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Originally posted by jivie
true. some people do enjoy the actual merchandise itself (artwork, etc.). but I would like to suggest this, buy the CD you've been wanting through eBay or half.com. you'll save a lot and if you buy from someone with high feedback, you'll get exactly what you was looking for.
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Too risky IMO. Especially in these times. I'm not saying that people on either are all fraudulent, but caveat emptor.
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or even better, support your local mom & pop used CD store. you'll get better service too.
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Originally posted by vsp
Best Buy, my left buttock. If you're going to buy CDs, get them from your local music stores instead of from a chain. It helps ensure that there ARE local music store alternatives out there.
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Jeff, don't think I'm all gooey over Best Buy. I like getting name CDs at Best Buy b/c they tend to be cheaper and it's easy to get to (5 minutes from my house). I love indie stores. Although the service is less than good at times, I enjoy the stores on South Street. I wish I knew of some in this area. If you (or anyone else) know any here in the Far NE/Lower Bucks/Lower Montgomery county area, please let me know.
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Originally posted by jivie
btw...acutally, the artist is usually responsible for studio time, artwork, promotions, etc.
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In most cases, they get an advance from the record company (e.g. Axl Rose was supposedly given a $10 million advance for the new GnR record). When I lived in St. Louis, Pale Divine was one of the first bands there to get signed to a major (Atlantic). I don't know all the details in their case, but apparently, they had to sell x amount of CDs to break even. The album (which I didn't think was that great anyway) did not fare well, and the band supposedly owed money. They wound up breaking up a few years later.
Courtney's letter is compelling; however, I would say that some of that has to do with her own record label. Several artists have had beefs with Geffen (Courtney Love, Don Henley, Neil Young) and Universal/Vivendi in general (some of the artists cut during the Universal/Polygram merger, The The). Granted, there are probably examples for almost all of them. But if anything, that letter stirs up a conundrum. Do you say "F**k the RIAA!" and go mp3 happy (where no one gets any dough), or do you say, "Gotta buy it!" b/c the artists get SOME money from it?
Touring tends to be the best money maker for bands. Trent apparently kept NIN alive during his battle with TVT by touring quite a bit between 1990-92.