MAY 1977: Get Shown The Light Box

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February 1, 2017 - 2:34pm

1,389 replies

heatherlew

Joined:
October 12, 2016

CLICK HERE FOR THE
ALL MUSIC EDITION
SOLD OUT

What's Inside:

Four Complete Shows on 11 discs
• 5/5/77 Veterans Memorial Coliseum: New Haven, CT
• 5/7/77 Boston Garden: Boston, MA
• 5/8/77 Barton Hall, Cornell University: Ithaca, NY
• 5/9/77 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium: Buffalo, NY
• Sourced from the Betty Boards, transfered by Plangent Processes
• Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
• Artwork by Grammy-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike
• The unreleased book Cornell ‘77: The Music, The Myth And The Magnificence Of The Grateful Dead’s Concert At Barton Hall by Peter Conners, published by Cornell University Press
• In-depth essay by noted Dead scholar Nicholas Meriwether
• Producer's Note by David Lemieux
• Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 15,000
• Release Date: May 5, 2017

WHAT DEAD HEADS HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT...

NEW HAVEN 5/5/77
"Here is a prime example of the saying ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parts’ … It’s called synergy and the Dead wrote the book on it.”

BOSTON 5/7/77
“The music they laid down brought me places I had not been before.”

CORNELL 5/8/77
“...the single best rock performance anywhere, anytime, by anyone.”

“There was just some kind of magical connection this night between the band members and the band and the audience - some texture, or some type of cosmic or celestial force is in the room.”

"This show is, was, and always will be Mecca.”

BUFFALO 5/9/77
"...an awesome display of the Dead’s captivating power"

If you've been following this site for quite some time, then you will know we are often flush with hyperbole when it comes to our releases. We can't help it, really - for we, like you, are Grateful Dead fans above all else. Just like you, we've spent countless hours debating the merits of show over show, year over year. We've kept a watchful eye on your wish-lists and carefully considered how to make - excuse the cliché - your dreams come true. And once we've made our commitments, we are steadfast in our determination to conjure up those dreams fully-formed and nearly perfect. Sometimes these heights cannot be reached without physical and cosmic elements aligning, and that, dear friends, is why it has taken so long for us to bring you THE ONE and the epic shows that surrounded it. No need for even the slightest embellishment here, 5/8/77 Barton Hall, Cornell University: Ithaca, NY, has for decades, been THE resounding favorite; you've said it yourselves - the "holy grail" of Grateful Dead shows. Thanks to the passion and perseverance of Dead Heads like you, we are beyond pleased to finally be able to present this show and its brethren, the fabled four of Spring '77, in sonically pristine condition.

Limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies, MAY 1977: GET SHOWN THE LIGHT is a collection of what is unanimously believed to be the most sought-after previously unreleased complete shows the Grateful Dead ever played. Collected, traded, and debated for decades, "the beloved Golden Trinity" of Boston, Ithaca, and Buffalo, along with their New Haven prelude, have inspired fans to "get on the bus," converted critics, and even garnered national attention (Cornell was added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry). But until now, you've never really heard them quite like this!

The Dead is in the details... how serendipitous is it that the notorious Betty Boards were returned to the archive just in time for the 40th anniversaries of these shows? Lovingly sourced from these well-reputed recordings, we invite you to experience four utopian shows just like they happened, to "be inside the music" as engineer Betty Cantor-Jackson intended. Whether you listen to each night on its own or imbibe the whole lot at once, we suspect you'll hear why every note mattered. Much like we were, you will be hard-pressed to determine which of these fine documents - will it be the understated but nuanced New Haven, Boston's festive fantasy vibes, the monumental catharsis of Ithaca, or Buffalo’s dreamy exuberance - is truly "the best." Does it really matter? We think not.

Due May 5th, we anticipate that this revelatory boxed set 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.

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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February 21, 2017 - 8:09am

#601

icecrmcnkd

Joined:
October 20, 2015

Comes a time.....

At some point in the future...When we will have a Fully Normanized anniversary show almost every day of the year. Is that asking too much? March through May are already stacking up pretty good with Eur '72, May '77, and Spring '90. Guess it's time for that Fall '91 Box. Spun 5-6-81 this past weekend. Dick got it right with that one. Edit: notice that I didn't infringe on the patented 4-dots.... Oh, wait....
February 21, 2017 - 7:34am

#602

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

Re: The Jam After Alligator, Just Mind Blowing Stuff..

Ha.. You had me at Alligator, but created quite the visual with the mind blowing jam beyond. Thanks Sixtus. Oh.. and JeffSmith, the KF May 77 and DSAD lead was not lost on me.. Back when we collectively decided to break into the vault and pull together a gang of thugs to steal back the hostaged Betty Boards.. we were going to release our own shows and buy an Island to live out our days in bliss. If my memory serves, KeithFan was going to be curator of the vault and make the picks. Now that we have all the Betty's.. where did we leave off on that project? There were some real wrenches tossed into the equation I recall.. most notably from jrf who insisted it be an island with world class skiing. That basically leaves New Zealand as the obvious choice. Perhaps a coup would be easier than buying that island outright.. details, oh bother.
February 21, 2017 - 7:21am

#603

Sixtus_

Joined:
November 8, 2014

Steering Toward Greatness

I'd like to offer to steer any able-and-enthusiastic minds to a particular show I unearthed over the weekend. For some reason I was delving back into 1970. I found the following show, which includes one of the most fantastic jams I have ever heard them pull off, which is probably saying a lot. Have a listen to what happens for pretty much the full-14 minutes of the jam after Alligator. Just totally mind blowing stuff: https://archive.org/details/gd1970-06-06.sbd.miller.86951.sbeok.flac16/… The Dancin' in the Street is very good too, with a bit of a 'tighten up' jam in there. The Lovelight is also quite unique, straying from the main riff for a lot of the jamming (which I haven't heard them do too often). It is a worthy show. For those looking for a slight diversion, I IMPLORE a listen to this one little segment, if nothing else. Sixtus
February 21, 2017 - 7:19am

#604

JeffSmith

Joined:
June 9, 2014

GSTL's other Brothers and Sisters

Seems like several incarnations ago we were discussing “Dark-Star-A-Day” and Keithfan was threatening to re-listen to the May ’77 box and everyone was chiming in with their perceptions/conceptions of the cosmos (IceCream’s take rang familiar for me). Then Get Shown the Light dropped and, well, you know . . . glad EVERYBODY can now get all four shows. Since weeks prior to the GSTL tumult, I’ve been chained in the studio seven daze a week, so took Keithfan’s suggestion and have been giving the May ’77 box a thorough, listen. Like Keithfan, it had been a while. The amazing music in that box have me jonesing for GSTL. I hit replay more than a few times when forgotten gems tumbled out during the re-listen. Like the amazing Space out of Uncle John’s Band on 5/7, St. Paul. Or from Terrapin thru the end on 5/12, Chicago. The TOO from Chicago 5/13. Or St. Stephen into Iko in St. Louis on 5/15. And, of course, the Quacking Duck at 1:35 in Fire in Tuscaloosa on 5/17. There’s lots more on these great sounding recordings. But listening to these shows in their entirety took them/me to a level that hugely surpasses a mere sum of their parts. If you haven’t tried May ‘77 recently, now’s a perfect time. Magical May indeed! These brothers and sisters make a perfect appetizer for the Betty Boards in Get Shown the Light. Can’t say enough about this rediscovered treasure, but I’ll leave it to others to (hopefully) add their analysis and commentary. Now maybe I’ll rewind to 1976 and do it all over again. . .
February 21, 2017 - 7:17am

#605

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

Opinions Can Be Distracting

Where was I? Oh yes.. Listening to music performed 44 years ago (minus a few hours). Not quite as spectacular as the last two releases from this tour.. but who's counting. I love these embryonic versions of Eyes of the World. They must have given some serious thought to the initial arrangement, its nearly flawless and contains perhaps the quintessential GD elastic groove. It has the ability to speed up and slow down time. Anyway, the actions from Truckin' though Stella. 02/21/73 Assembly Hall (University Of Illinois) - Champaign-Urbana, IL Set 1: Wave That Flag Me And My Uncle Brown-Eyed Women Beat It On Down The Line Loser Looks Like Rain Row Jimmy You Ain't Woman Enough Box Of Rain Big Railroad Blues Sugaree Around And Around Set 2: China Cat Sunflower I Know You Rider Jack Straw Mississippi Half-Step Truckin' Eyes Of The World Stella Blue Sugar Magnolia Casey Jones Encore: Johnny B. Goode https://archive.org/details/gd1973-02-21.sbd.miller.111120.flac16/gd73-…
February 21, 2017 - 6:17am

#606

owlshead

Joined:
January 18, 2014

@ Whit Wye

I agree, 100%
February 21, 2017 - 6:05am

#607

KeithFan2112

Joined:
August 6, 2014

New Minglewood Blues 1977 /1978

Are there any great ones? I really only love the Ladies and Gentlemen version. The Bobby throat shredder from 5/15/70 is just okay. The slow one from Rocking The Cradle : Egypt 1978 is interesting. All of the rest sound the same to me, but I'm looking for some magic. P.S. - I'm up to Tuscaloosa, May 1977 (5th Show). Love the Mississippi Half-Step, along with the 5/12 version, and my all time favorite, 5/25. Also looking forward to the Quacking Duck Scarlet / Fire.
February 21, 2017 - 5:46am

#608

NCDead

Joined:
April 16, 2015

Limited Box and All Music Edition both good ideas

I agree, no different then a first edition book vs mass market paperback. I am glad they did it on E72 since i missed the box set, I would love to have the box but the music is nice to have. It also does not diminish the value of the box, also look at E72, they go for 700+ on ebay. I felt the same way when I saw the all music edition released yesterday. Let everyone who wants the physical CDs get them, just no bells and whistles. MP3s are nice to have, that is what I did on spring '90 but i feel CDs/physical media have a more permanent feel to them. Just my thoughts on the matter.
February 20, 2017 - 8:50pm

#609

alvarhanso

Joined:
January 16, 2014

Limited Box and All Music Edition both good ideas

I remember getting the announcement for Europe '72 and for Dave's Picks 1. I got paid and had what I thought was insane amount of money for an insanely brilliant box set of 73 cds! I didn't think it would be sold out in 4 days. I don't think anyone did. Didn't Fillmore West '69 take a fairly long time to sell out of 10,000? Winterland '73 is still available at Mill Valley for the original retail price, brand new, sealed. That's one of the greatest 3 night runs in Dead history, still for sale 9 years later, and it was apparently a large number made, unlimited almost. May '77 took something like 9 months to sell out at 15,000, then who knows how many downloads were sold, which people also complained about. I missed out on Spring '90 which was 9,000. It took a couple months at least to sell out, right? Spring '90 TOO took until last fall to sell out, I grabbed mine when I ordered 30 Trips. July '78 has yet to sell out, and it has rave reviews from those that purchased and post here. They were a first attempt with the Bettys, and they haven't sold out yet, they're for sale on this very page. Should they have expected a quicker than usual sell out? Yes. Could they have had a better ordering process, less stressful? Yes. But 3.5 days on sale and gone. 15,000 units. And so the All Music Edition comes and those that missed out, largely due to the incredibly arduous ordering fiasco have a rightful complaint about not getting the box. They have a rightful gripe. Some that got the box were talking of canceling since they felt screwed by Rhino into getting a limited product, only to find they could have gotten the shows, so why not make more boxes? That's the nature of limited, to make it more sought after. I really want a steamer trunk. I like that they came out with the All Music Edition, but I want that book and other goodies. I'm going to have to one day get one. I think everybody's absolutely correct that an All Music Edition of Fillmore West 69 would be fantastic, and if they let Norman take another crack at those reels going through Plangent, that would be fine, too. I think it's also fair that the prices are the same. The book is available by Cornell University Press for $15 on amazon for preorder, so you can get all of the shows in a physical format with nice artwork. Rhino is doing the right thing here, and an awesome thing in making an unlimited run of these shows together. It turns out whether or not 5/8/77 is considered the greatest show, or whether 5/7 or 5/9 is actually better, they sold out in record time. The Dave's Picks series really ought to sell out at $100 and free shipping, and yet it never has sold out in subscription form, and they haven't raised the number since 2015, so this box selling out in 3.5 days I think has to have shocked them. They made a perfect response to that with the music being made available to all who want to Get Shown the Light. That title grows on me more and more, probably in direct correlation to the repeated listenings of the Scarlet single. This is the run of Grateful Dead you could play to your girlfriend, wife, co-worker, , roommates, in-laws, younger siblings, whoever is able to hear it, and you can say it's the Grateful Dead, and they'll at least somewhat better appreciate the depths of your insanity about this band from the 60s. As much as they were of their time, they were ahead of their time. Sorry for the long post, I read a lot today about the pros and cons of the selling out and the "selling out". Sorry for sounding so ray of sunshiny, but let's enjoy the fact that these tapes that have been the most requested shows for years and decades are being made available to all for a long, long time. This will turn a lot of people on. There's some great, Dead weirdness, but there's just incredibly tight playing and jamming going on through all these nights. I was floored by the Boston Friend of the Devil, which I always used to skip, because I hate slow FotDs (make mine bluegrass), but last night it blew me away, they went powerful instead of plaintive and miserable. Rant finished.
February 20, 2017 - 7:43pm

#610

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

...all we are saying...

is give Jeffrey a chance. I love it! T-Shirt or Bumper Sticker quality.

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

Dead Store Products

CLICK HERE FOR THE
ALL MUSIC EDITION

SOLD OUT

What's Inside:

Four Complete Shows on 11 discs
• 5/5/77 Veterans Memorial Coliseum: New Haven, CT
• 5/7/77 Boston Garden: Boston, MA
• 5/8/77 Barton Hall, Cornell University: Ithaca, NY
• 5/9/77 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium: Buffalo, NY
• Sourced from the Betty Boards, transfered by Plangent Processes
• Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
• Artwork by Grammy-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike
• The unreleased book Cornell ‘77: The Music, The Myth And The Magnificence Of The Grateful Dead’s Concert At Barton Hall by Peter Conners, published by Cornell University Press
• In-depth essay by noted Dead scholar Nicholas Meriwether
• Producer's Note by David Lemieux
• Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 15,000
• Release Date: May 5, 2017

WHAT DEAD HEADS HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT...

NEW HAVEN 5/5/77
"Here is a prime example of the saying ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parts’ … It’s called synergy and the Dead wrote the book on it.”

BOSTON 5/7/77
“The music they laid down brought me places I had not been before.”

CORNELL 5/8/77
“...the single best rock performance anywhere, anytime, by anyone.”

“There was just some kind of magical connection this night between the band members and the band and the audience - some texture, or some type of cosmic or celestial force is in the room.”

"This show is, was, and always will be Mecca.”

BUFFALO 5/9/77
"...an awesome display of the Dead’s captivating power"

If you've been following this site for quite some time, then you will know we are often flush with hyperbole when it comes to our releases. We can't help it, really - for we, like you, are Grateful Dead fans above all else. Just like you, we've spent countless hours debating the merits of show over show, year over year. We've kept a watchful eye on your wish-lists and carefully considered how to make - excuse the cliché - your dreams come true. And once we've made our commitments, we are steadfast in our determination to conjure up those dreams fully-formed and nearly perfect. Sometimes these heights cannot be reached without physical and cosmic elements aligning, and that, dear friends, is why it has taken so long for us to bring you THE ONE and the epic shows that surrounded it. No need for even the slightest embellishment here, 5/8/77 Barton Hall, Cornell University: Ithaca, NY, has for decades, been THE resounding favorite; you've said it yourselves - the "holy grail" of Grateful Dead shows. Thanks to the passion and perseverance of Dead Heads like you, we are beyond pleased to finally be able to present this show and its brethren, the fabled four of Spring '77, in sonically pristine condition.

Limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies, MAY 1977: GET SHOWN THE LIGHT is a collection of what is unanimously believed to be the most sought-after previously unreleased complete shows the Grateful Dead ever played. Collected, traded, and debated for decades, "the beloved Golden Trinity" of Boston, Ithaca, and Buffalo, along with their New Haven prelude, have inspired fans to "get on the bus," converted critics, and even garnered national attention (Cornell was added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry). But until now, you've never really heard them quite like this!

The Dead is in the details... how serendipitous is it that the notorious Betty Boards were returned to the archive just in time for the 40th anniversaries of these shows? Lovingly sourced from these well-reputed recordings, we invite you to experience four utopian shows just like they happened, to "be inside the music" as engineer Betty Cantor-Jackson intended. Whether you listen to each night on its own or imbibe the whole lot at once, we suspect you'll hear why every note mattered. Much like we were, you will be hard-pressed to determine which of these fine documents - will it be the understated but nuanced New Haven, Boston's festive fantasy vibes, the monumental catharsis of Ithaca, or Buffalo’s dreamy exuberance - is truly "the best." Does it really matter? We think not.

Due May 5th, we anticipate that this revelatory boxed set 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.

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.

Order Page ~Crashes

Yep same here, getting errors at check out. I'll give it a go again and cross fingers this time.

Crashed and Muzzled

It'd be groovy to place an order but the site's crashed and the phone is on permanent hold with a totally baked recording. Six Ps didn't happen: Prior Planning Prevents ... you know. :D It'll work eventually.

Phones not working either

No luck for the past hour+ trying to complete my order online, also tried the 1-800 number and it timed out on me TWICE in exactly 17 minutes each call. Their hold system craps out before the customer does! Heck of a note.

Can't buy it!

Very frustrating, I can't access the website effectively. 503 Forbidden??

Disappointed

wow, what a drop The high of getting notified of this box set. and then the utter disappointment of trying to order it. UPDATE: finally did get through customer service on the phones. They are taking contact info and escalating to Warner Music Group

Grrrrrr

3 times to the pay screen, and craps out. Almost 2 hours so far.

@frustration

Agree with all who posted. Can't use web, phone order doesn't work. Very disappointing that dead.net doesn't want my hard earned money. Actually, no it's not. I have all of the SBDs from torrent sites, it's their loss.....not my chair, not my problem, that's what I say..... I miss Jerry, I don't miss corporate dead.net. All a friend can say is ain't it a fuckin' shame.....

Get Shown The Dark Box

Unbelievable

Site Errors

It's unfortunate that this website appears to not be able to handle orders right now. I went pre-order this set right after receiving the email about it and it keeps coming up with error messages, taking forever to load a page, etc. You guys need to have a site that can handle this traffic.

Request forbidden by administrative rules.

New executive order from Mein Frump?

Got my order in...

...just before the crash, apparently. Really exited about this. So is everyone else, from the way the site has slowed to a crawl. Also, one more vote for the Boston 5/7 show as my favorite of the four.

Sorry, double post.

Ah well ...

It seems I will not get this box set ... I wont get through with the order. I get an error message every time. Hopefully a second edition box set will be released, maybe without the extras? Cause I'd rather give my money to "the Grateful Dead" than to the scalpers that will make the most bootlegged box set in existence. Micke Östlund Växjö, Sweden

Request forbidden by administrative rules.

New executive order from Mein Frump?

ERROR 403?!? wth

Also "503 Service Temporarily Unavailable"In addition to crashiness. Come on, man.

430 users and 5789 guests on right now....

.....take my money. Pretty please?....

Cannot order - very painful

Yikes. Was at New Haven show. Love this more than anything tho a Deadhead since '66. Please!

Cannot order - very painful

Yikes. Was at New Haven show. Love this more than anything tho a Deadhead since '66. Please!

rgergelis

...not my chair,not my problem...Love it! I'd forgotten about that one. Classic. Hang in there folks. I just saw that there are over 6000 people on the site today. I've NEVER seen this many people on this site at one time. :)

Cannot order - very painful

Yikes. Was at New Haven show. Love this more than anything tho a Deadhead since '66. Please!

Cannot order despite trying for last 2 hours

Yikes!!! Was at New Haven show. Love this more than almost anything - soundwise the boards are just the best and the playing is.... you all know. Please!

4th time to pay screen, I got

4th time to pay screen, I got to the last step, authorizing payment, and it crapped out, BUT, I got the confirmation e-mail. took 2 hours. keep trying, it will be so worth it come May. good luck everyone. can I have the last 2 hours back?

4th time to pay screen, I got

This is crazy -- why only 15K copies?

I've been trying for over two hours and got to the checkout page twice but was unable to confirm. After the Europe 72 debacle, they should have realized this would happen. Why are they restricting it to only 15K copies, when they could sell tens of thousands without any trouble? These are only the most famous shows the Dead ever did...I hope they'll increase the number.

This is insanely frustrating.

Sorry quadruple post

your time is more valuable than that

Sorry quadruple post

your time is more valuable than that

well..

dead.net is telling me to fuck off!

Wow ..... managed to get my order in !

Took a while, waiting for the site to settle down, but finally merged to get it ordered.

crash davis

This website is from 1977. Come on man

Wow ..... managed to get my order in !

Took a while, waiting for the site to settle down, but finally merged to get it ordered. Sorry for the double post .... everything seems slow at present.

WTF

can;t buy anything been trying for four hours and I can't order this. Guess if no one gets an extra I can buy this will be the first box set I buy from scalpers on EBAY.

phone

Trying the old fashioned way via the phone and it puts me on hold for 15 minutes and then just drops the call. Should I expect melissa mccarthy to beat me with a podium while yelling "We've heard from lots of people that our customer service is the best."

WTF

can;t buy anything been trying for four hours and I can't order this. Guess if no one gets an extra I can buy this will be the first box set I buy from scalpers on EBAY. In the cart keeps getting booted, confirmed order then freeze and boot.

Arrrghhh. Hippie business. Learn it. Live it. Love it.

I'm gonna flip-out if I miss out on this thing because of this website being crashed. Like, Wile Coyote losing it after too many failed ACME plans kind of flip-out. Got a email for a Phish '93 box today too, and comparing the prices of these in physical CDs reflects poorly on Dead mgmt. Way over $10 per disc is too too much nowadays for CDs. (Not that it will stop me, natch.)

Arrrghhh. Hippie business. Learn it. Live it. Love it.

LICORICE FOR SALE

GETCHA LICORICE HEAH

Help us, ancient Dead Gods

I get it in the card then constantly trigger a 403 Admin error when I try to proceed to checkout or update. Jerry, Keith, Pig, Brent, Vince,-they're all up there laughing at us, I can feel it. Stop laughing, this is serious!!!

Did I order or didn't I?

I managed to get the whole order filled out finally and submitted -- then "403 Forbidden". But I got that message many times before -- and ended up with 6 copies in my cart when I finally got to the cart! After many tries I reduced my cart to 1 copy. But now I have no idea whether my order was placed or not. They should have foreseen this!!

081227935153