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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June 16, 2015 - 2:28pm

#6631

KeithFan2112

Joined:
August 6, 2014

Speaking of Decline

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

#6632

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

DearJerry

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

#6633

Cousins Of The…

Joined:
September 10, 2009

Mo' Keith

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

#6634

PalmerEldritch

Joined:
July 25, 2011

I love the keyboard/era debates!

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

#6635

KeithFan2112

Joined:
August 6, 2014

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

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

#6636

LoveJerry

Joined:
March 19, 2015

Jim In MD

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

#6637

KeithFan2112

Joined:
August 6, 2014

You Know a Rumble Ain't a Rumble Without Me

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

#6638

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

Re: DearJerry/Keith

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

#6639

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

Re: Brokedown

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

#6640

mbarilla

Joined:
August 8, 2013

Check out JGB live shows from 1978

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

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

Dead Store Products

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Helpful hints for using your USB:

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

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

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

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

Jazz and cocktails, tonight

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.

Re: Jazz Cocktails.

I'm in.

Going for a refill

and pouring one for my buddy Jim!

Hotlanta is still Notlanta for me and my 30 Trips Box

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...

icecrmcnkd (and random musings)

"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.

Re: Random Musings

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?

Two thumbs up

10-20-68Now doing the greatest hits tour to get a taste of the whole Box.

Dead & Company

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.

Visions of Johanna

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'

Hang in There, Atlantans

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!

Dave's Picks 17 Announced

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".

USB Status

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.....

Hmmm . . .

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!

1984 Greek Rumor

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

Defective disc

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

Greek Rumor

Yea.. its a good thing I researched this.. If there's a morale to this its never to bet against VGuy Odds.

Mar-T - Defective disc

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.

Morning Dew '87

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.

Embarrassed to say...

... 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.

'94 Show

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.

'87 MSG

I too just listened to this Morning Dew yesterday and it is killer! All time version for sure. Rock on

'87 MSG

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.

So far....

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

2-22-69.......Nice

Glad @oneman got his Box last night. 9:45 pm, wow I didn't know UPS delivered that late.

Minority Report

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.

USB has begun to ship!?

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

Augusta '84 Trip

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'!

My ramblings on 30 trips

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.

89 trip

is stellar ! That DS and then the closing with Wheel and Stella Blue sets me floating...thanks Jerry

USB

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.

usb

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.

Sad state for the USB orders

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.

USBlues

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.

USB

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.

DaP 16 Detour

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!

Splainin'

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.

@One Man & others that's been waiting patiently

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!

"only one person working the shipping department"

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.

USBers and my iPod Woes

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

Sixtus

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

DJMac..Thx for some History Lessons

...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.

First World Problems of being a Dead Head

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

Alternatives to an iPod?

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!

iPod Woes...

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.

IPod Blues

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.

Cruel Irony

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?

KYTrips and your iPod dilemma

...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...

iPods

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.

iTunes Match

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.

re: iTunes Match / Apple Music

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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