The live albums went on sale on the band’s Web site Sept. Though the Pearl Jam releases carry the blessing of Epic, retailers and rival bands will be watching the results of the 25-album barrage to see how many copies are sold, and how many of them are sold via the Internet or fan club rather than traditional stores. The novel mass release-Pearl Jam manager Kelly Curtis affectionately describes the albums as “our own bootlegs"-gives fans unprecedented “authorized” access to the band’s musical output.
Not all retail chains, however, are expected to stock all or even a portion of the albums because of the volume of the series. But they are expected to be discounted by various retailers during their initial weeks on the shelves. They each carry a suggested retail price of $16.98-as opposed to the $17.98 to $18.98 list price of most single-disc new releases. The CDs, released by the band and distributed by Epic Records, are available for as low as $10.98 (plus shipping and handling) for Pearl Jam fan club members via the band’s Web site ().īesides the albums’ availability on the Web site, the band and Epic are making them available to Internet retailers and traditional record stores. The new albums are all two-disc affairs, each one a complete concert from Pearl Jam’s summer tour of Europe. It’s the latest example of how the Internet is reshaping pop music-a move that probably would have been inconceivable without the distribution capabilities provided online. Call it the ultimate fan’s ultimate dream, or a bootlegger’s nightmare, but Pearl Jam has just released 25-yes, 25!-live albums.
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