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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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  • hbob1995
    Joined:
    @Lowspark75 - re: Donna
    From everything I have read, Donna grabbed Jerry one night and told him Keith would be the Dead's next piano player. Keith just put his head down on the table and said nothing. But once Jerry & Billy worked him out by themselves, they knew he was 'da man! I really don't think Donna argued for a place in the band for herself. She did not begin to sing with them for a good 6 months or so after Keith took his place at the keys. I know she can definitely be a point of contention on this board. I got on the bus in '73 and I love her, especially on PITB. So there you go. No accounting for taste! Lol. Rock on
  • Arno
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    Nothing wrong with you mbarilla
    I'm in the camp of Loving all incarnations of the Dead! Vince and Donna included!They were a talented bunch. They each have their individual talents but the Sum of the parts always made a difference! In different ways when there were different parts but always GRATE to my ears!
  • Gary Farseer
    Joined:
    The Sun and The Compass
    Well off to get ready for Tedeschi Trucks. Decided to wear the 1987 Ventura Fairgrounds shirt. Nice big Stealie on the back with Grateful Dead on top and "Love is real not Fadeaway - Tour 1987" on the bottom. The front says "A Weekend at the Beach!" Then has the 30 trips SunStealie with the four directions (four winds) of the compass. The compass has a pelican on it. What an incredible weekend that was. Standing on the beach, daytime show. Palmtrees swaying on the side. Electric intensity, Bob growling a Prophet on the Burning Shore. Awesome. Much more to this weekend if any one wants to hear more. Gotta get to it, like the Shakedown man twirling his watch (?).
  • garciaddicted
    Joined:
    Donna and Bobby
    My wife, who is younger than me and was more of a Phish head when we met, used to laugh every time she would hear Donna wailing, or Bobby screaming at the end of Hell In a Bucket. However, after a couple of years together, and much more exposure to live Dead, she commented one day that she missed Donna when listening to the eighties Dead. I used to defend Bobby's shrieking by saying "you had to be there". I can't be sure(since I never saw the band with Donna) but I'd bet the same is true for Donna. BTW, I just gave Dave's Picks 15 a good listening last night. That's a very nice show.
  • Jason Wilder
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    '74 Growing on me, Donna discussion, more stats
    '74 Trips show growing on me on 2nd listen. Especially the first set and Disc 3. Jazzy to be sure. That's what makes the Dead so wonderful IMHO, a little bit for everyone. Jazz. Improv. Country. Blues. R&B. Rock n' Roll. Shredding. Sweetness. Often all on the same night. Certainly over the course of the entire 30 years. And an ideology of sorts. Let's not try to make things exactly perfect, but do things in a way that is true to ourselves and keeps things interesting for us. That's the way we'll make musical magic most often, which is what it was really about. And the great accomplishment is not only how often they succeeded, but how many were willing to take the journey with them. In terms of mistakes and such, they all made them. We've been focused on vocal issues and Bobby's slide guitar, but all members had their issues. Pig's vocal ramblings could get a tad long. Sometimes the exploration a tad too atonal. Whatever, it was all a part of the journey. The experiment. We knew what we were signing up for, and that experimentation was part of it. And it's not like chemicals didn't play a part many nights for the band as well. Sometimes, mistakes could be fantastic. I can remember a Deer Creek show where Bobby blew the lyrics to Truckin (shocker!) but Jerry put a bit of extra muscle into the jam and the whole band seemed to join in. One of the best Truckin's I ever heard, probably wouldn't have went down that way if Bob hadn't flubbed the lyrics. I can think of a Samson on a release where Bob blows the vocal intro and the band responds by going on a raging 4 minute jam before the lyrics even start. Gotta run, no time for stats. Peace!
  • brianhahne
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    Still going...
    But going VERY slow... Up to 1971 after spending a lot of time on 1969 and 1970. Love those 2 shows! 1971 is STELLAR. This is my favorite Greatest Story, I think.... it has hints of the Pump Song still in it, with it's little musical interlude after each song phrasing. I love it... LOVE IT. I may make it to 1972 today... but May have to give 1971 another listen.
  • Gary Farseer
    Joined:
    nice timing
    Watched "It's a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" last night. It has been decades since I watched it. Great story, even for us older folks. It was also the 50th anniversary showing, nice. Who was one of Charlie Brown's close friend? Of course, Pig!
  • Mr.Dc
    Joined:
    Weir Vocals
    A great moment for me was Bob singing The Eleven at the first Santa Clara show, gives me chills, he really gave it his all. Don't know if it will translate through recordings but live it was awesome! This is the season of what now!
  • antonjo
    Joined:
    scream dream
    Sorry, bros 'n sisters, but being an 80's kid, I LOVE the Bobby screams on Estimated, Lovelight, Sailor/Saint, etc, etc. Listen to Estimated from Hampton 3-20-86 ~ that scream-scatting is a work of art. (His screaming on It's All Over Now in the first set, less so, I'll concede ; ) I was thrilled 2nd night Santa Clara when he screamed the big "HEY"s on the Sugar Mag finale till he had nothing left. Would've loved a Donna appearance there. reijo29, I remember that Trans tour, but couldn't convince my older brother to get us tickets -- so I had to wait till '86, with Crazy Horse. (They did play Sample & Hold that time, though.) lowspark, I spaced that you're in Portland. So am I. Maybe we should organize a listening party for one of these trips around the sun. And, yes, Neil did kind of sneak into town. Once in awhile, those otherwise annoying Ticketmaster e-mails land me a hot tip.
  • Gary Farseer
    Joined:
    It's Just a Set Man
    As far as Donna, I am right there with most. Right in the middle. Some things she did well, others not so well. Enjoy the input from all. I never saw her but can imagine that description of her looking down on all with the smile. Image looks very pleasing. Family aspect, love that thought. Did all members and all eras have greatness and flubs...I say yes and I can live with that. From what Jerry said, it was just one set. One set maketh not greatness nor tragedy. Jer seems to have a great perspective, even seems to be based on sound statistical reasoning. Most bands practice same set over and want to make everything just exactly perfect (OK had to use that once) for the audience that night. This thought process leads us to everything from Rush and Yes to Kiss. I have nothing against this way of thinking. However, I think Jer figured out you can't have greatness or really valid "highs" without flubs and really valid lows. (Manic Depression indeed, so is the cycle of life.) It is just a set, that was great. It was just a set, that was horrible. It is improv, you will have both. I furthur posit that Grateful Dead took it that each show should have a touch of each. They talked about how each fan approached the band from various positions. I know I have posted this before...some fans approach the band from statistics. When was the last time they played this, how many times on this tour. You know who you are...I see you got your list out. Others approach it differently...make me a tape but I only want the song parts, skip the jazzy wierd stuff. I believe that Jer figured this out early. Each show with its silver lining and touch of grey has its moments of intense peaks of rapture and some bottoms of despair. However, which is which. For whom is the rapture...can one man's rapture be another's despair. Well of course. So from Jerry's point, it is just one set. Let's pack up the gear, hustle on down the road, get the circus into another state where state lines provide a new set of state laws and enforcement so that all get home safe. The epitomy of Grateful Dead, rise (from the curb to space); fall (take down the equipment and move on). The cycle of life, one set. Do I enjoy Donna? Mostly yes. Does Bob's slide guitar get under my skin? Absolutely sometimes. It is never perfect, even for Rush, but it is just a set man. Look at how many we have now to enjoy and debate over. Fascinating!
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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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Playing the below mentioned "Interplay" at the moment. Up next: Lee Morgan, "Search For The New Land" (check out the amazing line up on this one, wow!) This is one of those "hidden" gems that those (like me) with only a cursory knowledge of jazz will realize that they have struck gold upon hearing for the first or twentieth time. then Chet Baker "In Paris" Peace, all.
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9 years 8 months
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It is nice to see some of my fellow Atlantans finally getting their boxes, but I'm still waiting. Called customer service from Bangkok this morning and was told it still has not shipped. I ordered early on the day after the announcement and was really hoping to have the thing awaiting me when I get back to the States...since it shockingly wasn't there yet when I left a couple weeks ago. I think I've been plenty patient, but what angers me is the complete lack of transparency on this whole situation. Just let me/us know what's going on! I emailed Dr. Rhino last week and have heard nothing. The customer service team knows no more than I do from checking my order status on this site. Some leadership would be nice on this matter and future matters of this sort. OK...I'll get down off my soapbox now...
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17 years 5 months
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"Anyone remember in the early years of CDs that Pink Floyd released DSOTM on gold CD?" Actually I have one of those MFSL Dark Side early disc releases, and a 'Wish You Were Here' Gold cd in a Long Box (with fold out poster). Sound differences? I dunno, my ears are not that attuned. Heck, I still enjoy a lot of dead listening on mp3. Yes, I know BLASPHEMY !! P.S. I finally got to that second set from the 1978 trip today. It is just fantastic, if you can handle the (mescaline induced?) over-enthused Jerry interpolations. The Samson simply rips. The Jerry solos in Estimated Prophet rank right up there with 7/8/78 and 10/16/77, with Red Rocks ranking higher in terms of sheer melodic perfection and 10/16/77 in terms of the conciseness of the solo. An at the time rare GDTRFB helps put the set over the top. This is a smoking set and a good representation of 1978 Dead. I was also able to get to the entire 1980 and 1986 trips as well, with 1986 being surprisingly good and well worth the choice. I like the creativity in the set lists in both trips. GDTRFB before (a good) Drumz and Comes a Time out of Other One in the 1986 trip were good. The first set was strong, too with maybe only C.C. Rider dragging a little bit for me. The 3 beat BIODTL was a trip, going into Promised Land and then Deal closed things out real nicely. Other standouts in set one were The Race Is On, TLEO, and High Time. In the 1980 trip, I couldn't help but hear Garcia's guitar is horribly out of tune on Jack Straw, but once he and the tape's sound settle in it is a nice ride. The second set is where it is at for me on the 1980 release with a pretty unorthodox pre-Drums set list.
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thanks, Wilfred.. I think I have seen Radom Musing posts 8 times in my life (11 of them on this site). I have to say, I love random musings. If you put that in the header I will read, and more importantly pay attention to, every written word. Random musings about the dead and dead music, what could possibly go wrong?
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10-20-68Now doing the greatest hits tour to get a taste of the whole Box.
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17 years 3 months
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I can only agree with R.E.V.'s comment. Saw them last night at MSG, and I truly believe it was the best show I've seen with members of the Grateful Dead since the '70s.
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30 Trips '95Salt Lake City If you thought the magic stopped in '72 or '79 or '84 or what the f'k ever....listen to this and tell me it's gone. No way. :) Powerful Sugar Mag ain't too bad either....just sayin'
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While readying for an early slumber last night, my box FINALLY arrived on my porch here in Cabbagetown (ATL) at 9:45 PM. It appears intact but will have to wait until later today for full inspection. What on Earth caused the ATL delay? Must have been some kind of mass thievery or accident. I shudder to imagine someone having 100 ill-gotten boxes at home, slowly meting them out on eBay and grossing $100k or more. Here's hoping the mystery is solved eventually. Someone sure cracked the whip on UPS to get the replacements out. More later!
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13 years 9 months
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7/19/74 Selland Arena, Fresno, CAStill 16,500 copies each for 2016 subscriptions. Great show. A couple of Dick's thoughts on this show: "The Miami Jai-Alai Fronton show of 6/23/74 is one of my favorite shows of the year. It almost could be the best of the year as a show unto itself. (I am aware that 7/19 and 8/6 present a fairly strong alternative to this)" -Dick Latvala "The 7/19 show in Fresno is one of the better shows of the year, and it too, could qualify for a release someday. This one also has one of the more intense and thrilling versions of "The Spanish Jam".
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From the Almanac released last night: We also made strides digitally, releasing 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN, in both FLAC (96/24) and 320 KBPS MP3 formats, on a gold lightning bolt with the Grateful Dead 50th anniversary logo engraved on the side — our most collectible item yet with just 1,000 individually numbered copies. It certainly is their most collectible item yet since nobody has seen one yet.....
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Must have been something in the air last night, as I went to the store for fixins for white Russians, which I don't think I've EVER made for myself. I always drink beer and wine, but for whatever reason last night, I looked up white Russians, realized that I had neither vodka nor coffee liquor in the house, and went to the store, listening to Jimmy Giuffre's 1961 on the car stereo. (and picked up some Grand Marnier and Irish Cream, again--not anything I've drank in decades) When I got home I mixed a white Russian and sat down with the mono version of Round About Midnight. Then I see the Jazz and Cocktails message just now and wonder what wavelength we were all sharing last night! The 1966 made me very happy, and I rose out of my seat (literally--(and the TRUE definition of the word)) and just HAD to dance when the Midnight Hour came on. The opening notes of Viola from 1967 melted my brain, and at some point during the jam, the coffee in my mug started boiling spontaneously. I am always a bit torn on which show I would grab on the way out of a house fire (usually a toss-up between Two From the Vault, 9/3/77, DP18, and anything from 1972), and this show now enters the mix. The 1968 is wonderful, just slightly ahead of the 1969, in my opinion. The first disc of 1970 is good, but was the first in the box that didn't blow my mind. The box rocks, and so does Dave and friends! p.s. I reluctantly agreed to go to Dead and Co. in Minneapolis (price, venue, no Phil, etc.), but after seeing some video of Mayer playing Dead, I'm now VERY excited!
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7-14-84 rumor result of a deadhead with poor eyesight who actually saw 7-19-74 incorrectly:) This Fresno show is so great He's Gone>Patriotic Jam>US Blues
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Hi helpful friends...In my first pass of the box, I discovered a crack in my '80 disc 3. I've been seeing references to a Dr. Rhino for customer service. How do I reach the Dr? Is he the right person to report a problem? Thanks, folks Mar-T
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13 years 4 months
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Yea.. its a good thing I researched this.. If there's a morale to this its never to bet against VGuy Odds.
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11 years
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I had 2 disks with cracks in them. I contacted dead.net customer service to report the problem and received replacements in about 10 days.
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11 years 6 months
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I have always loved this MSG show but am so glad to have it as part of 30 trips. The Morning Dew is so powerful it brought tears to my eyes again istening to Jerry perform with such emotion. My favorite dew of the '80's for sure.
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... that I've not even listened to one disc of this behemoth yet. Does that make me a bad person? I'm so far behind and trying to get caught up on recent GD acquisitions, that I just now, this morning, popped DaP 15 into my car CD player. And then I realized that DaP 16 will be arriving later this week, and the Fare Thee Well box will be close on its heels in another couple of weeks. I'm not exactly sure when I'll start with the box to rule all boxes, but based upon other posts on here, I'm hell-bent on going through it in order, chronologically. I'm so looking forward to it, as it sounds like it's a beast right out of the gate.
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9 years 1 month
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Working my way through the box chronologically, listening to the second set of the '94 show now and it sounds killer, way beyond my expectations. I have been psyched with all of the shows in the box, but this one just kills it. Hope they ship the USB soon, very uncool to just leave you guys hanging with no information.
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I too just listened to this Morning Dew yesterday and it is killer! All time version for sure. Rock on
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13 years 4 months
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That whole second set is off the charts good, especially from Space through the end of the show. Light the fuse and run away.. its high energy and emotive, like a run away train with a story to tell.
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So good...Up to 1977 at the moment. Solid stuff throughout. 1975 was decent. I didn't realize they didn't have much choice in what to release... 1976 was excellent. 1977 so far, stellar... on Estimated Prophet as I type this. Loving it. 1978 tomorrow
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9 years
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Glad @oneman got his Box last night. 9:45 pm, wow I didn't know UPS delivered that late.
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I'm very late to the party but I gotta say, this object is the most amazing physical music-related product I have ever seen. And I have seen a lot. I hope they win a Grammy with this. Wood is laminate/veneer, sure, but solid enough and mine needs no dose of Mr. Ed. Number = 5404 (perhaps a high number due to its "replacement" status?) Velvet = Red Ticket = Monday, October 28, 1991 at Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA, $22.50 General Admission Pass = June 16, 1993 at Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY (Not Good For Admission) The book binding reminds me of the one included with the Neil Young Archives, Volume 1. (And that is a pretty awesome collection too.) I LOVE the scroll. I've seen a digital version that is of course way more convenient, but this is really fun to pore over while sipping a local IPA. Thanks, Dr. Rhino for the attention to the missing boxes! Next -- inventory of all discs and their conditions. And lots of ripping, for portability and preservation.
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Could it be true? Has our second class status been removed? Will the USB'ers have their day? I've been emailing Dr. Rhino and Customer Service since the 31st came and went. Mine still states "backordered" as its status BUT I just received this response from customer service tonight: Discussion Thread --------------------------------------------------------------- Response Via Email(Michael) - 11/03/2015 07:13 PM Dear Eric The USB version has begun to ship. Thank you for your email. If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to contact us. Sincerely, Michael Customer Care
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is f'n good stuff.The UJB before drums is somethin' else!Big fun! :) Super glad to see the greater Atlanta area start seeing their boxes arrive. Hang in there USB folks! It's comin'!
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It did not come to me until i got the physical box, but the idea of one show per year is an amazing concept. It is so cool to listen to the band this way and hear the evolution through the years. On 1990 right now, good stuff. Everything has been so great to listen to. My least favorite so far has been 1980. Maybe i haven't listened to it with a good focused mind, and it still had moments i like. Two i really will be coming back to will be 82 and 83 picks. I already was quite familiar with Manor Downs 82, but i am no expert on October 83, which is a time period with a lot of fans. The 83 pick was just a lot of fun. My preconceived notion was to expect something likes DP 6 (which has an amazing second set, but has a lagging first set. just my opinion). This show in the box for 83 i find far more consistent and has tighter playing. For the 60s, 67 and 68 blew me away. i was just staring off in awe as the Feedback started during 68, a complete "what just happened??" look on my face. I was raving to people i thought it was better than Two From the Vault, which might be a bold and daring statement. It is now my go to 68 release. I am a 68-74 disciple, one of many, and the early 70s stuff was a nice listen of course. I was very excited about 11/14/73, being from one of my favorite time periods of Dead. However, the stuff i am unfamiliar with was more exciting. The 1974 PITB is one of my favorite jams from the Box thus far though. So expansive, and so many themes and ideas going on. It is wonderful. Now that i have heard the music, i see why it was released as a box. Big shows that have sonic anomalies and issues, that perhaps would not stand alone as individual releases. I am totally fine with this, because you cannot change the information from the tapes. It still sounds better than tapes. Also, the 87 show... It use to be heavy in my rotation, but i have not listened to it for maybe a year or two. I forgot how powerful it was. WOW, the Morning Dew through the encore had me experiencing a whole range of emotions. AND KY Trips- If you are reading this- You are just now getting to Dave's 15!? Yes you are a bad person! Of course i kid, i am sure we can all relate to how life get's going fast and there is no time to listen to the music play. BUT if you are willing to fork up a large sum for this behemoth of a box, you will no doubt love it. It is so hard to not listen to the new DaP 16 right now, but i want to abstain from listening to it so i get the full effect of 30 Trips.
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is stellar ! That DS and then the closing with Wheel and Stella Blue sets me floating...thanks Jerry
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Well, here is a nice response from the website. I passed along my same comment to dr rhino. No oasis in sight for the continued wandering usbers... Subject --------------------------------------------------------------- 30 Trips USB Discussion Thread --------------------------------------------------------------- Response Via Email(Melinda) - 11/04/2015 01:17 PM Hello, Thank you for contacting Dead.net customer service. I am so sorry that you--and our other USB set customers--have not been provided with detailed updates throughout this process! Unfortunately, we are at the mercy of our supplier, Dr. Rhino, who is still in the process of sending out the remaining physical box sets, so at this time, we do not have a solidified expected ship date. Please know that you have not been forgotten, and that you should still receive a shipping confirmation email once your item has left the supplier. If you feel so inclined, please also feel free to reach out to Dr. Rhino directly at drrhino@rhino.com for the most accurate and up-to-date information. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience, but I sincerely hope that you are delivered a product which you feel is worthy of the wait! If you have any further questions or comments, please let us know. Sincerely, Melinda Dead.net Customer Service 877-DEAD-NET (877-332-3638) - 11/02/2015 08:24 AM You guys really need to send out a detailed update about what is going on with this product and when the expected ship date is now. Even if it is bad news, it would go a long way to allaying a lot of the frustration we usbers are experiencing with this.
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14 years
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And I guess it's nice to know that Rhino can only ship one kind of item at a time. I don't recall being told the box would ship first when placing my order. I suppose I have to cut them a break after really no issues on the close to 100 official releases I've ordered over the years, but it really is an embarrassing snafu at this point made worse by the total lack of stand up communication going out.
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16 years 2 months
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If I could, I would just get a regular old USB 2.0 drive, fill it with all the shows in correct order (the disc 2 of 11/14/73 is not in correct play order) and the audio of the vinyl single and the .pdf of the book, make "several" copies of that drive and just freely distribute that to some USB customers who wish to have a "miracle." The problem would be the shows where the sets and Drums and Space are interrupted by a disc change. I would just let those fades be, I wouldn't try and fix that mix. My old desktop is not in great shape. Ripping problems. Mailing would be on my dime, but USA addresses only. Sorry, Canada and the rest of the world. One Head to another Head.
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9 years
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Sorry for the USB'ers.That email was correct, though. They are having problems shipping the Boxes. I'm starting to think that there is only one person working in the shipping department.
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16 years 10 months
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Still waiting for USB info, like the rest of you.Took a detour last night from Boxzilla into DAP16. Wow, what a bounty of riches. 1973 was a great year...too many excellent songs to choose from on stage. This release has 30 tunes, opens with a great Cumberland, has a 'Wave tHAT fLAG' & a still being worked on They Love each Other. Awesome show...but back to Boxzilla tonight...that 68 show is mind melting.
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14 years
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Just finished Lindley 75 for the second listen, it is a fun show! Got DaP 16 today, taking a break after first box ten years, I figure I'm still in the 70's, so I'm switching to Springfield Civic 73. Great Here come's Sunshine, second song outta the gate! YUM!
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13 years 5 months
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I asked Dr Rhino about the ATL-area delays and he kindly responded that there was a "shipping label issue" and that a batch of boxes "didn't go out". So it's not a "replacement" box, just a new shipping label and delayed delivery. All's well that ends well. I'm ripping away.
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15 years 10 months
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Glad you made it to the promised land. You showed a lot more patience and restraint than I probably would've. You are the man! I'm still slowly chugging along - entering 1974, enjoying it very much! Enjoy!!! I'm hoping our USB Brethren will soon get to enjoy their lightning bolt of joy and be cranking up the boltage soon!
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15 years 4 months
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The immediate image that came to my mind when I read the Rhino email was that Discover card commercial with the Russian guy answering the phone as customer service and saying "This is Peggy." That is a snapshot of Rhino's shipping department. I never rip Rhino for the many little bumps in the road (and I have suffered more than one of them) but this fiasco with the USB is an absolute fucking disgrace and utterly inexcusable. The delay is one thing, but the sin is in the complete and total lack of any pro-active communication from Rhino to the people who have been charged the $700 already. People can and will handle bad news, you just have to be up front in explaining and communicating it to them. Leaving people in dark is never a good strategy when you are in the business of consumer goods and relationships.
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10 years
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to the VERY PATIENT (in concept) USB folks....hope you get your spoils soon, it seems their solo monkey writing up the box labels is now getting it right in ATL, which seems will then lead the way to the monkey packing up your 'Bolt and getting it out...hopefully more than one at a time. In other news, as I was pulling a bunch of '91 down onto my iPod last night (Kayak Guy is THE MAN), I received the dreaded "Not all of the songs will fit onto your iPod" message....Noooooooooooooooo!!!! This is my second iPod (160GB), so I had to immediately go online and find another one and whaddya know, Apple discontinued these things (not sure why that is, cause my phone simply wont hold the volume of music I need to have at my disposal at any given moment). So of course they are now quite expensive but hey I had to bite the bullet. Nothing worse than having the treasure volume on an HD but unable to make it portable. I know, first world problems. But these are important issues people! Sixtus
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15 years 4 months
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While unsatisfying, as a fellow former adherent to the iPod classic and its 160GB, here are the reasons why Apple discontinued: * decreased iPod sales--particularly the larger sized models like the Classic--given the proliferation of iPhones (or competitors) with much larger storage space. * Push towards cloud-based storage, especially iCloud and iTunes Match * Increased use of streaming music services, including but well before the rollout of Apple Music. That last point is particularly frustrating for Heads where most of what we want to listen to are live recordings and not available on a streaming service. That said, Spotify does have the entire "official release" live catalogue including Road Trips and the like, so it fills that void. For streaming access to the LMA recordings try the "Relisten" app, which was recently renamed from the prior Listen to the Dead App. Forget if it is free or not, but even if not the cost is low. Great resource
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10 years
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...much appreciated, this was perplexing me as I was looking around on Amazon last night, in a semi-panic mode. Even as I was driving in to work today stuck in a monumental Boston traffic jam talking to the wifey on the phone recounting my woes to her, she did very pointedly say that I'm 'abnormal' in terms of the volume of music I want (nay, need) to make portable, claiming most normal people don't need to tote so much around, let alone actually have the sheer volume that I have. Then I went on to clarify that what I have is a mere drop in the bucket, and there are tons of others out there who have many times more than I have. Just trying to normalize my abnormality... Indeed, I am familiar with the Relisten app, it's pretty sweet I must say. But also a big part of me likes to actually have the music to hold in my hand, I'm not always gonna have a WiFi connection, etc. But it, along with the LMA, are the next best thing.
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17 years 4 months
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Oh my? What am I to do? I am working my way through Boxzilla for my first listens, going in order. I am currently listening to Albany '93. Just now DaP16 has arrived in my mail box! Do I continue with Boxzilla or switch to Dap16? On the trials & tribulations of being a Dead Head in 2015!! I am sorry, but I have NO sympathy for any of you out there with complaints! (Other then anyone who has not yet received their Boxzilla and of course all USB waiters) This is just a phenomenal time to be a follower of this GRATE band. Rock on ps - I have decided to finish up Boxzilla first
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12 years 4 months
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So what alternatives are out there to the iPod Classic if I want to carry around lots of high quality music? I know there are a lot of lesser known brands but which ones deliver volume and quality playback? Audiophile comments welcome!
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12 years 2 months
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I feel your pain, Sixtus. I'm nearing the "fill-up" point on my 160 GB iPod and it makes me nervous.... And Boxzilla isn't even on it yet. Question for all you tech-savy Heads out there (of which I am, undoubtedly, not one). I have a TON of music on my iTunes on my laptop, which is, of course, what I sync my iPod with. However, much of that music I could truly live without, as I have the physical CDs, and some stuff I rarely listen to. So ... the question is... if I remove this music from my iTunes, and then synch my iPod, will that music then be deleted from iPod, thereby freeing up much needed space for additional music (i.e. more Grateful Dead!)? Thanks in advance for any info.
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13 years 4 months
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I am in the process of kicking my IPod collections to the curb. I bought a FiiOs I for $99 off Amazon. It takes MicroSD cards, so you just need one player and you can sub out the music by switching chips. A 128 gb MicroSD costs about $50 to $60. I just filled up my third, and I don't have boxzilla on it yet. It sounds better, its louder and it plays more music types (specifically flac, so enter High Def). The downside is its a bit thicker and the software is a bit clunkier. If your IPod is like driving a mini-cooper, this is like driving a rider rental truck. But its ok, the interface is sort of like Windows File Manager (Windows Explorer). Its not like driving an 18 wheeler or anything.. like driving a small truck with automatic transmission. I didn't feel like springing the $350+ for a Pono player.. so there you have it. I also upgraded earbuds too, but that's perhaps another conversation for another day. ______ I just read all the threads below.. too funny. I probably have five or six operating 160 gb IPods (probably a dozen if you count the broken ones and the 120 gb, 40 gb, dead units) plus several waterproof shuffles. Fear not! Having a $50 128 gb chip you can swap out is a big advantage over having several units. Plus, you don't have to rely on Apple's sync software in ITunes, which will eventually fuck up your music (trust me on this). Just copy the folders into your FiiO and your good to go. I'm a bit tired of my overpriced IPhone too.. but don't let me get off on a rant.
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13 years 8 months
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Got a snazzy 30 Trips sticker with my copy of Daves Picks 16. Still no word on the actual USB but at least I got a sticker right?
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10 years
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...so the settings on your iTunes need to be set in such a way as to either manage your music manually, or automatically. If the latter, this means that anytime you plug in your iPod, it will automatically check your iTunes and then sync to whatever is in the library. So if you have it set to automatically sync, if you remove music from your iTunes library, when you sync it, it will mimic your library and therefore remove the music from the ipod. If you have iTunes set to manage your music manually, you can simply go into your ipod when it is hooked up and delete the songs from there, or the playlists, or however you have it setup. The quicker way, but less control, is to have iTunes automatically sync. I don't do this though, because it can have devastating effects if you aren't fully paying attention. I recall when I first got my initial ipod, I didn't understand this feature and couldn't figure out why my ipod would get wiped every time I hooked it up. it was a bit of a learning process.... JimInMD - thanks for the feedback on other type of players, I really have zero knowledge outside of the ipod, but it seems the memory card swapping is a great alternative for that other player you've mentioned...
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9 years 1 month
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I filled up my 160gb ipod classic a couple of years ago and ended up buying a second one before they discontinued them. Now, I have one that is for the Dead and Jerry stuff only, and a little Bobby as well. The other one is filled with all the other music I listen to with a few of my favorite Dead and JGB selections in case I end up in a situation where I only have that one with me. I refuse to allow myself to get into a situation where I'm without at least some Dead (then again there's always youtube in a pinch). A guy I work with has a SanDisk clip, not sure which model. He loves it. Sound is good compared to my ipod. They take a micro SD card as well. It's nice and compact and the UI isn't terrible. I've thought about going that direction and having different cards for the different stuff, but I'm happy with my setup. It's definitely in the back of my head as an option when one of my ipods dies. Hopefully by the time I need to change my way there will be a better option out there for my needs.
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15 years 4 months
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Is really not a bad way to have all of your iTunes loaded GD collection accessible on an iPhone downloadable from the cloud. One time yearly fee and well worth it IMO. Makes having a 128GB phone perfect as I can still get a LOT of shows on there that are go-to listens often, then download others from the cloud as needed.
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10 years 8 months
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I really want apple music to work for me. There are a lot of things I like about it, but more that really piss me off. Maybe I'm not doing it right. If I turn on icloud music library on my phone it f's up all my cover art -- trying to match it to something it's not. I actually tried last night on my ipad just to see if it had been fixed. Nope. All my recently imported 30 trips covers were blown away. I made the horrible mistake of enabling icloud music library on my PC originally -- metadata got butchered. Had a backup though so I was good. Would love to have this enabled so I could pull in playlists and other artists that I don't have in my personal collection. Thoughts?
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