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?
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?