Record buying is very
different nowadays from when I was a youngster. Back then you had huge record
companies chucking obscene amounts of money attempting to get singles and
albums into the charts. Groups were
given vast amounts of money up front. Back then it also felt like the whole
country enjoyed and, took an interest, in the music scene.
I began this piece with the
words 'record buying'. Even that term is alien nowadays. You don't even have to
buy music now. It is there in the ether for free. We are now in a world where
'platforms' allow you, for a cost, to stream fresh air. The artists effectively
give their life's work to these 'platforms'. In return the artist receives a
miniscule of a penny/cent for each download or stream. What on earth has gone
wrong!. How did we get to this point?. How was this ever allowed to happen?.
Pop music in its early days, I guess, was taken for granted. A positive of
today, that I have noticed, is that music fans, despite their low numbers
compared to the past, are more dedicated and passionate. But of course that
leads to endless debates, for example, which line up of a band was the best,
the amount of reissues, box sets and such like.
Nowadays, and with all its pitfalls, it is increasingly difficult for a band to
make any kind of income through music. The music business has become more of a
cottage industry. A band, may begin by releasing enough CD copies to satisfy an
initially low fan base (although this model now appears to be old hat). The
financial risk belongs to the band. They are the ones putting their own money,
time and effort in.
New music and a follow up
album may appear and that initial audience has hopefully grown. If that happens
some of those newly acquired fans inevitably begin to examine the back
catalogue.
This increased interest demands re-releases of albums in a multitude of
mediums. And so it goes, release by release, until who knows what develops and
in how long a time-frame.
Who could possibly begrudge a band or musician that 'makes it' nowadays. And
gets to a point where they can a modest income (feel free to take 'makes it'
with the pinch of salt that phrase demands).
One such band who have gotten
to the point where each new release considerably outsells the previous one is
The Pineapple Thief. And of course that continually growing audience has taken
more than a passing interest in the bands early days.
And that interest has fuelled
enough energy for a lavish box set titled 'How Did We Find Our Way' : 1999 –
2006’ which focuses on the bands humble beginnings with a release in 1999
called 'Abducting The Unicorn'
through to the bands 'Little Man' in
2006. So essentially it covers the first 5 official album releases. But of
course there are lots of extras.
This box set has been produced to the highest qualities of sound currently
available. It also contains what looks like a magnificent book. It is a
complete one off release that, I think, is very good value for what you are
getting.
I, for one, hope this box set sells out. And that looks quite possible at the
moment. It is particularly great for the legions of fans new to the band and
who might be having difficulty sourcing the early music. It is nothing more
than The Pineapple Thief, (active now for almost 25 years), deserve.
Much has changed over the
course of The Pineapple Thief's existence. None more-so than when, possibly the
most sought after drummer of the modern era, Gavin Harrison, hooked up with the
band. This was long after the release of any of the music included within this
box set.
Commercially, bringing Gavin
in was a brilliant move. But it was one that in an ideal world, and where music
fans are not turned on by celebrity, would never have happened. Or would it?.
Did the music improve?. It certainly developed an edge. This release, I
suspect, will only reignite and re-energise that debate. After a quarter
century The Pineapple Thief are certainly a band with a contrasting career.
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