Charts are in. "Lightsleeper" debuted at #21 on the ARIA Top 500 album chart here in Oz. (Currently at #6 on the JB store chart). New Zealand it comes in at #8. Big thank you to all that supported this release.
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Charted at 83 in the UK. It's sad how many people seem to have deserted him over the years, but perhaps that's to be expected.
Paul H posted:Charted at 83 in the UK. It's sad how many people seem to have deserted him over the years, but perhaps that's to be expected.
Why do you think it’s to be expected?
brownie posted:Paul H posted:Charted at 83 in the UK. It's sad how many people seem to have deserted him over the years, but perhaps that's to be expected.
Why do you think it’s to be expected?
In 2018, music "sales" (mainly downloads/streams) is sadly all about name recognition. Look at Fleetwood Mac vs. Lindsey Buckingham. The Mac is playing 20,000 seat arenas while Lindsey is playing 1500 seat theaters. A Fleetwood Mac new studio album would likely debut in the top 10 while a new Lindsey Buckingham album would be lucky to get into the top 100. Same with Neil Finn. Neil is quite possibly the best songwriter on the planet, but that has zero to do with chart position these days. It's all about name recognition and Neil isn't a household name. A new Crowded House album ... well, that's a different story.
I don’t think that’s what he’s talking about. Neil Finn as a solo artist has had declining UK album chart placement over the years:
| Date | Title, Artist | Peak Pos | WoC | Wks No 1 | Chart Facts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
27.06.1998 | 05 | 14 | 00 | |||
21.04.2001 | 14 | 05 | 00 | |||
22.02.2014 | 22 | 01 | 00 | |||
10.12. 2017 | 71 |
So apparently Neil Finn was once a recognized name in the UK and is now apparently less so. My question for Paul is why does he think that’s to be expected? Why does he think people have “deserted him”?
Please don’t answer this question by describing Fleetwood Mac. Thanks.
Simple, his music has declined.
SEUBYDOO posted:Simple, his music has declined.
I completely disagree with this. I can understand that some folks prefer Neil's songs played with guitars and more uptempo, but his songwriting over the last several years has been some of his best ever.
brownie posted:Paul H posted:Charted at 83 in the UK. It's sad how many people seem to have deserted him over the years, but perhaps that's to be expected.
Why do you think it’s to be expected?
Well, it happens to every artist. I think, in Neil's case, this is partly because he has deliberately stepped away from writing the kind of catchy 3 minute pop songs that so enchanted us all those years ago and partly because his fans have grown up, had kids and found other ways to spend their money and free time.
Speaking for myself only, but using myself as an example, I'm now a father of a young son and don't have the time to listen to an hour of contemplative musings over and over and over in order for the subtleties to start showing through. The combination of less accessible pop writing and less time/energy on my part is proving toxic to my enjoyment of Neil's music.
I've stuck with it partly through emotional attachment, partly because listening to music is such an integral part of me that I can't just walk away and partly because I feel I owe it to Neil to give his music a chance.
But when I'm walking to work and I go searching my internal juke box for something to whistle, I grab something from CH Mk1 and not something from Out of Silence.
Also, the music scene has changed. This doesn't just apply to Neil either. Many "older" artists have fan bases that are geared towards buying physical product. Most modern artists generate "sales" through repeated streams. Every time I play a Neil record, it's just a private action. Every time a fan of Drake (or whoever) streams one of his songs, it counts as (a fraction of) another sale. This means that our hero has lower album chart placings and no hit singles, which creates a viscious circle in which his records seem to "fail" so they don't get any kind of radio exposure.
And, as noted above, the name of Crowded House will always generate more media coverage than Neil can muster under his own name. His last two albums barely registered a flicker in UK music mags, so even those who may be interested in a new album may well not even know they exist.
Paul H posted:brownie posted:Paul H posted:Charted at 83 in the UK. It's sad how many people seem to have deserted him over the years, but perhaps that's to be expected.
Why do you think it’s to be expected?
Well, it happens to every artist. I think, in Neil's case, this is partly because he has deliberately stepped away from writing the kind of catchy 3 minute pop songs that so enchanted us all those years ago and partly because his fans have grown up, had kids and found other ways to spend their money and free time.
Speaking for myself only, but using myself as an example, I'm now a father of a young son and don't have the time to listen to an hour of contemplative musings over and over and over in order for the subtleties to start showing through. The combination of less accessible pop writing and less time/energy on my part is proving toxic to my enjoyment of Neil's music.
I've stuck with it partly through emotional attachment, partly because listening to music is such an integral part of me that I can't just walk away and partly because I feel I owe it to Neil to give his music a chance.
But when I'm walking to work and I go searching my internal juke box for something to whistle, I grab something from CH Mk1 and not something from Out of Silence.
Also, the music scene has changed. This doesn't just apply to Neil either. Many "older" artists have fan bases that are geared towards buying physical product. Most modern artists generate "sales" through repeated streams. Every time I play a Neil record, it's just a private action. Every time a fan of Drake (or whoever) streams one of his songs, it counts as (a fraction of) another sale. This means that our hero has lower album chart placings and no hit singles, which creates a viscious circle in which his records seem to "fail" so they don't get any kind of radio exposure.
And, as noted above, the name of Crowded House will always generate more media coverage than Neil can muster under his own name. His last two albums barely registered a flicker in UK music mags, so even those who may be interested in a new album may well not even know they exist.
Really good summation of the situation, Paul.