Grateful Dead

Hit 5/7, 5/10, and 5/11 this WE. Of course I’ve forgotten the finer points and things I wanted to say, but I’ve not wanted to be overly analytical, or get distracted with notes, and instead, just get right, relax, and try to enjoy them. (Which has not been hard ; )
5/7 is just too much! It’s not always the most precise or perfect of the tour, but that’s because it’s a freight train on steroids!
I’ve always preferred full steam ahead Dead even when that leads to more worts, not that this one has many, perhaps just a few more noticeable than some of the more reserved, precise (hey, they were trying to make an album) shows.
Actually, I think the album factor is one reason this tour is so good. They’re in a place where they’re ontop of their game and can let it rip, but keeping it just enough under raps to keep the consistency high for recording purposes.
Win win, but 5/7 seems more about the live gig, the large miserable crowd that seems to really appreciate the effort etc, more than playing it straight for the tape machine?
Choo Choo, all aboard! what a beast! Garcia starts out in 5th gear and doesn’t let up for almost 4 hours!
Dark Star AND an Other One! Full on grease fest with six beauties, including a nice LL that fits the format better than going on too long, and a nice unusual Segway into GDTRFB. Clearly they were enjoying themselves in spite of the conditions? They joke about blowing the big ones, but not this time bubba!
I’ve had this one so have heard it several times, but it was a real treat to sit outside in a warm but not super hot day and just groove on this one!
Yesterday I hit 5/10 for the first time and unfortunately didn’t get quite the best listen, at least to the later parts.
But I did enjoy it, even if it was perhaps a little more laid back than 5/7 etc. Hey they all can’t be rocket ships lol.
The word that kept coming to me was Smooth…this show seemed smooth. They’re gelling as a unit so well by now, and the consistency is so good. Sure there’s a miscue or clam every once in awhile, (I dare you to find a show that there isn’t ; ) but the overall tightness, energy, musicianship is truly better or on par with any tour they ever did!
Of course there’s the sweet He’s Gone they finally got right, and why it’s the one! Another Sing me as they’ve worked that one in the repertoire nicely. And if I remember correctly, this had another of those unusual Other Ones, kinda jazzy perhaps and similar to 4/16? Unfortunately this one’s a blur for various reasons including hitting 5/11 afterwards. I’ll definitely want to rehit this, 5/3, and the Wembleys after the tour…but for now I want to go in order…
Ok, 5/11, this one for whatever reason has always been perhaps my favorite?
Not saying it’s the best show of the tour, just for whatever reasons perhaps my favorite?
Certainly the set list is part of it: Nice Playing if not huge opener, plenty o grease, including a cool and final Caution, with final WHO Do You Love tease, Nice Truckin ender to mix it up, and a very cool, perhaps unusual Dark Star!
Maybe it’s just because I think this might have been the first ala cart show I bought when I hand to the head realized what I was missing not having these Dark Stars? (Now realizing same about the cool spacey TOO’s)
Other One can get real repetitive but these ones are often very diverse and different! The weirder the better I say!
Whatever the reasons, this show, even after taking the tour plunge, still resonates very strong for me? Hey, I even think the cover art might be my fav? Ok, maybe I’ll hit it again streaming while working, before moving onto 5/13 and 5/16, both I’ve never heard yet, so hoping I’ll get to spend some extra time with em during the week…
ONWARD! Ok, who stole my Heineken Dark?

That’s all I ment.
Everyone’s made good points, and there’s no easy answer.
I was going for a conversation starter more than just to editorialize.
Like most things, no easy answers.
It’s just now that I’m all addicted to this collecting nonsense, I need as many RJ shows as they’ll give us, and I’m afraid things are going to start slowing down, and eventually it won’t be worth it to them, and so many great shows will never get fixed up and released. And don’t you worry 1stshow ole buddy, there’s still plenty of RJ shows in the vault.
As a rabid nut trying to tag as many of em as I can before I croak, I’m here to tell ya there’s plenty of gold left in them there hills! Yes many are cassette, but the gang has been getting better and better every year at fixing em up!
And, there’s still lots of DATs and still a decent amount of killer multitracks, all just rotting in the vault!

I totally get what yer saying, but think of it this way: suppose the summer 78 box was never released and only a couple others from that year. If they came out and said “this is your one chance to get the 20 best of 78”, including those shows in the July box, would you not find some way to get it? For sure, not everyone is going to want all of em, but I think you’d be able to scrape up at least 10k folks who would want at least one or 2?
Really they should be digitizing them all, or at least the top 20 or 30 from each year that haven’t been released, and have a system where they announce a certain number, or block at a time, and do pre orders, to have inventory control.
Some shows might sell big, some not so much. Perhaps have a rule that shows that don’t meet a certain threshold won’t get released?
I guess the solution would involve somehow having a cost effective way to prep them, but pre order so you don’t always have to have such big sales numbers for every show? Perhaps DL like you say, but that hasn’t worked so well, so far anyway…
Again, no easy answers, and I totally understand other pov. I just would hate to see so much good music not get the treatment it deserves. And yeah, the archive is awesome, but there’s nothing like getting a great show that’s been fully fixed/Normaned!

Hey DV, where ya been hiding? Good to see ya, and sorry, I won’t mention you know who. It has got to be really tough being a fan. It’d be one thing if they just stunk, but they have potential, if only they could stop beating themselves.
A well, it’s early still…

Would love to see more shows released. My preference is still CDs.
It would be interesting to know what the terms of the contract are with Rhino? Are they able to release as much as they want or are there limits?
Do they even have the ability to release more per year then they currently are? Is Jeffrey Norman able to mix and master much more than he is now. He might need help. Maybe you could assist OB?

There are some shows they already mixed and mastered that could be released on CD. For example, the two shows from the first Road Trips that they released as digital downloads, 11/5 and 11/6 1979. Also, the shows from the download series.
Would also be interested in more video. Why not release the shows from the MUATM. They did this with the 91 show in the Giants stadium box, but would love to see the others released at some point. The 91 Chicago show was really good.

Okay, seems others are talking about 1988 for #48. We will see next month.

I'm a dinosaur as Oro describes it and know zero about streaming and how younger folks get their music, movies, and TV but I'm guessing the Dinos are the ones buying hard copy CDs. My question is, if the '80s and '90s scene was populated by more younger concertgoers in huge stadiums in numbers way beyond the earlier shows shouldn't there be a demand for those shows in a format they like? I'd bet lots of folks will buy a show they attended. Mickey's model may fit that some day. That said, I'm ignoring the fact that some earlier shows had attendance in the 100,000+ range (Englishtown?) but there were just a few of those. I know Dave said that the last increase to 25,000 copies per release would be the last increase and maybe that's the limit for profitability for hard copy. I'm guessing the download option would be more profitable regardless of sales numbers (if they could ever get the damn things to work!) as all you need is a bank of servers and a few tech savvy people to run it. Large box offerings could be done as a pick and choose your favorite with quantity discounts for more shows. I know I won't be buying twenty shows from individual years I don't like as much and there is likely some truth in the theory that a good portion of "the good stuff" has already been released. Seems like, as with many things, tech is going to have to save us in this dilemma. Affordability is key either way. I can't afford $500 boxes even if I like the offering. It's as simple as that. So Mickey, let's get digitizing! Us Dinos will just have to figure out how to download and stream.
Cheers
Oh, and the price of the downloads needs to come down. Currently makes no sense if the price is almost the same just without the shipping. No incentive to be green.

I’m not talking about preferences, if I was, I’d be down with Conekids idea.
I’m talking about the reality of only a somewhat limited number of boxes getting released.
Their not going to do this forever!!!
For example, say they only releases 8 or 10 more years at one box a year.
With 3 show mini boxes that’s only 30 more shows. Plus say 40 more Dave’s. (4x10).
There’s still way more than 70 great shows in that vault…
My plan,
25 for primal 67-70
15 for 71
20 for 72
20 for 73 (at least!
? 74 might just be mostly scraps
20? for 76? Maybe
77 is already over represented so he can spit the last few out on DaP
20 for 78
20 for 79 and 80
20 for 81 & 82
20 for 83 & 84
20 for 85 & 86
20 for 87 & 88
20 for 89 including fall tour (alpine should be a stand alone
90 not sure you’d need to do 20 as it’s already fairly represented?
20 for 91 & 92
20 for 93-95
These plus DaP and special separates and one might say we’ve received most of the best!
Take pre orders plus run an extra 10% so your not stuck with inventory but have a few for Johnny come latelies…
You could still make them “limited”…
Release 2 a year, everybody wins cept maybe the finicky heads who probably won’t buy much more anyway…

Voila, all hardcore heads gets represented,

And remember when Mickey made his bold pronouncement about making all shows available (about the same time he said Phil must have got the liver of a jerk) .
But I’m sure things won’t change, sales eventually will make cost prohibitive and the vault will go to waste, but hey at least we will have most of 77…and four versions of October 74…
Think about the cruel reality of only 3 to 5 shows a year for only 8 more years….the horror!
Tic toc…

Yes, next year hopefully - vinyl too. Bit of leisure wear to listen to it in. Nice.

Mini boxes score where you might not want 17 shows or whatever. I wouldn't mind a few shows from Europe 1990, having attended the London ones - but I'm not sure I would want the whole lot !

Hopefully it’s moving into production soon so that we get it for the 50th anniversary next year.
With all the video included.

I’ll take mini-Boxes.
3-show mini-Boxes, released once every other month, and not during a month where a DaP is released. Thus, the DaP’s and mini-Boxes would give us a release 10 months out of the year. The other 2 months would be RSD and Black Friday RSD.
Sounds like a grate plan to me.

Agree..

Can anyone tell me why we did not get a Winterland '74 Box Set? The box design would, of course, been a mini Wall of Sound.

Wars have been fought for less.

Oh, the horror.

Would you like yours in a mini or mega? 1972, 1977, 1978 still ripe for the picking. Added together that equals mega I'd say. Taken alone some fine mini ones there. I think there's a New Year's 1971 available yet to add...

P.S. Currently spinning the space jam from 10-18-1978

Made through 5/4 and sorta first run of 5/7 (on crappy device while working) But got bogged down this week with mucho fuckery and distractions so lost my pace and mojo, hoping I can catch up this WE…
ONWARD!

NO MORE MINI BOXES!
Every piddly little release is one less possible future box! Like most things there’s only so many, nothing lasts as the pranksters say…
We’re running outta time so we need huge boxes with the best remaining 20 shows from each year.
Perhaps more from years they’ve been stingy or ignored.
This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco, this ain’t no foolin around…
Seriously, sales are flat, saturation for some has set in, old heads don’t want any newer stuff and/or are dying off etc, yeah, this could all go away sooner than later. We need to demand more output for the faithful, and stop worrying about the picky folks who only buy limited things. I totally understand not buying things you won’t use, but if we don’t support these releases, eventually, they’ll just stop!!
They need to quit dicking around, otherwise,…..Smithers, release the hounds, it’s time to quit screwing around and storm the vault! Where the hell is Keithfan anyway? Thought he was getting close? Hear sound of foot tapping…AND,
Hey Mickey, what happened to “everything’s going to get digitized and you’ll be able to order almost any show” (paraphrasing).