). The back cover of the "clean cover" also contains the text "Hitler's syphilis-ridden dreams almost came true. How could it happen? By taking control of the media. An entire country was led by a lunatic... We must protect our First Amendment, before sick dreams become law. Nobody made fun of Hitler??!" The "clean cover" was created so the CD could be distributed in stores such as Wal-Mart who refused to stock items with nudity on the front cover.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weird
15. Marilyn Manson: 'Mechanical Animals' The controversial album cover has won critical acclaim and numerous awards. The infamous photo is the brainchild of long-time Manson photographer Joseph Cultice, of New York City. Contrary to popular internet rumours, the band leader, Manson, did not undergo any plastic surgery for this androgynous, alien look. The breasts are prosthetic, manufactured specially by George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic. Interestingly, Manson has stated in interviews that Johnny Depp is the current owner of these prosthetic breasts, while Manson himself owns Johnny's strawberry-blonde wig worn in the film Blow. Manson is in reality, naked, and covered head to toe in latex paint, provided by the same movie make-up company. His genitalia are covered by a thin cup of plastic to create the androgynous appearance of the alien figure he calls Omega. I have a feeling we'll see more from this character and from Manson.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst
15. Millie Jackson – ‘Back To The Shit’ We have seen this cover before on the Gigwise list. Why they chose to add it here I am not sure. But, I guess we all wanted to see a pop diva on the can trying to have a movement of sorts. Enough said.
------------------------------------------------
Best
15. The Rolling Stones: ‘Sticky Fingers’ I agree, this is a great cover. Sticky Fingers is an album by English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in April 1971. It is the band's first release on the band's newly-formed label, Rolling Stones Records, after having been contracted since 1963 with Decca Records in the UK and London Records in the US. It is also Mick Taylor's first full-length appearance on a Rolling Stones album.
The artwork for Sticky Fingers - which features a working zipper that opened to reveal a man in cotton briefs (rubber stamped "THIS PHOTOGRAPH MAY NOT BE-ETC.") - was conceived by American pop artist Andy Warhol, photographed by Billy Name and designed by John Pasche. The cover features the lower torso of either Warhol assistant Jed Johnson or Joe Dallesandro in a pair of tight jeans. After retailers complained that the zipper was causing damage to the vinyl (from stacked shipments of the record), the zipper was "unzipped" slightly to the middle of the record, where damage would be minimized. The album features the first usage of the "Tongue and Lip Design" designed by John Pasche.
In 2003 the TV network VH1 named Sticky Fingers the "No.1 Greatest Album Cover" of all time. In 2003, Sticky Fingers was listed as number 63 on the List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Controversial
15. Jane's Addiction: ‘Ritual de lo Habitual’ – Jane's Addiction's second studio album, was released on August 21, 1990 on Warner Brothers. It was the band's final album before their first break up in 1991. Singles from the album include "Been Caught Stealing" and "Stop!".
Two versions of the disc packaging were created: one cover featured artwork by singer Perry Farrell, related to the song "Three Days" and including male and female nudity; the other cover has been called the "clean cover", and features only black text on a white background, listing the band name, album name, and the text of the First Amendment (the "freedom of speech" amendment) of the U.S. Constitution (although it's inaccurately titled "Article 1" which is the section of the Constitution creating the legislative branch). The back cover of the "clean cover" also contains the text "Hitler's syphilis-ridden dreams almost came true. How could it happen? By taking control of the media. An entire country was led by a lunatic... We must protect our First Amendment, before sick dreams become law. Nobody made fun of Hitler??!" The "clean cover" was created so the CD could be distributed in stores such as Wal-Mart who refused to stock items with nudity on the front cover.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weird
15. Marilyn Manson: 'Mechanical Animals' The controversial album cover has won critical acclaim and numerous awards. The infamous photo is the brainchild of long-time Manson photographer Joseph Cultice, of New York City. Contrary to popular internet rumours, the band leader, Manson, did not undergo any plastic surgery for this androgynous, alien look. The breasts are prosthetic, manufactured specially by George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic. Interestingly, Manson has stated in interviews that Johnny Depp is the current owner of these prosthetic breasts, while Manson himself owns Johnny's strawberry-blonde wig worn in the film Blow. Manson is in reality, naked, and covered head to toe in latex paint, provided by the same movie make-up company. His genitalia are covered by a thin cup of plastic to create the androgynous appearance of the alien figure he calls Omega. I have a feeling we'll see more from this character and from Manson.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst
15. Millie Jackson – ‘Back To The Shit’ We have seen this cover before on the Gigwise list. Why they chose to add it here I am not sure. But, I guess we all wanted to see a pop diva on the can trying to have a movement of sorts. Enough said.
------------------------------------------------
Best
15. The Rolling Stones: ‘Sticky Fingers’ I agree, this is a great cover. Sticky Fingers is an album by English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in April 1971. It is the band's first release on the band's newly-formed label, Rolling Stones Records, after having been contracted since 1963 with Decca Records in the UK and London Records in the US. It is also Mick Taylor's first full-length appearance on a Rolling Stones album.
The artwork for Sticky Fingers - which features a working zipper that opened to reveal a man in cotton briefs (rubber stamped "THIS PHOTOGRAPH MAY NOT BE-ETC.") - was conceived by American pop artist Andy Warhol, photographed by Billy Name and designed by John Pasche. The cover features the lower torso of either Warhol assistant Jed Johnson or Joe Dallesandro in a pair of tight jeans. After retailers complained that the zipper was causing damage to the vinyl (from stacked shipments of the record), the zipper was "unzipped" slightly to the middle of the record, where damage would be minimized. The album features the first usage of the "Tongue and Lip Design" designed by John Pasche.
In 2003 the TV network VH1 named Sticky Fingers the "No.1 Greatest Album Cover" of all time. In 2003, Sticky Fingers was listed as number 63 on the List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Founder of Record Store Day Appeals to the Beatles
Michael Kurtz, the founder of Record Store Day, has written an open letter to the Beatles about the upcoming release of the DVD All Together Now.
Kurtz is upset that, once again, a major artist is bypassing traditional outlets for exclusivity with a large retailer. Offending artists have included the Eagles, Journey, AC/DC and Guns 'N Roses.
“There was once a young band called The Beatles who were discovered by a record store owner by the name of Brian Epstein. We all know the history of how the boys changed the world. But less is known about how this record store owner believed in a young band and helped them when they needed it most.”
“It is a sad day for mom and pop record stores and Beatles fans who chose to shop with record stores. Where once Apple releases would be made available to all music stores, The Beatles legacy is now cheapened by your decision to select Best Buy as the exclusive retailer”.
Source: Undercover Music
This Date In Music History- October 14
Birthdays:
Cliff Richard, England's answer to Elvis, ("Devil Woman") turns 68.
Robert Parker ("Barefootin'") is 78.
Birthday wishes to Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues.
Electronic pioneer Thomas Dolby ("She Blinded Me With Science") was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1958.
Born on this day in 1978, R&B singer Usher (his 2004 album “Confessions” sold over a million copies in the US in its first week of release, selling the greatest amount of records in one week for any R&B artist).
Happy Birthday to Dixie Chick Natalie Maines.
History:
In 1955, Buddy Holly opened for Bill Haley & the Comets in Lubbock, Texas. Talent agent Eddie Crandell was in the audience and in the next few weeks arranged for Holly to record his first demo.
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) was organized in 1939. BMI competed directly with ASCAP (American Society of Composers and Publishers).
"Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley was released in 1957. It became his ninth US number one single and stayed on the Billboard chart for nineteen weeks. The film clip from the movie where he sang the song is considered by many historians to be the first Rock & Roll video.
This morning in 1963, the London papers were filled with coverage of the Beatles' performance the night before on the British variety show Sunday Night at the Palladium. More than 15 million people watched the show.
Although it was banned by some US radio stations for its suggestive lyrics, The Everly Brothers' "Wake Up Little Susie" reached the top of the Billboard singles chart in 1957. In the UK, it reached #2.
At London's All Saints Hall in 1966, Pink Floyd played their first set made up entirely of their psychedelic originals after a band decision to dump its R&B direction.
The Temptations released their definitive single "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" in 1972. The song became their fourth No. 1.
In 1977, legendary crooner Bing Crosby died at in Madrid from a heart attack (age 74). He was in Spain on a golfing trip.
The great American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein died at age 72 in 1990.
The soundtrack to the film "Casablanca" was released for the first time in 1997.
All four solo albums by the members of KISS broke through Billboard's Top 100 in 1978. Gene Simmons effort will prove to be the highest charting at #22, followed by Ace Frehley at #26, then Paul Stanley at #40 and Peter Criss at #43.
Freddy Fender, the Tex-Mex hit maker known for such '70s jukebox standards as "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights", died of complications from lung cancer in 2006.
In 1969, police in New Jersey issued a warrant for the arrest of Frank Sinatra in relation to his connections with the Mafia. Ya think?
In 1966, Grace Slick performed for the first time with Jefferson Airplane, at San Francisco's Fillmore (West).
In 1972, Michael Jackson's song "Ben", from the movie of the same name, reached number one on Billboard's Pop chart and #7 in the UK. It was the third hit in a year for the 13 year old singer.
In 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono appeared on "The Dick Cavett Show" on ABC to promote Lennon's new LP and film ("Imagine"), Yoko's book, two films and a fine arts show.
Bobbie Gentry started a two-week run at No.1 on the US album chart in 1967 with “Ode To Billie Joe.”
Cliff Richard, England's answer to Elvis, ("Devil Woman") turns 68.
Robert Parker ("Barefootin'") is 78.
Birthday wishes to Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues.
Electronic pioneer Thomas Dolby ("She Blinded Me With Science") was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1958.
Born on this day in 1978, R&B singer Usher (his 2004 album “Confessions” sold over a million copies in the US in its first week of release, selling the greatest amount of records in one week for any R&B artist).
Happy Birthday to Dixie Chick Natalie Maines.
History:
In 1955, Buddy Holly opened for Bill Haley & the Comets in Lubbock, Texas. Talent agent Eddie Crandell was in the audience and in the next few weeks arranged for Holly to record his first demo.
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) was organized in 1939. BMI competed directly with ASCAP (American Society of Composers and Publishers).
"Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley was released in 1957. It became his ninth US number one single and stayed on the Billboard chart for nineteen weeks. The film clip from the movie where he sang the song is considered by many historians to be the first Rock & Roll video.
This morning in 1963, the London papers were filled with coverage of the Beatles' performance the night before on the British variety show Sunday Night at the Palladium. More than 15 million people watched the show.
Although it was banned by some US radio stations for its suggestive lyrics, The Everly Brothers' "Wake Up Little Susie" reached the top of the Billboard singles chart in 1957. In the UK, it reached #2.
At London's All Saints Hall in 1966, Pink Floyd played their first set made up entirely of their psychedelic originals after a band decision to dump its R&B direction.
The Temptations released their definitive single "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" in 1972. The song became their fourth No. 1.
In 1977, legendary crooner Bing Crosby died at in Madrid from a heart attack (age 74). He was in Spain on a golfing trip.
The great American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein died at age 72 in 1990.
The soundtrack to the film "Casablanca" was released for the first time in 1997.
All four solo albums by the members of KISS broke through Billboard's Top 100 in 1978. Gene Simmons effort will prove to be the highest charting at #22, followed by Ace Frehley at #26, then Paul Stanley at #40 and Peter Criss at #43.
Freddy Fender, the Tex-Mex hit maker known for such '70s jukebox standards as "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights", died of complications from lung cancer in 2006.
In 1969, police in New Jersey issued a warrant for the arrest of Frank Sinatra in relation to his connections with the Mafia. Ya think?
In 1966, Grace Slick performed for the first time with Jefferson Airplane, at San Francisco's Fillmore (West).
In 1972, Michael Jackson's song "Ben", from the movie of the same name, reached number one on Billboard's Pop chart and #7 in the UK. It was the third hit in a year for the 13 year old singer.
In 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono appeared on "The Dick Cavett Show" on ABC to promote Lennon's new LP and film ("Imagine"), Yoko's book, two films and a fine arts show.
Bobbie Gentry started a two-week run at No.1 on the US album chart in 1967 with “Ode To Billie Joe.”
Monday, October 13, 2008
Ringo Wishes You Peace and Love....Now Go Away!
Ringo Starr has posted a video on his website asking people to stop sending things to him to be signed.
In all fairness, stars can be overwhelmed with fan mail and, especially, many items that people want signed. Unfortunately, the eBayers and memorabilia sellers are behind much of this mail and not true fans, which leads stars to take stances.
Ringo's message:
"This is a serious message to everyone watching my update right now. Peace and love. Peace and love. I want to tell you, please, after the 20th of October do not send fan mail to any address that you have. Nothing will be signed after the 20th of October. If that has a date on the envelope, it's going to be tossed. I'm warning you with peace and love. I have too much to do. So no more fan mail. Thank you, thank you and no objects to be signed. Nothing. Ah, anyway, peace and love. Peace and love."
To visit Ringo and show your support: http://ringostarr.com/home.php
I am with you brother, as of today, I will not sign anything either.
My Kingdom for a Turntable
Apparently some audiophiles feel that certain arms and cartridges work better with one kind of record than another, so by having four set up at once, you'll be ready to go no matter what the musical mood.
This was built around a TW-Acustic Raven AC turntable with three motors, this rig was shown at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest over the weekend, and was put together by Jeff Catalano from the über exclusive New York audio salon Highwater Sound. It includes arms from Breuer Dynamic, Graham Engineering, Triplanar, and Ortofon, along with cartridges from Dynavector, Ortofon, and Miyabi.
When we totaled up the price, it came to around $56,000, cables extra.
Album Cover Stories
Again, a special thank you to Michael Goldstein over at www.RockPopGallery.com for allowing these exclusive reprint rights to these interesting behind the scenes looks at album cover art:
Cover Story - Bob Dylan's "Slow Train Coming",
with artwork by Catherine Kanner
Cover Story for April 11, 2008
Subject: Slow Train Coming, a 1979 release (on Columbia Records) by Bob Dylan, with cover artwork & design by Catherine Kanner
So, depending on whether you’re convinced that his born-again Christianity was just another example of Bob Dylan’s constant need for change to provide him with new-found (and, according to critics, badly-needed) inspiration, or whether his late-70’s conversion and eschewing of all things (and songs) secular was for real, his record titled Slow Train Coming certainly both brought him new fans in the Christian Music genre and served to confound and perturb his fans and the many music critics who, quite vocally, “loved the music, hated the words”.
Recorded with the help of veteran producer Jerry Wexler (who Dylan hoped would bring the soul of “the Muscle Shoals Sound” found in Wexler-produced recordings for Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge and Wilson Pickett), the Muscle Shoals horns (and MS keyboardist Berry Beckett), and both Mark Knopfler and Pick Withers (guitars and drums) from Dire Straits (who were all unaware of the nature of the material they were about to record), the album went on to sell more copies than both Blonde on Blonde and Blood on the Tracks did during the first year of their respective releases, driven by the success of the single “Gotta Serve Somebody”, which the TV-shy performer even played as part of his set on “Saturday Night Live”. The record’s cross-genre acceptance was further evidenced by its listings as #16 in the 2001 book "CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music", #38 in the Village Voice’s "Jazz & Pop Poll" for that year, and a Grammy Award in 1980 for “Best Rock Vocal Performance – Male”.
Also trying to serve somebody was the team at Columbia Records who were responsible for the record’s packaging and album cover. For the record he intended to release as a very public statement regarding his commitment to his new found faith, he was not going to accept any image that did not illustrate this appropriately. In a last-ditch effort to deliver something that Dylan would accept, the art director turned to his friend, illustrator Catherine Kanner, who he hoped would use her vast experience as an editorial illustrator to save the day (and it was the last day). I asked Catherine to describe those most-interesting 24 hours for Cover Stories readers, and being the Precious Angel that she is, she was kind enough to comply….
In the words of the artist, Catherine Kanner (interviewed in late March, 2008) -
My first job out of college was one working at a film titles company in Los Angeles (around 1980), after which I moved on to a permanent freelance illustration and design career which included regular work with the Los Angeles Times "Opinion" section. There, my editorial pen and ink illustrations appeared weekly. One morning, I received a phone call from out of the blue from one of my former co-workers at the film titles company (sorry, I don’t recall his name) who had also moved on and who had seen my editorial work in the Times. “Drop everything,” he said. “I’m coming over with an incredible job!” As it turns out, he was now working as a freelance designer and had a good connection at Columbia Records. He rushed over and let me know that this was a potential cover for a Bob Dylan album.
Apparently, Columbia Records had tried several times to come up with an image that would be acceptable to Dylan…but he had rejected them all. They were down to the wire, and my friend told me that we had this window of opportunity to get something in which he might accept…and that it had to be done and turned in that night!
The concept was very concrete as he expressed it to me. As he explained it, this album was to be Dylan’s exploration of Christian ideas through his words and music. I recall being amazed to hear this. The graphic style was meant to have an engraved look - which pen and ink (my specialty) certainly mimics. Dylan’s concepts for the illustration were clear - he requested locomotive train coming down tracks that were being laid by a crew, and there was to be a man in the foreground holding a pick-ax. The axe was meant to be a symbol of the Cross. In my original sketch, I rendered the ax as it would naturally be, but I recall my friend insisting that I extend the top of the ax so that it more resembled a cross. I thought that was too obvious and argued for a more subtle approach, but in the end the ax was extended. I did, in fact, finish the rendering that afternoon and after my friend took the piece, I never saw it again. I never met with anyone face to face at the record company, nor did I meet with Dylan.
My friend delivered the illustration to Columbia Records, and I believe it was about a week later that I heard back from him that Dylan had seen it – and he liked it! He wanted to use it as it was, however the record company wanted to give it another go, and I heard they used their own team and presented Dylan with new pieces in a style quite similar to mine (!!). He rejected them, and so, in the end, my piece was the one went to press, with no changes from my original.
Years later, my parents were sitting on the deck of their house in Malibu, and a man was walking up the beach alone. My father recognized him as Bob Dylan. My mother (who is a character) waved him down. He actually came up to their house and she announced herself as "the mom of the artist who illustrated Slow Train Coming”. She had a copy of the art on the wall, and he came in to see. She said he was “modest and interesting”.
Also, since that time, there have been a number of Dylan scholars who have analyzed my illustration – reading all sorts of mystical meanings and messages in the layout and concept. I have had a dialogue with one of these scholars (in Italy) explaining that my composition was simply designed to “tell the story”, and so it was not suffered over, or filled with deeper meaning. So many artists never get this chance... and I relished the debunking!
About the artist, Catherine Kanner –
Catherine Kanner is an illustrator, author and publisher. She has written, illustrated or designed more than 20 books including her own texts; The Book of the Bath, and Beauty From a Country Garden, and has designed or illustrated books for other authors including Michael Crichton’s Timeline, Fun With Ballet, San Francisco Access, Town & County Cookbook, and Angelina's Ballet Class.
Catherine has created a line of 75 greeting cards with Michel & Company, and has designed products for The Metropolitan Opera Guild in New York. Other clients include; Bank of America, Microsoft, Edison, Texas Instruments, Fidelity Investments, Sun Microsystems, Amtrak, Citizen, Sprint and Kraft Foods among others. She has been a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times Opinion section with her work syndicated to 2000 newspapers in the U.S. and 1,000 worldwide. She has won numerous illustration and design awards including the Society of Newspaper Design Award, Print’s Regional Design Award, The Louie Award and the Rounce & Coffin Award for excellence in book design. She has also toured throughout the U.S. as a spokesperson for Proctor & Gamble.
In 1995 she became publisher of The Melville Press, producing limited edition, fine press books, and was creative director for Calamus Gift & Trade Editions. In addition, Kanner currently is Design Director for Los Angeles Ballet.
To see more of Catherine Kanner’s work, please visit her web site at -
http://www.kannerbook.com/
More recently, Catherine has involved herself with another Dylan – this time, author Dylan Thomas – with her works used to illustrate a limited-edition book by The Melville Press titled In the Direction of the Beginning. It is a remarkable short story, originally published in A Prospect of the Sea in 1939. This powerful prose poem is a story of love and the sea.
http://www.themelvillepress.com/dylan.html
To see all of the Bob Dylan-related items in the RockPoP Gallery collection please click on this link - http://rockpopgallery.com/items/bob-dylan/list.htm?1=1
All images featured in this Cover Story are Copyright 1979 and 2008, Catherine Kanner - All rights reserved. Except as noted, all other text Copyright 2008 - Mike Goldstein & RockPoP Gallery (www.rockpopgallery.com) - All rights reserved.
Cover Story - Bob Dylan's "Slow Train Coming",
with artwork by Catherine Kanner
Cover Story for April 11, 2008
Subject: Slow Train Coming, a 1979 release (on Columbia Records) by Bob Dylan, with cover artwork & design by Catherine Kanner
So, depending on whether you’re convinced that his born-again Christianity was just another example of Bob Dylan’s constant need for change to provide him with new-found (and, according to critics, badly-needed) inspiration, or whether his late-70’s conversion and eschewing of all things (and songs) secular was for real, his record titled Slow Train Coming certainly both brought him new fans in the Christian Music genre and served to confound and perturb his fans and the many music critics who, quite vocally, “loved the music, hated the words”.
Recorded with the help of veteran producer Jerry Wexler (who Dylan hoped would bring the soul of “the Muscle Shoals Sound” found in Wexler-produced recordings for Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge and Wilson Pickett), the Muscle Shoals horns (and MS keyboardist Berry Beckett), and both Mark Knopfler and Pick Withers (guitars and drums) from Dire Straits (who were all unaware of the nature of the material they were about to record), the album went on to sell more copies than both Blonde on Blonde and Blood on the Tracks did during the first year of their respective releases, driven by the success of the single “Gotta Serve Somebody”, which the TV-shy performer even played as part of his set on “Saturday Night Live”. The record’s cross-genre acceptance was further evidenced by its listings as #16 in the 2001 book "CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music", #38 in the Village Voice’s "Jazz & Pop Poll" for that year, and a Grammy Award in 1980 for “Best Rock Vocal Performance – Male”.
Also trying to serve somebody was the team at Columbia Records who were responsible for the record’s packaging and album cover. For the record he intended to release as a very public statement regarding his commitment to his new found faith, he was not going to accept any image that did not illustrate this appropriately. In a last-ditch effort to deliver something that Dylan would accept, the art director turned to his friend, illustrator Catherine Kanner, who he hoped would use her vast experience as an editorial illustrator to save the day (and it was the last day). I asked Catherine to describe those most-interesting 24 hours for Cover Stories readers, and being the Precious Angel that she is, she was kind enough to comply….
In the words of the artist, Catherine Kanner (interviewed in late March, 2008) -
My first job out of college was one working at a film titles company in Los Angeles (around 1980), after which I moved on to a permanent freelance illustration and design career which included regular work with the Los Angeles Times "Opinion" section. There, my editorial pen and ink illustrations appeared weekly. One morning, I received a phone call from out of the blue from one of my former co-workers at the film titles company (sorry, I don’t recall his name) who had also moved on and who had seen my editorial work in the Times. “Drop everything,” he said. “I’m coming over with an incredible job!” As it turns out, he was now working as a freelance designer and had a good connection at Columbia Records. He rushed over and let me know that this was a potential cover for a Bob Dylan album.
Apparently, Columbia Records had tried several times to come up with an image that would be acceptable to Dylan…but he had rejected them all. They were down to the wire, and my friend told me that we had this window of opportunity to get something in which he might accept…and that it had to be done and turned in that night!
The concept was very concrete as he expressed it to me. As he explained it, this album was to be Dylan’s exploration of Christian ideas through his words and music. I recall being amazed to hear this. The graphic style was meant to have an engraved look - which pen and ink (my specialty) certainly mimics. Dylan’s concepts for the illustration were clear - he requested locomotive train coming down tracks that were being laid by a crew, and there was to be a man in the foreground holding a pick-ax. The axe was meant to be a symbol of the Cross. In my original sketch, I rendered the ax as it would naturally be, but I recall my friend insisting that I extend the top of the ax so that it more resembled a cross. I thought that was too obvious and argued for a more subtle approach, but in the end the ax was extended. I did, in fact, finish the rendering that afternoon and after my friend took the piece, I never saw it again. I never met with anyone face to face at the record company, nor did I meet with Dylan.
My friend delivered the illustration to Columbia Records, and I believe it was about a week later that I heard back from him that Dylan had seen it – and he liked it! He wanted to use it as it was, however the record company wanted to give it another go, and I heard they used their own team and presented Dylan with new pieces in a style quite similar to mine (!!). He rejected them, and so, in the end, my piece was the one went to press, with no changes from my original.
Years later, my parents were sitting on the deck of their house in Malibu, and a man was walking up the beach alone. My father recognized him as Bob Dylan. My mother (who is a character) waved him down. He actually came up to their house and she announced herself as "the mom of the artist who illustrated Slow Train Coming”. She had a copy of the art on the wall, and he came in to see. She said he was “modest and interesting”.
Also, since that time, there have been a number of Dylan scholars who have analyzed my illustration – reading all sorts of mystical meanings and messages in the layout and concept. I have had a dialogue with one of these scholars (in Italy) explaining that my composition was simply designed to “tell the story”, and so it was not suffered over, or filled with deeper meaning. So many artists never get this chance... and I relished the debunking!
About the artist, Catherine Kanner –
Catherine Kanner is an illustrator, author and publisher. She has written, illustrated or designed more than 20 books including her own texts; The Book of the Bath, and Beauty From a Country Garden, and has designed or illustrated books for other authors including Michael Crichton’s Timeline, Fun With Ballet, San Francisco Access, Town & County Cookbook, and Angelina's Ballet Class.
Catherine has created a line of 75 greeting cards with Michel & Company, and has designed products for The Metropolitan Opera Guild in New York. Other clients include; Bank of America, Microsoft, Edison, Texas Instruments, Fidelity Investments, Sun Microsystems, Amtrak, Citizen, Sprint and Kraft Foods among others. She has been a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times Opinion section with her work syndicated to 2000 newspapers in the U.S. and 1,000 worldwide. She has won numerous illustration and design awards including the Society of Newspaper Design Award, Print’s Regional Design Award, The Louie Award and the Rounce & Coffin Award for excellence in book design. She has also toured throughout the U.S. as a spokesperson for Proctor & Gamble.
In 1995 she became publisher of The Melville Press, producing limited edition, fine press books, and was creative director for Calamus Gift & Trade Editions. In addition, Kanner currently is Design Director for Los Angeles Ballet.
To see more of Catherine Kanner’s work, please visit her web site at -
http://www.kannerbook.com/
More recently, Catherine has involved herself with another Dylan – this time, author Dylan Thomas – with her works used to illustrate a limited-edition book by The Melville Press titled In the Direction of the Beginning. It is a remarkable short story, originally published in A Prospect of the Sea in 1939. This powerful prose poem is a story of love and the sea.
http://www.themelvillepress.com/dylan.html
To see all of the Bob Dylan-related items in the RockPoP Gallery collection please click on this link - http://rockpopgallery.com/items/bob-dylan/list.htm?1=1
All images featured in this Cover Story are Copyright 1979 and 2008, Catherine Kanner - All rights reserved. Except as noted, all other text Copyright 2008 - Mike Goldstein & RockPoP Gallery (www.rockpopgallery.com) - All rights reserved.
Vinyl Wave
So this is what happens to old records! Jean Shin’s “Sound Wave,” is on display at The Museum of Arts and Design, in Manhattan NY.
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