• 955 replies
    lilgoldie
    Default Avatar
    Joined:

    What's Inside:
    • Five Complete Shows
    • 5/11/77 St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN
    • 5/12/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
    • 5/13/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
    • 5/15/77 St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO
    • 5/17/77 University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
    •14 Discs, 111 tracks
    •Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman, Plangent Processes playback system for maximum sonic accuracy
    •Artwork by Grammy Award-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike
    •Period Photos by James R Anderson
    •Historical Essay by Steve Silberman
    •Individual show liner notes

    MAGICAL, MYTHICAL MAY 1977!

    If you're a Dead Head, chances are you've spent many an hour expounding upon the distinction of May 8, 1977, Cornell University, Barton Hall. Well, at the risk of preaching to the choir, we'd like to reintroduce you to a series of shows that matches said greatness from that same gloriously fertile season. While Barton Hall is well known, the astounding tour that surrounded it has occasionally flown under the radar due to the uneven quality of tapes in circulation. May 1977 is set to change all of that with a boxed set that zeroes in on this high-water mark in the Grateful Dead's long strange trip.

    For a band resurrecting itself after a 20-month hiatus, there was a great frenzy of expectancy that surrounded the Spring of 1977. We anticipate a grand reoccurrence of this fervor with the release of May 1977, a 14-disc boxed set featuring five complete shows from consecutive stops on that magical tour. Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering, the "psychoacoustic phenomena" as Jerry once put it, of St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN (5/11) Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL (5/12, 5/13), St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO (5/15) and Coliseum at the University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (5/17) can now finally be appreciated. Each of these shows finds the Dead delivering punchier, more focused sets, tightening up the framework; each night turning out first-ever renditions ("Passenger,""Iko Iko,""Jack-A-Roe"), unloading potent new pairings ("Scarlet Begonias">"Fire On The Mountain", "Estimated Prophet">"Eyes Of The World"), classic covers ("Dancing In The Street") and soon-to-be staples ("Estimated Prophet," "Samson and Delilah"), and ultimately rising up to paradise.

    And now for the nitty-gritty...

    Due June 11, May 1977 is limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies. Presented in a psychedelic box that boasts an intricate die-cut design created by Grammy®-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike, the set also includes a book filled with stories about each show, as well as an in-depth essay by Dead historian Steve Silberman, who delves deep into the history behind the tour and the band’s return from its extended hiatus.

    Once these 15,000 boxes are gone, May 1977 and its shows will never be available again on CD. However, the 111 tracks will be made available on release date as FLAC and Apple lossless full-set-only downloads for $99.98.

    Like its predecessors Europe '72: The Complete Recordings and Spring 1990, we expect May 1977 to sell out. Your best bet is to pre-order it now, then sit back, relax, and enjoy all the exclusive content we'll be rolling out over the next few weeks right here and on Facebook.com/GratefulDead and Youtube.com/gratefuldead.

Comments

sort by
Recent
Reset
  • darkstartheoth…
    Joined:
    Bacon Bacon Bacon
    What, no love for sausage? -:)
  • deadegad
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    . . . And the next release
    These various box set releases sound good to me but I am no audio expert. Tuesday is coming -- and I cannot wait to unwrap this one. Christmas, Hanukkah, your birthday in June!!!!!!!!! Gravy, Baby, Gravy, with Bacon!!!!! A good early 80s box would be welcomed by me. Maybe a 79 box, you know, early Brent. Spring 80 from in and around "Going to Nassau."
  • Coconut Phil
    Joined:
    The Big Picture
    Seems like a lot of negative vibes have crept back up on this upcoming release. We should all be grateful that these releases keep coming. No other band has an archive like the Dead. They had the foresight to tape and archive their shows. We as fans are treated to many releasees a year, nice quality CD's, made to sound the best they possibly can. I just don't see why so many attack Dave for his choices, or fuss over the sound quality. We will continue to receive these releases for many more years. I for one am grateful for anything released. Some I like better then others, but we all have our favorite periods and songs. Lighten up folks and just take it as it comes. Peace
  • Seth Hollander
    Joined:
    UnkleSam, here's a reason
    "why would the powers that be authorize a release if it is 43 years old and has been sitting on a roof or wherever for this long?" 1- How many times have commenters in these threads claimed they were not going to purchase an upcoming purchase because they already have high-qual copies of those shows? Almost every thread has one or more of us, the very-interested-in-new-releases community members, taking this stand. The internet has delivered unto GDM/Rhino both a blessing, the means to efficiently market to and interact with the customer-base, and a curse, the means for that same audience to get widely-available high-qual recordings of many of the Dead's shows. Newly discovered tapes means these recordings were never torrented, treed, or LiveMusicArchived. 2- Ever decide to not buy a new GDM release because you have high-quals already?.... It isn't very pleasing. Some of us have collected A LOT OF DEAD over the years, tape-trading in the 80's/90's and internet harvesting in the later years... People in that position tend to like new-to-them shows! They're fun! Personally, my perfect DaP year would be two new-to-me releases and two upgrades-of-shows-I-have releases. So far DiPs , Road Trips, and DaPs have provided me with many more new-to-mes than upgrades (and, as for 5/15/70, a brutal downgrade!), but I do enjoy first listening as much as when I was a young'un! Your experience may vary...
  • Star Dark
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    Unkle Sam
    Unkle Sam: “As far as a sound system, had it for years, some parts over 40 years and there ain't too much better out there, it ain't new, but it kicks butt, I won't discribe it lets just say ‘top of the line’.”Translation: My equipment is better than yours, so shut up. Unkle Sam: “I'm not tone deaf so I can hear and what I hear is sub par.” Translation: My opinion is not subjective. Those who disagree should see an audiologist. Unkle Sam: “Now the real argument is will you pay for better sounding releases? I doubt it.” Translation: Y’all just don’t care much about sound quality. Unkle Sam: “I really have no beef with Norman, he just does what seems to be the norm today, just get it done and collect the cash.” Translation: Norman is a greedy hack. Of course, I’m fine with that. Unkle Sam: “Why the beef with ebay sellers? For those of you who think that capitalism ain't all bad, it's a great way to make some cash from yourold worn out cd's and lp's. It's the system that makes these recordings valuable for resale, not the individual.” Translation: I’ll conveniently ignore the fact that – much like mail order ticket scalpers of days past – unsavory characters are sucking up limited releases before they can be purchased by actual music lovers, and flipping them for 100%-200% markups on eBay. Of course, this translation is NOT intended as a personal attack - just my own personal, highly subjective and agitated take on Mr. Sam's antagonistic tone. Why can't we all just enjoy the music?
  • simonrob
    Joined:
    Those were the days...
    I remember when almost every release was greeted with almost universal approval. Most notably, Jeffrey Norman was regularly singled out for praise, and quite rightly so I reckon. Lately things have changed which could be due to any number of things. It is possible that the best sounding shows have all been released. It is also possible that Rhino have reduced the budget for each release with the result that Mr. Norman no longer has the time to make them sound "just exactly perfect" It is also possible that some people have set their expectations just too high and when these expectations are not met they become overly critical. I have not had a real problem with any of the releases to date. I will be the first to admit that a few have been less than perfect, but none have been so much below par that I feel the need to complain. I would much rather have the chance to listen to these shows (which have, after all, been deemed fit for release) than be denied that opportunity. I doubt that a poor performance will ever be put up for release by Dave, but there will undoubtedly be a few where the performance is great but the sound quality falls a bit short. I would still be grateful for the chance to hear such shows and would settle for "that is just how it is" rather than blame the engineer for being incompetent - which in the case of Jeffry Norman is clearly not the case. I listen to my music on a pretty good system (including HDCD) which can be a double-edged sword - if the recording is good, it sounds great, if it is not so good, the problems are obvious to hear. Even bearing that in mind, I still haven't heard a GD release where I think "this is crap. They shouldn't have released this". Ultimately, the whole listening experience is very personal and subjective so most opinions have some degree of validity.
  • Chitown rider
    Joined:
    this double post needs to be fixed.
    sorry for the double post.
  • Chitown rider
    Joined:
    ..personal attack
    Unkle sam re-read your original post and tell us how that is not a personal attack on J. Norman, Rhino and "the powers that be" while you were at it why didn't you throw DL under the bus as well for his choices for the releases? Here is a little info for you. perhaps it will change your "opinion" •Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman, Plangent Processes playback system for maximum sonic accuracy. PROMachine speed instability in the motion picture and music recording industries is a well-known and often unavoidable phenomenon due to the mechanical nature of analog recording. Two artifacts commonly known as wow and flutter result from mechanical speed inconsistencies and can conspire to ruin a soundtrack. Traditionally, wow and flutter anomalies have been considered unsolvable audio problems without the availability of an alternate, unflawed source. The correction of wow and flutter is now possible thanks to a few unique technologies including Clarity™ Audio Restoration by Plangent Processes. Clarity is a combination of proprietary DSP (digital signal processing) software and hardware for the playback of 35mm magnetic sound film and audiotape that corrects the anomalies generated by both gross and subtle speed instability. Using the ultra high frequency bias signal recorded onto magnetic film or audiotape, the Clarity process “re-times” the audio as if it had been recorded on a machine running at a perfect, constant speed. The result is a soundtrack with stability similar to that of a high resolution digital recording. Additional audio restoration processes are also more effective once the track has been stabilized with Clarity. Restoration engineers can more effectively target sonic anomalies like hum and hiss, which become more stable due to the Clarity process. Plangent’s proprietary signal processing which eliminates wow, flutter and other speed aberrations present on even the finest analog tape recordings, revealing previously unheard clarity and increased image depth and focus. Record labels, film studios, producers, artists and archivists turn to Jamie Howarth, founder of Plangent Processes, and authorized provider Airshow to restore their back catalog of high-profile works. Satisfied Plangent clients include Grateful Dead Productions, Neil Young, Pete Seeger, Queen, Sony Pictures, Fox Video, and many others. as far as "who is this guy" Jeffery Norman If you would like to know more about him you can visit his website at www.mockingbirdmastering.com please spend a little time there and read all about him and what he does and who he has done it for. I think you will find a new appreciation for him, and probably glad that GD productions picked him to work on the music that all of us love. peace-
  • hbob1995
    Joined:
    DP6 Sound
    I also agree with Little Ben. While the time period of this release is not my favorite GD era, I think the sound is phenomenal! Considering these tapes are over 40 years old, and they were certainly not stored in any way that would have protected their integrity, I was amazed at the sound quality. Crisp & clear. I think Jeff Norman is a magician with the highest standards and is always trying to give us the best quality based on the tapes he is given to work with. Bravo I say!
  • unkle sam
    Joined:
    personal attack?
    not hardly, just a question, which it seems there is no answer to. How about answering the question? I was not out to attack anyone, just want to know what Mr. Norman's qualifications are, and to assume that I would attack anyone is just that, an assumption. you did't like the tone of my post or you didn't like what I had to say or you think Mr. norman's work is great, that's cool, but try and look at it from another point of view. why would the powers that be authorize a release if it is 43 years old and has been sitting on a roof or wherever for this long? Because we asked for it? Perhaps someone could explain what it is that norman does, ben, you seem to know, enlighten us would you?This is an OPINION, if you don't like it, that's cool, you have that right, but to assume that some don't know what an engineer does or that we should all just love what we hear because Mr. Norman did it is blind faith. I'm glad that some think that certain releases sound good, more power to you, I'm not impressed and will not blindly follow some down the path of " it's all good" I would love to hear what Norman had to do to make these tapes releasable, did he have to scrape dust and cobwebs off of the tapes? or pick them out of a dumpster? if so, why are they deemed worthy of release. If one doesn't think that money is involved in all of these decisions, then I have some high and dry land in the everglades up for sale.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

15 years 8 months

What's Inside:
• Five Complete Shows
• 5/11/77 St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN
• 5/12/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
• 5/13/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
• 5/15/77 St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO
• 5/17/77 University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
•14 Discs, 111 tracks
•Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman, Plangent Processes playback system for maximum sonic accuracy
•Artwork by Grammy Award-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike
•Period Photos by James R Anderson
•Historical Essay by Steve Silberman
•Individual show liner notes

MAGICAL, MYTHICAL MAY 1977!

If you're a Dead Head, chances are you've spent many an hour expounding upon the distinction of May 8, 1977, Cornell University, Barton Hall. Well, at the risk of preaching to the choir, we'd like to reintroduce you to a series of shows that matches said greatness from that same gloriously fertile season. While Barton Hall is well known, the astounding tour that surrounded it has occasionally flown under the radar due to the uneven quality of tapes in circulation. May 1977 is set to change all of that with a boxed set that zeroes in on this high-water mark in the Grateful Dead's long strange trip.

For a band resurrecting itself after a 20-month hiatus, there was a great frenzy of expectancy that surrounded the Spring of 1977. We anticipate a grand reoccurrence of this fervor with the release of May 1977, a 14-disc boxed set featuring five complete shows from consecutive stops on that magical tour. Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering, the "psychoacoustic phenomena" as Jerry once put it, of St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN (5/11) Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL (5/12, 5/13), St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO (5/15) and Coliseum at the University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (5/17) can now finally be appreciated. Each of these shows finds the Dead delivering punchier, more focused sets, tightening up the framework; each night turning out first-ever renditions ("Passenger,""Iko Iko,""Jack-A-Roe"), unloading potent new pairings ("Scarlet Begonias">"Fire On The Mountain", "Estimated Prophet">"Eyes Of The World"), classic covers ("Dancing In The Street") and soon-to-be staples ("Estimated Prophet," "Samson and Delilah"), and ultimately rising up to paradise.

And now for the nitty-gritty...

Due June 11, May 1977 is limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies. Presented in a psychedelic box that boasts an intricate die-cut design created by Grammy®-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike, the set also includes a book filled with stories about each show, as well as an in-depth essay by Dead historian Steve Silberman, who delves deep into the history behind the tour and the band’s return from its extended hiatus.

Once these 15,000 boxes are gone, May 1977 and its shows will never be available again on CD. However, the 111 tracks will be made available on release date as FLAC and Apple lossless full-set-only downloads for $99.98.

Like its predecessors Europe '72: The Complete Recordings and Spring 1990, we expect May 1977 to sell out. Your best bet is to pre-order it now, then sit back, relax, and enjoy all the exclusive content we'll be rolling out over the next few weeks right here and on Facebook.com/GratefulDead and Youtube.com/gratefuldead.

user picture

Member for

14 years 1 month
Permalink

Wouldn't it be more equitable and profitably efficient to collect pre orders for a month or two, then you would know how many you could sell, add a margn of error to the run, then you wouldn't see unhappy heads who would have given you the money had you provided the product, and maybe there'd be lest gouging on ebay and such. Sell as many as people ordered, plus print a couple thousand more for stragglers, late-savers, and ebay gougers, then maybe your supply and demand would meet more equitably for us customers, and profitable for you sellers.
user picture

Member for

14 years 1 month
Permalink

I sure hope Betty Cantor-Jackson gets a few dollars per box. A few folks are making fine $$ poring through the archive and preparing the tapes for CD release, but none of that would have been possible if not for Betty (at least for the tapes she made).
user picture

Member for

15 years 11 months
Permalink

I already have the Charlie Miller upgrade on the 5/15/77 St. Louis show, which sounds fantastic! However, I don't have any of the other '77 shows on CD. I do have the 5/17/77 AL show on cassette. I believe it's a soundboard recording. Need to think about purchasing this release.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

13 years 10 months
Permalink

"YOu should collect orders first, then figure how many to print. Wouldn't it be more equitable and profitably efficient to collect pre orders for a month or two, then you would know how many you could sell, add a margn of error to the run, then you wouldn't see unhappy heads who would have given you the money had you provided the product, and maybe there'd be lest gouging on ebay and such. Sell as many as people ordered, plus print a couple thousand more for stragglers, late-savers, and ebay gougers, then maybe your supply and demand would meet more equitably for us customers, and profitable for you sellers." I agree with thismikebenz. I just did Furthur at the Capitol and Barclys and am light on extra $$$. Or maybe I gave you a $50 deposit with the balance due by an agreed upon date -- or shipment.
user picture

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink

Are you still wondering about the cut in the 5-11-77 Wharf Rat? It's part of the listening party. Maybe you listened to it already, I'm going to do so presently.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

14 years 9 months
Permalink

For what it's worth, I'm 99% confident in two weeks this Box Set will still be available. Rhino knows it's sales figures better than anyone, and the 15,000 number was chosen to ensure people have an opportunity to buy one.
user picture

Member for

14 years 10 months
Permalink

Any word on Download Price ? "However, the 111 tracks will be made available on release date as FLAC and Apple lossless full-set-only downloads."
user picture

Member for

15 years 6 months
Permalink

Well, well, well......or should I say Might As Well, Might As Well! OK, I already know THAT song is not on any of these shows (look for 01 and 03 May '77 in NYC) but that's not a problem with this here Country CowFreak. But in order for me to come up with the moolah for this gem of a box set it looks like I am gonna have to sell those rare Jerry Garcia Band handbills for the cancelled/rescheduled concert that was originally slated for 24 May 1989 at The Wiltern Theatre and changed to the Universal Amphitheatre on 22 May '89......Hey, just like the Badfinger song says, If you're gonna take - Then you have to give. Or unload a rarity for that special something that will keep on giving. The gift of Magical Music. Remember folks, - THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED......
user picture

Member for

13 years 1 month
Permalink

..a 77 Box and no Cornell?! C'MON!!!..someone needs to work overtime to get that released! Just kidding though..This looks terrific!! My only musical complaint is there's only 1 new Terrapin, from AL, the other we have from Winterland Bonus...With this and Garcia Live Vol 2 and DaP 6 its going to be a very musical summer! :))) I wouldn't mind 15 CDs with some filler,thats what made Dick's Picks 29 + 34 so great but I guess you can't have everything! Just release the whole tour already,we won't mind! Time to get ready for some more 77 Dead!!! Take care folks!!!!
user picture

Member for

13 years 4 months
Permalink

The whole point of Rhino picking a number is to create buzz and sell the damn thing. Well, 15000 or 150000000, damn sure Im getting one. Im really glad to see that this will be available for download. I'd personally rather have it in my hands but I think this will stop the jack-em-up-price eBayers out there. 77 doesnt quite have the early years looseness or weirdness but the intensity is just ridiculous. PS, I finally broke down and bought a used copy (for, uh...) of the Complete Fillmore West 1969, mistake or will I be happy for years?
user picture

Member for

13 years 2 months
Permalink

Was Garcia back to playing Wolf by this time?
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

16 years 8 months
Permalink

You're right - Wharf Rat is fixed here as was the 5/12 Playin in the Band for the Bonus Disc release and I am sure it will be here too. The Taper's Compendium quotes Gans as saying the master was cut in Wharf Rat and DL said the 5/12 Playin was messed up on the master when he posted it on Taper's Section in 2007. I'm just wondering how they did it - with a patch maybe? I'm really just curious here. I for one am ok with patches; especially in place of cuts.
user picture

Member for

13 years 4 months
Permalink

I don't think he got Wolf back until Fall of 77. Also, the pictures from the Winterland 77 box booklet shows Jerry playing the Travis Bean. Although he may still have been playing the Travis Bean, the guitar tone from 77 is quite a bit different from the tone from 76. It seems to me that the 76 shows, Jerry's guitar is more shrill than anything before or after, but then again, it might just be the recording...
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

16 years 4 months
Permalink

Wonder if they will offer hi-res FLAC download options??
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

16 years 4 months
Permalink

Wonder if a hi-res FLAC download option will be available...
user picture

Member for

15 years
Permalink

Once these 15,000 boxes are gone, May 1977 and its shows will never be available again on CD. However, the 111 tracks will be made available on release date as FLAC and Apple lossless full-set-only downloads.
user picture

Member for

15 years 11 months
Permalink

What's not to love about this tour? I celebrated my 20th birthday and the end of a hellacious finals week at the St. Paul show and I (mostly) remember every nuance of every tune. Looking foward to replacing a very tired old tape (that I no longer have the means to listen to). And the international shipping rates aren't bad. A set is headed to Singapore.
user picture

Member for

14 years 11 months
Permalink

All involved with this project. Nice picks, great artwork and essays and liner notes. A reasonable price per disc. Many of us have been asking for exactly this. And will be available as a download as well. These are things on a lot of people's wishlists. It makes you feel like somebody is listening...
user picture

Member for

15 years 5 months
Permalink

So many beautiful things are coming out of the Dead magic hat.....I hope I can still live a longer life to get 'em all:):)GREAT STUFF BOYS :):)
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

14 years 1 month
Permalink

When they say "For a band resurrecting itself after a 20-month hiatus..." do they mean the 20 months prior to the shows they played for the last year? the hiatus was '75, not '76.... On another note. Anyone have any idea of what the price is likely to be on the FLAC version?
user picture

Member for

16 years 10 months
Permalink

got my order in, can't wait for this and vol 2 of garcialive. life is good.
user picture

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink

Ship date two days before my birthday. Life is good, my friends!
user picture

Member for

17 years 3 months
Permalink

The lossless dowloading option is a great option for those unable to get this new set, and a very clever system which I hope will be applied to all future releases. Having at least five Dead releases a year is really a reason to celebrate. The prize of this box is quite accesible, just compare it with that of releases by other groups! Few bands take so much care of their archives and put so much effort in offering more and more to their fans everyday, and I really mean it.I must say, though, that 1977 is not my favorite year, but it makes great listening anyway, and I know most fans cherish this tour and were longing for something like this. I would love a Complete Winterland 1974 box someday, and, of course, Veneta '72. Keep them coming!
user picture

Member for

14 years 5 months
Permalink

When they say "For a band resurrecting itself after a 20-month hiatus..." do they mean the 20 months prior to the shows they played for the last year? the hiatus was '75, not '76.... Given that the band only had one 20 month hiatus, I'm going to guess that they are referring to the one that started in November '74. I don't think they are trying to suggest that these are the first concerts played after the hiatus, but that they are in the ongoing process of "resurrecting" their live shows after the prolonged time off.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

Could we get dimensions of this box? I like the size of the Winterand 73 and 77 boxes. This looks comparable to the Spring 1990 box is size. Small and compact works for me.Does anyone know if your CC is charged at purchase or when the box ships? It is usually when the box ships. This is a very sweet box set and offered early in the year. Makes me wonder if another box set will be offered later in the year. I was very surprised on a 77 release. I was thinking it would have been a 73 or 74 box. Many thanks for all the releases!
user picture

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink

On another note. Anyone have any idea of what the price is likely to be on the FLAC version?If past is any precedent, GDM will charge the exact same price for the FLAC version. Sorry this should have posted under the comment of the person who asked about download price.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

16 years 9 months
Permalink

What a treat, Christmas came early. Any Grateful Dead Head knows how special and unique certain years of the bands shows were.And 1977 is one of those tours that gets my antenna's attention. The best part is that I don't have to wait a year for it to get shipped. Just 4 short weeks. Well worth the total cost of $162 divided by 14 Betty Boards is $11 a HDCD. What a Steal. Cub sez: Do not delay,Tell your tour buddies today.
user picture

Member for

14 years 9 months
Permalink

1977 Box Set + brand new Monitor Audio Silver Towers= thank you.
user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

Allman, I too prefer the more compact box sets, but I went ahead and ordered this anyway (I'm pretty sure it is DVD case height from the pic). I think this will sell out faster than some think, because the "audience" is bigger. It's got that nice promo in Rolling Stone with two really great samples - a lot of Rolling Stone readers who aren't Deadheads might snap this up because May '77 is known even to casual fans who own just a few Dead albums. Anyway, I decided I better not wait...
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

13 years 11 months
Permalink

Not to nitpik I bought this in a second but I would rather have the five nights at the Palladium if they are available.
user picture

Member for

16 years 10 months
Permalink

still some goodies avail in May for future release-assuming they have tapes. The box looks good-prob. no extras like spring, "90 though lower price is good
user picture

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink

Yes, these shows have been "around" for a while now, but they are too good not to have in enhanced pristine sound quality & with informative essays to read about the shows (which I think is one of the very underrated things about official Dead releases like this. I love reading about what made a particular performance special, and many of these are just that.) If I really had my druthers I'd prefer a box set from the Fall tour of '77 (let's say 10/28 thru 11/4, just for fun), but I aint gonna quibble about these excellent May shows. In particular I'm really excited about 5/13 which contains one of the all-time greatest SCARLET>FIRES ever, and that's saying a lot. That whole show is very under-appreciated, and 5/17 is no slouch either (all-time JACKAROE and a beautiful TERRAPIN. But who am I kidding? When it comes to releases like this I'm like Zellwegger in "Jerry Maguire" ("You had me at 1977 ;-)
user picture

Member for

16 years 4 months
Permalink

@GrendelWhen you mentioned Jack-a-roe, I checked and yes, it's the one from Fallout from the Phil zone. Indeed the all time version, as far as I know. So we (probably) all have it, but nice to hear it in context!
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

14 years 1 month
Permalink

THIS LOOKS LIKE A GOOD BOX SET BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE MADE IT AN AWESOME BOX SET.THESE SHOW SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THIS BOX SET: 05-05-1977 NEW HAVEN, CT 05-07-1977 BUFFALO, NY 05-08-1977 ITHACA, NY O5-09-1977 BUFFALO, NY ALONG WITH THESE SHOWS THAT ARE ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE BOX SET: 05-11-1977 ST. PAUL, MN 05-12-1977 CHICAGO, IL 05-13-1977 CHICAGO, IL 05-15-1977 ST. LOUIS, MO. 05-17-1977 TUSCALOOSA, AL. NOW THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN AWESOME BOX SET, IF YOUR GOING TO DO SOMETHING, DO IT RIGHT OR DON'T DO IT AT ALL. THEN FOR A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR US, YOU PUT OUT THE PALLADIUM, NEW YORK, NY 5 SHOW BOX SET FROM 04-29-1977 TO 05-04-1977 (MONDAY 05-02-1977 WAS AN OFF DAY).
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

17 years 3 months
Permalink

I would rather have the Winterland set if I had to choose one, but this looks pretty sharp as fine archival product. I love my 3 CDRs from St. Paul, and I have always wanted to hear Tuscaloosa. I had the St. Louis show in great aud for years. I will buy all these via FLAC download. However, no Morning Dew, no Help-Slip and no Franklin's Tower. When I reach for some Spring '77, first choice will likely always be 4/23, 5/7, 5/8, 5/9 and the June Winterland shows.
user picture

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink

@Roland I love the slow, groovy '77 versions much more than the later-day speeded out versions. Jerry sounds a little (maybe a lot) like he's channeling Mark Knopfler in his playing on those '77 jacks, especially in the opening riffs!
user picture

Member for

16 years 10 months
Permalink

I would like to have seen additional shows included in this box-NH, Boston, Buffalo but I'm not really complaining.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

16 years 9 months
Permalink

You'll Get Nothing and Like It (Ted Knight-Caddyshack) Were these shows all captured using the same calibrated equipment or the same remote truck ? Personally I'd like a bonus disc of the Philadelphia SPECTRUM's EarthDay '77 show Set 1 Promised Land > Mississippi Half-Step Looks Like Rain Deal El Paso Tennessee Jed Estimated Prophet Peggy-O Playin' in the Band Set 2 Scarlet Begonias > Fire on the Mountain Samson and Delilah It Must Have Been the Roses Dancin' in the Streets > Mojo > (1st time played) Dancin' in the Streets > The Wheel - encore - Terrapin Station I can't wait to finish listening to my Furthur Tour and burning those disc so I can pull out all of my 77 cassettes, and CD's for a new wall display next to the Jerry Shrine along with Dick's Pick's "Englishtown's Raceway Park" Labor Day show 1977. That was a first show for many tristate DeadHeads and was a FM broadcast all over NYC and NJ and PA. What a great recruiting tool, Free Dead. Cheers ! jcub2010@gmail.com
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink

I sure hope these are not like the road trip cases so the CDs don't get scratched up
user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

Maybe the new header for this website should be: 5/5/77 through 5/9/77 is not in the M2#$%@#! Vault!!!!!! Or when people register for Dead.net they could receive an automatic email that says, "Oh by the way, 5/5/77 through 5/9/77 is NOT IN THE @#$%!!@#@ Vault!!~!!! :-O) PS - 5/5/77 through 5/9/77 is not in the Vault.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink

I sure hope these are not like the road trip cases so the CDs don't get scratched up
user picture

Member for

16 years 2 months
Permalink

think I'll pass on this one, but you all go ahead, I agree with a lot that has been said ie other dates to include in this box, keep the first and the last, add three others in place of the others and then you would have a great box, not an ok box with 2 great shows. This is just rhino's way of making big cash on so-so shows, "let's include them with these great shows, that way we make max dollars off of the vault." Besides, it will be available forever via download so what's the big deal again? by the way, love DP's 6, best release in a long time.
user picture

Member for

12 years 6 months
Permalink

Would really be nice to have a bonus disc added to this new box set. My still awesome Winterland 77 box now has a superfluous bonus disc. C'mon David make it happen, we deserve it. If anything it'll definitely increase the pre-orders. This set "May" sell out at some point, but it'll probably take a few months. The Winterland June 77 box is still (thankfully) available years later.
user picture

Member for

16 years 9 months
Permalink

Top news and purchase made. If the missus asks, it was only 50 quid... Shame we couldnt have had an unreleased show with HOTW/S/FT from the tour. It's my favourite piece of music (by anyone, not just the Dead) and the versions from Buffalo (on a boot I've got) and Dicks 3 (Florida pines?) are stunning. Garcia's playing on those 2 Franklin's Towers were inspired so it would have been good to here other examples. A minor gripe of course. Keep 'em coming...
user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

By my count, these five shows saw the Dead play 52 different songs (counting Drums and Space). The usual '77 suspects were repeated five times (Estimated, BEW, Samson). I was surprised at some that weren't repeated more - like The Music Never Stopped, played only once. Me and My Uncle only played once, how sad. Also kind of cool that all three Chuck Berry covers are played, but only once each (Promised, Around, JBG). Anyway, here is the list - songs are listed in the order the appear first in the setlists. Song titles followed by the number of times played. Enjoy: Promised Land – 1 TLEO – 3 Big River – 2 Loser – 1 LLR – 3 Ramble – 2 Jack Straw – 2 Peggy-O – 2 El Paso – 3 Deal – 1 LL-Supplication – 2 Sugaree – 1 Samson and D – 5 BEW – 5 Estimated – 5 Scar-Fire – 3 Good Lovin – 2 UJB – 2 Space – 1 Wharf Rat – 2 Around – 1 Brokedown – 1 Bertha – 4 MAMU – 1 (!) T-Jed – 3 Cassidy – 2 Minglewood – 4 Miss Half Step – 2 Dancin – 2 Sunrise – 2 Terrapin – 2 PITB – 2 Drums – 4 NFA – 2 Comes a Time – 1 JBG – 1 TMNS – 1 (!) FOTD – 1 Jack-A-Roe – 3 Other One – 1 Stella Blue – 1 GDTRFB – 1 OMSN – 1 US Blues – 1 Row Jimmy – 1 Passenger – 2 Eyes – 1 Ship of Fools – 1 St. Stephen – 1 Iko-Iko – 1 Sugar Mag – 2 High Time – 1
user picture

Member for

13 years 1 month
Permalink

is anyone else a bit put off by the fact that all 5 shows are so repetitive? you'd think the powers that be could find a 5 show run with more variety. the palladium shows would have been a better choice IMO. ----
product sku
081227965365