a little windy in my area

outer places around the rest of western Washington got blasted

some people still not with power

In my day they said "wind storm"

now it's a BOMB CYCLONE!!!

A rainstorm with a marketing team, I'm thinking.

It's raining here in NorCal. Pretty hard in fact. Like it pretty much always used to do in November, back when we had the old climate. Back before they invented bomb cyclones.

As usual, I agree with Daverock: please oh please oh powers that bes, please issue all the good stuff you possibly can while I'm still alive.

The big Floyd Box was also broken up into smaller Boxes.
I bought all the small ones for about half the price of the big one, and only missed out on the schwag and a bonus CD.
The movies in the big Box are available individually.

I want the music and generally don’t even look at the other junk that comes in the Box. That drum does me no good and is a waste of space. So Dave/Rhino, scale back the size of the packaging and sell the related schwag separately. If you wore the apron with the axe attached to your belt, and had the mushroom foraging tool in one hand and the drum in the other hand, you would make a great marketing image for the schwag store. But it wouldn’t help me listen to the music.

3-4 mini Boxes per year would be grate. I want new shows arriving every month.
Space isn’t that big of an issue because I keep buying vinyl. I just don’t need the schwag.

That’s a good price for 6-10-73 vinyl. There’s a lot of LP’s in that Box.

Hey, where is that thread? Can't find it.🤠.

I would really like to see DP 1 reissued in its complete form - along with the 18th. Add one more show from the prior week (recommendations? since it has been a long time since I went beyond the very gooey Cleveland show) and that would be perfect.
Another example I'd love to see - would need maximum Normanization though, as it's Spring '82 - would be the two killer Hartford shows, backstopped by 4/19 Baltimore Civic Center ... And of course, *anything* they can work up from the '68 to '70 range!

Ticket To New Year’s video has Jerry demonstrating the bacon wrapped water chestnut recipe.
I haven’t had those in years. They were a popular item in the 80’s.

DiP 3 vinyl finally out for delivery.
A week after others but just in time.
RGM is pretty fast all in all.
Have a good weekend.
Cheers

I like swag as much as the next guy, but agree if you can keep cost down and get more music,,,,well easy choice. Feel the same about video, I almost never watch it.

Now the axe on the other hand......

... I mean, Dennis. ; )

Glad your well PF, good up north too. In the old days, us Seattleites didn't call it a "Bomb Cyclone" we just called in November

Nobody bothers me anymore.

I love the axe, the single best piece of swag they ever sold. I wonder what delinquent dreamed that one up.

Ticket to New Years - Jerry (with a painful grimace on his face after either touching or popping one of the bacon wrapped water chestnuts in his mouth), "careful, it's hot"

As much as possible: Road Trips 6/16 & 6/18 (+ maybe the Omni show?) - all Plangented and Normanized up ... Essential!
Perhaps this next one is more than mini, and of course a bunch of it is out there in pieces, but the whole 2/11 - 2/14/70 should be assembled together (pretty please).
Seconding (third or fourthing?) the many calls for Merriweather Post Pavilion 6/30 & 7/1 85, which were my 3rd and 4th shows + tack Hershey on the front to fill it out.
I also saw two sets of excellent '91 shows (my last 5-6 attended) at Cal Expo - one run with and IIRC one without Bruce. We need more of this era - please.
So, total ditto re: Europe 90 that is being discussed on the other thread. Pick the 3-4 best shows remaining (other than Paris that DL selected for 30 Trips), and I would have to jump on it.
Cheers, All

That is all.

....for when they release a GD katana. I passed on the axe, but my sword collection is lacking.

as my username ... but clearly that would have been repetitive. Replace that Stealie can with a wine glass and we're right in line - avatar-wise.
Thanks & Cheers!

Strat Wolf, if I'm ever you way I hope I will get a little tasting. Caught all the Merriweather shows, would love a little mini box of some of those.

Now that I think of it, it's a good way to cut loose some of the 80's cassette masters without upsetting the apple cart for those who get a little stir crazy when too many 80's shows flood the Dave's Picks and Box Sets.

Two and three show little mini-boxes outside the subscription, fewer frills and let them go at a little under the 25k target run size. Then keep everything else as it is. Sounds like a win/win to me.

Winter land 3/18/,19,20/77 or. 4/5&6/69 10/31/69. or 6/27&28/69 10/31/69 the possibilities are endless.

....but guest sit-ins will probably shoot that prospect down.
Plus.....the love for post Brent Dead has been pretty much ignored.
Giants box gave me a fix though.

The Alice from Alice's Restaurant. My wine glass will be half full this Thanksgiving in her honor.

And one day they will have to get around to the post Brent era. I realize it's not everyone's favorite, but there are some good shows to be had. Plus it represents 1/6th of their touring years, it doesn't seem right to pretend it didn't happen. Some of the Vegas shows are standouts during this period.

....with a camera that links up to your device of choice live on an app when there is motion.
Christmas idea for my wife triggered.
Shhhh. Don't tell her. She loves birds.

I think for me the first May '77 box, the July '78 box and the June '76 boxes were all the perfect mix of cool and practical. I don't need the schwag so much. And Vguy if it is a sword that you want, let me give a shout out for a local Missoula, Montana business, Zombie Tools, Accessories for the Apocalypse. No Katana per se, but there is an Apokatana. Pretty much started as a bunch of guys phucking around and now they sell lots of custom sword variations, made in Missoula. I have not personally acquired one, but I think one of my nephews did. Maybe the site can pair up for a custom dead flavored variation to go along with the axe.

Completely agree!
And don't forget the postage is cheaper!

Started the day with Let It Grow>He's Gone from #52. Really great stuff, paired well with a hunk of edible and a hot coffee!

Also nice to see some recognition of the Vince years. Plenty of great music to be had in those years for sure!!

EDIT: excellent drums here as well

Rock on, gang

I agree on the Vegas theme. They could do a lot of cool stuff, think St. Louis type treatment, from Vegas.

That Vegas sun sure created a lot of hot shows!!

I also think they cannot ignore the Kiddd's Picks forever. They are pure gold.

They cannot ignore 1968 forever either. I was listening to Dickus Pickus 22 yesterday. More God than I've ever absorbed in church. You have a responsibility, a duty, Dave and Rhino. With so much trouble in the world you have a mandate to release some 1968, it has the power to change the course of world history. It did it once, it can do it again. That is all.

You cant get the hatchet

But you can get a dancing bear CANDLE for the low low price of $66!!!

"Its a candle..."

Less krehp, more music, yo!

So a suggestion was for 6/28, 30, & 7/1/ 85, great, awesome shows, I was there, but then what, your not going to put out Toga, or perhaps the best show of the tour-Blossom, or Alpine, or Greeks, or Ventura? I mean if they did four mini boxes of this tour great, but that ain’t gonna happen.
So it’s a nice idea, and there are lots of situations where it would work, but you have to think big picture. Sometimes you just have to go big!
I can’t imagine E72 or spring 90 chopped/reduced to a mini box or 2.
So again, I suggest one big box a year, along with all the mini boxes they feel like giving us lol. Like others, I’ll take it all!

But also like others, skip the schwag, keep ‘em light and tight, music only additions rock! Maybe if they didn’t waste so much time and resources on schwag and art etc, they'd be able to get more music out!

And I agree, there is a ton of great music post Brent. I’ve been checking it out last couple years and have been pleasantly surprised at how good some shows are. Hell, there’s a lot of good music left from most years (that haven’t been oversaturated already) most especially primal…WTF David? ; )

3-20-92 playing in the car.
Good stuff.

For the record, I’m not against big Boxes, I just don’t need the schwag. I’ll take a big Box, 2 mini Boxes, an unlimited stand alone release, and a DaP subscription every year Dave/Rhino.
My old buddy you’re moving much too slow.
Pick up the pace of releases.

We need more 91’s, and there are some good shows from 92-95. Let’s start with 3-30-94 and that monster set 2.

wouldn’t most rather have six shows in a bare bones package like for example The GD Movie Soundtrack “box” or the Garcia All Good Things box,
instead of a 2 show box with art and schwag if they cost the same!
More MUSIC por favor!

All's well, and I'll gladly enjoy them however they come out ... Being desirous of those '85 shows I mentioned was not meant to suggest disinterest in a bigger Summer '85 box. I'd have to consider it, of course.
But with one kid in college and another a year plus out, smaller boxes added in to the overall mix would be easier to fund and choose - as opposed to passing on the whole thing, which is what happened this last time with FotD. As I already really enjoy the Nashville show + mostly so with William & Mary on the 15th (plus I have Normal, IL as well that I don't listen to often), I would have been fine with the 11th Fox, 14th Blacksburg, and the upgrade on he killer Huntington show.
Have a good Saturday, All!

793/2000 in the house.
Caveat emptor says newly remastered for vinyl from the original tapes. Going to have to wait until I can rock the house. I'll let you know if it's good, lol.
Cheers

....it's like, really good. Congrats 1stshow. It's got a Terrapin -> Dew ffs!
6.10.73 being delivered tomorrow.
Just paid off my Amazon card. Oh well.

Some great ideas all ‘round for mini-boxes, and one more for the pile - instead of what is normally done (a theatre or date run), or in conjunction with, have a few more editions of the truly top-notch “So Many Roads”, at least the theme. Not complete runs, venues, or dates, but more something of the truly amazing performances of songs.
If I wanted to really tune someone into how amazing the Dead were (are?), I’d use “Roads” as a good starting point. Playing them ONE show to start them off (Insert: Favourite Here) is too limiting, but a full-on cross section of great performances might mix things up nicely.
Just a thought.

The All Good Things box is one of my favorites. The three “extra” CDs are money!

Excelllent idea! So Many Roads box is fine piece

Also, a composite show peiced together for a1995 show at some point. I would be interested anyhow

Just making conversation : )
And only used your 85 suggestion as it was a good example of my thought, absolutely nothing ment by it!
And you make a fine point with FOTD box, could easily of been a mini without those first few shows. The meat really did seem to be from second Fox onward…
But betting those shows then wouldn’t get out, or if he Daved em, he’d probably catch an extra helping of grief? (To me a “Dave’s” should be a top show or good representation, from a tour or era i.e., DaP 37 speaking of that tour being a great example)
But I totally understand you and DR et el I guess it’s the old quantity versus quality conundrum…hell early on I was not going to get sucked into collecting but here we are lol. So now just another DH junkie jonesing for more fixed up shows lol, but yeah, it’s become as much about the collection as listening preference.
As far as that goes I could probably just get away with a few more boxes from (hopefully) some specific tours, ANY multitracks they have, or any shows I was at that (hopefully) Dave might consider…
But, bye tge ticket, take the ride lol
ONWARD!
Oh, greetings to the neighborhood by the way.

EDIT: good idea Mikey! Or even more compilations like that fine Ladies and Gentleman (only don’t chop up such a historic run that should have got the treatment lol) Go Leafs! Sabs still suck, AVs need a Goalie, bad!

....yeah. I can see that. Got sparse that year.
Looking back, i remember thinking, "Whats up with all these shitty Phil tunes?"
No offense Mr. Lesh, but eww.
Deep into the Gizzverse today. Checking out the St. Louis show on Spot. Daily Blues into Sea Of Trees kicks ass.

Ouch lol

But yeah for some of “those” years I’d be a nice way to get at least some out.
Kinda dug the 93 Dicks for that. Great intro to a year I’d sorta wrote off without trying…
Or, maybe a best of highlights from some years, but it’d have to an “additional” release or I think an angry mob would seek ole Dave out and tar and feather him lol

....Broken Arrow was ok. But that was a Robertson cover. The rest are forgettable.
I have attendance bias.
Wait. Vincent?! Am I in trouble?

At least we finally got Unbroken Chain : )

C'est la vie

I'm game 4 sure

Summer 85 box
Shuhmah

How bout that China Cat, damn...

Shoulda
Beena
Twofer

When was the last mini box, anyway? RFK in 2017? That was a late release - November 10 - I wonder if perhaps they wanted to juice holiday sales. But anyway, it's been quite interesting reading folks' ideas. For example, I saw the March '77 three-night stand suggested... there's some of the best '77 material to still be quietly moldering in the vault. The idea of a Vince-era mini box also seems logical - if you're in for Shoreline August '91, you're probably down with all three days, not just the 16th and its first-set Dark Star. The Hornsby-less Feb '91 Oakland stand is another fertile field.

And I'd second what JiminMD said, all of it. None of us are getting any younger. I have come around to viewing Dave's role (and Jeffrey Norman's) as one not just of opportunity and good fortune, but as one of blessed duty. For I, too, came to regard Grateful Dead music as church. How astonishing that Bear managed to record as much as he did. While we know the vault shelves for 1968 are akin to swiss cheese, that music is very special. I know many of us have filled our SSDs with whatever we need, but this music shouldn't be just for the acolytes: it needs to be heard widely, played loudly.

Thinking ahead to what Dave might be eyeing for 2025, we know Vol 53 is 1976. Let's recap the last three years of Dave's. That's 12 volumes:

3 x 1977 (41, 45, 50)
2 x 1971 (48, 51)
1 ea 1972 (46) and 1974 (42) - both w/ bonus discs
4 x Brent (44, 47, 49, 52) - '90, '79, '85, and '83 respectively
'Filler' show across two volumes -- 1970 Kiel Opera House complete show

And let's mention the 2022-2024 box sets: 1978, 1973, and MSG '81-'83.

The observant among you will note that I've left out one release: Vol 43, which contained two 1969 shows. That issue marks only the 2nd time the Dave's series has visited 1969. And as Dave observed in the liner notes for #43, it was the first time they'd picked a Pigpen-era show since Vol 30, which was released in Spring 2019... 13 releases prior.

So if we just look at "what year hasn't Dave visited recently", and if we consider that Volume 54 is a bonus disc release, then 1973 stands out, as it's a great year with plenty of material still unreleased - and the last Dave's release from 1973 was Vol 38. But the HCS box is perhaps a strike against this particular year. And ofc, Dave keeps going back to the '71 well - and there's plenty there for a great release + a bonus disc. Same goes for Fall '72. And if any of those March '77 Winterland shows have flaws or a missing reel, it could be a prime candidate for this year's bonus disc, with a complete neighboring night as the main release (and history shows Dave favors '77.)

Back to 1969: with Vol 43 being the last time Dave hit '69, it does seem like 2025 could be the year to revisit. I think one challenge is that the shows typically aren't the "right" length for the 3-CD format. The bonus disc format could work really well here, though - two '69 shows over 4 discs could fit. 1968 is the ultimate wild card - what's in the vault, and can it be made to sound good enough for prime time? Maybe a '69 show takes 2 CDs and then the third CD gets whatever exists from a '68 show? I suspect these considerations are one reason why the Dave's series hasn't released that much primal Grateful Dead - trying to balance the CD format with the quality of the show(s) and the recordings, as well as what may or may not be in the vault - well, it's probably more straightforward to just keep autopiloting the '77 stuff.

HOWEVER -- if you start thinking about the Box for 2025, it's the 60th anniversary year. And no box sets have included any material from the 1960s since 30 Trips in 2015 - and before that, Fillmore West in 2005. A box with '68 AND '69 would be a fitting tribute. We're all agreed that we just want the music - it can be "Road Trips" style where complete shows aren't a prerequisite - and personally I think such a box would sell out faster than Here Comes Sunshine did. Add whatever is serviceable from September 1970 and people will cut off limbs to secure their copies. Dave, are ya listening, laddie?!? Will ye grant our fervent wishes? (And folks at Rhino, if a box like this were to happen, please bump the release count up to 12 or even 15K for the good of humanity - you KNOW this will sell out)

Well as the kids say today, holy essaying. Sorry for the wall. I should go to bed...

I would think next year would ( or should) focus on 1970 inclusive going backwards and 1990 inclusive going forwards.

10/31/70 , 10/31/69, & 2/17/79

If you search "best Dead shows" (or something akin to that) on the interwebs you will generate numerous best of lists curated by all kinds of sources. I've browsed these lists occasionally, looking for a "universally" acclaimed show that hasn't been officially released. From my observations, no data to support it, it seems that most of the "best, most desired" shows have already been released. A few haven't due to no available, releasable recordings.

So after the cream has been skimmed from the top, what Dave is dealing with is a great many good shows that are all very similar. Some transcendent moments, some not so good moments. Some good recordings, some not so good. I have seen messages on this board similar to "right street, wrong house". I think this contributes to having larger boxes, because it seems impossible to cherry pick shows anymore.

For myself, I am in the "smaller" box camp. In my opinion the Winterland boxes were perfect, in size, number of shows and a little swag. I have been a Dave Picks subscriber since the beginning but I am hesitating on continuing this year. I'm sure the 1976 show is good. But I have found myself going back to older releases. The last one I recently listened to was Dicks 12. A fabulous release that I can listen to over and over. I'm not sure the last few Dave's Picks are close to that standard for me, where I would listen to them over and over. Like many others have mentioned, an Ark box would have me lining up to buy.

This arrived today - I am waiting for the right moment to play it. I agree with Delhead - the older releases hold more fascination for me than most of what has come out in recent years. Vinyl re-issues are my favourite Dead releases these days. Especially ones released as Dicks Picks in the 90's, so there is an appreciable improvement in sound. Not that I have ever checked this out - but I assume its true.