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    July 1978: The Complete Recordings

    What's Inside:

    • Five Complete Shows on 12 discs
    • 7/1/78 Arrowhead Stadium: Kansas City, MO
    • 7/3/78 St. Paul Civic Center Arena: St. Paul, MN
    • 7/5/78 Omaha Civic Auditorium: Omaha, NE
    • 7/7/78 Red Rocks Amphitheatre: Morrison, CO
    • 7/8/78 Red Rocks Amphitheatre: Morrison, CO
    Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
    Artwork by esteemed cartoonist Paul Pope
    Intro and show-by-show liner notes by Nicholas Meriwether
    Producer's Note by David Lemieux
    Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 15,000
    Release Date: May 13, 2016

    Announcing July 1978: The Complete Recordings

    We’re pleased to announce JULY 1978: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS, five incredible unreleased shows and the first official release from the long-lost tapes, recently returned to the Grateful Dead’s vault. Follow the Dead on a sonic journey through a superb selection of settings, an often epic adventure that finds them winning over Willie and Waylon fans in Kansas City, conjuring charisma in Omaha, and elevating the Red Rocks beyond their already spiritual planes. With five distinct performances painting the masterpiece of 1978, Betty Cantor-Jackson's always-pristine soundboard recordings, and the "hall-of-fame pedigree" of the Dead's first-ever shows at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre, this is one release that far exceeds excellence in music, sound quality, and rarity.

    Limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies, JULY 1978: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS includes Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO (7/1/78), St. Paul Civic Center, St. Paul, MN (7/3/78), Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, NE (7/5/78), and Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison CO (7/7/78 and 7/8/78) - all of the performances in this collection are drawn from the band’s master soundboard recordings, each newly mastered by Jeffrey Norman. The set also features original artwork by esteemed cartoonist Paul Pope (D.C. and Marvel comics) and in-depth liner notes written by Nick Meriwether (Grateful Dead Archives at the University of California, Santa Cruz), as well as a producer’s note from producer David Lemieux.

    Due May 13th, we anticipate that this extraordinary box will sell out. Your best bet is to pre-order it now, then sit back, relax, and enjoy all the exclusive content we'll be rolling out over the next few weeks right here.

    Looking for something a little more byte-sized? The collection will also be available for HD digital download in FLAC and ALAC, exclusively at dead.net, on release day.

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  • Sixtus_
    Joined:
    The Music Hasn't Stopped...and Never Will...How to Cope?
    Enjoying the musings on The Music Never Stopped; they are pretty hot coming out of the July Box and that is no surprise considering where it had been headed as evidenced by others' posts relating to the exquisite (and among personal favorites) DP 18 version from early '78. That one is a barn burner but others do come close. The meat of the two-part jam is always very fun to decipher and when it hits flawlessly it is pure magique. And LoveJerry, I didn't want to be a stickler but your little typo threw me off concluding that TMNS wasn't around in '74 (but you clearly meant to type '78). Although a primordial TMNS in '74 could be an interesting time travel experiment (anyone catch GoT this Sunday speaking of which? = Mind Blown, literally). I, too, have acquired Day of The Dead, but more so on a whim as a vehicle to perhaps get Ingrid (my seemingly unimpressionable wife) to warm up to at least some inspiring GD lyrics sans baggage of jamming (her words, not mine!). Although my initial take is similar to some others, in that outside of the lyrics the tunes are very much non-identifiable, but I suppose that is the whole point. I recall back in the early 90's, they made the album 'Deadicated', and it had some very nice remakes of several classic songs, several of which moved along the backbone of the originals. I recall Bruce Hornsby did a fine Jack Straw and the Indigo Girls did a nice acoustic Uncle John's Band. That CD, however, was horked from my possession when I was robbed back at the turn of the century when I lived in DC. Just even saying that phrase seems....weird. Buck Rodgers, anyone? Takimoto - yes, 109 down past Westwood is about a 15 minutes drive or so If I understand correctly, across the Great Highway from Dedham. This means that some kind of path crossing is entirely possible. And probably recommended at some point in the future. Finally, in the vein of some other recent comments, I feel that I, too, am reaching a temporary saturation point based on recent GD acquisitions. It feels almost hurtful to say that - and in no way am I saying stop - but at some point something's gotta give and I just hope it's not in the direction of a personal hiatus. I just need to hunker down and give them all Their Dew (Due). On top of Boxzilla, the multitude of DaP's, Day of the Dead, and the July '78 box I realized that I didn't have a CD version of the Closing of Winterland show (I only had the DVD, which admittedly doesn't get to much air time), so I found it on Amazon for a reasonable price and thus added yet anOther One to my queue. Admittedly I don't have the restraint like some of you to employ a slow burn, for example, through this box or Boxzilla, but on the same token part of me feels guilty for not spending the correct amount of intimate, imperative time that is needed to truly devour and realize All Epiphanies embedded within this voluminous collection that is steadily building. I need to know....Is my guilt unfounded? Help Me Deady-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope. Thank You for Your Support. Sixtus
  • hendrixfreak
    Joined:
    Thanks Betty
    Just occurred to me (doh!) what a tremendous service Betty did in recording shows all those years. Sensational sound, judicious mix. And fabulous releases, if you think that 2-3 hour killer rock 'n roll shows from the mud- and mold-infested storage locker making it to our living rooms is a good thing. That's my 'thought for the day': Betty! In the latest DL video (The Making of..., a misnomer, as they didn't discuss the 'making of') you can see plastic trays with many blue tape boxes.. if those are recovered Betty boards, then we're in for more goodies. Cutting back on sugar and salt so I live to hear the day...
  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    TMNS
    Listening to Today in GD History on SiriusXM. They are playing the penultimate show from the Spring '77 tour in Baltimore, TMNS and Sugaree are spectaculars to a great show. Besided the holy trinity in the Northeast, this could be my favorite unreleased show from this tour. Smooth as butter, tight as a drum. Love this show. Have not cracked the shrink wrap from Day of the Dead, but you guys did get me to pull it down off the shelf. What a great way to start my workday, pristine 1977 Grateful Dead.
  • LoveJerry
    Joined:
    @kenajones
    Check out 4/24/74, Dave's Picks Vol. 7 for The Music Never Stopped, with attention to the instrumental section from about 3:30 to 5:30. Close in greatness to DP 18!
  • One Man
    Joined:
    DoD and TMNS
    I've heard disc one of Day of the Dead, and liked most of it. It's pleasantly surprising to see hipsters giving these songs props after so many years. I noticed one thing in the performances that is very different from the GD interpretations: there's very little in the way of dynamics. Morning Dew is a perfect example. It is played and sung just fine, but it's flat as a pancake in terms of drama. I think that kind of static performance misses the boat. Someone recently posted that they started their box listening with 7/7, and liked TMNS. Wait until they get to the 7/3 version!
  • studioouttake
    Joined:
    Day of the '78 Dead
    Also enjoying the Day of the Dead box set. There's some head-scratchers for sure (uh, that Truckin'...), but many, many great covers -- everything Bonnie Prince Billy touches, Kurt Vile's Box of Rain, Yo La Tengo's Wharf Rat, The National's Peggy-O, Orchestra Baobab's very loose Franklin's Tower, Bill Callahan's Easy Wind, Sam Amidon's And We Bid You Goodnight, Hornsby's atmospheric take on Black Muddy River, Lee Ranaldo on PITB . . . From what I understand, it was the producers intention to introduce THE SONGS to a new generation. Of course the songs never quite sound the same coming from a source other than the Dead, and at times sound straight up sterile here, but it's a noble effort and I hope the kids (and all of you) are listening. '78 box thoughts: Incredible artwork/packaging, great liner notes, high energy sets, excellent sound quality. I haven't been thoroughly wowed by the performances yet, but that usually comes with time. With Dave's, '78 and Day of the Dead all in the same month, it's a bit much to absorb at once. Can't resist commenting on both Donna and the slide guitar. I think '78 was actually a good year for Donna's singing, save some rough moments here and there. I don't ever find myself cringing like I do when she howls in a 73-74 PITB. As for BW's slide, I could do without it, but what are you gonna do? We agreed to these terms when we signed on the dotted line.
  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    A diamond in the rough....
    ....the Day of the Dead box is cheap ($28?), proceeds go to AIDS research (+), and the covers do respect to the family. No brainer purchase. Plus, it clues me into artists that otherwise would have flown under my radar. I know Jim got it. Waiting for his opinion, 'cause I value all of yours....
  • Angry Jack Straw
    Joined:
    Day of the Dead
    Was going to ask the same question myself. A bit surprised that nobody else has brought it up. The few songs I have heard were pretty decent.
  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    Way left field musing....
    ....I just discovered that Ween is starting to play again!!! Happy, happy day!!....and yes, takimoto, all your comments are on point. Also, is anyone checking out the Day of the Dead box? Good, good stuff in there. Happy Birthday Mr. Zimmerman. Playing Blood on the Tracks now....
  • takimoto
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    musings
    I am really enjoying this 78 box ... its like the dead on steroids or PED's. Jerry especially is playing like a man possessed. I've been driving around town blaring this box in my car and my car must literally be rocking back and forth when I idle at red lights. on the slide ... I generally don't like the sound of the slide guitar, regardless of who is playing it. However, I do like weir's slide playing. It gives a different sound to songs I've heard a million times before. I suppose there have been a few times when he was overpowering with it but generally I like it and thought he added the right touch when playing slide. I love donna. Period. I never heard a song that she was on that I felt irritated by her contribution to the song. I think she got better as the years went on. Her high water mark to me was Sing me back home on venetta and any LLR in 78. I also think she should have been invited to FTW ... but that is another matter. hey sixtus - I live on other side of 95 down 109 past westwood ... can't be too far from u. I also think there is something about post hiatus Bob Weir and I don't know if he matured or stepped up his game or what but he just has a more commanding presence in late 70's which really adds to the dead shows in those years and really helped make 77 and 78 such stellar years. I.e. songs like estimated, etc. Quite frankly, toward the end when jerry had off nites, his tunes carried the show. Although I prefer late 60's to early 70's dead, his emergence helps contribute to the high energy dead we get in late 70's. So, if the dead didn't jam as much in those years, at least we got the high energy shows. Finally, someone gave kudos to weirs song writing earlier. I totally agree. I generally prefer Garcia/hunter tunes a little more but weir wrote some early tunes that I love. Plus as the band rolled into the mid and late 80's his writing made a greater contribution to the 80's sound (Throwing stones, easu, Hell in bucket, etc).
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July 1978: The Complete Recordings

What's Inside:

• Five Complete Shows on 12 discs
• 7/1/78 Arrowhead Stadium: Kansas City, MO
• 7/3/78 St. Paul Civic Center Arena: St. Paul, MN
• 7/5/78 Omaha Civic Auditorium: Omaha, NE
• 7/7/78 Red Rocks Amphitheatre: Morrison, CO
• 7/8/78 Red Rocks Amphitheatre: Morrison, CO
Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
Artwork by esteemed cartoonist Paul Pope
Intro and show-by-show liner notes by Nicholas Meriwether
Producer's Note by David Lemieux
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 15,000
Release Date: May 13, 2016

Announcing July 1978: The Complete Recordings

We’re pleased to announce JULY 1978: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS, five incredible unreleased shows and the first official release from the long-lost tapes, recently returned to the Grateful Dead’s vault. Follow the Dead on a sonic journey through a superb selection of settings, an often epic adventure that finds them winning over Willie and Waylon fans in Kansas City, conjuring charisma in Omaha, and elevating the Red Rocks beyond their already spiritual planes. With five distinct performances painting the masterpiece of 1978, Betty Cantor-Jackson's always-pristine soundboard recordings, and the "hall-of-fame pedigree" of the Dead's first-ever shows at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre, this is one release that far exceeds excellence in music, sound quality, and rarity.

Limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies, JULY 1978: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS includes Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO (7/1/78), St. Paul Civic Center, St. Paul, MN (7/3/78), Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, NE (7/5/78), and Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison CO (7/7/78 and 7/8/78) - all of the performances in this collection are drawn from the band’s master soundboard recordings, each newly mastered by Jeffrey Norman. The set also features original artwork by esteemed cartoonist Paul Pope (D.C. and Marvel comics) and in-depth liner notes written by Nick Meriwether (Grateful Dead Archives at the University of California, Santa Cruz), as well as a producer’s note from producer David Lemieux.

Due May 13th, we anticipate that this extraordinary box will sell out. Your best bet is to pre-order it now, then sit back, relax, and enjoy all the exclusive content we'll be rolling out over the next few weeks right here.

Looking for something a little more byte-sized? The collection will also be available for HD digital download in FLAC and ALAC, exclusively at dead.net, on release day.

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it is now toast. Or toasted spam. Or something.
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Wow!! Thanks for the update!! Wish him well and hope he has time for this stuff again soon!!
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Anti-dentite conspiracy theories aside, it's authoritatively rumoured that Slippery Rock is experiencing a rare and somewhat confusing aural-oral epidemic of unprecedented scope as deadheads grind their enamel to sand in anxious anticipation of the pending June '74 box coronation. https://www.ehealthscores.com/providers/izd-lllpqpllpt/DAVID-DURYEA.html There's little left to excite the imagination at this point, but the Everest of apexes in a 30-year history that reads like an active EKG is surely one. Q: How do you like yer Dead? A: Jai Alai like it jazzy, seastoned, and infested with electronic spiders!
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6/74 Box??? How cool!!! Our David might keep busy in the months of anticipation until its arrival!!
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9 years 11 months
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I was in the early draw and received email notice of assigned tickets on 5/30. Hampton, Nashville, and Vegas comprise an intriguing triptik. Quite excited about Nashville, as I've never been; plus, I plan to couple that excursion with my initial visit to Memphis - from which I anticipate a long desired day trip to the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale/MS! Any recommendations regarding favoured eateries or must-see stuff anywhere along the way appreciated... V, hope your bid for tix went well today. Go Caps. #8
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Sadly, the Caps never performed with this degree of success when I was on loan to DC from New Haven during my law school internships. Still...my joy now exercises long-arm jurisdiction! Rather like the Summer & Fall '91 tours when Heads must have asked themselves, "Could this really be happening?". Of course, I was in first grade, so the question was a matter of rhetorical - and highly irrelevant - inquisition to my existence at the time. Go Caps. #8 I still miss The Eleven.
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Kate,While in Memphis I might suggest visiting Sun Studios, the Stax Museum and Civil Rights Museum...all exceptional. For dinner, catfish at Blues City Café on Beale Street and maybe a band at B.B. Kings across the street for desert. If you are going to Clarksdale for some Delta Blues you might want to look up the Shack Up Inn at the Hopson Plantation. Great blues themed accommodations, located just on the outskirts of Clarksdale. Maybe catch dinner and a band at the Ground Zero Blues Club. My wife and I did a similar trip back in 2006 and had an amazing time. Best wishes for exciting and safe travels. Charlie
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I've been eyeing this beautiful box for nearly a year, finally pulled the trigger before they all dried up. My summer listening party is expected to arrive this Friday...can't wait!
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8 years 11 months
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Being that you are familiar with the last two shows, I recommend listening in chronological order.
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9 years 11 months
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...Charlie & those who responded by IM. I've received offers of guided tours and even a poolside guesthouse. As with those of you I met a couple years ago hopscotching across the Midwest with DeadCo & Phish, the generosity and knowledge of our community never fail to amaze! A fruitful period of new music: in addition to the NorPac box, the link just went up on AmazonUS for the Szell Columbia set; Ned's Seastones' rerelease arrived, as did the Cream 67 Detroit broadcast; ordered the Casal/CATS followup, of which I'd heard nothing before stumbling across it here; ordered the entire CAKE catalogue after making initial - and pleasantly astounded - discovery last week; and have the Flaming Lips early release box pending. On a related note, I couldn't resist a ticket to kids-of-Cream (well, two-thirds) in Louisville come November...Baker & Bruce's sons; quite remarkable that each picked up the instruments of their legendary fathers and carved out sustained, respected careers.
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7 years 7 months
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But the banner above says only 1000 left, just two days after this was posted. So I'm confused.
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However, the site just allowed me to put 1404 units into my cart...but not 1405. So who knows really.....
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http://spiritcats.com/seastones.html Spectacular sound in the now-complete canon of related compositions from the early-mid '70's courtesy this expanded reissue. Phenomenal! My favour tends toward the final handful of tracks that bespeak interstellar transmissions of an alien insect intelligence...the kind of sound that made the Seastones session of Jai Alai 6/23 such a perfect intermission companion piece to that spectacularly bizarre and utterly elite Dead show. http://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1974/6/23-7/seastones On order: Szell Complete Columbia (already said?) and the next edition of Bear's Sonic Journals - ABB Fillmore East '70.
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Though I don't Facebook, I glimpsed the following exchange on the OSF page over the blinder: Jon Chazen Is this the same one released on the dead label in the late 90s? Owsley Stanley Foundation Same shows. Better technology. Mastered from scratch. More material -- in fact, all of the material we could find from all three nights will be available in various formats. So, single disc order canceled in the hopes of a pending box set announcement. Terribly exciting stuff: more Duane!
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6 years 2 months
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Finally ordered this last week and #13,900 just got delivered. Love the packaging!
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17 years 3 months
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7/1/78 aniversary 40 years ago today. Short but sweet. Thanks Willie for inviting the Dead to your gig in KC.
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I finally pulled the trigger on this box, just over two years after it came out. I think I have the answer as to why it still hasn't sold out. Most of it is just not that great. Of course the 2nd Red Rocks show has been considered a "tentpole" show for many years, and there's something to be said for it. But, like 5/8/77, it was made available as a solo item. For many, that would be good enough. For the rest of us - those who are fanatical enough to at least consider a large box set of multiple shows - I think this box was a bit of an overreach. I know many of you will disagree, having already posted in the thread about the fantastic sound quality, wonderful performances, and uniqueness of the previously unheard shows from 7/1-7/5. I have to say that in my personal opinion, just because something hasn't been released, that doesn't make it release-worthy. Distant, poorly-recorded AUD tapes can be fun to listen to, especially when you can hear some great stuff in them; by contrast, Plangent-processed SBD recordings reveal every wrong note, painful lyrical flub, and off-key harmony vocal...of which, I'm sorry to say, these shows have plenty. Prior to listening to the first couple shows from this, I only allowed myself to listen to some early-80s Brent shows for a few days. I'm mostly a pre-hiatus guy (though I love some of the '77 recordings, too), and I figure that everything from '78 on is exponentially worse each year. But the material I played - from '81-'83 - was actually pretty good, in spite of Jerry's obvious vocal decline. When the box arrived, and I started playing these shows, I was surprised that they weren't better. In fact, they were about the same as - maybe not even as good as - those early 80s shows. Over the past couple days, I've taken a bit of a break from the box. I'm in the middle of the 7/5/78 show. I don't want to prejudice myself more by going back to '72, of course, so I've been checking out some shows on YouTube: 12/28/83 and 12/31/79. I find myself agreeing - for the first time EVER - with the tiny but vocal minority on the Dead.net message boards - that we should start getting more '80s releases. It's not that Brent was so great, or that Donna was so bad. It's that this box has made me reassess the tired 70s vs. 80s argument in favor of more early 80s releases. If this box is the best the Dead got in the post-77 era, well, they were not substantially worse in the 80s...at least on some nights. Now, I'm sure I'll feel better about my purchase as I get toward the end of the box and hear Red Rocks again for the first time in a few years. But for now, I'm finding myself wanting more variety from upcoming releases. And if that means a few more official Altheas and Esaus, well, bring 'em on!
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Mr Heartbreak, I have to take issue with you here. Lets not go to the 80s - the real inventiveness of the Dead is here in the 70s. 78 gets a bad press but the strength of this set is Jerry's vocal delivery. I've rarely heard him so energised. I admit that I skip over Rhythm Devils and I'm not keen on Phil's over funky bass at Arrowhead but The Music Never Stopped and Peggy-O have rarely been bettered. Its the never ending search for the ultimate rift from Jerry that makes this so rewarding. Its not about perfection, its about the search for perfection and the knowledge that it'll never ever be achievable. Even if you get there it won't be good enough. You'll still need to go over the edge to find out where the edge is. Listen again my friend.
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I couldn't disagree more. Jerry doesn't sound energized at all in this entire run. He sounds winded, like he's really struggling - maybe for the first time - with his vocals. Remember, he had laryngitis a few months earlier and had to actually lay out for an entire gig. In July it sounds like he's trying to make up for his struggles vocally by working harder. And the result is almost constant failure. The only really good Jerry vocals in this entire run are maybe a Stella Blue and a Peggy-O. Not exactly something I want to listen to multiple times. As I said in my post, I'm more a pre-hiatus guy, so I'm going back to my comfort zone by picking up a Europe '72 show: 4/26. Originally released in part as Hundred Year Hall, this show has all-timer versions of a bunch of tunes. Hard to believe that was just six short years before this sub-par '78 run. And yes, the Red Rocks shows have some high points, but this box set could be most charitably described as "ragged." Okay, I'm out.
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But this box set disappointed me. And I'm as hardcore a 78 guy as there is. Similar to what Mr Heartbreak said, and I've heard others make similar observations (a couple of the guys who post regularly, and I don't remember who) In the 1978 July box set, I hear this compared to the exact same songs in the 1977 shows or even January - April 1978: * instrumentally, way more missed notes * harmony vocals, a lot of disharmony in the harmony vocals. people coming into the chorus unevenly, and out of harmony * instrumentally a lot more transition misses from one guy or another * lead vocals, a lot more uneven singing of the verses (by uneven, I mean singing ahead of or behind the melody) * the mix - the vocals do not blend in with the instrumentation as smoothly, instead, the vocals sound a lot louder than the instruments to me in many songs. Anyway, when you factor in a little bit of all of those things I commented about, it adds up to a lot of distractions when I listen to these shows. I had been looking forward to some hot Music Never Stopped and Terrapin Stations, since they developed some parts a little bit more in '78 but they didn't quite get there smoothly. If I had nothing to compare these shows to, I probably would thing they were outstanding, but compared to Jan - April '78 and '77, they're not quite as good to my humble ears. tombstone, I agree with your sentiment, but Limited Edition and ebay is what keeps this machine rolling. Rhino (as they should) is going with the business plan that makes them the most money. To have a never ending supply of over 300 releases is a one-way boat ride to a large ice berg of a business plan. these vault releases are not like major releases. only the hardcore want 22 shows from europe 72. only the hardcore would tolerate the 1974 wall of sound recording quality (or 80s cassette tape recording quality). we are an esoteric crowd. they need to feed us fast and move on to the next thing quickly. they need the money up front (subscription) and they reinvest it back into the machine. ebay? well, if I have to move 18,000 widgets every quarter, and 1000 customers want 10 each, so be it. this will allow me to have the front money to continue to produce for not just the 1000 buying 10 each, but the remaining 8000 buying 1 each. And to be fair, Rhino has been systematically increasing the production numbers each year or two. I truly believe Pinkus and Lemieux are as seasoned as Dead Heads come, and they want to keep the lights on as long as possible, so they're going with the plan that not only keeps them in business, but which is fair to everyone. subscriptions never sell out quickly, everyone has their opportunity to get one, and 99 bucks a year is not asking too much by any reasonable standard, since we're getting 13 discs (works out to .13 cents a disc). AND the merchandise appreciates over time. What other product does that? Not my f***ing car! Sorry I screwed up the math, it works out to 7.62 a disc. That's pretty good brother. or like vguy says 27 cents a day. give the guys a little love, they have figured out a golden cheap plan for us to revel in this addiction for the foreseeable future.
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Guess I'm just bat shit crazy. My sweet spot is also 67-74, but I don't compare this to those years as it's a different beast altogether. I take it for what it is, and it's fresh, loaded with energy and fun. Once or twice a year I go to a few of the shows in this box, and rarely Red Rocks. I have already listened to those to death. Arrowhead and Omaha get hit a lot. So call me crazy.
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Looks like 1111 left. Give or take.
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This has probably been covered somewhere within the 76 page sof comments I don't have time to read, but how does this 7/8 differ from this one? https://www.amazon.com/Red-Rocks-Amphitheatre-Morrison-CO/dp/B01E1I9M9Q… All I saw was that the box set version was "remastered," but can anyone hear a difference? I ask because I'm thinking of buying a few of these a la carte and don't need a second copy of this show if the differences are negligible (or if there are difference at all)
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I would doubt there is a difference in sound because 7/8 and the box set were released at the same time. Unless someone could inform otherwise as to sound differences, I'd recommend to just go for the entire box if you can. It's a good package and each show has something to offer. I find myself going back to it pretty often, with 7/3 and 7/5 getting slightly fewer spins.
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The version of 7/8 in the box is exactly the same as the single show available for sale on Amazon and elsewhere. As they usually do for box sets lately, they simply selected one show to sell as an individual product for those not wanting to buy the whole box (just like they did with 3/29/90 and 5/8/77). It is exactly the same mastering and so forth, and usually the same disc packaging.
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this is a more shelf friendly package and "better recordings" than the Pacific Northwest Box.if it wasn't for the cool sculptural and excellent design of the new PNW box, i would take this one if i had to chose. it is one of the more shelf friendly box sets (DVD sized) and the graphic novel theme fits well with the shows. while it still is a SBD with vocals, drums high in the mix, Jerry is there and the only real complaints is how well you can hear Bob's public slide practice. i don't know if it's true, but i heard Bob was given a slide, or slide lessons, by Lowell George when they started working on Shakedown St that they recorded right after this tour. anyway, if you don't have it yet, grab it because even though they don't advertise it, in the booklet it does state the Betty reels were Plangent processed, thanks for the info David Duryea.
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In reply to by wadeocu

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Hopefully this excellent will sell out before early July 2019.

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In reply to by Born Cross Eye…

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Yeah I’m late to the party here, but my order is finally in. I wish it was sooner buy hey, such is life.

As to some of those naysayer comments over the past few months, I always assumed Bobby’s ‘just exactly perfect’ was said with a degree of irony. I prefer believability over perfection. Are they making me feel what they feel? Is something monstrously new coming to life through the music? With a fire at play deep in the bestial belly? The details around the edges don’t contribute much to that domain.

One aspect that played into my decision, which I don’t think has been mentioned here, is the placement of the run between 70’s GD and 80’s GD. A lot of changes occurred in one year’s time and from what I can tell, this is a good testament for the directions soon to be ventured. The early Drums-Space incarnations in particular. And I figure a Normanized Betty Board for those isn't something to miss out on. While not quite the quality as the multi-trak recordings for Spring ’90, probably as good as you’ll get up until that time.

I think you’ll be happy with your purchase.
Toss the CDs in the player, crack open an M-43, kick back, and enjoy.

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17 years 3 months
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You're going to love this box. It is one to play loudly. To me, the sound is much more consistently better than the PacNor box. Plenty of low end and nuance, and the vocals don't ever drop out. Chime in with your thoughts when you get to listening.

P.S. Buses and bikes, dammit!

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9 years 11 months

In reply to by wilfredtjones

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These shows have a heck of a lot of charm. Each with plenty of inspired nuggets tucked away... waiting for a close listen... those “A Ha!” moments that cue a listener in as to why they were selected for release.

A few thoughts:

Packaging: High quality material. Absolutely splendid artwork. Really pops to life once you have it in hand (internet photos don’t do it justice). One nice touch is that when the top is off, the sleeves can be repositioned in a number of different ways for the illustrations to create collage-type triptychs. Not unlike panels found in graphic novels. Go figure! Size is also perfect for bookshelving.

Sound: Beefy, as I was expecting from having a copy of the July 8 Red Rock show back in the 90’s. A warmer, lower ended projection than the ‘77 boards, but still with all the crystalline clarity in the highs. One minor critique would be that Drums sounds a bit more distant than I was hoping, but which I assume is because they didn’t have as many mic placements back at that time. Probably a good approximation of what it sounded like live, though.

Playing: A transition period and I would actually recommend the box to 80s fans more so than those of 70s (?). I’m not sure this will make sense to anyone other than myself, but Jerry tucks his solos in-and-about the melodies more. Rather than those long reaching, gracefully soaring lines that extend the music beyond the framework, as he did in the 70's, he keeps it more rhythmic, abstracts it on the inward with a tighter, kinetic, even slightly manic, energy. A for better or worse style held to thereon out, and the band following in kind.

I will say though I found the first set of Omaha a bit rough. Band sounds out of sync at times, like watching your favorite basketball team fall over on itself. The spirit is there, just not the final execution to score the buckets. Perhaps it was from an overfill of beans and bratwurst at the July 4th picnic or improper chilling of the Heineken? Or maybe just my ears? Who knows. I'll give it another shot of course and see if I feel differently then. Could be because I gave a first listen while watching Michigan State University go through a February slump. (Don't we all?) But whatever it was, they got it taken care of over the break because the second set is back on track.

With all said, glad I picked this beauty up. Thanks GD! Thanks Betty! Thanks Dave! Thanks faithful! And go MSU!

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Frankly, I'm surprised this box is still available. It is a go to for me frequently. I must also say, I love all the years.

Yes it is rough around the edges, but that is (as is the band) part of it's charm. Jerry is playing a more rockin guitar sound, with a rich, sweet tone, throughout this tour. Betty has worked her magic, I can hear all the instruments balanced well at least for two track. I especially enjoy hearing Kieth's playing.

I love the 1 set show at Willie's Arrowhead show...rockin and cowboy songs, and then a deep dive into psychedelia- awesome set.

I think I'm also into this box because of the two Red Rocks shows, because I love Red Rocks. I have many fond memories at Red Rocks seeing the Dead, but not at these shows. I do remember, though hearing from other friends, that those 78 Red Rocks shows were awesome, and that is what convinced me to travel from California to the 79 Red Rocks shows.

But that wouldn't matter if the music wasn't there, and this box delivers in spades, if you're looking for the more rock'in looser let's shake this place kinda band.

And if you're lookin for a great two track recording of this awesome band during their July five show tour.

Bottom line, if you didn't get this, get it while you can.

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5 years 7 months
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So I finally pulled the trigger on the July 78 box set! I was quick to jump on the PNW 73-74 box set,my favorite years are 73 & 77 but I have a special place in my heart for 76 & 78 because I’m always coming away surprised in a wonderful way; like someone said before I love the long extended jams but I love the tight rhythms and rounder beefier sound with 78 as well. Feel free to engage, im super stoked to finally be here among like minded fanatics, lol!

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6 years 10 months
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Hey Phil...justa heads up, most of us other fanatics/freaks are consistently on the most recent Dave’s Picks or most recent box set thread...currently Daves 30 until next week!

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7 years 4 months
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I picked this one up because it would be a mistake not too. A lot of the guys on this site told me it would be a great idea. Can't wait.

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7 years 4 months
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I purchased this box Oct. 26th and been waiting since. I jump around because Dap 32 comment site gets a little boring. I like to fish around the pond to see if there are some other type of fish to fry. Know what I'm saying. I have some money saved up so I'm buying things I need. Socks, underwear, boots, cigars, and box sets. This is my second box after that giants box gem. I love to buy stuff that has nice packaging and extras.

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7 years 10 months
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Purchased on 10/22/19 and waiting patiently. What happens if they don't fulfill orders chronologically and this set sells out before I get my copy?

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7 years 10 months
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Do I need another version of Supplication with this box set? Yes of course!! That's why I ordered it 7 weeks ago. But the birthday gift could still be a Holiday gift? I would send a PM but don't know how, so message sent through Customer Service. Can't see how a warehouse move would disrupt order fulfillment to this degree, especially now that Dead.net is making promises about Christmas delivery for new orders. I would just forget about the whole thing except that the stand alone Red Rocks 7/8/78 CD on my shelf keeps reminding me...mmmwwwwrrr. On the bright side, listening to DP Volume 8 again. Feedbacking solo on Loser just great.

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