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    lilgoldie
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    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.

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  • #551
    darkstartheoth…
    Joined:
    Bacon Bacon Bacon
    What, no love for sausage? -:)
  • #552
    deadegad
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    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."
  • #553
    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
  • #554
    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...
  • #555
    Star Dark
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    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?
  • #556
    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.
  • #557
    Chitown rider
    Joined:
    this double post needs to be fixed.
    sorry for the double post.
  • #558
    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-
  • #559
    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!
  • #560
    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.
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Submitted by lilgoldie on
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Dead Store Products

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.

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Submitted by wjonjd on Sun, 06/16/2013 - 11:13

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I posted this on comments section for the may 15th show, but then noticed nobody has posted there since May, so I'm reporting it here: Thanks for another great release!! I really love having these special boxed sets to go with the music. The accompanying booklets with documentation, like reprints of newspaper reviews (some are hysterically funny) are a lot of fun to have. I did notice what appears to be an error (not a typo) in Blair Jackson's account of the show on May 15. He says, about Estimated->Eyes, "but the one that opens the second set in St. Louis marks the first instance the two songs were joined..." But, unless I'm mistaken, the show in Boston on May 7th has an Estimated->Eyes, and I'm not even sure that one is the first. Maybe he meant the first one on an official release? No matter, I always very much enjoy Blair's contributions to the releases - please keep it up!!! Now, onto those early 80's releases just around the corner ....... :)
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Submitted by wjonjd on Sun, 06/16/2013 - 11:14

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I posted this on comments section for the may 15th show, but then noticed nobody has posted there since May, so I'm reporting it here: Thanks for another great release!! I really love having these special boxed sets to go with the music. The accompanying booklets with documentation, like reprints of newspaper reviews (some are hysterically funny) are a lot of fun to have. I did notice what appears to be an error (not a typo) in Blair Jackson's account of the show on May 15. He says, about Estimated->Eyes, "but the one that opens the second set in St. Louis marks the first instance the two songs were joined..." But, unless I'm mistaken, the show in Boston on May 7th has an Estimated->Eyes, and I'm not even sure that one is the first. Maybe he meant the first one on an official release? No matter, I always very much enjoy Blair's contributions to the releases - please keep it up!!! Now, onto those early 80's releases just around the corner ....... :)
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Submitted by wjonjd on Sun, 06/16/2013 - 11:14

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I posted this on comments section for the may 15th show, but then noticed nobody has posted there since May, so I'm reporting it here: Thanks for another great release!! I really love having these special boxed sets to go with the music. The accompanying booklets with documentation, like reprints of newspaper reviews (some are hysterically funny) are a lot of fun to have. I did notice what appears to be an error (not a typo) in Blair Jackson's account of the show on May 15. He says, about Estimated->Eyes, "but the one that opens the second set in St. Louis marks the first instance the two songs were joined..." But, unless I'm mistaken, the show in Boston on May 7th has an Estimated->Eyes, and I'm not even sure that one is the first. Maybe he meant the first one on an official release? No matter, I always very much enjoy Blair's contributions to the releases - please keep it up!!! Now, onto those early 80's releases just around the corner ....... :)
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Submitted by wilfredtjones on Sun, 06/16/2013 - 12:23

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember a complete stop (i.e. not segueing) between Estimated and Eyes in Boston, therefore Blair is technically correct re: St. Louis.
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Submitted by wjonjd on Sun, 06/16/2013 - 12:36

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Yes, you're correct - I just checked and they do come to a complete stop after Estimated in Boston, so Blair is correct, the St. Louis show was the first true Estimated->Eyes. :)
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Submitted by rrussell8 on Sun, 06/16/2013 - 17:07

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Further to the observation that Bobby was an underrated guitar player in this era, the late Robert Lansing played on some of the Heaven Help the Fool sessions, which featured several of the best LA session musicians of the time. One day I asked Lansing what he thought of Weir's guitar playing. His answer: "Best player in the room."
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Submitted by augustwest on Sun, 06/16/2013 - 18:04

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Weir was, and always has been, an underrated player. There are several possible explanations for that, but there it is. Someone here posted about the "China Cat tease" he plays during Bertha on 5/12. Blair, in his typically wonderful liner notes, makes the same observation and speculates it could be Bob longing for a return of China Cat to the fold, which is an odd thing for someone like Blair to say, given his knowledge of the music. That signature China Cat lick is something that Bob played on many tunes -- before, during and after 77 -- and always (as far as I am aware) during Jerry's solo. Bertha, GDTRFB, Fire and Franklin's are, if I had to guess, where he did it the most, but I don't think they are the only places.
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Submitted by alexj on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 00:07

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...for the countless hours of listening bliss that lay before me.
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Submitted by alexj on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 00:17

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next time, please don't shorten the stage banter...i imagine it was a timing issue, but it was no fun to find the "doctor" roll call cut short...only complaint i can think of with the box set since the music is so damn great
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Submitted by One Man on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 03:12

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I was away for a week and was very happy to find this package at home yesterday. I haven't had the chance to delve into the music yet, but I have to say the packaging is top-notch. I can't think of a more beautiful box set. There are no repro memorabilia items, thankfully. I love the book -- sublime cosmic context by Steve Silberman really makes it classy. Of course, Blair Jackson adds his fine dissection of each show, and points the way to some highlights. Is the packaging worth the extra 40 bucks compared to the download? Probably not. Still, it is awfully nice, even if it won't fit on my CD shelf.
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Submitted by leedesj on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 06:07

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box received on fri and 5 shows filled the weekend perfectly, i think the sound is incredible, i too noticed a little surprising (for a soundboard) ambient hall reverb sound on the vox during some short passages including the first song from the st paul show but all instruments are extremely well balanced as expected from a BB im not familiar with the extended dr beachwood comments that were apparently edited but i did miss some of the pre song noodling prior to both estimated and ship of fools that i am used to from the st louis show, im not complaing, 5/15/77 was a fairly early entry to my tape collection during a year i lived in st louis (83/84), its inclusion in the set was tipping point for this pre-hiatus fan to take this 77 plunge, and glad i did, even with the heavy repetition of a few tunes i found each show unique and fairly inspriational while the physical product was designed with a few impracticalities built in (size, tracklists buried etc)... i have to say it is a beautiful work of art and i'll figure out where/how to keep it, because of the fact that its appearance can change depending on which shows are visible through the window it reminds me a bit of led zep III and in the through the out door packages i was just surprised BJ's notes refered to bob's bertha china cat lick as somewhat subtle as if he wasn't sure everyone would agree it was there finally... the newspaper clippings and reviews were priceless, a wide range of views of the GD's quality were presented, not just extreme love or hate but lukewarm acceptance of their music was also expressed seemingly disproving jerry's licorice comment, even the one that pretty much tore them a new one begrudgingly admitted that there were some worthwhile moments
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Submitted by jameskelly on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 07:55

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The set is excellent. Sound is superior. One small complaint. Why is the crowd noise so low? It almost sounds like they are playing in a studio. It's always nice to hear the reaction of the crowd after a song. Like I said, small complaint.
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Submitted by flaggdrama on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 09:23

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My set just arrived (11267/15000) and I am loading it into iTunes. The sound is impeccable! My question.......are the box numbers determined randomly or is there some rhyme or reason as to how the numbers are determined. The reason I ask is b/c I ordered on May 14th and there were well over 5000 left. Just curious why my box number doesn't reflect it. It's no big deal at all but I was just curious how the numbers are determined........thank you Dead.net and Rhino for an amazing release!
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Submitted by marye on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 09:30

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I inquired about this, and to make a long story short, by the time the box sets have made their way through the various points on the distribution chain, the numbers are well and truly shuffled, multiple times.
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Submitted by simonrob on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 09:41

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As the sets roll off the line, someone stacks them on a pallet. He begins with #1 which he places in the first layer (naturally), at the back left-hand side. Eventually #15000 arrives and he stacks that on the top layer, front, right-hand side. The pallet is then sent to the Dead's corporate world headquarters where someone unloads them and packs them up ready for despatch. He starts with the top layer at the front (high numbers) and works his way down. According to this theory, the last person to successfully order a set will be the lucky recipient of set #1 - or more likely set #2 as someone pinched set #1 to use in the picture at the top of this very page. So now you know!
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Submitted by deadegad on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 10:12

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When reading the theories regarding Box Set Numbers #1 -#15,000 I am reminded of the last scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark when a lone man pushes a crate through an incomprehensibly large warehouse filled with look alike crates. Is that what the Good Ole' GD Vault looks like? Can anyone find the Radio City Hall and Warfield Anniversary shows in there and make box sets for us? Did evil Nazi Bastards steal the Barton Hall 77 Show?
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Submitted by gratefaldean on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 13:05

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The box showed up at my door a couple of days later, and on my birthday to boot. The delivery guy managed to get through a very scary storm to drop this on my front porch. Thank you delivery guy! Thank you Grateful Dead!
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Submitted by WarEagleRK on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 14:07

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I had this same issue that someone else posted with a case not being glued properly and a disc not being secure with the 5/13 Chicago show case. I sent an email to see if a replacement case was an option, but I haven't received a response back.
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Submitted by Strider 808808 on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 14:17

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Many Thanks, I love it.
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Submitted by captnbadass on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 15:39

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Can't wait to listen. The packaging is stunning! Just got it today.
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Submitted by Strider 808808 on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 17:36

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Wow, I love the art work and slip case. Already lost track of which way is up. What's up is down, what's down is up. "Upside out, inside down". Boyee don't stop now.
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Submitted by Strider 808808 on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 18:13

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Wow I love the art work and packaging. Already lost track of what end is up on slip case. Are you sure M.C.Escher did not have anything to do with it. Kudos, most beautiful boxset yet. What's up is down, what's down is up. "Upside out, Inside down..."
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Submitted by Vguy72 on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 21:49

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and this home will be filled with the stunning evocations from this wonderful release for the next couple of weeks, easy. The packaging is beautiful. No scratches, no un-glued corners. Pretty much perfect. Discs slide in and out flawlessly (are you hearing me Road Trips!). Only heard St. Paul so far, but that show alone is going to be repeated in my player before Chicago. I'm gonna savor these discs. Now, how about a vote for best disc sleeve cover? My vote is the second Chicago gig...anyone else?
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Submitted by Vguy72 on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 22:16

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following up on my last post, this packaging gets better and better. You can rotate several different displays through the die cut so it never gets old. Brilliant!!!
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Submitted by flaggdrama on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 22:43

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Hi all----did anyone notice a few dropouts on 5/11/77 disc 1's Ramble On Rose? It lasted for approx 10 seconds. I am assuming it is anomaly on the master tape but was wondering if anyone else picked up on it...... Thanks! Best, Rob
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Submitted by drshakedown on Tue, 06/18/2013 - 10:09

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I believe Simonrob might be right. I bought this the minute it went on sale and received a number in the 13 thousands. Although it only really matters in my ego, I would love it if I new where I was in line more or less. Either way, I am 3 shows into the listening process, and my mind is blown. The boys are smokin......and Norman was perfect.
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Submitted by drshakedown on Tue, 06/18/2013 - 10:09

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I believe Simonrob might be right. I bought this the minute it went on sale and received a number in the 13 thousands. Although it only really matters in my ego, I would love it if I knew where I was in line more or less. Either way, I am 3 shows into the listening process, and my mind is blown. The boys are smokin......and Norman was perfect.
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17 years 2 months

Submitted by deadmike on Tue, 06/18/2013 - 15:09

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Anyone in Europe got their set yet? I always get a bit anxious when ordering more expensive sets. Luckily the 77 set isn't the one box set I'm most worried about now. I have purchased a box set of Fillmore West the complete recordings through eBay and paid 500 dollars for it. A lot of money even in Sweden ... ;-) Well, so far nothing have ever been actually been lost along the way, not for good anyway. Hope it will be the same way with my '77 box set as well as the other more expensive one. And no, I'm one of the unlucky "few" who never ordered the Fillmore West set in 2005. I had other bills to care about back then. This has haunted me since then. Hopefullythis or next week I will feel kind of more whole again. ;-) /Micke Östlund, Växjö, Sweden
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17 years 2 months

Submitted by steveaes on Tue, 06/18/2013 - 15:18

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Wow! The set arrived yesterday (finally! :) )--what a beautiful work of art--the box, the photos, the graphics, the liner articles, oh--and the music! Really a great treat. Thank you for a real good time!
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17 years 2 months

Submitted by tree1270 on Tue, 06/18/2013 - 15:42

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Vguy72 I would say the best sleeve cover is St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO (5/15/77). Awesome visuals in that cover and a nice band shot inside (Missing Keith unfortunately). A Phishhead might mistake Bobby as Trey on this cover. Wild. :) :) :)
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14 years 11 months

Submitted by scottruplin on Tue, 06/18/2013 - 17:11

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and waiting...and waiting. Sorry GD, but sending these via UPS, and requiring a signature, essentially rules out those of us who have jobs and don't have a spouse at home. It''s too bad but unless a USPS option becomes available I cannot get these. I am not a trust funder sitting at home all day.
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13 years 3 months

Submitted by One Man on Tue, 06/18/2013 - 19:25

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I finally got to plug in 5/11/77 (St. Paul) tonight, and oh, my. It is wet and luscious. After only 2 songs, I declare it blows Dave's Vol. 1 out of the water. Why is that? Does Betty's reverb make that much of a difference? Maybe. She certainly dialed in the excitement knob in any case. Or maybe the performance is that much better. Discussion?
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13 years 1 month

Submitted by Dafydd on Tue, 06/18/2013 - 20:45

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Deadmike,Has not made its way to Wales as yet but I note that Spin CDs already have their copies.
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12 years 9 months

Submitted by rattydog_uk on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 01:21

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Hey deadmike, Tracking shows my package arrived at the DHL facility in the US on the 8th and that processing was complete on the 10th. There has been no update since then. Hoping it updates in the next couple of days to be through customs or out for delivery because my anticipation levels are going through the roof reading some of these reviews!!
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13 years 9 months

Submitted by chilly1214 on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 03:10

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deadmike Still being patient hoping my arrival will be soon. It'll be here soon...
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16 years 6 months

Submitted by Underthevolcano on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 04:25

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I agree that these are the best sounding of the May 1977 releases other than "To Terrapin" the Hartford show. Better sound than the DaP #1 and the DiP #29 in my opinion. Why? I don't know unless the Plangent process has something to do with it. Any one know why the big difference?
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17 years 1 month

Submitted by claney on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 05:09

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Well, I knew the double post daemon would get me one of these days...
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17 years 1 month

Submitted by claney on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 05:10

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I was only able to get through 5/11 set 1 last night (family etc), and I do agree on the sound being out of this world good. I'm sure the Plangentification and Normanization help - they did a fantastic job. But there is also just something about these early to mid-May tapes - they sound like nothing else - not even tapes from late May. I have the 5/12 bonus disc, which I assume did not get Plangentified, and it too has that same lovely sound... Anyway, only one set down and I can tell these releases truly are going to cause me to reevaluate this run of shows. I was on the fence about this release for a few days, even had some premature "buyer's remorse" over the last few weeks as I contemplated the possibly redundancy of this in my collection. Well, it EXCEEDS my expectations. If you are reading this and still trying to decide, oh God DO IT. Just eat beans and rice for a few weeks or whatever...
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17 years 2 months

Submitted by cosmicbadger on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 05:12

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Stand by in Europe, they are here. No charges or taxes for me. Sent by post from Germany to where I imagine it was shipped in bulk from the States. It is a beautiful thing...now let's find out what it sounds like.
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14 years 1 month

Submitted by Syracuse78 on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 06:08

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If people are really so concerned about getting a low number and a good number, do what I do: For the Europe Box, wait until dead.net posts, "Under 2,000 sets left!" Then wait until you think about 28 have been sold, and order. You will get set # 1972 if you do it right! Similar strategy for this box. Wait, wait, wait, wait.....NOW! I don't see how this could fail. You will not only get a lowish number, but more than likely you will end up with lucky "1977." ;-)
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16 years 11 months

Submitted by jvanderveen on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 07:38

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Opened mine on Father's Day and have been listening to about a show a day. Just now popped in Tuscaloosa to find that even "New Minglewood" can sound fresh and energized sometimes! I've been thrilled with this release, from the box and other art to the liner notes and the music itself. I have all of the May '77 releases and, while I've always found the tour consistently good,it has never grabbed me like late '69, fall '73, or even Spring '90. This box might just be changing that. For those wishing for better archival Allman Bros, the 40th anniversary reissue of Brothers and Sisters releases next week with 2 and 4-CD deluxe versions. The 4-CD set includes the album, a disc of outtakes, and 2 discs worth of live material. Worth picking up, methinks.
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17 years 2 months

Submitted by JeremyP on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 08:26

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Lucky you. UK customs are now charging me even for single Dave's Picks, and UPS are then charging me for delivering them. Over £40 ($60) for a Dave's Picks, so I can't afford to buy these releases any more. Why the **** dead.net have to use UPS in the UK, they are renowned for ramping up charges whenever possible.
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17 years 3 months

Submitted by JeremyP on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 08:27

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Lucky you. UK customs are now charging me even for single Dave's Picks, and UPS are then charging me for delivering them. Over £40 ($60) for a Dave's Picks, so I can't afford to buy these releases any more. Why the **** dead.net have to use UPS in the UK, they are renowned for ramping up charges whenever possible.
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12 years 10 months

Submitted by PatagonianFox on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 12:25

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3 shows in, and this is how i rank them: best - chicago 5/13 2nd best - st. paul 5/11 3rd best - chicago 5/12 ---
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17 years 2 months

Submitted by outpost on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 13:14

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Hi Rattydog .... how are you tracking your package ?I've been unable to get info, and when I emailed Dead.net they said I was unable to track, so I'm jus t waiting until something turns up. It seems a shame they haven;t sussed out a way to send a package from the USA to the UK, without all the hassle we get.
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12 years 9 months

Submitted by rattydog_uk on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 14:22

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Outpost - you can track the package here (http://webtrack.dhlglobalmail.com) using the shipping reference in your email. The first result will likely be another package that was delivered a few months back, but there will be a list on the page and your box set will be in that list. I am not sure if it ever updates after it is set to leave the States though. I think it will depend on whether or not the packages are passed on the Royal Mail or delivered by DHL. I have been able to track items straight through to delivery in the past though. Maybe someone else in Europe that had their package delivered might give it a shot and let us all know if the tracking says their box set was delivered.
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13 years 7 months

Submitted by davidg22 on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 15:05

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The packaging of the box is fantastic. It's beautiful and functional. Definitely your best, and it should be a model for subsequent issues. I may be in the minority here, but the large boxes (Spring 1990 and Europe 1972) while attractive, are not nearly as functional. And oh yeah -- the music is great too!!!!
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13 years 3 months

Submitted by DeadWestern on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 16:29

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Listened to the Alabama show today. Very impressed by the quality of the recording. I'm amazed how the material from 77 still sounds so fresh after playing that year to high heaven. I can't wait to get into the rest of the set. Please keep these box sets coming.
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14 years 6 months

Submitted by The Weve on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 18:10

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Yes how I do enjoy this '77 Box. I've listened to all the 5 show 2X each except 05-15, this one's got me. It hasn't left my CD player. Oh yeah ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Anyone that doesn't own, Road Trips Vol. 1 No. 2 should head over to http://www.dead.net/store/1970s/road-trips-vol-1-no-2-october-1977-cd And grab-it while there's stock in the store, this too is top notch 77 Dead ! - Two full CD's, lovingly compiled and painstakingly mastered (in HDCD) by Jeffrey Norman - A 16-page booklet boasting scads of great photos and a very cool historical essay by erudite scribe Steve Silberman TRACKLIST: DISC 1: 1. Let It Grow (10:17) 2. Sugaree (17:41) 3. The Music Never Stopped (8:59) 4. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleoo (11:53) 5. El Paso (4:52) 6. Help On the Way (5:48) 7. Slipknot! (4:02) 8. Franklin's Tower (14:59) DISC 2: 1. Playing In the Band (17:12) 2. Drums (3:09) 3. The Other One (8:24) 4. Good Lovin' (5:53) 5. Terrapin Station (11;29) 6. Black Peter (13:17) 7. Around and Around (9:08) 8. Brokedown Palace (5:51) 9. Playing In the Band reprise (5:23)
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