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    July 1978: The Complete Recordings

    What's Inside:

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

    Announcing July 1978: The Complete Recordings

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

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

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

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

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  • cheryleula
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    Thank You!

    Thank You!

  • Slow Dog Noodle
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    Sold Out

    just noticed this says sold out. Its about time. I don't know what took so long. This is a fantastic box set.

  • eyes43
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    Listening day players mixed up

    The first two listening days players are mixed up, on the main page for the July 78 box set. Just thought admin might want to fix that! Peace!

  • perithecat
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    still waiting

    marye , could you have a look at my order number if you can 137400000224478
    ordered on nov 27th and still nothing . any help would be appreciated .

  • ecce homo
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    July 1978: The Complete Recordings delivered today

    Hi just an bit of info for people who were in a similar position to me: I ordered the Box Set (as part of a larger order) on 9-21-19, and it arrived today, so a little over 3 months later. I had written CS once (on November 26) and received a reply on December 3 from Warner Music Group Customer Service which read, in part:

    Due to a complex warehouse move we now have a significant backlog of both customer inquiries and shipments, and as a result we haven’t been able to deliver at the level that we pride ourselves on.
    For those waiting on their orders, while we wish we could give you an exact estimate as to when your order will ship, we are still awaiting the exact order status details that we urgently want to get to you.
    We are putting 100% of our focus and dedication into a solution to this shipping delay, and are currently working with our warehouse partner to send out outstanding orders.
    We wish we had been able to have communicated this to you sooner, but we had relied on assurances from our warehouse partner that they would be able to quickly resolve the backlog of orders, and they haven’t been able to honor this commitment. We must again apologize for this delay in reaching out to you.
    While it is not our place to be making requests of you, we do hope that you will continue to be patient with us, as we work through these issues and work with our current partner to ship out your order as soon as possible.
    We are genuinely sorry for the delay and inconvenience associated with your order, and we thank you for your patience and understanding to date.

    HANG IN THERE FELLOW DEADHEADS!!!!!! AS ALWAYS IT WILL BE WORTH THE WAIT.
    However, I don't see the Box Set currently listed for sale on the Dead's site right now either? My S/N was 091xx of 15000.
    Peace and Happy Hanukkah!

  • carlo13
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    Robbz

    Merry x-mas to you too. Now the july 78 box completely disappeared from the site which makes me nervous. There were still a bunch left too.

  • RobbZ
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    Carlo

    I feel for you, man. I made the mistake of ordering a simple CD (Terrapin Limited--3/15/90) for a Christmas gift some three weeks ago. Alas, it still sits in a "processing" status. Email requests have been answered with the same "robo-response" bullshit. And what makes it even more frustrating is dead.net had absolutely zero problems charging my credit card the day I ordered it...that portion of their logistical process seems to run flawlessly! And by comparison, I ordered other Christmas gifts from the Foo Fighters, Rush, and Pearl Jam websites the same day as my Dead order, and holy shit, like magic, all their merchandise arrived, as ordered, in less than a week.
    This "we're moving our warehouse" excuse has grown pathetic and old...any logistical issues dead.net is having should be transparent to the customer! But allow me to end my complaints with a few suggestions, as I'm the kind of person who won't complain without bringing some solutions to the table....: (1) SHUT DOWN ALL SALES UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO COMPLETE AN ORDER! (2) DO NOT CHARGE THE CUSTOMER UNTIL AFTER A PRODUCT SHIPS!

    Merry Christmas All---and Carlo, if you're really Jonesin for those 78 shows, PM me (if it works) I'm sure I have a copy's I could share

  • fourwindsblow
    Joined:
    Kengoesto11

    It may take a little time be patient.

    "Due to a high-volume of email traffic, there will be a delay in response time".

  • Kengoesto11
    Joined:
    Carlo13

    Wish I knew. I was hoping to confirm that the order will be recognized instead of forgotten. So I tried Dr. Rhino and got the same robo-response/apology as regular customer service email. These responses include a reminder that multiple inquiries may further delay an order...so handcuffed, LOL! But I can still play the shamisen and there are far worse things. It's all good.

  • carlo13
    Joined:
    Kengoesto11

    I also ordered this box 7 weeks ago and still nada. I am waiting patiently because it will eventually ship. I will say it will ship on Dec. 22. What date do you think.

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July 1978: The Complete Recordings

What's Inside:

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

Announcing July 1978: The Complete Recordings

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

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

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

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

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loving this box...one of the biggest surprises for me is how often i keep going back to chucks of individual first sets when i only have time for a few songs (car, subway, etc). Highlights for me: 7/1 - Ten Jed, Jack Straw, FOTD 7/3 - Peggy-O, Cassidy, Deal, Music Never Stopped 7/5 - TLEO, LL Rain, Dire wolf 7/7 - Every single first set note from top to bottom. 7/8 - Bertha>good lovin, ramble on rose, promised land

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Your favorite bits on Omaha & first night Red Rocks are spot on with mine: 7/3 - Peggy-O, Cassidy, Deal, Music Never Stopped This really is the cream of this set, and possibly this show. Jerry's vocal flubs elsewhere are rampant, and by Scarlet (skipped "ain't nothing wrong" verse) & Fire (2nd verse), my patience wears thin. Lovely Stella, though. I was crossing my fingers (please get this one right!), and Jerry delivers. 7/7 - Every single first set note from top to bottom Yes! Earlier I observed they took their tight pills for this show. Jerry's vocals sound great, too. 7/5 - Candyman Has anyone else noticed on Candyman, after blowing the start of the 2nd verse, Jerry sings to Mr. Benson, "I see you know me well"? (If I'm hearing correctly.) Almost as if, after all the vocal flubs of the previous nights, he's lamenting the candy's effect on himself? Maybe I'm reading too much. But interestingly, he repeats the rewrite on 7/7, so it's not just another random flub.
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This does not qualify as "never done before" but how about some acoustic? I have to go to archives of 68 -70 to get these pearls. A nive compilation of acoustic would be amazing
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7/1 is good as well...What I like about Estimated, is the sound of Jerry's guitar 1/2 to 2/3 of the way through,... and how he jams on that section of the song... 7/8 does it for me. I'll go listen to 7/1 again too.. The "sound" or tone of his guitar really was at it's best for this song, for me, in late 77 and 78... I think 79 or 80 it starts to disappear.... but I just love the tone he has in 78 and 7/8 of 78 is a good one. I'll have to search for my overall favorite
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I think we are splitting hairs.. both Estimated's are awesome. I am sticking to my guns for now, I think its just the surprise factor that did me in on 7/1. I don't look at the setlists if I can help it and ignore the listening parties. I rarely read the liner notes before the first listen, so spontaneity can add a goosebump factor that I really appreciate. I thought I heard Jerry going for Eyes.. but Bobby and Phil had other plans. C'est la vie. 7/8 is obviously the high water mark from this run.. but I am still liking 7/1 for a host of reasons. Could be that for all practical purposes, 7/1 didn't exist to me before a couple of weeks ago. I have listened to 7/8 a bunch. Thanks for chiming in man.. in this case it really is all good.
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Found this just now....http://headyversion.com/song/89/grateful-dead/estimated-prophet/ 7/8 is the 3rd best voted on? Interesting... I just listened to the #1 version... I like this one better. Looks like the #2 version, was from Dave's 1.... I'm gonna check that one out again when I go pick my son up @ 11pm from a birthday party.
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Its obvious to me that Keithfan is responsible for 85+% of these votes. The man loves a good Estimated Prophet and really.. who can blame him.
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The wife looks at me on the porch and lets loose with,You sound like tha damn cartoon on YouTube ............. Once I knew I was out of striking distance, I howled like a fool!
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....had it in my Jeep today. Phil & Bobby definitely did their best impersonation of the electric kool-aid man busting out that Other One with a resounding "Oh Yeah!!".....oh yeah they did....
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Yes.. scares the shit out of me. My basement is 8' below the flood plane of the river that is normally my front yard. Yikes.. Thank god the GD were more into train songs then ... nevermind. Oh.. and dibs on the Mona Lisa. It has always had special meaning to me and I will be sure to display it in my office, a full 18' above the flood plane. Its safer here than there right now.
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....only performed eight times according to my trusty back up bible i.e. DeadBase.... Edit....the last one was in Anchorage. Now where is that box? I'd be all over that like Pigpen on a schoolgirl....
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Taking a break from 78 box and trying to get thru TTAS. ... Still Got about 10 left I hadn't heard. Been jumping around. Listened to 91 from MSG. I really enjoyed it. I previously haven't listened to much dead after Brent died. Big mistake. I really dig Hornsby with band. plus I don't really like dead playing with guest musicians. I generally think the music gets watered down when there is a guest. But I liked marsalis with the band. Felt he added the right touch. So, I'll be listening to more of this area. Quick question. If you assume 90 is good year and one of high points of their career (and I do believe this). With the following years until 95 a slow decline until the end. And when I say decline I mean inconsistent and uninspired playing. And further assume that Jerry's health was a big of that decline (probably back doing drugs). When wound you consider the dead to start that downward slide? Would it be spring 91? Would it be later, say fall 91? Even later? And, I'm guessing the downward slide started when Jerry resumed his drug habit. Right? I think I'm going to explore more of these post Brent years but would like to understand when people consider the beginning of the end? Also, Any recommendations for solid post Brent shows?
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....last time good shows out numbered bad ones imo. They took off some of 1992 due to Garcia's falling off the horse. I believe a year later, Jerry dove in head first. Sad.... ....1993 also saw the debuts of some not very good tunes. Easy Answers or Eternity anyone?
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1991 had a bunch of great shows.. especially if you liked Hornsby's piano playing (which I do). Flying off memory, I think I really liked the recordings from 5/10/91.. in fact, the whole shoreline run is quite good. Not sure what you have left from 30 trips, but the consensus is Dave nailed it on the late-era shows. https://archive.org/details/gd91-05-10.sbd.ladner.6257.sbeok.shnf There have been lots of 89 references of late that are similar shows. VGuy seems to be in tune with the later era West Coast shows that seemed to be good. Boston '94 gets some love on these threads.
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quick.. something witty. Hey Rocky, watch me levitate Garcia. (in my best squirrel accent), that trick NEVER Works.
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Yes,I have always liked the tone Jerry got during late 1977-1978. It looks on pictures as though he was using the guitar called "Wolf" at that time. In pictures from early 1977, he seems to be playing a white guitar-looks a bit like a strat, but isn't. I think he played the "Wolf" guitar in 1975-maybe 1974, too. But his guitar never sounded quite as good to me in 1974-75 as it did in late 77-78. Not talking about what he played-just the sound of what he played. Obviously, the amplifiers he used had a big impact, too. The Wall of Sound may have been the biggest and the loudest-but it never distorted-so sitting listening at home, 1974 shows seem fairly quiet, to me.But 77-78-a beautiful, bright sound on the edge of distortion. Perfect, really. The absolute greatest tone a guitarist ever got, though, to me, was John Cipollina with Quicksilver on and around Happy Trails.
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Not wishing to be controversial, but I wonder if the beginning of the end wasn't many years before the 1990s. In 1986, Jerry nearly died-not just through illegal drug use, his diet, smoking, lack of exercise. In photographs from the early-mid 80s he looks shockingly unwell-for a comparatively young man. And the shows-some good ones for sure-but to me, a massive decline from the Keith years. He seemed to go through a honeymoon period after his recovery, and this lasted from 1987-to the early 1990s. I couldn't date the moment the final decline started-but even in 1990, in London, he looked far less healthy than most men his age. Jerry was undoubtedly one of the greatest artists of his generation. Strange then, in a way, that he had the same job-working with essentially the same people-for 30 years! Jimi Hendrix-one of the few artists of comparable stature from the era, seemed hacked off playing Purple Haze in 1969-and he had only been playing such songs for about 2-3 years! Everyone in London-myself included was ecstatic when he played the opening to Dark Star-but I wonder what Jerry felt like, playing them, for the zillionth time? Maybe it would have been better for him if he had finished with The Dead in 1979, when Keith and Donna left, and concentrated on making music with his own band. Maybe it was being in The Dead so long that brought Jerry down. Just a thought.
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Dnbb1, if youre an acoustic aficionado you've probably already digested these multiple times but they bear repeating for any newbies or those who may have just missed the boat. Aside from the obvious double reissue of Reckoning, Road Trips 3.3 and the accompanying bonus disc feature a sublime acoustic set from 5-15-70, 15+ tracks in glorious sound, and then there's the single disc release of the Family Dog show from 4-18-70 which is a complete acoustic set featuring a mini-Pig solo spot, something I didn't know even existed, and then, of course, who could forget the first set of DP8, 5-2-70! Damn that Rider continues to suck me in to this day!In regards to Jerrys permanent decline, I'd have to go with March 92 onward. Fall of 91 had some stellar shows, but by the new year I'd have to say his playing was more miss than hit. DaveRock, I believe the white guitar you're referring to is Jerrys Travis Bean. Love the tone of that axe. Anywho, starting the day off with set II of 3-25-90, with the boys finally reverting back to the "groovy" arrangement of Eyes, which would reach its zenith with Branford a few nights later. Peace to all!
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I'm in the UK and still have not received my box! I contacted the Rhino 'customer' service and they told me to wait till mid June and then if the box had sold out I would just get a refund. I have not ever complained on dead.net before but I am now - i think that stinks as 'customer' support! I assume this means I have to buy it a second time and then wait and claim a refund for the first... no other online retailer would work like that and no other community would put up with it... Can MaryE or someone else with influence intercede for me? (I have already tried writing to Dr Rhino)
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The Hornsby years are great. He really pushed the guys to excel. Spring 93 is inspired and I like it, but Jerry's guitar work is clearly not as complex as years past. I suspect it is related to his peripheral neuropathy issues. Some great covers that year. Wish Jerry had sang Broken Arrow. Always a hoot to post this, "I need more shows." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfy3uJrfVWo
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Jerry's decline is a hard subject to talk about and often avoided by many. It's no secret that his use of heroine and other illicit drugs lead to a life style in which his health declined rapidly. One thing about being in that trap is that you can't escape it by doing such things as switching bands. I am not the most knowledgeable person on this board by a long shot, but I believe that motive played a part in the David Grisman and Garcia collaboration in the mid 80s. The band was Garcia's family and even in the late 80s they were making new music and finding ways to keep things fresh. Now, in 94 and 95 (95 esspecially), it was clear Jerry had no business being on the road. I have heard that he couldn't walk up more than a few steps at that point. I think that band knows they should have handled that situation differently but hind site is 20/20. I saw the dead twice, once in 94 and once in 95. I was 12 and 14 at the time and didn't know I was seeing the tail end of what had been. During the 94 show in St. Louis, I remember them playing Sugar Mag and the entire place was up and dancing including myself. That was the moment for me you hear people talk about where it clicked and I was in for life. In fact, that moment was so impactful that it has helped to shape who I am today. I wonder how many other people had moments like that in the mid 90's, even when the scene was declining? Like I said hind site is 20/20. This summer I am flying out to CO to take my 12 yo niece to Dead and Company. It probably won't be a life changing impactful event for her, but she will have a chance to see surving members of the band that has meant so much to me all these years.
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Takimoto I agree with Jim on the 5/10/91 Shoreline show for sure. And as he notes there are many shows that are great in '91 (I, too, am a big fan of Brucey sitting in with the band on his grand pie-aner). Others worthy of note especially if you're looking to get your feet wet into 1991: 3/31/91, Greensboro NC (the Samson>Eyes was included as bonus on DP17, more on that to come below): https://archive.org/details/gd1991-03-31.sbd.miller.120029.flac16 4/5/91, Omni, Atlanta (massive Shakedown, and a cool Stir it Up jam out of Terrapin): https://archive.org/details/gd1991-04-05.132572.sbd.healy.latvala.wise… 6/17/91, Giants Stadium (probably one of my favorite shows of '91; Eyes OPENER (!) Dark Star teases ABOUND but they never really bust it out in full; solid solid playing all around): https://archive.org/details/gd1991-06-17.dts.dan.33670.sbeok.flac16 9/21/91, Boston Garden (this whole run is awesome but for whatever reason this particular show does it for me; a really cool Hornsby-led jam out of Eyes of the World before drums): https://archive.org/details/gd91-09-21.sbd.mccall.529.sbeok.shnf 9/25/91, Boston Garden (Dick's Pick's 17 - fantastic H > S! > Frank's opener worth the proce of admission alone. This one is a set you should probably own): https://archive.org/details/gd1991-09-25.fob.bk4011.brennecke-young.gem… 10/31/91, Oakland Coliseum (another great H>S!>Frank's opener, a cool Scarlet>Fire to open 2nd set, and a furious Dark Star complete with Ken Kesey going off on a rant (this was the first show right after Bill Graham's untimely demise, so, in homage): https://archive.org/details/gd91-10-31.sbd.gardner.2897.sbeok.shnf Obviously fairly '91 heavy here but I think some of these would make a fine starting point to lead you down the path of enlightenment... Happy Friday, All! Sixtus
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A+ show with probably a ton of newbies in attendance, schools had just let out in the area for the summer vacation https://archive.org/details/gd93-06-11.sbd.gans.19217.sbeok.shnf This link is missing a few tracks from 1st set https://archive.org/details/gd1993-06-11.mtx.unknown.100405.flac16 2nd link is matrix and seems to include missing tracks
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was when Jerry used heroin for the first time. Many hot shows occurred after that. But that was the moment that set in motion a series of unusual occurrences that ended with premature death. Still love you, Jerry.
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Mona Lisa--- "In this painting there is a smile so pleasing that it seems divine rather than human; and those who see it are amazed to find that it is alive as the original." ---Vasari, 1550 Don't let it go down in the flood.
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15 years 8 months
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Sad news, Dave Swarbrick of the incomparable Fairport Convention ( and of course much else) has left us.
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It looks pretty good in my office, it sits next to my McDougall Lille France / Bolo original airbrush on bond paper. Arrived via FedEx last night. I plan to send it back after the flood waters subside. My precious...
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Just ordered, anxiously awaiting!! Thanks much David, keep them coming.Lets go Pens!!
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In addition (and not meant to counter or disagree with) to what has already been said here, I think the seeds of the beginning of the end came in Summer 1991 when many accounts suggest Garcia started using quite heavily again. That tour itself is very good, and the Fall is excellent as well, but there are well-documented stories about Hornsby getting very frustrated with Garcia's laziness during the MSG and Boston runs and confronting him about it in Boston. Of course then that run exploded like all hell. But that, along with Hornsby leaving after Spring 92 (he had a son born around then, that son -- Keith, named after Jarrett -- recently started for LSU men's basketball team) was when it started to fall apart. Hornsby stimulated Garcia's creativity and it is reflected in a lot of what went down from 9-90 until 12-91; that probably kept Jerry from going in harder on the heroin immediately following Brent's death. It just kept going. Spring 92 is not an awful tour and has a lot more going for it than gets credited. But after that, things got shakier and shakier and in my experience, it all started to atrophy big time. Then the Fall 1992 got cancelled and we all know why. The bounce back from that was OK, but not stellar and nowhere near the heights we saw in 87 after the coma. Spring 93 is a good tour, summer is as well. Fall isn't bad either, though the new guitar was rolled out and Jerry's tone was really meh. Then 1994 the dropoff was more severe.
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Be sure to sign it before you send it back...

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Omigosh, I was just listening to Swarbrick on the way in to work this morning! (A '71 Fairport performance I grabbed for the ride at the last minute out the door.) Aw, man. Sad day. He dropped out of the Fairport reunion at the Barbican in '09, which I was blessed to attend, just days before the event, over some rehearsal squabble. I was angry with him, but only because I wanted so much to see him. He & RT played as a duo a week later, but I'd left by then. Rest in playful peace, Mr. Swarbrick! Thanks for all the joyful singing and playing you gifted to these earthly shores!!
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You are correct - it was I who opened 30 accounts on Heady Version, to bolster the 7/8/78 Estimated Prophet. And it was I who manipulated this discussion board, so that people would not just argue about which Keith version of Estimated Prophet is best, but which NINETEEN SEVENTY-EIGHT Keith version of Estimated Prophet is best....and it was I who allowed the Alliance to know the location of the shield generator. Your friends up there on the Sanctuary Moon are walking into a trap - as is your rebel fleet. Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design.....
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...began, I think, with that shitty narcoleptic beat they kept in 1976. And how about Disco Dead? Is there anything worse than a '76 or '77 Dancin' In The Streets? Whether it was Jerry's new taste for smack, or Phil's boozing or Mickey's plodding style, who knows? The falloff in '76 was remarkable, notwithstanding the comeback glory of '77 and decent or better performances throughout inconsistent '78, when the festering Godchaux nightmare was in full ugly view. From 1979 on, you have to pick your spots and put on your subjective Dead-tuned ears. The band had no peer from 1968 to 1974, and in 1977. After '78, I find the Grateful Dead pretty tough to listen to and get off on. The songwriting fell off dramatically as well, post Fire On The Mountain, though I give Shakedown Street a pass.
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10 years 1 month
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...you've left me the perfect opening, as I enjoy making the following exclamation on a near daily basis: "Its a TRAP!!" -Admiral Sixtus Ackbar ____________________________________________________ Oh and I'll take a disco era version of Dancin' any day of the week! These are among some of my personal favorite jams, especially gimme a phat wah-wah induced meaty monster and I'm a happy kid.
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14 years 1 month
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Still not received mine in UK either seems kinda slow this time, fingers crossed for safe arrival.
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14 years 10 months
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Perhaps there's a chance that they will use some technological advance to get an otherwise-lacking-in-fidelity recording from the 80s up to snuff. I've been wondering if they couldn't do something along the lines of what Zenph has done with some older recordings, i.e, use the musical information present on the tapes to have a computer "play" the instruments.http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/arts/music/12conn.html?_r=0 Specifically, I'm thinking of Phil's bass in the early 80s. What if the computer could take the tiny bit of musical information on the tapes and create those notes, complete with Phil's articulation and dynamics, either on a synthesizer or on an actual bass? Then that track could be mixed with the extant tapes to flesh out the sound. The same could be done with other instruments until those almost-unusable tapes could be made decent. I'm loving DaP 18, and think that the series is getting better as it goes. The 1978 box is so visually beautiful that it would be worth the price even if it didn't have great shows in great sound. The MUATM was a real treat. What a great time to be a Head!
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13 years 5 months
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A couple years ago now on one of these threads there was a discussion on which Dancin' people like; the late 60's/1970 arrangement or the disco versions. I was and am solidly in the good ole GD arrangement similar to Harpur College, but alas.. most showed preference for the disco dancin' (Cornel, etc.). Funny this comes up now.. As to when the decline started, I think its somewhat arbitrary. I don't think they ever lost their ability to be a great band, but they certainly did age and became less consistent. To my ears it reared its head in January '78 when Garcia lost his voice. When it came back in Feb, it was more fragile and didn't seem to ever come back to its full youthful glory. The carpet staring and weight gain in the mid '80's was another sign paradise was beginning to fade. ahh. but all was not lost. I really enjoy hearing stories of people that got on the bus late in the game, they still have lots of good things to say. Not fade away, right....
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9 years 9 months
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Jerry's life ran it course and left us with a lot of great music. I don't know if heroin was the full story. Did Jerry die from an od or was it complications from his heart condition. Jerry may of had periods where he took care of himself but they seem to be the exception not the rule. His health seemed be going down hill and did he use because he was physically suffering so self-medicated in the end.
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13 years 4 months
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Wow, Danc, you've harshed my mellow! "Shitty narcoleptic 76 beat"?! I personally LOVE the '76 vibe! I think DaP18 is outta sight! Disc 2 is a modern day masterpiece if you ask me. And "Is there anything worse than a 76-77 disco Dancin'?" I'd have to invert that question and say is there anything better! The version from 5-8-77, included as bonus material on the Terrapin reissue, is in my top ten Dead grooves of all time! And not just that version. While I love the Harpur College-era Dancin performances, the 76-77 arrangements are my most favorites. Overall I'm a 72-74 guy, but the sweetness that is 76-77 is a close second. I guess there's something to the old different strokes/folks adage. Anyway, to each his own, I just had to come to the defense of the late 70s. Disco in general was a bad dream but the Dead truly made proverbial lemonade from such a lemon!Cruising through 11-2-77 on a hot West Virginia Friday!
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15 years 11 months
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Loving this box on multiple listens, though mostly distracted with moving and unpacking the family from said move one mile down the road (upgrading for larger family than when we purchased old house 10 years ago). Great music and Red Rocks and Arrowhead are the ones that top it for me. That Arrowhead show is really a treat. Here is my lone complaint about the music and it is something I can overlook. David L. before some 78 release or maybe in the liner notes of a 78 release made mention of Jerry being a bit over the top with his singing-- I am finding he is doing that in this box. Minor thing and I can look past it for the greatness of the music otherwise. RE: the decline of Jerry, I was watching Downhill From Here (Alpine 89) with my bro-in-law, who I was in the process of converting to the Dead, about five years ago. I told him how healthy and good Jerry was at that time. He asked how old he was and I told him about 47. That was about five years older than I was at the time. He essentially said, "Dude, he looks like he could be your grandpa and he is only a few years older than you are now." He was right. Interesting to compare photos of Jerry in spring 1977 with Closing of Winterland-- looks like he aged a decade in 18 months based upon how he grayed. I think post-coma he had a renaissance-- he was clean for a couple of years and really enjoyed playing with the band. After Brent's death, things changed.
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13 years 5 months
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The cheeseburgers, Haagen-Dazs and Camel non-filters certainly played a big part.
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12 years 7 months
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Holy smokes, that was a lot of transitions! Thank you antonjo, jiminmd, wharfrattx, wadeocu, deadicated, stoltzfus, sixtus, vguy72, milesm, mbarilla, mhammond12, the420bandito, gary farseer, morning sun, cousins, djmac520, icecrmcnkd, old chief smokum, jaydoublu, daverock and many others for all the recommendations...I'm listening to 100 Year Hall now. Indeed, Sixtus, love the groupmind thing on this blog. Has anyone grabbed the remastered My Morning Jacket "It Still Moves" album yet. I'm wondering if it's worth it? I heard they really revealed some instruments that were pretty hidden during the first pressing. Happy Grateful Wknd all!
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9 years 4 months
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if you look at the picture "our friend" from woodstock you can see Jer already graying and he is only 27. I remember being up front in 87 and thinking dang Jer you look like Zeus with the fan blowing his hair and all. Also remember when I did not see Jer from 82-85 and when I saw him again I was shocked at the change. Maybe in the words of Mr. Mackey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh7l8dx-h8M that was a great episode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FmQYDQ0YVY
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9 years 4 months
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isn't that the same episode? I can't remember. I think it is but it aired in like 1998, maybe? Always thought it was the funniest episode, although I never watched all of them. Just remember he drops and his head becomes a huge balloon floating across the city with the drugs are bad line. Memory for me is, of course, a tricky thing...why? because drugs are bad...mkay
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16 years 2 months
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If I recall I read that Jerry had done an extra large dose of Owsley and some mescaline at the same time, "flew right up and saw God's face, zits and all" was the quote, this experience left him gray way before his time. It added to the mystique, plus, it looked good on him.
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17 years 5 months
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Love me some Dancin' from the late 70's. Come to think of it, love me some Dancin' frothe early 70's too! I love it all. Working my way through TTATS again. The '92 show has some great keyboards going on. This July '78 box is stellar. Love the first 3 shows as much as the Rocks shows. As Tony the Tiger would say "It's GRATE"! Rock on
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