A while ago we posted a GUESS THE CD game, where players would have to guess the name of the CD based on the track listing that you provide.
Here’s a variation on the theme: guessing the song based on the listing provided in the BMG Music Catalog sales brochure.
You don’t remember the BMG (or Columbia House) Music Club?
<old man voice>Yeah, I remember when we had to purchase our music the old-fashioned way, through the mail. We’d have to go through a magazine listing and select the CDs, albums, audio cassettes, or 8-track tapes that we’d like to purchase; send in a postcard with a penny taped to it; and in 4-to-6 weeks, a package would arrive containing our selections… and we’d be lucky if they got the shipment right, or if they were in original packaging instead of being labeled as “special to Columbia House”. We didn’t have any of this new-fangled instant over the Internet-get the music instantly kind of crap. We had to work at getting our music. And we liked it.</old man voice>
So I was going through some old boxes at the house the other day and found an old BMG catalog. It proudly advertised “Buy 1, Get 2 Free (then take an unlimited number at 80% off!)” Prices for a single CD were listed at about $17.98 each, so you would get 3 CDs for that initial $18 payment, then as many other CDs as you’d want for about $3.60 or so apiece – give or take a little. They’ll screw you on the shipping and handling, but it was still a better deal, generally, than going to the record shop.
Flipping through the catalog, you could tell that the writers were trying hard to hype each and every album listed for sale. Can you guess what the album and artist is for each of these 10 blurbs provided from the catalog? (click the link for the answers)
- UK gloom-poppers’ debut album, augmented w/non-album tracks from Robert Smith & Co.
- Jane Austen’s classic novel gets the Bollywood treatment. The soundtrack features two songs by Ashanti.
- Ska-pop band’s sweet tooth for catchy melodies never fails it.
- Young Vegas band gives synthy ’80’s style Britpop a garage-rock spin.
- Hard-edged, muscular country in the tradition of Tanya Tucker.
- Fun, uplifting set with strutting, playful vocals against guitar rock, reggae, & ska.
- Literate, romantic power-pop from Leonard Cohen’s son.
- Acoustic project reveals new aspects of alt-metallers’ songs.
- Garage-y intensity, ’80s new wave accents & sultry, art-trash ‘tude add up to bracing indie rock from Scots band.
- Engagingly gritty R&B tracks on this debut album by a teenage singer/songwriter from Massachusetts.