Album 14 Speculation :3

[minnick27]

The biggest argument here is the space between leaks and the album. As I said before, Al's original thought was to have the album out before the tour in 2010, so it wouldn't have been as bad. His strike for perfection and the lack of parody candidates is what really caused all this

[Way_Moby]

I agree. And I understand. I love Al, and will support whatever he does, however, I feel that 5 years is a little too long, IMHO.

[TMBJon]

Here's the timetable:

WYL--------------CL--SD----CNR--RT------------------------------------------PTW----ALPOCALYPSE!!!

This is very disjointed... The tracks were released as chunks and then... nothing... for almost a year+.

If Al had appeased me, the timeline should've looked like this:

/---------------Fan teasers---------------\/--Public tease--\/----Album---\
WYL--------------CL--SD----CNR--RT-----LEAD SINGLE----ALPOCALYPSE!!!

Is that TOO much to ask? Am I TOTALLY unreasonable?

So as far as I can tell, the main difference between the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad release schedule that Al went with and the awesome, amazing, totally perfect, not at all unreasonable release schedule you would have preferred is... fewer dashes? Just a shorter window between Ringtone and Perform This Way?

I feel that 5 years is a little too long, IMHO.

Okay, thanks for clarifying.
So your problem has to do with the time between albums. Not the fact that he released five songs early, but that he released them TOO early. As Mike already pointed out, I think the problem had more to do with Al waiting for the perfect song to use as lead single fodder. I'm not sure why this leads anyone to the conclusion that the solution here is that releasing songs early should be scrapped. If Al had not released the Internet Leaks when he did, we still would have waited five years until he came up with the idea for Perform This Way... or he would have rushed a lead single out like Livin' With A Hernia, just because it'd been too long since his last release. Internet Leaks bought him some time to find a better lead single, for better or worse, but if it hadn't existed, it would not have resolved your main concern of the wait between albums. In fact, the exact opposite is true. Internet Leaks alleviated the wait between albums, which is the only reason it ever existed.

when the album finally arrived, it was like a banana that had already been half eaten.

There are several problems with this analogy. The most glaring of which is that a half-eaten banana can never be enjoyed again. You will only appreciate a banana once, so you have to be very careful with how you eat it. Alpocalypse can be enjoyed over and over again for the rest of your life.
Even having said that, I would still prefer six individual banana bites over the course of a year and the second half a year later over getting the entire banana in one sitting. I am able to enjoy the banana over a couple of years rather than chomping it all down in one sitting.

I realize that Al has a lot to do, but a 1.5 year hiatus after teasing us with tracks for a new album was, IMHO ridiculous. "Alpocalypse" (although a great album) was almost Al's "Chinese Democray."

What??? You really think Al was "teasing us" by releasing songs in advance? WOW... this disconnect might be more severe than I originally thought. I go back to my point from the previous post. What a jerk that Al guy is for teasing us by releasing new songs!! What a tease!!

You mention "Off the Deep End." Let's us this album as an example. Al recorded 7 songs in 1990 for his new album (mostly originals). However, without a lead single, he waited to release his album. When SLN finally came about, he released the album in 1992. Fans loved that album. They bought it up and it was all good. Some said the Milli Vanilli parody was a little dated, but I haven't heard much damning criticism about. Imagine if Al had released "The Plumbing Song" as a single in 1990, then "Trigger Happy," then "When I Was Your Age," etc. (Yes I realize the singles market was different back then, but this for all intents and purposes). When 1992 had finally rolled around and "Off the Deep End" was released, the critics and fans would've moaned and complained that HALF THE ALBUM had already been released. The album would've probably still sold well (because of SLN) but it would've felt like a compilation, with that especially 'dated' Milli Vanilli parody on it. This is my opinion of "Alpocalypse." The album is great, but it feels like a "Exile on the Mainstream" Matchbox 20-esque greatest hits comp+new material release. I already heard "WYL" 2 years ago, but I haven't heard "PITCIA." In fact, many reviews I've read have complained that many of the tracks had already been released (Allmusic comes to mind). Mediocre reviews = mediocre albums sales.

I'm wondering if you understand how comparisons work. You can't just say "Let's use OTDE as an example" and then reiterate exactly what happened with Alpocalypse and then conclude with "This is my opinion of Alpocalypse." Yes, that's your opinion of Alpocalypse because you just reiterated exactly what happened with Alpocalypse, changing out song titles and years. I want to respond to this comparison you've created but there's nothing to say. Yes, I guess some people might have complained that album took too long to release. The evidence you're providing for this, though, is the fact that you're complaining about Alpocalypse taking too long to release.

Jon, you also mention that this view is narcissistic. The answer is, yes it is. I'm totally happy with whatever Al does because he makes the music, but I don't listen to his music solely because I want HIM to be happy. I listen to his music because it makes ME feel happy. I buy his music because I want it. This is the same for anyone who listens to music. No one buys an album 100% based on selfless ideals. Sure, someone might say "I want to support [insert artist here], even if their album sucks..." but deep down they WANT that record because THEY enjoy the music. Music is very selfish based.

You are missing my point. I'm not saying you should buy music for selfless reasons. I'm saying that Al did not have you personally in mind when making decisions about the release of this album. He was not thinking "I wonder what Way_Moby wants me to do." He was more likely thinking, what is the best way to maximize my success? Hmm, I know what I'll do! I'll release some originals early to keep the fanbase from complaining that it's taking too long. That will buy me some time to find a great lead single so that when this album finally comes out it will be more successful. If buying music is all about ME ME ME to you, then don't buy the Internet Leaks if you don't want them. No one said you had to buy the songs, but you did so you really don't have any room to complain.

Using a simple example. [Insert Your Favorite Band] is releasing an A) new album or B) compilation album with new tracks. Which are you more excited for? Why obviously, the new album, because it is fresh and exciting to hear for the first time.

But Alpocalypse wasn't an example of Option B!! This is a straw man argument! Of course I would be more excited for a new album, which is why I was more excited for Alpocalypse than I was for The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic.
Here is a more apt question: [Insert A Band You Really Like But Own No Albums By] is releasing A) a new album which happens to contain some of the songs you've heard but do not presently own, or B) a new album with twelve tracks you know absolutely nothing about. You are going to pick Option A every time. That's what Al was thinking by releasing the Internet Leaks in advance. It would actually make casual fans more likely to buy the album because they'd recognize more than just the lead single, which is what usually happens with Weird Al albums. This time, the casual fans would go "oh hey I've heard that Skipper Dan one!!" and might be more inclined to buy it since they recognize a few of the tracks.

Four, music and buying music is based, for the most part, solely on listener enjoyment and gain. New music is better than 1/2 new music + 1/2 old stuff

And I would counter that a year of individual song releases followed by a year off followed by an album thagt has those individual song releases plus six new tracks is WAY better than five solid years of no new Weird Al songs followed by one day of having a twelve track album that you've never heard.
Remember this key point: In six months or a year, you aren't going to think about it like this is a CD of half new songs and half old songs. You will think of Alpocalypse as an album that has these twelve Weird Al songs on it. Tell me something, when was the last time you thought of Alapalooza as the Weird Al album that had eleven new songs plus the one that was released a few years earlier? Or for that matter Dare To Be Stupid as the Weird Al album that had ten new tracks plus the one he'd been doing live since 1980 and finally got permission for? The answer, obviously, is that you never think about it that way. And it won't be long now until the same thing happens with Alpocalypse.

[Diva]

He should put Friday in his next polka. xD

Cheers, Diva
reaching for the Pepto-Bismol

[Diva]

I have been reviewing the early track release/no early track release debate here. I note also that Alpocalypse debuted at #9 on Billboard's album chart. This is Al's highest open ever. Releasing the earlier tracks doesn't seemed to have hurt his sales.

Also BTW, I happen to really like "Whatever You Like". Being completely flat broke has not become dated.

Cheers, Diva
It's all about the Washingtons, baby

[mrmeadows]

a year of individual song releases followed by a year off followed by an album thagt has those individual song releases plus six new tracks is WAY better than five solid years of no new Weird Al songs followed by one day of having a twelve track album that you've never heard.

After all that, this is pretty much the bottom line.

[Way_Moby]

I think five solid years is ridiculous. Period.

But Alpocalypse wasn't an example of Option B!! This is a straw man argument! Of course I would be more excited for a new album, which is why I was more excited for Alpocalypse than I was for The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic.

Also, that is in no way a straw man argument. You ignored my example of "Exile on the Mainstream" album by Matchobx 20 (a comp), which is similar to Alpocalypse. A comp. defined by Wikipedia is "an album (music or spoken-word) featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources." The five leaked songs were released as singles. Perform This Way was a single. Technically, "Alpocalypse" was a comp. album with new stuff too. It would probably be an exaggeration to call it a total comp. album, but it is to some extent. It's an analogy.

Also, I realize that this is a silly thing to argue about, since it's COMPLETELY SUBJECTIVE. So I'll just stop.

[TMBJon]

I think five solid years is ridiculous. Period.

Which is exactly why I prefer five non-solid years, AKA breaking it up with a chance to hear some new songs.

And if Alpocalypse is a compilation album "to some extent," then so is the debut album. That album has songs from all sorts of previously released sources.

[Way_Moby]

And if Alpocalypse is a compilation album "to some extent," then so is the debut album. That album has songs from all sorts of previously released sources.

Well, to be honest, it only has really one previously released song, and that would've been "Another One Rides the Bus." The rest were re-recording, new version, alt. versions, etc. New stuff. And to be honest, debut albums are ALL like that.

I get your point, but I don't like the idea of the Album five years Album model.

[joseyklein]

I agree, the 5 year wait is ridiculous.. 2 to 3 years max is what most recording artists do, unless Al's trying to be like TOOL who wait 6-7 years to release their albums.