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    "When we began discussing audio projects to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead back in 2012, we knew we wanted to do something completely unprecedented. We could think of nothing more exciting or ambitious than a career-spanning overview of the band's live legacy focused on what best tells the story: complete concerts. Our first criterion was the very best live music to represent any given year in the band’s history. We wanted to make sure that there were not only the tent-pole shows that fans have been demanding for decades but also ones that are slightly more under the radar, but equally excellent. For those who listen to the entire box straight through, chronologically, the narrative of the Grateful Dead's live legacy will be seen as second to none in the pantheon of music history." - David Lemieux

    We are more than pleased to announce the Grateful Dead's most ambitious release ever: 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN. Available as both an 80-disc boxed set and a custom lightning-bolt USB drive, the collection includes 30 unreleased live shows, one for each year the band was together from 1966 to 1995, along with one track from their earliest recording sessions in 1965. Packed with over 73 hours of music, both the boxed set and the USB drive will be individually numbered limited editions.

    The 80-disc boxed set is individually numbered and limited to 6,500 copies, a nod to the band’s formation in 1965. Along with the CDs, it also includes a gold-colored 7-inch vinyl single which bookends the band’s career. The A-side is “Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)” from the band’s earliest recording session in 1965 with the B-side of the last song the band ever performed together live, “Box Of Rain” recorded during their final encore at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 9, 1995.

    The box also comes with a 288-page book that features an extensive, career-spanning essay written by Nick Meriwether, who oversees the Dead archives at the University of California, Santa Cruz, along with special remembrances of the band submitted by fans. Also included is a scroll that offers a visual representation of how the band’s live repertoire has evolved through the years.

    The USB drive version* will be shaped like a gold lightning bolt with the Grateful Dead 50th anniversary logo engraved on the side. The drive includes all of the music from the collection in both FLAC (96/24) and MP3 formats and is an individually numbered limited edition of 1,000 copies. Digital version of the book also included on USB.

    Shows will NOT be sold individually on CD. This release is sure to sell out quickly so pre-order your copy today and stick around as we will be revealing a mighty fine selection of music, art, and much, much more right here.

    (Looking for a smaller 50th Anniversary commemorative keepsake? September 18th will see the release of a four-CD version of the collection titled 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN: THE DEFINITIVE LIVE STORY 1965-1995. More on that here.)

    ROLLINGSTONE.COM SONG PREMIERE AND EXCLUSIVE DAVID LEMIEUX INTERVIEW
    Head on over to Rollingstone.com for the very first listen of "Morning Dew" 9/18/87 Madison Square Garden, David Fricke's exclusive interview with archivist David Lemieux, and the reveal of 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN's '69 and '84 shows.

    *Helpful hints for using your USB:

    Running the 30 Trips Player / Reader program:
    On Windows – Navigate to the USB drive and double click the PCStart.exe file to run.
    On MacOS – Open the GD 30 Trips drive, and double click the MacStart to run.

    Viewing the digital book:
    You can either view it within the program that comes on the drive, or by opening the PDF directly.

    To view the PDF, open the PDF folder on the drive and the USB_bk_spreads_08-31 file within. Selecting the option within your PDF reading application to view as a “single page” might be preferable to viewing as a continuous document.

    Importing music into iTunes and other library programs:
    When you import the songs from the USB into your library, the information used to identify the track will likely leave them sorted incorrectly. Please use the song list found here to re-number the songs for each show so that they playback in the correct order.
    PDF
    Text

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  • Morning Sun
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    Just a Few Notes
    1. Man, is the '87 choice great, especially the second half.2. I have listened two times through---one of the main things it taught me was that post-81 still had a lot of interesting music, right up to the end. But also, that music changed. Garcia cannot go as fast or more importantly as varied/searching as in the 'old' days. And so, Bobby and Lesh (as opposed to his early '80s 'sleeping' shall we say) really pick it up. Listen to Bobby's stunning work on the '87 encore, where at the end they drop to the acapella chorus on Knockin', and then bring it right back up--Weir's strums in between the two first lines of the 'bring it back up' are just world-class perfect--no need for Garcia to do anything but sing. 3. My new perspective has me appreciating Road Trips 4.2 right now, because I am listening for Weir and just letting Garcia dance over that. Anyway, thanks to all involved in getting 30 Trips out--an immense pleasure in itself, and a teaching lesson(s), too.
  • Sixtus_
    Joined:
    That '75 Show
    So, a comment I've been wanting to share for several weeks but only getting around to it now... On the '75 show, that second disc starts with Truckin' and then goes into what is dubbed 'The Eleven Jam'. Now, is it just me, or does anyone else just not hear 'The Eleven' in there? It's definitely not the same key or melody as The Eleven, and the structure doesn't appear to be The Eleven. The only thing I could think of is maybe the drummers are playing the '11' beat, and everyone else is just playing something else. It has bugged me since my first listen. I was psyched to actually get a mid-70's 'Eleven jam', but it just never really seemed to morph to the destination. Curious to hear others' thoughts if you have any. Sixtus
  • KYTrips
    Joined:
    1969 (or I'd Have Been Dreaming at the Dream Bowl)
    First of all... let me start of by saying that DL's liner notes on the inside of the packaging for this show got me VERY worked-up. So much so that I think my first listen to this show shouldn't have counted. He compares it to the FW shows from a few days later that have grown to be legendary in status, especially after the release of the Fillmore West '69 box a few years back (btw... if anyone reading this has one of those to spare for a REASONABLE sum of $$$, I'm in the market). While this show is really, really good, I don't think it's in the same league as those Fillmore West shows. What I really like about this show is the dichotomy. First of all, you've got three very nice renditions of great songs that were not played all that much live by the Dead.... Duprees Diamond Blues and Mountains of the Moon to kick off the show, and then Doin' That Rag as the first song on the 2nd CD. All three are done really well here. Then, you balance those with some really good jams later in the show. Overall, the sound quality of this show is a bit up and down in my opinion. Some songs sound much better than others from a sound quality standpoint. After the DDB and Mountains of the Moon openers, things get serious. A really interesting performance of Dark Star. I found the percussion on this one to be really strong and curious. And Jerry's vocals were spot-on until he flubbed some lyrics late in the song. Cryptical Envelopment > The Other One > Cryptical Envelopment is the highlight of the first disc for me. I always enjoyed Jerry's sweet singing and the beautiful tune of Cryptical, juxtaposed with the power and fury of The Other One, and this one is really, really solid. First disc ends with a run-of-the-mill Death Don't Have No Mercy. I really like the song, but this version of it is unremarkable to me in any way. Not bad, mind you, but not anything special. As stated previously, the 2nd disc kicks off with Doin' That Rag. This version is a good one. It's followed by a great St. Stephen (though not as good as the FW version from Live/Dead), and the show winds up with 38 minutes of the Dead blowing the roof off the dump with a kick-ass version of The Eleven (my personal favorite from this show) followed by a stellar Lovelight. This Lovelight is strong (wasn't it always though, when Pig was breaking bad?), but not the best I've ever heard. Overall, a mighty fine sample of 1969 Grateful Dead. Show rating... overall... B+.
  • Kayak Guy
    Joined:
    Back to the regular program
    I listened to the 1982 show the other day and thought it sounded great. This is a show that blooms on a system with speakers that has a subwoofer, as Phil eats up a lot of the mix. I always felt outdoor shows need speakers to sound their best and this is a prime example. There's a great tale about the show here by gleng1 about some guy named Lenny and what it was like being on tour in 1982 for some of us.. http://www.dead.net/show/july-31-1982
  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    More than halfway there...
    Editing out the fitriulina phishing attempt reply.. cant these spammers leave us yesteryear societal dropouts alone? Just finished '83. I had a hard time getting it to sound exactly perfect. Decent show. I did enjoy the meat of the second set, especially the UJB through Wharf Rat. It seemed that the sound had settled at some point too.. Well, on to one of the box's more anticipated offerings, '84 Augusta. I never thought this one would get the Full Norman. Whoo Hoo.
  • hatch655
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    Joined:
    Commemorative Gold Record
    I FINALLY received my gold record for having a winning scroll in the boxed set.Well worth the wait. Personally engraved and wood framed, measuring approx. 13" x 17". Wondering how many of these were awarded?
  • marye
    Joined:
    spammer gone
    thanks folks.
  • KYTrips
    Joined:
    1968
    This is a tough show to review, mostly because it's so short. The Dead were playing with a few other bands on this bill (one of which was Canned Heat) and so while the show is here in its entirety, it's only about 1 hour, 5-10 minutes in length. Starting off, the sound quality is pretty good, though the vocals (at least for the first part of the show) seem to be low in the mix, particularly Pigpen's vocals, which is a bit of a problem, since he sings the first 2 songs in the show. Both "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" and Lovelight are good versions, though not particularly remarkable. The rest of the show, which is made up of "Dark Star", "St. Stephen", "The Eleven", "Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks" and "Feedback" is very solid, but strange. Strange in the sense that all of these songs are abbreviated versions of themselves. There's still plenty of jamming, mind you, but when you're used to a 20+ minute version of "Dark Star", the 10+ minute version just isn't the same. "St. Stephen" is really strong here, but again, shortened a bit. I also thought that "Caution", while shortened, was also particularly strong. I thought the between-songs banter was sort of entertaining, particularly when Jerry says something about their trip getting there and mentions that "it's nice to be in Fresno" (even though the show is at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, which is NOWHERE near Fresno). Overall... it's a good show, just short. I give it a "B".
  • Kate_C.
    Joined:
    x.
    x.
  • MinasMorgul
    Joined:
    KY Cardboard Cowboy
    Hi KY, glad you finally got the box set going. You are a patient man. I almost agree with your assessment of Cardboard Cowboy, but I think there's one they're affiliated with that is a little bit more tedious - an old ditty called Yellow Dog Story!
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"When we began discussing audio projects to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead back in 2012, we knew we wanted to do something completely unprecedented. We could think of nothing more exciting or ambitious than a career-spanning overview of the band's live legacy focused on what best tells the story: complete concerts. Our first criterion was the very best live music to represent any given year in the band’s history. We wanted to make sure that there were not only the tent-pole shows that fans have been demanding for decades but also ones that are slightly more under the radar, but equally excellent. For those who listen to the entire box straight through, chronologically, the narrative of the Grateful Dead's live legacy will be seen as second to none in the pantheon of music history." - David Lemieux

We are more than pleased to announce the Grateful Dead's most ambitious release ever: 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN. Available as both an 80-disc boxed set and a custom lightning-bolt USB drive, the collection includes 30 unreleased live shows, one for each year the band was together from 1966 to 1995, along with one track from their earliest recording sessions in 1965. Packed with over 73 hours of music, both the boxed set and the USB drive will be individually numbered limited editions.

The 80-disc boxed set is individually numbered and limited to 6,500 copies, a nod to the band’s formation in 1965. Along with the CDs, it also includes a gold-colored 7-inch vinyl single which bookends the band’s career. The A-side is “Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)” from the band’s earliest recording session in 1965 with the B-side of the last song the band ever performed together live, “Box Of Rain” recorded during their final encore at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 9, 1995.

The box also comes with a 288-page book that features an extensive, career-spanning essay written by Nick Meriwether, who oversees the Dead archives at the University of California, Santa Cruz, along with special remembrances of the band submitted by fans. Also included is a scroll that offers a visual representation of how the band’s live repertoire has evolved through the years.

The USB drive version* will be shaped like a gold lightning bolt with the Grateful Dead 50th anniversary logo engraved on the side. The drive includes all of the music from the collection in both FLAC (96/24) and MP3 formats and is an individually numbered limited edition of 1,000 copies. Digital version of the book also included on USB.

Shows will NOT be sold individually on CD. This release is sure to sell out quickly so pre-order your copy today and stick around as we will be revealing a mighty fine selection of music, art, and much, much more right here.

(Looking for a smaller 50th Anniversary commemorative keepsake? September 18th will see the release of a four-CD version of the collection titled 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN: THE DEFINITIVE LIVE STORY 1965-1995. More on that here.)

ROLLINGSTONE.COM SONG PREMIERE AND EXCLUSIVE DAVID LEMIEUX INTERVIEW
Head on over to Rollingstone.com for the very first listen of "Morning Dew" 9/18/87 Madison Square Garden, David Fricke's exclusive interview with archivist David Lemieux, and the reveal of 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN's '69 and '84 shows.

*Helpful hints for using your USB:

Running the 30 Trips Player / Reader program:
On Windows – Navigate to the USB drive and double click the PCStart.exe file to run.
On MacOS – Open the GD 30 Trips drive, and double click the MacStart to run.

Viewing the digital book:
You can either view it within the program that comes on the drive, or by opening the PDF directly.

To view the PDF, open the PDF folder on the drive and the USB_bk_spreads_08-31 file within. Selecting the option within your PDF reading application to view as a “single page” might be preferable to viewing as a continuous document.

Importing music into iTunes and other library programs:
When you import the songs from the USB into your library, the information used to identify the track will likely leave them sorted incorrectly. Please use the song list found here to re-number the songs for each show so that they playback in the correct order.
PDF
Text

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15 years 10 months
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I hope there isn't going to be too many people regretting not buying. I want to see the inside of this box, how the CD's are packed and pictures of the book really bad.
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12 years 11 months
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Gearing up some shows waiting for this box...daves 8, dicks 13, and dicks 32 which are shows all around shows in "Boxzilla"... just passing the time!....
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17 years 4 months
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....I believe that the discs will be presented ala DaP with a hard foam laser cut "case" with slots ala a firearm case or something to hold a collection of Toy Story dolls ala Toy Story 2. Or they might be presented with a May '77 setup. Who knows? No Road Trips please!!....
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17 years 4 months
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They have been going fast this week end. Should be sold out tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest. I guess we will not see the inside of the box until the postman delivers it in 3 weeks. Can't wait. Rock on
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17 years 5 months
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Don't skip 7-28-82. A fantastic show, not officially released but great nonetheless. A fantastic TLEO. A top choice for release if you asked me. Funny, I haven't really latched on the other Red Rocks '82 shows yet, but this one has always been a favorite since I've been listening on tapes. Gotta get to those other ones myself just to hear if they capture the magic...
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14 years 11 months
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220 left - the 200 I ordered I've cancelled as didn't think I'd make enough profit back... Just kidding....but I might have a spare (through mis-ordering) taking offers over $1500 in 6 months lol Now where's the goddamn pictures of the inside!!
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13 years 5 months
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Our friend from Tennessee doesn't need me to defend him, BUT I'll say there is a place in that one for Jerry to soar. It's in the instrumental bridge part, where he often starts off with a carnival theme and often ends somewhere I could not have predicted. Not all of them achieve lift off, but many of them do. The repetition of the verse licks can be a little tedious if you're not in the mood for it. But that song would be far from making my list of "wish they never wrote it". That honor would go to LLR for me, at least in terms of songs from early on.
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12 years 10 months
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17 days until the ELEPHANTINE box ships.
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13 years 9 months
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I would agree that LLR can often be, um, pedestrian. But, I still remember being in the car as a teenager in 1979 sometime hearing that tune for the first time on a tape when my brother mentioned "doesn't Jerry's playing there sound just like rain pitter pattering deliciously over your mind?" Wish I could remember what tape it was. A Tempe tape, maybe. Anyway, since then I've heard a few versions where they blow the roof off bringing that tune to its end. Now, El Paso - maybe some of those early ones could get creative, but it never did much for any of the shows I was at. I would put it on my list before LLR. Did someone already put Day Job on the list??
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17 years 4 months
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It is only a few hours now until "Sold Out" gets posted Rock on
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15 years 1 month
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10
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12 years 2 months
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Get 'em while their hot!!!!
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9 years 4 months
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4
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9 years 4 months
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3
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15 years 10 months
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2
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12 years 11 months
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2
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9 years 8 months
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Slight change of subject from the countdown... I have deadbase 50 and have been wasting lots of time with it. I looked up the Fillmore 1966.07.03 show from this box and on Deadbase XI it has a setlist that matches a copy of this show that I have (I only have the first half). The additions to the Setlist on the deadbase 50 section changes "He was a Friend of Mine" to "Just a Hand to Hold." The copy of the show I have looks like only the first disc, so I'm missing the end of the show... however, it does have "he was a friend of mine" although, it almost sounds like it was from a different show... there is dead space at the end of the track and the sound quality of this song doesn't match the rest. Does anyone else have a copy of this show and have the same experience? Also, what is "just a hand to hold..." Never heard it. just killing time waiting for the big box...
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9 years 2 months
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I am thrilled I got my box set , wish my father were still with us to enjoy it, he took me to my 1st dead show at 10. What a long strange trip it's been
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12 years 4 months
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Finally. At least now those that can't afford it can lose the temptation. I am relieved
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12 years 10 months
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Okay let's start shipping!!!!
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9 years 5 months
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I couldn't agree with you more. I feel relief that it's finally sold out. I have known since the day it was announced I would not be able to get it and now I can finally stop scheming and dreaming of ways to make it happen. Should I just open up a credit card my wife doesn't know about and get it? Is this worth getting a divorce over? Ha! Congrats to all those that will have this treasure trove coming their way in mere days! Enjoy! I will get the 4 Disc compilation and be happy to have it.
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12 years 10 months
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Already on eBay, COMPLETE box for $1,195.00, FREE shipping, 10 watching per hour, it doesn't take long, does it?
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9 years 8 months
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I'm getting worried that my order accidentally got canceled... Just paranoia...
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14 years
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Same thing here Dusty.rambler. I went through and double checked my order when there was about 10 left.
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9 years 5 months
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How about a little more info on the box, if we can't get any pictures? Who did the artwork? Are all the CD covers by the same artist? Are they digipacks, sleeves, those DVD sized things from the 1977 box or something new and even more difficult to be put a shelf with the other CDs? Is the box number going to be on the single? What is the "box" constructed with? Does it really contain a scale version of the cardboard cut out that was inducted into the R&R Hall of fame? Does it ship on the 18th or is that the day it is scheduled to arrive?
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9 years 8 months
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I think it would be really cool if the artwork for each show was a reproduction of the poster or flyer for each event. I've done this for my catalog of shows and always think that the artwork of the show helps me feel the vibe for the show better. New original art would be cool, but as this box documents the Dead's journey through time, I think artwork from the time of the show would be cool.
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17 years 5 months
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I wouldn't be surprised to see these (complete sets, not broken up) going upwards of $2000 or even more in second hand markets after they start shipping. An investors wet dream if you are one of "those" types of people, and with lots 'o money. Myself, it's all about the music and my personal enjoyment of listening to it, which to me is priceless with no monetary value. I see investors and salesmen as those with no real emotional attachment to the product. Just the money they can squeeze out of it...not that there's anything wrong with that.
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9 years 5 months
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Yes that would be cool to have the actual poster art as part of the cover. The later tours didn't have many show specific posters, but they always had a nice tour poster with contemporary poster artists that were worth grabbing.
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9 years 5 months
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I guess having bought one I'm an investor, so with that in mind I hope many people sell individual shows from their boxes, for insane amounts of money.This will make my still complete set a better investment, that pays dividends every time I look at, play with or listen to it's contents. I wonder if it'll fit in my safe deposit box?

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10 years 6 months
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Nice Seinfeld drop at the end!
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9 years 8 months
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They didn't "have a few more left" this time (like DaP 15). I'm imaging if orders are canceled they will not offer them back for sale until everyone who ordered got one. This would give them spares for damaged products or dropped orders from their site crash when this thing first went up.
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17 years 5 months
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speechless and grateful. faith in the human race restored... email box full, and one amazing friend on the eastern seaboard. it's why my musical life revolves around this band alone.
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17 years 4 months
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....looks like Rhino's abacus was calibrated just right.... ....congrats Brian. I thought I saw your finger up in this Internet parking lot....you deserve it....
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17 years 4 months
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....just checked mine. Says backordered but not cancelled, so I think I'm good. Dead.net has not failed me yet....(crossing fingers and toes. Ouch.)
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13 years 4 months
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That question went unanswered..(at least when I asked it). I'm curious too, it can make the difference between something cool and something really special.
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9 years 8 months
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I really like the art work from May 77' and from Spring 90 Too, however those were 5 and 8 shows respectively. The art for this 30 year box will hopefully be more diverse. I think both of the previously mentioned boxes really fit the time... How are they going to capture art from a 30 year span. This mystery makes me giddy just thinking about it, and now that we are so close to delivery, I say DONT give us a preview of the art. I can wait 3 weeks for a surprise!
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15 years 10 months
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Was on main page and clicked the link to boxset and got everything on this page except the comments - waz up wit dat? Before this page goes away I am interested in a show by show discussion that someone mentioned earlier. Is this something Mary can pass on to the webmasters? I am planning to in sequential order from the start. Now that it's sold out, break out the videos discussing the shows please!!! Dave vs Wild! With special guest appearance by Bear Grylls showing Dave how to ride a whale with just a few of his bumperstickers and a 50th totebag.
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9 years 8 months
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I brought this up a while ago and saw some interest. Would live to see that here or created elsewhere. I think it would be cool if 30 threads were available at all times so anyone could discuss the show they were listening to. I looked into creating a free forum and it's possible, but I don't have the time right now to invest (planning my wedding). If dead.net can't create this for us, can someone else take the lead here and find the right forum? Steve-something.tv was mentioned. I checked it out and was unimpressed as any topic can be created so it would be hard to find the various threads, but I'll go where the discussion is.
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12 years 10 months
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Now that GARGANTUA has finally...SOLD OUT, will TPTB at least think about releasing each show individually, a la, E72 TCR, or is the consensus here on this forum is that's not going to happen? And while I'm at it why not a "sneak" peak at what's inside, inquiring minds (at least mine) would like to know what my $699.98+ TAX gets me.
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17 years 5 months
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It seems the message board part is tied to the BOX SET.Because it's sold out, when you click the main page link, it brings you to the USB purchase page. No msg board. So go to store>Music. Click 30 trips box set. here you are.
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9 years 8 months
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Thanks Wilfred. This section was recommended a while back, but the page wasn't working. I'd gladly use this space if it is operational!
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15 years 6 months
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Now that it's sold out maybe they can start shipping it tomorrow? I can't believe there's still people that don't know what on this...it's 30 shows complete and they're 1 show from each year...they have the show and track list...let's put this way you'll be busy for at least a year listening to the 30 shows on top of the shows you have already...I assume 99% of the people who get Dave's picks got this one too...i'm kind of uneasy about the price but who can say it's cool I can pay 700$ with no problem it won't set me back much...a few lawyers and doctors maybe...but i'll be entertained for at least a year so it's worth it I guess...worth it where I couldn't pass it by either.
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17 years 5 months
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It works, I check it every day. And, I think I'm the one that recommended it. Great reads, and you'll find mvp's everywhere (most valuable posters: e.g. 'hockey john') Good luck with your wedding planning. So glad I eloped!
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