More Details
Track listing for both CDs and
the bonus disc as well.
::Click Here
Archives
Browse Vol 1, No 1 Archives
Shows
New Haven, CT - 10/25/79
Uniondale, NY - 10/31/79
Philadelphia, PA - 11/6/79
Landover,MD - 11/8/79
Buffalo, NY - 11/9/79
Ann Arbor, MI - 11/10/79
It’s time to put a little gas-gas-gas back into the ol’ Tour Bus and give it another spin, because Grateful Dead is very pleased to announce the debut of a new series of archival releases called Road Trips!
Here’s the deal: We all loved the Dicks Picks series. Over the course of 36 amazing releases between 1993 and 2005, GD archivists Dick Latvala (R.I.P.) and David Lemieux continually blew our little minds plucking one righteous show after another from the vaults, from classics like the February ’70 Fillmore East run (DP4) and Englishtown ’77 (DP 15), to overlooked masterpieces like 9/28/76 (DP 20) and 9/21/72 (DP 36), and shows not in general circulation among traders at the time, such as the February ’68 shows of DP 22 and the superb “Houseboat Tapes” from August 1971 that made up DP 35. Coupled with the many exceptional releases culled from multitrack tapes (the Fillmore West box, Steppin’ Out, The Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack, Nightfall of Diamonds, et al) and the popular Download Series, there’s been a lot of musical territory covered over the years… but not all of it, of course—not even close!
With Road Trips we’re going to try something a little different. We want to plug in a few more pieces of the Grateful Dead puzzle by putting the spotlight on different tours and series of shows that have been neglected through the years. Take Road Trips Volume 1, Number 1, for instance. This two-disc set (plus a special Bonus Disc - now sold out) was culled from the Dead’s blazing fall 1979 East Coast swing, when the band was just hitting its stride with new keyboardist Brent Mydland. You’ll find killer versions of “Dancing in the Street” > “Franklin’s Tower,” long exploratory jams on “Playing in the Band” and “Terrapin,” a rattle-your-brain “Shakedown,” and lots more, all pulled from the master tapes in the vault and expertly mastered in HDCD for maximum power and clarity by Jeffrey Norman. The sold out Bonus Disc offers another hour-and-a-quarter of highlights from the tour. (You can find the complete track listings for all three discs here.)
Every Road Trips release will come with a beautifully designed booklet containing an essay about how the music on the discs fits into the Dead’s long history, plus many rare and never-before-seen photographs. We think you’ll agree it’s a pretty cool package. But wait, there’s more (as they say)! When each “edition” of Road Trips is announced on this site, we will also give you a link to an affiliated site devoted to the series which will include such goodies as articles and reviews from the tour (See one reviewer after another mess up Grateful Dead song titles! See the band savaged by cretinous critics!); additional photos; and any other weird/cool stuff we come across. Together we can paint a really rich and vibrant audio-visual picture of different stops along the Grateful Dead highway!
And this is just the BEGINNING of what we promise will be a tidal wave of releases, which will include more rarities from the deepest corners of the vault, multitrack releases, box sets (the patient will be rewarded; nudge-nudge, wink-wink, say no more), DVDs, downloads and who-knows-what-else. So keep your Third Eye tuned into this space for more in the coming weeks and months!
--Blair Jackson
A Few AFAQ’s (Anticipated Frequently Asked Questions) About Road Trips
Sounds pretty interesting, but what took you guys so frickin’ long? We thought you’d forgotten us.
Naw, we never forgot you. It’s just taken a little longer than expected to get the ball rolling again and to figure out how to move forward in a way that will satisfy and hopefully also expand the fan base. As a certain sage known to all of us once wrote: “It takes time to pick a place to go…”
Is Dicks Picks over, done, kaput?
Yes, that series of releases ended with Volume 36. It will continue to be available, however. Road Trips will have a little more flexibility than Dicks Picks, in that we are not limited to full-show releases, or even 2-track tapes…or anything for that matter—we haven’t made any rules about what IT is. I guarantee we’ll surprise you from time to time.
But we want to hear full shows, too!
Don’t worry, there will definitely still be full-show releases. We’ll have more on that soon.
OK, I guess it might be pretty cool. I’ll check it out. In fact I’ve got a ton of ideas of shows and tours you guys should be releasing…
Well, let’s hear it. Of course we want your well-reasoned insights and input! The Dead have always looked to Dead Heads for inspiration and ideas, and you’re needed now more than ever!
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We should note....
...that this is Road Trips: Volume 1 Number 1. The fact that they use both "volume" and "number" in the title seems to indicate that there will be a Road Trips: Volume 1 Number 2 before they move on to Road Trips: Volume 2 Number 1. I would speculate that the reason the Cape Cod show wasn't part of the compilation is that they are saving it Volume 1 Number 2.
FYI- This is the second time that I have posted this opinion. Earlier today I posted it and then it disappeared. Strange...
At least it's SOMETHING...
...but I wonder if this will be enough to satisfy us who like to see more than one release every 6 months. The tour idea is alright, but complete shows are where it's at. That should be the focal point of Rhino's mission, not compilations intended to increase the fan base. Considering their current efforts are alienating fans, their strategy needs a serious course correction or else it will be a zero sum game with very little to show for their efforts.
Rhino still has bears the significant burden of demonstrating that they are up to the task of managing the vault. This helps, but it's not nearly enough.
Road Trips
Finally!!! I don't care what form the music gets put out on--just gimme the music man!!! Complete shows, parts of shows--you put it out, i'll buy it! The garage is back open....
any word on shipping date?
just placed my order on monday...any word on when the shipping begins?
Anyone got it Yet?
got notification it is on it's way also
but to europe , how many months
Bob
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Spanish Jam
Hey Now
Hey, I'm grateful for whatever but...I have a point no one seems to have thought about, or at least mentioned.
There surely is only so much energy available to be put into preparing material for release. When that energy is put into these compilations then it seems to me there is less energy to put into preparing whole shows for release. That means fewer whole shows being released.
Someone earlier made the excellent comment about feeling the whole vibe of a concert when the entire show is in a release. For those who were actually tour heads (as opposed to those who went to the odd show when the Dead were in their area or who never even attended a show) this is a big deal.
One last thing. Any chance of a remixed Europe 72 release? The old mix has been sweetened i.e. the speed has been sped up to make it seem more energetic. This was a common trick in the seventies to make stuff sound poppier. That's why Jerry's vocal sounds so squeaky. It's also really annoying when u try to jam along on your own guitar as u have to tune slightly up.
Do u guys check for pitch when you prep these newer releases?
These are just some thoughts of mine. I would love to get some feedback on these ideas.
All in all it is all good though. I know u cats put a lot of irie energy into these projects and there are probably many different reasons for making decisions about releases that are not known by the general public. So, a big thank you for all of the kind efforts!
Are you kind?
possible future tour compilations
I for one still like the whole show concept. However if Dead/Rhino productionsare going to have a tour series I suggest the Winterland shows from October 78
(from Egypt with love shows) and the April 82 east coast swing. You could put together
a fantastic 3 or 4 cd set from both of those runs...
onward!!!!
Got Mine
Listening at work - lovin' every second. Don't always have time to listen to a whole show from start to finish. Love the snippets of great (did I say "great"?) music I can listen to before the next distraction comes along. Sound is great, boys sound great. Who could ask for anything more. Trust in the cosmos to provide what you need.
Received my order today, but
Received my order today, but they didn't send the bonus disc. I ordered this the first day it was available to try to support Rhinos "effort" to continue releasing shows. WTF over?
Holy smokes
I gotta say, I love the idea of releasing partial shows, or show segments, or however you want to refer to it. This just makes for such a great listen...the sound quality is killer, and every moment of music is off the chain. I got mine today, and I'm VERY impressed.
Bonus Disc
I placed my order on the 3rd and will be extremely disappointed if the bonus disc is not in the package - seeing that the announcement was made on the 2nd. Not good.
bonus disc
I'd venture to say that REK's experience above is a screw-up that has nothing to do with a scarcity of bonus discs at this point...Don't panic. Mistakes happen...
Aww ... c'mon
I don't want a compilation ... I want full shows. Also, the way the GD organization is handling their customer service is appallingly bad. No responses to my inquiries at all. Damaged items were returned and never replaced. No correspondence is answered. It's like they take your cash and that's it -- they're done with you no matter what.
RS
Got it yesterday...
I received the Road Trips album yesterday with the bonus disc and I really like the sound quality. Brent sounds great and I'm also very impressed with the overall sound and packaging. I also recently had a question for GD Customer service and emailed them and received a response within 2-3 hours...so, for me at least, they were very responsive.
I like both the complete show and compilation releases. Some days I like listening to a complete show and other times a compilation works. It sounds like Rhino will be releasing both types of albums, so I would guess that there should be plenty of product types for everyone. I'm probably going to end up buying whatever is released so I like to get as much as possible. If only a few songs from a particular show have the sound quality for a release, then that's fine to go with a compilation.
I would like to see an official release form one of the shows I attended...the 2/26/77 Swing Auditorium show. The version i have is pretty good but it would be great to have a HDCD version.
Tim
Jodester
The one I listen to is from the box, and, yes, it has been remastered, but the pitch is the same. I've got a CD player with pitch control that solves this quirk. "Steppin' Out", however, is Dead-on!
"From day to day, just lettin' it ride,
You get so far away from how it feels inside,
You can't let go, 'cause you're afraid to fall,
But the day may come when you can't feel at all."
Bonus Disc
I would venture to say that my experience is more likely going to be the exception. Unfortunately for me, this is the third time I've ordered GD from Rhino and the third time they've screwed up my order. Their customer service has been a nightmare each time. I've been trying to reach someone via e-mail and phone since yesterday, and have not received a response. Someone did pick up at one point and then promptly hung up. Extremely frustrating. I haven't had a chance to listen to the discs yet, but I'm looking forward to it. My five month old daughter wants a little Daddy time, and I'm too in love to deny her.
:) Deadicated
Thanks for that info Deadicated! Hard to believe it hasn't been pitch corrected.
I need one of these cd players u spoke of. What brand is it and what model? :)
Are you kind?
sad
This release is just wrong. Please don't go past Volume 1. I might buy some copies -- NEVER listen to them -- and destroy them so no one can ever hear them.
Without A Net was a GREAT release... at the time. It's no wonder that it's now one of the cheapest used Grateful Dead CDs there is.
People want FULL SHOWS. How difficult is this to comprehend?
On the pace you're at now, what year will it be before we have everything? Has anyone figured this out? 2843 maybe?
Please stop this compilation idea immediately. Please.
Road Trips
I dont have alot to say everything has pretty much been said. My order is in and I cant wait to recieve it. I am however very excited about finally some new releases or a new series. I will also say that I am a fan of complete shows. I read a comment earlier that said they thought that vol. 1 number 2 could be a complete show from the tour. If this is the case i would be excited for the new series I kind of like the idea of a compilation preview then a full show or maybe two full shows for the second release. Either way happy about a new series.
Problem on ordering
Is anyone having problems ordering from the store? For some reason it won't take my order!! And to top it off there is NO 1-800 number to call and place a order.GOD I miss the days then GDP ran the store..........no problems.
So I sent a comment to CS and told them what it was NOT DOING.
lets see how long before anyone gets back to me.
Anyone want to burn me a copy of ROAD TRIPS and mail it to me? LOLOLOL
Peace good people
Gary H
800 number for Store
Gary, et al., here it is:
(877) 726-6663
Short version, there have been a couple reports of this nature but the tech folks have been unable to replicate the problem, as everything is working fine when they try. If the problem hasn't gone away by now, speak up, but also feel free to use that 877 number. Thanks!
Bonus Disc Confusion
I'm relieved to here that the bonus discs are not sold out - thanks Blair. I was a bit freaked out...too much coffee not enough sleep.
Road trips
Root Boy This new development is extremely disappointing. Is this for people with short attention spans or is there a feeling that whole shows just aren't good enough? Those of us who are long time fans have always sought out entire shows and nirvana would be ordering the particular show from the vault which was truly significant or had a personal connection (i.e. ones that you attended). This is going down the road of the apt titled "Dozin' at the Knick". The ebb and flow, the building of momentum are extremely important in the overall appreciation of a Dead show. Don't alienate your core fan base. Demographically speaking, this base gets smaller all the time. Please dump this compilation concept and return to issuing complete shows or better yet the concept I suggeted earlier, let us order it and if it is in the vault, sell it to us. Kind of a reverse Dick's Picks. P.S. I am glad Dick is not around to see this Road Trip scheme.
Glad to hear that full-show releases are still coming
I'll probably buy this, but I probably would have bought a few of these shows as separate Vault releases or DP's. If a show has extra-hot moments but isn't good enough to be an official release, why not put it up as a Download?
Hope RT Vols. 2, 3, and 4 bring plenty of full shows, or next-best-thing arrangements, as with DP's 4, 12, 25, 28, and 31.
shipping costs??? WTF?
i was a little confused/angered by why higher shipping rates are offered? What angered me was the fact that people who ordered this release on monday, and paid the $4 dollar shipping got their discs today. Meanwhile, I and several other people I know who paid the $15 dollar shipping still havent gotten their discs? Whats the point in paying the extra shipping costs? I know next time i wont be fooled again.
anyone else notice this?
WTF?
the butterbean
Recieved
My copy arrived today (erm uh Friday) and chose the cheapest shipping option. Currently listening to the bonus disc. I gotta say that I love new Brent era releases. Sounds fantastic, especially from a cassette master source tape. I also like the eco-friendly packaging.
Anyone who won't buy this because it's not a full show is really missing out bigtime with this release.
The Terrapin>Playin' alone is worth the price of admission not to mention the China>Rider and especially the Dancin>Franklin's.
Bonus Disc missing!!
So I get my order today of Road Trips without a bonus disc. Calls to Customer Service indicate that a bunch of orders got out there without a bonus disc. A new copy, with bonus disc is on it's way to me. The only hassle, I have to send the copy I received without the bonus disc back. Why doesn't the dead.net store merely send out the missing bonus disc so I don't have to send anything back. Let them remove the bonus disc from a copy they have, they keep the 2 disc Road Trips (instead of having me send back my copy), and I am happy and they have what I have to send back to them anyway!!!!
Skull and Roses
This is directed at Blair's comments about past live records...
First off Blair nothing but respect to you and the dead family from me. Having a forum for a friendly passionate debate is very important., I think I speak for all of us when I say Thank you all for having it... If I don’t then sorry LOL
Today’s digital age and the state of the trading community is much different than what it was back in the days of Skull %&^$ , Live Dead and Europe ’72. The record business was way different as well. Hell, as a kid I only got to see the Wizard of OZ once a year on TV and I only had 7 channels of TV to choose from… Today things are much different.. The amount of media and its instantaneous on demand delivery is something that none of us could have dreamed of at the time of release of the classic ‘Live’ album of yesterday. It has its place and there is a whole section of the community that will love the on the road series. In parallel, a more on demand paradigm will only help foster better buying from a different sector of the market. What the record companies have yet to grasp is that the days of take what we give is over… itunes allows you to go buy one song. The digital sharing world has killed the record store… Just ask Tower! Is this an end to the music business? No it is an opportunity to create a new way to sell music and content or package it for profit that could way surpass the revenue of old.
Skull and Roses cont
We can’t turn back the hands of time to change what the public has come to enjoy and expect. I know that sounds spoiled but we as people have become spoiled over time no doubt about it. My original comments in this thread circa Page 4 or 5 highlighted the opportunity Rhino has to make so much more than releases.. In this age, ‘Communal’ marketing will be king. The Group that can harness the mind share of its patrons in a family way will be the kings and not only in just the sale of discs. Rhino will not only sell music and video but they can distribute content in a very personal way by choice not only by release… When you by a book from Amazon it is printed on order many times. The same can be done with music. If the archive is truly a digital archive the same can be done as an on demand sale of shows for example. Amazon started as a book seller and now they are like the number one seller of everything on the web. If they only stopped at selling books where would they be? They reached out to there community and marketed intelligently based on preference of the individual in the context of the purchasing habits of the community and grew into the giant they are. This is just one idea and not a point to debate just an example.
I personally would be more excited about the prospect of seeing master classes on the development of playing over a period as illustrated by runs or tours using whole shows. Accompanied by thoughtful in depth commentary by the likes of you , Dave and other tapers and dead historians. Call it GDU: Grateful Dead Go to College. The commentary could be like study notes in a binder with the discs delivered as sleeves in the binder with room for the next one to be inserted.
The point is that content is king. In bringing in the greater community into the discourse, by feeding the community based on their personal or collective needs, while keeping control and tabs on the output, will open you up to so many more things… For example you can see people buying a lot of 72 shows and that could give you a direction for a pamphlet for sale on the history of the 72 shows they purchased, or a re-release of tee shirts sold from ’72. Discourse will yield prosperity for GDP, Rhino and the community. It gives marketing data that is priceless. Information is king. The possibilities are endless…
So am I a customer with desires? Yes
Do I vote with my wallet? Yes
Will I buy the on the road series? No
Will many others buy it? Yes
Is that a good thing? Yes
Will Rhino listen to the majority of its audience and deliver more of what we beg for? I don’t know
Do we care that The drummers missed a beat here or there? , or that Bobby never sang Truckin’ through without fumbling the words? Or that Jerry’s voice cracked when he went high? The answer is NO NO NO!... These are the happy mistakes!
Do we care that people have traded SBDs of the shows ? No every release you do will sound better and that’s what we want!
So I hope the powers that be take this to heart and with the proper respect that is given from me to you!
Whole shows and Runs!
Love
IMINCHARGE
Got it. Love it.1979 is a
Got it. Love it.
1979 is a year rather lacking in my own collection, too, but I surely will keep my eye out after hearing these discs (though always have loved DP5).
Though if given the choice I'd prefer complete shows too, I have no problem with compilations. After all it's the MUSIC that matters, right? Getting highlights certainly doesn't make me love something like that Dancin'>Franklins any less.
Great sharp, bubbly sound on these discs too. Great job on the mastering, J Norman.
extra 2 cents
Also, I did get the bonus disc and it's definitely hot. Why not just call it a 3-disc set? I wouldn't mind paying the extra coupla bucks. I surely would be bummed if I hadn't been one of the lucky earlybirds.
And now an apology from your idiot mod
Who, in the course of straightening out IMINCHARGE's encounter with the spam filter, inadvertently just deleted some blameless soul's post that was situated between two of IMINCHARGE's duplicates. I think it might have been neddles, but I wouldn't swear to it. It had the header Good Stuff, and was a good post! (As are IMINCHARGE's)
Please re-post. So sorry. AAAAAGH!
This is a terrible move...
As other fans have commented, the dead were always more about the particular songs they played; and about a mood and vibe that carried through in a show. I have purchased every single release, but will pass on this one. It is the only way to demonstrate my strong objection to this format. It is actually insulting, given the nature of the band who created this music.
-EW
This is a terrible move...
With no "Edit" feature, I most post again to correct myself. What I meant to say is..
The dead were always more about the mood and vibe that carried through the show, and not the particular songs that were played"
As a fan since 1970, I am really upset by this direction.
-EW
whoisincharge
Imincharge, your points are all well-taken. Since ImNOTincharge, I can't really predict what will happen in terms of the vault eventually being fully digitized and made available on a per show basis, etc. Philosophically I'd say that idea makes complete sense, but I have no idea what's actually involved or what the business ramifications would be. I'm sure it's something that is/has been considered. Trust me, everyone is fully aware that we are in a new world of music marketing and that the old paradigms will no longer hold. We're all feeling our way through this seismic shift, and in doing so, there are going to be releases you like and ones you don't like. Twas EVER thus! What surprises me (though as grizzled veteran of deadnet central discussion groups for many years, it shouldn't) is the vituperative vitriol being spewed by so many. The idea that this release of "Road Trips" is somehow "insulting" (as easywind54 suggests) is unfathomable to me. But then there were always people at shows who took Bob playing "Minglewood" when he "should've" picked something "better" as a personal insult, too...
$15 shipping and still no sign
paid extra and everything...and still no sign of it$4 shipping people got theirs already
makes no sense to me
IMINCHARGE
Blair...
Know that the road trips does not anger me. I think it will sell fine and there is a part of the community who digs being fed a compilation,. I respect it and think there is a big place for that .
... As well I get the starbucks release and think it will be a very big earner. I do not begrudge anybody making money and the music is the bands not mine so .. Your not talking to a radicalized myopic uber my way or the highway head here LOL
You will always have the people who say jerry 'peterd out' and on the other hand have the people who love black peter more than any other second set slowdown song. We heads all come in various shapes and sizes and have opinions... Did I say we voice them as well ROFL ;-)
Tongue firmly in cheek.
But we know you all have things there that were produced alla Wnterland runs and other full runs or shows that are edited and ready to go like the Portchester.. Why not let um out in the mean time?
You will find that there is a very large fan base who is desperate for that stuff and is awaiting it Like the children of Israel at the the base of the mountain when Moses brought down the tablets... Funny that is a great visual. Except in my mind he is carrying REELS!
I hope you all haven't taken this as spewing angry 'vituperative vitriol ' :-? But just as my wishes and desires as well as my buying habits and opinions... and we all know what opinions are like....
I :-)
Nah, I didn't mean you,
Nah, I didn't mean you, imincharge. At the danger of sounding like a record company weasel, which I most assuredly am not, (though I've been around record companies my entire professional life, more than 30 years, so I do know a lot about 'em), I do want to note that from a commercial perspective there is such a thing as releasing too much and over-saturating the market. (I'm not suggesting that one release is over-saturating!) But when you hear the frequent cries to the effect of "put it all out, I'll buy it all," history does not suggest that is the case, even with Dead Heads. In fact, there have been times in recent years when there has been "too much" GD and Garcia stuff released around the same time and as a result some of it gets lost in the shuffle--which is completely understandable. It's not easy for the average person to keep up with it all (how many of us have friends who say, "Oh, I lost track of Dicks Picks after #14..."? I know many people like that, and they were hard core fans back in the day) and it's easy to be overwhelmed by all the information coming from different directions, not to mention financially challenging to "buy it all."
So hopefully what you'll see emanating from this site over the next months and years is a sanely managed program of different kinds of releases that will please some of the people most of the time; to expect more would be be unrealistic.
thanks
Blair thanks a lot.. That is the most direct answer I have heard.. :-)
I get that...But think more would be sold than you think. I do think though that people would buy into a run a 1/4 of a yr and a show of the month club for sure! With not blinking an eye. Remember we can't walk into the vault and just listen to it... OOOOFFFAAA
Like in the current taper section 11/11/73 cuts ..Even in the swirly MP3 streaming you can here the quality... Love the tapers section. Would love an expanded commentary on a whole show like that oh please oh please.. now you reduced me to begging for 11/11/73. LOL
I guess thats just the way it will be....
Thanks again
I
too much
Blair is probably more correct than anyone on this site would care to admit. How many here have collected Dead shows on cassette for years? Oftentimes we just tape them to have them, but will probably never listen to them again. Now we look at the old tape collection, and wonder if it is worth converting them to digital files, or just toss them, and get a better copy from a download site. But are we ever going to listen to all of them in their entirety again? Well, probably not.
I myself have just decided to enjoy some of the shows I have. I have been listening to DP 33 for a time now. That is one excellent release! I'll probably have to put it down when I get my Road Trips in the mailbox.
Speaking for myself, I understand the marketing aspect, and will probably not be too worried, as long as I know that sooner or later, another good release will occur. I remember I used to buy Springsteen bootlegs just to hold me over between studio releases. I can recall that long stretch between 1975 and 1978, it was a killer, but worth when Darkness came out.
Greg SC
springsteen boots
I went through the same thing, Greg! That was the longest three years of my life, waiting for "Darkness." Fortunately there were those great bootlegs (with "Thundercrack," "Pretty Flamingos," et al) to tide us over. And then the album and the '78 tour were, dare I say, the BEST EVER! (No, really!)
Springsteen!
Speaking of The Boss, I had a great stroke of luck last week. I got in my car to drive to Portland, hooked up my Sirius tuner and was listening to the GD channel. I accidentally hit the preset #2 button, which took me to Radio E Street at the precise moment when the 12/15/78 Winterland show started. Hadn't heard it in years, and I listened to it all the way through as I headed up I-5. What a serendipitous treat.
GD Hour blog
Station list
Springsteen
Saw Springsteen at Hammersmith in i think 76 or 77 can't remember which and he was amazing.
The same show that has been released with the remaster Born To Run
Bob
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Spanish Jam