It figures. If they really truly were doing this "for the fans" there would be a version with everything but the vinyl, because they know damned well that that would be the most popular version. Instead, the only way to get the Blu-ray is to spend $300 for the super-deluxe version, so it's clearly "for the money". The very definition of a cash grab. Fuck that. I've got my 5.1 Blu-ray from a few years back, and I'll have to live without the concert vid.
Let's inventory the options:
1. A version that's just vinyl (nothing extra) and which is already sold out. Who cares?
2. A version that is just vinyl with a gatefold jacket and "1 of 6 Neil Peart hand drawn lyric sheets (randomly inserted, so customer will not know which one [he or she] will receive)" for $40.
3. A 3-CD version with the original album and the complete live show and a big booklet for $28.
4. A 5-LP version with the original album and the complete live show with presumably the same booklet as the 3-CD version but larger for...$98?! For vinyl? Bwahaha!!
5. The "super deluxe version," which combines the 3-CD and 5-LP versions (because folks need both?) and includes:
- A hardcover book version of the booklet.
- A toy car.
- A couple of drumsticks.
- A couple of guitar picks.
- A replica program.
- A pin.
- "30 lenticular 'Moving Pictures' motion litho" (I have no idea what that means).
- A concert poster.
- A replica ticket.
- Another poster.
- A YYZ luggage tag.
- A replica backstage pass (I think?).
- All six replica lyrics sheets.
- A snazzy box.
- A blue ray with the three existing videos from MP plus a new one for YYZ and whatever a "Dolby Atmos & new 5.1 surround album mix" is.
- A $290 price tag.
The replica lyric sheets would be cool (and they can be purchased separately for $50!) and maybe a couple of the trinkets would be nice, but there's really nothing there that interests me beyond the 3-CD set. I've been saying it as long as these have been getting released, but I can't comprehend why they don't make a "super deluxe version" that doesn't include vinyl. I MIGHT pull the trigger on something like that (depending on the price), and I think a lot of others would spend more than the $28 for the CD-only version, but the market for that $290 version is going to be INCREDIBLY limited. If they really want to do a cash grab, their strategy of not including a product with a mid-tier price point is hard to understand.
As far as video, I'm still hoping there will be a 40th-anniversary set for ESL that includes video. Of course, I'm sure they'll make me buy vinyl to get it, but I might do it for that.