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

Box tidbits, stats

A statistical tidbit or two from 30 Trips. Top 20 most played songs to not appear anywhere in 30 Trips: Brokedown (205), West LA (140), Might as Well (111), Gimme Some Lovin (87), Picasso Moon (77), Far From Me (74), Black Muddy River (66), Lazy River Road (65), Quinn The Eskimo (59), Desolation Row (58), When Push Comes to Shove (58), Day Job (57), New Speedway Boogie (55), Spoonful (52), Weather Report Prelude (52), Attics of My Life (48), Mr. Charlie (48), Let The Good Times Roll (47), Weather Report Pt. 1 (47), Easy Answers(44), Easy Wind (44). At least according to my back of the envelope counting. Please correct if wrong. Not a commentary or pining that said songs weren't included, just the facts. Top 20 songs appearing the most times in 30 Trips: 10: Not Fade Away 9: Other One, Me & My Uncle, Big River, Brown-Eyed Women 8: Playin', Truckin', GDTRFB, One More Saturday Night 7: BIODTL, Promised Land, Scarlet Begonias, Deal, Music Never Stopped, Estimated Prophet. 6: I Know You Rider, New Minglewood, Dark Star, Cumberland, Uncle John's Band, Black-Throated Wind, Sugaree, Tennessee Jed, Birdsong, Eyes of the World, U.S. Blues.

Mixed discs

Make 'em pretty often. I've put together 4 or 5 different CDs containing all-time versions of songs (IMO). I'll burn a couple dozen copies and leave them in various public areas of towns I travel to. Just spreadin' the love! They're also useful as bail in certain obscure Eastern European villages. Or so I've heard.

1992

We all have our opinions. Mine with 1992 is not very positive. The first year I pulled from the box was 1987, which opened with a strong Bucket. My second year was 1992 which also opened with Bucket, and the difference was remarkable. I kept waiting for Jerry to attack those opening notes but they never materialized. While he does remember most of the lyrics during the show, sometimes his playing is entirely missing, Promised Land for instance. Man Smart starts strong but during the last jam it's lost, although on a second listen maybe it's intentionally for Bruce or Vince to play lead, but something is missing. I don't think it's a coincidence that Bruce quit shortly after this show. On a positive note, Althea was great, though perhaps because I don't recall hearing much during streaming from other years, and I really enjoyed Space, which is typically not my thing, so sue me. Tomorrow is a long drive and 1976, looking forward to nothing but smiles!

@Jason Wilder

Great stats....... But I hope you're not inferring the non-inclusion of a Day Job is a bad thing lol ;)

E. Europe Bail Bonds

good discs can work some of the time.. but pull out a '70's show to an 80's freak over there and they will take a finger or two quicker than you say Hey Pokey Way. Trust me, I know. How do you think I found out non other than Valdamir Putin was the box cutter bandit who slashed all the spines on Dave's Picks 15? They love their Brent in that part of the world.. They're crazy about him.

Driving while listening to '76 Cobo....

....careful NWScarletFireGuy....It will grab you by the boo-boo...one of my fave selections so far. Through 7 shows so far. Wait?! There's 23 more? Saving '68-'73 until the end....

Tonight it's Cal Expo '86....

....saw them there in '89. And it was grate. As is this first set so far....the echo effect during High Time is nice

Apologies are in order....

....I called out saintstephen as a troll a couple nights ago. That's what having too many IPA'S does to me. And for that, I'm sorry....I'm not usually that asshole guy that no one wants to hang with behind a vehicle with an open trunk full of beers and other libations....

Mixin' it up...

I've done the same on occasion. One such disc opens with none other than the UJB from 9/18/74 above, which I know someone here turned me on to...it was either danc, or rrot, or someone else with a four-letter name, wish I could remember... damn, my memory sucks...I must have been dropped on my head as a child, or as an adult, or both.

Great Work @JasonWilder

Nice stats but damn am I bummed no West LA!

still more Fillmore

Found this pair o' posts on the Set List program for 2/13/70: According to Owsley, there was no early /late shows at these dates. He offered a 1,000 dollars to anyone who could prove him wrong. He died before anyone was able to collect. -Tom (07/08/2011) Owsley was wrong about no early show on 2/13....'cause we were standing outside the Filmore waiting for the late show listening to the sound spill out from the early show. Had to step over the unconscious guys from the early show to get to our seats. Late show was my first and will always be my favorite...and doesn't hurt that it's one of the best ever! -Don (06/07/2013) Someone posted the 2/13 Early Show setlist, too: Cold Rain And Snow Beat It On Down The Line Good Lovin' Mama Tried -> Black Peter Hard To Handle Saint Stephen -> Not Fade Away Casey Jones -Anonymous (03/13/2009) Good Lovin was, of course, included on the remastered Bear's Choice (my first indication Bear was mistaken), and Stephen > NFA later appeared on a Taper's Section. Not sure where this complete setlist came from, though.

day-amn, Dantian...

...that 4/23 one-discer does look sweet-tastin'. I do like to make anthologies from within a show, or a stand...one- or two-disc best of a show, or three- to four-disc best of a stand. I've also gathered up various orphans ~ archive, Taper's Section, 30 Days, bonus tracks, So Many Roads box bits ~ into miscellaneous-by-year discs; or miscellaneous-by-season-of-a-year discs (Fall '70 or Summer '73). Some of these hang together better than others. And I'm constantly having to re-sequence them as complete shows get released that are home to some of these tracks, and 30 Days comes round again with another scoop of wandering performances....

Question..

Is the Shakedown from 9-10-91 w/ Branford the only Shakedown with horn(s)?:) Double-Dog dare ya to not get down on this one.

Surprise!

The backstage pass I received w/ the box is from 2-24-95.Just realized I have the print from that run(Mardi Gras '95-1045 of 25,000) still rolled up in a shipping tube. Now I know why I waited 20 years to get it framed. Freaky,huh? :)

Nada

Nothing but crickets in ATL. Maybe we should band together and bust into the warehouse.

67 viola

fuuuucccckkkkk...i dont know if you can hold your breath for ten minutes but i think i did....from 5 mins when that jam takes off....shhhiiittttt....replaying it now for the third time to check ive not called it wrong.....that and 66 in paired rotation..shame 68 such a poor choice but is next years box a 68 box or will dave take up my suggestion of a best of the guests box....those ornette and santana shows need releasing...

The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia

Jeeeeebus... You guys STILL haven't gotten your boxes? I am so very VERY sorry. That totally sucks. I listened to '72 and '73 tonight. I haven't confirmed, but it seemed they were nearly identical playlists. Both pretty good shows. I think Vallejo is still my favorite so far though. Can't wait to get up to the mid '70s (though I did already say, I cheated and played '77).

Bustin' into the Warehouse

Perhaps, I suggest we take over the vault instead. That would be fun.

Consolation

Maybe you're delayed southern boxes will include a bonus disc of Donna Jean demos and studio outtakes. Track 1) Yeahaahahaaah 2) YeeeahhaahAAAhhaaahh 3) YEEEAAAh > 4) Ooooohoooh > 5) YYYEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHH 6) Yeeeaaaahhh Jam > 7) YYYEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHH (Reprise) 8) You Ain't Woman Enough To Out Screech My Screech (Duet with Yoko Ono)

Enjoying this! - but found a cracked disk...

What a fantastic collection! Am listening in order and up to '74 now. Well, OK - I did jump ahead to listen to the '95 Visions of Johanna. One problem - Disc 1 of the 1983 show is cracked [and a couple of other disks scratched]. Reported, and I'm sure it'll work out fine.

All Ripped Down

finally made it through the arduous but fruitful task of ripping all of the shows to iTunes last night. So happy to have all of this totally portable; spun the '91 show on the way into work...Massive Shakedown starts it off, Branford nicely in the mix and Bruce holding up the tent poles - it smokes. Sorry to hear some (many?) of you are still waiting on the box. Just remember, perspective helps....the short wait until it arrives will be all in hindsight for the rest of your lives....hopefully waiting a few more days wont tip your boat. Happy Tuesday in Deadland Sixtus

No Love for Florida yet

No order status for UPS, no update deadnet status and no box in Navarre Fl

Dantian and Mixes

indeed, I often will pull down highlights from various shows and compile onto one disc. But what I have been doing more recently (and interested to hear how blasphemous this may seem to others) is that I've taken it a step further and pulled out little snippets of various jams across all eras (including several Dark Stars) and pulled them together. In some places there will be, for example the sweet Chinacat from 12/6/73 with an other-worldly feeling groovy jam, and then I'll put another jam abutted up to it on the CD. in some cases they actually seem to flow together, others, not so much - BUT - it does give up the meat of some of their best explorations all in one spot. I think at this point I am up to volume six (i.e. 6 CDs worth). Always happy to share some of these track listings or the CDs themselves if anyone is interested in taking a listen. Sixtus

Southeast

I was one of the lucky ones apparently. I got mine here in Chattanooga, TN on Friday the 9th. It makes no sense that people in Georgia are still waiting.

@Morning Sun >> THANKS

deadlists.com does clarify things greatly with regard to these shows. The February 13th and 14th 1970 late shows were each "one set" (as DeadBase also states) in the sense that the band did not leave the stage between the electric and acoustic performances -- "the stage is re-rigged for the acoustic segment of the set but there is no set break and the band does not leave the stage en masse." I definitely need to spend more time with deadlists (and keep it in mind during November!)

dang lowspark

Consolation Disk. Not to minimize the stress of the boxless... but that was funny right there.

Box Set perspective

I've been ripping and listening to parts of all the shows, and finally starting at the beginning with the '66 show. This is a magnificent work of art all around, the box, the book, and the music. All I can is DAMN, no Monkey and the Engineer.........

Thanks MaryE and SimonRob

Thanks to all for the conversation on Donovan and Mountain Jam, as well as the other interesting topics that came forth. Sorry but still have not finished my analysis of the origins of this jam. Here is what I am chewing on right now. Seems to me that Mountain Jam is made up of two distinct segments one (the Mountain Jam Theme)being based on Donovan's "There is a Mountain." The other may be based on some of Jerry's poodling from earlier than Donovan's input. That is what I am hearing on "In the Midnight Hour" from 1966. I am ordering the expanded addition of Anthem of the Sun as I also do not have a turn table anymore. There is a write-up on the archive that talks about the jam sequence in Alligator so I want to point my ears to that jam as well. Will update again if anybody is interested. Waiting to hear great news from the Southern Box Tour folks, wishing you the best! G

10/27/90 Paris

First time hearing this show and have to say Awesome! One of the heaviest Saint of Circumstances I've heard in a good long while. Bruce and Vince both find their groove in this show, both vocally and instrumentally and in a very tasteful way. Jerry's pretty much spot on perfect the entire performance.

It`s Christmas and Easter Sunday alltogether...

....here in AustriaBoxzilla has landed ! Man i`m happy , feel like a boy , heart beating fast , sweating first impression : The Box is beautiful , lovely , happy colours , velvet inside , made solid like a shrine. I love the box and the scroll ah , yes Ticket : Oakland Col, CA , 10/28/91 Backstage Pass : Freedom Hall, Loisville , 6/16793 And now , open the box , slide my fingers , take one show out , it`s the 76 one. Got to rest an listen , take a sip of Single Malt ......

Purpleerik

Congrats! Glad an other one has landed. Single malt, now we're talking. Still too early here...btw what time is it down under? Aren't you up late?

Box 3701 reporting for duty in Minneapolis

I haven't had the chance to listen to any of it yet but, good god, at least from the physical standpoint, this is everything I had hoped for! Between this, the next Dave's Pick and 30 Days of Dead, I'll be listening to new gems every day well into the new year.Massive props to TPTB for hitting this one out of the park! My ticket - 12/8/94 - The show in which they sound checked St. Stephen My pass - 2/20/95 - The show before the '95 release in the box. Keep those reviews coming. Oh, to drown in this embarrassment of riches...

Mixes/Sixtus

Sounds interesting Sixtus - I'm definitely interested in seeing setlists for your creative ear (or even arranging to hear the CDs themselves). Reminds me of the Grayfolded project by John Oswald, though his plunderphonics assemblage is more than any of us can likely manage at home. Meantime, I continue to zig and zag my way through the box.

Question Lowspark?

Is 75 your birth year? Weird, I never realized that "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" was Vicki Lawrence from The Carol Burnett Show. Amazing! She recorded the demo and then when Sony and Cher turned it down she recorded it herself and then pressed the record company to release it. Went straight to number 1. The backing band, none other than the Wrecking Crew. Just wondering how well you know this song? You seem to have a great background in modern music. I remember listening to it on the bedside radio when it was a huge hit. Time to do a little 1970's revisit.

30 Trips USB

I have seen a few posts asking about when the USB version of 30 Trips will ship but haven't seen an answer. Does anybody know when this will happen? Anyone receive one yet? Thanks, BZ

Donna "singing" . . .

lowspark75 ~ the Donna consolation disk comment is really funny, and I couldn't agree more with your track titles. At least Yoko Ono was trying to be avant garde! Preface: my opinions only and I realize not all (if anyone) will agree with me. I wondered when someone was going to acknowledge the abysmal singing of Donna. I just don't understand what she was doing most of the time she opened her mouth. Was she trying to channel Janis Joplin? Even Janis' screams and wails were usually in key. I think if Jeff Norman had multi-tracks available, he would mix her down to a mouse's voice. I believe that I heard or read that Bill Kreutzmann never thought the Dead's music was right for a female voice. I have to agree, her "singing" ruins so many songs for me. And that is really saying something given the Dead were known for some rough live singing. They say that the soundboard recordings were made for the band to listen back to the performance. I'm not so sure Donna ever listened to them, because she would have realized that she was not singing correctly (proper use of head, throat and lungs). I want to give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that she couldn't hear her monitor very well. But then you listen to "Sunrise" (a quiet solo song) from many shows, and you realize, nope she just chokes the hell out of the vocal. She rarely comes across as a professional singer. And does not appear to understand where the harmony vocal line should be. Maybe too much coke? Singing with a cheese grater in her throat? I have heard her sing pretty well on some of the shows from '76 and '77, but you could wipe her vocals from GD history and I, personally, would not miss it at all. I don't want to be too disparaging, although, too late! I guess I already have been. One wonders if Keith weren't her husband, would they have asked her to leave many years before '79? Damn, I know, what a downer comment. I just had to get that off of my chest, as it's been building and building after listening to such beautiful music and so much sh*tty singing from her. Donna, Donna, Donna . . . why?

10/20/68

I was able to listen to this one-disc-wonder last night on the headphones, only interrupted twice by family (a miracle!) After falling in love with 11/10/67, I was prepared for a let down with this one, but no. The performance is almost rushed. No. Concise. Edgy. Lots of Phil. A few moments that sound like Steve Vai popped in from the 80's to say hello. And the MC at the end - who is that guy? Anyone know? I love that part, he's so clearly had his mind blown by the Dead (Feedback!), and he says something like "Wow ... there is no other band like that in the Universe" (it's only '68 and already "there's nothing like a Dead show"). Then he is clearly distracted by "that tone" that keeps oozing sound through (from?) the PA long after the Dead have stopped playing Feedback. And even that - at the end of Feedback, someone (Phil?) says something about the PA doing all the work, still going, "you don't need us anymore." Priceless stuff. Also - it's kind of interesting to me that the setlist for this "All Cal" festival was supposed to have Canned Heat going first - at least, that's the order on the handbill - but clearly they were getting set up for CH at the end of the Dead's set. Anyway, here's the handbill: http://www.deadlists.com/posters/1960s/19681020.html Holy crap - the shows I'm most excited about (or were most excited about) are still to come. And I LOVE these already (well, '66 is a curio to me, that's about it). I may be going out to see The Martian tonight, but then tomorrow - 1969!

30 Trips USB

Yeah, I am a bit ticked about the lack of communication from Rhino about the USB chip. I have to say this whole situation with the USB is quite frustrating.

Serpent fo Dreams....re: Mixes/Sixtus

...check your PM!

Where's my stuff?

Hey can't feel miffed about it, still working my way through the streaming access. The USB says shipping date Oct 31 though I already got my physical box set too thanks. Some good picks, Dave.

1970

When that fu@ker hits Cyrptical it just plain smokes. I mean wow, hope ya'll got kickin ways to listen (somewhat left alone) to these landmines. The music in this box through 1970 has been worth it. I ripped on the box and cases, but this music is really stand alone. Peace

Repackaging & other topics

I know lots of folks like to repackage their original releases. I have done lots of this myself, especially for downloads that I always burn to a cd. Let me say right up front that I am in no way affiliated with this company, but having tried out a lot of different vendors, I have found polylinecorp.com to be the best, both price wise and for the extensive line of products. I love their 3-disc slim line case. This is a jewel case that is the size of the normal 1-disc cd, but it will hold 3 discs in the same amount of space. They also have excellent 2-disc inserts. These snap right into a normal jewel case and will hold two discs. You can also buy 1,000 paper sleeves here for the price of 200 form your local Staples store. I also buy single jewel cases here by the 100 lot. I listen to every release just the way they are. No skipping around, no skipping tracks, no greatest hits compilations. I want to hear it the way the boys released / played it. I am in it for the whole enchilada in its original form! As an aside, I love Donna and would sorely miss her, especially on PITB Rock on

Gary Farseer Congats....

thanks man , here in Austria ( Europe ) it`s evening , now 9 pm,i had my first and only malt at 7 pm. And no , early bedtime today , hard work schedule tomorrow again but a whole lot of miracle-box music to go through. btw 76`sounding good - nice to hear Keith`s piano that clear and blistering and Phil too...

without Donna....

no Keith......?hence Donna was ok and the boys knew why ( at least some of them )

purpleerik

Oops wrong country indeed, sorry bout that. Sometimes coffee makes me see things that are not there. Is that even possible?

Donna.

Well I can see both sides of the issue. I can agree that maybe if she had never been in the band at all it wouldn't have been a great loss musically. But she was and they chose to allow her in and include her during the years that are to me their peak so I just accept it as part of the sound of those years. The only thing that ever really bothers me is her wailing on the re-entry part of PITB, just cringe worthy and detracts from the enjoyment of the song. I think she may have nailed that twice and they were both on the Europe 72 tour right after she started with them. By 74 it was just horrific. But I like her on songs like Cassidy and Beat it on down the line. Her duet with Jerry on Tomorrow is Forever is one of my faves, so she most certainly had some Grate moments too! An aside, my daughter who is 9 and has grown to quite love the Dead's music already because she listens to it EVERY SINGLE DAY on the way to School in my car doesn't really care for Donna's singing. Sometimes I find myself defending Donna to her! Funny.

Seeing is Believing

I often cringe at the bellow-wail in PITB. But the Beat Club video gave me new perspective on what she was trying to do. Somehow, watching her go for it made me hear it differently. I respect her audacity, even if the sonic results were not always very listenable. Also, I never understood why she was mixed so hot in the 2-tracks. It would have been easy to put her backing vocals in the background where they belong.

Donna

Mmmmm....Donna....all is forgiven. It was the two-track recordings and poor stage monitoring that made you sound as such... Edit - One Man - it was the two-tracks that prevented lowering her in the mix. The multi-track recordings would have allowed for lowering her. To lower her in a two-track recording would lower half of the band with her.

For those still waiting on the box

Has anyone still waiting on their box already contacted customer service? If so what did they say? I wanted to check here first to see if someone already had an answer (especially considering that customer service may be getting a lot of calls). My status still shows back ordered with an estimated ship date of 10/31.

@gary and more on Donna

Yes, Gary.. I was born in '75. My taste in music is way before my time, for the most part. And I am a sponge for it and everything I read about it in books and liner notes. I don't know everything, but I do probably know more than a lot of people who actually lived through the era. It's like having an unofficial degree in a very specialized area of history. Though just like with any subject, I am aging too, and what I don't brush up on can slip my memory. Now Donna... I totally agree with you g1u2i3. I posted about this some weeks ago. To be frank, she totally ruins live versions of PITB for me. When I listen to them, I get really into it.. and then when that moment is approaching for her to come in.. I know it's coming and I dread it like a child dreads hearing their abusive parent coming home from work. Sometimes I have to jump for the volume control. I do think she pretty much told Jerry that if he wanted Keith, she had to be part of the deal. And Jerry wanted Keith badly enough to accept it. I would also give her the benefit of the doubt with the whole monitor thing being an issue, but the monitors didn't make Bobby sound like hell. So I don't think that argument flies. The closest I can come to saying her contribution was appreciated is to acknowledge that she positively added to Estimated Prophet live.. most of the time. *EDIT* Donna Jean also ruins most versions of Scarlet Begonias for me as well.

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