On Copywriting

Deadlines Are a Good Thing!

I just got the new Linkin Park album, Minutes to Midnight.

As I was reading the liner notes, I noticed a little story I think you'll appreciate.

At the end of over one year in the studio, the band felt that the album was finished. After initial listening, however, they were devastated to hear from friends that the album felt like it was missing a piece--one more song. The band was horrified. Many of the songs on the album had taken months to write, so throwing a new one together that could stand up to the rest was unlikely. To complicate matters, any further writing meant they might miss deadlines that had been set up for album release and touring. In spite of risks, the band decided to take this challenge of character. A little over a week later, the record was officially ready for release with the addition of "What I've Done."

In case you don't know, "What I've Done" was the first single off the album. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 at #7, making it the band's highest debut for a single.

Seems to me deadlines are a good thing!

Amethystium - Emblem

Back in 2005, I suggested Amethystium as good music to listen to while you write. For me, not much has changed, except I now own Aphelion, in addition to the other two albums in the "Dragonfly Trilogy."

Amethystium is still my favorite music for copywriting. If you're thinking of getting an album, perhaps you should try Emblem, which is a recently-released collection of the best songs from the initial three albums. You can click the affiliate link below or simply look up Amethystium on Amazon.

• Amethystium: Emblem

P.S. According to Amazon, Oystein Ramfjord (the composer) is planning to release a new album in the first half of 2007. I'm looking forward to that...

PoP! Goes My Heart

On Valentine's Day, I took my wife Stephanie out to dinner at Gabriel's, then we went to see a moive, which we almost never do. (The last movie I saw in a theater was Glory Road in February 2006, over a year ago.)

Anyway, we chose to see Music and Lyrics, the new film starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. It had to be one of the funniest movies I've seen in the last year. Grant plays a former 80s pop star who performs for middle-aged women.

The coolest part about the movie (in my opinion) is that they actually recorded the band's hit song in what has got to be the best imitation of an 80s pop video I've ever seen. Seriously, if this had come out 20 years ago, it probably would have topped the charts.

There have got to be some lessons in swiping here. ;-)

For a good laugh, and an 80s flashback, check out PoP! Goes My Heart with Hugh Grant on YouTube.

Oh, and if you get a chance, go see Music and Lyrics.

Music for Writing

Somtimes I like to write in silence. Other times I like to write with some light music going in the background.

Music with words is too distracting for me. That's why two of my favorite "writing albums" are by Amethystium, the band name for a one-man composer out of Norway.

The music is lush, hypnotic, inspiring. I think you might like it. You can listen to some of the songs on Amazon. I've listed all three albums below in reverse chronological order, although I don't own Aphelion yet.

1. Amethystium: Evermind
2. Amethystium: Aphelion
3. Amethystium: Odonata

Update: Another group I've been listening to quite a bit lately when I write copy is called Acoustic Alchemy. Definitely a different style of music, but great if you like acoustic guitar. Here's a link to The Very Best of Acoustic Alchemy. (For the record, I own 4 of their albums: Back on the Case, Positive Thinking, The Beautiful Game, and Radio Contact.)