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    "When we began discussing audio projects to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead back in 2012, we knew we wanted to do something completely unprecedented. We could think of nothing more exciting or ambitious than a career-spanning overview of the band's live legacy focused on what best tells the story: complete concerts. Our first criterion was the very best live music to represent any given year in the band’s history. We wanted to make sure that there were not only the tent-pole shows that fans have been demanding for decades but also ones that are slightly more under the radar, but equally excellent. For those who listen to the entire box straight through, chronologically, the narrative of the Grateful Dead's live legacy will be seen as second to none in the pantheon of music history." - David Lemieux

    We are more than pleased to announce the Grateful Dead's most ambitious release ever: 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN. Available as both an 80-disc boxed set and a custom lightning-bolt USB drive, the collection includes 30 unreleased live shows, one for each year the band was together from 1966 to 1995, along with one track from their earliest recording sessions in 1965. Packed with over 73 hours of music, both the boxed set and the USB drive will be individually numbered limited editions.

    The 80-disc boxed set is individually numbered and limited to 6,500 copies, a nod to the band’s formation in 1965. Along with the CDs, it also includes a gold-colored 7-inch vinyl single which bookends the band’s career. The A-side is “Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)” from the band’s earliest recording session in 1965 with the B-side of the last song the band ever performed together live, “Box Of Rain” recorded during their final encore at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 9, 1995.

    The box also comes with a 288-page book that features an extensive, career-spanning essay written by Nick Meriwether, who oversees the Dead archives at the University of California, Santa Cruz, along with special remembrances of the band submitted by fans. Also included is a scroll that offers a visual representation of how the band’s live repertoire has evolved through the years.

    The USB drive version* will be shaped like a gold lightning bolt with the Grateful Dead 50th anniversary logo engraved on the side. The drive includes all of the music from the collection in both FLAC (96/24) and MP3 formats and is an individually numbered limited edition of 1,000 copies. Digital version of the book also included on USB.

    Shows will NOT be sold individually on CD. This release is sure to sell out quickly so pre-order your copy today and stick around as we will be revealing a mighty fine selection of music, art, and much, much more right here.

    (Looking for a smaller 50th Anniversary commemorative keepsake? September 18th will see the release of a four-CD version of the collection titled 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN: THE DEFINITIVE LIVE STORY 1965-1995. More on that here.)

    ROLLINGSTONE.COM SONG PREMIERE AND EXCLUSIVE DAVID LEMIEUX INTERVIEW
    Head on over to Rollingstone.com for the very first listen of "Morning Dew" 9/18/87 Madison Square Garden, David Fricke's exclusive interview with archivist David Lemieux, and the reveal of 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN's '69 and '84 shows.

    *Helpful hints for using your USB:

    Running the 30 Trips Player / Reader program:
    On Windows – Navigate to the USB drive and double click the PCStart.exe file to run.
    On MacOS – Open the GD 30 Trips drive, and double click the MacStart to run.

    Viewing the digital book:
    You can either view it within the program that comes on the drive, or by opening the PDF directly.

    To view the PDF, open the PDF folder on the drive and the USB_bk_spreads_08-31 file within. Selecting the option within your PDF reading application to view as a “single page” might be preferable to viewing as a continuous document.

    Importing music into iTunes and other library programs:
    When you import the songs from the USB into your library, the information used to identify the track will likely leave them sorted incorrectly. Please use the song list found here to re-number the songs for each show so that they playback in the correct order.
    PDF
    Text

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  • KeithFan2112
    Joined:
    Speaking of Decline
    Yeah Palmer, you bring up a good point. What happened to Bob Weir's guitar sound in the late 70s? I want to call it choppy flamenco, but I don't know why I want to call it that. It's something in the tone of his guitar that changed a whole bunch. I may be morphing into pre-hiatus guy....I've always maintained that they were better with just Billy on drums, and that almost anything they played on the Europe '72 tour sounded better in '72 than it did after the hiatus (Bertha, Cold Rain, New Minglewood ((Ladies & Gentlemen - wow)), Ramble On, Sugar Magnolia, Promised Land, Deal, the list goes on. But there was so much good stuff I like in 77/78 - Scarlet Fire, Music Never Stopped, Estimated Eyes, Help-Slipknot-Franklin, The Wheel, Samson, the list goes on.
  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    DearJerry
    For the Shakedown Sessions, I don't think it was that he wasn't welcome to the studio, its that there were days that he didn't even show up, especially towards the end. Jerry, in particular, was pissed and asked John Kahn to finish. He even has keyboard credits on the album. Wouldn't that qualify to some of the comments at least? I also think Keith's playing is brilliant for most of his career with the Dead, and I often spend large amounts of time listening to the Keith Years. I also think band members opinions count. So there's a lot to this, but most importantly I don't recall any significant volume of people bashing Keith's playing on this thread. ..and if there are some comments you might not like, they are almost always in response to someone stirring the pot with Brent bashing, which certainly offends people. I was just highlighting that for a host of reasons Feb '17th was their last show, so lets be thankful for what we have instead of dwelling on what we cannot impact. It is what it is. That's all, nothing personal.
  • Cousins Of The…
    Joined:
    Mo' Keith
    Just finished listening Row Jimmy from 3/20/77. Keith sounds great backing up Jerry's fine, lyrical solo, but is clobbered by every hit of Mickey's bass drum. I think this was mentioned a few weeks ago; very apparent to me on this track. To my ears, it sounds like there was a change in the mix from 76 to 77; more emphasis on the drums(esp. bass drum), and a less "crispy" bass, making the overall sound a little muddier than it was.
  • PalmerEldritch
    Joined:
    I love the keyboard/era debates!
    I don't agree that "old" topics, such as era- and keyboard debates should be retired. This day's posts has been the most interesting here to me in weeks: from floridabobs culture reflections all through the Keith decline discussion. Almost anything that generates a flurry of thoughtful posts seems cool to me as long as it's civil. As a lifelong Deadhead, I think the era/keyboard debate is perfectly relevant and (for me) endlessly fascinating (well, nearly endlessly). I'm extemely conflicted and ambivalent about most of the Dead's post-hiatus music and have been that way for >35 years. Where else can we talk about these things? If we only stuck to the forum topic, we all know these threads dry up quickly and become boring as all hell. My guess is that,era/keyboard discussions generate the most interest here, despite complaints about "old, well worn" topics. Anyone really bored can just scroll though topics that don't interest them. I did draft a long post to contribute to the Keith decline discussion but lost the draft. Basically, I agree with LoveJerry. Keith sounds fine to me in the late 70's but as someone pointed out, he seems very low in the mix. Yes, there is a huge difference in Keith's playing E72 and May 77; but the same could be said for Phil and Bobby's playing. How could anyone not notice a similar decline in their playing? Listen to any of Bob and Phil's playing from the late 70's compared to, say Fillmore 2/69, E72, or WInterland 73. Night and day.
  • KeithFan2112
    Joined:
    hahahaha What?? He stole Jerry's stash??
    No wonder he wasn't welcome (and no wonder he couldn't finish the Shakedown Street session). Hey hey, Jerrylover, don't drag my name in the mud lol. I only said he was a fair pilot. No but really Keith Moon was like the tazmanian devil with drumsticks. If anyone has heard his live stuff from Tommy and Live at leads, in that '69 - '70 zone, you know what I'm talking about. I can understand why Clapton or Baker (I forget which one) would have given that snide expression when asked about Moon's talent compared to Baker, because Ginger was great, a time keeper, an arranger, and so much more than a drummer when it came to making music, but Moon was off the rails excellent, and completely untouchable from '68 - '73. But if you compiled the best live 2 hours of Moon with the best live 2 hours of Baker, Moon is a step or two ahead. What Baker brought to music composition, Moon brought to live performance.
  • LoveJerry
    Joined:
    Jim In MD
    I am asking "us" because "us" are the folks who frequently say Keith's playing declined without a lick of evidence to substantiate that assertion. Forget what you've read on Wikipedia or wherever, since it's not exactly a well documented topic, and listen to the music - where is it? Did Phil really say that? If he said it, is it true? In a court of law it's nothing more than hearsay. Give me a song or just recognize that every time someone comments that his playing declined is probably going off the Wiki quote or the comment from Blair Jackson's book (thanks for sharing, never saw it before), but a couple of off-handed subjective remarks do not make it true, and they don't hold up to scrutiny, which is my main point. People are regurgitating hearsay that does not hold up to scrutiny - no wonder politicians lie so much - it's so easy to pass lies off as truth to the masses. It's actually kind of scary. It would be interesting to scan this site for the past several months to see how often this unsubstantiated rubbish was repeated. I kind of feel bad for Donna. And the reason I didn't bring up anything like drug use or marital problems is because it has nothing to do with my argument, which is simply that his playing did not suffer on the stage, and I have the tapes to prove it :-) Or maybe I don't - I am willing to admit I was wrong or uninformed, which is why I posted in the first place - to find out if anyone can point to a performance where his playing was off. Keithfan mentioned Keith Moon - at least when his playing was said to have declined before his death, you can hear it in recordings (Kilburn 1977, Who Are You). That I believe, because it's well documented and easy to hear.
  • KeithFan2112
    Joined:
    You Know a Rumble Ain't a Rumble Without Me
    Of course I agree with LoveJerry - not because I'm a Keith fan, but because it's true - there is really very little primary source evidence that Keith's playing deteriorated. Wikipedia? Even if Phil said it, ex-bandmates deride each other all of the time, it's the single most predictable type of slander they throw at one another. I'm sure he nodded off at the wheel a few times, but that's hardly a deterioration in skills. Not that it's a good thing. But I get LoveJerry's sentiment, which I might also add was not an argument about the reasons he left the band so much as a defense of his playing. So while yeah, some folks have pointed out that there was drug use and whatever, the main point is that folks comment about Keith's deterioration of skill on here all the time, presumably because they read a Wiki quote or Blair Jackson comment - yet the evidence, the music betrays the notion that there was anything substandard in his playing. If I'm reading her post accurately she's just asking someone to point out which songs/shows/period demonstrates this decreased ability to play, and indignant (correct me if I'm wrong JerryLover) that when the topic of his departure comes up, everyone always says he couldn't play, he couldn't play, he couldn't play. I have, myself tried to substantiate that claim that he could no longer play, but just can't find it. The proof should be in the pudding, but it's not. Long live Keith. Both of them - Keith Moon drummed circles around Ginger - he just colored out of the lines a lot.
  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    Re: DearJerry/Keith
    Why ask us? We didn't kick him out of the band. There's a few factors you are not bringing up besides his playing. I don't think any of us question he was a brilliant piano player loaded with talent. But.. First there was his escalating drug use. By late '78 Keith had a heroin addiction (and for that matter so did Jerry). Towards the end of Shakedown Street, Keith couldn't even be found to finish the keyboard tracks on some of the unfinished songs, so John Kahn of all people filled in and did them. In Rock Skully's book, Rock states Keith was rumored to have stolen Jerry's stash once, which really pissed off Jerry. Shortly after that, Keith wasn't part of the JGB. Can't ask any of them if its true because they've all passed by now.. but I don't think there's much doubt about their drug use and drug of choice in these years. There was also the relationship trauma. There were regular fireworks between Keith and Donna on a regular basis. Violent fights, trashed hotels, smash up derby's in the parking lots, ...drama.. tension.. yuk. And then there was his playing. I think his playing had diminished or at the very least was not consistent by late '78, early '79 and, well, the sad truth is.. you can't get rid of Jerry and I'm not sure if having two junkies in the band was something they wanted or could continue with. Keith and Donna wanted to leave too. I think she left a few shows early in one of the last tours because she couldn't take it either. Remember, they were trying to raise small kids at the time. So its well documented that the parting was mutual. I'm not sure what is to be accomplished by going down that rabbit hole. They left and they got a new piano player. We weren't there, but I imagine if we were and if we were privy to all the facts and details.. well, my guess is one way or another, that darkness had to give. One Edit: I read cousins reply (which was classic). Yes, amateur slide guitar hour. aaaack! Love ya Bobby... but on this one, I agree with my cousin. He supposedly started playing more slide to get the sounds he (they) wanted they keys. ..and yes, Donna in particular was drinking a lot, but Keith was chasing the dragon.
  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    Re: Brokedown
    I agree with your post. I think most people's minds on this are 'set like concrete'. The back and forth is usually non-productive, and I can't say I learn a ton from it.. especially when the posts come with barbs or put down another's tastes or preferences. I actually don't see the debate, I like the Keith years.. but spring '79 was their last hurrah, and enter the '80's and they got a new keyboard player. It is what it is. I am thankful someone pressed "record" on the tape deck, sit back and enjoy (or press skip if there's out there that doesn't tickle your pleasure bone).
  • mbarilla
    Joined:
    Check out JGB live shows from 1978
    Some great stops along the way from Keith in 1978. And another vote for Red Rocks July 7-8, 1978. Tennesse Jed ; Passenger ; Peggy-O ; The Music Never Stopped Killer four piece combo to end first night 1st set
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"When we began discussing audio projects to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead back in 2012, we knew we wanted to do something completely unprecedented. We could think of nothing more exciting or ambitious than a career-spanning overview of the band's live legacy focused on what best tells the story: complete concerts. Our first criterion was the very best live music to represent any given year in the band’s history. We wanted to make sure that there were not only the tent-pole shows that fans have been demanding for decades but also ones that are slightly more under the radar, but equally excellent. For those who listen to the entire box straight through, chronologically, the narrative of the Grateful Dead's live legacy will be seen as second to none in the pantheon of music history." - David Lemieux

We are more than pleased to announce the Grateful Dead's most ambitious release ever: 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN. Available as both an 80-disc boxed set and a custom lightning-bolt USB drive, the collection includes 30 unreleased live shows, one for each year the band was together from 1966 to 1995, along with one track from their earliest recording sessions in 1965. Packed with over 73 hours of music, both the boxed set and the USB drive will be individually numbered limited editions.

The 80-disc boxed set is individually numbered and limited to 6,500 copies, a nod to the band’s formation in 1965. Along with the CDs, it also includes a gold-colored 7-inch vinyl single which bookends the band’s career. The A-side is “Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)” from the band’s earliest recording session in 1965 with the B-side of the last song the band ever performed together live, “Box Of Rain” recorded during their final encore at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 9, 1995.

The box also comes with a 288-page book that features an extensive, career-spanning essay written by Nick Meriwether, who oversees the Dead archives at the University of California, Santa Cruz, along with special remembrances of the band submitted by fans. Also included is a scroll that offers a visual representation of how the band’s live repertoire has evolved through the years.

The USB drive version* will be shaped like a gold lightning bolt with the Grateful Dead 50th anniversary logo engraved on the side. The drive includes all of the music from the collection in both FLAC (96/24) and MP3 formats and is an individually numbered limited edition of 1,000 copies. Digital version of the book also included on USB.

Shows will NOT be sold individually on CD. This release is sure to sell out quickly so pre-order your copy today and stick around as we will be revealing a mighty fine selection of music, art, and much, much more right here.

(Looking for a smaller 50th Anniversary commemorative keepsake? September 18th will see the release of a four-CD version of the collection titled 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN: THE DEFINITIVE LIVE STORY 1965-1995. More on that here.)

ROLLINGSTONE.COM SONG PREMIERE AND EXCLUSIVE DAVID LEMIEUX INTERVIEW
Head on over to Rollingstone.com for the very first listen of "Morning Dew" 9/18/87 Madison Square Garden, David Fricke's exclusive interview with archivist David Lemieux, and the reveal of 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN's '69 and '84 shows.

*Helpful hints for using your USB:

Running the 30 Trips Player / Reader program:
On Windows – Navigate to the USB drive and double click the PCStart.exe file to run.
On MacOS – Open the GD 30 Trips drive, and double click the MacStart to run.

Viewing the digital book:
You can either view it within the program that comes on the drive, or by opening the PDF directly.

To view the PDF, open the PDF folder on the drive and the USB_bk_spreads_08-31 file within. Selecting the option within your PDF reading application to view as a “single page” might be preferable to viewing as a continuous document.

Importing music into iTunes and other library programs:
When you import the songs from the USB into your library, the information used to identify the track will likely leave them sorted incorrectly. Please use the song list found here to re-number the songs for each show so that they playback in the correct order.
PDF
Text

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June 1973 6/10/73 RFK 6/22/73 PNE 6/30/73 Universal $100 It kind of fits nicely with the other mini-boxes...Winterland 1973, Winterland June 1977....and June 1973. I can dream, can't I... Edit: really digging 6/30/73 lately, in case you haven't noticed. The more I listen, the more I'm impressed. It's got that 1977 polish, but with that 1973 sound and vibe; most every tune is executed perfectly, yet still retains that edge that was sometimes lost or at least lessened in later years. Stand out versions of Cumberland Blues, Row Jimmy, and Black Peter especially. Damn, I should have paid more attention to this show before now. But better late than never ;)
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14 years 5 months
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You dropped the blotter box? Far out.
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12 years 10 months
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To be a dad, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DEADLAND!!!!!!!!!!
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11 years
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As for the Wall of Sound Boxset idea, no matter if it is a big Boxset like all the shows not released or smaller blocks of a couple shows, I think it's a great idea and I'd be all over it. Also, Happy Fathers Day to all yinz dads out there. My daughter bought me the Purple Grateful Dad polo from this very Dead site. With my family and my lovely daughter and life, and all of this great music, I am indeed a very Grateful Dad!
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ALL IN for smallish box sets (2-3 shows), a la RFK, Watkins, WOS, etc.And a Happy Father's Day and a Happy Solstice to everyone. It's a beautiful day in Lawrence, Kansas. Peace!
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1st Fathers Day for me today.Just started the first night of 1980 Anchorage AK (After listening to The Professor playing the the second set of 6/20/80 this morning) Looking to be a wonderful day!

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10 years 6 months
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How many folks plan on watching the pay per view of the concerts?

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10 years 6 months
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Love the June 73 box idea. 73 is such a great year to my ears.
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12 years
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Floridabobaloo - I'm currently planning on going to the IMAX theater and see on the big screen. A buddy came up with tixs for Santa Clara, will be heading there on Thursday. Update - Just checked with the IMAX theater,,, not showing in IMAX. They have it in a little theater (200 seats) about 50 sold. So I just may watch the streaming version since I've paid for it. Might spring for PPV, then I can record on DVR. My buddy talks like he has the capability to record to dvd from his dvr. I figured all shows will be available on dvd or blu ray for Christmas. Thoughts?
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so i hear lots of folks who want more 80's shows to be released, and other's who aren't as enthused. we're talking boxed sets as well so.......we need to get the MPP shows of the 80's out there. 6 shows, likely 3 discs a show.....a nice little 18 pack. In any case, 6/30/85 must see the light of day. there are few (if any) versions of shakedown that compare...perhaps the 9/10/91 version that is about to be released. it's the show i always toss on when i hear folks pan the 80's. on another note, isn't the reason why 5/8/77 hasn't been officially released is because they don't have and\or lost the master? vicious rumor i know, that's just what i was told years back.....but that could have spawned from heads shaking their heads over why that show has never been released - i can see why one would need some sort of explanation for that :) perhaps it's because there are so many high quality recordings of it already available?
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....good call on that one dantian. Haven't listened to it in quite a while. I remember that show catching my attention years ago. There is a sweet matrix on the archive transferred by Chris Chappel. Grate show. Takes off during the first set Row Jimmy and never looks back. Plus, any show where the second set opener is Greatest Story, is O.K. in my book. ....to all the dad's out there, Happy Father's Day....getting ready to head to the water park. 113 degrees here in Sin City yesterday. Whew!!! The Electric Daisy Carnival is this weekend at the Vegas Speedway. Pray for those poor souls....
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10 years 7 months
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Not sure who posted about Walmart in Boston having Newsweek 50th but thanks! I checked and Walmart in Walpole and they had a few copies left too ... Saugus to far to ride
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Off topic and rambling, but -- I purchased one Download Series show several years ago (The Great Highway 2/4/70) and somehow the FLAC files would not behave with my file manager. So I forgot about it and bought no more downloads, thinking the problem was beyond my reach. Then today I randomly happened upon the FLAC files while looking for something else and brought them into my WAV editor (Peak LE for Mac). Each file (song) came in with 3 HOURS of incoherent digital noise at the end, which I easily edited out. Then I saved the files to WAV and knit them back together. And I gotta say, this download is extraordinary. The St. Stephen>NFA> St. Steve is unusual in arrangement (they skip the "lady finger" bridge altogether, maybe to just keep it rocking) and it segues into a slowly loping MIdnight Hour the likes of which I have never heard. The jamming in this is sublime. The filler songs from 10/5/70 and 12/31/70 are similarly odd. Where have I been all these years? It makes me want to spend the considerable dough to investigate the rest of the Download Series.
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Hi Impervious - Yes indeed, 5/8/77, and many other great shows, have long been missing from the Vault. They were in legendary recordist Betty Cantor-Jackson's storage locker, and when she fell behind on payments the storage contents were auctioned off. Several individuals thus ended up with these precious reels. So on the down side, all those awesome tapes are missing from the Vault; on the other hand, copies of them have been circulating for a couple of decades. The reason you are seeing so much speculation about an imminent release of Cornell is that these so-called "Betty Boards" may have finally found their way back to the Vault. For full details, and a fascinating article, check out "What's Become of the Betty's" from Relix Magazine: http://www.relix.com/articles/detail/whats_become_of_the_bettys EDIT - PS: I was vociferous on this board that the big 50th release would be some kind of Betty Board release including Cornell. I'm still eating my hat, one tiny bite each day.
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Hey One Man, That 2/4/70 show is a wild release. If you haven't heard it yet, DS 6 (3/17/68) is primo Dead, not just (arguably) the best of the DS, but one of their best releases, period. Also DS 4 (6/18/76) is lovely. There seems to be a consensus that the download series is hit or miss, so it's worth sampling first. You can find them all in Spotify, which is great for me because I despise paying money for intangible downloads; but I like the band getting royalties when I listen on Spotify. Even if you don't subscribe you can listen to those shows for free (plus all the Road Trips, Dicks Picks, etc).
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15 years 10 months
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Hi all, Just throwing it out there, I have a new in box E72, complete series, in the suitcase with everything. Still in the original shipping box. $600 includes shipping. Email directly to dmi953@aol.com if interested. Thanks
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15 years 10 months
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Gone in a flash! Thanks Eugene, enjoy!!
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15 years 10 months
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Gone in a flash! Thanks Eugene, enjoy!!
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17 years 4 months
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....at it's best. The wife and I like to watch food oriented tv. Just now, on a show called fast food flip, one of the contestants presented a sandwich called smoked stacked lightnin'. That was cool....looked tasty too....
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17 years
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Just wondering, has anyone else felt a little embarrassed to tell friends that they're spending $700+ on CDs? I got together with my cousin this weekend, he's who first turned me on the Dead but he's not into it to the point of collecting shows or even listening to complete shows. The new box came up in conversation but it was strange explaining the cost to him and his girlfriend. After all, this truly is a luxury purchase, at least for someone in my financial situation (teenagers and mortgage). But it's a purchase I ultimately felt I couldn't live without so I'll be working my ass off this summer to pay for it.
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13 years 11 months
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I was speaking with a mate at the Pub the other week and was telling him about the box. His first question was how much and when I told him he just said that's really not to bad. He was a bit surprised it's only 700. But I look at it like any hobby or love one might have. Some people have classic cars, mortorcyles, some like to buy property and renovate to flip and make a buck. Home brewing. I personally have a 60 litre and a 50 litre Port keg. You want to know what a cooper charges to hand make a keg? Plus paying $7 to $10 a litre for bulk port. Since living down under my attitude to money has changed, partly due to my wife being really good at spending and budgeting. Now If I was still living in the States it would be harder for me to make the purchase, but I'd be working my ass off to make sure I'd get it. But I do feel a bit embarressed telling people the price I'm spending a this box. I know exactly where you are coming from.
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11 years 3 months
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After the customer service failure when this was announced, did anybody with issues ever get any type of compensation from CS or just an email saying they were sorry and thanks for your order ? When I spoke to the CS reps during this debacle it was made clear Upper Management was going to toss out a bone for going through that fiasco. But apparently that slipped through the cracks. The box better arrive flawless and no more slip ups. And no promotion for Father's Day,,, damn Rhino is slipping fast,, Garcia site has really stepped up their game and I think they even use the same shotty CS musicdirect. Leads me to believe it's Rhino slipping fast.
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15 years 4 months
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Hi, Are you Australian or American?
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15 years 4 months
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Anyone I would care to tell that I bought this box set at this price already knows that $700 likely represents less than 1/200-300th of what I have spent on tickets, travel, tapes, cassettes, cassette and DAT decks, CDs, hard drives and official purchases and downloads feeding this jones over the past 30 years.
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15 years 2 months
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Volume 1, 4/30/77 is a must have! Classic 1977.
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11 years 3 months
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nearly flawless performance.. and agreed 4.30.77 Download plus filler is also essential. Dave's Picks is basically the Download series,, just cheaper without the packaging and physical product.
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15 years 2 months
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6/18/76 is also top notch. If you can't wait for the 30 Trips box to arrive, a few of these downloads will help. I'm not a huge fan of late 80's, but 3/27/88 download is really nice, with a killer Scarlet/Fire.
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9 years 5 months
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I love the Fathead idea for the Wall of Sound box set. As an avid Adult fan of Lego, my dream has always been to see the Wall of Sound done as a lego set with the band in minifigure form on stage in front of it! How cool would that be?! There isn't any amount of money I wouldn't pay for that! HA!
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10 years 3 months
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Yeah, it's a little embarrassing talking about spending 700 on CDs. I find I have to justify it with the "it's my hobby" defense. 1976 was the first download series I picked up. There is a really tight U.S. Blues on there (and how often does anyone say "check out THAT U.S. Blues...") You also get the rare Mission in the Rain, Mama Tried, High Time, and Crazy Fingers, as well as two Wheels (which is always welcome in my living room). But really, the U.S. Blues is the diamond in the rough, despite some low vocals. 1977 is indeed required listening. Also features the rare Mama Tried (lol - how rare can this song be?!?). But check out The St. Stephen => NFA => Stella Blue => St. Stephen - this is really an ass kicker, the way they slipped Stella in there, and just the performance of St Stephen and NFA - I usually don't like NFA in the middle, but it's sooo good here, it cannot be denied. BTW - Download Series 1972 has the only Stella Blue from '72 commercially available that I am aware of. The key to the Grateful Dead Download Series, is to burn them to CD. For some reason, I could not get into them when I was just listening off of the iPod. This sounds strange, but there is something to it psychologically...for me...what?
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10 years 2 months
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I got to do some hiking last weekend and for those of you that hike, you know it gives you plenty of time to let your mind wander. I thought about this box set and the business case behind it. A sentence stuck in my mind when I read the Rolling Stone article. It said something about having to obtain ‘rights’ or ‘licenses’ for each show. Did anyone else catch that? It got me thinking that the business case for a release might be pretty complex. To me, the tape is in the vault. Transfer it to digital do some mastering and produce some CDs. (Please excuse my brevity, I truly don’t mean to trivialize that part or the production process.) But what are the other costs? Is there some fee that needs to be paid to use the name of Madison Square Garden? Or Fillmore East? I forget that anything that is commercially released results in many hands stuck out looking for their share, even if it is the Grateful Dead. So balance all the costs (including the ones of which I’m unaware) against sales volume and price. There’s a minimum quantity that need to be sold to break even and then there’s the necessary quantity for the corporation to make a target profit. I’ll suggest, and now I become controversial, that some shows or years will sell more than others. The projected business case for some will be easily approved and others, well not so easily. I’m putting myself in Dave L’s position. How do we release shows that don’t support a business case? Here’s the genius. Pack shows whose business cases don’t work, with others that have an incredible business case. Personally, if these 30 shows were sold individually I’d only buy eight. But by me buying all 30, I’m supporting the release of great shows that may have never been because it wasn’t financially justifiable. Back to hiking….
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14 years 4 months
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That is such a hot show, good call. One of the best Dark Stars of the year.
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15 years 9 months
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Venues require clearances for shows, yes. Madison Square Garden and The Hollywood Bowl are known for being very pricey. There's also the large amount of cover songs in each show that have publishing rights issues that need to be sorted out. When people moan about the price of a box set like this, just think of how many cover songs there are and how much of the profit needs to go towards songwriting royalties. Then there's the book, surely it will contain newspaper clippings and reviews, etc. Old show posters, well, there's some more clearance work required to use those. If there are any special guests (apparently the 1970 has some?) there's something else as well...
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15 years 9 months
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I've said before and I'll say it again, I'd definitely be up for purchasing a box of the download series on proper CDs with proper covers, etc. I absolutely refuse to pay for downloads, it goes against everything I believe in!
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10 years 2 months
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11/10/6710/20/68 2/22/69 5/15/70 3/18/71 9/24/72 9/28/75 10/27/79
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12 years 10 months
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11/10/679/24/72 9/28/75 4/25/77 10/27/79 5/16/81 10/21/83 10/12/84
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13 years 11 months
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I was born and raised in the U.S. but have been in Australia for nearly 7 years now. Check you PM.
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11 years 2 months
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6.30.74 has a Killer US Blues,, been hiding out, in a Rock n Roll band And yes indeed the Dark Star from 4.5.69 is a treat,, And one more,, KeithFan2112, I was gonna post about that Stella Blue,, I think you are onto something with that one. That Stella Blue creeps right in. And good Eye on the 1972. Check out the Ramble on Rose from that one. I think you will enjoy
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13 years 4 months
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I want to see a pic when you are done. I have a 7 year old that loves Lego's, so I help him build them. The WOS Lego idea is worth doing and I can't wait to see a lego Jerry, Phil, Bobby, Keith, etc. Very cool. In fact, if Lego developed one, I would definitely buy it. I have a buddy that's a train fanatic. We have spent many a night drinking Bordeaux and Port till the wee hours re-building the Western Maryland train line in miniature circa 1950 or so, focusing on the Blackwater Canyon in WV. Its HO scale complete w/ waterfalls, a coal town in the mountains, beautiful cool scenery in miniature, etc. We even threw in some home made mini kayakers dropping off the waterfalls to make it seem real (even though people weren't kayaking waterfalls in the 50's). Anyway.. I digress, except that's where I am watching the PPV Fare The Well shows, and the GD always had great train theme if you think about it.
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13 years 4 months
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I had all the download series.. but had PC crash at about the same time both my music backups stopped working (the were the same model Western Digitals, and apparently that model had issues). Anyway.. I still had them on my IPod, so I got some software that pulled them down to my HD. ..but it only seemed to work alphabetically through the letter S. So I have all the Alligators through Smokestacks, but none of The Other Ones, Weather Report Suites, etc. This really only affected my download series shows. I'm with MLavallee, give me the physical product, it doesn't just puke and quit working, plus we get some usually decent artwork to look at just in case we are in the mood to zone out a bit..
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17 years 4 months
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I ordered the 30 trips set when the announcement came along. Then, my credit card number changed. I called support to let them know my number had changed and they informed me that I had to cancel my original order and create a new one. Apparently they had no way to modify the order. I'm assuming if the set had been sold out I would have been out of luck. So, if your CC is going to expire or your number changes for whatever reason then give their support line a call ASAP. Frankly, I think it's unfortunate that they can't handle this sort of situation when a pre-order takes months to fulfill. I'm issued a new CC every time some big store is hacked which seems to be more and more frequent. I'm just hoping I can hold onto this number until September.
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10 years 6 months
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The loser and minglewood are completely outrageous as well..... Listen to the jam coming back in from the solo in loser...... Drums are just blazing.... And in the minglewood jerry literally does a leg kick and is hunching like a rabid dog during the solo.... I have never seen anything like it..... And then the U.S. blues..... Channelling his inner Keith Townsend, jerry rocks out the windmills with reckless abandon.... Check it out on YouTube... Your eyes won't believe it.... I'm guessing some rich duke kid had some killer coke and got himself backstage with it.... I've never seen the band so blatantly high on cocaine.... And forgive me, but I kinda think some shows are awesome because of it......red rocks 78 anyone??? Univ of Minnesota 71 ..... You know what I'm talking about........
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13 years 9 months
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Great show despite early mike problems. The film footage does show a very animated Jerry just like you say.
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16 years 6 months
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I also had my credit card number changed. When I called customer service they told me not to worry and that any previous purchases from my old card should be applied to my new card. She also said they can't change card numbers in the system right now and to call back in two weeks if I was still concerned.
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