5 ms·

It's a shame that albums like "It takes a Nation of Millions..." or "Paul's Boutique" couldn't be made today. I wonder what amazing albums we could have got had

It's a shame that albums like "It takes a Nation of Millions..." or "Paul's Boutique" couldn't be made today. I wonder what amazing albums we could have got had copyright law taken another route...

enneff 13y ago
What do you mean? People are still writing sample-based music.
- rjtavares 13y ago
  Those were particularly sample heavy albums (Paul's boutique samples more than 100 songs), which are impossible to do today unless you're Kanye West or too underground to matter. After Biz Markie was sued, sampling changed completely: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Upright_Music,_Ltd._v._Warner_Bros._Records_Inc http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Upright_Music,_Ltd._v._Wa....
objclxt 13y ago
...except the internet means that bootleg albums and unauthorized samples are used more than ever.
- rjtavares 13y ago
  It also means that once an artist gets big, he loses some of his creative freedom. Kendrick Lamar couldn't clear Cartoon and Cereal for GKMC. Danny Brown couldn't clear ODB for Old. In both cases, they would be among the best songs in the album. It's a shame...
eddieroger 13y ago
The "Paul's Boutique" example is always my favorite, because it's one of my favorite albums, and the astronomical amount it'd take to release today. Although it could just be that the Beastie's are one of my favorite groups, and I happened to be listening to them as I read this comment.
pje 13y ago
> It's a shame that albums like "It takes a Nation of Millions..." or "Paul's Boutique" couldn't be made today While I completely agree with your sentiment, I also think it's important to point out that some truly incredible sample-heavy albums have been made "today" (read: post- Golden Age of Hip Hop): - Since I Left You by The Avalanches [0] (said to contain over 3500 samples) - Endtroducing... by DJ Shadow [1] - Songs of a Dead Dreamer [3], Person Pitch [2], the entire discography of Girl Talk [4], the entire discography of The Books [5], most hip-hop mixtapes posted online... [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Since_I_Left_You#Production http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Since_I_Left_You#Production [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endtroducing.....#Production http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endtroducing.....#Production [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_Pitch#Track_listing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_Pitch#Track_listing [3] http://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-of-a-dead-dreamer-mw0000182569 http://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-of-a-dead-dreamer-mw0000... [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_Talk_(musician) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_Talk_(musician) [5] http://www.junkmedia.org/index.php?i=963 http://www.junkmedia.org/index.php?i=963

It's a shame that albums like "It takes a Nation of Millions..." or "Paul's Boutique" couldn't be made today. I wonder what amazing albums we could have got had copyright law taken another route...

enneff 13y ago

What do you mean? People are still writing sample-based music.

rjtavares 13y ago
Those were particularly sample heavy albums (Paul's boutique samples more than 100 songs), which are impossible to do today unless you're Kanye West or too underground to matter. After Biz Markie was sued, sampling changed completely: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Upright_Music,_Ltd._v._Warner_Bros._Records_Inc http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Upright_Music,_Ltd._v._Wa....

objclxt 13y ago

...except the internet means that bootleg albums and unauthorized samples are used more than ever.

rjtavares 13y ago
It also means that once an artist gets big, he loses some of his creative freedom. Kendrick Lamar couldn't clear Cartoon and Cereal for GKMC. Danny Brown couldn't clear ODB for Old. In both cases, they would be among the best songs in the album. It's a shame...

eddieroger 13y ago

The "Paul's Boutique" example is always my favorite, because it's one of my favorite albums, and the astronomical amount it'd take to release today. Although it could just be that the Beastie's are one of my favorite groups, and I happened to be listening to them as I read this comment.

pje 13y ago

> It's a shame that albums like "It takes a Nation of Millions..." or "Paul's Boutique" couldn't be made today While I completely agree with your sentiment, I also think it's important to point out that some truly incredible sample-heavy albums have been made "today" (read: post- Golden Age of Hip Hop): - Since I Left You by The Avalanches [0] (said to contain over 3500 samples) - Endtroducing... by DJ Shadow [1] - Songs of a Dead Dreamer [3], Person Pitch [2], the entire discography of Girl Talk [4], the entire discography of The Books [5], most hip-hop mixtapes posted online... [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Since_I_Left_You#Production http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Since_I_Left_You#Production [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endtroducing.....#Production http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endtroducing.....#Production [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_Pitch#Track_listing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_Pitch#Track_listing [3] http://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-of-a-dead-dreamer-mw0000182569 http://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-of-a-dead-dreamer-mw0000... [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_Talk_(musician) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_Talk_(musician) [5] http://www.junkmedia.org/index.php?i=963 http://www.junkmedia.org/index.php?i=963