Future Digital Releases?

[ludovica64]

Al's on record as saying that Touring and Merch is where the big money is. Now he can add writing books to that, hopefully he will have more options.
I think Al should put out an album as soon as he is happy with it, and no sooner. Waiting 5 years worked for him on this occasion, as this is an extraordinarily great album. Id rather wait and get a quality product, with maybe a few digital releases to tide us over. Whatever we feel about it, the fact is that Alpocalypse is both awesome, and currently popular. He judged just right. I LOVE that the Internet Leaks are on the album. It hasnt spoiled it for me at all.

[Whatinthe27]

Al's on record as saying that Touring and Merch is where the big money is. Now he can add writing books to that, hopefully he will have more options.
I think Al should put out an album as soon as he is happy with it, and no sooner. Waiting 5 years worked for him on this occasion, as this is an extraordinarily great album. Id rather wait and get a quality product, with maybe a few digital releases to tide us over. Whatever we feel about it, the fact is that Alpocalypse is both awesome, and currently popular. He judged just right. I LOVE that the Internet Leaks are on the album. It hasnt spoiled it for me at all.

I'm sorry, but I think 5 years is a ridiculous amount of time. If he felt this way in the past, he would have put out In 3-D, and then followed it up with UHF. There'd be no Dare To Be Stupid, Polka Party, or Even Worse. For all the slack Polka Party gets, I wouldn't mind having had a "polka Party" like album in between SOL and ALpocolypse. Now if Al is taking his time due to family and now having the freedom to enjoy life more, than more power to him. But if it's because he's waiting to put out a perfect album.. this album still had Ringtone and Skipper Dan. And because of the time he took putting out this album, when he did come up with the idea for Perform this Way, because of circumstances, he had to rush it. Straight Out of Lynwood still had Do I Creep You Out. Point is, someone is liable to find a song on it they don't like no matter how long he takes. And Alpocalpyse is a great Album, but so was In 3-D, Even Worse, Off the Deep End. But it wasn't the amount of time we had to wait to hear them that made them good.

[CatraDhtem]

If he felt this way in the past, he would have put out In 3-D, and then followed it up with UHF. There'd be no Dare To Be Stupid, Polka Party, or Even Worse.

But, respectfully, the problem with your point is that it was a different time in Al's career. He was just starting out, and "Eat It" made a comedy artist a top twenty music star, something almost unheard of in 1984. The label wanted Al to churn out releases more often in order to keep him out there in the public eye. There were no children's books to write or state fair exhibits to produce or feature films to make or frequent guest appearances on basic cable shows. He was a (still-new) recording artist first and foremost at that point, and nobody at the time would have felt comfortable if he had taken three or more years off between albums.

It is interesting that you bring up "Polka Party!", because that was the album that sort of exposed the problem of having an artist keep plugging away and releasing new material year after year. Al was creatively exhausted at that point, and it shows from the paltry ten tracks on the album to the contrived song ideas like "Don't Wear Those Shoes" and "Toothless People." Al often talked about how he was under pressure to put out that album, and with a single he wasn't entirely confident with. I've said this before one way or another, but is it any surprise that the final song recorded for the album at the last minute just happens to be called "Good Enough for Now?" The album was the best he could come up, but even then he knew it wasn't really all that great.

[Alinite27]

I really don't think that the length of time between albums is why Al wrote Good Enough For Now, or gave it that title. That's one of my favorite songs. Just because you don't like it, or the album in particular, doesn't mean that Al or anyone else thought that it wasn't good.

Personally, I agree with 27. In the fact that, it wasn't the length of time between the albums that made them good. They were good because they stood on their own. Al has earned the right to take as much time as he wants between albums, though. And he is filled with many other projects, so if he wants to devote time those, he's able to. That's the privilege that those albums he was "rushed to make" have allowed him. I do wonder, though, about all the parody ideas that Al mentioned he wanted to write about, but they didn't fit in the span of the album time, with a what could have been.

[anthontherun]

I really don't think that the length of time between albums is why Al wrote Good Enough For Now, or gave it that title. That's one of my favorite songs. Just because you don't like it, or the album in particular, doesn't mean that Al or anyone else thought that it wasn't good.

I don't think Greg's commenting on the quality of that song, just that the title (consciously or not) was pretty telling. Polka Party! was Al's fourth album in as many years and although it's certainly not bad (I actually prefer it to the two albums it's sandwiched between), it's clearly the product of a parodist who's burned out.

Realistically, an album a year isn't possible anymore and no matter how it turned out, it would lose some of the magic event factor that comes with a new Al release...but five years was pretty harsh, even with Internet Leaks.

[Way_Moby]

Personally, I think 2-3 years is perfect. 5 is far too much and 1 is far too little.

[CatraDhtem]

I don't think Greg's commenting on the quality of that song, just that the title (consciously or not) was pretty telling. Polka Party! was Al's fourth album in as many years and although it's certainly not bad (I actually prefer it to the two albums it's sandwiched between), it's clearly the product of a parodist who's burned out.

"Check out the big brain on Brad!" [/Samuel L. Jackson voice]

And really, anyone who accuses me of not supporting "Polka Party!" is sooooo not up to speed on fan-campaign history.

[Whatinthe27]

If he felt this way in the past, he would have put out In 3-D, and then followed it up with UHF. There'd be no Dare To Be Stupid, Polka Party, or Even Worse.

But, respectfully, the problem with your point is that it was a different time in Al's career. He was just starting out, and "Eat It" made a comedy artist a top twenty music star, something almost unheard of in 1984. The label wanted Al to churn out releases more often in order to keep him out there in the public eye. There were no children's books to write or state fair exhibits to produce or feature films to make or frequent guest appearances on basic cable shows. He was a (still-new) recording artist first and foremost at that point, and nobody at the time would have felt comfortable if he had taken three or more years off between albums.

Yeah, but there was projects like ALtv that were 2-4 hours long. Projects like the Compleat Al. The Authorized Al. Being the house band for MTV's Rocking Eve (86 i believe) The guide to the grammys. And writing and filming UHF. He had plenty to do. He did plenty. I would argue he did more work back then. Al probably didn't like the pressure he was getting, but me, being selfish, I'm glad for it. He has different reasons for taking his time now. My guess is it's becaus he can. He can afford to take time off so he does.

It is interesting that you bring up "Polka Party!", because that was the album that sort of exposed the problem of having an artist keep plugging away and releasing new material year after year. Al was creatively exhausted at that point, and it shows from the paltry ten tracks on the album to the contrived song ideas like "Don't Wear Those Shoes" and "Toothless People." Al often talked about how he was under pressure to put out that album, and with a single he wasn't entirely confident with. I've said this before one way or another, but is it any surprise that the final song recorded for the album at the last minute just happens to be called "Good Enough for Now?" The album was the best he could come up, but even then he knew it wasn't really all that great.

[/quote]

And I happened to like all three of those songs. That album dates it's self with what I call 80's guitar riff songs, but back then, i loved it. Are you saying you wish Polka Party wasn't recorded? I'd hate to lose it. Even if you discount Polka Party, you'd lose Dare to Be Stupid and Even Worse. If you could only pick 12 songs, 5 parodies, one polka medley and 6 originals, what songs would you pick, knowing you'd have to sacrifice them as if they would never be recorded. And this is all hind-sight. Which blows my mind. Why would anybody say they would be happy with less or having to wait longer in between albums? Because that's what you'd basically be saying. Do you really think if Al was under pressure to put out the album a year prior that it would have sucked? He wrote White & Nerdy under pressure. He probably wrote Smells Like Nirvana under pressure. (I don't think the label liked waiting as long as it did for an album back then.) He even wrote Perform this Way under pressure. He can write under pressure. And this lead single could have been better, but waiting 5 years didn't ease the pressure for the lead single, it magnified it. The same can be said for White & Nerdy, he had extra pressure because he waiting to put the album out and then had problems with Atlantic Records.
I grew up with Al, so I've been spoiled. It's painful now to have to wait five years. I felt pathetic sometimes checking in daily for a year to see if Al's new album is coming out yet. Al gives meaning to my boring pathetic miserable life. Five years is too long. I know Al can wait as long as he wants, but it would suck if this became the norm.

I can see saying it was worth the wait, but please don't encourage him to do it again. That's all I'm trying to say.

[CatraDhtem]

Yeah, but there was projects like ALtv that were 2-4 hours long. Projects like the Compleat Al. The Authorized Al. Being the house band for MTV's Rocking Eve (86 i believe) The guide to the grammys. And writing and filming UHF. He had plenty to do. He did plenty.

Most of what you listed was done to promote the albums, including "The Compleat Al." He didn't become the multi-faceted entertainer he is now until around the time of "Even Worse"...because he was busy establishing himself as a recording artist.

I would argue he did more work back then.

Well, you're free to argue that, but you'd probably be wrong. Just his TV appearances alone have increased considerably since that specific span in the 1980s, let alone outside projects of his own.

And I happened to like all three of those songs. That album dates it's self with what I call 80's guitar riff songs, but back then, i loved it. Are you saying you wish Polka Party wasn't recorded?

No, of course not. In fact, I didn--

I'd hate to lose it. Even if you discount Polka Party, you'd lose Dare to Be Stupid and Even Worse.

Well, I wasn't speaking in hypothe--

If you could only pick 12 songs, 5 parodies, one polka medley and 6 originals, what songs would you pick, knowing you'd have to sacrifice them as if they would never be recorded.

I'm not quite sure what that would prove, since I'm sure we all ha--

And this is all hind-sight. Which blows my mind.

You're really starting to lose me on whatever poi--

Why would anybody say they would be happy with less or having to wait longer in between albums? Because that's what you'd basically be saying.

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!?

Seriously, you're creating arguments for me--which I haven't made--and then telling me why I'm wrong for making them. When you two make up your mind what point you're trying to make, please let me know.

I really don't know what's going on around this forum lately, where we can't even talk about old material critically without someone copping an attitude of, "Well I love it and it's gold and you're wrong for looking at it objectively!" You see it over in the tour setlist thread and it happens pretty much anytime someone invokes "Polka Party!"

Gang, it's a substandard album, and it was made under lousy conditions for Al. I'm sorry, but that's the truth. No oddly worded jumbled rant is going to change that. And I'm sorry if anyone thinks that that truth is somehow an insult to their ego for considering it their favorite album. One of my favorite horror movies is "Friday the 13th," and I'd be the first one to admit that it's a piece of crap.

I honestly don't even remember what the point was that I was discussing at this point. An album a year is now impossible for him to do both logistically and creatively, and every time he does do it, we eventually end up with weaker material ("Polka Party!", "Alapalooza").

[Kevbo1987]

I have to agree with Greg here. While there are songs on "Polka Party" that I really, really enjoy (Dog Eat Dog, One of Those Days, Christmas at Ground Zero), overall the strain that was put on Al by his record company to release an album before it was ready really showed here, especially in terms of the parodies. I think that's one of the key distinctions between the pressure Al has on him now when he releases an album as opposed to the pressure on him during the 80's. Now, any pressure Al has leading up to an album is pressure he puts on himself to deliver a better product than the previous album. Interestingly enough, it is that pressure that seems to be one of the main reasons the wait between albums has been increasing. Al now is really trying to take his time in between albums and make sure he is truly happy with the product he is putting out. He has the luxury of being able to wait four or five years in between albums to ensure that his next album will be better than the last.

The pressure he had on him during the 80's, especially before "Polka Party," was put on him by his record label. He wasn't able to relax and take his time to ensure that he was putting out a great product because his record label wouldn't allow him to do so. I'm sure Al would have preferred being able to take another year or two in between "Dare to Be Stupid" and "Polka Party" in order to really create a great album. I'm in no way saying that I wish "Polka Party" hadn't been recorded. It's still a very good album, and as I mentioned previously, a couple of my favorite songs are on the album. I'm really just saying I think when Al is able to release albums on his own terms, the overall product is infinitely superior.