From the article:

The eagerly awaited new album by Prince is being launched as a free CD with a national Sunday newspaper in a move that has drawn widespread criticism from music retailers.

Full article here. (http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2114557,00.html)

sounds cool. i wish they'd do that in the US.

Thing is, "they" have nothing to do with it. Prince is the one who ironed out the deal and it's annoying retailers something awful. Some of them are threatening to pull all his records off the shelves, although that would not help them at all.

Thing is, "they" have nothing to do with it. Prince is the one who ironed out the deal and it's annoying retailers something awful. Some of them are threatening to pull all his records off the shelves, although that would not help them at all.

haha. great point. i really dig Prince's style. He's always been doing his own thing whether it's cool or not. Good for him.

I think it's a great marketing tool. The new record could get him an even larger audience in his future tours, and help him sell past and future records as well.

smart guy.

When I saw him in Milwaukee a few years ago, he gave away his then new CD, Musicology. I thought it was an excellent move.

Not to mention...newspaper sales are down, so it helps them out as well.

they've never been happy with the CDs that are given away over here with the Sunday newspapers... They claim it's giving the impression that music is free or cheap...

I say tough, I've got quite a collection now of classic rock tracks from those CDs and some good DVD films have been given away as well... I'll be expecting my Prince CD along with tomorrow's newspaper when it gets delivered.

I'll be expecting my Prince CD along with tomorrow's newspaper when it gets delivered.

Please, do tell us your thoughts after giving it a listen.