Translation of Columbia chairman Barnett's remarks: "We are relevant, I swear, I swear!"

Wait, so now you can buy Rock Band songs in stores? What?

This makes absolutely no sense. Basically what it says is "we're more concerned with selling actual physical CDs than selling our music." I don't see how selling it only at Wal-Mart will translate into more sales, and not fewer.

I think what it really means is, "Wal-Mart hooked us up, and we don't give a shit if you hear our music or not, because they're paying us a lot of money to get a few more people into their Chinese crap warehouses."

Too bad that no one within the city of new york will be able to purchase any of these items. I highly doubt that someone from Manhattan is gonig to travel all the way to the border of Queens and Nassaue County to an AC/DC video game.

So retailers like Target or Amazon.com are irrelevant?

I hope this boneheaded decision bites them in the ass.

as well as the new Rock Band video game, "AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack."

... or you could wait until it becomes DLC and get it that way.

I think I heard about this awhile ago (as in they were going to do this). Sad to see it happening.

There is a Wally World in my town of 15,000, and I refuse to shop there. Occasionally my wife goes there, but it's only when they have something that's the brand we use DIRT CHEAP.

She's noticed that most of WMs "reduced prices" are actually a couple cents more than what she would pay at Safeway/Fred Meyers/etc.

AC/DC are sellouts.

@Yankees368: I'm sure WalMart.com will sell them, but NYCers who want to buy them with cash will be S.O.L.

"Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap."

Dear AC/DC.

I just wanted to let you know that because of your exclusive deal with wallmart I will no longer listen to your music, nor will I purchase your music via CD, Video Game, or Juke Box, I will boycott any and all products, goods, or services that contains AC/DC. I hope it was worth it

To send any kind of email, you have to go to help, and then search contact in the FAQ search... for those about to rock... er complain....

Oh yeah, they're the perfect retailer to handle new music. After pissing off your customer base by wiping out the DRM servers, I'm sure they'll be back for more.

Nothing says "Rock 'n roll" like Wal-Mart.

@MercuryPDX: HMX stated that the only way to play the tracks in Rock band 1 or 2 is to use the one time use redeem code incldued with the game. They didn't rule out a DLC release in the future(it would have to be pretty far if this deal is as big as it seems) though.

I have at least 6 or 7 AC/DC _albums_ which I've re-purchased as CD's over the years. Suffice it to say, because of this decision, I won't be owning this CD. I'm not even going to bother trying to find it on Bittorent. I can live without it.

Will this hurt AC/DC, the rcord company or Walmart? No. But it actually makes me feel a little better.

Looks like I won't be purchasing this CD or video game, considering I will never step foot in Wal-Mart.

I don't give a shit where they sell it. Wal-Mart is one of the closest stores to my house and I will definitely pop down there to buy it.

I won't be buying any Chinese made crap from there though. Or anywhere else for that matter.

Has anyone else noticed that AC/DC is used as bumper music before almost every commercial break during football games this season? I'm officially sick of it. That and Jon Jett's "I Hate Myself for Loving You." Uggh. Mix it up, peeps!! Or maybe i watch too much football.
Then there is this, the Wal-Martization of a once-great rock band, emblematic of the sorry state of the mainstream music industry. Congratulations, AC/DC: You have just earned yourself a spot on my **BANNED!!** band list.

@OULAXER11: :I was prepared to start ripping on you, then I did some research. [www.roadrunnerrecords.com] is a link to Angus and Brian on Stern discussing the new album and the state of the record industry amongst other things. The Walmart part is in the 2nd clip. It seems the main reason they did it was because Walmart guaranteed to buy 3 million copies of the new album. This will count toward the number of units sold, which makes the band look incredible for selling 3 million copies the first week. This is shady and stinks of greed. A band which has been around for over 30 years should not resort to trickery like this. Time for zombie Bon Scott to rise from the grave and do some brain nibbling on these greedy bastards.

The AC/DC corporate whores sent me an email describing the "Four Collector Album covers" that I could buy, all containing the same F'n music!

The only person AC/DC has impressed is Gene Simmons while managing to alienate their entire fan base.

What an embarrassment AC/DC has become. Bon Scott is rolling over in his grave. The Young's (all three of them) care more about selling an image than laying out some hard rock music.

It wasn't too long ago that corporate owned department stores wouldn't carry any "immoral" hard rock or heavy metal albums. Now those same musicians are sucking Sam's dick.

Prediction: This new AC/DC album will be most illegally shared and downloaded album in the post-napster and Kazaa era.

What's a "physical band?" Do they try to stuff the receivers at the line of scrimmage? Do they throw elbows boxing out for rebounds? Do they slide in hard to second to try and break up the double play?

I don' t understand these exclusivity deals at all. How is selling something in less stores translate to more sales? As I don't purchase DLC (because the media is stuck on the console, which does not travel well), and I boycott walmart I guess I'll just have to miss out.

So.....

AC/DC has "Jumped the Shark" now....

Sad, so sad...

For those about to rock, we say...Walmart??

And for those that even want more AC/DC DLC for Rock Band, I don't want all 18 tracks, maybe half. So I'll pass, thank you very much.

@TakingItSeriously: Yeah this was actually announced a few months back, additionally, if GnR ever releases their album it will be sold only at wallyworld as well.

@stevejust: And then savagely critiqued. Could this be part of the plan, to bypass the music critics at Rolling Stone, or do they even still give a shit?

@SpdRacer: Yeah I also forgot and didn't see it mentioned in any of the comments, wallyworld only sells "safe for family" music which means it is all censored a la Tipper Gore.

How do you spell SELL OUT? AC/DC. Remember, this is the same Walmart that censors what you can buy. Remember when AC/DC used to be cool? Bon Scott is rolling in his grave. The Eagles did this last year as well. The CD was mediocre at best. I do have to say, at least the prices of these exclusives hasn't been bad. But I would prefer choice.

Isn't MallWart the same company that insists on selling censored movies and music? If so, it seems pretty ridiculous that AC/DC would be a artist that the MallWart crew would remotely be interested in pairing up with.

Then again, maybe AC/DC has changed their music in recent years. Perhaps doing the next Disney soundtrack for kids?

The new single stinks anyway. Most bands just don't know when to say when.

@illtron:

Wal*Mart sells the album exclusively, and the band/recording artist gets more money since they don't have to pay the record company's cut.

WalMart then sells the album for slightly less than a comparable album would go for at other venues. I know for a fact that the record stores in my town bought the album from WalMart then sold then at a markup for those who didn't want to go to WalMart to buy them.

This is how the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden was marketed and sold and according to Wikipedia, it has sold a total of 5,593,120 so far.

Here is a blog at Wired that explains how it works: [blog.wired.com]

Well, since I refuse to buy anything at WallyMart, I guess AC/DC's new album will not be one I can purchase for my collection and listening pleasure... I will have to look for alternative methods of acquiring it.

Cool! This is an excellent opportunity for my band mates and I to do a cover of AC/DC's new album! And Because people won't find it in any of the local record stores where people actually buy music instead of just downloading on the net (everywhere but walmart) they will buy my album instead ha ha

Thanks for easy bucks AC/DC. Walmart shoppers are the ones that you just know have high morals and would not download music without paying for it. --NOT!

I am laughing all the way to the bank

Walmart and AC/DC prove that it is STILL possible to not understand the lesson that the RIAA hasn't learned in the past decade.

I hate the whole idea of DLC even without shady shenanigans like this. Oh well, my Torrentz are only a click away.

The Eagles' last album sold pretty well as a Walmart exclusive. I know, I know...

In Canada, their new album is also being released at Futureshop and HMV, among some other places. It must just be for the USA that it's exclusive.

AC/DC is still around? I thought they stopped making music in the 80's...

Actually - kind of a smart move -

Think about it - where would you find the largest concentration of mullets and NASCAR fans? Its a match made in heaven for AC/DC.

this really pisses me off when they make special deals to only sell with one retailer especially when the retailer is crapmart where my family refuses to shop.

And in other news, this from Billboard, among other sources:

Best Buy is set to be the exclusive retailer for Guns N' Roses decade-plus-in-the-making new album "Chinese Democracy" before year's end, sources close to the situation tell Billboard. Some details of the deal are still being worked out, including the release date.

[www.billboard.com]

@scoosdad: And turns out not coincidentally, the same man arranged both exclusivity deals for both AC/DC and GNR: Irving Azoff of Front Line Management. He's apparently also responsible for the Eagles exclusive deal with Walmart, also Journey and Fleetwood Mac:

[www.nytimes.com]

@SpdRacer: yeah, but everyone has known for a very long times that it will be Axl Rose using the name of GnR, and that it will be absolutely abysmal, unless it includes some kind of Apogee software references (for those that don't get it: Apogee->3D Realms->Duke Nukem Forever). I assumed AC/DC has kind of fizzled out, not gone totally rotten.

Listen to music with drug, sex, and violence references throughout, and unveiled, in memorial. Make sure to include Porn Wars.

I thought only overweight women in tattered sweatpants and crocs shopped at walmart, oh yeah, I forgot about all the baby daddies that will buy it

@snoop-blog:
"Kindly deeds done for free"

I really don't see what the problem is with this deal. If you don't like Walmart, then fine, stay out of the store. But, in this day and age when a CD still costs 15+ I see no issue with a deal that nets the band money and costs less to the consumer, you can pre-order it for 12 and get it with free shipping.

Boooo, that's sucks. I don't shop at Wal-mart. Why should I have to go there to get the new AC/DC. Blah...I'm disappointed in them, not that the new album is going to be that great. Brian Johnson's voice is shot.

Not buying this one. I will not go fight my way through a f-ing walmart store just to find a CD.

If they won't sell through mainstream music retailers, then I won't buy it. Not to mention I live in the SF bay area. The closest walmart is 40 min away. No thanks.

I'm guessing it will only be exclusive for a while. While I don't share the hatred of Walmart that most posters on this thread seem to, I rarely shop there, especially since Aldi has opened up.

Don't want to be seen in Walmart? But it on Walmart.com!