Derek™

You're two for two, for making my morning awesome. Keep it up!

And the fact that there's even going to be a "round 3" gets me giddy.

180 gram? Nice. I'll definitely wait a little bit to hear about some other options, though.

For serious? Probably not on an oxblood variant though, yes? But I'd settle for this on black... easily. This is excellent news, and I'm really hoping there's some truth behind the rumor. I appreciate the info.

From what I've gathered and read, the Appendage LP will indeed be exclusive to RSD. That may eventually change, but they really made it sound like it's the only option.

One recently went for something like $130? Granted, it was sealed. But still.

Very nice. I've heard mixed things about the SSTB VIP... a lot of folks seem to insist that it's worthless. [in which case I'd kind of regret not throwing it up on eBay, and getting a few bucks for it.] I guess we'll just see how it goes. Thanks for the input.

So, as much as I hate to make another "would anyone mind...?" post, it would appear that a few of my trusty sources won't be able to score my RSD wishes after all. [Apparently a lot of stores are really enforcing the "limit one per customer" rule this time around? It's fair and makes sense, don't get me wrong. Just sucks that all my friends have similar tastes in music.] As such, I've narrowed down my wishlist to two very tangible releases; Circa Survive » Appendage » Oxblood colored vinyl / 2000 Between The Buried And Me » The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogs » / 1000 If anyone can confidently secure one or both of the above, I would totally appreciate a PM. If you're a VC regular, I can give you funds in advance out of good faith. Also stand by my offer to tack on an additional bonus for your troubles. To anyone who previously offered to help me out, and is reading this again, I apologize. I've had a lot of wishy-washy PMs over the past month, but nothing too concrete. Or I've fallen out of touch with said members. Either way, I'm not worried about accidentally winding up with extra copies. Worst case scenario, I'd sell them right back to VC members at face value. Thanks again.

Completely agree. Does anyone know if the early entry - courtesy of the VIP pass - allows you to hit up the merch stand before everyone else? It's the only reason I held onto mine, to be honest.

Thanks for the pics, Yarostino. It looks like a pretty sweet package all around. Etching looks interesting, and you're right - I think it'll really only pop on the black variant. Regarding the deluxe CD... I think eBay will be your best bet at this point. Seems like they've been entirely sold out for a while now.

The clear is Hot Topic exclusive, to my understanding. Which hasn't even gone on sale yet, online.

To clarify; that single LP is $25? Yikes. Will that deter me from trying to grab one? Probably... not. I know no shame. Is there a limit as to how many you're allowed to purchase? I'll be attending the Oakland show in a few weeks. I won't be hoarding copies, but I do plan to buy one for myself and one other VC member. If they're still available. If anyone's interested, please drop me a PM. First-come, first-serve seems like the fairest way to go. If there's an overly massive amount of requests, I may have my friends grab an additional copy or two, for you guys. Cost, applicable tax, and shipping. Nothing more or less. [edit] And... PM'd.

I know that $20 is becoming the new average cost for x2 LP - or perhaps I'm just seeing it more and more, personally - but I've always found it a tad steep. The inclusion of a CD completely justifies the cost, though. Or so I feel. Stoked to hear that at least the Kings Road variant does. Can't imagine it being different for the others. Getting a little antsy to see this thing; packaging, etching, and all. I'll probably be among the last people to receive their order. Add my vote to those requesting a picture or two.

Splurged on one of these in an auction... just a week or two ago. I've been lucky with the whole "repress immediately after overpaying" situation, but still. I hope by some fluke that this is legit. Phenomenal record that more people should have the opportunity to own, for sure. Fingers crossed.

This is true. I know the whole package has been talked about for quite a while... and presumably in the works for a respectable amount of time thus far. Hopefully it won't suffer from the relentless delays that the Thrice boxset did. But, anyway. You're correct. I am in fact super pleased with the Acts I + II, and Act III vinyl releases. Packaging and all. If they can maintain that level of detail and beauty for the entire Spectrum release, I think we will indeed have a winner on our hands. Hah, absolutely. I do seem to run into your posts in every good release thread. At least the ones I frequent. This is rough. I'm sorry to hear you can't swing the $80 at the moment. But it's totally understandable, I think: it's a lot of cash to throw around. At least for me, in this economy. I only made it happen because I knew that the behemoth boxset was looming on the horizon. Tried squirreling a few bucks from each paycheck into a Dear Hunter fund. Probably the only band I've done that with, for what it's worth. Despite being a pretty elaborate boxset, I don't think you'll have too much trouble scoring one down the road. TDH haven't exactly exploded with fame quite yet, so I feel like a little luck on eBay would suffice. I also think that this release is going to polarize a lot of the band's fans, to be honest. Just avoid those lazylabrador BINs and you'll be fine.

Perfectly understandable, since that does indeed happen from time to time. I just get a kick out of kids who shoot down a band's newest release because it's "too different" after the first listen... and then praise the album a few months later. Folks are just too quick to judge, in my opinion. But if it's different and entirely bad, that's a whole different story. Either way, I'm kind of eager to hear this album for new reasons, now. Namely to see where all the hate is coming from.

While I do agree, you've got to admit that if they just slapped the records into individual sleeves and tossed it in a box, it wouldn't be able to compete with TAI. Stuff that I'm probably taking for granted - like a hardcover or case, beautiful interior design, and insightful liner notes - were executed flawlessly with Thrice's boxset. Just my opinion. But for $80, I would think (and hope) that The Color Spectrum is at least on par, you know? The concept is phenomenal; as long as they don't skimp out on the finer details, such as the booklet, I feel like it'll be worth every penny. And that it could quite possibly dwarf the Alchemy set, which is no small feat. Either way you look at it. Jazzed.

El Cielo has always kind of been my jam, but I really don't mind the rest of their work. I believe I snagged Pariah for $5 through an Amazon special, a few months back. I think it was worth it. I try not to allow opinions to prematurely determine my verdict on an album. Especially if they're from people who've only played the album once, and immediately compare it to the rest of the band's work. Which seems to be almost everyone, sadly. But for what it's worth, the common opinion seems to be that Chuckles is just... bad. Or mediocre at best. I'll be saving my own opinion for an official listen, when something of quality surfaces.

I haven't seen anything other than the photos I posted near the bottom of the last page. Would love to see more, if they're out there.

I've been collecting vinyl for three years. By no means am I an enthusiast, nor is my collection anything to gawk at, but I feel like I've spent my fair share of money on records... and have a respectable amount of vinyl to prove it. I've been into the hobby solely because I enjoy it. I've never purchased an album I didn't love (or at least somewhat enjoy), and I've never flipped a record. Hell... I've never sold a record, come to think of it. I accumulate them because I love surrounding myself with good music. And, of course, for the thrill of the chase. I find amusement in watching eBay items for days on end. And - after countless auctions - I still get a rush when partaking in last second snipes. I enjoy the hype and scramble behind spontaneous releases and pre-orders, and the anticipation [suspense?] of limited variants. As of late, I've had the cash and opportunity to track down some albums or variants that I've wanted for ages. And upon purchasing them, I found myself in an interesting situation. No doubt do I feel like my collection is "that" much closer to completion... but do I feel as if the urge (nay, craving) to expand my library has subsided? Absolutely not. And this intrigues me, I guess, and I'm wondering if anyone else has been in a similar scenario. After struggling for months or years to hunt down your proverbial white whale, you've dragged it back to the shore, and are able to stand with pride alongside your latest catch. But immediately after; priorities have shifted. You're eying an entirely different pre-order or auction, telling yourself that you just need this one. My question: when does it end? Does it ever? I know some of you have been collecting records for more than a decade. Have you ever considered a point where you'd stop? I'm a firm believer that the best record collections are always incomplete. [so long as the collector isn't musically narrow-minded.] Does anyone here see themselves buying vinyl releases for the rest of their life? And somewhat off subject, but has anyone considered what it may take for you to part with your collection? I'm not talking about selling off duplicates or variants here and there, to pad your checking account from paycheck to paycheck. I mean going all out, and liquidating everything you've accumulated. A sick pet? A friend in critical condition? A family member in crisis? I often wonder what measures some people would go to, to preserve their collection. There's not a day that goes by where I don't find another album I'd love to own. Most of the time, it comes down to money - or lack thereof. It just seems like a never-ending desire to accumulate more and more records. Perhaps this is simply greed, but I'm sure I'm not alone. So I'm presenting a mere opportunity to the hardcore collectors out there. I challenge you to take a step back and appreciate - really appreciate - everything you've ever gotten your greedy little paws on. Just a moment to leaf through your collection and be grateful for all of the rare finds, crazy auctions, unbelievable steals, and good music that graces your library. I feel as if I all too often lose sight of this. In a world and hobby where too much is never enough, I suppose it's just refreshing to abandon all the bullshit notions of that one variant or the one auction that got away. To simply seize a minute to revel in the collection you've worked so hard for, and enjoy even more. Perhaps I am the only one who feels this way. In which case I'd feel like a greedy ass-hat. But I have a feeling I'm not the only one who's on a constant hunt for new records, or who willingly sacrifices "too much" of their paycheck more often than they'd like to admit. Have a good weekend, ladies and gentlemen.

Nah, of course not. I'm obviously holding you to nothing. And I'm well aware that they won't sell out in the blink of an eye. I'm just worried about putting it off - as I tend to do with variants, when cash is a little tight - and missing out entirely. Definitely going to keep an eye on this thread.

Already? Wow. It's still not listed on the site... but Travis did say they'd be there on Tuesday morning.

Only $80? Not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Really digging the updated artwork and packaging, too. [edit] Didn't read the fine print of the e-mail. Apparently Casey and gang want to give the lifetime members a chance to pre-order, first. I pulled the link down out of respect -- it's not even listed in the Triple Crown catalog. But it's coming soon.