Grateful Dead

Remember way back when.. days long ago.. when we used to come here to discuss the life, times and music of the Grateful Dead instead of factory defects and discs that don't play so good.

Anyway.. did a bunch of driving over the last couple weeks and perhaps the musical highlight was 12/31/81.. in my humble opinion.. one of the better later-era New Years Eve shows. Fantastic and certainly release worthy.

Dennis, I sent you a PM. Check your box.

I hear the frustration and would be too. CDs seem like simple technology. My experience: lucky with DaP 28, no defective disks but I did have two disks in the PNW box that needed replacement and Rhino got them to me within about three weeks, with one repeat request. It was in the middle of another roll-out. My two cents, if they are taking so long to get you all replacements for DaP28, it must mean they ran out and have to make a new batch. This is costing either the manufacturer (owner of the Mexico plant) or Rhino and one would hope that they learn from their mistakes and get this right. My PNW problems were deep scratches - not sure if that happens from the manufacturing equipment or human handling, but someone at Rhino does know and again, it is in their best interest to clean up this problem. This music is a treasure - let's hope they get it right this new year.
Spinning some 11-30-80 Fox Theater this morning - hadn't visited this in a while - it's helping getting my New Year in Gear! Happy New Year everybody!

Does anyone know anything about the "jerry" album.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K14LYZ4?ref=em_1p_0_ti&ref_=pe_942…

I would rather go back a year or two, when the worst problem was a boxcutter mark on the packaging, at least the discs fucking played

Thanks for the update. Not what I was wanting to hear, but I appreciate the information. I am waiting for replacements for discs 1 and 3 - when they arrive I'll post as to whether or not I get replacements that work or ones that also skip.

Wishing everyone all the best in the new year and may all of our discs play flawlessly!

Keep the interesting insights and suggestions coming-love it!

I really appreciate your post as well as Unkle Sam’s post. The whole situation is just sad, maddening, and to say the least frustrating, I, like many others, received a defective disc 3, and I, like many others, received an email on December 13th stating that the replacement discs were to arrive at Rhino and be shipped out the following week. WELL, I’m still waiting for word about the replacement disc, but I am reserved to the fact that it will probably be defective as well. I’m also reserved to the fact that the next Dave’s Pick (#29) will have skips and defects. I totally expect this to happen. And like Unkle Sam has said, I doubt I will purchase another box set until I hear whether or not there are defective discs. This music isn’t cheap, but they are cheaply and carelessly made. In all my years, I have never had the kind of problems that I am experiencing with Rhino and dead.net. It’s a shame and quite frankly, it’s unacceptable on every level. We should all be excited about Dave’s Picks 29 later this month, but in my case, I’m kind of dreading it, because I have no reason to believe that I will not receive a defective product. The whole thing is disturbing. I mean, I receive the music in the mail, and then sit on the edge of my seat, waiting to hear a skip. It shouldn’t be that way. Nope

First, I want to thank you for your very thought out and eloquently worded post. You, of course, are correct in everything you say. We, as a community of music lovers and deadheads, need to speak up about this continuing decline of quality product being released. It is a sham, a ripoff and a travesty that rhino, who obviously could care less about anything but profit, continues to release subpar product and expect us, as loyal customers, to just blindly purchase their defective product. What happened to the good old Grateful Dead? The best American rock band ever is now being reduced to the discount bin of history due to their practices. Why would anyone want to continue to purchase anything from rhino if they continue to rip their loyal customers off? We all want the music and we deserve the best, like the good old days when a Grateful Dead product was made in America, with loving care and great devotion. We DESERVE this, we pay for it and it is a slap in the face of all of us that they just laugh and say "they have no choice, they will buy anything that we put out". I, for one, will never buy another box set without listening to the reviews first and hearing what the discs sound like, what they are made of and who or where they are made. Until this blatant abuse of our loyalty and love for this band is recognized and dealt with, I will no longer just blindly purchase their product. I will never preorder another box set, unfortunately, this means no more dave's picks either, which is basically a leap of faith. Rhino and the dead.net expect us to just purchase their product without even telling us what it will be, or where it is made or what will happen if the product is defective. For rhino to just send you the same defective discs in exchange for all ready defective discs is just a slap in the face and a kick in the crotch to all of us. I totally agree with your post and could not have said it any better. It is time for us all to rage against this machine that continues to issue inferior product and laugh at us all the way to the bank. I believe in bridges, not walls, so lets bridge this gap rhino, I will gladly pay more for a quality product.

Very sorry to read of your experiences with recent cds. I have had slightly better luck. The only faulty discs I have received were in the last Daves Picks, and like most people, I am waiting for the replacement discs to be sent out. I agree with what you say-it is important that we speak up and communicate with each other about the service we are paying for. More attention to the quality of the discs, and less to their presentation may be appreciated.

I don't give a stuff about New Years Eve-but I must say, I played the first cd form the 12/31/76 show at Cow Palace this morning-and that is one incredible Playing in the Band! Its great when you come across an absolute pearl when you are not expecting to.