Fleetwood Mac and AOL Time Warner

[CarneVaca]

We’ve had a lot of discussion here about the corporate pressure on Fleetwood Mac by the label. Some of us, myself included, have criticized the band. Not to excuse Mick’s boneheaded online moves, but I think we need to consider some extremely important facts here. If we’re going to be angry, most of the blame should go to the label, though I still think Lindsey and the gang could have stood up to them more.

One thing we won’t be able to complain about is the level of pre-release publicity. Despite some confusion, mostly caused by Mick and his goofballs on the board, it looks like the label is throwing a lot of marketing weight into this thing. They are taking full advantage of the “synergy” with AOL. With all the Fleetwood Mac publicity on AOL, you would think AOL Time Warner is banking on Fleetwood Mac sales to pay for the huge tower complex they're building uptown.

For those of you who don't know, the company is building a twin-tower complex at Lincoln Center. You can already see the frame of the buildings from Queens and New Jersey. It looks like its going to be an impressive presence in, and welcome addition to, the New York skyline, with 55 stories above ground. However, I've read someplace the buildings would be 80 stories high. That has something to do with underground floors as well as unused space on top, but I'm not too sure

But I digress. My point, ultimately, is the label seems to have huge expectations for this record. Of course, if within a couple months of its release we see slow sales, the label is liable to cut back on the marketing plans. That’s just the way business goes these days. Considering the label is owned by the corporation that just recently reported a staggering $1 billion quarterly loss, one can start to understand the amount of pressure that a big-name band like Fleetwood Mac would feel from the corporate powers that be.

In a way, I almost wish the album wouldn’t sell much so the label would release Fleetwood Mac, at which point the band could hook up with a younger, more nimble label such as Sugar Hill that would not interfere with the creative process. Because, let’s face it folks, the way this record is shaping up smells pretty strongly of corporate interference. I’d rather see a modest-selling album that has a lot of artistic integrity than a huge seller full of concessions to commercial interests.