Music

10 Examples of Weird Music Release Formats

Alan Cross 3 Comments

I have plenty of strange items in my music collection with one of the weirdest being a copy of Zaireeka, a four-disc set released by the Flaming Lips.  To experience it properly, you’re supposed to play all four CDs at exactly the same time on four different systems.  The thinking is that because of the inherent vagaries in the way Zaireeka can be played back, the listening experience will be different each time.

Music Radar lists Zaireeka as one of the 10 stranges release formats of all time.  Jack White’s Third Man Records places two on the list.

I tried to buy this record when I visited Third Man in Nashville, but it’s long sold out.

Read about the other eight weird releases here.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 38031 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

3 thoughts on “10 Examples of Weird Music Release Formats”

  • Davester
    September 1, 2013 at 7:35 pm
    Permalink

    They forgot the Monty Python record with 3 sides… one of the sides of the album had two separate spiral grooves beside each other… depending where you placed your needle at the beginning of the record allows you to hear two separate contents.
    Kinda sucks if it were ever to skip.

    Davester.

    Reply

  • Nash The Slash's Decomposing, meant to be played at all speeds- 16, 33, 45, 78.

    Reply

Let us know what you think!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.