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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
Gifted my stream
I am waiting for the box. Gave my stream and download to my friend the underpaid, overworked Philadelphia school teacher who is a veteran of 350 plus shows. Enjoy it Craig you deserve it.
moron
you'd have to be a fool if you don't use the stream...I listened a little and jumped right to 1970 which is the year that I love but not enough out there...1972 is my favorite year and it's been well represented...so I listened to the 1970 show then jumped to 1994 and it was supriningly very good...you just have this instinct that it would be horrid...not so by a long shot...great set list great performances...I don't disagree there's no replacement for the CDs on disc but if they're giving you streaming you might as well use it.
To Stream Or Not To Stream...
That is the question..
You are not the only one. I am waiting as well.
Avoiding the stream
I too am bypassing the stream, and following the river due north to CD country. Sound quality is one of the most exciting parts about the releases, so I'll wait until the full sonic glory arrives.
Not Streaming
I made the decision not to stream the full shows... I did give the 2 songs from the vinyl a listen and have been listening to the 30 Trips Min-set on Spotify. Good stuff!
Glad you all are enjoying it so much!
Grateful Dead
I am jamming it backwards. 95>94> and so on till >66. I am treating the 90's as the first set. The 80's as the the second set opener. The 70's as the post space spectacular. The 60's as the wildest encore ever. My first show was 1985 Alpine. When I was 16. I am also the guy in the DVD from Alpine " It's All Down Hill From Here " who jumps up on his seat twice after Feel Like A Stranger. I was so happy. I got free tickets from will call minutes before. Just like I am now with the music from this box set. Peace.
Stream or not? (not!)
I'm definitedly not streaming, but I am enjoying the various comments from those who are. I will wait for the full audio quality. I am currently listening to mid-90's King Crimson (Live in Argentina). I will limit my GD listening somewhat to clear my palette, and then I will start at the beginning and make my way to the end, slowly and savoring, with some sidetrips to other shows from the period that I've reached in the 30 Trips set. Figure it will take half a year to get through it all.
But I am reading the book. Excellent.
Seastones / Phil and Ned
Is this the first official release of a live Seastones/Phil and Ned? I have a hard time believing that it is, but I can't for the life of me think of another one, and google ain't helping.
I'm guilty of streaming (?)....
....I went nuts last night. Overdosed in fact. Tonight, I'm focusing on MSG '87....will treat it as a bonus DaP until further notice....there can't be any issue with picking one show and sticking with it, is there?...?
You gotta start somewhere....
I finally chose 1987, when I was 25 and drove to Eugene to see Dylan & The Dead. The second set is perma-grin that won't end!
Streaming Ad Nauseam
I am streaming the shows that aren't in my usual listening years. I started with the '95 show. Barring a So Many Roads tune here and there I can't even remember the last time I put on a show from this year. So far, I think it's excellent. Vince tears it up in TMNS. Jerry sounds good considering you could count his months left on one hand. Good tunes and good playing. I'm not sure where to go to next. Have I ever even listened to a full show from '84 or '86? Probably, but not in this decade. So this is why I'm streaming. I can say with absolute certainty that once the physical cd's arrive and I have the ability to listen in full sonic glory wherever I want, the likelihood of me choosing a '94 show over a '73 show is about the same as my two female cats starting to get along.I didn't think I was going to be able to purchase this thing. So I'm grateful there were still copies a couple weeks ago when I placed my order. I am stoked about getting it. This box is going to take months to get through with the attention to each show it deserves. Man its good to be a Dead fan. Spoiled with riches.
re:ZIffle
That KC B'Boom is a nice recording and the start of the THRAK era live shows with the double trio line up.If you haven't spent your whole music budget on this box, the THRAK box is preordering now and might even ship before the 30 Trips box at this pace.
While it only covers a couple years, 1994-97, it does come with CD, SACD and Bluray copies of the remastered material in the same box.
Seastones
Ned Lagin released the vinyl LP Seastones on Round Records (RX 106) in April 1975. There was also a SQ Quad version with the same catalogue number. Or the two channel stereo version is a mixdown from the quadrophonic master, I don't know. Rykodisc released it on compact disc (RCD 40193) in 1990 or '91, depending what source of information you want to believe. I remember it being released on CD, but I can't remember what year. The Rykodisc is 2 channel stereo. The SQ Quad version has never been released in a surround sound DVD or surround sound Blu-Ray or the defunct DVD-Audio format, to the best of my knowledge.
Seastones
Ned Lagin released the vinyl LP Seastones on Round Records (RX 106) in April 1975. There was also a SQ Quad version with the same catalogue number. Or the two channel stereo version is a mixdown from the quadrophonic master, I don't know. Rykodisc released it on compact disc (RCD 40193) in 1990 or '91, depending what source of information you want to believe. I remember it being released on CD, but I can't remember what year. The Rykodisc is 2 channel stereo. The SQ Quad version has never been released in a surround sound DVD or surround sound Blu-Ray or the defunct DVD-Audio format, to the best of my knowledge.
Seastones
Ned Lagin released the vinyl LP Seastones on Round Records (RX 106) in April 1975. There was also a SQ Quad version with the same catalogue number. Or the two channel stereo version is a mixdown from the quadrophonic master, I don't know. Rykodisc released it on compact disc (RCD 40193) in 1990 or '91, depending what source of information you want to believe. I remember it being released on CD, but I can't remember what year. The Rykodisc is 2 channel stereo. The SQ Quad version has never been released in a surround sound DVD or surround sound Blu-Ray or the defunct DVD-Audio format, to the best of my knowledge.
Seastones
Ned Lagin released the vinyl LP Seastones on Round Records (RX 106) in April 1975. There was also a SQ Quad version with the same catalogue number. Or the two channel stereo version is a mixdown from the quadrophonic master, I don't know. Rykodisc released it on compact disc (RCD 40193) in 1990 or '91, depending what source of information you want to believe. I remember it being released on CD, but I can't remember what year. The Rykodisc is 2 channel stereo. The SQ Quad version has never been released in a surround sound DVD or surround sound Blu-Ray or the defunct DVD-Audio format, to the best of my knowledge.
Seastones
Ned Lagin released the vinyl LP Seastones on Round Records (RX 106) in April 1975. There was also a SQ Quad version with the same catalogue number. Or the two channel stereo version is a mixdown from the quadrophonic master, I don't know. Rykodisc released it on compact disc (RCD 40193) in 1990 or '91, depending what source of information you want to believe. I remember it being released on CD, but I can't remember what year. The Rykodisc is 2 channel stereo. The SQ Quad version has never been released in a surround sound DVD or surround sound Blu-Ray or the defunct DVD-Audio format, to the best of my knowledge.
O.K....
Here's my take on the streams: At first I was like some people and not touch it until the box set arrives and then i thought : "hey, I paid $743.73 for this thing and due to recent life events I could die tomorrow so I might as well enjoy it while its there!" I havent listened to full shows, just trolling around. Ive listened to parts of the 77 show and its a great one. Slower tempo but it rocks! The "Peggy-O" is pretty tasty! I listened to 84 last night. Pretty good, musically it jams but Jerry's voice does not sound good at times. Im looking forward to the 72 show (of course!) the most so I'll probably save that for the box. Another good thing is that for those of us with no record player we can listen to the 45. "Caution" is pretty good but Phil's voice on "BOR" has a very rough start.I'll probably troll around today before NFL time! Take care folks and ENJOY!!!!
Streaming
I'm going to wait for the CDs to do any real listening, but I did check out the single and a couple of the AUD patches. I figure it's better to know about them now not as a surprise while listening.The book pdf though, is very cool and will save me having to crack the spine of the real one when it arrives. Which is fine, I need glasses for the book, but the pdf on the monitor doesn't require them.
My plan for listening to the box is rip the CDs to HD and splice the tracks into set long suites and then randomly shuffle through the almost 60 suites. I've found this to be a great way to listen to new shows, as it provides an experience as close to being at the show as possible because it takes away the set lists and just uses the date and set. I find it helps to force active listening as you play the "what's coming up next game" and it's those surprises that are what made going to multiple shows so worthwhile.
Thank YOU
A couple of week's ago I wrote a rant about my bag luck including the delay of this box. A very kind soul on here helped me out with some stuff I don't have (it came yesterday and yes it's incredible) and I personally want to say THANK YOU. I am indebted for this act of kindness and will pay this act of kindness forward when ever I can. THANK YOU
Seastones
Both the original LP and the Rykodisc CD reissue (which has two versions of Seastones) are SQ encoded. I have seen that someone decoded one of the two (not clear which) and converted it to DVD-Audio format, quad (4.0), but I have never found a download. I have also seen mention of it as a dts 4.0 CD, but again, never found a download. There are some old (non working) web pages (via cached versions) that refer to torrents of the material. It is there somewhere ...
Just by the way, there are still releases in DVD-Audio, very few, but from time to time (Flaming Lips, King Crimson, XTC come to mind), also multichannel SACD & Blu Ray.
45 RPM single
I don't have a vinyl record player. I ordered the CD box set, and for that price, I would have appreciated getting all the music included in the box set. If they didn't want to press a CD single instead of a vinyl single (which I have no use for), I wish they would have at least included a link where I could download the two songs, rather than stream them, so I could burn my own CD and add it to the set.
Related to this box set, when I ordered it, I thought it was such a good idea to listen to one concert a year in chronological order, I picked 35 shows from my collection of CDs, and am now listening to them. I'm up to 1980. However, I don't have any live shows from 1986 or 1987, but I do have Garcia shows from those years, so I'm using those instead. I guess I could also include the Dylan and Dead CD for a 1987 show.
Multiple posts 5x
Sorry for the multiple posts(5), dust on the old desktop.
@Ziffle: Thank you for clarifying the subject up for me. I rarely listen to this release, I really can't remember when the list time I had listened to the Rykodisc release, about 5years or so.
RE: Seastones
Thanks - I know about the album release, but I meant a Seastones "set" from a live GD show, like the one on 9/18/74.
I had forgotten about the edited one from June 1974 Dick's Picks.
Seastones
The "jam before Dark Star on The GD Movie soundtrack is usually considered Phil & Ned with friends.
"Jam" > (Grateful Dead) – 8:54
"Dark Star" – 24:10
from Nedbase.
10-18-74 - Grateful Dead at the Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA - Ned plays during the first half of Set II: "Ned and Phil" > jam > "Dark Star" > "Morning Dew".
Nedbase can be a great research tool. What I used to think were Wall of Sound problems, like hums and buzzes are actually Ned's electronic music breaking into the mix.
http://nedbase.blogspot.com/
Pretty cool!
If u look @ page 138 in the pdf of the book, they used my "estranged soon-to-be ex-wife's" drawing I submiitted. A skull with vines over it and flowers in the eyes.....
RE: Seastones
> Nedbase can be a great research tool. What I used to think were > Wall of Sound problems, like hums and buzzes are actually Ned's
> electronic music breaking into the mix.
I guess I could open up Deadbase50 ... I have not had to chance to dig into it yet.
The GD Movie soundtrack must be the Phil & Ned I was thinking about, but this boxset is the first stand alone version? It's really a shame they didn't include it in the DaP 7/31/74 release. I like that one. It makes most Spaces seem downright tame.
I never liked Healy's screwing around with Weir's vocals in the 80s, but if he could have brought a little Nagin to some of the songs, that would have been ok. The Dead could be wonderfully weird, but it seemed like a waste when they relegated it to 15 minutes during the second set.
Database of USB Lightning Bolt Purchasers./ AKA Boltheads
Just a thought, we gave up packaging for the possibility of better sounding files. There are only going to 1,000 of us when this is all said and done. This lightning bolt will be a monument on my vault, next to my Beatles 24-bit complete stereo recordings. (Wish there was a mono 24-bit Apple)How about it Bolt Heads? Who are you? Where are you?
I'm one
I've streamed a little here and there and the show selection sounds top notch. Maybe the USB's will make it before the box in the end. Really would love all the goodies but in the end it's about the music so I had to go 24/96. I buy hi res when ever possible but have no 24 bit dead yet, although I probably have over 500 gb of lossless files of them.
24-bit Dead
I have Dowloaded some off lossless legs, if the source was analog tape my old ears can definatly hear the subtle increase in fidelity. Looking seriously at Spring '90 TOO
Streamin in Kentucky
Hola!
Well, I fully relate to Nanno-1974's post. I had prepared my full-on arrogant "First Show 1974" (as if anyone cared!) gameface and would refuse to listen, much less even open, the streaming link.
It lasted ZERO seconds.
Decided I was only punishing myself, and began as I planned, listening-wise, to proceed chronologically and am now in Set I, Waterbury 1972. What has struck me the most so far is pretty simple: the remarkable leaps in musicianship both individually and as an organic, living group of musicians. The biggest being at the beginning: 1966 to 1967 to 1968 was simply tremendous. Here we are in '72, and aside from the simple reality of the technology of recording, the Band is so different, but so true to what it was in the beginning.
David - You were brilliant in your prescience and judgment in how best to honor this trip.
Sincerely and fully, thank you. Just . . . thanks.
Kentucky Scott
PS & PPS & PPPS
PS - For those waiting, this is not a criticism. And, I anxiously await your reviews as I respect not just your choice but having read your past posts, I am certain there will be ample insights and challenges to my own prejudices and impressions from what you write.
PPS - Though as a friend of Bill W I no longer indulge in changing my state for listening, I am honoring the Boys (and girl) by breaking into my special humidor for these sessions in my listening-room/mancave . . . so far, a Simon Bolivar bellicose, a Paratagas Lusitania, and more than a few Cohiba Esplendidos! There is something to be said for the pleasures of being 56!
PPPS - I am sooooooooooooo glad I ordered and didn't wait as the "hard" Box is now sold out.
All the years combine
Crank up that old "Victrola", put on your rockin shoes!
I'm waiting
on 384/48 X-HD files, you know it's coming in a few years...my cat is even more anxious than I am to hear the ultra-high frequency nuances that have thus far been missing from our music listening experiences.
I can't wait to see her little head turning from side to side while i'm wondering what the hell she is hearing.
24 bit Dead
Galvinized, you should run to your computer and buy the download Spring TOO, I believe recorded by John Cutler on 24 track Studer A800 machines, the finest analog had (and has) to offer. This is a 24/192 kHz download. The mix is excellent, with a live in the studio sound, and the playing perfect, unearthly fine.
Transcode the FLAC back to uncompressed WAV, start listening, and you will be transfixed.
Re: Bolt Heads
Although I love this designation for those who purchased the USB, I believe the term "Bolt Head" is already used for the rabid fan base of one Michael Bolton.
I'll be honest with you, I love his music. I do. I'm a Michael Bolton fan. For my money, I don't know if it gets any better than when he sings "When a Man Loves a Woman".
Bolt Heads
I would have thought that "Bolt Heads" were fans of Dr. Frankenstein.
But I am a proud member of the 1000. At least I will be next month (hopefully).
Into the 7th trip around - '72
I won't spoil things for folks who haven't listened yet with any song by song discourse, and I've learned that many here are much more talented at doing that than I am and I eagerly await their posts. I'm into the Dark Star of the of the 9/24/72 show. I think I posted already about some of the stuff up through the '70 show. Well, the '71 show rocks and rolls with many blistering standouts. The '72 show is yet another '72 miracle. It seems every time they played that year they made even the most mundane into the new and surprising. Just check out the Big River, the Devil's Friend, and of course the Playin' is another masterpiece. Dolly Partons "Tomorrow Is Forever" is a treat, and right now the Dark Star is melting the universe - how can they keep coming up with so many new things to say in this song??
So far this box is everything I was hoping it would be.
Edit: this Dark Star is GREAT GREAT GREAT.
Love the sarcasm
Don't won't to cause a discussion between 16 bit or 24 but we all know MP3 is a portion of the fidelity originally performed, love your post dantian, I've considered myself a CAT at times, but I've had many more than 9 lives
product sku
081227955892