Matthew Botos

One of the great things about iTunes is the ability to buy the single odd track from an album that really catches you. Except when they make it only available as part of a complete album.

I gave up gaming long before video cards and gaming systems hit stratospheric prices, but the recent ad for Gears of War really grabbed me. It’s the music; a sparse rendition of “Mad World” from Donnie Darko (per ars technica). Available on iTunes, but only as part of the complete soundtrack. I passed, but many others didn’t- it was the #7 album on iTunes this week!

Sometimes, the full albums are worth it, though; I did buy Foo Fighter’s Skin and Bones. It’s all acoustic renderings of their songs, and perhaps a sign of maturing musical taste that this sort of thing is more appealing to me. The album also includes a “digital booklet”, aka liner notes. In an age of downloaded music, it is nice to flip through artwork and candid photos from recording sessions.