From Booklist
Getz and company massively document and describe every known tape of performances, as of Oct. 24, 1974, by the members of the Grateful Dead, including individual members' endeavors before the band was born and side projects since. Uniquely among recording artists, the Dead sanctioned making and trading tapes of its concerts; in so doing, it spawned an almost incredible tape-swapping subculture. The book accordingly covers the "birth of the official taping section" at concerts, the start of tape-trading clubs, and tapers' "early equipment choices." Most of the book, however, consists of reviews of all the resultant tapes. Organization is chronologically by dates of the shows. An index would be nice, since not all Deadheads remember the dates of favorite concerts, but there is none. Dedicated Deadheads may find serene searching for their peak Dead experiences an aesthetic match, though, and perky, results-oriented reference professionals be damned. Noteworthy among this fine reference's other contents are interviews with famous Deadheads (find out what Owsley is really like--yow!). Future volumes will complete the documentation. Mike Tribby
