While I have heard of companies purchasing the rights to a song so they can play it on their commercials (car companies and Apple come to mind as groups that do that fairly often), I cannot recall many instances where a company (like Nike) has paid an individual (James Murphy, who is LCD Soundsystem) to create an entire composition for the sheer purpose of promoting said company. The way I see “45:33” is that Murphy is crafting an art installation, with the runner (the primary user of Nike shoes since the company’s inception) as the focal point.
While there are a number of pieces during this composition where Murphy seems to be drawing from the same well, running itself is an enterprise that is largely repetitive. This does not mean that “45:33” is working the same style for three-quarters of an hour, as the numerous slower and faster sections should show. Individuals that are looking for something to just put on and be able to do something will be pleased by “45:33”. The track (composition) is designed exactly for that purpose; while individuals could gain a little more in the way of perspective if they focused a great deal of their energies on the composition, individuals that are running or cleaning up their house will be able to find beauty throughout the entirety of the track. The only direct branding of the music comes on the title of the song; it is not as if Nike forced Murphy to go and put commercials at the beginning and end of this track.
I am unsure of how this track will work in the larger corpus of LCD Soundsystem’s music. While it is true that Murphy has an aim with each of the albums that ey cuts, the fact that Nike paid eir to come up with this might make this composition fundamentally different than the rest of the releases under that moniker. Give this disc a spin if you like workout music, or if you are a fan of the previous works of LCD Soundsystem. If you are looking for singles, differentiated tracks, and things ready for the radio, chances are good that this is NOT the album for you. Electronic, classic, and all spaces in between, “45:33” is a full-on composition for those individuals that are not fans of stuffy dead, white males from the 17th century. Pick it up, if you dare.
Rating: 6.1/10
[JMcQ]
LCD Soundsystem – 45:33: Nike+ Original Run / 2006 Nike / 1 Track / http://www.lcdsoundsystem.com / http://www.nikeplus.com / Reviewed 22 May 2007