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When this site started in February, 2008, I likened the collection of Grateful Dead recordings available online to a vast sea in which folks needed help navigating. The Listening Guide was conceived as something of a combined compass, rudder, sextant, and ocean map, all aimed at helping people navigate the waters.
Over time, this site itself has grown into something of a sea of its own. And I can’t help but wonder if, despite the handy label cloud of tag links and the personal hand holding fun of the Podcast Series, newcomers arrive here with a sense of uncertainty regarding where to step first, let alone, second. Since these steps were precisely the inspiration which lead to the creation of the Grateful Dead Listening Guide, I’ve decided to add a new layer to site’s information, aimed at easing confusion and making the first steps, and those thereafter, somewhat easier: Listening Trails.
Working with the vision of the Dead's vast music collection as more of a National Park than an ocean of water, it seems appropriate that visitors to the park should be handed a map of trails to consider following. Just as is found when visiting most any natural wonder, we typically are encouraged to follow some well worn, and satisfying paths that have given previous visitors pleasure, rather than just being cut loose to tackle a mountain side, waterfall, or forest rather blindly. And, there should be the occasional park ranger found along the way to point out particularly pleasant viewing stations here and there.
Some listening trails you could walk in a day, while you might find it best to walk others over the period of weeks, camping out at particular shows for extended introspection. However you travel, my hope is that these trails will serve folks well, and always make the daunting task of confronting the Grateful Dead’s musical collection less, well… daunting.
As the trails are built, I’ll try to keep a list of them within handy arm's reach of new (and old) comers. I have a good handful of trail subjects in mind to get started which I believe will help visitors make the best use of the Grateful Dead Listening Guide. I’m sure more will be built as time goes on, and as the GDLG “park” continues to expand.
You’ll find all the trails filtered under a new label link in the cloud called: Listening Trails. Here’s to some enjoyable travels.
Over time, this site itself has grown into something of a sea of its own. And I can’t help but wonder if, despite the handy label cloud of tag links and the personal hand holding fun of the Podcast Series, newcomers arrive here with a sense of uncertainty regarding where to step first, let alone, second. Since these steps were precisely the inspiration which lead to the creation of the Grateful Dead Listening Guide, I’ve decided to add a new layer to site’s information, aimed at easing confusion and making the first steps, and those thereafter, somewhat easier: Listening Trails.
Working with the vision of the Dead's vast music collection as more of a National Park than an ocean of water, it seems appropriate that visitors to the park should be handed a map of trails to consider following. Just as is found when visiting most any natural wonder, we typically are encouraged to follow some well worn, and satisfying paths that have given previous visitors pleasure, rather than just being cut loose to tackle a mountain side, waterfall, or forest rather blindly. And, there should be the occasional park ranger found along the way to point out particularly pleasant viewing stations here and there.Some listening trails you could walk in a day, while you might find it best to walk others over the period of weeks, camping out at particular shows for extended introspection. However you travel, my hope is that these trails will serve folks well, and always make the daunting task of confronting the Grateful Dead’s musical collection less, well… daunting.
As the trails are built, I’ll try to keep a list of them within handy arm's reach of new (and old) comers. I have a good handful of trail subjects in mind to get started which I believe will help visitors make the best use of the Grateful Dead Listening Guide. I’m sure more will be built as time goes on, and as the GDLG “park” continues to expand.
You’ll find all the trails filtered under a new label link in the cloud called: Listening Trails. Here’s to some enjoyable travels.
1 comments:
I agree!
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