SnowGhost Music

By now you've probably heard the news about Radiohead's new album. You've probably had time to think about it, read about it what other people think about it, talk about it, and maybe you've even had exciting conversations about it. Me too. It's very exciting, scary, revolutionary, monumental, ground-breaking, unique, brilliant, brave, and maybe crazy. Actually, what's crazy is that I'm not even talking about the album itself. I'm a big Radiohead fan. I still count their show in West Palm Beach in 2003 as one of the most awe-inspiring (and I mean that as in awesome and inspiring) musical events I've ever seen. I'm sure their new album will be just as good as I expect it to be, but I haven't even really thought about what kind of sound their new album will have, what direction they've gone since various solo projects, etc. Nevermind all the ear candy that I may soon be enjoying. The real matter is how I'll go about hearing this.

So how about you? Will you log onto their website right now and download it? Will you be pumped to get it for free? Will you love it so much that you will pay ten bucks for it? Will you like it a little bit and feel obligated to pay a few bucks for it? Are you a Radiohead-head and determined to get all the goodies in the $80 box set? Will you hear it first, and then think about buying the regular CD when it comes out sometime next January? Or are you just plain pupmed to have so many options?

Personally, I'll probably listen to it online and buy the CD later because I'm so old-school, though I'm actually considering downloading it and buying it online, which would be a first for me. If I had more money, I'd probably even think about the box set. But the main point is how good it feels to have this power of decision as a consumer. Granted, there have been options in music buying, stealing, listening, etc., and I've rattled on about it all before. What makes the Radiohead experiment so different is that it's all on their terms. They are putting their music out there directly for their fans, without a label, and from a downloading perspective, without a fee. They aren't banking on the fact that they know most of their fans who would normally buy the CD will probably decide to give the band a respectable amount of monetary appreciation, or buy the CD anyway. I don't think they're really banking on anything at all. That isn't to say that they won't make any money. They will. They have a great product and great fans. But even if they don't break the bank, they will break the ground.

Part of what has always made Radiohead so cool is that they seem to be a band that does things exactly the way they want to. You get the feeling that everything on their records, on stage, in print, is pretty much an accurate reflection of who they are and what they do. Maybe that's why they are one of the few bands who could do something like this, which is exactly why I think it will work. And by saying it will work, I'm not coming from a financial perspective. 'Working' in this case means that the fans will like the approach. Even if the album isn't their best yet, it is by far their most important because they are doiing something that feels right. Say what you will about what record companies will or won't do, how the experts think the public will react, or who is going to make money and how. The fact of the matter is, this is a case of the artist calling the shot and taking the chance. And that, my friends, is the future of music.