This is a quite new concept idea.
Artist like Peter Gabriel, Brian Eno and others have offered some multitracked songs to be remixed.
In June 2006, Peter Gabriel and his Real World project launched an online competition: Shock The Monkey Remix.
http://www.businessweek.com/globalb...117320.htm?campaign_id=bier_inno.g3a.rss1018u
That was a powerful concept, and revolutionary too, in a very quiet way. But so far, there's no physical release of a complete album multitracked.
I can imagine Paul McDollarBills predictable reaction about all this multitrack discussion. "SHUT DOWN THE SITES, DELETE THE LINKS!". Many others managements would react like that. They don't really give a damn about fanbase - it really is all about protecting their own selfish self interests. They only can see limitations, not possibilities.
Can you dig it?
U2, Queen, Radiohead, Beatles, Floyd, Zeppelin (or the first major artist) could be THE piooners, the unconventionals, the first ones, the band that everyone would talk about, a la Radiohead 2007 with what they did on In Rainbows. Damn, that would be such a great feeling, and everyone would be proud of this band ahead of its time. They would make the trend. Everyone else would have no choice other than copy them.
When everyone will search wikipedia about the history of multitracked albums, U2 or the X major act will appear first. "in 2008 U2 pioneered the modern music by releasing the first multitracked album, the classic "Achtung Baby" (or UF, War, JT, etc. It must be a classic album, so the impact on the mass media will be shocking)
I'm not naive and I'm not a dreamer. Save this post if you want. Sooner or later a major artist will do this. Until that, every artist who is afraid of take risks won't do anything, used to follow the masses. But when that day comes, they will say "why on earth we didn't make it FIRST when we could!"
So, what now QP are doing is really silly.
These files have been around for YEARS before anyone here knew about their availability. If tracks like these multitracks are never realistically going to be available commercially, regardless of how many of us here download them, we are not affecting any profits for anyone elsewhere.
I'm not saying there isn't a bit of "Robin Hood" sense about all this. Every Queen fan who have the BR and KP multitrack feel poopchute is a hero. He beated all the big shots on the official Queen circles. They have the goods, they don't want to release.
These tracks are HISTORICAL RECORD and if the band can't be arsed to put them out, that's not fans problem.
They can't see what multitracks mean for fans: they are an absolutely fascinating glimpse into the genesis of two incredible songs, and they've only deepened the appreciation for the works.
Fans absolutely LOVE the multitracks, because they are closer to the songs in a way they never experienced before. Even without Pro-tools or a decent mixing studio, the possibilities are almost infinite. Just downloadi Cooledit or Audacity for free, and you'll be able to listen to all the tracks together or separately. You can do your own mixes, listen to details we never heared before. You can listen to the piano track only, to ge the right playing, etc. Suddenly fans have all the possibilites IN THEIR HOMES, and they don't have to be on their knees begging the music industry gods for a decent previously unreleased item.
I just have finished the 24 tracks master unedited mix with my crappy Audacity tools, and so what? I LOVED DOING IT!. I was free to do it, and it was the greatest feeling. Nobody told me what tracks parts of the song I'm allowed to hear and what I'm not.
For a while you're the producer of the song, you're the engineer. I don't care if I did it with the toy called Audacity. Nobody tells me what mix should I do and the way to do it. I experiment. Surely the results of any mix will be shite, but the feeling is absolutely incredible.
So, here's my suggestion for the music industry big shots: HERE'S A GOLDEN MINE. Be prepared and take notice that times are changing. This could save the death of music industry.