How long has Amazon been running sponsored links? I was looking at The Wreckers live album, and saw this in the listing:
Clicking on the ‘What is this?” link gives the following text:
SPONSORED LINKS
Sponsored Links are advertisements that Amazon.ca provides for you. We receive Sponsored Links from Google’s AdWords service. When you click on a Sponsored Link, we get revenue. The selection of Sponsored Links that are displayed is based on keywords. For example, if you search for “Bruce Springsteen” or view pages about Bruce Springsteen, the Sponsored Links may point to sites that sell tickets to his concerts or provide information about him. Sponsored Links are always clearly labelled.
Generating additional revenue from Sponsored Links allows us to offer you lower prices–something we are dedicated to doing in every way we can.
Really Amazon? You’re going to drop your prices because you’re making money from Google? You’re not just going to roll the profits into your quarterly earnings to make your shareholders happy? Yeah. That’s what I thought.
[I really do like Amazon though, I order a lot of stuff from them – pretty much every new book, DVD, and CD I buy comes from Amazon.ca…and I’d buy a lot more from them if Amazon Canada offered MP3s, electronics, etc.]
I’m more disappointed in the Wreckers than in Amazon. Why did Michelle go have to release such a horrid album after two great solo efforts? Sigh.
Neil
Really? You didn’t like album? I like it quite a bit. But then you’re not a country guy in any way, right? I didn’t used to be either – I used to make fun of it actually – but I like the country/pop crossover stuff quite a bit…including The Wreckers. š
I have to chime in and say that the Wrecker’s studio album was good in my opinion. Not better than Michelle Branch’s solo efforts, but atleast on par. I have 2 tracks off the Live album, “My, Oh My” and “Leave the Pieces”. My only complaint is that I can’t stand the junk at the end of “Leave the Pieces” where she’s coaching the audience to sing louder and louder. Notwithstanding the fact I hate when I have to pay to hear the audience sing, it just drags the song out in a painful way (Why not do an intrumental piece or solo here???). Anyway, if you buy the whole album, let me know how the other tracks are!
Jon,
Yeah, I’m not a big fan of live albums where there’s a bunch of crowd nonsense – I want to listen to the music! It’s equally irritating to me when bands do something “funny” on a studio CD that’s funny the first time, but not the 10th time. Oh, and the whole “hidden track” idiocy.
What can I say. I didn’t like it, and thought her solo stuff was much better. Too country for me, but perhaps that’s because I don’t live amongst the cows like you do, Jason š