Grateful Dead

Sorry waldothephotog.(unless you prefer the semantically correct richthephotog)But far, far too many times and for too long have I seen Robert Hunter get scant recognition for his brilliant and huge contribution the the Grateful Dead. So much so that he seems brushed aside like a gnat by the clueless. One should give credit for the words and their wisdom to the man who created them especially if used as sage-like advice.

I wrote a reply to the web-site through the feedback tab and have heard nothing. I tried to e-mail David at the e-mail address someone posted, but it bounced back. This is a terrible mistake to change the format. I guess they intend to leave us In the Dark. Too bad. Like many of you, I have purchased volumes of music from the Dead and the gems posted weekly here would have led me to make even more purchases. Now, I'm not so sure. Do the decent thing and at least tell us why the format was changed .

Thank you David for more great selections! I cannot let the decision (Rhino??) to stop the downloadable mp3s go by un-commented. Although we will have to get used to the new format, it is severley limiting the way these great tunes are mostly enjoyed by the fans, in the car, though the home stereo, or on the train through some good earbuds.... I buy the official releases, I attend the shows from the extended family, I was in the process of completing the GD Download Series, and I listened and enjoyed personally your picks in the Taper's Section. These weekly tasty bits got me geared up for the next purchase, lead me to the website every week to see what was new, free, or for sale. Please push the powers-to-be to re-think this latest decision. But most of all, keep crankin' out the tunes!

What a shock today to do look forward to my weekly download and listen to the latest choices from Dave on iTunes! Indeed as has been mentioned here, the new Dead.net format and MAINLY looking forward to the weekly choices has re-invigorated my Dead appetite leading to a few recent purchases that would not have occurred otherwise. I feel the community deserves an "official" explanation about this decision as I feel what has been created here IS a community. I have spent hours adding comments, making recommendations asked by Rhino about releases, adding pictures and stories, etc...... and feel like "the community" is equally deserving of credit and a voice in the creation of this community as is the makers and financial sponsors. Whether intentional or not, a community has been created here that is larger than the sum of its parts! "Nothing's for certain, it could always go wrong, Come on in when it's raining, go on out when it's gone. We could have us a high time, living the good life, well I know."

I know, I promised I was through posting but I had another thought. Do you suppose all this confusion has anything to do with copyright law? I believe that if a band records a song written by someone else, then they have to pay royalties to the songwriter (or something like that). The Dead covered a lot of songs by other songwriters. Maybe one of them started screaming about the MP3 downloads? Just a thought. Peace, Richard

Let me add my plaintive wail to the chorus. This is definitely a sad day for those of us who love music on the move or find streaming to be glitchy, jerky, or just unworkable. Let the music flow! And come join us 9/2 at Speedway Meadow, Golden Gate Park, SF for some Summer of Love @ 40. Sterling The gods too are fond of a joke. Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC)

This is the last straw for me, it really is. I cannot believe that they're removing the DL's from even here. GREED! I have been a loyal purchaser of all things Dead. I don't have much money but I still make the purchases. This is how we're repaid? How much more money do they NEED???

I am no a fan of the new system.

Hey now, Streaming is good, downloadable MP3s is even better. We really want them back - can you tell? Why don't you put together a podcast just like everyone else is doing. Streaming is great but people other than cube dwellers don't want to sit at a computer and listen to stream all day. We like to get out in the day and bring the music with us. What is it really all about? It is about money period. That is what is all about now. Sad but true. Not a lot to come to this site for other than a few snipets of good live dead. Plenty of people still will buy a complete show but the little jewels should be free to share - as we have always said SHARE it just done SELL it. Now is it all about SELLING it - bummer.

richard, good theory, the point is that if that is the reason, why can't they just tell us? "Let the words be yours, I'm done with mine."

i'm going to have to say i agree with uncle bruce on this one.....It's really a bummer!!!!, i could download the songs to my media player and listen all WEEK long as i sit at my desk, and now that we have to stream them -- Alot of companies put up blocks so even trying to down load the new software onto the work computer is being prevented..at least with downloading we can hide them from the boss within hidden files and they never know. MAY WE PLEASE GET THE DOWNLOADABLE MP3'S BACK!!!!!!!!!!! i'm going to go CRAZY with out my 40hrs of DEAD!!

In addition to the comment I posted here 2 days ago I also sent a message to the feedback link on the bottom of the page. That appears to have been pretty useless, at least as far as corporate goes since the reply I received was a generic cut & paste job from 'Webmaster'. From : webmaster [webmaster@dead.net] "Dear Friend, Thanks for your recent input regarding dead.net. We truly appreciate your ongoing interest and support. Dead.net Team"

tj crowley no where do/did i read that king rhino is responsible for this move/decisiuon.....how does this assessment come to be.......is it rhino or the dead family? but which ever it sucks...' we are no closer to the answer than when we began..so let our chants fill the viod so all may know..that in the land of the nite..the ship of the sun is drawn by the rhino'

My communication to Rhino through the feedback option: Rhino > What are your plans? > > Communicate!!!!!! > > You are ruining something that was very special to >me.....Wake up!!!!!!!! Their response: Dear Friend, Thanks for your recent input regarding dead.net. We truly appreciate your ongoing interest and support. Dead.net Team See they do care and listen. They even took the time to respond to my e-mail in person. I'm not mad anymore....

lookatitright,I agree. Silence forces people to speculate, and we are not inclined to speculate in a positive fashion. Especially given previous experience in this arena.

I got the same automated message. Is the webmaster Rhino? Who is hosting this site?

Add me to the list of folks who can't stream at work. You guys sure know how to drive away your potential customers. I've visited this site more in the last couple months than I have in the last few years - all because of the Taper's Section. It's pretty useless to me now. And I'm your ideal customer - A Dead addict that's generally too lazy to download and burn from the torrent/archive sites, with plenty of money to buy pretty much all of the official releases. I mean...are you _really_ losing money by not letting us download some random, single tunes from assorted shows? Or even the occasional most-of-a-set? It's just very disappointing.

Uh. You were expecting a personalized response, detailing all the ins and outs of what's going on just because you clicked FEEDBACK? When nothing official at all has come out? Reality check, folks.

David,Thanks for all your efforts with the Tapers Section. We are all well aware this wasn't your call. It was a wonderful thing to be able to save those precious gems to enjoy in the car or elsewhere. It sure made me feel a lot better about all the recent GD troubles that started November 25, 2005. Like others, I have been a very good customer for GDM these last 20 years because I love the music and wanted to support the business. It's just so hard to have this nugget yanked out from under us. I wish Rhino had a sense of our community.Once again, I feel very sad. It's really just pathetic. hoosker

While you were goneThese spaces filled with darkness The obvious was hid With nothing to believe in The compass always points to Terrapin... Since we don't know the reason for the change, would it be possible to assume a modicum of good will rather than defaulting to hostility and the presumption of evil intent? GD Hour blog Station list

BULLSHIT !!!

Here's something positive to think about. It makes absolutely no sense to get rid of downloads like archive.org and the dead.net stuff. If the logic is to remove these sites so as not to detract from sales, you'd actually have to be SELLING SOMETHING first. And Rhino has NOT been releasing product. I just thought of this and it does make sense: I believe that Rhino is creating (and is almost ready to launch) its own Grateful Dead Download Site, similar to the previous (12 volumes) GD Download thing from a few months ago. It's the only thing that makes any sense at all. There is surely no point to buy an enormous block of music and then CUT OFF all means of access and hide it in a cave somewhere. Rhino wants to make money and what they've done so far has generated negligible sales. I sure hope this is what they are doing... I think we're all going to be in hog heaven here real soon. Wow, I'm not terminally cynical after all!

waytoolongatsea In my thirty-somethingth year as a deadhead, I only discovered taper section a few weeks ago, and only last week decided how cool it would be to have all these sweet little snippets downloaded into my itunes library, so in the span of a few days I did exactly that, I downloaded the most recent week all the way back to taper section #1. What a surprise to find nothing but streams, all of a sudden :((( I will savor the snippets I have, and probably continue to record each week's offering, and for all those moaning I feel the pain, too, rest assured, but it is not that terribly difficult to digitally record these pieces, of course not as cool and easy and efficient as the one-click download, but please remember, fellow travelers, this music can still be captured. I recommend Wire Tap Pro for mac users ( a very reasonable $19 download) .... simple, user friendly, you can time recordings or make them 'sound sensitive' so you can hit play and walk away, and you can get an mp3, AAC, or uncompressed AIFF file (which your itunes will convert to WAV if you ask it to nicely). Sorry, no suggestions for PC users but I'm certain the options are many ...... the dead giveth, and the dead taketh away, this is the way of things. I don't know too much about Rhino (although it does sound like they bite) or exactly what happened with the Archive soundboards, other than they were download-able and now are not, but this reminds me of the fall of '83, three St. Stephens in a couple weeks, then never seen again .... ever ..... till Grateful Dead was no more. Explain that ..... ??? peace out all, and the music NEVER stops, and these sweet snippets can still be yours, on your ipod, on CD, just a little more effort to get them there .... dt

Maybe everyone already knows this but today I was dragged into Starbucks (not my usual choice). Lo and behold...a new Rhino/Starbucks release called essential grateful dead or somesuch title. Yikes. Never thought I'd see that in my lifetime. Pathetic. I'm sure Rhino will reach millions of new listeners...

And just exactly what is the problem with Grateful Dead music being available in Starbucks? We keep saying this is music that is built to last, and we've spent decades turning people on to it. Now there's an "introduction to GD music" CD in a prominent music outlet, and you're offended. This crowd really gives me a hairball sometimes. GD Hour blog Station list

What happened to the downloads?

So I wrote to Rhino: "To: Dr Rhino Subject: "new" grateful dead tapers section Hey, how about trucking on over to the Rhino operated Grateful Dead site and checking out all of the comments about the new tapers section policy - streaming only, no downloading. We fans are all pretty ticked off by what we see as a surprise (and senseless) move. Especially those of us who have paid wads of cash for all Grateful Dead product, even the pedestrian recent Vault 3 release. CD sales have drastically declined in past years, and this has given many of us the incentive to stop buying any and all Rhino product. (And I was just about to buy the new Doors remasters and highly anticipated any upcoming Cure deluxe editions. Oh yeah, and that fantastic Rhino Handmade Little Richard set - care to buy it back from me?) Call me a former Rhino fan, A. Black" And here's their reply: "Dear Friend, Thanks for your recent input regarding dead.net. We truly appreciate your ongoing interest and support. The Dead.net Team" Not exactly the response I expected. I think a monkey might have typed it.

David...I also was recently on a rare visit to Starbucks and boy was I surprised to see the boys smiling at me from in front of the cash register. I picked up the CD's and thought it was a good introduction to the Dead for a newcomer. The liner notes were very good! As for the default to negativity, I have to agree with you although a word from WHOMEVER was behind the decision would be respectful to the folks.

Ever heard the expression, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it?" I don't think that the bulk of the posts are hostile, nor do they necessarily presume evil intent. However, Rhino's track record in recent years regarding many of their issued discs (Depeche Mode, Genesis, Yes, Cure, Chicago, etc.) have brought much negative criticism from fans of all of those bands what with Rhino's sloppy remastering and strange choices (single mixes instead of album cuts, for one.) Many of us are very wary of Rhino in general, and this bizarre change in the GD website does nothing to promote optimism or goodwill. We would just like an explanation. And I think advance notice of this change in policy is quite warranted for such a rabid and deadicated fanbase. Also, your own posts seem somewhat defensive of the change. Of course, you have more to lose, I presume, if you were to be critical of either Rhino or the GD organization itself. The fans have nothing to lose in the long run. We have much music. We'll be able to get more. And if we aren't able to download stuff here, other outlets remain. But it was just so great to come to the site every Monday with great anticipation and excitement to see what would be next. Thank God the GD taped so many shows in such high quality. (The '66 shows are particular favorites.) I have 82 CD's of material from the Tapers' Section that I have for my own personal use. I'm not selling anything, just enjoying what I was given. The TS was also a great way to attract people to the website who might just buy something while there. A few posts reflect a sense of entitlement to the music. I disagree with that opinion, but understand it. Don't dangle a carrot and then pull it away so suddenly and without warning. As for you, Mr. Gans, one can always switch your show ... off.

At least Rhino didn't put a lock on Charlie's PC! http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=509071 Grateful Dead - December 4, 1973 Cincinnati Gardens - Cincinnati, OH Recording Info: SBD -> Master Reel -> Dat (44.1k) Transfer Info: Dat (Sony R500) -> SEK'D Prodif Plus -> Samplitude v7.02 Professional -> FLAC (2 Discs Audio / 1 Disc FLAC) All Transfers and Mastering By Charlie Miller charliemiller87@earthlink.net August 1, 2007 Set 1: d1t01 - Johnny B. Goode d1t02 - Sugaree d1t03 - Me And My Uncle d1t04 - China Cat Sunflower -> d1t05 - I Know You Rider d1t06 - El Paso d1t07 - Deal d1t08 - Big River d1t09 - Tennessee Jed d1t10 - Truckin' -> d1t11 - Stella Blue d1t12 - Around And Around Set 2: d2t01 - Eyes Of The World -> d2t02 - Sugar Magnolia -> d2t03 - Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad -> d2t04 - Casey Jones Encore: xxxxx - One More Saturday Night (MISSING)

I wasn't complaining, just suprised. No evil intended. I'll stick to lurking from now on. I'm really a good deadhead and appreciate all the great nuggets from the Tapers Section.Cheers

with all due to respect to mr gans, let me quickly address a few points: 1. i havent read (except here) anyone upset with the dead being available at starbucks. what i think the crux of the issue is a 2 disc set that repackages released material is not what people are calling for. 2. if rhino wants to rebuild/relaunch the brand that is the grateful dead, ok. good way to start, but dont cut off your nose, etc... 3. for the most part, we are a good bunch, and we want more music. we want to buy stuff. the cow palace release was nice, but 71-02-19 was an odd call for release. it already exists widely in very good quality. give us the winterland 73 box set that was available for presale for one day. dont give us a little something nice, only to take it away less than a year later with no advance warning. do it or dont do it. dont tease us. i think some comments here are a bit overboard, but the spirit of the outcry remains in tact. treat us fairly, as we have proven to be good consumers, and we will continue to be so. take advantage of us, treat us poorly, and the sound of empty coffers will be deafening. i apologize for my harsh tone.

I am really surprised Rhino would make such a strategic blunder. The free Tapers Section Music inspired folks to SPEND money on GD products. The more Dead you listen to, the more you want. Simple as that. People do NOT want to stream music. MP3 downloads are simple and folks loved it. The goodwill and interest it provided, not to mention eyeballs on the website, cannot be underestimated. Prepare to have hits to the main GD site plummet. Prepare for significant fan hostility regarding new product. GD music is available elsewhere. Fans will head in those directions and may not come back. Deadheads are a forgiving lot. Hopefully, wiser heads will prevail and things will return to the way they were.

I have no problem whatso ever with the Starbuck's release...hell i just discovered wilco from the VW commericals. What bugs me is the many months we endured the "under construction" website and all we had to hang our hats on was the downloads, so as soon as they get the new site launched and are ready to push the product again...bang, they cut it off. I just don't think i can bring myself to purchase a Rhino release....i don't care if they offer a 1974 box set...i am drawing my line in the sand on this.

As Far as the Starbuck's thing is concerned I personally am alway's Happy to find this music anywhere!! But i do feel as someone who literally buy's everything Grateful Dead couldnt we at least be afforded an explanation as to why the MP3 format is no longer exceptable as part of this web site. If you ask me if i hear a great version of a song here it makes me research that show and want to hear more of it! Isn't this a good thing?? Rogue

Looks like its still about the silver. What a bummer. PikesPeak

Thanks for the call for common courtesy.

It figures that the day I see the word Starbucks on the same page as the Dead, Something had to break. This was a cool thing the mp3s. Let there be songs to fill the air. PikesPeak

Thought I'd come back after a couple days. I half expected to see a news blurb, or something indicating that this was all going to change back: "Due to Dead Head uprising..." I somewhat hope that some jerk at Rhino is second guessing, but I am wasting my thoughts, they don't care. I wonder how you are going to walk this line next Monday, David? Are you going to address it, or go on as usual. I would like to say that I am boycotting this site, but I am too curious as to what might happen next week. I will never buy another Rhino release again! I really like the comment posted about this feeling like a memo from the boss. No explanation, no nothing. Just handle it. Well, life goes on. I wish this never happened. I'm really sad. I will never post here again unless MP3's are reinstated. Oh, that day would be a triumphant day for us Dead Heads! Well Rhino, are you prepared? The people have spoken. The people you count on. The people you should value. I hope your busy in the boardroom trying to finess your apology. We'll see through it anyway. If you change your mind, we'll know it was for your pockets. Either way it's for the pockets. I understand that. Free market, yadda yadda, consumerism, yadda, capitalist society, yadda, keep our country rollin'...blah, blah, blah! Hey, everyone... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BOYCOTT RHINO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BOYCOTT RHINO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BOYCOTT RHINO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ^^^mounainzen^^^

I will not buy any more from Rhino. To stop the mp3s without explanation is just lame. I don't buy starbucks the life sucking corp. either...PikesPeak

Well Olompali, I must have missed the call for common courtesy from David Gans. Instead I saw 32 pages of upset and concerned people, and he, as a respected figure whose opinion carries weight, chose to slag off on the one guy who was discussing something totally different while simultaneously lumping us all together into "this crowd." Thanks for the derision Dave. So, long time fans are feeling a bit burned, and Gans instead chooses to stick up for Starbucks. Talk about a hairball. Hey, perhaps he's just pissed at us dirty hippies for listening to his show for free on public radio. Yo Soy Boricua!

In the strangest of places if you look at it right. Bloody 'ell, listienng to what I got, Dave Lemieux You are a friend of mine. Love you.

If it's worth doing, it's worth over doing.

hey dave was driving home from work and was groovin to the estimated>eyes from nashville.thanks for that.also was jamming to that midnight hour on my portable during a evening bike ride.look forward to this monday's selection.thanks for the tunes. "Fuck 'people's music'." laughs Jerry Garcia from a reclining seat in the plush, wood-finished business offices of the band. "I mean, I thought it was a dumb discussion even when it was the big thing awhile back to talk about how music should be free... that music belongs to the people and musicians rip them off. That kind of thing really irks me.

Stop wucking fhining Everybody!

An explanation seems no more than common courtesy, but so far I see none. Happy Trails

I wasn't aware we could EDIT our posts. David Gans' original post first read: "And just exactly what the fuck is the problem with Grateful Dead music being available in Starbucks?" His post now reads "And just exactly what is the problem with Grateful Dead music being available in Starbucks?" Hmmm. That certainly conveys a different tone, doesn't it? Some deadheads are more equal than other deadheads. Well, I guess there's always the cool kids and then the rest of us losers, you know, "this crowd." Yo Soy Boricua!

This is my second posting and i can't say much that hardly hasn't been said already...but here goes. First of all, thank you David Lemeaux for all the wonderful music you provided (I was fortunate to get most of it on CD). The taper's section also (as others have posted) re-inspired my deadheadism. I was buying more DP's, shirt/hats from the GD store, etc- then the rug was pulled out from under us concerning the downloads to streaming format, with not even a few paragraphs or even three sentences to explain the why and what for (i.e. something better to come we would hope, as Gans and others have possibly alluded to)! As a fan of the dead for almost 20 years, this music is one of the few things i am truly passionate about in my little corner of the world and this change was like a punch in the stomach. But i can forgive and appreciate what was in and is now gone...so onward/upward. Also, as someone whom in the past has rabidly listened/enjoyed/appreciated the GD hour by David Gans for many years (and even saw a show of his here in my little town of Wilmington, NC)- He should spit out that bitter hairball and refrain from talking down to the little people in "this crowd" who, besides the band and the music, is the whole nucleus of this thing. I agree, as a fan, with leadbelly27's feeling of being burned by Gans' cantankerous comments about "this crowd" and his response to the one freakin' comment about a GD cd & starbucks posted by one guy. Gans blasted him with an expletive (which was later redacted) and was seemingly on the side of more corporate exposure. Fine, whatever, but give the guy a break, or better yet, give your take on the TS format change and how it affects avid listeners- listeners like me WHO ALSO HAPPEN TO INVEST LOTS OF MONEY in what this band has produced and provided to us in the past. That's the real issue here. Mr. Gans, thanks for what you have done in the over the years, but you have alienated me from ever listening to the GD hour again or anything associated with your name. With all due respect, go with whatever "crowd" it is that doesn't choke you up with hairballs and cause you to be derisive to fans. For rhino or those in charge at this site (AND GANS) to not even give us a little bit of respect/support/explanation/speculation concerning the direction of the music/vault/downloading/rhino issue is disappointing, to say the least. Fans and visitors to this site just want to know what's going on (more than the sentence or two) given about the change! Gans also said in an earlier post: "Since we don't know the reason for the change, would it be possible to assume a modicum of good will rather than defaulting to hostility and the presumption of evil intent?" From the majority of comments I've read, no one's trying to be hostile as far as i can tell. I certainly see no "presumption of evil intent" by deadheads and fans, we merely feel pissed on because we got no warning and no explanation. I guess the bean counters and decision makers at rhino are either going to deliver something better or it's just a major screw-up! We'll see.

How many Deadheads does it take to give a silent Rhino a hairball? Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.) Walt Whitman-Song of Myself

My previous post was not meant to offend anyone.My previous post was meant to offend everyone. We are all Bozos on this bus. Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.) Walt Whitman-Song of Myself