The record industry has always been built on screwing the artist and the consumer. In recent years, with file sharing and CD burning, the consumer has had a chance to screw the record companies. Sadly, the artist gets screwed in that equation, too. For the sake of the artists and to have the "real" product, I've still bought the official releases.
As to Rhino, I have a very bad taste in my mouth for them and the Grateful Dead. A few years ago, I placed an order with Rhino's Grateful Dead on line for some Dave's Picks on the last day of a promotion which included bonus discs. The order went into hyperspace. I called before the day was over. When I finally spoke with the guy in customer service who claimed he was Lord God and the only person who handled the Grateful Dead, I got no satisfaction and no bonus discs. My order was over $300. He was massively arrogant. This was before WEA's great purge at Rhino. Quadio is the only Rhino product I've bought since. So much for the hippie "Good Old Grateul Dead." BTW: I've spent thousands on Grateful Dead software over the years. The estate trial of Jerry Garcia and how Carolyn "Mountain Girl" got screwed is another example of this equitable hippie Grateful Dead mentality.
I was sales manager in the '80's for a company which was acquired by our biggest competiitor. The President of the firm that acquired us was the former President of a large record label. I tried to hire a man I formerly worked with, only to be told that it was against company policy, since his wife worked for another division. The President's wife was his secretary, however. After i left, I was told they were both fired by their parent company for misappropriation of funds.
The record labels have always been ruthless assholes and probably always will be. And, yes, I'm jaded. Thieves one and all.
