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    heatherlew
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    Joined:
    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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  • 80sfan
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    S>F download
    Finally listened to the scarlet>fire download that came with the purchase. It sounds amazing and i'm so excited for the full release. One very pleasant surprise...on the tape i had all these years, there is a woman in the crowd who quickly screams for a sec just as Jerry finishes the line: As i picked up my matches, and was closing the door (1:41 mark). I'm happy to say that this mystery woman's scream of delight was not cleaned up or edited out of the official release. It's the little things...
  • mcgruber
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    We need more Brent shows
    I'm ecstatic about the early May 77 box set and placed my order before they broke the internet the other day, but what I really yearn for these days are more releases with Brent and Jerry with his newly defined sound in the early 90s. I hope Dave finds a nice gem to release for DP 24 or beyond.
  • Kesey The Cat
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    Scarlet Fire
    I suppose it's too much to ask for you to make the Scarlet>Fire one big file so when it comes up on my bar's jukebox it will play without interruption?
  • claney
    Joined:
    Non-Dead Betty's, Live 'Blows Against the Empire'
    mbarilla, ah, maybe it is 2/27 and not 5/4 as I feared (as the other missing show). In addition to the exciting Dead release possibilities this opens (the BCT 72 run!, Swing!, 10/29/77!) and on and on, does anyone know if the returned Betty's include non-Dead stuff? There's some mouthwatering JG shows with Nicky Hopkins that would be sweet. And some really odd stuff which I'd love to hear - this one jumped out at me: Jefferson Starship 11.24.74 Winterland, whole show (with entire Blows Against the Empire suite) Hell yeah to that one...
  • Whit Wye
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    Is an HDCD deck worth it for these?
    Has anyone here done A/B tests of Dead HDCDs between decks that decode HDCD and decks that just play them as CDs? I'm pretty happy playing Dead HDCDs on a Onkyo C-7030 deck, but it doesn't claim to know anything about HDCD decoding. The decks that do claim to do HDCD, by the likes of Oppo and Emotiva, are priced at $500 and up. From reading up on it, HDCD provides a menu of options for the sound engineer, not all of which are always used. Seems like the main loss in playing them as CDs would be in flattened peaks. And that they should have increased resolution in quieter passages no matter what they're played on. The Dead have a lot of quieter passages, and they do sound good on my current system. On the loud passages, am I missing something? I generally hate the compression of, say FM radio, but I'm not feeling like the reported compression artifact of playing HDCD as CD is in that range of obvious annoyance. Still, would the sound just open up in an obvious way with the right deck?
  • mbarilla
    Joined:
    Schwing to the Swing
    Vault lacks 2 shows from 1977 , 6.4.77 and ? I think its the night after Swing Auditorium , in Santa Barbara , 2.27.77 ?
  • mbarilla
    Joined:
    Mr. Jack Straw, 30 trips selections
    for some years they went with the A plus banger, for others they went with B+ bangers, there was a strategy with all factors considered. Song selection was a major, as well as performance. SQ took third. And taking into account what they wanted to do with other series/box sets was major in selection process. One example is 1977, 4.25.77 or 5.26.77 ? could have went with either, but I was always under the impression 5.26.77 will be selected as a stand alone release. Both excellent shows but is either A+ ? Example from 1967, 11.10.67 or 10.22.67 ? both killer but i am under the impression the 10.22.67 will be released as studio remaster bonus disc, similar to new ly released 7.29.66 with GD debut album. Its only one disc compared to the two from 11.10.67. No doubt that 11.10.67 is one of the finest to be ever released and near the top of 30 trips selections with all factors considered for 70's shows they could have filled the set with all A+ bangers and used some of these betty boards. I am pretty sure they have had access to these for a good amount of time, like before even before May 2015. I also mentioned recently that the 2016 Dave's Picks selections could have been in the 30 trips - 1974, 1976, 1970, 1981 other selection factor, some shows build off each other because of song selection. "Viola Lee Blues" is the first example 1966-67, but it really picks up in the 80's some of these similarities were stand out moments from each show, but its really all good to me 80-81 "Feel Like A Stranger" 81-82 "Truckin" 82-83 "Scarlet Fire" "UJB" 83-84 "Playin"->"UJB" 84-85 Couldnt really find much similarity with the shows 85-86 "They Love Each Other" 86-87 "They Love Each Other" "Man Smart Woman Smarter" 87-88 "Hell in a Bucket"-> "Sugaree" "Walkin Blues" "Bird Song" "Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad" to be fair a lot of the shows from the 70's had just as many SQ issues as 80's , the big difference and reason 70s era does not stick out like sore thumb in some of the cases is the method and materials to how they were recorded. I said at the time if some of these were stand alone releases no matter which year or era, some fans would be complaining, because they have cuts, patches, dropouts, but since it was lumped together its almost an afterthought for some shows. But the 80s shows took a lot of the hits , as usual also some of these shows would not have been released in my opinion without this 30 show set. And I am not strictly talking about 80s / 90s either way Rhinos keep the Grateful Dead releases coming, I can find something to like from any show
  • claney
    Joined:
    Why 15,000
    hey Mr7171551, I hear ya about getting older. If they release these for 20 years (I sure hope physical media will still be around that long), I'll be 67 when they're done. And then lots to listen to in retirement :) As for why only 15,000 copies - my 2 cents is that it makes perfect sense. It's fairly hardcore Deadheads who want the other three shows in the box, even though I think most of us agree they're all on par with Cornell (and my favorite of all four shows is actually 5/9/77 not least because of that Help>Slip>Franklin's). Anyway, the 50,000 worldwide will be true for Cornell because, right or wrong, even casual fans, not to mention fans of "jambands" - have heard of Cornell. Not so much New Haven, alas. Having said that, I surely was alarmed that the box could sell out before I got my order past the electronic bugbears. PS - Keithfan, I like "May 1977 TOO (The Old One)" - nice.
  • UncleBill'sBand
    Joined:
    Future releases
    Well, now I just need to stay alive for the next,how did Dave put it?-5/10/20 years!!!! Ha, bloody, Ha. Need to move those Betty boards a bit faster before us older Deadheads just up and become members of The Grateful Dead ourselves. Just saying.P.s the Berkeley Theater 1972 box set- Can I pre-order it now? I'm getting too old for another Thursday debacle. I live in the UK and ended up getting up at 5am Friday(our time) to try and complete the bloody order. Now that Warner Elektra are taking my money, you'd a thought a big company like that would have been able to handle the release. Also, why limit the box set to 15,000? I'm certain you could easily sell 50,000 around the world.
  • KeithFan2112
    Joined:
    Box Sets
    Yeah, good point Mr. Jack Straw, about the Bettys. Did they ever say how many shows were recovered? I'm with you guys on the box sets - it's not so much that I care if they release 80s, I just don't want it to be at the expense of having to wait for the good stuff, like the '76 tapes, Port Chester, Fillmore East, Summer / Fall '72, mid-1973, Winterland '74, etc. But I don't believe Rhino is about to go experimenting at this point. I think they released the runs of 80s / 90s shows they thought were marketable, and are focused on the best stuff left in the Vault now. If there were to be a later era box, I think the Vince years are preferable, with no MIDI, if that was even going on during his tenure. I just dig his keyboard style more, and I'm back into enjoying the harmony vocals again. Syracuse 78 - lol, you said it man, exactly what I was thinking when I had my own ordering issues - when have they ever handled volume well. And part of it, no doubt, is what someone else mentioned already - the problem was exacerbated by all of the double / triple / quadruple clicking. Well at least it was cleared up and everyone who wants one can get one.
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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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I've never quite heard this show sound like this. Listen to Keith on the keyboards during Row Jimmy-- so very yummy. A pleasure to listen to, I'm sort of speechless at the interplay going on here....And here comes Phil, getting more pronounced as it builds to a final peak and then slow down into another softspoken expression of bliss. So beautiful--like an open window into the heart. :) And the album Cornell 5/8/77 already has its own Wikipedia page!
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This guy on ebay is selling thumb drives of mp3 Dead releases. Europe 72, winterland 77, warlocks. Put this item in the eBay search window 292100588938
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....I haven't read anyone who got the Ltd box complain of skips on this board. Scrambling to make more in a hurry kinda makes sense. What did they expect?....it wouldn't sell out? Ptth...
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But the packaging is too cute by half. Loose discs in three of the four shows. Both discs floating around in 5/5; "Deal" gets the Chipmunks skip-o-rama treatment on disc one. Box No. 10309. Add it up and you get 13. Sigh. Sounds great, though.
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No skipping, but loose discs and glue on one CD on my limited edition. I wouldn't think there would be issues based on what edition you got. They were all probably made at the same time, since the lead time was the same as the limited edition lead time. You could probably check the discs to see if there are different lot numbers, but with out knowing why they are skipping, it is a bit pointless (ie they may play fine in another brand of CD player)
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I think I may have been one of the first to raise the issue of skipping discs on the AME board. I did so only because it seemed like most people were over there. But my set is the limited one. They probably produced all of the discs at the same time and it was the luck of the draw for some of us. I wasn't really complaining about it either. I was just notifying everyone to listen since my 2nd disc for Boston looked mint and skipped during Samson & Delilah. MaryE forwarded my message to the good doctor and a replacement was shipped out. I've listened to everything else already now twice and I'm very pleased with all of it. Can't please everyone. But you sure can please me with these stellar shows!
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None whatsoever. Here I sit Tuesday with no response to my inquiry.
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My Cornell discs are quiet, no sound at all. Everything else plays and sounds great.Perhaps 5/8/77 Cornell never really happened. So un-real.
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I don't check ebay, but when it comes on sale on Amazon Prime and seems to have unlimited copies, you have to wonder if a 2 set per person order limit on the 1st day might be something to think about for the future. May 1977: Get Shown The Light LIMITED EDITION Grateful Dead (Artist) Format: Audio CD Audio CD $399.99 2 Used from $349.99 4 New from $300.00
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Your comment, "unlimited copies, you have to wonder if a 2 set per person order limit on the 1st day might be something to think about for the future." As much as I didn't enjoy paying $200 for DaP 1, limitations of 2 sets is never going to happen. It's as crazy and unrealistic a happening as if they said, "We're doing 3 year subscription contracts for all new releases. Each member has to supply their bank account and routing number, and we will deduct funds monthly to pay for the subscription. There's a $100 surcharge for cancellation." Sounds crazy right? That's how two set limitations sound to Rhino. I'm sure somebody on "The Board" already suggested it, to which the Grand Poobah responded, "that's a great idea, but why don't we saw off both arms instead of just the one? Let's sink the ship as quickly as possible and get to work on our Resumes" Is Barton Hall the best ScarletFire of 1977?
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Just a wishful comment based on the fact that the LE sets can sell out during preorder, the slight speed bump in the ordering process would be more like the limits they put on ticket presales before a show goes officially on sale. I doubt Ticketbastard is hurt much by offering a limited amount of tickets to presale and then limiting how many tickets are available per purchase as they are usually sold out at presale.
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Half Step>Big River>Tennesse>TMNS>Terrapin ...some great energy going on there. In case you haven't seen this review of the box from Pitchfork (written by Jesse Jarnow): http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/23168-may-1977-get-shown-the-light/ Lastly, for those of you Ryan Adams followers (like me, "Rosebud up on the Ohio" is a lyric from his song "Rosebud" about Jerry's guitar living in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland) someone uploaded this show from 2006 (with the Cardinals (aka Neal Casal). Check out the setlist, I think Ryan was jonesing on the Dead that week. Going to be seeing him at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley in a few weeks would be cool if he busted one of these covers out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-rIg2CNCfY&t=397s Enjoy!
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ye-ah, these super sweet sounds//////amazed. amazing. all. i am so happy to have buffalo at this level--nevermind the other 3 amazing shows--and w/ this clarity. its almost unreal. to have these shows back and at this level of sonic clarity is absurdly awesome. many thanks to all who made this happen. earlier, or, upon (the box's) arrival, i'd thought about some online complaints over loose discs and bent cardboard, but, you know what?, every note plays, perfectly. after listening to one show a night, on the night, it all feels just exactly so. superb. in love. still. beamin'
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"that's a great idea, but why don't we saw off both arms instead of just the one?" I got a chuckle out of that one. Not a LMAO or LOL; more of "heh, that Minas is funny". I'm enjoying some GSTL, although I had a handful of scratched/scuffed discs. Not all skipped, but several did. Replacements pending. Very nice combo of songs - most of the good ones are here. Too bad they didn't join Estimated Eyes for another week. I don't hear anything that sets these shows apart from the other May shows. I do get a little distracted by the echoey reverbish vocals; they sound most prominent on the Truckin' Up to Buffalo show. I was a tad bit hoping Jerry's guitar and vocals would be louder on Help / Slip / Franklin, but its still great. This triad is so rarely played that I dare not rank or compare it with others. Cornell, I think the Scarlet is solid, but I've heard better (5/21 & 5/13 come to mind). The transition into FOTM is special, like a magician sneaking your wallet out of your pocket (whoa the song changed, how did that happen??) The FOTM is incredible, top 5 for sure. Great guitar parts from Jerry, and perfectly mixed chorus vocals. Comes a Time is special, as is Mississippi Half-Step. Glad to see there's a Wheel in here. Buffalo Bertha is exceptional to me. There's a subtly slower but measured pace to it that grooves very nicely. Not crazy about Keith's organ sound on Estimated Prophet. He's using a Moog of some sort, and he's mixed really high up until around St Paul / Chicago. By late '77 / early '78, he's developed the sound a bit more, which is preferable to me. His sound is divine on Dick's Picks 18 (check out Estimated and The Wheel; you'll never hear a better Wheel!) That's about it for now.
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I'm PC, listen at my desk guy. My Windows 10 media player doesn't show any data on any of the discs. "Unknown Artist" "Track One" any help?
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Hello, When downloading my May '77 cd's into my mac I noticed that the cover art was absent. Could someone tell me where I can get the individual cd cover art? Thanks! Mr. Pete--------> aging hippie
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Pm me your email and I can hook you up with it.
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I am really glad I bought this box, and luckily with no problems. The Buffalo show, while I can't say it's my favorite, is a real stand-out. A show that opens with Help Slipknot! Franklin's is just a sign of what's to come next. From that and a great Big River and Brown Eyed, throw in a Mississippi Half-Step -- travel on to a mind-melding Estimated Other One with perhaps the sweetest Comes a Time I've ever heard. And everything in between; but those are the highlights.My favorite version of Peggy-O is the New Haven one...I think that would be my go-to track to turn someone on to the Dead for the first time. It's so richly beautiful with crunchy and creamy layers of Deadness baked right inside. In the midst of finding the time to really listen to these four shows, I was directed by friend living on the Left Coast to 11/8/70 -- Lovely early acoustic versions of Dire Wolf, I know Your Rider (slow and melodic a real treat), and the last Operator. Event continues with NRPS on the stage, and then a Dead electric set. I'm glad for being able to continue to poke around some to find these amazing gems in the Dead archives. But nothing beats the sound of these newly mixed releases from the vault. I'll have my cake and eat it too!
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Since Cornell is "finally" released and considered to be the "best" dead show I guess we all can now relax and not buy anymore "second best" dead live cd's. What do we do now? Live Pink Floyd show??? Mr. Pete----------> aging hippie
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Last night the Pups made their annual stop at one of the smallest clubs in Boston, The Brighton Music Hall. I had the pleasure of hanging with Curt, Chris and Elmo for about 30 minutes in the smoking area behind the venue. They seemed to like what I was smoking and were chatty as I kept lighting new ones.I got to ask them about a lot of stuff and requested Franklin's Tower, but Curt said he was the only one that would remember it. He did say that he still goes on GD binges for days at a time and his favorite stuff is the Pigpen years. They never played or even teased Franklin's but did a fine Whiskey in the Jar. Country Punk at it's finest. Here's one from the night before, the 11th, in Portland Me, though Ted the taper got the date wrong on the posting ;) https://archive.org/details/meatpuppets2017-05-12.ck61.nbox.sbd.flac/me…
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While it's true that pretty much the top historically and popularly coveted shows are now released (5/8/77, 8/27/72, E'72, FW'69, 3/39/90, 2/13/70, 10/9/89, 10/16/89, 10/26/89, 9/10/91 just to name a few) have been released, there's so much more that are just as enjoyable to listen to. I think we need a good Greek Theater, Giants Stadium or Autzen Stadium release next. Did they have video screens at the '90 Autzen Stadium shows? DVDs would be really sweet. That magical Spring '90 tour mojo was still going strong on that West Coast late spring/early summer run.
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Cornell IS a good show. Cornell was a great tape rollin' around back in the day because of quality of sound... I think it was one of the more crystal clear shows I'd heard up to that point... All of May, shoot... the overwhelmingly GRAND majority of '77 was unbelievable! There are many "best" versions or among the best versions of singular songs throughout that whole month span....and many in this 4 night run. ’77, while fantastic for deadheads, is what I consider “tolerable” go to dead for non-heads… such as my better half. She’s never been passionate about the dead. So, I have always felt pretty good about playing anything from ’77, especially May, when we’re on a road trip or something. The sound is great, playing is great… vocals are pretty much as good as it ever got and mistakes are minimal and not very noticeable to a non-head. Same goes for 89-90… Another May '77 note- The whole band is tight but Bob is at one of the many peaks of his game. Bob's attention to his songs and detail is unparalleled. He's sooo good during this time frame. However, I'm more of a fan of the following night in Buffalo as a full show goes. Cornell>Buffalo – the best two shows in a row…. Possibly. ☺ All of that being said.. this box is a tremendous representation of what the best of the best looks, feels, and sounds like. And, well done on the box. Excited to crack the book and see what's beyond the music. 5/5 - Veterans - The 1st set is better than the second set... Sugaree > unreal. Cowboy tunes(mama tried, el paso) are spot on and energetic. Looks Like Rain > stunning. 2nd set is great but seems to drop in energy… highlights - Good Lovin', St. Stephen, Sugar Mag 5/7 - Boston- Fantastic 1st set- very well played - Peggy O,1/2 step!, Big river, Music Never Stopped - 2nd set - Great Terrapin- A Top 10 FOTD(in my opinion), the wheel>wharf>around stretch is stellar. 5/8 - Cornell - Great show - solid start - 1st set really gets cookin' around TLEO and Jack Straw. Lazy>Sup is great but Jerry has been better on others. He makes up for it on the Brown Eyed Women...(one of the best). Dancin is great.. (Palladium is still tops for me). 2nd set is extremely well played - Scarlet > fire .. the best ever? (I dunno… but it’s ridiculous). Estimated… tell me a bad estimated from May… St. Stephen> NFA>St. Stephen – solid… MORNING DEW!!!! Holy Smokes!!!! 5/9 – Buffalo – wow. wow. holy, wow. Out of the gate chasing, running down, and lapping the night before. The band is HOT and they know it. A nasty Help > Slip> Franklin’s. Slipknot is magnificent. Cassidy,BEW, Mex, Big River… whole first set is crackling with energy… Shoot… Donna even raised her Sunrise game. TMNS set closer is just plain fire. 2nd set is phenomenally played. The band stretches out a bit more that some of the other textbook 77 nights. Garcia is oozing passion – Bertha opener..Ship of fools, Comes a time… he’s in it to win it. The pocket Estimated>Other One> NFA is adventurous and the band is so dialed in. They are so intent on being one… vocals and all. You know it’s good when they get past the music and can really lean in on making the vocals “just right”. Uncle John’s Band is a great example of that and a great closer. Unreal…. Wish I was there.
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7 years 5 months
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my other may 77 box set has a STAMPED number...3407/5000 or whatever - not seeing this stamped on the "limited, numbered" cornell get shown the light one - am i blind?? help!
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9 years
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The number is on the back of the red book
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12 years
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Thanks for the heads up link guy. Was a decent recording and I jumped all over it. Mark that "in the collection"! Dennis footnote - can you ever argue with a band who will hang with fans and burn one down!
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10 years 7 months
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Overrated? Of course these concerts are overrated. But, still fabulous music in a great period. I would line up May 19, 21, 22 against the 'holy trinity' and not feel at a disadvantage. In ways, the later part of May has more energy, the earlier part more precision. All wonderful, and comparable to the April-May '72 period (without the long jams for the most part). Thanks to all for putting this out. Now, what's next?
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10 years 3 months
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test
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16 years 2 months
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I still enjoy this box very much.Four and a quarter bolts (out of five)
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16 years 2 months
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I'm still loving these 4 great shows!I'll bring up my rating to four and three quarters bolts. (out of 5 bolts) Why? Only the individual show cases are a bit flimsy and the whole box is a bit too big for me, and there is a wee bit of wasted space in the box. The 5/5/77 New Haven show is an audio upgrade for me from a B+ cassette that was directly transferred to CD-R in 2002 by somebody else for me to this fantastic CD mastered by Jeffery Norman.
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9 years
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And I give 5 out of 5 bolts to this box. I also have an extra Box that I will sell for what it cost me, plus shipping (U.S. addresses) to you. PM me if interested. The extra box has been opened and all CDs listened to to confirm no defects. 5-5-77 CD2 was defective and I received a replacement from Rhino.
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1 year 9 months
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Really wish they'd offer these individually. I already had Betty boards of New Haven and Cornell from many years ago on CD. I'd love to buy Boston and Buffalo. They should offer them for sale via FLAC

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17 years 5 months
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Thanks for the puzzle. Worst box set design in history. The May 11-17 was a masterpiece box set design. The May 5-9 design is an information-less piece of shit. But then I guess you knew that as soon as quality control started picking the CDs up off the floor and found you couldn't put one sleeve back into the case without it catching on another. Send us all a new case like the old one and we'll deem the case closed.

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9 years

In reply to by Byrd

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Yes, better packaging and fits on a shelf better.

But Rhino can’t win a Grammy for Box design if it’s been designed intelligently. Intelligence isn’t one of the criteria for judging a Box design.

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