Since AE is one of Devin's most accessible albums (to a non-devified audience), how come it didn't sell that good (or did it?) and why didn't it get any decent airplay?
The album is crammed with relatively radio-friendly songs like Traveller, Random Analysis... You name it! But it didn't seem to connect with an audience outside us already enchanted by the Devster's talent (or did it?).

My take on it is the schizophrenic packaging. AE contains a wide variety of songs and a casual listener, not familliar with the ongoing creativity-project that is "Devin Townsend" can easily get the idea that this band/artist hasn't really figured out in which direction he's going. It's not as diverse as most of his other albums, but it's still too diverse for the untrained ear.

And now that I've answered my own question, I have to ask a follow-up: Do you think AE was a failure of sorts? Why/why not?

That's something I've been wandering for a while now.

IMO, unfortunately big success in music and being heard by the general public has nothing to do with the accessibility of your music, but just with the attention the mass media pay to you.

At least here in Spain, if your music is not broadcast in the 5 usual radio stations, you don't play(back) in TV shows and your pretty face isn't shown in big wallpapers all around big shopping centres, nearly nobody will listen to you.

In addition, there's a lot of people that perhaps may like some of [REPLACE non-general public band/style] songs, but since it's not broadcast they won't make any effort to try to find it and listen to it.
I've shows, for example, lots of songs to my mother, sister and friends (those who don't like the same music of me ), and they like some of them, and maybe they take a CD and record that song. But they don't try to listen to the rest of that band's songs.

Maybe some people don't like music as much as others do; or maybe they don't want to spend time trying to find other styles when they can easily turn on the radio and listen to whatever They want them to hear.

his hair scares people

The big reason is lack of exposure and lack of CD stores carrying it. I personally know of only three music stores within an hour of my house that carry it, and that simply isn't enough to launch someone into the mainstream. Still though, if the music got more exposure, then there'd be a better chance of it getting on more shelves due to increased demand. One thing that really could've helped was if MTV would've played that video for Storm (which I have yet to see), because Storm is easily a song that could stir up interest in Devin from at least a decent amount of people. Someone just runs across it by chance at a music store even, and there's a better chance of them buying it than if they didn't have a chance to hear anything off of it before.

I absolutely hate how it all works, but it's all just human nature I guess.

The big reason is lack of exposure and lack of CD stores carrying it. I personally know of only three music stores within an hour of my house that carry it, and that simply isn't enough to launch someone into the mainstream. Still though, if the music got more exposure, then there'd be a better chance of it getting on more shelves due to increased demand. One thing that really could've helped was if MTV would've played that video for Storm (which I have yet to see), because Storm is easily a song that could stir up interest in Devin from at least a decent amount of people. Someone just runs across it by chance at a music store even, and there's a better chance of them buying it than if they didn't have a chance to hear anything off of it before.

I absolutely hate how it all works, but it's all just human nature I guess.

You nailed it on the head bro. All of Devin's solo albums have'nt crossed over into the mainstream for the reason you just explained.

I remember when I joined the DTB and I asked Dev why his solo stuff is'nt bigger than it is ? I thought "Ocean Machine" alone would put Dev into super stardom.....but no... It has everything to do with the right breaks and promotion. Unfortunately Dev's solo stuff has'nt had much or any of these thing's for his albums. I think if they were pushed alot harder... we would all see a BIG difference with his position in the music industry.

As far as AE being a failure, I don't think it was at all. Let's not forget that Dev set out to record a Pop Rock album, with a new lineup of members to represent his solo work. That's exactly what Dev achieved, he wanted a simple album that was'nt all over the place like Infinity or Terria and he wanted to break us new guy's in easy He's mentioned everything I'm saying a long time ago on these very forums. If your looking for one album to sound the same as the other with Dev, you'll be waiting for a long time ! He's a very unique person/musician, he writes what he feels and goes with it. God bless him for that, it keeps his music interesting. The new album which i'm learning right now is absolutely incredible, it's a little of everything and then some new ideas that are nothing like any of his stuff. Expect the unexpected....this album will be a treat.

To sum it up, I agree with the fact that Dev's solo work could be huge with the right push and breaks but none of his albums have had those pushes. AE was his most simplistic album but that's what he wanted to do, with Terria and Infinity he wanted a more progressive side to his music and those 2 albums are very different from eachother. Ocean Machine is his best album IMO and this album is'nt even huge as far as a Billborad status goes. Wait till "Human" comes out, yet another Devy direction.... I love it ! My massive 2 cents....sorry for blabbering on....

It seems to be all about promotion. Look at MTV 'n stuff. there's so much crappy (but "easy") music that is promoted overthere.

It seems as if people are not wanting to get too deep into music nowadays (maybe lack of time?). Otherwise all people would see that the mainstream music is real crap. It's a shame that REAL musicians are so painful underrated.

I hate listening to the radio...I'd rather listen to my toilet-flush...and I'm happy that there are artists like you all who keep up the good old handwork...*bows to all "real" musicians*

[Blazingmonga]

It also depends what your definition of 'success' is...

Did we enjoy the album?
Was Dev pleased with it?
Can he still do without a day job?

I think AE succeeded on these.

It didnt get 'mainstream' success, true, but think of how few bands really do. Especially in this kind of music. I mean, is there any artist playing music even remotely like Devin's that IS popular? I wouldn't say so.

I did hear songs from AE on the radio here before I bought the album. Not the biggest station, but if it encouraged anyone more to buy the album then that's great.

If your looking for one album to sound the same as the other with Dev, you'll be waiting for a long time!

Perfectly put Ryan! I mean, in all honesty, would any of us really want it any other way? So what if it isnt popular!!

Does Dev want his stuff to be commercially accepted and played all over MTV and stuff? If I were Dev, I would be much happier if my music reached a smaller group of people who really appreciated and loved it rather than if it got played on MTV for a week or two then got completely forgotten by all the people who just listen to whatever is most popular at the time.
Was AE a success? Yeah. I mean, if you look around on these boards, the album is loved by so many people. I'm just curious, if anybody considers it a failure I wanna know why? Is it just on the basis that it isn't popular with the mainstream?

By the way Ryan, I think its really cool that you post here! It's great having a band members point of view. And I can't wait for Human!

In Australia we have these awesome cd/dvd shops.. JB-HI FI they always have a good stock of devin there... they the only shop (around here anyway) where I can browse metal.... they actually have a metal section to browse.


Devolution !!

[Blazingmonga]

My local HMV on Princes Street (the city centre of Edinburgh) always has all the solo Dev and SYL releases. When AE came out, they even had a display for it in the shop.

his hair scares people

i thought we were discussing radio play ahaahah

unless they have this new super radio where you can see stuff too in which case it would no longer be classified as a radio. b'sides you can't see dev's hair on teh album... >.<

you can hear it through the speaker!

i also think another reason that dev did not get played much is because he does not tour as extensively as other bands do(maybe he does, i'm just going by the sheer number/quality of albums he releases that it wouldn't leave much time for touring). that seems pretty key for getting your band mentioned and known about enough to get requested/noticed by radio stations

I don't know if AE was supposed to be a pop album...if it was...pathetic, nowhere near pop quality. This was more of a laid back carboard reproduction of what Dev was staring in the face of....and tha twas moving away from the ultra mega layered emotive epic album and focusing more on the here and now of writing.

You can tell that the songs he wrote and came up with on this CD are generically simplistic compared to the older things he's done.


More air play? Not bloody likely... sold out? Pop culture? Well not until the last song anyway.....

I have a feeling this cd was more of an insult to most 'fans' than anything....basically saying hey look, fuck off, I've done a tonne of shit....this is the latest emotive movement for me(which is easy goin and interesting none the less) that I am willing to release publically...


Hell alot of his lyrics don't really focus or make any goddamn sense, so maybe he thought...why not focus with music, and just fuckin jam out whatever comes to mind.

[EphelDuath666]

Mr. "I´m sooooo pissed off" strikes again

Thanks to Ryan and Nils for mentioning my views on airplay in a positive manner, and thanks to everyone else even though I can see that some of you have shown disagrement (although for someone whose had a few to drink, it looks respectful) as I am a marketing major, so I know a thing or two on this kind of thing.

The one thing I want to bring to the table though is the argument that Accelerated Evolution is not a pop album (I know I've said it before, but I'm also a philosophy minor, which enables me to argue a lot, even though I don't even consider this an argument since we're all on the same side), and while I actually agree that the album as a whole with songs like Sunday Morning, Away, Suicide, and Deadhead isn't a pop album, I do also want to bring forth songs like Hold Me Down, Traveller, Storm, and even slightly heavier songs like Depth Charge that are songs that can easily be songs that would be sold to the public. Any one of those songs I feel could be put out as a single and easily help sell AE as far as even 100,000 albums if played even somewhat regularly. Even Andrew WK's first album was able to sell over that number in the US alone, and I'm not saying it was a bad album, I actually found it to be a fun album, but I feel that it was something, although full of party songs, that was less commercially sellable. Those songs that I mentioned could each reach a broad fanbase and be enough for suppliers to put them into stores so that even if someone just randomly came across them they would possibly buy them, and that's a big part of at least starting to be a major player in record sales.

Now, if I could only find a way to infiltrate the system, make certain music fans more intelligent, and then, get the major players in the music industry to play a lot of Devin, we could all be more happy, hopefully Devin in the most part, since he is why we're all here.