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    heatherlew
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    May 1977: Get Shown The Light (All Music Edition)

    WHAT'S INSIDE:
    Four Complete Shows on 11 discs
    Four folios housed in a slipcase
    5/5/77 Veterans Memorial Coliseum: New Haven, CT
    5/7/77 Boston Garden: Boston, MA
    5/8/77 Barton Hall, Cornell University: Ithaca, NY
    5/9/77 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium: Buffalo, NY
    50-page book of liners and photographs
    Sourced from the Betty Cantor-Jackson soundboard recordings, transferred by Plangent Processes
    Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
    Artwork by Grammy-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike
    Release Date: May 5, 2017

    WHAT DEAD HEADS HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT...

    NEW HAVEN 5/5/77
    "Here is a prime example of the saying ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parts’ … It’s called synergy and the Dead wrote the book on it.”

    BOSTON 5/7/77
    “The music they laid down brought me places I had not been before.”

    CORNELL 5/8/77
    “...the single best rock performance anywhere, anytime, by anyone.”

    “There was just some kind of magical connection this night between the band members and the band and the audience - some texture, or some type of cosmic or celestial force is in the room.”

    "This show is, was, and always will be Mecca.”

    BUFFALO 5/9/77
    "...an awesome display of the Dead’s captivating power"

    If you've been following this site for quite some time, then you will know we are often flush with hyperbole when it comes to our releases. We can't help it, really - for we, like you, are Grateful Dead fans above all else. Just like you, we've spent countless hours debating the merits of show over show, year over year. We've kept a watchful eye on your wish-lists and carefully considered how to make - excuse the cliché - your dreams come true. And once we've made our commitments, we are steadfast in our determination to conjure up those dreams fully-formed and nearly perfect. Sometimes these heights cannot be reached without physical and cosmic elements aligning, and that, dear friends, is why it has taken so long for us to bring you THE ONE and the epic shows that surrounded it. No need for even the slightest embellishment here, 5/8/77 Barton Hall, Cornell University: Ithaca, NY, has for decades, been THE resounding favorite; you've said it yourselves - the "holy grail" of Grateful Dead shows. Thanks to the passion and perseverance of Dead Heads like you, we are beyond pleased to finally be able to present this show and its brethren, the fabled four of Spring '77, in sonically pristine condition.

    MAY 1977: GET SHOWN THE LIGHT is a collection of what is unanimously believed to be the most sought-after previously unreleased complete shows the Grateful Dead ever played. Collected, traded, and debated for decades, "the beloved Golden Trinity" of Boston, Ithaca, and Buffalo, along with their New Haven prelude, have inspired fans to "get on the bus," converted critics, and even garnered national attention (Cornell was added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry). But until now, you've never really heard them quite like this!

    The Dead is in the details... how serendipitous is it that the notorious Betty Cantor-Jackson soundboard recordings were returned to the archive just in time for the 40th anniversaries of these shows? Lovingly sourced from these well-reputed recordings, we invite you to experience four utopian shows just like they happened, to "be inside the music" as engineer Betty Cantor-Jackson intended. Whether you listen to each night on its own or imbibe the whole lot at once, we suspect you'll hear why every note mattered. Much like we were, you will be hard-pressed to determine which of these fine documents - will it be the understated but nuanced New Haven, Boston's festive fantasy vibes, the monumental catharsis of Ithaca, or Buffalo’s dreamy exuberance - is truly "the best." Does it really matter? We think not.

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  • kyleharmon
    Joined:
    '77 is still pretty sweet no
    '77 is still pretty sweet no matter how you slice it.
  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    Re: 1968-1969 and late 1971-1974
    Agree Dave, the gooey goodness years. The reverb comment is interesting.. I believe Betty added this at the time she recorded the shows. I suspect it was not blasted out of the PA that way.. makes the case for a well made Matrix as I believe there are some very good audience recordings from that year. I also believe this is one of the reasons for the legends surrounding these shows (and May 77 in general). For a band not necessarily known for their vocals and harmonies, this reverb smoothed out the rough edges and is pleasant sounding until you get into multiple listens and critiques. I liked it at first but it was a passing fancy.. I tend to prefer a little less of it was we saw later in the year. Anyway.. just a comment, no wrong or right answer, after all it is what it is and we can't change the way it was recorded. Just very happy Betty recorded as many shows as she did and it looks like we are finally seeing a bunch of them in their full glory.
  • daverock
    Joined:
    May 77-workingman
    I agree, the reverb on these shows does detract from the basic sound. I think these May 1977 shows are great-maybe among the best....since their so called retirement in 1975. But they fall a long way short of the shows played during their peak years-which for me were 1968-1969 and late 1971-1974. The jams in those years knock the shows from 1977 into a cocked hat. Even ones played in May.
  • Dennis
    Joined:
    Phish at Chi-town
    I bought all 3 Chicago shows, haven't even finished the labeling process yet,, a couple of pokes sounded good.
  • LedDed
    Joined:
    05.08.1977
    I've been sipping Hornitos like a gentleman and cradling Charvel San Dimas Style 1 hardtail, noodling along giving Barton another listen, on shuffle, for interest. What I'm struck by is the intense focus by the drummers and Phil. I can't say the rhythm section was ever tighter, without any loss of the loose feel that defines the Dead. The "pulse" is omnipresent here. It's a pulse, that energy, when it is present and it is present as all hell here. 40 years later it draws the listener in. Talk about a shelf life. It's great, all of it. I could do without Lazy Lightning/Supplication but that's just me and you go on and love it if you wish. No phlegm on Jerry he sounds crystal as does everyone. It's all so subjective to say this is the best show or tour ever, but everything is really clicking here and this is a show where I can appreciate Donna. A beautiful moment caught in time.
  • kyleharmon
    Joined:
    some have been saying the
    some have been saying the first two phish Chicago shows have been been garbage. they cant be that bad. I liked Coventry so I know I wouldn't have a problem with em at all.
  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    To be honest....
    ....I haven't listened to the Spring '77 box in a couple of weeks. Been stuck in '69-'71 shows. But all good things in all good time....
  • kyleharmon
    Joined:
    The book is pretty good
    The book is pretty good reading. i'd much rather read people's stories of going to shows then actually reading about the band
  • Mytime
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    Joined:
    I confess
    i have not yet bothered to listen to any of these or read the book, merely checked the disks for issues when that hysteria was in vogue. it would suck if the reverb ruined this but yours is the first mention. 71 to 76 in heavy rotation, then maybe the 78 box again before getting shown the light.
  • kyleharmon
    Joined:
    I'll Bring it back around to
    I'll Bring it back around to May '77: I'm loading May '77 into my Ipod....that's all I have to contribute.
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May 1977: Get Shown The Light (All Music Edition)

WHAT'S INSIDE:
Four Complete Shows on 11 discs
Four folios housed in a slipcase
5/5/77 Veterans Memorial Coliseum: New Haven, CT
5/7/77 Boston Garden: Boston, MA
5/8/77 Barton Hall, Cornell University: Ithaca, NY
5/9/77 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium: Buffalo, NY
50-page book of liners and photographs
Sourced from the Betty Cantor-Jackson soundboard recordings, transferred by Plangent Processes
Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
Artwork by Grammy-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike
Release Date: May 5, 2017

WHAT DEAD HEADS HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT...

NEW HAVEN 5/5/77
"Here is a prime example of the saying ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parts’ … It’s called synergy and the Dead wrote the book on it.”

BOSTON 5/7/77
“The music they laid down brought me places I had not been before.”

CORNELL 5/8/77
“...the single best rock performance anywhere, anytime, by anyone.”

“There was just some kind of magical connection this night between the band members and the band and the audience - some texture, or some type of cosmic or celestial force is in the room.”

"This show is, was, and always will be Mecca.”

BUFFALO 5/9/77
"...an awesome display of the Dead’s captivating power"

If you've been following this site for quite some time, then you will know we are often flush with hyperbole when it comes to our releases. We can't help it, really - for we, like you, are Grateful Dead fans above all else. Just like you, we've spent countless hours debating the merits of show over show, year over year. We've kept a watchful eye on your wish-lists and carefully considered how to make - excuse the cliché - your dreams come true. And once we've made our commitments, we are steadfast in our determination to conjure up those dreams fully-formed and nearly perfect. Sometimes these heights cannot be reached without physical and cosmic elements aligning, and that, dear friends, is why it has taken so long for us to bring you THE ONE and the epic shows that surrounded it. No need for even the slightest embellishment here, 5/8/77 Barton Hall, Cornell University: Ithaca, NY, has for decades, been THE resounding favorite; you've said it yourselves - the "holy grail" of Grateful Dead shows. Thanks to the passion and perseverance of Dead Heads like you, we are beyond pleased to finally be able to present this show and its brethren, the fabled four of Spring '77, in sonically pristine condition.

MAY 1977: GET SHOWN THE LIGHT is a collection of what is unanimously believed to be the most sought-after previously unreleased complete shows the Grateful Dead ever played. Collected, traded, and debated for decades, "the beloved Golden Trinity" of Boston, Ithaca, and Buffalo, along with their New Haven prelude, have inspired fans to "get on the bus," converted critics, and even garnered national attention (Cornell was added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry). But until now, you've never really heard them quite like this!

The Dead is in the details... how serendipitous is it that the notorious Betty Cantor-Jackson soundboard recordings were returned to the archive just in time for the 40th anniversaries of these shows? Lovingly sourced from these well-reputed recordings, we invite you to experience four utopian shows just like they happened, to "be inside the music" as engineer Betty Cantor-Jackson intended. Whether you listen to each night on its own or imbibe the whole lot at once, we suspect you'll hear why every note mattered. Much like we were, you will be hard-pressed to determine which of these fine documents - will it be the understated but nuanced New Haven, Boston's festive fantasy vibes, the monumental catharsis of Ithaca, or Buffalo’s dreamy exuberance - is truly "the best." Does it really matter? We think not.

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i've seen two of your posts in one weekcomplaining about someone's negative comments-guess what, when someone has an opinion that is not aligned with your thoughts,even if it's about someone setting a price for something they selling or the band is slop before pigpen.its gonna be negative.it's their prerogative to say it's not worth it or no thanks.i think it's your emotional immaturity to anything negative or something you don't agree with.you could have left it to-"that's your opinion and i don't agree."instead you feel it's necessary to put someone down.earth without rain is a desert.
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Hi all, A technical issue I'm hoping to resolve: Recently ordered this set, promptly downloaded the CDs to my iTunes collection. Getting 1-2 second pauses between most of the tracks which disturbs the flow of the music. Does anyone know what might be causing this, and how to fix it? Gareth
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It’s most likely caused by a setting in iTunes. Go into the iTunes preferences and see what is listed for import settings, as well as for playback settings.If you still can’t fix it then google it, there should be instructions somewhere.
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To icecrmcnkd, Thank you for your reply, much appreciated! If I may, I'd like to followup with a second question: it was only a year ago that I first discovered the Grateful Dead, and I'd love to hear recommendations from older fans about which live albums to listen to next? Thanks again, Gareth
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You know, Gareth, it really comes down to what you like about the Dead... When I put in the Dead, I rarely want to listen to songs, so to speak. I tend to go for the long, inspired jams. For this, I would suggest the Winterland 1973 boxed set as No. 1, so far... though in general, shows from the 1973-1974 will be your best bet for this... That said, there are gems of shows throughout the years, though I've never personally been impressed by anything later than 1977. May 1977: Get Shown the Light (All Music Edition) is a great collection from this year. I also really love One from the Vault, Sunshine Daydream, & Dick's Picks, Vol. 14... The Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack is an all-too-looked-over gem, too. Finally, if you can afford it, I'd recommend getting a copy of the Pacific NW '73-'74 boxed set while it's still available on this site. When these sell out on dead.net, they price-inflate like crazy to 2x their original cost or more.
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Get Shown the Light, the box with the book, was limited to 15,000 copies, I read somewhere.But I can’t find anything on the All Music Edition that’s still available. Can somebody tell me how many of those were printed?
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So, I'm totally showing my newbie-ness, but when the formats are digital, which is the best to download? I'm thinking about uploading to iphone for maximum bluetoothing. Also, is the first selection a CD collection of the four shows? I didn't see it listed behind the All Music Edition, so I figured it must be sold out.

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In reply to by schrodd234

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16/44.1 is CD format, so you could convert to WAV or AIFF on a computer and burn CDs if you wanted to, as well as have the digital file on a music player.

The higher resolution files are for a computer or music player. If you wanted to burn CDs from those files you would lose the higher resolution that you paid more for.

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First time I've ever seen R.I.P. included in the name of a firm pushing you to go on holiday ! Maybe its a plug for euthanasia.

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they thought they were going for dead people as a marketing niche. Dead heads, dead people, I'm so confused... Anyway, they're gone for the moment.
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Hi there,

I downloaded the ALAC of this digital download but when I import into iTunes it is not recognizing the artist or songs and not creating an album. For the same ALAC download for Pacific Northwest ’73-’74: The Complete Recordings Boxed Set it worked perfectly in iTunes. Why does this download now import correctly? Thanks if anyone knows or can help.

You should ask on the Dave's Picks 30 thread…there's more people on there and very few if any on here…hope it helps.

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Since they sold out of the regular box set with all the bells and whistles, and had a huge demand, Dead.Net is selling an All Music Edition that "...only includes the 11 CDs in four folios and a booklet of liners, housed in a simple slipcase."

So, still the four shows, just without the special packaging and the unpublished book. This time, the order went through. Nothing on the website about this also being a limited release -- it's not numbered, but they don't specify if it's another set amount.

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Hello,
I've purchased the fantastic Lyceum LPs more than a month ago and still nothing arrived.
I've searched for the tracking number done by the GD store on the DHL site but nothing appears.
I've yet written to the customer helpdesk, but I'm curious if somebody encountered my same problem.
Thanks a lot,
Fabianope

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Fabian, send me a PM and I'll see if the Doc can shed some light here.

Just to state the obvious, they are indeed fantastic records. I am half way through 5/25/72 at the moment - one that no-one really mentions. Probably because of the night after, which is a shame as it's a great show in it's own right. Curious "Good Lovin" - 14min 53 seconds, and no Pigpen rap - he just sings the opening the verses and the closing ones some 12 minutes later. In between we have spot on r'n'b jamming like no-one else.

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