You see, this is the flaw in your logic. In keeping with your food analogy, a lot of people might love the taste of a certain type of food, let's say a curry dish for instance, while others might hate it. It doesn't make it WRONG to the individual who loves it to enjoy it, just as it doesn't make it wrong for the guy who hates it not to dig it. You're making the common mistake of confusing your OPINION for FACT and expecting everyone else to do the same.
I hate to break it to ya, bud, but it just doesn't work that way. You're obviously in the SW Haters Club, and that's cool, to someone with that point of view, the LE ISN'T worth the $75.00 asking price. For those on the other side of the fence however, who love the guy's music in all its many diverse incarnations, the opinion is likely to differ significantly, which doesn't render anyone "right" or "wrong". The problem I have with you is your insinuation that someone else is STUPID for disagreeing with you by thinking it IS worth it. Narcissist much?! And this just in, many of us DO fondly remember the glory days of vinyl and how much the packaging was an integral part of the joy of buying an anticipated new release. I used to love bringing home a new album, cracking it open, turning up the headphones, burning a bowl and reading all the liner notes, lyrics and whatever other funky-cool bonus artwork, posters, etc. that might come with it.
Steven talks about this on the Insurgentes film trailer on the DVD, and I can totally relate. As to whether or not the particular packaging is "worth it" on this specific release, that's ENTIRELY subjective and up to the person who buys it.
Personally, and I've been waiting a few days to make sure I got several listens in, as this is a very demanding, yet rewarding record from a listener standpoint; it's taken me probably 10 full listens to really start to fully appreciate it. I was actually a bit disappointed at first, but it's finally started to really grow on me, and I'm satisfied with the return on my investment. The book really is of excellent quality, and the photos are mostly very nice artistic images, worthy of repeated viewing and perusal, and they compliment the listening experience quite nicely. Also, $75 isn't really that big a deal to a lot of us, and is well worth it to support an artist who's material we're passionate about.
As for the music itself, I've come to the conclusion that Porcupine Tree is easily (and will always be) my favorite SW project, and I still prefer most of PT's material over this record, but not by all that much, and the gap has started to close now that I've given it the quality time that it both deserves and demands.
The DVD is a bit unintentionally humorous at times, the ipod smashing/shooting antics are a tad over the top, and Steven definitely takes himself a little too seriously at times, to the point of arrogance, but he's hardly the first truly brilliant artist to display these characteristics. Most of the great ones are rather eccentric and arrogant, and ultimately, I couldn't care less so long as the music is worthy of it, which in Steven Wilson's case, for a whole lot of us, anyway, it most certainly IS.
You don't like the guy, fine, I can handle that, but berating an artist with more true talent than any of us here can even dream of for his arrogance and self involvement while simultaneously giving other people shit simply because they display the temerity not to share your opinion really does come across as rather hypocritical, don'tcha think?
