Moneytalks: AC/DC fans balk at Wal-Mart deal

AC/DC fans across the blogosphere are shocked (or the opposite of shocked?) at the band’s recent record deal with Wal-Mart. After building a 30-year career on outrageous, semi-demonic escapades, AC/DC’s deal with the all-American retailer strikes some as...well, sad. Whereth the hard rockers of yesteryear? Many are accusing the band of selling out, but the move even has some fans wondering if AC/DC was EVER for real. Our best guess is that AC/DC’s just taking some of their own advice: “Come on, come on, love me for the money/ Come on, come on, listen to the moneytalk.”

AC/DC To Wal-Mart [Lefsetz Letter]

THIS is a mistake. Have you heard the new Eagles album? I’m guessing no. Even though 3 million copies were moved by Wal-Mart, it was an impulse item for baby boomers. Sure, some hard core fans purchased the disc too, but if you don’t care about the Eagles, it’s like the album didn’t even come out, like it doesn’t even exist. There was some airplay for the initial J.D. Souther-penned song “How Long”, but who listens to music radio anymore anyway? The Eagles/Wal-Mart deal was about the money.

Fred Wilson & Bob Leftsetz on AC/DC & WalMart [Evolvor]

I agree with both of these guys on why this is a stupid idea.

First reason? I HATE Wal-Mart. I never shop there. I don’t have huge political reservations about the company (like many many do), I just am over shopping at stores that ruin small town business by offering crappy products targeted at low-income families that can’t say know to good deals.

AC/DC: For those about to rock, shop at Wal-Mart [Chicago Tribune Pop Machine Blog]

Pop Machine hasn’t offered an installment of “Is this a sell-out?” since its return, but the appropriate occasion has arrived...The Eagles and Garth Brooks previously have sold CDs exclusively through Wal-Mart, with last year’s Eagles album, “Long Road Out of Eden,” considered a success story with about three million copies sold.

But AC/DC? The classic headbangers’ new album won’t be available at any sort of rock music store, but you can pick it up along with a box of Huggies?

Maybe this isn’t about AC/DC. Maybe this is about the death of the record store. Or maybe AC/DC has sold its twisted soul.

Does this mean rock-n-roll really is dead? [Trusty Getto]

Cathleen said: Yes. This means rock-n-roll is officially dead. Someone mark the time.

Highway to Hell [Dragon Fly Eye]

I’ve never been all that big a fan of AC/DC, though I did see them at Sars-stock (AKA, The Rolling Stones and Friends benefit for Toronto). Still, they’re a bedrock Rock-n-Roll music making machine that deserves plenty of respect. Or at least, they used to. Now, they’re living in Wally World.

AC-DC Joins Forces with Wal-Mart [Kyle Smith Online]

Somehow, it’s hard to maintain your kind-of-Satanic appeal if you’re selling your new album exclusively in Wal-Mart…. Or is it? AC-DC is going the way of the Eagles and becoming another wholesome all-American Wal-Mart brand. Possibly anything that is anarchic when you’re 12, yet survives until you’re 40, automatically becomes mainstream. Or was AC-DC simply mainstream all along, as neatly packaged as Pringles?

Poll: Should AC/DC Release Its Album Exclusively Through Wal-Mart? [Wired Blog]

For those about to shop, AC/DC and Wal-mart salute you. The band has joined forces with the brand to sell its upcoming album exclusively through Wal-Mart retail locations in the CD format. Is AC/DC off its rocker?

A Headline I never thought I’d see [O’Donnell Web]

“New AC/DC album to be Wal-Mart exclusive.”

I can remember when AC/DC was too risque to be sold in some Wal-Marts. Sigh.

White Trash Perks: New AC/DC album to be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart [Hear Ya]

I don’t get it. AC/DC has a huge fan base and they are a household name. Why not do like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails and sell digital albums direct to us consumers from their website? They seem to have much more to gain by cutting out all retailers.

Highway To Wal-Mart [SteroGum]

AC/DC are following in the path blazed by Eagles, Garth Brooks, and Journey, becoming the next big-time band selling a CD exclusively through Wal-Mart. Eagles and Garth, et al, made lite-rock (and country) sense. From an aesthetic standpoint, though, the guys behind TNT, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Powerage, For Those About to Rock (We Salute You), Back In Black, the aforementioned Highway To Hell, and the name “AC/DC”? Takes big balls, mates.

For Those About to Rock, We Have Always Low Prices* [Big Picture]

What’s noteworthy about these deals is that they all involve dinosaurs who’s best days are long behind them, going to Wal-Mart for their promotional muscle. Now if Wal-Mart cut a deal with any band that wasn’t cranking out albums in the 1960s, ‘70s, or ‘80s, I might think there was something very interesting afoot. Say, a Radiohead or a Coldplay or Sarah McLachlan.

But no. The newer bands are going to the internet, rather than WAL-Mart. Their fans skew younger, and are more comfortable on line; Many of them are quite international, and domestic US sales matter less.  Lastly, there is something decidely unhip about Wal-Mart that simply doesn’t call out to Beck.

AC/DC goes Wal-Mart exclusive [Paste Magazine]

The new LP isn’t due to be released until this fall, which raises interesting questions about why AC/DC chose to seal a distribution plan this early. Actually, it doesn’t raise questions so much as answer them: in the words of the sagacious Sean Combs, “It’s all about the benjamins, baby.”

Evaluating AC/DC’s deal with Wal-Mart [The Week Daily]

AC/DC obviously doesn’t care about their younger fans, said the blog TheLefsetzLetter. They are “the biggest band still alive in the minds of teenagers,” but are kids really going to go to Wal-Mart to buy the new album? “The closest Wal-Mart to me is almost twenty miles away!” And the fact that AC/DC is one of the few bands that still “doesn’t offer its catalog on iTunes” makes the whole situation that much more frustrating.

Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Wednesday, June 11, 2008

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