30 Trips Around The Sun Box & Digital USB

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September 4, 2015 - 10:38am

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Helpful hints for using your USB:

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

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

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

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

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August 20, 2016 - 11:39am

#71

supe80

Joined:
August 5, 2012

Box Art Work

I hope someone hasn't asked this already. Does anyone know who did the artwork for the outside of the box?
August 16, 2016 - 12:41pm

#72

johnny361

Joined:
November 1, 2012

hi gang

I spent the day with Cobo 1976. I really like these fall 76 shows with Dicks #20 being a personal favorite since it's release many years ago. This Cobo show is really growing on me with each listen. 30 Trips has been a monster to get through but I love the task! There are still shows I haven't spent time with.. but I will!
August 8, 2016 - 7:16am

#73

KYTrips

Joined:
August 25, 2012

1975

So... this is another show that's a bit tough to grade. It's relatively short for a Dead show (I think it was just one long set), and I'm guessing that they were part of a bill that included other bands at this free show in Golden Gate Park. Also, it's one of only 4 shows that they played in 1975, so I'm guess they were a bit rusty, though you wouldn't think so from the performance itself. It starts off with a really sold Help > Slipknot that sounds a bit strange without the third jewel of Franklin's Tower, but that comes later in the show. Then there's a long break as the band attempt to summons a doctor from the crowd because a woman is apparently having a baby somewhere near/behind the stage. This alone makes the show memorable. They then move into a really, really good Music Never Stopped, followed by They Love Each Other. Beat It On Down the Line is above-average, in my opinion and it's followed by a good Franklin's Tower. Big River is straightforward, and the first disc ends with a routine It Must Have Been the Roses. The second disc starts off with an above-average Truckin' followed by a good jam and Drums. That heads into an excellent Stronger Than Dirt/Milkin' the Turkey which eventually leads into 10+ minute Not Fade Away which is light on lyrics and strong on jamming. The show ends with Going Down the Road Feeling Bad and a very energetic One More Saturday Night. The highlight of this show for me is the Music Never Stopped, but there really are no off numbers in the entire show. It's a consistently good show from start to finish. Overall Grade: B
July 23, 2016 - 8:55am

#74

unkle sam

Joined:
October 3, 2008

1990 1994

Just returned from a long road trip and listened to these two shows in their entirety during this trip. 1994 was the first listen. Show starts off with a nice Help>Slip>Franklins that is nice, Jerry in good form and everyone contributing their parts, not the best, but not bad. Then Walkin blues, not my favorite and Bobby's slide work is ok at best, then Atlhea, a good tune done well by Jer. Me and My Uncle, Big River and Just like Tom Thumb's Blues, no real Jerry in MAMU, BR just ok and JLTTB's has Phil taking lead vocals, enough said. An ok So Many Roads and Jerry sounds tired, voice a bit shaky and "old Jerry" sounding. Promised Land is good, with Bobby in fine voice, which ends the first set. Second set starts off with Scarlet>Fire, scarlet is ok but the Fire is grate, with Jerry getting his voice to perform about as good as it can get for these days. Way to go Home is next and I always liked this song, Vince in fine form throughout with Jerry adding some fine lead lines. Then into Saint of Circumstances, no Lost Sailor which I miss and wish they would not have dropped from the list, it's the better of the two tunes. A nice Terrapin with Jerry hitting all the notes and lyrics into a short but very trippy drums into an excellent space with Jerry showing us all that he can still blow heads away. Everytime there is "The last time" after a drums>space you know it was a great drums>space, like you know this could be the last time you ever hear that wonderful sound again. A good but short Stella with Jerry sounding tired in both voice and playing into a good OMSN. The encore is Liberty, a great tune that Jerry flubs the lyric on, but comes back and repeats it right. Thought the sound was ok, but a little boomy All in all a good show but....C+. 1990, good first set with a great Jack-a roe black throated wind ramble on rose and bird song, Jerry in fine voice and playing with bruce on the piano making it all sound nice. The second set here is very good, Chinacat, rider and saint all done well, very deliberate and a bit on the slower side, which is nice. At Crazy fingers and this is where it starts to get real good, the ending jam in Crazy Fingers has a bit of the x factor and was very nice then into Playing>drums>space>playing reprise, just awesome all of it, I highly recommend it. The stella is very nice into throwing stones into a great NFA with crowd chant into a fine one more Saturday nite. All in all a good show from France. The sound was ok, but had a bit of an echo in spots, not sure if it was the audience singing along or an echo, but was a bit distracting in places, a bit boomy in parts also, but all in all, not bad....a solid B. I haven't had time to get to all of them, but these two I took along just to give them a good listen, was not disappointed. For the 90's, both shows were ok, but not the same band we all fell in love with in the 60's and 70's.
July 19, 2016 - 2:12pm

#75

KYTrips

Joined:
August 25, 2012

1974

I will go out on a limb here and officially declare the 1974 show as the first "miss" of this embarrassment of riches known as 30 Trips Around the Sun. First of all, there are a few sound-related issues that I had to overcome. The overall sound "quality" is very good, but I definitely thought that Jerry's guitar was too low in the mix (who does that... puts Jerry's guitar low in the mix?!!!?) and then there is the issue with the vocals for the first 2 songs of the second set ("Loose Lucy" and "Big River") which are missing. I mean... they're there, but they're apparently not being picked up by the mic intended to pick them up or they didn't make it to the recorder... Whatever's going on, they're not to be heard in these recordings, unless you lean into the speaker and hear them buried somewhere off in the distance. In any event, it annoys me, and I think it spoils what would have otherwise been a pretty decent "Loose Lucy" (one of my faves). In addition, this show contains a between sets "Seastones." Not my favorite in any case. So... this show was fighting an uphill battle for me. The show kinda begins with the boys being a bit sloppy. The "Uncle John's Band" opener is nice, but uneven. "Jack Straw", "Friend of the Devil" and "Black-Throated Wind" are all unremarkable. The standalone "Scarlet Begonias" is a notch up from the previous songs, but that tune was still really finding its legs in the Dead's repertoire in '74. The next 5 tunes are again, unremarkable. The first CD ends with a nice "To Lay Me Down." I have to admit, I'm partial to this song. I've always loved it and thought it was underrated as a Dead song. The first set ends with a 23+ minute Playing In the Band which is good, but again, nothing special for this era. Then we are faced with "Seastones" and the aural problems mentioned previously to start the second set. A good "Peggy O" and an unremarkable "Me and My Uncle" round out Disc 2. The meat of this show (and presumably, the reason it was included in 30 TATS) is in Disc 3. Things finally take off with a wonderful "Eyes of the World" and the rest of the show is pretty darn good. Highlights for me included the Truckin' > Drums > Caution Jam sequence, which is pretty hot. The "Drums" is particularly interesting in that in addition to Billy on drums, Phil is also participatory in the part of the show. "Ship of Fools" is really nice and smooth and the "Johnny B. Goode" to close the set is also pretty smokin'. "U.S. Blues" is a good encore and a nice way to round out the evening. I'll be brutally honest... I don't think this show would have ever merited release on it's own, so it was, in my opinion, thrown into this box set. I certainly hope it's not the best there is remaining in the vault from 1974. However, I'd be less than honest if I didn't acknowledge that the third disc of the show is pretty darn good. But it certainly was my least favorite show thus far in the box. Grade: C+
July 18, 2016 - 7:59am

#76

KYTrips

Joined:
August 25, 2012

1973

It took me a little while longer to get to this review than I would have liked... Life's been busy with vacation and then I was in trial for a week (I'm an attorney... don't throw rocks), so my listening has been sporadic for the past few weeks. At any rate, let me start off by saying that this show is a total GEM!! Although I don't think it's the best of the box, so far, I do think it might be my favorite so far. It starts off again with a "Big Railroad Blues" which to me is a sign of good things to come (see my review from 1972). The next few songs (Jack Straw, Sugaree, Mexicali Blues) are all good, but nothing special. After all, it's just the first set. But then, this show morphs into a classic. "Here Comes Sunshine" is one of those songs that I absolutely love, and that I feel the band didn't play often enough. Accordingly, it was, in my opinion, a treat when it did show up in a setlist. Well... this one may be the best HCS EVER! It's so melodic and the playing so smooth, with a killer jam in the middle of it. It ebbs and flows nicely and you know from this point going forward that "tonight" is going to be "one of those nights." The other part about this show that is a bit different is that the first set is EPIC in length. It's actually longer than the second set, and the goodies start showing up much earlier than in a typical Dead show. I'm not going to go song-by-song, but the remaining highlights of the first set for me are: an appearance of "The Race Is On"; a very nice "Brown-Eyed Women"; "Tennessee Jed" and a late-first set China>Rider. The first set closes out (more than mid-way through Disc 2) with a hot "Around and Around."As good as the first set is, the second set is even better (although I still think the overall highlight of the show is still the "Here Comes Sunshine" in the first set). Due to timing issues, the second set actually starts on Disc 3, with the final three (3) songs on the set appearing at the end of Disc 2. I definitely recommend listening in the order in which the show was played. And let me tell you, Disc 3 is awesome!!! It is basically a non-stop, continuous 70+ minute jam which begins with an excellent "Truckin'" which then morphs into an unbelievable, three-part "The Other One" sandwich, which has "Big River" and "Eyes of the World" for the filling. It is hypnotic the way the boys weave in and out of "The Other One" throughout this portion of the show, never losing stride and hitting on all cylinders. Finally... the last portion of "The Other One" leads into a great "Wharf Rat", and they finally silence their instruments for a few fleeting moments. The show closes with three (3) stand-alones... "Me and My Uncle" (which seems strange to hear this late in a show), "Going Down the Road Feeling Bad" and "One More Saturday Night". They're all good, but it's almost impossible to top that which just went down in the first 70+ minutes of this set. I definitely see myself coming back to this show over and over in the future. Show grade: "A- to A", depending upon my mood. Again... I don't think it's the best show, so far, but I do think it's my favorite!
May 24, 2016 - 11:10am

#77

KYTrips

Joined:
August 25, 2012

Ahhh.... 1972

If ever there was a more stellar year in GD history, I'm not sure what it would be (okay, okay... I realize this topic is up for debate, but I cast my lot with 1972). That being said, I had really high expectations for this show, as I do almost all '72 shows. This one didn't disappoint. However, I do think that this show will suffer a fate of being underplayed by many Heads, as it's so close in proximity to the DP 11 show from the Stanley Theater in Jersey City that took place 3 nights after this gem. I do think the Stanley Theater show is better, but this one is pretty great too. My only knock on this show... I think the sound is a bit spotty. There's one period in the show where the tape hiss is very audible and a bit distracting until you realize you're just gonna have to deal with it. The show opens with one of my personal faves... "Big Railroad Blues". You know a show is gonna be good when they open with this one. Everything in this show is filled with energy. Hell... I even liked "Mexicali Blues" which to me is usually a snoozer. "Loser" and "Black-Throated Wind" both deliver, while the band takes a bit of a breather in a subpar "Cumberland Blues" in my opinion. "Sugaree" is great (as per usual), and is followed by a consistent run of "El Paso", "Tennesse Jed" and BIODTL. In my opinion, this show REALLY gets rolling when they break into "Bird Song" later in the 1st Set. I've heard much better versions of "Big River", but the first set closes with an awesome "Brown-Eyed Women" and a MONSTER "Playing In the Band." Not bad... and that was just the 1st Set!!!The 2nd Set kills! The boys keep raising the pot (no pun intended) with each subsequent song, starting with "Greatest Story Ever Told" and continuing through "Bertha", "Promised Land", a beautiful "Fried of the Devil" and "Jack Straw". Things fall off a bit when they play "Tomorrow is Forever", a short-lived song in the Dead repertoire for good reason in my opinion. Then they ease back into things with MAMU before they head into "Dark Star" which is sandwiched around a nice little drum solo by Billy. Out of "Dark Star"?... Why yes, I do believe I will take a China Cat>Rider. And it's a good one. The show closes with the Bobby one-two.... "Sugar Magnolia" and "One More Saturday Night". All in all, a great show. Grade: A-
May 23, 2016 - 6:56am

#78

Cousins Of The…

Joined:
September 10, 2009

1971??

I have not gone through the 2nd set of 1971...and yes, I listed 1985 twice, my mistake.
May 23, 2016 - 2:58am

#79

One Man

Joined:
May 17, 2011

1971?

I don't see 1971 on your list. And is something listed twice?
May 16, 2016 - 12:19pm

#80

Cousins Of The…

Joined:
September 10, 2009

1984!

I'm usually partial to the 60's and 70s, however this show is tremendous! short but impeccable first set, from beginning to end; second set is quite adventurous, with a long UJB, a standalone Playin' reprise and a killer Morning Dew. My favorite 80's Trip so far. Revising my rankings... 1970 1967 1973 1975 1974 1972 1976 1968 1984 1969 1977 1983 1991 1979 1980 1981 1982 1978 1990 1993 1992 1966 1985 1986 1994 1985 1995 1987 1989 1988

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

Dead Store Products

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Helpful hints for using your USB:

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

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

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

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

Lol "Missing finger"

Bolo you are too funny

USB received....

USB 500/1000 arrived yesterday. The bolt feels/ looks good, but information is really lacking on song order and downloading into iTunes. I just found this online - a message I never received from customer service. The two links below are for song order - in a PDF or Excel format/ Hope this helps: --------------- Dear customer, We hope by now you are thoroughly enjoying your 30 Trips collection. Here are a few helpful hints to help you along the way. 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: www.dead.net/sites/default/files/30-trips-songs-in-show-order.pdf.zip Text: www.dead.net/sites/default/files/30-trips-list-of-mp3s.csv.zip (may be helpful if creating a script)

Had to jump in. The waters fine?....

....to annalee10. Cobo didn't grab ya? Maybe it will down the road. Grabbed me by the larynx upon first listen. Last Boogie Mark I amp used by Garcia. Dual amps took over during the Day On The Green shows a few days later.... ....congrats to VW3323 on getting your bolt. Nice round #....but seriously, where do you live? Mars? (Sorry. Bowie hangover still in effect)....

Also, check this out....

....as some of you may know, I recently moved. Was raking the front yard when I noticed a late model Cadillac in my new neighbors driveway. Squinted, then realized there was a SYF sticker on the back glass. No joke. Knocked on the front door. No response. All good things in all good time....

@vguy72

Oddly enough Dallas. No idea what took so long. Uploaded 65-76 in iTunes today and now iTunes Match is starting to populate. So far I am overly impressed with the music quality.

Jim

After reading your comment (good points by the way!), I was wondering how old this song really was. I was thinking it must be an old gospel song (sure sounds like it to me), but was surprised to find that it is credited to Fred Rich as being written in 1954. I would have thought it to be much, much older. Maybe Mr. Rich was basing it on something older? Anyway, interesting mystery to look into for someone who is better at those things than I.

Cold Jordan and 1954

Interesting. It does have an 'older' feel than 1954. Still, 1954 pre-dates a lot of the water projects that weakened the Jordan and it pre-dates Bolo's missing finger, Narnia island water diversion effort. I bet even then the Jordan could still roar certain times of the year.. and no doubt this song was written for a different time or at least to have a timeless feeling. Great song and well performed on that road trips. I especially love Marmadukes contributions. This and several other 5/15/70 songs are in one of my Kayak IPods, that show has been getting a disproportionate amount of quality ear time the last year. Good job Dantian. Credited as traditional on the Road Trips cd, it looks like is probably not that traditional at all. http://www.unioncountyhistory.org/page35/page76/styled/styled-3/

Confessions of a Musical Expeditionary

Love the Cold Jordan discussion and genealogy..thanks for the posts. I do a very intermittent (ie when I feel like it) podcast and I love linking random stuff together; different genres, unique back stories that somehow interwine, etc. Another one I like in that vein of being deceptively young is Long Black Veil. You'd think it was ancient, or at the very least from 1885 Tombstone or something.. but it was written in 1959 (Lefty Frizzell's version was first that year), less than a decade before Cash and The Band's versions which sound like something they've lived with for a lifetime. To me, at least. Not nearly as intriguing as Cold Jordan, which sounds like it could be a hundreds year old spiritual, but still interesting to me. Anyways, just had some tunes from DaP11 '72 come up on random. Forgot how fantastic that release was. Too much to listen to, too little time..so many roads. Or to quote Chandler..Oh, I know, this must be so hard. "Oh no, two women love me. They're both gorgeous and sexy. My wallet's too small for my fifties AND MY DIAMOND SHOES ARE TOO TIGHT."

Part 2, a corollary revisited

Oh, forgot, I use Amazon as a crutch and sneak in a CD or book everytime I have an excuse to buy something else..Ordered some contact cleaner, (working on my dads old '70s receiver and turntable) so snuck in a book on a listening guide to classical music and the Closing of Winterland CD. I have the DVD as part of the big movie boxset (really cool release by the way, though I'd take some more pre-80s stuff, if it was readily available) but wanted to grab the CD too. Anyone have any thoughts, remembrances, war stories from that show, release or anything related? I think I read that was the first Dark Star post-hiatus? Second, Dito Mancante cracked me the hell up. I'm in, I can fill the electrical distribution and mediocre banjo openings. C'mon, that's a bargain, two birds with one stone. What's the price? Thirty twice.

Jim, older "deep and wide" reference

"Michael Row The Boat Ashore" (Pete Seeger version): Jordan's river is deep and wide, hallelujah. Meet my mother on the other side, hallelujah. Jordan's river is chilly and cold, hallelujah. Chills the body, but not the soul, hallelujah. According to wiki, the song is an old Negro spiritual first published in 1867, though who can say how far back the oral tradition goes: Jordan stream is wide and deep. Jesus stand on t' oder side.

Ring them bells..

For they’re deep and they’re wide..And the world’s on its side And time is running backwards And so is the bride

Re: Jordan

The version by Emmylou Harris/Johnny Cash also notes this song as traditional. In fact, all the covers of this song I could find credit it as "Traditional." I wonder if it was copyrighted at all. I hope 'traditional' isn't code for 'no royalties for you?' Interesting. I had this song pegged for being much older than 60 years.

'76 Trip

Had a long solo drive over the holiday weekend. Even though there are still seven shows from Boxzilla I haven't heard yet I decided to reach for Cobo Hall. It's one of several shows (from the cassette days) that made me feel I HAD to have this box. When I first listened to the discs last Fall, it was good but didn't quite live up to my memory of those cassettes.Well...on my drive Saturday I was truly blown away. The LOUD volume and lack of distractions really allowed me to appreciate this show in all it's glory. A rockin' first set and Phil is definitely a presence. The stand alone Scarlet Begonias is terrific and could have been the set closer (at one point Jerry, Phil, Bob and Keith are all just going off) yet we still get a hot Music Never Stopped which includes just a bit of the Mind Left Body Jam around the 3:52 mark (shades of those demos from Mill Valley). Set 2 has all kinds of twists and turns including a great Playin' on disc 2. Disc 3 is pure bliss. I almost thought Phil was teasing the Tighten Up Jam for a second or two around the 5:30 mark of The Wheel but I'm probably reading too much into that. I tend to enjoy Good Lovin' from this era a little more when it's not connected to Bertha (not sure why) and it sounds like they might go into Slipknot around 7:22 but no complaints when they veer into Comes a Time instead. I'm a big fan of "Disco" Dancin' and the NFA is very nice and loose as they take their time getting into it. The China Cat tease beginning at 10:08 is fun as you hear the crowd voice it's approval. This is just a very hot show from beginning to end. I know '76 is not for everyone but if you even remotely enjoy this year, this is truly one of the gems of Boxzilla. Annalee, if you're reading this, take VGuy's and my advice and give it another shot.

My Cobo-sense went off....

....rdevil....I couldn't say it any better. A crown jewel....we all need to get a listening/Skype party together for this one....

Cold Jordan

Ever since I heard a cassette recording of the boys' 5/2/70 version of Cold Jordan with Nelson & Dawson more years ago than I care to remember (and long before DP 8 saw the light of day), I have loved the tune (along with Deep Elem Blues). Really gave the boys a chance to harmonize. 45+ years after that Harpur College recording was made, I saw Ry Cooder and Ricky Skaggs do an excellent version of Cold Jordan in NYC's acoustically perfect Zankel Hall, with Cooder taking the bass harmony. Would love for them to release that show of old spirituals and blues, though in the meantime there are some decent audience recordings out there to be heard. Highly recommended (in my opinion, of course). Remember, as Neil said, "Live music is better, bumper stickers should be issued".

Shrine 67 vinyl

I'm surprised I haven't seen any mention of the Shrine 11/10/67 3 LP release today for Rhinos Start Your Ear Off Right special releases today. 6700 available at independent record stores.

Hard copy book for usb people????

I was under the impression that people who purchased the USB version of the current box set was going to be compensated for the looooooooooooooooooooong wait. Did anyone, who purchased the USB set, receive a book? Mr. Pete--------> aging hippie

Mr. Pete

Sorry, that was never going to happen - just a rumor based on a one-off email from a customer service person to a single buyer as far as I know. I am not aware anybody received compensation of any kind (I certainly don't call five holiday cards compensation). Wish I were wrong. Personally, while I won't forget the shoddy treatment when it comes to making future buying decisions, I've moved on and just accept the music is now here - I have completed most of my re-tagging, and the music is good.

@mr pete - hard copy of book

No - I received my bolt 1/15/16 - no copy of the book. Just the digital version. I am disappointed as I really wanted a copy of the book. I am pleased with the USB though. Really quick and easy to stick in iTunes and enjoy.

30 Trips Connoisseurs

So my plan to buy a show or two along with the 4 CD compilation has, well, led me to buy more than one show or two. Next plan was to to cut it at my own personal "15 Trips Around the Sun." My current fifteen are below. Just curious, any other killer shows from TTATS that I should definitely grab. Talking truly essential. (No copping out with the "It's all essential," although I know it really is.) (Also, didn't grab '72,'75 or '77 due to costs----Sorry 80's fans--the market doesn't lie, or so they tell me.) (Do like the '83 Worcester and '87 MSG shows a lot, despite Healy messing with Bob's vocals--the echo or singing into a tin can effect.) Also Europe '72 box's got me covered for that sublime year. No '67 purchase was due to quirks of eBay auctions. Do plan on grabbing that at some point. The Wave-That-Flag (or WTF?) "15 Trips" (So Far) (Furthur?) 1966 - 7/3, Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA 1968 - 10/20, Greek Theater, Berkeley, CA 1969 - 2/22, The Dream Bowl, Vallejo, CA 1970 - 4/15, Winterland, San Francisco, CA 1971 - 3/18, Fox Theater, St. Louis, MO 1973 - 11/14, San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA 1974 - 9/18, Parc des Expositions, Dijon, France 1976 - 10/3, Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI 1978 - 5/14, Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI 1979 - 10/27, Cape Cod Coliseum, South Yarmouth, MA 1980 - 11/28, Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL 1981 - 5/16, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 1983 - 10/21, The Centrum, Worcester, MA 1987 - September 18, 1987 – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 1991 - 9/10, Madison Square Garden, NY, NY Lovin 'pretty much all of these shows. '9! was sweet, but I will confess to having visions of Spinal Tap's Jazz Odyssey during the Dark Star Reprise. (Heresy to admit it...sorry Branford.) Jerry cleansed me of these impure thoughts by closing with Dylan's "It's All Over Now Baby Blue, and it was all OK again. Anyway, you get the idea. Any recommended, must have 30 Trips shows not listed above?

More Trips for Wave

To me, '84, '85, '88, '89 all better than '80/'81/'83. I liked '93 and '94, too. Your next one(s): [one of '88 or '89], then [one of '93 or '94], then [one of '84 or '85], then tracking back through for the one not purchased.

wave-that-flag

'75 Lindley Meadows is must have, unique, essential Dead, and the one show that forced me to buy this box. I would grab it now before it is priced out of range.

@wave-that-flag - I second recommending Oxford 88 and Boston 94

wave-that-flag - you can't go wrong with Oxford 88 and Boston 94 trips.

Re: Dave

Ok Dave it took awhile but I was finally able to give the 1970 trip my full attention. The whole show is an instant classic. Sound quality is amazing. Bobby is completely at the top of his game in this show truly complimenting everything Jer is doing. Although there are no really long ecliptic jams the song selection and placement are superb. Dancin has to be the highlight and for me one of the best versions I've ever heard. Although I've only been a casual fan of 1970 this is definitely a year I need to start digging into and exploring more. The energy the band has here is amazing. That's what I always thought about the ladies and gentlemen release is what amazing energy.

Re: Miles and 4/15/1970

Thanks Miles, I don't feel so guilty now. I just the finished 1970 show last night myself hiking through a beautiful snowstorm in the mountains. I really enjoyed this show as well, in addition to the Dancin' in the Streets I thought the Man's World was compelling. This is a treasure and with so few boards from 1970 to choose from, its an important offering. I was thinking as I descended from my hike as Garcia was wailing in the final jam in Dancin' how much I like the 1970 arrangement of this song. This topic came up a couple years ago in one of these threads (the 1970 vs. the 1977 arrangement) and the disco-influenced arrangement seemed to get the overall nod. There were several shout outs for the Cornell version in particular. I am still drawn to the earlier versions, this and the version at Harpur College a few weeks later are outstanding. Still.. a classic and I got a good, uninterrupted listen with good headphones on. I completely agree - great show. Some Box!

10/3/76 Cobo Arena

When the full contents of 30TATS was revealed, I wasn't too sure about the 1976 entry because although I never had this show before, I read something, somewhere, sometime that the recordings that were in circulation weren't all that great, and I never bothered to stream it on the Archive or elsewhere. When I got the 30TATS box, I eventually pulled it out and read Dick Latvala's hand printed notes. 1st off, he comments that "... the quality is not very good (6), but the performance is quite exceptional." TRUE! One amazing show! It sounds like a dull, quite flat with some high end frequencies cut off, monophonic recording to me. But not all monophonic live recordings are dull. Bertha & Mama are just OK, but they're warm-ups in my opinion. But from Sugaree on, this show is on fire! Thanks to the powers-that-be for including this show in the box. I LOVE IT!

Re: Jim

Hiking through a snowstorm listening to this show sounds awesome. Sounds like a plan for this weekend here in the northeast. I never really cared for dancin too much until I started hearing some of these early versions. The 77 versions and beyond just always sort of stayed in that same dance groove. Although I'm a huge fan of 77 I always felt sort of a letdown when dancin is played. But that's just me. This version from 1970 takes off in that groove and lands on a different planet. I love it. The show just keeps on pounding from there. I love when Bob and pig go back and forth in love light and they do it here for awhile.

Thanks for the Trips Tips!

Boblopes, Morning Sun & Dantian Greatly appreciate the advice on essential shows from TTATS. The shows I've got so far have all been consistently excellent. Looks like I'll be grabbing a few more.. Probably should have just bought the Bolt! Had no idea how awesome and essential TTATS would be.... Let the music play! Fired up for Dave's first two 2016 Picks as well. No other band touches these guys or even comes close.

Can't argue with that logic WTF (lol)....

I can seriously see myself not hearing another song by anyone other that the members of The Grateful Dead, and sit back comfortably, knowing I really didn't miss out on anything....

And to born cross-eyed....

Cobo, Cobo, Cobo, Cobo, Cobo.....sorry. trying to get a chant going....

responses to recent posts

Wave that Flag--there are a ton of great shows in the box but, to me, the word "essential" definitely points to '75 Lindley Meadows. A historic and unique show, this is certainly one of the most "essential" shows in the box, possibly the most essential. There's just not much out there from '75 and this show is truly fantastic.I was a little underwhelmed with the '88 show on first listen, but to each his own. I thoroughly enjoyed the '89 show even though i'd originally wished they'd picked a show from that year before they got too into the MIDI. Miles--YES! 4-15-70 is one that truly exceeded my expectations and really knocked me off my socks. The jam out of Drums blew me away as did the transition into Dire Wolf. Sorry, Jim, but as great as the Dancin' is here, i'm still firmly in the Disco Dancin' camp, maybe because there are more of those out there. Born Cross Eyed--glad to hear more love for Cobo, such a hot and unpredictable show (I try not to look at the set lists on first listen). Vguy--I scrolled back a bit and realized that I must have been on the highway digging the Cobo show Saturday at about the same time you were writing your post about it. I was all pumped up about the show, had an evening with extended family, and at the end of the night checked Dead.net and saw your post. Perfect.

Any thoughts on...

Anyone have some thoughts on Legion of Mary Northwest Tour'74 (Garcia Live Volume 3)? I'm trying to decide how to spend my Amazon gift cards and streaming this right now. I think my mind is made up but would still like to hear other views before I pull the trigger. Sounds like Freedom Jazz Dance is almost worth it on it's own. edit: if I get this I probably need to buy Miles Smiles as well, right?

Born X-Eyed

You've inspired me to keep at the Cobo Hall show. Having trouble feeling the heat on this one, but maybe I will start with disc 3 instead....

Today in GD history

I've posted this link before but I listened to it again yesterday and even though I've had recordings of this show since 1979, it still is a facemelter. If you don't have time for the whole show, start at the Terrapin where the 2nd set SBD begins and listen through the end of NFA. https://archive.org/details/gd1978-01-22.sbd.miller.110632.flac16 No it isn't in the vault, it's among the missing reels, but not one of the known Betty boards auction hoard either, It seems like the whole jan 1978 tour went AWOL before then and only are available in multigen copies of the master reels.

A good place?

hopefully this is a good place to post and a good chunk of people are still checking this forum. I had this group recommended to me by a guy who has hosted a radio show out of Princeton since 1973(?) called Music You Can't Hear on the Radio. I've listened for 30 years and have recorded tons of his shows. It's a bluegrass based show, guy is a decent deadhead and his show is as mellow as it comes. (Sunday nights 6pm EST, WPRB, you can listen online) Recommended group - Railroad Earth. They have about 1400 shows on the archive, this link will get you to my drop box where you will find the most number 1 downloaded show by them. Enjoy Dennis https://www.dropbox.com/sh/u0qi46a15627yqz/AACE-N1JlSrZ5hb7yglqghlda?dl…

Kayak Guy.....

Great Choice! A REAL BARN-BURNER!!

1.22.78 - Close Encounters

Check out 4.19.78 Columbus show, not close to the level of 1.22.78, but Garcia shreds - Space -> The Other One

8 man electrical band

just listen to the 91 show from this box. Only the second set at first. Starts off good, with a help>slip>franklins and heats up from there. The dark star kinda goes no where, but it's fun to hear it again. The Drums>space is quite good but too short, I like em long and spacey. Branford is in good form but not as prevalent as the 90 show, but still some good work from him. All and all, a good show with good sound and mix. Always thought Bruce was a good fit with this band, his piano is up front and even tho Vince trys to muck up a few songs with that cheesy sinth sound, I liked his contributions too.

1/22/78 The Other One!

That whole post-drum is amazing; in my opinion, the 17 mns Other One is the highlight of the show, a reminder of why I prefer 70's shows. Starting in 1980, it seems they reformatted most songs, including the Other One, to a shorter, much more predictable version. Which is my main gripe with the 80's: everything formatted and in its proper place, 1st songs, pre-drums songs, post-drums songs, with only a few scattered exceptions. That's why 1976 is such a great year, completely unpredictable, both in set list and execution. Don't get me started on Deal..I love the late 70's version when Jerry dug deep with chorus after chorus. By 1980, Deal was reformatted with 2 choruses, a faster tempo, little variations over the years in Jerry's mid-song solos, and throwaway vocals. Sure the jam at the end was fun, but the song itself suffered.

rdevil

Sounds like you already have Miles Smiles - Teo? Teo? But you must have ESP(N), too, no?Miles Smiles 1966 ESP 1965 listening to the 1/21 & 22 sessions now. Mercy!

Selection factor for some of the 30 Trips shows

I don't know if anyone else has commented on this so far, but I think (and maybe this is obvious) I've figured out a strong selection factor for some the particular shows for the 30 Trips set. Before getting the box I was concerned that even though the ranking of 'great shows' is somewhat personal, many of them would nevertheless not be as "top rank" as the numerous previous official releases out there from the past 25 years- that much of the best had already been picked over. I've only made my way through '66 to '70 in the box so far (my life has been incredibly busy and my listening is quite diverse beyond the Dead), but have been quite impressed by the shows. Then I realized- some of these tend to be (at least the selections from the earlier and middle years) relatively shorter shows of those eras. Obviously cost constraints influenced limiting the box to 80 discs, but 30 years had to be covered. The whole box averages 2 2/3rds discs per show, while the single show releases for a number of years have tended to be 3-disc and 4-disc sets. I imagine that in the past, part of the impulse was to release as much bang for the buck as possible, but in this context, where pressure existed to limit box size, shows that may have been previously passed over (all things being equal with other wonderful shows) as too short were now, if particularly good ones, valued for that very reason. These would include shows like '68, '70, and '75 (all of which blew me away). Haven't heard '77 and '86 yet, but those look short, too. I'm curious if anyone else has given this thought. Am I on to something here?

@rdevil

It sounds like you already have your mind made up. But in case you're still on the fence about GarciaLive Vol 3, let me just say that this release was dropped into a pool of awesomeness and badassery. All kidding aside, it's fantastic.

Hot Tuna

I was thinking it should be written out as " 'Live music is better!' bumper stickers should be issued."

Woodstock guest

I'm completely off topic but have a question that someone knows the answer to. Please share if you know - who is the guy on stage with the Grateful Dead at Woodstock during Lovelight? He's rapping at the beginning about a third coast and a reservoir of water. And he raps more a little later. Long hair and a beard? Looks like he could be high on something. I emailed Dave at vault but got no answer. Someone must know who the guy is? I'm seeing this on the Woodstock Director's Cut extras dvd. Thanks

Lovelight speechifying

credited to Ken Babbshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Babbs

Re: Dschian

I am sure you are 100% correct in your hypothesis. Makes sense to me.

More Woodstock trivia

I e-mailed Ken directly and here's the answer I got. "I was there rapping before the band started playing, pigpen always said to me when there was a delay, get up and tell them a story, babbs, then when they started playing I backed off and that other guy suddenly appeared and started rapping. afer a while I got him off the mike by offerning him a joint and leading him away." I went back and looked at the video again and now I do see that the guy leading the rapper away is Ken.I didn't recognize him before, but upon further inspection, I agree. It is Ken. So there's the guy who raps about the third coast, and Ken can be seen grooving around. But I guess my original question is still unanswered - who is the rapper?

clovett and deadicated

Clovett, yes, I pretty much had my mind made up but thanks for the reinforcement. "Badassery"...that certainly applies to the Roadrunner I streamed the other night. Deadicated, actually I do not have Miles Smiles. I was asking if I should get it since Freedom Jazz Dance is on it as well as Garcia Live Vol.3. I did some latenight listening after reading your post and have decided to get Miles Smiles AND ESP. I guess that Boz Skaggs album with Donna Jean Thatcher on backing vocals will have to wait. Thanks for the recommendations.

DJ Thatcher

If the Boz album you're referring to also has Loan Me A Dime, that's a tough call! You might find it a nice diversion to peruse the acts at this year's NOLA Jazz Fest; Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock will take the stage at some point.

NOLA

Wow, what a lineup at the New Orleans Jazz Festival! There's a ton of acts I'd like to see (or see again). Unfortunately, circumstances make that trip very doubtful for me. But if anyone out there has some free time in late April you should take Deadicated's advice and check that out. Boz Skaggs will be at NOLA jazz fest and the album I was referring to does include Loan Me a Dime. I think I first heard that Donna was on that album when David Gans interviewed her on the Grateful Dead Hour (heard it on this site).

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