v News & New Releases> from Michael Guy's NEW Writing & MUSIC Website at www.theLastRenaissanceMan.net
Jan. 12, 2008:Click here > So what's the delay? "Releasing CD, "August Ocean Overture"
Those of you who know me, Michael Guy, from the various writing sites and networks I've been joining in 2007, know that I've been talking about the release of my CD, AugustOceanOverture, since at least August 2007 when I wrapped up the recording of it here in Florida; recording, which has been ongoing (at least in the summer months) since I conceived of this idea in July 2005.
So, you may ask, "what's the deal? Where's the CD for sale, hey I might even want to buy it!"
This seems to be an ongoing "trial by water" since I began recording my compositions back in the early to mid 1980's - adversity and problems (usually of the material kind) all along the way! And consider, that this CD also has some tracks from an earlier attempt at publishing in 1995; in fact, these are some of the hottest jazz cuts on the CD. They were recorded in a studio at the time and are high quality, but I could get nowhere in that era when the independent Internet music revolution was only in its infancy.
So: after months of fine tuning the mix and remixing and playing with different playlist versions, the CD is DONE. The Problem: getting it on the Net! Though I am submitting copies of the CD to "CDbaby" to register and gain distribution to the Internet sites like iTunes and the like, that is taking time as you must mail out the copies, register and pay $35. In the meantime, I thought it best to release a version at my LULU.com STOREFRONT which I am using as the base for my Domain JzCDz.com until I can afford to create a full commercial storefront. That said, I thought it would be no sweat to release a LULU version of the CD until, the production copies were available at CDbaby. Sounds simple - wasn't! AND THAT IS NO THANKS TO LULU! Which not only has a strict time limit of 70' for their CDs, (I had to remix a whole new version as my CD ran 73') BUT, and this is the clincher, I am convinced that the automatic software process for burning CDs they use is at fault!
It was not my computer, connections or anything else. If you are doing an AUDIO cd there, not a data cd, it is suspect that their process is not working. I had 3 drafts of a CD and edited each carefully to be sure it was within limits and Lulu's ISO image burner never even gave me a burnable copy of a CD. That part of their software is just plain screwy!
So it's LuLu-screw-u! I guess! After spending considerable time on their forums, and help lines, nobody seems to know what the problem is.
IN THE MEANTIME> Feel free to download any single mp3 you wish at the Click hereClick hereat Lulu. There is nothing wrong with that process; I have several FREE DOWNLOADS always available and the other tracks are usually only $0.49 - $0.79 a single mp3. I have tested the downloads thoroughly and they all work and sound well.
I will just push ahead with other Internet channels for my CD. It is a shame though, as I was hoping to offer this Lulu version at a lower price, since it would be shorter. That would be good for many of the writers I know or that come into this site. Apparently, they are either broke, cheap-skates, or just not that interested in great jazz music! I haven't had many downloads from the STOREFRONT - even free >
I'll keep you posted on publishing progress for my CD.
Well, it's true: "THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE!" I just got off of my project den at LULU.com and after posting a FEEDback message to Lulu's message board today (while I was posting yet more jazz mp3 singles) I received a message only 30' or so after making a post on my attempts to create my CD there 3 times in the last few weeks!
It was from Adam, one of the tech guys there and it admitted in general terms that the LULU CD creation software is defective and will have to be looked into.
So it was not my end of it for once. I did my formatting properly and it was their Software process at fault. In fact, the very problems that the Technical alert described, were the very problems I encountered while attempting to burn my CD to a final version at LULU in the last month!
So there is hope, that now that they know the problem it will be fixed and I may still get to offer a LULU Cd version of my CD "August Ocean Overture" at a reasonable price, so that I may offer not only the mp3 singles, but the full CD at my JzCDz.com STOREfront serviced on Lulu.
ALSO: NEWS! I have update my personal website to a fully functional multi-page writing and music website at Yahoo.
Here you can read from my 2 novels, listen to my music while reading and also hear some music from Henry Purcell's works. JzCDz.com is being refered to a full music page at this site as well where you can sample complete tracks of my jazz songs for free (but not download) and you can link out to download my tracks and eventually my CDs.
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