worthy<-MUSIC

Hopefully Just A Stepping Stone

Ok, I've been doing some monitoring of the problem tracks listed over there to the left.  Just waiting for the day when everything is fixed and back to normal.

Well, let's hope that what I am starting to see now is just an interim step in the resolution process.  It appears that in many cases, the tracks that were affected by this "Helix error c00d0bbe" (or as I call it "koo-dob-bee") now, rather than playing in downloaded form, just come up as "Not Available For D/L."  Rhapsody, I hope you're listening when I say:

This is not in any way an acceptable fix for this issue!

So, hopefully this is just a step in the process.  I'll keep monitoring for sure and will post progress here.

Rhapsody Rhesolution a Rheality???

Hallelujah! Just received word from Matt at Rhapsody that the support team has identified the problem and has stopped it from affecting any new music being added to Rhapsody.  Also, they are now going back and fixing the tracks that were affected (see list on left).  They are saying that everything should be back to normal by Monday.

So, for all of you tracking the progress on this one, please let me know if you find any new ones not on the list to the left.  I will do my best to start testing all of them (up to 90 tracks now) sometime next week and pulling them off the list one by one.

Also, let me know if you find any new tracks added today or later that still have the problem! 

Thanks to those of you who contributed the problem tracks you found.  Matt has said that the list here was helpful to them in problem determination and resolution.

Looky Here! I Found One!

Well, whaddya know?  I found a new album just added to Rhapsody today that doesn't have any broken tracks!!  Whohoo!!

The Fiery Furnaces - Rehearsing My Choir

Of course, now that I'm listening to it, I'm not sure exactly how happy I am that this is the one that made it through the encoding process unscathed...

New Music Tuesday, Or As I Like To Call It, The Day...

where we get to find out what new albums I'll get to add to the sidebar to the left!  Woohoo, how exciting!  :-|

So far, the first new release I've downloaded today from Rhapsody has 4 tracks that cannot be played in downloaded form and cannot be transferred to my device.  Wonder how many more I'll find today?  Can you say, "Every new album I download?"

Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 8)
Bleach - Audio/Visual (Tracks 1, 5, 6, 17)

It's Like Rhapsody Is An Airplane During Cold Season

Well, Rhapsody fixed the initial problem with the new Animal Collective album, Feels, that I mentioned in a previous post.  Yes, that's right, the album actually has tracks now.  But, wouldn't you know it, it now suffers from the same problem that so many of the newly added albums are.  So, I've added to the list to the left.  Whoopee. 

Driving me nuts.

Keeping Track

Look over there... that's right... over there to the left in that grey column.  I'm keeping a running list there of the tracks exhibiting the behavior of the problem I document in this post and this post.  Be sure to add a comment to the site with the tracks you find with the problem and I'll add them to the list.  Trying to make sure focus is maintained on this issue by Real since they like to mark tickets as SOLVED once they agree that there is an issue.  Sounds like a flawed problem management process if you ask me.

We're Like Encoding Music Duuuude... Are Those Chips?

Man, things are getting strange in Rhapsody.  Not only have I been having the problems I document in my two previous posts, but I have come upon two other weird things. 

First up is the new album by Flotation Toy Device Warning, Bluffer's Guide To The Flight Deck, which was recently added to Rhapsody.  It is a fantastic album that I was totally enjoying listening to, but after the 2nd track I started to notice weird breaks in the music.  At first I thought that I was just having a bizarre network traffic problem.  But, it even happened on the downloaded versions.  And I have a brand spankin' new blazin'-fast machine at home now so I knew it wasn't a speed or RAM issue on my end.  So I started paying closer attention and realized that the songs are split in the wrong places!  Upon further investigation it turns out that all the song durations are correct, but they are all offset.  This is caused by a random blurb of music that fills the first 1:50 of the first track and then pushes all the songs off by that much.  I think the blurb must be what was intended as the hidden track as there is a long bit of silence after the last track with nothing following.

I contacted both Rhapsody and Misra Records on this and they are both looking into it.  I figured the record company would have more at stake and would also be able to give quite a bit more weight to the issue than little ol me.  Heard back from both and they are are working on it.  Definitely a good listen anyway, though.  At least all the tracks actually play...

The other weird one I found today is the new Animal Collective album, Feels, which I am dying to hear.  Well, I go look for it again today and woohoo, they've added it!  But wait... there are no tracks... just the album along with the play and add to my library buttons, but no tracks.  Grrrrrrrr.

Apparently the encoding department is having substance abuse issues or something...  Whatever it is it's getting annoying for sure.  I'm locked into Rhapsody To Go until sometime next year, but will surely go look elsewhere if these problems continue week after week after week.

Rhapsody Still Screwed Up

Ok, things are not getting better in Rhapsody.  They still haven't fixed any of the tracks in my last post and now I'm starting this post to track which new albums this week have the same problem.  Here's the surely soon-to-be-running list.  Add your finds this week into the comments section.

Depeche Mode - Playing The Angel (Tracks 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9)
Brian Wilson - What I Really Want For Christmas (Tracks 12, 13)
Marah - If You Didn't Laugh You'd Cry (Tracks 5, 12)
Thrice - Vheissu (Track 10)
Burnside Project - The Finest Example Is You (Tracks 3, 4, 6, 8, 9)

Rhapsody support moving at its normal snail-stuck-in-molasses pace.  And I never received a response to my complaint that they closed my last ticket as SOLVED before they fixed anything.

Something Terribly Amuck With Rhapsody

NOTE:  The problem has identified and is being resolved.  Read more here.

Ok, so I have a lot of music to post about, but think I need to mention this first as I don't think it is getting the attention it needs from Rhapsody support.  Something is wrong with Rhapsody.  It appears they are having DRM issues with the tracks of many recent additions to the server.  I checked the Rhapsody Support Forums and it appears others are having the same problem.

The problem is with very specific tracks on albums recently added to Rhapsody.  The problem only affects songs that have been downloaded to the PC (i.e. Rhapsody To Go subscription).  When you try to play the downloaded version of these specific tracks, a yellow triangle appears next to them along with an error that reads: Helix error c00d0bbe. 

The Mixer looks like the picture included here (click to enlarge).  I have tried unauthorizing and reauthorizing my computer, uninstalling WMP and reinstalling it, playing the songs in WMP (unable to acquire license), uninstalling and reinstalling Rhapsody, etc.  And all combinations of the above.  But it is always the SAME tracks that are causing the problems.  And so far I have only found recently added albums with the problems.  According to one post on the board, Real support told him that it was a problem with the actual song files on their end, but most others have said that Real support hasn't been too helpful.

So, I am posting my findings here in the hopes that others of you will try to see if you can replicate the issue and add your comments here.  Keep in mind that the streaming versions of these songs play just fine.  Also, the corrupt downloaded tracks will not even load on my portable player.

Here are the albums which I have come upon that have this issue.  I've annotated the track numbers that are affected on each.

Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better (Tracks 3, 5, 9, 13)
The Constantines - Tournament Of Hearts (Tracks 4, 6, 9, 10)
Jude - Sarah (Tracks 1, 6, 7, 9)
James Blunt - Back To Bedlam (Tracks 1, 2, 9, 10)
The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers (Tracks 5, 7)
Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine (Tracks 4, 5, 7, 10)

Any others out there that you've found?

UPDATE (10/13/2005):  I just received the following email from Rhapsody Tier 2 Support.  Of course, they also marked my ticket SOLVED which is not the case and will probably mean that this problem will get dropped.  So, let's keep posting tracks here and I'll keep sending them into support.

Hello Chris,

My name is Mike. I am a Real Networks Tier 2 technical support representative. Your case has been escalated to our department due to severity. Thank you for your continued patience, and we would like to apologize for any inconvenience you have endured so far.

I have followed this thread since the day you initiated it on 10/11/2005. As I understand it you receive a Helix error c00d0bbe when playing certain subscription tracks with Rhapsody.

We are currently investigating reports of this occuring with certain tracks. At this time we have only been able to confirm this is not a local system issue so are continuing our investigation. In the meantime please use the streamed version. Please let me know if you come across any more tracks that provide this same error message.

Thank you,
RealNetworks Technical Support
Tier 2 Escalation Department

NOTE:  The problem has identified and is being resolved.  Read more here.

Long Live the Radish

Wow, woke up today to some unexpected news. It appears that Robert over at Rhapsody Radish has decided to call it quits due to a lack of recognition and support from Real. I have to say that while I am extremely sad to see the site go, I have to agree with Robert regarding the relative deaf ear cast by Real towards its community of active evangelists. We all love Mr. Matt Graves, who is apparently the only voice from Rhapsody, but other than that all I have received from Real is the chance to beta test the new version of Rhapsody, and I was interviewed by their PR company for research purposes... Hey wait, those aren't really for my benefit either. Oh well.

This is primarily why I started to include links to other services. Not that the other services give me any credit either, but I wanted my site to be more universal (even though I am strictly a Rhapsody user). While I think Rhapsody is tops in regards to selection, sound quality, and services offered, they are definitely the worst at utilizing their large user base as a tool to add more users and improve their product. The "playlist posting" feature in v3.0 is laughable at best.

So, personally I will continue to stick with my site. It is designed more as therapy for me than for promotion of Rhapsody. We will absolutely miss the most prolific poster, Robert 0f The Radish, and his amazing wealth of music knowledge. I have to say, though, that I am excited to see what his next venture will be. He seems to have an amazing knack of hitting on topics that spark a lot of interest.

I am very curious to see if Real will react in any way to losing its most popular site (trust me, I've seen the stats). Now, don't anyone out there hold your breath... could be dangerous.

Goodbye, Mr. Radish. It was a fun run!

Radish Birthday Challenge

Holy crap, I can't believe I actually finished this list. Robert (aka Playlist GrandMaster) over at Rhapsody Radish created a birthday playlist which contained a song from each year of his life. Of course, he turned to us other bloggers and challenged us to do the same. It's harder than it looks, for sure. And it definitely tells you a few things about yourself... no wonder I'm such a nerd. I took a free form approach, not trying to develop a theme or anything... just the songs that left a lasting impression from each year. But hey, don't blame me for anything in the mid to late 70's... that's all my two older sisters' fault. I love my sisters to death, but that crap's messed up.

worthyMUSIC Radish Birthday Challenge Playlist

1972 Big Star: The Ballad of El Goodo
1973 Pink Floyd: Us and Them
1974 Bachman-Turner Overdrive: You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet
1975 Glen Campbell: Rinestone Cowboy
1976 Daryl Hall and John Oates: Rich Girl
1977 Bee Gees: Stayin' Alive
1978 Leif Garrett: I Was Made For Dancin'
1979 Gary Numan: Cars
1980 Joy Division: Love Will Tear Us Apart
1981 Adam and the Ants: Prince Charming
1982 Adam Ant: Goody Two Shoes
1983 Duran Duran: The Reflex
1984 Ratt: Back For More
1985 New Order: Subculture
1986 R.E.M.: Fall On Me
1987 The Cult: Love Removal Machine
1988 Camper Van Beethoven: She Divines Water
1989 Poi Dog Pondering: Thanksgiving
1990 Toad the Wet Sprocket: Come Back Down
1991 Kitchens of Distinction: Drive That Fast
1992 Gin Blossoms: Until I Fall Away
1993 Pearl Jam: Rearviewmirror
1994 Jeff Buckley: Last Goodbye
1995 Richard Buckner: Blue and Wonder
1996 Belle and Sebastian: Like Dylan In The Movies
1997 Guster: Demons
1998 Neutral Milk Hotel: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
1999 Travis: Writing to Reach You
2000 Teddy Thompson: Wake Up
2001 The Shins: New Slang
2002 Doves: Pounding
2003 The Wrens: Hopeless
2004 The Autumns: Cattleya
2005 Ryan Adams: How Do You Keep Love Alive

Rhapsody Update Available

Perhaps I missed some communication on this, but there is an update to Rhapsody available. I had to click on Check for Updates though in order to get it... i.e. I was not prompted nor does the program seem to perform an automatic check. Whatever the case, I can't really tell what has changed. The only thing I have noticed is that the lag when playing "to go" tracks on my portable player has reduced from 5-10 seconds down to about 2 seconds. So, perhaps they did something to the DRM to make it not so difficult for the player to discern? Who knows. Anyway, I don't see any differences with the desktop app... and I still can't download and play at the same time without my machine slowing to an absolute crawl...

But, I still love the service and still love the "To Go" feature. My only serious feature request right now is to have an easy way to get a particular song back to "streaming" and deleted from my machine without having to completely remove it from my library and readding it. This is especially annoying when you have it set to auto download anything you add to your library. My intent is not to have every song I ever listen to or add to My Library to be a permanent addition to my computer as I will surely continually run out of hard drive space. So, Rhapsody, please give me an easy way to remove tracks from my computer without removing them completely from My Library... ok? Thanks.

Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart

So, if you're a Rhapsody subscriber you received an email today from Real CEO, Rob Glaser. If you're not a Rhapsody subscriber, you can go here to read a very similar version addressed to the general public. After reading it, I gotta admit I'm a bit annoyed. Here I am, thinking I'm on the inside track in the Rhapsody community. I have had the opportunity to be made aware of some of the things they are working on for Rhapsody, but I gotta say that I can't for the life of me figure out what they are going to do to "revolutionize digital music" on April 26th... and I'm a little annoyed I've not been given a hint. I've heard through the grapevine that they are working on a "to go" service kinda like Napster has, but being 2nd to market with a product or feature isn't exactly the way to be "revolutionary." Other than that, I really can't think of another innovation they could be making. I mean sure, we all have a list of things we'd like Rhapsody to do or to do better, but that is simply convergence of functions under one tool or just little niceties that would make life better/easier.

So I, like the rest of the Rhapsody world, will sit and wait for 7 days for this announcement. It had better be dang good. I'm a digital music junkie who would love to have my world revolutionized, I think. I'm a little nervous that they are going to change the steady flow of my drug and make it harder or more expensive for me to get my fix. Hopefully not, but who knows? I know I sure don't. :-|

And hey, if you have some idea of what Rob is talking about, throw me a bone, would ya? I'm not very good at waiting around... and perhaps I deserve to hear a little early since I am providing free marketing for them... actually it's costing me to advertise for them... what the hell am I doing?

Ahhhh, Sweet Relief

Woohoo, new releases have been added... I'm shooting them up as we speak and the pain is subsiding. My thoughts on them are forthcoming.

I'm Starting to Shake Uncontrollably

Dang, still nothing. No new Martha Wainwright. No new Of Montreal. No new The National. No new The Old Haunts. No new (ick) Garbage. No new (icky ick) Mariah Carey. Nothing. Just got the iTunes new release email so apparently they are still adding new stuff. Sigh...

I'm a Junkie Without My Fix

Grrrrrrrrrrrr... It appears Rhapsody didn't add any new releases today. Hope we're not headed for another serious dry spell. Last one lasted quite a while and was apparently due to negotiations with the record companies... Fingers crossed.

An Early Arrival!

Glen Phillips - Winter Pays For Summer Ooops, apparently my calculations were a little off! Glen Phillips' new album is already available on Rhapsody. Perhaps they are slowly getting back to making new releases available first thing in the morning on Tuesday morning. Anyway, now you can see if you agree with all my blabbering about this album this past month. It's also available on iTunes and, of course, you can buy the CD itself from Amazon. All links below! Enjoy!