Saturday, February 28, 2009

Update: Robert responds to his critics

Robert has posted his response to the websites that have criticized his Radiohead/Free Music remarks. I really wish he would have posted that on the news page, and would have used the NME award (the 1 finger salute) as the photo for that post. : )

Update: Robert has also posted his response in the news section, and reports that he has located the caps lock off button! Will anything ever be the same? : )

25 comments:

  1. "but while we're here: Robert Smith isn't into the pay-what-you-want model, and that's fine. The man's very good at his job, so he's entitled to an opinion on the business. In fact, he and his mates just won a Godlike Genius award at the Shockwave NME Awards this past Wednesday (2/25). Ponder that while you listen to Eddie Argos do his one thing."

    stereogum relents!
    http://stereogum.com/archives/new-art-brut-catch-cure-cover_055421.html

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  3. Yeah, Smith is too clever when he writes.


    Everyone´s intended to have their personal opinion about this sort of things, but the fact nobody´s can´t deny is RSx IS A SINGLE-PIECE MAN.

    Not many "artists" can feel proud of it.



    Cheers Robert !!!!!

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  4. I wish RS didn't feel the need to defend himself. I totally agree with him on that whole Radiohead business. They got a buttload of free publicity to go along with their free album. They're not idiots.

    Robert, who really gives a damn what they think? You should have simply quoted one of my favorite expressions...The wise words of a character in a Police Academy movie:

    "Why don't you just kiss my rosy red ass, Mahoney?"

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  5. I'm confused.
    Was 'In Rainbow' a free album?
    I thought Radiohead did ask to pay for it although they didn't say how much.

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  6. don't forget that the Pearl public onsale starts today at 1pm PST.

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  7. I NEVER got Radiohead, I mean they have some really good songs, but they seem so un-mainstream, but being un-mainstream is the mainstream. For years they have won awards, guitar poll and the sorts. I've always wondered why Robert never got that recognition. The BEST Cure article EVER written was a Sept 1992 Guitar Player that focused solely on his guitars, his playing, songs, writting and recording. Porl, Simon and Perry also had input. There were no moronic questions like 'why do you were make-up?'

    Bands like Radiohead and U2 can fart on a snare drum and the recording will be released as a gold disc limited edition. While Robert has to buck heads with idiots who take no action in supporting or marketing the band and have no idea how to. TMU should be stroking them and flooding the field with coverage of the God Like Genius award, but here in the US, it's YouTube only.

    The 'Dark' album will end their contract I believe, leave the labels behind, the amount of support received is laughable!! Do it on your own, in your terms, without fighting or sacrificing your vision!!!

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  8. Robert wasn't too coy about bashing major reccord companies was he? I wonder who he had in mind?

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  9. oh dear, I hope that was the hangover talking. Of course the internet is going to discuss you to death when you're a rock star, what was he expecting?

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  10. A point well made i thought...loved the PS too!!..and maybe some double entendre with regards to record companies roles..As for him not having to reply, , he did not have to, but to me he merely reiterated his point with clarity and depth...

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  11. OK, so I'm reading through it again I think I'm getting it now. Takes me a couple times sometimes, I'm kind of slow

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  12. I understand his desire to elucidate his point and I think he does a decent job... rant though it is, heh. This is a complex cultural issue that is worth more than a few sound bites. He makes some strong points. Depressing to think of corporate labels as the dominant modern patrons... but he is right. The thing is, while the individuals within the corporation may do what they do out of love of art, or out of a desire to be at the hub of culture, the corporate MO is ultimately their bottom line; the machine itself has other goals. Advancement of the arts, cultural richness, change and creativity are not valued. There is a great push for gimmicks, fads, status-quo reinforcing mind-toxins and the other cultural detritus that makes human life so goddamned depressing. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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  13. Junko: no it was not a free album, they let you pay whatever you wanted, which some people chose to pay nothing.
    And overall, with the pay-what-you-want thing, Radiohead made more money than if they had the record company sell it for them. I think it said they averaged like $2.50 per album, which if the record company was selling them, Radiohead would have only gotten like less than a dollar...so, for them, it worked out fabulous!

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  14. Robert doesn't need to explain how he feels, I can well appreciate his point of view though. Radiohead are a fine enough band to a point, I do find there later material fairly annoying, I can never get past "The Bands" purely for its spacey joy and trippiness. But they are lauded beyond comprehension by the press which is very annoying, Thom Yorke is a miserable bastard who really needs some prescription drugs, and to think the Cure get called depressing HAH

    Dark album or not, have you ever listened to the crescendo of pop noise that is 'Perfect Boy' super loud! untouchable!

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  15. Heh, indeedy... when I am really depressed, I listen to Radiohead, not The Cure, lol.

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  16. That's a nice photo of RS, though I liked Craig's suggestion better. ;)

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  17. doesnt robert like radiohead? I think I read that in an old tour program when they had stats about each band member...i could be wrong...

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  18. A more critic thought about this issue, leave us about thinking that´s not right (so it´s unfair) to tape, post and links the cure and Robert music in the net. So i see the fan agree with RS words but really practice another policy on the matter. What a contradiction ah.? Maybe that´s a fan issue.... IT´s all about money...and to RS too...if he really aprecciate the fans should have done DOUBLE instead of ONE album...

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  19. I remember reading that somewhere too Sara.

    Maria- I think all artists should be compensated for their work. How consumers choose to respond to the frequently absurd limits and restrictions placed on them by the marketplace controlling these "commodities" is another story altogether.

    And Robert couldn't do the double album because the LABEL wouldn't let him. Rarely do we ever get a glimpse of the bigger picture, but it's funny to me how oftentimes when crap like that occurs, it has nothing to do with Robert...

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  20. Maria Victoria, The Cure have stated they don't mind people taping their shows and sharing with others, if that's what you were referring to. They do, however, mind when people try to make money off of the bootlegs. And of course, piracy in any form of official releases is like stealing directly from the artist.

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  21. I'm pretty sure Robert likes Radiohead (I like a few of their songs and even have In Rainbows on vinyl, but I like The Cure a million times more) but the issue is not whether he likes Radiohead's music or not.

    I think there's a lot of complexities to this issue but as other people have brought up: if you like an artist's work you will want to help them keep making more. All the material The Cure has officially released I have paid for. I wouldn't think of downloading a bootleg copy of an officially released song.

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