• 1,097 replies
    Anonymous (not verified)
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    jq171(document).ready(function (jq171) { jq171("h2.product_title").each(function(){ var title = jq171(this); var new_title = title.text().replace(' - SOLD OUT', ''); title.text(new_title); }); var covertArtDownloadMarkup = 'Looking for the digital cover art? You can download it here.'; setTimeout(function() { jq171('#digital_cart').append(covertArtDownloadMarkup); }, 500); });

    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

Comments

sort by
Recent
Reset
  • Dead Ahead
    Joined:
    legalese and psychodeadology do not mix well
    Good points, frampton, and nice catch on the apparent typo in the phrasing. Hopefully that will be corrected. I think and I hope that overall, the voices of reason on this forum pipe up often enough to counteract the fluffanutter effect that is so prevalent.
  • frampton
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    legalese, indeed
    When you say, "Therefore, if your receive a defective shipment your recourse is never larger than $13 and change. Period, end of discussion," you're absolutely wrong. The sentence "We will cover the cost of any defective physical Product returned by you up to the value of standard USPS first class postage", I think it's clear that there was a mistake, and it means "We will cover the cost of SHIPPING any defective physical Product returned by you up to the value of standard USPS first class postage." The meat of Paragraph 5 says it will provide you with a **full refund**. It makes no sense to tie the "full refund" to the shipping cost -- the only way the shipping cost sentence makes sense is to read it as saying they will cover your postage costs incurred in returning the defective item, up to the amount of USPS first-class charges. (So they won't for example, cover overnight shipping fees.) And the reference to Paragraph 4 is about the calculation of the 30 days, not the "unopened" part. Sure, maybe you want a reason not to do business with Rhino, that's your prerogative. But don't be spinning tortured readings of the legal notices to scare folks away from buying. If Rhino were to argue your reading of the notice in court, they'd get laughed out of court. Hopefully, someone will read this and fix that sentence, but until they do, nobody should think that Rhino has somehow protected themselves from liability to replace defective items.
  • PalmerEldritch
    Joined:
    Dead.net Service
    My experience with Dead.net has been similar to Scott1129. I've bought all the boxes, except "The Warlocks", and all but a handful of the Dicks Picks, Road Trips, and now Dave's Picks. I've only had one missing or duplicate disc (can't remember) and a replacement was sent immediately. That was an early Dick's Picks, probably over 10 years ago. Everything else has been just fine. Just my experience...
  • fluffanutter
    Joined:
    Legalese, part deux
    >>> In the event that you receive a defective physical Product, provided that you return such defective physical Product to us within 30 working days following your receipt of such Product (as determined pursuant to Section 4 above), we will (on your election) either send you a replacement physical Product, or provide you with a full refund. We will cover the cost of any defective physical Product returned by you up to the value of standard USPS first class postage <<<. This would seem to indicate: A) Per paragraph 4, the packaging must be unopened to be leigible for refund B) If determined to be eligible for refund the amount will not be in any case larger than the amount to have originally sent it first class USPS standard postage. So, if you paud $13 in change for postage and it is found to be defective, and Rhino agrees, they accept responsibility for no more than !13 and change. The whole thing is purposefully unclear and meant to confuse. It boils down to: >>> If determined to be eligible for refund the amount will not be in any case larger than the amount to have originally sent it first class USPS standard postage. <<< Therefore, if your receive a defective shipment your recourse is never larger than $13 and change. Period, end of discussion
  • frampton
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    defective products
    fluffanutter wrote: "So, say you opened up you long anticipated box set and are psyched to play it but there is a problem. You have three disc 7s or a big scratch on disc 9. According to the terms listed above you have no recourse to remedy your problem. Once you have opened the box, that is all she wrote." That's not what paragraph 5 says; the reference to paragraph 4 is about the timing, not about the opening of the product. (You couldn't tell it was defective without opening it!) Paragraph five says you get a refund, or replacement. The only thing that says anything about opened items is cancellation of purchase, NOT replacement of defective items.
  • scott1129
    Joined:
    Rhino and GD.net Customer Service
    Most of the CS comments here have the negitive flavor of ..But I have had a different experience. The first time was not even a dead product but the Chicago IV box. Which came with two Disc 3's and no Disc 4. But Dr. Rhino fixed the problem with a new Disc 4 and I still have the extra Disc 3. Next The Beyond Description Box, The Shakedown Street disc was defective and they sent me a new Shakedown disc before I received the Box Set (was about two years after the release date that I bought the set) Next The 3rd Road Trips had glue on the edge of the second disc. Was replaced with in two weeks of the original shipping date. All the box sets Fillmore 69 Winterland 73 Winterland 77 Warlocks 89 E72 All the DicksPicks All The Road Trips All The Dave's Picks All the View From The Vaults All The Vault series (one from, two from, 2/11/69, Ladies and.., Dozin' at ..., Truckin' up.... Crimson, ... GD movie, Winterland 78) The Dead 2003 summer tour The Dead 2009 tour Furthur Shows from 09, 10, and 11 all these releases and every one a gem. So glad I have these as I continue to go back and listen again to such masterfully played songs So if you get confused, Just listen to the music play
  • fluffanutter
    Joined:
    special terms for Spring 90 Box Set
    Please read the following legalese carefully, as Unkle Sam has suggested: 4. Cancelling Your Purchase. Except with respect to Products consisting of downloads and/or tickets, you have a right to cancel your Transaction(s) and receive a full refund, provided that (a) such Product(s) are unopened (i.e., in original sealed packaging) and undamaged and (b) you notify us of such cancellation Contact DA 877-332-3638 or 610-491-2021 or via email to deadnet@custhelp.com within 30 working days beginning with the day after the day on which you received such Product(s). If you cancel a purchase pursuant to these Transaction Terms, you must return such Product(s) to us undamaged within 30 working days beginning with the day after the day on which we received your valid cancellation notice. Returned Products will be deemed to have been received by us on the date that is two (2) days (not including Sundays and public holidays) after the post-mark date applicable to such returned Products. We will not be responsible for any costs you incur in returning any Product(s) to us. If you fail to comply with the return obligations set forth herein, we will be entitled to deduct from any refund the direct cost of recovering the unreturned Product(s). Please note that if such cost is greater than the total refund amount, then no refund shall be given. All refunds will be processed at our sole discretion according to the condition of the returned Product(s). >>> You have no right of cancellation in the event that you have unsealed (i.e., opened) Products received from us. Tickets and downloads purchased are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. <<< 5. Defective Products. In the event that you receive a defective physical Product, provided that you return such defective physical Product to us within 30 working days following your receipt of such Product (as determined pursuant to Section 4 above), we will (on your election) either send you a replacement physical Product, or provide you with a full refund. We will cover the cost of any defective physical Product returned by you up to the value of standard USPS first class postage. Contact DA 877-332-3638 or 610-491-2021 or via email to deadnet@custhelp.com So, say you opened up you long anticipated box set and are psyched to play it but there is a problem. You have three disc 7s or a big scratch on disc 9. According to the terms listed above you have no recourse to remedy your problem. Once you have opened the box, that is all she wrote. Given the dead.net stores record for producing a mistake-free experience it is highly, highly unlikely they will have a perfect record and are setting up innocent people to take the fall for their own mistakes, Given this, I wouldn't go anywhere near this iron-clamp trap. I understand why this has happened, Because Rhino delivered an insanely inferior product with E-72 and never wants to take a hit ever again for the mistakes they have made. How sad. The rest of the professional business world does not work on this model and people willing to bet they will win a lottery where the product arrives in perfect condition really have great, if misguided, faith.
  • g_fat
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    90 Box Set
    Thanks to all involved for another release. We are very fortunate for all the recent releases!! Please keep'em coming!!! g
  • inthemoment1
    Joined:
    Looks really good.....
    I just saw the pictures and this set looks like it has very nice packaging.......Please keep these box sets coming!!! The nicer the better. Thanks.
  • inthemoment1
    Joined:
    Looks good.........
    No doubt the sound on this set will be fabulous. I hope the packaging is deluxe.....not the flimsy paper sleeves that you have to tear open to remove the discs that are trapped inside that the Europe '72 set had!!!!! That would be a real shame........wouldn't it?
user picture
Default Avatar
jq171(document).ready(function (jq171) { jq171("h2.product_title").each(function(){ var title = jq171(this); var new_title = title.text().replace(' - SOLD OUT', ''); title.text(new_title); }); var covertArtDownloadMarkup = 'Looking for the digital cover art? You can download it here.'; setTimeout(function() { jq171('#digital_cart').append(covertArtDownloadMarkup); }, 500); });

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

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

When does the next one come out? What will it take to make it happen?
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

13 years 3 months
Permalink

Looks like July.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

10 years 1 month
Permalink

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

Member for

16 years 1 month
Permalink

Unless you use the 24-track masters this would not make sense.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

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

Member for

11 years 2 months
Permalink

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.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

11 years
Permalink

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!
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

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
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

13 years 9 months
Permalink

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.
user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

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.
user picture

Member for

14 years
Permalink

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!
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

9 years 8 months
Permalink

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.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

9 years 8 months
Permalink

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 :)
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

13 years 9 months
Permalink

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.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

9 years 8 months
Permalink

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.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

13 years 9 months
Permalink

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.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

9 years 8 months
Permalink

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 :)
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

13 years 9 months
Permalink

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.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

9 years 8 months
Permalink

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.
user picture

Member for

16 years 10 months
Permalink

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...
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

9 years 3 months
Permalink

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.
user picture

Member for

16 years 10 months
Permalink

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?
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

9 years 3 months
Permalink

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?
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

10 years 6 months
Permalink

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.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

9 years 3 months
Permalink

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.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

15 years 4 months
Permalink

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!
user picture

Member for

10 years 9 months
Permalink

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.
user picture
Default Avatar
Permalink

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
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

8 years 4 months
Permalink

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!!
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

16 years 6 months
Permalink

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
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

8 years 4 months
Permalink

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.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

7 years 7 months
Permalink

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

Member for

7 years 3 months
Permalink

Anyone know when this will become available for download again?
user picture

Member for

11 years 5 months
Permalink

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

Member for

7 years 1 month
Permalink

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

Member for

7 years 4 months
Permalink

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

Member for

6 years 9 months
Permalink

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.
user picture

Member for

6 years 8 months
Permalink

Dear Dead.Net,Fix the digital downloads so fans can have this music. Downloads have been listed as temporarily unavailable for a long time. When will it be fixed? Thank you
product sku
GRA9900088