tonyfrompandora asked: Has anyone asked about the fact that "real" Caedmon's Call fans awaiting the new "Raising the Dead" CD, would actually want a real CD, but simply can't afford it? I consider myself a diehard Caedmon's fan. But the Tiers for ordering seem unfair given the fact that I already own all three Guild cd's, and the DVD. So I must spend $50 to gain a physical CD and a t-shirt. I already own everything else (as a true fan would) I even own two copies of My Calm//Your Storm, the 'Waves' cover, and the remastered version (just can't find the coveted burlap cover... maybe I'm not a big enough fan... ha!)
I just want a physical CD to read liner notes while listening to it, the same way I did with my first Caedmon's album.
Tony from Pandora
P.S. I am the "Tony & Amy" who got you guys the Bluffton College yearbook several years ago with Kirk's picture in it. Remember that? Still one of the coolest moments for me...

i completely understand and appreciate your wanting a physical artifact of the record.  i think “real” caedmon’s fans (as you put it) who own all the records are probably about the age of the band (30s-40s), and we come from the time of record stores, buying physical cds and reading liner notes while listening, etc. (which, incidentally, is not the demographic who are buying hardly any music anymore).  

but i’m afraid this is an issue you’ll need to take up with the last 10 years of music business history.  there is a rapidly decreasing market for physical product in general.  there’s almost no financial justification to manufacture physical product anymore, especially when there are almost no retail shelves left to put that physical product on once you’ve made it.  so the decision to release raising up the dead as a digital product only was not an original idea on our part, and it wasn’t to punish completists or worse, manipulate them into spending $50.  it’s just the reality that we live in, and you live there too.  unfortunately folks like you (and me) who might want the occasional physical artifact when buying music are just going to have to adapt.

that said, we did choose to offer a physical product for folks who really wanted it, but as a premium purchase (autographed/numbered/special).  so we leave the decision to the marketplace.  if you really want a physical record, you have that choice.  but you also have the choice to not spend $50 and just download/burn the record, then wait for the liner notes to hit the web (which they will, if the collective wisdom of the internet does its job).

i hope this helps.  regardless of your decision, i hope you’ll get the new record one way or the other.  we’re so proud of it.