“Keep it nice and f***ing together, you f***ers.” - Jerry Garcia
We told you we had an ace in our pocket and we're calling this one THE ANGEL'S SHARE. No evaporation here though. While there may have been ingredients vital to the creation of WORKINGMAN’S DEAD that were lost and did not end up on the final album, they've come a-bubblin' up and we're more than pleased to pass the bottle around.
Compiled from dozens of 16-track reels that were recently discovered in unlabeled boxes, THE ANGEL'S SHARE includes outtakes for every song on the album, which have been unheard since they left the studio over 50 years ago. Under the supervision of David Lemieux, engineer Brian Kehew and archivist Mike Johnson spent countless hours compiling and piecing these reels together to create the final opus.
So let's step into the studio, shall we? THE ANGEL'S SHARE transports us back to 1970 to the Pacific High Recordings Studio in San Francisco. Here we'll sit in on over two-and-a-half hours of unreleased partial and complete studio outtakes and be fly-on-the wall privy to insider conversations from the WORKINGMAN'S DEAD recording sessions. We'll hear discussions of pacing and arrangements, “talkback” from the studio to the control room with the album’s producers, Bob Matthews and Betty Cantor-Jackson, and even the shuffling of feet on the studio floor. We'll witness stripped-back instrumental takes lending new beauty to "High Time," and heightened joy to "Uncle John's Band," catch "New Speedway Boogie" settling into a steady groove, Pigpen prowling and howling his way through "Easy Wind," and top it all off with a blazing "Casey Jones." Hot damn, hot damn!
WD 50th releases
Surprised this wasn't all included in the CD set. Wondering if that will be an option at some point? Same with American Beauty when it comes out.
Space Brother
Read/heard somewhere (deadcast? email?) that these are hot off the vault....mislabeled/unlabeled tapes and what not. They pretty much found it after the WD50 deluxe had been set in stone.
FLAC files are all 16/44, not 24/96 hi-res
Subject says it all. I've contacted dead.net for assistance in obtaining the 24/96 FLAC files as advertised.
Glad to see I'm not the only one
I also contacted them about getting the correct 24/96 sized files. Haven't heard anything have you?
...funny you should ask
Today I sent my 4th email (really) requesting support.
...crickets.
Maybe the 5th time will be the charm?
Not that this is the most important concern ever identified, but it should be mentioned that today is the 5th time (really) that I have emailed Dead.net (Warner Music Group Customer Service actually) to resolve the download issue re 24/96 FLAC files purchased. Last week after the 4th email I sent, I also contacted David Lemieux via Twitter. He was very kind and offered to forward my concern for follow-up. Minutes later, I received an email from Warner Music Group apologizing for the delay and that I would be contacted "soon" after the matter was investigated. One week later, I am still waiting and sent the 5th email this morning.
Maybe the 5th time will be the charm...
...sigh.
Thanks for your persistence
It doesn't seem like too hard of a fix so I'm surprised they're taking this long. Hopefully they contact everyone who purchased it automatically for the correct download.
8th email to customer support and counting.....
...well. Rather than paraphrase, here's my email today (8/12/20):
***
Daniel and team,
This my 8th email pertaining to the SAME issue. As of today, I have not received what I purchased.
Workingman’s Dead The Angel’s Share (FLAC 24/96).
I am at a loss to understand why this continues to be an issue. I have also noted other customers post concerns on dead.net that they TOO have not rec’d the proper download files after purchase.
Please note that I have no intention of reporting this incident to my credit card provider to dispute payment. I remain hopeful that someone will take immediate action to remedy this situation, now over one-month old.
Thank you.
R. Wade
in 3 days it will be a month
You can't say I did not warn them. CC dispute on Monday. Deliver what was paid for is a pretty simple request, and to be met with complete and utter silence is not exactly a responsible business model. I realize in this time of COVID there are companies short staffed but this is digital and done by web and email. They managed to ship 20,000 Dave's Picks - you'd think one person in 30 days could reply to an email. I am not asking you you fill a box with 24/96
0's and 1's to put on the back of a truck and deliver to my living room. HD tracks has them for download, so they in theory exist.
9th email and counting (you can't make this stuff up)
Sorry for the long post, but after 9 emails, it's become a crusade. Can't give up now! (see definition of insanity)
** 8/17/20 - Email to WMG Customer Support (aka, dead.net)
Daniel and team…..I don’t know exactly how to respond as this appears to be cruel joke. This is officially my 9th email (really) relating to this concern and as of today, I have STILL not received what I have paid for.
Your email dated (today) 8/17/20 provided me with a link to the SAME AND INCORRECT music download that you did on 8/6/20! As evidence of this, please note screenshot below.
[SCREENSHOT OF DOWNLOAD SCREEN SHOWING WORKINGSMAN DEAD 50TH]
As you can clearly see, this is NOT what I had ordered. In fact, it is the SAME AND INCORRECT download link you provided before.
Let me (try) to make this simple. This is what I purchased and what I have NOT received:
Workingman’s Dead The Angel’s Share (FLAC 24/96). THIS IS NOT THE SAME !!
While I’m sure that most customers would have given up at this point, I remain hopeful that someone will take immediate action to remedy this situation, now over one-month old.
Thank you.
R. Wade
@marye - can you update this thread with download details?
I too am interested in the FLAC of this release but hesitant based on comments from others regarding the actual bit rate. So I will continue to hold off until an appropriate response is presented on this thread. Thanks, hope the real facts are found...
9th time was a charm - RESOLVED
Happy to report that Dead.net responded today (2-weeks after my 9th email) with an apology, full refund (nice but not necessary) AND yet another download link.
While I assumed the download link was either the same 16-bit FLAC files or the 50th Anniversary Workingsman's Dead Deluxe (both of which are repeatedly and mistakenly sent to me after each email follow-up), the download link I received today was the CORRECT 24/96 FLAC files!!
Hot diggity dog. Patience and perseverance paid off in the end. Let the pigeons loose!
Thanks to the Rhino team, David Lemieux, and you fine folks for staying along for the ride.
Oh man, you want this.
This is a bargain at 12.99. These studio sessions or session or whatever are awesome. It's like being a fly on the wall in the studio during this period, and there's some great complete takes. And the studio chatter and mess-ups or what have you are cool.
And the beat goes on
The most spectacular thing about this is not only you don't get what you paid for with ZERO response from them, you discover Warner had a security breech so all your details are now in the hands of criminals. Groovy
False hope
Well I got an email finally today with a redemption code and link to go to and had high hopes it was resolved. Not only was the link for non-hd (16/44) but even the WRONG FORMAT that I purchased.
I really hope replying to their response will have quicker turn around this time.
CD request
This needs to be released on CD. We don't stream our music, we listen on CD or Vinyl. Why are we being ignored with this? Not to mention the headaches with this download some folk are having. Please give us a physical product.
Angel's Share download
Dead.net does not do well with downloads from my experience. There was a flawed Dead&Co. Mexico show that was finally refunded to me despite my wanting them to fix the files and having numerous e-mail exchanges. I don't think that there is staff at Dead.net that cares beyond sending form e-mails and thinking that that is a resolution to a technical issue. I agree with having this available on CD.
False Hope
I had the same problem about a download. There is no staff there that cares about this.
9th time was a charm - RESOLVED
I didn't have that luck with a Dead&Co. download. I only tried around 7 times. After a refund was sent, they sent another download link. It was still bad.
Angel's Share(s)
Since Rhino doesn't seem to do too well with downloads (per these and other comments) the 2 Angel's Shares should be issued as a double CD.
So far
I've been getting the high-def downloads since the 77 Get Shown the Light box came out. I've never had a problem. However, from the comments in this thread it sounds like an exercise in futility.
While I don't buy CDs when there's a digital option, I think the Angel's Share offerings should have a cd option. People would buy them.
Then again, an awful lot of nonsense comes out of me.
Update - finally got it.
Just for the heck of it I went back in to my order and click on the download link again to see if it got updated. To my surprise somewhere along the way they corrected it and I was able to get the full HD version now.
I just wish they had communicated better on this, but happy to finally have the correct files.
FLAC Download Questions: Workingman’s Dead & American Beauty
11.01.20
Are there still major issues with FLAC downloads for the Angel’s Share Workingman’s Dead? How about for FLAC downloads for the Angel’s Share American Beauty? Can’t post comments for the Angel’s Share American Beauty.
Cheers!
Digital file problems...
I had no problem downloading the WD AS flac files. No problem burning them to disc either (except for one slight disc-length issue meaning I couldn't quite split discs on a full-session basis). No problem downloading the AB AS flacs either. Except they're prohibited from burning. I've complained and Rhino / Warners do not care. Not entirely sure what they get out of this if I can copy the files over and over again to other devices. I should be able to play them off a USB device, I assume, if I can find one knocking around with enough storage (but not the 1TB one). Hey-ho. Would have been nice to have been told in advance.
I ordered the ALAC format…
I ordered the ALAC format option and was repeatedly sent m4a files to download. ALAC is Apple lossless; m4a is a lossy format. Customer service is not hearing this.
Regarding the ALAC format. …
Regarding the ALAC format. This is from wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lossless
>>>>>>>>>>>>
Apple Lossless data is frequently stored within an MP4 container with the filename extension .m4a. This extension is also used by Apple for lossy AAC audio data in an MP4 container (same container, different audio encoding).
>>>>>>>>>>>>
Problem with playing my FLAC of American Beauty 50th
I would dearly love to order the WD Angel's Share, but my experience with the people who are supposed to do customer service for the GD, are AWOL!
I have not been able to play the FLAC I purchased of American Beauty 50thin any form besides one song at a time, which would drive anyone nuts--and which I did not pay for.
I have kindly requested help from gratefuldead@gnarlywoodstore.com and I am ignored.
I even got the automatic reply for a ticket having been created (March 12th, 10:09 A.M.), but have heard nothing but crickets.
I'm sure they are busy, but this is ridiculous.
Anyone else have any of these problems?
Is this kind behavior? Is this what we elderly people used to call "Dead Etiquette"? I don't think so...