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    lilgoldie
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    Joined:

    What's Inside:
    • Five Complete Shows
    • 5/11/77 St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN
    • 5/12/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
    • 5/13/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
    • 5/15/77 St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO
    • 5/17/77 University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
    •14 Discs, 111 tracks
    •Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman, Plangent Processes playback system for maximum sonic accuracy
    •Artwork by Grammy Award-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike
    •Period Photos by James R Anderson
    •Historical Essay by Steve Silberman
    •Individual show liner notes

    MAGICAL, MYTHICAL MAY 1977!

    If you're a Dead Head, chances are you've spent many an hour expounding upon the distinction of May 8, 1977, Cornell University, Barton Hall. Well, at the risk of preaching to the choir, we'd like to reintroduce you to a series of shows that matches said greatness from that same gloriously fertile season. While Barton Hall is well known, the astounding tour that surrounded it has occasionally flown under the radar due to the uneven quality of tapes in circulation. May 1977 is set to change all of that with a boxed set that zeroes in on this high-water mark in the Grateful Dead's long strange trip.

    For a band resurrecting itself after a 20-month hiatus, there was a great frenzy of expectancy that surrounded the Spring of 1977. We anticipate a grand reoccurrence of this fervor with the release of May 1977, a 14-disc boxed set featuring five complete shows from consecutive stops on that magical tour. Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering, the "psychoacoustic phenomena" as Jerry once put it, of St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN (5/11) Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL (5/12, 5/13), St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO (5/15) and Coliseum at the University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (5/17) can now finally be appreciated. Each of these shows finds the Dead delivering punchier, more focused sets, tightening up the framework; each night turning out first-ever renditions ("Passenger,""Iko Iko,""Jack-A-Roe"), unloading potent new pairings ("Scarlet Begonias">"Fire On The Mountain", "Estimated Prophet">"Eyes Of The World"), classic covers ("Dancing In The Street") and soon-to-be staples ("Estimated Prophet," "Samson and Delilah"), and ultimately rising up to paradise.

    And now for the nitty-gritty...

    Due June 11, May 1977 is limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies. Presented in a psychedelic box that boasts an intricate die-cut design created by Grammy®-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike, the set also includes a book filled with stories about each show, as well as an in-depth essay by Dead historian Steve Silberman, who delves deep into the history behind the tour and the band’s return from its extended hiatus.

    Once these 15,000 boxes are gone, May 1977 and its shows will never be available again on CD. However, the 111 tracks will be made available on release date as FLAC and Apple lossless full-set-only downloads for $99.98.

    Like its predecessors Europe '72: The Complete Recordings and Spring 1990, we expect May 1977 to 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 and on Facebook.com/GratefulDead and Youtube.com/gratefuldead.

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  • claney
    Joined:
    Doh!
    JohnL, thanks, I should have realized that wasn't in the Vault, darn. I do love my 8/03/82 AUD (I will check out the matrix). And that Starlight 84 show is better than I remember upon revisiting, holy smokes I even listened to promised land all the wan through! Depressing Thought for the Day: Does it seem that the PTB are giving up on releases aimed at the general public (e.g., NY 1976, Egypt 78, Red White and Indigo). I guess there are the fairly recent 2-disc compiliations from E72 and Spring 90. This would be an understandable move, just keep releasing limited editions to the same 10-15,000 people, but it would imply that the number of new fans has dried up(?). I am still being affected by the post-operative anaesthesia hangover and percocet? :)
  • tombstone
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    Joined:
    Limited Edition?
    It looks like a great set but is it really necessary for every live Dead release to be a limited release? Wasn't the original premise on this site (going back to Dick's Picks) that the shows would always be available? For me at least, I don't want to like the shows more because they will be out of print soon. I want to like them on their own merits. Well, just my thoughts anyway...
  • JohnL
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    Joined:
    Starlight
    {Also agreed that a venue box might be silly, on the other hand, I kinda like this idea: Starlight Amphitheatre, KC 8/03/82 7/03/84 9/03/85} So sad 8/3/82 is not in the vault :-( The KC 79-81 run at Soldiers/Sailors Hall might be an even stronger run, but 8/3/82 was the best- my 3rd show and the one that floored me. Deserving of a stand alone release if the master ever surfaces. Check out the matrix that circulates!
  • wilfredtjones
    Joined:
    Bob's tone
    What effect switch is Bobby using during the early part of '77, including this run? Check out 5-17 Terrapin at the beginning. He uses it on other tunes; I think it was on the Terrapin Station record as well. It sounds kind of like a tremolo effect.
  • gusmozart
    Joined:
    Orpheum 1976
    I would love it if Dave and company would release the amazing run of shows at the Orpheum in July 1976. First shows back in San Francisco after their hiatus. Lovely, small, ornate theatre on Market street (still in use, mostly for Broadway touring shows, though I did see David Byrne & St. Vincent there last fall. First time I'd been in the room since 7/18/76!). I was fortunate to see 4 of the 6 shows. When the tickets went on sale, I was traipsing around Europe for several months, and had no idea they were back together, let alone touring. When I returned, 4 separate friends had gotten me a ticket to the shows, and amazingly, they were all for different nights! What a lucky man I was!! The opening of the first show was one of the most memorable entrances of any Dead show ever. Night 2 was spectacular, the ending of the first set in particular. First SF "St. Stephen" since 1970! And that insane second set from the final night... SO many highlights!!
  • tarantula
    Joined:
    Barton Hall
    OK I am prepared to be jumped on for this, but in my opinion the Barton Hall show while awesome, is over rated. It was one of the first high quality recordings to get wide distribution which was why it was instantly a legend. Having said that, if the five shows following are indeed in the same vein, I will be more than Grateful. Now if only the master reels for 9/19/70 can be located, a true monster show can be released. And while you're at it, please please please release Sunshine Daydream on DVD along with the entire show on companion CD's. Thank you for all the great music.
  • Roland Bruynesteyn
    Joined:
    more sets this year?
    I think not. However, perhaps they allowing us time to save $$$ for next years' bonanza...
  • Bach 2 Bach
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    Joined:
    Box sets
    For the past few years they have typically rolled out the box sets in the fall... I wonder if this means there'll be two this year?
  • gusmozart
    Joined:
    More than any venue
    Someone commented that the Dead played the Spectrum in Philly more than any other venue.Certainly not true. The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA - 53 shows Oakland Coliseum Arena - 66 shows Carousel Ballroom / Fillmore West - 59 shows (same venue) Winterland, SF - 59 shows Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium, Oakland - 58 shows (almost there, but not quite!) MSG, NYC - 52 shows
  • deadegad
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    Joined:
    2 Box Sets this year???
    I would welcome two box sets this year. I do not think that two sets the size of Europe 72 would happen because it may be unrealistic to expect the fans to spend that much. Yet two roughly the size of May 77 seems feasible IMHO. It would still be less money than E72 Complete. Summer 85 would be a good candidate. The Radio City/Warfiled Anniversary shows would one for the history books but the tapes may be missing. Bummer.
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Member for

15 years 7 months

What's Inside:
• Five Complete Shows
• 5/11/77 St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN
• 5/12/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
• 5/13/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
• 5/15/77 St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO
• 5/17/77 University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
•14 Discs, 111 tracks
•Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman, Plangent Processes playback system for maximum sonic accuracy
•Artwork by Grammy Award-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike
•Period Photos by James R Anderson
•Historical Essay by Steve Silberman
•Individual show liner notes

MAGICAL, MYTHICAL MAY 1977!

If you're a Dead Head, chances are you've spent many an hour expounding upon the distinction of May 8, 1977, Cornell University, Barton Hall. Well, at the risk of preaching to the choir, we'd like to reintroduce you to a series of shows that matches said greatness from that same gloriously fertile season. While Barton Hall is well known, the astounding tour that surrounded it has occasionally flown under the radar due to the uneven quality of tapes in circulation. May 1977 is set to change all of that with a boxed set that zeroes in on this high-water mark in the Grateful Dead's long strange trip.

For a band resurrecting itself after a 20-month hiatus, there was a great frenzy of expectancy that surrounded the Spring of 1977. We anticipate a grand reoccurrence of this fervor with the release of May 1977, a 14-disc boxed set featuring five complete shows from consecutive stops on that magical tour. Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering, the "psychoacoustic phenomena" as Jerry once put it, of St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN (5/11) Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL (5/12, 5/13), St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO (5/15) and Coliseum at the University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (5/17) can now finally be appreciated. Each of these shows finds the Dead delivering punchier, more focused sets, tightening up the framework; each night turning out first-ever renditions ("Passenger,""Iko Iko,""Jack-A-Roe"), unloading potent new pairings ("Scarlet Begonias">"Fire On The Mountain", "Estimated Prophet">"Eyes Of The World"), classic covers ("Dancing In The Street") and soon-to-be staples ("Estimated Prophet," "Samson and Delilah"), and ultimately rising up to paradise.

And now for the nitty-gritty...

Due June 11, May 1977 is limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies. Presented in a psychedelic box that boasts an intricate die-cut design created by Grammy®-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike, the set also includes a book filled with stories about each show, as well as an in-depth essay by Dead historian Steve Silberman, who delves deep into the history behind the tour and the band’s return from its extended hiatus.

Once these 15,000 boxes are gone, May 1977 and its shows will never be available again on CD. However, the 111 tracks will be made available on release date as FLAC and Apple lossless full-set-only downloads for $99.98.

Like its predecessors Europe '72: The Complete Recordings and Spring 1990, we expect May 1977 to 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 and on Facebook.com/GratefulDead and Youtube.com/gratefuldead.

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7 years 4 months
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When will this be available as downloads again? I own the high-res digital download of Get Shown the Light and it is spectacular.
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7 years 9 months
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Oh man! Still waiting for these (May 77 and July 78) to be available for download! Please open this up or at least stop listing them as available. Killing me.
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7 years 9 months
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Oh man! Still waiting for these (May 77 and July 78) to be available for download! Please open this up or at least stop listing them as available. Killing me.
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6 years 3 months
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I think a fundraiser for the tapes is the dumbest idea Ive ever heard.
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