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    clayv
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    Pacific Northwest ’73-’74: The Complete Recordings Boxed Set

    WHAT'S INSIDE:
    6 Complete Shows On 19 Discs
    • 6/22/73 P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, B.C.
    • 6/24/73 Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR
    • 6/26/73 Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, WA
    • 5/17/74 P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, B.C.
    • 5/19/74 Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR
    • 5/21/74 Hec Edmundson Pavilion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
    Mastered in HDCD from the original master tapes by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering
    Masters transferred and restored by Plangent Processes
    Original Art by First Nations Artist Roy Henry Vickers
    Photos by Richie Pechner
    Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 15,000

    Includes an immediate digital download of "Eyes Of The World (P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, Canada 5/17/74)"

    "We were in the Pacific Northwest...between somewhere in Washington and some other where in Oregon. The road took us to the lip on a ridge, from where we could see around us for many miles in all directions … It was breathtaking to behold, but as we watched, we had a firm realization that we were witnessing something even more beautiful than our eyes could ever take in … Life causes life. Heaven and Earth dance in this way endlessly, and their child is the forest. And so there we were, epiphanously watching that grandest and most glorious dance of life—of which we are just a tiny part—awed by a magnificence without beginning, without end..."

    Bob Weir, “Sell Headwaters—Everyone Wins,” San Francisco Chronicle

    The Pacific Northwest offers up a rich feast of land, sky, and water. It is ripe with influences, abundant with symbols, deep and spirited. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that the Grateful Dead played some of their most inspired shows on these fertile grounds. It does, however, sometimes take a breath for the elements to re-align years later. It seems for us, they finally have and we are able to present not just a glimpse of the band's extraordinary exploratory tour through the region, but a two-tour bounty as the PACIFIC NORTHWEST ’73-’74: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS.

    For PACIFIC NORTHWEST ’73-’74: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS, we've paired two short runs made up of six previously unreleased shows - P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, B.C. (6/22/73); Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR (6/24/73); Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, WA (6/26/73); P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, Canada (5/17/74); Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR (5/19/74); and Hec Edmundson Pavilion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (5/21/74). Each show has been mastered in HDCD from the original master tapes by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering. The transfers from the masters were transferred and restored by Plangent Processes, further ensuring that this is the best, most authentic that these shows have ever sounded.

    PACIFIC NORTHWEST ’73-’74: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS comes in an ornate box created by Canada’s preeminent First Nations artist Roy Henry Vickers (more on this tremendous artist soon). To complement the music, the set also includes a 64-page book with an in-depth essay by Grateful Dead scholar Nicholas G. Meriwether and photos by Richie Pechner.

    Due September 7th, this release is limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies and available exclusively from dead.net. You'll want to grab a copy while you can and sit back, relax, and enjoy all the exclusive content we'll be rolling out over the next few weeks.

    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. You can pre-order it now too.

    Get it while you can.

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  • Mr. Pete
    Joined:
    Gone by the holidays....
    I would guess by the time the box comes out, and deadheads comment on how nice the box looks, that will "seal the deal" for a lot of people.I am not familiar with the NW shows so I am very much looking forward to sitting down, pouring a cold beverage, lighting up one of my dead meerschaum pipes, and enjoying each show. I am sure the quality of the sound will be...excellent! A lot of us forget how bad cassettes were in the day. Not all...but most! Have a great day! Mr. Pete-----------------> aging hippie
  • tncorey
    Joined:
    @Keithfan
    Total run time for 6/1 @ Camden was 2 hrs, 54 minutes (18 songs including encore) per my Nugs download. For 6/2, it was 1 hr, 46 minutes (10 songs). I don't have the specific Set 1 vs. Set 2 breakdown at the moment. In listening, I felt like the 6/2 first set seemed longer than usual. On a related note, hoping to catch the boys at Blossom tomorrow if time permits!
  • Angry Jack Straw
    Joined:
    Refund
    Not sure why you feel entitled to a refund. You don't get a refund if a baseball game gets called early due to rain. You don't get a refund if you buy a ski pass for the season and it does not snow. Our plow guy certainly does not offer a refund if it does not snow. The same thing happened in Canandaigua a few years back. Sucks, but that is how life works.
  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    Fun fact....
    ....Dead & Co busted out The Eleven on the eleventh show of the tour. I don't believe in coincidences....Haha. Poop. Congrats Sixtus.
  • frosted
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    Jeff Beck
    Lucky you, daverock and Jim. Have only seen him live once, back in 1979 or 80 (edit: oops, not that anybody cares, but I remember now that it was in 1976. 42 years ago? Ouch) not long after Wired came out, so that and Blow by Blow made up a good portion of the show. How could anyone not like that? Seems he'll be in southern Cal this tour but I'm up north, so will miss him again. In the age of youtube, though, it's easy to see parts of these tours that I cannot attend. He's still among the pinnacle of my rock guitar favorites, with that rare blend of technique, emotion, and inventiveness. I can listen to Garcia endlessly, but when I'm in the right mood, JB has that different sort of mojo that's a cut above. Guys like Clapton, Santana, Robbie Robertson, and name 20 others always had lots of talent, but Beck continued to evolve and innovate, and damn does he ever age? I think his adventurous spirit, constant playing with new and talented sidemen, and restraint on overexposing himself has helped him maintain his longevity and freshness. Just re-read your post daverock, and somehow I missed the Imelda May reference as the warm up act on my first read. Wow, would I have liked to have been at that show! Jim, you'll be lucky if she comes along on his US tour too.
  • Sixtus_
    Joined:
    Percentages
    Thx Jimbo. And I did some quick math on your numbers below - they are eerily similar in terms of % unique songs played; FW 69 is 35.4839% 'unique songs' vs. PNW 73/74 being 36.5854% unique songs. Moral of the story seems to be that repeats have long been A Thing across runs. I ain't complainin'! Fun w/#'s Sixtus P.S. and it was the China > Rider transition from 5/19/74, while listening on my Walkman strolling to my French class that had me repeatedly rewinding that Feelin Groovy jam which has since had me 1000% hooked on that little snippet whenever and wherever it pops up.
  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    Re: Sixtus III, I'm Shocked, Songs..
    First.. congrats and best of luck Sixtus. Seond.. I got a nice chuckle out of thin being "shocked!" Chortled my coffee a bit.. I suspect the frequent visitors of these threads are mostly all-in on this one with some that are interested but passing for various reasons. I think it's worth it for a cleaned up, pristine PNE 73 alone, add in Seattle 74 and the rest is bonus material. I cannot get enough WRS's either, Truckin' had legs back then, China Riders were going through a pivotal evolution, there are some first set novelties like The Race is On, early Peggy-O's and others and you have the makings for a great box set. ..and that's before the extra time and effort mastering, Plangent, etc. As for songs. Just for kicks and giggles I compared to FW 69. I know there is no comparison, FW was an explosive early high water mark. ..but this is how they match up: FW 69 Shows 4 Songs 62 Avg. Songs per Show 15.5 Unique Songs 22 PNW 73/74 Shows 6 Songs 164 Avg. Songs per Show 27.3 Unique Songs 60
  • KeithFan2112
    Joined:
    Dead & Co Rain Out Camden June 2
    On a different note, I decided I wanted to know where it said in my ticket agreement that the BB&T Pavilion can cancel a show at some point through it without offering a refund. They are offering some free streaming stuff, but to be frank, I was treated rather belligerently by the woman I spoke to. She actually interrupted me, and said the words, "you're not getting a refund" after cutting me off several times in an impatient tone. I was very cordial in my questions and demeanor, so, clearly no respect for the customer (not because I wasn't given a refund right), but because I was talked down to and interrupted. This woman, after not knowing the answers, told me to Google it. I guess I can't be too surprised at poor customer service, but I can't remember the last time congeniality was reciprocated by condescension. I asked for her manager and was forwarded to his voice mail, so I left him a message. I don't know about you guys, but this sort of thing sticks in my craw, and frankly the discussion on Hell Freezes Over and increased ticket sales prices is what really got me to thinking I'm not happy with this outcome, and that I was going to call about it. I believe that the cost to either BB&T Pavilion and or Dead and Company to redo the show is going to hurt their pocketbooks a lot less than a great number of fans who attended, once you break it down to percentages and household income, etc. If it says in my ticket or anywhere in my purchase agreement that they have a right to do this, then it is what it is and I'm fine with it. If anyone out there has statistics on the number of minutes played at any Dead & Co shows, I would be grateful for them (like, if you have a show loaded up on your iPod, and the total runtime for both sets and Encore equals x number of minutes, that would be great thanks). The June 1st and 2nd Camden shows especially.
  • Sixtus_
    Joined:
    Sixtus The Third
    Hey Now Just checking in after a bit of a hiatus - life's curveballs, you know? Busy times and not so busy times but busy times will indeed REIGN when Sixtus III arrives this Friday AM so long as all goes as scheduled. Then, crazy train. Good to catch up from the last several days, here. Psyched for this Big Box. Just looking forward to the smooth sound upgrade and some monster shows, just gimme it All. Dead & Co have been a lot of fun lately - that Billy Tell > Eleven rolled me over (sounds like VGuy too). Also coming out of Space into Eyes? My cup O' Tea. Be well people! revel in the summertime - I will certainly try and will do my best to check in and offer some candid updates. That may or may not involve poop. Sixtus
  • KeithFan2112
    Joined:
    Pacific Northwest Sellout Efficacy
    It's almost impossible to compare sales performance of any one Grateful Dead box set to another. Some we don't know how many they produced (Winterland 1973 & 1977); some are from extremely famous runs (Cornell, Europe '72); some are relatively expensive; some are relatively inexpensive; and some are available for download, so we can't even measure their sales. In hindsight, it seems clear why Cornell, Europe 72, Fillmore West 1969, and 30 Trips Around the Sun sold out quickly. It is interesting that Winterland June 1977 and Winterland 1973 took about five years to sell out, while the May 1977 box set took less than a year. Judging by eBay prices, the Winterland '77 Box is in much higher demand. This has me thinking they either manufactured an assload of Winterland June 1977 boxes, or the "Limited Edition" marketing scheme is hugely effective. I can't see Pacific Northwest box being on the shelves for more than 6 months after the September 7th release date for the following reasons: * The time of their career it encompasses, '73 / '74 * The 15K Limited Edition production run (a number we know doesn't last too too long) * The fact that it's in the medium to low price range * Its availability for the holiday season * The "word of mouth" advertising this box is sure to get (I believe it's a foregone conclusion that it's going to sound great and contain outstanding performances - we are going to be raving about it after it hits our doorsteps, and if it didn't sell out by then, they will start selling like hotcakes as the holiday season approaches) * The Grateful Dead's back catalogue is arguably in higher demand than ever. Dead & Co's impact, I believe, has contributed greatly to this. Even if one doesn't think there is any relevance there, the fact remains the back catalog is in higher demand than ever based on the increased production numbers of Dave's Picks. So yeah, good times good times. I'm not surprised that this didn't sell out overnight. It's not Europe 72. I think it's most akin to the Dave's Picks yearly subscription sales. We all know the boxes are out there in comparatively high numbers, and we all know the rate at which they're selling. Some of us are taking our time because we have time to take. But the window will shorten once the product hits the street and the holidays are upon us. You can't keep half a dozen brand new releases from one of the Grateful Dead's most cherished eras out of the hands of Deadheads for long. This is not Cornell or Europe 72, but it is also no July 1978 or RFK '89. I think after all is said and done, the Pacific Northwest box may reflect the sales pattern of 30 Trips Around the Sun.
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6 years 9 months

Pacific Northwest ’73-’74: The Complete Recordings Boxed Set

WHAT'S INSIDE:
6 Complete Shows On 19 Discs
• 6/22/73 P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, B.C.
• 6/24/73 Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR
• 6/26/73 Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, WA
• 5/17/74 P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, B.C.
• 5/19/74 Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR
• 5/21/74 Hec Edmundson Pavilion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Mastered in HDCD from the original master tapes by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering
Masters transferred and restored by Plangent Processes
Original Art by First Nations Artist Roy Henry Vickers
Photos by Richie Pechner
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 15,000

Includes an immediate digital download of "Eyes Of The World (P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, Canada 5/17/74)"

"We were in the Pacific Northwest...between somewhere in Washington and some other where in Oregon. The road took us to the lip on a ridge, from where we could see around us for many miles in all directions … It was breathtaking to behold, but as we watched, we had a firm realization that we were witnessing something even more beautiful than our eyes could ever take in … Life causes life. Heaven and Earth dance in this way endlessly, and their child is the forest. And so there we were, epiphanously watching that grandest and most glorious dance of life—of which we are just a tiny part—awed by a magnificence without beginning, without end..."

Bob Weir, “Sell Headwaters—Everyone Wins,” San Francisco Chronicle

The Pacific Northwest offers up a rich feast of land, sky, and water. It is ripe with influences, abundant with symbols, deep and spirited. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that the Grateful Dead played some of their most inspired shows on these fertile grounds. It does, however, sometimes take a breath for the elements to re-align years later. It seems for us, they finally have and we are able to present not just a glimpse of the band's extraordinary exploratory tour through the region, but a two-tour bounty as the PACIFIC NORTHWEST ’73-’74: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS.

For PACIFIC NORTHWEST ’73-’74: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS, we've paired two short runs made up of six previously unreleased shows - P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, B.C. (6/22/73); Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR (6/24/73); Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, WA (6/26/73); P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, Canada (5/17/74); Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR (5/19/74); and Hec Edmundson Pavilion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (5/21/74). Each show has been mastered in HDCD from the original master tapes by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering. The transfers from the masters were transferred and restored by Plangent Processes, further ensuring that this is the best, most authentic that these shows have ever sounded.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST ’73-’74: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS comes in an ornate box created by Canada’s preeminent First Nations artist Roy Henry Vickers (more on this tremendous artist soon). To complement the music, the set also includes a 64-page book with an in-depth essay by Grateful Dead scholar Nicholas G. Meriwether and photos by Richie Pechner.

Due September 7th, this release is limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies and available exclusively from dead.net. You'll want to grab a copy while you can and sit back, relax, and enjoy all the exclusive content we'll be rolling out over the next few weeks.

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. You can pre-order it now too.

Get it while you can.

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7 years 9 months

In reply to by icecrmcnkd

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Most of these shows circulate.. you just gotta poke around.

Even though I gave up my iPhone and switched to a Galaxy I still use iTunes to manage my digital music. There is a gapless playback option.. and all my other devices including my phone play without that annoying gap.

Most of these shows circulate pretty freely.. you just gotta poke around. Find a show you like using the archive and built an inventory of the lossless digital files. Just say NO to MP3's.. Flac, Alac or Wav's... a 4TB external drive is like $89. That's enough space for a lossless copy of every dead show ever performed.. and then some.

I know.. sounds easy, but poke around a bit and if you are a digital novice.. it's not that hard, a little patience until you climb the learning curve and then it's easy.

Hey.. D&C are playing in Mexico tonight, I think.. mmmm

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The individually numbered certificate is in the small wooden box.

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8 years

In reply to by Alain

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Thank You, Unfortunately the small wooden box was empty.

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7 years 9 months

In reply to by mmckenna

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Mine came packed with a small but potent bud and a little teeny tiny vial marked blue cheer. Wonder what that's all about?

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7 years 1 month

In reply to by MDJim

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Jim,

I would be happy to do an investigation for you. I think you have my address. Just forward the box and all contents my way. I will run tests and let you know what it is.

KCJ

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16 years 3 months

In reply to by icecrmcnkd

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The small wooden box that came with this set has your limited edition number (my #: 11593) open it up and you've got some more artwork and a note from Roy Vickers. The box could be useful in several ways just as long as you keep it in the larger box: bud stash!
I like it.
All the music contained in this collection is fantastic. a great box and I am grateful for its release.

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10 years 5 months
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2,154 Left

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17 years 6 months

In reply to by Automaticslim

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You guys are Grammy winners in my book... no doubt! This Box is spectacular... I thank each and every one of you that had a hand in bringing this complete package to my doorstep. It is proudly displayed in MY house as if it were a Grammy! I look forward to your next creation.
iG

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6 years 7 months
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I still regard myself as a bit wet behind the ears when it comes to knowing about the best of anything but I would seriously die a happy man if the last piece of music I heard was the bridge between China/rider from Portland 5/19/74 . It gives me goosebumps just writing about it 🇨🇳😺🚴‍♂️

If you are a bit wet behind the ears, Perithecat, I wouldn't think of checking out just yet-you have a long and happy future ahead of you.

1. GD - DaP 29 Swing Aud.
2. Strawbs - 1st album to 'Nomadness' on shuffle
3. Caravan - In The Land Of Grey And Pink
4. GD - 2/21/71 Capitol Theatre/Port Chester, NY
5. Doc & Merle Watson - Never The Same Way Once (too many good shows to name just one!)

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13 years 6 months
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Good morning Heads! Not sure how many people are keeping up with this thread as there’s always something new to ponder and get geeked about!! First, I think this box is pure joy and delight and find something new everytime I pick a show to groove to and dissect. Has anyone else experienced the vocal track fading out/pretty much dropping beginning in Sugaree in disc 14 from Portland 5.19.74? Thanks for letting me know. I’m not sure if it is the system I am playing it through or fault with the recording. Your insight is most appreciated. Enjoy the day and weekend!

Sadly it’s in the recording , but don’t let that put you off it’s a truly wonderful show , I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again the bridge between China/rider gives me goosebumps just writing about it let alone listening to it 😸😸😸

Sadly it’s in the recording , but don’t let that put you off it’s a truly wonderful show , I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again the bridge between China/rider gives me goosebumps just writing about it let alone listening to it 😸😸😸

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13 years 6 months

In reply to by perithecat

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Thank you so much for your response. I’m kinda just a bit obsessive about sound, aren’t we all on these threads!, 😀 and glad to know it is not just me but the master tapes. It was your comments about the China—>Rider bridge that made me go back to this show to hear it again. Peace and thanks.

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9 years 1 month

In reply to by TLEO 77

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Got it on vinyl recently.
Sounds awesome!
And yes, the vocals drop out is there too.

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10 years 3 months
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Did anyone get the Playing in the Band from this show that came out on vinyl last year? I saw it on ebay in the early hours and had a poke round to see if there were any references to it. I couldn't find any, so I decided to take a punt anyway. It reminds me of the Dark Star from Paris 5/4/72 that came out on vinyl a while back, in that it is just that one track, split into two sides during drums. That works for me, so I have high hopes for this one.

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9 years 1 month

In reply to by daverock

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I got it, I think it was $20 or $22.
I don’t recall that the flip is during Drums, I think that it’s between a slow, low volume section.
I do recall that I enjoyed listening to it. :)

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10 years 3 months

In reply to by icecrmcnkd

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Yes, that makes sense - Playing doesn't normally feature drums anyway. I think you got a real bargain-I paid the equivalent of 26 dollars, which was still considerably cheaper than everyone else was selling it for.

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5 years 10 months
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6/24/73 is so smoking to me , this dark star into eyes is AMAZING! I’m surprised the dark star didn’t make the cut for the compilation but it’s still an amazing selection from these 6 shows to create the 3 cd compilation. Some incredible mind bending jams inside this treasure chest!;)

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10 years 11 months
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No vocals on "El Paso" some how they must of had Bob's mic off or way down May 17, 1974 – P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia Disc 14

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5 years 3 months
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Ordered this 12/2 for a Christmas present. Has not shipped yet! Keep getting useless auto replies. Very frustrating. Highly disappointed in the customer service and the experience

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4 years 11 months
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Waited over 2 months to get this and when I went to go listen I was missing disc #15. Have tried emailing costumer service and haven’t received any response. Please help! Would really like that disc.

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May the force be with you, brother, sorry about your missing disks. I have a couple of defective ones and 2 months later, no word of a replacement.
Theres an interesting article on the web about a company by the name of Direct Shot that most of the major labels have put in charge of all physical media distribution. About the same time this happened, Dead.net customer service went straight in the toilet and has not emerged - “warehouse consolidation” indeed. What is disappointing is that nobody at Dead.net has made a direct statement (at least that I have seen) that they are aware of the problem thats been allowed to drag on. The loyal Dead fanbase deserves a straight answer about the problem and when our outstanding issues will be rectified.
Jerry would be very unhappy about how we’ve been treated.

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9 years 2 months

In reply to by aardvark2300

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Here’s the statement that was emailed several weeks ago.

—————-
Cause when things go wrong, wrong with you, it hurts me too
It's been quite a year and we know how patient you have been, how patient you still are. It has always been, and will always be, our mission to provide the best service to you, the fans. As you are more than likely aware, a complex warehouse move resulted in a significant backlog of orders and while that warehouse is working as quickly as they can to deliver, we've turned 100% of our focus and dedication toward a new facility which promises to restore peace to the Dead.net community in the next few months. Trust us, this steam locomotive is rolling down the track!
————

You can try sending a PM to Marye now,.

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5 years

In reply to by icecrmcnkd

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(I think) I have successfully sent a PM to MARYE kind of hard to tell, pretty strange PM system on this forum - thanks for the suggestion. We'll see what happens.

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4 years 11 months

In reply to by aardvark2300

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Yeah, this PM system is a little weird. I was able to message Marye and got the missing disc. Have really been enjoying these shows. Good luck resolving your issues!

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13 years 8 months
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I have had two Dave’s Picks go everywhere but to my address........which for some reason didn’t include my apartment # ............therefore no delivery..........One arrived months later.......and a second one #32 is in transit supposedly and maybe arriving shortly. I had to file with the Better Business Bureau over this foolishness. Which seemed to get a quicker response from The Dead Store......To which I say good luck to all whom have problems with The Dead Store Customer Service.......I have been through the phone calls .....the emails........and calling Warner’s main office to no avail.......it is a sad situation.........

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10 years 8 months
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Check out Rhino for sale through this weekend

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Testing with Lossless Audio Checker shows the June 1976 FLAC download in 24/192 format ( https://store.dead.net/music/digital/june-1976-flac-192-24-1.html ) and the Pacific Northwest '73-'74- The Complete Recordings FLAC download in 24/192 ( https://store.dead.net/music/boxed-sets/pacific-northwest-73-74-the-com… ) to be "Upsampled." I have notified Jeffrey Norman and Rhino. I sent Jeffrey the logs of the LAC test results showing 80% of the June 76 files being upsampled. While he was very nice in his response, he had no explanation for the finding. Rhino has not responded to any e-mails. It is important to note that the files on both test “Clean” after downsampling to 24/96, which, likely, means the files, were originally digitized at 24/96 or digitized at 24/192 and downsampled to 24/96 for mastering. Whatever the case Rhino needs to disclose this fact on their web site or change the files for sale to 24/96.

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17 years 6 months
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The hour or so of music from He's Gone through the end of Wharf Rat is one of the top 5 hours of music the dead ever played.

There, I said it. This box is worth every penny for that hour of music alone.

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... just wanted to share how delighted I am with the music in this set, and encourage anyone who’s not taken the plunge to just go ahead and get it already.

There’s been some chatter in another thread about how long it’s taking to sell out this box, and all I can say is that, as much as I love ’73 and ’74, I didn’t order mine till Rhino put it on sale. Maybe some people are settling for the 3-disc version, which is understandable, given the difference in price and given that they did manage to include some very high highlights (including the 45 minute PITB!) in that set.

Also causing some hesitation for me was the packaging. Don’t get me wrong: it’s beautiful! The art work is amazing. But speaking as someone who already has problems finding shelf space for my CDs, I wasn’t sure where I’d put this giant box. (In case anybody upstairs is listening: I thought the June 1976 box really hit the sweet spot between packaging that was elaborate enough to make the box feel special but also small enough to not cause problems.)

Anyway, the music. The MUSIC. For me, this era was flat out the best the band ever sounded, and it’s an incredible joy to hear them in such fine audio. There are a few “surprises,” the kind of vocal drop outs and oddities in the mix that would’ve rated a “caveat” back in the Dick’s days. Mostly, these are very temporary, and in all cases the sound is really really good once everybody settles in. As usual, Jerry’s louder than Bob, but you can hear them both very distinctly, and they constantly (constantly!) are playing their asses off. Phil’s on fire throughout. And BK? He makes a solid case here that the Dead never needed another drummer. Keith comes through nicely, and plays well. I suppose we could say that the vocals were erratic during this period, and I would admit that’s true here. But the singing is mostly good to great, and man oh man, the band sounds fantastic!

I’ve only listened to each show once so far—given the complaints about missing discs and whatnot, I felt like I should make a point of listening all the way through to make sure nothing was amiss—so I’m not really ready to call out a favorite show, or even favorite tunes. But I will say that the PITBs, the Bird Songs, the Eyes, the China-Riders are all, for me, as good as they get. Their playing was so spontaneous, so open, so powerful, so much soul, so imperfectly perfect.

Yes, I suppose there are other, equally worthy eras. But man, ’73 and ’74 were beautiful.

I keep going back to this box - superb. Especially the 1974 shows. I went so far as to get 5/19/74 and the Playing in the Band from 5/21/74 on vinyl. There are a few problems with vocals on both, but this matters not a jot. The playing, as you say, from all band members, is absorbing. After 1970 they only needed Bill on drums.

I also agree with icecrmcnkd - a box of October 1974 with bells and whistles would make a great release.

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I just received my edition of the Northwest Complete Recordings 73 74. Showed up without tracking or any email confirmations . So Glad You Made It. Can't Wait.

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Is this box now sold out? They list it, but it seems like that is just some old data. Great set. I love it, but I don't have it physically. Not a huge deal, but it is very lovely.

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