Rating: 
Summary: Indispensable resource for Dead fans!
Review: Anybody who enjoys live recordings in general and especially those of the Grateful Dead should run, not walk to order this book. "Jam" packed with crucial information about specific shows as well as the history of making the tapes, this is truly without parallel in the history of publishing. Talk about your "hours of amusement"!
Rating:
Summary: A tape collectors fantasy.
Review: Besides being astonished about the availability of so many unbelievable shows, I was fascinated to hear what went into the recording of the shows in the early years. To hear straight from Owsley's mouth how he recorded certain concerts is fascinating in and of itself. I've never considered buying Deadbase because it didn't review the shows and tape quality. But this book is a must if you're interested in obtaining any bootlegs of the Dead.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing reference for Dead tapes & shows
Review: First, to the "Reader from Berkeley" who rated this 1 star - you're missing the point entirely. Your complaints seem to stem from the fact that some reviewers didn't have access to tapes of the same quality as yourself. Realize that better quality tapes continue to surface and it is impossible to publish a reference in printed form that will be up-to-the-minute accurate. Same goes for tapes not released yet. This book should be used a reference and guideline for enhancing the experience of Grateful Dead taping and tape trading - not as a Bible. No Bible will ever exist for all the shows the band played because some were unfortunately either never taped or the tapes were lost to time. We have to do our best with what we have and keep moving furthur ahead. If you have even one live Dead tape, you need this book. If you're curious about the whole scene, this book will enlighten you and give you some insight into the psyches of the amazing group of people known as Deadheads (or Tapeheads, for that matter). And even if you don't like the Dead, this book makes for an excellent roadmap to taping in general, which can be applied to whatever bands you might be interested in.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing reference for Dead tapes & shows
Review: First, to the "Reader from Berkeley" who rated this 1 star - you're missing the point entirely. Your complaints seem to stem from the fact that some reviewers didn't have access to tapes of the same quality as yourself. Realize that better quality tapes continue to surface and it is impossible to publish a reference in printed form that will be up-to-the-minute accurate. Same goes for tapes not released yet. This book should be used a reference and guideline for enhancing the experience of Grateful Dead taping and tape trading - not as a Bible. No Bible will ever exist for all the shows the band played because some were unfortunately either never taped or the tapes were lost to time. We have to do our best with what we have and keep moving furthur ahead. If you have even one live Dead tape, you need this book. If you're curious about the whole scene, this book will enlighten you and give you some insight into the psyches of the amazing group of people known as Deadheads (or Tapeheads, for that matter). And even if you don't like the Dead, this book makes for an excellent roadmap to taping in general, which can be applied to whatever bands you might be interested in.
Rating:
Summary: At the least an essential, at the most more than complete
Review: For anyone interested in the fine performances the Dead created before the later years, this book is a must. Nearly every concert is throughly reviewed, and written in a style that is creative and colorful. Alas, DBase is no longer needed! The compendium is here to stay! One minor note though, not enough was mentioned of Keith in the 7.19.74 first set! Yow! But, the 72 Dark Stars receive an ample and satisfying amount of coverage. Lesh filling, Garcia great!
Rating:
Summary: Indispensible Guide for Deadheads and Tape Traders
Review: Have you ever wondered why some people collect hundreds or even thousands of Grateful Dead tapes? This book provides show-by-show reviews of nearly every tape ever made in the formative, exporatory years prior to the band's haitus, from hi-fi soundboard multitracks to grainy ice-rink audience tapes. A numerous and eclectic group of hardcore tape collectors painstakingly document, dissect, deconstruct, and editorialize in accounts that range from wild-eyed tales to impressive musical analysis to pure poetry. The mix of authors keeps each review fresh, and the supporting material, including interviews with many of those resonsible for the tapes having been made and circulated in the first place, lends interest and context to the book as a whole.Whether you are already "holding" a collection of recordings, or merely curious about the Grateful Dead, their music, and the rabid group of fans that are still chasing the ghost of electricity, this book will provide hours of fascination. Highly recommended - Five Dark Stars!
Rating: 
Summary: Tapes and Tape Trading
Review: Hello. What makes tape trading a continuously enjoyable journey is precisely why my book -- and any like it -- will have limitations with regard to its' accuracy: new tapes keep emerging! This includes tapes that have yet to appear in any form -- be they as soundboard or audience recordings -- or upgrades in sound quality to tapes already in existence. *Any* book on this subject will instantly become dated the moment the manuscript is turned into the publisher. But hey -- nailing 95% of what's out there is a great place to begin. Over a 100 people contributed to this project, working very hard to create this map.Nonetheless, there are always deadhead's who take it all too seriously, seeing one cloud in the sky and calling the weather "lousy". It was mentioned that 8/19/70 allegedly exists in better quality than the Compendium states. First, if true, then show me the tape (!). But the particular author of that review in the book, Harvey Lubar (co-founder of one of the very first tape trading clubs, The Hell's Honky's) -- based his quality rating on the master audience reels he received his copy from. Quality ratings will always be subjective, of course.As stated in the book's Preface we don't claim this book to be perfect because there *cannot* be such a book due to all of the new data that keeps popping up all the time.But for the less anal-retentive, for those who want a good idea of what Grateful Dead tapes they can get their hands on, then this book does the trick.I encourage people to share new data they have or feel is missing in the Compemdium. Upon verification, this new data will be included when the first revised edition is printed.Finally, Grateful Dead music, in my humble view, is here to add a little spice to our meals. But the meal itself is our *own* life. Some, sadly, confuse the two.Thanks for all the kind comments from everybody. It's great to hear folks are enjoying it as much as I am.Vol. II is coming out in August (or a little sooner).Best wishes,Michael
Rating:
Summary: A necessity for any tape trader
Review: I bought this book when I was just beginning to trade Grateful Dead tapes, and now I use it every time I set out to make a trade. This book gives me at least some idea about the show before I trade for it, allowing me to pick only shows I'm really interested in. In short, I highly recommend it to anyone who is at all interested in collecting Grateful Dead tapes.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful reference & a fun read!
Review: I find it difficult to express in words how wonderful this book is. Any fan who has ever had a tape of a Grateful Dead show will fall in love from the first lines of the book. Having the shows reviewed by fans of the band, and where possible, those that actually attended these shows, gives the reader the feeling of actually having been at the show. I also echo the comments of another who read this book about "mistakes" in the book: not everyone was able to find the "perfect copy" of every show. Did this skew the reviews? Probably not. As a fan for many years, I have cherised some of the most God-awful sounding shows because of the music. I send a huge thank-you to Michael Getz & John Dwork for getting this book out to us, and can't wait for the next two!
Rating: 
Summary: reply to "bible"
Review: in reference to : "This book should be used as a guideline for enhancing the experience of Grateful Dead taping and tape trading - not as a Bible. No Bible will ever exist for all the shows the band played because some were unfortunately either never taped or the tapes were lost to time." Well...I believe that the grateful dead themselves should be the judge of that. They are the ones who possess almost all recorded versions of shows in existence. Only then should a comprehensive "bible" of tapes be published/.
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