30 Trips Around The Sun Box & Digital USB

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September 4, 2015 - 10:38am

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Helpful hints for using your USB:

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

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

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

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

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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

Now streaming 10/12/84 Augusta ME

A much improved sound over previous soundboard sources that I have heard over the years!One HOT Stranger!

Happy Birthday wissinomingdeadhead!

I'm ordained thru the Universal Life Church,so if ya can't get to the Pope just drop me a line! ;) And Happy Birthday to Hundred Year Hall! 20 years today!

Netflix and the Village

Before San Fran. Came into full bloom Greenwich Village was the scene. This doc was brilliant in its history and showing the folk music bloom that lead to the 60 s proper. I loved this movie and will revisit it I think a time or two. Amazing footage of a really important musical era. As a folkie today, I love when homage is paid like this.If you get a chance, view it. Great film EDIT. I did chuckle because not one mention was made of The Kingston Trio! Yeah I know they where the "establishment" folkies, but they sold a boatload of records.

Cool Story about Phil and Terrapin Crossroads

This was in the International New York Times. Just happened to pick it up in France last week... http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/20/business/after-the-grateful-dead-phil… Mr. Lesh, indeed.

Good Read, Nicecat

He really built something nice out there. Thanks for the good read.

JiminMD. Wrecking Crew

God that was Fantastic! My wife was laughing cause I knew nealy all the players and songs! Do you remember how great this stuff was on an AM radio going down the street in summer in like a GTO?We're so lucky to have heard this when it was fresh. In today's music world it's a completely different game. Sight read a Chart? Hahaha how many can still do that? Loving these features on Flix. Ginger Baker and I are set for morning coffee........

I Fought The Law

Hey everyone. Totally going out on limb here, but check out the 'I Fought The Law' from 1993 show. It's totally rippin'. Can't wait for this set!!!

BEWARE MR BAKER

An excellent documentary, and if you don't watch it, GINGER WILL BEAT YOU!

Netflix Docs

I've watched them all. Muscle Shoals was definitely a favorite. The Other One was good. The Ginger Baker one was interesting, mostly to learn more about him. I do still need to watch the Keith Richards doc. I am a whore for Rockumentaries.

shipping date mid- or end-oct ?

Can anyone help ?My order status says October 31 - here we read Mid-October ? So what will happen ? Anyone knows ? BTW : I love the 91 show - can?t resist to listen to the downloads , well the needle shoves into the brain peace

@ purpleerik69

Currently, if you order the USB edition, "add to cart" on that page, the next page will have a description of the item in the 1st left column read: USB product estimated to ship between Oct 9 - Oct 31, 2015 applied Credit Card Payment Only (in red lettering). There is a 2nd column, "action", a 3rd with quantity and a 4th column with "Availability" that reads: Ships on Oct-31-2015. I don't really know, but I await the shipping notice email anytime after October 9th. I would be very happy if the shipping notice email would appear in my my mailbox on October 9th and the physical box set would arrive at my house in the 3rd week of October.

Shipping

I am far from the PTB, but I believe Oct. 31 is a "place-holder", or worst-case-scenario, meant to be the end of the line. Computers don't like things like "mid-October" or "October 15th-ish". 10-31 fits in computer world. I think (read: hope!) we'll get our stuff before Halloween...

Abudee!

That's all, folks!

shipping date

thanx for your thouhts , so we all just sit and wait....sometimes we all just sit.... don`t know why but it`s a unique feeling , like waiting for christmas.....hey , Santa , don`t forget me over here

@spaceBro

thanks for the 9/25/91 and 9/26/91 suggestion - next to never go beyond 89/90 happy Sunday, Pope is in philly, out to stack some firewood and hoping the Birds don't start the season 0-3 -- though, sure there are a number of NFL fans that would be ok with that ;)

The waiting...

As Tom Petty said, "The waiting is the hardest part!"

D'Oh!

Double-post? Yeah...

30 Trips '90 - '95

Guys, I have to say - Dave Lemieux absolutely got it right when he said the '90 - '95 shows weren't just "good shows for those years" but great shows overall. I have not been streaming anything except the 80s and 90s, and I am totally impressed with these Vince shows. If someone never heard the Dead before, and these were their first listen, I don't think they'd have any complaints. Vince is very nicely mixed, better than Brent has been since mid-80s (too loud from '87 - '90), and his vocals blend in with the rest of the band so smoothly; Jerry is playing well and singing well enough (I have to give him some leeway for age - everybody's singing voice ages, except maybe Ace Frehley - for some mysterious reason he sounds just like he did in 1978 - probably because he comes from Outer Space); Bobby is solid as ever and I actually have an easier time hearing him in the mix than in a lot of the '70s shows; and Bill and Mickey sound just fine (I prefer the acoustics of their drum sounds from the '70s, but hey, equipment and amplification has changed). I would say the hi-lights are Vince and Jerry. Sooo nice to hear Jerry play well in any year or band, and Vince sounds well integrated in the band - his chops are good, his timing is good, and his discretion is excellent (i.e. when to play and when NOT to play). Highly recommend these shows as a starting point in your 30 Trips endeavor.

Love the Love for '90s Dead!

I love reading so many comments praising the 90's shows. Especially from those who admittedly were skeptical of 90's Grateful Dead. As someone who only started listening to the Dead in late 1990 (after Brent had passed), and only saw handful of shows in 1991 and 1993, this is the Dead as I first witnessed them. And yes, they were still good. There was definitely some magic still left in them as a band. For what it's worth, I'm also a fan of the Road Trips series, and the Cal Expo '93 set (including the bonus disc) is one that gets a lot of play from me. A LOT! I think part of what makes it work so much is that the rest of the band had to step up a little to fill in the gaps left by Jerry's decline. Sure, the best shows were still the one's where Jerry was playing his best, but then wasn't that the case in all eras? I also think that the number of folks coming out and saying, "Hey, I really like this show from '95, and I usually don't listen to '90s Dead" is one of the reasons Dave wanted to put out this career-spanning, 30-years box set It sort of puts their music from all era's in context. By making the set available as "all-or-none," Dave and the Big Box also asks some of us to step outside our comfort zone and explore eras of the bands playing that we might otherwise avoid. On that note, I'd say they've succeeded already! Well done, Dave!

'85 show

Given that '85 is probably my favorite 80s year after '89 (maybe '81), I was somewhat surprised that 6/24 is my least favorite show in the box. I can't help but hope that the reason they didn't select one of the next few shows is that we're going to get a mini-set of 6/28, 6/30, and 7/1 in the future. edit- ok, I probably like the '82 show the least, but that's more to do with the SQ than the actual show. edit2- I was also wondering about 5/16/81. It's a hot show, no doubt, but the fact that they used an audience patch for such a significant portion of the show (easily the largest patch they've used to date), cannot bode well for other potential releases from this year. There's other candidates from May or Fall that could have challenged 5/16 had they been complete. I'm guessing there are issues with other shows too.

'76 Samsons

Ever notice Jerry doesn't pluck away on the main Samson theme in '76 versions? He some fills and soloing while everyone else carries the melody. Not jazzed about these versions, prefer '77 and forward.

90's etc

Thanks uv1! I'm the same as you - first show was October '90. I read all the comments on here and I start to wonder sometimes..."Gosh, didn't I have a good time at those shows I went to? Wasn't the music good?" And listening to the '95 show (the only '90's show in the box I've listened to so far) I'm reminded that yes, they were still good, fun enjoyable shows. I remember the description of Cal Expo '93 (the show I went to - May 27) in the current, at that time, "Unbroken Chain" as an "epic" show. All three of the Shoreline June '95 shows were excellent. I remember standing on the lawn and watching the people in the seated section looking like fields of wheat waving together in the wind to Ramble On Rose. Excellent! Thanks Jerry! And I'm not even going to mention the awesome Standing on the Moon at those June Shoreline shows. Thanks again Jerry!

Coffee with Mr Baker

Whoa this guy is a charmer eh? Had no idea he is or was this F ed Up.I mean I knew a great deal about him, but this was an eye opener! Oh well everybody can't be a nice guy eh? Happy Sunday.

mr baker

Saw it last year. Was also surprised how screwed up he is, but also how musically schooled he is. I knew he was a great drummer, but to hear him talk about it, there is clearly nothing unplanned when playing live. He scoffs at Moon, which says a lot about his approach to music. I don't think he appreciates Moon's talent and uniqueness. Nobody else in rock n roll is a lead drummer, and it"s almost impossible to replicate Moon, because his drumming was an extension of his explosive disposition. Few drummers' personalities are mirrored in their style to the great extent that Moon's is. It's the element that drove The Who's live sound. Everyone else was a passenger on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Listening to I Need A Miracle from the Closing of Winter land. Fantastic. Perfect. The best. And it's good too... On to Playing in the Band. Love this mix, I can hear everyone, and Phil especially sounds good. I get a chuckle when people put down Keith in '78 - he plays as well as ever on pretty much everything I've heard, including this Playing. It is true that his talents are not showcased in the later years, but I maintain that's a product of the music's style, not any personal limitations.

It all rolls ...

Wow, you guys are making my decision not to stream harder and harder! I decided just before the delay in shipping was announced to go on a GD fast, in order to drool even more heavily than usual when I got Boxilla in my mitts, but the plan got pretty hard to follow-through on when the shipping-later-than-Sept announcement came through. I've of course cheated--listened to the 9/11/73 DStar several times this week--but am generally trying to give some of the rest of the music collection some exercise so that my aural tastebuds are primed & even hungrier than usual for the GOGD. Deep into Cecil Taylor at the moment, and Los Lobos are entertaining me a good bit, too. I have to second that emotion w/r/t the kindness of '90s Dead getting some love. I was too young to experience Pig, TC (seen him since), Donna (seen her since), or Keith with the band, and I just missed catching Brent. I don't usually reach first for 1990s GD (I'm generally a 69/70 and 73/74 kind of listener), but sometimes nothing will do but Vince-era. It's all good, depending on mood and timing, and I hope we all get a few surprises out of this box. Anyway, happy anniversary of every show the GD ever played on 9/27 (here's looking at YOU Stanley Theater!). Out of curiosity: I'm planning to listen to the Box chronologically, but, with a job, a spouse, and 3 kids, I don't get enough uninterrupted headphone-time to expect that this won't take me several months (took me about 6 months to get through the E72 materials). So my crisis is that I am not sure what I'll do when DaP 16 (and 17, and maybe 18) arrives. Do I stop my Boxilla experience to groove on Dave's latest fave, or do I wait and wait until I've finished out the Box experience to listen to the next tasty treat from DL? Anyone else have a plan to accommodate this earth-shattering problem? It'll be a hard choice either way. As Oscar Wilde said, I can resist anything except temptation. I know ... it's all good, and I wish these were the biggest problems we all had everyday! FWIW, my half-year-long excursion through E72 was not hitch-free. I got to the penultimate disc of the box and found it skipped. In spite of the long time since order shipment, Dr. Rhino sent me a replacement within a week. Whatever complaints there are about TPtB on other people's parts, I have to give them some cred & mucho gratitude for coming through when I needed it! And, I don't recall who said it first, but the upcoming Dylan bootleg series release shows you how well treated we 'heads are. $600 for 18 CDs? No thanks, even for this Dylan freak. I'll go for the 6-CD version, probably, in the end, but can't help feeling cheated even there. I have everything the man's released, on vinyl and CD, but when I compare his catalogue to what we're getting from Rhino, I feel disappointed (as a BD fan) and grateful (as a GD fan). Now if only Dylan would step out on stage for some of the Dead & Co shows ....

Make sure to rip first

My advice to ckcoffman (and others) is to first rip the discs in the box to iTunes or your other favorite software. That's a quick way to find out whether any discs are defective. You can then listen at your leisure. I haven't yet listened to any of the streamed concerts. Recently listened to Dave's Picks 15 - wonderful stuff. Since there's a fade between discs from Rhythm Devils to Not Fade Away, I used software (in my case, Amadeus Pro) to edit the two together, so I now have a seamless performance from Estimated Prophet through to Sugar Magnolia.

How about a NYE box set?

There have been some great New Years shows, and I think a box of a few would be cool. My fave is 12/31/81, but there are so many. https://archive.org/details/gd81-12-31.sbd.bertha-ashley.12784.sbeok.sh…

Totally agree KeithFan

Moonie was the best in my book. Love his approach. Unparalleled in RockGinger considers himself as Jazz. I see that and his choices are spectacular too. But himself as a person? Summer's Eve comes to mind!

Summers Eve

lol, right you are Florida. I felt a little bad for him throughout the movie; but then toward the end, his son said he blew him off, and that Ginger had already blown the millions he received from the Cream reunion shows. Talk about blowing a second chance - that's not just down-on-your-luckedness, that's bonafide Summer's Eve! I do love that late 60s tube amplification stage sound of Cream and others, especially with the Who and the Marshall Stack configuration. It's crazy to think now, how short a span all of those late '60s bands existed on stage. The scene was pretty much changed for good within 10 years.

60s music

Tube amps! Love um. I once owned a Mesa Boogie Mk 3 Simulclass that had the most rich warm melt your soul sound I ever heard. Loved that box. Had to be played LOUD just had to be haha.Sold it along with most of my road gear, but picked up a little Orange solid state amp, and for $239. It's a screaming lil monster. Very nice tone at any volume. The days of huge Marshalls are pretty much over. Such a pain to move them around. Plus these new Little boxes make great sound. One thing I learned that amazed me is Jimmy Page and his fav recording amp. It was a little amp as well! He miked it up perfectly. Distance is Depth! Page learned a lot from the ole 50s engineers. I read Ginger has pretty bad COPD now too. It showed with the chain smoking in the movie. Very sad story blowing through 5 million bucks and being dirt poor cause you can't withhold your compulsiveness. What's the line about a fool and his money?

Song Version Reviews

Loved the E72 Dark Star blow-by-blow, 6-tus. Now, who wants to host a web repository (blog form or whatever) for this kind of thing? I'll contribute a review of every song version officially released on CD -- including 30 Trips, eventually. All of the others are done already, they just need a loving home and the chance to interact with other reviews. PM me!

@florida

...and regarding Ginger Baker. You know full well that any of us would just as quickly blow through $5 million if we got our hands on it and there was $5 million worth of previously unreleased Dead recordings to be purchased.

Baker vs Moon

Personally, there are drummers who I like better than either of those guys. I think Michael Shrieve was possibly better than either. Phil Collins, Stuart Copeland and Levon Helm are a few more of my favorites.

@Lowspark

Man Im pretty tight with the cabbage. If I had that kinda war chest I doubt seriously you'd see me blow it. But you never know.I agree Mr Copeland is a top notch skin man.

NYE box set

Thanks for the tip regarding 1981 new years eve,I have just finished listening,what a fantastic show. I also enjoyed finding the first set with Joan playing,shame that the quality is not soundboard standard. There is always room for another G D box set,but are there enough full shows left in the vault? So far I have only listened to the single from the 30 trips download,still hoping to avoid listening to any full shows until I get the physical CDs,me thinks the box is less than 12" square,otherwise we could have had a 12" record rather than a 7" single. Look forward to seeing the Lunar eclipse in a few hours here in the UK.

physical vs usb versions

Is there a verdict on how the USB version will treat the concerts vs the physical version? Obviously, USB doesn't have the CD-length limitation, so the concerts can theoretically run uninterrupted. For example, the '73 show's Jam necessitated a track re-order, and '78 splits the jam @ Drums/NFA. So I'm wondering if the shows run uninterrupted on the USB or if they're, essentially, only digital copies (FLAC aside). Anyone know? Thanks!

O.K....

Sitting here, having some 6.9% Octoberfests and listening to 3/25/72. Great show, I love the Academy of Music run. Should have been a box set. What do u think? Ive said this before, I'll say it again: JimInMD is a stand up fuckin guy!.....and I say that with the utmost respect!.....he knows!!!!

A brand new crescent moon....

....or in tonight's case, a brand new full eclipse, harvest, blood red, supermoon! Go outside, look up, and Get Some!!!....awesome....

Academy of Music Box Set

Completely agree this would make an awesome box set.

physical vs usb versions

Oswald55 asked, "I'm wondering if the shows run uninterrupted on the USB or if they're, essentially, only digital copies (FLAC aside)." I sent a similar question to customer service and David L. several weeks ago (when I ordered the USB version). I was told that the engineers delivered two completely separate masters, one for the CD, one for the USB. My question had to do with audio quality (is the USB just a FLAC of the CDs), and the helpful answer was, no, the USB is distinct. I did not ask about track sequencing; hopefully they will give us everything is the correct order, but it doesn't much matter in the end. We can resequence those files on a playing copy with no loss of sound quality. Similar can be done with the CDs, but only by resequencing and then burning to a new CD (otherwise the HDCD decoding will be lost). I mentioned somewhere else that the Spring TOO download version runs in performance order without fades, so far as I know, but not having heard the CDs, no idea if they are different.

In honor of this sweet eclipse....

....I am starting to spin a Dark Star. 1971....Chicago....

I'm so impatient!

I am one of those who prefer to wait for the box, and so I have not listened to digital files (except China> Rider of 10/27/1990, which I love). I'm so impatient! (Excuse my English, I'm French).

On the Skins

Nice drummer discussion, compliments of Mr. Baker, I believe. I love all those mentioned.. I am partial to the multi-limb schizophrenia of Bill Bruford as well. I recently took a youtube spin of his work and bands and was completely absorbed as about an hour disappeared from space and time.

No eclipse here on the East Coast

Overcast and raining.. I didn't even know it was going on. Coincidentally, however, I spent my predawn hours listening to the Dark Star > Morning Dew from Dave's 13, almost a year since my first spin. Up way too early drinking some kona, great music to plan out my week. What a powerful performance.

Robbed in the East

Hi JiminMD here in fla. we were robbed because of the weather from seeing the eclipse. The Moon was Obscured by Clouds.............But I did Find a bunch of songs which dealt with the Moon. Sisters of the Moon by Fleetwood was a cool remembrance. Of course we were Standing on the Moon with the Dead, then Walking on the Moon with the Police, etc. There are a lot of songs dealing with the Moon! Mankind has been thinking about that glistening glob of celestial cheese a long time. Starting off the week in Winterland 73, 11-11 to be precise. From there the course is wide open. All the Best to you Kind Folk

Drummer

The best drummer I have ever seen live is Joe Russo......end of story.

Neil Peart

No eclipse here on the East Coast

Sorry to hear that Jim here in New England it was totally clear and beautiful from the glider on my front porch. In honor of the event I'm playing the SBD from 9/16/78 2nd set. I have always loved the Shakedown > Truckin segment. https://archive.org/details/gd78-09-16.sbd.orf.2319.sbeok.shnf

Drummers

I am very fond of a couple drummers mentioned in this thread, but I am really glad to see Michael Shrieve and Bill Bruford mentioned. I am a drummer, and when I was a teenager, I regularly watched live footage of Shrieve like it was porn. I was fortunate to catch King Crimson twice in '95 on the Thrak tour, and the interplay between Bruford and Pat Mastelotto was nothing short of wizardry. Bruford is a trickster, and he is not only obsessively precise, but well versed in the art of ridiculously obtuse time-signatures. Do yourself a favor and check out the Deja Vrooom DVD, most of which is on YouTube. However, with the DVD, I believe you can choose your viewing perspective. Moon is mentioned, probably my favorite drummer. It is really his energy and total chaos that hits me somewhere deep. Ginger: I actually started playing because of Ginger. I was 12 and begging for a left handed electric axe when my Dad played me "Do What You Like" from the Blind Faith LP. That was a defining moment, and I decided to play drums in that moment. I was a huge Ginger fan, and I still appreciate him. But, what appealed to my early teen brain (loud showmanship style drumming-double bass solos and what not) never lost its appeal, but my taste matured. I still dig Baker's work with Cream and Blind Faith, but hearing him (and Clapton and Bruce) on that live recording a few years ago, well, that is one of the most boring recordings I have ever heard. Other drummers who inspired me through the years, Stephen Perkins (Jane's Addiction)-I saw Jane's a couple times in my early drumming years before they broke up, and Perkins was a huge inspiration; Matt Cameron (Soundgarden and subsequently Pearl Jam)-Crazy rhythms and ghost beats, unique time signatures, excellent precision; Jaimoe and Butch Trucks (ABB)-possibly the "easiest" drum duo to watch play, just fluid and groovin', two-drummer shufflin'; Jim Keltner and Jim Gordon- just listen to "Mad Dogs and Englishmen", just about any Delaney and Bonnie LP, and Derek and the Dominoes; Tony Allen (Fela Kuti and the Afrika 70)-just sick!; and there are so many more. I always find musician comparing conversations fascinating, and how easily we start to blur the line between our preferences and individual tastes and fact with statements like "best", greatest ever", and so on. These musicians all have their own very distinct musical voices, and they are almost impossible to compare. I love these conversations and hearing who everyone loves and why.

Drummers

Charlie Watts. He's never mentioned in "greatest drummer" conversations. He should be.

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