"Only 10 days after its release, the mash-up album American Edit, which pays tribute to the acclaimed Green Day album American Idiot through some of the best mash-up productions of 2005, was shut down reportedly after received a cease & desist order from Green Day's label, Warner records, despite the fact that it was released as an internet only release with no commercial gain for the team of mash-up artists involved. In fact, the only possible profit to be made from the release was a plea from the creators of the album (known only by the shared alias Dean Gray) for fans who enjoyed the creation to donate to one of three possible charities that Green Day have been known to support. Furthermore, the mash-up versions were such fantastic productions that they were truly a departure from the standard Green Day performances and would not compete for consumptive dollars."

i don't normally go in for mash-ups, but this is friggin' good stuff!

Yeah, I can vouch for this one. "Dr. Who On Holiday" is pretty great. And I don't usually go for mash-ups, either.

Legalistic stupidity aside, I don't see what's so all fired revelatory about mashups. Weren't Buchanan & Goodman doing the same thing four decades ago? And they got dragged into court for it, and won. So, pooh on the American public for thinking this is something new, and double pooh on the court system for trying to fight the same stupid battle again.

Feh.

novocaine rhapsody is great too!

oh jonmc, you're such a jaded, above it all hipster!

Heh.

And you're one of the few people here old enough to know I'm right, Uncle Q.

Yeah, but mash-ups are different from answer records, though. There's an attempt to match the two (or more) bits of music. It's a little bit more of a technical challenge. That said, most mash-ups sorta scream HEY, LOOK HOW CLEVER I AM!! American Edit avoids that, for the most part. It's actually kinda fun.

Yeah, but mash-ups are different from answer records, though.

Yes, but B&G werent doing answer records, they were actually editing sound bites from existing records into their own records. They were more technologically primitive than mashups, sure, and the end result was closer to stand-up comedy, but I think you'll agree that both the idea and the legal precedent are both similar and relevant.

most mash-ups sorta scream HEY, LOOK HOW CLEVER I AM!!

Which is why I tend to avoid 'em. B&G were far more funnier and endearing. If we're gonna revive their tradition, we owe 'em better.

ok jon. you are right. please go bask in your rightness and allow the rest of us ignorant bastards to enjoy this and recommend it to other ignorant bastards. thank you.

B&G werent doing answer records, they were actually editing sound bites from existing records into their own records.

Right. They took bits of songs and used them as answers to questions posed by an interviewer. That's an answer record. At least that's what I've always heard them called.

the idea and the legal precedent are both similar and relevant.

Absolutely. No question there.

B&G were far more funnier and endearing.

I don't think most mash-ups are intended as comedy. If they are, they're even worse than I thought.

Jon, you really should give this one a try. I do think you'll like it.

*basks*

That's an answer record.

I thought answer records were stuff like "Sweet Home Alabama" (answer to "Southern Man"), Etta James' "Dance With Me, Henry" (answer to Hank ballard's "Dance With Me, Annie") and "Yes, I'm Lonesome Tonight," by Dodie Stevens (possibly the most unneccessary answer record of all time).

I'm sure some mashups are witty, but I'm not familiar enough with the new Green Day album for it to work on me, probably.

damn, wasn't so into American Jesus, but the Boulevard of Broken Dreams mashup is nicely done. And I think jonmc might need a couple dozen in him before he'd like this kinda stuff.

the idea and the legal precedent are both similar and relevant.

Absolutely. No question there.

Which, my usual music geek one-upmanship aside, is my main point. Why isn't some smart lawyer researching the B&G case? Are they counting on ignorance?

Yeah, that's the other kind of answer record. :)

All I'd heard of American Idiot was Boulevard of Broken Dreams and, um, another song, the name of which escapes me at the moment. American Edit really does stand on its own, for the most part. That's what makes it good.

Crap techno remixes of pop music != a proper mash-up.

I've zipped this up and dropped it on my webspace for all of you who either missed the deadline, or just can't be bothered downloading individual songs. shhhh - Don't tell the R.I.A.A. I'll leave it up about a week or until my bandwidth runs out.

Thank you seanyboy! I would have missed it otherwise!

Same here, seanyboy. I'm getting such a musical education being here. ^_^

Thanks seanyboy

I'm going to totally jump on the "thanks seanyboy" bandwagon!

Ditto! And thanks to quonsar for the original post as well.