Save the Album?

If I hear one more old fart who grew up separating seeds from stems in the middle of a gatefold cover say we've got to save the album, my head is gonna EXPLODE!

What ruined the music business was the single. The individual track, honed to perfection - and then sold on MTV. Suddenly, people no longer believed in artists, but songs. It was 1963 all over again. When the 45 rpm single ruled.

But that was an interesting time. Despite all the one-hit wonders, there were certain artists who got the public to buy 45 after 45. Artists like the Four Seasons. And the Beach Boys. Because they realized it was about the act, not the song or the presentation.

Sure, the Beatles turned the album into an art form. But there are old fogeys who would have you believe that there was no legitimate music, never mind artist, before then. That the history of music before the LP is irrelevant.

To make it as an artist today, to have an impact and longevity, you must establish a culture. You must create a community. People have to believe in you.

Think everybody loved Rubber Soul from the minute he heard it? God, some people didn't even buy it because it didn't have any singles. With this album and so many other great records of yore, listeners had to play them again and again and again to get into them. And why did the records get this chance? Because the fans believed in the bands.

That's where it's at. Not a collection of 10 to 14 tunes. It would be as if Beethoven or Bach were only relevant, only important, if the composer's great works could be collected on one LP or CD. And that's hogwash.

ARTICLE CONTENTS

X