Grateful Dead

dead.net the official site

Fantastic. Love it.

Interesting. In ripping my retail version of the DVD to a format that my phone will play, I found the inclusion of a 32 min. documentary entitled 'Grateful Days'. Interestingly enough, there is no link to it from the menus when viewed on a DVD player, but it is present on my disc nonetheless. I can only assume that it's the same doc that is included on the dead.net version. So for $30, I have everything except the booklet and slipcase packaging. I can live with that.

Wow, I feel a bit ashamed i even ordered my blu ray from rhino. paying the shipping cost & only receiving a booklet for basically an extra $30. I am happy I bought vinyl from record store. At least he was up front and honest. he even gave me $5 off because my last purchase from him was Rare things and oddities produced by rhino, when i opened the case it had a crack in the plastic, plus broken pieces, that holds the cd. Don't even think that was his fault. Sounds like it came straight from rhino like that, but he and I took the hit. Next time other GD products appear on amazon, Barnes and Noble, best buy , I will purchase from them. Also another funny bit of info, the new Spring 90 merch. Is almost laughable. My girlfriend bought the grey t-shirt with skeleton wearing the Indian head dress for $10 at Gap. It's $26 on dead.net and plus sales tax and shipping. She got in PA where they don't have sales tax on clothes. Cool shirt I just wouldn't buy from dead.net though

Really happy to have SSDD out on DVD; just got mine today> Disappointed to see it's only a portion of the show. Should have read the fine print closer, but WTF?

I got my box set from Amazon today, another super DeadHead got it for me, I am on disability and He offered it, cause He knows I love 72. I got the 3 CDs and a DVD in regular packaging. I messaged him to let him know that He gets a mp3 version on Amazon if He has their cloud downloaded. He is like me a lot, He would rather get a CD to listen to. He got the Bluray, It might take a bit to get there, He lives in Germany. Think I will just listen to a CD tonight. Jim

Am still waiting for the arrival.......Does anybody know where is the Bonus documentary “Grateful Days" Is it on the DVD/BLU RAY disc??

hits the front porch today!

The camera crew didn't have enough film for the whole show so they had to be selective about which songs they captured...

In my PO Box today! I know what I'm watching tonight.

Already saw the movie in the theater, so jumped straight to disc one..........China/Rider left me and my 2 year old daughter dancin' in the living room..........good work Jeffrey Norman. Pollock packaging is my favorite of any release ever, by a lot...so sick!

I could quibble about feeling a little burned for not saving the $20 and ordering just the DVD/CD set from Amazon -- after all, given the source, the Blu-ray doesn't add much over the DVD, and there ain't much offered on the swag front from dead.net. But what has gotten my goat is the 5.1 mix on the Blu-ray (and the DVD, which I assume is the same). Did someone forget to push up the fader on the output to the subwoofer channel during final mixdown? Because there is hardly anything coming out of it. I've tried two different Blu-ray players, along with streaming it from an MKV rip I made (which converted to straight up 5.1 instead of the "true HD," but it's still 6 channels). Still, there's barely anything coming out of the subwoofer (and yes, it's working quite well for any other BR or anything else I throw at it). What's the dillio?

I would like to have seen more transparency with this release. As well as, the Plangent Process done on this release, if physical possible. Too late now. They stated this was the most requested release, so it could have been top notch, and not just run of the mill. But they knew the $$ requests were there. Packaging has always been Good for GD Releases, so i dont see Rhinos packaging that much of an upgrade. The Veneta show sold itself. It could have been boxed in a milk carton and it would do the same sales numbers. As for Dave's Picks releases. Let's get Plageant Process on those too. Future release I hope many are cautious like I will be now knowing Rhinos methods and failures. With SiriusXm, GDhour , tapers and jam of the week , buying releases don't even make much sense to me anymore. Plus archive has instant access to listen to any piece of show from all eras.

Mine arrived yesterday 6707/12500. I have waited for this day since the first time I got my hands on a cassette of this show in the late 80s. I had tears in my eyes as I opened the package and quickly placed CD 2 in the car. This is my favorite show. I am overjoyed. God Bless The Grateful Dead!

Sorry, somebody had to say it. Perhaps the most surprising intro since the Road Trips which told a story about Springsteen's crotch. A beautiful release, from top to bottom. Thanks!

A couple years ago I got a copy of this on dvd, courtesy of KapnKen. So it is real nice to finally have the entire show on disc. Needless to say, I am eagerly looking forward to suitably altering my consciousness this weekend and diving in! (not sure if I'm gonna get naked though... the neighbors might not dig that) Far be it for me to look a gift horse in the mouth... as I am very appreciative of all the fine shows being released by TPTB... but could they please consider making these big releases about the same size so there is some uniformity when they sit on the shelf? I usually put the booklets and goodies away in the closet after looking at them but the discs go on the shelf in chronological order within easy reach, in case of emergency. Just a kind suggestion... Anyhoo, a great big THANK YOU to all who made this happen. I'm looking forward to the next big release.

God, I miss Pigpen's beautifully minimalist '72 organ fills...aside from that, it's as close to pure magic as it gets. Cheers, heads

I know, I know -ever the glass half full, and it has its flaws, but it's here and I'm diggin it. Gawd, I miss the old days. Love the Pollack TD box cover, the ton of great music and the concert DVD. Rented a cottage on the river and settling in - gonna be a great weekend. Peace, y'all!

Likewise, my tears began flowing during the PITB segment of the film. Thanks for another stellar release, guys!

I just started listening to my newly arrived Veneta, Oregon. Fantastic, I am thrilled. It seems like I am in a time machine going back to my youth listening to this. The packaging is excellent. I hated the Road Trips packaging and it seems others did too. It seems GD Store and Rhino has been hearing the complaints since Road Trips as Dave's Picks packaging is good too. I wasn't going to buy any more concerts from GD Store (I have so many) but every time I say that they come out with a must-have like this. Damn, I am in GD Heaven right now!

Well, here I is, watching the DVD, wow, great "Jack Straw" ,love Jerry on a strat, with Bobby on red Gibson,Jerry is hitting every note. Vocals are great. Ahhh,"Bird Song" super,Have not seen Donna yet, hear Keith ,but where is he? Jerry sounds like he is plugged strat right into amp. Love those tie Dyes. Something strange is happening on my DVD, it is skipping a lot of songs from CDs, I'm on Dark Star at 1 hr 10 minutes,almost done. Bass solo.Hmmm, I haven't seen Donna yet,is she in the first hour and 17 minutes? Maybe sequencing is different on CDs and DVD,Donna comes on on "Sing Me back Back Home", after Dark Star.I just checked Amazon, that version only has 8 songs from the concert on DVD,Promised Land, China Cat/Know you Rider, Bird Song, Dark Star,El Paso, Sing Me Back Home,and Greatest Story ever told. That is like 100 minutes,but it flies by, The restoration is amazing. I'm glad I have all of the songs on CD, they sound great.

Hola - Have to agree with the posts re Rhino not taking care of the Dead.net orderers re schwag. BUT, Rhino IS making amazing stuff available. Who cares about an MP3 download, or a poster you'll just tape up in a Mancave (its hardly high art). The complete show mixed and mastered to a near perfect sonic level. The release of the remarkable Sunshine Daydream in film quality (after having been shown on BIG screen in August). And, to top it off, a very reasonably priced 4 LP complete that is spankingly clear yet warm and deep. Nothing here but gratitude. Listened to Dave's special show on XM in which he teased coming attractions with no clues. Love to all and DL2 for HOF! Davey

PS - I'm 54. First show 10/30/77. Had every vinyl LP and many a vinyl boot. To have the Dicks Picks series being released on vinyl (the DP 2 and 4 ZIPADEEDOHDAH SUPERB!) along with the special Record Store Days releases and now the complete Veneta . . . we are in the Golden Age of sonic beauty! THANKS AGAIN AND, MAY I SAY IT AGAIN, DL2 FOR HOF!!!!!!!!!!! Davey (aka Scott White. KY License Plate: SUGREE)

Was that the Problem? Like does anyone know where it said that on the Amazon version was only going to have 8 songs on DVD? If I knew that I would have gotten DVD here, instead of Amazon. I just thought it wasn't going to have tie die cover, book and 40 minute interviews.

The complete audio (3 CDs) is now available for download from www.livedownloads.com MP3 for $19.99, FLAC or ALAC for $29.99

...and the Dead.net version includes all the video that was produced (including documentary). Due to limited tape, not all the songs were recorded to video. B roll footage is used for the pictures in the booklet.

Listened to the CDs last night-great sound. Working on the notes-Merriweather essay is terrific. The Plangent Process was used on these Cds according to the notes and for my money I couldn't be happier with what I am hearing music-wise and sound-wise. Transportational music. All songs played with high energy and/or enthusiasm. Absolutely amazing release. Played this over my big honking horn loudspeakers. The additional hearing loss is worth it. Love the slipcase design and coloring. Definately worth having the real deal. When I went to movie night I was mesmerized by the band interplay on "Dark Star" and Jerry's wonderful "Sing me back Home". Listening last night reminded me what an amazingly unique treasure these guys were. Put this in the Smithsonian-if not already done. Give Jerry the honor and respect he deserves as an interpreter of American music. Convert sceptics with this set of music. Rant over.

Wow the movie is just stunning it completly captures the moment, the vibe and the relaxed laid back crowd. theshot of the dog and the tiny kid at the begining of Jack Straw is simply priceless. The sound quality of the cd's is perfect. Thank you Dave and Rhino for finally releasing this snap shot of happier days

#3625 Is home! Brings tears of joy to my eyes. This Set makes me feel like the band is alive and well and the concert happened yesterday! The boys, full of life and take you back to a happy, simpler time that we all miss. God bless the Grateful Dead.

Received mine from Dead.net. Listening to it right know. No complaints, sounds great on my system. Keith is playing his ass off. I am reading that some fans feel ripped off, misled, misdirected, and so on. And I can see your point. Most releases “here” have their share of problems/missteps. Try being a Zappa fan. You ain’t seen anything. Talk about mishandling a wealth of material. Also, Rhino is a business. Where I am employed, the megalomaniacs in charge have no clue. Only difference is Rhino does produce a very attractive product. I am very grateful for these releases and only hope they continue. Thank you for releasing this and with all the different options. Did I mention Keith is playing his ass off? Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. Friedrich Nietzsche

UPS delivered Bluray 1479 on the 18th. Watched the Bluray that afternoon. Out fucking standing. Had the bootleg on vhs and DVD for years. Well worth waiting for the official release! Listening to set 1 on CD now. AWESOME! Certainly one of the best of the official releases! Just wish I knew some heads in Wichita, Ks area to share it with. Thanks everyone for another great release from the vault. Keep it up, I'll buy as many as I can afford.

http://home1.gte.net/cmp1163x/vault72.txt I agree with his sentiments.

I'm going against the norm and I'm going to watch the movie first. Its a drizzly, chilly day, just right for a movie and a Dogfishhead Pumpkin Ale(the best!)! I'll listen to the CDs later tonight and tomorrow A.M. while making Sunday breakfast! Enjoy folks and keep 'em coming!! :))))))

This, my friends, is why God created music.

This is beautiful! LOVE the package, and being an Oregonian who's attended Country Fair in Veneta (and recognizes newspaper clipping references to highway 26) I'm now totally glad I have the book.....the pictures are great, will look forward to reading it. The whole box isn't nearly as big as I'd feared, either....it's a pretty small square, really, and will fit nicely on my shelf of coveted box sets. As someone noted, the storybook style of the cd case is really a sweet presentation, setting the scene for a magical summer's day far from the city. I like how the tie-dyed slip case has no verbiage on it ~ you look at it and just know what it is. (The little Steal Your Face on the binder is a nice touch, though). I think this arriving just now is a Saturday night-changer...... Think I'll stay IN for a movie instead of going out.... Though actually it's the audio I'm most excited about--can't wait to hear how great the Jeffrey Normanized version of set 2 is going to sound.....! One of my favorite single discs of Grateful Dead music. And hey, its rainy outside anyway..... Cloverleaf town, here I come.

Kudos on a great cd set done right. Just exactly perfect! I love the way it begins, love the way it ends. Wonderfully produced! On More Saturday Night indeed. One for the ages...Thanks Dead.net!

Hey. Is it just me, or is anyone else having trouble removing the discs from the tie-dye box? Almost as if it's glued inside.

So true. Phil was completely on for this whole experience. This show is like one extended education in bass form and function. From Bach to rock and roll.

Just received my copy of Sunshine Daydream on Friday and have immersed myself in the music and images! After seeing the film at August's Meet Up At The Movies, I was sold on hearing this one mixed so beautifully. Since first hearing this show (Dark Star> El Paso) in '87 (a la a hiss-filled, multi-gen tape), it is a treat now to hear and see the subtleties in Bird Song, Dark Star.....Sugar Mag and the amazing work from everyone. Thank you Jeffrey, David and the whole crew for a fabulous job on this release!

I have always loved the film, even though I only saw sub-par bootleg versions in the years prior to the 2013 "Meet up at the Movies" event. Now I can finally indulge in the real deal whenever I want. It's amazing in every way -- the relentless sun, the naked hippies, the obvious lysergic fortification. I even love the animation during Dark Star. And the Pole Guy is hilarious. Why does he finally put some shorts on? The way the movie winds down into Sing Me Back Home in the failing light is sublime. Jerry and Donna's vocals are so intensely emotional. The CDs sound pretty good, considering the age of the tapes. There is certainly more attention paid to the mix than there was on the Europe '72 box (don't get me started). I'm not convinced the A-to-D transfer is ideal, although I know the Plangent Process ostensibly corrects pitch, wow and flutter issues. Does it degrade the sound while it does its magic? I hope not. I really love the packaging. The slipcase is silky smooth and the heavy partitions hold the discs like precious gems. It's kind of overkill if you ask me, but it is very classy. The book is fantastic. Nicholas Meriwether does his job proud as researcher and archivist. This is my fave of all the official releases thus far. I can't imagine anything ever beating it.

Very happy that I got the dead.net exclusive version. The book, the slipcase that keeps everything safe (and feels great to the touch--weird, right? but it does), and especially the "Grateful Days" documentary, all feel like essential pieces of a complete presentation & appreciation of this event. I thought the docu was great, telling the story of why & how this show came about, which I really didn't know. It's as much a documentary on the Springfield Creamery as anything, which is very true to the vision originally pitched to Jerry by the filmmakers--and which he pointedly stressed in his affirmative response to their endeavor--in showcasing the overall cultural landscape rather than just the band. And it sets up viewing of the main event really endearingly. (Quite the distinguished cast of oral historians. Is Nancy adorable, or what?) I've had some barely-legal edit of Sunshine Daydream for a few years, only watched it once, and didn't file it under any special impression in my memory banks. My thought after watching the restored version last night is, what's not to love? Of course, Bird Song wasn't on my old version! But I really enjoyed everything about it this time. Per the link someone posted below, I've gotta differ with Dick on this one. I not only don't agree this show is overrated; I'm not even sure it ever COULD be overrated. This was clearly a magical day for all in attendance, a historical one in the Dead's & Pranksters' confluent stories, and the tapes & visuals don't lie--the band is in great spirits, and the music is inspired & hot. Nothing too rare in the setlist, probably less intensely focused than most of Europe 72, and a less heat-challenged afternoon might've even yielded more songs played. But there couldn't be a more quintessential demonstration of what the Dead was about and what made them great, musically and culturally. Maybe it took 40 years for confirmation, but the filmmakers did succeed in putting time--a beautiful moment of time--in a bottle on this day. (Ha! I'm not sure why Pole Guy finally put his shorts on, either. But I must confess I'm glad he finally did.)

but we can get Nancy's products here in the bay area. I particularly recommend the cream cheese, as it's the only one I've found that doesn't have emulsifiers and other extraneous stuff in it. A little bit of continuity!

Mary - Yes, you can get Nancy's products all the way out here in western Massachusetts (at natural food stores and CO-OPS). Funny though, now we buy that stuff from local farmers as much as possible. Now Nancy's is the big national corporation, lol. Speaking of Western Massachusetts, I'm still glowing from the amazing Fresh Grass Bluegrass Festival this past weekend at Mass MoCA (same place that hosts the Wilco fest). The lineup was just freakishly great, and what a time... so even though I got Veneta on Friday, ironically a live music festival has kept me from delving in much yet. (My festival faves: Greensky Bluegrass, Infamous Stringdusters, Devil Makes Three, Sam Bush, Dan Zanes/Elizabeth Mitchell, Lake Street Dive, Gibson Brothers... oh man too many to mention) But to echo others: Glad I got the deluxe set. Love the booklet - starting with Dave's hilarious "About F-cking Time" essay, Dworks' always welcome perspective, and best of all the historical essay from Nick M. As a historian (okay, well, actually, community college history professor) myself I really admire the way he's contextualizing those archival sources.

So somehow before I have even absorbed GDSD in HDCD, I feel compelled to speculate on the next big thing. While testing new speakers I landed on the bonus material from Reckoning. Heaven Help the Fool / Sage and Spirit / Little Sadie....this is beautiful, rare, acoustic nirvana. 1980 sits comfortably at the midway peak between 1965 and 1995. I seem to recall reading that the Radio City Music Shows are missing from the Vault, having been sacrificed to the production gods that dropped the original Reckoning LP. (Please do not quote me on this.) But tonight's personal revelation (for me) looking at the liner notes on the Reckoning re-release is that there appears to be a string of similar shows at the Warfield Theatre just prior to the Radio City Music Hall shows. Is this true? Were they acoustic? What a great run ALL OF these shows would be!

And I thought the Closing of Winterland was good. This is as good as good can get, I love it.

Yep, 15 night run. Acoustic set followed by 2 electric sets. Fun and tiring! I postponed a business trip so I could go to 12 of the shows. Someone told my boss what I did, and he got pretty ticked off. So I took him to what turned out to be a great show. He was cool with everything after that!

Antonjo was mentioning how Dick downplayed the worth of this show, and I had to chime in about some other interesting Dick revelations. I was reading some of Dick's show notes (per a link someone posted--thank you!), and in them he stated that 9/17/72 wasn't all that great. Funny thing is--it ended up as a Dick's Pick! And he also somewhat badmouthed the Lincoln show from February 1973, and yet that too ended up as a Dick's Pick. I don't know if he later re-listened to those shows in a different state of mind, or if really good source material helped him re-form his opinion or what.

The Lincoln and Baltimore shows (DP 28 and 23, respectively) weren't picked by Dick, though -- they came out well after his death. I'm pretty sure Dave picked 'em.

I had email exchanges with Dick a few times, in some cases regarding shows that were released well after his death, e.g. 5/10/78. I wonder at times about whether Dick was the prime mover on this or that, pre and post mortem. I think of DP19 from OK City, such a monumental show and for me way preferable to most everything I have heard from that time, including the UCLA show (meh). As well, the sound on Dick's 19 is incredible; it remains one of the very, very best archival releases.

Thanks for those links to Dick's comments. They provide a window into his thinking-- the man really liked 1972-73! He was clearly listening to GD music on a different level, looking for nuances in jams that could elevate a show from ordinary (in his eyes) to extraordinary. We are all doing that to an extent, but he was on a higher level. I cannot agree with him on Veneta being so overrated. This is a really fine show with great jams. Without the extreme heat, who knows what the band might have done. I have a sneaking suspicion that Dick liked to stay out of mainstream thought. If 9/24/72 was as widely praised and Veneta forgotten, he may very well have been extolling the virtues of 8/27 instead. I had a cassette of 9/24 and this show(8/27) holds up just fine, thank you. Just my opinion. I wrote on the DVD thread my opinion of this release-- stellar. Great sound, great music, amazing clarity in the film (too much while Pole Man is hovering overhead, though). This release and Dick's comments make me feel silly for wanting the next Dave's pick to be from the 1980s when there is so much great 1972-73 to be heard. We do need some early to mid-1980s though, definitely a hole in the releases.