Negativeland: Who Gives a Shit?

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This is the first I'm hearing of the new album. What's the deal?

Is U2 on it, licensed and renamed? (Do you have the original to compare it to?)

― Dave225, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sounds like the originals to me, complete with U2 samples and Casey Kasem swearing his mouth off. Plus, extra archival material from the Over the Edge radio program, some live versions, and more. Here's the thing: Apparently this is a knock-off recording by a group called These Guys are From England and Who Gives a Shit, and the album is titled Negativland, if you believe the liner notes. The album is released on the label Seelard, not Seeland. Who knows whether it's the Negs being cutesy, while they're still "in hiding" from the Plunderphonics project legal fallout, or whether they just figure they're already in the legal shit so far they may as well put it out again?

― Sean Carruthers, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

This is where you ask members of the mailing list like me, good friend. ;-) It is an official Neg release, but oh-so-cunningly designed to look like a bootleg. The fact that it's being sold through the Neg website rather gives the game away. Listened to it last night -- it's quite great.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Was Plunderphonics Negativland? That is so great! I really honestly never realised, loving that record for all these years.... I don't follow record news, but I guess the gist of this thread is that Negativland is back, and that's GOOD too, also! Someone send me the new record, even if I do already possess it. Please. Which I probably do, thinking on it. But anyway, please. I LIKE music made with wit, intelligence and the odd tune. In fact, I LOVE it! In your face Mark S!

― Jerry, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

One more Neg, Ned, and you'll have a Cabaret Voltaire song. Or you could just use your own name for the third word and have it be Neg Neg Ned.

― Andy, Thursday, 25 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Was Plunderphonics Negativland? That is so great! I really honestly never realised, loving that record for all these years....

Don't know how sarcastic Mista True is being, but in case others missed it, Negativland's label Seeland saved the issue of the recently released Plunderphonics box set called "69/96". But no, Negativland is not Plunderphonics. Plunderphonics is John Oswald. Negativland is currently Mark Hosler, Don Joyce, Peter Conheim, and whoever else they have in the helm at the moment.

― Brian MacDonald, Thursday, 25 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Never trust anything 'humorous' or 'political' if it comes from the Bay Area. Ever. Sorry, that includes Sammy Hagar too.

― dave q, Friday, 26 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Exceptions to prove the rool: Firesign & Dead Kennedys.

― Sterling Clover, Friday, 26 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I thought the Firesign crew were based out of LA.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 26 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And the Dead Kennedys ARE the fucking rule. That said, I like The Coup and Paris and Jefferson Airplane (though it's arguable whether the latter were ever intentionally funny or political (at least until the "Mannequin 2: On the Move" years)). "Fortunate Son" rules too, but that would certainly be the exception that proves the rule, since the way I hear it it's directed as much at Berkeley as anywhere else.

― Kris, Friday, 26 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

So I wonder if Negativland would sue me if I copied their album, introduced a blip somewhere in the middle, and then sold it on my website too?

― Mickey Black Eyes, Friday, 26 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

They'd probably laugh at you.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 26 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I doubt it, Ned. Sneering, maybe. A band that since co-opted other people's trademarks as a form of alternative branding and promotion is far too humourless, not to mention hypocritical. There's nothing revelatory about their actions at this point, it's like flogging a dead horse, or maybe enjoying illicit gains.

― Mickey Black Eyes, Friday, 26 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Humorless? Have to disagree with you based on last year's tour, which was freaking hilarious. Outside of their work, they may and do have a certain focused intensity, but I think they'd chuckle about something like that. Why not go ahead and do it and see what happens? ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 26 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

For the last little while, Negs albums have had a clear NO COPYRIGHT disclaimer. So go ahead, knock yourself out. They don't care.

― Sean Carruthers, Saturday, 27 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

.. But they'd still think you were an asshole - not for using their work as your source, but for not doing anything creative with it. Perhaps if you did a CD with 45 minutes of silence, and inserted in the middle of it the entire length of "Is there any escape from noise?" - sped up so that it all fit into one minute ... They would probably ask you to join the band - (but that idea's taken.)

― Dave225, Monday, 29 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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