Protomen - the Comm ~ View topic

Joined: 20 Jun 2009 Posts: 61

New mailer got me all fired up. Anyone have a clue towards the availibility of this cassette single? Can I get one without attending the show? also, Breaking Out being my favorite song by our heroes has me curious as to how its been "revamped". talk amongst yourselves...

Joined: 02 Dec 2008 Posts: 2195 Location: The City

No idea o_o I don't know if I can attend the show so i hope at least some are sold on-site!

Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Posts: 10

I wonder if the revamped version has something to do with the Act II vinyl.

Joined: 12 Oct 2011 Posts: 41

That would make sense. Didn't they say at one point that figuring out where the record could be flipped was the biggest obstacle with releasing Act II as vinyl? Breaking Out is the first full song on the synth half...

My theory is that they went ahead and rerecorded it wholesale solely for this cassingle, and it won't be available anywhere else.

Then why do it? Simple. Early versions of Breaking Out used to start with a solo piano (and then added synth and guitar feedback) cover of Mike and the Mechanic's Silent Running. On some of the earliest Breaking Out videos, you can see it. (There was even some early confusion that the entirety of Breaking Out was a cover of Silent Running, but that was pretty quickly debunked.)

They've played it on and off that way for a few years but not regularly since 2008; however, there are at least two known instances of it happening this year. (Once was during the VA show during the summer; the second was at Nerdapalooza.) Also, at PAX Prime, Panther was throwing "Can you hear me running?" (a repeated line from the cover) inbetween some of the lines at the end of Breaking Out. (It sounds awesome!)

And we know the covers album is coming (or basically done??) and that the cassingle is done in promotion of it. The last time they did a single, they had a song that appeared on an upcoming album (Father of Death), and a cover that didn't fit thematically into what they were doing and was not released anywhere else (No Easy Way Out).

My guess is that they went ahead and did it because they never worked out the rest of Silent Running (or they never wanted to, and only wanted to cover part of it for thematic/lyrical reasons or what have you) but to only put that intro part on wouldn't make any sense; and to put a full recording of Breaking Out on a 'covers' album wouldn't make any sense either. So they put it as a single B-side, letting them have the best of both worlds--it's clearly related to the cover album, but is technically not a cover (or half of a cover) and that's why it's not on the cover album, but the B-side.

Of course, we don't know yet, so who knows!

Also I am assuming that the remaining copies will end up on the website. It'd be stupid not to.

Joined: 20 Jun 2009 Posts: 61

Good thinking Onslaught Six. The Mike and the Mechanics intro is super... I still have a crackly, live-audio version of it somewhere on my computer. if that is the case, this cassette single and its b-side are looking dumb hard.

Joined: 21 Dec 2012 Posts: 2

Am I slow to get the mailer? Just got it today (Dec 21). Or I missed this announcement in the previous one...

Anyway, LOVE M+M's Silent Running and would absolutely die to hear The Protomen's version! But I live in Vancouver, so making it to Chicago to get a cassette isn't going to happen.

Are they going to release it digitally/online? Any more news on that? Because that would be awesome.
Super-special-awesome, awesome.

Joined: 09 Sep 2010 Posts: 82 Location: North of the Wall

Does anyone actually read the mailer? It says any extra cassettes will be sold on the website the day after.

Joined: 02 Dec 2008 Posts: 2195 Location: The City

i can't wait! I have the page bookmarked!

...I hope they have extras to sell in the first place.

just made my order for the new shirt and casset bundle as well as the vinyl bundle. (the 2nd print has an option to be bundled with the mavs vinyl)

they are almost sold out though so get on that casset if you want one!

also ive slowly realized that like a 3rd of the shirts i own are protomen shirts. I mean i ordered the mock original protomen shirt they just came out with a few weeks ago as well.... its a problem Sad

Why protomen... why make so much stuff and take all my money!

Joined: 21 Dec 2012 Posts: 2

Made an order too! Thanks to KillerMcDead for pointing out what I missed in the mailer. So glad they made it online!

Glad to see the vinyl back too. Got the first press but I know a lot of people who wanted one too. So stoked for my cassette, it can't get here fast enough!!!

Joined: 02 Dec 2008 Posts: 2195 Location: The City

I bought TWO! Cool

Alright.

Alright.

(notes about the tape itself: the tape sounds awesome, "Silent Running" is still just a short lead in and this mix, to me, sounds quite a bit better than the one on the album, which had a few things that really bugged me)

Joined: 20 Sep 2009 Posts: 33

Is anyone planning on digitizing this single? I just got my copy today with my Breaking Out shirt but don't have a working cassette player anymore.

As much as I love the Protomen and appreciate their desire to give us physical media, I really wish they would include digital download codes with these kinds of things.

Joined: 02 Dec 2008 Posts: 2195 Location: The City

^ They've given download codes for things like the records, but it says they're not planning to digitize this one.