Multi-Part Album Releases: A New Trend?

posted in: Music NewsPopRock

These days, there is often debate over the value of an entire album. With all the illegal downloading of MP3s and the seemingly constant decrease in attention spans, some argue that the full-length album is becoming less and less substantial as a marketable product, while EPs and singles are increasing in value.

To combat this shift, many artists are taking the LP to new heights, giving it more value as a complete overall package and work of art. We’ve seen an increase in vinyl production, unique packaging, limited edition pre-orders, you name it. Now there seems to be another trend emerging: the sequential release of multi-part LPs.

Some artists can barely pull together 10-12 songs for a full length, but for those who are more capable and more ambitious, the concept of releasing an album in two ore more parts has become an unique, appealing artistic decision and marketing tactic. For example, many of you have probably heard by now about Green Day‘s album trilogy ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré!, three sequential albums released over the course of 4 months—the latter of which just came out this past Friday, December 7th. Not only did this approach allow the pop/rock/punk band to release a plethora of artistic ideas in a short amount of time; it also prolonged the excitement established around a new release. By dropping the albums as a series, Green Day has maintained a certain amount of buzz and presence in the world of social media. And considering how quickly news is consumed in this information age, holding people’s attention is one of the most difficult and valuable aspect’s of a musician’s career. The more you can do to remain present, the better your chances are of being heard.

Prog-rock band Coheed And Cambria have decided to try the multi-part album release as well. However, their approach to the idea is firmly rooted in specific artistic fulfillment, rather than marketing ploys. The concept album is a a two part continuation of the band’s ongoing story, known collectively as The Amory Wars. This installment of the story is called The Afterman (subtitles Ascention and Descention respectively), and serves as an expansion of the universe that frontman Claudio Sanchez has established through both his lyrics and comic books. However, the two albums are being released further apart than Green Day’s with the first one out last month and the second out in February of 2013. The most exciting part about this release is that both albums are connected by a plot line, so if fans want to take in the entire story, they will have to listen to both. This helps to maintain a simmering level of excitement between releases, like that of a captivating television or movie series—which, by the way, is a realm of entertainment that Coheed And Cambria will soon take on.

This is reminiscent of Between The Buried And Me‘s Parallax concept album, which was also released in two parts. The first installment, The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues, came out in April 2011, but the second, The Parallax II: Future Sequence, was not released until October 9th, 2012, over a year later. For the second release, BTBAM offered an extensive variety of unique pre-order packages, some of which included a full on NASA-style space suit.

As you can see, there is a lot that can be done with multi-part releases. If you have the the time, the money, the resources, and of course the content, you can create a fully engaging product of a truly higher value than just a sole single. There is also an element of exclusivity to this type of release, making those who haven’t heard each installment feel like they may be missing out on something greater. It’s clever, which is probably why Lady Gaga is now going to attempt the double album plan. Her next release will be called Artpop, due out in 2013 as two installments. This means that we can expect a continuous slew of bizarre singles, disturbing videos, and ridiculous outfits—not to mention PR stunts—for at least full year straight. And while it may get exhausting to some, you can bet that the single-praising pop world will most likely yield this release as a groundbreaking, and historically monumental movement in music. Just remember, Gaga wasn’t the first to execute this idea, and seeing as it is now reaching mainstream, she certainly won’t be the last.

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