Dave's Picks Volume 1 is officially SOLD OUT.
Have no fear, you can join the fun with our next release Volume 2, the complete Grateful Dead performance from the Wall of Sound tour, recorded live on 7/31/74 at Dillon Stadium in Hartford, CT. This was one of the final East Coast appearances by the Grateful Dead for almost two years, and is one of the longest, most exceptionally well-played shows of the entire year. The big jams stand out, of course, including "Weather Report Suite," "Eyes Of The World>China Doll" and "Truckin>several thematic jams," but the smaller songs, like a rare show-opening "Scarlet Begonias," "Mississippi Half-Step," "Big River," "Greatest Story Ever Told," "Uncle John's Band" and countless others are also excellent at this A+ show.
In addition to all the great music, you can look forward to another digipak with trays made of 100% recycled and PCW materials (and of course a booklet featuring a historical essay and photos). Due to popular demand, we'll be using a heavier paper stock for Volume 2 and all the great Dave's Picks releases to come.
Dave's Picks Volume 2 ships this May. Stay tuned for pre-order details.
Learn More About Volume 1 here...
Dave's Picks Archival Series Kicks Off With 5/25/77
Chances are if you’re a Dead Head you’re already well-versed in the glorious spring of 1977. Back a year since their mid-’70s performing hiatus, and fresh from recording their Terrapin Station album in L.A. with producer Keith Olsen, the Dead returned to the road invigorated and excited that spring. There were fantastic new songs (including the “Terrapin Station” suite, “Estimated Prophet” and “Fire on the Mountain”) and their older tunes seemed imbued with new vigor and vitality. Every stop of the tour, which stretched from the third week of April (beginning at the Spectrum in Philadelphia) through the first week in June (back at Winterland in San Francisco), presented some new wrinkle or interesting variation on the repertoire, as songs were moved around, unusual combinations were explored and the septet continue to solidify and mature. Which is a fancy way of saying the band was on fire—y’see, there’s a reason why this is the ninth show from that tour to be released!
The song list from 5/25/77 might not reveal much out of the ordinary (though it’s great selection of tunes), but the playing is definitely extraordinary. The first set contains outstanding versions of favorites such as “Mississippi Half-Step,” “Jack Straw,” “Cassidy” and “Lazy Lightning” > “Supplication.” And the second set is primo-grade ’77 from start to finish. The buoyant “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire on the Mountain” that kicks things off sets the tone, but then the rest of the set is a deftly played medley starting with “Estimated” and moving into “He’s Gone,” a primal drum workout from Mickey and Bill, a heart-pounding version of “The Other One” that’s split by “Wharf Rat” (the only time those songs were played in that sequence), a joyful “Wheel,” and then a double-dose of Chuck Berry to bring it all back to rock ’n’ roll basics. Talk about a thrill ride!
— Blair Jackson
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shipping charge
Hey Timbuk2, I received a shipping notice for this release and it said I owe $5.00 in shipping eventhough I ordered the full years subscription with free shipping. I will need to check my CC and see if I was charged shipping. If so, this will need to be resolved. Anyone else have this problem?
really, really????????
I checked my CC. I was charged $7.71 for shipping when I went with the free shipping on the subscription. This is the same amount I was charged when I initially signed up for the subscription. I called the store and they had the charge removed (months ago). Everyone, please check your CC and see if you have this extra charge. Looks like I will be calling the store.Please get rid of the Word verification. It is a pain and it didn't block all the chinese spam that is on here.
The Falcon has landed
It arrived this morning- such a great surprise as I headed out the door. Only had time to listen to Half Step, and am not a great writer of Reviews anyways. There are several versions of Half Step I fell in love with years ago from this tour- 5/7, 5/17 and 5/25 to name a few. And to hear 5/25 sounding clear as a bell, Garcia's closing jam flying like an Eagle across the Richmond sky, my love is new again. Thank You!!!
What a wonderful Friday it is!
Received shipment notification yesterday, received CD today! Awesome job! The whole band sounds great, Jerry is in fine form vocally and on his guitar. Phil's bass comes through great!Thank you for this labor of love, Dave, and I eagerly anticipate the rest of the releases.
shipping charges
Hey MaryE,
I too got charged for shipping, though I was an early subscriber. Please do let us all know the best procedure for clearing it up -- I understand it's just some sort of glitch, just don't want to flail about if there's a preferred way to get the charge reversed. Thanks!
Had to call for my shipping refund........
Oh no,
Here we go again. I looked at my credit card to see if I had been charged for shipping, even after pre-ordering on day one of this offer. The guy told me I would have to call back with each release if I get charged again. This really sucks to have to go through all this after paying up front in full in Oct. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Better check your cards.
This will make the release bitter sweet for me. I miss the old days when real Deadheads ran the store and cared about the customers.
We're writing to confirm that we have processed your refund for $7.71 for the following order: X7B322JMSNJXAMU374
The refund was made to the credit card that the original payment was made.
Digi pak
Funny i never had a problem with a digipak and i like them much better than the plastic crap...i only figure to be alive another 20 years tops and if 1992 was 20 years ago it'll go quick...hopefully GOD will have some kind of sound system where we can still either download or tap into Grateful dead recordings up in the kingdom of heaven...still i look forward to the Dave picks don't care what they are hell they can even be 90s shows but i prefer 77, 73, 71, 69 and all the years around that 80 wasn't bad they had the acoustic sets in some of the shows...70 they had acoustic sets too but generally not that well recorded for the acoustic sets...i'm looking forward to being Dead but before i am dead i'll be listening to the dead!
shipping
if it makes anyone feel better i didn't get charged shipping and i subscribed late at 1st i wasn't going to get it thought why should i for just 1 bonus disc but then i figured i'll probably wind up getting them anyway...i did that with road trips and missed out on alot of bonus discs because i didn't get them early on...but it seems the 1st subscribers got charged with a shipping charge probably they didn't have something set up to waive the shipping charge...i don't know why you'd have to call up after each release...alot of these call center people are mentally challenged.
9137 / 12000
Thank you GDP, Rhino and all the good folks on dead.net for this wonderful release.Great mix and very clean: I'll turn up Scarlet and hope CB feels the warmth in France.
It's been a good morning in Kansas, as the rain has diminished to where it feels like I'm in Bremerton WA ( 42 and misty ). As an special treat, I acquired a limited release 750 ml bottle of Boulevard Brewing's Chocolate Ale. We'll see if it lasts 10 more days for Valentine's Day !!
9920 of 12K
Holy Moly feels like I'm holding a historical document, but I smells new ink. Enjoyin' the Mississippi Half Step with some epic Jerry licks. As for the weather and the brew: It's 40 degrees and sunny in NE Wisc. with a 4 pack of Central Waters Brewing Cos. Bourbon Barrel Stout (it drinks like a meal) that don't need to wait no stinking 10 days! Haha Ted.
you can say that again James
just kidding
but I do think I prefer the less bulky stuff
this release needs one of those additional sleeves at least
(so now mine has a home made one)
my thoughts on the music - was thinking "nothing special" thru the first few tracks - then believed by Loser it was heating up. Lazy Lightning left an impression - great version.
Drums was way cool
actually need to listen to it again as I'm sure I was dozing off thru half the second set last night - which should NOT be taken as a diss at all - kicking back with the head phones full blast late at night always puts me to sleep....
more details
I like how it's easier way to pull out the booklet now with the cutout for the thumb to grip the booklet. The packing is a little bulkier. There's more to look at picture and design wise and the discs are secure with plastic. The way it looks it could be a 4 disc release. Disc 1 is 69.13.
Very happy with my newly arrived Vol.1 # 5309
I'm half way through Peggy-O on CD 1. Very pleased with the sound quality, sounds really crisp for a show played 35 years ago. I see where some are not happy with the CD case, I like it, can't complain. The CDs will be better protected then the RT's, and the liner notes are easily pulled out.
I was very pleased that it arrived in a box with packing to protect it, instead of a beat up envelope. So far so good, I also see that not everyone is happy. To each is on I guess. I'm delighted to have Vol.1 in hand, looking forward to the next release with the bonus jams.
Jam on.
"all that I'm asking for is 10 gold dollars"
got mine
Got mine on Thurs I believe (shipped from Redwood City to Half Moon Bay). I would have been ok with a good bubble wrap (less bulky) or a more compact cardboard packaging...but otherwise it arrived in great condition. I've still not taken it out of the protective wrapped as I've got some great stuff to listen to right now and saving for a special chunk of time.
Got mine the other day
Havin' a late night sandwich here on the east coast. An Other One>Wharf Rat>Other One sandwich actually! Very tasty and zero calories!
Dave's Pick- Volume I -
Dave,
Nice show and SB...most pristine Mexicali I've ever heard. Whole sound is lovely! (is that a word)
Really smok'n first Disc...thanks!
Critical report
My 8 week old son, who normally is constantly crying, is resting quietly listening to the show. Now that's a seal of approval!!!
An observation
Something that surprises me - Maybe because to me the Grateful Dead are the finest band ever- And it's not just they're the greatest, it's that no one comes close. They're not the best at what they do, they're the only ones that do what they do- That's damn right. Getting back to my point, this band would sell out 20,000 seat stadiums from coast to coast, dozens of times a year, year after year. So here we are, about 15 years after their touring life concluded, and we find ourselves with unprecedented access to not only the finest shows they ever played, but also to the most superior sound all of us have heard- for $25. And less than 12,000 are sold. Where does the fan go? I asked David Gans this once- How can people love the Grateful Dead, and not listen to them anymore? His response was simple, and entirely true- Things change, and so do people. My reply was- I know my love won't fade away. And this is what it means to me to be a Deadhead- It's the music of my life. Through the brightest and darkest of times, this music that speaks to me, for me, in indescribable ways- is always there. Gratefully, some things don't change.
Isn't this the truth!!
We have all been blessed and are so fortunate to have been introduced and have gotten on the Bus. I think it is our responsibility to give back to the current scene, as best we can, the scene that gave so much to us. I will always support these releases and the Sirius Co., etc...Keep it comin'...
Isn't this the truth!!
We have all been blessed and are so fortunate to have been introduced and have gotten on the Bus. I think it is our responsibility to give back to the current scene, as best we can, the scene that gave so much to us. I will always support these releases and the Sirius Co., etc...Keep it comin'...
Nice, But
This is a great set. The sound is fantastic. BUT, the packaging is horrible. For a "Limited Edition" packaging, it's not very well made. It's nothing but flimsy, cardboard that hangs limp when you open it. I'm all for recycled products, but I paid $100.00 for this series, and I expected quality packaging. Road Trips was made well, why not this? Come on Blair, please fix this. PS. How about a box to house the series in?
shipping charge refunded
As noted below, I did have a shipping charge taken from my credit card despite getting the free shipping subscription. Called the customer service line (800-CAL-DEAD), a refund was issued in two minutes. Thanks to the rep I talked to, he asked for my name and the date of my order (which was on the shipping notification e-mail) and that was it.
cool frampton
glad to hear this as it's Monday morning and I am just reading this!
Thank you for a real good time
Great show, great sound. Thank you Dave L. and everyone else involved with this project.
shipping charge
I called customer service this morning. They refunded the shipping cost ($7.71). Someone posted that he was informed by customer service that he will need call and get a refund with all four releases. MaryE, can you shed some light on this? Will this charge show up on all the releases?
On a positive note, I received mine Saturday. Sounds great and I like the new packaging. Very good choice for a first release and the 74 release with bonus disc is another good choice.
Shipping charge / 5/25/77
Hi All, I too posted several days ago saying I was charged for shipping even though I got the subscription. I called a few minutes ago and was told I would be refunded the charge in 3-5 business days. The call took about 4 minutes. I've been ordering music from this site for about 15 years or so and this was the first hiccup I've ever experienced. I do feel bad for all of those with much bigger and more reoccuring problems. It always makes me nervous.
As far as this release and the packaging. Have only made it through disc 1 so far. The sound is fantastic. Typical song selection for a '77 first set. All are played beautifully. The only standout for me is the Half-Step though. As for the packaging, I don't understand when people say it is flimsy and cheap. Seems sturdy and protective enough to me. I always toss the cases and put the CDs in a binder anyways (except for the box sets). Not sure if I'll do that with this one since it is numbered.
Thanks everyone for these releases!! Keep 'em coming. There are many people out there you don't here from that appreciate what you guys are getting out to us (if I may speak for them).
Shipping charge / 5/25/77
Hi All, I too posted several days ago saying I was charged for shipping even though I got the subscription. I called a few minutes ago and was told I would be refunded the charge in 3-5 business days. The call took about 4 minutes. I've been ordering music from this site for about 15 years or so and this was the first hiccup I've ever experienced. I do feel bad for all of those with much bigger and more reoccuring problems. It always makes me nervous.
As far as this release and the packaging. Have only made it through disc 1 so far. The sound is fantastic. Typical song selection for a '77 first set. All are played beautifully. The only standout for me is the Half-Step though. As for the packaging, I don't understand when people say it is flimsy and cheap. Seems sturdy and protective enough to me. I always toss the cases and put the CDs in a binder anyways (except for the box sets). Not sure if I'll do that with this one since it is numbered.
Thanks everyone for these releases!! Keep 'em coming. There are many people out there you don't here from that appreciate what you guys are getting out to us (if I may speak for them).
only free shipping in USA?
Haven't received mine yet, but got charged for shipping the other day. Was it only free shipping in the USA? If so, I won't bother customer service with a call.
Some won't download
So excited, got Dave's No.1 and wanted to download to iTunes but about half-way through the download it just quit. It did this on all three discs. I tried another cd and all was well. Anyone else experience this? BTW- I tried playing it on a cd player and it worked fine.
Thank you Dave !
The whole Magilla is most excellent. Digipak (YES!) and great sounding CDs (with NO scratches) . This is the way the E72 shows should have been presented (and RTs too). Keep up the good work .
P.S. I also would like to say that I like the Star Wars cartoon cover art.
My set imported into ITunes ok.
Timmer, I was going to wait until the weekend to import this set into my ITunes library, but when I saw you were having difficulty I tried tonight. I used the ITunes and imported using AIFF and all three discs imported fine for me. Did you try restarting? Sometimes if I am importing too much in a session I have weird things occur. Maybe wiping the discs and try again. Do the discs play ok.? If so and your still having trouble it may be your drive. Good luck.
Ps. This show sounds fantastic!!!!!!
Grain of salt
In the spirit of healthy criticism- I don't feel this Release should be separated onto 3 discs the way it is. Or at least the full potential of the available space was not utilized. The Jam in the second set is broken up by separating Drums from The Other One. This is often necessary due to time constraints, although here the second set jam of Estimated to the end of Set II fits on one disc. If the rationale was the absence of appropriate Bonus Material, how about the songs from the first set of 5/12/77? These would have been a great compliment to the Bonus Disc of the Winterland Box, and were featured several weeks ago on the Taper's Section. Are these gems being saved for a different Spring of 77 release, when 30 minutes of free space presents itself? There was plenty of available space here, and the decision was made. Right or wrong, it is what it is. If the new series is to be the best of Dick's Picks and Road Trips combined, let's remember the free space on Dick's Picks 29, and how delightful of a decision was made with that Release. All that said, please take this with a grain of salt. For I am delighted with the new release, as I always am. It's a fantastic show and beautifully produced, and is an excellent beginning to what will surely be an incredible series.
Nice, but.
This set is great. The sound is excellent. But, the packaging is crappy! This is housed in flimsy cardboard. For a "Limited Edition" it was not put together very well. I spent $100.00 for this series, and I expected decent packaging. Road Trips was very good. What happened to this? Come on Blair, please fix this. And how about a box to hold all of the cd"s?
grain of salt
zuckfun - 100% with you concerning missing bonus material and the way it went with Dick´s Picks 29;
and now: what kind of box set is coming next? 1990?
Zuckfun
That is a good suggestion, but I imagine they weighed the moaning and groaning of those who think that filler ruins the flow of CDs with the feelings of those who want more music and less blank space. This is one tough group to make everyone happy and sometimes the majority is silent and the minority is vocal. Perhaps that happened in this case.
Barring that, I would guess they didn't want to have a 22 minute disc 2 even though it would have kept the jams from being broken up on 2 discs.
I personally reorder stuff when downloading to iTunes so that a whole show flows from beginning to end and then filler is separate. In fact, one could do that for CDs as well for the cost of 2 CDs.
As an aside, when I upload to iTunes, I try to edit the song ending time so as not to duplicate the end of drums and the beginning of space (or in this case, TOO). It would be nice if there was a liner note stating that the last 12.36 seconds, or whatever, of drums should be edited out to make for a seamless transition. Again, I'm not editing the music, just instructing iTunes to NOT play the last xxx seconds or first YYY seconds in order to eliminate fades and duplications.
still waiting
We're blocked in by snow here in SW France so no post this week. So should I hike 10k down the hill to the post office to see if they have my discs? Naaah...plenty of food and firewood here and a shelf full of GD, so I think I'll wait it out.
Filler
Popped in to say the same thing. I think there was a lost opportunity here to put another hour or so of music out with no additional cost in production to speak of. I do find it funny (or exasperating for TPTB Im sure) that folks can't really be pleased with the packaging! The filler issue though - surely the more music consideration would outweigh the "orginal flow" issue. I mean afterall they screwed with the orginal flow more by cutting drums. I like the orginal flow, but when it comes to putting more music out by way of filler or moving an encore to disc one to make a set two instead of three discs, then let's do what it takes to ensure each disc is full.
Mystery Box
Perhaps I became spoiled with how often we were given Bonus Material in the past. And yeah Syracuse78, a 20 minute disc wouldn't make much sense. It still seems that a great opportunity for Bonus material was not taken advantage of. Hopefully in the future, if space is available, the powers that be seize this opportunity. The next Box Set, this is the big mystery question. 1990 seems like a great guess to me.
Zuckfuns Mystery Box & filler
Hi Zuckfun. When I read of your "Mystery Box" of 1990 I have to wonder are you looking towards Brent or Vince ? Because there's a lot of offical releases out from 89/90 Brent GD. As for a Vince version of the band there's RTv2n1 and DP#09, both from the MSG, NYC run in Sept. and that's enough 1990 Vince for me, he's still too much the new guy. I do in fact like DP#17 (09/91) and DP#27(12/92).
I, myself would rather see something like; 05/82 or 07/84 Greek, 10/82 Frost, 09/85 Red Rocks, Berkeley, Cal Expo, Frost or Greek from Spring 86. For the record I'm a 70's guy, but would like to see something different in a Box Set. We already have; Fillmore West 69, E72, Winterland 11/73, GD movie 10/74, Winterland 06/77 and WarlocksBox 10/89.
Filler, I think is always a good thing. As long it does not break up the (main release) show. Put it on the end of disc03, that's fine. But stuffing in on the end of disc01 and/or disc02, well they can keep it. You know, we all have way too much to listen to in the GD Dept.
End of my story, Weve