This comes as no surprise, but it is a disappointment to those of us who consider album packaging a wealth of information.

Most CDs still include lyrics, a rundown of who’s playing on each of the tracks and graphics that an art director labored long and hard over.

But apart from being a keepsake, physical product is still the best insurance as something to fall back on should a hard drive crash or an mp3 player give up the eGhost.

I’m not a Luddite. I’ve downloaded albums and songs purchased from online retailers.  But there are artists and bands whose albums I still want to own for the pleasure of enjoying the full, 360-degree experience that comes part & parcel with their physical albums.  Such is the case, I decided, with the new Sarah Jarosz album, “Follow Me Down.”

After being struck by this twenty-something’s performance on Austin City Limits about a year ago, the decision to buy her first album “Song Up In Her Head” was a given.  At that time, I bowed to convenience, and bought the album on eMusic.  And while the music didn’t disappoint, the disconnect between the listening experience and album credits did.

I know, I know.  The info is available online.  Great.  Nearly everything’s online.  But I’m still one of the folks who want the full experience that the album package still delivers.

(If you doubt this, try getting the full visual impact gazing at the thimble-sized images of the first 2 Fleet Foxes album covers on your iPod.)

You get the picture.  I’d made the decision to buy a physical copy of Jarosz’s new album.  But with Memorial Day fast approaching, I wanted instant gratification by purchasing it at a store, rather than waiting days for an online order to arrive after the holiday.

If you live in North Jersey, there are still a few independent retailers in the area. But they’re few and far between.  And let’s face it, spending countless gallons of gas for the privilege of owning a CD is not in my time or financial budget.  Next best thing was jumping online to learn if any of the local chains had a copy to buy on the way home.

To their credit, both the Best Buy and Barnes & Noble sites give you access to in-store inventory that saves you the trouble of traipsing all the way to the store to determine if it has a copy.

Best Buy turned out to be a bust.  No copies even within remote driving distance.  The local Barnes & Noble, however, did report having a copy.  What’s more, the list price was $12.99, and they were offering it for purchase online at a discount for only $9.61.  Even if I had to pay the list price of $12.99 at the store, I figured it was worth it.  Instant gratification.  New music to enjoy over the course of the holiday weekend!

Knowing that inventory is ephemeral, it was best to phone and connect with the B&N music department to confirm they had the album and ask them to set it aside.  (Let’s face it, Jarosz does not enjoy Gaga ubiquity, and the likelihood that each store had more than a copy that they could put their hands on was highly unlikely.)

According to the store clerk, she did see a copy of “Follow Me Down” in her system, and she was willing to put me on hold to see if she could find it and put it on hold until I was able to get there. I did appreciate her enthusiasm and attention to customer service.  So far, so good.

But better than good, the clerk returned to report that she’d found a copy of the album.  Before setting off, I asked if the store was offering the online discount, or if the list price was what was in store at brick & mortar.

You can imagine my surprise when she told me that they were selling it for the list price, but that the list price for the brick & mortar was different than the online list price.  To buy a copy of the album at a Barnes & Noble store would set me back $17.99!

To explain the list price discrepancy, the store clerk put a manager on the phone.  According to him, B&N purchases online and brick & mortar product from different distributors that each determine their own list price.  Huh?!  A list price is a list price.  You don’t see books at B&N priced higher than the cover price.  Book prices are transparent.  They’re printed right there on the inside cover flap.

I can’t imagine that any portion of the $5 surcharge B&N applies to music sold in its stores goes to either the artist or the record label.  They labor under the assumption that they’re putting out product with a $12.99 list.  But back to our store manager…

It seems he is just as displeased with B&N’s practices, and hopes that the chain’s management will change its inconsistent music pricing practice before the department footprint totally evaporates.

It’s tough enough to sell music in these days and times.  And like most, I agree that music sales are going to dwindle to the point that new and more creative methods of earning money as a musician will be discussed and implemented.

Until that time comes, it’s satisfying to support artists, labels and new music knowing that a portion of my hard-earned cash is going to make it into their pockets to fuel the next project, the next artist.

And so, with a sour taste from the B&N experience, I wandered into the local FYE store with no expectation of finding “Follow Me Down” amidst all the in-store hoopla that ballyhooed the new Lady Gaga.

Filed under “Pop/Rock,” there was one copy.  List price:  $12.99.  On sale for $10.97.

Didn’t even have to pay for shipping!