During the mid-1970s, the Grateful Dead saga was unfolding like a Greek classic. The Sisyphean Wall Of Sound had nearly broken the band. From it spawned a Medusa head of countless side projects, all deliciously fruitful but woefully not the same as the whole. The chorus lay in wait, pondering the reemergence of their heroes, and wondering if "THE LAST ONE" had really been it...
But in early 1976, Apollonian light and healing would shine upon our intrepid wanderers once again. No more epic battles for the people with cops and lines and tightness, the Dead would return triumphant in smallness, playing intimate theaters and renting equipment along the way. No more ticket scams and greedy promoters, they'd give back with first ever mail-order ticket program, one that had a few kinks to work out but eventually served the fans well.
Musically, June 1976 signaled a Golden Age of harmony and prosperity for the Dead. It marked an Odysseusian-like return for Mickey Hart. Donna Jean was in lock-step with the sirens' call. Jerry and Bob delivered orphic delight with solo musings like "Mission In The Rain" (the only tour they ever played it on), "The Wheel," and "Cassidy," emboldened by group effort. There was fresh repertoire from Blues For Allah, breathing new life to the Dead's continually morphing sound - as Weir once said of the '76 tour, they wanted to play "a little bit of all of it." Old favorites were re-envisioned with cascading tempos and unique sequencing, making the crowd question if they'd ever heard these songs before. And there was comfort and joy in the familiarity of watching the band make it up as they went along. By all means, it was clear that the bacchanalia of live Dead would reign on.
And now the revelry from this epoch, evidenced by the near-studio quality sound captured on two-track live recordings by Betty Cantor-Jackson, lives on, bolstered by Jeffrey Norman's HDCD mastering. It's housed for posterity in a handsome box featuring original art work by Justin Helton. It’s documented in liners by Jesse Jarnow and photos by Grant Gouldon. And it’s ready for a spot on your shelf.
As part of our pre-order for this Dead.net exclusive boxed set, we'll be delivering downloads of each listening party - one for each show included in JUNE 1976 - to purchasers from now until the March 20th release. Order at any time before release and you'll receive all the listening parties to date.
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 12,000
What's Inside:
- 5 Previously Unreleased Complete Shows On 15 Discs
- Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA 6/10/76
- Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA 6/11/76
- Beacon Theatre, New York, NY 6/14/76
- Beacon Theatre, New York, NY 6/15/76
- Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ 6/19/76
- Sourced from Two-Track Master Tapes, Recorded By Betty Cantor-Jackson
- Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
- Restoration and Speed Correction by Plangent Processes
Crime Songs
I have to give the crown to Johnny Cash for Folsom Prison Blues.
I hear the train a comin'
It's rollin' round the bend
and I ain't seen sunshine
Since, I don't know when
I'm stuck in Folsom Prison
and time keeps draggin' on
But that train keeps a rollin'
on down to San Antone
When I was just a baby
My mother told me "Son
Always be a good boy
Don't ever play with guns"
But I shot a man in Reno
Just to watch him die
When I hear that whistle blowin'
I hang my head and cry...
*Re/ future box sets
F Box Set
Absolutely “FANTASTIC” and “PRIMO”!!
... 7 shows from 1971, 3 cd’s each show. 21 cd box. Excellent sound, and GRATEFUL live music contained in purty box... 🙏😉🤠
💀🌹
LMG....”F”uture Box Sets
So LMG, does “F”Box Set mean “Fall”Box Set or “Future”Box Set? Or both?
Re: This is Kinda Cool
Clearly you are referring to the Maryland T-Shirt the guy is playing on the video, an understated reference to Terrapin Station and the Maryland "Terrapins" at #9 in the country, they are having their best year in more than a decade..
Yes, kinda cool.. and and true. Brown Eyed Women is one of the those classic Garcia Hunter songs. Timeless. When I hear it.. I can't help but want to head out back to split some hickory to fire the still.
Speak of the Terrapins.. the GD played in Cole Field (home of the Terps) once in 81 (no Terrapin Station at this show). I heard good comments from a couple people who were, but the venue was a loud, tin box with terrible acoustics, a fact that becomes apparent when you listen to the terrible sounding tapes that survive. Even the soundboard sounds like it was recorded from the inside of a bag microwave popcorn being popped.
Murder Ballads
This talk reminds me of a Johnny Cash compilation that came out about 20 years ago called "Murder Ballads." The track that has stayed with me is one called "Cocaine Blues". Our man kills this woman, and, as you might expect, when he is arrested, he is dressed in black. I think it was taken from the " Live at Folsom Prison" album. Great song and great albums.
Future Box
LMG, so we are looking at a 71 Box this fall? Wow! What shows?
Johnny Cash cocaine blues
Dave Rock, I really dig that version of that song. Johnny Cash was just a fantastic musician, I unfortunately never saw him live. My older brother saw him play at the Fillmore and said it was a great show. He opened up with Folsom Prison Blues.
Great Cash Cover....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAwjahm3sOk
Well they're building a gallows outside my cell I've got 25 minutes to go
And the whole town's waitin' just to hear me yell I've got 24 minutes to go
Well they gave me some beans for my last meal I've got 23 minutes to go
But nobody asked me how I feel I've got 22 minutes to go
Well I sent for the governor and the whole dern bunch with 21 minutes to go
And I sent for the mayor but he's out to lunch I've got 20 more minutes to go
Then the sheriff said boy I gonna watch you die got 19 minutes to go
So I laughed in his face and I spit in his eye got 18 minutes to go
Now hear comes the preacher for to save my soul with 13 minutes to go
And he's talking bout' burnin' but I'm so cold I've 12 more minutes to go
Now they're testin' the trap and it chills my spine 11 more minutes to go
And the trap and the rope aw they work just fine got 10 more minutes to go
Well I'm waitin' on the pardon that'll set me free with 9 more minutes to go
But this is for real so forget about me got 8 more minutes to go
With my feet on the trap and my head on the noose got 5 more minutes to go
Won't somebody come and cut me loose with 4 more minutes to go
I can see the mountains I can see the skies with 3 more minutes to go
And it's to dern pretty for a man that don't want to die 2 more minutes to go
I can see the buzzards I can hear the crows 1 more minute to go
And now I'm swingin' and here I go-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!
They're finally sorting it out...
Just last week, I received notice that a refund was being issued for an item I had ordered last September (2019). It was explained that the item was out of stock, and they weren't sure when it would become available if at all. Refund did appear.
Then, I received a replacement disc one from Dave's Picks 31. Which was nice, except I had clearly requested a disc two replacement (it skipped and was unplayable). So I notified customer service of their error, expecting the worst.
To my great delight, today a replacement disc two arrived. As of now, me and dead.net are square. I applaud them for addressing what must have been a mountain of concerns and handling mine the right way, if delayed.
I hope everyone has similar success and gets everything sorted out. Clearly, they are trying.
last five:
Grateful Dead, Dave's Picks 31 (finally, disc two!)
Eric Burdon, 'Til Your River Runs Dry
Beatles, Abbey Road
Beatles, Let It Be
Grateful Dead, 12/21/72 Winterland
Sorting Out & Murder Ballads
Delia’s Gone on Cash/American Recordings Vol. 1.
Also—received my Giants Stadium Box last week. Random but ain’t complainin’.
Giants
I was listening to Giants Stadium this morning.. the 89 show with the Shakedown opener.
More on Tom Dooley, a historical record.. just because I love Appalachian folklore (and moonshine, and unsolved love triangle murder mysteries and banjo playing jesters).
The Wheel 1976 versions..... and 1976
Just listened to the download from June 14, 1976....... I have to say my favorite year for The Wheel... Also very fond of 1976 Mission in the Rains..... (I know they only played 5 of them ever that year)... High Time versions from 1976 are also my favorites.... and while we are at it on 1976, June 29,1976 Chicago Auditorium, just can't play it enough..... so to wrap up my 76 rant, while the new box set isn't going to be as unique and rare as July 78, I believe you will regret not getting it.... P.S. Just jumped to Disc 3 of the June 9th Boston Music Hall Road TRips something edition... If you have it play it and then you will see what June 1976 is about... bob t
P.S. After 13 years i finally added a picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Crime Songs....
https://youtu.be/GpAUDOI24Oo
....this came to mind almost immediately.
Adedhed68/deadvikes
The future box set mentioned was not future but past yellow box 71 radio recordings which has been out for a few months. Ask some guys on this site. Its poor quality and fair at best so I heard. It's not limited edition and been around awhile. No one knows the next box. P.S.--the yellow box is around $95 for 21 disks if this tells you something.
Avatars....
....is your personal flag that waves to the www. Lots of good ones on this awesome corner of the internet. I've been known to spend an hour to get it them just exactly perfect.
Johnny Cash. Went on a road trip to LA's Irvine Meadows to see Iron Maiden in 2008 with a buddy from work. Big Cash fan and since he was driving, he picked the selections. Cash all the way there. That was a fun three hours. Maiden all the way back home (he was still driving). Oh....we had some somewhat shitty coke too. Don't judge.
Limbering up...
stretching, as it were...
6~12~76 Boston
FM
...the whole enchilada, in all it's glory.
Mission
I was always partial to the Jerry Garcia Band performance of Mission In The Rain from 5/21/76, the release titled Don't Let Go. In addition to MITR, there is also a cool I'll Take a Melody on that release, and of course, you can't beat that version of Don't Let Go. Love that tune. Pretty smoking Sugaree on that release too.
Sugaree...
...One of those tunes I don't necessarily think of right away when I'm thinking of favorite Dead tunes, but whenever it's playing I'm like "Oh yeah, Sugaree, I love this tune". Lots of Keith on that 5/21/76 version. Wife out of town, diddly squat on the TV, figured why not pop on 5/21/76 for a fresh listen.
Bob T
Nice Avatar.. but you have disclosed your secret identity, and during an election year...
Sugaree. A first set wonder, really got stretched and jammed out a bit post hiatus, one of those songs that might have peaked in May 77. The Brown Eyed Woman thread that Bolo surfaced made me think of another peak period of a great song.. BEW to me seemed to peak in the Spring of 78... I love the version on Dick's Picks 18. So many songs peaked in so many different years, from the beginning right up until the very last day... And then there are those songs that peaked, the arrangement changed, and they peaked again..
5/21/76
Been awhile since I listened to this one and it is hitting the spot. Jerry is on fire on That's What Love Will Make You Do. Good stuff.
Jim, nice observation about the various peaks for different songs over the years. I'm gonna have to check out some Spring '78 BEW as I would have thought of Europe '72 as the highlight, or at least one of the highlight tours for that song. As far as Sugaree, I would agree that peaked in May '77, if I remember right the version on To Terrapin, 5/28/77 is one of my favorites.
Foolish Heart, unfortunately....
....didn't have a real chance to evolve. That song had the potential to really go places.
71 yellow box and Johnny Cash
I bought it three years ago. Its pretty good sound quality...not up to Daves Picks standard, but the sound is never so bad that you want to stop listening. I'm glad I got it, and would buy it again if someone nicked it. If you buy it in England, and it costs peanuts, you order it one day, and the next day, like magic, it appears. With no custom charges.
I was lucky enough to see Johnny Cash, round about 1988. It was completely different from all other concerts I had, and have seen. He started off playing songs which were well known to me...including "Big River"... the first time I had ever heard him sing it. He played two sets, and in the second one he brought out members of his family...quite a crowd...and they played what seemed at the time like real country down home music. A lot of them were doing this country type dancing, which I had never seen before. It seemed strange at the time that he played his well known songs in the first set, and the more obscure ones in the second.
I didn't much care for the rock music of the 1980s. The three concerts I saw during the latter half of the decade that really stood out as the best were Johnny Cash, Albert and B.B King. The rock n' roll, as opposed to rock, group that stood out like giants during the 1980s were The Cramps. I saw them come hell or high water.
As I type this, I have Jerry Lee Lewis singing "Lovelight" in the background...dynamite!
Foolish Heart
Vguy i agree, I would also include Just a Little Light... especially the jam in the middle, kind of reminds me of early Playing in the Bands. bob t
More on Mission in the Rain
That song just speaks to me. "All the things I planned to do I only did half way."
49 this year and I am still dealing with the same crap I dealt with in the my 20s and 30s. Man!
Okay, on to RT2.3 today.
Peace folks.
Morning Rockers!
30 Trips 1971 - quite good. A "Stealth Show" if you will, in my mind anyway, as it rarely gets mentioned as a top 5 from that box. I like it because it easily passes the basic entry tests: great two-track audio, great playing, great set list (I mean really, this can pass as a greatest hits album).
It has one of the few officially released early versions of Greatest Story Ever Told. The first time I heard that song was on three From the Vault and I loved it immediately. Certainly nothing wrong with the way this song evolved but there are so few versions like this that it's special.
What I love about this release is Pigpen's Hammond chops high in the mix. Truckin' => The Other One => Wharf Rat really fites up the organ grease. I prefer to program those three on my phone and exclude drums. It works nicely - you can't tell the drums were there in the first place. To bastardize things just a little bit further, I program Caution after Wharf Rat. I'll take the penalty stroke on this one. But I really need to do is cut the 20 or 30 seconds of audience sound off the end of Wharf Rat to make the transition seamless. This is a great Caution - weighing in at only 14 or 15 minutes, it delivers the goods but isn't overbaked. The only problem, and I almost hate to mention it, is this version lacks the Phil bombs.
Man I wish I had my original Easy CD Creator software back on Windows 3.x. it used to have the best WAV editing software you can imagine.
Artwork
...Check out the artwork for 76 boxset , inside too! Look at the pre order page to see the artwork for 76 box set 💀🌹
And here’s the artwork for RSD Grateful Dead
https://www.reddit.com/r/gratefuldead/comments/fe0fxx/rhino_rsd_release…
Arttwork / unboxing
Unboxing 76’ boxset up ready for all who are interested ... have a grateful day everyone and ilr Smile Smile ! 💀🌹
The smaller box looks "just exactly perfect"
I'm not a fan of the more elaborate packaging so am happy they're using a more compact design this time around.
foolish heart and little light
Really, really agree, almost a sin these two didn't get the time they needed. I had a Foolish Heart on the other day that was about 10 minutes, was good. (forget when or why I had it on) In little light, that little downstepping lick Jerry does just before singing "just a little light". Great lyrics in both tunes.
Friday fun
Couldn't let this pass without comment from the group:
https://www.reddit.com/r/gratefuldead/comments/fc1a5v/pole_away_the_dew/
JiminMD/Tom Dooley/Dave Rock/Johnny Cash
Jim, thanks for posting that story on Tom Dooley, it was interesting. It sounds like they hung an innocent man. The good old days were not so good in a lot of ways, rough time to be alive. Dave Rock, you were so lucky to have seen Johnny Cash, he was larger then life, what a giant in the music world.
Dooley/Tom Dooley and Listening Parties opened
The Listening Parties have been opened up to mass consumption, which is good, should help push sales with the awesome sound quality displayed thus far.
My favorite fun fact about the whole Tom Dooley thing is the idea that he created his own mythology if he did indeed write the song in the jail before taking the wagon to the gallows. It's also ironic to me that Andy Griffith and the Dillards played Dooley at least a couple times on the Andy Griffith Show, but instead of doing Tom Dooley about a famous case from a couple cojnties away from where Griffith grew up, they would do another song called Dooley about a reprobate "sittin' in the holler, tryin' to make a dollar". But Doc Watson used to do a killer version of Tom Dooley, he's from a couple counties away as well. Jim I love the discussion about it, I think that would be the kind of thing that Jerry would gab about if he ever got on a site like this.
Mission in the Rain / Foolish Heart
I'm a big Mission in the Rain hog.. a very well written tune that I wish the GD played more. I like the JGB versions too, but I like the early ones best, 78 probably being peak for me. It's a song that sounds best when Jerry's voice is fresh and crisp. The lyrics and meanings are layered and rich.. I think someone else already commented on this aspect, but it's one of those songs that takes on a personal meaning.
ok.. ok.. let me be the first to chime in on a more positive light for Foolish Heart. I like it.. Spring 90 perhaps being peak for me. It's got a catchy rhythm and beat, quite upbeat for a song about a twisted romance.
New Haven 5/5/77 Playing right now
haven't listened to these in a while... not a fan of the box set design, but that's not why I buy them!!!
A man gets pulled over by the cops around 2 AM....
....The officer asked him where he was going at that time of night.
The man replied, "I'm on my way to a lecture about alcohol abuse and the effects it has on the human body, as well as smoking and staying out late."
The officer then asked, "Really? Who's giving that lecture at this time of night?"
The man replied, "That would be my wife."
Ha! Nice box BTW.
Sweet
Just finished watching the unboxing video for this box and it looks fantastic, cool design and nice colors, looks just about perfect to me. Definitely ups the anticipation factor for me. I like that it appears the same size as the first May '77 box and the July '78 box, both of which are about the perfect size from my point of view. I would buy the shows even in a plain brown wrapper, but these cool boxes are a really nice bonus.
My wife tried to take a selfie in the shower....
....but it came out too blurry. She has selfie steam issues.
Just have enough time to…
Just have enough time to spin Dickus Pickus 10 disc 2 before the Mrs gets home and says "would you please lower that"....that's when I risk serious consequences by repeating "WHAT???"...
last five before that
The Cannonball Adderly Quintet with Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
The Blasters Trouble Bound
Fats Domino Live on Blueberry Hill
Maria Muldaur A Woman Alone With The Blues...remembering Peggy lee
Rosemont Horizon 4-13-88 2nd Set
2nd Set
Sugar Magnolia >
Bertha >
Playing In The Band >
Uncle John's Band >
Drums >
Space >
Playing In The Band >
Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad >
Morning Dew >
Sunshine Daydream
Have a solid weekend all...
Vguy, you're killing me...
Great joke. Of course, I'm single now... An incredible 4-5 years of pure love and joy, followed by marriage, followed by two winters on the couch -- ouch! Then the past 20 years of stable mental health (well, pretty much...) So I'm a sucker for those wife jokes...
Yes, gang, box looks good. I caught two or three of the five shows in person, so there's that, plus I think they came back from hiatus genuinely at work on rebuilding their band, repertoire and groove. So they started with harmonies and precise renditions of much material, plus added the Blues for Allah songs. But in listening to the already released June '76 show, they kinda jammed at a lower tempo, which used to put me off. Now I rather enjoy it, and with a bounteous stash of Indica I'm so looking forward to this installment. If a song drags, it simply won't go on the compilations I make for long road trips.
Lots more to look forward to this year in terms of WD and AB with live bonus discs!
And a fall '72 box in the fall??? Yes, I'm incorrigible.
My workout tonight: the new Cream '68 farewell tour box. Just dropped on the front porch in Denver.
HendrixFreak can you tell us
Who the guy is that whole June run that you can hear on tapes, going "How you doing" and going ya yay ya ya in the funky voice?? I noticed him on the tapes for 35 years, he is everywhere, radio versions and soundboards!!