If the Grammy Awards had a category for Best Musical Bargain, Rob Lincoln and his first solo album would be the odds-on favorite.
The Mount Laurel singer/songwriter’s 5 Cents a Song features 300 MP3 songs on a data DVD that can be played on a computer. Selling for $15 at cdbaby.com, the album lives up to its title.
“It’s the longest debut album in the history of recorded music by any artist of any genre,” claims Lincoln, 55. He spent eight years on the project.
Lincoln raised $4,166 from 99 backers on Kickstarter to fund the album. The package includes a 23-track CD sampler; the lyrics and chords to all songs; 42 bonus tracks of alternate takes and live performances; and six videos. It totals more than 18 hours of music.
“I wanted to explore the concept of what is an album in the 21st century,” says Lincoln, who recorded much of the album in his home studio. He plays guitar, bass, mandolin, violin, harmonica and percussion on the set.
The songs—he wrote all of them between the ages of 15 and 46—range in style from folk, rock, pop and country to novelty and children’s music. “Not everybody will like everything, but people will find something they like,” he says.
“I’ve been promoting the album in spurts,” says Lincoln, who works fulltime as development manager for the Philadelphia Education Fund. The songs have gotten airplay on student-run WPRB in Princeton and on Dr. Demento’s online radio show, which played “Cat Got My Tongue and Won’t Give It Back” and “Larry Ann.” Lincoln says sales have surpassed 200 copies.
Lincoln’s next album will be a more conventional outing with his band, Lessick & Lincoln & Cohen. “The new CD will have between 10 and 14 songs,” he says.