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    July 1978: The Complete Recordings

    What's Inside:

    • Five Complete Shows on 12 discs
    • 7/1/78 Arrowhead Stadium: Kansas City, MO
    • 7/3/78 St. Paul Civic Center Arena: St. Paul, MN
    • 7/5/78 Omaha Civic Auditorium: Omaha, NE
    • 7/7/78 Red Rocks Amphitheatre: Morrison, CO
    • 7/8/78 Red Rocks Amphitheatre: Morrison, CO
    Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
    Artwork by esteemed cartoonist Paul Pope
    Intro and show-by-show liner notes by Nicholas Meriwether
    Producer's Note by David Lemieux
    Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 15,000
    Release Date: May 13, 2016

    Announcing July 1978: The Complete Recordings

    We’re pleased to announce JULY 1978: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS, five incredible unreleased shows and the first official release from the long-lost tapes, recently returned to the Grateful Dead’s vault. Follow the Dead on a sonic journey through a superb selection of settings, an often epic adventure that finds them winning over Willie and Waylon fans in Kansas City, conjuring charisma in Omaha, and elevating the Red Rocks beyond their already spiritual planes. With five distinct performances painting the masterpiece of 1978, Betty Cantor-Jackson's always-pristine soundboard recordings, and the "hall-of-fame pedigree" of the Dead's first-ever shows at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre, this is one release that far exceeds excellence in music, sound quality, and rarity.

    Limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies, JULY 1978: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS includes Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO (7/1/78), St. Paul Civic Center, St. Paul, MN (7/3/78), Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, NE (7/5/78), and Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison CO (7/7/78 and 7/8/78) - all of the performances in this collection are drawn from the band’s master soundboard recordings, each newly mastered by Jeffrey Norman. The set also features original artwork by esteemed cartoonist Paul Pope (D.C. and Marvel comics) and in-depth liner notes written by Nick Meriwether (Grateful Dead Archives at the University of California, Santa Cruz), as well as a producer’s note from producer David Lemieux.

    Due May 13th, we anticipate that this extraordinary box will sell out. Your best bet is to pre-order it now, then sit back, relax, and enjoy all the exclusive content we'll be rolling out over the next few weeks right here.

    Looking for something a little more byte-sized? The collection will also be available for HD digital download in FLAC and ALAC, exclusively at dead.net, on release day.

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  • Bach 2 Bach
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    I like both kinds of music...
    Grateful Dead, and everything else. Zuck- brilliant pepper post. Oroboros- Thank you for your service to our country.
  • wilfredtjones
    Joined:
    this magical box set
    Oroboros, Didn't you give your statue to Jerry in Omaha? http://www.dead.net/show/july-5-1978 The shows that are essentially new to me are KC and St. Paul. I read about the Omaha show on Dead.net and picked up the audience copy. The soundboard will be a very welcome upgrade. I wonder how they did patch-wise with 7/8. The matrix will be very hard to top in my book, it fills in the missing places on the soundboard. It also incorporates the audience into the recording. The first track with the tuning and fooling around looks like it is missing here. http://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1978/7/8-4/getting-everything-just-ex… Is 7/7 mono or not? I seem to have missed discussion of that. Finally, the Wharf Rat on the listening party sounds great! Thanks Dead.net! Hooray!
  • Oroboros
    Joined:
    I never thought I'd see this released, since word was there were
    not boards from Omaha and the first night of Red Rocks was mono-only. Tremendous that boards have surfaced. It reminds me of my old chestnut of a story, AND since I didn't get to write the liner notes, here is a preview for those few that haven't heard it. That summer of 1978, when the Dead did actually did circle back to Nebraska......... They played the Omaha Civic Auditorium, where the Dead played once before in 1973.. We got there and the venue was half full (about 4,000) but everyone was chomping at the bit in anticipation to hear them live. I took my Nak 550 into the venue and there was no hassle getting the deck in this time, but remember these were the days before ‘tapers sections’. And each venue or even staff may present a different challenge. But not here, thank goodness. Out in the hallway, the Hell’s Angels wandered about sporting full colors and big grins. They may have been transporting ‘party favors’ and decided to take in a show. Or maybe the Angels were just road tripping with the band (although I didn't see them at the next few shows). My buddy even brought his 68 year old mother to the show. She sat up in the stands “It is just too loud down there!” Anyway, I headed down to the floor with my Nak 550 to set up in front of the soundboard. When I started to get my gear set up and saw this guy beside me with a great rig. Luckily this kind stranger (I have since discovered he was famous taper Bob Wagner) then let me patch out of the back of his deck, which was wonderful as he had a great 8 ft. tall mike stand set-up. He had a Sony deck and mics, but with that high stand his mic’s were well above the crowd noise. We were about 15 to 20 feet in FOB. So Garcia treated us to a blistering Sugaree opener, the kind that drove the crowd wild. His leads mounted into a wave that crests, recedes, regroups, and comes back rolling in with such power and delight that adds a synergistic effect to our frenzied response as his rolling/soaring guitar work lift and subside with the band. Then Beat In on Down the Line, TLEO and now it was Bob’s turn in the spotlight with a Look’s like Rain. About halfway through the song, I suddenly noticed something shimmering in the air between the band and me. I thought “what a fantastic light show! Or have I have shifted into fifth gear just a little early that I scheduled?” I staggered towards that disturbance in front of me to investigate. People were dancing wildly in the middle of the floor as a waterfall played over them. It was about 25 feet in circumference. I put my hand in, water…hand out, no rain..I am standing in front of an indoor waterfall. what to do? I jumped into pouring rain that was INSIDE the middle of the auditorium! Then I stepped back and was out of it. I shook my head and then lunged back into the deluge and danced through Looks Like Rain & then during Direwolf as well and a delightful All Over now. (Complete with Donna in perfect pitch!) Then Candyman and Lazy>Supplication before Bobby informed us “We’re going to take a short break”. I staggered back to reload a new tape and then I did look for some validation of my experience. And I asked my friends if I was not in fact ‘soaking wet’ as I patted my soaked shirt. They grinned knowingly and affirmed that, yes, in fact I was “all wet”. And then this unique show continued, (nice indoor water-feature, boys !) with a killer second set complete with a transportive Estimated> Eyes> drums> Wharf Rat> Truckin> Iko Iko> Around. And then after a lengthy absence from the stage the boys returned to play us ‘Promised Land” as an encore. As I left the auditorium I noticed the water standing on the ground outside, a summer storm? Was this a case of a leaky roof or didn't the Dead just conjure up the forces of nature as they were so prone to do? But back to the important stuff, what were the Dead going to do next? Would Phil rev up his reverse gravity machine and pummel us with Phil-bombs at the next show? Would they levitate the crowd, and have us all dance while floating in the 'cool Colorado range'? I HAD to follow them to those Red Rocks shows in 1978. So a road-trip to Colorado it was. This was the Dead’s first Red Rocks jaunt (and my first as well, although my girlfriend (now wife) had seen Joni Mitchell there previously and raved about the venue) so my anticipation was so ‘high’. (In many ways.) So I packed my taping and camping gear and off we went. When we walked up to the Rocks entrance, the Feyline security crew (or were they the John Scher guys?) were stopping people and inspecting any 'carry in' bags. A security behemoth that I will call “BigBoy’ stopped me at the entrance to look through my Boy Scout backpack. He hefted my NAK 550 out of the pack and held it aloft with one beefy paw, exclaiming “Hey, you can’t take this in!” I gave him my best perplexed look and said “What? It’s just a tape player.” (first lie) Then the giant BigBoy instructs me to “take that back to your car”. I retorted “I can’t, I hitchhiked to the show” (second lie). Beefy Bruiser BigBoy points to my ticket and says “the ticket says no recorders on it, you can't take it in” and I tell him “look, I don’t have any microphones” (third lie) and hold up my arms to be searched (of course my comrades had the mics with them). Then I sighed loudly and popped open the back of the Nak deck and let eight D cell batteries drop onto the ground. “Look, I dumped out the batteries, it can't record”. (lie number four) BigBoy stood there with his arms crossed in front of me, but I could see a small crack in his resolve. So I pulled that thread “Look, I hitchhiked all the way here from Nebraska to see this show, would you hold onto this deck for me? It cost me $600 (which in ’78 was a lot of dough) but if you just hold it for me, and then I will find you after the show. You look like an honest guy.” (fifth lie, this guy didn't look trustworthy). I push the Nak towards him, and this deck is huge and weighs a ton, (a goddamn boat anchor). I really played my trump card here and was trying to hold my ‘gameface’, Suddenly all the heads waiting in line behind (and all my friends) erupt with yells at the BigBoy to 'hurry up' and started chanting “let us in”. BigBoy gives his mullet a shake and then he points into the venue and looks at me and exclaims “Go on, get out of here” and I dive headlong into my first Red Rocks show with a grin a mile wide(high)! Followed by Mary with my mics and my buddies with my fresh batteries (re: lie number four) and my blank tapes. The batteries that I dumped out for BigBoy were already ‘dead’ (pun intended). I again ran into that ‘kind stranger’ (Dr. Bob Wagner, FOB right side)) to plug out of his Sony again. Those two shows were stupefying, and the band obviously enjoyed playing there. Bobby's deer joke, and I remember Phil leading the boys through “Cold Rain & Snow” with his bass punching that tune into a triumphant ‘strut’ that evening.I recall Jerry broke a string during the Scarlet>Fire, which really didn't slow the pace of that perfect evening. On into Dancin' >NFA > Black Peter > Around & Around and then a dual encore of US Blues & Johnny B Goode. The next night was much the same. Each night we would watch the clouds chase each other in the sky as the band serenaded us. Until it became dark and then we looked out ‘over’ the Dead to see the distant lights of Denver sparking in the background. Second night second half, we were treated to a tremendous Estimated > Other One> Eyes of the World > drums> Wharf Rat > Franklin's Tower > Sugar Mag. The crowd was especially raucous as Wharf Rat wound to that tender quiet point and Phil (or was it Bobby) gave a "shhhhh" to quiet us in preparation for the wonderful 'launching' platform/crescendo that night. Those evenings the Dead's aural wonders were matched with the Red Rocks astounding visuals as we were perched in between those massive stony slabs jutting into the sky (and the Dead had a good view as well looking back at us from the stage). As the Dead those two evenings took us all on an astounding journey of Americana, myth, rock and roll, country, space, jam, fable, fun, roller coaster, and turn on a dime delights, it all 'rolled into one'. And then as the Dead finished us all off with “Werewolves of London” we were all crooning back to the dead with our own howl of “Aoooooo”. And Garcia was grinning ear to ear as he bid us all a “good night”. Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.
  • dantian
    Joined:
    Well, I've got a birthday coming up...
    maybe a subtle, or not so subtle hint to the wife will work ;) Not that it's very expensive, just that I've spent quite a bit on music this year already. And she doesn't quite get this obsession...
  • Jerry Horne
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    Story
    Oroboros - Great story!
  • stoltzfus
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    yo seth
    good call for that 85 box. everyone wins that one, too. GREEK BOX. I'd take out a second mortgage for that.
  • rdevil
    Joined:
    Buzzed?
    Dave buzzed in the video? Perhaps. Certainly he was excited enough to play some "air piano" at 9:04. I love these vids. Great release (duh), three "new" soundboards and two long time favorites at an affordable price--that's just exactly perfect. I don't think I've listened to these Red Rocks shows since the old cassette days so it will almost be like hearing them new again. Oroboros--good to hear from you and thanks for the stories. They're worth repeating, especially now; in fact you've got me pretty excited to hear that Omaha show.
  • Seth Hollander
    Joined:
    I'm betting...
    ...there will be a second box of roughly this size later in this year!Bet it will be '80s too! I don't bet this next part, but I can dream: June '85 East Coast run (6/27-7/2, 5 shows)? Much like this leads to the 7/8/78 "cornerstone" show, the '85 run would feature a "cornerstone" show, 6/30/85. Also, boxes of this size are a decent opportunity to distribute more copies of the 30T CDs. As long as the 30T shows are part of a box, they can re-released on CD! (just not "individually", NEVER "individually"!)Since those shows are already mastered, etc, using them could actually reduce production costs for GDM. I.E., a 6/85 box could include the 30T show 6/24/85... Change is in the air...
  • Zuckfun
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    Joined:
    Operation Spicy Kung Pao
    Mission Accomplished On a more serious note, a big Thanks to Rob Eaton and those behind the scenes for fulfilling the mission. It does seem that if Plangent process is involved, then the Betty reels themselves were restored- and maybe a batch of the missing Betty's have found their way home. Green Chili Valverde- came through in the clutch and exploded those fire peppers in a moment of pure jalapeño triumph. What a glorious day for the Squadron of Breathing Dragons and troops of the Ghost Pepper Regiment. We now raise our banner- "Egg Roll Away The Dew!"
  • klaussmith
    Joined:
    Great Release
    Had dinner with Rob last month when DSO was in town, dropped the word on these shows. Don't know how there can be any complaints of releasing these shows, I never even had heard the first 3, I don’t have many audiences from 78' and Red Rocks ranks with my all time favorite shows. Just the passion and joy that was present in Garcia, which kind of carried over from the Spring, just having too much fun. I'm very excited, now if we can get New Haven, Boston, Cornell & Buffalo, that would be another Great May 77' Part duo, Box Set.
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July 1978: The Complete Recordings

What's Inside:

• Five Complete Shows on 12 discs
• 7/1/78 Arrowhead Stadium: Kansas City, MO
• 7/3/78 St. Paul Civic Center Arena: St. Paul, MN
• 7/5/78 Omaha Civic Auditorium: Omaha, NE
• 7/7/78 Red Rocks Amphitheatre: Morrison, CO
• 7/8/78 Red Rocks Amphitheatre: Morrison, CO
Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
Artwork by esteemed cartoonist Paul Pope
Intro and show-by-show liner notes by Nicholas Meriwether
Producer's Note by David Lemieux
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 15,000
Release Date: May 13, 2016

Announcing July 1978: The Complete Recordings

We’re pleased to announce JULY 1978: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS, five incredible unreleased shows and the first official release from the long-lost tapes, recently returned to the Grateful Dead’s vault. Follow the Dead on a sonic journey through a superb selection of settings, an often epic adventure that finds them winning over Willie and Waylon fans in Kansas City, conjuring charisma in Omaha, and elevating the Red Rocks beyond their already spiritual planes. With five distinct performances painting the masterpiece of 1978, Betty Cantor-Jackson's always-pristine soundboard recordings, and the "hall-of-fame pedigree" of the Dead's first-ever shows at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre, this is one release that far exceeds excellence in music, sound quality, and rarity.

Limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies, JULY 1978: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS includes Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO (7/1/78), St. Paul Civic Center, St. Paul, MN (7/3/78), Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, NE (7/5/78), and Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison CO (7/7/78 and 7/8/78) - all of the performances in this collection are drawn from the band’s master soundboard recordings, each newly mastered by Jeffrey Norman. The set also features original artwork by esteemed cartoonist Paul Pope (D.C. and Marvel comics) and in-depth liner notes written by Nick Meriwether (Grateful Dead Archives at the University of California, Santa Cruz), as well as a producer’s note from producer David Lemieux.

Due May 13th, we anticipate that this extraordinary box will sell out. Your best bet is to pre-order it now, then sit back, relax, and enjoy all the exclusive content we'll be rolling out over the next few weeks right here.

Looking for something a little more byte-sized? The collection will also be available for HD digital download in FLAC and ALAC, exclusively at dead.net, on release day.

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As far as I'm concerned there ain't a stinker in the bunch in the box or singles! You can't go wrong with any show. @Fogle - in case you didn't know 'Jack Straw', 'Ten. Jed' and 'China/Rider' were all used for the original 3 LP set back in 1972. The 'China/Rider' is still my personal favorite.
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Love it too. That guitar solo in China Cat is intense. I don't care for the overdubbed vocals in Rider. Too intrusive. They actually carry the end of the verse longer than normal, so the difference from the original makes it sound weird. Wild geese in the Weeeeeeeeesssst instead of the staccato West!
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I need to be more disciplined, like One Man, Sixtus and Keithfan.. I never take notes but I do listen. When the E72 box arrived, I did a complete listen show by show. Took me a couple to a few months, mostly on a good system or headphones if I didn't want to wake people up. Then I revisited shit. There was a China Rider that stood out to me, but it took me another few weeks to find it. Its still my favorite for a very subtle reason. I was taking queue's from KeithFan this week (I trust him, he's a doctor) and really dialed into the 4/17 version. As always, its the improv in the transition that makes it. In the last half minute before I Know You Rider, Keith has this great fill that's really unusual and fits right in. He more or less connects the two songs in this instance. I need to give this version more attention. Its a Keith, Phil and Billy party. The problem for me with the China>Rider from 5/3 is its the one on my 35 year old, worn out hunk of vinyl. Sure its the best.. but this is the Grateful Dead and variety matters. ..The version from 5/3 is one of the pieces of music that made me a deadhead, in the days before I was trading tapes this was pure gold. It is that good. Captivating, transformative, the interplay between all musicians, the communication is profound. A classic. But my current favorite (the one I listened to last [kidding]) is 5/25 at the Lyceum. The hand-off between Weir and Garcia is beautiful, Bobby gives it his all and his part ends very deliberately. There is a distinct pause, part of a tension / release theme that I really like, and then Jerry slides into it with this elastic groove that is so appealing to my ears. The pause to me is a great example of colored silence Bobby spoke of referring to a similar pause in Born Cross Eyed, right at the hand off. Like a pronounced deep breath after a significant accomplishment. Give that version a spin, that show doesn't get much love.. but the China>Rider>Oh Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone>Playing in the Band is worth the half hour it takes to listen to. ________ Edit: Oh, then there's Veneta, but that's a whole other story.
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Thanks for the 5/25 recommendation Jimbo. I am going to revisit 4/17 too. I love hearing about the nuances everyone gets out Dead music, because at the end of the day, that's what makes all of these vault releases so appealing. Someone on one if the the threads recently said you can't judge a show by the set list, because you can get anything from any song on any night. Minas, agree on 5/3 Rider, they do sing it differently. Lovejerry, I think you tapped into something significant about the nature of DL's relationship with the execs - interviews with him reveal that not only did E72 come first, but that it set the precedent for the Mega-Box marketing strategy. He's said in a couple of interviews that he had to pitch the idea repeatedly for a few years before they gave the green light. Not the case anymore. He said 30 Trips was something like 3 years in the planning, which means he got the green light almost immediately after the smashing success of E72. And of course we had two other big boxes in the interim (Spring '90), and several mini-boxes in short duration. This is all due to Dave's diligence, make no mistake. Then along came a subscription series to replace the failed Road Trips (failed because they did not sell out in the overnight fashion that we see with Dave's Picks, which is an essential component of the sales & marketing strategy). I don't think there is a soul out there that could have accomplished this other than Dave. It had to be a DeadHead, and it had to be someone who had been tuned into Dick's world. I don't think we'd have seen anywhere near the volume of music that has been released since E72, had it not been for Dave Lemieux.
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I'm not sure I buy into all the speculation tossed out there about the Lemieux / Rhino relationship and who pitched Road Trips, how E72 the complete records came to be etc. My guess is there was more an evolutionary aspect to all this than Rhino vs. Lemieux. Here's Blair's insight on Road Trips http://www.dead.net/features/blair-jackson/blair%e2%80%99s-golden-road-… What's revealing here is how Dicks passing lead to a flood of high quality soundboards uploaded to Archive.Org, something no one really expected and this has a greater impact on releases than pitches from Rhino or David Lemieux. Also, I believe Rhino paid a good bit of money for the rights to produce, distribute and license releases over a ten year period. I bet declining sales as a result of downloading and streaming soundboards had a greater impact on the push for larger boxes than personalities or ideas from a particular person. In other words, I bet this whole thing evolved is a bit more nuanced than one would believe reading over a few of these posts. Just my two cents.
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Dave makes it clear here and in other interviews I've read, that he had to convince Rhino to do Europe '72 Complete. My only point is that people should not rip Dave Lemieux or call him a shill or anything of the like, if they are happy with the volume of music we've had available in the last 5 years. Without his pushing for Europe '72, there would be no 30 Trips, Spring '90, or any of the other large box sets, as Rhino was clearly too risk averse to even put E72 on the market. http://ultimateclassicrock.com/grateful-dead-archivist-david-lemieux-ta… Beyond that, Dave's instinct for Dave's Picks and the other mini-box sets led to sell-outs that happened fast enough to allow for the next project / release to get on the books. No sell-outs, no continued releases - the revenue drives the release schedule. Again, my only point is that without Dave Lemieux, there would be fewer releases for us to enjoy today. There are several interviews with Dave where he indicates he is not a fan of partial-release shows, unless there are simply not quality tapes to allow for a full release. And there are interviews with him where he indicates that more freedom was given to him for the latest series, hence the moniker "Dave's Picks". The only speculation is that Dave's Picks is a more successful series than Road Trips, but I think the premature ending of Road Trips, coupled with the large overstock of the series (half of it was available for months / years after their initial release dates), along with the fact that the current series is "Dave's Picks" is enough to connect the dots. Just saying, there's plenty of interview footage available to put 2 and 2 together, so nobody who is enjoying the quantity of releases should be ripping Dave as someone who is a shill or incompetent vault keeper.
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Nice discussion - food for thought (great UB40 song) - I can see both sides. Love the out of body thread as well. I would say I'd be in the camp back then when the Road Trip series came out to stray away from incomplete shows. As for the Download series, I'd prefer the physical products, so I did not participate and enjoyed the archive.org. Looking back that was a bit presumptuous on my part and I missed out on some solid releases. All of my Dick's Picks were first editions ordered when I got the email. I was travelling a lot for work and did not keep[ up with the later releases cause I did not want to peruse website on company assets. After missing out on Fillmore West back set and missed out on E72 Trunk, became more diligent at seeing what Dead.net was up to. I was also off the road. The Road Trips releases in contrast were acquired just as they were selling the remaining stock. My WAG is that it's probably a little bit of both. Rhino had a ten year deal to skim the cream of the crop. Dave wants the music released, as a deadhead he knows first hand what some of the holy grail recordings are. He's also probably shrewd enough to know that the ten year deal is a tryout on both sides (Dead & Rhino). If it's beneficial to both parties, it will continue. If not Rhino who would you trust or the band trusts to continue the work. There's not that many "independent" music production companies out there. I don't think they'd trust Warner or Arista again. Look how Columbia or Sony bastardizes the live shows for other artists. One of my favorite live albums back in the 90's was Tour De Force by Al Dimeola - the re-release is shameful. The recent Genesis live releases (with exception of Lamb from LA) was shameful. Second's Out still had Steve Hackett's guitar low in the mix. When the live album was originally produced, Hackett had left the band rumor had it Tony Banks was pissed and Hackett's guitar was mixed low. The Yes Songs box (2015) is a good release and that was produced by Rhino. I loved being able to purchase the live show for several of the Smashing Pumpkin, Pearl Jam and Phil & Friends shows. Great memory, but from a live recording standard like a Betty board - not even close. We're spoiled! Devil's in the details, but I personally hope this ride (relationship) continues to evolve and we keep getting awesomest of awesome releases. I've feel lucky that two of the shows I have attended have been released - one from the Brett and one from the Vince eras have been released. Still dreaming about RFK 90 and the other Oxford 88 show get released, but I have not been disappointed in any of the releases since I re-upped starting with Dave's #2 and made it a point not to miss another release. My biggest fear is the next ten years becomes a subscription based streaming model. You just pay a monthly fee and this leads up to less than stellar release quality since typical streaming is lower than redbook cd or HD files. No more need to go to Jeffery Norman for the mix, no more plangent process to clean it up. I hope I'm wrong. I gobble up as many Charlie Miller, Hunter Seamons and all the original tapers as the next crazed deadhead, but I like getting the official release, even if I have that show in better than average archive quality. Dave, keep up the great work. Given the musical canon over the last five years (series, individual and box releases) since you started the Dave's Picks this has been truly special. We are the luckiest fans in the world. Glad to see bands like Phish and Pearl Jam adopt and evolve the model. Thank you! Sorry for the ramble... Ramble on Rose!
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I read that article when it came out. I think this is an example of they evolutionary conclusion I came to. There was certainly a lot of back and forth. I have also read in Dave's words that he was considering a few mini boxes from the E-72 tour also. A Paris box, a 5/10 and 5/11 min box. So they had several ideas and took their time and came to the right decision. Similar to the Road Trips project. They tried a few things and it didn't work so well. I believe Dave was picking the shows for those releases also, and I'm glad they switched to a mostly whole shows only approach. Anyway, I'm not here to argue just offer another point of view and I certainly do not speak for Dave nor was at the table when these decisions are made. Have a good one all.
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Thanks for posting LJ. Jimbo, Sixtus, others, help me out brothers - Who IS Dr. Rhino? Is he the Mark Pinkus mentioned in the article? Is he the owner of Rhino entertainment? Is his last name Rhino? Is he a Dr.? I keep hearing about the 10 year deal - when does it end? These questions keep me up at night. Those and how did Snoke get his scars. I have a theory....
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No clue about FE April 71, haven't read anything on that. No insider knowledge, silly little goose egg, just reading what's published publicly!
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So Kayak Guy, just catching up from...A Little Diversion...I was never aware of the Ten Year Deal....is this true? I Love the link provided, and the threads, but they are loooooooong....I'm not sure I can make it to the end. But listen - I think we all can get what we want, when we want it - via The Archive - even if only still via stream - but there are other avenues too, here. A friendly poke or request usually does it; gratitude and offerings abound. Those who receive, give. And vice versa! I couldn't be happier with whatever has been released since whenever. I recall gathering XLII's and reveling in each thread of tape; what has landed and continues to arrive in our laps is amazing all things considered. And KeithFan, I'd love to trade Snoke Theories. My mind's been churning since mid-December. Sixtus
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First off congrats Sixtus on the paper and the imminent arrival of #2, it must be busy in the Sixtus household right now. The GDM final release was April 2006, it was Download series #12. That was 10 years ago this month. Given that it takes a while to put together the packaging and distribution, the contract was probably finalized in summer 2006. The first Rhino release was Jan 2007 with Live at the Cow Palace, which was followed with 3 from the Vault in June 2007 both from multitracks and then Road Trips Vol 1 #1 in November 2007 which was the first of the Rhino 2 track releases. Like I said, ten years of the original deal is probably close to the end and has the rest of Dave's Picks 2016 and a fall box left still under contract. I predict more downloads and vinyl releases, that's where Rhino makes the best margin and CDs are continued as limited releases for the hardcore collectors.
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My dreams were riding tall.. _____________________________________ Yea, I have no idea what the implications are of a contract extension vs. letting the contract expire might be. I have no idea what's going to happen and I imagine we won't find anything out until it in the rear view mirror. I can't imagine GD Merchandising would want to take this in-house again though. The website would have to be completely rebuilt or absorbed, manufacturing would have to be spec'd out and outsourced and they would be responsible for marketing, distribution, warehousing, etc. David Lemieux would likely become even more distracted than we thought possible. Unless Rhino really pissed off someone in the organization (which is possible) I would think they have a shot at renewing this. Then it becomes an issue of money, terms and contract iterations. Then again, if the money wasn't right.. they could afford to take it in house and beef up their staffing, etc. I also wonder if the overall strategy would change as Kayak Guy seems to think, specifically less emphasis on CD's and more on digital and vinyl. I have no information on this, but I can't see them turning their back on CD's and Box Sets just yet, its currently their bread and butter for all things GD. I bet its happening now though.. so either we will find out or we won't in which case it will be business as usual. To complicate things, I hear wjonjd is just days away from finishing his tunnel and punching through building foundation five floors below the vault. When he finishes the contract details will be moot and we will be marketing KeithFan's picks from our island in the Pacific. Apparently the drought has made the soil there rock hard... so digging has been arduous and slow. On that note.. back to my regularly scheduled listening of 4/25/77, what a great Wharf Rat > PITB out of drums. Mesmerizing... _________________________ Walking along in the Mission In The Rain
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First, congratulations on the arrival of a new addition to your family! Bless you and your family. Anyway, I felt compelled to jump in here because of your very interesting posts on the subject of higher consciousness, the Tao (OK, I added that part, but it's the same point), and the different ways people may find their way there. I am reminded of a story in I book a read long ago by Ram Dass, who was an associate of Timothy Leary. Now, my memory is not great, and it has been at least 25+ years since I read this book, but if I remember correctly, Ram Dass traveled to India in search of a Guru, which he did eventually find. So, he gives this Guru an extremely large dose of LSD, fully expecting said Guru to lose his mind. Much to his surprise, this Guru does not seem at all fazed by this mega-dose of LSD. Ram Dass asks him, "How did you like the LSD?" The Guru responds, "It was very good, but not as good as meditation." Perhaps in the same book, or maybe somewhere else, I remember reading something that has stayed with me all these years and made perfect sense to me...(paraphrasing here)... The person who takes LSD is essentially drowning in the mystic waters that the meditation practitioner swims in. That is to say, that LSD offers an ephemeral glimpse of the hidden reality we are usually unaware of, while the practitioner, little by little, learns to master it. Which only makes sense when you think about it; one puts a little blotter on his tongue, while the other spends years perfecting his art. You get out of it what you put into it. I don't think there are any shortcuts. This is not a judgment on my part (I have been on both paths personally in my life; fleetingly, in both instances), but rather an observation based on personal experience. Take from it what you will. But back to the Grateful Dead...there is no doubt in my mind, that what the boys did was as close as one could get to the "oneness" with the universe that can be attained through music. There are times when you listen to the Dead where you hear, without question, that they have, as musicians and as a group, transcended time and space, and have reached the pinnacle of "being here now" with the music. Or, as we all know, many times "the music played the band." I once seriously considered giving my Zen Master/Martial Arts Master (I'm talking 26 years ago) a bootleg tape of the boys to listen to, just to see what he would say. I never did, figuring (probably correctly) that he wouldn't have the baseline knowledge of Americana music to really appreciate the transcendent nature of it, and to experience what I did. Anyway, all that is to say, that I know just what you're talking about. And I agree...the Grateful Dead do often open the door to that realm for us as well.
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"Take your 16-shooter up to the mountains to protect yourself from the liberal masses, don't care." I AM a Liberal, silly. Don't expect you to understand what that really means, though. Few today do. I won't hold it against you, though. I know, the gun thing has you all confused, doesn't it. Heh. Sorry about that.
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Speaking of 4/25/77, I picked up the wax on RSD. I was spinning it this weekend, and I must have had the volume at just the right level. During the jam out of Terrapin, I FELT Mickey and Billy's presence in the room, like they were playing in my living room. I could see them clearly in my mind's eye with my eyes open. It was definitely one of those moments. I LOVE the vinyl releases. They really bring a whole new depth to the sound.
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I have heard the complaints of redundancy in the recent vinyl releases, and I agree. It would be cool to have more releases on vinyl that have not already been included in other releases (5/30/1971, for example). That being said, I hope and expect to see 7/8/78 as a vinyl release, either as the Black Friday RSD release, or some other time this year. The JGB studio RSD releases seem to have dried up for now. But I really hope we get a repress of Cats Under the Stars like the first two albums. I'm thinking blue wax for the RSD release.
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I have been getting the Vinyl releases too, but do to space constraints had to dismantle it a couple years ago. I used to do vinyl nights on occasion, crank it up on festive occasions. Would sound great with an old Macintosh amp.. I will get my system up and running soon. Totally agree about the warmth and boom presence in the room. Lets not forget about the Phil factor too.
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16 years 8 months
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If not for any other reason...Phil.
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I am a bicycle commuter, so I spend very little time in a car. Most of my music listening is at home on the weekends, sometimes in the evenings after work, and it is usually from vinyl. I had a friend, a music professor, who used to talk about the progression (regression) of experiencing music, from the concert hall to the home stereo, to the car, to the mP3 player. He talked about how music became background noise for many. That is a main reason I enjoy vinyl. It forces me to slow down or stop, and appreciate the music. It is more of an experience. I can't go far because I am going to have to flip sides in 15-20 minutes. I might as well sit down and just listen. There are my usual listening times, weekend mornings and such when I make my coffee and sit in front of the hifi and listen. But there are other times, spontaneous times such as evenings after work. I hadn't planed to sit down and listen, but I throw on a record after dinner. Next thing I know the whole family is gathered in the living room with books, or markers, all sitting and doing their thing while the record plays. These times are idyllic, and they cannot be planned. (Disclosure: this is not a rip on CD's or other digital formats. I use them all, and they all have their time and place, and I can have similar spontaneous moments with any format.)
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....from Hamburg 4.29.72. Thirty minutes later, I thought to myself, "What the hell just happened?" Mind blowing....
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Great post Matchewy. Love that your family gets some old fashioned creative time. Mine is set up in the basement so it's rare that I get the wife down there but my kids do get to soak in some music especially if they are looking to put off bed time. About 12 years back I set my old turntable back up. Ran it into a relatively weak sounding system but got to respin my old 12" faves as well as pick up some new releases along the way. I was holding the Veneta LP release in my hands at the store a few years back and balked at spending the $70. That was a huge mistake! I have picked up a few others since & the all Phil 72 Hoffheinz RSD LP can still be had new on Ebay for about $30, grab it. In fact another great deal is the Jerry Garcia Compliments LP. Green vinyl, gorgeous cover. It's a great Sunday morning spin that has a real New Orleans rootsy vibe. The new rsd 77 is a bit too steep for me but who knows it may just come down in price like the Wake Up to Find Out release. That market crashed last summer but has rebounded since then. Perhaps they made too many. Last month I invested in a great set of new speakers and my listening experience has been transformed for both CD's & my old classic Technics 1200 turntable. Too bad my old 3 head Onkyo cassette deck refuses to play (Though it does fast forward and rewind) I am reposting my post from the Shrine thread on my thoughts on vinyl. A lot of my love for the LP format is nostalgic, but so what: I grew up on vinyl where you held that 12 by 12 piece of art gatefold cover in your hand as you listened to the music. Pre MTV/youtube, only in your imagination could you visualize what the band looked like while performing. Wondering how did they make this record, what exactly were they doing? (especially if you played an instrument). Your imagination ran wild and you had a connection. So for that reason I still get a kick out of vinyl, as well as that warm sound off the needle. Not yet 50 but I'm feeling old writing this...
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I was just reminiscing to a friend about the hours I spent as a child, thumbing through my Dad's records and looking over the covers, mind engrossed by the thought of what sounds may be captured (lenticular cover of Satanic Majesty's Request comes to mind). My Dad's collection became my first collection. Now, my 10 year old son thumbs through my vinyl and CD's, and he requests to borrow based on cover art and band names. He told me the other night he wants to listen to everything in my collection. His favorites include the Band/Levon Helm, The Clash, Led Zeppelin, and the Dead. Speaking of pre MTV, before I had MTV as a kid, I remember thinking Michael Jackson was a girl based on his voice. I never discussed this with anyone, because to me it was a given; it just was. Imagine my surprise the first time I saw the Beat It video!
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For those interested, I just snagged up copies of 4/24, 5/24, 5/25, & 5/26, which just appeared back up in the store. I was late to the party and realized this sale could be my last chance at physical copies of Europe 72 shows. So, I've been checking since late Friday after missing out on these as well as a couple of others I'm still missing (4/26 & 5/11). I'm happy now without those last two but I know how good they are so if I get a chance to I'll grab them if they pop up again. Have a happy dead evening...
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I think I posted on the other forum last night but anyway, Sunday I discovered that three shows that were previously sold out were available again and snatched them up. My cart said these items were backordered until May 3rd. Today I got a shipping notice saying they were shipping today. Hopefully this means the single shows aren't being discontinued yet but that is just a guess. I can't believe I didn't buy the box when it first came out but at the time it seemed like a ridiculous amount of money to spend on CDs in one transaction. Looking back, it was a bargain.
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What I want to know is, was Jerry anywhere near the book depository building in Dallas on Nov 22, 1963. Hmmm?
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I was there, I don't think it was Garcia. Perhaps Parish. Don't tell anyone though. He might just kick my ass for spilling the beans.
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Jerry didn't do it. But....if Jer were there he woulda been on the GRASSY Knoll. "Exibit A";)
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Do I start snapping up Europe '72 shows while I can (getting what's left on here) and then fill in the blanks over time, or should I hold out and try get a full-blown box on the secondary market? What say you in Deadland?
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three (count em) betty's that nobody has heard unless you were there, in official release quality. the first two shows ever at red rocks, including what most agree is a top 20 show all time, that were not previously in the vault and were being held hostage. an evidently very complicated work of diplomacy to make this happen; beautiful packaging, unseen photos, and untold stories in the liner notes. this is by all accounts an historic release of some of the best music the band ever delivered. in my opinion, it is a must-have how's that?
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but I did miss KC, so that will be fun to hear. And I believe everyone within earshot will enjoy this 'package' deal. This was a muscular and magical run of shows. There are delights within this release. All, please give yourself the gift of a Red Rocks show in the future. Whoever you enjoy, you will delight in their show even more 'on the Rocks". Listening to your favorite band nestled in between those massive stone monoliths as the music beckons day transforming into night. You won't regret it. Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.
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Call it the "June 1973" box Three shows: 6/10/73 RFK Stadium 6/22/73 PNE Coliseum 6/30/73 Universal Amphitheater + Bonus disc: 8/1/73 Roosevelt Stadium DS > El Paso > Eyes > Dew Holy crap, what an amazing box that would be! ;)
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Of course, you're right ;) In fact, I have since stumbled upon a previously unreleased photo of the grassy knoll which proves your theory beyond a shadow of a doubt... Grassy Knoll
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I pulled up your link, Dantian. Looks to me like Phil did it. Problem solved, this should end all the conspiracy theories. The evidence is convincing. Look at the crazed expression on his face. I forwarded a copy to the Warren Commission, civic duties and all... Never would have guessed that.
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Haha Dantian - where is "Playing in the Band" from 6.26.73 ? It's not in the box ? 6.22.73 - should officially make its way to the masses sooner than later, as is part of the recently returned reels. Wouldn't surprise me if the next box was from 1973. June - October performances or something in between - that time period would be classic !! mention of 1973 - how about a stand alone release of 12.1.73 ? This is some pure gold , especially the transition from "Playing in the Band" into "Uncle John's Band" intro with Garcia skull splitters. This night is overshadowed by Dick's Picks 14, which is surely as a Top 10 official release for me, but would love to see 12.1.73 even though I'm sure most have a good copy
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That would be in the "June 1973: The Complete Recordings" box. I was trying to keep it small, along the lines of the two winterlands boxes (don't know why exactly), but I think your idea is better ;) Listening to that 6/26 Playin' right now...whoa, that's the real stuff right there!
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Thanks for those wonderful selections and your recommendation! I just made my own box with those very exact contents using the nice sbd's available. And I've now got them cued up in a wonderful playlist to keep me happy until the treasures of May, (DaP 18/July 78) arrive in our homes, hands and ears! The only difference is my box has the COMPLETE Roosevelt show as the bonus. Big thanks to DL2 and Pinkus/Rhino for keeping us busy :) Having two deadheads on the "inside" helping push these wonderful releases through for us sure helps this fanatic sleep well each night :) But before I start the "Dream Mini-Box" from 73' I'm enjoying an especially crisp copy of 7/15/84 from the beautiful Greek. Happy Thursday everyone!
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Would love to see that as a set, whenever 7.13.84 is released I would request one of the classic GD artists for cover art Hey playin jam any chance you have soundboard of 4.29.84 ?
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8 years 8 months
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4/29/84....the first night of a great Nassau run. Not sure what my source is for this show but I will venture down into my vaults when home and check for you ;) I will let you know ASAP! And thanks for the mention of the Greek show w/the Dark Star encore. Heads must have exploded. And imagine Phil's bombs filling up that place the way they did/do. Forces tear loose from the axis.......
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I'm only seeing aud's circulating for this show. If there is a board, it likely never made its way out of the vault. The Miller seems to be brightest sounding.. but its an audience at Nassau... might be pitched a hair fast, but still not bad. Hell of a Let it Grow. I like the thought of Ventura + Greeks, add in a Merriweather a month or so earlier and you can have quite the little 1984 soiree.
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