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in (an abundance of) rainbows -or- how nerdy I can be

Well, how many copies of Radiohead's new album In Rainbows does a fan need to own? Most people will answer 1, but I am crazy. I now own 3 copies, all of which were officially purchased. Why? Let me tell you:

1. Original download: the original release of the album was a pay-what-you-wanna download, for which I paid around $8 because I love the band... of course this release was 160 kbps, requiring that I get the CD for high quality audio tracks later on. I still have these MP3s for nostalgic reasons.

2. Discbox: The coveted, ridiculously priced discbox containing, the CD; a bonus CD of b-sides, photos and art; two vinyl records;  and two massive booklets, all in a thick record book enclosed in a hard slipcase. Almost 7 pounds of awesome. I guess this is the holy grail for me as a Radiohead fan, sure they've done special editions in the past, but this one takes the cake. So excessive that only Radiohead could pull it off. This came to me via my amazing and loving fiancee Rachel, who, for better or worse, actually supports me in my crazy record collecting hobby. Love ya hon!

3. Regular CD edition: Why on earth would I buy the regular CD edition after receiving the discbox for Christmas? For a few reasons, actually. First, it is on a small label, and I like supporting indie labels (crazy to call Radiohead an "indie" band, but technically they are now). Second, the packaging is awesome. It comes in a box with the booklet, and stickers so you can create do-it-yourself art on a jewel case. Very cool indeed. I'm a sucker for well designed CD art, and frankly, quality graphic design is one of the main reasons I still collect CDs as opposed to getting all digital music. (That and the superior sound quality). And finally, it was only $7.99 at Future Shop, and my mom just gave me some Birthday money, so yeah, how can I pass it up being that cheap.

This concludes my rant about obsessively buying Radiohead merchandise. They're my favorite band, I'm a collector, and they package everything so well... this only translates into me doing ridiculous things, like buying their new album 3 times. I wonder how many other obsessive fans have done the same thing? Any takers? Leave a comment!