Radiohead: One Fan's Burden

EW music writer and rabid Radiohead fanatic Simon Vozick-Levinson had a fierce debate with himself after the U.K. art-rockers announced that they're letting fans set their own price (including $0.00) when downloading the band's Oct. 10 release, In Rainbows. To pay or not to pay? Read on:

TO PAY
How could you, Simon? Your favorite band of all time bucked the industry convention by putting a pricing decision in your hands — and you want to repay their generosity by paying nada. Maybe the major-label reactionaries were right all along: Downloaders are rank thieves. Radiohead perfected these songs in the studio for two years; you'll spend even longer memorizing every last sonic hiccup. The least you could do in return is toss them some pocket change.

NOT TO PAY
Hold up, self. If Radiohead didn't want you to grab their record gratis, they would have set a minimum charge, right? Besides, you've fattened their bank accounts for nearly a decade, and you'll fork over more dough when they tour the U.S. and release that pricey In Rainbows boxed set later this year. Illicit leaks make everything available free of charge these days — at least now you'll know you're hearing your idols' authentic finished product. Screw it — just take it for free, already!