Waxy.org is the sandbox of DJ/Producer Danger Mouse's The Grey Album fused the vocals and beats from Jay-Z's "Black Album" with music sampled entirely from the Beatles' "White Album." Not surprisingly, EMI served Danger Mouse with a cease-and-desist order yesterday, along with ordering stores and websites to stop selling the album.
As a big fan of borrowed/remix culture, that makes me sad. So I posted high-quality MP3s of the entire album below.
I probably won't be able to host this very long, so please help out by mirroring the files as soon as possible. When you're done, send me an e-mail or post the mirrored URL in the comments. Enjoy, and thank you!
February 12, 2004: I can't host the files anymore, but these alternate mirrors still offer the MP3 DOWNLOADS: Illegal Art, Grey Tuesday mirrors.
February 13, 2004: I was cc'd on an e-mail from EMI's lawyers to my ISP, stating that I'm in violation of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. As such, I have removed all of the MP3s from my web server. The text of the EMI letter is below.
February 19, 2004: Downhill Battle is organizing Grey Tuesday, a day of coordinated civil disobedience in protest of EMI's attempt to squash this album. Even if you don't like this particular remix, or even hip-hop in general, remember what the album represents: the universe of creative works stifled by the United States' archaic copyright laws and the corporations that lobbied for them.
February 23, 2004: The law firm of Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman (representing Capitol Records) has started e-mailing cease-and-desist notices to the websites that are participating in the Grey Tuesday protest tomorrow, whether they're hosting the album or simply changing the colors of their homepage. The cease-and-desist demands that website owners "cease any plans or efforts to distribute or publicly perform this unlawful recording," "identify the names and addresses of any third parties who have supplied you with physical or digital copies of The Grey Album," and "provide Capitol with an accounting of all units of The Grey Album that have been distributed via your website."
The most disturbing part of the letter, sent to people who merely stated their intent to participate is this: "In addition, to the extent that you have already commenced distribution of The Grey Album, you must make payment to Capitol in an amount to be discussed. We demand that you contact us immediately."
Does this sort of preemptive cease-and-desists set a new precedent for record label action? Do website owners have to obey their demands, when they haven't even posted the album yet?
February 24, 2004: Despite legal threats, many sites are participating in the protest. I'll be keeping a running list today of some of my favorite responses so far: Matt Haughey, Ryan Gantz, Lawrence Lessig, Chris Komlenic, Edverb (and his open letter to EMI), University of Iowa professor Kembrew McLeod, Justin Hall, Brian Flemming, Michael Sippey (plus his reply to my comment), Andrew Raff, Joe Gratz, Matt Jones, Scot Hacker.
Jeff Lowenberg
Vice President Operations/Designated Agent
Everyone's Internet
2600 Southwest Freeway, Suite 500
Houston, TX 77098Re: Unauthorized Use of Sound Recordings Performed by the Beatles
Dear Mr. Lowenberg:
It has come to our attention that Andrew Baio is currently exploiting sound recordings that are owned and/or controlled by Capitol Records, Inc. ("Capitol"). In particular, it appears that Mr. Baio is using, without authorization, on his website, http://www.waxy.org/archive/2004/02/11/danger_m.shtml, (the "Website"), copies of sound recordings embodying performances of the Beatles, including but not limited to recordings of "Long, Long, Long," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Glass Onion," "Savoy Truffle," "Mother Nature's Son," "Helter Skelter," "Julia," "Happiness is Warm Gun," "Piggies," "Dear Prudence," "Rocky Raccoon," "Revolution 1," "Revolution 9," "I'm So Tired," and "Cry Baby Cry" (the "Capitol Recordings").
Andrew Baio's unauthorized exploitation of the Capitol Recordings constitutes copyright infringement, and renders Andrew Baio, and any other company engaged in the unauthorized exploitation of the Capitol Recordings with Andrew Baio, liable for all of the remedies provided by the relevant laws occasioned by Andrew Baio's unfair competition and dilution of our valuable property.I am the agent authorized to act on behalf of Capitol, the complaining party. It is our understanding that Everyone's Internet, Inc. is the Internet Service Provider for Andrew Baio and the Website, and as such, you are the authorized agent for service of this notice in accord with The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, 17 U.S.C. § 512 et seq. (the "DMCA Notice") for Everyone's Internet, Inc.
We request that following your investigation of this matter you provide us full remedy under the DMCA Notice requirement, including but not limited to, expeditiously removing or disabling access to our copyrighted material. Unless we receive full and immediate compliance with this demand within a reasonable amount of time, we will be forced to consider pursuing our other remedies at law and in equity.
This letter is written without prejudice to any of our rights or remedies, all of which are expressly reserved herein.
By placing my signature herein, I state under penalty of perjury that the information contained in this notification is accurate and that I am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right of the Copyright alleged to be infringed.
Sincerely,
/S/: Jonathan Campbell
This electronic signature is made and adopted with the intent to authenticate this written agreement.
Jonathan H. Campbell
Legal and Business Affairs
EMI Recorded Music, North America
150 Fifth Avenue
11th Floor
New York, NY 10011
1:23 PM
Boy, you sure are bold and brave.
2:56 PM
awesome. just plain awesome.
3:30 PM
Does anybody know what Hov thinks of the Grey Album?
3:38 PM
As far as I know, he hasn't responded to it publicly yet. What does everyone else think of it? Do you like it?
4:33 PM
Love track 05. 99 Problems (Helter Skelter).Had it on loop all afternoon. Many thanks Andy!
5:20 PM
Thank you, Andy. Track 6 makes my hinder parts move in interesting ways.
6:22 PM
to keep the bots at bay: go to torrez.org "slash" media "slash" mp3 "slash" dangermouse
that shouldn't be too confusing, right?
6:51 PM
Track 3 is awesome, I've gotta say. Thanks for the recommendation (and the downloads).
8:05 PM
Nice sample listing. KTHXBYE
9:30 PM
Sweet~! I've been half-heartedly looking for this since haughey posted about it the other day.
Thank you very much fine sir.
7:58 AM
Thanks for putting these up. They're fantastic!
10:07 AM
awesome. thanks!!!
12:18 PM
thanks for the tunage!
12:53 PM
Will have other mirrors listed here... http://www.forumgeeks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=302
12:58 PM
thanks!
1:32 PM
I spoke to my man who works at Roc-A-Fella and allegedly he's loving it. Like my self he's a 30 something hip-hopper disallusioned with the status quo in hip-hop and has started listening to alternative music. The sentiment is a combination of both. Also to be associated with the Beatles is major to old Hovie.
1:48 PM
I read about this album on hiphopsite (they wont comment on it anymore b/c of the cease and desist order) and it said Danger Mouse did not make one beat on his own, EVERYTHING is sampled from The White Album, included the drums, etc. Not just one Beatles' song per one Jay Z song.
3:16 PM
Why not set up a Bitorrent?
4:34 PM
this is the shit
9:28 PM
Yo Thanks for da hook up, keep doin' whut u do!!
12:28 AM
Awesome...
Thank you!
thank you!
thank you!
5:46 AM
Danger Mouse loves the Beatles, so do we all, because they could write great songs. Just because most of us can't write like the Beales, it doesn't mean we steal their songs. So why does Danger Mouse have to?
7:26 AM
I have been searching for this for a long time. Beautiful!! This is ground breaking. Thanks for putting up the quality tracks.
Keep whacking the armadillo!!
7:38 AM
Mirrored at horklog. Also available at illegal-art.org
7:51 AM
way to stick it to Da Man, waxy.org people. ...this is hott.
7:56 AM
lovin the cover art:
http://djdangermouse.com/GreyAlbum.jpg
8:29 AM
I grew up with Dangermouse and I'll admit, I didn't think he had it in him. Obviously I've been proven wrong. The Ghetto Pop Life CD is hot shit too.
9:22 AM
baby, he didn't steal teh beatles songs, he stole the beatles noize. If Jay-Z is carrying the tune built out of beatles bricks, then DM stole Jay-Z's songs. Except that by releasing the album 'a capella' Jay-Z effectively open-sourced his songs.
11:09 AM
I'm also mirroring the album, but downloading from me is slow. regardless: ataxia.net
11:11 AM
yo man i got nothin but love and respect for doin so... definetly bold...
11:34 AM
I listened to "what more can I say" and it sucked.
Nothing groundbreaking.
Add a drum machine and mix some bass in too loud and that makes some great music?
I guess people can't even be bothered to sample small parts and stitch them together anymore.
Lazy bastard.
11:39 AM
About 7-8 years ago, there was a 7" released that took Public Enemy vocals and laid them over Herb Alpert music. It was pretty damn good. The guy's name was Lou Minati (I think).
Anyone seen this? I'd love to be able to get my hands on it again.
11:42 AM
i absolutely love this album, can't stop listening to it, definitely my favorite remix album, i haven't listened to 9th Wonders take on it yet, if anybody has 9ths email me at thashizzleouttamizzle@yahoo.com
12:15 PM
Dope :)
Thanks a lot
very grateful
1:27 PM
11. Interlude also has touches of "I'm So Tired" in it. Cool. What a great public service you're running, man. Thanks!
1:47 PM
I knew this would be too good to last. The Man comes down hard and fast!
1:52 PM
You a thug, Baio. A thug. Stick it to 'em.
1:54 PM
Dude, I used to work for EMI. You're in trouble.
2:07 PM
That's just ridiculous. I see they filled out another one of their cease-and-desist templates.
On the sunny side, I like that they used the word "expeditiously".
2:10 PM
Let's render Jonathan H. Campbell's email useless.
Sign him up for every spam related service you can find.
GO!
-esch...
2:27 PM
Yeah email bombing a man for doing his job is really counterproductive. Your a moron
2:30 PM
I agree, that's not cool. I removed his contact information from the copy of the letter and Esch's comment.
2:41 PM
3, 4, 6, 7 and 8.
Gold. The rest is interesting, but man - nothin' beats the groove in #3. Brilliant.
2:54 PM
whatevs,
just doin his job - that's the biggest cop-out ever.
If jonathan.campbell has to sift through 400 pages of junk email each morning before he can get to dealing with this case then I'm happy.
2:56 PM
thanks for sharing for the time being
2:58 PM
I don't want to be held liable for any harassment of the guy, so please don't post his e-mail address. Thanks.
2:58 PM
Waxy, you're a good person. Well played.
3:19 PM
Ed, you're thinking of the Evolution Control Committee. I'll post the Chuck/Herb mp3 if you can't find a copy.
3:57 PM
This CD makes Jay Z actually not SUCK for a while
4:05 PM
I am currently aware that Capitol themselves are in violation with a particular release on the new Dialated Peoples album. I will not disclose any more info unless you are serious about moving forward with some sort of preceding. There are currently about 5 total people that know the situation, however, myself AND THE ARTIST THEY SAMPLED, are curious about any ideas you guys might have. Our intention is not to bring down Dialated, but to remedy this w/Capitol, after the record has gone big.
4:43 PM
I think you're missing the point a little. Sampling is a very good thing and should be perfectly legal, not crushed under the iron fist of copyright law.
4:44 PM
OH MAN!!!! I found this site at work today, emailed the URL home so that I could download the tracks tonight and now this. WHY ME! This is SO typical of my luck!!
4:49 PM
Thanks Andy (and Andre).
The famous Public Enemy/Herb Alpert mashup (the one that ostensibly started it all) is available here. It's the first track.
4:51 PM
Andy, thank you for the public service you did. It was brave, cool, and is all about artistic freedom.
I commend you.
5:03 PM
why is 'Lucifer' ommitted?
7:33 PM
Fuck EMI.
9:03 PM
Sorry that my mirror had to go down, but I got 4gb traffic in less than 12 hours, I got the bash from my host, plus I'm kinda scared of the American justice system... GO NZ!!
6:55 AM
Had the same problem here, JC. Funny how the one surefire guarantee of traffic for a site (other than pr0n) is hosting banned mp3 files... lol
7:39 AM
the story has made it to wired.com
"Copyright Enters a Gray Area"
dw
9:55 AM
Another Beatle mash-up has been on the web for months. (o-gay ome-Hay oductions-Pray. Dot co dot UK. Slash tracks dot HTML )
10:13 AM
Dear RIAA: This is a big middle finger from us to you! This is what hip hop and DJ culture started with and what it's all about.
1:09 PM
Looks like the illegal art mirror is still going strong. Listening to the whole album now and it's top. It's funny how the Beatles are treated like holy scripture. Sampling beats and clips from recorded music is pretty much an accepted art form now and it's interesting to see which culture guards come out for what cultural product. I love how, in comparison Aesop Rock samples an Argentinian tango trio pretty much verbatim and distributes the record on a national label it isn't a big deal but get mainstream attention by touching Jay-Z the Beatles...watch out kids, the real thugs come out.
5:26 AM
(im in a world where musical genius meets lyrical genius, glass onion meets glass pipe, awesome simply awesome)-Bad-L(on Dj Danger Mouse:The Greay Album)
6:50 AM
HOV and The Beetles!?! Who would have thunk it? Man, this is tight!
1:09 PM
Here's a Grey Album torrent: http://213.158.116.18/torrents/1163/DJ_Danger_Mouse-Grey_Album.torrent
2:03 PM
where can I get it, all those websites got trashed...I ordered a burned copy on ebay, if I win, I'll host it
2:04 PM
Thanks for the torrent link, Matt. Excellent, excellent, excellent!
4:07 PM
This mirror is working pretty well.
I will also mirror them on my site when I finish downloading :) (I think I have 15GB spare bandwidth per month, so it should be able to take it)
5:30 PM
Yo, thanks for the mirror. I will be on tonight sending it out over instant messanger. Drop me a line at WSSkyler and I'll help you out.
7:04 PM
this album is the best thing that ever happened to sampling....anyone know where i can find the "brown album" ??
8:09 AM
the grey album is the shit. sounds beautiful and it really does something to make itself worthwhile. im rather irritated that this shit got cease and desisted because its not like i can get the same thing by like, listening to the White album or something.
People need to recognize that you can create a Brand New piece of art even if you are using elements of other people's art. It's a whole other can of worms about who gets what money, but how can they try to fucking kill a piece of art that is fresh, different, and unique.
This album is a case in point because while made up of recognizable elements, no one can possibly say DM just bit someone elses ideas. dig? my two cents.
8:49 AM
Fat red-braced suit full of bugger-all trashes genuine creativity shocker. Such a shame Adam Smith and Milton Friedman were ever born, then these institutionalised bailiffs could never operate. Know this Mr. Campbell - your life's work is as nought - sit at your desk, rake in the cash for nothing and die knowing more people hated you than liked. Musicians will be remembered, not their A&R men, and not their vacuous lawyers. People who have never known you and never will still regard you with contempt. Happy with this?
By the way, arsewit, we still got the tunes. Always going to be a step behind, desparately trying to claw your grubby little pennies back...
Stitch that chunky.
AS, England, can't touch me!!!!!!!
10:02 AM
Downloaded the whole album and it's awesome !
Shame on the whole music-industry. They are digging their own grave !
EMI should lizence the album and sell it instead of serving Danger Mouse with a cease-and-desist order.
Andy
10:58 AM
Can you email me the mp3's? The white album is my favorite and I am curious to hear these tracks.
Thanks.
1:40 PM
I'm all for sampling, BUT...credit where credit is due!!
Regarding the post above about hitting EMI once the Dialated Peoples album goes 'big', that's exactly the same thing that EMI is doing about this album now. Let's not be hypocrites.
3:56 PM
Dude, thank u so much for this piece of art, it is the best thing i have heard in a long time. Screw those Capitol bastards!!!!!
6:36 PM
What a great idea. It's a shame that everyone is so uptight about their music!
8:23 PM
This album is sick. I am sitting hear smiling. So surreal and dreamy the way this works together. I am very happy with it. I agree with whoever said this should be licensed and marketed, not shut down. EMI is missing out.
2:05 AM
Thanks for making it possible to get this, it's great.
Is there something wrong with the burn of track 3 - Encore? At various points (8s, 27s) there are breaks in the sound. Some sound intentional but some sound like they are caused by a glitch in the ripping process.
I've downloaded a couple of versions of the track (from illegal and forum). OK so call me a purist :-)
10:38 AM
This is the shit. Before the Black Album, I was noticing that Jay-Z was spittin game everywhere except his own albums. Then the Black Album dropped. It was tight, but this makes it even better. Best track is Encore. Danger Mouse made a masterpeice.
10:45 AM
Where can I find the mp3s of this album? I have a copy of the CD but haven't opened it. I'd like to have a readily available copy so I can bump it in my hooptie.
11:33 AM
props! does paul mccartney like it?
1:05 PM
Have you received any further correspondence from EMI?
1:19 PM
No, I haven't heard anything. They got what they wanted, so I wasn't really expecting a reply.
2:05 PM
this is the biggest crossover in hiphop/pop history. fucking amazing.
2:30 PM
fuck the industry. when artists as a whole stop giving the industry power by not using the established means of production and business, shit like this will happen less. the label doesn't figure the value is worth promoting probably. FUCK'EM. i don't even like Jay-Z...
8:33 AM
I'm a music journalist, who concentrates on Hip Hop but, not limited to it...The Grey Album is a revolution in music...combining legends of Rock and Hip Hop with an almost 30 year gap in between the genres...Dangermouse is the next step in Hip Hop and music...much kudos...supporting Hip Hop and Music worldwide..FREE THE MUSIC!
Peace and Safety
11:58 AM
Capitol crushes musical innovation while my guitar gently weeps....
5:30 PM
Yo guys, I downloaded the album. It's the shit. However, I don't think my ID3 tags are on correctly. Anyone have a track listing for it so I can get it right? Thanks for the help.
6:40 PM
IT's good, but it's not revolutionary...
NWA was revolutionary. A Tribe Called Quest was revolutionary. This is an innovative quality release, but nothing all that special.
8:32 PM
Bless your music lovin' heart. Thanks for the grooves and the links...
12:54 AM
Track Listing
1.Public Service Announcement
2.What More Can I Say
3.Encore
4.December 4th
5.99 Problems
6.Dirt Off Your Shoulder
7.Moment of Clarity
8.Change Clothes
9.Allure
10.Justify My Thug
11.Lucifer
12.My First Song
6:43 AM
How can one steal something that is not even being sold?
12:38 PM
Question: does anyone know if the DMCA *requires* C&D letters before legal action? I'd hate to screw up my life over some silly online protest thing.
5:06 PM
i must say: i agree with "matt." the grey album is good, but it's not at all a revolution in hiphop music. if anything, it has gotten all this aclaim because it's illegal. the real joint is the BROWN ALBUM, produced by kevBrown. check it out.
6:27 PM
Went to NYC last week. Got the Grey Album on sum beat hiphop bootleg shop. DAMN this shit is hott.
7:03 AM
Danger Mouses' 'Grey Album' is the most ridiculous piece of crap to which I have ever subjected my ears... basically, this piece of work is self-styled garbage. I truly feel sorry for any Beatles fan.
11:41 AM
Does anyone know where I can download MP3's of the Jay Z Brown Album and the Jay Z White album???
12:00 PM
I've had a beef with the RIAA's unrealistic policies on MP3 downloading, and this is no exception. Danger Mouse should see cash from this, Jay should approve of it, and he should get put on, period. The "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" remix is insane, and I have to call it a tie with what Timmy did...beautiful work. If the links still work, get this stuff now!
12:58 AM
Yo this shit is da bomb gangst...u internet dorks just cop it and listen to da ish paycycycye
7:59 AM
Superb album, it's all over the p2p programs for those who haven't got it yet :-)
2:40 PM
The Grey and the rest...
2:41 PM
The Grey and the rest... http://www.djbattle.net/nyheter.php?articleID=1109
4:48 PM
I hate the RIAA and their members and I want some of these guys in prison for all the illegal activitiies and the arm the inflict to our society. On Tuesday I wll download the grey Album and guess what? Since they started suing people I started downloading to just to bug them! Don't be intimidated by the RIAA! keep downloading and if sued do not settle! do not give them money! do not pay! As fare as I am concerned think will neither be as before because I will neither either buy any CD or recording from any form if I know that even one peny go to an RIAA member!
I switched completly to Indies. I guess this lawsuit is good for the Indies. I did not know they were there! And guess waht they are sheapper!
3:49 AM
****WARNING**** This is for everybody that has downloaded and listened to Jay-Z "The Grey Album" put together by DJ Danger Mouse. After listenin' to this cd myself, I found it to be damn good untill I got to the disturbin' track 11 titled Interlude/Lucifer. If you have listened to this track yourself then you will know that it seems this track appears to be playin' backwards. Well I'm here to tell you that it is and it has a very well distrubin' subliminal message that it's sendin' out. If you have some form of mp3 program that can play songs in reverse on your computer then try it and listen to it yourself, I tried this out usin' Traktor DJ Studio 2. I loaded up the mp3 track 11 in the program and played it in reverse and this is what it started playin', it starts: 666...*disturbin' music plays with talkin' in the background*...I can introduce you to evil...*more music plays*...Murder, Murder Jesus, 666...*more music plays*...Leave niggas on Death's door...*more music plays*...Catholics I gotta murder them...*more music plays*...Murder, Murder Jesus, 666...*music comes to a end*. THIS IS NOT A JOKE PEOPLE!!!! If you have the tools to play mp3's in reverse then try it for yourself and listen. What I don't know is if DJ Danger Mouse added this subliminal message in himself, or if they were actual lyrics by Jay-Z, or something that came from samplings from The Beatles' "White Album." Again people, "THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!!!" I may be the very first person to have discovered this subliminal message in this track and the first to ever give you a warning upon listenin' to this rather disturbin' song. If the webmaster of this site will like to get in contact with me just respond to this message and I'll give you the info to get in contact with me. I will play this track for you personaly if you don't have any program that can play this track in reverse. After listenin' to this track then you will have to make a conscience decission to continue to provide links for this album. Now believe when I say I don't work for or do anything for the RIAA. This is just a warnin' that I'm sendin' out to everyone that is listenin' to this track or that has a child that has this track available to them. Be warned and remember the name.
~IcebergTruPlaya~
3:56 AM
http://www.greytuesday.org/
11:05 AM
IcebergTruPlaya is right about track 11. The
"Murder Murder Jesus" and "Catholics I gotta murder them" lines are kinda disturbing.
I'd say it's Danger Mouse commenting on the long and overrated tradition of backwards devil music (in which the Beatles played a standout role), or else just trying to create controversy. The message and backwards talking seems too obvious otherwise.
2:48 PM
Well, more of the usual with the thug tatctic from the music industry. Andy has already linked to my site, but I also just added the c & d letter I got:
http://rantings.shaghaghi.net/archives/a_letter_a_day_early.html#more
3:04 PM
I got a letter and am in limbo if I shall place the tunes online or not.
HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.
http://www.RadioAid.com
4:13 PM
Cheers for this. I'm surprised at how civilised you guys are though - everyone's really shit scared of authority in the states eh? I'm all up for fucking EMI in the arse in any way I can.
4:13 PM
I'm planning on adding my c&d letter sometime tonight, although it's identical to Sean's. It's odd that they simply mass-emailed both lists on greytuesday.org - instead of simply reading it, and realizing such action was unnecessary. But then again, it's EMI/Captiol. You can't expect much logical thinking from them.
4:28 PM
I got a preemptive C&D email today. Can they legally require us to give them a full accounting of how the album came into our posession and what we planned to do with it when we haven't actually put any of the MP3s on our website, just stated our intent to do so in the future? I'm 14, and this is scaring me kind of a lot. If I start getting mail from a law firm, and end up involved in any kind of case, my parents will kill me. Eamil me at margaret@digital-crocus.com if you know, please.
5:20 PM
My advice, don't do it if you're scared of the consequences. There's more of us who will do it.
And I'm going to see if I can't slap EMI around a bit with our site... :evil:
gimme 20 minutes and check what we mean... we'll have our streaming player have a "The Gray Album" genre... hmmm.... This could get interesting.
12:44 AM
I put up an mp3 of "Interlude" reversed that has the aforementioned "evil" lyrics. Check my site: http://www.philosophistry.com/
permlink:
http://www.philosophistry.com/archives/2004/02/001038.html
5:32 AM
EMI is just asserting their copyright. You guys are glorifying the violation of the law. Work to change the law if you're unhappy with it, but breaking the law is just stupid. Danger Mouse should have secured all the rights for his source material if he wanted to produce this album. It's like you're blaming EMI that the DJ didn't do his homework. That's what being a professional is all about, and EMI owes it to all of its artists and shareholders to demonstrate a willingness to retaliate against infringement.
10:25 AM
Barlow, breaking the law is not stupid. It is a way of working to change it. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law. - Martin Luther King Jr.
10:47 AM
Barlow, what the fuck are you talking about? You don't think that companies try a fuck people over? Multi-nationals bend the law any way they can. The reason the law is the way it is, is because these companies have more of a voice than you and me, and because the US political system only cares responds to money. Copyright laws aren't there to protect people, but to protect business, and surely you can't believe that EMI would do you any favours...
One other thing - you say "work to change the law" tell me how the US political system would respond to calls for limiting the powers of business when you guys elect the likes of George Bush??
10:48 AM
Barlow is a fucking loser.
10:52 AM
If you disagree with Barlow, I encourage you to comment on his entry about the Grey Album instead of mine. You'd just be preaching to the converted here.
11:15 AM
To: Iceberg Tru Playa.
Pehaps you aren't aware of all the contrevesy surrounding the Beatles in their hay day. The whole "Paul is Dead" thing and others supposed messages, subliminal or otherwise. Perhaps the song title itself "Lucifer" did not tip you off.
If you consider todays music & violence argument.
And the "Backwars Message" crap they have been spewing since the 50's. For DM to put that into the track makes sense as a piece of the art, especially when you look at what he was putting together. There's a synergy about it. After all we're all big boys and girls. We know "killing catholics" and "leaving nigga's on death's door" are BAD things.... a couple of lines spoken softly in REVERSE shouldn't change that.
11:17 AM
P.S. Yes, I know I am a lousy typist.. please forgive the 20 or so mistakes above :)
1:37 PM
Keep up the good fight, Andy!
3:23 PM
In the spirit of the occasion, here is a song I put together using bits of an old Bill Cosby routine from my childhood along with some music you might recognize (at least during the chorus). Enjoy and let me know what you think.
http://homepage.mac.com/rtremain/fileshare/
**Disclaimer: I'm not trying to make any money off of this. Nothing is for sale - just for fun.
4:00 AM
Downloaded it, listened to it, didn't like it.
But I approve what you have done.
5:25 AM
But aren't you missing the point of the MLK quote, Hazza? Someone who breaks the law--just or unjust--must be willing to accept the punishment.
But copyright law, while not perfect, is the best thing we've got right now for rewarding artists for their work. And comparing copyright laws to Jim Crow and segregation is the pinnacle of vanity. If you don't think that the music is worth your money, then you shouldn't go out of your way to listen to it.
The fact is that everybody--the RIAA and the pirates--are equally culpable in making the music we listen to crass and commercial. Yup. As music becomes free, the only way for artists to make money is going to be by lacing their music with
product placement.
5:54 AM
But copyright law, while not perfect, is the best thing we've got right now for rewarding artists for their work.
No it isn't. You're confusing the songs with the recordings. Artists on major labels rarely own the copyrights to their own recordings - since they were paid for by the label, the label owns the copyright. Surely at this stage it's a bit naive to presume that major labels are going to be fair in rewarding the artists for all the hard work they put in to make the recordings? After all, the average royalty rate is a paltry 12 percent, and stories of young bands trying to make it big but getting fucked over by the fat cats in the process are ten a penny. So in effect, copyright law as it stands only protects the labels, not the artists. Just ask Prince.
By all means, reward the artists for their work - buy independent music from labels that treat their rosters with the respect they deserve, or buy it direct from the artists if you can. But don't fool yourself by thinking you're supporting the artist when you buy a CD from a major label: the band might get a bagel for lunch or something, but the executives just put a down payment on a Lear jet.
8:50 AM
i know lots of people at ev1 since i live in houston and their HQ is 5 minutes from my home. last year ev1 attempted to sue my friends (www.headsurfer.net) and were kicked in the ass for their effort. fight the good fight.
8:56 AM
I don't have any complaint with EV1 at all. In fact, EV1Servers is an excellent web host. My last host had uptime issues, and I was capped at 1.5 MBps. For the same amount of money per month, I get a more powerful box, an insanely fast pipe, perfect uptime, and 700GB/month. Highly recommended.
3:35 PM
This is bull ... Just another case of combining big names to get attention. Next: The Exile Show (The Eminem Show + Exile On Main St.). + YES. artists should be able to stop people from messing with their work for the sake of attention. I for one don't want to hear a polka version of John Lennon's Imagine.
If you're so brilliant, write your own stuff.
4:09 PM
Dear MegaStoffel: Exile On Main St. is chock full of great blues riffs (and songs) lifted from such acts as Robert Johnson and Slim Harpo. Why can't Keith Richards just write his own stuff? That slob.
And don't get me started on Led Zepplin. If someone told you that music wasn't partly about getting attention for yourself, they were lying.
6:15 PM
just found this site. sweet.
6:17 PM
You gotta be kidding me!
This stuff sucks.
The only saving grace for any of it is the Beatles samples. They were (are) true musicians and artists. To call this art is a joke.
There are a few areas where there's a spark of something interesting - very few areas, and very small sparks.
Mostly, it's dull, repetitive sampling that drones on and on...like the reviews.
Get a life - if you want true musical art buy the Beatles albums, or if you like droning boring rap, buy Jay-Z - but don't even intimate that this infantile blend is good or art.
9:18 PM
This is exciting. The major labels have too much power, there's too much media consolidation in our culture, and this fight is worth fighting. The way artists are exploited is disgusting and stifles creativity, and the way radio stations are run is even more of an outrage. Unless you're plugged into the system, you can't even get on the radio.
But... My personal opinion here: This music is just not good enough, on its own, to be the centerpiece of this fight. I have to wonder: Did Danger Mouse even try to get permission to sample the other artists' tracks? If he did, what happened? Did they just refuse? Were they willing to compromise? If he didn't, well-- what did he expect? Does he just want to appropriate someone else's music for free?
I do think there ought to be an easy way, a lawful way, for new artists to sample published music without having to call up a bunch of lawyers. It ought to be allowed for some fee, or some cut of the proceeds, or something. After all, if the original artists didn't make the music for free but actually used it to make a living, I think we owe that to them--even if they did it through a major label.
I absolutely agree that this system sucks and is being run by the money. Something's got to give. But the way to challenge the major-label system is not to start stealing other people's music! This fight would make more sense if Danger Mouse had just written his own music instead of making this unusual blend of other people's.
I hate to say it, because I do agree with the anti-corporate mission here, but I just don't buy what it says at the top of this page--that The Grey Album represents "the universe of creative works stifled by the United States' archaic copyright laws and the corporations that lobbied for them." Gimme a break!
11:17 PM
tell me where can i get the greyalbum
11:27 PM
2 Live Crew's "As Nasty As They Wanna Be" wasn't exactly the best album in the world, but it ended up in a Supreme Court decision that set the precedent for the application of fair use in the modern era. Similarly, Hustler Magazine isn't exactly fine art, but it's crass parody of Jerry Falwell ended up strengthening free speech.
7:20 AM
Andy Baio, you make a damn good point. Damn good point. If this leads to changes in the music industry, then the details of the actual CD are irrelevant. I still wonder what changes we're looking for exactly. There seems to be an idea floating around that all music should be free from profit, and that we should make this point here. That's an ideal I admire, but can we at least acknowledge that we are so, so far from achieveing that? Maybe we can move the industry in the right direction with some specific suggestions about how to handle situations like the Grey Album and other artists who sample. That way, the folks supporting Danger Mouse wouldn't seem crassly self-serving. That's the paradox here: The more utopian you are, the more everyone else thinks you just want to get music for free. Whereas the more realistic you are, the more the bigwig types have to take you seriously. I bet there are plenty of copyright lawyers who would love to represent Danger Mouse, provided that he is willing to ask for specific changes in the law as opposed to a blank check. We need to find new ways to avoid kissing the feet of major studios every time someone wants to sample some published music. At the same time, the original money-making proposition has to be respected to some extent. I do think that having respect for artists means, in part, allowing them to make a living off their art--which is already way too hard to do in this society already.
9:47 AM
I keep getting e-mails about this. You can still download the album at Illegal Art or many of the Grey Tuesday mirrors.
12:28 PM
You are so the f*%#kin' man!
Keep up the fight for artistic freedom.
The whole concept of "stolen" music is absurd.
Can you steal the sound of the wind, the rain?
God Bless.
9:03 PM
Thank you, all of you for standing up to EMI and symbolically, the shamelessy profiteering copywright-holding companies. I was in an extremely similar situation last May, and my orginization folded under the pressure and pulled back, beacuse regardless of the validity of their claims, they had the money and lawyers to put us (a small struggling non-profit theatre) through the legal ringer, and thus out of business. After the incident, the spirit of our orginization was crushed. It was as if they had a huge slab of concrete hanging over our heads ... not pleasant at all. So thank you for championing the cause of art and free expression, and standing up where I could not, and thank you