Spring 1990, Volume One Box

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August 8, 2012 - 10:43am

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Anonymous (not verified)

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What's Inside:
• 60 page hardcover Smyth-Sewn book featuring essays by Dennis McNally, David Lemieux, and Blair Jackson and photos by Jim Anderson & Mike Laurentis
• 25th Anniversary Tour Program
• Official Band Letters
• 6 Ticket Stubs
• 6 Cloth Sticker Backstage Passes
• 1 Tour Laminate
• Official 1990 Band publicity shot
• 6 complete shows on 18 discs
      • 3/16/90 Capital Center, Landover, MD
      • 3/19/90 Civic Center, Hartford, CT
      • 3/22/90 Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, ON, Canada
      • 3/26/90 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
      • 3/30/90 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
      • 4/2/90 The Omni, Atlanta, GA

Box Dimensions: 12-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 12-1/8"
Recorded and Mixed Live by John Cutler
Mastered by Jeffrey Norman in HDCD
Original art by Wes Lang
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 9,000

Introducing The Next Box: Spring 1990!

And now for something a little different. This year's box set - Grateful Dead: Spring 1990 - offers six complete shows from the epic spring '90 tour, one concert from each city the band played, personally selected by Dead vaultmeister and archival release producer David Lemieux. The sizzling six are: 3/16/90 Capital Centre (Landover , MD), 3/19/90 Hartford Civic Center, 3/22/90 Copps Coliseum (Hamilton, Ontario), 3/26/90 Knickerbocker Arena (Albany, NY), 3/30/90 Nassau Coliseum (Uniondale, NY) and 4/2/90 The Omni (Atlanta, GA).

In his "Producer's Note" in the beautiful book that is part of the box, Lemieux, who attended the first 10 shows on the tour, states, "To my ears this was the last tour that was consistently great, where every show is excellent, not a dud in the bunch." And Grateful Dead historian Dennis McNally's comprehensive and informative insider's essay in the box is titled "The Last Great Dead Tour." These guys know what they're talking about.

Basically, the band had been on an upward trajectory since Garcia's return to the road in the spring of '87, following his near-death the previous summer. Of course, 1987 was a trip in itself, what with the unexpected mega-success of In the Dark and their first hit single, "Touch of Grey." But the momentum just kept building with each subsequent tour, as Garcia got back up to full speed (and then some!) and the group as a whole was as unified as they had ever been since Brent joined the band in the spring of '79. New original tunes were popping up and the old favorites were imbued with a freshness and spirit that was so uplifting and inspiring. The band was having fun again, and it was downright infectious.

The group's fall 1989 shows-as documented two years ago on the Formerly the Warlocks box (two shows from Hampton, VA, 10/8-9/89) and on the 2001 release Nightfall of Diamonds (a single night in NJ, 10/16/89)- kicked the energy level up another couple of notches, as the band reintroduced such loved classics as "Help on the Way" > "Slipknot!," "Attics of My Life," "Death Don't Have No Mercy" and "Dark Star."

And when the band hit the road in mid-March 1990, they had a bunch of other cool tunes to lay on their unsuspecting crowds, including the return of "Loose Lucy" (last played in 1974; it's not on this box), Brent's "Easy to Love You" (missing since 1980), a rollicking cover of the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time," The Band's "The Weight" (with all four singers taking a verse each) and a lyrically retooled "Black-Throated Wind" (absent since 1974), which elicited huge cheers every time it was played.

Over these six shows, most of the cornerstones of the Dead's repertoire from the era appear-splendid versions of "Scarlet Begonias" > "Fire on the Mountain," "China Cat Sunflower" > "I Know You Rider," "Playing in the Band," "Uncle John's Band," "Eyes of the World," "Estimated Prophet," "Truckin'," "Sugar Magnolia," "The Other One," "Terrapin," "Stella Blue," "Feel Like a Stranger," "Bird Song," "Let It Grow," "China Doll," "Box of Rain," "Morning Dew"; you name it. From the fall '89 breakouts come "Help-Slip-Frank," "Attics of My Life" and "Death Don't Have No Mercy." Among the still newish tunes are "Picasso Moon," "Blow Away," "Foolish Heart," "Just a Little Light," "Victim or the Crime," "Standing on the Moon," "We Can Run" and a couple that would get their final plays from the Grateful Dead on this tour-"Built to Last" and "Believe It or Not." There are stirring renditions of "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and "Black Muddy River," rockin' takes on "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "Iko Iko" and the only version of the full "Hey Jude" the band attempted in the modern era. And the "Rhythm Devils" and "Space" jams at the heart of each second set are as noisy-beautiful-scary-funny-intense-mysterious-wild as you'd expect/hope for.

Of course, we understand that some of you may have other favorite shows from this tour you wish were included on this box. Really, you can't go wrong with any of them. But at 18 discs, this is still the second largest Grateful Dead box (after Europe '72: The Complete Recordings) that's been released, and the non-inclusion of any other shows from the tour definitely does not preclude their future release! But this seemed like a more manageable way to go, while still giving a sense of the tour's amazing depth and breadth.

Besides the discs themselves, Grateful Dead: Spring 1990 has much to offer, including: a gorgeous 60-page hardcover book containing copious color photos by Jim Anderson and Michael Laurentus, unique artwork by Brooklyn-based fine artist Wes Lang, fascinating business letters and communications related to the tour, a detailed historical essay by Dennis McNally, a Producer's Note by David Lemieux and individual show descriptions by Blair Jackson; a reproduction of the Dead's 1990 tour program (printed and sold later in '90, for the fall and Europe '90 tours); tickets and backstage passes of all six shows; a band publicity photo from 1990 by Ken Friedman; Dennis McNally's tour laminate; and reproductions of the colored 8x10 sheets GDTS sent out with hotel, food and other information for each city on the tour.

With recordings made by longtime Grateful Dead recordist and producer John Cutler, mastered by Jeffrey Norman in HDCD, you just know it's gonna sound great-and it does!

So, that's the skinny this time 'round. This box is limited to just 9,000 numbered copies - please note, this is the only time these shows will ever be officially available on CD. There will not be an All Music Edition and single shows will not be available physically. Due to ship out August 31st, we anticipate that this extraordinary set will sell-out, so order your copy today!

If you're looking for more of a bite-sized taste of the '90s, Spring 1990: So Glad You Made It, a 2-CD set featuring a handful of favorites, will be in stores on September 18th.

-Blair Jackson

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August 21, 2012 - 9:00am

#761

taffy1969

Joined:
September 20, 2011

Same Here

SimonRob Got the same thing no order could be found. Thats a little worrying
August 21, 2012 - 8:20am

#762

simonrob

Joined:
June 7, 2007

Order status...

Shortly after I ordered this I checked the order status using the order ID from my order confirmation mail. It worked, Allman's post aroused my curiosity so I have just repeated the operation and got the message that the order could not be found. Draw your own conclusions from this.
August 21, 2012 - 7:34am

#763

allman

Joined:
July 9, 2007

order status?

Has anyone tried the to use the order status? You are required to enter an Order I.D. and zip code. I enter my order confirmation number and the zip code and it cannot find my order. Not sure what the Order I.D. number is because it is nowhere on my printed order confirmation. Only thing listed is the order confirmation number which doesn't work.
August 21, 2012 - 4:40am

#764

Underthevolcano

Joined:
February 6, 2008

somewhat related...

A lot of folks still have not received their Dave's #3 and there has been no official word posted concerning the reason for the shipping problem for that series. Let us hope that whatever happened in that situation is known and has been corrected before the $200.00 sets start being shipped into POSTAL LIMBO. Although , powers that be, just a little light on this subject would be appreciated, I am sure, for those who have not received their Vol. 3.
August 20, 2012 - 11:11pm

#765

SPACEBROTHER

Joined:
June 4, 2007

Selling out...

In all fairness, the E72 box didn't officially sell out for several months after the reservation preorder started. Many people who reserved their copies got dropped for either not having enough money or not using their special codes. Heck, my copy shipped and arrived before the money was even taken out of my account. This time around, you pay up front. Different circumstances. I imagine these are selling right on par with anything released. I believe most people who buy these releases through mailorder, like me, buy them all, regardless of era. Another way to look at it is perhaps because of the oversaturation of '70s releases, lots of people lost interest in preordering this one, but I highly doubt thats the case. $200 bucks is a chunk of change to cough up in relatively short notice, unlike the 9 month advance notice for the E72 box. Whether they sell out before the ship date or not really doesn't matter. They will sell out regardless. I'm already looking forward to Spring '90 box Volume two! Brent was and will always be "the man", and the band never rocked harder than any other era period, except when Pigpen was throwing it down in the '60s in my less than humble opinion.
August 20, 2012 - 10:57pm

#766

rdevil

Joined:
November 2, 2007

too pricey

I almost always reach for '70s Dead when choosing what to listen to but I enjoy the late Brent era also.I would really like to buy this box but cannot justify spending $200+ on it. The two Winterland boxes were just right...lots of great music and not something I'd have to save up for. And the limited edition thing just sucks for those of us without a ton of disposable income. The "extras" in the box are okay but I'd MUCH prefer an all music version at a lower price. I passed on the Hampton box because I didn't want to spend $20 on a cigar box. I don't understand why a tour from '90 (which was a good year but certainly not close to the highs of the 70s) gets a six show box while the Winterland boxes had three shows each. It's understandable that Rhino will try to maximize their profit but I just want to say that there are many of us out here who could more easily spend less than $100 on a box. Also, why not make the physical discs available for purchase? I can't buy this $200 box but would love to buy a show or two; don't you want my money?
August 20, 2012 - 10:52pm

#767

antonjo

Joined:
June 4, 2007

No....

Not "all of those," Anna.....I vociferously voiced my wish for mid-80's before any more '70's (sans '70 itself) ~ and will continue to ~ but I'm still psyched about this and ordered it on the first day. Scott, you forget (as most folks seem to) or otherwise fail to acknowledge the 32-page exact reprint of the Europe '72 tour book ("Book of the Dead"), which came in the E72 trunk in addition to the 100-page hardbound book. And which is brimming with time-capsule text, with period commentary from all the band members, even Pigpen (how often do you read him talking about Woodstock and excitedly about the current tour?). I thought that was a pretty cool piece of swag. One Man, I'm with you on never being enamored of the Midi proliferation in '89-'90 ~ I'd rather Jerry's guitar sound like a guitar than a french horn ~ but the band clearly had fun with it, and if they were having fun then they were musically engaged. Leave it to the Grateful Dead for their version of "flavor of the month" to mean experimenting with new sounds.... Rather than donning jackets with rolled-up sleeves! (Yes, Graham Nash, I'm looking at you : ) But this illumines another argument for the mid-80's: the last moment before those other sounds infiltrated, but still years enough into Brent's tenure that the band had gelled.... Just sayin'.
August 20, 2012 - 7:03pm

#768

Anna rRxia

Joined:
December 25, 2009

No sell out before shipping starts

Though there is still over a week left, and it is not out of the realm of possibility, it looks quite sure that this deluxe six show edition will not sell out before the ship date. I guess all of those vociferously advocating for other eras than the 70s didn't put their money where their mouth is. I think we will have a lot more 60s and 70s to look forward to in the future. Not such a bad thing....
August 20, 2012 - 6:41pm

#769

One Man

Joined:
May 17, 2011

The "New Guy"

Thanks, halloweendeadhead. You echo my own mixed feelings about Brent. All but one of my 30-plus shows were during his tenure and I struggled with those same questions the whole time. I bailed out when the sea of cheese became too thick. That sentiment has not changed even now. I'll have mixed feelings about this box when I hear it. I wish Bob Bralove had never been allowed to get his paws on the gear except for a few space segments. I know most or all of the band embraced MIDI technology. Now we see it was a flavor of the month proposition and thank goodness the post-Dead have not used it much. I'm glad you found Brent literate and kind. That's how I want to remember him.
August 20, 2012 - 4:07pm

#770

scott1129

Joined:
June 6, 2007

Past Releases and Swag

A valid point about the extras included with these music releases.Dick's Picks One was released as a single size, double cd jewel case. Two was a single cd in a jewel cd case. Three was a single size, double cd jewel case. Four was a double size, three cd jewel case. as were all the following 32 releases. One From The Vault was a digipack with trays for the cd (similar to the Dave's Picks series) Two From The Vault was also release in this manner Both are now available in single size, double cd jewel cases. The Terrapin Station Limited Edition 3/15/90 release was released as a digipack but with an outer sleeve to hide the package info. (Also had a fold out feature to create a stand up) View From The Vault was a double sized, three or four cd jewel case with the DVDs in standard plastic dvd cases. The Vault series, (2/11/69, Ladies and Gentleman..., Steppin' Out, Dozin', GD Movie soundtrack) were jewel cases. then the Egypt set was released as a paper folder with a fold out pyramid and some swag. The To Terrapin '77 set was a paper folder. Crimson, White and Indigo was a paper folder. The First Box was the So Many Roads set and was in a cloth bound box with a book to hold the cds. The next box is the Golden Road box which is a large box with the cd's in digipacks with trays and a large booklet. The next box is Beyond Description the same format as the previous release. The next box is the Fillmore West 1969 complete a box with the cd's in a book. The next box is the Winterland 1973 set in a box with paper folders for the cd's, and some swag The next box is the Winterland 1977 set in a box with paper folders and some swag The next box is the Europe 1972 tour Complete. advertised as a replica steamer trunk (paper box) with tour mementos. Travel maps, buttons, stickers, other stuff but we got none of that just the book and the cds and some cheap swag. but hey 73 cds for 600 out stand ing deal but the cd were in paper folders The Road Trips Series all released in paper folders. Dave's Picks are in digipacks with plastic cd trays. Plus a booklet with a cool essay and some photos. This is what we want. Individual shows released at a modest rate. (Eight shows per year) (if you want to hear all the shows before you die, hit up archive.org and join a vine) In Digipacks with some nice essay or historical documentation and photos. No more limited releases as this just encourages the scalpers. (If I am fallen on hard times (any one else) and can not afford this box of Spring 90 why am I denied the joy of the music at a later time when I am able to afford this luxury, I can buy the Dicks Picks series still but the Dave's Picks are gone.) Make Music, Not Swag.

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

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What's Inside:
• 60 page hardcover Smyth-Sewn book featuring essays by Dennis McNally, David Lemieux, and Blair Jackson and photos by Jim Anderson & Mike Laurentis
• 25th Anniversary Tour Program
• Official Band Letters
• 6 Ticket Stubs
• 6 Cloth Sticker Backstage Passes
• 1 Tour Laminate
• Official 1990 Band publicity shot
• 6 complete shows on 18 discs
      • 3/16/90 Capital Center, Landover, MD
      • 3/19/90 Civic Center, Hartford, CT
      • 3/22/90 Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, ON, Canada
      • 3/26/90 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
      • 3/30/90 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
      • 4/2/90 The Omni, Atlanta, GA

Box Dimensions: 12-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 12-1/8"
Recorded and Mixed Live by John Cutler
Mastered by Jeffrey Norman in HDCD
Original art by Wes Lang
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 9,000

Introducing The Next Box: Spring 1990!

And now for something a little different. This year's box set - Grateful Dead: Spring 1990 - offers six complete shows from the epic spring '90 tour, one concert from each city the band played, personally selected by Dead vaultmeister and archival release producer David Lemieux. The sizzling six are: 3/16/90 Capital Centre (Landover , MD), 3/19/90 Hartford Civic Center, 3/22/90 Copps Coliseum (Hamilton, Ontario), 3/26/90 Knickerbocker Arena (Albany, NY), 3/30/90 Nassau Coliseum (Uniondale, NY) and 4/2/90 The Omni (Atlanta, GA).

In his "Producer's Note" in the beautiful book that is part of the box, Lemieux, who attended the first 10 shows on the tour, states, "To my ears this was the last tour that was consistently great, where every show is excellent, not a dud in the bunch." And Grateful Dead historian Dennis McNally's comprehensive and informative insider's essay in the box is titled "The Last Great Dead Tour." These guys know what they're talking about.

Basically, the band had been on an upward trajectory since Garcia's return to the road in the spring of '87, following his near-death the previous summer. Of course, 1987 was a trip in itself, what with the unexpected mega-success of In the Dark and their first hit single, "Touch of Grey." But the momentum just kept building with each subsequent tour, as Garcia got back up to full speed (and then some!) and the group as a whole was as unified as they had ever been since Brent joined the band in the spring of '79. New original tunes were popping up and the old favorites were imbued with a freshness and spirit that was so uplifting and inspiring. The band was having fun again, and it was downright infectious.

The group's fall 1989 shows-as documented two years ago on the Formerly the Warlocks box (two shows from Hampton, VA, 10/8-9/89) and on the 2001 release Nightfall of Diamonds (a single night in NJ, 10/16/89)- kicked the energy level up another couple of notches, as the band reintroduced such loved classics as "Help on the Way" > "Slipknot!," "Attics of My Life," "Death Don't Have No Mercy" and "Dark Star."

And when the band hit the road in mid-March 1990, they had a bunch of other cool tunes to lay on their unsuspecting crowds, including the return of "Loose Lucy" (last played in 1974; it's not on this box), Brent's "Easy to Love You" (missing since 1980), a rollicking cover of the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time," The Band's "The Weight" (with all four singers taking a verse each) and a lyrically retooled "Black-Throated Wind" (absent since 1974), which elicited huge cheers every time it was played.

Over these six shows, most of the cornerstones of the Dead's repertoire from the era appear-splendid versions of "Scarlet Begonias" > "Fire on the Mountain," "China Cat Sunflower" > "I Know You Rider," "Playing in the Band," "Uncle John's Band," "Eyes of the World," "Estimated Prophet," "Truckin'," "Sugar Magnolia," "The Other One," "Terrapin," "Stella Blue," "Feel Like a Stranger," "Bird Song," "Let It Grow," "China Doll," "Box of Rain," "Morning Dew"; you name it. From the fall '89 breakouts come "Help-Slip-Frank," "Attics of My Life" and "Death Don't Have No Mercy." Among the still newish tunes are "Picasso Moon," "Blow Away," "Foolish Heart," "Just a Little Light," "Victim or the Crime," "Standing on the Moon," "We Can Run" and a couple that would get their final plays from the Grateful Dead on this tour-"Built to Last" and "Believe It or Not." There are stirring renditions of "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and "Black Muddy River," rockin' takes on "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "Iko Iko" and the only version of the full "Hey Jude" the band attempted in the modern era. And the "Rhythm Devils" and "Space" jams at the heart of each second set are as noisy-beautiful-scary-funny-intense-mysterious-wild as you'd expect/hope for.

Of course, we understand that some of you may have other favorite shows from this tour you wish were included on this box. Really, you can't go wrong with any of them. But at 18 discs, this is still the second largest Grateful Dead box (after Europe '72: The Complete Recordings) that's been released, and the non-inclusion of any other shows from the tour definitely does not preclude their future release! But this seemed like a more manageable way to go, while still giving a sense of the tour's amazing depth and breadth.

Besides the discs themselves, Grateful Dead: Spring 1990 has much to offer, including: a gorgeous 60-page hardcover book containing copious color photos by Jim Anderson and Michael Laurentus, unique artwork by Brooklyn-based fine artist Wes Lang, fascinating business letters and communications related to the tour, a detailed historical essay by Dennis McNally, a Producer's Note by David Lemieux and individual show descriptions by Blair Jackson; a reproduction of the Dead's 1990 tour program (printed and sold later in '90, for the fall and Europe '90 tours); tickets and backstage passes of all six shows; a band publicity photo from 1990 by Ken Friedman; Dennis McNally's tour laminate; and reproductions of the colored 8x10 sheets GDTS sent out with hotel, food and other information for each city on the tour.

With recordings made by longtime Grateful Dead recordist and producer John Cutler, mastered by Jeffrey Norman in HDCD, you just know it's gonna sound great-and it does!

So, that's the skinny this time 'round. This box is limited to just 9,000 numbered copies - please note, this is the only time these shows will ever be officially available on CD. There will not be an All Music Edition and single shows will not be available physically. Due to ship out August 31st, we anticipate that this extraordinary set will sell-out, so order your copy today!

If you're looking for more of a bite-sized taste of the '90s, Spring 1990: So Glad You Made It, a 2-CD set featuring a handful of favorites, will be in stores on September 18th.

-Blair Jackson

So.....

When does the next one come out? What will it take to make it happen?

When...

Looks like July.

HD FLAC ???

How can there be an "HD FLAC" from DAT masters (the Srping 1990 Box)?

HD FLAC

Unless you use the 24-track masters this would not make sense.

24 track

Does anyone know if this download is the 2 track or 24 track

Very interesting if download is Multi-track

Would be great if box owners of Spring 90 got a download voucher for Multi-track if they do release. Spring 90 TOO sounds amazing. So far I like the music from the first box though, currently I'm Into the 3rd show from 2nd box.

Highly doubt they remastered for just a digital download

Highly doubt they remastered for just a digital download considering the time Jeffery Norman took for each show on the second box... But I'd be up for a voucher if they did ;)

24 Track

I have not yet purchased this first box set knowing the sound is inferior to the second box. The second set of shows sounds so damn good that it is tough to pull the trigger on this box. Maybe I am just spoiled. I probably will just purchase this set but damn it would be nice if they had used the 24 track. Keep them coming!

24 track

Yes I was just wondering I did buy this box but I would buy the downloads in a heartbeat if they used the 24 track

Rbert DAT to hd flac question

Some dat recorders could record at 96khz/24bit, referred to as HHS. I have no idea what the acronym stands for. In any case, if this was used for recording then transfer to "HD FLAC" would make sense.

88/24 two track

Downloaded this.The sound can't compare to the second box. Fantastic shows, though, and the 88/24 HD FLAC files sound great, better than the CDs from the orginal box in my opinion, even if they pale in comparison to Spring 1990 TOO.

Death Don't

Been diggin 4/2/90 Atlanta and WOW that's a Death Don't for the ages! Jerry is totally on as is the whole band. Whew!

Sound Quality Poor?

Hello all. I bought The Other One in AAC download, and I LOVE it!I am wanting to buy the AAC version of the FIRST box; however, it's been posted that the sound quality on the first box is inferior to that of the second. Can anyone who has AAC versions of both comment on whether or not the first is poor quality sound? I'd really appreciate some info because I don't want to spend $120 on something that sounds bad. Thanks a lot for any info you can provide.

Are the "So Glad You Made It" tracks from this?

I have the same question as VSmith1967 right below this comment. But I want to ask also whether the "So Glad You Made It" tracks are the same as on this. The album cover art is exactly the same, so I would think so. My point is that if they are the same tracks and same quality, then in my opinion there is no major question of quality. I have the "So Glad You Made It" album from iTunes (M4A files). I think the quality of that is really good. I definitely want great sound, but I'm not a major audiophile about it. I see many comments about the quality of this set, but from what perspective are those comments? Are those guys comparing fine details of just the FLAC versions? Hey now :)

Sound quality

There seems to be some confusion in the last few posts. For the first box they used 2-track digital recordings that were mixed at the show in real-time from the original 24 tracks. For the second box they went back to the 24 track source and spent an enormous amount of time creating the two track for release. So, the difference is using the mix that was created on the spot, which was very very good, versus spending months creating a two track mix, which came out mind blowingly excellent. However, even though the mix for the second box most people would say is superior, there is at least one advantage to the on the spot mix which is that it has more of a live ambience, less clinical, sound. The sound on the second box is so crisp and clean it might have been studio recordings. So, I'm kind of glad I have both. I do like the second one better - it's simply unbelievable, but there are times I prefer the first mix. So Glad You Made It is just a highlights disc with tracks taken directly from the first box.

Sound Quality Poor? 2

Hello. Please allow me to clarify: I am NOT a major audiophile. I'm nearly 50 and don't hear like a kid anymore. Can anyone verify that the sound quality on Spring 1990 Box ONE sounds as good or better than an average Dick Picks CD? I'm asking just because some of the reviews say the sound is poor quality.

SQP2

Yes, the sound on box one is great and superior to the average dicks picks. Sorry, I didnt think I answered the last one as an audiophile. I didn't refer to digital audiophile technobabble that has been discussed here earlier. The number of tracks used is old school non audiophile stuff. Mono - one track, stereo - two track. More tracks (Anthem of the Sun maybe the first to use 16 tracks in 1967 and 1968, they "borrowed" the recording equipment) means each instrument can get wired to at least one separate track, with some tracks used for combinations, like both guitars. This means that to make a stereo recording someone sits down and plays with the volumes of each track to combine all the tracks together into just two tracks, a stereo mix of the original 16 different recorded tracks. This lets the mixer create an ideal balance between each instrument. This isn't audiophile stuff. Ever since recording to more than one track, mixing has been part of the recorded music business. In the 30's or 40's they began miking orchestras with more than one microphone located at various points above the orchestra. Someone then had to mix together all the separate recorded tracks into a single track (mono) mix to be released on 78 rpm discs. The mixer doesn't have to (and usually doesn't) keep each track the same volume, but plays with the volume of each track to get a mix that sounds ideal. The core of what I was explaining is that they made a stereo mix on the fly at each of these spring 90 concerts that were recorded to 24 separate tracks. For the second box, Jeffrey Norman went back to the original 24 tracks and spent about a day per song mixing each down to a stereo two track to use in the box. The dicks picks series (with at least one mono exception) were all also created from a two track stero mix done on the fly during the performances.

Thanks for clarification

Thanks for the clarification. People have commented on this box set from totally different perspectives. So this box set is superior to the average Dicks Picks and same as the "So Glad You Made It" album. In my opinion that means it's excellent. I love the "Spring 1990 - So Glad You Made It" tracks and I'm excited to get the full set. By the way the Scarlet Begonias from "So Glad You Made It" is exquisite :) Cheers :)

Box one - sounds great to me

I just realized that they didn't start using tape until the latter half of the forties (except a few German experiments), so they must not have started the art of mixing until then. When they recorded directly to lacquer disks, I don't think they had a way to mix separate recordings together. So multi-miking couldn't have started until tape recording. Edit - the books that come with the first box are fantastic. Beautiful photography and well written extensive documentation of shows and times.

I now bought this box set in

I now bought this box set in Apple Lossless format. There’s a lot of music to go through, but I’ve been listening to it and it’s great quality sound wise. I have both box sets now and I see no reason to be splitting hairs over how the two boxes compare. They are the 1990 spring shows all recorded really well, well balanced and with the ambiance of the venues. I’m really glad to have this.

Looking for this box

On the off chance anyone wants to offload this box to a head for a reasonable price, I am at mike@theevanfund.org Thx & peace.

Please sell me your extra Spring 1990 Box Set

If anyone has one to sell I would be GRATEFUL. Reach me at tomrathbun@bellsouth.net ~~~Thanks and Peace Out~~~

Apple Lossless d/l and HDCD

Hi Can anyone who has purchased the standard Apple Lossless d/l edition [44.1/16bit] tell me if the download - when burnt to CDR - is HDCD encoded like the physical CDs were? I asked the dead.net 'customer service' and they refused to answer [and were quite rude too] which suggests the answer is no but I am still hoping...

Apple Lossless d/l, HDCD adventures YMMV

A follow up to my original post - there were two corrupt files, the one file that I was able to use (non-HDCD) barely plays through, and skips around. I've notified dead.net. We shall see. I bought another download, this time I specified FLAC. Worked perfectly. Converted to AIFF, imported to iTunes, burned CD from iTunes, a perfect HDCD was the result. Original post below: I purchased the ALAC download version of Road Trips 4 #2. I brought the files into iTunes, created a playlist, burned to CD, and yes, I ended up with an HDCD disc, sounds great. I put the files into the right order (they are mixed between 3/31 and 4/1 on the CD's). BUT one file did not transcode. I had to bring it into Audacity, and export to AIFF in order to get it on a CD, and that single file did not appear (or sound) as HDCD, just common CDDA. I'm going to report to dead.net customer service about the corrupt file, hopefully they will send a replacement. I might try this again with a different Road Trips set and go from the FLAC files to AIFF make CDs, see if they are HDCD (and then back up to iTunes as ALAC). In the case of this set, I still believe that the 88.2kHz FLAC are the way to go. They are superior to any 44.1/16 file even with HDAC encoding. Transcode to WAV (not AIFF) for listening. Sublime. Hope this helps.

D/L sound quality

Thanks Ziffle I bought the hi-res FLAC not the Apple Lossless and used this as an excuse to get a portable hi-res player - wonderful!!! So good I haven't even tried to see if I can burn to a CD my hi-fi will play... if this sounds this good then what must Spring 90 TOO sound like in hi-res?

D/L sound quality

Spring TOO is maximum audio quality - 192 kHz/24 bits, like having the master tape. Also it is from a (then) state of the art analog multitrack source. So, it is noticeably better, mostly - in some songs I prefer Volume 1, but I think that's personal taste, I just like some of the mixes on 1 more than TOO (and some on TOO more than 1). There are songs on TOO that don't appear on 1 & vice versa, so they don't duplicate entirely. TOO is like a live-in-the-studio recording, it is crystal clear, the vocals are more up front, where 1 has more of a concert feel, with the vocals slightly further back in the soundstage. lgreen, maybe you can connect your hi-res player to your hi-fi aux input?

Hey There Ziffle

I saw that you had problems with some ALAC Road Trips Downloads. I did as well months back with RT 3.3. I was wondering if you (or anyone else for that matter) have downloaded the Spring 90 or May 77 boxes in ALAC. I'd like to know that they aren't corrupted before buying. It was kind of a slog to get the RT downloads fixed. Thanks.

Go for it, Direwolf93 - re Downloads Road Trips etc.

No problem whatsoever with the Spring 90, TOO downloads or anything else other than one of the Road Trips. The two Road Trips tracks that were corrupted were replaced by Dr. Rhino with perfect copies (took a week or so), just a polite note to customer service, taken care of a few days afterwards. I wouldn't hesitate, the downloads are all great, and customer service here is fine, just give them some time and space to address the issue. Edit - I just noticed your remark about a problem with files RT 3.3 - did you give the particulars to customer service? After a few days Dr. Rhino sent me a time limited download link to get replacement files.

For Sale

Anyone out there looking to sell a new or used copy of Spring 1990, Volume 1 box set. Found a few on EBay for $$$$$$, willing to buy for a reasonable price. Will buy used as long as all extras are included. Please message me direct Happy Holidays!

Wes Lang Poster For Sale

If anyone wants an original matching poster, I have one I must unload. I had it custom framed. Any reasonable offers considered. Pictures by request.

i like itAvartar Genie Pro

i like it Avartar Genie Pro Review

444

it is niceMaticPress

Good product

Hey Mayre can you check on this? It says temp hold, but I emailed customer service and they said sold out? Website needs to be updated . Ecommerce website :E-commerce Firesale review

So now that these are selling

So now that these are selling for up to $1500 on eBay, I can't help but wonder about the after-market economy that's been inadvertently established by these very limited run box sets. Wouldn't whoever owns "dead.net" at this point be better served by printing more of these sets outright or at least re-issuing them after a few years than letting eBay gougers make many times more than the original price on re-selling these? In the end, people want to hear the music and most of us can't pay a month's mortgage payment on a set of CDs off eBay!!

Going back on one's word

1st they aren't going for 1500 people are asking for that and getting 6-750. 2nd ebay doesn't have gougers which implies raising prices during an emergency as in 10 bucks for a bottle of water in a hurricane. Having the box sets hardly falls in the same category. Especially when just about any deadhead can ask a friend to be kind and burn a copy. No it isn't stealing unless it's stealing from your aforementioned ebay gougers since the dead or rhino will not be making any more money from it. Final point so far the dead and rhino have kept their word not gone back on it by issuing more.I don't know about you but I find that honesty in business refreshing

You write that "ebay doesn't

You write that "ebay doesn't have gougers which implies raising prices during an emergency as in 10 bucks for a bottle of water in a hurricane. Having the box sets hardly falls in the same category." Gouging doesn't require someone to be capitalizing on life essentials in a shortage/crisis as your bottle of water example suggests. It simply requires the elevation of prices to outlandish extents in a shortage of commodities as in the overly high prices of GD box sets (this first volume of spring 1990 and even Winterland 77 in particular) in the aftermarket. I remember "price gouging" applied to those selling the Atari 2600 for crazy prices after they sold out at retailers one Christmas back in 1980 or so. That thing was no bottle of water and there weren't any hurricanes that winter.

My favourite song

Touch Of Grey is one of my favourites ever. Best music I've ever listened to.

Download

Anyone know when this will become available for download again?

I'd like too...

I am finally ready to get it. hopefully one day soon

What a pleasure

It is good to see a digital one !! :) Will order it soon ;)

Digital Availability?

anybody know if this will happen anytime soon or otherwise?

Same!

I’m wondering the same thing! There’s a couple that I’d love to buy as digital.

Digital Copy Please!

This is my first post! I would love to own a copy on digital flac of Spring 1990. Please make this available soon! Paying $1400 for Spring 1990 on eBay is pretty steep! I love the Grateful Dead and for me it's about the music, whether I own a physical copy or can purchase the music online. I am very thankful the Grateful Dead is available to purchase at other websites, https://us.7digital.com/ is a great source for Dick's Picks, Europe '72, Road Trips, etc.

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