July 1978: The Complete Recordings

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February 3, 2016 - 11:24am

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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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April 23, 2016 - 2:26pm

#2501

Kayak Guy

Joined:
June 4, 2015

10 year deal - when does it end?

Soon. The SBDs came off LMA in 2005. http://archive.org/post/49553/good-news-and-an-apology-gd-on-the-intern…
April 23, 2016 - 2:26pm

#2502

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

Re: LJ

I read that article when it came out. I think this is an example of they evolutionary conclusion I came to. There was certainly a lot of back and forth. I have also read in Dave's words that he was considering a few mini boxes from the E-72 tour also. A Paris box, a 5/10 and 5/11 min box. So they had several ideas and took their time and came to the right decision. Similar to the Road Trips project. They tried a few things and it didn't work so well. I believe Dave was picking the shows for those releases also, and I'm glad they switched to a mostly whole shows only approach. Anyway, I'm not here to argue just offer another point of view and I certainly do not speak for Dave nor was at the table when these decisions are made. Have a good one all.
April 23, 2016 - 2:00pm

#2503

KeithFan2112

Joined:
August 6, 2014

Great Article

Thanks for posting LJ. Jimbo, Sixtus, others, help me out brothers - Who IS Dr. Rhino? Is he the Mark Pinkus mentioned in the article? Is he the owner of Rhino entertainment? Is his last name Rhino? Is he a Dr.? I keep hearing about the 10 year deal - when does it end? These questions keep me up at night. Those and how did Snoke get his scars. I have a theory....
April 23, 2016 - 12:36pm

#2504

boblopes

Joined:
January 13, 2009

@ LoveJerry & Dr Jim - love the discourse

Nice discussion - food for thought (great UB40 song) - I can see both sides. Love the out of body thread as well. I would say I'd be in the camp back then when the Road Trip series came out to stray away from incomplete shows. As for the Download series, I'd prefer the physical products, so I did not participate and enjoyed the archive.org. Looking back that was a bit presumptuous on my part and I missed out on some solid releases. All of my Dick's Picks were first editions ordered when I got the email. I was travelling a lot for work and did not keep[ up with the later releases cause I did not want to peruse website on company assets. After missing out on Fillmore West back set and missed out on E72 Trunk, became more diligent at seeing what Dead.net was up to. I was also off the road. The Road Trips releases in contrast were acquired just as they were selling the remaining stock. My WAG is that it's probably a little bit of both. Rhino had a ten year deal to skim the cream of the crop. Dave wants the music released, as a deadhead he knows first hand what some of the holy grail recordings are. He's also probably shrewd enough to know that the ten year deal is a tryout on both sides (Dead & Rhino). If it's beneficial to both parties, it will continue. If not Rhino who would you trust or the band trusts to continue the work. There's not that many "independent" music production companies out there. I don't think they'd trust Warner or Arista again. Look how Columbia or Sony bastardizes the live shows for other artists. One of my favorite live albums back in the 90's was Tour De Force by Al Dimeola - the re-release is shameful. The recent Genesis live releases (with exception of Lamb from LA) was shameful. Second's Out still had Steve Hackett's guitar low in the mix. When the live album was originally produced, Hackett had left the band rumor had it Tony Banks was pissed and Hackett's guitar was mixed low. The Yes Songs box (2015) is a good release and that was produced by Rhino. I loved being able to purchase the live show for several of the Smashing Pumpkin, Pearl Jam and Phil & Friends shows. Great memory, but from a live recording standard like a Betty board - not even close. We're spoiled! Devil's in the details, but I personally hope this ride (relationship) continues to evolve and we keep getting awesomest of awesome releases. I've feel lucky that two of the shows I have attended have been released - one from the Brett and one from the Vince eras have been released. Still dreaming about RFK 90 and the other Oxford 88 show get released, but I have not been disappointed in any of the releases since I re-upped starting with Dave's #2 and made it a point not to miss another release. My biggest fear is the next ten years becomes a subscription based streaming model. You just pay a monthly fee and this leads up to less than stellar release quality since typical streaming is lower than redbook cd or HD files. No more need to go to Jeffery Norman for the mix, no more plangent process to clean it up. I hope I'm wrong. I gobble up as many Charlie Miller, Hunter Seamons and all the original tapers as the next crazed deadhead, but I like getting the official release, even if I have that show in better than average archive quality. Dave, keep up the great work. Given the musical canon over the last five years (series, individual and box releases) since you started the Dave's Picks this has been truly special. We are the luckiest fans in the world. Glad to see bands like Phish and Pearl Jam adopt and evolve the model. Thank you! Sorry for the ramble... Ramble on Rose!
April 23, 2016 - 9:17am

#2505

LoveJerry

Joined:
March 19, 2015

Not Speculation

Dave makes it clear here and in other interviews I've read, that he had to convince Rhino to do Europe '72 Complete. My only point is that people should not rip Dave Lemieux or call him a shill or anything of the like, if they are happy with the volume of music we've had available in the last 5 years. Without his pushing for Europe '72, there would be no 30 Trips, Spring '90, or any of the other large box sets, as Rhino was clearly too risk averse to even put E72 on the market. http://ultimateclassicrock.com/grateful-dead-archivist-david-lemieux-ta… Beyond that, Dave's instinct for Dave's Picks and the other mini-box sets led to sell-outs that happened fast enough to allow for the next project / release to get on the books. No sell-outs, no continued releases - the revenue drives the release schedule. Again, my only point is that without Dave Lemieux, there would be fewer releases for us to enjoy today. There are several interviews with Dave where he indicates he is not a fan of partial-release shows, unless there are simply not quality tapes to allow for a full release. And there are interviews with him where he indicates that more freedom was given to him for the latest series, hence the moniker "Dave's Picks". The only speculation is that Dave's Picks is a more successful series than Road Trips, but I think the premature ending of Road Trips, coupled with the large overstock of the series (half of it was available for months / years after their initial release dates), along with the fact that the current series is "Dave's Picks" is enough to connect the dots. Just saying, there's plenty of interview footage available to put 2 and 2 together, so nobody who is enjoying the quantity of releases should be ripping Dave as someone who is a shill or incompetent vault keeper.
April 23, 2016 - 8:58am

#2506

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

Road Trips and Corporate Musings

I'm not sure I buy into all the speculation tossed out there about the Lemieux / Rhino relationship and who pitched Road Trips, how E72 the complete records came to be etc. My guess is there was more an evolutionary aspect to all this than Rhino vs. Lemieux. Here's Blair's insight on Road Trips http://www.dead.net/features/blair-jackson/blair%e2%80%99s-golden-road-… What's revealing here is how Dicks passing lead to a flood of high quality soundboards uploaded to Archive.Org, something no one really expected and this has a greater impact on releases than pitches from Rhino or David Lemieux. Also, I believe Rhino paid a good bit of money for the rights to produce, distribute and license releases over a ten year period. I bet declining sales as a result of downloading and streaming soundboards had a greater impact on the push for larger boxes than personalities or ideas from a particular person. In other words, I bet this whole thing evolved is a bit more nuanced than one would believe reading over a few of these posts. Just my two cents.
April 23, 2016 - 4:43am

#2507

KeithFan2112

Joined:
August 6, 2014

China Dog

Thanks for the 5/25 recommendation Jimbo. I am going to revisit 4/17 too. I love hearing about the nuances everyone gets out Dead music, because at the end of the day, that's what makes all of these vault releases so appealing. Someone on one if the the threads recently said you can't judge a show by the set list, because you can get anything from any song on any night. Minas, agree on 5/3 Rider, they do sing it differently. Lovejerry, I think you tapped into something significant about the nature of DL's relationship with the execs - interviews with him reveal that not only did E72 come first, but that it set the precedent for the Mega-Box marketing strategy. He's said in a couple of interviews that he had to pitch the idea repeatedly for a few years before they gave the green light. Not the case anymore. He said 30 Trips was something like 3 years in the planning, which means he got the green light almost immediately after the smashing success of E72. And of course we had two other big boxes in the interim (Spring '90), and several mini-boxes in short duration. This is all due to Dave's diligence, make no mistake. Then along came a subscription series to replace the failed Road Trips (failed because they did not sell out in the overnight fashion that we see with Dave's Picks, which is an essential component of the sales & marketing strategy). I don't think there is a soul out there that could have accomplished this other than Dave. It had to be a DeadHead, and it had to be someone who had been tuned into Dick's world. I don't think we'd have seen anywhere near the volume of music that has been released since E72, had it not been for Dave Lemieux.
April 22, 2016 - 9:20pm

#2508

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

72 China Riders

I need to be more disciplined, like One Man, Sixtus and Keithfan.. I never take notes but I do listen. When the E72 box arrived, I did a complete listen show by show. Took me a couple to a few months, mostly on a good system or headphones if I didn't want to wake people up. Then I revisited shit. There was a China Rider that stood out to me, but it took me another few weeks to find it. Its still my favorite for a very subtle reason. I was taking queue's from KeithFan this week (I trust him, he's a doctor) and really dialed into the 4/17 version. As always, its the improv in the transition that makes it. In the last half minute before I Know You Rider, Keith has this great fill that's really unusual and fits right in. He more or less connects the two songs in this instance. I need to give this version more attention. Its a Keith, Phil and Billy party. The problem for me with the China>Rider from 5/3 is its the one on my 35 year old, worn out hunk of vinyl. Sure its the best.. but this is the Grateful Dead and variety matters. ..The version from 5/3 is one of the pieces of music that made me a deadhead, in the days before I was trading tapes this was pure gold. It is that good. Captivating, transformative, the interplay between all musicians, the communication is profound. A classic. But my current favorite (the one I listened to last [kidding]) is 5/25 at the Lyceum. The hand-off between Weir and Garcia is beautiful, Bobby gives it his all and his part ends very deliberately. There is a distinct pause, part of a tension / release theme that I really like, and then Jerry slides into it with this elastic groove that is so appealing to my ears. The pause to me is a great example of colored silence Bobby spoke of referring to a similar pause in Born Cross Eyed, right at the hand off. Like a pronounced deep breath after a significant accomplishment. Give that version a spin, that show doesn't get much love.. but the China>Rider>Oh Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone>Playing in the Band is worth the half hour it takes to listen to. ________ Edit: Oh, then there's Veneta, but that's a whole other story.
April 22, 2016 - 7:13pm

#2509

MinasMorgul

Joined:
February 4, 2015

May 3rd

Love it too. That guitar solo in China Cat is intense. I don't care for the overdubbed vocals in Rider. Too intrusive. They actually carry the end of the verse longer than normal, so the difference from the original makes it sound weird. Wild geese in the Weeeeeeeeesssst instead of the staccato West!
April 22, 2016 - 6:35pm

#2510

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

5/3/72

5/3 was my first wife from the E72 box, but since then I have had many mistresses and some do a better job of comforting me in my old age. I like sandwiches, but for this tour the deep space jazzy sequences get me and I like them complete and not broken up. I'm not sure what my go to Other One is, perhaps 5/10?? For the Dark Stars, I simply cannot pick, but I can assure you my absolute favorite one is the one I just finished listening to. I bought the steamer trunk when it first came out, I remember the clusterflock of ordering and being really pissed that I got shut out, I responded almost immediately. Then I got an email from dead.net asking if I still wanted to play. Game on, but I was a little gun-shy and concerned about the cost - would I would really enjoy every single song of every single show? The setlists weren't that varried, had my hobby gone too far? I can honestly say I got more out of that box than I ever imagined. Kayak Guy is spot on with his insightful words. Its a mandatory retirement purchase, not to fund my Medicare supplemental insurance premiums, but to occupy my mind and provide inner peace. The best chuck of music I own, bar none. Good job all in gobbling this stuff up before it disappears. Its a drug in itself.

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

Dead Store Products

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.

We need an update from David

We need an update from David Duryea.

Don’t click on wallpaper expert’s link

It’s spam

no worries

it is now toast. Or toasted spam. Or something.

Mmmmmmm.......

Toasted spam

I have it on good authority...

http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/bio.asp?bioID=596 that Duryea has been called out of retirement. There's a war going on. He's got no time for this shit now.

Wow!! Thanks for the

Wow!! Thanks for the update!! Wish him well and hope he has time for this stuff again soon!!

The Secret Life and Professional Obligations of DD

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!

6/74 Box??

6/74 Box??? How cool!!! Our David might keep busy in the months of anticipation until its arrival!!

Fall Phish

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

#8 Exquisite

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.

Memphis - Delta

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

1419 left!

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!

There ya go Robb

Being that you are familiar with the last two shows, I recommend listening in chronological order.

Thank you...

...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.

1419 left?

But the banner above says only 1000 left, just two days after this was posted. So I'm confused.

Don’t rely on technology agisser

It will only leave you frustrated and confused.

Banner Claims "Only A 1000 Left"

However, the site just allowed me to put 1404 units into my cart...but not 1405. So who knows really.....

Days of Riches

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.

New Information

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!

Got mine today

Finally ordered this last week and #13,900 just got delivered. Love the packaging!

Thank You Willie Nelson

7/1/78 aniversary 40 years ago today. Short but sweet. Thanks Willie for inviting the Dead to your gig in KC.

7-3-78 Happy 40th Anniversary

Rockin’ the disco Dancing as I type.

A Ways to Go Before It Sells Out

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!

July 78. A ways to go...

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.

workingman101

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.

It KILLS Me to Say This

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.

Love This Box

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.

Crazy like a fox Jim

I love this Box too. If you’re looking for a band that makes no mistakes, find a band that plays the same show every night, which is most of them. And don’t compare this Box to E72, those were overdubbed. http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-europe-72-overdubs-guest-pos…

1111

Looks like 1111 left. Give or take.

1069 left

This has probably been

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)

jimmyjack

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.

jimmyjack, there is no difference in sound quality at all

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.

Ya Know ...

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.

931 left

Not sold out yet?

Hopefully this excellent will sell out before early July 2019.

so where'd everybody go?

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.

Fivebranch

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

FiveBranch

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!

Long Time Coming...

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!

Love this box

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.

July 78 box set

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!

Phil30386

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!

Hey Now!!

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.

Just now Carlo?

Where ya been?

You’re in for a treat.

Ice cream

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.

Purchased on 10/22/19 and…

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?

if you're waiting for this

send me a PM with the order details and I'll see what we can find out.

Supplication

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.

Re: Supplication

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