Let's Debate This Idea: Beck Will Release His New Album Only As Sheet Music

So, the Internet is abuzz since yesterday about this idea Beck had to make people buy his new album of songs, not as MP3s, but as twenty songs existing only as individual pieces of sheet music. Hmm. Forbes' Will Burns calls it a "genius innovation." He thinks rabid fans are going to download the music, make their own versions on their own instruments and upload those tunes to Facebook and YouTube — creating a massive amount of Beck's work in every shade of amazing for all to devour. From there, the masses will flock to his concerts to see how he plays those songs himself. Won't that be something.

We think it's a load of pucky.

In this instant gratification age we live in, people are too impatient and lazy to be bothered with this gimmick. Furthermore, it's hearing the album that fuels concert ticket sales — not hearing the album as played by your next door neighbor's garage band. This has pretentious rock star written all over it and we predict, in one month's time after the album's release in December, that a set of MP3s will conveniently appear in the iTunes store awaiting the instantly-downloadable whim of any and every Beck junkie.

What's your take?

Via