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Elvis Costello plans vinyl/digital release, no CD

Posted by aubin on Thursday, March 20, 2008 at 9:00 PM (EDT)

Legendary musician, Elvis Costello told Billboard that his next album will be released only on vinyl/digital. The vinyl itself will include a digital download code to enable purchasers to grab a copy of the record for their iPods. While this has become popular with indie labels like Saddle Creek, this is one of the first albums to be released this way on a major label.

The record is titled Momofuku and is due out April 22, 2008. Earlier this month, Elvis reissued his landmark 1978 album, This Year's Model.

Universal Music Group (68 comments)

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. Seriously.

bored (March 20, 2008)

This man can do no wrong. What a legend.

chickswithdicks (March 20, 2008)

this year's model = one of my top 5 all time. what the hell reissue came out this month? is that like #4?

deadelectromix (March 20, 2008)

Elvis Costello > Elvis Presley

fallingupwards84 (March 20, 2008)

god i hate Duke so much

4+ Replies

conebone69 (March 20, 2008)

Don't worry..they'll lose in the 2nd round

They're pretty average, at best.

While I wouldn't bet on UCLA winning the entire thing, their bracket is a literal cakewalk.

Sucks that Duke-Belmont has been the most exciting game so far though.

Hopefully things well get better tomorrow as today has been a disappointment, IMO

fallingupwards84 (March 20, 2008)

word, not enough upsets today... kansas st was the only one, thankfully i did pick that one

conebone69 (March 20, 2008)

That wasn't much of an upset, though.

Granted, I haven't seen much of USC. But Beasley is a beast(and likely #1 pick in NBA Draft) and front court players will take you far in this tournament.

I didn't fill out a bracket but I would have taken Belmont over Duke too.

I'm pulling for George Mason and Cal St.(because Wisconsin blows just as much as Duke) for upsets.

fallingupwards84 (March 21, 2008)

eh i dunno, an 11th seed over a 6th seed is a fairly nice upset

Cheesetits (March 21, 2008)

Word. Although fuck Kansas St. on top of that.

IDontHaveAnAccountYet (March 21, 2008)

Why? Isn't their aim true?

batsenflaggs (March 20, 2008)

i like this guy, but can't these people cut out all the shit and just release a CD?

PoorBoy (March 20, 2008)

I find it interesting that I decide to shift my label in this direction a few months back and everyone tells me I'm crazy and now all of a sudden Costello is doing it.

1+ Reply

Guy_Incognito (March 21, 2008)

What's the point though? Duplicating CDs costs almost nothing compared to the cost of recording and marketing a CD. If duplicating CDs was the main expense of a label in putting out an album, CDs would cost maybe $4 after distributor and retail markups and digital downloads would cost $0.10 per each.

I'm all for being progressive, but why alienate a majority of your potential customer base just to eliminate a cost that really amounts to next to nothing in the big scheme of things. There are still alot of people that buy CDs and prefer to buy CDs.

red_eye_inc (March 20, 2008)

Well hey, that's neat. I won't be buying either one because I don't give a fuck about this dinosaur.

1+ Reply

geoffweobb (March 20, 2008)

How unfortunate for you.

the_problem_with_fire (March 20, 2008)

i still like CDs....

not everything is released on vinyl. i don't have a record player. i can't listen to a vinyl record in my car, at the library, etc.

i own an ipod, but what if it breaks? what if my computer shits out on me? what if i want to listen to an album in my car? those adapters aren't always so trustworthy and the sounds is NEVER as clear or dynamic as a CD. and i have one of the more high end adapters...

12+ Replies

thomas7155 (March 20, 2008)

Word dude.

deadelectromix (March 20, 2008)

Stop bitching and get a cd burner.

the_problem_with_fire (March 21, 2008)

i have a CD burner. I've burned digital releases before. i guess i have to "bitch" about being a graphic designer and feeling that album art is an important part of the total package of a music purchase for me.

veganboyjosh (March 21, 2008)

album art is an important part of the package, and you prefer 5 inch liner note booklets over 12 inch sheets?

color me confused, mr graphic designer.

the_problem_with_fire (March 21, 2008)

no need to be condescending...

i agree that vinyl art is better but i don't buy vinyl because a good majority of music is not even released on vinyl

deadelectromix (March 21, 2008)

I don't think that's entirely true, there are plenty of releases that come out on vinyl.
And if they don't, just buy the cd if you want the art so badly.
But this one is coming out on vinyl, which is probably his intention. For those that really want the art, he'll give them the vinyl. For those who don't really care, or want it on their iPods, they can get the digital.

Guy_Incognito (March 21, 2008)

Burning a digital download to CD does not make for a higher quality playback. You are only going to get as good a quality as the compressed download in the first place.

Hey_ska (March 20, 2008)

I agree, CD's are the shit.

And sure you could burn cd's, but then you lose cool things like the tracklisting and liner notes and whatnot. Plus you can buy them used for like half the price of a new one. Lets see itunes do THAT! Now days it seems like you can play a cd in anything too, like playstations and dvd players. Those things cannot play records.

Thank You.

Wentz_Equals_Death (March 21, 2008)

buy the vinyl for the liner notes, burn the digital files

this is a great idea

the_problem_with_fire (March 21, 2008)

in the broad scope of music genres, even those within the punk/hardcore/metal community, very little is made on vinyl.

deadelectromix (March 21, 2008)

This is what I do.

-Strewtho- (March 21, 2008)

I'm with you on used cds. 99% of my music purchases are used so when they stop releasing cds I'll be buying less. $5 for an album or 99 cents a track for 14 track album without liner notes and a case, bleah.

Jon_the_Skafather (March 21, 2008)

cd's get scratched and broken much more easily than ipods and computers.

if your car has a tape player, i'd say grab a tape adapter...it works much better than the RF transmitters.

and i'd recommend getting a record player if you can. i know there's all the snobby talk and all about it but there really is a kind of ritual about it and makes you appreciate it in a different way. not to mention you can actually see and enjoy the artwork unlike on cd's which are too small. take, for example, the artwork for funkadelic's album "on the verge of getting it on". just massive and amazing artwork and you can't really see the whole thing like you can with vinyl records.

jacknife737 (March 21, 2008)

“cd's get scratched and broken much more easily than ipods and computers.”

I’m calling shenanigans on that. I’ve only had to re-purchase 1 cd in my entire life thus far, while I’ve had several albums deleted off my computer, etc. Furthermore, I’ve had cds I’ve owned for over 10 years, when I owned an i-pod, it didn’t last 10 months.

Guy_Incognito (March 21, 2008)

I'd beg to differ. I've never had a CD scratched beyond playability but I've had hard drives fail all the time. Hard drives are considerably more fragile than CDs and much more subject to corruption or data loss under certain circumstances.

If a CD gets scratched you are out $10 and a trip to the record shop.

If your hard drive crashes you are out....everything.

Granted, I'm smart enough to back up my hard drive and keep an offsite copy but most people aren't. I still have all my music on the original CD that I bought even if I listen to it through my iPod and computer for convenience sake.

Jon_the_Skafather (March 23, 2008)

i've never had a hard drive crash on me. maybe you shouldn't kick your tower? or whatever other dumb shit you might be doing to break it.

the_cobra (March 21, 2008)

you're a pretty pessimistic dude huh?

TheMike (March 21, 2008)

Tomorrow, every artist is going to stop using guitars in favour of a new breed of synths. If this were a reality, you'd probably be somewhat ticked. That's how I feel about people deliberately releasing everything but CDs.

deadelectromix (March 22, 2008)

Too bad that already happened, it's called "The 80's"

LetTheDayBegin (March 20, 2008)

I... love him.

thomas7155 (March 20, 2008)

FUCK! people still buy CDs. Fuck digital. Fuck Vinyl.

4+ Replies

deadelectromix (March 20, 2008)

Stop bitching and put more gel in your hair.

fallingupwards84 (March 21, 2008)

hahahah

kneel (March 20, 2008)

dude, get with the program.

cds are digital.

MattRamone (March 21, 2008)

but but but but but but but but

How will the DJ press play on his CD player?

the_cobra (March 21, 2008)

my brother in law is a wedding dj and they actually have those little round things that are supposed to emulate a turntable. eh, its kind of wierd.

Bryne (March 21, 2008)

This Year's Model rules.

branden (March 21, 2008)

cannot get into this dudes tunes to save my life.

PatrickEwing (March 21, 2008)

1) I was just having this discussion with my dad tonight at dinner how vinyl was going to outlast CDs and he was shocked.

2) People complaining about wanting a CD. I understand your plight but just burn it on 5 CDs at $.30 a pop. It's not a perfect solution, but it's a compromise.

3) This will only work if he sells the digital music with out DRM crap and for the right price. If this is Itunes only, the whole idea is lost. DRM sucks. M4A sucks. Itunes sucks.

2+ Replies

jacknife737 (March 21, 2008)

"2) People complaining about wanting a CD. I understand your plight but just burn it on 5 CDs at $.30 a pop. It's not a perfect solution, but it's a compromise"

People who still buy cds want more then just a burned copy, they want art-work, etc, that's why they still buy cds.

the_cobra (March 21, 2008)

in this case hence the vinyl

jacknife737 (March 21, 2008)

yes, but you can't take vinyl with you to the library or in a bus. Plus, although i still buy cds I have an mp3 player, and last time i checked you can't upload music from it.

the_cobra (March 21, 2008)

huh? are we both talking about a vinyl/digital release? if so, the record gives you the tangible product with art and everything( which not to be picky, can be taken on the bus) while you listen to an mp3 or burned cd version. i dont think ive ever carried my whole cd collection(or even a few) with me just to check out song lyrics while i was out of my house anyway. and on another note, my ipod has album art on it as well.

jacknife737 (March 21, 2008)

Yes, but not everyone collects records, so it would be a bit silly for those of us who haven't to start now, not to mention records (outside of small circles) aren’t really sold on a wide scale level. And there is (imo) a difference between physical artwork, and a collection of pixels on my mp3 player screen. As well, since i want a tangible copy of something, i am not going to buy the album twice (ie to get the mp3 files), thus I would be forced to download the album, which would more then likely be of lower quality then what i can get by ripping it from a cd.

TheMike (March 21, 2008)

I hate vinyl.

AndreTheGiant (March 21, 2008)

This is great news!

imnotpunk (March 21, 2008)

this is stupid.

peachesenregalia (March 21, 2008)

FUCK!! I am so tired of this shit...I had vinyl (I'm old, so fuck it, right?) ANYWAY, I had all vinyl and then CDs came out and I said, well WTF, they don't sound as good but they are portable and I gotta get with the times...then this fucker, among others, decides to release ONLY digital or vinyl and I'm too old to be running around with an iPod cuz I'll look like a complete dork and vinyl (although it does sound better/richer) is OUT of the question and it's too early for this shit and so if you see some old guy with an iPod have mercy because I just have no choice, the fuckers have left me with no choice...

1+ Reply

Guy_Incognito (March 21, 2008)

I feel you 100% but I do have a solution.

Burn the mp3s to a CD and you are all set.

I agree though, this doesn't make any sense not to release on CD.

Guy_Incognito (March 21, 2008)

I don't get it...

Vinyl is pretty cool and digital downloads are convenient but what is the point of not releasing something on CD?

The additional marginal cost of manufacturing CDs is negligable at best and there is still a hell of a large market for physical CDs out there. Not only that, but you aren't going to get CD quality off of your typical download unless it's completely uncompressed.

The logic of these "digital only" labels is very murky for me. The majority of cost in putting out a record is the recording and marketing, not the physical duplication of the CD unless you are some garage label that doesn't put any money into the recording or marketing of the albums you put out.

batsenflaggs (March 21, 2008)

marketing ploy. i dont get why, he doesnt need one..

manincognito (March 21, 2008)

elvis costello is a great musician, and 'my aim is true' is an awesome album, as is 'this year's model'...that being said I LIKE CDS!!! I LISTEN TO CDS!! and even some of my old tapes still..KEEP MAKING CDS!! I DONT OWN AN IPOD/MP3 PLAYER AND I DONT HAVE A RECORD PLAYER!!!...

SumWon (March 21, 2008)

so i found out everyone at my job does blow. Its a waiter gig and it pays pretty fat. better than most places anyway. last night at our xmas party i put so much of that shit up my nose i stayed up til 7. I think i'm smart enough to not make a problem out of it, but would you recommend me quitting and finding another job, just in case? man i was fucked up last night. like the managers were cutting lines on the toilet and handing all this snow out for free. man i was fucked up.

3+ Replies

weffjebster (March 21, 2008)

I take it you got over your shitty breakup then...

geoffweobb (March 21, 2008)

You should quit your job out of protest. We must all band together in the war against xmas parties in March.

TREOS (March 21, 2008)

i lol'd

DrGunn (March 21, 2008)

are any of his newer records actually any good?

1+ Reply

AndreTheGiant (March 21, 2008)

the delivery man is pretty incredible.

evil_crap_monster (March 21, 2008)

because vinyl is punk.

i'm not being a prick, just sayin.....

dickvain41 (March 21, 2008)

Kyle Bishop is stoked!

the_problem_with_fire (March 21, 2008)

For me CDs are the logical compromise. No the artwork isn't as big as those released on vinyl and no the sound isn't as warm but I enjoy a physical product that if my computer gets wiped out---is still sitting on a shelf to listen to. Despite the underground popularity of vinyl, even among the punk/hardcore circles, it is still not as easily attainable, convenient to listen to outside your home, nor does it span many modern music releases. that is all.

TheMike (March 21, 2008)

I'm sick an fucking tired of this anti-CD sentiment growing. Why would you would release some in digital and on vinyl and not on CD? Fuck off. I'm not going to download this and put it on CD. It's not time to stamp out CDs, as there are still plenty of people who buy them. Ridiculous.

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