UPDATE - 5/1@6:49PM: Just as I mentioned a couple days ago, The Exchange independent record store in Cleveland (and Pittsburgh) is running a special Snakes & Arrows promotion where they're selling the CD for $6.99 and giving away a free limited edition poster with each purchase. I ran over to The Exchange after work, bought two CDs (only 2 per customer) and grabbed one of the last posters they had! It's a small 12"x18" poster with the Leela board on one side and the Desert Highway pic on the other. If you live in the Cleveland or Pittsburgh area check out your nearest The Exchange (aka The Record Exchange) to take advantage of this promo - it runs through Sunday (while supplies last). I think the $6.99 price is by far the best I've seen yet.

UPDATE - 5/1@3:29PM: There are 15 new Snakes & Arrows desktop wallpapers up at Power Windows bringing the total to 18!

UPDATE - 5/1@12:58PM: It looks like the Snake with Arrow through Head pic is not exclusive to the UK jewelcase release. It also shows up in the Wal-mart digipack version as the insert which displays the passcode for the exclusive video download. I'm trying to get confirmation but it also sounds like the exlusive download is just an old VH1 video interview. Thanks to MezcalHead for the news.

UPDATE - 5/1@10:29AM: The image shown right is from the jewel case insert from the UK release and cannot found in the digipak in the US issue. Thanks to Power Windows for supplying the pic. I love it. :)

UPDATE - 5/1@8:07AM: Rush.com has been revamped for the album release. There are lots of cool new graphics based on the album art, an updated gallery, updated band info with gear lists, and more! They even have a multimedia section up but nothing loaded in yet - just a "coming soon" message. It'll be interesting to see what they put in there.

UPDATE - 5/1@7:33AM: Apparently when you purchase Snakes & Arrows on iTunes you also receive a 5-minute making of video which, I assume, is a preview of the 45-minute documentary to be included on the Snakes & Arrows DVD-Album. You can purchase Snakes & Arrows on iTunes at this link.

The time is finally here; Snakes & Arrows has officially been released in North America. Fans in Europe probably already have their copies by now. And a few of us in North America may have gotten lucky enough to score a copy from a local record store that had them in early. But for most of us today is the day when we will all be holding it in our hands, removing it from its jewel case digipack and popping it in the CD player for the first time. Even if we've already heard some (or all) of the songs by some other method, be it downloading a leaked copy or listening to the songs on the radio world premier - playing it for the first time is always a special moment. So I've opened up this thread so that everyone can share their experiences purchasing the CD and their thoughts after that first listen. And in case you didn't notice, I've added a poll to the site over on the right of the page with the first question being How will you be getting or how did you get your copy of Snakes & Arrows?. Rush on!

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