Holy S#%*! It’s the COMPLETE Europe ’72 Box! On Over 60 Discs!

Features

January 19, 2011
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

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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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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.

26589

July 4, 2018

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Last of four featuring the complete unreleased soundboard recording of 6/12/80 in Portland. According to Deadhead legend, My St Helens erupted during "Fire on the…

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April 26, 2007

The Season of “What Now?” (Again!)

Now... Where Were We?

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<<

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

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marye

13 years 10 months ago

folks
I will pass along all these concerns.
kirkmc

13 years 10 months ago

The cart is broke
They could have tested it. It's a new system, at least compared to my last order (the acoustic Garcia). It seems a bit iffy...
ken herrick

13 years 10 months ago

where's my damn tax refund?
where's my damn tax refund?

$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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Yeah. let's have 25 CD's of

Yeah. let's have 25 CD's of soundchecks! The one from Bremen is hilarious: the only one I have from E72.

I emailed my request to

I emailed my request to reserve a copy for this set last week but still no reply. I called and they were very nice saying there's quite a bit of confusion regarding this set. It seems they are trying to determine who is really serious about buying it. According to the person I spoke with, some people have backed out of the pre-order. I really didn't know you could. Honestly, I would be perfectly happy with a music only version if that's all I can get. But I'd still like some sort of confirmation that I'm registered for some form of this set. I guess I'm just being anxious...

a test

I think they were testing the waters if you read the 1st posts everybody isn't sure if they'll even get 3,000 orders by April 1st, because they did say this project would be cancelled if they don't...and that is one way to get people to pre-order...far as selling them individually they may do that in a few years following the release...they might...but historically speaking they never made the other sets available individually so it's not likely here, not likely but not necessarily never going to happen...i do believe these shows will sell unlike any other time period...i do believe the Dead community would like alot of acoustic music made available from the 1970 run and 1980 run respectively...most likely if they do ever put out a tremendous box set again it'll probably be the 1980 run...or something i'm missing from billy graham that's where those other 3 box sets come from, that's his soundboard recordings...so they would need to get really superior soundboards...like 1980 we know for a fact they were professionally recorded it's just a matter if all of the shows were completely recorded or not...where do all the dicks picks come from?? Are they a mixture of just really good recordings or just professionally recorded shows or someone from the band's personnel recording a show very well.

1980

Don't hold your breath waiting for a sizable 1980 acoustic release. Blair has said a number of times that a large portion of the master tapes for that run were -- (gasp!) -- taped over. Yes, taped over. In other words, they don't exist.

Tony

For most of what you ask about Dick's picks etc. the answers can be found easily. Brynhoe (a few posts back) suggested going to: http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2011/02/dick-latvala.html and as he said, although it is a long read, it is fascinating and highly relevant. I for one am very glad he brought it to my attention.

Mary E: Why doesn't someone

Mary E: Why doesn't someone put up a link to FAQs for this release prominently displayed on the main page? It seems that an awful lot of folks can't be bothered to sift through a few of the posts here and learn that their particular situation and/or question is NOT unique. A simple FAQ could include the idea that credit card charges will see a temporary hold for a few days, debit cards and bank accounts may see debits; unused codes are being slowly released to those next in line and will continue until all 7200 sets are spoken for; Music-only confirms will not go out until the trickle down effect of unused limited edition codes is complete, etc. Just a thought...

That's a grate article on Latvala

Thanks for the initial link posting, brynhoe. That article is awesome, and simonrob beat me to reposting the link LOL I noticed some disagreement between show dates on the linked listing of some of Dick's notebook pages and shows as listed in Deadbase, which is interesting.

end of story

I guess that's the end of the 1980 box set dream, if they were taped over and/or erarased and anything else just wouldn't be good enough...thanks for the dicks picks link to read about them...i will say alot of them are of very high quality and more of great quality that were probably appointed a volume due to historical importance and that being only a handful in that category...what would be nice if they could only release this 7 months early...i know alot of people would be mad because then we'd have to come up with the money alot sooner than expected.

Helena

I have not even got around to checking all the links, but I'm glad you found the post as great as I did. Ditto to you simonrob. That article makes it really clear that this box set is a continuation of how GDP has always operated, and that love is greater than money for the most part in that organization, failing and all.

And to you Tony

Didn't see your comment as I was writing

Don't hold your breath for a Spring '77 Box

Now, this has nothing to do with the music, as I, like many others think that Spring 77 was the Dead's penultimate tour (Yes, I like it better the E72 or Fall 73). Last year when I was waiting for the yearly box to come out (which turned out to be the Warlocks), I emailed David Lemieux to see if I could get him to bite on some 3 show runs I had in mind. And one of the 3 show runs was 5/7, 5/8, and 5/9 from '77. All just absolutely incredible shows. He shot that one down by saying they do not have the master reels for 5/8/77 in the vault. Yes, you heard that right, they do not have the reels for 5/8. He said their were a few other shows from that tour that they do not have in the vault as well. Another point he made, is for the box sets, they are really going to try and focus on multitrack recordings. So this throws out a lot of stuff, since most of it is two track recordings (albeit absolutey awesome two track recordings: see Betty Boards). If I were a betting man, I'd look at something like Spring '90 for a full tour release. Absolutely incredible music, all multitracked since they were recording for Without A Net.

Article

Bryan, read the long long article.. It seems Phil Lesh liked to vote NO...dylan, releases...but a great article on the various projects of the Grateful...and possibly one great mother project of all the shows available in a vault type website...I do think the Band should've realized how great these shows were but i can understand not wanting to be involved or listen in retrospect rather than in terms of releasing an album for immediate release eg. "Steal Your Face" and in it's time i think they were blasted for that one...but thankfully it did get out and i'm one who loves the CD format rather than downloading although i've done some of that...i read how Europe 72 got passed over thinking that it's been released 4-5 times and the quality is amazing...so just going back on here you still get the skeptism of the release (read the 1st posts on this)...i think now it'll surpass all expectation and i think the Dead's appeal has been changed, they know now it was about the live music that mattered most...in the studio they had to focus on a only a section of a band...live it was the whole band that was employed rather than just a section and that's the difference...but it was a great article because you do learn how the process works on all the projects they had or have going to this day...i think videos are done i don't see them issuing anymore...but Road shows will continue and probably yearly box sets will continue...not sure if i can see a site that has every show in existence available for download purchase...like alot of the article said not every Dead show was good enough to listen to again and again...unless your scholar, at a show or were wanting a version of a song or a cover they didn't do often...as of right now we have plenty of material to keep us busy and the 72 box set will be just amazing i didn't even flicker at that one it was a no brainer but i can see someone else not wanting to get it since there's alot released already...but i like the day to dayness of it and i know i'll be on that set for at least 2 years straight.

re: Dead Essay

I thought the stuff about Phil was really interesting, but from a larger stand point, it never occurred to me that the band might just be disappointed with their output and not want to release it for artistic reasons, although it seems obvious now that I've read it. I love this music and find genius in it, and it didn't dawn on me that the band might be self-critical and disinterested. I also will never again take seriously anyone who complains about the Archive.org soundboards being pulled by the band. I'm sad it happened, but Dick's death was a watershed moment, perhaps equalling that of Jerry's death as far as impact on the band's legacy. The band may not be handling their recordings in the way that we wish they would, but their continued existence is an happy accident, and it appears they never saw them as valuable in the first place and did not know what to do with them. I really don't think they are driven by greed, but genuinely don't understand their audience, which in their defense is a weird audience (myself included). I think this box set is going to go a long way towards setting things right. This is a very good time to be a dead head.

PDF for E72, the next big& small boxes, Dick L , Phil & the tape

Laser's idea for a PDF of the 'coffee table' book, etc., for the music only editions is an excellent idea. Technology! A good idea for a compromise and make post 7200 fans smile, smile, smile. I mentioned earlier that Dead.net should reconsider making more than 7200 despite what they initially said in order to satisfy the fans and make some money. The PDF, however, is a great alternative idea. Regarding the sound checks, all 25 discs. . .. maybe not. I do wonder if there are any interviews from European journalists which could be provided as a bonus disc and an historical artifact? If there are some print media available, why not? That might be in the book though. My personal wish, or dream because it did not happen, is for perhaps an unearthed interview of the band being interview by Monty Python's John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin; et.al., or better yet, a dvd of comedy sketches they participated in. Or imagine, if you will, Jerry on Benny Hill being chased by all those Buxom British Babes? I have a feeling Jerry would let the girls catch him! It would be a pity if the Radio City and/or Warfield 1980 are not around because they would be great candidates. Spring 1977? Of course! That 5/877 is not available is just astounding! i say release two tracks as well if they are from desired periods. Perhaps a small 1977 box? A Full Monty Box for spring 1990 is a good idea too. Or Europe 1990? Thanks for the Dick L essay. I had seen it before and not finished reading it. It was very insightful. he moved to Hawaii and bags of 'green stuff' were his path to the GD. Just imagine if Dick L had been another Dead head behind bars, thanks Big Government, and never made it to the vault? It is just to bitter to contemplate. I actually can understand Phil and the Band's reluctance to listen to old shows. Performers, musicians, actors, etc., are their own worse critics. I recall Jerry saying that Bob Dylan picked obscure songs for obscure reasons, or something like that. And brynhoe: yes they are not being driven by greed. You are right it is a very good time to be a Dead Head. Furthur.

artistic integrity

I do believe Phil Lesh had in mind not flooding the market and not repeating themselves, but the Dead are one band excused from that because they're just great live and it's not like they sound similar year after year...there's something true in Dick's vision...for me personally i became very interested in them when they started releasing alot of live material before that i had 3-4 releases and their greatest hits...sounds funny now, imagine listening to the greatest hits of the dead...alot of you would probably laugh at that thought...now there's this all the great wealth of material i don't think we'll ever be bored if they never release another...and they will and i'm very interested in their releases even 16 years later after Jerry's passing, but for the sake of naming a wish box set i guess i'd go with "Without a safety Net" getting some of those shows...or something of high quality like that i assume there's alot of complete shows in high quality that hasn't been touched upon too much...better check for winterland shows i'm sure they'll want to put those out 1st...someone said their earlier days when they did colleges and that's a good idea but i wonder if the quality will be good enough for such a release...or maybe a monster of an acoustic box set...that'll satisfy all the radio city 1980 fans...it's really a simple process...in real life someone will jot down similar ideas to ours on here and they'll pick one of them that we mentioned i'm sure...not because of us but from logical assumptions on their part and ours...it's funny that the 1972 european was brought up before and shot down, they thought enough was already released...funny how it actually works.

This thread

The best and the worst of our community, all in one place! :)********************************** I am not young enough to know everything. Oscar Wilde

Now there's (finally) one less set available!

Big, big thanks to Kevin and Brian over at Customer Service, and to Mary (marye) here on the forum for getting me through the order process successfully! My sympathies to those of you who may still be on the standby list--I sincerely hope that you, too, get a miracle. If you do, remember to NEVER HIT THE "BACK" ARROW on your browser! (That path leads to madness). If you should happen to need the assistance of the kind folks at Customer Service, please remember to be courteous and positive both in your e-mails and your phone conversations, because it's NOT their fault if you had trouble placing your order, and they are VERY helpful if you simply give them a chance. Don't panic when things don't happen instantly--they MUST get approval from a supervisor before you can get a new code, to ensure that extra codes don't go out randomly. I placed my initial order on Sunday evening, screwed it up handsomely, sent them an e-mail right away (with a PM to Mary, just in case), set my alarm so I could get up at 5:00 AM on Monday (I'm a teacher here in California--the ONLY time I can talk to them is between 5:00 - 6:30 AM on weekdays), phoned in right after they opened and talked to Kevin. He took my information, told me that he had to clear it with a supervisor, and that I would get a call back. I let him know that nobody would be home that day to take the call, so he e-mailed me with a customer number and a case number to facilitate the process. I phoned again on Tuesday, spoke with Brian, who quickly accessed my information and tried to get through to a supervisor before I had to go to work; when that turned out to be impossible, I let him know that he could safely phone me the next day (Wednesday) between 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM (when they're normally NOT supposed to call this time zone). This morning, Wednesday, at 5:05 AM, Brian called me (just before my alarm would have gone off), apologized for waking me (no apology needed--it was exactly perfect!), and talked me through the replacement code, making doubly sure that every letter was accurate, every number was accurate, and the one lower case letter was identified. Everything worked, my order went through cleanly with a street address (for UPS) instead of my usual post office box address (for USPS), my receipt came by e-mail within seconds, the temporary charge showed up on my online statement, and now the world is once again spinning in well-greased grooves. Patience, courtesy, and a positive vibe--who would have ever thought that these things would make the world better? Oh, yeah, that's right: Billy, Bobby, Jerry, Phil, Pigpen, Hunter, Barlow, Mickey, Tom, Keith, Donna, Brent, Vince, Bruce, and everybody in the rigging, on the boards, in the trucks, and in the Haight-Ashbury district where it all started. What a trip, man--what a trip.

Don't forget 1987!

As for any input on the next box set, the ones I see are good; 77, 73, 90. But let's not forget about the energy of 1987. Fall tour.....MSG....the Dew........yeah, I get goose bumps every time. Just my two cents.. :)

essay, Phil, vault, releases, time

Great blog essay. Great site. I think release considerations can change rightfully when a band is no longer. Look at the jazz reissues of Coltrane, Miles, Monk, Evans, etc. Especially Miles-all sessions around a certain releases or set of releases has been put out in the boxes. The casual listener may not be interested in every version or take on a certain tune or the jams which were later edited/spliced to create a release-but the serious fans want to hear it. Also-those bands are gone-the eras are over-commercial concerns are now different. The public record is now part of it as well-it should be available to document what went down. The Dead, to my mind is similar-You've got to make money, but duplication is not as important perhaps as it would have previously been when the band was still performing. Fortunately the Dead continually changed/evolved and that process leads to abilities to fully document periods of time(Miles again-very similar). Phil, I would think, has a different mindset on this now than he had pre-1995. But whatever happens-I hope it is in the direction of maximum, quality releasing.

Good point

That's a good point the Dead are over with or at least the Grateful with Jerry Garcia is over, the others still get together and have shows mostly in the summertime...but it's over with so they don't have to worry about repeating themselves...and they have people like us who are very interested in their music, i wouldn't say too many of us are light about it, i remember when i got hold of the 1st dicks picks i played them and played along with their other live albums, i do remember someone giving me a stack of cassettes and i do remember someone giving me a dicks pick that didn't quite make it...so i was engrossed in their live output something that still engrosses me...but i'm mostly into real releases...mostly because it is great quality and it's funny you are drawn to the best quality sounding recordings, maybe not so funny but a little bit of a weird understanding...alot of us thought we liked the unsual but in the end we want the best quality...or at least i do...to listen to...i'm not a collector, but it seems i collect alot of dead cds.

Spring 77

I'm astonished that 8 May 77 at Cornell is missing from the vault. I have this as a 3 CD set from about 15 years ago. Its quite ambient so may not be a soundboard and its also a bit 'middley'. Nevertheless, its one of my favourite gigs, not least for Garcia's wonderful solo on Scarlet Begonias (the first track my new-born child was played) and the yearning slide work on Row Jimmy. With today's equipment I'm sure this could be disaggregated, EQ'd, dried out a bit and reassembled, mixed and mastered to a very high order. I suppose this might be costly if studio time had to be hired so might not make it viable. Does anyone know what equipment is readily available at the vault (do I recall it was bequested to a university recently?) and is there a systematic programme to digitise it? Tapes rot and with the risk of ghosting, means they're high-maintenance and costly to curate. (I shudder to think if the present owners of the Beatles catalogue are acting responsibly in this regard). Either way the 8 May 77 gig would make a fantastic addition to the official releases. Or how about a 7, 8 and 9 May 77 RT 'Dead At Cornell' as a taster for the full 77 tour? (a "limited edition" of 77,000 next time please!) Still need a miracle Regards Mike

^^^^^^^^^^^ Yes to This!!!!

^^^^^^^^^^^ Yes to This!!!! ^^^^^^^^ Europe '72 box ordered, briNg oN SPRING '77, BABY, AS MUCH as YOU GOT!

That "Dancing in the Street" on the Terrapin Station reissue...

...was from the 5/8/77 Barton Hall concert, I think. It sounds pretty good, wonder what tape source they used for that?

Beatles

Beatles don't really have a whole lot to release ideally...their live shows will be for a curiousity thing if any ever do get released...i know hollywood bowl and Hamburg 1962 was released on vinyl in 1977...their outtakes we have the very best and anymore would be pushing it...i mean that with all sincerity as a Beatles fan too...there's really nothing not released already you'd want...at best it would be nice if everything got released and remastered in uniform with the 2009 releases...at best...far as the Grateful Dead you can automatically expect they'll continue releasing 4-10 disc shows that were in sequence every Christmas season...this monster of a box set is a one time deal...or if there's another it won't be for a long time...this monster will be for over 60 discs...that's a monster of a box set...i'd like to hear anyone state something that'll be this big again...so far no one really can.

thanks to all!

My view is this is the longer period of time with goood sound recordings they have? Why not release them and make the people know you even more? i´m spanish and i got a pre order and i think this is wonderful, because i´ve been listening to this music for 35 years and it made feel goood!!!!! Many thanks to you all.

Beatles vault

Having bought the Anthology series, I'm not confident there's a great deal of any interest left in the Beatles' vault that we haven't already heard. However, what has never been re-released to my knowlege, except an excerpt from the 67 one as track 4 on the Free as a Bird single CD, is a compilation of The Beatles Fan Club Christmas messages (1963 - 69) Now that would be weird. The ones I've seen came as flexi-plastic 7" singles and were free to members. They were gibberish really. Were these released to USA fanclub members? Regards Mike

Beatles Christmas discs

In 1982 I moved to a remote cottage in the English countryside, with my partner and tiny baby and no money. In the attic we found a complete set of the Beatles Christmas flexi discs. Selling those kept us going for a couple of months. Thanks boys (and whoever left them there for us). I think an LP containing all of the Christmas messages was issued when the band broke up, but I do not know if they have been released since then.

Jerry on Benny Hill being chased by all those Buxom British Babe

Don't go there :-) Political correctness did for poor old Benny Hill. Here's a great description of PC that someone sent me... "Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a piece of shit by the clean end." Ain't that so.

Why only 7200?

Can someone please tell me the reasoning behind only having 7200 boxed sets made available? I understand I can buy just the music but for those of us who want the complete boxed set, why would they only make a limited # ? I had to buy a copy of The Fillmore boxed set off a friend who happened to buy 2 copies, otherwise, I wouldn't have it.

Probably

because marketers will be marketers, and they're just not comfortable without their gimmickry. Guess they have to feel like their adding value to the chain somehow, no matter how misguided it may be. But, as my grandfather used to say, "Can't blame a skeeter for skeetering, skeetering's their business." Conversation is always more interesting than recitation, so speak your mind and not someone else's.

Oops!

*they're adding.... "Duck! It's the grammar police!!!" Conversation is always more interesting than recitation, so speak your mind and not someone else's.

Casable Why not?

because thats the way the bones roll. some people my self included were unable to get their hands on the fillmore set, nor the music only version because they didn't release one (except that skimp 3 disc tease), nor do i have a friend who was financially willing to buy 2! copies and then have the good fortune to have that passed onto me for face value. so you can't get all t he bells and whistles...at least you can buy the full set...now you'll have it all because you have complete music sets for both box sets so quite your gripping your better off than many and still want more? can't always get what you want...but sometimes

and yess i can spell welll

The Beatles Christmas discs...

...have been released as compilations on CD a couple of times, not currently in print though. An Amazon Marketplace seller currently has a used copy of one up for $99. I heard one of the singles way back in the day (late '60s) and remember thinking it was hilarious.

Box setiquette

Someone was mentioning Miles Davis; he is becoming the king of box sets. In 2009 Sony reissued all his Columbia albums, plus some new stuff and a great DVD. All in a no frills box with simple card sleeves and a small book. 71 disks for around $275. Fantastic value it would seem. But they had real problems with shoddy packaging and glue on the discs (sound familiar?). Sony had to do a partial reissue with better quality control and replace a lot of sets. Then they issued all the Columbia studio sessions, packed into a reproduction Miles Davis trumpet case with a reproduction Miles Davis trumpet mouthpiece , t-shirt, art print and other stuff. It was in a limited edition of 1,955. (Miles signed to Columbia in 1955) . This was 43 CDs with a lot of unreleased material Cost $1140 originally, but is still available reduced to around $750. Clearly the Miles fans have some limits. Now they are releasing the Bitches Brew 40th Anniersary Collectors’ Edition for another $100 with the original album on CD, plus vinyl, plus live DVD plus posters, books etc. They just go on and on selling you the same stuff over and over, with a few new cuts and some extra doodads. It’s obviously a model that works . At least the E72 box is mostly newly released material. When they get round to the ‘In the Dark’ collectors’ edition with associated odds and ends then it may be time to move on.

Europe 72

Love box sets. Really looking forward to September.Thanks GD.

hey music-only purchasers

im pretty sure the answer will be no but... has anyone received any response since filling out the music-only edition request form with your email, etc.? thanks

dark side of collecting cds

Sure they use motivations such as a limited edition...sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't with Miles Davis it might work since there's more substance than say the Monkees, the Monkees had a limited edition live box set (not really a box) but it took 4-6 years to sellout it's 10,000 quota...I don't think i'll spend 450$ on another tour, unless it really blows me away, it would have to be in the 1969-1973 pocket...i like all periods of the Dead but for me to hear a series of shows from everynight it would have to be in that pocket...i say this now of course, but if that moment arises i don't know what i'd think...the Beatles Christmas album isn't a big deal...i think anyone can get it, there's downloading sites as well as trading sites for the Beatles...and it was originally available to it's Beatle Club fans as an LP and most likely always available as a bootleg in big city record stores i persume...definitely not worth paying 100$ for as there's not much by way of music on that...really not much else on the Beatles you could want to listen to...alot of artists are really thin in terms of their outtakes and/or live performances...with the Dead it works because they were sort of like jazz musicians and didn't necessarily stay in the same place with songs and so you didn't grow bored of them even if they sang the same set...more so now than in it's time, they were careful not to repeat themselves or put out too much...now they're willing to put out alot because there's no turning back and nothing entirely new to put out...they're no longer thinking about if people will buy their new record with a new sound since there won't be a new album...so far nothing on the all music version of the box set at least not for me.

Code expiration

I believe the next round of code expirations happen today where they'll go to the next round of folks with the music only reservations. As far as Miles Davis' Bitches Brew, I have the Complete Bitches Brew Sessions box. Good stuff. Always makes for great middle of winter - late night listening.

box set

Some full sets are available as of right now They are sending out confirmation numbers to those who reserved music on versions

Got an extra code

I was one of the lucky ones to get a personalized edition and then also reserved a 'music only edition' just to be safe. I just got the e-mail with the 'miracle' for the actual box set, so long story short got an extra code. Who needs one??? PM me.

What people think...

"Glide" online magazine has been running a poll about hte E72 box. Here is what their readers (currently) think: I think that 7,200 is the right number and if you snoozed, you lost on getting the ultra-rare package. 26.44% I only care about the music and think the same price tag is justified, even without the packaging and perks. 10.34% I think $450 is ridiculous to pay for these shows, most of which are available for free, and have been for years. 28.74% I will download it for free once someone I know hooks me up with a copy. 27.59% I could care less about this release. 6.9%

Music-only Edition

I reserved a copy of this two weeks ago, and got an e-mail confirmation the next day that said I would receive another e-mail within 72 hours with ordering instructions. So far, nothing!Cheers!!

Yessssss!

I just got my code today. I put in a resevation on 1/20 in the evening and got nothing. Every day I called and people would say "No problem. Just be patient." Finally, on 1/27 they said "Sorry, we don't have your reservation." Bummer. Now today, I get a code. It seems like all those people who got codes aren't using them. Outstanding!

Europe '72

Well, I'll be!! I was e-mailed a code for the FULL box set from the website about ten minutes after I posted, which I promptly redeemed. Apparently, not everyone who reserved the full box followed through on paying!Double Cheers!!!!

God Bless The Grateful Dead!

I got my miracle! I was on the All the Music reserve list and had all but given up hope. Then I thought I'd just check my e-mails before turning in (its gone 11 pm here in the UK). OMG! With trembling hands I've just entered the code and placed the order - treble checking every entry to make sure of no cock-ups. Order confirmed. Tears of Joy. So much for English reserve. This may have just been blind luck, but God bless any force or person who had any hand in this. Roll on September. And the best of luck to any of you out there still hanging on hoping for a code. Wow. Regards Mike

Further thoughts on reissues / Miles

I am a sucker for reissues, and I'm also a box set freak - I have all the Miles Davis box sets. You can only partially blame the record companies, though. In Miles' case, and in the case of Hendrix, the family of the artist are engaged and directing the release schedule. Sony/Legacy actually does pretty well by their top tier "stable" (Dylan, Springsteen, Miles, etc.) compared to some other companies. Where they have suprememly dropped the ball, though, is in their Ellington holdings. The Columbia vaults are full of Duke's stuff that has yet to be released in any kind of comprehensive/remastered format. I guess my point is that we have it pretty good here. :)

To Much Money?

I just cannot believe that people believe this box costs too much. I think it is a bargain and I snapped it up immediately. I have started saving all my change for the next box set. Wonder what the May release is going to be?

$ and congratulations

$450 maybe a lot to spend at on time but the average per disc cost w/the goodies does indeed make it a good deal. Russellvaga is right -- it's a bargain. Many, or most, other bands would charge more, a lot more even. And congratulations to all those who were hanging on and got one! Whew! . . .that was close. MikeBrown I know what you mean about being certain you are entering everything correctly so -- God Forbid -- a single digit and internet- type screw-up did not occur causing 'cold English blood (to) run hot.' Thanks for the statistics Simonrob

Thank you

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I also received a code for the complete set today. Thank you Dead net, Rhino, MARY, and everyone/anyone who had a hand in making this right. (I was one of those folks who was on the site immediately when the set became available but the servers were crashing and i never got in.) I am THRILLED to know that this situation is being addressed and hope that others in my position are as fortunate to get a set as i am. However/whyever this actually worked out, i hope that we in the Dead community, by being so vocal, had a hand in changing this situation and making it right for we who are so committed and have supported the band for so many decades. Thanks again.

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