• https://www.dead.net/features/news/europe-72-complete-recordings-all-music-edition
    Europe '72: The Complete Recordings - All The Music Edition

    Europe '72:
    The Complete Recordings -
    All The Music Edition

    Our Europe '72 boxed set is now officially sold out, with all 7,200 boxes now gone! We can't thank you enough for your support, for having faith in the project and taking the plunge to purchase this unprecedented release. Despite the fact that it's going to be a bit of a wait before it arrives on your door step, we are sure you'll be blown away with the results.

    We are now offering the All-The-Music edition of Europe '72, which includes all of the music recorded on the tour, with each show in its own individual package, complete with its own liner notes by Dead scholars such as David Gans, Blair Jackson, Steve Silberman, Gary Lambert and others, as well as by attendees of some of the shows. You'll get 73 CDs and over 70 hours of prime Grateful Dead.

    IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC...

    Because you dared dream this might happen one day… Because you went down to the Gypsy Woman and offered up your first-born to try to make it happen… Because there are enough passionate Dead Heads at Rhino/GD who thought it might be cool for this to happen… It’s happening! Coming in September is a gargantuan EUROPE ’72 MEGA-BOX SET containing ALL 22 SHOWS of what is arguably the greatest tour the Grateful Dead ever played, on a whopping and clearly cosmic 73 DISCS (over 70 hours of music!). Bet you didn’t see that comin’!

    Really, at this point we probably don’t need to lay on too much hype about how wonderful the music is: Chances are, if you’re even considering buying a copy of this enormous box, you already know how amazing the Dead’s tour of Europe in April and May of 1972 was. To review briefly, though, the Dead’s first tour outside of North America took them to all sorts of historic and unusual venues in England, Denmark, West Germany, France, Holland and even tiny Luxembourg. Many members of the Dead “family” came along on what was really an extended working vacation that was designed to both expose the Dead to new audiences and also reward the band for their unlikely conquest of America during the preceding two years. As a hedge against the costs of the nearly two-month trip, the Dead’s label, Warner Bros., paid for the band to lug around a 16-track recorder to capture the entire tour… and we’re glad they did!

    This was a band at the top of its game, still ascending in the wake of three straight hit albums — Workingman’s Dead, American Beauty and the live Grateful Dead (“Skull & Roses”). It had been a year since the lineup had gone to its single-drummer configuration, six months since Keith Godchaux had been broken in as the group’s exceptional pianist, and this marked the first tour to feature Donna Godchaux as a member of the touring band. There was a ton on new, unreleased material that came into the repertoire in the fall of ’71 (after “Skull & Roses” was out) and during the spring of ’72, including “Tennessee Jed,” “Jack Straw,” “Mexicali Blues,” “He’s Gone,” “Comes A Time,” “Ramble on Rose,” “One More Saturday Night,” “Black-Throated Wind,” “Looks Like Rain” and Pigpen’s “Chinatown Shuffle,” “The Stranger (Two Souls in Communion)” and “Mr. Charlie.” (Sadly, this was Pigpen’s final tour.) All those future classics were interspersed with songs from the aforementioned “hit” albums—such as “Uncle John’s Band,” “Brokedown Palace,” “Cumberland Blues,” “Casey Jones,” “Sugar Magnolia,” “Bertha,” “Not Fade Away,” et al — and then were topped off by loads of big jamming numbers — the Europe ’72 tour produced spectacular versions of “Dark Star,” “The Other One” “Playing in the Band,” “Truckin’,” “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider,” “Good Lovin’,” “Lovelight” and even the early Pig chestnut “Caution.” And that’s leaving out a truckload of other tunes, too! There wasn’t a clunker show in the bunch, and many are acknowledged today as classics. No doubt you already have some favorites.

    Through the years, there have been a few releases of material from the Europe tour—starting with the 3-album Europe ’72 which knocked our socks off in the fall of that year, and followed many years later by material from a pair of German shows and the fantastic 4-CD Stepping Out, culled from the group’s eight shows in England. Incredibly, though, only one full show from the tour has come out previously: the excellent 4/24 concert in Dusseldorf, Germany, released as Rockin’ the Rhein in 2004.

    Until now, that is. Jeffrey Norman, who has been the primary mixer of Dead archival multi-track material for the past 15 years (Fillmore West ’69, Ladies and Gentlemen…, Rockin’ the Rhein, Nightfall of Diamonds, etc.) has spent many months toiling over the 16-track masters from the tour, and will continue working on the mixes through the Winter and Spring, employing the high-tech Plangent Processes transfer and restoration tools, trying to get every show to sound “just exactly perfect” (as Bob Weir says) for this release. You might think you’ve heard that intense “Dark Star” > “Sugar Mag” > “Caution” from Copenhagen, but I guarantee you’ve never heard it sound this alive! Mastering to HDCD specs is two-time Grammy-winning engineer David Glasser of Airshow Mastering. Needless to say, all the songs that turned up on previous Europe compilations will be appear in their proper show contexts, and in the case of songs from the Europe ’72 album, without overdubs that were added later (where possible).

    So dig deep, raid the penny jar, take a weekend job at Jack-in-the-Box, beg your kindly ol’ grandma for some of your inheritance early… Yes, it’s an extravagance, but jeez, you (or your loved one) deserve it! This is way cool.

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  • Syracuse78
    13 years 1 month ago
    If anyone happens to have a
    If anyone happens to have a screenshot of the original Europe '72 box offer (showing the $450 price incl. shipping, and the fact that the first 3,000 will be personalized), please send me a private message. I tried using archive.org, but their January 2011 page didn't have the E72 box, and February already had the Music Only edition. Thanks very much!
  • Syracuse78
    13 years 1 month ago
    Un-freaking Believable
    So I finally get my two "personalizations" yesterday. I had changed one by phone about two months ago, and reminded Dr. Rhino in FIVE email correspondences about the changed personalization. Five! I felt like I was treating him like a child, but every time over the last month and a half that we corresponded about when Rhino might complete my order, I reminded him of what the personalizations should say. Needless to say, they came in wrong yesterday. And while I was somewhat expecting that, after everything else that has been screwed up, I wasn't expecting to get numbers in the 7,000s. HTF can you advertise that the first 3,000 will be personalized, and then take almost two extra months to send out the personalization, and then number it over 7,000? I am quite sure that, while I love GD music, I have spent my last dime with Rhino. Just when I think they have screwed up every last thing about this offering, they find new ways to screw up that I hadn't even considered. Did I mention that they charged a surcharge for me originally using a PO box for shipping, nevermind the fact that I changed it in July, and that they will not ship to PO boxes no matter what? I'm quite curious to see the ultimate resolution on my first ever credit card dispute.
  • Default Avatar
    1965
    13 years 1 month ago
    Thanks to everyone
    I just want to thank everyone who buys official releases, you guys should be highly commended. In this digital age nobody HAS to buy music, so I sincerely appreciate those who do.To that end I would like to thank and defend GDP and Rhino who allow Archive.org, bit torrent sites and the wide spread free access to all these shows. Happy Halloween!
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Europe '72:
The Complete Recordings -
All The Music Edition

Our Europe '72 boxed set is now officially sold out, with all 7,200 boxes now gone! We can't thank you enough for your support, for having faith in the project and taking the plunge to purchase this unprecedented release. Despite the fact that it's going to be a bit of a wait before it arrives on your door step, we are sure you'll be blown away with the results.

We are now offering the All-The-Music edition of Europe '72, which includes all of the music recorded on the tour, with each show in its own individual package, complete with its own liner notes by Dead scholars such as David Gans, Blair Jackson, Steve Silberman, Gary Lambert and others, as well as by attendees of some of the shows. You'll get 73 CDs and over 70 hours of prime Grateful Dead.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC...

Because you dared dream this might happen one day… Because you went down to the Gypsy Woman and offered up your first-born to try to make it happen… Because there are enough passionate Dead Heads at Rhino/GD who thought it might be cool for this to happen… It’s happening! Coming in September is a gargantuan EUROPE ’72 MEGA-BOX SET containing ALL 22 SHOWS of what is arguably the greatest tour the Grateful Dead ever played, on a whopping and clearly cosmic 73 DISCS (over 70 hours of music!). Bet you didn’t see that comin’!

Really, at this point we probably don’t need to lay on too much hype about how wonderful the music is: Chances are, if you’re even considering buying a copy of this enormous box, you already know how amazing the Dead’s tour of Europe in April and May of 1972 was. To review briefly, though, the Dead’s first tour outside of North America took them to all sorts of historic and unusual venues in England, Denmark, West Germany, France, Holland and even tiny Luxembourg. Many members of the Dead “family” came along on what was really an extended working vacation that was designed to both expose the Dead to new audiences and also reward the band for their unlikely conquest of America during the preceding two years. As a hedge against the costs of the nearly two-month trip, the Dead’s label, Warner Bros., paid for the band to lug around a 16-track recorder to capture the entire tour… and we’re glad they did!

This was a band at the top of its game, still ascending in the wake of three straight hit albums — Workingman’s Dead, American Beauty and the live Grateful Dead (“Skull & Roses”). It had been a year since the lineup had gone to its single-drummer configuration, six months since Keith Godchaux had been broken in as the group’s exceptional pianist, and this marked the first tour to feature Donna Godchaux as a member of the touring band. There was a ton on new, unreleased material that came into the repertoire in the fall of ’71 (after “Skull & Roses” was out) and during the spring of ’72, including “Tennessee Jed,” “Jack Straw,” “Mexicali Blues,” “He’s Gone,” “Comes A Time,” “Ramble on Rose,” “One More Saturday Night,” “Black-Throated Wind,” “Looks Like Rain” and Pigpen’s “Chinatown Shuffle,” “The Stranger (Two Souls in Communion)” and “Mr. Charlie.” (Sadly, this was Pigpen’s final tour.) All those future classics were interspersed with songs from the aforementioned “hit” albums—such as “Uncle John’s Band,” “Brokedown Palace,” “Cumberland Blues,” “Casey Jones,” “Sugar Magnolia,” “Bertha,” “Not Fade Away,” et al — and then were topped off by loads of big jamming numbers — the Europe ’72 tour produced spectacular versions of “Dark Star,” “The Other One” “Playing in the Band,” “Truckin’,” “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider,” “Good Lovin’,” “Lovelight” and even the early Pig chestnut “Caution.” And that’s leaving out a truckload of other tunes, too! There wasn’t a clunker show in the bunch, and many are acknowledged today as classics. No doubt you already have some favorites.

Through the years, there have been a few releases of material from the Europe tour—starting with the 3-album Europe ’72 which knocked our socks off in the fall of that year, and followed many years later by material from a pair of German shows and the fantastic 4-CD Stepping Out, culled from the group’s eight shows in England. Incredibly, though, only one full show from the tour has come out previously: the excellent 4/24 concert in Dusseldorf, Germany, released as Rockin’ the Rhein in 2004.

Until now, that is. Jeffrey Norman, who has been the primary mixer of Dead archival multi-track material for the past 15 years (Fillmore West ’69, Ladies and Gentlemen…, Rockin’ the Rhein, Nightfall of Diamonds, etc.) has spent many months toiling over the 16-track masters from the tour, and will continue working on the mixes through the Winter and Spring, employing the high-tech Plangent Processes transfer and restoration tools, trying to get every show to sound “just exactly perfect” (as Bob Weir says) for this release. You might think you’ve heard that intense “Dark Star” > “Sugar Mag” > “Caution” from Copenhagen, but I guarantee you’ve never heard it sound this alive! Mastering to HDCD specs is two-time Grammy-winning engineer David Glasser of Airshow Mastering. Needless to say, all the songs that turned up on previous Europe compilations will be appear in their proper show contexts, and in the case of songs from the Europe ’72 album, without overdubs that were added later (where possible).

So dig deep, raid the penny jar, take a weekend job at Jack-in-the-Box, beg your kindly ol’ grandma for some of your inheritance early… Yes, it’s an extravagance, but jeez, you (or your loved one) deserve it! This is way cool.

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Regarding the individual who copied and then put the box up for sale, I think some of the rants are rather harsh. While I don't condone it, we live in an imperfect world and I've seen alot worse behavior out of others. Definately poor judgement to mention it in this forum. Personally, I don't know why anybody who went to the trouble of ordering this little trunk would ever part with it. It's cool. I'll leave it to my kids. They'll shake their heads in disbelief. Maybe THEY'LL sell it on ebay with all my other memorabilia. Whatta ya gonna do?
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it's a great package. My main point in this whole thing was not to support chinariders view, I agree it was a rather foolish post, but to raise certain questions and point out that it is not quite as black and white as some would have. I tried to PM marye to maybe start a forum on this but I'm at work and while my computer will let me post it won't let me PM. Maybe it wants a piece of the action (LOL)
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my read of chinaRider's post was that he listens to his music digitally, didn't want to have a set collecting dust, and onloaded it for what he paid for it (i.e. including all of the shipping/duties), so that somebody else could enjoy the music. this isn't analogous to somebody selling AUDs. this isn't anybody ripping off the Band. This was a limited edition set that sold out immediately. Dead.Net made their sale. This is somebody spreading the music for no more than what it cost anybody else. If the terms of sale and reservation of rights renders his actions illegal, let them sue - their damages add up to exactly zero. I find it a bit rich that a group of music fans whose identity is associated with ingestion of illegal drugs turns cop when somebody sells their set at cost so somebody else can enjoy a set that's otherwise sold out. Get a grip people - pointing a finger involves three others pointing back at yourselves.
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Love the burning CDs thread! Hilarious. I am sure most of you received plenty of free music during the glory days of archive.org. I remember reading an interview with Jerry and he stated: "Once we're done with it, it's theirs." This, of course, refers to the live magic created by the band. Also, look at your Road Trips and Dick's Picks, I don't see any "unauthorized copying prohibited" message, anywhere on the CDs. I barely know how to burn a disc, so I am not one to proliferate. I did let an old tour buddy burn the Hampton set when it came out. That music needed to get around. Anyway, if someone wants to sell a set at fair market value, and it gets bumped up through a bidding war, so be it. Hell, the NFL, MLB and NBA have basically legalized scalping through Stub Hub and NFL ticket exchange etc. Get over it! Just enjoy the music! Can't wait to read more rants of "long in the tooth" Deadheads complaining about this or that. Sounds like, most of you have probably become the people you were trying to run away from as tour heads--your parents! Muahhhaaahaaa.
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Just kidding on the parents comment! I'm sure most of you have/had tremendous parents. I did. In fact, my mom helped me with my first mail order ever. Pretty cool!
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I called him a "crook" tongue planted firmly in cheek. It's his business if he wants to sell his copy. I think he's being a little short-sighted in thinking he won't miss having a physical copy. The music-only edition is available so it's not like he's really helping anybody. I can understand his position although I don't agree with it. The legal question is another whole issue. Does he have the right to a copy? I don't think he does, but I'm not a lawyer.

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Not the "Once we're done with it, it's theirs" quote AGAIN. Hmm, so how many free copies of Europe '72, Dead Set, and Steal Your Face did Jerry authorize in his lifetime? That would be zero. He was talking about heads' tapes, not the vault recordings they made for THEMSELVES. Nor RELEASED FOR PURCHASE. I've gotten many hours of Dead off the Archive, it's a beautiful thing and far beyond anyone's dreams in the tape trading days. But completely irrelevant to a discussion of diss, burn 'n upsell. By the way, the Archive, like tapes, is about free sharing.....not upselling. And Kev, I see you indulged your OWN emotional response to this issue by posting about it.

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.....I've never ranted against ranters on this selfsame thread before, no siree......! "I seek Truth, not consistency." ~ Ram Dass, quoting Gandhi
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don't think newspapers or books are comparable. Newspapers larger source of income is from the advertising contained in them, not the sale of the papers. There are plenty of free papers available for the reading anyway, like at libraries. Books aren't a good analogy either, nobody makes an exact duplicate and resells the book for as much or more than the original cost...and most books explicitly forbid the duplicating of the contents anyway. I think digital media allows the copying for personal use as long as you retain the original, the original is the owner's license to any copies made...like if you have a legal copy of MS Office, you can install it on more than one computer. If you turn around and sell your "license" you no longer retain the rights to hold the copies. As for the comparison to the ingestion of illegal drugs, that is not merely a scoffing of law but an act of civil disobedience against privacy invading laws that tend to be racist in nature and may vary substantially depending on which side of an imaginary line of a map I'm standing on. Unjust laws should just be ignored. I'm not stealing from anybody if I smoke some weed...unless I steal it from some other guy's plants...and if I do that and brag about it feel free to call me a dick LOL.
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There is more to this discussion than what is legal or not legal. The other aspect is what the ethical thing to do is regarding reselling this music and that can be equally difficult to define. When you post what you
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Agreed with your point in the distinction between victimless crimes (drug use) and crimes with victims (theft). There are those that feel copyright laws are just as unjust as drug laws and break them accordingly (anybody who shares files via bit-torrent). My personal take is that artists should get paid for their art - I don't download music. I'm a collector and I don't make copies and sell the original. I don't like that people re-sell their sets on e-bay for huge sums. What ChinaRider did was re-sell his at his cost to him and kept a copy. He's obtained a free copy of the music at no cost by setting another person up with a sold-out box. Yeah, it's KIND of shady, but he's not made cash. Thousands of other people are doing the same thing as I type via demonoid or whatcd. So whose the victim? The GD still sold 7200 sets. Had this not been a limited edition release, I'd understand the anger at somebody who did what ChinaRider did, or illegally downloaded a set still available for sale, because that's one last sale by the band, but this isn't the case here. Nobody's stolen from anybody. No crime has been committed. If his actions violated copyright law or terms of sale, it's not like the band could sue - they chose to limit sales and haven't suffered a loss here. don't hate the player, hate the game.
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Not to change the subject, but I'd love to talk about the quality of the music for a moment. Not the new mixes, per se, but the playing itself. 1972 was such a stellar year for the band. It always amazes me how tight they were back then. In my opinion, they remained a tight band until the early 80's. We all have our favorite years, tours, decades, but mine were definitely the pre-80's years. Particularly '72-'78. Harmonizing was still of some importance and there was a delicacy to the music that was never matched for me in the later years. It seemed to me, even after the introduction of Brent, that the boys were still fairly tight until somewhere around '83. By '84 -still an amazing year (I only missed 6 shows that year)-- they started really showing signs of wear and tear. I've always assumed that had more to do with Garcia's drug use and his later carpal-tunnel, but I'd love to hear more opinions on that. I always felt, as well, that Brent became louder in the mix around this time and his organ filled in some of those quiet moments I had so come to love in the past (Morning Dews often peaked prematurely as a result, IMHO, as if the boys didn't need to use their guitars as much to bring up the intensity as Brent was already supplying that). I wonder if it allowed Garcia and Weir to not have to be so precise as so much more sound was present to back them up. Again, just something I've thought about over the years and not meant to be taken as Brent-bashing. So far as I know, Brent may have become more prominent to cover up some of the mistakes and sloppiness that was creeping into the music. He was, by any standard, an extraordinary musician. Again, this is all just thoughts and not based on any facts or truths. Just observations and ponderings. And an opening for a discussion about it for anyone interested. Again, I loved Brent so please don't take any of this as negativity toward him or his talent. Garcia was fond of saying that in the later years the Dead were more "consistent;" that there were fewer "bad" nights, bad shows. But the recordings seem to contradict that statement for me. I found the Dead to be a much sloppier band in those last 10-12 years and the shows far less consistent. There were certainly some incredible highlights to be had, but the over all "tightness" of playing dropped dramatically in my opinion. And never has that seemed clearer than in going through these Europe '72 shows. It's like a completely different band in many ways. And not because they grew and expanded, changed styles, or explored new territory as the years progressed. They did do some of that, certainly, but in many ways, they moved backwards, like Merlin getting younger. Or in the case of the Grateful Dead, they got sloppier. I think Bob and Phil's playing in Furthur has shown us that they are still top-notch musicians capable of immense tightness and quality of playing. In may ways, Furthur is one example of how the Dead's music might have shifted over the years without the quality and professionalism dropping. I'm sure there are many out there who would disagree with me or have a different experience of things. Would love to hear your thoughts.
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The box just arrived in Australia and many thanks for the amazing effort by Rhino and Dead ... I have question though - how do I store/display the discs??? I don't do ITunes or burn copies so do I take every CD set out and keep them with the Dead shelves (I file chronologically so 72 will dominate the lounge room!), or leave them in the box and delve in from there.... These are the philosophical questions we should ponder
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For the sloppiest start to a BIODTL (ever?) check out the version from Amsterdam 5/10/72. Rest of the tune makes it up for it quite nicely though. Also, here's a quote I took from the box set description above: "...all the songs that turned up on previous Europe compilations will be (sic) appear in their proper show contexts, and in the case of songs from the Europe
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.....wants to know what the next box is going to be! Ha! (And wants to permanently change the subject from illegal activities, at least of the music stealing sort). I vote for something smaller, so it doesn't take another 18 months to come out. And let me also throw in another vote for a 40th anniversary Sunshine Daydream CD/DVD vault release. Cheers, dajokr
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First of all, I fully intended to keep the set when I purchased it. By the time I actually got the box, my financial situation had changed and I couldn't justify spending the $450 on a luxury. I do not see anything wrong with what I did. I have purchased every Dicks Pick and previous box set and kept all of them. I simply couldn't afford to keep this one and felt I was doing the right thing by putting it up for auction at my cost. In fact, I received a message from a bidder commending me on not trying to rape people like others on ebay were doing. As far as the claim that I was giving the set a poor review, I simply gave my opinion. The music is great. The set is well made. The books were interesting to read. There was a dissappointing lack of 'extras'. For those people suggesting that Rhino or Dead.net would have any problem with what I did, I think you are wrong and misguided. I paid full price for the product they sold and have every right to resell it if I choose. Period. For all of those who got the set or the music only version, including the fortunate buyer who got the complete set from me, I thiink you will agree that the music more than makes up for any lack of hoped-for 'extras'. If you get confused, listen to the music play! ChinaRider
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next box a vote for fall 77
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I made a note to myself on Friday when listening to this at work but never got around to checking it. I don't have the original CD on hand at the moment, so I'll just throw it out there.... Anyone else have a glitch at 0:46 on the Greatest Story Ever Told from Newcastle 4/11?
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china rider, thanks for a little mo' of your non-righteous indignation, noted by the music payers. You can sell your set, give it away, pass it around to friends like the Stanley Cup, we don't care. Circumstances do change. But you didn't update us on the ripping and keeping part of your earlier harumph-i-am-outta-here post, that's that part the Rhino lawyers or the FBI or the RIAA (or all three) will care about, unfortunately. And it is wrong if you do it or I do it. Don't say otherwise on a band site or anywere else where copyright is the law, 'cuz you'd be wrong.
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I'd hope for '85 box, but not huge 30 - 40 cds, as I got a hammering from my missis for getting '72 box, she just don't get it and never will ~ what can I say ;) only us deadheads understand. I just could'nt imagine wanting to let this go, cash or no cash, cirumstance or no circumstance. Believe me I had a very difficult time justifying spending the money when times are tough like this. Lets face you can't compair the real thing to having copies of items. I love this release and still have to pay for it somehow, any suggestions?
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I received my box this Friday (well, actually, I had to pay the fee and retire it at the international postal office in Buenos Aires). So far, I
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I just wish you would have sold your box to me... "I won't take your life won't even take a limb just unload my shotgun and take a little skin"
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I keep hoping for an "it's here!" report from you. Any positive word at all, even a lie?
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Yeah there isn't a shortage of positive words but they don't seem to come true. The man who runs the GD business for Rhino says "I have them tracking your package and we'll be back in touch with you confirming the status". "Them" must be their 3rd party associate, where I gather this whole mess stems from. I'm not sure what "tracking my package means"?? Is it in transit? Who knows. Cuz no one knows! I assume the next step will be for the order to get cancelled or I will end up with the music only because they sent my personalized box to someone else. Grrrrrrrrr... "I won't take your life won't even take a limb just unload my shotgun and take a little skin"
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No one is disputing your right to sell the box set. You paid for it, it's yours to sell if you wish, even make a profit if you want. The illegal part is keeping the copied files after you sell it. By selling the box to another person you have relinquished your right of ownership and no longer have a legal right to the files you are keeping.
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I agree with Hal M about the tightness of 1972. I remember seeing the Berkeley shows in August and they seemed note perfect. At the time I attributed it to the Europe tour and I think I was right. I've been listening chronologically and I'm only up to the Tivoli show. I was struck by how hot even the first show at Wembley is. First one and they were ready. As the years went on they seemed to loose alot of the textures and subtle segues for whatever reason. I used to feel that I favored the era of shows that I attended ( '71 - '80 predominately) but I do think they were more cohesive than the 80's or 90's. I have a few favorite picks from those years but for me they just lack a certain warmth. Being immersed in the Europe box, it's hard to think about what I'd like to see released next, but if there is a pristine version of 12-31-71 & 1-2-72, that would be cool. Oooh, 11-6 & 7-71. No wait. February 74 Winterland. Ugh. I gotta go finish off Tivoli.
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I had a trance dance that Keith's piano in You Win Again from Paris transported me to the version of Half Step from 12/19/73, the first Dick's Picks. Then I realized it's the Grateful Dead, singing me home. That's the way it's always been, that's the way I like it
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Has anyone who did not have one of the first 3000 sets receive their box number label yet?
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It arrived today (#1691) and wow, it's gonna be a sleepless night for sure. Well it is so far and loving it.
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17 years 5 months
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Oh bliss, oh heaven....the box arrived yesterday. I pulled out 5/3 (my birthday) and what a monster show! The sound pristine, the playing perfecto, I was just stunned! I agree with a lot of what Hal M put in his post regarding the music, I'll always go to 70-74, however there is phenominal stuff in other eras, March '90 Nassau Coliseum comes to mind. Thanks to all who put this Europe box together, it's simply stunning! Back in '74 I was in a Poetry and Music class in H.S. we had to give presentations I did mine on The Dead and wrote to them for some direction. A short time later Ms. Rush sent me a whole lot of stuff, including the Europe '72 tour booklet, a treasure indeed! (thanks Goldie)... Peace, Michael
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17 years 5 months
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My box arrived yesterday and they got the personalization right.....I thought due to the delay in getting this out that the personalization would have been lost. One show down and a ton to go.
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17 years 6 months
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glad to see it's late but right, dam...
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17 years 5 months
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I won't lie, I was very worried there for awhile. Whoever is running the merchant side of things hopefully will have learned a few things from this process (i.e. how to make changes to the original order). For me, from start to finish, this was a very frustrating experience......but now that I have the box, I can sit back and listen to the music.
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13 years 6 months
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I just had a Eureka moment, listening to Show 8 (Rheinhalle). At first I was grumbling about the new mix (again) but digging the stellar performances. As Disc 3 began to play I noticed right away that it didn't sound like ass all of a sudden. Everything was brighter and clearer, and the bottom end was not a mess. The piano alone tells the story, sound-wise. It's night and day. So after it was over, I played the same sequence (Dark Star, etc.) from Rockin' the Rhein, and guess what? They used the old mix for this part! Check the vocal entry on Dark Star and you'll hear a "ghost" voice saying something just after Jerry sings "reason tatters." Then, there is a strong delay of his voice after "searchlight casting". These are not things likely to be replicated in a fresh mix. But there's more. Near the top of the Dark Star reprise, Jerry's guitar (panned left) is treated by a delay panned right. A little later, delay is applied to the piano for a couple of seconds. Case closed. The old mix was used here and it sounds way better than the new ones (not because of the effects, but because of the clarity). Too bad it took until the 23rd CD to get a good sounding one. Here's hoping for better on the rest.
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13 years 6 months
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I was feeling SO smug. What is wrong with all these people ripping their E72 box set sleeves? That squeeze method was working perfectly, all the way to the second night in Paris, more than halfway through the tour. But yesterday I made the mistake of trying to get a CD out while driving. Big mistake. Yes, I ripped a sleeve. All it took was squeezing a little too close to the sleeve opening -- too far to the right. Let this be a lesson to you careless squeezers out there. Do not end up like me. You'll be very sad.
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13 years 10 months
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Got my second number. #3391/7200. Fascinating.....well, maybe just mildly interesting.

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13 years 1 month
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@ easy wind: Yeah--I cast a vote for an 85 box in the new road trips forum. I said ten discs, but I could go higher. I really enjoy the stuff with Matthew Kelly on harmonica, and Bob did some great blues covers that year that were fun. Keep on Growing never really came off right, but was fun nonetheless, with Phil doing his thing that is supposed to pass for singing. Some great Gimme Some Lovins, great show that started off with Truckin, if I remember correctly. The first Hey Jude coda thingamajig. Dear Mr. Fantasy. And superb sound. To me, 1985 had the best sound since 1974, hands-down. They did the complete Other One a few times, but don't remember any of them working out. Has to be a good 20 discs of material there. Saratoga--great show (Stranger/Eyes). Hopefully, if they come out with an 85 best of, it will include the various odd PA openings. Girl whispering Bobby, James Brown saying it's got to be funky, etcetera. OK, so I would go 25-30 discs--I keep getting in deeper, but there might not be enough worthwhile to merit that. Richmond already released as a Dicks Picks. New Years lame. Very hit or miss (like all post-1974 GD). But PLEASE include a healthy dose of Matthew Kelly. There wasn't enough variety in the Dead's sound, repertoire, and instrumentation, so that when someone was added to the mix, it was a real treat. I forgot Brent--great organ--he was still inspired then.
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13 years 2 months
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What happened to all the posts? Finally got my number. #6841. If anyone else has that number....God, please don't tell me. I might cry. Whether it was always their plan to send the numbers later for the non-personalized folks, or if they were responding to whiny rants coming from here (like me), I'm happy either way... Hope people aren't still waitin' on the boxes...
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13 years 2 months
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This Scarlet from 9/16/87 sounds wicked, btw. As if y'all didn't know..
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17 years 6 months
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hm. Some vanished. Then they got restored and others vanished. Argh...
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17 years 5 months
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3789/7200.Sometimes stuff 'turns out right'. Thanks for the music and extras. However you cut it, it was more than I had before. "the wheel is turning, and ....
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17 years 5 months
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Lets all use the power of this beautiful community to send out positive vibes, real conscious positive thoughts and make this whole thing work. It can be done. It is science and spirituality in synchronicity. It is what makes the planet blossom. It is what we are all saying we are about. Thank you to all those who had the positive vision to make this happen. History will serve you well.
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17 years 5 months
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I'm still waiting for my numbered, personalized, early order trunk. Three weeks ago Cust.service said it was "in the packing stage" at the European distribution center - I presume it still is. I guess I shall have to pester them again. Only bright spot: At least they don't seem to have started shipping the "All the Music" editions (OK, "bright" depends on your viewpoint), so there's still hope.
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13 years 2 months
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What's the protocol for handling defective disc? One disc couldn't be read at all in my player, and I have at least 2 other disc that have some problems. But, I'm nowhere near through the entire set! Should I get in contact as each defective disc comes up, or wait and try to get them all at once (but it may be another month or two before I can absorb the entire thing)?
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14 years 4 months
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Should I get in contact as each defective disc comes up, or wait and try to get them all at once (but it may be another month or two before I can absorb the entire thing)? I'd contact them now. By the time they get back to you, you will be done listening to the box and can give them a final tally. ;-) (Still awaiting two personalization stickers myself. I'm pretty sure one person with a triple digit IQ could type them up and send all the missing ones out in half a day.)
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16 years 1 month
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Well, finally listened to them all, here is what I requested from customer service:4-7 and 4-8 all 6 discs replaced 5-4 disc 2 jack straw skips 5-11 disc 3 drums skips 5-24 disc 2 casey jones skips 5-25 disc 3 whart rat skips also asked for replacement sleeves for the 4 that ripped when I looked at them wrong. keeping my fingers crossed that they will replace these 10 discs and the 4 sleeves, will let you all know what customer service replies. This, to me, is unacceptable and if there is no replacements, I will be returning this to Deadnet. By the way, what does play, sounds great. :)

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17 years 5 months
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Newcastle ROCKS. Truckin' jam is balls to the wall and nice little unmarked Caution jam in The Other One. First night Olympia ROCKS. I love Billy.
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17 years 2 months
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That is where I am now. Lille Fairgrounds, France, the Dead playing for free, really cold weather, Pigpen in a really thick coat, no Steinway for Keith, but they managed to get him a Blünther and the story says he was delighted. Is that the reason why he's notably louder in the mix when compared to the rest of the previous sets? You can notice lots of details and beautiful things he plays that were buried in the mix in previous concerts. But, alas, Bob's guitar is lower (at least during the first two songs). There is some inconsistency in the mixing department, I think. Don´t get me wrong, I think Mr.Norman does an amazing job (I still can´t believe the pristine sound of some of the Road Trips volumes, or the 2-track recording of the Winterland 1973 set he mastered), but maybe he was rushing against time in this opportunity. Mixing over 70 hours of music must be really hard, even when you have months to do it. Anyway, overall he did a fantastic show, I'm just saying it is a pity it wasn't done better, because I'm sure it could have been the case (I would have liked the box set's book to feature an article written about the mixing process. Thankfully, a nice interview was available here on the web).Oddly enough, after listening to so many versions, I started to like two numbers I was not very fond of quite much: OMST and Sugar Magnolia (the rocker live version). The Dark Stars and Other Ones are generally mind-blowing (and some of then even much more than that). It is a huge amount of music, and there is a lot to be said. Got to keep listening, gotta go.
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13 years 10 months
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What's the significance of the cover of the 5/10/72 Amsterdam show? A fan with a screw loose? Hmm! What does the B stand for?