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    lilgoldie
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    Joined:

    What's Inside:
    • Five Complete Shows
    • 5/11/77 St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN
    • 5/12/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
    • 5/13/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
    • 5/15/77 St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO
    • 5/17/77 University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
    •14 Discs, 111 tracks
    •Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman, Plangent Processes playback system for maximum sonic accuracy
    •Artwork by Grammy Award-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike
    •Period Photos by James R Anderson
    •Historical Essay by Steve Silberman
    •Individual show liner notes

    MAGICAL, MYTHICAL MAY 1977!

    If you're a Dead Head, chances are you've spent many an hour expounding upon the distinction of May 8, 1977, Cornell University, Barton Hall. Well, at the risk of preaching to the choir, we'd like to reintroduce you to a series of shows that matches said greatness from that same gloriously fertile season. While Barton Hall is well known, the astounding tour that surrounded it has occasionally flown under the radar due to the uneven quality of tapes in circulation. May 1977 is set to change all of that with a boxed set that zeroes in on this high-water mark in the Grateful Dead's long strange trip.

    For a band resurrecting itself after a 20-month hiatus, there was a great frenzy of expectancy that surrounded the Spring of 1977. We anticipate a grand reoccurrence of this fervor with the release of May 1977, a 14-disc boxed set featuring five complete shows from consecutive stops on that magical tour. Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering, the "psychoacoustic phenomena" as Jerry once put it, of St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN (5/11) Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL (5/12, 5/13), St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO (5/15) and Coliseum at the University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (5/17) can now finally be appreciated. Each of these shows finds the Dead delivering punchier, more focused sets, tightening up the framework; each night turning out first-ever renditions ("Passenger,""Iko Iko,""Jack-A-Roe"), unloading potent new pairings ("Scarlet Begonias">"Fire On The Mountain", "Estimated Prophet">"Eyes Of The World"), classic covers ("Dancing In The Street") and soon-to-be staples ("Estimated Prophet," "Samson and Delilah"), and ultimately rising up to paradise.

    And now for the nitty-gritty...

    Due June 11, May 1977 is limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies. Presented in a psychedelic box that boasts an intricate die-cut design created by Grammy®-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike, the set also includes a book filled with stories about each show, as well as an in-depth essay by Dead historian Steve Silberman, who delves deep into the history behind the tour and the band’s return from its extended hiatus.

    Once these 15,000 boxes are gone, May 1977 and its shows will never be available again on CD. However, the 111 tracks will be made available on release date as FLAC and Apple lossless full-set-only downloads for $99.98.

    Like its predecessors Europe '72: The Complete Recordings and Spring 1990, we expect May 1977 to sell out. Your best bet is to pre-order it now, then sit back, relax, and enjoy all the exclusive content we'll be rolling out over the next few weeks right here and on Facebook.com/GratefulDead and Youtube.com/gratefuldead.

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  • #301
    reijo29
    Joined:
    MIDI & Synthetic Keys
    Yes Garcia vol 1 becomes a difficult listen because of those ridiculous synth keyboard sounds. When he plays a solo it sounds like he is playing a toy casio with little alien blurps & beeps coughing out of it. And then thankfully Jerry takes a guitar lead & saves the day. It's certainly an odd juxtaposition to say the least & it does not work at all. I'll stick to my Let it Rock Jerry & Nicky Hopkins set. As for synths, there are times when used tastefully they they do not sound like an overproduced 1980's train wreck. For reference just listen to Rick Wakeman's work on Yes' mighty fine Close to The Edge LP. Just hearing that 20 minute title track in my young teenage years made me feel like I was tripping, years before I experienced it for real. Thank goodness that Music can have special powers.
  • #302
    bolo24
    Joined:
    Sugaree and Skipping
    Sugaree - I love it when Jerry goes nuts in the middle, then wrestles it gently back down to earth. I always knew a show was going to be a good one when "Sugaree" was the second song of the night. Happened often in Europe 72. Skippers for me - Stagger Lee, It Must Have Been The Roses (though I like the lyrics and acoustic versions). Never cared much for Dupree's Diamond Blues, though it was seldom played. Great songs that suffered from latter day tempo changes: The Wheel, FOTD, TLEO, and, at the risk of being labeled a blasphemer, St. Stephen (what a juggernaut that was in the sixties). There. I feel better. Though I'm not a Catholic, I feel like I just went to confession!
  • #303
    Gwydion6
    Joined:
    Phil's singing
    Hey davey concepcio..., I really agree with you on Phil's singing. I commented on that on the DaP6, because, as you said, he off-key singing in, for example, Cold Rain and Snow, or High Time, really ruins it for me. It's so terrible that sometimes I decide not to play those live versions to friends because I'd feel embarrassed.
  • #304
    simonrob
    Joined:
    Digital sounds rant...
    Synthesizers in general and MIDI in particular are an abomination, the evil spawn of the digital revolution with a nod to the disco era. I cannot recall hearing a "digitally enhanced" version of an old song that sounded better than the original. A recent classic example is "GarciaLive Vol. 1" where the highly talented Ozzie Ahlers produces endless annoying sounds on his keyboard when he should be playing a B3 or something of that ilk. The MIDI sounds that the Dead embraced only detract from what was otherwise a great mix of sounds. That is just my personal opinion but when I become ruler of the cosmos things will be different.
  • #305
    davey concepci…
    Joined:
    Skiperdee
    Hola - Rarely skip when listening to a show for the first time. But, on repeats listens, I must confess to hitting the "skip" button on Loser and Looks Like Rain. I also confess that on the most recent Dave's Pick 6 - which is generally simply amazing - I am tempted to skip any song in which Phil sings. My Lord, that man not only cannot sing, but in the early years it can, and sometimes does, ruin songs. I've never understood why he felt the need then or now - I've seen many of the iterations post-Jerry, and though his playing continues to sparkle, surprise, elevate the entire music (greatest Rock bass player ever? IMHO, yes), his singing is simply not worthy of a professional performance . . . a campfire, yes, but not a stage. Love and Hugs to all! DCFHOF (its time)
  • #306
    simonrob
    Joined:
    Hey Roland
    Good to hear that you got yours. Unfortunately mine didn't arrive today and I don't think DHL deliver on Saturdays (I hope I am wrong, otherwise I will have to wait until next week). Indeed delivery is slower than expected - tracking shows that it left Des Plaines, IL, on June 10 at 3:03pm which is 11 days ago. If that is DHL's idea of Express then they must be using the FYRA Express model (Dutch in-joke!). Also good to hear that no extra charges were levied. I seem to recall that there were no extra charges for the "Spring '90" box either.
  • #307
    estimated-eyes
    Joined:
    More skips
    I haven't listened to a Row Jimmy in so long I blanked on that one! Thanks for reminding me, reijo. I also fully agree on the midi effects. I just received the All the Years Combine DVD set and put in the bonus DVD and the midi effects ruin an otherwise fine Shakedown at Soldier Field (I was at that show and remembered thinking the same thing). I long had the 7/8/90 Pittsburgh DVD and the midi ruins some of the songs on that one as well. Whenever Jerry uses it, all I can think is, "Jerry, I would like your guitar solo to sound like a guitar, not a breathy horn." Mustin, I should amend my original post-- many of us have skip songs, not all of us. I tried to go the completist route for awhile, and then I would come to a Row Jimmy or LLR knowing a Jack-a-Roe or something hot was right after it. I couldn't do it. Regardless of who I saw, there were always "bathroom songs" for me-- Clapton shows, Wonderful Tonight; Stones, Brown Sugar or another of the many war horses depending upon placement in the show; Dead, see above. I guess I fall into the rocker camp rather than the ballad camp. I am really starting to wonder what DP7 will be. I hope an 84, 85 or 87 show myself.
  • #308
    Dr. Lunchbox
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    Skip songs
    I'm really enjoying reading people's skip songs. It's so interesting to see what works for some folks and what doesn't. I started off as a total Jerry guy, but playing in a few Dead cover projects over the years really got me to open up to Bobby more. I will say that most of my "skip songs" are Weir-centric, but even of these occasionally a version will grab my attention. Generally I listen to complete shows/releases, etc. More often than not my skip songs are really change the station songs on the Grateful Dead Sirius station. My skip songs: -Pretty much and Chuck Berry or Dylan tune - all of these were done to death (exception, perhaps Visions of Johanna, and I like a tasty Queen Jane on occasion). -El Paso -Mexicali Blues -Lost Sailor (although I don't mind Saint of Circumstance as much) -Victim -Minglewood -It may be blasphemy, but live versions of Box of Rain can grate on me -C.C. Rider, Little Red Rooster, basically any Weir blues tune from the 80s-90s -On occasion Fire on the Mountain - this to me can be more repetitive than Sugaree -FOTD - just overplayed on the Sirius XM, tend not to skip otherwise -Man Smart, Women Smarter & Wang Dang Doodle - I just find the lyrics annoying -Tons of Steel The song that I love, that most people seem to hate: I Will Take You Home. I think it became even more poignant after I had a kid, but I love that song. Fun discussion! I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how much I enjoy the May 1977 box as well here. I thought the packaging on this one was phenomenal. Keep it up GDP/Rhino crew!
  • #309
    Roland Bruynesteyn
    Joined:
    8415 found its home
    a little later than expected, but then again, @ no extra cost. Looks beautiful, haven't heard it yet, but will shortly...
  • #310
    stoltzfus
    Joined:
    skip songs
    i usually listen to it all, but Samson and Delilah gets old real quick. If I had my way if I had my way If I had my way if I had my way if I had my way if I had my way ENOUGH. I have also called Sugaree "the most exciting boring song ever". very repetitive. BUT I won't skip 3/18/77 or 5/19/77 or whatever. 12/5/71!!! LLR...ugh. played to death. I have to be in the mood to listen to this one. so...slow.
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15 years 7 months
Submitted by lilgoldie on
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Dead Store Products

What's Inside:
• Five Complete Shows
• 5/11/77 St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN
• 5/12/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
• 5/13/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
• 5/15/77 St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO
• 5/17/77 University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
•14 Discs, 111 tracks
•Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman, Plangent Processes playback system for maximum sonic accuracy
•Artwork by Grammy Award-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike
•Period Photos by James R Anderson
•Historical Essay by Steve Silberman
•Individual show liner notes

MAGICAL, MYTHICAL MAY 1977!

If you're a Dead Head, chances are you've spent many an hour expounding upon the distinction of May 8, 1977, Cornell University, Barton Hall. Well, at the risk of preaching to the choir, we'd like to reintroduce you to a series of shows that matches said greatness from that same gloriously fertile season. While Barton Hall is well known, the astounding tour that surrounded it has occasionally flown under the radar due to the uneven quality of tapes in circulation. May 1977 is set to change all of that with a boxed set that zeroes in on this high-water mark in the Grateful Dead's long strange trip.

For a band resurrecting itself after a 20-month hiatus, there was a great frenzy of expectancy that surrounded the Spring of 1977. We anticipate a grand reoccurrence of this fervor with the release of May 1977, a 14-disc boxed set featuring five complete shows from consecutive stops on that magical tour. Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering, the "psychoacoustic phenomena" as Jerry once put it, of St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN (5/11) Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL (5/12, 5/13), St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO (5/15) and Coliseum at the University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (5/17) can now finally be appreciated. Each of these shows finds the Dead delivering punchier, more focused sets, tightening up the framework; each night turning out first-ever renditions ("Passenger,""Iko Iko,""Jack-A-Roe"), unloading potent new pairings ("Scarlet Begonias">"Fire On The Mountain", "Estimated Prophet">"Eyes Of The World"), classic covers ("Dancing In The Street") and soon-to-be staples ("Estimated Prophet," "Samson and Delilah"), and ultimately rising up to paradise.

And now for the nitty-gritty...

Due June 11, May 1977 is limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies. Presented in a psychedelic box that boasts an intricate die-cut design created by Grammy®-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike, the set also includes a book filled with stories about each show, as well as an in-depth essay by Dead historian Steve Silberman, who delves deep into the history behind the tour and the band’s return from its extended hiatus.

Once these 15,000 boxes are gone, May 1977 and its shows will never be available again on CD. However, the 111 tracks will be made available on release date as FLAC and Apple lossless full-set-only downloads for $99.98.

Like its predecessors Europe '72: The Complete Recordings and Spring 1990, we expect May 1977 to sell out. Your best bet is to pre-order it now, then sit back, relax, and enjoy all the exclusive content we'll be rolling out over the next few weeks right here and on Facebook.com/GratefulDead and Youtube.com/gratefuldead.

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7 years 4 months

Submitted by icenine2 on Wed, 01/31/2018 - 14:07

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When will this be available as downloads again? I own the high-res digital download of Get Shown the Light and it is spectacular.
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7 years 9 months

Submitted by Sawwwn on Thu, 07/12/2018 - 07:03

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Oh man! Still waiting for these (May 77 and July 78) to be available for download! Please open this up or at least stop listing them as available. Killing me.
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7 years 9 months

Submitted by Sawwwn on Thu, 07/12/2018 - 07:04

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Oh man! Still waiting for these (May 77 and July 78) to be available for download! Please open this up or at least stop listing them as available. Killing me.
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6 years 3 months

Submitted by DanielSpace on Mon, 08/13/2018 - 13:02

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I think a fundraiser for the tapes is the dumbest idea Ive ever heard.
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081227965365