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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
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.
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
@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.
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.
product sku
081227955892