Kevin Davis wrote:I find it difficult not to feel a little cynical about products marketed primarily to individuals who make a hobby out of the simple accumulation of stuff for stuff's sake. I get that no one is under contract to purchase this thing, but as the quote posted earlier in this thread ("as any good and faithful consumer of endless amounts of Pearl Jam 'stuff' would do, I immediately clicked on the link...")** suggests, I also think there's a demographic of consumer that buys these things because, in their mind, they're supposed to buy it, as though they owe the band some kind of allegiance. Tim Bierman's interactions with 10C members over the years consistently reinforce this mentality, that the band is some large altruistic entity whose entire career has been one big act of selflessness for their fans, and that failure to be "good fans" (could be wrong but I think that's a direct quote) is to disrespect the holy name of the band that has done so much for us. I see this type of product as specifically targeting the sort of fan who buys into that horseshit (or even sadder, the type of fan who legitimately has a kind of pathological obsession with collecting crap with a rock band's name on it), and no one would be one iota worse off in any regard if it didn't exist.
**I realize bluestate may have been elaborating for effect, but I think the persona he's taking on there is easily facsimiled for a reason.
I must be one of those with a pathological obsession with collecting crap because I'm truly thrilled to see items such as the Sevens set released by the band. I don't collect Tshirts, posters, or little plastic sheep, but I do collect records. Lots and lots of records. Do i think I'm "supposed" to buy it? No. But what your suggesting is a slightly pretentious view of all collecting in general. Why do people collect coins? Comic Books? Baseball cards? It's an interest or a hobby or a passion, and it's fun. Just because you don't have an interest in the physical item, doesn't make it "fans buying horseshit". There are those of us who genuinely want to own these type of LE releases, and are very happy to make the purchase.
Lastly, if anyone thinks that PJ are into some recent money-making scheme need to go over to pjcollectors.com and see the stuff that they've been producing since album #1. Picture discs, colored singles, limited edition numbered 12" records, official bootlegs, and the list goes on. The only difference, is that in the "post-2000 e-commerce era", it's all sold to us directly through the band's website (making it more obvious). I can tell you that since 1992 I've been receiving 10C newsletters with lots of very nice looking merch for sale.
p.s. Not trying to stoke the fire here, but keep in mind that artists are only making a fraction of what they used to on album/CD sales, so if a band like PJ is going to keep going there has to be a commercialization happening somewhere along the line to make the whole thing viable.