30 Trips Around The Sun Box & Digital USB

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September 4, 2015 - 10:38am

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admin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Helpful hints for using your USB:

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

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

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

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

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June 16, 2015 - 2:28pm

#6631

KeithFan2112

Joined:
August 6, 2014

Speaking of Decline

Yeah Palmer, you bring up a good point. What happened to Bob Weir's guitar sound in the late 70s? I want to call it choppy flamenco, but I don't know why I want to call it that. It's something in the tone of his guitar that changed a whole bunch. I may be morphing into pre-hiatus guy....I've always maintained that they were better with just Billy on drums, and that almost anything they played on the Europe '72 tour sounded better in '72 than it did after the hiatus (Bertha, Cold Rain, New Minglewood ((Ladies & Gentlemen - wow)), Ramble On, Sugar Magnolia, Promised Land, Deal, the list goes on. But there was so much good stuff I like in 77/78 - Scarlet Fire, Music Never Stopped, Estimated Eyes, Help-Slipknot-Franklin, The Wheel, Samson, the list goes on.
June 16, 2015 - 2:27pm

#6632

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

DearJerry

For the Shakedown Sessions, I don't think it was that he wasn't welcome to the studio, its that there were days that he didn't even show up, especially towards the end. Jerry, in particular, was pissed and asked John Kahn to finish. He even has keyboard credits on the album. Wouldn't that qualify to some of the comments at least? I also think Keith's playing is brilliant for most of his career with the Dead, and I often spend large amounts of time listening to the Keith Years. I also think band members opinions count. So there's a lot to this, but most importantly I don't recall any significant volume of people bashing Keith's playing on this thread. ..and if there are some comments you might not like, they are almost always in response to someone stirring the pot with Brent bashing, which certainly offends people. I was just highlighting that for a host of reasons Feb '17th was their last show, so lets be thankful for what we have instead of dwelling on what we cannot impact. It is what it is. That's all, nothing personal.
June 16, 2015 - 2:26pm

#6633

Cousins Of The…

Joined:
September 10, 2009

Mo' Keith

Just finished listening Row Jimmy from 3/20/77. Keith sounds great backing up Jerry's fine, lyrical solo, but is clobbered by every hit of Mickey's bass drum. I think this was mentioned a few weeks ago; very apparent to me on this track. To my ears, it sounds like there was a change in the mix from 76 to 77; more emphasis on the drums(esp. bass drum), and a less "crispy" bass, making the overall sound a little muddier than it was.
June 16, 2015 - 2:25pm

#6634

PalmerEldritch

Joined:
July 25, 2011

I love the keyboard/era debates!

I don't agree that "old" topics, such as era- and keyboard debates should be retired. This day's posts has been the most interesting here to me in weeks: from floridabobs culture reflections all through the Keith decline discussion. Almost anything that generates a flurry of thoughtful posts seems cool to me as long as it's civil. As a lifelong Deadhead, I think the era/keyboard debate is perfectly relevant and (for me) endlessly fascinating (well, nearly endlessly). I'm extemely conflicted and ambivalent about most of the Dead's post-hiatus music and have been that way for >35 years. Where else can we talk about these things? If we only stuck to the forum topic, we all know these threads dry up quickly and become boring as all hell. My guess is that,era/keyboard discussions generate the most interest here, despite complaints about "old, well worn" topics. Anyone really bored can just scroll though topics that don't interest them. I did draft a long post to contribute to the Keith decline discussion but lost the draft. Basically, I agree with LoveJerry. Keith sounds fine to me in the late 70's but as someone pointed out, he seems very low in the mix. Yes, there is a huge difference in Keith's playing E72 and May 77; but the same could be said for Phil and Bobby's playing. How could anyone not notice a similar decline in their playing? Listen to any of Bob and Phil's playing from the late 70's compared to, say Fillmore 2/69, E72, or WInterland 73. Night and day.
June 16, 2015 - 2:11pm

#6635

KeithFan2112

Joined:
August 6, 2014

hahahaha What?? He stole Jerry's stash??

No wonder he wasn't welcome (and no wonder he couldn't finish the Shakedown Street session). Hey hey, Jerrylover, don't drag my name in the mud lol. I only said he was a fair pilot. No but really Keith Moon was like the tazmanian devil with drumsticks. If anyone has heard his live stuff from Tommy and Live at leads, in that '69 - '70 zone, you know what I'm talking about. I can understand why Clapton or Baker (I forget which one) would have given that snide expression when asked about Moon's talent compared to Baker, because Ginger was great, a time keeper, an arranger, and so much more than a drummer when it came to making music, but Moon was off the rails excellent, and completely untouchable from '68 - '73. But if you compiled the best live 2 hours of Moon with the best live 2 hours of Baker, Moon is a step or two ahead. What Baker brought to music composition, Moon brought to live performance.
June 16, 2015 - 1:55pm

#6636

LoveJerry

Joined:
March 19, 2015

Jim In MD

I am asking "us" because "us" are the folks who frequently say Keith's playing declined without a lick of evidence to substantiate that assertion. Forget what you've read on Wikipedia or wherever, since it's not exactly a well documented topic, and listen to the music - where is it? Did Phil really say that? If he said it, is it true? In a court of law it's nothing more than hearsay. Give me a song or just recognize that every time someone comments that his playing declined is probably going off the Wiki quote or the comment from Blair Jackson's book (thanks for sharing, never saw it before), but a couple of off-handed subjective remarks do not make it true, and they don't hold up to scrutiny, which is my main point. People are regurgitating hearsay that does not hold up to scrutiny - no wonder politicians lie so much - it's so easy to pass lies off as truth to the masses. It's actually kind of scary. It would be interesting to scan this site for the past several months to see how often this unsubstantiated rubbish was repeated. I kind of feel bad for Donna. And the reason I didn't bring up anything like drug use or marital problems is because it has nothing to do with my argument, which is simply that his playing did not suffer on the stage, and I have the tapes to prove it :-) Or maybe I don't - I am willing to admit I was wrong or uninformed, which is why I posted in the first place - to find out if anyone can point to a performance where his playing was off. Keithfan mentioned Keith Moon - at least when his playing was said to have declined before his death, you can hear it in recordings (Kilburn 1977, Who Are You). That I believe, because it's well documented and easy to hear.
June 16, 2015 - 1:39pm

#6637

KeithFan2112

Joined:
August 6, 2014

You Know a Rumble Ain't a Rumble Without Me

Of course I agree with LoveJerry - not because I'm a Keith fan, but because it's true - there is really very little primary source evidence that Keith's playing deteriorated. Wikipedia? Even if Phil said it, ex-bandmates deride each other all of the time, it's the single most predictable type of slander they throw at one another. I'm sure he nodded off at the wheel a few times, but that's hardly a deterioration in skills. Not that it's a good thing. But I get LoveJerry's sentiment, which I might also add was not an argument about the reasons he left the band so much as a defense of his playing. So while yeah, some folks have pointed out that there was drug use and whatever, the main point is that folks comment about Keith's deterioration of skill on here all the time, presumably because they read a Wiki quote or Blair Jackson comment - yet the evidence, the music betrays the notion that there was anything substandard in his playing. If I'm reading her post accurately she's just asking someone to point out which songs/shows/period demonstrates this decreased ability to play, and indignant (correct me if I'm wrong JerryLover) that when the topic of his departure comes up, everyone always says he couldn't play, he couldn't play, he couldn't play. I have, myself tried to substantiate that claim that he could no longer play, but just can't find it. The proof should be in the pudding, but it's not. Long live Keith. Both of them - Keith Moon drummed circles around Ginger - he just colored out of the lines a lot.
June 16, 2015 - 1:12pm

#6638

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

Re: DearJerry/Keith

Why ask us? We didn't kick him out of the band. There's a few factors you are not bringing up besides his playing. I don't think any of us question he was a brilliant piano player loaded with talent. But.. First there was his escalating drug use. By late '78 Keith had a heroin addiction (and for that matter so did Jerry). Towards the end of Shakedown Street, Keith couldn't even be found to finish the keyboard tracks on some of the unfinished songs, so John Kahn of all people filled in and did them. In Rock Skully's book, Rock states Keith was rumored to have stolen Jerry's stash once, which really pissed off Jerry. Shortly after that, Keith wasn't part of the JGB. Can't ask any of them if its true because they've all passed by now.. but I don't think there's much doubt about their drug use and drug of choice in these years. There was also the relationship trauma. There were regular fireworks between Keith and Donna on a regular basis. Violent fights, trashed hotels, smash up derby's in the parking lots, ...drama.. tension.. yuk. And then there was his playing. I think his playing had diminished or at the very least was not consistent by late '78, early '79 and, well, the sad truth is.. you can't get rid of Jerry and I'm not sure if having two junkies in the band was something they wanted or could continue with. Keith and Donna wanted to leave too. I think she left a few shows early in one of the last tours because she couldn't take it either. Remember, they were trying to raise small kids at the time. So its well documented that the parting was mutual. I'm not sure what is to be accomplished by going down that rabbit hole. They left and they got a new piano player. We weren't there, but I imagine if we were and if we were privy to all the facts and details.. well, my guess is one way or another, that darkness had to give. One Edit: I read cousins reply (which was classic). Yes, amateur slide guitar hour. aaaack! Love ya Bobby... but on this one, I agree with my cousin. He supposedly started playing more slide to get the sounds he (they) wanted they keys. ..and yes, Donna in particular was drinking a lot, but Keith was chasing the dragon.
June 16, 2015 - 1:02pm

#6639

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

Re: Brokedown

I agree with your post. I think most people's minds on this are 'set like concrete'. The back and forth is usually non-productive, and I can't say I learn a ton from it.. especially when the posts come with barbs or put down another's tastes or preferences. I actually don't see the debate, I like the Keith years.. but spring '79 was their last hurrah, and enter the '80's and they got a new keyboard player. It is what it is. I am thankful someone pressed "record" on the tape deck, sit back and enjoy (or press skip if there's out there that doesn't tickle your pleasure bone).
June 16, 2015 - 12:54pm

#6640

mbarilla

Joined:
August 8, 2013

Check out JGB live shows from 1978

Some great stops along the way from Keith in 1978. And another vote for Red Rocks July 7-8, 1978. Tennesse Jed ; Passenger ; Peggy-O ; The Music Never Stopped Killer four piece combo to end first night 1st set

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

Yeah, lol

"Famous, Original Ray's..." and all the variations, heh. There was only one Ray's, though. And now it's gone. Hell, used to be you could still get a decent slice most anywhere. That's all changed, too. Now you can't get a decent slice almost anywhere. Well, at least we still have John's Pizza on Bleecker Street (though that would be a pie, not a slice). So, I go into a deli nowadays and ask for a regular coffee, and they say, "Milk and sugar?" What? I said a REGULAR coffee! Didn't you hear me? Sheesh! That was always known as milk, 2 sugars... I'm a stranger in my own city now.

SF too

Saw this show on HBO called San Francisco 2.0 about how the culture of SF is being destroyed by the influx of tech money into the city.

The 11/8/70 Show

This show has some interesting things about the set lists: 1st: 'Around And Around' Final: 'Operator', 'Main Ten',' Wake up Little Susie' Only: 'Mystery Train', 'My Babe' Others: 'New Orleans' (Bob) > 'Searchin' (Pigpen) / 'Operator' follows 'Ripple' (I'm a sucker for both). The 'Dancin' Jam' out of 'The Main Ten' & 'Dark Star" has a great spacey feel to it (w/ "Dark Star' traces) before the band finally picks up the pace and goes into a 1970 style 'Dancin' In The Streets'. In short, I love this show! So much so that I downloaded it from Archive, if for no other reason than historical perspective. I find that my hearing adjusts after a few songs. While the sound quality is about the same a few others I downloaded for the same reason are: 4-15-69 (Pig in all his glory) / 3-21-70 / 5-7-70 / 6-24-70 2 shows. / 10-23-70 listen to the guy at the very end! /12-28-70 great audience recording on this one. A show that can only be streamed, but you might want to hear from a cultural standpoint: 6/7/70. The band starts the electric set with 'Cryptical'. As it's winding down you can hear a woman in the audience giving everyone *grief* because they're not doing enough to stop the Vietnam War. The band slows down enough to let her have her say and then slams into 'The Other One'. This show also has the 1st 'Sugar Magnolia' (it sounds like it!) with a 'Louie Louie' tease after it. Sorry for being so long-winded and hope you enjoy.

Countdown Revisited

Either 12 OR 28 days until BOXZILLA ships.

Dantian. Bad news

Reading your posts is making me blue! NYC was the coolest place I'd been back in the day. Starting going in 87 as my landlord lived there. Stayed with her down in University and 14th a bunch of times. Saw some incredible sights just getting a slice and sitting watching the sidewalks. Always a fun time hanging in Manhatten. To think of those icons not there sucks. Didn't Dave like the White Horse Tavern?

NYC?

Don't tell me this town aint got no heart? I hear ya Dantian. But it isn't just NYC. The world is changing. There is still good to be had though. You just gotta poke around.

@BertDert

We will have to just agree to disagree, my friend. Admittedly, both Saved and Street Legal have some individual strong tracks, I don't think either of them stand up as the same quality as most other Dylan albums as a whole. I see you left Down In The Groove off your post. I'll assume that you agree with my assessment of that one as a "turd." Again, even though they are my least-favorite Dylan albums, they are still better than most work by most other artists, IMHO.

The shows that I wish I had in "30 Trips"

French living in France, I have only seen three times the Grateful Dead in my life (in May 1972, in September 1974 and October 1990). The shows that I wish I had in "30 Trips" : 31/12/1972: after Truckin', the longest jam I've ever heard(43 minutes!), and a Morning Dew very well built and very moving; 05/19/1094: a China> Rider and Goin 'Down The Road Feeling Bad very hots, and after Truckin' a jam very blues-jazz, which gives me chills every time I listen; 08.28.1981: the most interesting show I know of to 1981.

FloridaBob, Jim

FloridaBob - Thanks for reminding me that some things are still left...The White Horse is still there, for now. If you stayed on 14th and University, then you may remember Bowlmor Lanes on University Place (just 2 blocks down from your landlord's)? Gone, after 76 years, to make way for yet another "luxury condos" glass tower. I know you play guitar, so maybe you remember Music Row, all those music stores (Sam Ash, Manny's Music, etc.) on 48th Street? All gone now, except for one holdout that won't be there much longer. More luxury condos coming soon. There are a thousand more examples of the above. Don't mean to make you blue, but it is what's happening. Jim - I know, and NY was always changing, but the rate at which they are tearing down the old, beautiful architecture and replacing it with generic high-rises has reached a fever pace. Anyway, I'll shut up now.

Hey Alain

While you may have seen the band "only" 3 times, I think all would agree you were able to see them in 3 of the greatest years possible. If you saw the 5/3/72 Paris show, then I would say , and I think most would agree, you saw one of the greatest Dead shows of all time. 'Jack', 'Jed', and 'China/Rider' were all taken from this show for the original 'Europe '72'. How about it Deadland would you agree? Disagree? Your top 5?

When you say top five 5....

....I assume you mean top 5 shows attended. I narrowed it down to a top 6. No particular order, so I will list them chronologically....it was a long time ago.... 7.26.87 Anaheim Stadium. My first Shakedown and Dylan!!! 7.31.88 Laguna Seca. Midnight Hour encore, final Gentlemen Start Your Engines. David Hidalgo sat in on Rooster and West LA. Awesome scene.... 2.12.89 Great Western Forum. More Dylan and Spencer Davis! Second set pre-Drumz was as follows... Iko Iko Monkey & The Engineer Alabama Getaway Dire Wolf Cassidy Memphis Blues-> Drumz ....the night before was excellent as well, but I was really, really tripping hard that night, so a review may be too subjective.... 8.5.89 Cal Expo Playin'->I Know You Rider....nuff said 5.12.91 Shoreline First Train To Cry in almost 20 years. Mother's Day show. Roses everywhere.... 5.31.92 Sam Boyd Silver Bowl Steve Miller opened. Attics out of drumz. Miller sat in on Spoonful->TOO->Dew and the Baba O'Riley->TNK encore.... ....as you can see, I like my guest appearances..... ....honorable mentions. Every other show I saw, except 5.19.95 Sam Boyd. That one was a turd. We almost,(I said almost), walked out. Sensed the storm clouds coming that night....

Dantian and old NYC

Yeah I loved 48th street. I would go to Mannys just for the hang and check the people. Never knew who could walk in there. I remember when Sam Ash bought their shop, that was a heavy blow.One time I watched a guy try and steal a camera from a shop. He grabbed it and ran outside, the shop keeper vaulted over the display and chased him! And I swear to the Lord this is true, the theif ran outside the shop into the street right into the side of a mounted cop! The fool ran straight into the horses side. The cop just reached down and grabbed the guys collar while the shop keeper was screaming in Korean at him. I couldn't believe what I was observing. I laughed over that for hours. Fate was a bitch for that idiot that day. Going down to Washington Square ANYTIME day or night for the wildest collection of folks humanity had to offer. And going up to the west side to hang at Cafe la Fortuna, because that was John and Yokos favorite coffee shop. That's gone now too I know. Hold tight to what's left!

Alain,, u picked some killer shows

12.31.72 - Wow !!!!! 5.19.74 - Wow !!! 8.28.81 - Wow !!! All 3 shows with extra crispy Truckin' ,,, I have had a few I like lately,, I'm sure you have heard.. -Listened to this yesterday- 10.2.72 ,, Truckin' with a couple theme jams into Morning Dew. - one could have been a Uncle John's Band jam.. And they did finish show with UJB ,, a really nice one.. -Listened to 5.14.74 today on Sirius AKA Dave's Picks 9... This one is still in my Top 5 Dave's Picks released so far.. No Truckin' here, but the show before in Reno 5.12.74 !!! Truckin from 5.12.74 is fierce.. Does anyone know what the better sounding venues where the Wall of Sound was featured ?

Patience!

Hello everyone!No early listening for me. I'm waiting for the bi box for maximum effected. Cheers.

Dantian, FloridaBob, Jim

The same thing has been done in Philadelphia over the last 20 years. While not as historically significant I lived in Ocean City, NJ from 1985 until 2012 where 700+ of the old style beach house/bungalows have been torn down to make way for 2-4 story cookie-cutter condos. I assume these are the vacation retreats for the folks buying condos in the glass towers in NYC and Philly. In 2012 I moved to a fish farm outside of Wildwood/Cape May and no longer have to witness the decimation of a once beautiful seaside resort. While Ocean City has always had a religious undercurrent running through it, it's now gone into overdrive with the good "Christian" consensus being Blacks, Jews, Hispanics, and Gays can live anywhere they want as long as it's not next to us.

Vguy72 / Top 5

Top 5 can be any of your choice…shows attended / official releases / a cassette given to you in 1989…whatever floats your boat.

Same sad song here.

We now call it Aspen Hole. After 20 years here I'm probably leaving in the spring. Such a shame....

Davestrang

It's horrible how quickly development can rip your memories to shreds. In St Pete Beach up to Clearwater you can only find a small number of true beach homes left. Can't see the Gulf from the road anymoreBut rarely. I am amazed at the transformation .

Dave Strang

How many Christians have you interviewed to form this opinion? Your comments demonstrate you're no better than those you criticize. Take your slander somewhere else.

how long will 20,000 copies/orders last?

When they say you can download something as a bonus and it's in 96 hz and 428 whatever or it's in really great quality...does that mean burn it to your hard drive so you can burn it to a disc or does it mean listen to it on your device whatever it may be for the better quality...even if you do burn it to a disc there might be space issues if it's so high quality...I remember mp3s when I 1st started using them they took a lot less space than CD recorded discs for the same amounts then I found out the quality wasn't nearly as good.

Change or Grow or Die

Just watched San Francisco 2.0. An interesting but highly distorted one sided view. To anyone who knows history since the industrial revolution there is nothing surprising about what's happening in San Francisco now. How many on this post use Uber, it's there because contrary to what one person said Taxis are extremely economically regulated with severely limited very expensive medallions that went to the connected . How many say I'd never go to Walmart but still buy the most inexpensive package of t shirts atTarget or the other twins of Walmart. How many look for the union label which would cost more. Here's reality almost no one likes change that is part of human development, we decry the loss of the comfortable past. But trying to stop it is like trying to stop the tide

corrupted file

Hey did anyone download Road trips Vol 4 no 3. I bought a few Roadtrips to hold me over waiting for the USB Bolt and the "Box of Rain" in it has a corrupted file. Loud static in several spots and then just skips to next song. I've downloaded the full concert and disc by disc, on different players and it happens on all. Once before i had an issue with a corrupted file on a Dicks pick or something years back and dead.net never fixed it, hoping this time will be different. Not upset, things happen but i'd like the file in a playable form. I called, we will see if anything happens...

Corrupted file

I had the same problem. I sent a note to customer service and after a few days Dr. Rhino sent me links for replacement files. Tell them exactly which files are corrupted.

@ DaveStrang and Mbarilla

DaveStrang,I have unfortunately not attended the show of 5/3/72 but I attended that of 5/4 (with a great, great Dark Star). That was one of the three biggest shows of my life, taking into account all the artists I've seen on stage. And it was the month of my 18 years. The Grateful Dead European tour 1972 tour is probably my favorite. There were many excellent concerts on this tour, and that of May 3 was magical, actually. The Parisian show of September 21, 1974 was not a big show. That is why I am eager to receive 30 Trips and hear the show in Dijon, gave three days earlier. Finally, I was at the concert on October 28, 1990, the tomorrow of the show that is in 30 Trips. Both evenings were very good evenings. I was amazed that 30 Trips has two concerts in France. My top 5? It's difficult. I'm going to try. May 4, 1972, Paris, France August 27, 1972, Veneta, Or. December 31, 1972, San Francisco, Ca. May 19, 1974, Portland, Or. May 8, 1977, Ithaca, NY. Mbarilla, I also really like the concert of May 14, 1974. For cons, I do not know that of October 2, 1972. (Excuse my English).

MinasMorgul

Have you ever lived in Ocean City? Or are you one of the good "Christians" who currently reside there? Or better yet are you one of the good "Christians" who come to Ocean City for 4 months and have the audacity to call yourself a "local"? As for me I lived there for 27 years, day in, day out, hurricanes, Nor'easters and all. During that 27 years I've talked with shopkeepers, people in line at WaWa on Memorial Day weekend when the line was 30 people deep, people at the library (and they have a beautiful, well stocked library) who decried all the "outsiders" moving in when they themselves are only there 4 months out of the year and have never experienced a Nor'easter themselves. My next door neighbor (a 4 month "local") who liberally used the 'N' word was on the verge of selling his condo when a black family just RENTED the bungalow across the street. My own landlord was a racist prick who considered selling for the same reason. He also had the nerve to call himself a "local" yet ran back to Cherry Hill as soon as any storm clouds moved in. Neither sold their property once they found out the black family was only staying for a year. You say "slander" when I'm talking from experience. As for you Morgul HOW DARE YOU liken me to those narrow-minded, racist, bigoted, homophobic good "Christian" sons-of-bitches? F*CK YOU and the horse you came off in!

corrupted file

Thanks, Rhino had a tape about a catalog. Dead.net customer service said they'd look into it. Glad I'm not alone, and they know. Just surprised they don't fix it. In the mean time i just went to archive and inserted an audience copy for now.

@ Alain

Your English is fine, there's no need for excuses. I admire you greatly for having seen any of the Europe '72 shows. 5/4/72 was a great concert also. 'Sugar Magnolia' was taken from this show for the original Europe '72 album, so I think that speaks for how highly it's regarded as well. The inclusion of 2 shows from France is an indication that your country brought out that special GD *magic* too. I can well understand your excitement over 30 Trips!

@davestrang aka bigot

You sir are way out of line. There are many obnoxious things I could write about you and your thoughts but I don't want to turn this into the Zappa site. I'll leave my simple truth in the title say what needs to be said

@Snafu

I won't get into childish name calling as you have("@davestrang aka bigot"). If my reply to MinasMorgul upsets you or seems harsh, too bad. I DO NOT appreciate being likened to elitist snobs who care more about the color of someone's skin and the contents of their wallet and bank account instead of the content of their character and their personal achievements. The experiences I recounted in my reply to MinasMorgul are all true and my opinions of the residents come from 27 years of living among them. The truth is unpleasant sometimes but it's still the truth. That being said, I will not look for, nor reply to any further posts from you or MinasMorgul. I won't turn this into a p*ssing contest.

WHOA GUYS!!!

Start behaving like Dead Heads again.. chill out. I don't want to see you bickering over anything more than which '77 show was the best.

Corrupted files

DallanW - Mine was a different volume. It is easy for files to become corrupted, not the sources but the generated copy for download. Customer service here is excellent, it's just a small number of people with a lot of demanding customers. I have bought many gigs of download files. Out of roughly 400 separate tracks, two were defective. That is about 99.5% perfect files. Not bad, pretty damn good, basically excellent quality control. I wish everything I dealt with met the standards here!

MMmmmmm....

Big fat Elk brisket goin' on 7hrs in the crock-pot.:-) ...and Blanton's ...and Bird Song-Dave's 11 :)

Mmmmmm...

That sounds effing amazing jrf68. I love crock pot meals. Set it, start drinking/listening to music.. then have a great meal hours later. My "go to" is usually pot roast.

Damn it

Now I'm hungry for pot roast...and where am I going to get pot roast this time of night?

hungry

might be easier to roast some pot

I don't know, Rdevil

then I'd really be hungry. Though it might shift the focus of my desire more towards cookies, so you may have a point there.

Pot roast....

....try it with capers and wrapped in bacon....Great, now I'm hungry too....

if pigpen and jerry were still alive

they'd be a straight blues band, unparalleled

Over-rated

Am I the only Deadhead on this planet (and elsewhere) that thinks 1977 is an over-rated year, regarding the quality of live GD performances? Please don't get me wrong, I believe that 1977 is a great year filled with terrific performances. However, the manner in which many folks write about or discuss shows from this year makes it seem that this was the absolute peak in GD performance history. Of course, I know many heads believe that 1977 was the peak year of live GD, but personally I feel the year receives too much hype. The band's performances are extremely tight during 1977, almost to the point of sounding overly rehearsed. I've heard some folks attribute the high level of "tightness" to the unique studio sessions related to the recording of Terrapin Station. Gone were the completely improvised jams typical of the pre-hiatus version of the band. The band's jams had evolved from unconfined spaciness and chaos to controlled structure and discipline. Songs like Estimated Prophet and Terrapin Station were/are terrific, but their internal jams are certainly structured and controlled. This is simply an observation and not a complaint, as these tunes are among my favorites. However, these tunes are restricted from really going "out there," which ultimately limits the ability to stretch the songs to a point that makes versions vastly unique from each other. In contrast, versions of Dark Star, The Other One, Playing In The Band, Truckin' etc. from the early '70s (e.g. '72-'74) were usually marathon-like adventures into the far out unknown, the complete opposite of structure and control. Heck, even versions of The Other One from 1977 were relatively brief and ordered, and of course Dark Star was well in hibernation during this year (era). In summary, I feel the band was very tight and well-behaved in 1977, but totally loose, unrestrained and at their improvisational best in 1972-1974. These terms used to characterize the GD in 1972-1974 are terms that best define the band, which explain why the band's heyday was during this period. Order and structure are terms that most characterize the GD from 1977, which is why I don't consider 1977 the pinnacle year of the GD. I suppose I'm addressing this topic because I'm confused as to why 1977 often appears to be considered the 'Holy Grail' for GD performing years. Everything about pre-hiatus GD best characterize the band in my opinion. Of course, the words "in my opinion" are key here. I'm certainly not intending to initiate a battle here, but perhaps a few folks can try to explain to me why 1977 deserves all the hype. Nighty night, y'all.

NO

'77 is definitely not overrated. I am listening to May 11 as I type this. Honestly... I have heard the whole repertoire with the Dead.. excepting probably most of '82-'95. As far as classic Dead goes, I think spring '77 is unparalleled. I love some late sixties/early seventies Dead.. make no mistake. But spring '77 just tickles my brain more than anything else. I played 4/22/78 earlier tonight, before putting on 5/11/77. The unmistakeable difference is that I felt I had to monitor the sound and be sure it wasn't too loud and obnoxious for my roommate while playing '78. Then, with '77... it was just elegant... no way it could possibly be noise pollution.

Oh Yeah

And Jerry.. man.. he was just doing it all on a night like 5/11/77. Insane guitar playing. They were ALL on fire in that time.

Music To Eat

Hampton Grease Band. Just sayin.

@ Nanno-1974

I feel things like you. I think it's the return of the second drummer who made the big difference between the freedom of improvisation before the hiatus (freedom which allowed the music often explore unknown territories and galaxies) and jams more orderly and wiser from 1976.The debate is as old as the Grateful Dead are. Personally, I do not judge, I like the Grateful Dead in all its aspects. But my heart and my mind go first to the period before 1975. And when the GD had only one drummer, music seems to have breathed me more fully, more freely, more boldly. All this is of course personal taste.

STILL some of the USB Sets available-- weird!

The Hardbound Book and the Scroll and the golden 45 all seem like pretty cool extras but I thought it was supposed to be all about The Music! Besides taking up an inordinate amount of shelf space, why would ANYONE pay the same money for 44.1khz / 16-bit recordings of these 30 Shows when you could have 96kHz / 24-bit recordings for the same price? Nutty! I'm bummed that I have to wait a little longer for my USB version but it's gonna be GREAT when it finally arrives! And for the Folks who only bought this Set strictly as a Collector's Item, the run of 1000 USB Lightning Bolts are gonna be a lot rarer than the 5000 CD versions will ever be.....

Blanton's and Hot Bird Songs?

I'm in. I just need to call in sick for work tomorrow in advance. I don't reach for bourbon often, but Blanton's is just about my favorite.

1977

My opinion is that no, 1977 is not overrated; 1972 and 1977 are my two favorite years. It is true that they no longer reached the kinds of deep space after the hiatus that they had previously, and I won't argue that it was or was not because of the return of Mickey, because I don't know. However, I will point out that they DID reach very psychedelic deep space from 67 thru early 71. They had both drummers during all those years. Think Dark Star in 1969 and 1970, and many, many, other examples. Yes, these deep spaces were different than than later in '71, 72, 73, and 74, but wouldn't that be expected anyway? Unlike the two deviled beast prior to 2/71, the two deviled beast from 1976 onward either didn't, or could no longer, reach those same deep psychedelic spaces. I'm using psychedelic not in the sense the media does, but in the sense I think deadheads will understand - the kind of jams that just take your mind OUT there. However, before 2/71 they also had lots and lots of jamming of a different kinds. Think how they could jam for half an hour on Lovelight, blues based jamming that could get plenty weird, but often wasn't weird, just prime examples of group musical conversation. Viola Lee Blues is another example. Although The Other One frequently went into deep space, it just as often went into more structured jams, where they tore into it as a group mind. Well, I would say that 1977 was one of their ultimate peaks. Nanno, you refer to the "professionalism" of their sound, but I would say that many (most?) heads that revere 77 do so because of the outrageous emotional power they brought in 77. They were frequently having whole group mind "musical conversations" of an intensity unparalleled. These group excursions were no less group excursions just because they didn't go into deep psychedelic spaces. The jams in Mississippi, Sugaree, Let It Grow, The Other One, Truckin', Not Fade Away, Dew, Dancin' In The Street, Franklin's Tower, Scarlet-Fire, Playin', not to mention the ballads, had an emotional power that were psychic nuclear bombs, and group improvisation at its finest. Many feel their ability to reach the most emotionally intense musical peaks on a consistent basis reached its apex in 1977. I think that the 72-74 has my favorite deep space moments. 77 has my favorite emotionally powerful group playing. I'm thrilled I have both (and all the other years, too!) So, no, I don't think 77 is overrated. It's revered for different reasons than 72-74, but those reasons are still quintessentially Dead.

1972-74 vs 1977 nearly worlds apart, both nearly equal beasts

In the Europe 72 tour, Keith is a fairly new to the band,, but "Old Piano" player as joked during one of the AOM March 72' shows.. The Drugs consumed were different,, I'm guessing more LSD was dropped during 1972-74.. Compared to the thrill of new drugs encountered in 1976-77,, 72-74, The band was with 1 drummer, new songs emerge and for some part ,, was dropping some songs like Alligator,, maybe Keith didn't sound right on that one,, always wondered why that was dropped, even when Pigpen was still with them, the AOM or Europe 72 not played.. The tunes developed through time and some got stronger,, some weaker. Check out a "Tennessee Jed" from multiple eras,, 1971 maybe (Dave's Picks 3 = 10.22.71) , then a version from Europe 72,, then go to Wall of Sound maybe,, even use(Dave's Picks 9 - 5.14.74) Tennessee Jed.. and then compare to May 77 version and final stop is Spring 1978 at 5.17.78..

Confused - Mojobrojo...

I am having difficulty understanding your recent post. In one sentence you say (quite correctly) that you thought it was supposed to be all about the music, but in the next sentence you suggest that it is really all about the number of bits per dollar, that 24 bits resolution rather than 16 bits resolution is a better deal. Indeed at 24 bits you get 50% more bits for your money, but really it is all about the music not the number of bits. Have you possibly been persuaded by the arguments that the number of bits and the frequency (96kHz/24-bit vs. 44.1kHz/16-bit) results in a higher quality listening experience?

My credit card expiration date

The credit card I use the most for online purchases expired September 2015, so I used another one for buying of this box. It expires April 2020, 4/20. If you see the humor here, that's good. If not, sorry too bad that you don't get the joke.

1977

Thanks to those who entered the discussion regarding 1977 GD. There have been some good comments posted, which I generally agree with. The issue ultimately comes down to personal preference, and I certainly ain't going to mess with trying to influence the personal preference of anyone. I completely respect those that love 1977 GD, or any performing year for that matter. I agree, it is difficult to compare 1972-GD with 1977-GD, as these two eras are different on so many levels. The spacey improvisation (i.e. 1972-1974) I crave on a daily basis is simply not available in 1977 GD, therefore I haven't turned-on a show from 1977 (or 1976-1978) for quite some time. I know that a lot of Deadheads get off on 1977 GD, which is a wonderful thing. I love all eras of GD, but my personal addiction is the pre-hiatus sound, particularly the 1972-1974 era. I believe this era captures everything that the band is about. The degree of tightness in 1977 is very impressive, and I enjoy the sound of the era, but I usually require more adventure and space. Thank you especially for not making this a personal debate. The civil replies are very much appreciated. Please continue to comment, if so inclined. Perhaps I should turn on a show from May 1977... Thanks again.

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