How To Purchase A Radiohead Record

As you've no doubt heard by now, Radiohead released their seventh studio album "In Rainbows"....

As you've no doubt heard by now, Radiohead released their seventh studio album "In Rainbows" in two formats; a DRM-Free download, pay-what-you-can version (in English £ no doubt), and a mysterious "Discbox". At a price of 40 £ or nearly 80 dollars CAD, the Discbox will be shipped to you on or before the December 3rd release date. That's right, it will be laid on store shelves in time for Christmas shopping and it will be very expensive.

Last Wednesday I went online to 'purchase' (read download) the record. Like many of my friends that day, I had an internal conflict about how much to pay. The whole process made me feel slightly uncomfortable, something like if Radiohead had become this corporate giant and I was this leeching insect entering 0 after 0's in the price column. Not to say I never download copyrighted software but with an $80 phantom Discbox looming over my head I had suddenly become guilt stricken.

This same state of reverse psychology was tripping out Radiohead fans all over the globe. Bands don't just give you their album for free on a silver platter, and how fondly we recall when Metallica closed down Napster corporation with a copyright infringement lawsuit in 2001. Besides it's Radiohead. From Pablo Honey to OK Computer, from Kid A to Hail To The Thief they've been there for you, and why wouldn't you want to give them something back? It's not like they aren't worth it.

I assure you that much panic and internal bartering mechanisms ensued. Before long my initial guilt of low balling the Radiohead.com store turned into full-on paranoia. I wondered if media attention surrounding the 'free' release was simply a tool serving to sell more Discboxes. Is this how Radiohead wanted us to feel? And worse, it wasn't long before friends were bashing me for being the miser who donated $0.00. The irony of their phoning to share tales of the odd purchase experience was laughable. It was like having to compare test scores with a bunch of music brainiacs.

So what's the big deal anyway? I invite you to journey with me on a little voyage called How To Purchase A Radiohead Record…

Enter.

Radiohead becomes a corporation? Cutting out the middle man? You decide.

Buy our Discbox and you will get the download. BUY!

There comes a point when you wonder if they are attempting to hypnotize you with these weird pixilated background patterns. In Rainbows!

This part was plain creepy. Whether you paid $0 or $80 Radiohead wants to know where you live! Downloaders must fill in required (*) fields. Presumably this serves as a mailing address for the Discbox, but why the mandatory mobile phone number?

A transaction will appear on your credit card as WASTE PRODUCTS LTD, a final tongue-in-cheek jab at corporate sales? This completes your $0.0 purchase. Upon some investigation to www.waste.uk.com/, the official online merch outlet, I discovered W.A.S.T.E. or W.A.S.T.E. PRODUCTS LTD. is some sort of acronym, however its meaning is not explained anywhere on the website, very suspect. Radiohead will also not reveal how many orders for In Rainbows have been placed, but at 40 £ a piece the Discbox is certainly a weighty cash cow. Official details of its contents have not been released on either the waste.uk.com/ or radiohead's blog (http://www.radiohead.com/deadairspace) but external sources report it includes versions of the album on CD and two 12" vinyls, an 8 song bonus CD, and lyric booklets in a hardcover slipcase.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention. A third release of the album is scheduled for post-shopping season (i.e. Christmas). This non-discbox contains just the CD and will cost a heck of a lot a less. Can you wait till January 2008 for 'new' Radiohead?

"The infrastructure will collapse." -Thom York, "House of Cards" In Rainbows, 2007.

http://www.inrainbows.com/

Drew Taylor