30 Trips Around The Sun Box & Digital USB

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September 4, 2015 - 10:38am

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admin

Joined:
March 9, 2007

"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 17, 2015 - 1:00pm

#6591

sfrank115

Joined:
June 17, 2013

Sweeeeeet

Pretty awesome radio show.
June 17, 2015 - 10:27am

#6592

uv1

Joined:
June 21, 2012

Let there be songs to fill the air!

Thanks for that link @frankparry. Can't say I'm impressed with the design of the 4-CD box, but I'll bet the 80-disc box will be awesome. And what a monster it'll have to be. Just look at 80 CD's in your collection and see how much space they take up! I'm betting there will be a cardboard slipcase for each show. Or maybe it'll be in the style of a book. It looks like that's what they went for with the 4-disc set. If that's the case, it may be hard for folks to sell off single shows as we've seen on this board and on eBay. Besides which, I think the idea of breaking up the box defeats the vision that Dave had: i.e. taking in the 30-year journey that was the life of the Grateful Dead. So if you're someone who loves the 70's Dead, this may be an opportunity to have some later era music in your collection. And if you're an 80's/90's lover, then this is the chance to go back a bit further. My story is this: I started listening to the Grateful Dead with the album "Without A Net," so Brent has always sounded great to me. I never did get to see Brent, though. I saw the Dead 4 times -- 3 in '91 and once in '93. I was at the 2 MSG shows before the 9/10/91 show in the box. Then I stopped listening for years. It wasn't until my son was born 3-1/2 years ago that I started listening again. Man, I was HOOKED! I tracked down every Road Trips and Bonus Disc over the next year, and then started in on the Dave's Picks and newer box sets as they came out. Despite my expanding collection, I was still pretty stuck in the late 80's and early 90's. But I slowly worked my way backwards. '77 and '74 offered ample rewards for my listening, but earlier than that was a little too much for me. Kinda raw at times. And Pigpen took some getting used to. So it took me a while to get into '72 and all that the European tour has going for it. Now I can dig it. On the other side of the Dead's career, I shied away from post '91 stuff. Without Hornsby, what magic did the band still have up their sleeves? Then I pulled out th '93 Cal Expo Road Trips this year. I've gotta tell you, it's good. Way better than I thought it should be. So when I first saw this box set, I thought, "Way too expensive," and "Too much stuff that I don't want." But the more I thought about it, the more excited I became to hear those shows from years I had shied away from - pre '72 and post '91. I think the box will be an amazing opportunity to experience the full scope of what the Grateful Dead's music was. Thanks for reading. Reach out your hand If your cup is empty If your cup is full May it be again
June 17, 2015 - 10:11am

#6593

floridabobaloo

Joined:
April 30, 2014

Time being short

I came up with a rather new twist. Listening to an entire show sometimes just isn't possible, so what I've done is to select one disc from a set and create a mix up. Yesterday I started with some 73 and jumped to 90 then back to 72, etc. kinda works with the 50th concept. I have SO much Dead now, I might be able to only enjoy 1 complete show in a day and that would take a while to go thru all of it. So this approach is in play. I'm also rotating in terms of sets too. First sets and then Second.It gives me a broad palate to draw from and lots of years to combine into one big groove for the day. I've read were some folks wouldn't try this, but it's working in the summer heat so far! Enjoy yourselves!
June 17, 2015 - 9:04am

#6594

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

Change

There's some good insight into some of the music that influenced Jerry and some of the directions he wanted to explore or did not in the following March '78 JGB interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya2Vv1zcGmY It gives some background on the edgier, harder feel the music took on at that time. There's an interesting piece about new wave and punk that starts about 29 min in. Very interesting stuff.. if you had the same conversation say in '72 or '73, Its very likely names like Django Reinhardt, Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis and the like might just pop up. At one point Garcia states, "I like Cheap Trick." A musical Omnivore he was.. 35 min in he speaks highly of the Who and Townsend but says its a drag to do the same show '4 years in a row. Change and reinvention is a part of the golden thread this tapestry is woven from. Anyway, more food for thought. The only thing constant in this world is change.
June 17, 2015 - 8:16am

#6595

ToddWCorey70

Joined:
July 30, 2012

Keith

Unfortunately, when I think of Keith's later playing, I invariably think of the Cornell Fire. His blocky repetitive chords are just a sin, and almost ruin this amazing song for me. Give me his early stuff any day, the man was fantastic!
June 17, 2015 - 8:06am

#6596

frankparry

Joined:
June 8, 2007

Box Design

I'm not sure if this has been posted before but the British magazine Uncut has a picture of the 4CD version of 30 Trips box and a description and link to Viola Lee Blues: http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/grateful-dead-exclusive-hear-an-unreleased-…
June 17, 2015 - 7:09am

#6597

MrHeartbreak

Joined:
August 2, 2013

@Thin

"But I think some of the reason he began to decline is the band's '78 swerve into louder, fuzzier, raunchier tones and electric rock 'n roll (vs the ragtime band). When Keith joined in 1971 it was a 1-drummer band and by '73 they were playing light, loose and ragtime/jazzy. But suddenly in '78 they were in full beast mode and a piano doesn't really fit into a raging 2-drummer band easily - must have been frustrating for him." Excellent post, Thin. I never articulated this correctly, and I think you are right. Since we were talking about the "non-factor" issue (and I'd never actually noticed anything BAD before, like the 12/31/78 bad chord), I decided to check out a couple songs from the famous 5/8/77 gig. After all, we all know that show, right? I dialed up Estimated Prophet in the car, and listened for what Keith was doing. Now, granted, I'm cruising down the road in 93-degree Florida heat, so the AC is cranked to the max, but let me just say: during the first 3 minutes or so that I road-tested that song, I did not hear Keith...at all. I could hear everybody else: Phil, Jerry, Bobby, Mickey & Billy. I skipped ahead to Morning Dew, and I heard a little bit of tinkling piano during the first few minutes...nothing bad, but nothing remarkable. Sounded low in the mix, too...very low. Maybe they really did turn his volume down overall? No idea. For contrast, I listened to a Yes show from the same basic era, '78. Rick Wakeman on keyboards. Now, it's not a fair comparison, I know: different band, different style. But I'll tell you what: those keyboards were prominent, I mean PROMINENT, in the mix. All over the place. So maybe it wasn't just drugs, passivity, or whatnot. Maybe he really was mixed intentionally low by the latter years of the Godchauxs' tenure.
June 17, 2015 - 6:51am

#6598

estimated-eyes

Joined:
December 31, 2008

12/31/78

I always liked this show, but Keith is a non-factor and he really blows it toward the end of Good Lovin'-- when the rest of the band stops at one point, Keith hits a big chord. That is one of the worst obvious errors I have heard in all my GD listening, way worse than any vocal flubs they regularly made. Re: Beware Mr. Baker and the Clapton comment, in the movie they talk about Ginger's style a lot and that he was really a jazz drummer thrust into a rock and roll band. Clapton's comment, I think he was more appalled by the comparison to Bonham, you can hear him say, "no, no, Zep..." and then he catches himself before being caught on camera bashing LZ. Ginger could swing, hit 'em hard and provide some world beats, too. I like Keith Moon a lot and find his drumming amazing in his prime. This documentary gave me a better appreciation of Ginger Baker's talents-- in spite of the fact that he is absolutely insane.
June 17, 2015 - 6:38am

#6599

Thin

Joined:
June 21, 2013

Keith "going through Jerry's briefcase"???

Rdevil - Can you clarify what is meant by "Keith going through Jerry's briefcase may have been his biggest sin"??? Do you mean he was actually busted rifling through his stuff/stealing Jerry's stash, or was that just a euphemism for "he was doing the same, err…, recreational stuff as Jerry and it had a very negative effect"? I do recall a story from one book where someone had stolen Jerry's stash from his briefcase and he started VERY indiscreetly confronting people "Who took my bindle!" Maybe these stories are related (though probably not - made me think of it though…) I'm mildly uncomfortable that this is getting into unsavory gossip, but I'm hitting "send" anyway...
June 17, 2015 - 6:35am

#6600

Kayak Guy

Joined:
June 4, 2015

Keith vs Mickey

What an interesting take that I never thought about before, it's Mickey's fault ;) It does stand the basic logic test of jazz based piano players were considered part of the rhythm section and the addition of a 2nd drummer would leave less space for Keith in the mix, where as syths, cheesey keyboards and organ would occupy a different spot in a 2 drummer line up. things to listen for in the future. Billy's new book has also given me lots to listen for and highly recommended for his point of view from the drummers seat on the mood/drug consumption of the periods. Jerry seems to be one of the few junkies that could still play well far longer than most of the people around him and even though it became a problem, they let it continue as the money became everyone's drug of choice at the end. meanwhile Weather Report suite from 9/12/73 SBD just shuffled on and Keith is sounding great, too bad theres a bunch of horns soloing where Jerry should be playing and it sounds like a flock of waterfowl having an orgy.

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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