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The Week in Rock (Band DLC): Grateful Dead six-pack

9:06 PM on 03.02.2008, Nick Chester 50 comments

     Xbox 360

This week marks a new era in Rock Band downloadable content -- the era of the six song pack. Up until now, we've only seen packs of three ... so this is a huge deal to someone.

But not for me -- this week's package of six songs is a selection of classic Grateful Dead master tracks that includes: "China Cat Sunflower," "Casey Jones," "Sugar Magnolia," "Truckin'," "Franklin's Tower," and "I Need a Miracle." The pack of six will cost $9.99 (or 800 MS Points), with each song costing the usual $1.99 (or 160 MS Points).

Let me be clear: I'm not a huge Grateful Dead fan, but I "get it," and if this is your thing I'm happy for you. I knew these were coming (there are still a handful of Grateful Dead master tracks waiting to be released), but for some reason I didn't think they would come like this. I was hoping maybe they'd be released alongside the entirety of Radiohead's OK Computer, or a handful of Pink singles. Or some hot tracks by The Wiggles.

The press release (which may make you gag when you read the "ROCK BAND GOES TRUCKIN'" part) can be found after the jump.

ROCK BAND™ GOES TRUCKIN’ WITH DOWNLOADABLE GRATEFUL DEAD TRACKS

First Six Out of 18 Classic Grateful Dead Master Recordings Set to Hit Rock Band

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced plans to take gamers on a long strange trip with the first selection of downloadable Grateful Dead tracks for the revolutionary music video game Rock Band™.  

On March 4th, gamers looking to channel their inner Dead Head can download six of the legendary band’s most popular tracks, including “China Cat Sunflower” (from ‘69’s Aoxomoxoa), “Casey Jones” (from 1970’s Workingman’s Dead), “Sugar Magnolia” and “Truckin’” (both from 1970’s American Beauty), “Franklin’s Tower” (from ‘75’s Blues For Allah) and “I Need A Miracle” (from ‘78’s Shakedown Street).  Over the next several months, the iconic group will make a total of 18 master recordings from its diverse catalog available as digitally distributed game levels for Rock Band.
 

Release date:           
March 4, 2008 (Xbox LIVE® Marketplace )
March 6, 2008 (PLAYSTATION®Store)

Tracks: 
Grateful Dead Pack
“China Cat Sunflower”
“Casey Jones”
“Sugar Magnolia”
“Truckin’”
“Franklin’s Tower”
“I Need A Miracle”
(All six tracks utilize the original master recordings)                                     

Price:                          
$9.99 (800 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per pack or
$1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track

Locations:                 
PLAYSTATION Store and Xbox LIVE Marketplace

Next page: More Rock Band stories




Gangles's Avatar
Gangles at 03/02/2008 21:23
Awesome stuff! I'd love to see "Friend of the Devil", "St. Stephen", "New, New Minglewood Blues" and "New Speedway Boogie" in the future (I think a few of those have already been announced.)

I realize that the Dead aren't for everyone, but every site seems to be down on this week's song pack. Give it them a proper listen, you'll hear some fantastic mellow guitar and drum work. You don't have to hit 10 notes a second to be awesome!
Vongore's Avatar
Vongore at 03/02/2008 21:24
when you said "Six Pack" i thought that Rock Band was porting a song of an awful Chilean group called "Six Pack" and they were like greatful deadly.... Thank god i was wrong..

Here's a video, i want to share my pain
Kent's Avatar
Kent at 03/02/2008 21:24
Im definitely getting this one
Cheeburga's Avatar
Cheeburga at 03/02/2008 21:26
Uh god, no thanks.
Krayven's Avatar
Krayven at 03/02/2008 21:29
Casey Jones is awesome.. don't care much for the others.
ZeroTolo's Avatar
ZeroTolo at 03/02/2008 21:29
Just because I respect what they brought to the music world doesn't mean I have to like them. No thanks, Harmonix. Maybe some other time.
SourGr8pes's Avatar
SourGr8pes at 03/02/2008 21:40
Not big on the Dead, but no Touch of Grey?
Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 03/02/2008 21:47
How about the Black Flag song, "Six Pack"?
covah's Avatar
covah at 03/02/2008 21:47
880? thats not $9.99, thats $11
SourGr8pes's Avatar
SourGr8pes at 03/02/2008 21:51
@Nick

How about some Damaged as a DLC album? I'd kill to be able to sing TV Party.
Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 03/02/2008 21:56
@ covah:

Good call. I'll see what's up with that.
savagesaladin's Avatar
savagesaladin at 03/02/2008 21:57
They treat their costumers very well.
amalgamut00's Avatar
amalgamut00 at 03/02/2008 22:01
What happened to At the Gates?
vexed alex's Avatar
vexed alex at 03/02/2008 22:02
Not my bag. Neither was NIN last week. I want some fun songs. Give me [url=<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kpy4xNAnWzM"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kpy4xNAnWzM" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>]Bicycle Race[/url]!

Something you can have a blast while drunk.
vexed alex's Avatar
vexed alex at 03/02/2008 22:04
Fucking stupid.

Second Try:

Not my bag. Neither was NIN last week. I want some fun songs. Give me Bicycle Race!

Something you can have a blast with while drunk.
Sam Spectre's Avatar
Sam Spectre at 03/02/2008 22:08
You're right, I gagged.
Harknett's Avatar
Harknett at 03/02/2008 22:12
Fuck the haters, those tracks are amazing.
Butmac's Avatar
Butmac at 03/02/2008 22:41
Yeah Grateful Dead is kick ass - I've never even done teh drugz and I still like them. Needs moar "Uncle John's Band" though but sweet glory, Sugar Magnolia, WIN
ghettobelmontes's Avatar
ghettobelmontes at 03/02/2008 22:53
No Friend of the Devil, no care.
Sharpless's Avatar
Sharpless at 03/02/2008 23:35
Sharpless doesn't care about Grateful Dead. I've never understood the appeal. I suppose they might be good for long guitar-wank sessions.
manta's Avatar
manta at 03/02/2008 23:35
No thx. I enjoy music that doesn't put me to sleep thank you.
Robert's Avatar
Robert at 03/02/2008 23:36
I'll watch some gameplay vids on Youtube on Tuesday and see if it's worth the money.

But until then...DW6!
jpitner's Avatar
jpitner at 03/02/2008 23:44
@ Holy , I think you misspelled "Motörhead"
DaedHead8's Avatar
DaedHead8 at 03/03/2008 00:13
I'm excited but no Box of Rain? What is this?
deanhatescoffee's Avatar
deanhatescoffee at 03/03/2008 00:27
If my mom played vidjamo games, she'd be all over this.
FreePablo's Avatar
FreePablo at 03/03/2008 00:51
Not a big fan of NIN or grateful Dead. They have their fanbases... but I'm nowhere near them.
emotoaster's Avatar
emotoaster at 03/03/2008 01:44
My dad's a HUGE Dead Head so he might actually get a kick out of this.
Samit Sarkar's Avatar
Samit Sarkar at 03/03/2008 01:51
I like the Dead somewhat, but their songs just don’t seem to lend themselves well to being in Rock Band. Is it just me who thinks that?

Oh, well...another week where I won’t be giving Harmonix my money! Yay!
Projectexodus's Avatar
Projectexodus at 03/03/2008 04:22
I'm still waiting for at least ONE Pink Floyd song...
liam2015's Avatar
liam2015 at 03/03/2008 04:55
Ugh...I do not like the Grateful Dead AT ALL...but I have at least one hippy friend (and my father) who'll consider a rock band purchase even more now.

@projectexodus
If they were to release 'wish you were here' on DLC it would be the thing that spurs me to get rock band. I almost did after they released 'jukebox hero'
Necros's Avatar
Necros at 03/03/2008 05:07
When I finally get Rock Band, I'm buying all these and forcing my Dad to play. He might actually enjoy himself.
Suff0cat's Avatar
Suff0cat at 03/03/2008 06:18
I still can't believe they bumped the Thrash Pack for this boring hippie shit. Ugh.
teknomusik's Avatar
teknomusik at 03/03/2008 07:02
Hopefully they start releasing newer music after they see the (lack of) sales of this pack.
bigRed's Avatar
bigRed at 03/03/2008 08:12
I personally can not wait until Tuesday to get a hold of this pack (and the Guitar Hero III Aerosmith pack). I bet all of the comments would change if this was a Led Zeppelin Pack.
fyre's Avatar
fyre at 03/03/2008 08:19
@Samit

I like the Dead, but I agree that they don't really seem to fit in Rock Band. It's too bad they couldn't release some live tracks, I never really cared as much for their studio albums.
BluDesign's Avatar
BluDesign at 03/03/2008 08:24
@bigred

You'd be absolutely right, but it isn't. What does that tell you?
HarassmentPanda's Avatar
HarassmentPanda at 03/03/2008 09:14
Nick, you fail at math once again! Although this looks like the fault of the press releases.

However, I agree with you: "Let me be clear: I'm not a huge Grateful Dead fan, but I "get it," and if this is your thing I'm happy for you."
maverick535's Avatar
maverick535 at 03/03/2008 09:53
Alright, enough Harmonix. We get it. You guys aren't selling out on the music you pick. But most of the time I wish you would. You're ruining rockband as a party game. Nearly all of the recent DLC songs are not very well known, and nothing kills a party like going through the recently available songs and hearing "I don't know any of these songs". Major Buzzkill. I have downloaded a song since Wonderwall.

I'm not saying they all have to be recent songs, I'm just saying stick to more mainstream choices, and watch those DLC downloads go even higher.
Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 03/03/2008 09:58
Yeah, the press release was wrong. I clarified with the HMX rep and made the changes.
brad drac's Avatar
brad drac at 03/03/2008 10:10
So, did they change the lyrics of casey jones, or does it still say "riding that train, high on cocaine"? In any case, a good addition, although uncle john's band and new speedway boogie should be on there too.

Also, RELEASE THE GAME IN EUROPE, FUCKWADS.
Harknett's Avatar
Harknett at 03/03/2008 10:55
@maverick

The Dead are kinda well known....

Just because your circle of friends doesn't know anything outside top40 doesn't mean that's the case for most people with the game.
Miike's Avatar
Miike at 03/03/2008 11:34
@harknett

+1

I'm not a fan of the greatful dead, but you know what? I could be through Rockband. Give it a listen and see if you dig it. They are a kind of important. He didn't get an ice cream named after him for nothing.

Rockband is really pushing great tracks outside of the mainstream on the mainstream. I like that. More music exploration IMO is good for the masses at this point. There are tonnes of kids growing up now that know "Roxanne". OK the police are kind of a big deal, but the same logic applies. Soon there will be new Deadheads (fans of the greatful dead) out there, and that makes the world a better place.
JohnnyV's Avatar
JohnnyV at 03/03/2008 11:37
R0FL @ the comments. Do you guys see that EA is trying to broaden the appeal of Rock Band?

They've got the hard rockers down with it
They've got the emo kids jamming
They've got the 80s retro kids strumming away
They've got the 90s kids singing in their LL Bean flanels
...And now they've finally got something for the stoners!
Horatio Caine's Avatar
Horatio Caine at 03/03/2008 13:12
Needs more Cure, Cocteau Twins, Joy Division, My Bloody Valentine, looking @ the ground while dancing, taking a drag from a cigarette when looking side to side...
The Trout's Avatar
The Trout at 03/03/2008 19:52
I, for one, can't WAIT to play this "boring hippie shit." I dig a good groove every now and then.
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