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    clayv
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    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

     

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  • Angry Jack Straw
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    I’m with Doc

    Having a hard time pulling the trigger on this one. Seems like an easy decision, but I know it won’t get much play.

  • boblopes
    Joined:
    Psyched for this one

    Love the Road Trips show from this run, probably my favorite Road Trips. Nice associated swag with it. Hoping there's a Warfield/RCMH 1980 box in the fall to complement this one.

    Wish they had a "Box & a Byte" version that had a download coupon in box for the FLAC which was a little more than just the box but not as expensive as doing both a la carte. Would love to hear the FLAC shows on my listening headphones, but cannot do both so the box it is.

    Thanks Dave!

  • Forensicdoceleven
    Joined:
    To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders

    Yo! Rockers!

    Pass on this one. Although I did see a great 76 show----Rochester. Ah sweet memories of memories........

    Next year, 2021, 50th anniversary of 1971, either Port Chester box set or Fall 71 radio broadcast box set. Can I have both?????

    Survived my pneumonia, hellish experience.

    Rock on my friends...………….

    Doc

  • mhammond12
    Joined:
    76 Box Set

    I'll probably pass on this one. Nothing wrong with it and the presentation looks classy. I just know it's not gonna get played at all. When I go to pick a Grateful Dead concert off my shelf to play the competition is fierce and this one would not be competitive. I'm finally being realistic with myself. I am sure for those who want it it will be great. Enjoy!

  • RobbZ
    Joined:
    Betty

    Great read, McGrupp216....thanks!

    "Betty should get her production royalty on anything that gets released, which is completely reasonable. Those were her tapes; those weren’t the Dead’s tapes. I’d love to see Betty get her due.”

    Does anybody know if Betty is/or did get any production royalties from these recent releases? God knows she deserves it......

  • billy the kid
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    MCGRUPP216/Betty Boards

    Great story, thanks for posting it. I wonder if 6/17/75 was in that batch of tapes.

  • mcgrupp216
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    Gotta Love Betty

    https://relix.com/articles/detail/whats_become_of_the_bettys/

    Also DSO’s Rob Eaton, so neat:

    Eaton assented and on a day off during a Dark Star Orchestra tour, “I went to meet him at a parking lot of a Denny’s. He had a pickup truck and a trailer full of excrement and hay and the boxes I’d originally sent him back plus a wooden crate with 50 seven-inch reels thrown in it—no boxes, all tangled up. It was a complete mess. But most of those tapes turned out to be amazing. I would say 22 of those were from the June ‘76 tour—stuff that I had not seen before.

    “If you had looked in the box, you would say there was no way they can be recovered but they could, if you took the time to do it. The challenge is that you can’t play them until you bake them at a low temperature for an extended period of time. That reformulates the back coding, which is what the oxide is on, and the oxide is what the music is recorded on magnetically. The seven-inch reels were on plastic hubs but I couldn’t transfer those to metal reels because it would ruin the tapes. So I modified a food dehydrator that I use to dehydrate mushrooms I collect here in the mountains of Colorado in the summer time.”

  • daverock
    Joined:
    Not lovin' it either

    I wouldn't go as far as Patagonian Fox in saying that releasing any box sets from the 1970s is now redundant. But releasing anymore from between 1976-1978 may be. At least until the primary years are properly served. ie 1966-1969.

  • carlo13
    Joined:
    Bolo

    Did bolo mention boston for the next box?

  • carlo13
    Joined:
    Peri

    Actually I received a 20 percent discount when I sent a text to rhino about the 3 month wait on the july 78 box and they apologized for the delay. So I used it to buy the Nightfall of diamonds show. They finally said no stock left. Sad. But I did buy one on ebay for $180.

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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

 

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13 years 10 months

In reply to by Angry Jack Straw

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I love Better Call Saul and can't wait for the next season to be aired. Likewise, Sideways and Midnight Run are great fun too!!

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12 years 2 months

In reply to by icecrmcnkd

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Ice,

Not really. My apologies. I was drinking a lot more back then. Kinda like Miles.

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Have always loved Sam Rockwell. First paid attention to him in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (speaking of underrated movies, GREAT adaptation of great chunks of the story), then found out later that I had seen him in The Green Mile as Wild Bill. The guy is an excellent actor, and I just watched Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and was blown away. The Way Way Back is one I happened on on Netflix, and was surprised when I saw him, and it was a good movie, especially for the summer vacation-coming of age genre.

Better Call Saul is, I think, the best show on tv. Far better than Breaking Bad was, and the way AMC and the Emmys and Golden Globes have treated it is shameful. No major acting awards, and AMC delayed this current season a whole year so they could have two more Walking Dead seasons and a Fear the Walking Dead. How Michael McKean and Bob Odenkirk haven't snagged any Emmys while Aaron Paul got 4 in a row is an indicator of why awards shows are so ridiculous.

Lastly, to brother Jim, glad you had that Eureka moment with Wichita! I can't really explain why it's probably still my favorite DaP, the setlist isn't outside the norm for the time, the biggest jam isn't a proper Other One, but something about it just clicks for me. And there is just something about those 11/17 shows. They're so good, the '73 one DaP 5 is my third favorite of the November 17 trio behind '72 and '71 DaP 26. The great filler on disc 3 doesn't hurt Wichita's case, either.

Yup. I completely agree that Better Call Saul is superior to Breaking Bad. In my opinion, it is by far the best show on television right now. Especially since Silicon Valley is no longer in the mix.

The photography, directing and writing are unmatched. I’ll be very disappointed when it comes to an end next year.

Sam Rockwell, up until recently, has always seemed to have played sort of fringe roles. A great actor though. Three billboards was a good movie, but I wasn’t blown away by it. Moon was another of his movies that was decent.

I don’t worry too much about Better Call Saul not getting any awards. It’s kind of like the Grateful Dead. People who enjoy it are really into the show, but it is clearly not for everybody. The Dead were are arguably the greatest rock band ever assembled on this planet. They never won any god damn trophies. But, Milli Vanilli has one.

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10 years 4 months
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Deliveries from dead.net usually arrive in Regina, SK like clock-work, two weeks after I receive the delivery notice, plus or minus a day. The delivery notice for June '76 arrived March 17th and the box arrived today - exactly two weeks. I have been very lucky compared to some on this site, whose delivery travesities have been well documented previously and unfortunately are still ongoing. Of course Canada Customs collected the CDN$28 Duty on the "importation of goods" in advance which has to be paid before the box is released. Unfortunate, but part of the process in Canada. You pay the gov and move on.

Unfortunately the virus numbers are proportionately the same in Canada [ Population Canada: 37.59M (2019); Popolation U.S.A.: 327.2M (2018)], as they are south of the 49th, be it layoffs, confirmed cases, or deaths. Terrifying stuff.

But enough with Donnie Downer! S76 has arrived and 6/10/76 is set-up and ready to go. Good health to you and yours, and hunker down and stay safe.

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In reply to by KeithFan2112

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And Saul Goodman was a great character in it so i'm glad this spin-off show is on TV.

Here is another show I really like and is well worth watching: Sneaky Pete.

I saw the half mention to Better Call Saul earlier, to which I silently nodded in agreement.. but if we tangent to Breaking Bad.. the single best TV Drama perhaps ever produced... well...

No time to pontificate now.. and it will take me at least a couple minutes to make a GD connection, but come tomorrow I am all in.

Breaking Bad is the TV Series equivalent to Dark Star. Just saying.

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I never stopped liking Walt. Everything he did was inexorably logical.

And to JiminMD, just wanted to say, hey, being the third is not a guarantee of wealth and prestige. At least not when coupled with a lack of ambition and a heightened aptitude for leisure anyway. The data I've collected on this is pretty conclusive.

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In reply to by Charlie3

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Charlie.. completely agree.

But the first name of Thurston pretty much guarantees billionaire status by the early 20's, and how many times have you strolled into a bar and said, Thurston, draw me a pint. (note, might come with the unintended side effect of un-pardonable financial crimes and incurable std's, but hey.. who's counting).

I have made peace with my parents for not birthing me into a life of carefree aristocracy. It took years of therapy and hundreds of listens to Black Peter, but I am ok now.

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According to UPS tracking, my package departed the international carrier facility in the United States yesterday morning. I assume (I hope) that this means that it is currently winging its way across the pond. At least it is moving rather than gathering dust on a shelf.

SIMOROB,
like I posted earlier. My copy has arrived Germany last Saturday, March 28, and left US on March, 23.
Status saying it is at the local carrier, wich should be the regular Postal Service. No movement since.
I wait in patience and looking forward for the box to arrive.
Best Wishes!

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If you have never listened check out Capitol Theatre show.. Bob on keyboards, Brent and Jerry on drums, Bill on bass, Mickey on rhythm guitar and vocals, Phil on lead guitar and vocals...

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In reply to by gratefulgerd

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On tv we have been working our way through streaming ‘Buffy the vampire slayer’. We’re into season six. On the actual tv channels we watched the repeat of Howard Goodall’s ‘Sgt Pepper’s Musical Revolution’ and a more recent documentary where the Eel Pie Island Music scene in the late fifties and early sixties was explored, mainly looking at the trad jazz and British blues scenes. Both of these documentaries were on the BBC.
I thought ‘Breaking Bad’ was a great series but I still prefer ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘The Wire’

For movies we’ve being going for escapism, last 5 were
John Wick 1 - 3.
The Fifth Element
My Neighbour Totoro.

The last 5 cds I returned to my intention yesterday to listen to mainly guitar based music.

02/28/86 - Jerry Garcia & John Kahn. The concert sound like the people on stage were enjoying themselves and Jerry was in good voice.
Red Cross - John Fahey
Have Moicy - Michael Hurley etc. Not purely guitar but such an uplifting album
Snake’s Pass and other human conditions - MV & EE. Although it isn’t on this album I recommend their version of ‘For the turnstiles’.
Kensington Blues - Jack Rose. A great guitarist who, unfortunately, died more than 10 years ago aged only 38.

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Colin, I went to that Garcia, Khan show,it was excellant! After the show, we drove across the Richmond San Rafeal Bridge over to Berkeley and got some great bbq at Everett & Jones at 2 am. What a great night!

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Saw my first Dead show on this day in history. Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ For their part everyone came out behind different instruments.

April Fools indeed.

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For me the slow burn of the SAUL series gives it an ever-so-slight edge over BB, which at times was a tad too frenetic. I also think the prequel is the better written of the two. But to fully appreciate all the nuances of Jimmy McGill's rise (fall?) I would argue you need to know the earlier series. I don't think watching SAUL would be as satisfying without knowing what happened to him, Mike, Gus, Tio, et al. later. In the end both shows are "must-sees".

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I loved Breaking Bad. The only series I have watched in its entirety twice, I think.
Better Call Saul is also very good, but I agree that something is missing.
THE best tv series ever is The Wire. (weak 2nd season though). Omar is da' man!

Rock on

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I have almost completed my expanded June 1976 box (includes RT 4.5, DaP 28, and Download Series 4). I totally get 1976 now. More laid back, more mellow. "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

Yep, I'm on the 1976 bus!

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Without something from '71 - '74. KeithFan's pick for the morning was / is Dick's Picks Volume 11: Dark Star (check); Promised Land / Bird Song (check); China Cat Sun Rider (check - out of tune notes from Bobby and all). Bonus Bliss: Attics, Brokedown Palace, Uncle John's Band (IMHO one of the top 5 from '72).

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13 years 10 months

In reply to by hbob1995

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. . . And having watched Breaking Bad first helps BCS "Click!" I have read that there is a big screen Breaking Bad movie and the next season of Better Call Saul will not be released until after that Breaking Bad movie is released.

I am also a Wire and Sopranos fan.

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I find it tough to pass up any of the Spring 90 shows. Today's from the Omni, here presented in sweet Charlie Miller glory (for those, like myself, that don't have the box sets), is certainly a good one! China>Rider and Dear. Mr Fantasy from Without a Net come from this show... Also, To Lay Me Down after Victim - crazy pairing, but it works!

https://archive.org/details/gd1990-04-01.135535.sbd-pc.miller.flac16/gd…

Peace

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In reply to by KeithFan2112

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it seems like in the movie with bill Murray just another day like the one before...
I am surprised nobody mention my favourite one "True detectives" .
Today searching in the bag of blues with:
Peter Green -Hot food powder
Best of Johnny Winter
Sessions for Robert J Eric Clapton
Michael Bloomfield If you love these blues play'em as you please
john Mayall jazz blues fusion
this morning I check the Dark star from wembley (E72) highly recommanded.
my box is flying over the pound & I am still optimistic for the end of the week.
Take care and stay safe.

Hi stiilwaters
you stand in the bus, but to sit you do need Dpicks33, or DPicks20;
DPicks is a gem from early 73.Friendly.

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15 years 10 months
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LEDED, thanks for indirectly turning me on to Roy. Just downloaded his 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection and it's blowing me back.

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For me, I choose Saul over BBad because I was about to give up on BBad when the episode Better Call Saul happened. Bob Odenkirk burst onto the show and added a comedic element that was absent and made the show far too dark. And I like dark shows. Walt and Jesse both annoy me, Walt because he always chooses the wrong choice, Jesse because his character is annoying for 5 seasons. But Saul and Mike and Gus Fring really shook the whole show up for me. And Better Call Saul has been extremely surprising as it goes along, this season, his ride with Nacho to see Lalo turned the entire premise upside down, because events brought Saul down, not his inner character.

The Wire, I think, is the greatest show ever made. I loved season 2, season 5 was my least favorite. I felt that went a little far, especially McNulty. Somehow Better Call Saul and The Wire have combined for 0 Emmys. Some of the greatest acting and writing on the small screen. Also, the black comedy of The Wire is just gold. Like the scene where Jimmy and Bunk survey a murder scene, and the only word they say throughout the scene is variations of "Fuck". Nice to see love for The Wire here, and really anywhere.

Last 5 watched: Trotsky a Netflix docuseries in Russian that was very enlightening and now I wanna read a bio of him to get an idea of how true it was. Amazing life.

Undone an amazing animated series on Amazon featuring Bob Odenkirk as a time traveling dead father who may or may not be a figment of his schizophrenic daughter's imagination. Very trippy, and makes you think.

Jacob from the TNT Bible Stories DVD collection, they came on 25 years ago, starring big actors, this one was okay. Matthew Modine as Jacob, Sean Bean as My Brother Esau.

Abraham also from that series, starring Richard Harris and Barbara Hershey, Richard Harris overacts a bit, but he always did a little bit. Ben Kingsley as Moses is on the horizon once the wife and I watch Joseph which features Kingsley as Pharoah.

Kidding first season, Jim Carr's Showtime show where he plays a Mr Rogers type of character with pent up rage issues and is unraveling following the death of one of his twin sons. Catherine Keener, Frank Langella, and Judy Greer co-star. This was really funny and very different.

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Very interesting, had no idea this footage existed...below is the full set of "The Blues Brothers" opening this epic NYE celebration. Every once in a while you can even the "Steal your face logo" hidden behind the band.

I believe the tour was quite short, basically going right from SNL Skit, to a nine-night run at Universal Amphitheater, CA opening for Steve Martin (remember the Let's Get Small album?) then back to SNL later in the year for another skit, then off to the Closing of Winterland show!! Akroyd and Belushi must have had a ton of confidence in their new band to step up to open for the Dead, and The New Riders.....

--"With the help of pianist-arranger Paul Shaffer, Belushi and Aykroyd started assembling a collection of studio talents to form their own band. These included SNL band members saxophonist "Blue" Lou Marini and trombonist-saxophonist Tom Malone, who had previously played in Blood, Sweat & Tears. At Shaffer's suggestion guitarist Steve Cropper and bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn, the powerhouse combo from Booker T and the M.G.'s and subsequently almost every hit out of Memphis' Stax Records during the 1960s, were signed as well. Belushi wanted a powerful trumpet player and a hot blues guitarist, so Juilliard-trained trumpeter Alan Rubin was brought in, as was guitarist Matt "Guitar" Murphy, who had performed with many blues legends."

There is some really good shit here....Matt "Guitar" Murphy just killing it....and don't forget, "They're on a mission from God"...........Enjoy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTpiL_Leg-Q&t=511s

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If you want to get a great telling of the Russian Revolution check out Trotsky's: History of the Russian Revolution.

It's a tome, but gives an insider's view (obviously) about what went down, written by the man himself. It doesn't get into a lot (if any?) of his personal history; an autobiography about being murdered with an ice axe in Mexico City would be a tough feat to pull off. But if you're into the politics and the feeling of being in Russia around 1917 you cant beat it.

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14 years 10 months
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My wife and I were constantly told to watch it, so we finally started it a few years ago, but were surprised to see that there are 62 episodes. We thought, "Sounds like a great concept for fifteen hours of t.v.," but we couldn't imagine being interested past that. We were enthralled by it for . . . about fifteen episodes or so, and then the initial plot is kind of played out. We watched a few more, but [spoiler alert!!] once Walt's cancer was gone and he had $1M, we weren't sure why we would keep watching.

Should we be going back and trying to get through the forty episodes we didn't watch?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer--so good. After that try Veronica Mars and Firefly, if you haven't already seen those.

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The story is at it's core a tale of Walt's evolution. The cancer and need to make money to leave for his family was not the plot, but a triggering event to allow the plot to proceed, i.e to start Walt on his evolution from downtrodden schmuck to a man recognized far and wide for his genius as a chemist and awe inspiring power.

At the start of the story we see Walt treated as a schmuck by his brother in law at his 50th birthday party, with Hank mocking his perception of the weight of the gun and giving a sense of his perception of Walt as somehow lesser than. We see his wife Skylar feeling like she is giving Walt a great birthday gift as she absent-mindedly gives him a handjob as she tracks her ebay auction. We learn that Walt's chemistry genius was instrumental in the formation of an immensely profitable company, but that Walt does not seem to get credit or reward for this, having left the company early after it's founding due to personal issues with the other founding members. In short, Walt appears to be a schmuck and treated as such by those around him. As the story progresses we see Walt make innumerable moral choices as the story progresses - killing in self defense, killing in defense of Jesse, not intervening to save Jane...the list goes on and each decision has moral consequences. In his actions to provide financial security for his family, Walt discovers his true self and begins to be true to himself, often without regard for the consequences to others.

We see this evolution start early on when Walt deals with Tuco. We see it when Walt begins to take pride in his product instead of just seeing it as a means to an end. We see it when Walt spots the tweakers buying everything for a cook at a single store - inside the store Walt offers tips about spreading out the purchases and then we see him reach a realization of some sort and he confronts the tweakers in the parking lot and threatens them and informs them that they are on his territory. We see Walt gain the recognition as a genius chemist that he always felt was his due, but which had previously eluded him. We see that this credit is so important to Walt that when Hank believes that Gale was Heisenberg Walt can not help but suggest to Hank that Gale was a mere lab tech, not the chemist responsible for the production of the blue meth, even though it puts Walt at greater risk of discovery. We see Walt become Walt. We see it when he tells Skylar "I am the one who knocks." He knows he has done evil things as evidenced when he tells Jesse "All the people we've killed - Gale and the rest? If you believe there's a hell- I don't know if you're into that, but we're - we're already pretty much going there, right? But I'm not going to lie down until I get there", but he is clear that he will continue to be true to himself. Ultimately Walt returns to New Mexico and rescues Jesse due to his anger that someone else is manufacturing his product.

This whole show is a brilliant morality tale with the evolution of Walt serving as the vehicle, each step of the story placing Walt in a position where he is forced to make ever more significant moral choices. And each step of the way Walt becomes more Walt. His evolution is the story.

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In reply to by Charlie3

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What Charlie said. Amazing recap, good job.

I was working late one night channel surfing just to have some ambient noise and I happened to dial into the beginning of the very first episode. That's all it took, I was hooked and watched it whenever I could until it ended. I recently got (almost) caught up on Better Call Saul and am just starting the new season, I enjoy it too.. not quite as dark and more whimsical. Educational too, for example, never make a bet or initiate a financial commitment to someone you have never met while getting drunk at bar. Just sayin'

I somewhat recently discovered Silicon Valley, which recently ended.. but that's quite funny and makes for good binge watching. If you like dark humor, Barry is good.. if you don't mind mocking mega rich televangelists, the Righteous Gemstones is out there and really funny. I recently got into Narcos Mexico on Netflix. If you were around that year Mexican weed suddenly got really, really good.. it does a great job of telling explaining how that came to be and who was responsible. I am just getting to the El Chapo part in season 2. Tunnels.. crafty smuggler.. they just found a big one and $30M in drugs yesterday, bet chapo is rolling over in his 8X10 prison cell thinking about it.

That's all I got. Oh.. and man, that June 76 box is a great way to soften the stay at home blues.

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9 years 3 months
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Also a fantastic show, also a story of Jimmy's evolution into Saul, step by step choice by choice. I would argue that as Saul has progressed Jimmy has become more true to his own inner self, but I am a season behind - I watch things on disc. And yes, Jim, that is a great scene with Ken getting duped in the bar by "Viktor" and "Giselle". Did you remember that Ken was in Breaking Bad? He was the obnoxious dude on his bluetooth in line in front of Walt at the bank, and later when Walt encountered him at the gas station, I think driving a BMW with a "KENWINS" license plate, Walt makes a few adjustments and sets his car on fire. Also, that bar scene turned me on to The Supreme Beings of Leisure, their tune Golddigger was playing in the background in the bar at some point as a I recall. Catchy tune and once I saw the band name I was intrigued. Who wouldn't like being a Supreme Being of Leisure, right? Different but sort of smooth and cool stuff. But I digress...

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12 years 3 months
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A worthy project, both of them, though at $100 each, it seems a little out of reach for the physical products.

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17 years 6 months
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Was able to get hooked up. Thanks! Appreciate the kind vibes here.

Getting ready to watch "Standing in the Shadows of Motown". A decent documentary if you haven't seen it.

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7 years 7 months
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I'm not into drug themed TV shows because it's bad enough seeing it on the news. I love mash though. I'm sure I'm not alone. I love the pompous Charles emerson Winchester talk about Napoleon brandy and how it lures the senses with the enticing aromas wafting into the waiting nostrils into a seductive xanadu. Classic.

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17 years 6 months
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“When I started playing electric guitar the second time, with the Warlocks it was a Freddie King album that I got almost all my ideas off of, his phrasing really. That first one “Here’s Freddie King”, later came out as “ Freddie King Plays Surfin’ Music” or something like that, it has San-ho-zay and Sensation and all those instrumentals”.

Got to see Freddie King open up for Curtis Mayfield at Celebrity Theater in Phoenix back in April 1973. That was one powerful concert that night.

I’m off the grid , no cell phone signal, the way I like it. I have the complete works of Jack Kerouac. Have read half of them in the past. Will restart with “The Town and the City”, then “Visions of Gerard” and on up through the Duloz Legend.

Be safe friends, neighbors, relatives and all sentient beings. “One way or another, this darkness has got to give.”

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5 years
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Strider, you were so lucky to have seen Freddie King play, what a great musician he was. I never got to see him play . I saw B.B and Albert King play many times, but never Freddie. To see him play with Curtis Mayfield, my goodness , what a show!

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14 years 11 months
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Sounds reeeeeally good

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14 years 10 months
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Fair enough, Charlie--the missus and I will try to watch ALL the Breaking Bad. THEN we'll try Better Call Saul.

Looking at the DVD shelf, I thought of some more of our favorites (besides Buffy, V-Mars, and Firefly). The newer Battlestar Galactica, M*A*S*H, the first five years of the Simpsons, the first seasons of Mr. Robot and Westworld, the first three years of X-Files, Northern Exposure, Dr. Who, and the Diane years of Cheers. There were some great years of West Wing and E.R., too.

The newer Marvel shows have all been decent to excellent, and the first two seasons of the new Sabrina were very fun.

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12 years 2 months
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That is what makes Better Call Saul so cool. All the subtle tie-ins to Breaking Bad.

Ken was indeed the obnoxious BMW driver.

The tequila they were drinking was the same brand that Gus gave to Don Eladio.

Brilliant stuff.

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17 years 6 months
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Hey Strider, sounds like the good life. Desolation Angels is the sleeper, just bear through the first ~80 pages.

Jack S - the DiP 33 shows top some in this box set, that was a GRATE release.

Speaking of which, if you are on the fence, buy this one. The playin' and recording are equally crispy! Best show = 6/11, Jerry kills it all show, from Might as Well to the end. The highlight of the whole box is Stephen > NFA > Stella Blue from 6/15, whoa baby.

Stay home and listen.

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9 years 3 months
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No pressure DeadheadBrewer, we all have our different tastes. Definitely with you on Firefly, that was a cool series. Also have to agree with folks high praise for The Wire and the Sopranos as well as the first season of True Detective. That first season of True Detective was dark, in a big way, but the performances turned in by Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughy were amazing. The first season of Fargo was also top shelf TV. For me, all of these are the high end of what can be achieved in a TV series. And for something totally different, Downton Abbey was somehow compelling in a low key way.

Edit: It was only recently that I realized that Steve Earle played Waylon (Bubbles' sponsor) on The Wire.

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