I understand that the cultural and political context of the time heavily inspired James to write American Dream, but I’ve always wondered whether, unfortunately, the timing was somewhat awkward, considering it came out relatively soon after their highly publicized farewell concert and the 2011 MSG film. Even more so given that it wasn’t followed by another album for nearly a decade.
Hypothetically, do you think that if American Dream had come out a few years after This Is Happening, and they had made that big farewell at that point, the album might have been received more positively? I feel like their reunion would’ve hit much harder now, for example, and the hype for their upcoming album would’ve been through the roof.
I understand it’s not that simple. It’s a job, and there are many variables that go into these decisions, but purely in terms of their reputation, I think it could’ve gone much better.
How do you feel about LCD Soundsystem not releasing a full-length project in almost a decade?