Apple has confirmed that it’s opening up iTunes LP to indie labels the world over, unleashing the power of its new premium format. So what albums should the world’s biggest (and smallest) record companies get on the iTunes store pronto? Here’s our pick of the 5 albums that need to be on iTunes LP now.
The Beatles: Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band
Ok, the Fab Four are notable for their absence from iTunes. But “Pepper” is perfect for iTunes LP. Loads of ace photos of a moustachioed John Lennon and classic clips of The Day In The Life recording would make it a winner. For us though, it’d be all about dressing a virtual Sergeant Pepper with a cut out tache and epaulets. If he could conduct his Lonely Heart’s Club Band while the album played, even better.
Spiritualized: Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating in Space
The blister pack special CD edition of “Ladies and Gentlemen…” was every indie kids’ pricey dream back in 1997. But once opened, the allure was ruined and your collectors edition was a mess of broken foil. An iTunes LP edition, where you popped each track out of a virtual pack wouldn’t just be pure indulgence. It’d erase nightmares of your destroyed original, staying pristine every time.
Madonna: Celebration
It feels like Madonna “Don’t Call Me Madge” Ciccone has had more makeovers than she’s sold records. So her new greatest hits package is ripe for the iTunes LP treatment. Click on a chosen track and Madonna will appear in the finery of which ever period you choose. Marvel as the world’s biggest ever female star evolves from “Holiday” singing starlet to uber-toned Timberlake tease. Play in chronological order for maximum effect.
Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon
The Floyd’s classic, generation spanning LP would be a peach for iTunes LP. On top of the usual, including fancy snaps, lyrics and the like, Apple could chuck in a copy of The Wizard of Oz so you could try out The Dark Side of the Rainbow. The band’s always denied it, but the album ties in almost perfectly with this slice of psychedelic cinema. Chuck it on iTunes and students would never need fret about whether they’d synced the record and movie up correctly.
The Stone Roses: The Stone Roses
The Roses are renowned for trashing their record label’s office after the release of this 1989 classic album. An iTunes LP version with a virtual office and paint for you to chuck about at will while buzzing to “This Is The One” would let you unleash your inner Ian Brown. Plus the LP’s latent swagger would take on a whole new meaning for the kids.
