Quote:
Originally Posted by edwardc77
First Consequence:
The end of big budget productions.
It will be very difficult to hear in the future complex albums that require months of studio sessions and lots of money to fund. Albums like Sgt pepper’s lonely hearts Club band, The Dark side of the moon, Loveless and The Fragile to name but a few.
If I remember correctly the total cost in 1967 for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club band was around 50 thousand pounds (the equivalent of 750 thousand dollars today) for 5 months of studio time.
This would not be possible today, not for a rock band at least.
Nobody would risk so much money for one album.
….and it’s a pity, because I believe we will probably miss out on a lot of potentially good records.
The other consequence will be that artists will not be given a second chance.
The Fugees first album (Blunted on reality) and The Beastie Boys second record (Paul’s Boutique) were both commercial failures when they came out. Nevertheless they still received another chance. They both received 100 thousand dollars and plenty of time to work on another project…. and the result was great albums!
It probably would have never happened today, we would simply not have had albums like The Score or Check your head.
So guys, what do you think, are my preoccupations real? And do they really matter?
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Sgt peppers could be made today in someones basement with a computer, a couple of good mics, and some basic recording knowledge, probably in half the time or less. As far as musicians not getting a second chance, the internet has changed the whole dynamic and made that whole topic essentially moot. A major label is a horrible place for a fledgling band now, the best thing they can do is put their own stuff out and build a fanbase, first on their own or with the help of a small label and after they have a sizable one sign to a larger indie. At this point in the game major labels are only a good place for established acts that need the access to large amounts of promotion and distribution. Anyone who doesn't absolutely need those things are fools for signing to a major, and will far more than likely come away from the situation worse off than they came into it.