Interpol is enlightened: Vinyl and more

Posted by Daniel Stout on Tue 4 Sep 2007 at 12:14 PM

Some bands don’t care much about the production and distribution of their albums. They want to make money, and that’s about it. Interpol is not one of those bands. I keep getting more and more impressed with Interpol every time they release an album. Their third album Our Love To Admire was recently released, and there is much to be happy with it – not just as an album but also as an artifact.

Interpol has always struck me as a savvy band. First off, they’ve released their albums on vinyl. I have their first album on vinyl. They’ve also supported digital downloads of their music. They’re one of the few bands on a major labor that allows downloads of their music on eMusic.com. eMusic is a great music service – known for a comprehensive collection of music on independent labels. eMusic is also known because it offers downloads in MP3 format without any DRM crippling what you can do with the music. So music you buy on eMusic can be played on a variety of players. Interpol is also on the iTunes Music Store.

So Interpol has proven that they want their fans to have the music in the way that they want it. Whether you want to buy the LP or buy a CD or download off the internet, Interpol has you covered. It is with their new album that they have a masterstroke. The album again is issued in a variety of formats including a CD and a deluxe CD version and download. But they did something special with the vinyl version. The LP comes in a lush gatefold sleeve on two LPs. That in itself is very nice. But they also included a CD of the album with the vinyl edition. So when you buy the vinyl version of Our Love To Admire you get both the vinyl and the CD. That’s such an unbelievably great idea.

So with the vinyl version, you get the quality vinyl edition, plus you can rip the CD to your iPod to listen as you go. That’s what everyone should be doing with new vinyl releases – give the vinyl purchaser both versions. Interpol is a great band, and they are also very savvy and fan-oriented. I appreciate the extra steps that Interpol has gone to, to give their fans what they want.

The other remaining evidence of Interpol’s shrewdness is that they own the copyrights to their songs. That is very rare in the recording industry. Few bands own their own songs – usually the rights go to the record label. Interpol is an exceptionally rare band indeed.

Tags: interpol · our love to admire · turntable · vinyl

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