• https://www.dead.net/features/europe-72/holy-s-it%E2%80%99s-complete-europe-%E2%80%9972-box-over-60-discs
    Holy S#%*! It’s the COMPLETE Europe ’72 Box! On Over 60 Discs!

    $450.00
    Europe '72:
    The Complete Recordings


    Hey now! Due to overwhelming demand, surprising even those of us with huge faith in the Europe '72 project, the entire limited edition run of 7,200 boxed sets has sold out in less than 4 days. We thank you beyond words for your support and belief in this unprecedented and wonderful release.

    After lengthy discussions, we've decided we don't want to deprive anyone of this music, some of the finest the Grateful Dead ever performed. Of course, we're keeping to our promise that the boxed set and all of its accouterments will not be made available beyond these 7,200 boxed sets (and wait until you see the case in which the music is housed, the hard-bound coffee-table book, plus all of the other cool surprises we've been unearthing!). But, we're going to offer just the music, all 22 shows, more than 60 CDs, more than 70 hours of music, each show housed in its own packaging, for the same price as the boxed set, $450 including domestic shipping. Although perhaps not as cool as the boxed set, the bottom line is that the most important aspect of Europe '72: The Complete Recordings is going to be made available to all, the music.


    - David Lemieux


    " class="border" style="border: 0pt none;" allowtransparency="true"> --> " class="border" style="border: 0pt none;" allowtransparency="true"> -->

    Because you dared dream this might happen one day… Because you went down to the Gypsy Woman and offered up your first-born to try to make it happen… Because there are enough passionate Dead Heads at Rhino/GD who thought it might be cool for this to happen… It’s happening! Coming in September is a gargantuan, beautifully designed EUROPE ’72 MEGA-BOX SET containing ALL 22 SHOWS of what is arguably the greatest tour the Grateful Dead ever played, on a whopping 60+ DISCS (over 70 hours of music!). Bet you didn’t see that comin’!

    Really, at this point we probably don’t need to lay on too much hype about how wonderful the music is: Chances are, if you’re even considering buying a copy of this stunning box, you already know how amazing the Dead’s tour of Europe in April and May of 1972 was. To review briefly, though, the Dead’s first tour outside of North America took them to all sorts of historic and unusual venues in England, Denmark, West Germany, France, Holland and even tiny Luxembourg. Many members of the Dead “family” came along on what was really an extended working vacation that was designed to both expose the Dead to new audiences and also reward the band for their unlikely conquest of America during the preceding two years. As a hedge against the costs of the nearly two-month trip, the Dead’s label, Warner Bros., paid for the band to lug around a 16-track recorder to capture the entire tour… and we’re glad they did!

    This was a band at the top of its game, still ascending in the wake of three straight hit albums — Workingman’s Dead, American Beauty and the live Grateful Dead (“Skull & Roses”). It had been a year since the lineup had gone to its single-drummer configuration, six months since Keith Godchaux had been broken in as the group’s exceptional pianist, and this marked the first tour to feature Donna Godchaux as a member of the touring band. There was a ton on new, unreleased material that came into the repertoire in the fall of ’71 (after “Skull & Roses” was out) and during the spring of ’72, including “Tennessee Jed,” “Jack Straw,” “Mexicali Blues,” “He’s Gone,” “Comes A Time,” “Ramble on Rose,” “One More Saturday Night,” “Black-Throated Wind,” “Looks Like Rain” and Pigpen’s “Chinatown Shuffle,” “The Stranger (Two Souls in Communion)” and “Mr. Charlie.” (Sadly, this was Pigpen’s final tour.) All those future classics were interspersed with songs from the aforementioned “hit” albums—such as “Uncle John’s Band,” “Brokedown Palace,” “Cumberland Blues,” “Casey Jones,” “Sugar Magnolia,” “Bertha,” “Not Fade Away,” et al — and then were topped off by loads of big jamming numbers — the Europe ’72 tour produced spectacular versions of “Dark Star,” “The Other One” “Playing in the Band,” “Truckin’,” “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider,” “Good Lovin’,” “Lovelight” and even the early Pig chestnut “Caution.” And that’s leaving out a truckload of other tunes, too! There wasn’t a clunker show in the bunch, and many are acknowledged today as classics. No doubt you already have some favorites.

    Through the years, there have been a few releases of material from the Europe tour—starting with the 3-album Europe ’72 which knocked our socks off in the fall of that year, and followed many years later by material from a pair of German shows and the fantastic 4-CD Stepping Out, culled from the group’s eight shows in England. Incredibly, though, only one full show from the tour has come out previously: the excellent 4/24 concert in Dusseldorf, Germany, released as Rockin’ the Rhein in 2004.

    Until now, that is. Jeffrey Norman, who has been the primary mixer of Dead archival multi-track material for the past 15 years (Fillmore West ’69, Ladies and Gentlemen…, Rockin’ the Rhein, Nightfall of Diamonds, etc.) has spent many months toiling over the 16-track masters from the tour, and will continue working on the mixes through the Winter and Spring, employing the high-tech Plangent Processes transfer and restoration tools, trying to get every show to sound “just exactly perfect” (as Bob Weir says) for this release. You might think you’ve heard that intense “Dark Star” > “Sugar Mag” > “Caution” from Copenhagen, but I guarantee you’ve never heard it sound this alive! Mastering to HDCD specs is two-time Grammy-winning engineer David Glasser of Airshow Mastering. Needless to say, all the songs that turned up on previous Europe compilations will be appear in their proper show contexts, and in the case of songs from the Europe ’72 album, without overdubs that were added later (where possible).

    The packaging is, as you might expect, first rate. Each show is its own Digipak, with its own liner notes by top Dead scholars (including David Gans, Steve Silberman, and Nicholas Meriwether) and attendees of some of the concerts, and many never-before-seen photos. Additionally, there is an enormous book worthy of coffee table treatment featuring hundreds more photos and a comprehensive essay by yours truly (Blair Jackson). The box will also contain other memorabilia and ephemera from the tour.

    A rough sketch of the potential packaging.
    Check back soon for more product images.

    At $450, this clearly will not be a box for everyone. In fact, this individually numbered boxed set will be limited to orders placed with a maximum of 7,200 boxes produced. As a special bonus, the first 3,000 orders will receive a personalized copy. Due to the huge manufacturing costs (wait 'til you see it! We're doing something unlike any other boxed set release ever! It's exceptional!!), we need to hit 3,000 sales before we even go into production. If we don't reach 3,000 by April 1st, the boxed set won't be able to happen. This isn't a gun-to-your-head sales pitch. Rather, we want to be open with you about the realities of this release's massive scope and ambition.

    -->

    So dig deep, raid the penny jar, take a weekend job at Jack-in-the-Box, beg your kindly ol’ grandma for some of your inheritance early… Yes, it’s an extravagance, but jeez, you (or your loved one) deserve it! This is way cool.

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  • scott1129
    13 years 3 months ago
    EUROPE '72 or your roped in for 72
    Pissed or Blissed it's all the samethe music is what matters and this is some matter-rific music Very pleased so far with the sound of the discs. Now the other part We now understand why the music-only version is the same price. and as has been stated previously the advertised box was 60+ cds (over 70 hours of music) in a special box designed to look like a steamer trunk with a hard cover book a tour program and many other surprises that they had been unearthing in the research for this special box set. Tickets, show bills, local articles and reviews of the shows The photos are fantastic. but no road map no dvd no postcards buttons, no drawer in the trunk, I understand the digipaks as thats the RT format. but I guess we got spoiled with the Warlocks Box Now that was a great box. Still have to lay all the E'72 covers out. well back to the show only 68 to go The Sky Was Yellow And The Sun Was Blue People Stopping Strangers Just To Shake Their Hand.
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    borncrosseyed56
    13 years 3 months ago
    On September 3rd, 2011
    On September 3rd, 2011 kewe65 said: what's more important, celebrating the most recorded band in history or lamenting rhino's failures? I'd rather celebrate the most recorded band in history, and my favorite band, the Grateful Dead. I think Rhino did a decent job with this mega-box project, more than likely there were budget cuts in the project which resulted in not the heaviest paper stock being used for the sleeves to house the discs. But for $450, it is still a bargain, and I am grateful for that. I thank all who made this project happen and see the light of day. Thank you!
  • Default Avatar
    Arthur
    13 years 3 months ago
    still waiting - and worried...
    Today's my birthday, and I had hoped.. but all things come to those who wait. I'm envious of all of those of you who are already getting familiar with the music. I was at one of the 72 concerts (Bickershaw) so that's some consolation as I wait. I'm not concerned about the prospect of small numbers of goodies - after all, when I preordered the only option was the boxed set and the only reason for buying was the music. Mine's supposed to be personalised, so the numbering issue (and I agree it's a real one) doesn't affect me personally. But what does concern me - a lot - is the unbelievably inadequate customer service experience I've had. In late July i had several email interchanges about my need to change the cc I had used for the preauthorisation. I was told I would be emailed prior to the dispatch date and given the opportunity to change card if necessary. It never happened, and as this thread picked up this issue, I dug deep into the pockets to phone from the UK to make sure the change was recorded. I was assured by a very laid back guy that it had been and all would be well. It hadn't and it wasn't. I had an email on the 31st saying how the European deliveries were going to be handled, which was positive, and then a further email on the 1st saying that my card hadn't processed auccessfully. So another call from the UK - 16 minute wait on the supposedly dedicated international number before anyone answered. Again the rep was calm and positive, took the replacement number and said all would be well. But couldn't actually process the order, only saying that they would contact again if there was a problem. What do I have to do to get these guys to take my money? I really don't want to lose this at this stage....
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$450.00
Europe '72:
The Complete Recordings


Hey now! Due to overwhelming demand, surprising even those of us with huge faith in the Europe '72 project, the entire limited edition run of 7,200 boxed sets has sold out in less than 4 days. We thank you beyond words for your support and belief in this unprecedented and wonderful release.

After lengthy discussions, we've decided we don't want to deprive anyone of this music, some of the finest the Grateful Dead ever performed. Of course, we're keeping to our promise that the boxed set and all of its accouterments will not be made available beyond these 7,200 boxed sets (and wait until you see the case in which the music is housed, the hard-bound coffee-table book, plus all of the other cool surprises we've been unearthing!). But, we're going to offer just the music, all 22 shows, more than 60 CDs, more than 70 hours of music, each show housed in its own packaging, for the same price as the boxed set, $450 including domestic shipping. Although perhaps not as cool as the boxed set, the bottom line is that the most important aspect of Europe '72: The Complete Recordings is going to be made available to all, the music.


- David Lemieux


Because you dared dream this might happen one day… Because you went down to the Gypsy Woman and offered up your first-born to try to make it happen… Because there are enough passionate Dead Heads at Rhino/GD who thought it might be cool for this to happen… It’s happening! Coming in September is a gargantuan, beautifully designed EUROPE ’72 MEGA-BOX SET containing ALL 22 SHOWS of what is arguably the greatest tour the Grateful Dead ever played, on a whopping 60+ DISCS (over 70 hours of music!). Bet you didn’t see that comin’!

Really, at this point we probably don’t need to lay on too much hype about how wonderful the music is: Chances are, if you’re even considering buying a copy of this stunning box, you already know how amazing the Dead’s tour of Europe in April and May of 1972 was. To review briefly, though, the Dead’s first tour outside of North America took them to all sorts of historic and unusual venues in England, Denmark, West Germany, France, Holland and even tiny Luxembourg. Many members of the Dead “family” came along on what was really an extended working vacation that was designed to both expose the Dead to new audiences and also reward the band for their unlikely conquest of America during the preceding two years. As a hedge against the costs of the nearly two-month trip, the Dead’s label, Warner Bros., paid for the band to lug around a 16-track recorder to capture the entire tour… and we’re glad they did!

This was a band at the top of its game, still ascending in the wake of three straight hit albums — Workingman’s Dead, American Beauty and the live Grateful Dead (“Skull & Roses”). It had been a year since the lineup had gone to its single-drummer configuration, six months since Keith Godchaux had been broken in as the group’s exceptional pianist, and this marked the first tour to feature Donna Godchaux as a member of the touring band. There was a ton on new, unreleased material that came into the repertoire in the fall of ’71 (after “Skull & Roses” was out) and during the spring of ’72, including “Tennessee Jed,” “Jack Straw,” “Mexicali Blues,” “He’s Gone,” “Comes A Time,” “Ramble on Rose,” “One More Saturday Night,” “Black-Throated Wind,” “Looks Like Rain” and Pigpen’s “Chinatown Shuffle,” “The Stranger (Two Souls in Communion)” and “Mr. Charlie.” (Sadly, this was Pigpen’s final tour.) All those future classics were interspersed with songs from the aforementioned “hit” albums—such as “Uncle John’s Band,” “Brokedown Palace,” “Cumberland Blues,” “Casey Jones,” “Sugar Magnolia,” “Bertha,” “Not Fade Away,” et al — and then were topped off by loads of big jamming numbers — the Europe ’72 tour produced spectacular versions of “Dark Star,” “The Other One” “Playing in the Band,” “Truckin’,” “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider,” “Good Lovin’,” “Lovelight” and even the early Pig chestnut “Caution.” And that’s leaving out a truckload of other tunes, too! There wasn’t a clunker show in the bunch, and many are acknowledged today as classics. No doubt you already have some favorites.

Through the years, there have been a few releases of material from the Europe tour—starting with the 3-album Europe ’72 which knocked our socks off in the fall of that year, and followed many years later by material from a pair of German shows and the fantastic 4-CD Stepping Out, culled from the group’s eight shows in England. Incredibly, though, only one full show from the tour has come out previously: the excellent 4/24 concert in Dusseldorf, Germany, released as Rockin’ the Rhein in 2004.

Until now, that is. Jeffrey Norman, who has been the primary mixer of Dead archival multi-track material for the past 15 years (Fillmore West ’69, Ladies and Gentlemen…, Rockin’ the Rhein, Nightfall of Diamonds, etc.) has spent many months toiling over the 16-track masters from the tour, and will continue working on the mixes through the Winter and Spring, employing the high-tech Plangent Processes transfer and restoration tools, trying to get every show to sound “just exactly perfect” (as Bob Weir says) for this release. You might think you’ve heard that intense “Dark Star” > “Sugar Mag” > “Caution” from Copenhagen, but I guarantee you’ve never heard it sound this alive! Mastering to HDCD specs is two-time Grammy-winning engineer David Glasser of Airshow Mastering. Needless to say, all the songs that turned up on previous Europe compilations will be appear in their proper show contexts, and in the case of songs from the Europe ’72 album, without overdubs that were added later (where possible).

So dig deep, raid the penny jar, take a weekend job at Jack-in-the-Box, beg your kindly ol’ grandma for some of your inheritance early… Yes, it’s an extravagance, but jeez, you (or your loved one) deserve it! This is way cool.

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I had a code and was on the fence heavily leaning towards no go on this about throwing down the $450 because of finacial obligations, but as of 11:15 pst, I decided to break down and order the personalized box. I wasn't going to get it, but in THE ELEVENth hour, literally, decided what the fuck. Really can't afford it, but guess I'll have to put away a few bucks a month before it ships. Anybody hiring for part time work?
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Bummer. Some kind soul offered me a code, but it was already used. So I'm out of luck.Down to the wire here, 5 minutes to go... Oh well, you win some, you lose some.
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Holy Cr*p! Someone just sent me code with 5 MINUTES TO GO! IT WORKED! I'M HOOKED UP!!! DEAD FAMILY LIVES!!!
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Well it's good to see that the Grateful Dead Heads that have been Trippin' for the last couple of weeks are commin' down now and Life is gettin' back to NoRmAl so to speak. At first I too became a little unhinged at what was going on, but remembered it was only the ACID that I took and sat down to listen to the MUSIC to get back HOME. Phew....Thank You GRATEFUL DEAD you've done it again!!!!!! May we all Live Forever withRoses in our hair and Bells on our feet, Thank you Brothers and Sisters. 0105 AM Feb 06 2011
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I'd just like to thank the 2 people who offered me codes overnight. I've just got up (its 8.30 on Sunday morning here in the UK) and found them. It appears the the deadline of 11.59 PST translates as 8.00am here so sadly I missed the deadline by half an hour. The offered codes come up as 'used'. This time zone business is confusing and puts European Deadheads at a disadvantage. But thanks anyway. Regards Mike
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...has now come and gone. Legion of Jerry - good to hear that you got in just before the midnight hour. Infinitely preferable to turning into a pumpkin! No more frantic posts about codes now. I wonder what twists and turns are still to come. Time to chill for a while, I reckon.
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I'm the last to think they sold out. They were musicians foremost and acted somewhat accordingly at some times. They had to survive by doing their thing. But now to the extreme. My roommates went out to try to score tickets to the closing of Winterland. I was stuck back east without enough funds. When they returned they told me they were unable to get in to the show. The thing that stuck with them the most was meeting an old guy at a bar and becoming acquainted. He told them he stopped seeing them when their first album came out because they sold out. I think he may have been the purest form of total community.
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Is this really the forum for discussing the Waco disaster? No offense, but this is a Grateful Dead message board. I don't think people want to discuss those kinds of subjects here. There are more appropriate places on the web to comment on such things. It's just a thought, but perhaps controversial opinions regarding an incident that occurred 18 years ago belong somewhere else. Government abuse and CD box sets aren't even remotely in the same ballpark. When I have thoughts connecting such wildly disparate subjects I know it's time for bed.
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It is really great that people here are sharing their codes to hook up a fellow traveler who missed out on E72. This is especially true when you see E72 -- which has not even been built yet -- being sold on eBay for Highway Robbery prices. Now here is a question for those like myself who were fortunate enough to buy E72 Complete: How do you feel about asking Dead.net to break their promise of 7200 copies of E72 complete only and producing more? Why? It is clear Dead.net may have underestimated the market for it hence the offer of Music Only E72s. They do not want to break their initial promise of 7200 copies only. It is OK with me for Dead.net to break that promise and produce more than the 7200 in order to satisfy that demand and bring joy to more DeadHeads. The Dead commissioned this project to bring that joy to the fans, and make some money, but not to create some instant collector's item to be a cash cow for re-sellers. E72 Complete has become an instant commodity which will be resold at the fan's expense, and the Band's too. Just look at the obscene amount of money the 10 cd Fillmore West 1969 sells for. This Grateful Dead Cd commodity trading seems to violate the the spirit of 'Tapers' and traders which The GDead kindly allowed in the first place. I would rather that the band make that money, they earned it, and the fans get that joy at a more reasonable price. I say go ahead Dead.net make more that the initially promised 7200 copies of E72 Complete so the fans can have it and you can make some money -- and the E72 commodity trading can be undermined. I would urge others who feel similarly to voice their opinions and let Dead.net off the hook of that promise of 7200 only because they clearly misjudged the demand but feel duty bound to honor that promise which causes fans to lose out on this momentous release of E72 Complete. To those fans who shared their codes with other fans: I salute you! You did the right thing. Peace.
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Thank you Captain Stormfield!!! My sentiments EXACTLY!!!!
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Anyone know if the confirmations for the music only have gone out yet?
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for what it's worth (nudge-nudge). I own the 10 cd Fillmore set (# 2953) and I always felt that it should be made available to more people. The fact that I missed out on the E72 box did not change my mind in this respect(surprise, surprise!). Although I studied law, I'm not familiar with US contract law, which may actually prohibit wider availability after first promising a limited run. I think TPTB should check the possibilities however, for exactly the reasons deadegad stated: serve more customers and obstruct silly Ebay transactions. For the Fillmore set other options (simpler packaging, other color, no number, or even just downloads) could be considered. For the E72 box wider availability of the music only set is promised (and seems in fact unlimited at the moment) but if customer demand has been underestimated, and many (loyal) Deadheads missed out on a great opportunity, there is a learning experience involved. I sincerely hope Rhino learns from this and finds another way to generate early demand. For instance, I'm fine with bonus discs for early orders if that bonus disc becomes available for download later. It would still prompt me to buy early. Also, I would prefer a time window in which the set can be ordered, using this time frame to determine the first production run (say: all orders within the timeframe, plus 500 - 1000 for the future, depending on the size of the box). But many other helpful suggestions have been made and I think Rhino GD Productions should benefit from the info they get from their customer base. Meanwhile I listened to disc 2 of HYH yesterday and boy, I can't wait. I will dehydrate from 7 months of drooling...
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Not interested in discussing such topics here. This is my happy place and while it can get ugly at times, it is still about the Dead and its community and that is what i want to discuss here. I want to be distracted. Isn't that what music is all about anyways? To escape reality. Can't wait 7 more months.
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@Roland - It's not a legal issue. Rhino Handmade cannot just simply go and print/make more copies of the limited box set because it will runi their credibily in the collectibles market. As a business model based off collectibality Rhino Handmade would be slitting their own throats. There's no way they're going to make more. I would venture to guess that even if GD begged them to do another run, (they're smart enough not to ask, mind you) but even if they did, Rhino wouldn't. You can't run a business that way. The music-only version is the only option left. Might as well get used to it. ================================== When all else fails, success is all that's left.
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I would expect that it will take a while to get that sorted. First they have to see how many of the 7200 boxes have not been ordered, then move people up from the standby list. Probably only then will they be in a position to confirm the music-only boxes. Also, today is a Sunday and furthermore it is Superbowl Sunday so most Americans will be sat in front of their TVs in the mistaken belief that they are about to watch a football match. Before the hate mail begins to flood in, bear in mind that my European idea of football differs somewhat from that of Americans.
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How will we get through 7 months waiting for this? That's almost a whole baseball season...what can be done grateful dead wise to get through it...it's sort of like waiting to go to heaven...i think they'll have a music only version i don't think they were bluffing about that, and it's customary to do it that way...it's not entirely unsual...to include a book or an extra disc with a limited edition...it'll be interesting to hear about the numbers, and it's definitely one of the most exciting releases...i was wondering this how come not much from the 1980 new york run hasn't been released...i know there's the reckoning and another disc but i don't recall anything on dicks picks unless i've forgotten...anyone care to guess or answer this? I think i remember reading the dead didn't own those tapes but their label did.
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Do not know about legal issues, but I do know about printmaking, limited editions etc. It is always possible to create second runs or editions as long as they are named as such e.g. books, original etchings, screens etc, as long as the demand is there (evident by the amount of activity on this thread) and as long as the quality is maintained. This cannot be an issue with the digital tools now available. It makes perfectly good business sense. The only thing now missing is the will to do it and I hope we can encourage the decision makers, kindly.
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...to a 2nd or even 3rd and 4th run of this limited box. It would still be limited. And the point was never "Neener-neener I have something you don't have!" I would hope that nobody took a kindly offered code with the intent of putting it on E-Bay for profit. I think that karma would be especially terrible. The Grateful Dead was first and foremost music, so I'm happy all will have access but a big part of the scene was Shakedown Street and cashing in. With all the terrible stuff that comes with just making money, why can't those who love to profit just put it down (even for a second)?. The Dead.net/Rhino never re-released the limited FW69 so I wouldn't look for it to happen here,but maybe somebody will do a miracle and make a bunch more cheap cardboard and books. Till September I can't wait! PS I would venture the reason for not limiting this 7200 to one each (which it should have been) is so that some of the faithful vendors could have a few for sale..
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Through the years Rhino has presented a few limited editions...boot yer butt by the doors never issued again except on digitial download...the monkees several releases...the 3 disc outtakes of one editions went out of print in 1 year...a live 3 disc took several years to go out of print...all never issued again but on digital download...elvis last year had a limited to 1,000 edition with an elaborate promised to be issued again without book...of course the dead never issued the 1969 box set again...but i think so many roads was issued again in limited quantities...but not sure if it was supposed to be limited or not...also the beatles originally said they're mono was going to be limited but so far still obtainable, so their minds can change depending on demand...i think there will be a huge demand for this and it will be issued as music only...i think they were pretty clear they would do that...i don't think they'll change their mind on the 7200 music and book though.
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I recall the FW box as having particular language. They painted themselves into a corner by saying 'never to be released again". "Once it's gone, it's gone for good" Fortunately this time the language was not quite so rigid. I hope they make more of all of them but I don't think it will happen. How about all those premium bonus disks? Many would like another crack at them.
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@Tony Thank you for bringing up the Beatles Mono box set. It is the quentisential example of why you don't promise a limited run, and then change your mind. They were limiting it to 10,000 copies. Then there was this supposed uproar over people wanting to get it. So they went back against their promise, issued more of the boxsets and now they sit on shelves unsold at Best Buys all over the country with ridiculous $250+ price tags on them. Meanwhile, you can get it on eBay for $80. Now, tell me Best Buy et al are not royally pi$$ed about that. I can almost guarantee you someone at Best Buy Corporate got his ass chewed for being duped into thinking there was some massive demand for the mono box set that that his retailer could provide. Now he's got product on the shelf THAT WILL NEVER SELL. EVER. No ones going to buy it at Best Buy at a 300% markup over eBay. Did everyone who wanted a mono box set get one? Yes. Is that the way you run a business, EVER? No. The Beatles mono box is the shining example of why you never ever have a snap reaction to supposed "demand" for a niche product and the '72 Europe Complete Box Set is a niche product. ================================== When all else fails, success is all that's left.
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I think Jcarrier said some insightful things. Everyone here thinks, "OMG, this is the greatest set ever. Who WOULDN'T spend only $450 for it if they could get a fancy box and a book?" Well, there's about 20 vocal people here who were so far shut out (that could easily change once real orders are tallied). This is a site supposedly for the most devoted DHs. Lots of people here read these posts and think that there is this HUGE unfulfilled demand for this box. That could be true. It could also be true that if they doubled the numbered box size, they would lose some folks who ordered based partially on it's perceived "collectibility," and there might not be so many people standing in the wings just praying that they get to spend $450 on this. I'm sure Rhino is getting a better feel for how many of the initial reservations have turned into firm orders (knowing some good credit card numbers may not be good in August). Also how many are on the Music Only list, and how many of those will likely give good credit card numbers when they get the "opportunity." Mainly what I'm saying is that people read some comments here and see a dozen sales on eBay and think they smell gigantic demand, but it may not be true. Or maybe it is! Full disclosure: I ordered one of the first 3,000 and am on the fence as to whether I would really appreciate the box enough after the initial glow wears off to justify the price tag.
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To those who want Rhino/Grateful Dead to break their word I say no thanx.Why you ask? 1st and formost I'm a music collector that's my chosen hobby and it lessens the vallue both monetarily and from my hobbies perspective of less of a item is better. I can't help but think there are plenty of stamp collectors coin collectors .... you get the point who grasp this concept. And it's not like people are being denied the music. Like almost everyone I had to think about the cost but I commited early. Who knows if they would have sold anywhere near that fast if they weren't limited. I'm kinda happy Rhino is keeping its word as opposed to the Beatles Mono Box disaster. Makes me think of the Sex Pistols (some will get that).1 idea for the future would be to limit to 1 per cusomer. So one more time thank you Rhino and no thanx to the deal breakers.
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15 years 7 months
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I can see the arguement for keeping it limited but i do think you should at least make an attempt at meeting 1/2 way for allowing all who really wants one to purchase...i'll tell you what really happend with European 72 is alot of people saw this as a business opportunity and bought the maximum allowed...because they knew the incredible marks up on 1969 box set...so that's why i would be against a definite limited edition...i think it's a great idea to issue a music only edition and i think it's very fair...i didn't realize the MONO fisaco with the beatles but they should've realized the demand would've tappered off after 3-4 months...i know in the book business you can send it back to the publisher if it's on consignment...maybe best buy has a deal like that maybe their deal will expire soon and then they'll send them all back after a certain point...i'm sure everyone has bought a cd with a punchout in barcode or back somewhere a book will have a black slash on the page spine if it's a return that's so you can only get a credit once, but i doubt they'll punch out the beatles mono...the price could be the problem too if EBAY has it for $80 and they have it for $250, the world isn't that large anymore where only a select few know about ebay or amazon
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13 years 10 months
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I'd suggest that the analogy with books is a good one. Clearly a 1st Edition is always going to have superior collectability than subsequent editions but what publisher wouldn't run 2nd, 3rd 4th etc. editions if the market was there. Only Rhino/ Deadnet know the numbers/demand which I'm sure they'll be working through over the next few days now the deadline has passed. For those arguing for no more editions - have a heart, some of us didn't get a code (due to timezones for me) and are still hoping somehow for a miracle. Meanwhile - check the wonderful 'To Lay Me Down' on the new RT. Listen and weep. Regards Mike
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16 years 1 month
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Rhino may have an accurate estimation of this. Yes, those few of us on this site are very helpful and vocal. But there's less of us everyday. Dead/Dylan/Bealtles classics are running 35-50 yerars old. I go to these Furthur shows and try to know whose around me. People range from seeing the Grateful Dead at MIT in 1970 to a couple just seeing the Dead in '09 for the first time. Nobody knew of this website, the 30 days contest and I seriously doubt the would be interested in every note of the 72 tour. They were into that moment and what the present was doing for them. We must do it because we are all demented little collectors/historians. Nice way to go though. I still say it's the best damn music ever. But, to an ever increasing degree, the world is moving on. Then the Grateful Dead will be lumped together with Mozart and Beethoven in a few hundred years. It is classical stuff afterall.
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17 years 6 months
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Just imagine if they had waited to advertise this on Superbowl Sunday. Limited it to one million copies, I'm sure they would made " a killing " as JR Ewing liked to say. Coconut Phil, living Free.
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On February 6th, 2011 jcarrier said: "Thank you for bringing up the Beatles Mono box set..... They were limiting it to 10,000 copies. Then there was this supposed uproar over people wanting to get it. ..... now they sit on shelves unsold at Best Buys all over the country with ridiculous $250+ price tags on them. Meanwhile, you can get it on eBay for $80." Just before Christmas 2009 a JB HiFi store here in Melbourne, Australia was selling box sets from the second production run at $540 (AUD) a pop. I don't recall seeing any on the shelf since then, so I guess they sold them all. Talk about gouging!. At the time I'd just purchased a copy via an on-line store for $289 (AUD). Using the Grateful Dead's Fillmore box as a bench-mark (and considering the universal appeal of the Beatles compared to the predominantly US-centric appeal of the Grateful Dead) 10,000 copies world-wide seemed a ridiculously small production run at the time. $80 on ebay sounds like it could be a good investment. What I would really like to see is a reproduction of the original Let It Be with the book and the box. ....and the Movie.
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17 years 6 months
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On February 6th, 2011 ironman88 said: "$80 on ebay sounds like it could be a good investment." On second thoughts, maybe not. There are reports that counterfeit copies abound.
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15 years 8 months
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jcarrier's comments on the Beatles mono set could be a case of somebody being too greedy? I do not suggest an unlimited second run or edition; I suggest a sensible business decision based on perceived demand, and still limited in number as a second edition, and clearly marked as such. Also, mikebrown's comments re First Editions being of superior collectability are dead on; the monetary value of the First Edition will not change downward. Interesting that the comments about not supporting second editions seem to come from those who already have secured their 'family' gift. Well, I would also like to buy one, and would be happy with a second edition if that is how it works out. chiboy, if you do change your mind ...
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16 years 11 months
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Well, February 5 has come and gone, and SOME people who ordered are sure to have figured out that one way to "miracle" a stranger and fellow Deadhead was to let one or more of their order codes expire (for instance, if they made multiple order attempts and found to their surprise that all of them got through, or that they DID get a personalized reservation and didn't need the later non-personalized one, or if they ordered more than they really could afford, or if they got a case of conscience and decided not to be one of the eBay billionaires, or if they simply couldn't afford it when the chips were down). I was notified fairly early that I am on the waiting list, and I figure that being on the list gives me a fair-to-middlin' chance of landing an unclaimed box. I doubt that the waiting list is all that large, and I expect that if the number of leftover sets exceeds the size of the list then dead.net will simply contact the next bunch of customers in the sequence that they placed their orders and offer sets to them, or perhaps just surprise the hell out of them when their "music only" set arrives with all of the bells and whistles in a "miracle" box set. How will I spend my time between now and when I hear if I get to score a box? I suppose that I'll just have to listen to RT volume 4, number 2, which (thanks to my subscription) arrived in Wednesday's mail (disc 3 inserted into player... "China Cat Sunflower" starting up... yeah!). Between now and September, though... actually, I could easily play GD music every available minute (not while I'm sleeping or working as a high school English teacher) between now and then and neither repeat a single song from a single show, nor preview anything from E72 (in which obsessive-compulsive condition I am probably far from unique around here...). Mmmm... this is a VERY nice China/Rider...
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15 years 8 months
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Just got an email Sunday night letting me know that I am on the bus - I was on the waiting list for the 'first edition' and as they get down to business my name came up. I got my code, and ordered my bells and whistles box set. I still would not care if a second edition was pulled for any deadheads who are missing out. The wait list works ... thanks.
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16 years 11 months
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I got my "Great news... you are on the bus!" e-mail about three minutes after I posted a short while ago. For those who wonder about such things, people getting notified today (2/6/2011) have until 11:59 A. M. (that's a minute before NOON, not midnight) 2/10/2011 to place their orders, after which the opportunity passes onward to the next one in line at the bus stop. Good advice, folks: CHECK YOUR E-MAIL EVERY DAY if you reserved a music-only set on that first weekend!! I concur with Greybeard, though--frankly, I'd LOVE it if dead.net and Rhino were to either offer a second edition of the boxed set, especially if they were to "limit" it to the total number of orders placed here by, say, Midnight Pacific Daylight Time on March 31, 2011. That way, nobody goes home a loser other than the profiteers (sure, the people who ALREADY paid $900 and up on eBay would feel more than a bit peeved, but even if the set were to be limited to 20,000 copies, it would still eventually fetch over $1,000 on eBay if it had a closed production run... The way I look at it, my box set WON'T be worth $450+tax; it will be worth hundreds and hundreds of hours of blissful listening and re-listening. "What a trip, man, what a trip."
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16 years 11 months
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Grrrrrr... placed the order--code went through OK, order went through... OR AT LEAST I THOUGHT IT DID... but instead of an order confirmation for the $450+ tax that was on the second-to-last screen, I got a "confirmation" that showed me my RT volume 4 subscription, dated today instead of December 4, when I originally placed it, and there was NO confirmation e-mail. Took two deep breaths, PM'd marye and then sent off an e-mail to customerservice@dead.net with most of the text from the "confirmation" page copied/pasted for their reference. Oh, and the "exclusive code"? It DOES now show up as "already used." I know the situation WILL get sorted out, but, oh, the frustration... Especially since it's now been 40 minutes since I placed my "order" and there has not yet been a soothing "your order is complete" e-mail. What a pain in the posterior!
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15 years 7 months
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Does anyone know how many road trips sell generally...or care to estimate...i do believe that the European 72 box set will be our best friend for at least 2 years...when i say best friend i mean it stays out and doesn't get tucked away...my beatles box set has remained out and it's been about 1 1/2 years since it's release...obviously the dead were a well rounded group who played it all pretty much and alot of people may not get it but i think alot of people did get it...as they were always a top 5 concert attraction in most years of their existence for a group that probably didn't hit the top 40 in album sales in any given year except maybe 1969-1972...so i'm not really sure of their mass appeal...how many people buy Jerry Garcia's releases, they were trying but stopped i'm thinking they stopped for lack of content not that sales were disappointing...i assume they weren't disappointing...they weren't quite as good as a grateful dead show but they weren't bad either and alot of different songs were played and some great covers were also played during his shows...and of course the Dead are famous for their easy access to shows...if we all wanted to we could download endless shows via download which is all in the open...naturally they don't sound nearly good as the releases so maybe they don't care as it's not really competition...i don't bother with downloading as there's so many released shows as it is...there's about 40 dicks picks...maybe 20 road trips, maybe another 20 label live shows...maybe 5 live boxes...several live comps of 3 or more discs...not forgetting the Garcia live shows...so unless you go into the dead fulltime and nothing else on the side there's really no time or room for downloading...unless it was a concert that had a cover...or if your an acoustic fan maybe it was a show with an extended acoustic set...i wonder if there's anyone out there who just listens to the grateful dead and no one else.
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16 years 4 months
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Just like Snark I got an email. Ordering the box set went smoothly (from the Netherlands). It came with a warning that I needed to order before Thursday 11.59, or my reservation would go to someone else on the list. I assume that many people will get these emails today, and very few will not respond. There may be few that slip through (and get an opportunity to order a second set, or to order more than one) and let that pass, so there may be a few people on the waiting list made happy next Thursday. This probably also means that the music only reservations will be honored afterwards. Good luck to everyone, and CHECK your email today!!!
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15 years 7 months
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So, as it turns out I'm on the bus. I'm trying to make absolutely, positively sure that I'm not going to be charged until it ships in September. This is how it's supposed to work, correct?
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13 years 10 months
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@pfr_77 You will not be charged until September. You may see a hold on your account (usually only for debit cards) for a few days after making the "payment" when you order. Best to use a credit card if your bank account can't handle a $450 hold for ~3 days.
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17 years 5 months
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please...other great musicians, no doubt, but it's the Dead that does it for me...still waiting for my new RT, so I threw in the 2nd set from the Austin RT...love that brokedown palace!
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15 years 7 months
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It might be shipping 7 months early because my order status says processing order
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15 years 11 months
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Received my confirmation code yesterday and placed my order - I am so happy that I will be keeping my collection complete. I did not want to have to resort to resellers on eBay who will mark up the price. However, my email stated that I had until Thursday to use the code. So if you are still waiting check your email everyday to see if you get lucky. ************************** Below you will find your exclusive code that you must use to order your boxed set(s). Please note that this code will expire on Thursday, February 10th at 11:59 AM PT. If you do not use your code by then we will offer the opportunity to buy Europe ’72 to someone on the waiting list.
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17 years 1 month
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I think you might be mistaken Tony I just checked my order status from Dead.net and it says shipment pending just like the next few road trips releases...nothing about processing...careful what you post up here...dont wanna start spreading unfounded rumours
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13 years 10 months
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Yeah take it easy with too good to be true rumors. I had a dream last night that i was listening to E72 Complete and having a grand time, but it was just a dream. Good News: This dream will come true! Thanks Dead.net and Rhino.
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17 years 6 months
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be prepared for the funds to be temporarily deducted from your credit/debit card when you place your order. Not all banks do this, but many do, and if the funds aren't there chaos can ensue.If that happens to you send me a PM so we can reset your code.
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17 years 6 months
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someone asked to have his posts removed. I obliged.
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15 years 6 months
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...thought I was having a stroke or something.
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17 years 6 months
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Still more than 2000 posts. Is this thread limited to 7200 posts between now and September? :-)