Reading Between The Liner Notes
Music fans will voluntarily offer up the information that they obsessively read the liner notes. At some point over a [music based] conversation they’ll gush over reading all the lyrics, even reading through all the credits and thank-yous. I’m not sure why we do it either. I know why people like myself feel the need to do everything in our power to get closer to the music. By reading and knowing who played guest keys on tracks 2, 4, and 5 or which 14 people the band chose to thank, it somehow connects us to the music more. What I don’t understand is why we feel the need to brag about it like it means anything. Laying on your bed or sitting against the wall with the CD booklet open and the music playing doesn’t actually increase your level of coolness, it decreases it somewhat.
Beyond the connection reading the liner notes creates to a particular album, it’s also a sign of growing up outside the reign of digital distribution. Some form of liner notes will always be around whether as iTunes LP or a new take on it. But it won’t be the same as it was in the hey day of compact discs. While openly welcoming the digital era for its ease and speed, it’s also easy to lament the physical aspect and all that came with it. Here are a few things from the liner notes of some of the albums I own.
Thrice - ‘The Artist In The Ambulance’
When I first bought the album, I hated the fact that there wasn’t a standard ‘album cover’, rather it was a series of cards, one for each track, each with a different picture on it that could be rotated to the front and become the cover. Interesting idea in theory which only resulted in the cards constantly falling out. Regardless of practicality, on the back of each card was the lyrics to the song and notes from the band about the song. For example, on the album’s lead single “All That’s Left,” Dustin Kensrue talks about his experience seeing Damien Rice and how something he said at his show about writing songs ended up sticking with Dustin, which lead to the song being written around the chorus line, “We are the dead.”
Brand New - ‘Deja Entendu’
The band includes a section under the thank-yous called “Listen To This” in which they list about 20 bands they think people should check out. A lot of bands thank other bands, but I haven’t really seen any that say specifically, “Listen to this.” Some are bigger names like Bruce Springsteen, but others include bands they had toured with and came up with including Hot Rod Circuit, The Movielife, and Finch. Thinking about how big this album was in the underground music scene when it came out, I can’t help but think that the bands listed in the credits, having Brand New recommend them must have been a least a little boon.
Switchfoot - ‘The Beautiful Letdown’
Mostly filled with inside jokes with people’s nicknames in the credits, the band does something few do and uses the space to talk about the wide spread impact of HIV. “This is a disaster our children will read about in history books; now is the time for action.” With a url to further get involved.
Looking back, it’s not necessarily the credits or thank you’s that are worth mentioning, but rather the little things that now give reason to crack a smile.
On their break out album, ‘Turn The Radio Off’, Reel Big Fish include their email address. They can be reached at ‘Reelbgfish@aol.com’.
More than a few liner notes mention that you can unlock bonus content by inserting it into your CD-ROM drive.
The always classic, “Add your name to the thank-yous” with the blank line.
Snow Patrol adds “[Thanks to] Everyone who has bought this record, not just downloaded it for free off t'net” on their 'Final Straw’ album.
Thursday, as did many many bands, added their Myspace site to the credits. An unfortunate artifact that will firmly place any release in a time capsule at the height of Myspace’s reign.
On albums with no thank-yous, is it a sign of indifference, snobbery, or redundancy?