Buckle up as we take a deep dive into Giants Stadium!
What's Inside:
5 Previously Unreleased Complete Giants Stadium Shows On 14 Discs
7/12/87 (24-track masters)
7/9/89 (24-track masters)
7/10/89 (24-track masters)
6/16/91 (48-track masters)
6/17/91 (48-track masters)
Blu-ray/DVD video of the complete 6/17/91 show, mixed in surround sound Mixed from the multitrack master tapes by Jeffrey Norman at Bob Weir's TRI Studios Mastered in HDCD by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering with Plangent Processes restoration Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 10,000
By 1987, the Grateful Dead had lived many of their nine lives but were about to embark on one not a soul had seen coming. In The Dark, their first studio album in seven years, had spawned a hit (A TOP 10 SINGLE FOR THE GRATEFUL DEAD?!) and "Touch Of Grey" begat a new generation with their fanny packs and their MTV and their undeniable quest to join the party already in progress. And boy, did the Dead let them in! But not without fine-tuning their sonic vibes to meet the new demand.
"The Swamp," as Giants Stadium was affectionately known, along with the grandstands the Dead had been frequenting, would seemingly equate with BIGGER and LOUDER, but the band "remained determined to give equal weight to the more subtle, oblique elements; to the exploratory improvisation and rhythmic complexities; to the fine details of the most heart-rending ballads as well as the weirdest dissonances in the jams."
With GIANTS STADIUM 1987/1989/1991, we retrace this journey from their 1987 breakthrough to their 1989 revelation ("the closest they ever came to sounding like a really polished stadium-level rock act, but the band’s penchant for breaking out of the constraints of song structure and into freewheeling improvisation will remind you just who you’re listening to here") to their transformative return in 1991, aided by elegance of Vince Welnick and Bruce Hornsby.
GIANTS STADIUM: 1987, 1989, 1991 features five previously unreleased shows that were recorded at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on: July 12, 1987; July 9 and 10, 1989; and June 16 and 17, 1991. Originally recorded by John Cutler, each show has been mixed from the multitrack master tapes by Jeffrey Norman at Bob Weir's TRI Studios in San Rafael, CA, and mastered in HDCD by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering. The first three shows are mixed from 24-track masters. The final two from 1991 are the only Grateful Dead shows ever recorded to 48-track masters. We’re rounding things out with a little visual stimuli - the entire multi-camera 6/17/91 concert recording on either two DVDs or a single Blu-ray, both with a surround mix by Norman.
Due September 27th, this release is limited to 10,000 individually numbered copies and available exclusively from Dead.net. We highly suggest you grab a copy while you can so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy all the exclusive content we'll be rolling out.
Prefer your boxed set byte-sized? The collection will also be available for HD digital download in FLAC and ALAC, exclusively at dead.net, on release day. You can pre-order it now too.
1988 Tacomadome
I made that one.. was on a wilderness trip with my brother and low and behold.. the circus was in town. Not the best show.. but we sure did have a good time. We kept hoping Santana would come out and play a few with the boys, but that was not meant to be.
Still.. got to see the Dead in a new state, which is always a fine adventure.
I really love Washington State.. if you haven't been, try and fit it in. Lots to do.. August and September really aren't as wet as people would lead you to believe and the winters get plenty of snow in the high country if that's your thing. A truly great state, ample opportunities for grand adventures.
FW 1969 Dark Stars
I've been meaning to do this for a while - listen to all four Dark Stars in a row. Mission accomplished.
I can't tell the difference between 2/27 and the other three. They all sound great to these half deaf ears. I'm going to go out on a limb and say 2/27's reputation, while deserved, is bolstered by its massive exposure rate (compared to the other three). They're so similar, just on account of that time priod I think (in contrast to say, Eurooe '72, where they're ALL different except for the the verses and forays into the main theme).
Glad I got that off my plate.
Till the Morning Comes 10/4/70 Winterland
I really wished they played this song a lot more than they did!!!
9-3-88
A buddy of a buddy was at this show and the guy next to him leaves saying “I don’t do Bobby encores” I always chuckle about that.
I only saw one show in 88. First show actually, 6-26-88 and it was a good one. Full on In The Dark GD with some sweet tunes I had no clue about at the time.
Meadowlands 6/17/91
I was at the Meadowlands concert 6/17/91 it was awesome . I couldn't even recognize eyes of the world for opener because it caught me so off guard ,. Best show I went to , thank you for a real good time
9-19-90 Madison Square Garden and the blues
going through some heartache at the moment, you know the deal the " i just want to be friends" thing. so you just try to do whatever to get your mind off it. play some playstation or what have you. i decided to put this show on where i last left off. could have been the nite sky, could have been the cold fall weather settling in, or the feeling that i had maybe all 3. but this was the most god damn beautiful It Must Have Been The Roses I ever heard, followed by Stuck Inside Mobile I really felt soothed by Hornsby's accordion and Vince's organ. which just goes to show again, it's not what they play but how they play it. did it fully chase these blues away? no. but it helped. i really needed this show tonite. god bless the grateful dead
It was ever thus
"Music has charms to sooth a savage breast " So wrote William Congrieve in 1697.
I have always really liked the song It Must Have Been The Roses-beautiful. The studio version on "Reflections" is good, too.
Roses
I love the Augusta 10/12/84 "Roses". Garcia's strained vocals are just perfectly lovable to me. hey, looks like there is a live-stream of San Fran's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass today.....
Just friends
Sorry, bro.
Crank up that old Victrola!
Relationships...blech.
"Love stinks"
- J Geils Band
I Need A Miracle
...to get Customer Service to give a reply to emails and phone calls as to what is going on with delivery of everyone’s orders. Being backlogged is one thing, but to just ignore your customers so blatantly is pretty hard to take. Maybe Dave Lemieux can do a quick Sea Side chat to explain how the ball got so badly dropped on this box set release, or even a general “Hey, we messed up, but here is how we are fixing it” message on the site. I have to agree with a previous post - I’m not sure I will order from Dead.net again, unless I have to, which is lousy, because I cherish the 30 Trips box and the numerous other items I’ve acquired over the years.
Class action lawsuit against Dead/Rhino/WMG
Probably the only way to get their attention.
Charging people’s credit cards but not delivering the product.
Sounds illegal.
Certainly a problem
We received our box last week before we got a Email saying it had shipped. Then three days ago we got the vinyl. Both shipped to our home by UPS. We had our PO Box as the shipping address but they were delivered to our home. I’m not sure what the problem is but at least we got both items.
We also got our 7” single last month but it was severely warped so I requested a replacement on September 21st and got a Email saying they were backed up and would respond in ten business days. We have yet to hear back and it’s October 5th.
They really need to get their act together soon so they don’t lose their golden goose. We love anything that they have to release and want the remaining band members to make the money, but they can only screw up so much before we turn and run.
Great Shows
Love the box set and the shows are great. The vinyl from 91 is beautifully done. Excellent pressings and the mix is awesome. These are some of the best sounding recordings from this GD period. Great booklet too. Haven’t watched the Blu Ray yet, but really glad to get any Dead shows on Blu Ray. I’m hoping that more shows will follow in Hi Def.
Adding my name to this…
Adding my name to this disastrous shipping debacle. Still no sign of my order being shipped. Many emails, web help submissions later I called on Friday. After 24 minutes a guy named Elvis said my order would ship yesterday or today, and still nothing.
I’m done with this, on Monday I’m going to cancel my order and I’ doubt I’m going to order from dead.net again.
Agree with the previous commenter that David needs to address this, pissing off your customers who are buying overpriced CDs in a market where stealing this music is really easy - is a bad idea. If Warner can’t treat us properly find another company to distribute this stuff.
After the debacle with the…
After the debacle with the last Dave's Picks order, you would think they would figure this out. When I called Dead.net the last time about the crazy Duty charges I suggested that since Rhino Music is part of Warner Music (USA). Why do they not send all the Canadian box set orders directly to Warner Music Canada and let them mail them out (No Duties this way) This is how the 3CD and 5LP box happened and they were distributed to the stores where I bought my 3CD set and 5LP Box set with no problems. This can't be that hard to comprehend. - This is totally frustrating and it should not be happening. Every Dead.net order seems to have a problem attached with it!
Rest of the year concerns
A little worried, about the rest of the year, releases. They still have to release, the final 2019 Dave's release. GDM has a new album out. I believe "Ready or Not" is due out in November. Then we are also going to hopefully get 2020 Dave's Pick Subscription sale.
I hope they find the time to correct and make good on those, who are having problems, self included.
Pixies and muffs
Kim Shattuck died at 56. Had a great yell. RIP.
Rhino? no
I recommend everyone who has been mistreated by rhino to dispute all charges to your credit cards, even if you have received the merchandise, they might get the message then if all of a sudden the product was all gone, yet, they received no profit. laugh out loud rhino, you can not continue to treat your loyal customers this way and not expect an uprising to occur. What is mind boggling is that they have not said one word about their horrible service, not an apology, not even an acknowledgement that they fucked up. Hell of a way to run a railroad, it's like Casey Jones is at the wheel, and he's not just high, he's wasted.
First '89 and Second '91
I'm with you on the first '89 show, Charlie3. Definitely the unexpected gem for me (and on my birthday no less!) But really loving the second '91 gig as well. That said, there's really not a bad show in the bunch.
I knew y'all would like this release
I once was a post 85 doubter
but now am a true believer
6/17/91 at MUATM was __awesome__
Last Five.....
Cream - Wheels Of Fire (current)
Poi Dog Pondering - Pomegranate
GOGD - Giants Stadium 7.9.89.
Eagles - On The Border
Trey Anastasio - Ghosts Of The Forest
.
.
Saw Joker last night. No shots were fired. If one was to trust the media, I left a bit disappointed. Lol.
Otherwise, the movie was great. I took away a main point that it was trying to say that social services fails the mentally ill. This point is not wrong. Joker has several layers. One layer is that it does not encourage violence. Give me a break media. I ain't buying into your shit. Remember Natural Born Killers? I do. Remember violent outrages afterwards? I don't either.
Checking my inbox....
....I am guilty of not clicking that link as much as I should. Thanks people.
The moron speaketh again
Uncle Sam, disputing a credit card charge as a means of protest for merchandise you knowingly received is a sure way to 1) lose your credit card account 2) damage your credit rating, 3) get convicted of a felony.
People do not listen to this malcontent.
psst...hey you...Deadhead...
I highly recommend you check out Hult 84 May 6, 7, 8
don't look at the set lists
just listen
Regarding 5.8.84....
....the Cumberland from E72 was the touchstone for my long strange trip, but that Silva Hall show was my first time listening to the Dead while on acid. So yeah. Setlists don't really matter anyway.
Ginger baker
Shit another legend gone. Talk about leaving a legacy.
Swampin it up
Finally made it through all the shows. I really love the late era box sets because each show is so different. I knew 6/17/91 was gonna be a magical one because of all the hype, but that 6/16/91 show is definitely not one to take for granted. Very solid and lively show, for any era.
A couple of things that I think are weird with this release. First off, Brent is not listed in the credits. I know most of us (if not all) know what shows Brent played on and all that but i still think it would be a good idea to have his name listed. Pretty small thing because it's mainly about the music and there is certainly a lot of really great music in this box. We are definitely spoiled as Deadheads, with the amount of quality music that has been preserved and released...which brings me to my 2nd thing. The 87 show was one that was recorded on 24 tracks and mixed for the release of this box, right? Maybe this is subjective, but I think Jerry's guitar is a little low in the mix on Morning Dew. Every other guitar solo from the box set is at a perfect volume...everything else really, is just exactly perfect. Don't get me wrong, I think the sound is incredible on these shows and extremely grateful to have these shows for my enjoyment. Just don't know why the lead guitar would be quiet on that particular song. Nothing wrong with the solo on Morning Dew from 7/10/89. Was it something other than the mixing? Was the sound messed up for that song? Did Jerry have himself turned way down? Was one of the 24 tracks not Jerry's guitar? ...then in come the claps, which is really great and make my hairs stand up...but wait, very audible claps? Is this an AUD? Sorta sounds a little like a matrix maybe...I love the claps but no other song from the box set has claps (or any audience noise) that is as audible as it is on Morning Dew. It's just a little confusing, for me at least. Curious if anyone else noticed...maybe I'm just losing it.
Setlists as in...
dont look at them ahead of time. Many pleasant surprises.
If 5 8 84 was your "first time", vguy, then you got a goooooood one
MUSTIN321
Yep! I noticed the same thing on Dew and commented on it in the Giants boxset thread on the phish.net forum. 87 first set sounds fantastic and then that Dew to start the 2nd set is noticeably different and sounds like either an audience or matrix. Things go back to the board as Playin starts and gets better as that song goes along. Who knows. Maybe there were issues on the master reels for Dew and they had to use a different source.
Only other minor mixing complaint for me is vocals are mixed a little low on 6-16-91 (havent listened to 6-17 yet), but that's a very minor quibble.
Otherwise thought the shows sounded awesome with a really great mix!
Thought the shows themselves were excellent overall! Not a clunker in the set and the energy is awesome in all of them! 6-16 is a fantastic show start to finish which I was not expecting. Oh, and how about that Black Peter with the extended jam at the end? Phenomenal Black Peter!
Awesome boxset though and surpassed my expectations a bit. :D
Re: '87 Morning Dew, Mustin and General Musings
I don't think there is any matrix action on the '87 Morning Dew, but I could be wrong.
...but if it were a matrix, it would be part soundboard, part aud.. so why mix in audience? They often do this right before and after aud patches to lessen the impact before we go full-bore into aud territory, but this does not seem to be the case here.
I think it's more likely that the crowd, being in New York, went ape shit simply because they opened the second set with Morning Dew, which was a rarity as a set opener by '87. So if the crowd goes absolutely ape shit, the crowd noise will come through the vocal mics.. and if it's really loud and well recorded.. for a few brief seconds it sounds like an audience recording.
That's my take.
As for where Jerry's guitar sounds in the mix, perhaps it was just the performance. On occasion they opened shows with MDew, and opened the second set with MDew, but I always thought the song was more powerful when used late in the second set, as a ballad crescendo-meltdown song rather than as a cold opener. I guess what I am trying to say is I noticed the same thing but had different thoughts as to the reasoning. As a set opener, they seemed to have a more difficult time finding their groove with this tune compared to when it came later in the set after they were warmed up, and often on fire..
As always, I reserve the right to be absolutely, cold-opener wrong. It's pretty subjective territory, but that's my take. Perhaps I should listen to it again to be sure.
Chalk it up to 70k New Yorkers, perhaps more than few just beginning to peak, flipping out and losing their shit simply because the second set opened with Morning Dew and Jerry and the boys being less nimble then when this song appears later in the set.
Morning Dew....
....the boyz could place that particular song anywhere, even in a Day Job->Dew->Childhoods End, and I would be appreciative.
Dew
I did.. spent the last half hour listening to that with headphones.
Mustin 1, JimInMD 0. There is something in that mix.. For my first listen, I just did the first set, then started with the second set the next day. But tonight I started with Bertha (why not) and then into the second set.
I certainly screwed the pooch on that one. I wonder what was up? It was the clapping towards the end that just would not come through on stage.
Sorry.. I was flat out head face planted deep in the snow wrong on that one.
Good catch.
Dew
Hmm. I listened to dew and Mabey it was a mic. swap at 2nd set break. Jerrys guitar vol. seems ok to me for a quieter song but like jim said ,you would not hear that loud clapping in the mic. so clearly at that distance. Mabey they had an aud. Mic. just for Dew but I doubt it. Kind of nit picking but still strange. The clapping seems quite loud on dew only. When Jerrys noodling on space the aud. Is quite distant. But it still a stellar show!
R.I.P. Mr. Baker
Until I saw the Beware Mr. Baker movie I didn't know a lot about Ginger Baker, only that he was a very highly regarded drummer. I don't even know Cream, except for Sunshine and White Room. I can't believe they did not get more air play on FM radio. Blind Faith is all I own with him.
What impressed me the most about Mr Baker was his confidence in his song arranging capability. He made it sound like he contributed a great deal to the music production, not just drumming.
Love how he scoffed at the mention of Bonham and Moon being great drummers. I would love to have heard his opinion on Peart.
Can't believe he blew all of that reunion tour money. Horses? It's been awhile since I saw the movie. Was he doing a lot of drugs? That'll burn through a million bucks pretty quick.
Well I keep telling myself I need to get into that Allman Brothers Fillmore East box set from 1971 as soon as I get bored of the Dead. That hasn't happened yet and I've had the box set for well over a year. But I really should by the cCeam records in order.
Stoltzie. I started to listen to that 84 show you mentioned last night. It was late and I fell asleep after the first two songs but I really enjoyed the funky keyboard sound. I've never heard that before. You know what I mean.
Giants Box
Count me in for being impressed with this box set. It exceeded my expectations for sure. It reminds me aa bit of the '78 box in that its five shows and the first, two-disc show catches you by surprise a little bit. Its the best I've ever heard the band sound in '87 and the playing is very good. The first '89 show in the box may be my favorite all-around show. I love that set list. Bummer to hear that Brent did not make the credits. How is that possible? I'm going to take a look through my book tonight and check.
I'm really digging the sounds quality here. You can hear all the drums well and I love those synth drums Billy and Micky were working in during this time. Phil's bass also sounds great and really cuts through the mix well.
I was listening to the Might as Well in the last show (6-17-91) yesterday and wondered: are there more Might As Well's at the end of this song or more "Don't you let that deal go down"'s at the end of 4-22-78? Its a close race.
Ginger Baker and Cream
If anyone deserves to rest in peace - he does.
The only music I have paid much attention to, that he contributed to, are the records by Cream. Maybe they get overlooked a bit now...maybe their albums haven't travelled so well.. but they had tremendous influence during their tenure and for the first half of the 70s. Both The Dead and the Airplane were apparently knocked out by them when they played San Francisco in 1967...I don't think anyone who saw then had ever heard anything like it before. As I understand it, Hot Tuna were formed partly in response. True, they were somewhat upstaged by Jimi Hendrix...but even he may not have become what he did without Cream setting the template.
Throughout he early-mid 70s, most of the live bands I saw seemed to have grown out of what Cream achieved. All the loud,heavy, guitar solo oriented bands had their basis with Cream. In fact, in 1973, when I started listening to bands from the 60s, Cream and Hendrix were the ones that initially stood out. And each member was of equal importance-when they jammed all three of them went for it.
So great riffs, great singles, good at jamming. Nothing to do with Ginger Baker...but with Martin Sharp on board...two great album covers, too.