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

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May 8, 2018 - 4:04pm

3,948 replies

clayv

Joined:
March 14, 2018

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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September 23, 2018 - 11:17am

#641

Charlie3

Joined:
September 21, 2015

'80's Dead

I dig '80' Dead, it's just another chapter in the book. Things can change with age and still be good. For example, I find that the ageing of Jerry's voice makes some of the later era versions of Black Peter just that much more poignant, and some of the '80-'90's drums-space sequences were awesome vehicles for some improvisational jamming and wicked transitions from space into whatever came next. And yes, relatively speaking, the Dead were the best game in town in the '80's, a decade in which there seemed little to excite me musically. As far as the parking lot scene, I dug that too - who doesn't like a big, mellow, party before a show? There did seem to be a little more of a frenzy about the scene later, but I attribute that to the increasing difficulty in getting tickets due to the increase in demand, and perhaps a lack of discretion amongst some of the eager partier's in the parking lot. Really the only show that I left disappointed was a '94 show at the Meadowlands in NJ, that one I left bummed. On another note, deadnet can't seem to decide if I'm a robot or not - took me like 3 tries to get that captcha to work.
September 23, 2018 - 11:07am

#642

rbmunkin

Joined:
February 24, 2009

It's a matter of taste

To me the Dead were all about the free form, experimental, jam music.At one time Garcia was the greatest improvisational guitarist. He just couldn't keep that up as the years went by and he got caught up in hard drugs, due to keeping the Dead going. Some people like the "songs". They are okay as filler to me, but it's his jams that I wanted to hear. Even the jams later on became kind of rote. I'm all into things like disk 2 of Dick's Pick's #8, to give you the best example. That is the greatest Dead ever, and they never lived up to that again. As I've said before, I wished they had quit after 1977 and Jerry could do solo stuff and maybe lived longer. He died trying to keep the Dead machine alive because he was employing too many friends and didn't want to quit on them. Anyway, I'll stop. To each their own.
September 23, 2018 - 10:24am

#643

nitecat

Joined:
November 1, 2010

I listen too.

First of all, I completely respect your opinion. At the shows, I also listened intently to all the players, how they interacted, and especially Jerry's solo's and his singing. I surrounded myself on the floor with 20 friends who were all silently listening and enjoying song after song. The band continually changed, adding new songs, changing older ones, reworking their sound, and the 80's versions of the band were different than the 70's and 60's, and clearly not your cup of tea. I respect that. Perhaps they were still musically interesting to the careful listener, like myself, even in the 80's and 90's. I appreciated all the versions, and listened to each one.
September 23, 2018 - 10:06am

#644

rbmunkin

Joined:
February 24, 2009

Mediocre in the '80's, yes

A rare person will agree with me, so let's just say to each their own."bopping, dancing, swirling"...so what? It's easy to dance to any music with a beat. I listen INTENTLY to every note of the music - Jerry's guitar and how the band interacts musically. Not just the "funnestness" of it! LOL! Is that a word? Compared to their earlier music, they were truly mediocre in the later years. I compare them to their own best music, not to what else is out there at the time. It would not be hard to beat what was happening musically in those later years, but they could not compare to what they themselves did earlier. And by the way, MTV destroyed music. When they came onto to scene, music became showmanship and true music was lost. "I will admit Jerry was AWOL a little in the latter 90's" Yeah, he was dead.
September 23, 2018 - 9:51am

#645

nitecat

Joined:
November 1, 2010

Mediocre???

I saw the dead regularly in the 70's 80's and 90's right to the end in '95, and they were rarely mediocre. I will admit Jerry was AWOL a little in the latter 90's. But musically show after show, run after run, they were guaranteed to be the funnest, best shows in town, over and over again. All those shows I attended people everywhere around me were bopping, dancing, swirling around if there was room. Clearly people enjoying the music. They grew and grew in popularity due to their allowing tape recording of their shows, massive tape trading, and a reputation for great shows. Then along came MTV's "Day of the Dead", and "In The Dark" with their radio hit "Touch of Grey", and that bumped their attendance up a lot. Some would say too much, as they began losing some of their coolest venues. That is the true downside of their growing popularity, the parking lot scene got way out of hand, and even when the show was happening inside, there was a huge group of folks outside who just came for the parking lot party. Mediocre? Hardly.
September 23, 2018 - 9:38am

#646

Kayak Guy

Joined:
June 4, 2015

MDJim is right

compared to any other live shows in the 80s there were few bands worth seeing more than once a tour as most popular bands played the same exact show every night for the whole tour. now most of the SBD recordings of that time are flawed and because of the nature of the mix the flaws become accentuated, but a good AUD allows you to hear what the people in the concert heard and it is not as bad as the SBD tapes make it seem.
September 23, 2018 - 9:34am

#647

nitecat

Joined:
November 1, 2010

Almost through...and a funny story

I'm almost through the first complete chronological listen. I'm up to the massive Seattle 74 Playin', scheduled for tonight's listen. Wonderful sound overall. On first listen the 73 Vancouver has a better mix than the other two 73's. The 74's sound better than the 73's. I chalk that up to their perfecting the Wall configuration(s) in 73. True also the first sets have many repeated songs, but they are played so well! Every show has really strong jazzy jams that were the hallmark of 73-74. Most of the shows have a strong Bobby presence, which I really love. I love to hear the awesome wierd imaginative chords he plays. However, I'm listening to Seattle 74, and he seems lost in the mix, kinda there, but not prominent. Funny thing happened on the way home with my box. My box was delivered to work. I was on the train coming home with the box on my lap, and a guy sitting across from me was eyeing the box and said: "Pardon me, is that a box of smoked salmon?"
September 23, 2018 - 9:17am

#648

rbmunkin

Joined:
February 24, 2009

MDJim

You are probably right about most of your post.But one issue I'll never change my opinion about: the Dead were mediocre in the '80's and into the '90's (a great show was rare) and that is when their popularity soared.
September 23, 2018 - 9:00am

#649

MDJim

Joined:
March 16, 2017

Re: MORE popular as their music became worse

Not so sure about that.. I saw a ton of live music during this period.. not just the GD. Seeing a better live act in the 80's than the boys was an elusive task, comparatively they still delivered night after night. If I accept the premise that they had declined (I'd prefer to sidestep that controversy altogether).. Bands that performed better in this era were few and far between. Might I say.. they were still kick ass and if care and attention went into recording shows, I bet opinions would shift too. Their numbers grew gradually, over the years. The term 'on the bus' is exactly correct.. As for the parking lot/zoo scene, I think that's a separate issue than the music.. but I still believe the whole scene was 90%+ about the music. I wouldn't bang on fourwinds for what is clearly word choice and semantics. I think there's a quote from Jerry in Long Strange Trip where he admits he used to sabotage their success. I see this issue as one where there is truth on both sides and reality meets somewhere in the middle. Jerry was a serious musician, Mountain Girl is quick to point out how much he practices and what a professional musician he was, especially in the early years.. up very early every day practicing scales and working out problems. Anyway.. If I had the crystal ball of truth, I bet you two aren't as far apart as it appears and from afar, you both have points..
September 23, 2018 - 8:25am

#650

rbmunkin

Joined:
February 24, 2009

Dude, you misunderstood Jerry

He was a VERY serious musician and the quality of his music mattered a GREAT DEAL to him.He was super bummed when they played bad. Maybe your attitude explains something I never totally understood: why the Dead became MORE popular as their music became worse and worse. The masses don't have the ear to hear what's good or bad. They just liked the "scene" and the music was unimportant.

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

Dead Store Products

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.

You Just Gotta Poke Around

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

Pacific Northwest

Test Post

Test

My box came with 4 defective…

My box came with 4 defective discs and did not come with the individually numbered certificate.

@ mmckenna

The individually numbered certificate is in the small wooden box.

@Alain

Thank You, Unfortunately the small wooden box was empty.

Small Wooden Box

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

Small Wooden Box

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

My small wooden box

Came with a VIP ticket to 7-3,4,5-20 FTW II at Soldier Field.

My small wooden box

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.

Boxes Left

2,154 Left

Lisa Glines, Doran Tyson & Roy Henry Vickers

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

Blue Cheer

For them summer time blues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU5uDozoSSM

PNW Box: I turned up Phil and pulled down the middle and added a little treble upped the volume and now the house is shaking.

Grammy - I agree with iGrateful

First off - not a Weird Al fan, but loved listening to Dr Demento on WBCN back when I was a kid. Pretty cool looking box set but an a fake accordion record holder does not hold a candle to that awesome looking PNW box.

I still regard myself as a…

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 🇨🇳😺🚴‍♂️

Best of everything

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.

👍🏻😸👍🏻😸 cheers Daverock .

Last 5…Why not?

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!)

Disc 14, Portland, OR 5.19.74

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!

Pacific NW: Complete Recordings Box Set

Do you have electronic artwork for the 6 CD covers (shows) available for download?

Sadly it’s in the recording …

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 😸😸😸

TLEO 77

Perithecat

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.

5-19-74

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

5/21/74

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.

Yes Daverock

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. :)

My mistake-icecrmcnkd

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.

Listening to it now, Daverock

The flip is sort of at a slow point.
But, it does sound great, both sides.
Enjoy!

6/24/73 is so smoking to me …

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!;)

Disc 14

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

Ever going to ship?

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

Waited over 2 months to get…

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.

PNW Customer Service

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.

Aardvark

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,.

PNW Box

(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.

Yeah, this PM system is a…

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!

I Sympathize With Everyone Having Problems With The Dead Store

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.........

Way cool box at my door

Arrived today. Wow!
The sound is amazing, ..and that box
(~)};=

Sale

Check out Rhino for sale through this weekend

Testing with Lossless Audio…

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.

Pacific Northwest show disc one song 11 jack straw

Pacific northwest show disc 1 song 11 Jack straw four minutes and 35 seconds there is a skip defect in the disc. Is there any way getting a replacement cd for the box set I bought.

6-22-73

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.

Late to the party, but ...

... 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.

Yes, this Box rocks

But it’s now time, Dave, for the Complete Winterland October 74 Box - audio, video, and bonus material.
Bring it on.

Crow told me-spot on

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.

081227931391

Product Magento URL

https://store.dead.net/pacific-northwest-73-74-the-complete-recordings-19-cd-boxed-set-1.html