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    lilgoldie
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    What's Inside:
    • Five Complete Shows
    • 5/11/77 St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN
    • 5/12/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
    • 5/13/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
    • 5/15/77 St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO
    • 5/17/77 University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
    •14 Discs, 111 tracks
    •Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman, Plangent Processes playback system for maximum sonic accuracy
    •Artwork by Grammy Award-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike
    •Period Photos by James R Anderson
    •Historical Essay by Steve Silberman
    •Individual show liner notes

    MAGICAL, MYTHICAL MAY 1977!

    If you're a Dead Head, chances are you've spent many an hour expounding upon the distinction of May 8, 1977, Cornell University, Barton Hall. Well, at the risk of preaching to the choir, we'd like to reintroduce you to a series of shows that matches said greatness from that same gloriously fertile season. While Barton Hall is well known, the astounding tour that surrounded it has occasionally flown under the radar due to the uneven quality of tapes in circulation. May 1977 is set to change all of that with a boxed set that zeroes in on this high-water mark in the Grateful Dead's long strange trip.

    For a band resurrecting itself after a 20-month hiatus, there was a great frenzy of expectancy that surrounded the Spring of 1977. We anticipate a grand reoccurrence of this fervor with the release of May 1977, a 14-disc boxed set featuring five complete shows from consecutive stops on that magical tour. Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering, the "psychoacoustic phenomena" as Jerry once put it, of St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN (5/11) Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL (5/12, 5/13), St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO (5/15) and Coliseum at the University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (5/17) can now finally be appreciated. Each of these shows finds the Dead delivering punchier, more focused sets, tightening up the framework; each night turning out first-ever renditions ("Passenger,""Iko Iko,""Jack-A-Roe"), unloading potent new pairings ("Scarlet Begonias">"Fire On The Mountain", "Estimated Prophet">"Eyes Of The World"), classic covers ("Dancing In The Street") and soon-to-be staples ("Estimated Prophet," "Samson and Delilah"), and ultimately rising up to paradise.

    And now for the nitty-gritty...

    Due June 11, May 1977 is limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies. Presented in a psychedelic box that boasts an intricate die-cut design created by Grammy®-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike, the set also includes a book filled with stories about each show, as well as an in-depth essay by Dead historian Steve Silberman, who delves deep into the history behind the tour and the band’s return from its extended hiatus.

    Once these 15,000 boxes are gone, May 1977 and its shows will never be available again on CD. However, the 111 tracks will be made available on release date as FLAC and Apple lossless full-set-only downloads for $99.98.

    Like its predecessors Europe '72: The Complete Recordings and Spring 1990, we expect May 1977 to 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 and on Facebook.com/GratefulDead and Youtube.com/gratefuldead.

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  • shwack
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    Phil's Picks
    Hey All, Recall Fallout from the Phil Zone release where Phil hand picks Jack-A-Roe from the Tuscaloosa 5/17/77 show for inclusion on that release. Check it... Shwack in nh
  • PalmerEldritch
    Joined:
    point taken
    thanks bolo. Yeah, I wouldn't dismiss Tim Truman or Scott McDougall as "corporate professionals". Point taken.
  • PalmerEldritch
    Joined:
    May 77 box/ recent artwork
    I'm really happy about this upcoming box set. I've never been too keen on 1977 Dead but I'm learning to appreciate it more and more over time (using good headphones is a big help, too). I've got lots of 77 stuff going back to my tape trading days and also all the official 77 releases but don't think I've heard a single note of these shows(except maybe the "Fallout from the Philzone" Jack-a-Roe).Regarding the recent release's artwork, I sort of agree with Katapultable, that most have been pretty good. But I really think the "Dave's Picks" logo is too big and garish and shouldn't be on the front nohow. Let the front have only the artwork so it has a chance to breathe. Put the logo on the spine and you have a much handsomer product. The words "Grateful Dead" on the front are not bad, especially if artfully done. Those words have cachet out the ying-yang. But the words "Dave's Picks, Vol.**" are purely utilitarian and belong on the spine or back! I also wish there were some way that the artwork could be done by deadheads who truly love the music. Deadhead folk art. Lots of artistic Deadheads out there who would love the opportunity. I suspect lots of the artwork is done by corporate professionals who may or may not care about the music. I do really love the Europe 72 box artwork and also the Spring 90 box artwork, though. (art critic hat off) I also agree Dave's Picks 6 is one for the ages! Yes, it's a great time to be a Deadhead :)
  • mrmike5
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    Joined:
    artwork
    I kind of like the artwork. The color palette of the boxes in the pic brings to mind my recollection of the late 70s before the 80s hit and the trippy images of the Dead over psychedelicy looking backgrounds that, at least in the "covershot" looks like they are floating in space fits ok into my Deadverse brain space. I suspect the imagery would be better explored on a double album sleeve that one were using for some cleaning projects but, well, ya know... I don't find myself as drawn to album art as much on CDs as I used to be with albums. I don't have that many DVDs either and can see how a CD collection might not fit these boxes but I usually roll w/ CDs in my car (DaP5 and 6 right now...) but use my iPods for the vast majority of listening. Sorting stuff, longer playlists (e.g. running music, chiilling music, I recently tossed the Dead into 60s Dead and 70s Dead taking a break from my favorite Dead and have been pleased to have a new view of it...) and convenience (I have docking stations all over house, work, etc., plus I like to run...25 minute Dark Star= 3 miles). I'm looking forward to the set. Listening to DaP 6 a lot in the 60s list w/ a bunch of other releases makes me anticipate that these will sound *really* amazing and a bunch of Jerry's autowah will make this summer a lot of fun.
  • segan63
    Joined:
    We are the luckiest fans
    There is no doubt that we are the luckiest fans in the world with reasonably priced releases 5-6 times a year. I just saw this article in Rolling Stone about the Rolling Stones releasing a $750+ box set from their 1973 tour... http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/rolling-stones-revisit-1973-with…
  • bolo24
    Joined:
    Artwork
    Just to set the record straight, the artwork is not being done by "corporate professionals." Scott McDougall (Europe '72 box, Road Trips, Dave's Picks 2012) is a Seattle-based artist who was drawing concert posters in the '70s. Great guy - has Rick Griffin's old desk in his house. Timothy Truman (this year's Dave's Picks) has been doing stuff for the Dead for years - t-shirt designs, Grateful Dead Comix, almanac artwork, Deadopoly, etc. Also a great guy, a musician, comic book artist/writer. Can't speak for some of the others as I've not dealt with them, but these guys are the real deal: artists documenting meaningful (to us) musical history.
  • PalmerEldritch
    Joined:
    artwork/logos
    Yeah claney, I remember now it was you who first pointed out here the problem with the huge logo on Dave's Picks. It really seems like it's in such obviously bad taste. Same for the Road Trips logo. People can say we're being picky, but look at the pride the Dead took in their own album artwork- at least through Shakedown Street.
  • claney
    Joined:
    Download Logo Box Size
    LBC - In the blurb above it says only that the downloads will be available on the release date of June 11. Palmer - Fulll agreement on the DaP logo - I posted a while back about that logo being a challenge to the artists I would think. Rdevil - yes, looks like dVd size, bummer. But I figure it can sit alongside my Golden Rd and Beyond Descrption boxes...
  • claney
    Joined:
    Download Logo Box Size
    LBC - In the blurb above it says only that the downloads will be available on the release date of June 11. Palmer - Fulll agreement on the DaP logo - I posted a while back about that logo being a challenge to the artists I would think. Rdevil - yes, looks like dVd size, bummer. But I figure it can sit alongside my Golden Rd and Beyond Descrption boxes...
  • rdevil
    Joined:
    am I the only one...
    Okay, order placed (not an easy transaction to make right before Mother's Day) but this will undoubtedly be a great box. I'm excited, another great by Dave.Just wondering, am I the only one who is not impressed by the artwork and packaging of this box? It doesn't look very special to me but this is NOT a complaint. In fact if that helps keep the cost down then I'm all for it. I couldn't pull the trigger on the Spring 90 set because of the price. Would have got around to it eventually but it sold out. Haven't bought the Warlocks box yet either because I can't justify paying an extra $20 or so for a cigar box. I guess my point is it's all about the music and if we can get great sounding shows in packaging that protects the discs at a decent price, that's more important than buttons and tour programs. Maybe Dead.net could offer those extras separately for those who really want them. It looks like the discs in this box are in a DVD sized case which, I'd be willing to bet, is less than ideal for most of us who collect these things. I'd prefer to put these CDs in their proper chronological place in my collection but that's a minor complaint. Overall, this looks great, we're getting some fantastic music, complete shows from one of the best tours ever at a decent price per disc.
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15 years 7 months

What's Inside:
• Five Complete Shows
• 5/11/77 St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN
• 5/12/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
• 5/13/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
• 5/15/77 St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO
• 5/17/77 University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
•14 Discs, 111 tracks
•Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman, Plangent Processes playback system for maximum sonic accuracy
•Artwork by Grammy Award-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike
•Period Photos by James R Anderson
•Historical Essay by Steve Silberman
•Individual show liner notes

MAGICAL, MYTHICAL MAY 1977!

If you're a Dead Head, chances are you've spent many an hour expounding upon the distinction of May 8, 1977, Cornell University, Barton Hall. Well, at the risk of preaching to the choir, we'd like to reintroduce you to a series of shows that matches said greatness from that same gloriously fertile season. While Barton Hall is well known, the astounding tour that surrounded it has occasionally flown under the radar due to the uneven quality of tapes in circulation. May 1977 is set to change all of that with a boxed set that zeroes in on this high-water mark in the Grateful Dead's long strange trip.

For a band resurrecting itself after a 20-month hiatus, there was a great frenzy of expectancy that surrounded the Spring of 1977. We anticipate a grand reoccurrence of this fervor with the release of May 1977, a 14-disc boxed set featuring five complete shows from consecutive stops on that magical tour. Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering, the "psychoacoustic phenomena" as Jerry once put it, of St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN (5/11) Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL (5/12, 5/13), St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO (5/15) and Coliseum at the University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (5/17) can now finally be appreciated. Each of these shows finds the Dead delivering punchier, more focused sets, tightening up the framework; each night turning out first-ever renditions ("Passenger,""Iko Iko,""Jack-A-Roe"), unloading potent new pairings ("Scarlet Begonias">"Fire On The Mountain", "Estimated Prophet">"Eyes Of The World"), classic covers ("Dancing In The Street") and soon-to-be staples ("Estimated Prophet," "Samson and Delilah"), and ultimately rising up to paradise.

And now for the nitty-gritty...

Due June 11, May 1977 is limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies. Presented in a psychedelic box that boasts an intricate die-cut design created by Grammy®-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike, the set also includes a book filled with stories about each show, as well as an in-depth essay by Dead historian Steve Silberman, who delves deep into the history behind the tour and the band’s return from its extended hiatus.

Once these 15,000 boxes are gone, May 1977 and its shows will never be available again on CD. However, the 111 tracks will be made available on release date as FLAC and Apple lossless full-set-only downloads for $99.98.

Like its predecessors Europe '72: The Complete Recordings and Spring 1990, we expect May 1977 to 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 and on Facebook.com/GratefulDead and Youtube.com/gratefuldead.

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11 years 4 months
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I am still enjoying this box. Have gone through the entire run multiple times. After hearing a lot of 77 it's nice to go to the later years...but coming back again for another listen and it's just amazing how you find even more to love within this set. Now if I could only get my hands on spring 90 and Europe 72!
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10 years 9 months
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Holy smokes I'm like a kid on Christmas morning checking the mail everyday after work! Can't wait to jam this.
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16 years 9 months
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I have been cranking this box on my car system while commuting and can't get enough of it. I reminds me of the old days when I wore out that Skull and Roses live lp set with constant listening. There is something about 1977. Also 1969, 1970, 1976, 1972, 1973, 1980, 1990 oh and 1988, 1989-ah well I could go on.
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11 years 4 months
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This is some incredible music. Took a break for a while after first getting it but it is so so good to come back to. St. Paul and Tuscaloosa are my favorite two but there is something wonderful in each show. Best sound quality for sure goes to the 11th. We have had some great releases lately. Am so grateful to have this on my bookshelf. Thanks again and again. To anyone not sure if they want this because there is already a lot of 77 released, just get it. The box is beautiful. Love the fact that I can have this physical media on my shelf. The sound quality is sure worth it. Windows media player decodes HDCD btw...really makes these discs shine.
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15 years 6 months
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This box is something special , I listened to May 11, and it blew me away again. Just great stuff
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11 years 4 months
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LIke many others, I have so much '77 stuff I was not excited when this came out. Thanks to a night of heavy drinking, I pulled out the credit card and dove in when judgement was impaired. I am so glad I did, I just keep coming back to this. Maybe it is the beautiful sound, or great performances, I don't know. I love almost all the releases, but this one just seems extra nice.
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15 years 6 months
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I am excited to see that this box set is on the UPS truck waiting to be delivered to my home sometime today! Decided to take the plunge and finally order this set. Looking forward to some heady jams this week.
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16 years 9 months
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looks like the physical set will sell out shortly. I got mine a long time ago and still have it in regular rotation. I'm a little surprised this took so long to sell out given the quality of the performance and beauty of the physical product. What is next on the release agenda?
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15 years 6 months
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Finally got my set yesterday. I listened to the first set of the St. Paul show, and I'm glad I decided to get it. The St. Paul show has such a unique and warm sound to it. I really like the feel. The boys blister through a number of the songs, and they are all really unique. Looking forward to enjoying the second set tonight.
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SO GLAD I purchased this set. It gives me a whole new appreciation and understanding for 1977. As a 20+ year 'Dead Freak' I have never fully understood the power of 1977, until I heard a string of shows consecutively, in their rightful context. We all know 1977 is majestic, but I think I have come to take it for granted. As a tape trader, I would come across a random 1977 here and there...5/8/77, 11/4/77, 6/9/77, 11/6/77/ 2/26/77, 12/29/77, and embrace each and every one with exuberance, but casually move on to another era or decade. Over the past few nights, I have been delving into this box set and have a whole new appreciation for the music of the Grateful Dead. I have listened to the first 3.5 shows in their entirety and am blown away. I cannot wait for Tuscaloosa tomorrow!!! To hear the ebb and flow of each show in its proper context is unspeakable. The transformation of the music from night to night is uncanny. The 2nd night in Chicago is the only 'clunker' of the bunch, but with that being said, there are some serious moments of serendipity and majesty in that show. I cannot wait to piggy back on this box set and listen to the Fox and Lakeland shows and the Sportatorium show, followed by 'To Terrapin' after I have completed the adventure of this box set. On a side note, the 'Terrapin' from the first night in Chicago is one of the most beautiful versions I have ever heard. Bobby hits those notes just like it begins on the album, and he keeps going with the lick. It is rare to hear a version of "Terrapin' were Bobby keeps hitting that lick (put it on, you'll know what I am talking about). It's so bright and beautiful. Thanks Dave!!!
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Oh, and that Dancin' from STL is so groovy. It rivals the legendary one from Dick's Picks 25 and Winterland '78 (From Egypt with Love). My jaw dropped...
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17 years 5 months
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Like you kevjones, I'm a sucker for '77 and '78 Dancin' in the Streets. Not sure the one from 10-20 Winterland graced RT 1.4 though. It's just not there. Oh well. Have fun on your May '77 excursion! DP 29 is going to be nice, real nice...
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14 years
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Believe it or not, I missed this box and just picked it up on Ebay. Wow I'm sure glad I did. I'm still working through St. Louis, looking forward to the Dancing, and the Terrapin mentioned below. The sound is pretty damn good for 1/4 inch, thanks to the amazing Betty! I hope she gets her share of this pie. She deserves it.
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9 years 2 months
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Happy as hell, but wondering is there a CD version of Cornell Barton hall 1977 officially released,just wondering, if is a get able or is it just something best left as the unicorn out on tape ? I still have two tape decks . Thanks anyone
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Chris killer, it's not in the vault therefore not fully released. One song from Cornell is available, Dancin' in the Streets, on the So Many Roads box set. The 5 cd 'So Many Roads' box set is still available for sale on this website last I checked. I hope this helps.
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that single track from Barton Hall is actually on the 12cd set Beyond Description (1973-1989). I believe they have only one set from the show in the vault. Either way the existing copies on the internet are near perfect...at least the one I found. On ebay I saw 2LP set of the show from an Italian record company. Who knows what that sounds like
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g-leben.blogspot.com Planet outdoor fell from the sky. The RV rental company located Estourmel, opposite the SDA, was well off since 2010, the year of its creation. The schedule and bookings were even more promising, a few months of the summer: for this long weekend of Ascension, several campers had thus been sold. shoeboxgenealogy.blogspot.com
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Been hoping to buy a digital download for months. Is this option returning soon?
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7 years 6 months
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Is anyone else having issues downloading this from Warner Music? I have tried numerous times after purchasing the FLAC files and each time the download fails. So far the most I have been able to get is all but the last two songs from the first show, plus it takes FOREVER even on a (supposedly) fast cable connection. Can these shows be delivered in separate downloads?
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The comments suggest that I can pre-order it and that it would be available on June 11th. How do I pre-order (or order now that it is June 14th) this boxed set?
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7 years 3 months
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Solid offer for the music community, although it's a bit pricey?! JUST A BIT! Lol, I'm already spending a bunch of money on music promotion services.
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