Rage Against the Machine have already apologized twice to fans who were booted off Napster for downloading their new album, but on Thursday (December 14) they put their music where their mouths are by releasing a batch of free music and videos
online.
The band released eight streaming video clips of live performances and 15 downloadable MP3 files via their Web site. The MP3s include instrumental versions of most of the tracks on Renegades, Rage's new covers album.
"We make music first and foremost for our fans, and we want them to have access to it," guitarist Tom Morello said in a statement. "We want to apologize to our fans, and it is important to us to make it right."
Perhaps fittingly, in light of the October departure of singer Zack de la Rocha, the MP3s include suitable-for-karaoke instrumental versions of such songs as Bruce Springsteen's "The Ghost of Tom Joad" and Bob Dylan's "Maggie's Farm" (RealAudio excerpt).
Other MP3s include live versions of the band's own "Killing in the Name," "Guerrilla Radio" and "Sleep Now in the Fire," as well as the MC5's "Kick Out the Jams." The live MP3s were recorded at a June concert in Sweden, while the streaming videos on the site document performances from various overseas dates this summer.
Napster banned a number of users trading songs from Rage's new album last week at the behest of the band's management and its label. But Morello said the bans were a "horrible mistake," and that the group's management company failed to consult the band before taking action.
Rage Against the Machine are helping fans regain access to the file-trading service by posting a software fix on the Rage Web site. They've also asked Sony Music, which is in the midst of suing Napster for copyright infringement, to help fans get back onto the service.
A spokesperson for Sony could not be reached for comment at press time.
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