How many CD/LP sold m*****n vs Sisters

lazarus corporation · 13 Apr 2008, 12:36

I don't think it's anything to do with the music industry's inability to adopt a new internet business model - he just can't be bothered to release an album (and do all the associated stuff like dealing with music journalists and miming to the singles on tv shows) unless a record company drops a huge amount of money into his bank account to make it worth his while.

No record company is ever going to do that because it's a very uncertain return for (from their perspective) a band that scraped a couple of top 10 hits back in the late eighties. Sure, we can all say we'd buy a copy, but that's a drop in the ocean compared to the sales a record company would want in order to risk that cash.

The only realistic business model would be for Eldritch to release the 'new' tracks himself using one of the various new online business models being experimented with by the likes of Trent Reznor.

But I don't think Eldritch would do that (however much I'd like him to do that). He obviously has other sources of income, and doesn't feel the need to do it. If people want to hear the songs then they can go to a gig (the Sisters play gigs every couple of years, which is very frequent for a 28-year old band who haven't released anything for 15 years!).

stufarq · 13 Apr 2008, 13:21

lazarus corporation wrote:miming to the singles on tv shows

I somehow don't think he'd have to worry about that part.

Karst · 13 Apr 2008, 15:13

Few points

* As has been pointed out before, Adam's material will only see the light of day when it is on a 'major'.

* iTunes is probably the one reason why he hasn't done an album. It won't pay because the record companies nor the artists have any control of the payment structure there.

* IMHO the problem is two fold. No half-decent record-company will touch him with a barge-pole. The songs (as played live) are not commerically viable.

As I said before, he should have done this in 1998. It is was a missed opportunity. The climate, music-wise, was right for it then and he had the band.

At the moment, playing live is where the money is, CDs are on their way out and the model as described as in the article will prevent the Sisters of Mercy of release a new album, ever. Even with a possible Hussey, Marx, Eldrich, Adams get together.

sisterstekland · 13 Apr 2008, 16:59

MrChris wrote:He's not releasing records because...

The answer might be there if you do understand

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=3M2hg2tbeoE

Syberberg · 13 Apr 2008, 17:23

sisterstekland wrote:
MrChris wrote:He's not releasing records because...
The answer might be there if you do understand
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=3M2hg2tbeoE

So, even though there seems to have been offers made, the record companies don't "have enough ambition" and are only offering 1cent (presumably US) per song downloaded.

Well, I can sympathise with the low return from the downloads.

Dark · 13 Apr 2008, 17:45

Nice to know I can make the equivalent of 600x that much for selling a CD.

Syberberg · 13 Apr 2008, 21:03

Dark wrote:Nice to know I can make the equivalent of 600x that much for selling a CD.

spot778 · 08 May 2008, 22:58

I suspect the real issue lies in the fact they TSOM have never broken up "officially"

Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth said in an recent interview their big regret was they never broke up either, otherwise they would have been offered mad sums of money to tour.

The "amount" if it really exists exceeds his perceived value in the industry else some one would have snagged him. A Morrisey he's not. It's a handy excuse.

Is Axel going to get what he wants now vs if GNR had broken up and reformed ? Nope.

deadagain · 12 May 2008, 08:22

mh wrote:I wouldn't call the m*****n "bad", but they have done some utterly cringeworthy embarrassing stuff in their time. The "First Chapter" material is pretty much a continuation of Wayne's side of FALAA, broadly similar in style and execution, but containing certain songs that Von refused to touch with a bargepole. I don't like "GoM", too much of an unholy mess for me. Children is fairly good, some of Wayne's best lyrics (and some of them genuinely are good) with a more windswept Waterboys/U2-ish sound. First half of "Carved" is the band on top form, second half is pure grinding torment. From then on it's downhill all the way for me, I'm afraid.

I largely agree with you there! although the last track on Children is seriously cringeworthy - what was Hussey thinking when he wrote that peon?

Karst · 12 May 2008, 12:06

Hymn (for America)? That was about their experiences in the US when Craig went nuts.

deadagain · 12 May 2008, 13:30

Karst wrote:Hymn (for America)? That was about their experiences in the US when Craig went nuts.

Yup, 'children on heat in America' indeed. I just can't bring myself to sing the chorus without changing the second word appropriately!

stufarq · 12 May 2008, 18:53

Isn't it more about Wayne being arrested for his own experiences with an underage girl? The actual arrest is shown in the Beyond The Pale video.

il duce · 13 May 2008, 18:00

What makes absolutely no sense is why anyone would be waiting for a record deal when most artists these days just want to get out of theirs.

And if it is money that he is after everyone knows that you do not get them through big recorddeals nowadays but by getting the albums out yourself on your own label.

Anyway, if Von is so into the net as he claims how come Radiohead and Trent beat him. Consider this, NIN's Ghost gor downloaded 15 million times and the avarage price was $5 which ALL went into Trents pocket. Isn't that what Von wants?

Just face it, Von knows that 12 songs on as many years is useless and that a new album with 12 year old songs is just lame. For anyone to take him seriously today he has to present at least 10 songs that none of us have heard AND a limited edition with a extra cd with all the "old" new songs we have heard forever.

stufarq · 13 May 2008, 22:27

That's a good point actually. An album made up of songs that have been in the live set for a decade now wouldn't really be a new album at all. I do like your double CD idea. Not that we'll ever see it, of course.

eastmidswhizzkid · 26 May 2008, 14:22

streamline wrote: Does there music suck? Opinions vary. The first 2 albums are pretty good but from then on (in my view) not so good.

Brilliant live though!

you're being kind IMO Jez....the first two 12"ers were pretty good, but by stay with me we were cooking with a hairdryer rather than gas, and god's own medicine was a disappointment even at the time.

i did enjoy them live first time around but apart from having all about eve support the world crusade was dreadful, mainly because hussey was so far up his own arse by then that he'd stopped trying and the bigger venues meant any previous feeling of intimacy with the band was inevitably killed off.