30 Trips Around The Sun Box & Digital USB

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September 4, 2015 - 10:38am

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Joined:
March 9, 2007

"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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August 20, 2016 - 11:39am

#71

supe80

Joined:
August 5, 2012

Box Art Work

I hope someone hasn't asked this already. Does anyone know who did the artwork for the outside of the box?
August 16, 2016 - 12:41pm

#72

johnny361

Joined:
November 1, 2012

hi gang

I spent the day with Cobo 1976. I really like these fall 76 shows with Dicks #20 being a personal favorite since it's release many years ago. This Cobo show is really growing on me with each listen. 30 Trips has been a monster to get through but I love the task! There are still shows I haven't spent time with.. but I will!
August 8, 2016 - 7:16am

#73

KYTrips

Joined:
August 25, 2012

1975

So... this is another show that's a bit tough to grade. It's relatively short for a Dead show (I think it was just one long set), and I'm guessing that they were part of a bill that included other bands at this free show in Golden Gate Park. Also, it's one of only 4 shows that they played in 1975, so I'm guess they were a bit rusty, though you wouldn't think so from the performance itself. It starts off with a really sold Help > Slipknot that sounds a bit strange without the third jewel of Franklin's Tower, but that comes later in the show. Then there's a long break as the band attempt to summons a doctor from the crowd because a woman is apparently having a baby somewhere near/behind the stage. This alone makes the show memorable. They then move into a really, really good Music Never Stopped, followed by They Love Each Other. Beat It On Down the Line is above-average, in my opinion and it's followed by a good Franklin's Tower. Big River is straightforward, and the first disc ends with a routine It Must Have Been the Roses. The second disc starts off with an above-average Truckin' followed by a good jam and Drums. That heads into an excellent Stronger Than Dirt/Milkin' the Turkey which eventually leads into 10+ minute Not Fade Away which is light on lyrics and strong on jamming. The show ends with Going Down the Road Feeling Bad and a very energetic One More Saturday Night. The highlight of this show for me is the Music Never Stopped, but there really are no off numbers in the entire show. It's a consistently good show from start to finish. Overall Grade: B
July 23, 2016 - 8:55am

#74

unkle sam

Joined:
October 3, 2008

1990 1994

Just returned from a long road trip and listened to these two shows in their entirety during this trip. 1994 was the first listen. Show starts off with a nice Help>Slip>Franklins that is nice, Jerry in good form and everyone contributing their parts, not the best, but not bad. Then Walkin blues, not my favorite and Bobby's slide work is ok at best, then Atlhea, a good tune done well by Jer. Me and My Uncle, Big River and Just like Tom Thumb's Blues, no real Jerry in MAMU, BR just ok and JLTTB's has Phil taking lead vocals, enough said. An ok So Many Roads and Jerry sounds tired, voice a bit shaky and "old Jerry" sounding. Promised Land is good, with Bobby in fine voice, which ends the first set. Second set starts off with Scarlet>Fire, scarlet is ok but the Fire is grate, with Jerry getting his voice to perform about as good as it can get for these days. Way to go Home is next and I always liked this song, Vince in fine form throughout with Jerry adding some fine lead lines. Then into Saint of Circumstances, no Lost Sailor which I miss and wish they would not have dropped from the list, it's the better of the two tunes. A nice Terrapin with Jerry hitting all the notes and lyrics into a short but very trippy drums into an excellent space with Jerry showing us all that he can still blow heads away. Everytime there is "The last time" after a drums>space you know it was a great drums>space, like you know this could be the last time you ever hear that wonderful sound again. A good but short Stella with Jerry sounding tired in both voice and playing into a good OMSN. The encore is Liberty, a great tune that Jerry flubs the lyric on, but comes back and repeats it right. Thought the sound was ok, but a little boomy All in all a good show but....C+. 1990, good first set with a great Jack-a roe black throated wind ramble on rose and bird song, Jerry in fine voice and playing with bruce on the piano making it all sound nice. The second set here is very good, Chinacat, rider and saint all done well, very deliberate and a bit on the slower side, which is nice. At Crazy fingers and this is where it starts to get real good, the ending jam in Crazy Fingers has a bit of the x factor and was very nice then into Playing>drums>space>playing reprise, just awesome all of it, I highly recommend it. The stella is very nice into throwing stones into a great NFA with crowd chant into a fine one more Saturday nite. All in all a good show from France. The sound was ok, but had a bit of an echo in spots, not sure if it was the audience singing along or an echo, but was a bit distracting in places, a bit boomy in parts also, but all in all, not bad....a solid B. I haven't had time to get to all of them, but these two I took along just to give them a good listen, was not disappointed. For the 90's, both shows were ok, but not the same band we all fell in love with in the 60's and 70's.
July 19, 2016 - 2:12pm

#75

KYTrips

Joined:
August 25, 2012

1974

I will go out on a limb here and officially declare the 1974 show as the first "miss" of this embarrassment of riches known as 30 Trips Around the Sun. First of all, there are a few sound-related issues that I had to overcome. The overall sound "quality" is very good, but I definitely thought that Jerry's guitar was too low in the mix (who does that... puts Jerry's guitar low in the mix?!!!?) and then there is the issue with the vocals for the first 2 songs of the second set ("Loose Lucy" and "Big River") which are missing. I mean... they're there, but they're apparently not being picked up by the mic intended to pick them up or they didn't make it to the recorder... Whatever's going on, they're not to be heard in these recordings, unless you lean into the speaker and hear them buried somewhere off in the distance. In any event, it annoys me, and I think it spoils what would have otherwise been a pretty decent "Loose Lucy" (one of my faves). In addition, this show contains a between sets "Seastones." Not my favorite in any case. So... this show was fighting an uphill battle for me. The show kinda begins with the boys being a bit sloppy. The "Uncle John's Band" opener is nice, but uneven. "Jack Straw", "Friend of the Devil" and "Black-Throated Wind" are all unremarkable. The standalone "Scarlet Begonias" is a notch up from the previous songs, but that tune was still really finding its legs in the Dead's repertoire in '74. The next 5 tunes are again, unremarkable. The first CD ends with a nice "To Lay Me Down." I have to admit, I'm partial to this song. I've always loved it and thought it was underrated as a Dead song. The first set ends with a 23+ minute Playing In the Band which is good, but again, nothing special for this era. Then we are faced with "Seastones" and the aural problems mentioned previously to start the second set. A good "Peggy O" and an unremarkable "Me and My Uncle" round out Disc 2. The meat of this show (and presumably, the reason it was included in 30 TATS) is in Disc 3. Things finally take off with a wonderful "Eyes of the World" and the rest of the show is pretty darn good. Highlights for me included the Truckin' > Drums > Caution Jam sequence, which is pretty hot. The "Drums" is particularly interesting in that in addition to Billy on drums, Phil is also participatory in the part of the show. "Ship of Fools" is really nice and smooth and the "Johnny B. Goode" to close the set is also pretty smokin'. "U.S. Blues" is a good encore and a nice way to round out the evening. I'll be brutally honest... I don't think this show would have ever merited release on it's own, so it was, in my opinion, thrown into this box set. I certainly hope it's not the best there is remaining in the vault from 1974. However, I'd be less than honest if I didn't acknowledge that the third disc of the show is pretty darn good. But it certainly was my least favorite show thus far in the box. Grade: C+
July 18, 2016 - 7:59am

#76

KYTrips

Joined:
August 25, 2012

1973

It took me a little while longer to get to this review than I would have liked... Life's been busy with vacation and then I was in trial for a week (I'm an attorney... don't throw rocks), so my listening has been sporadic for the past few weeks. At any rate, let me start off by saying that this show is a total GEM!! Although I don't think it's the best of the box, so far, I do think it might be my favorite so far. It starts off again with a "Big Railroad Blues" which to me is a sign of good things to come (see my review from 1972). The next few songs (Jack Straw, Sugaree, Mexicali Blues) are all good, but nothing special. After all, it's just the first set. But then, this show morphs into a classic. "Here Comes Sunshine" is one of those songs that I absolutely love, and that I feel the band didn't play often enough. Accordingly, it was, in my opinion, a treat when it did show up in a setlist. Well... this one may be the best HCS EVER! It's so melodic and the playing so smooth, with a killer jam in the middle of it. It ebbs and flows nicely and you know from this point going forward that "tonight" is going to be "one of those nights." The other part about this show that is a bit different is that the first set is EPIC in length. It's actually longer than the second set, and the goodies start showing up much earlier than in a typical Dead show. I'm not going to go song-by-song, but the remaining highlights of the first set for me are: an appearance of "The Race Is On"; a very nice "Brown-Eyed Women"; "Tennessee Jed" and a late-first set China>Rider. The first set closes out (more than mid-way through Disc 2) with a hot "Around and Around."As good as the first set is, the second set is even better (although I still think the overall highlight of the show is still the "Here Comes Sunshine" in the first set). Due to timing issues, the second set actually starts on Disc 3, with the final three (3) songs on the set appearing at the end of Disc 2. I definitely recommend listening in the order in which the show was played. And let me tell you, Disc 3 is awesome!!! It is basically a non-stop, continuous 70+ minute jam which begins with an excellent "Truckin'" which then morphs into an unbelievable, three-part "The Other One" sandwich, which has "Big River" and "Eyes of the World" for the filling. It is hypnotic the way the boys weave in and out of "The Other One" throughout this portion of the show, never losing stride and hitting on all cylinders. Finally... the last portion of "The Other One" leads into a great "Wharf Rat", and they finally silence their instruments for a few fleeting moments. The show closes with three (3) stand-alones... "Me and My Uncle" (which seems strange to hear this late in a show), "Going Down the Road Feeling Bad" and "One More Saturday Night". They're all good, but it's almost impossible to top that which just went down in the first 70+ minutes of this set. I definitely see myself coming back to this show over and over in the future. Show grade: "A- to A", depending upon my mood. Again... I don't think it's the best show, so far, but I do think it's my favorite!
May 24, 2016 - 11:10am

#77

KYTrips

Joined:
August 25, 2012

Ahhh.... 1972

If ever there was a more stellar year in GD history, I'm not sure what it would be (okay, okay... I realize this topic is up for debate, but I cast my lot with 1972). That being said, I had really high expectations for this show, as I do almost all '72 shows. This one didn't disappoint. However, I do think that this show will suffer a fate of being underplayed by many Heads, as it's so close in proximity to the DP 11 show from the Stanley Theater in Jersey City that took place 3 nights after this gem. I do think the Stanley Theater show is better, but this one is pretty great too. My only knock on this show... I think the sound is a bit spotty. There's one period in the show where the tape hiss is very audible and a bit distracting until you realize you're just gonna have to deal with it. The show opens with one of my personal faves... "Big Railroad Blues". You know a show is gonna be good when they open with this one. Everything in this show is filled with energy. Hell... I even liked "Mexicali Blues" which to me is usually a snoozer. "Loser" and "Black-Throated Wind" both deliver, while the band takes a bit of a breather in a subpar "Cumberland Blues" in my opinion. "Sugaree" is great (as per usual), and is followed by a consistent run of "El Paso", "Tennesse Jed" and BIODTL. In my opinion, this show REALLY gets rolling when they break into "Bird Song" later in the 1st Set. I've heard much better versions of "Big River", but the first set closes with an awesome "Brown-Eyed Women" and a MONSTER "Playing In the Band." Not bad... and that was just the 1st Set!!!The 2nd Set kills! The boys keep raising the pot (no pun intended) with each subsequent song, starting with "Greatest Story Ever Told" and continuing through "Bertha", "Promised Land", a beautiful "Fried of the Devil" and "Jack Straw". Things fall off a bit when they play "Tomorrow is Forever", a short-lived song in the Dead repertoire for good reason in my opinion. Then they ease back into things with MAMU before they head into "Dark Star" which is sandwiched around a nice little drum solo by Billy. Out of "Dark Star"?... Why yes, I do believe I will take a China Cat>Rider. And it's a good one. The show closes with the Bobby one-two.... "Sugar Magnolia" and "One More Saturday Night". All in all, a great show. Grade: A-
May 23, 2016 - 6:56am

#78

Cousins Of The…

Joined:
September 10, 2009

1971??

I have not gone through the 2nd set of 1971...and yes, I listed 1985 twice, my mistake.
May 23, 2016 - 2:58am

#79

One Man

Joined:
May 17, 2011

1971?

I don't see 1971 on your list. And is something listed twice?
May 16, 2016 - 12:19pm

#80

Cousins Of The…

Joined:
September 10, 2009

1984!

I'm usually partial to the 60's and 70s, however this show is tremendous! short but impeccable first set, from beginning to end; second set is quite adventurous, with a long UJB, a standalone Playin' reprise and a killer Morning Dew. My favorite 80's Trip so far. Revising my rankings... 1970 1967 1973 1975 1974 1972 1976 1968 1984 1969 1977 1983 1991 1979 1980 1981 1982 1978 1990 1993 1992 1966 1985 1986 1994 1985 1995 1987 1989 1988

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

Dead Store Products

"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

Lego WOS

Thanks rdevil, outrageous and fun. Now if only we could find some instructions for the Lego Wall of Sound and speaker decals.. (preferably on perforated paper).

BlueRhythmDevils

Duke '78 would be great 'cause there's good video footage to go with good sound.And yup,it's sporty! :) Late night edit:I couldn't pull the trifecta.Born to late.But I did get two of the points on the Triangle. 7-10-90 Carter-Finley Stadium-Raleigh,NC (NC State University-WolfPack) 3-24/25-93 Dean Smith Center,UNC-Chapell Hill,NC (Tarheels) :)

re:, Re: CC changes

The only problem with what she told you (if you're worried about 30 trips) is that you haven't been charged yet. So when they charge you before shipping they will charge the card they have on record - your old card. The bank will not recognize that and automatically charge your new card. No way. You need to have CS change the card they have on record or cancel your order and re-order with your new CC.

1982

Can anyone send me a link of a great 82' show for download besides 4-6-82 I have become obsessed with early 80's Dead.

Re: Younger than... 1982

If you like Phil shows, 4/18 and 4/19 are neat and both good shows, both with Phil pixie dust sprinkled in during Space. Might as well keep going for the next few shows and give the Greeks a listen and perhaps even the Moscone Center show and make a run of it. There's lots of good shows in 1982, I bet a few others have some great suggestions to add to these. Just a few suggestions, mainly because they are interesting, not run of the mill shows.

1982

I am biased (because I was there and had a really nice aud tape for many years) but my fave is 9/17/82. This show is unusual because Brent had no vocal mic. So it's just Jerry and Bob singing. There are embryonic versions of In the Dark songs and great versions of others (Candyman, Dupree's, It's All Over Now, The Other One, Morning Dew, etc.) I would go to Relisten.net if I were you.

How to celebrate the upcoming Fare Thee Well shows?

Why, with a contest, of course! The first person to correctly guess the opening song for the first set of the Santa Clara show on Saturday, 6/27 will receive a piece of original Grateful Dead artwork as a prize. It'll be something from one of the releases shown in the picture on the GD store's "Music" page. And, if one of the entries happens to be the opening song for the first set on Sunday, 6/28, the first correct entrant will receive a prize as well. Just not as good as the 6/27 prize! Read the Rulez before entering: 1) Only one entry per person, one song per entry. An individual's duplicate guesses will be ignored and only the first guess will count 2) Entrant must have a dead.net "joined" date of 6/21/2015 or sooner (to prevent guesses under more than one user name. I know how sneaky y'all can be!) 3) Guess must be a legit song from the Dead's repertoire - not an opening jam, "Happy Birthday," "Funiculi Funicula," etc. Nothing from Phish or Hornsby, either 4) Only guesses sent to me in a PM will be considered. Anything posted in a forum will be ignored. Oh, yeah...please keep the PMs short and sweet 5) Entries will be accepted from 6:00 PM Pacific time on Wednesday, 6/24 through 11:59 PM Pacific time on Friday, 6/26. Guesses submitted outside those parameters will be ignored 6) First person to guess correctly wins (determined by time and date of PM) Disclaimers: In the very unlikely event any setlist is leaked beforehand, or the opening song is somehow publicly announced before the entry deadline, contest will be considered null and void and there will be no winners. This contest is not affiliated in any way with dead.net, Rhino, Musictoday, MaryE, band members, the ghost of Pigpen, seagulls hovering above Lemieux, etc. Just little ol' me! Have fun at the shows and good luck!

Younger_than_Yesterday , early 82

check out 1st set from - 2.19.82, lots of great tunes and Brent sounds nice to me. 4.3.82 - Scarlet Fire opens the 2nd set,, worth a visit. Shortly after a fairly slower Eyes of the World for the time period. Sound quality is not the best,, A few weeks before, I think the sound quality on 3.14.82 is better with some decent stuff. 5.23.82 - 2nd set,, check out the Motorcycle in a portion of Drums/Space.. Very cool and a smokin set 2nd Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain ; Samson And Delilah ; Ship Of Fools ; Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World > Jam > Drums > Space > The Other One > Stella Blue > I Need A Miracle > Casey Jones E: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction > Brokedown Palace

nicely played Bolo

I wondered when you would beckon from your vantage point to invite prognostications from the heads. "It ain't what I don't know that gets me into trouble, it's what I know for sure, that ain't so". Samuel Clemons

Very Cool bolo24

haha not only do I have a really accurate guess of the Show Opener, I also have a very accurate guess for song number 2.. I was listening to a show last night and that locked it in for me. Good luck to all and happy guessing !! In honor of Santa Clara,, here is 5.18.68 taped by Jorma in Santa Clara. Santa Clara has a few early Dead era shows, but I think this is the only one that was taped,, Pigpen is hard to hear, but the rest is there https://archive.org/details/gd1968-05-18.aud.jorma.gmb.sbeok.94591.flac…

GD Lego

Those are grate! He makes those by hand, fantastic. Someone smarter than me can design the Wall of Sound set and submit it Lego Ideas and if it gets enough votes they might make it for real. They recently put out the car from Ghostbusters and it's awesome. Listened to my AUD from 11/8/70 the other night, what a glorious show! Love the rare songs in the acoustic set and the electric set has a killer DS.

Ooops

Didn't mean to do that.

JimInMD

Hey now ;) Sent a PM!

Spring Tour 1978 and greatest performances

That period has a few Contenders for the Best of All-Time... As mentioned the US Blues from 4.12.78 ranks as the top. This tour also has a few others.. the most well-known is Stella Blue from 4.21.78 featured on the So Many Roads box... 4.10.78 - Franklins Tower, some vocals flubs to open, but excellent overall 4.12.78 - Row Jimmy , Peggy-O,, (and US Blues) 4.19.78 - Friend of the Devil,, maybe not contender for BOAT, but its one I really like. 4.24.78 - The Music never Stopped and Scarlet Fire from Dave's Picks 7

Best of 82

8-3-82 is the best of the year for me, cuts and sound issues notwithstanding.

82 is good

especially 8-3-82

mbarilla - Yes to 1978 / UJB Dick's Pick 5/11/72

I am a fan of 1978. Call it posterity - Closing of Winterland was my first Grateful Dead show, and Dick's Picks 18 was my 3rd or 4th. After a long layoff I got back in the game in early 2014 and began my Dave's Picks collection with #7, after reading about how good The Music Never Stopped is on Heady Versions dot com. Aside from being a great end-to-end performance, this version holds the record for the "early jam" which is the 2 minute cloud ride through space that goes from 3:18 to 5:20. If this little nugget has passed you by, you won't regret revisiting DaP 7 (or as I call it, "Return to Normal with the Grateful Dead") This little instrumental jam typically lasted 20 or 30 seconds, but they began stretching it out in late '77. And as you said, the Scarlet / Fire is outstanding (let it burn, let it burn, let it burn). I would also encourage listeners to check out the Terrapin Station on here; it is also performed about as perfect and smooth as it gets, and Bob Weir's rhythm playing of the main Terrapin lick is up-front and just mesmerizing. Cassidy is nice from this show too - some nice pian-er from Keith during the Fare Thee Be Well Now section. One more note on Return to Normal 4/24/78: the mix is un-freakin believably good for a two-track master; the separation of instruments is better than some of the multi-tracks that have been released. Why 1978? Posterity for sure, but I also enjoy the new songs on top of the '77 set list - Stagger Lee, I Need A Miracle, and From the Heart of Me are fantastic additions to the set, not to mention the return of Dark Star. And there is something to be said for the return of the Wolf - it's a louder guitar, with a much more resonant tone; and whether as a result of the Wolf, or just because, Phil started playing a lot more "crunch cords" on bass, which contributes to the unique soundscape of '78. But I came to post about Uncle John's Band from 5/11/72 (aka "Dick's Pick"). This rendition is a good example of how the little nuances from performance to performance have kept me coming back to the Grateful Dead again and again. It's just a little thing really, where Jerry picks the UJB melody in between the lines "it's the same story the crow told me..." and "like the morning sun you come, and like the wind you go"; I've never heard him play these familiar notes at this quiet part before, and it really just elevates the moment. Check it out on headphones for maximum effect. P.S. - one more comment on 1978 - I hope the 5/14 show that comes with 30 Trips knocks my socks off. There is something utterly forgettable about Dick's Picks 25 from a couple of nights before that I can't quite put an ear on.

wadeocu ,, that one has always stood out for me also

interesting song selection and when it appears during the show 2nd set portion includes : Let It Grow > Drums > Space > He's Gone 1982 is sort of an awkward year in terms of standout shows. I think Dave selecting 7.31.82, may well have been one of his easiest choices for entire career. EDIT: speak of the devil,, 2.20.82 going down on Sirius right now,, gotta run, catch ya all another time

Guess the song contest

Apparently, no one read the rules, because I've been flooded with PMs already. Contest begins Wednesday at 6 PM, folks: From the contest rules: 5) Entries will be accepted from 6:00 PM Pacific time on Wednesday, 6/24 through 11:59 PM Pacific time on Friday, 6/26. Guesses submitted outside those parameters will be ignored Gracias!

DP 25

Dick's Picks 25 sounds kinda different to me because they are all Shrooming or otherwise psychedelicly impaired or so I remember reading somewhere. They are pretty much laughing the whole show and it's awesome. Especially love the Werewolves of London, grate show and they were obviously having a good time!

Bolo and 78

Yikes! I teach history to mostly college freshman and sophomores, and I'm frequently frustrated by their, um, lack of focus on directions. But Deadheads!??! I thought for sure there would be no problem (heh). Keithfan, love your post about 78. It is a year I've struggled with, though I agree with Ridin that DP25 is loads of fun (it was only the second show I think, that the mescaline was ingested). And DP18 is a classic. On the other hand, I've never yet understood the allure of Red Rocks 78, and I did not understand Normal at all (but then, I never did understand normal hahahahah). Anyway, Keithfan, thanks to your eloquence, I'm going to revisit Normal. I have a theory: Most all agree that 77 was a great year; but there are some who prefer 78 (and maybe Fall 77) and some who prefer 76 and maybe spring 77. I'm a Travis Bean not a Wolf :)

Re: claney's theory of everything

Interesting theory, claney. There might just be something to what you say. I would add, coming out of the Terrapin studio sessions, there was a lot of work done both in laying down the studio tracks, but also in tightness with some emphasis on the drummers. That tightness carried forward into '76, early '77. ..but by fall they had begun to loosen up, add in the wolf, outside influences (the edgier pre-punk era) and you have '78 and beyond. The Dec. '77 shows highlight some of those changes, this came up a month or two ago on these threads.. there was a lot to those posts.

road trips and download series help!

Curious to get your thoughts on the best choice for a download series or road trips purchase. I have download series 1 (amazing) as well as the June 9th 1976 and the 5/15/70 road trips (both great)....looking to purchase (probably via itunes) another one and would love your thoughts - as my name suggests, i love the 80s, but actually been in an early 70s phase the last few weeks.... all the setlists look great but what stands out as a must have??

DeadBase 50: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead

Coming out next month! From the blurb at Amazon: This special commemorative edition of DeadBase celebrates the 50th anniversary of the most enduring, unique and influential American rock band in history - the Grateful Dead. Continuing the tradition of providing the most complete collection of data regarding Grateful Dead concerts, both from a statistical perspective and more personal experiential recollections, DeadBase 50 is a mixed bag of a reference book (992 pages worth!). In response to the countless requests to reprint the last complete edition, this anniversary edition contains a reprint of DeadBase XI plus updates to the master list (DeadBase) of Grateful Dead shows, updates to GarciaBase and WeirBase, and new sections for NedBase, Phil Lesh and Friends, The Dead, and Furthur. Along with new reviews, analysis and a brand new discography, this book also includes a number of new photos from Jay Blakesberg, Herb Greene, Bob Minkin, Rosie McGee, Susana Millman and others. Forewords were kindly provided by Dennis McNally, David Lemieux, Nicholas Meriwether, David Dodd, Blair Jackson, David Gans and Rob Koritz.

@ 80sfan

If you own nothing else from the Road Trips series (in addition to 5/15/70), pick up Denver '73 and Wall of Sound. Both absolutely essential. 2/14/68 is right behind them.

RT recommendation

11/15/71

To Keith fan/to 80s fan

Nice breakdown of 78 Keith....however, you forgot to include the real x-factor when you talk about Phil's chord crunching... I actuall think his tone was beautifully balanced for most of the year.... Could it be that owsley (bear) Stanley was his bass tech for the tours? I find the correlation interesting..... To 80s fan... I'm not sure if this is in your wheelhouse, but I just listened to Austin 71 while at they gym, and more than couple of times, I stopped working out to just listen..... That road trips flat out smokes!!!

keithfan

Nice writeup on 1978 indeed, though I cannot get on board with the "return of Dark Star" point as a benefit to the year as it was played once all year -- and even then not really, as it was 1/1/79 at the time it went down. :)

Deadbase 50

A must. All the before mentioned RT's are excellent!. You already have 5/15, so I would progress to Austin, Denver 73', and then WOS. Take a deep breath, and bring it back down with 2/14/68. Sammy T

@brokedown

Thank you! I've heard great things about not only the dark star, but the NFA>GDTFB>NFA....on itunes it's $15 so despite the lack of cover art, booklet, etc, i think i'm going to pick it up....and as others have said, immediately burn it to cd (old habits)

Sammy!

Great minds!

lol - careful claney, we just got the good vibe back / 80s Fan

next thing you know, people will be at each other's throats about Wolf vs. Travis Bean. 80s fan - tough call on the Road Trips. I like '68 and '69 because there are so precious few shows from that era, and I'll take all of Dark Star => St. Stephen => The Eleven that I can get. '73 has some great moments (Truckin' => The Other One => Stella Blue) and if you have the bonus disc from 12/6/73, you get that monster 40 minute Dark Star => Eyes of the World. '74 also has some great stuff, including one of my favorite Morning Dew renditions from the bonus disc. '77 is great if you have nothing else from '77, but if you have the box sets and the Dick's Picks, this isn't going to do anything for you. '78 is a very nice Winterland conglomeration, but nothing you can't get elsewhere, with the exception of If I Had The World To Give from the bonus disc. The bonus disc is dear to me, as it has my second favorite Estimated Prophet, and IMHO is the strongest of this 3 disc set. '76 is actually my favorite release from '76, chock full of great performance, great sound, and without a difficult to obtain bonus CD. Highlights: great versions of Cold Rain & Snow, Promised Land, U.S. Blues (if you can get past Jerry's missed note in the opening lick), 11 minute St. Stephen, 17 minute Eyes of the World, Let it Grow, one of the few releases with Crazy Fingers, High Time, Ship of Fools, Mission in the Rain, one of the only post-hiatus Sugar Magnolias that I feel is any good (wait for it, wait for it, uggh, just got pelted with rotten eggs and desecrated tomato). I could go on about the set list, it's great and so is the performance. The other thing that may interest you is that it's a complete show (plus bonus tracks). Most Road Trips are not complete shows. But I think the 70s jewels of the Road Trips series (aside from the Fillmore East release from 1970 that you already have), are the two from 1971 (with Bonus discs of course). These are just fantastic, akin to Dick's Picks 35, but perhaps sounding a bit better. Both feature the band as a 5 piece; one is from the Summer with Pigpen, the other is from the Fall with Keith. The Keith show is a complete show + bonus disc from I think the next night. The Pigpen show has material from multiple shows.

All the talk

of '74 before; the '74 box, Eyes, etc., has had me going there - to that then. Loved the 6/20 and 6/22 is solid, if not a great show, but 6/23 is the stuff of Dreams (Dead ones, don't you know). Of course, a 1974 box is unlikely, a 3-show little guy, including 6/20, 6/22 and 6/23, would be logical fodder. Rt 6/16 & 6/18, and Dick's 6/26, 6/28, are the bookends for this trifecta. 6/23 includes one of the last Dark Stars not yet officially released before it was cast away. I'd have to say it's gotta be in the same conversation as 2/24. And then there's 6/30 ... won't go there - too much, too much! (So Jerry's enlarging the whole in my brain with Spanish Jam lasers - just the kind I like - do yourself a favor, throw 6/23 on the burner; you shan't regret it! It's got a good US Blues, too. Steal your Jazz!

Wolf Man

Wolf sold at auction for $700,000. Does anyone even know where the Travis Bean is? I rest my case.

My niece is a deadhead in training

she pointed to my desk and said "whats that ?" haha,, I laughed and said its for music. It was a headset. I asked if she wanted to try ? The answer was yes, and so swiftly I pressed play on the Listening Party ,, (11.10.67) Thats It For The Other One... After that she was interested in more,, I was not sure what to play her and I located Fire on the Mountain from 5.8.77. I think that is a good start for a 5 year old.. lol

Niece

Sounds like she's a Pigpen person. He has that magic charm with the opposite gender. Good job, man.

Oh no, Keithfan, I take it

Oh no, Keithfan, I take it back! As Jerry says during some of the banter on a 1970 acoustic set, I forget which one: "Now now kids, don't fight..." Awesome description of the merits of the Boston 76 RT. You are on FIRE man. That is one of my top ten releases, period. 80s Fan, you got some great advice (yes, the two big jam segments on 11/15/71 are best all-time. You didn't mention Dick's Picks so maybe you have all of those, but just in case - the best jam segments to be found are on DP12, which is TWO second sets. A deep space jam out of WRS, and a jam into China Cat which is unbelievable. It has remained my top release since I first heard it. Basically the whole release is jam segments. BTW, one of the Travis Beans (the one he used in 77) also sold at auction a couple of years ago, but for "only" 238,000. Makes sense to me - the Wolf has that gorgeous inlay - it's just a generally beautiful guitar, whereas the Travis looks like a toy from Wal Mart. Also he played the Wolf at more shows before and after the mid-seventies, and finally, there was only one, whereas I think there were three Travis models he played. To be clear - I do not think one was better than the other - I simply have a subjective individual preference for the tone of the Travis.

Deadbase 50 Price

I found Deadbase 50 on Amazon. However, you can not yet pre-order. Based on David's reporting, what do you think the price tag will be?

Sam

To really celebrate the 50th,there will only be 5 copies,each one numbered.And a mere $5000.00 apeice. ;)

Deadbase 50

5000 bucks a throw!!! I'll just fire up my Xerox machine and make a copy & they wonder why there are illegal copies! :-)

What a relief

I will do my best to be the first one to order. Pay $25K, and then give away the copies to the first five people on this site who can name the 2-6 songs played at opening nite of Santa Clara. I have my guess ready for tomorrow night. It is sure to be the winner.

Deadicated Re: Wall of Sound Box

If we bang the drum for a complete Wall Of Sound box and end up with a nice 3 or 4 complete concert box set similar to Fillmore West 69, Winterland 73, Winterland 77, and May 77, I'd say we played our cards just exactly perfectly right.

Garcia Live

Off topic, I know... But I can't resist tapping into the seeming wealth of knowledge here. Does anyone know the status of the Garcia Live series? The releases seemed to come fast and furious, but it has been a long time since the last release (Vol. 5) dropped.

Garcia Live

KYTrips,Funny you should ask - there was one released this week. It is from October 28th 1987 - Broadway. Two acoustic sets and one electric. Just got it in the mail this afternoon, so I haven't been able to listen to it yet. Hoping to enjoy it on the flight to CA this weekend!

DeadBase

DeadBase 50- Fuck YES....That is some great news. As far as price- it's a 1,000 page hardcover book, maybe anywhere from $75 to $125. Could be more, probably won't be less. I'm just so glad to give my old DeadBase a rest, it's so worn. Still, for a book that's 20 years old, it's held up pretty well. DeadBase is, to me, the bible of the Grateful Dead.

Just heard....

...that the shows will be broadcast on the xbox one for $20-30 a show. Fukin awesome!! I'm in for that.... ....I could smoke a bowl on my couch without looking over my shoulder. Make sure to move the coffee table! !

Live stream

Yeah you can watch the shows on just about anything that has the YouTube app. Android,AppleTV, Chromecast, Google TV, iOS, Panasonic Smart TVs, PS3, PS4, Samsung Smart TVs, WiiU, Xbox 360, Xbox One

@lundyw1

Seriously??? I wonder how it hasn't possibly shown up on my recommendations on Amazon.com? I just checked Amazon.com again... and still nothing. From where did you order it? And thanks for the heads-up.

Found it!!

I found it.... I was looking for Garcia Live, and it's under On Broadway: Act 1. Thanks for the heads-up. However, as much GD and JGB stuff as I've gotten from Amazon over the years, I still can't believe that it didn't show up in my recommendations!

Clock on the wall says its time to go...

https://archive.org/details/gd1990-06-09.sbd.miller.tetzeli.fix-6936.34… here is some thoughts from Trey on hanging with Bobby and Phil as they prepare for the 5 shows. -- Just watching them reminisce about the day they wrote “Truckin'” and laughing, that’s the stuff I love. One day, Bobby started talking about how much he loved Brent [Mydland, the Dead keyboardist who died in 1990]. He said, “Make sure you listen to those vocal harmonies from the late 1980s.” Life happens. People come and go. -- One thing for sure I learned this year and will stick in my mind each day until the end of my time,,, is all good things must come to an end.

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