Spring 1990, Volume One Box

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August 8, 2012 - 10:43am

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Anonymous (not verified)

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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 21, 2012 - 9:00am

#761

taffy1969

Joined:
September 20, 2011

Same Here

SimonRob Got the same thing no order could be found. Thats a little worrying
August 21, 2012 - 8:20am

#762

simonrob

Joined:
June 7, 2007

Order status...

Shortly after I ordered this I checked the order status using the order ID from my order confirmation mail. It worked, Allman's post aroused my curiosity so I have just repeated the operation and got the message that the order could not be found. Draw your own conclusions from this.
August 21, 2012 - 7:34am

#763

allman

Joined:
July 9, 2007

order status?

Has anyone tried the to use the order status? You are required to enter an Order I.D. and zip code. I enter my order confirmation number and the zip code and it cannot find my order. Not sure what the Order I.D. number is because it is nowhere on my printed order confirmation. Only thing listed is the order confirmation number which doesn't work.
August 21, 2012 - 4:40am

#764

Underthevolcano

Joined:
February 6, 2008

somewhat related...

A lot of folks still have not received their Dave's #3 and there has been no official word posted concerning the reason for the shipping problem for that series. Let us hope that whatever happened in that situation is known and has been corrected before the $200.00 sets start being shipped into POSTAL LIMBO. Although , powers that be, just a little light on this subject would be appreciated, I am sure, for those who have not received their Vol. 3.
August 20, 2012 - 11:11pm

#765

SPACEBROTHER

Joined:
June 4, 2007

Selling out...

In all fairness, the E72 box didn't officially sell out for several months after the reservation preorder started. Many people who reserved their copies got dropped for either not having enough money or not using their special codes. Heck, my copy shipped and arrived before the money was even taken out of my account. This time around, you pay up front. Different circumstances. I imagine these are selling right on par with anything released. I believe most people who buy these releases through mailorder, like me, buy them all, regardless of era. Another way to look at it is perhaps because of the oversaturation of '70s releases, lots of people lost interest in preordering this one, but I highly doubt thats the case. $200 bucks is a chunk of change to cough up in relatively short notice, unlike the 9 month advance notice for the E72 box. Whether they sell out before the ship date or not really doesn't matter. They will sell out regardless. I'm already looking forward to Spring '90 box Volume two! Brent was and will always be "the man", and the band never rocked harder than any other era period, except when Pigpen was throwing it down in the '60s in my less than humble opinion.
August 20, 2012 - 10:57pm

#766

rdevil

Joined:
November 2, 2007

too pricey

I almost always reach for '70s Dead when choosing what to listen to but I enjoy the late Brent era also.I would really like to buy this box but cannot justify spending $200+ on it. The two Winterland boxes were just right...lots of great music and not something I'd have to save up for. And the limited edition thing just sucks for those of us without a ton of disposable income. The "extras" in the box are okay but I'd MUCH prefer an all music version at a lower price. I passed on the Hampton box because I didn't want to spend $20 on a cigar box. I don't understand why a tour from '90 (which was a good year but certainly not close to the highs of the 70s) gets a six show box while the Winterland boxes had three shows each. It's understandable that Rhino will try to maximize their profit but I just want to say that there are many of us out here who could more easily spend less than $100 on a box. Also, why not make the physical discs available for purchase? I can't buy this $200 box but would love to buy a show or two; don't you want my money?
August 20, 2012 - 10:52pm

#767

antonjo

Joined:
June 4, 2007

No....

Not "all of those," Anna.....I vociferously voiced my wish for mid-80's before any more '70's (sans '70 itself) ~ and will continue to ~ but I'm still psyched about this and ordered it on the first day. Scott, you forget (as most folks seem to) or otherwise fail to acknowledge the 32-page exact reprint of the Europe '72 tour book ("Book of the Dead"), which came in the E72 trunk in addition to the 100-page hardbound book. And which is brimming with time-capsule text, with period commentary from all the band members, even Pigpen (how often do you read him talking about Woodstock and excitedly about the current tour?). I thought that was a pretty cool piece of swag. One Man, I'm with you on never being enamored of the Midi proliferation in '89-'90 ~ I'd rather Jerry's guitar sound like a guitar than a french horn ~ but the band clearly had fun with it, and if they were having fun then they were musically engaged. Leave it to the Grateful Dead for their version of "flavor of the month" to mean experimenting with new sounds.... Rather than donning jackets with rolled-up sleeves! (Yes, Graham Nash, I'm looking at you : ) But this illumines another argument for the mid-80's: the last moment before those other sounds infiltrated, but still years enough into Brent's tenure that the band had gelled.... Just sayin'.
August 20, 2012 - 7:03pm

#768

Anna rRxia

Joined:
December 25, 2009

No sell out before shipping starts

Though there is still over a week left, and it is not out of the realm of possibility, it looks quite sure that this deluxe six show edition will not sell out before the ship date. I guess all of those vociferously advocating for other eras than the 70s didn't put their money where their mouth is. I think we will have a lot more 60s and 70s to look forward to in the future. Not such a bad thing....
August 20, 2012 - 6:41pm

#769

One Man

Joined:
May 17, 2011

The "New Guy"

Thanks, halloweendeadhead. You echo my own mixed feelings about Brent. All but one of my 30-plus shows were during his tenure and I struggled with those same questions the whole time. I bailed out when the sea of cheese became too thick. That sentiment has not changed even now. I'll have mixed feelings about this box when I hear it. I wish Bob Bralove had never been allowed to get his paws on the gear except for a few space segments. I know most or all of the band embraced MIDI technology. Now we see it was a flavor of the month proposition and thank goodness the post-Dead have not used it much. I'm glad you found Brent literate and kind. That's how I want to remember him.
August 20, 2012 - 4:07pm

#770

scott1129

Joined:
June 6, 2007

Past Releases and Swag

A valid point about the extras included with these music releases.Dick's Picks One was released as a single size, double cd jewel case. Two was a single cd in a jewel cd case. Three was a single size, double cd jewel case. Four was a double size, three cd jewel case. as were all the following 32 releases. One From The Vault was a digipack with trays for the cd (similar to the Dave's Picks series) Two From The Vault was also release in this manner Both are now available in single size, double cd jewel cases. The Terrapin Station Limited Edition 3/15/90 release was released as a digipack but with an outer sleeve to hide the package info. (Also had a fold out feature to create a stand up) View From The Vault was a double sized, three or four cd jewel case with the DVDs in standard plastic dvd cases. The Vault series, (2/11/69, Ladies and Gentleman..., Steppin' Out, Dozin', GD Movie soundtrack) were jewel cases. then the Egypt set was released as a paper folder with a fold out pyramid and some swag. The To Terrapin '77 set was a paper folder. Crimson, White and Indigo was a paper folder. The First Box was the So Many Roads set and was in a cloth bound box with a book to hold the cds. The next box is the Golden Road box which is a large box with the cd's in digipacks with trays and a large booklet. The next box is Beyond Description the same format as the previous release. The next box is the Fillmore West 1969 complete a box with the cd's in a book. The next box is the Winterland 1973 set in a box with paper folders for the cd's, and some swag The next box is the Winterland 1977 set in a box with paper folders and some swag The next box is the Europe 1972 tour Complete. advertised as a replica steamer trunk (paper box) with tour mementos. Travel maps, buttons, stickers, other stuff but we got none of that just the book and the cds and some cheap swag. but hey 73 cds for 600 out stand ing deal but the cd were in paper folders The Road Trips Series all released in paper folders. Dave's Picks are in digipacks with plastic cd trays. Plus a booklet with a cool essay and some photos. This is what we want. Individual shows released at a modest rate. (Eight shows per year) (if you want to hear all the shows before you die, hit up archive.org and join a vine) In Digipacks with some nice essay or historical documentation and photos. No more limited releases as this just encourages the scalpers. (If I am fallen on hard times (any one else) and can not afford this box of Spring 90 why am I denied the joy of the music at a later time when I am able to afford this luxury, I can buy the Dicks Picks series still but the Dave's Picks are gone.) Make Music, Not Swag.

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

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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

Service

This probably wont go down well with those who haven't unfortunately received their boxes yet but I emailed drrhino Saturday 22nd Sept to say I had a cracked disc. Received an email Monday 24th stating replacement in the post. The disc arrived here in Dundee, Scotland today,(2nd) pretty impressive turnaround!As I say this won't help those still waiting but credit were credit is due someone is getting it right.

Service

Spring '90 Box Set - Still not received (Order Number - 8815232)

Hi Marye, I wonder if you are able to help me out in my quest to find out what is happening regarding my order. I ordered the product the day it was announced and received the above order number on 2nd August. However, i have never received a shipping confirmation to this date although the money for the product was debited from my account on the same date or thereabouts. I contacted Dr Rhino about 2 weeks ago and never received a reply....at that point, i e-mailed Customer Service who advised me that the order should be delivered within a week...it's been 8 days now ans still nothing. Also, i was promised a 20% refund to my account which has still (after about a week) not been credited to my account. I'd be most grateful if you could look into the matter for me. Many thanks for the offer of help. Take care, Ian.

Spring Has Sprung in South East.....

Glad to hear that the Spring Box set is arriving in the UK - Scotland and the North East......Still waiting for it to land in the South East of England....its coming up to six weeks since the shipment notice so has to be soon! My DP3 finally arrived so at least I have something new to be getting on with.

deadboss

I'll see what I can do.

No improvement .....

You'd think that after all the criticism, somebody at Dead.net would be trying to make an effort, but it would appear to not be the case.I rang Last Wednesday 26th to make them aware that my Spring '90 had still not arrived (in the UK), and was told that my problem would be passed up the chain, and I would receive a reply within 72 hours ....... well, yes, you guessed it - I have still heard nothing from them. Absolutely hopeless.

@ Outpost - Not Going to Happen

I got the same promise after my 5th (or was it 6th) call to customer service about my order. At every stage of this process I've begged for some explanation, some transparency into the problems and resolution. I've begged for the opportunity to share with any member of Rhino how royally screwed up this system appears to a customer. Nothing. It's insulting to common sense that so many of these things got "lost in the mail." Yet nobody is willing to offer explanations. It defies logic that a large company like Rhino doesn't track their shipped orders, yet that's what we've been told. And it's utterly bizarre that a company would not have excess inventory to send out should items get lost in the mail to fulfill orders. All make no sense whatsoever. Yet here we are. At least I got my refund. I wish you the same luck.

Spring '90 Box Set - Still not received (Order Number - 8815230)

Ditto for order 8819004. I have asked the question 'At what point will it be decided that this is lost if indeed it was ever sent' and am awaiting a reply from the good doctor. I am concerned that if we are now waiting for the next batch to be pressed (and it has been awfully quiet on that front recently), it could be Christmas before it hits the UK.

And the race is on....

Taking Rhino at their word that my visa account will be credited $20 as recompense for the delay in delivery of my Spring 1990 Box, I've chosen to put that money towards the Spring 1990 compilation "So Glad You Made It" which I've ordered from Amazon. Now I'm waiting to see which delivery turns up first! Even with Rhino's 5 week head start, my money is on Amazon - but at this point I'd be happy to lose that bet.. You know, Rhino could actually save themselves a whole lot of grief if they under-promised and over-delivered. If their shipping advice just advised delivery in 6 - 8 weeks and people started receiving it after 3 weeks then there would be a lot less angst going around.

Hamilton is Cream of the Box

IMO Hamilton is the Cream of this Boxed Set. The whole band is fired up and are all over everything throughout. This is power dead played with unbridled energy and confidence. A grate combination of polish and improvisational creativity. The only show from this tour that comes close is 2/28/90 from Nassau. Would have loved to see that included in the set. Highlights - Instant transport to funky psychedelic Music Magic Land from the first note of Stranger. - The only West LA Fade away of the tour. Garcia struts build to crescendos of power guitar, driving keyboards and crashing drums. - Can't add much to what's already been said about what would be hard to deny is the best Scarlet Fire of the he 90s. - Mind bending Other One dropped down into into full Hey Jude Mr. Fantasy soup, taking us on an emotional roller coaster of passion, beauty, and screaming manic release of sorrow and burden. Outstanding use of synthesizer by Jerry in Scarlet Fire and The Other One. Extra points for number of rarely heard songs.

The Eagle Has Landed...

Box # 3737 finally arrived here in Tuscany. Yes,it took more than a month,but as many others have said,it is well worth the wait,starting from the external packaging,with original Wes Lang artwork. No extra VAT was to be paid,which was nice. And,yes,all discs look to be safe and sound. The box was sent on August 31st,and was received on Oct. 4th. To all the international Heads who are still anxiously awaiting:good things are coming your way. It is all a matter of time. Now,seen that S&H to Tuscany for the new DP4 was less than 4 bucks,I'm bracing myself for more of the same,ie a very lengthy wait. The question is,what is better,to pay astronomical shipping costs for DHL or similar(plus added VAT) to have the discs delivered in days or cheap,unexpensive shipping- and probably no VAT-,but a very long wait? The jury's still out,but I might be leaning towards the latter...Peace Out...

Replacement CDs Arrived!

After a second attempt. The correct replacement CD has been received. Thanks Dead.net

Replacement CDs Arrived!

After a second attempt. The correct replacement CD has been received.Thanks Dead.net

Received my Knickerbocker Arena replacement disc

Thanks, Dr Rhino. My set is complete.

Still no show in New Brighton (UK).

.......although Marye is currently on the case for me.....thanks Marye !. Anyone else in the U.K. still waiting arrival of the box ?. Ian.

Still no show in New Brighton (UK).

.......although Marye is currently on the case for me.....thanks Marye !. Anyone else in the U.K. still waiting arrival of the box ?. Ian.

very pleased with everything

very pleased with everything about my spring 1990 box set.recieved my jerry garcia/merl saunders keystone companions box set on 28th september.isn't this the way box sets should be-small,affordable and packed with information.

Deadboss in the UK.....

Hi, Not got it yet - but I am expecting delivery of what I assume is it today.....by Parcelforce - not sure that brings me much confidence - but I have paid my customs fees, and its on the truck.....so perhaps the wait is almost over!

Still no show in North Yorkshire either!!!

Marye is on the case, Doctor Rhino also (hopefully), and customer service said 'give it a week', which is up tomorrow. The new Jerry box arrived from Amazon.com this morning which just puts the non arrival of S'90 into perspective. This saga just goes on .and on - as do I, so apologies to all that the complaints just continue.

I have seen it - It does exist.....

Parcelforce did not let me down - Spring 90 arrived in South of England today! Six weeks after the shipping email - which I guess is about right. Looks like it landed in the UK on Sept 27th....which means its taken a couple of weeks to get through customs and to me! But all that aside - this is as good as people say - it is a thing of beauty - from the outer box that holds the actual box - to all the contents inside. Fantastic work, and all at Rhino should be pleased with the production values on this - definitely keep them coming if they are going to be at this level. Now DP3 and S90 are safely gathered in - I have some listening to do now the autumn nights are drawing in! I hope the other missing boxes land soon.

This is really getting to be a drag....

...waiting for my Spring 1990 Box Set to finally be delivered to me in Melbourne, Australia - only 11 hours flying time from down-town Los Angeles. It appears that some packages bound for Australia were shipped to Germany for distribution along with European orders. Go figure the logistical thought process behind that move. I have a friend in Sydney who received his Spring 90 Box about 2 weeks after getting the shipment advice and who recieved his DaP#3 at about the same time. Meanwhile, another firend in rural South Australia finally recevied his Spring 1990 box - albeit severely damaged - this week. It was shipped via Germany! I take comfort in the fact that clearly I am not the only person left still wondering where the hell my box set is but, really, this is getting beyond a joke.

New Brighton (U.K.)....Good news at long last !.

Well, got home from work yesterday to find a notification from ParcelForce that they were holding a package for me. Just been to collect the beast (#2700/9000) and had to pay a whopping £34.06 in order to fuel the fire, but there you go. No damage whatsoever (small mercies) and i've just got home and opened it all up....stunning detail and beautifully presented !. Al the discs seem fine and the artifacts are very nice indeed. Now, to get it all transferred onto my Creative ZEN in .wav format of course and go for a walk along the beach !. Sincerely hope you all receive your parcels soon....it's been a thorough ballache, but believe me, you will not regret the outlay and the hassle. Cheers, Ian.

New Brighton (U.K.)....Good news at long last !.

Album Artwork

I'm wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction...I've received my box and am transferring the music files to my hard drive. I'd like to attach each show's artwork to my downloads but I can't seem to find the artwork through searches. Has anyone in the community posted these for easy access? Any help would be greatly appreciated...Thank you!

Album Artwork...

cbs73 kindly posts the artwork for every release, and they can all be found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/titanarch/

Worth waiting for!

It took my box a long time to arrive in West Yorkshire, due to a detour via Germany, but it was worth waiting for when ParcelForce finally dropped me a note saying it had arrived. Beautiful presentation, can't wait to get stuck into the music. Dead.net customer service were understanding and helpful regarding the delay, even though the delay was likely nothing to do with them and that there was not much more I could do than sit and wait.

Worth waiting for!

It took my box a long time to arrive in West Yorkshire, due to a detour via Germany, but it was worth waiting for when ParcelForce finally dropped me a note saying it had arrived. Beautiful presentation, can't wait to get stuck into the music. Dead.net customer service were understanding and helpful regarding the delay, even though itwas likely nothing to do with them and that there was not much more I could do than sit and wait.

Bittersweet

My box finally arrived in Melbourne, Australia. Albeit with some damage to the book and a case, and a cracked disc...sigh. Wish I could just focus on the music.After excruciatingly difficult extraction from the cases, I inspected the discs, but with unavoidable bending. Can anyone reassure me that a little bending ain't a bad thing? I'm stressed about the pre-packaged damage enough as it is! Thanks in advance, bleeding hearts.

Bittersweet

Extracting the Discs

I found that turning the disc slightly while pulling it off the spindle helped a little. Push the center of the spindle while doing this. They are too tightly held and they do bend a little -- but not much -- before breaking. I have broken at least one disc in the past (the CD that came with the Wilco book). Someone posted a method that involved a screwdriver. There is no way I'm doing that. Once you free them you might as well rip them to a hard drive (in lossless format, of course). Good luck!

One Man

Thanks; yes I read the screwdriver suggestion/anecdote with horror. I get worried about my discs just holding them in the air, let alone applying crude tools to their fragile surface.I tried the pull and turn, with some success. I just hope I haven't compromised the integrity of the discs with the original bends.

Spring 1990 European Tour

Finally! Spring 1990 has been safely delivered in Melbourne, Australia having spent at least 3 of the last 6 or 7 weeks since it was shipped in the care of Deutsche Post DHL. It seems that tracking was available all along but only after the parcel has been received will you know the tracking number. The packaging of this release is outstanding! I am looking forward to spending some quality HDCD time with it.

Spring 1990 European Tour - Mine has turned up too (apparently)

Sadly not in the UK but back at Deadnet. Customer Services now inform me that I have returned said box. Strange that I do not remember seeing it, or even a notification for collection or duty to be paid. It seems that my previous post was maybe a touch optimistic when I said that it might arrive in time for Christmas!

Is it really sold out

Hey Mayre can you check on this? It says temp hold, but I emailed customer service and they said sold out? Website needs to be updated. Status please?

Is this really sold out (2)

44mooseThe e mail below was sent to me yesterday. It contradicts what you have been told - kind of. I am disgusted with the shabby way I have been treated after previously having been told I have returned my box (not true). Some honest information and transparency would be really appreciated at this point, Anyone listening?????? Hello Dave, This email is in regards to your order regarding the spring 90 box set. We apologize you have not received this item yet. Unfortunately, replacement sets are not going to be available for awhile so I have refunded your order. You should see that on your account within 3-5 business days. I have also provided a 20% off promo code for you to use on your next purchase with Dead.net. If you have any further questions or concerns, please reach out to us.

UNBELIEVEABLE !!!!!!.

gr8fuluk...... Jesus Christ, that is nothing short of scandalous. There should be mass sackings after what has gone on regarding this latest offering. It's the same old story in life these days unfortunately....nobody wanting to take responsibility for anything, and just passing the buck. I was going to say that the band members will be livid if they ever found out the extent of the problems their loyal fans had to endure in order to get the end product, but the only thing they'll probably notice is their bank accounts bulging. Having said that, it's certainly not their fault. So, you've been given a full refund even though the product is only temporarily sold out ?...why not just keep you on hold until they get more stock and send you one then...all they've done is create more hassle for you when they do re-stock....it just sounds like more lies to me !. Fire me an e-mail at deadboss@yahoo.com. Later, Ian.

Sad state of the store

With 33 offerings, only stock on 2 Road Trips (V2N3 & V3N2 - both good ones) and Warlocks Box & Winterland 11/73 Box.

Adding Insult to Injury - Open Letter to Dr Rhino

Dear Sir, You will be aware no doubt that after having problems with Europe 72, I have had an even worse experience with S'90, namely a considerable wait for said box, eventually being given a $20 discount for all the inconvenience etc. Only then to be told by your customer services that you have received the box I have returned and will be issuing a refund. I have informed you and customer services that I have NEVER received the box and asked why you are issuing a refund when according to your web site more supplies are due any day now. You have refused to reply but issued a refund anyway. BUT... wait a minute - you have deducted the $20 credit - presumably you have decided my inconvenience was not that great and you have deducted $35.98 postage for goods that I have never received. Explanation please? If I say that I am absolutely disgusted, maybe you can understand why. And maybe you personally will kindly take some action to remedy this matter. I cannot EVER remember being so badly treated by any organisation. And YES, believe it or not I still want the box set that I originally paid for and received your formal order for . In UK law and presumably US law too, I believe that constitutes a contract! Regards Dave

Enjoying the Spring 1990 box set.

I had placed an order for this box set on August 2, 2012 and it arrived at my residence on September 4, 2012. I opened it and inspected everything, CAREFULLY removing each disc and doing a quick sound check - that is playing thru each disc to see if it was correctly labeled - everything sounded fine - all the extras - the book, the tour program reprint, the info sheets, photo and the ticket stubs, backstage passes - all were there and looked fine, no problem.Each show sounds great - I love the mix and the overall arena ambience. I did notice on several tracks, Jerry's voice was low in the mix, and I now consider those Jerry songs as "future work" - some overdubs are needed, to make these songs sound "just exactly perfect." In case you didn't know, Jerry Garcia died on August 9, 1995, so it's impossible for him to do these needed overdubs. Bringing up his voice in the mix may have brought some other unforeseen problems, so the mixes were kept as is. And I see these as minor flaws in the whole picture. Each concert is a great powerful performance in it's own right - the band is running full steam ahead each show is excellent, all are consistently great. I deeply appreciate the shows that were included in this box set. The shows that were not included in this box are great, too. I have the official 3/15/90 Terrapin Limited set, released in 1997, and two unofficial recordings - 3/22/90, and 3/29/90. These two shows are excellent and worthy of official release. This box set release seems to be aimed at the "Touch Heads" and I am of the Europe '72:The Complete Recordings generation. The music contained in both box sets are excellent. I feel sorry for all those folks who have had problems with this release, I hope you problems can be resolved in a positive manner for you. My box set, 3426, arrive in perfect condition, as almost all are. To the powers who brought this box to the light of day, I thank you very much, I deeply appreciate this release.

@ gr8fuluk - Check your cc statement

@gr8fuluk - my situation was the same as yours, the initial 20% (or $20 - I can't remember) discount they gave me was off of Spring 90 due to all the hassles, they also credited me back the $13 shipping fees. At that point, they still claimed they were shipping replacements. Weeks later, when they ultimately cancelled my order because they had no inventory, the credit was the balance of the $230, about $175 rather than the full amount. In addition, they gave me a coupon for 20% off my next order, which based on this experience may never happen. So check your statement, my hunch is you have 2 credits. One for the discount, and another for the balance.

@ gr8fuluk - Check your cc statement

Hey there, Yes I have checked my Credit card statement. I was billed $240 (round figures inc postage). Then I was given the $20 refund that you mention. Now I have been given what customer services call a full refund - another $180. So yes, there are 2 credits but they do not include the postage to UK. However my public rant seems to have had an effect - I have had an e mail from the good Doctor apologising for the problems and says the box will be sent within 10-14 days. He also said he intends to tackle customer services over some of their comments which he does not understand. I may be wrong, but I think if you look at the S'90 link it no longer says the set is on temporary hold. This has occurred in the last couple of hours or so, but check for yourself in case I am mistaken. Regards Dave

Now the dust has settled

I must say, since all the dramas with the shipping and state of some of the discs, I have been well looked after by D.Rhino.I hope everyone has received their sets and is feeling better now. I suppose we're all in this crazy world together and perhaps we've all learned different things throughout this process; customer service and customers alike. Lets hope for a better year next year, not only for Dead.net, but everything in this crazy world and for all those people who are really suffering out there (I found myself feeling a little silly whinging and worrying so much about my music purchases when children are still dying from war and famine). Cheers everyone.

Now the dust has settled ...2

Nope, still waiting for my copy to be sent. The good Doctor assures me that I should receive a shipping notification any day now. It has been a hell of a wait!!!

There is still some dust in the air then

I'm really sorry to hear that Gr8uluk. I know I probably came across as a self-satisfied jerk.I really hope it gets to you soon. Unharmed and defect-free. I await Dave's 4 with some trepidation, if that puts any balance into my unstable throne of contentment. Bless.

There is still some dust in the air then -2

Me too. I have every confidence there will be an e mail today(?) from Dr Rhino to let me know it is on it's way - complete with a tracking number that actually works. Dave

Thank You!!

Hi, I'm a deadhead from Japan, and after all these years, the Spring 1990 Box Set is some of the best DEAD I've heard!!the sound quality is prime, and the music being played there is just soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sweet!! this is Grateful Dead at their best. Thank you David and everyone at dead.net. I would love to see DVDs from this era:)) peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaace!!

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