The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook is a limited edition, 3-disc box set that comes complete with autographed memorabilia, rare photos, posters and more. The content was recorded during a two-night show in 2011 and includes some of the great tracks “Everyday I Write The Book” and “Watching The Detectives.” It will be released on December 6th and would make a wonderful present for your music-loving family member this holiday season.

But Elvis Costello doesn’t want you to buy it.

A post has appeared on the legendary artist’s official site entitled “Steal This Record.” The basic message of the plea to fans is a.) our record label priced the box set way too high, b.) you should spend your money on Louis Armstrong instead, and c.) you should probably just download it anyways.

It’s being priced at $262.46, although you can pre-order it from Amazon for a slightly less expensive $202.64.

From the post:

The live recording finds the Imposters in rare form, while the accompanying motion picture blueprints the wilder possibilities of the show, as it made its acclaimed progress across the United States throughout the year.

Unfortunately, we at www.elviscostello.com find ourselves unable to recommend this lovely item to you as the price appears to be either a misprint or a satire.

All our attempts to have this number revised have been fruitless but rather than detain you with tedious arguments about morality, panache and book-keeping – when there are really bigger fish to filet these days – we are taking the following unusual step.

What do they suggest? First, they say that if you’re going to spend money, you should probably do it on the ten-disc box set “Ambassador to Jazz,” from the great Louis Armstrong.

They also suggest that you could wait until they release the separate parts of the box set – the CD, DVD and vinyl – for a more reasonable price next year. And then there’s the other option, the one referenced in the post’s title:

If on the other hand you should still want to hear and view the component parts of the above mentioned elaborate hoax, then those items will be available separately at a more affordable price in the New Year, assuming that you have not already obtained them by more unconventional means.

So there you have it. Elvis Costello and the Imposters think that you are being overcharged for their stuff and would prefer that you download it.

With all of the talk about the pending SOPA and PIPA legislation, and how it relates to piracy and internet freedoms, this little anecdote it just something to remember when you hear the RIAA push their support for the bills.

On that note, let’s check out Mr. Costello in the early ’80s:

[Hat Tip to Boing Boing]
[Image Courtesy elviscostello.com]