Europe '72:
The Complete Recordings
Hey now! Due to overwhelming demand, surprising even those of us with huge faith in the Europe '72 project, the entire limited edition run of 7,200 boxed sets has sold out in less than 4 days. We thank you beyond words for your support and belief in this unprecedented and wonderful release.
After lengthy discussions, we've decided we don't want to deprive anyone of this music, some of the finest the Grateful Dead ever performed. Of course, we're keeping to our promise that the boxed set and all of its accouterments will not be made available beyond these 7,200 boxed sets (and wait until you see the case in which the music is housed, the hard-bound coffee-table book, plus all of the other cool surprises we've been unearthing!). But, we're going to offer just the music, all 22 shows, more than 60 CDs, more than 70 hours of music, each show housed in its own packaging, for the same price as the boxed set, $450 including domestic shipping. Although perhaps not as cool as the boxed set, the bottom line is that the most important aspect of Europe '72: The Complete Recordings is going to be made available to all, the music.
- David Lemieux
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, beautifully designed EUROPE ’72 MEGA-BOX SET containing ALL 22 SHOWS of what is arguably the greatest tour the Grateful Dead ever played, on a whopping 60+ 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 stunning 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.
Display on homepage featured list
Off
Feature type
dead comment
Great advice Anna
except, you do not have to return defective merchandise, let rhino eat this charge, you normally have 60 days to dispute the charge, if you are one of the many that got crap and was promised gold, dispute, let rhino know that we, as the best customers in the world, will not stand for broken promises and crappy product and shitty customer service. It' a real shame when you have to ask the moderator on a web site to fix your order, hats off to Marye, I hope you ask for and receive a large raise for what you do. You are the only ray of light on this website in these dark times.
"One way or another, one way or another, one way or another, this darkness' got to give"
Still waiting......
3 months in and I still do not have my set. Keep getting BS e-mails from GD. AND! I have been told my package in in Maryland, about 20 miutes from where I lived until a week ago. Bunch a jokers...and NOT in a good way.
Buyer Beware
I will be looking into disputing the charge- I have been patient and have given them multiple opportunities to fix all the issues that I have had with this order (even an apology would have went a long way). I would advise anyone who is waiting for the box or thinking of ordering to not roll the dice and instead get an individual show here and there of the special nights.
Sorry but..
Even though I've the Trunk I had to buy the Europe 72 Vol. 2 as a 4 LP set on vinyl. And after a quick listen to 2 sides it confirms what I've always believed - that vinyl sounds better to me than CDs etc.
So now I have a choice of an entire concert or selected tracks. Couldn't be better
for sale - box set
for sale - in san francisco - pick-up only - face value.
after much annoyance with rhino / gd merchandising i'm parting with my box set.
the first 3k to commit to this huge project were promised a personalization of our choice along with a numbered edition between 1/3000.
after going back and forth with dr. rhino i finally got a personalized label ("wharf rat) - but never received a number between 1/3000 as promised.
so, this box set comes with two labels (one generic that say's "europe 72 the complete recordings" - the other say's "wharf rat) -, ice cream kid sticker, tour program, hard cover book, travel case - all in original mint condition - the first CD paper cover has a minor tear.
this is perfect for someone who won't have the emotional attachment of broken promises and lousy customer service.
What happened here?
I would love to know what went wrong here and why. Anybody?
Jan 19- E72 original anouncement
For all that want to know : paragraph #6 "A'' sets come in their own DIGIPAK"
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, beautifully designed EUROPE ’72 MEGA-BOX SET containing ALL 22 SHOWS of what is arguably the greatest tour the Grateful Dead ever played, on a whopping 60+ 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 stunning 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).
The packaging is, as you might expect, first rate. Each show is its own Digipak, with its own liner notes by top Dead scholars (including David Gans, Steve Silberman, and Nicholas Meriwether) and attendees of some of the concerts, and many never-before-seen photos. Additionally, there is an enormous book worthy of coffee table treatment featuring hundreds more photos and a comprehensive essay by yours truly (Blair Jackson). The box will also contain other memorabilia and ephemera from the tour.
A rough sketch of the potential packaging.
Check back soon for more product images.
At $450, this clearly will not be a box for everyone. In fact, this individually numbered boxed set will be limited to orders placed with a maximum of 7,200 boxes produced. As a special bonus, the first 3,000 orders will receive a personalized copy. Due to the huge manufacturing costs (wait 'til you see it! We're doing something unlike any other boxed set release ever! It's exceptional!!), we need to hit 3,000 sales before we even go into production. If we don't reach 3,000 by April 1st, the boxed set won't be able to happen. This isn't a gun-to-your-head sales pitch. Rather, we want to be open with you about the realities of this release's massive scope and ambition.
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.
Get notified when Europe '72: The Complete Recordings is available for purchase.
Indeed, What Went Wrong?
What went right? Incompetence and greed. Deadheads provided the "name on the dotted line sure profitability", leading us to believe they were issuing Fillmore West like limited editions with all the neat stuff in packaging they usually come up with and then they made a couple of million dollars to date.
Even the multi-colored symbols on the digi-paks were lame. What was the obsession with food? No originality, none. Nobody cared enough to make sure the digi-paks came off the line properly.
Almost all the deadheads I talk to said this really gave Dead.net/Rhino a black eye and left a bad taste in their mouth. Here is the message from all involved that produced this:
WE DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU, WE JUST WANT THE MONEY!
Digipaks, NO
:"The packaging is, as you might expect, first rate. Each show is its own Digipak, with its own liner notes by top Dead scholars (including David Gans, Steve Silberman, and Nicholas Meriwether) and attendees of some of the concerts, and many never-before-seen photos. Additionally, there is an enormous book worthy of coffee table treatment featuring hundreds more photos and a comprehensive essay by yours truly (Blair Jackson). The box will also contain other memorabilia and ephemera from the tour."
Not what I would call 1st rate, not what I would call DIGIPAKS and not what is pictured above. Skimpy, too tight cardboard and gluey sleeves that rip the first time you remove the scratched CDs, this is what we received.
"The box will also contain other memorabilia and ephemera from the tour."
Wow one 3inch round sticker.
And a BONUS, terrible customer service to boot. This makes you think twice before spending another dime on Rhino products.
any lawyers out there?
I think it is time for a petition to be set up and signed by all involved stating that if this is not rectified, there will be a class action law suit, Here, let me start:Dear Rhino and all involved in the production of Europe '72, the complete recordings:
We, as deadheads, will not stand for this joke of a production. We did not receive what was promised, we did not receive any promised packaging, extras or even scratch free discs that played. You, as a business, made promises that were not kept, took everyone's money and produced an inferior product void of any promised packaging. Therefore, you are not entitled to any money for this product.
Here, let me be the first to sign this:
Unkle Sam
I repeat, do not pay for this, it is not what was promised.
Another perspective on the greed part
High-priced "boutique" releases seem to be the new rage as record companies keep trying to make money somehow, some way, on the sale of physical recorded media.
Right now available for presale is a new Elvis Costello box containing ONE cd, ONE dvd, ONE 10" vinyl ep...that's it for music. A book, poster, something autographed by Elvis. The price on Amazon right now is around $261. Yes, that is not a typo. $261!!
Which makes E72 a bargain of the highest order by comparison, despite all the issues.
In an interesting turn of events, Elvis has actually disavowed the product. He's recommending on his website that you do not buy this overpriced item, that you spend your money elsewhere, while letting everyone know that the meat in the box, the music stuff, will be available early next year in regular CD and DVD releases. Unless you take the cynical view that Elvis's announcement is disingenuous, that it's just more hype to sell all the versions of the release (and I do not take that view), then let's say "thank you Mr MacManus!"
Totally Disagree
Sure- that may be a rip off, but at least you know what you are getting and they are not misleading you into thinking that there is more in the box (see post with original description). Bargain or not that does not explain poor covers, damaged discs, wrong numbering, misleading advertising, or incorrect personalizations (and that's if you received the box in a timely fashion). I believe that this box is worse by far- who can take some of the best music from one of the best tours and still give you buyers remorse- Rhino can.... And I am not letting Dead.Net off the hook either- from the bogus lead up by BJ to the lack of apology for such a terrible fan/buyer experience, both are at fault in my eyes.
Thanks to the Weve...
...for reprinting that hyper blurb for E72 penned by Blair Jackson. I thought at first that somebody else wrote it and put Mr. Jackson's name on it. It was so unlike his other writing. It was uncouth.
Also, a sizable number of people got their boxes on time, with perfect discs and a number and personalization. That would leave only the misleading point about the ephemera.
Don't get me wrong, I still think the thing was a debacle. I certainly wasn't one of those to get anywhere near a perfect box. I almost didn't get the box at all because, despite my best efforts, they put the wrong address on it, (Thank you UPS!)
More on defective discs
Sorry to keep this going, but this may be of interest & contradicts some of the posts from earlier.I'm still waiting for 48 replacements discs which I understood were ready to be sent to UK on Nov 2nd when Marye took up the case. Since then I have heard & received nothing so contacted my card provider today.
Their stance is that I AM required to send back the complete package by courier and they will refund the purchase price AND recover the shipping costs. The whole transaction has to be completed in 120 days from the date of sale. This as clearly different from what others have posted here, so I think the moral is - if you are still having problems contact your card provider without delay. I have been advised to send the trunk plus contents back before next Tuesday, even though there may possibly be replacements on the way.
This has turned into a bitter experience and I'm also considering whether to cancel my Dave's Picks subscription.
More on defective discs / customer service &Dr Rhino
Hello Gr8fuluk, hopefully you have written to customer service and Dr Rhino often (and saved their responces). 48 bad CDs is alot and they should just send you an "All The Music Edition". Let them know that you don't want to return the whole Steamer Trunk (and cancel Daves Picks) but will if replacements are not received promptly. Best of luck.
customerservice@dead.net
DrRhino@rhino.com
returns
Hey all, sure didn't mean to steer anyone wrong, but my credit card company says I do not have to send back defective merchandise. I guess it's different for every card company. I received a letter stating" We have issued credit to your account for the disputed charge and credited your account for any interest charges and fees you incurred as a result of the disputed charge. Although we consider your dispute resolved, the merchant has an opportunity to review any information and provide additional documentation to support why they feel the transaction is valid. Please retain copies of all documentation regarding your dispute. In the event we receive additional information from the merchant, we will forward any relevant documentation, and let you know if additional information is needed to support your dispute." Now, how long do they have to dispute my dispute, I would assume the same 2 months.
This was mailed on Oct. 30th. Received my box on the 31st of August and waited 2 months for replacement discs and word on ripped sleeves, no reply as of this date. I followed the steps to dispute to the letter and was told by phone that I did not have to return defective merchandise. Maybe it's different in the US of A, and if the powers that be want their box back, I'll be more than happy to send it to them. But really, I just want this all to go away. This has been the worst online purchase I have ever been thru and has shaken my belief in the dead right down to it's foundations. Good luck to all in getting what you paid for.
returns
Unkle Sam,
Agree with you fully, which is why I suggested that all those with problems contact their card provider for their specific conditions.
I have just received a message from Dr Rhino saying he has mailed the replacement discs today and promising a tracking number when it is available.
Well now that the dust is sort of settling
Well now that the dust is sort of settling on all this, there may be some benefit in doing an overall assesment of how the whole project was handled during what is now nearly a full year timespan.
My quess is that this will go down as A Bridge Too Far. That is to say a magnificent attempt but probably marked down by too many errors in the carrying out.
My feelings are that the box was great, ditto for the book and brochure and - of course - the 73 discs of prime quality Dead. The individual covers were not of an acceptable quality however and this has caused problems. The abscence of other goodies in the box was not a problem for me - the hardcover book exceeded my expectations - but it would have been better to have owned up to what buyers would be getting right from the start.
The main problem seems to have been the despatch issue which in part flows from the issue of taking payment guarantees(in effect) nearly 8 months in advance of the actual item being sent. This in turn reflected the financial constraints of the record company in particular. They clearly needed confirmation in advance that if 7,200 box sets were made up, 7,200 would be sold. I have no immediate answers as to how to avoid this without incurring a clearly considered risk that boxes would end up sitting in warehouses unsold. It would certainly have been preferable to have paid and had sent the box in one go i.e late August - this would have cut back the many problems which did occurr of changing adresses, credit cards etc. Alternatively payment could have been taken in January - if the deal was sweet enough - but no doubt the danger of insuffient orders would have still remained.
It is also clear that Rhino have struggled with all the logistical chaos of this project. In fairness they are not the same size setup as the majors.
Will they try something similiar again? No doubt MaryE is still having nightmares about the possibility (" Hey let's release a 100 CD set in an imitation bus with flashing lights and... put down that chair now!")
Final thought - better to have tried and fallen short than never to have tried at all. The 73 cds sitting next to me are a tribute to that.
Well now that the dust is sort of settling
Steve, I'm not convinced that the dust is settling. There are still buyers without their sets it seems and people with problems evidently getting ignored, from reading the posts.Also it is difficult to see how Rhino would approach another sale of similar size to this one.
A lot of people feel they have had their fingers burned and it's unlikely they would shell out big bucks in advance next time (but who knows). That suggests another set on this scale would be a major risk for Rhino.
I think a lot of people would need to be convinced that Rhino have learned from the many mistakes. There is a limit to peoples patience and goodwill - even deadheads I suspect.
What is ephemera?
From wikipedia:Ephemera are transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved. The word derives from the Greek, meaning things lasting no more than a day. Some collectible ephemera are advertising trade cards, airsickness bags, bookmarks, catalogues, greeting cards, letters, pamphlets, postcards, posters, prospectuses, stock certificates, tickets and magazines. More in the wiki
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephemera
The dust is sort of settling - I don't think so.
How many customers that have written to customer service and Dr Rhino about problems with Europe'72 CDs and "CD SLIP CASES" (Dr Rhinos words, not mine) have received replacements. This I would like to know. Excuses and half hearted promises is all that's been received.I look at this steamer trunk sitting on the desk and get aggada. That's not right, I just would like to enjoy the music from all 22 of these shows. For $450.00 I don't think that's too much to ask.
Ephemera...
Things that last no more than a day. So there you have it - when our boxes left Rhino Central, they were undoubtedly packed full of all sorts of ephemeral items relating to the tour. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the shipping time was more than a day, all these goodies, being ephemeral in nature, had evaporated into the ether by the time the boxes were delivered. Even the inclusion of small bags of silica gel couldn't prevent the inevitable from occuring. Now if these items had been described as long-term tour mementos then things would have turned out very differently and a whole lot of complaints on here would never have occurred. So in the end it all comes down to the careless use of marketing jargon.
They were surely ephemeral in nature
Ah, the fleeting, transitory nature of this universe. The ephemera lasts only a day. One does have to give credit to Rhino for selling something that doesn't last for more than a day by definition -defined as such from the Greek, no less.
Dave Pick's Subscription
I have decided not to get the Dave's Picks subscription because of my experience with the 72 box. I had the RT subscription last year and was planning to get this one, but now I have no reason to believe that either Rhino or Dead.Net values me as a loyal customer and that does not sit well. I will just wait until a show comes out that I really want and then I will take my chances, but not blindly. Its obvious that this great music is now just being "pimped out" and that's too bad...
Defective discs?
All my discs played fine I had some problems ripping some of them to my computer but that's because it's getting old and the laser is wearing out. Some of them have superficial scratches because of the nature of the packaging, but these don't affect playback in anyway at the moment and I have no desire to ask for replacements, which are as they stand, I'd regard as not defective in any way. As regards the cd packaging one has ripped which is understandable because they are quite flimsy but I acknowledge they must be this way in order to keep the overall size of the complete package as small as possible using digipaks would have increased the size tremendously and asking for a replacement for another which is likely to rip again would seem pointless.
I have had some issues with cds I’ve received from dead.net in the past but have yet to receive a defective disc and I have literally got everything released so far including all the bonus discs and box sets etc. From my personal perspective I believe it would be very rare for someone to have a disc which doesn’t play properly let alone have 48 defective discs. I would suggest anyone with problems playing them should thoroughly check their cd player before complaining about them to customer service. Once I took a cd back to a shop because it skipped on my machine and you know what, when they played it on their machine, it played perfectly well, this was a good indication I needed a new cd player which may well be the case for some of the complainers around here.
Overall I’m perfectly happy with the box as I’m sure the majority of those that purchased it are and those that are trying to cop out of paying for it and complaining about this and that should really just get over themselves and just appreciate what great box set this really is.
this has been my experience, in the past...
I agree with you, I have purchased almost all GD related music in my long strange trip with this band, and in the past, any and all defects (which have been few) were handled with the utmost professionalism and were addressed in a timely manner.Unfortunately, not so with this shipment. I wish I had been one of the lucky ones that got a perfect set, but I did pay 450.00 for this set and I want it to be "just exactly perfect", not flawed with discs that skip and sleeves that rip the first time you try and pull the cd out. Let me ask anyone, say if you bought a new car and something that was suppose to work didn't, would you just accept it? Same concept here, we who received scratched and defective discs just want what we payed for, at least that's what it is with me. I can't speak for everyone and I'm sure there maybe a few out there that lack scruples and are taking advantage of a bad thing but to call the unfortunate "cop out's" and to "get over themselves" , then suggest that we all have defective players? Man, that's harsh.
who owns deadnet?
Sorry to contradict you there TL, but the terms of service state
'This site (together with any successor site(s) and all Services (as defined below), the “Site”) is operated by Warner Music Inc. (“we,” “us”) with all commerce transactions completed by our selected vendor and merchant of record GlobalWare Solutions, Inc'
(Warner Bros owns Rhino)
So this site is part of the big picture, good and bad, especially since the product was only sold through this place and through Global ware.
That said, I have never considered that anyone owns MaryE :-)
Still waiting for my number and personalisation (but it is apparently on its way)
Defective discs?
All of my discs play good on all my players. However several discs are scratched, 12 out of 73. I was thinking that the scratches are a result of my CD player in my car, but they are not. I don't know if I want to have them replaced by Globalware/WMG/Rhino or have them cleaned by an outside firm that specialises in removing scratches from discs. I have used that company before, and I think they're quite good, but not exactly perfect. I have made back-ups of all the discs and play the pack-ups anymore.
Of the ripped sleeves, only 3 really suffer here (4/7, 4/26 & 5/7) and that's all my fault. The 4/7 sleeve tore in the first few moments when I opened it to inspect the discs and play them. It's torn on the printed spine side. Of the 22 shows those are the only 3 shows that have torn, so far.
I don't know if I should call CS and try to replace those for free or buy those three shows again.
It's the music that counts here, and the pressed CD format has nearly run it's course for me..Europe 72 is the best GD tour in my opinion, and I am grateful to have 99.95% of the music. Remember, 4/7's Casey Jones is missing and the last minute of Big Boss Man is missing also.
Who owns dead.net?
In part, the remaining members of the band and crew and family, Ice Nine, Warner Music Group. None of these entities are equal partners in dead.net, I may guess.. Whoever gets a royalty check, I may guess. There probably are some other parties involved here, that are currently "hidden."
Where is my box set???????
I continually ask customer poor service where my box set is and receive canned e-mails...oh, it is coming soon....oh, your order has moved up to the next priority level. BS. What a joke. I bet they lost my order as this has been going on since September. And they want me to pay into the Dave's Picks thing???? Right. Can you say torrent?
Anyone actually received replacement Europe '72 discs/sleeves?
Hello,
Has anyone received replacements for the defective discs or sleeves they received in their Europe '72 box set?
I reported defects for my box set over two months ago and I am still receiving a run-around. Now I have been told that Rhino, namely Dr Rhino, is handling replacements, but I have yet to receive a reponse from Dr Rhino.
Anyone actually received replacement Europe '72 discs/sleeves?
Welcome to the club. I'd like to know the same. Has anyone actually received replacements for their defective CDs or ripped sleeves? Please post if you have.
Thanks.
I got a feeling
that if you wait to dispute this charge, it will be too late, then you will have to pay and rhino will not have to issue replacements, so if you haven't disputed this charge, you may be out of luck. Once the deadline for disputes are over, you will have to pay, then you will be stuck with it, full price for ripped sleeves, no extras and skipped discs. Good luck to all, I have given up hoping for replacements. The biggest let down in dead history, and still no word from anybody on what happened, will it be fixed, will there be replacements, nothing. Except, " send us your money and we will let you have another show", can't guarantee that it won't skip of be fubar in some way." But hey, you're just a drugged out hippy, so who cares."
Anyone actually received replacement Europe '72 discs/sleeves?
Fully endorse what unkle sam posted above. Last week I received what I believe is a complete set of replacements (to UK) - I have not had time to check them all yet. What I have so far checked looks to be much better than the original discs, if not exactly perfect (maybe I expect too much).
I strongly urge those of you having problems to speak to your card provider without delay. Time is certainly running out.
And thanks again to marye for all your help.
FYI- Customer service responce of 12/02/11
(Dr Rhino does not answer)
I'm sorry it's taking so long to get your replacement discs to you. Right now Dr. Rhino is handling the replacement of Euro discs personally, and we have a large number of reshipments we are currently processing, which is why everything is taking so long. Your request is in the queue and your discs will get to you. We appreciate your patience in this matter. If you would like to inquire about your specific request, please direct further inquiries to Dr.Rhino. He can be reached at DrRhino@rhino.com.
Your customer number is _
If you have any further questions regarding this issue, please refer to case # _
Sincerely,
Matthew H.
Dead.net Customer Service
1-800-CAL-DEAD (800-225-3323)
Another big box set in the future?
With all the problems the Europe 72 Complete Recordings have, I wonder if GDP/Rhino have another big tour box in the planning stages. I could see several small runs, such as Alaska 1980, released in a style such as the Winterland '73 & '77 boxes or the Warlocks box. If they (GDP/Rhino) got this E72 box correct in the first place, I could see Europe 1981 boxes, either one large one or 2 smaller ones for Spring and Fall tours. Maybe Rhino has learned a thing or two about QUALITY CONTROL from this fiasco, again maybe not. Standing up in defense of Rhino, there were staff cuts at Warner Music Group which may have had their effects on this E72 project.
the winterland complete recordings
The '73 set is masterful. Really came off better than the Complete Europe '72 all tolled. Just sweet, this set had bona fide ephemera and great music to boot. Music aside, the '73 box is what I could have only hoped the Complete Europe '72 would have been but on a larger scale. That said I am still very glad to have the Euro '72 set. But, maybe they should stick to the smaller sets for now.
Price
Yes the music is important but so is the coffee table book. The fact that just the music cost the same ($450.00) as the deluxe box set is bullshit. It is like those of us that were not lucky enough to get one of he deluxe sets are getting punished. I want the music just as much as I want the book and carrying case but I don't get them and I still had to pay the same price. I feel ripped off and disappoint that some that considers themselves a deahead would do this to a fellow head. Plus this is tough economic times and 450.00 is a lot of money to spend to not get everything. Also the CDs are packaged so tight you can't get them put of he folder without ripping it. I wish I would have never taken the first one out and ripped the folder because I would be sending them back because of the unfair pricing. This should be cheaper Han the deluxe set. Thanks for ripping me off dead net.
More & more bummed as I listen
Initially, I thought I had only 1 bad disc, but with each repeat playing I am finding all kinds of issues with the quality of the discs.
I'm not gonna rant, just report.
Love this box set
I was one of the lucky ones who had no issues with ordering(even calling to change my cc#), getting the box pretty quick and having no issues with defective discs. Aside from that I'm surprised how many people are criticizing this box set.
I love the trunk, the different colored cd cases for each show and the coffee table book. I really don't care about stickers and magnets; what would I do with them? I've had no problems removing the CD's from the sleeves--it can be tough, but it's doable if you're careful.
As far as the music, I totally love it. I'm not the type to sit there and critique every single note and then compare it to previous releases of that song. I don't see the point. Sometimes it's better to just enjoy the shows and not analyze it so much. It sounds good enough to me. I was impressed with each show and hearing how certain songs progress, such as "Jack Straw." I like how it goes from Bobby singing all the lyrics, where the first verse begins to change; to Jerry doing his part on one show; then going back to all Bobby, then Jerry again who briefly changes the amount he steals from the watchman, until ultimately the final version they stuck with. It's interesting how "He's Gone" starts off without the ending harmony, then Jerry tries it in one show, then back to no harmony. Pigpen is definitely one of the stand-outs on this tour, especially with "Chinatown Shuffle." As this is his last tour we get to hear his farewell in its entirety.
This box is a great time capsule not only for the music, but to hear how the band is working through their new songs until they become the ultimate versions they'd play for years to come. They're young, their voices sound great and they have a lot of fun interaction with the crowds. We have shows in a college cafeteria, television shows where they goof around, an outdoor show in the cold rain, a free outdoor show in France.
I like to play these shows, in order, while driving in my car. It's fun whenever my wife joins me and asks, "what city are we up to?" and I can respond with, "Paris" or "Amsterdam" or some other exotic European location. It just adds to the whole experience.
This is probably my favorite box set, and I have them all. While I love the Fillmore West box, four shows cannot compare to 22 and being able to witness many of their classic songs begin to form and take shape. There are other boxes I'd love to see released, such as the acoustic shows from 1970, but I don't think anything can compare to Europe '72.
posted in another thread
I have no pretensions to expertise along these lines, but I figure the advice of Charlie Miller is worth passing along in this regard in case it is helpful.---
Gretsch
Yes deadheadbrewer
When I got my set several discs skipped on a Sony SACD player. I tried them again on an identical player. Same results. I however tried them on other players and they did NOT skip. I bought another player and they played fine. I'm not suggesting you purchase another player, however it might be your player. In some Dead-centric sites I'm on no-one has reported these problems. So it seems like it is rare as I have read skipping complaints elsewhere and the discussions are mostly about the music, mixes etc., in relation to circulating 72 recordings. When imposed the question of damaged discs many people including Charlie Miller told me to use a program like EAC to Test the discs. I can't remember which one Charlie recommended, but I used Exact Audio Copy and tested each disc. I took a few hours and confirmed that my discs were fine but my player was finicky with these discs. Since then I have played the set through on an Integra player and noticed none of the audible blemishes I heard on my Sony SACD players. I'm not implying that one should have to purchase a player to play these but in 20 years plus of buying discs I've had ones that certain players don't like. It's unfortunate but it is what it is. I'd suggest EAC , a free program, to find out if they are ok. None of my friends that bought the set are having trouble either. So while I think that there are some problems, I don't think that the percentage is as high as what it appears if you look at other sites with Dead. Net collectively. Good luck with whatever you decide.
100% good advice, Marye (and Charlie)
In the past, I have had problems with skipping discs and discs that my CD player won't initialize (though no Dead discs so far !). I tried a few players and discovered that the player in my hi-fi (top quality) was more critical than the player in my computer, which in turn was more critical than the player in my car (crap !). A few CDs that wouldn't play or skipped in my hi-fi player would play in my computer, and the very few that wouldn't play or skipped in my computer and my hi-fi would mostly play in my car. Thus not all players are created equal. Checking the discs with a program such as EAC (Exact Audio Copy) is a good idea. Additionally, EAC is my ripping program of choice - because I find it the best not because it is free (which is a bonus of course). EAC can be downloaded from www.exactaudiocopy.de
Skipping Discs
My E72 box had no issues and all discs play perfectly fine. The entire transaction went for the big box went as smooth as one could hope or expect.
My copy of Road Trips 4.5 on the other hand is another story. Neither my disc numbers 2 and 3 will play without skipping on my home computer, my laptop, either of my three stand alone CD players, my car CD player or my old walkman CD player. To make matters worse, it's taking an "Eternity" to recieve replacements.
Received replacements from Dr.Rhino
Received a package today of the replacement E72 CDs (in paper sleeves) that I requested from the good doctor. All apear to OK. No scratches or glue, but I'll have to play them and see how they sound. Thank you Dr.Rhino
Europe 72 Steamer Trunk
Hey,
Just giving you guys a heads up that I have put the steamer trunk on eBay for auction. It's just the trunk and the books. No music. I'm not sure how the All Music Edition is packaged, but it would seem the trunk might be a good way to store it. All information is listed in the auction. You can search "Europe 72 Steamer Trunk".
Auction has 24 hours left on it. If it's something your interested in, please take a look. If you're not and free market economy makes you mad enough to flame me, do you and me a favor and don't.
Europe 72 Steamer Trunk
I checked out your auction, and the counter at the bottom of the page said "72"! Should I rush out and buy a lottery ticket, or are you yankin' our chain with a fake counter? ;-)