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The National / A Lot of Sorrow limited edition 9LP vinyl box

By Paul Sinclair

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14

lotofsorrow

Brooklyn’s The National collaborated with Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson back in 2013 on A Lot of Sorrow, a so called ‘durational performance’ where the band played their song Sorrow (from The High Violet album) live on stage (in NY’s MoMA PS1), repeatedly and continuously for six hours.

A limited edition run 9LP vinyl box set of this performance was available last month from 4AD (not any more) but can now be ordered from Amazon across the globe.

The set features nine pieces of clear vinyl in clear sleeves, held in a translucent, screen printed box. If six hours of the same song sounds bonkers, at least all profits are being donated to Partners in Health, an organisation dedicated to improving the health of impoverished people worldwide.

These will be shipped in late August or September, depending on where you order from. Only 1500 have been made. Buying guide: For once, the UK is the cheapest at £110 at the time of writing (they were £120 on the 4AD site).

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14 Comments

14 thoughts on “The National / A Lot of Sorrow limited edition 9LP vinyl box”

  2. I tend to think of this from an archivist’s perspective. It might be pretty interesting to a researcher in 2045.

    I also think of it as not dissimilar to the Disintegration Loops which are several 5 second tone loops repeating for between 30 mins to an hour. That surely is the connection to a band playing the same song for 6 hours. The Disintegration Loops boxset also runs for about 6 hours.

    It’s like a human version of the D.Loops. They must have been getting weary by the end. There is surely something beautiful and melancholic and meditative hearing a band play the same song for 6 hours – there must all manner of subtle changes going on.

  5. More a record (in each sense) of a piece of performance art than something anyone would listen to for nine hours. Love The National and this is a great song but I can probably find a more musically productive use of £110, unless this is considered an investment.

  6. This would seem to make more sense if the performance was at least of different arrangements or versions of the song. I can’t imagine listening to the same song for nine hours. I would think playing it repeatedly for nine hours would make you never want to have to include it on a set list ever again.

  8. Just because you can do something (play the same song for 6 hours) doesn’t make it a good idea. Even less of a good idea to release it to the public. Why not just release the best take and have done with it? Totally daft if you ask me.

  10. The same song for six hours is actually quite tolerable when you consider that Status Quo have been playing the same song for nigh-on 50 years.

    [Ducks and runs for cover…]

    I do really like The National, they’re a fine band, but I already have a perfectly serviceable version of ‘Sorrow’ and it lasts for just under three-and-a-half minutes. I think you probably had to be there…

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