The Deadhead's Taping Compendium, Volume III: an in-depth guide [Paperback]

Michael Getz (Author), John Dwork (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2000 | Series: Deadhead's Taping Compendium (Book 3)

This third volume of The Deadhead's Taping Compium celebrates and documents more than 700 live concert performances of the Grateful Dead during a decade in which the band became immensely popular; produced one of its most successful albums, "In the Dark" (1987); and in 1988 had a top-ten single ("Touch of Grey"). During this decade Vice President and Tipper Gore were spotted at concerts in Washington, and the band was invited to the White House. When Jerry Garcia died on August 9, 1995, Deadheads mourned the passing of a brilliant musician and an enduring emblem of 1960s idealism, and trading tapes of the Dead's live concerts skyrocketed. With a review of every show-including the date and location; a complete list of the songs played; the length, source, and genealogy of the tape and a rating of its quality; and commentary on each concert's special moments-this book keeps the Grateful Dead experience alive.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Unique among major rock bands, the Dead actively sanctioned the taping of live concerts. This policy nurtured a subculture of Deadheads who have traded thousands of tapes over the years. This is the second of a projected three volume series documenting every known live Grateful Dead recording in circulation. (The first volume, covering the years 1959-74, appeared in 1998.) Getz, a poet and lyricist, and Dwork, a rock music scholar, divide the book into three parts: a historical overview of the Grateful Dead taping phenomenon, a chronological listing of hundreds of shows from 1975 to 1985, and a guide to recommended versions of selected songs, videos, films, and band-related web sites. Each entry in the chronology includes the date and location of the show, the songs played, the existing tapes, show highlights, and a "Comments" section. Dozens of rare photographs, many in color, cap off the book. As with the first volume, the biggest flaw is the lack of an index. While primarily aimed at tape collectors, this series is a gold mine of information for any Grateful Dead fan. Recommended for larger popular music collections and where the Grateful Dead is popular.ALloyd Jansen, Stockton-San Joaquin Cty. P.L., CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"The recipient of an award from the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, this monumental project is "a treasure--an invaluable resource" (Billboard)

"Reading this book puts us at the pulsing microchip of Dead central."(Marek Shechner, The Buffalo News)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 768 pages
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks; 1st edition (August 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080506141X
• ISBN-13: 978-0805061413
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,410,243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quite good ol' Grateful Dead, December 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Deadhead's Taping Compendium, Volume III: an in-depth guide (Paperback)

Well, it's a lot better than the second volume (how's that for damning with faint praise?). The slapdash editing and factual howlers that made Vol 2 so disappointing have been reined in; there's still some boneheaded errors, but not more than you'd expect in a project of this scope. (It's still not up to Vol 1's high standards, though.) I do have some caveats. While many of the reviewers are intelligent, thoughtful and have interesting insights on the music of the Dead in these years, there's also far too many reviews from wide-eyed fanboys who want us to know all about their adventures on the way to the show, how many veggie burritos they bought at the show, how many mikes they did at the show, the visions they had in the toilet during the interval at the show ... everything but the MUSIC! Some pruning, or wholesale rejection, would have been in order. Secondly, poor old Bob Weir comes in for some heavy-handed vitriol (again). Okay, so he did tend to trot out 'Throwing Stones' every third show for a while. Okay, 'Victim' was pretty unlistenable when it first appeared. Okay, so 'Corinna' isn't my favourite song either. That doesn't mean he should be permanently confined to the ninth circle of hell, as too many reviewers here avow. Other members of the band don't come in for this kind of sneering -- even Mickey Hart, whose erratic late 1980s sludge-beat drumming ruined many a song -- so why Weir? So, all in all, this is an important book for Dead Heads, but read with a grain of salt and don't expect anything even near the vicinity of definitive.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-written, awesomely-researched insights, and fun too, June 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Deadhead's Taping Compendium, Volume III: an in-depth guide (Paperback)

This is mainly a book for deadheads. But not only. It's fascinating to read the varied styles and insights of so many people, so different, all absorbed in the same music. The writing and editing are good, and actually make it a pleasure to read about many radically different and creative versions of the same songs. This makes the book extremely interesting, but anyone interested in the culture and mindset of the sixties would enjoy this as well; it perfectly captures the zeitgeist of that era refracted through later years of deep analytical perceptivess. And all the pictures, commentary, and anecdotes make this endlessly fun to read. For anyone who went to concerts, got high, and wore bell-bottoms, this is a great book! And for anyone who is curious about why their parents endlessly reminisce about that period, this is a great book. Again, its diversity of opinion, balanced judgments, reflective insights, and sense of fun make this a lasting pleasure.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ah, the memories, September 12, 2000

By 

Diego Garcia (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Deadhead's Taping Compendium, Volume III: an in-depth guide (Paperback)

I can't add much to what's already been said in reviews to Volumes I and II. I LOVE THESE BOOKS. If you are any kind of Dead fan you will too. I have a special attachment to Vol II as it covers the period during which I saw the bulk of my shows; the newer fans will delight in seeing their shows reviewed. It is fascinating to read about the Dead's final years.