Half the fun in buying a new (or old) Radiohead CD is thumbing through Stanley’s artwork while listening to the music.

Not tempting in any way. I’ll put my CDs in a box and be just as happy.

Oh, and I think they still believe their records should be listened to entirely through. They were recorded and assembled cohesively for a reason.

How is this news?

No idea when Radiohead’s contract or contracts were signed with EMI, but for at least the first album, it was probably years before anybody was thinking about these kinds of rights, and they woudln’t have been in the original contract. So Radiohead would have had to sign amendments, or separate contracts, to allow EMI to release the early albums in new formats.

Incidentally, this is one of the major issues in the current WGA strike — there’s conflict over the provisions for writer royalties in new formats like digital download.

From what I’ve read, contracts often just say “sound recordings” and specifically indicate that this covers even formats not yet dreamed up.

Well, I’m not in the music business, so standard contracts for it could well be different than contracts for other kinds of entertainment. But if that’s the case, how come Radiohead isn’t on iTunes, when other EMI artists are?

And of course, since Radiohead is Radiohead, its entirely likely that they wouldn’t have a standard contract in any case.

Perhaps, and this is pure speculation, their contract states that mp3s can only be distributed as an entire album. If that were the case, iTunes would only be considered if they could offer that alternative. I’m assuming they refused to change their rules.

- David
de-online.co.uk

it’s odd that for only £5 more you can buy the “physical” box set complete with lovely packaging, all the CD’s, artwork/liner notes and of course CD quality audio. and as every ipod owner knows, they can rip the CD’s into MP3 or lossless files anyway!

the digital box set should be offered at a much lower price – and despite the pretty packaging the physical box set should have included some radiohead rarities because the fans already own all this stuff.

the only winner here is the USB stick – a unique collectable with all albums in lossless audio. hmmm… a limited edition radiohead “bear logo” USB? …now THAT’s something i do want! it’s pricey but awesome.

“£79.99–or somewhere around $160–for a USB stick? Seems a bit overpriced to me….what’s that work out to, nearly $23 per album? And I thought the rise of the net was supposed to bring music prices DOWN :)

I see the digital download is £34.99, so that means £45 for the stick itself, although the one is MP3s and the other is WAVs, so I suppose it isn’t ALL for the stick–some of it is for higher fidelity.

Call me crazy, but I’d still rather have the physical package for £39.99–around $11.50 per disc isn’t that unreasonable.”

“£79.99–or somewhere around $160–for a USB stick? Seems a bit overpriced to me….what’s that work out to, nearly $23 per album? And I thought the rise of the net was supposed to bring music prices DOWN :)

I see the digital download is £34.99, so that means £45 for the stick itself, although the one is MP3s and the other is WAVs, so I suppose it isn’t ALL for the stick–some of it is for higher fidelity.

Call me crazy, but I’d still rather have the physical package for £39.99–around $11.50 per disc isn’t that unreasonable.”

OT: I agree with the idea that music should be listened to album-by-album, and from the first track to the last.