In August, Capitol/EMI will be releasing eight "classic titles" on high-quality vinyl in the U.S. Titled "From The Capitol Vaults," the albums set for release include four titles from Radiohead, two from Coldplay, and one each from A Perfect Circle and Steve Miller Band, all out-of-print in the U.S. The albums will be released on 180-gram audiophile vinyl (aside from Amnesiac and Kid A, which will be released on 140-gram 10-inches), with original artwork and packaging.
Now, I'm no marketing expert, but I do know a good campaign involves a solid foundation. Capitol/EMI's strategy seems painfully transparent to me. First of all, by only releasing eight "classic titles," Capitol is sending a cautious signal to the consumers. Sure, Capitol releases new titles on vinyl in the U.S. (the new Coldplay, for example), but they're always very limited. Similarly, this limited-edition campaign doesn't speak to any long-term investment in the format. Chances are that fans have already bought these "classic" albums on CD, which means these vinyl releases are aimed primarily at commodity fetishists, further underscoring EMI's increasing emphasis on its back catalog, not its current artists. The campaign seems more like Best Buy's sales experiment (TMT Review), but at least Best Buy is being explicit about its aims.
"U.S. vinyl sales have increased by more than 80% in the past year alone, and the format is still on the rise," says the press release. Right. Meanwhile, indie labels have been fairly adequately catering to vinyl fans all along.
"From The Capitol Vaults":
- A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms (2 LPs, gatefold jacket, satin stock, diecut white sleeves)
- Coldplay - Parachutes (1 LP, printed sleeve)
- Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head (1 LP, printed sleeve)
- Radiohead - OK Computer (2 LPs, gatefold jacket, color labels, printed sleeves)
- Radiohead - Kid A (2 10” 140-gram LPs, gatefold jacket, printed sleeves, color labels)
- Radiohead - Hail To The Thief (2 LPs, gatefold jacket, printed sleeves)
- Radiohead - Amnesiac (2 10” 140-gram LPs, gatefold jacket, printed sleeves, color labels)
- Steve Miller Band - Greatest Hits 1974-78 (1 LP, printed sleeve, color label)
