I think Metallica’s fear is that someone who hasn’t heard their recent stuff will use Napster to download one of their newer tunes, realize how badly they suck, and not get fooled into buying their album thinking that it’s the high-energy metal they used to listen to and like.
I’m wondering how many raging, authentic, rockin’, we-do-it-for-the-music bands would become whining, piss-ant, fan-insulting losers if they actually had the ability to sue on their band’s behalf.
You know why Metallica and Dre are suing and nobody else is? These guys can. They own their studio recordings and libraries. The majority of other musical acts don’t own their libraries, and therefore have no reason (or right) to sue based on the misappropriation or piracy thereof. The recording industry associations (who own said libraries) are suing on their behalf.
That’s right, almost every stinkin band on a major label contract has had a lawsuit filed on their behalf already. And I’d bet many artists would follow Metallica’s hand if they a) were able to and b) had as much to lose.
I think the only thing Metallica’s done wrong here is to let that maniacal uber-dwarf Ulrich handle their PR. But they made that decision long ago.
This is more than far fetched, it is proof positive that you are a moron.
And whoever said that without record sales the label will drop a band is a retard too. While it may me true that if a bands record doesn’t sell, the label will drop them, this is not true of such industry magnates as Dr. Dre or Metallica.
These individuals are gods in their genre, and I garauntee that anywhere Metallica or Dr. Dre play will be sold out. With the exception of Mile High Stadium, of course. It holds too many people.
Anyway, this thread is only partially about Napster, it is more about the fact that Metallica has lost the soul that I used to love.
I wish that we could bring back Metallica 1981, Cliff and all, so they could kick the everloving shit out of whoever these asshole imposters are.
I hear ya Lexie.
I’m not really familiar with Metallica’s music, or with their general “sound,” if you will.
Could somebody post a link to a .wav file?
I love it when someone calls me a retard for making an argument and then halfway AGREEING with that arguement in the very next sentence. Sorry, but I don’t care how many stadiums a band can fill, if they don’t move enough product then their label will drop them. All things have an end - even the recording careers of successful rock bands. Record companies care about NEW RECORD SALES not sold out concerts. And PLEASE! Calling a pretentious eighties shred metal band like Metallica an industry magnate seems like a bit of a reach. Yeah, they hung on longer than your average hair band, but even you have acknowledged that the band’s music has morphed into commercialized crap rather than staying true with their original artistic vision. That somehow seems unbecoming of a magnate to me.
Granted, I’m not saying that THIS band has reached the end of the line. I’m just saying that Major Labels are keenly aware that eventually the well runs dry on everything. When the shareholders are asking why the profits of their record company fell short of Wall Street’s estimates and the answer is that Band X didn’t sell enough product, then Band X gets Xed. No matter how big they once were.
Just a couple of points I’d like to make about making money in the music biz.
First, this may come as a surprise but a tour is essentially a money-losing operation designed to sell records. This may be hard to believe when you’re sitting with ten thousand people who each paid $50 to be there, but when you consider the fantastic cost of the lights, sound system, transportation, lodging, insurance, promotion, and the salaries of all the people to run the show, you should be aware that there’s not a heck of a lot of profit left at the end of the night.
Record sales are where the money is.
The advent of new technologies which allow the consumer to have a CD quality copy of the artist’s music without paying anything to the people who made the music has made the recording industry very nervous. The times are a-changin’ and the boys in the head office no longer have a guaranteed income. It’s only natural that they want to protect their investments. It’s not unusual for a record by a major artist to cost a million dollars up front. I don’t care how much money you have, it’s never easy to write a check for that amount with no guarantee of getting it back. Then you have to write another big check to get the tour on the road just to give yourself a better chance of getting your million dollars back.
Whew! That was just my first point. I actually have three more but I’ll cut it down to one.
Second, it’s important to remember that a successful band only makes money for a few years. It’s not like a ‘real’ job where you have a steady income for thirty years. You have to make a big chunk of money all at once and then spread it out over the rest of your life, fighting off the taxman the whole time.
I’m not shedding any tears over Lars’ finances, he’s going to be a wealthy man for the rest of his life, but I don’t blame him too much for defending his money. He may have made a mistake in the Napster case but I might have made the same mistake if I was in his shoes.
Americans are funny about money. We all want to be rich, but we hate it when somebody does something “just for the money”.
Okay, I’m going to shut up now and go listen to “Master of Puppets”.