Spring 1990, Volume One Box

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August 8, 2012 - 10:43am

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Anonymous (not verified)

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jq171(document).ready(function (jq171) { jq171("h2.product_title").each(function(){ var title = jq171(this); var new_title = title.text().replace(' - SOLD OUT', ''); title.text(new_title); }); var covertArtDownloadMarkup = 'Looking for the digital cover art? You can download it here.'; setTimeout(function() { jq171('#digital_cart').append(covertArtDownloadMarkup); }, 500); });
What's Inside:
• 60 page hardcover Smyth-Sewn book featuring essays by Dennis McNally, David Lemieux, and Blair Jackson and photos by Jim Anderson & Mike Laurentis
• 25th Anniversary Tour Program
• Official Band Letters
• 6 Ticket Stubs
• 6 Cloth Sticker Backstage Passes
• 1 Tour Laminate
• Official 1990 Band publicity shot
• 6 complete shows on 18 discs
      • 3/16/90 Capital Center, Landover, MD
      • 3/19/90 Civic Center, Hartford, CT
      • 3/22/90 Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, ON, Canada
      • 3/26/90 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
      • 3/30/90 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
      • 4/2/90 The Omni, Atlanta, GA

Box Dimensions: 12-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 12-1/8"
Recorded and Mixed Live by John Cutler
Mastered by Jeffrey Norman in HDCD
Original art by Wes Lang
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 9,000

Introducing The Next Box: Spring 1990!

And now for something a little different. This year's box set - Grateful Dead: Spring 1990 - offers six complete shows from the epic spring '90 tour, one concert from each city the band played, personally selected by Dead vaultmeister and archival release producer David Lemieux. The sizzling six are: 3/16/90 Capital Centre (Landover , MD), 3/19/90 Hartford Civic Center, 3/22/90 Copps Coliseum (Hamilton, Ontario), 3/26/90 Knickerbocker Arena (Albany, NY), 3/30/90 Nassau Coliseum (Uniondale, NY) and 4/2/90 The Omni (Atlanta, GA).

In his "Producer's Note" in the beautiful book that is part of the box, Lemieux, who attended the first 10 shows on the tour, states, "To my ears this was the last tour that was consistently great, where every show is excellent, not a dud in the bunch." And Grateful Dead historian Dennis McNally's comprehensive and informative insider's essay in the box is titled "The Last Great Dead Tour." These guys know what they're talking about.

Basically, the band had been on an upward trajectory since Garcia's return to the road in the spring of '87, following his near-death the previous summer. Of course, 1987 was a trip in itself, what with the unexpected mega-success of In the Dark and their first hit single, "Touch of Grey." But the momentum just kept building with each subsequent tour, as Garcia got back up to full speed (and then some!) and the group as a whole was as unified as they had ever been since Brent joined the band in the spring of '79. New original tunes were popping up and the old favorites were imbued with a freshness and spirit that was so uplifting and inspiring. The band was having fun again, and it was downright infectious.

The group's fall 1989 shows-as documented two years ago on the Formerly the Warlocks box (two shows from Hampton, VA, 10/8-9/89) and on the 2001 release Nightfall of Diamonds (a single night in NJ, 10/16/89)- kicked the energy level up another couple of notches, as the band reintroduced such loved classics as "Help on the Way" > "Slipknot!," "Attics of My Life," "Death Don't Have No Mercy" and "Dark Star."

And when the band hit the road in mid-March 1990, they had a bunch of other cool tunes to lay on their unsuspecting crowds, including the return of "Loose Lucy" (last played in 1974; it's not on this box), Brent's "Easy to Love You" (missing since 1980), a rollicking cover of the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time," The Band's "The Weight" (with all four singers taking a verse each) and a lyrically retooled "Black-Throated Wind" (absent since 1974), which elicited huge cheers every time it was played.

Over these six shows, most of the cornerstones of the Dead's repertoire from the era appear-splendid versions of "Scarlet Begonias" > "Fire on the Mountain," "China Cat Sunflower" > "I Know You Rider," "Playing in the Band," "Uncle John's Band," "Eyes of the World," "Estimated Prophet," "Truckin'," "Sugar Magnolia," "The Other One," "Terrapin," "Stella Blue," "Feel Like a Stranger," "Bird Song," "Let It Grow," "China Doll," "Box of Rain," "Morning Dew"; you name it. From the fall '89 breakouts come "Help-Slip-Frank," "Attics of My Life" and "Death Don't Have No Mercy." Among the still newish tunes are "Picasso Moon," "Blow Away," "Foolish Heart," "Just a Little Light," "Victim or the Crime," "Standing on the Moon," "We Can Run" and a couple that would get their final plays from the Grateful Dead on this tour-"Built to Last" and "Believe It or Not." There are stirring renditions of "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and "Black Muddy River," rockin' takes on "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "Iko Iko" and the only version of the full "Hey Jude" the band attempted in the modern era. And the "Rhythm Devils" and "Space" jams at the heart of each second set are as noisy-beautiful-scary-funny-intense-mysterious-wild as you'd expect/hope for.

Of course, we understand that some of you may have other favorite shows from this tour you wish were included on this box. Really, you can't go wrong with any of them. But at 18 discs, this is still the second largest Grateful Dead box (after Europe '72: The Complete Recordings) that's been released, and the non-inclusion of any other shows from the tour definitely does not preclude their future release! But this seemed like a more manageable way to go, while still giving a sense of the tour's amazing depth and breadth.

Besides the discs themselves, Grateful Dead: Spring 1990 has much to offer, including: a gorgeous 60-page hardcover book containing copious color photos by Jim Anderson and Michael Laurentus, unique artwork by Brooklyn-based fine artist Wes Lang, fascinating business letters and communications related to the tour, a detailed historical essay by Dennis McNally, a Producer's Note by David Lemieux and individual show descriptions by Blair Jackson; a reproduction of the Dead's 1990 tour program (printed and sold later in '90, for the fall and Europe '90 tours); tickets and backstage passes of all six shows; a band publicity photo from 1990 by Ken Friedman; Dennis McNally's tour laminate; and reproductions of the colored 8x10 sheets GDTS sent out with hotel, food and other information for each city on the tour.

With recordings made by longtime Grateful Dead recordist and producer John Cutler, mastered by Jeffrey Norman in HDCD, you just know it's gonna sound great-and it does!

So, that's the skinny this time 'round. This box is limited to just 9,000 numbered copies - please note, this is the only time these shows will ever be officially available on CD. There will not be an All Music Edition and single shows will not be available physically. Due to ship out August 31st, we anticipate that this extraordinary set will sell-out, so order your copy today!

If you're looking for more of a bite-sized taste of the '90s, Spring 1990: So Glad You Made It, a 2-CD set featuring a handful of favorites, will be in stores on September 18th.

-Blair Jackson

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March 3, 2015 - 2:15am

#31

wjonjd

Joined:
January 24, 2011

SQP2

Yes, the sound on box one is great and superior to the average dicks picks. Sorry, I didnt think I answered the last one as an audiophile. I didn't refer to digital audiophile technobabble that has been discussed here earlier. The number of tracks used is old school non audiophile stuff. Mono - one track, stereo - two track. More tracks (Anthem of the Sun maybe the first to use 16 tracks in 1967 and 1968, they "borrowed" the recording equipment) means each instrument can get wired to at least one separate track, with some tracks used for combinations, like both guitars. This means that to make a stereo recording someone sits down and plays with the volumes of each track to combine all the tracks together into just two tracks, a stereo mix of the original 16 different recorded tracks. This lets the mixer create an ideal balance between each instrument. This isn't audiophile stuff. Ever since recording to more than one track, mixing has been part of the recorded music business. In the 30's or 40's they began miking orchestras with more than one microphone located at various points above the orchestra. Someone then had to mix together all the separate recorded tracks into a single track (mono) mix to be released on 78 rpm discs. The mixer doesn't have to (and usually doesn't) keep each track the same volume, but plays with the volume of each track to get a mix that sounds ideal. The core of what I was explaining is that they made a stereo mix on the fly at each of these spring 90 concerts that were recorded to 24 separate tracks. For the second box, Jeffrey Norman went back to the original 24 tracks and spent about a day per song mixing each down to a stereo two track to use in the box. The dicks picks series (with at least one mono exception) were all also created from a two track stero mix done on the fly during the performances.
March 2, 2015 - 6:30pm

#32

VSmith1967

Joined:
March 1, 2015

Sound Quality Poor? 2

Hello. Please allow me to clarify: I am NOT a major audiophile. I'm nearly 50 and don't hear like a kid anymore. Can anyone verify that the sound quality on Spring 1990 Box ONE sounds as good or better than an average Dick Picks CD? I'm asking just because some of the reviews say the sound is poor quality.
March 2, 2015 - 3:23pm

#33

wjonjd

Joined:
January 24, 2011

Sound quality

There seems to be some confusion in the last few posts. For the first box they used 2-track digital recordings that were mixed at the show in real-time from the original 24 tracks. For the second box they went back to the 24 track source and spent an enormous amount of time creating the two track for release. So, the difference is using the mix that was created on the spot, which was very very good, versus spending months creating a two track mix, which came out mind blowingly excellent. However, even though the mix for the second box most people would say is superior, there is at least one advantage to the on the spot mix which is that it has more of a live ambience, less clinical, sound. The sound on the second box is so crisp and clean it might have been studio recordings. So, I'm kind of glad I have both. I do like the second one better - it's simply unbelievable, but there are times I prefer the first mix. So Glad You Made It is just a highlights disc with tracks taken directly from the first box.
March 2, 2015 - 9:48am

#34

JimJohn

Joined:
March 2, 2015

Are the "So Glad You Made It" tracks from this?

I have the same question as VSmith1967 right below this comment. But I want to ask also whether the "So Glad You Made It" tracks are the same as on this. The album cover art is exactly the same, so I would think so. My point is that if they are the same tracks and same quality, then in my opinion there is no major question of quality. I have the "So Glad You Made It" album from iTunes (M4A files). I think the quality of that is really good. I definitely want great sound, but I'm not a major audiophile about it. I see many comments about the quality of this set, but from what perspective are those comments? Are those guys comparing fine details of just the FLAC versions? Hey now :)
March 1, 2015 - 4:41pm

#35

VSmith1967

Joined:
March 1, 2015

Sound Quality Poor?

Hello all. I bought The Other One in AAC download, and I LOVE it!I am wanting to buy the AAC version of the FIRST box; however, it's been posted that the sound quality on the first box is inferior to that of the second. Can anyone who has AAC versions of both comment on whether or not the first is poor quality sound? I'd really appreciate some info because I don't want to spend $120 on something that sounds bad. Thanks a lot for any info you can provide.
February 24, 2015 - 9:04pm

#36

nitecat

Joined:
November 1, 2010

Death Don't

Been diggin 4/2/90 Atlanta and WOW that's a Death Don't for the ages! Jerry is totally on as is the whole band. Whew!
September 30, 2014 - 3:49pm

#37

markabauer

Joined:
June 5, 2007

88/24 two track

Downloaded this.The sound can't compare to the second box. Fantastic shows, though, and the 88/24 HD FLAC files sound great, better than the CDs from the orginal box in my opinion, even if they pale in comparison to Spring 1990 TOO.
September 20, 2014 - 2:53pm

#38

wjonjd

Joined:
January 24, 2011

Rbert DAT to hd flac question

Some dat recorders could record at 96khz/24bit, referred to as HHS. I have no idea what the acronym stands for. In any case, if this was used for recording then transfer to "HD FLAC" would make sense.
September 19, 2014 - 12:06pm

#39

jpreston

Joined:
June 4, 2007

24 track

Yes I was just wondering I did buy this box but I would buy the downloads in a heartbeat if they used the 24 track
September 18, 2014 - 8:19am

#40

Johnny b good

Joined:
November 5, 2013

24 Track

I have not yet purchased this first box set knowing the sound is inferior to the second box. The second set of shows sounds so damn good that it is tough to pull the trigger on this box. Maybe I am just spoiled. I probably will just purchase this set but damn it would be nice if they had used the 24 track. Keep them coming!

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

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jq171(document).ready(function (jq171) { jq171("h2.product_title").each(function(){ var title = jq171(this); var new_title = title.text().replace(' - SOLD OUT', ''); title.text(new_title); }); var covertArtDownloadMarkup = 'Looking for the digital cover art? You can download it here.'; setTimeout(function() { jq171('#digital_cart').append(covertArtDownloadMarkup); }, 500); });

What's Inside:
• 60 page hardcover Smyth-Sewn book featuring essays by Dennis McNally, David Lemieux, and Blair Jackson and photos by Jim Anderson & Mike Laurentis
• 25th Anniversary Tour Program
• Official Band Letters
• 6 Ticket Stubs
• 6 Cloth Sticker Backstage Passes
• 1 Tour Laminate
• Official 1990 Band publicity shot
• 6 complete shows on 18 discs
      • 3/16/90 Capital Center, Landover, MD
      • 3/19/90 Civic Center, Hartford, CT
      • 3/22/90 Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, ON, Canada
      • 3/26/90 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
      • 3/30/90 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
      • 4/2/90 The Omni, Atlanta, GA

Box Dimensions: 12-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 12-1/8"
Recorded and Mixed Live by John Cutler
Mastered by Jeffrey Norman in HDCD
Original art by Wes Lang
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 9,000

Introducing The Next Box: Spring 1990!

And now for something a little different. This year's box set - Grateful Dead: Spring 1990 - offers six complete shows from the epic spring '90 tour, one concert from each city the band played, personally selected by Dead vaultmeister and archival release producer David Lemieux. The sizzling six are: 3/16/90 Capital Centre (Landover , MD), 3/19/90 Hartford Civic Center, 3/22/90 Copps Coliseum (Hamilton, Ontario), 3/26/90 Knickerbocker Arena (Albany, NY), 3/30/90 Nassau Coliseum (Uniondale, NY) and 4/2/90 The Omni (Atlanta, GA).

In his "Producer's Note" in the beautiful book that is part of the box, Lemieux, who attended the first 10 shows on the tour, states, "To my ears this was the last tour that was consistently great, where every show is excellent, not a dud in the bunch." And Grateful Dead historian Dennis McNally's comprehensive and informative insider's essay in the box is titled "The Last Great Dead Tour." These guys know what they're talking about.

Basically, the band had been on an upward trajectory since Garcia's return to the road in the spring of '87, following his near-death the previous summer. Of course, 1987 was a trip in itself, what with the unexpected mega-success of In the Dark and their first hit single, "Touch of Grey." But the momentum just kept building with each subsequent tour, as Garcia got back up to full speed (and then some!) and the group as a whole was as unified as they had ever been since Brent joined the band in the spring of '79. New original tunes were popping up and the old favorites were imbued with a freshness and spirit that was so uplifting and inspiring. The band was having fun again, and it was downright infectious.

The group's fall 1989 shows-as documented two years ago on the Formerly the Warlocks box (two shows from Hampton, VA, 10/8-9/89) and on the 2001 release Nightfall of Diamonds (a single night in NJ, 10/16/89)- kicked the energy level up another couple of notches, as the band reintroduced such loved classics as "Help on the Way" > "Slipknot!," "Attics of My Life," "Death Don't Have No Mercy" and "Dark Star."

And when the band hit the road in mid-March 1990, they had a bunch of other cool tunes to lay on their unsuspecting crowds, including the return of "Loose Lucy" (last played in 1974; it's not on this box), Brent's "Easy to Love You" (missing since 1980), a rollicking cover of the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time," The Band's "The Weight" (with all four singers taking a verse each) and a lyrically retooled "Black-Throated Wind" (absent since 1974), which elicited huge cheers every time it was played.

Over these six shows, most of the cornerstones of the Dead's repertoire from the era appear-splendid versions of "Scarlet Begonias" > "Fire on the Mountain," "China Cat Sunflower" > "I Know You Rider," "Playing in the Band," "Uncle John's Band," "Eyes of the World," "Estimated Prophet," "Truckin'," "Sugar Magnolia," "The Other One," "Terrapin," "Stella Blue," "Feel Like a Stranger," "Bird Song," "Let It Grow," "China Doll," "Box of Rain," "Morning Dew"; you name it. From the fall '89 breakouts come "Help-Slip-Frank," "Attics of My Life" and "Death Don't Have No Mercy." Among the still newish tunes are "Picasso Moon," "Blow Away," "Foolish Heart," "Just a Little Light," "Victim or the Crime," "Standing on the Moon," "We Can Run" and a couple that would get their final plays from the Grateful Dead on this tour-"Built to Last" and "Believe It or Not." There are stirring renditions of "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and "Black Muddy River," rockin' takes on "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "Iko Iko" and the only version of the full "Hey Jude" the band attempted in the modern era. And the "Rhythm Devils" and "Space" jams at the heart of each second set are as noisy-beautiful-scary-funny-intense-mysterious-wild as you'd expect/hope for.

Of course, we understand that some of you may have other favorite shows from this tour you wish were included on this box. Really, you can't go wrong with any of them. But at 18 discs, this is still the second largest Grateful Dead box (after Europe '72: The Complete Recordings) that's been released, and the non-inclusion of any other shows from the tour definitely does not preclude their future release! But this seemed like a more manageable way to go, while still giving a sense of the tour's amazing depth and breadth.

Besides the discs themselves, Grateful Dead: Spring 1990 has much to offer, including: a gorgeous 60-page hardcover book containing copious color photos by Jim Anderson and Michael Laurentus, unique artwork by Brooklyn-based fine artist Wes Lang, fascinating business letters and communications related to the tour, a detailed historical essay by Dennis McNally, a Producer's Note by David Lemieux and individual show descriptions by Blair Jackson; a reproduction of the Dead's 1990 tour program (printed and sold later in '90, for the fall and Europe '90 tours); tickets and backstage passes of all six shows; a band publicity photo from 1990 by Ken Friedman; Dennis McNally's tour laminate; and reproductions of the colored 8x10 sheets GDTS sent out with hotel, food and other information for each city on the tour.

With recordings made by longtime Grateful Dead recordist and producer John Cutler, mastered by Jeffrey Norman in HDCD, you just know it's gonna sound great-and it does!

So, that's the skinny this time 'round. This box is limited to just 9,000 numbered copies - please note, this is the only time these shows will ever be officially available on CD. There will not be an All Music Edition and single shows will not be available physically. Due to ship out August 31st, we anticipate that this extraordinary set will sell-out, so order your copy today!

If you're looking for more of a bite-sized taste of the '90s, Spring 1990: So Glad You Made It, a 2-CD set featuring a handful of favorites, will be in stores on September 18th.

-Blair Jackson

Service

This probably wont go down well with those who haven't unfortunately received their boxes yet but I emailed drrhino Saturday 22nd Sept to say I had a cracked disc. Received an email Monday 24th stating replacement in the post. The disc arrived here in Dundee, Scotland today,(2nd) pretty impressive turnaround!As I say this won't help those still waiting but credit were credit is due someone is getting it right.

Service

Spring '90 Box Set - Still not received (Order Number - 8815232)

Hi Marye, I wonder if you are able to help me out in my quest to find out what is happening regarding my order. I ordered the product the day it was announced and received the above order number on 2nd August. However, i have never received a shipping confirmation to this date although the money for the product was debited from my account on the same date or thereabouts. I contacted Dr Rhino about 2 weeks ago and never received a reply....at that point, i e-mailed Customer Service who advised me that the order should be delivered within a week...it's been 8 days now ans still nothing. Also, i was promised a 20% refund to my account which has still (after about a week) not been credited to my account. I'd be most grateful if you could look into the matter for me. Many thanks for the offer of help. Take care, Ian.

Spring Has Sprung in South East.....

Glad to hear that the Spring Box set is arriving in the UK - Scotland and the North East......Still waiting for it to land in the South East of England....its coming up to six weeks since the shipment notice so has to be soon! My DP3 finally arrived so at least I have something new to be getting on with.

deadboss

I'll see what I can do.

No improvement .....

You'd think that after all the criticism, somebody at Dead.net would be trying to make an effort, but it would appear to not be the case.I rang Last Wednesday 26th to make them aware that my Spring '90 had still not arrived (in the UK), and was told that my problem would be passed up the chain, and I would receive a reply within 72 hours ....... well, yes, you guessed it - I have still heard nothing from them. Absolutely hopeless.

@ Outpost - Not Going to Happen

I got the same promise after my 5th (or was it 6th) call to customer service about my order. At every stage of this process I've begged for some explanation, some transparency into the problems and resolution. I've begged for the opportunity to share with any member of Rhino how royally screwed up this system appears to a customer. Nothing. It's insulting to common sense that so many of these things got "lost in the mail." Yet nobody is willing to offer explanations. It defies logic that a large company like Rhino doesn't track their shipped orders, yet that's what we've been told. And it's utterly bizarre that a company would not have excess inventory to send out should items get lost in the mail to fulfill orders. All make no sense whatsoever. Yet here we are. At least I got my refund. I wish you the same luck.

Spring '90 Box Set - Still not received (Order Number - 8815230)

Ditto for order 8819004. I have asked the question 'At what point will it be decided that this is lost if indeed it was ever sent' and am awaiting a reply from the good doctor. I am concerned that if we are now waiting for the next batch to be pressed (and it has been awfully quiet on that front recently), it could be Christmas before it hits the UK.

And the race is on....

Taking Rhino at their word that my visa account will be credited $20 as recompense for the delay in delivery of my Spring 1990 Box, I've chosen to put that money towards the Spring 1990 compilation "So Glad You Made It" which I've ordered from Amazon. Now I'm waiting to see which delivery turns up first! Even with Rhino's 5 week head start, my money is on Amazon - but at this point I'd be happy to lose that bet.. You know, Rhino could actually save themselves a whole lot of grief if they under-promised and over-delivered. If their shipping advice just advised delivery in 6 - 8 weeks and people started receiving it after 3 weeks then there would be a lot less angst going around.

Hamilton is Cream of the Box

IMO Hamilton is the Cream of this Boxed Set. The whole band is fired up and are all over everything throughout. This is power dead played with unbridled energy and confidence. A grate combination of polish and improvisational creativity. The only show from this tour that comes close is 2/28/90 from Nassau. Would have loved to see that included in the set. Highlights - Instant transport to funky psychedelic Music Magic Land from the first note of Stranger. - The only West LA Fade away of the tour. Garcia struts build to crescendos of power guitar, driving keyboards and crashing drums. - Can't add much to what's already been said about what would be hard to deny is the best Scarlet Fire of the he 90s. - Mind bending Other One dropped down into into full Hey Jude Mr. Fantasy soup, taking us on an emotional roller coaster of passion, beauty, and screaming manic release of sorrow and burden. Outstanding use of synthesizer by Jerry in Scarlet Fire and The Other One. Extra points for number of rarely heard songs.

The Eagle Has Landed...

Box # 3737 finally arrived here in Tuscany. Yes,it took more than a month,but as many others have said,it is well worth the wait,starting from the external packaging,with original Wes Lang artwork. No extra VAT was to be paid,which was nice. And,yes,all discs look to be safe and sound. The box was sent on August 31st,and was received on Oct. 4th. To all the international Heads who are still anxiously awaiting:good things are coming your way. It is all a matter of time. Now,seen that S&H to Tuscany for the new DP4 was less than 4 bucks,I'm bracing myself for more of the same,ie a very lengthy wait. The question is,what is better,to pay astronomical shipping costs for DHL or similar(plus added VAT) to have the discs delivered in days or cheap,unexpensive shipping- and probably no VAT-,but a very long wait? The jury's still out,but I might be leaning towards the latter...Peace Out...

Replacement CDs Arrived!

After a second attempt. The correct replacement CD has been received. Thanks Dead.net

Replacement CDs Arrived!

After a second attempt. The correct replacement CD has been received.Thanks Dead.net

Received my Knickerbocker Arena replacement disc

Thanks, Dr Rhino. My set is complete.

Still no show in New Brighton (UK).

.......although Marye is currently on the case for me.....thanks Marye !. Anyone else in the U.K. still waiting arrival of the box ?. Ian.

Still no show in New Brighton (UK).

.......although Marye is currently on the case for me.....thanks Marye !. Anyone else in the U.K. still waiting arrival of the box ?. Ian.

very pleased with everything

very pleased with everything about my spring 1990 box set.recieved my jerry garcia/merl saunders keystone companions box set on 28th september.isn't this the way box sets should be-small,affordable and packed with information.

Deadboss in the UK.....

Hi, Not got it yet - but I am expecting delivery of what I assume is it today.....by Parcelforce - not sure that brings me much confidence - but I have paid my customs fees, and its on the truck.....so perhaps the wait is almost over!

Still no show in North Yorkshire either!!!

Marye is on the case, Doctor Rhino also (hopefully), and customer service said 'give it a week', which is up tomorrow. The new Jerry box arrived from Amazon.com this morning which just puts the non arrival of S'90 into perspective. This saga just goes on .and on - as do I, so apologies to all that the complaints just continue.

I have seen it - It does exist.....

Parcelforce did not let me down - Spring 90 arrived in South of England today! Six weeks after the shipping email - which I guess is about right. Looks like it landed in the UK on Sept 27th....which means its taken a couple of weeks to get through customs and to me! But all that aside - this is as good as people say - it is a thing of beauty - from the outer box that holds the actual box - to all the contents inside. Fantastic work, and all at Rhino should be pleased with the production values on this - definitely keep them coming if they are going to be at this level. Now DP3 and S90 are safely gathered in - I have some listening to do now the autumn nights are drawing in! I hope the other missing boxes land soon.

This is really getting to be a drag....

...waiting for my Spring 1990 Box Set to finally be delivered to me in Melbourne, Australia - only 11 hours flying time from down-town Los Angeles. It appears that some packages bound for Australia were shipped to Germany for distribution along with European orders. Go figure the logistical thought process behind that move. I have a friend in Sydney who received his Spring 90 Box about 2 weeks after getting the shipment advice and who recieved his DaP#3 at about the same time. Meanwhile, another firend in rural South Australia finally recevied his Spring 1990 box - albeit severely damaged - this week. It was shipped via Germany! I take comfort in the fact that clearly I am not the only person left still wondering where the hell my box set is but, really, this is getting beyond a joke.

New Brighton (U.K.)....Good news at long last !.

Well, got home from work yesterday to find a notification from ParcelForce that they were holding a package for me. Just been to collect the beast (#2700/9000) and had to pay a whopping £34.06 in order to fuel the fire, but there you go. No damage whatsoever (small mercies) and i've just got home and opened it all up....stunning detail and beautifully presented !. Al the discs seem fine and the artifacts are very nice indeed. Now, to get it all transferred onto my Creative ZEN in .wav format of course and go for a walk along the beach !. Sincerely hope you all receive your parcels soon....it's been a thorough ballache, but believe me, you will not regret the outlay and the hassle. Cheers, Ian.

New Brighton (U.K.)....Good news at long last !.

Album Artwork

I'm wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction...I've received my box and am transferring the music files to my hard drive. I'd like to attach each show's artwork to my downloads but I can't seem to find the artwork through searches. Has anyone in the community posted these for easy access? Any help would be greatly appreciated...Thank you!

Album Artwork...

cbs73 kindly posts the artwork for every release, and they can all be found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/titanarch/

Worth waiting for!

It took my box a long time to arrive in West Yorkshire, due to a detour via Germany, but it was worth waiting for when ParcelForce finally dropped me a note saying it had arrived. Beautiful presentation, can't wait to get stuck into the music. Dead.net customer service were understanding and helpful regarding the delay, even though the delay was likely nothing to do with them and that there was not much more I could do than sit and wait.

Worth waiting for!

It took my box a long time to arrive in West Yorkshire, due to a detour via Germany, but it was worth waiting for when ParcelForce finally dropped me a note saying it had arrived. Beautiful presentation, can't wait to get stuck into the music. Dead.net customer service were understanding and helpful regarding the delay, even though itwas likely nothing to do with them and that there was not much more I could do than sit and wait.

Bittersweet

My box finally arrived in Melbourne, Australia. Albeit with some damage to the book and a case, and a cracked disc...sigh. Wish I could just focus on the music.After excruciatingly difficult extraction from the cases, I inspected the discs, but with unavoidable bending. Can anyone reassure me that a little bending ain't a bad thing? I'm stressed about the pre-packaged damage enough as it is! Thanks in advance, bleeding hearts.

Bittersweet

Extracting the Discs

I found that turning the disc slightly while pulling it off the spindle helped a little. Push the center of the spindle while doing this. They are too tightly held and they do bend a little -- but not much -- before breaking. I have broken at least one disc in the past (the CD that came with the Wilco book). Someone posted a method that involved a screwdriver. There is no way I'm doing that. Once you free them you might as well rip them to a hard drive (in lossless format, of course). Good luck!

One Man

Thanks; yes I read the screwdriver suggestion/anecdote with horror. I get worried about my discs just holding them in the air, let alone applying crude tools to their fragile surface.I tried the pull and turn, with some success. I just hope I haven't compromised the integrity of the discs with the original bends.

Spring 1990 European Tour

Finally! Spring 1990 has been safely delivered in Melbourne, Australia having spent at least 3 of the last 6 or 7 weeks since it was shipped in the care of Deutsche Post DHL. It seems that tracking was available all along but only after the parcel has been received will you know the tracking number. The packaging of this release is outstanding! I am looking forward to spending some quality HDCD time with it.

Spring 1990 European Tour - Mine has turned up too (apparently)

Sadly not in the UK but back at Deadnet. Customer Services now inform me that I have returned said box. Strange that I do not remember seeing it, or even a notification for collection or duty to be paid. It seems that my previous post was maybe a touch optimistic when I said that it might arrive in time for Christmas!

Is it really sold out

Hey Mayre can you check on this? It says temp hold, but I emailed customer service and they said sold out? Website needs to be updated. Status please?

Is this really sold out (2)

44mooseThe e mail below was sent to me yesterday. It contradicts what you have been told - kind of. I am disgusted with the shabby way I have been treated after previously having been told I have returned my box (not true). Some honest information and transparency would be really appreciated at this point, Anyone listening?????? Hello Dave, This email is in regards to your order regarding the spring 90 box set. We apologize you have not received this item yet. Unfortunately, replacement sets are not going to be available for awhile so I have refunded your order. You should see that on your account within 3-5 business days. I have also provided a 20% off promo code for you to use on your next purchase with Dead.net. If you have any further questions or concerns, please reach out to us.

UNBELIEVEABLE !!!!!!.

gr8fuluk...... Jesus Christ, that is nothing short of scandalous. There should be mass sackings after what has gone on regarding this latest offering. It's the same old story in life these days unfortunately....nobody wanting to take responsibility for anything, and just passing the buck. I was going to say that the band members will be livid if they ever found out the extent of the problems their loyal fans had to endure in order to get the end product, but the only thing they'll probably notice is their bank accounts bulging. Having said that, it's certainly not their fault. So, you've been given a full refund even though the product is only temporarily sold out ?...why not just keep you on hold until they get more stock and send you one then...all they've done is create more hassle for you when they do re-stock....it just sounds like more lies to me !. Fire me an e-mail at deadboss@yahoo.com. Later, Ian.

Sad state of the store

With 33 offerings, only stock on 2 Road Trips (V2N3 & V3N2 - both good ones) and Warlocks Box & Winterland 11/73 Box.

Adding Insult to Injury - Open Letter to Dr Rhino

Dear Sir, You will be aware no doubt that after having problems with Europe 72, I have had an even worse experience with S'90, namely a considerable wait for said box, eventually being given a $20 discount for all the inconvenience etc. Only then to be told by your customer services that you have received the box I have returned and will be issuing a refund. I have informed you and customer services that I have NEVER received the box and asked why you are issuing a refund when according to your web site more supplies are due any day now. You have refused to reply but issued a refund anyway. BUT... wait a minute - you have deducted the $20 credit - presumably you have decided my inconvenience was not that great and you have deducted $35.98 postage for goods that I have never received. Explanation please? If I say that I am absolutely disgusted, maybe you can understand why. And maybe you personally will kindly take some action to remedy this matter. I cannot EVER remember being so badly treated by any organisation. And YES, believe it or not I still want the box set that I originally paid for and received your formal order for . In UK law and presumably US law too, I believe that constitutes a contract! Regards Dave

Enjoying the Spring 1990 box set.

I had placed an order for this box set on August 2, 2012 and it arrived at my residence on September 4, 2012. I opened it and inspected everything, CAREFULLY removing each disc and doing a quick sound check - that is playing thru each disc to see if it was correctly labeled - everything sounded fine - all the extras - the book, the tour program reprint, the info sheets, photo and the ticket stubs, backstage passes - all were there and looked fine, no problem.Each show sounds great - I love the mix and the overall arena ambience. I did notice on several tracks, Jerry's voice was low in the mix, and I now consider those Jerry songs as "future work" - some overdubs are needed, to make these songs sound "just exactly perfect." In case you didn't know, Jerry Garcia died on August 9, 1995, so it's impossible for him to do these needed overdubs. Bringing up his voice in the mix may have brought some other unforeseen problems, so the mixes were kept as is. And I see these as minor flaws in the whole picture. Each concert is a great powerful performance in it's own right - the band is running full steam ahead each show is excellent, all are consistently great. I deeply appreciate the shows that were included in this box set. The shows that were not included in this box are great, too. I have the official 3/15/90 Terrapin Limited set, released in 1997, and two unofficial recordings - 3/22/90, and 3/29/90. These two shows are excellent and worthy of official release. This box set release seems to be aimed at the "Touch Heads" and I am of the Europe '72:The Complete Recordings generation. The music contained in both box sets are excellent. I feel sorry for all those folks who have had problems with this release, I hope you problems can be resolved in a positive manner for you. My box set, 3426, arrive in perfect condition, as almost all are. To the powers who brought this box to the light of day, I thank you very much, I deeply appreciate this release.

@ gr8fuluk - Check your cc statement

@gr8fuluk - my situation was the same as yours, the initial 20% (or $20 - I can't remember) discount they gave me was off of Spring 90 due to all the hassles, they also credited me back the $13 shipping fees. At that point, they still claimed they were shipping replacements. Weeks later, when they ultimately cancelled my order because they had no inventory, the credit was the balance of the $230, about $175 rather than the full amount. In addition, they gave me a coupon for 20% off my next order, which based on this experience may never happen. So check your statement, my hunch is you have 2 credits. One for the discount, and another for the balance.

@ gr8fuluk - Check your cc statement

Hey there, Yes I have checked my Credit card statement. I was billed $240 (round figures inc postage). Then I was given the $20 refund that you mention. Now I have been given what customer services call a full refund - another $180. So yes, there are 2 credits but they do not include the postage to UK. However my public rant seems to have had an effect - I have had an e mail from the good Doctor apologising for the problems and says the box will be sent within 10-14 days. He also said he intends to tackle customer services over some of their comments which he does not understand. I may be wrong, but I think if you look at the S'90 link it no longer says the set is on temporary hold. This has occurred in the last couple of hours or so, but check for yourself in case I am mistaken. Regards Dave

Now the dust has settled

I must say, since all the dramas with the shipping and state of some of the discs, I have been well looked after by D.Rhino.I hope everyone has received their sets and is feeling better now. I suppose we're all in this crazy world together and perhaps we've all learned different things throughout this process; customer service and customers alike. Lets hope for a better year next year, not only for Dead.net, but everything in this crazy world and for all those people who are really suffering out there (I found myself feeling a little silly whinging and worrying so much about my music purchases when children are still dying from war and famine). Cheers everyone.

Now the dust has settled ...2

Nope, still waiting for my copy to be sent. The good Doctor assures me that I should receive a shipping notification any day now. It has been a hell of a wait!!!

There is still some dust in the air then

I'm really sorry to hear that Gr8uluk. I know I probably came across as a self-satisfied jerk.I really hope it gets to you soon. Unharmed and defect-free. I await Dave's 4 with some trepidation, if that puts any balance into my unstable throne of contentment. Bless.

There is still some dust in the air then -2

Me too. I have every confidence there will be an e mail today(?) from Dr Rhino to let me know it is on it's way - complete with a tracking number that actually works. Dave

Thank You!!

Hi, I'm a deadhead from Japan, and after all these years, the Spring 1990 Box Set is some of the best DEAD I've heard!!the sound quality is prime, and the music being played there is just soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sweet!! this is Grateful Dead at their best. Thank you David and everyone at dead.net. I would love to see DVDs from this era:)) peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaace!!

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