Four months after Radiohead released their latest album, In Rainbows, to the Internet, changing everything forever, it has hit the retail stores in the standard CD format.
The album was hailed as a turning point for the music industry. Proof (along with Madonna’s new contract) that things are finally changing in the music business. And it angered their former label, EMI, enough that they lashed out with some digital releases of their own.
So, was it a huge success or a total failure?
Unfortunately making rock and roll stars the heroes of your movement often means you end up with public statements that sound an awful lot like song lyrics:
“We didn’t want it to be a big announcement about ‘everything’s over except the internet, the internet’s the future’, ’cause that’s utter rubbish.
“And it’s really important to have an artifact as well, as they call it, an object,” the musician added.
Well no, of course not. Or yes, of course! Or something.
Yorke rubbished reports that the album was downloaded 1.2 million times in its first week alone – but refused to confirm any figures.
“It’s total nonsense. Thanks very much – we’re the only people who know, and it feels wrong to say exactly what happened. But it’s been a really nice surprise and we’ve done really well out of it.”
Either way, it’s got a beat, and you can dance to it.
