I’m not the only one.
I posted recently about Third Days apparent rip off of Radioheads Hail to the Thief album cover. Well aparently somebody else noticed. Then Tim Keel from Jacobs Well saw that post and he posted his own thoughts. He used the possibility that it was “ripped off” to expand on a larger issue. Then Scott Knight noticed and posted Tim Keels thoughts on Emergent Village. Now of course people are conversing.
Eventually this will make it to the band and they will have to say something. In all honesty I don’t think it was “intentional” in the sense of “ripping off”. (Explanation here) However I guarantee several of the band members if not all listen to Radiohead(duh) and I see the likely hood of being in the business and not noticing the similarities as fairly small. I could of course be wrong about all my guestimations.
For me the point is that even if they didn’t rip it off it is an unfortunate fact that “Christian artist” have created for themselves a climate in which they have to watch stuff like this with a close eye. The current generation, that listens to multiple genres of music, sees this stuff or the appearance of it from a mile away. Even if you are an authentic artist playing the Christian circuit the truth is many have a disposition that is skeptical of you. You have to work extra hard to earn respect. I personally watched Third Day when they were just starting play at the New Earth Coffee House. I personally haven’t seen them live or bought any albums since then. For me they were similar to many…I didn’t like them.
So you got a band. You are all Christians. You play a bunch of big churches, christian festivals and what not. There is this whole industry that is separate from the rest of the music industry with its own stores, methods, distribution, studios… You can easily do well financially in this industry and make money if you are doing what the execs what you to do. Even if you are an authentic artist there is an opportunity cost here. And I’d say the stakes are even higher because you are coming off as a completely guilt free artist. You may be singing truth about Jesus while your conscious is in turmoil. Its possible. I began feeling that way when I was in high school and playing in a band. Maybe I’ll post about that sometime. Thats all I’m really trying to say.
Just a dude with a blog that probably shouldn't have one.
Sounds like you jumped to some conclusions here. Is there an apology for your misrepresentation? That would be gentlemanly of you to do so, in my opinion. We all make mistakes. http://www.salvationmountain.us/ has a great photo of the inspiration for Third Day’s album cover.
Your point about a Christian subculture is understood and I agree about questioning and challenging that. However, your argument loses weight by how you handled this. You are biting for some reason. Just saying.
Rich, Thanks for the comment! I never get any so I’m living on cloud nine.
Man I’m not sure how it came across but I’m assuming you projected something on me I didn’t intend to say. I see no mistake for pointing out the similarities, which is essentially all I’ve done. If you go over what I’ve posted you might see it a little different perhaps. I’ll outline “how I handled it” so as to clear the air. Thanks for reading!
- I noticed the album art is very similar and posted the pictures. I don’t think anyone could contend how similar their “original” artwork is regardless of where they found the inspiration. If you read the comments on the original post you will notice that I gave them the benefit of the doubt. I was trying to be generous. Therefore an apology for that post was not necessary. My brother and friend were the only people that commented and I really don’t see how their opinions should be apologized for on my blog.
- If you read the 3rd paragraph of this post you will see the issue I’m concerned about that I’ll briefly state again. There has been so much crap produced in the Christian market that even authentic bands (perhaps Third Day) have to be concerned with what could come off as a rip off. I know it sounds like a bit much, always having to watch your back and all, but its the truth. Because Christian artist aren’t just singing about menial stuff a legit, authentic, and original expression should be expected. So when someone sees a possible “rip off” red lights start flashing for me.
- I stated in the second paragraph of this post that I didn’t think it was a legitimate rip off and posted the link to their inspiration…how more generous could I have been?
I’d be obliged to apologize if I did anything more than 1. see the similarity and 2. bring up a larger point in the context. But thats all I felt I was doing. I know as a Christian its my responsibility to turn the other cheek so if that is needed I’ll do it but I can’t apologize just because someone commented that I should. When somebody that actually knows me request one I’ll consider it. Is there a chance you mixed me up with the other three guys I posted about. I wasn’t involved in that situation at all. I’m just a dad with a blog. The other guys are all “in the ministry”… not me.
I wasn’t biting. I didn’t have an argument. I was and still am to a degree involved in the music scene here in KC and people round here are skeptical of this stuff(CCM). So on behalf of those people I don’t know what to tell you. You seem to have eluded to thinking that I’m jaded for some reason…and you are right. I’ll have to post further thoughts about my experience with CCM. When you play “Christian music” you are playing with peoples minds, hearts and souls. Its not a casual thing and there isn’t alot of room for happenstance. Peace
Speaking as a professional creative director, leisure musician and lover of music and art in general, the album cover, no matter what the inspiration, is way too close to the radiohead version. Radiohead may have been inspired by the same picture. place or things as Third Day for that matter. The point is – be original. I would think it was cool for them both to reference the same inspiration but it’s in the interpretation that you come too close. The only exception I see is had third day been doing a cover album or tribute album of some sort.
The point of a blog is to voice your own opinion or story. I suggest you engage randzig in his story or life rather than try to teach him what a gentleman should do with no grounds of prior relationship. We all make mistakes.
Interesting topic and I now see your point. However, I honestly don’t see how Third Day would benefit from ripping off the cover of the Radiohead album. They are already a huge success and they (more than anyone else) should be fully aware that the Christian music industry is always under scrutiny from the secular world for being “knock-off artists”. They don’t need to ride Radiohead’s coat tails, and how much difference does the cover make anyway? More album sales? Are a few more album sales worth bringing additional ridicule on the industry?
I seriously doubt that this was a blatant rip-off. It doesn’t make sense. If anything, I’m thinking this is more along the lines of when Elaine ripped off the Ziggy on Seinfeld. Whoever designed the cover probably had seen the Radiohead covers in the past and had a subconscious notion of them when they designed this cover.
If it was a rip-off in pursuit of more album sales or something along those lines then there is really no excuse for that. That would be corporate greed in its simplest form.
At this point I will give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it was an original design inspired by Salvation Mountain.
Hey Adam! Yeah I wasn’t trying to imply they would have ripped it off in order to produce higher record sales. I don’t see how that would be possible. For me its just an issue like “R” said of – originality. CCM artist have done this historically…not been original.
All the way back to the early days of DC Talk. Even though I loved it what did the song “Jesus Freak” sound like? Well it came out a year after “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. That was an obvious rip off to me even at the age of 15. And on an FYI the guys that wrote the riff for their song live in Springfield Missouri. Maybe I should ask them how they came up with it.
Another quick example…what does the majority of church praise bands sound like? U2, it took churches a good decade to get it down but man do they have it down. They do it very very well. So they can emulate that kinda stuff which is cool but they can’t ever be original. Why because they aren’t. They gotta wait till somebody figures out what the next cool thing is. And just as a quick disclaimer: I don’t think praise brands should be held accountable to such a high standard of originality. If they were they probably wouldn’t attract people in. Many people often go to a church and judge how “relevant” it is by how well it plays whats on the local light CCM… I’ll stop now.
Thanks for the comment.
I agree. There was not much possible benefit aside from getting a little publicity out of it. And for that matter it’s commonly said that no publicity is bad publicity.
who the fuck are Third Days?
First of all its Third Day not “Third Days”. Second, there may be slight similarities between the covers but they are in no way identical or even remotely remind me of each other. Third Day is an awesome band with great talent and by no means a rip-off. Using something like this small similarity to try and discredit or take away from Third Day’s sincerity and a christian band is just absurd. Its amazing how people can take something so minuscule and make a mountain out of a molehill (no pun intended). Third Day’s cover would be a better resemblance of Salvation Mountain than Radiohead’s cover.