Spring 1990, Volume One Box

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August 8, 2012 - 10:43am

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What's Inside:
• 60 page hardcover Smyth-Sewn book featuring essays by Dennis McNally, David Lemieux, and Blair Jackson and photos by Jim Anderson & Mike Laurentis
• 25th Anniversary Tour Program
• Official Band Letters
• 6 Ticket Stubs
• 6 Cloth Sticker Backstage Passes
• 1 Tour Laminate
• Official 1990 Band publicity shot
• 6 complete shows on 18 discs
      • 3/16/90 Capital Center, Landover, MD
      • 3/19/90 Civic Center, Hartford, CT
      • 3/22/90 Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, ON, Canada
      • 3/26/90 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
      • 3/30/90 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
      • 4/2/90 The Omni, Atlanta, GA

Box Dimensions: 12-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 12-1/8"
Recorded and Mixed Live by John Cutler
Mastered by Jeffrey Norman in HDCD
Original art by Wes Lang
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 9,000

Introducing The Next Box: Spring 1990!

And now for something a little different. This year's box set - Grateful Dead: Spring 1990 - offers six complete shows from the epic spring '90 tour, one concert from each city the band played, personally selected by Dead vaultmeister and archival release producer David Lemieux. The sizzling six are: 3/16/90 Capital Centre (Landover , MD), 3/19/90 Hartford Civic Center, 3/22/90 Copps Coliseum (Hamilton, Ontario), 3/26/90 Knickerbocker Arena (Albany, NY), 3/30/90 Nassau Coliseum (Uniondale, NY) and 4/2/90 The Omni (Atlanta, GA).

In his "Producer's Note" in the beautiful book that is part of the box, Lemieux, who attended the first 10 shows on the tour, states, "To my ears this was the last tour that was consistently great, where every show is excellent, not a dud in the bunch." And Grateful Dead historian Dennis McNally's comprehensive and informative insider's essay in the box is titled "The Last Great Dead Tour." These guys know what they're talking about.

Basically, the band had been on an upward trajectory since Garcia's return to the road in the spring of '87, following his near-death the previous summer. Of course, 1987 was a trip in itself, what with the unexpected mega-success of In the Dark and their first hit single, "Touch of Grey." But the momentum just kept building with each subsequent tour, as Garcia got back up to full speed (and then some!) and the group as a whole was as unified as they had ever been since Brent joined the band in the spring of '79. New original tunes were popping up and the old favorites were imbued with a freshness and spirit that was so uplifting and inspiring. The band was having fun again, and it was downright infectious.

The group's fall 1989 shows-as documented two years ago on the Formerly the Warlocks box (two shows from Hampton, VA, 10/8-9/89) and on the 2001 release Nightfall of Diamonds (a single night in NJ, 10/16/89)- kicked the energy level up another couple of notches, as the band reintroduced such loved classics as "Help on the Way" > "Slipknot!," "Attics of My Life," "Death Don't Have No Mercy" and "Dark Star."

And when the band hit the road in mid-March 1990, they had a bunch of other cool tunes to lay on their unsuspecting crowds, including the return of "Loose Lucy" (last played in 1974; it's not on this box), Brent's "Easy to Love You" (missing since 1980), a rollicking cover of the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time," The Band's "The Weight" (with all four singers taking a verse each) and a lyrically retooled "Black-Throated Wind" (absent since 1974), which elicited huge cheers every time it was played.

Over these six shows, most of the cornerstones of the Dead's repertoire from the era appear-splendid versions of "Scarlet Begonias" > "Fire on the Mountain," "China Cat Sunflower" > "I Know You Rider," "Playing in the Band," "Uncle John's Band," "Eyes of the World," "Estimated Prophet," "Truckin'," "Sugar Magnolia," "The Other One," "Terrapin," "Stella Blue," "Feel Like a Stranger," "Bird Song," "Let It Grow," "China Doll," "Box of Rain," "Morning Dew"; you name it. From the fall '89 breakouts come "Help-Slip-Frank," "Attics of My Life" and "Death Don't Have No Mercy." Among the still newish tunes are "Picasso Moon," "Blow Away," "Foolish Heart," "Just a Little Light," "Victim or the Crime," "Standing on the Moon," "We Can Run" and a couple that would get their final plays from the Grateful Dead on this tour-"Built to Last" and "Believe It or Not." There are stirring renditions of "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and "Black Muddy River," rockin' takes on "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "Iko Iko" and the only version of the full "Hey Jude" the band attempted in the modern era. And the "Rhythm Devils" and "Space" jams at the heart of each second set are as noisy-beautiful-scary-funny-intense-mysterious-wild as you'd expect/hope for.

Of course, we understand that some of you may have other favorite shows from this tour you wish were included on this box. Really, you can't go wrong with any of them. But at 18 discs, this is still the second largest Grateful Dead box (after Europe '72: The Complete Recordings) that's been released, and the non-inclusion of any other shows from the tour definitely does not preclude their future release! But this seemed like a more manageable way to go, while still giving a sense of the tour's amazing depth and breadth.

Besides the discs themselves, Grateful Dead: Spring 1990 has much to offer, including: a gorgeous 60-page hardcover book containing copious color photos by Jim Anderson and Michael Laurentus, unique artwork by Brooklyn-based fine artist Wes Lang, fascinating business letters and communications related to the tour, a detailed historical essay by Dennis McNally, a Producer's Note by David Lemieux and individual show descriptions by Blair Jackson; a reproduction of the Dead's 1990 tour program (printed and sold later in '90, for the fall and Europe '90 tours); tickets and backstage passes of all six shows; a band publicity photo from 1990 by Ken Friedman; Dennis McNally's tour laminate; and reproductions of the colored 8x10 sheets GDTS sent out with hotel, food and other information for each city on the tour.

With recordings made by longtime Grateful Dead recordist and producer John Cutler, mastered by Jeffrey Norman in HDCD, you just know it's gonna sound great-and it does!

So, that's the skinny this time 'round. This box is limited to just 9,000 numbered copies - please note, this is the only time these shows will ever be officially available on CD. There will not be an All Music Edition and single shows will not be available physically. Due to ship out August 31st, we anticipate that this extraordinary set will sell-out, so order your copy today!

If you're looking for more of a bite-sized taste of the '90s, Spring 1990: So Glad You Made It, a 2-CD set featuring a handful of favorites, will be in stores on September 18th.

-Blair Jackson

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August 3, 2012 - 6:50am

#961

italiandeadhead

Joined:
March 2, 2008

oversea postage & taxes included

Q. who buys a 18 cds bulk all at once? A: cd junkies!
August 3, 2012 - 4:49am

#962

rrot

Joined:
October 3, 2009

Overpriced!

Overpriced? Only compared to the bargain that was the E72 box. Compared to other dead boxes, not overpriced. Warlocks box? More expensive per disc than this. Beyond Description? More expensive -- and it's a re-release! Basically same price structure as Winterland boxes, only this one now has a seemingly more lavish production -- so value for money has gone up, not down. Don't give a damn about the doodads? Me either, but the point remains: pricing same as Winterlands. So, weren't the Warlocks and Winterland boxes overpriced? Not a chance, if you judge by the prices of archival boxes from other artists. Here's a very typical (but awesome) example; Complete Arista Recordings of Anthony Braxton, released on Mosaic, 10 CDs, $136. "I can't afford it" and "it's overpriced" are not the same thing.
August 3, 2012 - 4:39am

#963

Underthevolcano

Joined:
February 6, 2008

i'm in

Grate choice, David. Consistently entertaining late period run. The sound system and electronics were top notch and the Dead were having a blast with the technology available to them. A welcome addition to the collection, in my opinion. A healthy band with a smiling Jerry was always a good thing. Is a video release from these shows on the horizon? as no DVD is included in the box as an extra? BTW, the doodads will be fun-good response to those who felt that there weren't enough doodads in the Europe 72 box-I know i kept lookinh for "the hidden steamer trunk drawer on that one"-never did find that drawer though.
August 3, 2012 - 4:37am

#964

katky111

Joined:
October 23, 2011

When you're ready to become your parents...meh

"...hope I d-d-die before I get old..." Thank you David, GD.net & Rhino! Great work (again)...
August 3, 2012 - 1:23am

#965

italiandeadhead

Joined:
March 2, 2008

if this shop

will be the only source to buy this utterly overpriced box set than... I am out!gladly!
August 3, 2012 - 1:01am

#966

rdevil

Joined:
November 2, 2007

listening party

Anyone else notice the pauses between songs in the listening party? This raises a big red flag for me. Do the songs on this release have the same pauses in between? That would be a deal breaker for me. I"m not sure about this release anyway, but if there are pauses between each song, each transition and each jam then that devalues this release considerably. WTF?
August 3, 2012 - 12:09am

#967

rdevil

Joined:
November 2, 2007

tough choice

First of all, there's no need to complain about "whining" or "bitching" about this release. People are just communicating their preferences.This release looks great and it's from a really good year (although I'm among those who would have prefered more 70s). The dilemma for me is the price. My first reaction was that it was overpriced but after giving it some thought it's not terribly overpriced. If eliminating the "goodies" would drive the price down I'd be all for that. I don't need a replica backstage pass, it won't do me any good now--I just want the shows. Mainly, though, for my wallet, this box is just too big. A three show box at half the price would be a no-brainer. And why does this tour get a six show box? Yes it was very good but certainly not in the same category as any tour from '73 or '77 and the two Winterland boxes were smaller and much more affordable. I might still go for this, there is a lot of great music here but I'm on the fence because it's a lot of money to shell out at one time. And quite honestly, I don't reach for 80s/90s Dead all that often when deciding what to listen to. I hope future boxes fall into the $100 and under price range. Also, very interesting choice to choose six shows from six different cities. My first thought was to prefer full runs of cities but this might work out pretty well.
August 2, 2012 - 7:38pm

#968

poetry420

Joined:
March 9, 2012

busted 3/17/90 cap center

its been a long time since i thought about these shows or even that year.cant remember how many times before this show i seen the dead or should i say expericed the parking lot.i was 18 years old and had only started to experiment w/lsd. so i bought 2 sheets of lsd and shortly after met a cute girl and we were in the process of dosing when this long haired wanna be hippie comes up to me and asks to buy some of what he seen us eating.i said no that i dont sell.after hassling me to buy some cause he said he wanted to head in and didnt have time to look for his own.long story short-i gave,not sold,5 hits to him.next thing i know,he puts 20 bucks in my flannel shirt pocket and pulls a badge and says your under arrest.they were calling me the rabbit after what happned next.i jumped and ran through the lot, in and out of cars while people were watching all this and urging me to keep running!LOL.you all might not believe this,but suddenly all the hippies that were undercover cops came out of nowhere and they tackled my ass.they(pigs)were all laughing afterwards saying nice try and calling me a rabbit, that i just up and tried to get gone.this is funny reliving this now.they busted so many people at this show we were put in school buses and taken to jail.i seen at least 2 buses that night filled.another thing that sucked for me that night was i just turned 18 a few months earlier,so when they came on the bus,they said anyone under 18 off the bus,calling your parents,the rest of us went to jail.did 5 days then made bail.had to fake a rehab stint and then 3yrs probation.one more thing,when i was cuffed with my hands behind my back and just waiting with all these hippies around me,which were all cops,(cops dressed like us,heads)but if you had just showed up from another part of the lot and did not just see what happened you would think we were a bunch of heads just hanging out,anyway this dude comes up to us and he is like,whats up everybody whats going on.just bullshitting.but i know he is swinging and (so do the pigs) and before he incriminates himself,i swing my back around to show him that i'm cuffed.we look at each other,i say nothing,he says,right on,man.and walks away.they did try to pursue him but he said nothing incriminating and he just kept walking.i felt great to save a fellow headhead,if only this nite. watching the olympics now,playing shine on you crazy diamond for the balance beam,awesome!! -- the bus came by and i got on,thats when it all began,for the next 22years for me and still going. i love you so much grateful dead,thank you.you all helped me to change my life for the better. 420- i say pigs but i do have respect,don't kid yourself.
August 2, 2012 - 7:23pm

#969

antonjo

Joined:
June 4, 2007

multi-tracks, multi-shows, multi-smiles

Yeah, when Terrapin Limited came out, I thought it was about the best sounding release I'd ever heard ~ and we'd always considered that the weak night of the three! It cleaned up very nice (and our seats weren't the best for sound.) Very psyched that one of the "other" nights ~ my favorite of the stand ~ is being released. "Black Throated" was a particular joy, as Bob never resurrected his classics once he put them away, and my friend Dean and I had just debated before the lights went down whether we'd rather see him bring out "Lazy Lightning" or "Black Throated Wind." Then, of course, the church version of "Blow Away," where Jerry himself enticed us to clap along, even he was that moved. Earlier that same evening in the parking lot, Dean had the bright idea to trade our extras for 3rd night Nassau (hated to lose the chance to "miracle" someone, but it sounded like a good train to catch). Our boss graciously supported the idea, so up we went. I still remember Dean's crestfallen face when he saw what they'd played already, the previous two nights. He needn't have worried. I, for one, am utterly psyched that David chose 3/30, much less heralded than the Branford-flavored previous night but what a gem. First set could've been louder from the rafters, but opened with my first Help On the Way (finally!); Dire Wolf was always a treat; and another was Phil singing "going back to New York City" in NYC : ) We scored VIP seats for the second set, with the Playin -> China Doll -> Uncle John's and a fully realized Standing On the Moon (complete with guitar solo unlike '89 versions, Jerry bestowing it with the mark of his classic ballads).....sweetness indeed. And the sweetest sugar was to come ~ the Attics encore left us speechless. The harmonies, and music, were impossibly tight. The last time I'd see Brent, as it happened : ( Can't wait to tell my brother ~ who made the Hamilton trek ~ that one of "his" Copps shows is finally being released! Maybe these aren't the sickest shows ever, but they were solid, the energy couldn't be beat, and in my own personal trajectory this was the last tour I dropped everything for ~ kind of the last bloom of my "golden" show-going years, where the band mattered to me more than anything else going on. I'd never do a Dead road-trip again (well, not till New Year's 2003). Anyway, sorry for the novella. I LOVE this box format of a show from each stop ~ I think it's just the right amount to document such a tour. Wish they'd have squeezed 3/14's Crazy Fingers -> Playin' set opener onto disc 3 of 3/16 (a la the Albany bonus filler), but hey we could always wish for more and I think it's great that there's bonus filler on one of them. (For the piece-mealers, Estimated from 3/21 Copps is released on Weir Here, hadn't heard that mentioned below.) Thanks, people. Fun release, and I love those 60-page hardbound coffee table books.....
August 2, 2012 - 6:19pm

#970

redemption searcher

Joined:
August 31, 2011

spring '90!

This is sweet. Thank you! David Lemieux for choosing the 3/30 show; all my deadhead friends always disagreed with me, but I always thought this show was the killer of that run, (if not the whole tour) even better than the great Branford show. I remember taping it live off WNEW FM in NYC at Manhattan College all those years ago and just being blown away at how HOT and TIGHT Jerry sounded in the slipknot and the dire wolf. We were having a raging kegger in our dorm and I had a tape running off a cheapo boom box playing the radio broadcast, but the tape came out great. Those were glorious times! The 3/28 show which I went to turned out to be my last Brent show, was awesome (and awesomely psychedelicized), AND was STILL probably the weakest of the three at Nassau. That tour was KILLER. Maybe not Europe '72, but still friggin' great! Also, cool that they're including the Help>Slip>franks and Loser from Albany; I remeber endlessly bitchin when Dozin' didn't have those. BTW, Messr. Lemieux, you mention the calaypso jam after Women r smarter in the Landover show; another show that has a cool post WrS jam from that era is the previous fall Meadowlands show from 10/14/89, which is a really good to great show that has always been overshadowed by the legendary 10/16 show. Not to mention being overshadowed by the goonish brendan byrne security that run, that night which a guy from my high school died at that show. Those east coast tours were getting crazy by '89-'90, but damn the music was sick!

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

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What's Inside:
• 60 page hardcover Smyth-Sewn book featuring essays by Dennis McNally, David Lemieux, and Blair Jackson and photos by Jim Anderson & Mike Laurentis
• 25th Anniversary Tour Program
• Official Band Letters
• 6 Ticket Stubs
• 6 Cloth Sticker Backstage Passes
• 1 Tour Laminate
• Official 1990 Band publicity shot
• 6 complete shows on 18 discs
      • 3/16/90 Capital Center, Landover, MD
      • 3/19/90 Civic Center, Hartford, CT
      • 3/22/90 Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, ON, Canada
      • 3/26/90 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
      • 3/30/90 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
      • 4/2/90 The Omni, Atlanta, GA

Box Dimensions: 12-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 12-1/8"
Recorded and Mixed Live by John Cutler
Mastered by Jeffrey Norman in HDCD
Original art by Wes Lang
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 9,000

Introducing The Next Box: Spring 1990!

And now for something a little different. This year's box set - Grateful Dead: Spring 1990 - offers six complete shows from the epic spring '90 tour, one concert from each city the band played, personally selected by Dead vaultmeister and archival release producer David Lemieux. The sizzling six are: 3/16/90 Capital Centre (Landover , MD), 3/19/90 Hartford Civic Center, 3/22/90 Copps Coliseum (Hamilton, Ontario), 3/26/90 Knickerbocker Arena (Albany, NY), 3/30/90 Nassau Coliseum (Uniondale, NY) and 4/2/90 The Omni (Atlanta, GA).

In his "Producer's Note" in the beautiful book that is part of the box, Lemieux, who attended the first 10 shows on the tour, states, "To my ears this was the last tour that was consistently great, where every show is excellent, not a dud in the bunch." And Grateful Dead historian Dennis McNally's comprehensive and informative insider's essay in the box is titled "The Last Great Dead Tour." These guys know what they're talking about.

Basically, the band had been on an upward trajectory since Garcia's return to the road in the spring of '87, following his near-death the previous summer. Of course, 1987 was a trip in itself, what with the unexpected mega-success of In the Dark and their first hit single, "Touch of Grey." But the momentum just kept building with each subsequent tour, as Garcia got back up to full speed (and then some!) and the group as a whole was as unified as they had ever been since Brent joined the band in the spring of '79. New original tunes were popping up and the old favorites were imbued with a freshness and spirit that was so uplifting and inspiring. The band was having fun again, and it was downright infectious.

The group's fall 1989 shows-as documented two years ago on the Formerly the Warlocks box (two shows from Hampton, VA, 10/8-9/89) and on the 2001 release Nightfall of Diamonds (a single night in NJ, 10/16/89)- kicked the energy level up another couple of notches, as the band reintroduced such loved classics as "Help on the Way" > "Slipknot!," "Attics of My Life," "Death Don't Have No Mercy" and "Dark Star."

And when the band hit the road in mid-March 1990, they had a bunch of other cool tunes to lay on their unsuspecting crowds, including the return of "Loose Lucy" (last played in 1974; it's not on this box), Brent's "Easy to Love You" (missing since 1980), a rollicking cover of the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time," The Band's "The Weight" (with all four singers taking a verse each) and a lyrically retooled "Black-Throated Wind" (absent since 1974), which elicited huge cheers every time it was played.

Over these six shows, most of the cornerstones of the Dead's repertoire from the era appear-splendid versions of "Scarlet Begonias" > "Fire on the Mountain," "China Cat Sunflower" > "I Know You Rider," "Playing in the Band," "Uncle John's Band," "Eyes of the World," "Estimated Prophet," "Truckin'," "Sugar Magnolia," "The Other One," "Terrapin," "Stella Blue," "Feel Like a Stranger," "Bird Song," "Let It Grow," "China Doll," "Box of Rain," "Morning Dew"; you name it. From the fall '89 breakouts come "Help-Slip-Frank," "Attics of My Life" and "Death Don't Have No Mercy." Among the still newish tunes are "Picasso Moon," "Blow Away," "Foolish Heart," "Just a Little Light," "Victim or the Crime," "Standing on the Moon," "We Can Run" and a couple that would get their final plays from the Grateful Dead on this tour-"Built to Last" and "Believe It or Not." There are stirring renditions of "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and "Black Muddy River," rockin' takes on "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "Iko Iko" and the only version of the full "Hey Jude" the band attempted in the modern era. And the "Rhythm Devils" and "Space" jams at the heart of each second set are as noisy-beautiful-scary-funny-intense-mysterious-wild as you'd expect/hope for.

Of course, we understand that some of you may have other favorite shows from this tour you wish were included on this box. Really, you can't go wrong with any of them. But at 18 discs, this is still the second largest Grateful Dead box (after Europe '72: The Complete Recordings) that's been released, and the non-inclusion of any other shows from the tour definitely does not preclude their future release! But this seemed like a more manageable way to go, while still giving a sense of the tour's amazing depth and breadth.

Besides the discs themselves, Grateful Dead: Spring 1990 has much to offer, including: a gorgeous 60-page hardcover book containing copious color photos by Jim Anderson and Michael Laurentus, unique artwork by Brooklyn-based fine artist Wes Lang, fascinating business letters and communications related to the tour, a detailed historical essay by Dennis McNally, a Producer's Note by David Lemieux and individual show descriptions by Blair Jackson; a reproduction of the Dead's 1990 tour program (printed and sold later in '90, for the fall and Europe '90 tours); tickets and backstage passes of all six shows; a band publicity photo from 1990 by Ken Friedman; Dennis McNally's tour laminate; and reproductions of the colored 8x10 sheets GDTS sent out with hotel, food and other information for each city on the tour.

With recordings made by longtime Grateful Dead recordist and producer John Cutler, mastered by Jeffrey Norman in HDCD, you just know it's gonna sound great-and it does!

So, that's the skinny this time 'round. This box is limited to just 9,000 numbered copies - please note, this is the only time these shows will ever be officially available on CD. There will not be an All Music Edition and single shows will not be available physically. Due to ship out August 31st, we anticipate that this extraordinary set will sell-out, so order your copy today!

If you're looking for more of a bite-sized taste of the '90s, Spring 1990: So Glad You Made It, a 2-CD set featuring a handful of favorites, will be in stores on September 18th.

-Blair Jackson

Artwork

I just found it, but thanks for your help.

Recieved mine

I received my set on Thursday [ 6493/9000 ]. USPS left it on my porch because no one was home because, being on vacation, I had taken my family to the beach. I opened it and was very happy to see that all the discs were there and none of them were damaged. The only blemish is a gouge on the back of the Copps Colesium digipack set.

box damaged in shipping

Box set is in and I am psyched. Starting my listening party in 5 minutes but the box itself is damaged. Looks like it was dropped pretty hard on its corner so even the inside box is dented. I am hoping for $200 I can get a replacement box. I have sent a note in to customer service with some pics so hopefully they come thru and fix this issue.

@footbear

Hello Pot...meet Kettle...

Overdose

This is a wonderful time for those of us who are both Deadheads and Zappa Freaks (I don't think they like to be called heads). No need to go into the huge amount of newly released Dead material here that's being handled just fine. But for those of us who grew up loving both the Zappa Family Trust is in the process of reissuing the entire Zappa Catalogue. The approach for that is a little different. Much of what is on CD was remastered by Zappa in the 80's and not to the joy of the purists. He added digital reverb rerecorded bass and drums on the earliest stuff etc. so unlike the Dead releases where we are hearing for the 1st time live shows we only heard on tapes/boots with the Zappa releases it's ok how is this different from the earlier cd releases. Many are the original vinyl mixes on cd for the 1st time. I think I need to take a few weeks off of work to fully digest both the Dead and the Zappa stuff. As I said Overdose. Whatever you may think of Zappa I can't help but think almost everone on this site would agree with one of his quotes--- MUSIC IS THE BEST. And just maybe what I say to my friends who aren't quite so obsessive Music Is Life. Ok back to the task at hand let's see I think another Dead show is called for tonight.

Nevermind

Venting will change nothing

Scrib

A most excellent essay by Scrib... I always like reading his stuff.

The Music Never Stops...

Been listening to the shows for the past few days, and STOKED to have them. Have had most of the shows recorded from the audience for years, but its like discovering them for the first time in this awesome box set. Love the versions of Foolish Heart, Bertha and Scarlet-Fire. And the packaging is awesome, so fancy. Even the Shipping box was custom. Well worth the price.Sorry some people are so negative.... sometimes "shit happens" (I saw may of those bumper stickers in the lot at shows) I think Rhino is a great company and have good customer service. They once replaced a CD that I cracked from removing it from the case.

The Music Never Stops...

Thank You Rhino

So very happy, So very excellent!

The band is on fire!The mix is near perfect! Brent is playing out of his mind! Possibly the best box yet.

iTunes Zappa

Been listening to the '88 Zappa tour. Really the best band you never heard!!!

where the rivers end or where the rivers start

Was fortunate to see the Best Band You Never Heard in '88 ~ a unique version of genius. (I guess that's what makes genius genius.) But to the band at hand...... Had a wonderful time reliving 3-16-90 last night. The band is super hot, Bob is in especially fine vocal form, so is Jerry for that matter, Phil is all over it on bass, and it's one of those nights where "when the drummers are hot, the band is hot." The first set is worth owning for its own sake, Good Times Roll is really inspired, Touch of Grey is a marvelous version, really picking up steam for the finale, Minglewood cooks (nice 3-go-round opening solo from Jerry), Peggy-O is beautifully rendered, Bird Song is even more epic than I remember, and the show stoppers ~ Black-Throated & Blow Away ~ what can you say...two very emotional moments. Scarlet inspires a full post-jam before the surprise ~ and very hot ~ Estimated, and Ship of Fools is intense and VERY inspired. Jerry seems to be searching for the right effect on his first Women Are Smarter solo, but finds it during the verse before his second ~ and tears in accordingly. Brent's now-permanently-stolen "little boy sit on the corner and cry" verse was fun to hear again. The Last Time ~ the encore ~ is about the only thing that's ragged vocally (moreso than I remember) but finds pure magic once Brent joins Jerry on the outro harmonies and Bob takes over the lead scatting. Leaving this show, it was my favorite of the Landover run and hearing it again it's hard to argue. My verdict on the mix is, I'm loving it. Could multi-track have brought out a little more Jerry vocal here, or Billy snare there? Undoubtedly. However, these live mixes really sound LIVE. The vocals, Jerry's lead guitar, and other elements really capture the sound of the venue, and the energy of the event. I think something important would've (or certainly could've) been lost in a multi-tracking mix translation. Moved chronologically to Hartford today, but cheated and jumped to 2nd set. Box of Rain is about as quintessential a version as you're going to hear; Phil's vocal is strong and poignant, and the harmonies on the finale are studio-perfect. As if while recently reworking Attics, they'd shored up on Box, as well. Vocal flubs notwithstanding ~ and Jerry doesn't let them stand in his way (as he occasionally could on a lesser night) ~ the Foolish Heart is a wonderful version, flawless and soaring jam. Playin' -> Eyes -> Drums....nice. Great organ from Brent on Playin'. To Blair's liner note point (which I read after), Drums really does flow right on with the beat the drummers have been chasing relentlessly all through Eyes. Sounds like Jerry has left the stage a little before the others as the Eyes jam winds down, or else he's MIDI'd his guitar into something purely percussive.....will just have to hear it again to be sure... Promise I won't post my own personal review of every show! But it's been great listening this weekend, psyched for Copps and can't wait for Nassau. (And Footbear, I do feel for you ~ I'd be bummed if I wasn't in a position to obtain these shows in particular, and I know I'm very lucky that some of these big releases have happened while I was.)

Mystery compartments?

This is very sweet. I'm gonna try and take my time rather than ripping through every show (save one as mentioned below) on a consecutive bender like I did w/E '72. (Yeah, i know, like that'll work) Did anybody find anything in the right-hand side of the box when you open it? I didn't, but it just seemed like it was made w/something in there since they put a finger hole in, and left side has all the stubs/passes, etc.. These cd sleeves are way better than Europe box; those were thinner and looked cool in the steamer trunk, but I must've ripped half of them. (Also hope those don't develop any scratches/skips from sliding them in and out-hasn't happened to me yet) Through tremendous willpower and sensei-like strength, I've saved the Rotterdam show from Europe to listen to in my old age and decrepitude; don't think I can do the same with one of these six! Anyone who has never heard 3/30 Nassau is in for a treat-that show is just flawless execution but still with total adventurousness and improvisation IMO, and the pre-drums setlist is extraordinary. Definitely hope they do release 3/29 in its entirety down the road; don't know if any of the remaining 9 are really worthy or not as I haven't heard most of them.

dvd

Does anyone know if there will be dvd releases from this tour?

dvd

Does anyone know if there will be dvd releases from this tour?

Benefit for the Creamery

40 years ago, today...

Honestly,

it's a bit of let down to (finally) be among the first to own a limited edition set such as this and there not be a bonus disc included.

Oops

Double post

Yes!

I got 898/9000 in the mail this morning, though my order status still says "In Process". Beautiful box. Thanks, Rhino/GDM.

Yes!

I got 898/9000 in the mail this morning, though my order status still says "In Process". Beautiful box. Thanks, Rhino/GDM.

Had to Happen Sooner or Later

I've been ordering from Dead.net for 14 years, never had a single problem!! Now I have 2!! No Dave's 3, but more importantly, my Hartford show had a Copps disc one. So now I have 2 disc one's from Copps, and no disc one for Hartford. I emailed Customer Service and they got back to me right away, so hopefully that is a good sign. Anyone else get a wrong disc, or am I the only lucky one to have two copies of Copps set I?

Anybody know

Does anybody know how many sets are now left? I know a couple of people (myself included) who sprung for the set the moment the shipping announcement hit on late Thursday.

still waiting

paid for overnight shipping and am still waiting to hear anything. my order has been in process for almost 2 weeks. any word or update on when overnight shippers box will send would be amazing at this point..

Forry!! Exact Same Issue Here

Just read your post, too bad you didn't get an extra Hartford set one instead, we could have done a trade and avoided Customer Care all together. They said they would get back to me about sending a replacement disc within 72 hours. Let me know how it turns out for you, I'll do the same. Burnsy

Best tours

What are people's favorite tours?I'm endlessly amazed at how often people ignore 1970. For instance, in the book this set came with Lemieux says 1990, Europe 72, fall 73, spring 77. Hello? These are great in their way, yes, but none of them can TOUCH 1970! Damn, it irks me that so few Dead Heads seem to realize how amazing 1970 was. LISTEN TO DICK'S PICKS 8 FOR INSTANCE! No way is there better Jerry. Disk 2 is freakin' amazing. By the way, one of my disks in this set is cracked. I emailed dead.net. I sure hope they can send me a new disk without me sending the whole set back! And what happens if they are sold out? I hope they have extra disks for this kind of problem. UPDATE: Aha! Now I get it. David was 19 in the early '90's and not born in 1970! That might explain it. Most Dead Heads I know think the tours they actually experienced are the best ever. But I didn't see 1970 in person either. I'm a child of 76-77 mostly. One other thing: on page 3 of the book there is a photo with a red circle on it that is supposed to be circling David in the tapers section. For the life of me I can't see a person at all in that circle! In the very center of the circle is something that looks like a square brown thing, sort of like a paper bag. David, are you wearing a bag over your head? LOL!

Dave's 3

itsburnsy says he's having a problem: "No Dave's 3". That's not out yet, is it? If it is, I also didn't get it yet.

update for folks with broken/defective/wrong disc issues

Please contact the Spring 90 Store customer service, not Dr. Rhino. If this doesn't work, get back to me. Thanks.

and if you did not get your Dave's Picks 3 yet

and have not already done so, please DO send email with the details to Dr. Rhino, drrhino (at) rhino.com

Best Yet!

This is the best release yet. I'm a very satisfied customer. This is, IMHO, the hight point of the Dead's career. In terms of musicianship and variety (not to mention the quality of recordings) there is nothing that tops 89/90. Everything about this release is top notch. Apparently, Europe /72 was a learning experience for Rhino. This box is much better done. Reasonable roll out and release date, good promos, nice packaging, great mixing and mastering. The only thing that might top this would be a box of the Dylan/Dead collaboration. Or Spring /90 Part II. I'm taking a week of vacation, leaving Texas, heading West. There is no better way to listen to the Dead than while driving the Great American Desert in a two-seater with a sound system that can make the floor shake. Six days and six shows, W TX, NM, AZ, maybe on to CA. Just a mile to go, my old buddy your moving much too slow.

@itsburnsy-Thanks,I will keep you informed.

Talked to Dead.net customer service today and was told that they would get a replacement disc out to me also,but they could not say when it would be processed and mailed.I'll let you know how things go.thanks!

@itsburnsy-Thanks,I will keep you informed.

A very good choice of shows

THANK YOU VERY MUCH! These shows sound great so far. My tastes in GD music are mostly the early 70's - 1970 - '73, with the full range being the 1960's to about 1984. The shows that were released in this box satisfies me very well. I don't think I will order a "Spring 1990, Volume 2" if this is ever considered by The Powers That Be. I would be extremely happy if "Sunshine Daydream" / 8/27/72 were ever to be released - either as two separate entities: GDP & the owners of "Sunshine Daydream" or a two products from GDP, similar to the "Truckin' Up To Buffalo" releases, or a single package like "Crimson, White & Indigo"

Ziggybirds

I have passed along your message.

Highway robbery

So because you people who pay $200 for these shows, or $500 for Europe 72'; people like me who listen to these shows on archive.org discover that we can't listen to soundboards anymore and now get told to go buy music that has and should always stay free.

should always stay free?

Plucky, I'm not sure why you and others believe that soundboards recorded by the band for the band (or in the case of Fall '89->Spring '90, specifically for commercial release) should be free ~ as opposed to audience recordings taped by tapers. But you do have a point ~ if a release is a limited quantity run, and you CAN'T buy it once it's sold out ~ then I don't know why audio streams would be removed for those. At the end of the day, though, the music still belongs to the band ~ not to us (unless we taped it). As for audience tapers who were allowed to plug into the soundboard who share THEIR soundboard tapes on the Archive ~ and maybe that's what you meant ~ well, room for debate, there, I suppose. But even then, I think the pendulum lands on the band ~ the tapers allowed to access the soundboard received a gift that night, and that should not preclude the band's ultimate ownership of the feed from its own soundboard. Just my opinion.

Free?

I don't remember very many free concert tickets.

folks who are being told to mail back their whole box when they

have a defective disc--I have just conferred with the boss, and he says NO, DO NOT SEND THE WHOLE BOX BACK, and has reminded customer service that we don't want this. Instead, please send your info to deadnet@custhelp.com and we'll try to get it resolved speedily. Keep me posted. Thanks.

2432 / 9000

opening this boxset was magical. So much thought and detail are packed in. Beyone thrilled. and the sound is pretty damn excellent (even though they cheesed out on the 24track). Seriously, it sounds fantastic. Happy times

Phi Krappa Zappa

Hey now, snafu. Grate to meet another Zappa Freak. I just received the 4 disc set, put out by Vaulter Native Records, of Zappa & The Mothers at Carnegie Hall - October 11, 1971, in the mail. It also includes the opening set by The Persuasions. I'm listening to it right now. I'm very happy to report that the sound is excellent on what I've heard so far. It brings back great memories. I had front row seats for the 7:30 show. The discs have both the 7:30 and 11:00 Zappa shows. Highly recommended to all.

Perfect

double post

Perfect

Got #5645 in NH today and I'd say it's nearly perfect. This is a beautiful, beautiful box -- great production, plentiful goodies, spectacular sound and playing. Thanks to all involved! I love seeing all of the tour logistics, like the roadies' breakfast supplies and schedule.

the best

This is by far the best dead release yet can't wait for vol 2

We can share the music

We can share the music we can share the wine because we done shared all of mine. Because people like us pay $200 for these shows these shows get beautifully mixed and mastered -- and eventually everyone in the GD community will have it. I am sure there are people who have bought who will share it. Just look around a bit. I'm with you though, I don't know why they remove it from archive.org. I can't see how streaming rough "mixes" at a low bit/sec hurts sells of the polished product. In fact, I would think they could use it as advertisement. But I know nothing about the business of it.

just exactly perfect...

from the box it was shipped in to the flyers showing camping areas, hotels and restaurants. The mix is superb. I haven't played my tapes for oh....7 or 8 years. And probably never will again. Most of my shows attended were in '89 and '90 and after listening to all the seventies releases recently, forgot how freaking good they were at this point in their trip. Brent is on literal FIRE!!!!. Tight and precise...they WERE a well oiled machine about now. Drumz and space are incredible every show presented here. Don't skip those tracks. The calypso jam out of Women Smarter was classic. Repeated that track 3 times in a row, dancing the whole time. The box is awesome. Artwork kickass. Worth every penny.......Now about Dave's Picks 3...Hmmm..still waiting for that one. Hear it's really good too, but I'm on this 1990 kick right about now. Thanks for reading. God Bless the Grateful Dead. p.s. gonna save that shipping box as well. you never know when you may have to move and lug your precious belongings along with you.

I got a miracle once...

And gave out 2 or 3

Happy!

I'm so glad everyone is enjoying this set! I love this era of Grateful Dead so much. Unfortunately, I cannot afford this set. I know I'm missing out, but I picked up the downloads of the Pittsburgh shows from 4/2/89 and 4/3/89, so I can kinda live vicariously through those. Plus the download was $19.00 for two complete shows. I think I'll get the 2-disc compilation when it's available. Keep the positive vibes comin everyone! Cheers to Spring '90. This set will probably be worth more than the Fillmore set when it's all said and done. If it's still available around September 12 or 13, I may pick it up. Can't wait for the next DP release! C'mon 60's show!

Happy!

Just got mine in the mail today. It was here before I knew it, as i finally got my order in on Thursday. I've got the majority of this tour on tape as well and the Hartford 3-19 as well as 3-16 Cap Centre shows where pretty solid. the bird song from 3-16 is mind blowing. unfortunately my first show was 7-19-95, and never got to see the dead in it's peak years, but after listening to this it makes me feel as if i was there. From the shows I've heard so far as I'm listening to them in order as we speak. The mix sounds very well balanced and appealing to the ears. These shows were very well prepared. overall very happy myself. thanks David, Jeffery, and the entire GD staff. Hey David, for the next vault show please select 4-2-73 Boston Garden, or maybe a box of 87' Red Rocks. oO!!!! If the box looks anything like the spring 90' tour, I'll be for sure in on a buy for it. just for a heads up, I'll definitley be purchasing vol 2 as well. pCe!!

Fall ' 89...

I f you have 2- track recordings of Fall tour ' 89 that sound like these do. Could you please release them? Spring box Vol. 2 I'm in. These sound so good!

Thoughts on re-sale

This box is already worth half of what some Fillmore '69 sets are currently going for on eBay, many those now being rather well-circulated and banged up. What concerns me is that there is definitely not nearly the demand for this set as there was Fillmore '69 or even Europe '72. This lack of demand will definitely affect re-sale value. It will take much longer for somebody willing to dish out $600 for this set versus Fillmore '69. Enough time has elapsed so that the gameplayers who would have been willing to drop $600 at re-sale have now had their chance to purchase one brand new. I've got to admit that I'm sort of confused by the suckers who have their Spring '90 box listed on eBay right now while the set is still available here. I suspect that there's about 800 left in the warehouse, and those 800 will take some time to sell through.

Christmas In August???

Got my Spring 1990 box on Friday. I was pleasantly surprised to find it waiting for me when I got home from work, especially considering I only paid for the standard shipping, and wasn't expecting it to be shipped before the end of the month. All I can say is "Wow!" This thing is a beauty. I didn't order the Europe '72 set when it came out (mainly due to the price tag), but now I'm going to totally reconsider that. The sound quality on these discs is fantastic. The set definately captures a moment in time for me. I'd forgotten how vital Brent had become to the sound of the Dead at this point in time. Makes me wish I'd appreciated him more when he was around. The first set of the Cap Centre show is flawless. Can't wait to dig into the rest of this box. Heck, I was still enjoying Dave's Picks, Vol.3 when this arrived, so now I'm Dead-set for the near future. Also, the extras (especially the tour program and the hardcover book) are very cool. A lot of thought went into this thing, and I'm looking forward to future similar treatment for these GD box sets.

product sku

GRA9900088