Just came across an album in my library which has an unavailable track on Qobuz. The album is Patti Smith Group - Easter and the missing track is “Rock 'n roll n*****”.
What triggered me here is that this is one of those famous albums which has received a 192/24 upgrade. This tells me that there is no licensing issue for any of the tracks on this album. And yet, one of them is unavailable. Have Qobuz in fact blocked this track simply because of offensive language?
I hope so.
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Hi Jim. Really? Why? That sounds a bit like excluding the KKK from American history books.
Not at all, but this is not the place to discuss it.
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@Teun_Romme, I edited the title of the track to avoid offensive terms/language, even though it’s the title of Patti’s song. The intent of your post remains and is a valid question.
@Teun_Romme I see on HDTracks that the song is available as part of Easter, but they have changed the title similar to my edit above.
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Thanks for your research Robert. Qobuz have also changed it (to N****r) but have nevertheless made it unavailable.
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I don’t use Qobuz, but is there an “Explicit” setting that may allow/restrict certain content?
This entire thread is offensive. Can we please delete it?
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Not that I know of, I just checked the app but did not find it.
Being the thread starter, I was unaware that it might be offensive to anyone, did I offend you? If so, I am sorry, this was furthest from my intention. Are you willing to explain? Thanks.
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This thread is not offensive. It’s a legitimate question. If you don’t like it don’t participate…
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It’s all on Wikipedia.
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It’s been removed at the request of the artist. Other tracks with the same word are still available on Qobuz, such as the track in John Lennon & Yoko Ono’s Sometime in New York City.
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And also there’s an available track on Sly & the Family Stone’s Stand.
Qobuz also contains a large number of very explicit hip hop albums! (As do other streaming services)
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Yes I know. The available tracks I mention are tracks with the same word but by other artists. My point is that the removal of the Patti Smith track isn’t censorship per se, but something done at the request of the artist.
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Yes I understand, Marilyn Manson has a track with the same name available so it’s not blanket censorship.
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When it comes to N.W.A. the track that instantly comes to my mind is “F Tha Police”. And it’s available everywhere. I agree with that if one doesn’t like it, then one shouldn’t listen to it.
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@SukieInTheGraveyard gets this.
Patti self censored and it’s her prerogative to do so.
She didn’t use that word casually. She wanted to transform it and take the power out of it. She also claims there was humor in the effort and, if you know Patti, that’s believable. She was and is provocative and mischievous.
What made sense to her in 1978 stopped making sense to her in 2022, so she pulled it. 2022 was a different time and place and it’s not hard to imagine Patti deciding “This just isn’t right anymore.” I understand this in the context of her continuing activism.
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