What's Inside:
7 Previously Unreleased Complete Shows On 20 Discs
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 12/09/71
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 12/10/71
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 10/17/72
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 10/18/72
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 10/19/72
Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO 10/29/73
Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO 10/30/73
Sourced from tapes recorded by Rex Jackson, Owsley "Bear" Stanley, and Kidd Candelario
Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
Restoration and Speed Correction by Plangent Processes
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 13,000
Steamboats and BBQ, ice cream cones and Mardi Gras - are you ready to laissez les bons temps rouler with the "gateway" to the Grateful Dead? Meet us, won't you, in St. Louis for seven complete and previously unreleased Dead concerts that capture the heart of the band's affinity for the River City.
LISTEN TO THE RIVER: ST. LOUIS ’71 ’72 ’73 is a 20CD set featuring five shows from the Fox Theatre - December 9 and 10, 1971; October 17-19, 1972; and two from the Kiel Auditorium - October 29 and 30, 1973.
The seven shows in the collection span slightly less than two years, but they represent some of the best shows the Grateful Dead played during some of its peak tours. The music tells the story of a band evolving, changing from one sound to another seamlessly, precipitated – in large part – by significant personnel changes in the Dead’s lineup.
The two 1971 shows feature the original Grateful Dead lineup plus newcomer Keith Godchaux on piano. This version of the band would hold together for the next six months as the Dead embarked upon its Europe ’72 tour. By the time the Dead returned to the Fox Theatre less than a year later, they were without Pigpen, who’d played his final show with the Dead at the Hollywood Bowl on June 17, 1972. A year after the exceptional Fox 1972 shows, the Dead came back to St. Louis, but played the much larger Kiel Auditorium, touring behind the release of WAKE OF THE FLOOD, which came out just two weeks before.
All told, the band played 60 different songs during these shows highlighted by blazing romps through “Beat It On Down The Line” and “One More Saturday Night” and wistful takes on “Row Jimmy” and “Brokedown Palace” (whose lyrics give the collection its name). Meanwhile, the copious jamming ebbed and flowed like the mighty Mississippi River on multiple voyages through “The Other One” and “Dark Star.” Naturally, the band paid tribute to one of its favorite rock and rollers and one of St. Louis’ biggest stars by playing Chuck Berry songs at every show in the collection, including Pigpen galloping through “Run Rudolph Run.”
Each show has been restored and speed corrected using Plangent Processes with mastering by Jeffrey Norman. The collection comes in a slipcase with artwork by Liane Plant and features an 84-page hardbound book as well as other Dead surprises. To set the stage for the music, the liner notes provide several essays about the shows, including one by Sam Cutler, the band’s tour manager during that era, and another by Grateful Dead scholar Nicholas G. Meriwether, among others.
Due October 1st, LISTEN TO THE RIVER: ST. LOUIS ’71 ’72 ’73, is limited to 13,000 individually numbered copies and available exclusively from Dead.net.
7/19/90 encore will be included on a 2022 Pick
Dave says we'll get "US Blues" as a bonus track on one of next year's picks. (I should have watched the video before speculating.)
The eagle has landed Fox box #04643
Dave's picks 2022 Place your bets step right up ladies And gentlemen
3.28.69
Feb. 27-28 & March 1 1970
8.4.71 & 8.5.71
10.2.72
5.26.77
9.29.77
8.30.78
10.3.80
7.5.81
4.29.84
2.27.90
5.6.90
The future ain't what it used to be.......
Dave's Picks 2022 and box set?
10/31/70
9/16/72
2/15/73
6/30/74
Box set: March-April 1969
There are some people who, if they don't already know, you can't tell 'em............
Doc
You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours......
Talk Doc-y to me
nice list there, Doc.
2/15/73
6/30/74
2/9/73 PLEASE
Release speculations
2022 Box, ‘69.
2023 Box, complete ‘73 with ABB for the 50th anniversary.
DaP 41, a returned reel
DaP 42 w/ bonus, two 68 shows on 4 CD’s
DaP 43, 3-9-81
DaP 44, ‘91 this series needs some Bruce.
2022 Record Store Day vinyl, Plangentized/Normanized 6-28-74.
Fox ATL ‘78
Oro,
A 6-disc release like Dick’s Picks 5-19,21-77 would work and shouldn’t count as a ‘Box’, just an extra bonus gift from Rhino to the fans.
Next vinyl ought to be 3/1/69
They are 2 years behind on that one.
Nonplussed about DaP 40. Nice setlists, just hoped for stronger close to a weak year for DaP Series. Hoping Dave was wildly incorrect about that US Blues from 1990 being fitting filler for 41-43. The Subscription video should name 41 and 42.
In brighter news, 10/17/72 is a killer out of the gate, sound problems for the band or not. Got a nice long drive tomorrow for some more, hopefully uninterrupted chance for that Playing.
3/1/69 next vinyl
100% in agreement on that one. Quite a disappointment that it didn't follow 2/27/29 and 2/28/69 a couple of years back.
I also like the idea of the full set of 6/28/74 coming out on vinyl. After the 1969, though. We don't want to distract from that one.
Does anyone happen to have…
Does anyone happen to have any artwork scans for these shows?
In the past others have been pretty generous about posting some excellent files.
Ticket Prices
As you flip through the excellent book that accompanies this set, you see pics of the actual tickets sold for these shows (as they use on many retrospective tomes on concerts past), and it blows your mind, even when adjusting for inflation and currency value then and now, how inexpensive it was to see a Grate show back then! I didn’t start going to concerts regularly until 73-74, but I remember the number of outstanding performers I’d see for single digit ticket prices, often in 2,500 seaters (I’ve kept many of the ticket stubs). Things didn’t start getting stupid price-wise until the late 70s/early 80s (same thing for sports events), and now - WOW!
Thankfully we have these great box sets to relive the wonderful experience of live shows.
Like prices of houses and cars and anything else now, I feel bad for young folks who just want to see a show, and are forking over triple digits just to sit a thousand rows back. I shake my head.
@Caps, Duece, others
JeffSmith has an email blast he sends out after he works out the scans for the shows. Best idea is to get on the list and simply exercise patience. In my experience, it works out really nice. Thanks in advance, Jeff! :-)
P.S. I'm not a Robot. Whew, what a relief!
St. Louis box hostage crisis
Seeing no end in sight yet. From 10/8 until 10/15, delivery was promised. Now it just says USPS will deliver. If it wasn’t for 6 disc Let It Be box, I’d be going nuts by now. Maybe since they didn’t promise delivery today, it will be today?? Sigh……The Long And Winding Road just to Let It Be. Everybody Had A Hard Year indeed.
Music is the Best!!
Sequence tweak on the last show 10/30/73?
Took my bliss filled brain to register it, but they had to bust up the real sequence for the last show - That insane Dark Star-Stella-Eyes-WR Suite that completes the box was actually in the middle of the second set (which eve looking at it on paper now makes total sense). The music on every disc of this box is so damn good - truly premium - so it doesnt matter to me at all. I assume there was a logistical spacing reason. But wondering if that does actualyl bother anyone a bit. I feel like I know a few folks that might grumble at that momentarily before getting back to the blissing. And once more just a mighty grateful Thank You to everyone involved in creating and delivering this set to my ears. This is a gem among gems
40 years ago today
A great, unique show in Amsterdam. Matter of fact, 10/15 and 10/16/81 would make a great DaP, but I doubt the tapes are in the vault.
scans of artwork
"JeffSmith has an email blast he sends out after he works out the scans for the shows. Best idea is to get on the list and simply exercise patience. In my experience, it works out really nice. Thanks in advance, Jeff! :-)"
How do I get on this list?
@BigDeadFan
I'd say shoot him a PM through the Dead.net message system. JeffSmith
He checks into these boards, so I'll bet you'll get in touch with him sooner than later.
Happy Saturday!
P.S. Feeling for you Mr. Ones. Sending positive vibes. Hopefully that'll help get 'er delivered. Well worth the wait. Just try not to think about it. LOL. Easier said than done!!
Jerry Garcia Band RSD Re-release
Just noticed online that the RSD release 30th Anniversary of the Jerry Garcia Band LP (5LP's) that was delayed is now ready for release on 3 Dec. It can be ordered at the Garcia site on 20 Oct
Drp out
All boxed up and nowhere to go
Cloudy and rainy today, high temp yesterday was 82, now it’s 57 and dropping.
I hit the grocery store last night and am also stocked up on beer.
Not leaving my house until Monday morning when I have to go to work.
It’s STL Box weekend!
Sound quality is spectacular!
Spinning 10-17-72 now, then will spin 10-19-72 and that will complete my first trip through the Box.
After that I will copy onto a HD, make any necessary edits like correct the track order as Steve pointed out, then convert to various formats to load onto music players and a flash drive for my car. The Box itself will get packed back up and stored inside a plastic crate where it will be protected from light, dust, dog drool, etc.
I know we are spoiled, but a surprise mini-Box release mid-December sure would help get us through winter.
Hint, hint Dave.
Cousins wins
Ice cream kid wins
We all win
This fox box rox my sox way down down by the dox of the city
What do you call a spaced bovine
A nitrous ox
We want no pox nor someone who tox or squwox over the music
All the little extras in the box are cool
Magic envelope
Even something in the big ol' book
Re: Mr. Ones
Mine should come Tuesday.. if there is any solace in this, you are not alone in your wait.
You guys made it happen!!
My sincere thanks to DAVEROCK, JIMINMD, WILFREDTJONES and any one else for commiserating with my box set adventure. Tom Petty was right, the waiting really IS the hardest part. But I got it(3261)!!
I only had time for 12/9/71, sounds fantastic but I have questions. Why a 90 minute first set, and a 40 minute second set?? The book references a smoke bomb in the lobby, but doesn’t confirm the date. Bobby at the end says “that’s all the time there is”.
So, did the show start late?? Was it the smoke bomb?? Did Phil get the runs?? Curiosity gets the best of me. Anyone have an insight??
Doc??
Oh, and just to confirm, Music is the Best!!
Numbers Add Up to Nothing
We finally received our Box Set late last week, and are very impressed with the packaging and artwork. Only had a chance to hear the first show so far which sounds great, and so looking forward to hearing the rest of the set soon.
I found it interesting that we ordered this Box Set first thing on the morning it was made available for preorder and ended up receiving number 10,995 out of 13,000. I don’t personally care about the number, but I do find it curious. I know some folks are really into the whole limited edition collectible aspect of these releases, but ultimately for me it’s all about the music and the performances. As I don’t buy these things to resell on EBay; I buy them to enjoy.
Hoping to dig deeper into this over the next few weeks, but judging by the first show it sounds like a great addition to our ever growing Grateful Dead collection.
Twoswans
We all ordered it as soon as it was announced.
The number is printed on the book, not the Box, so you only know what your book number is, and have no information about the production number of your CD’s.
The Boxes are stacked on pallets or in bigger boxes, and workers just grab a Box and slap a shipping label sticker on it and send it on its way.
Someone here a few days ago reported receiving 2 Boxes with consecutive numbers. I bought 2 GSTL Boxes and they were not in consecutive order.
As far as numbers go, the first CD to get pressed will go onto a spindle, and the second CD to get pressed will drop onto the spindle on top of the first CD. The last CD to get pressed would be on top of the stack.
Picture a spindle of 100 blank CD-R’s. I haven’t been to a production facility but imagine that they use spindles that hold 1000 CD’s, maybe more, so there would be many spindles of freshly pressed CD’s for 13,000 copies of a 20-CD Box.
So, the CD on top of the last spindle was the last one to be pressed. It then gets picked up off the spindle and placed in a CD holder that goes into the Box with book 00001/13,000.
The person who gets book #1 gets CD #13,000.
The person who gets book #13,000, gets CD#1.
You Guys are Making Stuff Up
Before each release I wait pensively and alert by PC, a practice I started in 93 with the release of One From the Vault. I am obsessive about ordering exactly as these items go on sale. I have not missed a release and all my boxes are #1 of xxxxx except for Dave's Picks 2 where I am #2 of 12,000 (I had a cold that day).
This proves they religiously go through the orders and make sure our limited edition number corresponds with the who ordered first, etc.
Na.. just kidding. I always order the first day and have yet to get a decent number. It's all completely random and like Cone Kid says.. buy the time these boxes begin to leave the warehouse they have been stacked and unstacked several times, first stacked often equals last unstacked, etc. If you put something on the bottom of a palate, you are not going to pull out that bottom box first.. or wait, that might explain some of the customer service problems of releases past....
Happy days.. this is an epic box set with monster good shows that I have been waiting for since I first laid ears on these tapes many years ago. This is one of the great ones.. and I am hoping to get mine Tuesday.. And I better get #1 this time or I'm gonna storm the vault, who's with me?
Re: Ron Tut
Crap.. less of a happy day than I thought. So much for the Jerry Garcia Band reunion tour...
On the bright side.. Jerry and Elvis can finally jam together upstairs. Queueing up That's Alright Mama on three.
Ron Tutt/Four Winds Blow…
I think their tuning up as we speak:
Garcia
Kahn
Tutt
Saunders, Godchaux and Hopkins
with special guest for eternity only! Elvis!
Ron Tutt: RIP: I Second that Emotion
Indeed. A sad day with Ron's passing. A part of so much great music, he brought so much joy into the world, and still is, even after he is gone.
As for the Box. I am loving it so far. I usually listen to a box straight through to make sure there are no skips, but I am having trouble doing that this time. The '71s were so good I had to listen to them twice. Ditto the first '72. I listened to the other two '72s, but with half an ear. Going back through them now more attentively. At the Playin' sandwich. :)
Only thing negative is that there are a LOT of repeats. Makes it a tad harder to listen to the whole box straight through. But the individual shows will get pulled constantly, I suspect.
Repeats
Conversely, I quite like the fact that the same songs crop up across the three years. It does give a sense of how the same line up approached the same material with different accents. Granted, there not be much to learn from listening to the 6 versions of Casey Jones on the run, should you be tempted to do so. But I like the fact that we have three "Truckin'-Drums-Other Ones" from each of the three years. Great ominous intro to "The Other One" on 10/19/72.
I am going through the shows chronologically, and am currently on the first 1973 show. I was going to have a break between years - but its hard to pull away. I may go to Paris 1974 from 30 Trips after I have passed through the last one, and then go back to the beginning again.
Jim- seems hard to figure why you haven't got yours yet, when mine arrived in England 8 days ago. Not trying to worry you, or anything!
Hey Now Jim
Keep us updated and what you think once you get it.
My guess is overseas folks receive theirs earlier sometimes because the warehouse ships out international orders first.
Folks Overseas
I'm happy to see the kind folks overseas get theirs first for a change. It had gotten really bad a couple years ago to the point where I had hedonistic guilt from the conflict of my pleasure vs. the displeasure of it taking months to float across the pond. I am happy to see them address this. Besides.. these shows are not strangers to me, I will be happy and content when the box arrives.
I think by now we all have a standard listening procedure for these releases. Mine is to rip the CDs and read as much of the liner notes as I can.. then transfer it to my digital world and I hope to listen to music either after or concurrent with digesting all the liner notes. For a big box like this, it can take a week or two, perhaps three. I like that people are giving many of these shows multiple listens. Gives me hope, a great anticipation builder.
Speaking of hope, I sure hope this is not the last great box set... but knowing what's out there and what has been released over the last 15 years or so.. we sure have cranked through some spectacular classics. My glass is more than half full, it's filled up to the rim. We have some classic music to carry us through old age and into a blissful senility. I'm very grateful.
Hit the Giants box in sequence over the weekend both because I was in the mood and to create more pent up demand or '71 through '73, my sweet spot. When it arrives I will be ready. Life is good.. Going to hit a Ron Tutt GD show today.. perhaps Sophies??
Keep up the good vibes and keep telling us what you hear from these shows.
Listen to the River Box: Cover Art Update
Hey Y'all, While I was in Dallas for Dead & Co my box arrived. I am back now, but will be leaving Thursday for D&Co's Fiddler's Green shows in Colorado (got shut out for Red Rocks) – not sure if I'll have time to scan and work on the cover art from this box before I leave, but I might. If you're not already receiving cover art scans from me and would like to, send me your email address and I'll add you to my list: jgs@archstglassinc.com
Sorry for the delay.
The music in this killer box is what we all come here for! Onward.
Last great box set
I think once deadnet's options get less for box set releases, they will release complete Grateful Dead runs like Oct. Winterland 1974, Fillmore East April 1971, since some of this stuff has already been released they will wait to release these in their entirety untill the well runs dry. I also think they could remaster and rerelease some of the cool Dick's Picks when times start getting tight. I would love to have 2/13 & 14/70 remastered and released as complete shows.
Two-fisting it
Jim,
If your glass is full to the rim, grab another glass with your other hand.
Keep the releases coming Dave/Rhino.
A Winterland March and December ‘77 Box would be quite nice.
And what about that Ark ‘69 Box?
Box Sound Quality
The 71 and 72 shows are sounding fantastic so far.
I put on 10/29/73 this morning and it is not sounding as good as the 71 and 72 shows. The levels appear to be too low, audience patch for El Paso.
It doesn't seem like we are getting all the band?
Would be interested if any others are hearing the same thing on this show?
Sound quality on 10/29/73
The sound may not be as deep on this show as the ones form 1971 and 1972. It doesn't quite have that 3D effect that someone on here referred to for the earlier shows. There also may be an audience patch on the beginning of Around and Around.
On the other hand, I think Jerry's guitar may come through a bit louder and clearer on this show than on the earlier ones. And it sounds superb. During 1971 and 1972 I frequently found my ears focussing on Phil and Bob's playing more than than Jerry's. Not all the way through-but often. On 10/29/73, I have noticed Phil and Bob less, and Jerry and Keith more. And they are really rocking.
5/11/79 billerica, MA.
I've mentioned this gem a few times in the past and wonder if this spectacular show is in the dead archives. If you check out the set list on archive.org, you will se its almost perfect set list. Check out this estimated/eyes you will see what I mean. This was the tape that got me on the bus.
09757 Has Arrived
Was able to squeak out disc 1 on on my evening bike ride. It sounds great. I'm mid rip.
I decided to stream Phil tonight. They sound great. Phil & Chill.
Congrats Jim
Good to hear Jim. Enjoy it. I am still working my way through it.
Looking forward to your thoughts.
I overdosed on the Dead....
....yup. I happens. Rather than succumb to the sin of gluttony, going to go check out Halloween Kills at the ole theater.
'Tis the season.
Change alone is eternal, perpetual, immortal…..
50 years ago today…..
October 19, 1971
Northrop Auditorium, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Set 1: Bertha-Me And My Uncle-Sugaree-Beat It On Down The Line-Cumberland Blues-Tennessee Jed-Black Peter-Jack Straw-Big Railroad Blues-Brown-Eyed Women-Mexicali Blues-Comes A Time-Playing In The Band-One More Saturday Night-Casey Jones
Set 2: Truckin'-Ramble On Rose-Me And Bobby McGee-Brokedown Palace-Cryptical Envelopment>drums>The Other One>Cryptical Envelopment reprise>Wharf Rat-Sugar Magnolia-Uncle John's Band-Not Fade Away>Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad>Not Fade Away
Deadicated to jiminMD, dantian, kayakguy, spacebrother, icecrmckd, Sixtus, Jack Baller, Billythekid, alvarhanso, and angry jack straw, because change……….
The second great seismic shift of 1971. The Yang to the Yin of February 18. Similar, yet different. Old, yet new. A vision of the new era. Change can be for good if you combine audacity with safety………
An old friend missing, a new guy who seems to fit in right away. Six new songs. The return of the complete CE/TOO/CE suite. The unusual occurrence of back-to-back Garcia songs twice in the first set. The first of the Fall 1971 FM broadcasts. One of only two 1971 shows that featured both Black Peter and Brokedown Palace. There ain’t no grease, but there’s plenty of Bakersfield left, as well as big jams.
Not without its rough edges, yet somehow it hangs together oh so well. Absolutely historic and worthy of a serious listen……
Rock on!!
Doc
He who rejects change is the architect of decay, the only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery………
re: Billerica
Carlo, indeed you had turned me on to this show some time back; I was quite surprised to see 'Billerica' as the locale, I mean, of all the unknown places in Ma....
The setlist is sick, and I recall listening to it and the auds were decent. I am going to do this again today for a re-acquaintance.
Thanks Doc for the shout out today; I've always enjoyed today's 71'er with that rippin second set sequence. Epochal change, none can resist.
Jimmy, glad you finally received The Box. Passenger pigeons eventually find their way when hitchhiking, as the saying goes; amirite?
Be Well People!
Sixtus