What's Inside:
7 Previously Unreleased Complete Shows On 20 Discs
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 12/09/71
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 12/10/71
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 10/17/72
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 10/18/72
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 10/19/72
Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO 10/29/73
Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO 10/30/73
Sourced from tapes recorded by Rex Jackson, Owsley "Bear" Stanley, and Kidd Candelario
Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
Restoration and Speed Correction by Plangent Processes
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 13,000
Steamboats and BBQ, ice cream cones and Mardi Gras - are you ready to laissez les bons temps rouler with the "gateway" to the Grateful Dead? Meet us, won't you, in St. Louis for seven complete and previously unreleased Dead concerts that capture the heart of the band's affinity for the River City.
LISTEN TO THE RIVER: ST. LOUIS ’71 ’72 ’73 is a 20CD set featuring five shows from the Fox Theatre - December 9 and 10, 1971; October 17-19, 1972; and two from the Kiel Auditorium - October 29 and 30, 1973.
The seven shows in the collection span slightly less than two years, but they represent some of the best shows the Grateful Dead played during some of its peak tours. The music tells the story of a band evolving, changing from one sound to another seamlessly, precipitated – in large part – by significant personnel changes in the Dead’s lineup.
The two 1971 shows feature the original Grateful Dead lineup plus newcomer Keith Godchaux on piano. This version of the band would hold together for the next six months as the Dead embarked upon its Europe ’72 tour. By the time the Dead returned to the Fox Theatre less than a year later, they were without Pigpen, who’d played his final show with the Dead at the Hollywood Bowl on June 17, 1972. A year after the exceptional Fox 1972 shows, the Dead came back to St. Louis, but played the much larger Kiel Auditorium, touring behind the release of WAKE OF THE FLOOD, which came out just two weeks before.
All told, the band played 60 different songs during these shows highlighted by blazing romps through “Beat It On Down The Line” and “One More Saturday Night” and wistful takes on “Row Jimmy” and “Brokedown Palace” (whose lyrics give the collection its name). Meanwhile, the copious jamming ebbed and flowed like the mighty Mississippi River on multiple voyages through “The Other One” and “Dark Star.” Naturally, the band paid tribute to one of its favorite rock and rollers and one of St. Louis’ biggest stars by playing Chuck Berry songs at every show in the collection, including Pigpen galloping through “Run Rudolph Run.”
Each show has been restored and speed corrected using Plangent Processes with mastering by Jeffrey Norman. The collection comes in a slipcase with artwork by Liane Plant and features an 84-page hardbound book as well as other Dead surprises. To set the stage for the music, the liner notes provide several essays about the shows, including one by Sam Cutler, the band’s tour manager during that era, and another by Grateful Dead scholar Nicholas G. Meriwether, among others.
Due October 1st, LISTEN TO THE RIVER: ST. LOUIS ’71 ’72 ’73, is limited to 13,000 individually numbered copies and available exclusively from Dead.net.
Drummer(s) - Heart and Soul
The transition from Sittin' on Top of the World back into the Other One on 12/10 is mesmerizing, they turned that corner so fast, I don't think two drummers would have been as smooth; Billy had that Jazz/swing down, Mickey not so much.
10/18/72: Bobby tries to tell his old Yellow Dog story, the band cuts him off while they play a few bars of Heart and Soul, fun stuff.
I also tried, doesn't work
Daverock: Thanks for the Starday info, sounds right up my alley. Hoping Bear Family will do a King Records set in the future, a few actually, there's tons of killer Hillbilly and Blues in there.
Random note: the standalone release of 12/10/71 has a much nicer and sturdier slip case. Looking forward to the vinyl release.
Just a suggestion
I use canned air duster to get some dust particles off the cds that come from a new box or Dap. I noticed that sometimes you cant see any dust and it skips anyways, so I puff the disk for a second and 'voila' no skippy diskie.
So far
I have made it through both 71 shows. The sound is impeccable. My new favorite Comes A Time.
My only complaint so far is the booklet. Pages 73-80 are missing. It seems a shame that with all the unused space in the box, they couldn’t have included those. Too be honest, I rarely read through all the liner notes. However, I would like to know how the story ends. No spoilers please.
Yes, for real!
I before I received my box today publicly wished for box #00420. Then, at 4:18 CST (which I thought to conveniently round to 4:20) my box arrived. I was painting, so couldn't grab it 'til around 7. I have an extra large mailbox so it fit in there easy, with Space to spare. :-) Coincidentally, my packing box (the box box) also has 4-2 written in black sharpie on it. I always save the box boxes. Anyway, my avatar is now a snapshot of the booklet. You'd have to save it to your computer to zoom in and see.
Oh, and yes I have already dumped the CDs out inadvertently all over the place. They fall out kinda easy. I look forward to perusing this a bit more in the coming days.
Gotta check my book for pages now though! 00420, baby! :-)
I trust Wilfred T Jones....
....very cool.
Do you people think the remaining band members get these boxes?
And the 10.18.72 Dark Star is Phil Heavy. Very nice.
Band Members Get These Box Sets
Just invoked the Magic 8 Ball.
Q: Do band members get these releases?
A: Signs point to yes.
I don't believe the magic 8 ball has ever been so far. So there you have it.
Arrived/CDs
My box set arrived today. I love all of the extras that were packed in with it, it was a nice surprise. As for most important part, the music, I have only listened to 10/18/72 so far. I have a lot familiarity with that show, so started there. So far it sounds great. Mr. Norman and the Plangent (spelling?) Process really do wonders. I can't wait to get into the rest of the shows. I am familiar with 12/10/71, as I had it on tape back in the day. I have listened to 10/19/72 once so I can't say I really know that show. The rest will be first listens.
I have been going through all of my CDs, GD and otherwise, and I am removing them from those came packed in cardboard slipcases. Those slipcases can scratch the CDs when they are removed. Of course I found several that had the glue issue, where the CD got stuck in the seam where the glue separated. I also came across some slipcases that were loose, so as I as opened them, the CDs almost fell out. So I have been taking the CDs and placing them in individual plastic CDs cases. They don't scratch the CDs and they keep them secured. I don't want to have to replace any because the secondary market prices are nuts.
Day 6…
…of the great box hostage crisis. I’m starting to get a little antsy. Delivery was confirmed today for the 6th straight day, by 8, 7, 10, or any other O’clock, but no show. I still have plenty to listen to, but I’m starting to tire of hearing everyone’s great descriptions, and not being able to listen. Sigh.
Close to perfect
Great concise box great shows ( on my 3rd ) thank you everyone! I could go for a 30 show box( hint hint ) but out of respect for those that have limits I can go for this.
Oh hell whom am I kidding give me every Greek show with a 5’ set lol
iGrateful
As always, i get 2 boxes of every release because i always pay-it-forward to my older brother that first introduced me to the bus schedule before I jumped on!
So yea, we all love it, it is amazing... listening now :-)
...but have you all ripped and played from your digital player (laptop?)
My playback source is JRiver Media, and after i rip and begin playback, i can retrieve digital photo content that scrolls in DISPLAY when I select during playback... have you checked this out?
Great old pictures rotate... Dead through the years + Jimi, bob dylan with the dead, a VERY recent picture of Donna that i think is great + many other moments in time we all remember... Branford Marsalis and others.... this is just from discs 1 & 2 so far!
Anyone else experiencing this as well??
As always, iGrateful
Hope you are all well
Mr. Ones et al....
....the box will arrive. And you will love it.
Grateful
10/17/72 is like jerry said "I mean it was just like, it was just, crackling with energy!" I think we are pretty lucky with this wonderful box. I mean we asked and they listened. This box will be talked about for quite a long time. We should give DL, rhino, and the dead a 21 joint salute.
chuck it out!
Gratefulhan - paper sleeves are quite handy - and you can still store the cds in them within the original jacket of the cds sometimes. Saves even more space than the plastic trays. Another good way of creating more space is to chuck things out that don't matter anymore.
I cannot state it any more…
I cannot state it any more eloquently than other posters have, but having just received this yesterday, I have to say they really have created an amazingly beautiful box set, with GREAT sound!!! These box sets are a celebration of and for the fans, and they really celebrate what a monster force the Grateful Dead was. I've been fortunate to obtain some great box sets this year - Dylan's latest comes to mind - and they are just so great for the packaging, the pictures, the extras (nice touch here Rhino!), but especially the music!
I would say that they have upped their game on this box, but as I look at all the Dead box sets I have, all of them unique and incredible, I think it would be more accurate to say they have absolutely maintained a great standard of quality.
Mr Ones - Yours will arrive, and when it does, it will steal the face right off your head!
10/17/72 is not short
the lack of an other one/dark star my lead one to believe that10/17/72 is short (like 12/9/71 which is really short, i mean seriously did some of it not get recorded?), but at 3 h 40 m i would not classify 10/17/72 as short at all, whoa 31 songs (including the NFA reprise as a song), although i casually listened to this show on the archive shortly after purchasing LTTR i didnt realize how long the show was
oh and someone called out the 12/10/71 comes a time... gotta love the jerry falsetto on empty cup, i think he does that at felt forum too
Beautiful Box Set
Just plainly beautiful. My wife even gave it a spot in the living room and not the basement.
#420 For Wilfred
Too cool! Can you give us some lottery numbers to play?
Cheers!
#00243 today in Germany
Got my box today really quickly just after 8 days receiving the shipping note.
UPS charges an extra of EUR 47 for taxes and fees in front of my frontdoor.
Second lowest number behind Dave's Pix Vol. 3 which has #242 but this
one was a replacement.
Sort out 10/19/72 during a drive and it looks like the show is in full lenght
with stage banters, tunings etc. All CDs are complete and looks fine.
With nearly 1000 shows in my collection there are now four more I've missed
in the past times. Will check them all out during the next week when I have plenty of time.
By the way - my last five:
GD- St. Louis 12/10/71 5-LP Box
Gov't Mule - Philly 09/11/21
Gov't Mule - Virginia Beach 9/17/21
Page & Plant - Unledded
Neil Young - Carnegie Hall 1970 2-LP
Oro, Colorado Gent
Hey Oro! How are you Bud! Bow before the Mighty Leafs, they actually won their home opener last night, only 81 to go! Like Lexie, they are all tease, and they end up breaking your heart. I hope you are enjoying the box set - they really did a hell of a great job on this. I’ve bashed them for some service issues in the past, but man, talk about making amends!
I hope all is well, see you in the playoffs.
Dennis, Nappy Rags - I know you guys love jazz, so I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Coltrane Seattle release next week.
Speaking of Seattle, how phucing cool are those new Kraken uniforms!! They will be a lousy team, but will look first class losing.
Lexie & Her Hot Tub
MaryE chased her off with a broom!
“Scat! You harlot! This is a fan site, not a sight for a fan! Beat it, you and your tub!!!!”
Lexie is gone....
....but so is my post that pointed it out. Am I in trouble?
Listen To The River Box set
Box number 00025 landed in Manchester UK today. It looks fantastic. That’s my weekend sorted!
re: VGuy Ut Oh
...if you are, then I am too. Mine's has gone *poof* also, in acknowledgement of your playful observation...
I suppose any comments related to missing some riff raff here or there aren't taken very kindly. We're all human...it's all good and it was all in good fun. Except captcha. Captcha is not human, and usually not too much fun.
Enjoy the shows people!
Sixtus
P.S. To reiterate my now lost/prior observation of immense enthusiasm: one pertinent/favorite moment so far has been the impeccable and intense transition from Dew back into Playin' on the 18OCT72 show....hadn't heard that before, and I will not forget it any time soon
What a long strange trip it's been
07676 has arrived as promised by UPS> USPS.
On July 21, 2021, the dead DOT net store posted this "Listen To The River: St. Louis '71 '72 '73" box set, and a great and wonderful Head named "Dennis" was the first to poop a comment. Before the day was over, I laid my $219.00 greenbacks down for a box. I love these October '71 shows presented here, along with the Grateful Dead 1971 guru/cheerleader, forensicdoceleven, who relit the 1971 GD joint for me.
Time rolled on with some great comments and discussions, on topic and off-topics
of the GD, but music in general. I think I left a comment or two, also.
Mid-September rolls in and my anticipation builds. A little later a dreaded email arrives stating that there will be a delay in the shipping of this box later than October 1st. No big deal, I'll wait.
Good news with an email my box has shipped, and I may track its progress on the UPS tracker. A little bit later the tracker gives me a date of10/14/2021 as an arrival date via USPS.
A 10-day delay on this one, no big deal, my patience paid off.
Drummers
One of the show's I caught I remember Bill leaving the stage during a Sugaree and Mickey as a lone drummer and he added his own unique textures. The classic Mickey and the Hartbeats boots are good examples that Mickey was also a great jazz stylist when given the platform.
Box number?
I cant believe I'm at the age where I finally can't find the box number on my set. Embarassing. Where do I look? 🦮👽
Box Number
It is on the back of the skinny book.
The older I get the harder it is for me to read small print and these books continue to shrink in size.
I met #1822 yesterday in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Looks good, sounds good . . .
10 18 1972
First show of the box I'm listening straight through. Dang if something didn't pop during BIODTL to clean up the sound-- started hearing much cleaner lines from Phil and Keith, Bobby settled a little more inward. Or maybe a left sided earwax plug finally cleared itself out (the cat sure is licking something....). Or I just turned it up a bit.
I'm not familiar with Fall of '72 and my initial impression is that the playing is a lot more ragged and loose. Tumbling rough. Not E'72 and definitely not yet '73. Like '71! Is that the flow Dave found in these shows? Will see.
Lexie had nothing on 1968 Eva Gabor...
with that perky little dress...and those little white gloves...
m
m
m
m
Oh, sorry. "Getting a little carried away there"
"It's tattooed on the back of the neck"
Name that "airborne" comedy troupe and you win!
Re: Fivebranch and Fall '72
I would definitely agree that they are quite loose Fall '72, I'd argue that they played loosely and laid back, and more in tune with some of the tunes like He's Gone, Sugaree, and especially Bird Song and Playing in the Band. Bird Song is magnificent in Fall '72, and Playing is simply scrumtrulescent in Fall '72 (11/18, 11/15, 10/18, and 11/24, and hopefully 10/17 is as good as the next night's. They also played some great Dark Stars on that tour, partly because of the laid back vibe of the rest of the playing. You also will find a lot of extremely nice China Riders, Jack Straws, Boxes of Rain, and Black-Throated Winds. The Truckin's continue the years expansive versions, but an exceptionally well played tour. I love Europe '72, but a lot of those newer songs which evolved over that long European jaunt, then continued to take shape in Summer '72, were much better, to my ears, than those earlier versions. He's Gone on 11/17 and 11/18 are my two favorite versions ever, just absolutely gorgeous, and this is probably my favorite era for that one. I advise a deep dive into Fall '72, the waters are deep and wide, and this box set provides the literal starting point. 10/18 is a show I've had and loved for years, but have only listened to that massive Playing sequence for the most part for many years, looking forward to getting to that one for a fresh listen, and 10/17 and 10/19 are completely new to me, so I'm pumped for those. Hope the discs get you hooked, pretty sure they will.
Box Set Concept
I am really enjoying this box set. I have had a good listen to 10/19/72. It sounds so good both in audio quality and musically. What i really like though is Dave L's concepts for this box set. This is the 3rd geographical box set and I have to say I really like this idea. Just like the Giants Stadium and PNW, I like how we get shows that span a few years. Yet each illustrates how the band played when at certain venues. Earlier my learning and tape trading days, the Fillmore East was, in mind, and reality one of those geographical powerhouses that brought out the best in the band. I had 2/13/70, and 4/28/71 on tape which confirmed it for me. There are so many more of these geographical power houses - The Spectrum, The Greek, etc... that i really hope Dave L sticks with this formula. That is not to say that getting complete runs of shows shouldn't happen. Still I feel like the method used for the St. Louis box gives a variety of great shows and makes the final product more interesting. Any time I can get some shows with PigPen, then of course the glorious year of 1972 in a box set, well I am happy. Those 1973 shows are looking great to me, so that is just the icing on the cake.
THE CHURCH POLICE!!!
Carlo wins!!!
Big Railroad Blues 12 10 71!!!
Yahoo!!!
Gratefulhan has a good point....
....now do the Greek.
I'm going to dip out of rotation and spin Kiel 10.30.73.
I kinda feel bad not playing some of these shows on their respective anniversaries.
But not THAT bad.
Loose Lucy....
....if I had one word to describe that particular song, it would be "bouncy".
Without taste, genius is only sublime folly.......
Yo! Rockers!!
Anniverseries coming up, just checking in . Fabulous box. Worth it all for the immaculate recording/reissue of the second set from December 10, 1971. I will comment on the 12/9/71 and 12/10/71 shows at the appropriate time, but for now let's be grateful and luxuriate in them......
Moving soon, much longer commute, have loaded up lots of Fall 1972 shows for my listening pleasure. Yes, my fellow rockers, stepping outside my comfort zone, a new and different kind of gooey Grateful Dead goodness, looking forward to the explorations...................
I am fortunate that I was born in a family where music was already a part of life........
Rock on!!!
Doc
When one has been touched by the stellar power and ethereal playing of a sublime musician, one is lifted, if only briefly, to a place beyond the realm of the temporal...............
Ehhh, What's Up Doc!
Enjoy the Bird Songs on your Fall '72 jaunt. What is it? A rocker? A ballad? I say neither. I say it's a Jammer. Son of Dark Star.
And to the rest of you Bolos: I've been listening to this box set a little bit differently. I'm going in order show-by-show, but I'm listening to each show 4 times each. I'm on my last go for 10/17. Looking forward to Light From Ashes next. I also want to re-visit 2nd set 12/10 now that Doc's given it an additional plug; I'll be focused on that thing like Animal House on double-secret-probation.
Yeah, this is a great box set theme. Really enjoying the span of years it covers - from a set list standpoint, we're getting a ton of variety. Europe '72 had roughly 55 different songs. I forget what I came up with for this one, but it was a lot more. Will have to do a recount.
I like that we get a Brokedown Palace from each year.
He's Gone is great this part of '72, but my personal favorites are the firstb three times they ever played it (E72 Tour): up-tempo versions from 4/17, 4/24, and 4/26. There's also a unique trippy version on 5/26 where Bobby breaks out the tremolo.
booklet guitar
On p. 5 of the LTTR booklet, Jerry's strumming on an unfamiliar to me guitar. Anyone know what that is?
DaP #40 is Deer Creek: July 18 & 19, 1990
From the blurb: " . . . not one but two - nearly - complete shows from Noblesville, IN 7/18/90 & 7/19/90. Yes, we've packed it all on four CDs, save for that second night encore which we promise you'll get to hear in the very near future."
I imagine we'll get the encore during November's 30 Days of Dead.