• 7,852 replies
    admin
    Joined:

    "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

Comments

sort by
Recent
Reset
  • hbob1995
    Joined:
    @ Minus Morgul
    Awhile ago you predicted "The box to rule all boxes". I guess we can no say that you knocked that one out of the park!! Rock on
  • WharfratWhitey
    Joined:
    Boxed In Or Out
    I'm very excited about this box despite all my gripes yesterday. I imagined this box was going to happen late last year and well into this year and it did. It made sense. I also imagined a show or two per month throughout 2015. Music wise everybody's favorite era gets represented and thanks yous go out to Dave, Rhino, Norman, etc. The number were getting low this morning so impulses out another card with a little green real estate on it and placed an order. Went through no problem but I was a little gun shy after yesterday. Ultimately it would be nice to see the individual shows released. Individual shows for Spring Too, with the exception of 3/29 were not released individually as dead.net stated they wouldn't be. Does this mean they might change their mind? I hope so. Folks have been calling for 80's for awhile now. This set seems exclusively inclusive. Hope the good music and vibes can be spread around. Peace. I'm pulling my May '77 Two box speculation out of the consideration for he rest of this year.
  • dshgd
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    I am not sure what you complainers are looking for at this point
    1. The ability to buy individual shows (Lindley Meadows, for example) show without having to shell out 700 dollars for the whole box set or paying outrageous prices on amazon or eBay for people who buy the set purely as an investment2. The ability for as many people to purchase individual shows as would like. Are you really not sure? Do you work for Rhino?
  • jjs tank tuba
    Joined:
    If memory serves......
    When they announced Europe '72 didn't they say 7200 copies and that's it. Then it sold out and they announced the all music edition. Then they announced single shows. Which are all still available. There is no way they don't sell single shows. Wait till this box sells out. 10 80's shows, they won't leave that much money on the table. It's all good, they love us and want us to dig the music.
  • boblopes
    Joined:
    itunes will have the 4 cd version
    Which would make one believe that individual shows would eventually be available via itunes... As for the computer problems, this site is probably hosted by some company with a minimal compute power - a few servers, load balancer and storage - could even be cloud hosted and is probably not beefy enough to handle the amount of traffic yesterday generated. If the dead.net store was a link to another vendor, such as Rhino's distributor, well the redirect could be the bottleneck. I'm purely speculating. But if it is just rackspace that GDP is renting, it's gonna be a lot smaller than one would expect. We're not talking the Dick Cheney supercomputer here... Yes, from past history, they probably should've been prepared, but how many releases have actually brought down dead.net - possibly three??? Took the plunge for the boxset. Will cut out that extra fancy occassional cup of coffee I have a couple of times a week... I'm looking forward to the release, a lot of shows have been touted here for years. I was lucky enough to be at the Oxford Speedway shows and the 94 Boston Garden show, so the box will have a special place for me. Been asking for those shows I attended to be released. Made a cd copy with fancy graphics of a mtx of the Boston show for my buddy for his birthday last year. He plays that show at least a couple of times a month and still raves about it.
  • hockey_john
    Joined:
    Sent you Pm jack straw
    Sent you Pm jack straw
  • andyyroo67
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    4 CD Version - 30 Trips Around The Sun
    Will the 4 CD version of 30 Trips Around The Sun just be available via Dead.net or will it also be available via all the usual retail outlets?
  • fourwindsblow
    Joined:
    100 bucks a month
    If you put away 100 dollars a month or pay 100 dollars a month on the cc. This box would be paid off by Christmas.
  • deadmike
    Joined:
    I have no complaints ...
    But I'm not sure I will try to order this box set. So there is a lot I would like to have but a lot from 1979 and onwards I'm not that wild about. Besides I'm not done with the Europe '72 box set yet ... and I haven't begun listening to the first 1990 box set or the 1977 one from 2013. Yes, I AM a Deadhead but I also like a lot of other music. The last couple of weeks I have been going through a larger jazz purchase I made in April 2013, so I'm not 100 percent up to date with a lot of purchases I made in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Especially purchases I made in 2013. No, I'm not a millionaire ... I just happened to purchase a lot more in 2012, 2013 and 2014 than I ususally have been doing all of the years before that. An old dream was to purchase a big box of records and have it in a closet and just reach into the box and grab a record (of any kind) when I would feel a need for it. Even though I haven't been storing my purchases like that, I now know how it would feel to have the box in the closet. It feels very stressing ... having a lot of music/records to listen to ... as time gets by and a lot of other records "need" to be bought ... So I guess I will pass on this box set release ... although having it would have been great. But when could I get time to listen to it? I haven't unwrapped the latest eight volumes of Dave's Picks yet ... I don't want to listen without listening ... so to speak ... so I will focus on going through what I have before I buy any more extensive box sets ... Micke Östlund, Växjö, Sweden
  • Mr. Jack Straw
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    most looking forward to...
    11/10/67, 2/22/69, 4/15/70, 11/14/73, 9/18/74, 9/28/75, 10/27/79, 9/18/87, 10/26/89, and 9/10/91. Those are some all-timers, right there. Second tier are 10/20/68, 9/24/72, 4/25/77, 5/16/81, and 7/31/82. I've never heard the '76 and '78 shows. How are they?
user picture

Member for

17 years 9 months

"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

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

10 years 8 months
Permalink

Well said! I definitely prefer 68 - 78 but I really do like brent and what he brought to the band in terms of keyboard playing and backing vocals. Though the songs he wrote and sang I find weak but there wasn't usually alot of those anyways. In any event I am glad that I do like brent as it allows me to enjoy 10 or so more yrs of dead music (1980 thru 90) than most dead heads. I tend to not listen to much after Brent died as I was not a fan of Vince. But, when I get my 30 trips box this fall I'll give him another try. To me, the biggest matter wasn't who was playing keyboard but jerry's sad decline. I remember going to highgate show and thought it was really bad and felt the end of was near. I did have a lot of fun partying at show though :) I will say that even though I like 80's dead, there are still a number of older songs where the 80's version I do not like nearly as much (Jack straw, sugar mag, NFA). Yet othe songs like China Rider I thought translated well into the 80's. Just Mao
user picture

Member for

9 years 10 months
Permalink

when I read Mr Jack Straw's hyperbole comment. But after Kate's post, I need to set the record straight - no hyperbole intended, travesty is the correct word: perversion of, distortion of, corruption of, misrepresentation of, poor imitation of, poor substitute for, mockery of, parody of, caricature of. I had "poor imitation of" and "poor substitute for" most in mind when I made the comment, in reference to Spring 90 performances of songs like Bertha, Row Jimmy, The Wheel, Eyes of the World, Estimated Prophet, and many many more performances of songs from the 70s.... And of course, it's all about context, as Kate will concur, as there is no travesty without an original to compare to, and it must be a travesty if many folks are simply unable to palette a spoonful of Spring 90, as evidenced by the many comments made by people other than me, as well as the warehouse full of Spring 90 (the Other One). Actually, my post was not a condemnation of Brent, it was of Jerry, as he was probably the only person who could have stopped the mission creep of Brent Mydland (he was not so overwhelmingly on top of the mix and to the detriment of the old music in 79/80).
user picture

Member for

13 years 7 months
Permalink

High-larious! Soon to be a box set of its own. 90% of the time I would rather hear pre-Brent material, but there are those days where a killer 1990 Bird Song is the only answer. Ditto to some Dave's 8 from 1980. I can understand the objections. Who cares? "Travesty" is an inflammatory word to use in this crowd and if you don't know that by now you haven't been paying attention. Kate was hoping it was not to be taken seriously and indeed no one should do that.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

11 years 4 months
Permalink

The real travesty is that there are about 50 hours of released Jerry Garcia Band music and another 30 hours of additional solo Garcia stuff....and...not...a...single...Reuben and Cerise! The horror! Seriously. How has this happened?
user picture

Member for

10 years 4 months
Permalink

I don't know about travesty, but plink is definitely onomatopoeia..... (too soon?)
user picture

Member for

15 years 3 months
Permalink

My opinion: the 1st box has the best shows, but with less than optimal sound; basically, Jerry has less presence(btw, there's an FM broadcast of 3/26 that's much better than Dozin at The Nick)The 2nd box has superior sound, but the shows are disappointing, except for 3/14(to me,3/29 sounds like middle of the road Jazz/light rock; not a big fan of that genre.)
user picture

Member for

9 years 6 months
Permalink

I think comparing Brent era GD with the previous eras is the old apples and oranges comparison.A much better comparison is each era against the contemporary music of the period. I always felt the GD were the best of class when compared with the other bands touring at the time and competing for my concert dollars. I would recommend AUD recordings to hear how it sounded in the audience and not rely on the SBDs which tend to favor the vocals and instruments that don't have onstage amplification and are naturally higher in the mix.
user picture

Member for

13 years 6 months
Permalink

Instant classic, thanks Dantian. That was you? I still have your shirt let me know if you want it back, but its a little stretched out in the tire section by now. I was actually at Sullivan Stadium that day, what a zoo. Logistics, crowd and if I recall excessive heat all made for a long day, I arrived as an energizer bunny and left as a dehydrated California raisin. I think this was a couple days before In The Dark was released and my first exposure to packed stadium mayhem. Aaack, where did all these people come from!
user picture

Member for

15 years 11 months
Permalink

I was a member of the local stage crew for that show - most of the crew worked for me at Umass Amherst - I was the stage manager for UPC Productions... I built the stage, load in, load out, struck the stage, then rinse and repeat the next week for Madonna. Was asked to run a truss spot, but declined so I could be out in the crowd with my girlfriend. First Dead show, but was straight as an arrow, since I was working and planning to go to the FAA Air Traffic Controller Academy in the late summer (video games for real ;), but that's a story for another day...
user picture

Member for

11 years 4 months
Permalink

I was there, and my recollection of the scene that day is similar to yours. I actually enjoyed the night before the show in the parking lot more than the show itself... Me and my cousin drove in that night, coming from the Rochester show, in an enhanced state of mind, Fire on the Mountain just started playing on the Jeep's tape deck, when we round this corner in the Deadhead shantytown parking lot and see a bunch of guys standing on this hill with a bonfire going, waving an American flag back and forth in the fire's glow. Fire on the mountain, yup. My cousin, always the joker, was walking around holding up a one dollar bill, barking "One dollar, one dollar" as if he were trying to sell something. He was actually, he was selling one dollar bills, and it would only cost you one dollar if you wanted to buy one. This led to many interesting conversations, with some people getting the joke and playing right along, many people needing extended Q and A sessions explaining just how this complicated transaction worked, and some folks just unable to grasp what the hell was going on and looking like their minds had short circuited. We sold a lot of dollars that night, though.
user picture

Member for

10 years 8 months
Permalink

Enjoy seeing all the love for 3-14, that show and 3-24 are two of my picks for sure. I listen to mostly the years 68-70 and 73, buts its hard for me to understand how one can hate the later years. There are too many great songs and performances. Some less than cool things being said that's for sure, really for no reason.
user picture

Member for

10 years 8 months
Permalink

Hi All, I noticed the following potential clue from bolo24 on the Fare Thee Well board, likely regarding the next Dave's Picks release. I've pasted the possible clue below: "I like to keep things fun when folks are waiting patiently (or not so patiently) for announcements, or looking forward to some event. I must admit that I also enjoy messing with people's heads on occasion!" "Anyway, I'm off to parts unknown. Seems there was a break-in at the vault and I'm being framed for it. Here we go again. Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in!" Am I off in thinking the clues are maybe referring to Watergate (i.e. break-in) and The Godfather (i.e. pulled back in)? Thanks.
user picture

Member for

13 years 6 months
Permalink

I like the way you're thinking. The Godfather was released on 3/15/72 (little help there) and Watergate occurred on 6/17/72 (Hollywood Bowl, Pigpen's last show). No shows on 3/15 and no sbds seem to have survived for 6/17. A few weeks ago bolo alluded to the year 1973 also. Lots of Watergate activity in '73, but the big events do not seem to coincide w/ too many dead shows.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink

...but that Godfather quote is from III which was released in 1990, and the story takes place in 1979. "Parched" would be the best word to describe Foxboro '87- so hot, so dry, and so dusty. I remember folks trudging quite a ways to get ice for their coolers and coming back with watery bags of nearly slush...
user picture

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink

The travesty is saying any era of the Dead is not Palatable to the ears. I can't tell you how many shows I attended were the joke was Donna God"forbid it ever happen again"Chaux during deep discussions during intermission. The Dead Changed over the years, the TC 14 months on Keys is completely different from any other 60's Dead music, the dead where a different band pre and post Hiatus. Their equipment and speakers and sound systems improved over the years and they changed their sound to take advantage of it. The greatest thing about going to Dead Shows was being there, I cannot think of one of over the 100 I attended that was the same for me mind, body & music. If the Dead did not embrace change they would have stopped being a band well before the 70's. Stop trying to ruin other peoples trip about the music. I hope the interview on PBS with Billy K is right and we get some East Coast love but I do not think it will happen.
user picture

Member for

16 years 2 months
Permalink

Or is he being framed. Pink Panther = Paris. On August 20, 1974, the House authorized the printing of the Committee report H. Rept. 93-1305, which included the text of the resolution impeaching President Nixon and set forth articles of impeachment against him. 09/20/74 Palais Des Sports - Paris, France
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

10 years 5 months
Permalink

I have the fw 69 bonus disc I am willing to part with to help pay for boxzilla.PM me if interested
user picture

Member for

11 years 7 months
Permalink

The next Dave's is from a year that has not had a show released in the series, or a year that has only been released once in the series. Think 70,71,73,76,78 or 79. Have a Grateful day!
user picture

Member for

10 years 8 months
Permalink

The clues may not be clues, as bolo24 claims to be clueless (i.e. denies writing the post). If bolo24 is clueless about clues, then there is no hope for the rest of us. I'm confused... JimInMD: I do also recall a brief mention of "73" last week.
user picture

Member for

13 years 6 months
Permalink

I'm pretty sure Bolo is a real life Manchurian Candidate and is taking a few weeks off to sharpen his skills for the run to 2016. The sheer quantity of candidates pretty much ensures we will never figure out his (or her) true identity. As for Bolo being clueless, I doubt it. I seem to recall an attempted breach at NSA during one of his clue spewing moments earlier this year that ended in deaths of two cross dressers at the NSA security checkpoint (this did happen). Coincidence? DaP 15 has to be something big.., there's some good suggestions on the Dave's Picks thread and hype is starting to build. Its been a while since we have seen 1970?? My guess on the 2016 box is Summer or Fall 1973.
user picture

Member for

15 years 11 months
Permalink

Mr. Jack Straw, I have been holding to my commitment (only a year old now) to not buy anymore JGB releases until they release a show with Reuben and Cherise. It is unfathomable that it has not seen the light of day on an official release yet. Hoping for 1970 with the next release. Come on, Dave.... An early 1980s show would also be fine by me.
user picture

Member for

10 years 4 months
Permalink

If LoveJerry's Feb '79 wish doesn't come true for DaP 15, I'm in with you Jim, let's get some Summer '73. There's a huge gap in 1973 between DP 28 and DP 19 (Feb - Oct).
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

17 years 3 months
Permalink

Last week I happened to listen to 2 nice Bertha openers -- 5/14/74 and 5/7/77 -- great spirit and vocals. That '92 version is good S-Bro, Jerry is quite present and even dazzling, but the emotional ride is kind of flat for me. Maybe it's the board.
user picture

Member for

9 years 9 months
Permalink

I love how you got up on your soap box and did the exact same thing Minas did by ripping on Donna and ruining my trip on the music. Jerk or joke, I'm not sure.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

10 years 8 months
Permalink

I was at Foxboro that day .... Had a lot of fun. It was baking hot with very high humidity. I also remember it being one of the worst dead shows I ever saw.
user picture

Member for

10 years 3 months
Permalink

I agree with KeithFan. Bring on 2/15/73, 4/2/73!
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

9 years 5 months
Permalink

While I think it a great idea to offer a USB stick with the 80 CD's worth of material I feel that neglecting to offer the hard copy book,poster,and 7 inch record is a horrible idea. It would certainly be nice to not have the digital information on the bulky and less user friendly CD's. However, the book, that is something that is quite a lesser offering as a digital version. That goes double for the poster and the record...they are physical tangible items and lose much in the digitization. I'd be happy to have a USB stick instead of 80 CD's. I would not be happy to have no poster to display and no book to hold and no record to put on the turntable. Please, offer the physical items in the same format no matter the format of the digital items.

Member for

10 years 7 months
Permalink

Yes bring on some 73.
user picture

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink

Thanks for posting that article. Nice!
user picture

Member for

10 years 2 months
Permalink

...thanks Kind; just finished listening to The Magic Trifecta from 94 and must say, if this traditionally Johnson/Nixon/Ford lovin' Head is sufficiently ciced to get on her feet and twirl behind the keyboard to some Clinton-era Dead, then this release is indeed Golden...peace/K
user picture

Member for

17 years 1 month
Permalink

Thanks, kindagrae, for that interview with Dave--very interesting hearing just a small bit about the process of choosing releases. I love how the reporter thought he was holding Dave's "feet to the fire" by asking him about his favorite Boston show. It's no surprise to us that he mentioned several shows but I was surprised that the first one Dave mentioned was 4-2-73. Hopefully that will be released soon. Dantian, great video of you at Foxboro. Oddly enough you look exactly as I imagined.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

14 years 9 months
Permalink

There's a semi-review Dick wrote of the Wichita show, where he described the jam at the end of He's Gone as approaching a Truckin jam in terms of intensity. Though maybe I'm misremembering the specifics of his comments. This just to say, the Peggy'O from 10/30/77 still reigns king for me. Although there are versions whose overall pace I enjoy more- it's the jam. Almost like it's the zenith of the '77 Peggy'O. Not going as far to say 4/16/78 has dethroned my favorite version, but the jam almost turns into The Music Never Stopped for a few moments. Just made me think of Dick's comment about Wichita for some reason. Anyways, solid Peggy'O if in the mood: https://archive.org/details/gd1978-04-16.sbd.miller.82273.sbeok.flac16
user picture

Member for

11 years 4 months
Permalink

I know, right? I guess it comes through in my comments.
user picture

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink

I just got a prompt from a buddy reminding me of that summer of 1978, when the Dead first played at Red Rocks July 7 & 8, 1978. First the Dead actually circled back to play Nebraska. I know I have told this one before, but here it goes again. You know how us oldsters repeat ourselves all the time. At least that is what my kids tell me. They played the Omaha Civic Auditorium, where the Dead played once before in 1973.. We got there and the venue was half full (about 4,000) but everyone was chomping at the bit in anticipation to hear them live. I took my Nak 550 into the venue and there was no hassle getting the deck in this time, but remember these were the days before ‘tapers sections’. And each venue or even staff may present a different challenge. But not here, thank goodness. Out in the hallway, the Hell’s Angels wandered about sporting full colors and big grins. They may have been transporting ‘party favors’ and decided to take in a show. Or maybe the Angels were just road tripping with the band (although I didn't see them at the next few shows). My buddy even brought his 68 year old mother to the show. She sat up in the stands “It is just too loud down there!” Anyway, I headed down to the floor with my Nak 550 to set up in front of the soundboard. When I started to get my gear set up and saw this guy beside me with a great rig. Luckily this kind stranger (I have since discovered he was famous taper Bob Wagner) then let me patch out of the back of his deck, which was wonderful as he had a great 8 ft. tall mike stand set-up. He had a Sony deck and mics, but with that high stand his mic’s were well above the crowd noise. We were about 15 to 20 feet in FOB. So Garcia treated us to a blistering Sugaree opener, the kind that drove the crowd wild. His leads mounted into a wave that crests, recedes, regroups, and comes back rolling in with such power and delight that adds a synergistic effect to our frenzied response as his rolling/soaring guitar work lift and subside with that band. Then Beat In on Down the Line, TLEO and now it was Bob’s turn in the spotlight with a Look’s like Rain. About halfway through the song, I suddenly noticed something shimmering in the air between the band and me. I thought “what a fantastic light show! Or have I have shifted into fifth gear just a little early that I scheduled?” I staggered towards that disturbance in front of me to investigate. People were dancing wildly in the middle of the floor as a waterfall played over them. It was about 25 feet in circumference. I put my hand in, water…hand out, no rain..I am standing in front of an indoor waterfall. what to do? I jumped into pouring rain that was INSIDE the middle of the auditorium! Then I stepped back and was out of it. I shook my head and then lunged back into the deluge and danced through Looks Like Rain & then during Direwolf as well and a delightful All Over now. (Complete with Donna in perfect pitch!) Then Candyman and Lazy>Supplication before Bobby informed us “We’re going to take a short break”. I staggered back to reload a new tape and then I did look for some validation of my experience. And I asked my friends if I was not in fact ‘soaking wet’ as I patted my soaked shirt. They grinned knowingly and affirmed that, yes, in fact I was “all wet”. And then this unique show continued, (nice indoor water-feature, boys !) with a killer second set complete with a transportive Estimated> Eyes> drums> Wharf Rat> Truckin> Iko Iko> Around. And then after a lengthy absence from the stage the boys returned to play us ‘Promised Land” as an encore. As I left the auditorium I noticed the water standing on the ground outside, a summer storm? Was this a case of a leaky roof or didn't the Dead just conjure up the forces of nature as they were so prone to do? But back to the important stuff, what were the Dead going to do next? Would Phil rev up his reverse gravity machine and pummel us with Phil-bombs at the next show? Would they levitate the crowd, and have us all dance while floating in the 'cool Colorado range'? I HAD to follow them to those Red Rocks shows in 1978. So a road-trip to Colorado it was. This was the Dead’s first Red Rocks jaunt (and my first as well, although my girlfriend (now wife) had seen Joni Mitchell there previously and raved about the venue) so my anticipation was so ‘high’. (In many ways.) So I packed my taping and camping gear and off we went. When we walked up to the Rocks entrance, the Feyline security crew (or were they the John Scher guys?) were stopping people and inspecting any 'carry in' bags. I thought 'uh oh, this looks rougher than Omaha Nebraska'. A security behemoth that I will call “BigBoy’ stopped me at the entrance to look through my Boy Scout backpack. He hefted my NAK 550 out of the pack and held it aloft with one beefy paw, exclaiming “Hey, you can’t take this in!” I gave him my best perplexed look and said “What it’s just a tape player.” (first lie) Then the giant BigBoy instructs me to “take that back to your car”. I retorted “I can’t, I hitchhiked to the show” (second lie). Beefy Bruiser BigBoy points to my ticket and says “the ticket says no recorders on it, you can't take it in” and I tell him “look I don’t have any microphones” (third lie) and hold up my arms to be searched (of course my comrades had the mics with them). Then I sighed loudly and popped open the back of the Nak deck and let eight D cell batteries drop onto the ground. “Look, I dumped out the batteries, it can't record”. (lie number four) BigBoy stood there with his arms crossed in front of me, but I could see a small crack in his resolve. So I pulled that thread “Look, I hitchhiked all the way here from Nebraska to see this show, would you hold onto this deck for me? It cost me $600 (which in ’78 was a lot of dough) but if you just hold it for me, and then I will find you after the show. You look like an honest guy.” (fifth lie, this guy didn't look trustworthy). I push the Nak towards him, and this deck is huge and weighs a ton, (a goddamn boat anchor). I really played my trump card here and was trying to hold my ‘gameface’, Suddenly all the heads waiting in line behind (and all my friends) erupt with yells at the BigBoy to hurry up and started chanting “let us in”. BigBoy gives his mullet a shake and then he points into the venue and looks at me and exclaims “Go on, get out of here” and I dive headlong into my first Red Rocks show with a grin a mile wide(high)! Followed by Mary with my mics and my buddies with my fresh batteries (re: lie number four) and my blank tapes. The batteries that I dumped out for BigBoy were already ‘dead’ (pun intended). I again ran into that ‘kind stranger’ (Dr. Bob Wagner, FOB right side)) to plug out of his Sony again. Those two shows were stupefying, and the band obviously enjoyed playing there. Bobby's deer joke, and I remember Phil leading the boys through “Cold Rain & Snow” with his bass punching that tune into a triumphant ‘strut’ that evening.I recall Jerry broke a string during the Scarlet>Fire, which really didn't slow the pace of that perfect evening. On into Dancin' >NFA > Black Peter > Around & Around and then a dual encore of US Blues & Johnny B Goode. The next night was much the same. Each night we would watch the clouds chase each other in the sky as the band serenaded us. Until it became dark and then we looked out ‘over’ the Dead to see the distant lights of Denver sparking in the background. Second night second half, we were treated to a tremendous Estimated > Other One> Eyes of the World > drums> Wharf Rat > Franklin's Tower > Sugar Mag. The crowd was especially raucous as Wharf Rat wound to that tender quiet point and Phil (or was it Bobby) gave a "shhhhh" to still us in preparation for that wonderful 'launching' platform/crescendo. Those evenings the Dead's aural wonders were matched with the Red Rocks astounding visuals as we were perched in between those massive stony slabs jutting into the sky. The Dead's stage view was spectacular as well looking up at the throng of deadheads dancing sandwiched in then red rocks with the stars twinkling above us. As the Dead those two evenings took us all on an astounding journey of Americana, myth, rock and roll, country, space, jam, fable, fun, roller coaster, and turn on a dime delights, it all 'rolled into one'. And then as the Dead finished us all off with “Werewolves of London” we were all crooning back to the dead with our own howl of “Aoooooo”. And Garcia was grinning ear to ear as he bid us all a “good night”. Happy July 8th. The Teacher opens the door, but you must enter by yourself.
user picture

Member for

16 years 2 months
Permalink

I've been listening for thirty years never heard so much hate for the music. Turn The Page.
user picture

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

9 years 8 months
Permalink

All I can say is wow (and thank you)....absolutely making my morning!
user picture

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink

The point being there have always been haters even when the band was still performing, just tired of the negative vibe while reading the forum. Nothing against Donna from me. They're a band beyond description
user picture

Member for

12 years 5 months
Permalink

That DL interview was really good.. Thanks for that.. I'm glad DL has taken notice of 4/2/73.. I've been wanting a release from this show for a long time now.. Hopefully, it see's the light of day real soon...
user picture

Member for

10 years 4 months
Permalink

Thanks for the links, first time I ever heard Franklin's Tower in '78. It's great, really rocks! Got to get an official release of Help => Slip => Franklin from '78...why not just give us a box from '78 or early '79. Just a little box, three shows, or four if you're feeling froggy. Heck I'd pay for as many as they'd wish to include. Maybe a 5 show extravaganza like May 1977. Also digging the Werewolves of London on the 7/8/78 link. It's one thing to cover an old song, but what a sign of respect for Warren Zevon that they covered a tune that had pretty much just been released. This was the last time they did it until '85. Also love the Estimated Prophets from '78 - you may have heard me ramble on in the past about Jerry's two minute solos that he started doing in Estimated that year. If you've never checked it out before, I recommend 2/3/78 (DP 18). Well guys (and Kate and LoveJerry), another month and we'll be sitting pretty with DaP 15, and soon after that 30 Trips. I can't wait to hear the 9/28/75 show. I have a special fattie rolled and ready to go that simply says "The Eleven" in thin black Sharpie. I'm not too fluent in 80s Dead until around '87. If anyone cares to provide me with some guidance - which shows from '79 - '86 in the 30 Trips box are the top 2 or 3? P.S. - here's some obscure Dead trivia - which E72 show features the intro to Weather Report Suite, and after which song is it played?
user picture

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink

...is that high quality pristine recordings of Alpine Valley '87 don't exist in the vault, and a personal travesty is that I'll likely never get to hear a single note of the recordings they do have from this run. I remember many tapers at this run, but only a couple of audience sources have ever openly circulated. Anybody who has listened to the first night knows exactly what I'm talking about. An ALL TIME show if there ever was one. Less of a travesty is that my first show from Pine Knob '84 does exist in the vault in good quality, but I'll may never get to hear a note of the vault sources of that one either. There was one Reuben and Cherise released as menu music on VFTV 2. KeithFan2112 - the '81, '82 and '84 shows from the box are all great. Check 'em out.
product sku
081227955892