Grateful Dead RFK Stadium 1989 Box

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July 10, 2017 - 12:03pm

1,823 replies

heatherlew

Joined:
October 12, 2016

RFK Stadium 1989 Box

LESS THAN 5000 LEFT

The Grateful Dead battled the elements in July 1989, enduring drenching rains and stifling humidity during back-to-back shows at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in the nation’s capital. In spite of the bleak weather, the band thrilled the massive crowds both nights with triumphant performances that rank among the very best of a busy year that included 74 shows and the release of the group’s final studio album, BUILT TO LAST.

ROBERT F. KENNEDY STADIUM, WASHINGTON, D.C., JULY 12 & 13, 1989 includes two previously unreleased concerts taken from the band’s master 24-track analog recordings, which have been mixed by Jeffrey Norman at TRI Studios and mastered in HDCD by David Glasser. The collection’s colorful slip case features original artwork by Justin Helton and a perfect-bound book with in-depth liner notes written by Dean Budnick, editor-in-chief of Relix magazine. The set will also be available as a digital download in Apple Lossless and FLAC 192/24.

When Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Brent Mydland, and Bob Weir rolled into D.C. in July 1989 for the Dead’s two-night stand at RFK, the band hit the stage running with a stellar rendition of “Touch Of Grey,” the group’s biggest hit from its only Top 10 album In The Dark, which was released in 1987. The following night, the band returned to its double-platinum commercial breakthrough when it opened the show with a fiery version of “Hell In A Bucket.”

“RFK Stadium '89 fell right in the middle of one of the best tours of the last 15 years of Grateful Dead performances, with these shows being the sixth and seventh of an 11-show tour. This tour is widely considered the start of a nine month period of sustained excellence, which ran from Summer '89 through Spring '90. The RFK shows are as good as any of the more famous shows from this period, including July 4 in Buffalo, July 7 in Philadelphia, and the Alpine run,” says David Lemieux, Grateful Dead archivist and the set’s producer. “When Bob Weir has asked me to provide copies of Grateful Dead songs to give to his bandmates to learn and rehearse, he almost always requests Summer '89, and I've often drawn upon the RFK shows for this purpose. It's really that good!”

Both shows feature standout moments, but the July 12 show is notable for a few reasons. Perhaps the biggest is that the first set featured at least one song sung by each of the band’s four lead singers – Garcia, Weir, Lesh and Mydland – something that rarely happened. Another surprise came when the band opened the second set with “Sugaree,” a song that almost always appeared during the first set.

Pianist Bruce Hornsby — who briefly joined the band between 1990 and 1992 — is featured on both shows. He played accordion during “Sugaree” and “Man Smart (Woman Smarter),” with a touch of keyboard-tinkling, on July 12, and then played more accordion the following night for “Tennessee Jed” and “Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again.”

For fans of Mydland’s tenure with the Dead – which began in 1979 and ended in 1990 with the keyboardist’s tragic death – these stellar shows capture that incarnation in peak form. Among the long list of highlights are performances of live staples such as “Eyes Of The World,” “Wharf Rat” and “I Need A Miracle,” along with rarities like “To Lay Me Down,” which was played only a few times in 1989. The July 13 show also features the band road-testing “I Will Take You Home,” a track Mydland wrote with Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow that would appear later that fall on Built To Last.

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September 1, 2017 - 5:11pm

#1221

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

8 Tracks

My first GD exposure was 8 track. Ha.. that's one medium I wont miss. I guess I had a bad machine, it kept eating all my tapes. It was really a bad technology... Cassettes were much more reliable.. and contrary to popular belief, I do not see them making a robust comeback. My prized Nak died about ten years back.. the belts had all dry rotted and it started to play reeeeaaaaalllllyyyyyy sssslllllloooooowwwwwww. There is no advantage to cassettes over CD's as far as I can tell, and a lot of drawbacks. I do see the Vinyl appeal, but 8 tracks and cassettes, I just don't see this becoming a wave.
September 1, 2017 - 4:32pm

#1222

alvarhanso

Joined:
January 16, 2014

Sittin' on a fence (not a pole)

The limited announcement yesterday did what it was meant to do in piquing my interest, but I'm still on the fence. These could probably be broken down to 4-5 discs, and there probably won't be any filler, and once again I'll be miffed at short discs, though this time for 65 bucks for 2 shows. I think I'd find 5/8-9/77 as a 2 show box for 65 bucks to be pricey, so it has nothing to do with Brent or '80s hate. I actually like Summer '89-Summer '90 a lot, they were playing at the peak of that incarnation, as evidenced by how much of it's been released. (But feel free to throw this post back at me if they offer a 2 show box of RFK '73 for the same price and I buy it the minute it's announced, because that would likely be my reaction to that RFK box.) The book is probably nice, and I love the books in the boxes. The books are what I really miss about Spring '90 and Europe '72 (though I really love the idea of the steamer trunk). If it's around next year and I got the extra cash, I'll get it. If I miss out, I'll survive, and enjoy the subscription for Dave's 2018 and next year's big box.
September 1, 2017 - 4:19pm

#1223

MinasMorgul

Joined:
February 4, 2015

Since 15K is the number

5K will be added to the available quantity at some point. It's gone down exactly as I posted it would, although I'm surprised they're going with 15K. They still started with 10K and are now down to 3800 - 3900. Sales, Space Brother are at 6200 roughly, which leaves about 8800 left (5K which muse still be added). I'm not sure what numbers are "more or less brisk", but these are the facts. Brisk is relative I guess. Bottom line is that a good seller is great for us all.
September 1, 2017 - 4:06pm

#1224

LedDed

Joined:
February 16, 2017

Eight-track Renaissance

I hear eight-track is on the rebound. Might want to fish around the yard sales for one of those Panasonic boom boxes with 8-track, AM/FM and a cool shoulder strap for rocking the 'hood. At least they still make D-cells. Glad to see the RFK '89 box going limited. Why not? I like physical product. Blu-ray's, cd's, more than just download. That being said I fleshed out my missing Dick's Picks off iTunes for a fraction of the cost of what the cd's have gone up to now. There's something reassuring about the certainty of a tangible, physical product on my shelf, should (God forbid) my laptop get stolen/destroyed, hard drive crash, etc. I have so much music from so many sources - friends who have kindly loaned things, items from the public library, iTunes and other downloadable sources, etc. It would be impossible to remember it all, were it to be lost or corrupted, however I know those cd's sitting on the shelves aren't going anywhere and as much of a pain in the ass it is to burn them all in, it's a 100% backup. I have Carbonite cloud backup as well as a portable hard drive but I don't trust it. That pole freak on Veneta is the ultimate acid casualty. Most people made it through but some of them just fried. If that dude is still breathing, he's drooling right now.
September 1, 2017 - 3:58pm

#1225

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

Blue Ray, DVD, etc.

I have two Blue Ray and a DVD in the living room.. I found myself nodding to what the Ice Cream Kid had to say.. mhammond too. Thin is clearly correct in what he wrote.. but I have one subtle comment to add. I got into a back and forth email chain with Lemieux a few years ago about DVD's, etc. I think it was when the other Alpine show came out, and I missed it due to work.. so there was a little bite in my initial outreach. He did reply.. at length. Keeping in mind.. he was hired as the video archivist as Dick was still alive and well back then. His comment was layered, he was clearly keeping certain things close to his chest, but it was revealing nonetheless. I think the issue with video in general is the market is more segmented and aggregate demand has not justified all the costs involved getting this to market (my words, not his..). The 16,500 number (soon to be higher) is a magic number for vault releases in 2017. Keep in mind Terrapin Limited is still for sale, I'm quite sure it is limited and it has been for sale since 1997. There are tons of deadheads but not everyone has to have the 150 or shows that have already been officially released (what is that number again?). At this point, it is a numbers game for them and contrary to popular believe, once everyone (including the band) gets their cut I doubt if there are mountains of money left over. So back to the video topic.. Dave is all in with video releases. The hesitancy is not on his part. Rhino sells CD's and records.. DVD and Blue Ray is more like an after dinner mint for them.. if they sell and they make a ton of money on them, they'd do more. Reading between the lines from the correspondence all those years ago, there simply is not a terrific demand for GD DVD's. I can't get enough myself, but I say the same thing about the official CD releases too. Another factor is very few were recorded on film, most (the 89 and go forward material) was recorded on the crappy 4" tape common at the time. Find your favorite 1989 sitcom, go to YouTube and watch it.. it's grainy and has the same limitations as the stuff directed (recorded) by Len Dell'Amico during the late 80's. The video will not get better regardless of the medium as the source tapes are subpar. The sound, on the other hand, can benefit from the better mediums... depending on a few things... But look at this another way.. they do have a good bit of video recorded, some of it is pretty damned good. Most of it does have those distracting special affects baked right in. It will get released one day, perhaps they are just keeping their powder dry for when demand picks up a bit. If there are still some SSDD left and I bet they have a ton of the Fare Thee Well left (back to the numbers thing...) my guess is they are just biding their time and will begin releasing them when demand exceeds their magic number. I do prefer Blue Ray, it could be a dying medium, probably because it costs more and people are streaming a lot these days. Us hard-core, especially the audiophiles, will want DVD or probably Blue Ray. I really don't see that changing, streaming is not going to take precedent over the physical product for the person that just shelled out $12,000 for their new surround sound system. ..but who knows for sure what the future will bring except that quack Ray Kurzweil (yes.. I said that). If you made it through this post.. congrats and accept my apologies.. dry stuff.. but we like the GOGD and there's nothing boring about being there, front row center in the comforts of your own living room.
September 1, 2017 - 2:34pm

#1226

Cousins Of The…

Joined:
September 10, 2009

cassettes

I was about to guess it's a hipster thing, but apparently Justin Bieber had something to do with it.Which doesn't make sense either way...
September 1, 2017 - 1:51pm

#1227

Thin

Joined:
June 21, 2013

Space - you are correct

Spacebro - You are correct, sir. I forgot there was a DVD/Blu-ray segmentation in the Veneta release. How many Blu-rays did they produce? I don't recall how fast the DVD's sold out. I guess I passed on that because I didn't have Blu-ray AND I'm not enthralled with DVD vid quality, which is like a 720 vs 1080 pixel format (if someones previous post was accurate). I didn't really want to see Polesitter dude in 1080 OR 720 pixels - LOL. As I said earlier, I hope for both our sakes that they continue with the '89 releases. There's a ton of great stuff from that era sitting in the vault. Once the video format gets sorted out, I think we'll see a LOT of '89-'90's releases. re: Cassettes - I've heard they ARE making a comeback. Martin Sexton was on "Above the Basement" recently (highly recommended Boston-area music podcast) and he mentioned that he recently issued his recent release "Mixtape from the Road" on cassette as a novelty item and said they sold out of 1,000 of these in just a week or two, to his amazement. I blame the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie series for romanticizing the format. https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/above-the-basement-boston-music-and-co…
September 1, 2017 - 1:31pm

#1228

Romberg

Joined:
August 20, 2007

Packaging Size

Dead.net, please put the packaging dimensions in the description. I'd like to buy this but I need to know if it will fit on a CD shelf. I've been burned too many times on oversized packaging to blind buy a Grateful Dead box set ever again without knowing he packaging dimensions first. Thanks!
September 1, 2017 - 1:03pm

#1229

FloridaBobalooToo

Joined:
February 17, 2017

Makes NO difference to me

Numbered or Limited sets don't sound any different to me. Fact is that has nothing to do with my motivation on buying GD stuff. Actually I think I might offer a swap of my GSTL Limited box to someone who really must have it in exchange for a music only set.For the amount of bother to try and turn one of these things for the little profit, just wouldn't be worth my time. Yes I know some sets bring big pricing. Theres the moral thing as has been discussed too. All n All Im after the music. Weekend is HERE!!! 24th Anniversary is the biggie in my trailer park. Taking the wife out for Bar-B-Que and a night at the Shooting Range! Woo-Hoo!!! 9/3/93
September 1, 2017 - 12:13pm

#1230

Thin

Joined:
June 21, 2013

Spacebro re: 8/27/72 - makes my Blu-ray point

Spacebro - Thanks for helping make my Blu-ray point. 8/27/72 is indeed still available after 4 years sitting on the shelf despite only producing 12,500 copies, but I find your conclusion that this means 80's is more popular than '72 laughable (respectfully) - it is rather a reflection on Blu-ray, per my previous post. 8/27/72 was a single show plus Blu-ray for $55. That is the only release I have never purchased because I don't have Blu-ray and I didn't want to blow $55 + shipping for 3 CD's I already have (from my DAT days) in pretty darn good quality. (And Mr. Polesitter guy in hi-def NOT a draw) I also doubt they have sold as much of this '89 box as you think - when they plugged the initial number into "inventory" they hadn't yet decided the final production #. Probably input a nice round 10k, not the current 15k you are using in your math. But I could be wrong. We'll find out the next time they update the site. But going numbered/limited edition should boost sales of this box. So ALL the other releases/boxes have sold out or are close to it - most at 15k units or more - while the relatively low 12,500-unit EPIC Veneta show released 4 YEARS AGO on Blu-ray still sits on the shelf... this is why they aren't releasing more Blu-ray.... edit: icecrmkid I just saw your post. I'm not saying Blu-ray is going away forever (though Betamax, Laserdisc, Selectavision, and DIVX did), but the dream of Blu-ray becoming the universal video standard, like CD is for audio, is dead. Again, I think they are waiting for a ubiquitous video format relevant to ALL before releasing more video. Veneta teaches us that Blu-ray is not the answer.

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

Dead Store Products

RFK Stadium 1989 Box

LESS THAN 5000 LEFT

The Grateful Dead battled the elements in July 1989, enduring drenching rains and stifling humidity during back-to-back shows at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in the nation’s capital. In spite of the bleak weather, the band thrilled the massive crowds both nights with triumphant performances that rank among the very best of a busy year that included 74 shows and the release of the group’s final studio album, BUILT TO LAST.

ROBERT F. KENNEDY STADIUM, WASHINGTON, D.C., JULY 12 & 13, 1989 includes two previously unreleased concerts taken from the band’s master 24-track analog recordings, which have been mixed by Jeffrey Norman at TRI Studios and mastered in HDCD by David Glasser. The collection’s colorful slip case features original artwork by Justin Helton and a perfect-bound book with in-depth liner notes written by Dean Budnick, editor-in-chief of Relix magazine. The set will also be available as a digital download in Apple Lossless and FLAC 192/24.

When Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Brent Mydland, and Bob Weir rolled into D.C. in July 1989 for the Dead’s two-night stand at RFK, the band hit the stage running with a stellar rendition of “Touch Of Grey,” the group’s biggest hit from its only Top 10 album In The Dark, which was released in 1987. The following night, the band returned to its double-platinum commercial breakthrough when it opened the show with a fiery version of “Hell In A Bucket.”

“RFK Stadium '89 fell right in the middle of one of the best tours of the last 15 years of Grateful Dead performances, with these shows being the sixth and seventh of an 11-show tour. This tour is widely considered the start of a nine month period of sustained excellence, which ran from Summer '89 through Spring '90. The RFK shows are as good as any of the more famous shows from this period, including July 4 in Buffalo, July 7 in Philadelphia, and the Alpine run,” says David Lemieux, Grateful Dead archivist and the set’s producer. “When Bob Weir has asked me to provide copies of Grateful Dead songs to give to his bandmates to learn and rehearse, he almost always requests Summer '89, and I've often drawn upon the RFK shows for this purpose. It's really that good!”

Both shows feature standout moments, but the July 12 show is notable for a few reasons. Perhaps the biggest is that the first set featured at least one song sung by each of the band’s four lead singers – Garcia, Weir, Lesh and Mydland – something that rarely happened. Another surprise came when the band opened the second set with “Sugaree,” a song that almost always appeared during the first set.

Pianist Bruce Hornsby — who briefly joined the band between 1990 and 1992 — is featured on both shows. He played accordion during “Sugaree” and “Man Smart (Woman Smarter),” with a touch of keyboard-tinkling, on July 12, and then played more accordion the following night for “Tennessee Jed” and “Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again.”

For fans of Mydland’s tenure with the Dead – which began in 1979 and ended in 1990 with the keyboardist’s tragic death – these stellar shows capture that incarnation in peak form. Among the long list of highlights are performances of live staples such as “Eyes Of The World,” “Wharf Rat” and “I Need A Miracle,” along with rarities like “To Lay Me Down,” which was played only a few times in 1989. The July 13 show also features the band road-testing “I Will Take You Home,” a track Mydland wrote with Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow that would appear later that fall on Built To Last.

Check It Out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR2gR6SZC2M

Nice

I'll raise your Sister Rosetta Tharpe by a Big Mama Thorton. My dad turned me on to this one. Right on mhammond. I swear that video has been posted here before.. but years ago.

Bolo

Great to see you back in your old treads. That pic suites you. Hey.. since nobody's listening, and its late. Any heads up on the next release? I hear its another 4 track remastered spring 1968. Or did I hear that in a dream. Speaking of dreams.. epic times in the mountains East. Holy Moly.. Times are good. Which brings me to the real reason I am writing.. Ooops.. who's that knocking at my door at this hour? Cleaning up.. the woman that shares my house had friends over this afternoon for lunch. I was working upstairs.. Just came home from my own night out and found three bottles of wine that they drank.. one (which I said no go) was ..well.. I'm too sad to even mention the name or how much it cost me. argh... they probably would have been happier with a $6 rose.

She's NOT In The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ?!?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeaBNAXfHfQ

alac - formats

I keep most of my higher resolution music as uncompressed AIFF files. I do not use WAV, because it does not store metadata (AIFF does). I keep all of my CD or DAT quality files as lossless ALAC. By higher res I mean 24/88.2 kHz or better. Modern hardware decodes lossless files up to 24/48kHz perfectly. I have noticed some very slight loss of quality when playing back ALAC high res (especially 192k) files. I have had some (very few) 24/192kHz files that would not play back from a lossless compressed format. As a rule, I keep higher res as uncompressed AIFF (or could be WAV, but the files do not store metadata or cover art). I do not believe that FLAC was intended to be a playback format, just storage, although that is one of those subjects that audio enthusiasts debate endlessly. By the way, the Garcia 9 (1974 Keystone) is available as an 88.2 kHz download, it is a lovely analog Betty board, full of warmth. One of those joyful, relaxed recordings, close your eyes and you are there. And yes, I decompressed to AIFF.

2 shows for 70 bucks shipped?

jeez. This stuff is getting expensive. did I miss something? What do we know about packaging and what's included?

Bought it anyway

I wasn't going to buy this set - since it has so many slow songs I don't particularly like (or am sick of)- but on the other hand, maybe better "dead-heads" than mine seem to be enthusiastic about it. I did like the version of "Man Smart, Woman Smarter" with Bruce Hornsby. I'd hate to wait until it sells out, then regret not having it. So I put my order in just now.

RFK

I am not jumping in for this release ... but hope all of you that do enjoy it! Someone posted a few days ago saying they are saturated on Dead CD's and not a completist and in their view this isn't a "must have". I feel the same way so i'm not jumping in here. Funny, I started buying the releases in mid 90's when they started to come out. At the time I wanted them so that when I was an old man i'd have some high quality Dead music available to me better than the my old bootlegs tapes. I remember getting Hundred Years Hall, Dozin and the early Dick Picks. At the time I was guessing they'd release a new CD or two ever 3 or 4 years so I wanted to get them. I NEVER guessed they would start releasing in such large quantities. Wow, we really are lucky! DaP alone is 4 cd's a year ... sh!t ... I would have never predicted that in early days. Although not a completist, I have been buying most stuff since the mid 90's and have a boat load of Dead CD's so i'm at the point where I sit back buy what I think are the must haves. My favorite years are 69-76 but I do like all Dead and will buy any years if its a solid show. I do really like 89/90 Dead and though some don't like midi I do and don't mind the "different" sound it gives. I like all dead in any year as long as they had their "A" game. I really like Buffalo, CWI and warlocks. I am not familiar with these RFK shows and but the consensus from this board are that these aren't top shelf shows ... so i'll pass. Plus, my wife subscribes to a family iTunes plan so her and the kids can listen to music. Its like $12 a month and sort of over priced to me but since we have the family plan, i'm on it too and they have a ton of Dead options (road trips, dicks picks, veneta, etc) so RFK will probably be on there at some point and I can hear it then. A huge thanks to Dave and Rhino and anyone else who keep cranking out the releases. I don't know of any other fan base that has what we have ... it really is fabulous.

6/10/73, 11/19/72, 9/20/70

my triptych of wishes.

Grumpy Grumpkins sez:

please enjoy GD89. it's just that when "women are smarter" is the highlight, there is something amiss. imho.

Y-not

Call me stoltzfus. Some years ago - never mind how long precisely - having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me at home, I thought I would go with a friend a little and see the Grateful part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily seeing images of Donald Trump, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off, or "Women Are Smarter" is cited as a concert highlight - then, I account it "high time" to get to my 60s and 70s GD as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the first half of the GD's history. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the GD with me.

RFK '89 highlights

There are so many more highlights in these shows than "Women Are Smarter", which itself is quite awesome. From the first show you have a Mississippi Half-Step that's amazing. Far From Me may be the best version performed (check out Jerry's over-the-top solo!), Cassidy soars, Friend of the Devil grooves nicely. Ship of Fools is picture perfect. Estimated > Eye's transcends. Great Mr fantasy. Black Peter is primo plus Bruce sitting in on a couple. Top notch Dead right there. The second night is even better. The rockin' double opener of Hell In A Bucket and Cold Rain and Snow get get the party started in style. Tennessee Jed is one of the all time versions. The "then" rare To Lay Me Down is awesome. Truly epic versions of Let It Grow, Terrapin, The Other One > Wharf Rat take this show over the top. Even the Throwing Stones is epic. These shows may have been average for Summer '89, yet the bar was so high on this tour that every note is like Manna from Heaven. You can hear Jerry's enthusiasm and smile through your speakers.

1/2 step was indeed good

and opening the 2nd set with Sugaree was good. again...I didn't get to any shows in 89, which is probably why I have sour-grapes face when it comes to the subject. there...I just unclenched my balloon knot... y'all be cool, Spacebrother.

Being there-stoltzfus

I was thinking about how seeing the band in any given year impacts on our subsequent enjoyment of listening to shows from that year on cd etc. I think seeing the band in any of the later years may give us a warped impression of their artistic merit during the year in question. I had a great time at shows in 1981 and 1990...but sitting at home listening to those shows, in comparison to ones from 1968-1974, and its quite clear that they were in decline when I saw them. The same with the very early days. Listening to a recording of an acid test from 1966, at home, with nothing stronger inside me than a cup of tea, and it becomes blindingly obvious that you had to be there to get anything out of what was going on. Historically interesting-but you really did have to be there for those events. With a show from 1968-1972 the quality of the performance shines through.

Daverock

How dare you post such an honest (yet absolutely correct) assessment of the band. Aren't you at all concerned about provoking the wrath of a handful of people on this board? space - what kind of speakers y'all got over there? I gotta get me a pair of those bad boys. They turn mediocre music into Manna from Heaven and allow you to hear facial expressions. Cool stuff. Sounds like something that Wonka might have been working on before his untimely demise.

1966 shows / Man Smart

Garcia didn't really have his electric guitar chops in 1966. He got so much better. As for something being wrong when "Man Smart, Woman Smarter" is the highlight of a show, well, it's just personally a song and arrangement by the band I've always loved. The Bo-Diddley beat they use on that song is one of my favorites, same as Not Fade Away and Iko Iko.

love the moby dick riff....

......I'm glad the 80's crowd is getting a release. I'm listening to 74.

Cure For The Summertime Blues...

Looking forward to this as I am with most Dead releases. 89-91 was magical Dead IMHO. Glad to see this one isn't limited. That act is getting old. Peace.

Agreed

I wish Betty had been working 83-86. That era reminds me of 60s shows where, sometimes, it was a little rough but when it was good it was gold. The mid 80s had some of that too. Granted there were some train wrecks but when they were on, they were ON. Too bad the tapes are sub-par. I'm just grateful for the outstanding work of Saint Charlie Miller who made this era shine.

Oh Angry Jack Straw

Still trolling for a conflict I see. What are you going to do, chastise me for being gifted a Spring '90 TOO box yet again, 5 years later and counting? Maybe someday I'll be able to post here without Angry Jack Straw being a dick to me.

Upgrade your ipod with ssd

mhammond and others. Try replacing the hard drive in your ipod classic with an iflash unit loaded with high capacity sd cards (or with an SSD unit). Install Rockbox and you will be able to store and play your entire GD collection in lossless format on a single ipod classic.

"and the rain man gave me two cures ...

"And he said Jump right in the first was Texas medicine , the second was just railroad gin and like a fool i mixed them and it strangled up my mind ... http://www.dead.net/sites/all/themes/dead2013/jplayer/?url=https://sos2…. "Now when Ruthie says come see me in her honky-tonk lagoon Where I can watch her waltz for free beneath the Panamanian moon And I said , oh come on now, you know you know about my debutante she says , your debutante knows what you need , But I know what you want ...

there are a few dicks here, and they love to poke things

That was a great box space, glad you got one. I do wish the dickheads would just go find someplace else to troll. These are the same guys who ruined the scene and destroyed out little piece of heaven. I could name names, but what good would that do, we all know who they are. I concur with Spacebrother, 89-91 dead was good, real good.

Buzz Kill

The ad hominem bickering on this forum sucks. It's not as one-sided as some might think. Really torpedoes an otherwise upbeat, you-never-know-what's-next ramble about all things even remotely "Dead". Seems like we all have a hard time not being sucked into ridiculous spats. This grade-school troll-baiting is a real buzz kill.

@killing the"buzz"

Somebody wake me up when talk of music resumes.... Happy Sunday one and all.... onward?

saw an interesting thing on TV last evening

interview with Bob Weir (Dan Rather interviewer) most interesting thing wasn't musically related...he was adopted...got a call from his birth mother in 1981, was told who his birth father was...got in touch with birth father 10 years later, who had no idea he fathered Bob freakin' Weir... interesting. this as I read a book called "A Long Way Home", about a kid in India who got separated from family as a five year old and through determination and Google Earth, found his birth mother 25 years later.

@Long Way Home...

That story stolzfus is familiar, I think he mentioned some of that before his campfire album was released last year.

Jerry Week / RFK 89'

wurm here.. long time listener, small time poster... Just wanted to say that after receiving DP 23 and GarciaLive vol.9, that I couldn't be happier with show selection for the two shows.. The upgrade with the Eugene show was a real treat to finally hear it in its glory.. The Cassidy, Peggy Ohhhhhh, jack straw with big fat Terrapin, close encounters, st. stephen, and a the monster around & around.. Awesome stuff right there!! This weekend I dug into the GarciaLive show. Wow!! I love the jazz infused, bluesy jammy, candy coated snack that this show has to offer.. Jerry and Merle we truly something special in their own way.. Listen to Merle during that Ain't No Woman (Like the one i've got).. Krazy krutchy kosmic jerry jams in there.. Eat at your own discretion.. ;) With the RFK announcement.. So does the pre-order go up until 11/20? I'm on the fence about purchasing this right out of the gate, since it's not a limited release.. If there was a bonus involved maybe in the pre-order then I'd be game.. The big Debbie downer for me is not having the video to go with it.. I'm just gonna sit back and relax on it.. The price will go down eventually.. Really bummed lately how the Meet up at the movies shows haven't been released.. I can never make it to the theater, since there is only one that shows it locally.. Hopefully, there is still a future for "view from the vault" type releases.. Hope everyone is having a splendid weekend.. pCe.. wurm

@stoltzfus

If you dug that interview w/ Rather, you might check out the time he sat down w/ Terry Gross.http://www.npr.org/2016/10/06/496841893/grateful-dead-founding-member-b…

Re wurm

A few years ago I emailed DL (the only time I've ever done so). I simply said "If another View From The Vault was released I would buy it." He replied in equal simplicity "so would I". :)

thoughts on 89-91 GD, and Views from the Vault

91 has several that I like: 6/14/91 (a View release), both Las Vegas shows, 6/22/91, 9/26/91; yeah, 91 would be good90 has a lot a good 'uns, including 7/12/90 (another View) and 6/16/90 (another View) 89: 6/19/89, Irvine shows the Views must not be profitable or something. They do make good sense. And a good way to get good shows released. I reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaly wish we could know what goes in the hearts and minds of the people responsible for the business of releasing GD to the electric masses. "mawr, mawr mawr...hang out, ok?"

Angry Jack Straw

Why must you poo poo people for having a different opinion than your own? Lots of us enjoy the later eras of the band just like you enjoy the earlier stuff. You make it sound as if we are idiots for doing so. You could be nicer about the way you go about it instead of calling out someone who obviously finds a great amount of joy with the later material. I say let them enjoy it. Its about time some other era other than your preferred one gets a little love too. I respectfully request that you keep your negativity to yourself Space Brother I am with you. I love all eras of the Dead and more releases from this time are well overdue!

FYI: Limited Edition = Will SELL OUT!

For those of you out there on the fence. Get off of it! Just heard David L. special regarding this release on SiriusXM. He said it will be "really limited" in it's release and will for sure sell out. This is EXCELLENT Brent era at their peak! Celebrate and get one before they are all gone. SMILE, SMILE, SMILE!

Pssst...Unkle Sam...You Are One Of Them....

Sshhh. Be very quiet, top secret...but whether you accept it or not, you are one of those troublemakers you are talking about. You just don't realize it due to your self-righteous agenda. Why, just this morning I read a quote from you saying you were deliberately antagonizing someone with a post you wrote, someone who had not provoked you in any way....and the language you use...tsk tsk, not the words of a Gentleman. Try to live up to the "non-dick" persona you want to pass off as legit.

PatagonianFox is a real jerk.

we all know PatagonianFox is the biggest dead.net troll east of the mississippi river. i hate that guy. seriously though... is the RFK box really a limited edition? still trying to confirm frankie lee's post. ----

I agree with him-not him-HIM

Wouldn't it be nice be everybody agreed with each other. Especially if the views that were being agreed upon were mine.

PatagonianFox is a real jerk (not really)

I don't think so. I've always liked his posts even though they might go against the status quo. Nothing he has said has bothered me in the least. I may not agree with everything that people post, but I just don't worry too much about opinions that differ than mine. I like the Fox and value his comments. As far as his question, I don't think there has been any evidence that this is a limited edition offering.

Hey Now Phriends

Those of you attempting to confirm the truth of my post... I have searched high and low on the interwebs for written info on this release. Today David L. said aloud on his SiriusXM special about this box set that it would be "very limited" and will for sure "sell out". I am not attempting to panic anyone but rather help those that may be undecided. Do not wait! You can not lose on these releases...someone will always be willing to pay you what you payed if it ends up not being your "taste". 75th Birthday rebroadcast from Red Rocks tonight on SiriusXM! Pay attention!

Buzzkills

Why post and imply these show were representative of a "band in decline?" Harsh! I'll go with Dave's assessment above: “RFK Stadium '89 fell right in the middle of one of the best tours of the last 15 years of Grateful Dead performances, with these shows being the sixth and seventh of an 11-show tour. This tour is widely considered the start of a nine month period of sustained excellence, which ran from Summer '89 through Spring '90. The RFK shows are as good as any of the more famous shows from this period, including July 4 in Buffalo, July 7 in Philadelphia, and the Alpine run,” says David Lemieux," I was there (and at shows earlier in the 80's.) I'm with Dave! Things were fine the Summer of '89! Band on fire and in a state of resurgence! If this release isn't for you, maybe quietly beat it on down the line and take it elsewhere. It's a big Internet. Just sayin' These shows are damn near sacred to many of us......

if it sells out....

......ouch, i guess. let the 80's crowd buy it and be happy. I don't need midi, overweight, addicted Jerry. Those that have wished for it should buy it. I won't. We all have different periods we like. All good. No one should get pissy over someone else's favorite era or years. Many heads don't want more 73 or 74. All good.. Lets talk about music. Love you all. Let's be civil and cool. We all saw them at different times and have different views on what was the golden age. Our age often determines this (as do our ears). I'm older (relatively speaking) and know what I like, but let's not begrudge each other our certain eras of preference. The only thing that upsets me on these boards is when people bitch about $ or politics. Peace.

It's All Good

The Dead were always good even when sub-par. I've been listening to a lot of Europe '72 shows lately. A high-water mark, indeed. The highest? I don't know. I can't decide myself. It is awesome hearing Pig's organ and he in full voice. The drums being different, man Billy really did kill it on his own and that shit was tight. Jerry cemented his legacy right there as one of the greatest rock lead guitarists of all time on just that one tour. We are so lucky to have all those shows, recorded so well. I appreciate that Dave Lemieux has access to things I'll never have, and I respect his well-informed opinion and judgment. If he's pulling a show from 1989, I'll bet my ass it's a GREAT show from 1989 and am happy and excited to hear and have it. Is 1989 my fave era? No. But I still love the Rolling Stones and catch them every time they come through town, every few years. Exile/Stinky Fingers Stones was the pinnacle, I think, but I enjoy and appreciate them to this day. We all get old. Most of you are over the hill. Bet you still get after it, though. God Bless. \m/

89, RFK, etc

Stars didn't align too much for me 'n the good ol' GD in '89. After Greensboro in Spring, spent all afternoon first night Pittsburgh trying to find the friends who had my ticket ~ and never did. (No cell phones.) Long drive back to B'more. 2nd night RFK I was taking my final college final. And that Fall I got pneumonia just in time for the Warlocks tip. Had a ticket for 2nd night Philly, though (and the newly revived Help/Slip and Death Don't), but stayed home just to be safe...and the next morning my doctor gave me a clean bill of health. But did catch 1st night RFK, they reopened the box office and sold special orange tickets with a black skeleton. Honestly I thought it was an average show, but have some fun memories: a great summer Half-Step, a song that always sounded best outside; my 1st FOTD in three years, only my 2nd and never again (even if Brent had the wrong MIDI sound queued up for the start of his solo!, which he quickly rectified); my only Far From Me; Bruce and Brent sharing the piano (a prophetic moment, but who knew?); and the Dire Wolf guitar out of space! Wasn't as loud as the Irwin, though. Fun show, but certainly didn't wow me like the Downhill From Here video. Maybe that latter '89 magic solidified at Alpine, or a little earlier. But to my perception, it was the Garcia Band shows in September that really set the stage. Whatever didn't happen for me in '89, I saw the two-night Garcia stand at Merriweather, and I think I have to say it was the hottest and tightest I ever saw Jerry. Weir/Wasserman opened and watched from the side of the stage. Here's what I've always imagine happened after this experience: Bob: "Damn, Jerry.... Why can't we tighten up OUR band like this again?" Jerry: "Let's do it." A month later they break out two of their tightest songs ever, Help/Slipknot and Attics, along with Dark Star, of course, and go on a great run through the next Spring. epilogue: 2015, Santa Clara, 2nd night ~ Bob sings Death Don't, long lost to me from Fall 1989 (and he the sole remaining singer from that year's arrangement)

'89

I caught both Ann Arbor shows in the Spring (4/5-6/89) and they were smoking hot. Highly recommended listening! First night had a longer-than-usual first set with many highlights while the second set was what you might say was a rager (or I would say rocker). The second show was more jammy with as good of a Birdsong as you'll ever hear in the first set. The second set Scarlet > Fire also stands up with the best of them. One of my favorite moments was the Playin' into probably the best Built To Last they ever performed. The way they rolled into it has to be heard. These two shows are every bit as good as the best from the Fall '89 tour, except without the MIDI. From Playin' on was a continuous jam that kept finding it's way back a few times before finally hitting the Reprise to close set 2. The recordings more than live up to the memories in this instance at Ann Arbor. The only other show I caught that year was the middle night (7/18/89) at Alpine Valley. Every note and beat that show was pure spot-on perfection, as was the whole run. I also had front row center tickets for a Jerry Garcia Band show that ended up never happening at Pine Knob. It was sadly cancelled. JGB did play Poplar Creek and Alpine Valley nearby, but was unable to attend. Reports from friends who went were in attendance of those shows unanimously agreed that Jerry was at his all time career peak at those JGB shows that '89 fall. The Fall '89 Shoreline run (9/29-10/1/89) is highly overlooked and under-rated. I imagine there must be some pro-shot video of these. oh yeah, Deer Creek '89 was another good one. If '89 RFK is limited, I wonder how many they are making? 8900?

Its all good-LedDed

Wise words indeed. The last two shows I have listened to have been from the latter half of the year. Baltimore 17/9/72-Dicks Picks 23- is a fantastic show from the get go. But after only 5 songs in, it gets really good, with a wonderful, almost 11 minute long Bird Song. From then on the show real lifts off.The other one I listened to, for the millionth time, was the more well known Veneta Oregon show from 27/8/72. I am normally sceptical about shows that everyone rails about-but this one, to me, really is as good as its reputation. Bird Song(again) Playing in he Band, Dark Star-if I only had one Dead show, I think this would be the one I would want. Even the small songs shine-great version of Mexicali Blues! Interesting comment about being over the hill, too. I am 60 now, and have been lucky enough to have been retired for 3 years. When I think back to what I was like when I was 30, 40-even 50-I feel like a different person now. A lot of the baggage I had when I was working has been dropped-I no longer need a car, I don't have a "professional" identity-no ghastly meetings to attend all over the country. I have met a completely different set of people, have been able to develop spiritual interests more-different forms of meditation/contemplation. Life feels more open than it did when I was working. In terms of my career, I was probably over the hill in my latter years-but in terms of my life-unless I am completely deluding myself-I feel as though I am just starting out. I think we only risk being over the hill if we persist in doing things as an older person that we enjoyed as a younger one. Obviously, in many cases, we have no choice-but at its best, old(er) age is a time for transformation-not decay. I wonder what would have happened with Jerry, had he retired early.

SPACEBROTHER '89

Sorry for dissing a year that you hold in high regard. It must have been great seeing the band at that time-I wish I had. You give a good impression of what it must have been like.

Not limited, and likely available digitally...

I'm not on the inside, but this is obviously not "limited" and they will produce plenty, so no rush. And frankly $70 for just 35 songs in a non-Limited release seems like a lot (no mention of any special physical product). Those who don't have $70 to drop on something like this, note that it will likely be available for download for cheaper (they tend not to announce download version until the actual release). General release CD's like this tend to resale on eBay and Amazon at very reasonable prices anyway. But do get it one way or another - these are great shows from a great year that has been waaaay under-released.

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