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    heatherlew
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    THE BEST OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD LIVE is the ultimate live collection, a two-disc set with recordings selected from the band’s official live albums on Warner Bros. and Arista, plus a few tracks from their many archival live releases, beginning with “St. Stephen” – from the group’s first official live album, 1969’s Live/Dead – and ending with the poignant “So Many Roads,” taken from the band’s final concert at Chicago’s Soldier Field in July of 1995

    “We wanted to follow up the 2015 The Best Of The Grateful Dead studio set with a live counterpart, and have focused our efforts on the band’s primary live albums as well as some key tracks from archival concert releases,” says band archivist and producer David Lemieux. “Just as there was nothing like a Grateful Dead concert, there is also nothing like a live Grateful Dead recording; it’s no secret that as good as the Dead’s studio recordings were, they excelled in front of an audience, and this set provides an overview of just how great the Dead were live in concert.”

    THE BEST OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD LIVE will also be available as Apple Lossless and HD FLAC digital downloads on release day.

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  • icecrmcnkd
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    Kevin Levine, a credit card
    That’s the answer to your question. 35 shows from 87-92 have been released. And that doesn’t count the 9 from 87-95 in 30 Trips.
  • Kevin Levine
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    What's it take to get to the later dates?
    I was listening to 8/6/89 at Sacramento, CA What a gem. Too bad we don't hear more music from this era!
  • Mytime
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    radio broadcast compilations
    i have linked to what they did on dead, but they have lots of others including doors. stumbled on to this on ebay via the 71 set that was up for sale for $65 or so. http://www.odmcy.com/catalog/index.php/catalogue?search=grateful%20dead…
  • LedDed
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    "Best" of GD Live cd
    Upon first listen, the sound is very good. The vocals in particular have been enhanced and sound beautiful. I see the strategy in hyping songs available on unlimited catalogue releases, in order to drive sales, and I don't disagree with it from that perspective. The inclusion of "Blow Away," I think they could take back. To draw upon the immense body of work available and include a Brent Mydland lead vocal seems a bit suspect, and it's not a stellar track. The package and booklet are nice enough. This one can live in my car.
  • icecrmcnkd
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    Thanks LedDed
    I’ll pick up eventually.
  • LedDed
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    The Doors of Perception
    I just returned from the package store with some Jameson and Corona Premier. The steaks are grilled and the dishes done; now for a break. The new Doors Isle of Wight is recently out. All the background is all over the web, but it's a historic show with 600,000 or so in attendance... the Doors took the stage at 2am. Morrison was mostly sober. First, I listened to the cd. I was nonplussed; I mean, the Doors were a unique musical force with a sound like no other before or since, but maybe an average live band. The "Light My Fire" caught my ear first, with Morrison in full voice at the end. The real treat here for Doors loyalists is the blu-ray. Bathed in somber red light with a simple backline, this is a stripped-down-to-the-music-only performance. Gone is all the drama and histrionics of the Lizard King. Morrison grips the mike stand like Mark Lanegan, all voice and no bullshit. The video begins with quality footage of the stage setup, concertgoers, and a motorcycle ride through the surrounding towns and villages. It really draws you in. Throughout the show, the band gets tighter and tighter, from the machine-gun snare drum of Densmore to the classical/jazz/bluesy psychedelia of Robbie Krieger's Gibson SG, to the anchor of the band, Ray Manzarek, frontstage at that awesome keyboard setup of his, resplendent in white jacket. Ray's backing vocals are a force behind Jim on this night. Jim is in very fine voice and has the audience enraptured, as only so few could... Jerry Garcia comes to mind. I'll add that I saw The Doors of the 21st Century at Red Rocks ten or fifteen years ago, the Coors Light Mountain Jam, whenever the hell that was. The Cult's Ian Astbury handled the vocals. He'd lost weight, cut his hair into the full Morrison and was clad only in black T-shirt and jeans. He mesmerized, obviously having studied Jim like a method actor, two songs in you thought you were in 1968. And, I shit you not, it began to rain lightly right as "Riders on the Storm" began, with lightning dancing across the sky over downtown Denver. Anyone who was fortunate enough to have been there can attest to this miracle. In closing, Isle of Wight is a must-have for the die-hard fan or completist. For those looking for Jim to lead them to ecstasy a la Dionysus, you might look elsewhere, but this is definitely worth at least one viewing/listen.
  • icecrmcnkd
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    Woo hoo
    Double post.
  • icecrmcnkd
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    LedDed
    Let us know how the Doors package is.
  • icecrmcnkd
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    LedDed
    Let us know how the Doors package is.
  • LedDed
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    Tomorrow Never Knows
    amazon says I'll have this Sunday before 8pm, along with the Doors Isle of Wight package. I know what I'll be listening to on the way to and from work Monday morning. Bravo!
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THE BEST OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD LIVE is the ultimate live collection, a two-disc set with recordings selected from the band’s official live albums on Warner Bros. and Arista, plus a few tracks from their many archival live releases, beginning with “St. Stephen” – from the group’s first official live album, 1969’s Live/Dead – and ending with the poignant “So Many Roads,” taken from the band’s final concert at Chicago’s Soldier Field in July of 1995

“We wanted to follow up the 2015 The Best Of The Grateful Dead studio set with a live counterpart, and have focused our efforts on the band’s primary live albums as well as some key tracks from archival concert releases,” says band archivist and producer David Lemieux. “Just as there was nothing like a Grateful Dead concert, there is also nothing like a live Grateful Dead recording; it’s no secret that as good as the Dead’s studio recordings were, they excelled in front of an audience, and this set provides an overview of just how great the Dead were live in concert.”

THE BEST OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD LIVE will also be available as Apple Lossless and HD FLAC digital downloads on release day.

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A good inexpensive (CD) introduction to the live music of the Grateful Dead.
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Some mistake surely?
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15 years 6 months
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seriously? who's gonna buy this?
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the next generation
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16 years 10 months
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I surely wish this had been available when I was a clueless kid curious about the GD, instead of Skeletons From The Closet, which is what I bought and did not understand. but I am sure we can all go through each and every track and come up with a BETTER version from some other already released live track. Except the Truckin>Morning Dew from Europe 72, because that is sublime. And the Ripple from 1980, which is also wonderful.
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me!!
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Yes, it’s for mass release and like David stated, counterpart to the other mass release...
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Agree this is a decent shoehorn for those who need a concise intro to some live GD. It's a shame they dont have more segues and longer jams, but then again if it's a way to get your feet wet there need to be some reigns in there I suppose. Also, as one poster noted, no Pigpen. Needs some grease! Sixtus
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Really? I got excited when I saw an email about a new release, and then....oh, Nevermind.... I already have all of this. I guess it would be ok for a chance to use it to introduce someone to the catalogue and have the slick packaging? And to make more money off of stuff that’s been out there forever!? This would have been good for me in ‘85 as a clueless 13 yr old who had only skeletons, but then again, no. I bought Dead set on vinyl at age 14 in a head shop in CA while on vaca and wow, just wow... I don’t think just a couple of tracks would have done that for me. This will not give one the immersive sense of a show, rather a hodgepodge of diff eras... etc. I guess it will be good for newbies on Spotify to test the waters.... and NO PIG TUNES!? Disgraceful
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I'm not sure what's going on here...in the day of instant downloads and cd burning why the Dead feel the need for an "introduction" cd in the first place. THAT being said, WHAT in the Sam Hill is going on with this selection? I find it incomprehensible to listen to St. Stephen from live dead with neither Dark Star NOR The Eleven surrounding it! Newbies, you want a good intro to the Dead? May I suggest used copies of "Live Dead" and "Europe '72"?
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Didn't Jerry start singing Shannon's part a week later? If they can choose Estimated from Barton Hall, why not choose a Jack Straw from another release like Dave's 11 in Wichita, or Dick's 29, or Dave's 23, all of which give the back and forth point of view, and the song was definitely more muscular by then. And surely a Mr. Charlie could have been squeezed in.
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They could of at least added the edited Lovelight from Live/Dead that was released on the Warner Bros sampler Big Ball...
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They could of at least added the edited Lovelight from Live/Dead that was released on the Warner Bros sampler Big Ball...oops
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Well, judging from the comments looks like there are a few snowflakes even in the Dead community. If you're not interested why bother with replying? Do you think they're going to scrap this and make a CD catering to you? Guess what, you can do that yourself by burning a cd or creating a playlist. Personally I think this is a great selection of songs for when you don't have time to listen to an entire show. Thanks to the guys who put this together. I for one am Grateful for this.
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A mish-mash may be fine as an intro for newbies, but why it doesn't include a killer version of Deal, in preference to - say - Feel Like A Stranger or Bird Song, is a bit of a mystery, not to mention the surprising number of selections from the somewhat tepid Dead Set.
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not very "Grateful"
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12 years 4 months
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Not one "previously unreleased" song in the collection....and "best of Live" without a Scarlet>Fire?!?! WTF!
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I love this release and think it's spot on. Some of us older dead-heads that started seeing shows in the late 70's don't have the ability to get out like we used to. I would love to see more content released on DVD and would instantly buy the second they were released.
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If you haven't noticed, there are a million newbies out there experiencing the Dead's music for the first time. Believe it or not, there ARE people out there who didn't pre-order the entire Europe Box set. So give the folks a break, Dave is releasing the GOODS (Eugene, Red Rock, Binghamton, etc. etc.) and those of us who are on board know where to go for our fix. A little intro sampler for the younger crowd isn't such a bad thing, and we can nitpick all day long about their selections, but really, quit yer bitchin.
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They do have the back and forth with Bobby and Jerry on the 5/3 version that was chosen for this compilation. As you astutely noted, they didn't start the back and forth for a couple more shows (it was in fact the Amsterdam show on 5/10); however, the 5/3 version is the one they used for the original Europe '72 LP that came out in 1972, and they doctored it to allow for the inclusion of Jerry doing the back and forth with Bobby. I noticed all of the Europe '72 tracks they selected were from the original LP.
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"30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN: THE DEFINITIVE LIVE STORY 1965-1995 serves as an introductory sampler to the Dead’s live canon"but "THE BEST OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD LIVE is the ultimate live collection" Which one do I buy my nephew who doesn't like GD but wants to be cooler than his friends with their studio best-ofs?... Oh, hold on, kids download so this must be for my wanna-be-cool uncle... This does look like a good product for "newbies", but most of those young people don't buy/play CDs. This IS a pretty good comp if you're someone who doesn't really give a shit. At 2 CDs it really couldn't be what it claims to be, but it is a fair try. I expect to see it often at BigBox stores (Walmart, Best Buy, Target, etc). An odd byproduct of the 2 Disc limitations is that the 1st disc is Bobby-heavy while the second is almost all Jerry. Kinda the opposite of their actual performance balance historically... And that "Blow Away" gets my vote for BOAT, but it pales beside anything Pig did... Remember when reading GDM marketing blurbs about upcoming DaPs or boxes that the same people called this "the ultimate live collection".
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I would've added a Next Time You See Me or Chinatown Shuffle from Europe 72 and Also A Sunrise from Spring 1977.
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...pass.
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I wish somebody could find the tape of one of the best shows I ever saw (Actually the whole run of 4 nights was amazing). Wednesday, 11/11/70 at something called the 45th Street "Rock Palace" in Brooklyn. A couple of songs into the second set out popped Jorma, Jack and Papa John from the Airplane who were playing the next night at the Fillmore East. They played most, if not all, of the rest of the set. There is a copy of this show on Archive but the quality is horrendous. I've asked both David Gans and Betty Cantor if they know of a copy but neither does. I don't think tapes from the next 3 nights have ever surfaced. So Dave, if a better copy of this show exists please release it. It would be a great money maker.
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I've always been really partial to the Ripple from Reckoning, which is pretty much in my DNA now because I played it so much in the wake of my first show. It has a lot to do with my being here now, most likely! So I'm glad it made the cut.
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I applaud the effort to condense so much into two discs. I set out to make a "best of Spring '90" road set. It filled 25 CDs.
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like to turn on an newbie to the Dead this is the right stuff. Otherwise save your money and spend it on something useful ( DAP , DIP or whatever.... )
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?
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?
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That comment really cracked me up! Only laugh I had at work today.
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Can't believe it's got the Cornell Estimated, which is great, but so were so so many versions from that year, whereas the Brown Eyed Woman and the Dancin' from that show are two of the best ever. (Not to mention the Dew, which are superior to '72 versions) Anyway that and the spring 90 were just put out not long ago. Very Europe '72 heavy. Can see the appeal of this to casual fans, just wish the selections were a little more exotic. Aside from it being the last show-why put out So many Roads again? Other nuggets from 90s from shows that will never come out but are great single versions. The Bucket opener from 9/29/93 Boston is one. The Samson from 12-6-92 is killer. The Saint from 6-17-91, as well as the Eyes are great, not as great as 3-29-90, but, again, that just came out already. Oh well. The UJB with the Cosmic Charlie tease from 2-27-94! Guess that would've been a little long and adventurous. Whole show may not be worthy, but that part is great. Another bitchin' deadhead.
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if you're going to rerelease something... how about releasing the downloadable series on CD? i'd probably buy them all given the opportunity, especially the brent & pigpen era ones. ----
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If you like this sort of release also check out the 5 CD set "So Many Roads". Is that still available? Some truly amazing stuff on there from every era.
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The song selection is designed to: 1) Have excellent sound (most are multi tracks) 2) Allow the buyer an opportunity to buy each song's entire source album. So they are only drawing from widely distributed "unlimited" releases. Europe '72, Skull F***, Cornell, Dead Set, Crimson White and Indigo, etc. It's a marketing campaign for newbies, right down to the vocal overdubs of E72 and Skull F***
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I hope this compilation charts high and sells estimably well. You don't need this, but it going out into the world is a good thing. Yes, it kicks the hell out of Skeletons From The Closet! I had that damn record. I'd probably buy this to take on a road trip or vacation somewhere, for a soundtrack. It's a good playlist with cool packaging and you know it'll sound great. Should have come out before Christmas. Would have made a great stocking-stuffer.
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I had that on cassette and listened to it many, many times before seeing my first show.At this point I remember listening to it, but don’t remember anything on it. So I looked it up on Wikipedia and don’t really remember the song list but see that there were 2 live tracks which clicked a switch in my brain and I remembered that those 2 live tracks grabbed me unlike any of the other tracks on the cassette. I was always drawn to live recordings before ever seeing a concert. A lot of that caused by the live recording of Heard It Through The Grapevine on the CCR Greatest Hits cassette I had. Live music recordings found me and guided me to the bus stop......
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bought it after my first show in 82. I still have it. great cover art. I remember St. Stephen. This release also reminds me of So Many Roads. that's a great release. disc one always makes me horny for more 66 GD. Mindbender...
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snowflakes, really? lol, what a used up old trumpian saying. If I was a newbie, which this is obviously geared to, then I would want the cream right off the top, not rehashed, re-released stuff, this is just another money grab. Anyone seen the price of those 2018 summer dead and co tickets? Wow, must be nice to be rich and young, I had to work for a living when I was a kid, not get it from mommy and daddy. Oh by the way andyman, your boy is about to go down, and we can't wait.
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You need to learn how to accept and love people for who they are, forgive them of their shortcomings, and help them understand your point of view. That's good sense for all of us. You sound so unbalanced, blaming the people who buy the tickets, but not the band selling them? You forgive the rich band because they provide something you enjoy, but you persecute the rich consumers because they have something you don't. Hypocrisy through and through. Love, accept, forgive, teach. Peace.
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wow ~ i thought deadheads were supposed to be cool and welcoming ~ not superior to anyone wanting to get on the bus at any point or anytime but welcoming them like a family ~ im embarrassed ~ and i apologize for the rudeness and ignorance of many of these post ~ i hope this mean spirited group posting all of these demeaning prideful threads do not discourage anyone from buying this music and enjoying it and the wonderful spirit it brings ~ i too have a big dead catalogue and this one will be a welcome addition to bring along when i hop in my friends cars and take a ride ~ rain or shine ~ welcome young and old! buy one and smile ,smile ,smile !
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We're in the thick of the feeding frenzy, Stoltzfus. Can't you hear the bones crunching?
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You wrote:"i thought deadheads were supposed to be cool and welcoming" In my 50+ years of collecting all kinds of different music, I realized that Deadheads are not any more cool or more welcoming than any other group of fans. Or any less for that matter.
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Sorry, Tin Hat. Things can sadly get a tad cantankerous around here. Whereas most Deadheads will share a hemp sandwich and give you the tie-dye shirt off their backs at a concert, here in Cyber-Land it's quite a different story. I got a jolt of online culture-shock after I joined the site myself. Plenty of us take the negativity with a grain of salt (and a sense of humor). But there remains a small legion of perpetually dissatisfied, eternally combative types who believe that their personal preferences define them as individuals, so disagreeing with their tastes means you must either dislike them or that they're somehow "wrong" (the never-ending, tiresome 70s vs 80s debate, for example). In my opinion, Grateful Dead music was always (and still is) about the journey, not the destination. Ever fluid, ever evolving, and ever expanding. With plenty of room on the bus for everyone, Pranksters and Cranksters alike...
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