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    Road Trips Volume 3 Number 1

    Oakland, 12/28/79

    The latest installment in our Road Trips series, now entering its third big year (and ninth release overall) is bound to become a favorite. Road Trips Vol. 3, No. 1 is the complete show from December 28, 1979, part of the sparkling run that has already given us the excellent Dick’s Picks: Vol. 5 (from 12/26/79). You’ll recall that these year-end concerts, held at the Oakland Auditorium because Winterland had closed down for good the previous New Year’s Eve, were the first holiday shows featuring new keyboardist Brent Mydland, who joined the band in April 1979.

    The new lineup had been gaining momentum with each passing tour since that spring, and by December was truly hitting its stride. It helped, too, that the band was in the midst of recording their Go To Heaven album, so they were really playing together a lot during this period. This 12/28/79 concert is a blast: a super high-energy rock and roll show that also has its share of spacey jams and exploratory passages. The first set includes standout versions of “Sugaree,” “High Time” (rare enough that it always felt like a treat!) and “The Music Never Stopped,” while the second set opens with the always potent pair of “Alabama Getaway” > “Greatest Story Ever Told,” turns deep and introspective with “Playing in the Band” and “Terrapin,” and then later turns into a non-stop party with “Uncle John’s Band,” “I Need A Miracle,” “Bertha” and Good Lovin’.” If you’re not wiped out after that, the double-encore will waste you—“Casey Jones” and “Saturday Night”!

    The sound on both discs is spectacular (it’s hard to beat great reels as source tapes), and as always the CDs have been mastered to the exacting HDCD spec, because you would accept nothing less. The colorful accompanying booklet contains a number of excellent Jay Blakesberg photos from those Oakland Aud. shows, as well as a typically inspiring essay by the always poetic Dead scribe Steve Silberman.

    So it’s a win-win. A slam-dunk. A no-brainer. For more info on all the goodness packed onto these discs, click here. And when you finally come to your senses and decide that you can longer live another day without Road Trips Vol. 3, No. 1, you can order it here.

    —Blair Jackson

    Track List

    CD 1: Oakland Auditorium Arena, December 28, 1979

    1. SUGAREE
    2. MAMA TRIED>
    3. MEXICALI BLUES
    4. ROW JIMMY
    5. IT’S ALL OVER NOW
    6. HIGH TIME
    7. THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED
    SET 2:
    8. ALABAMA GETAWAY>
    9. GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD

    CD 2: Oakland Auditorium Arena, December 28, 1979

    1. TERRAPIN STATION>
    2. PLAYING IN THE BAND>
    3. RHYTHM DEVILS>
    4. SPACE>
    5. UNCLE JOHN’S BAND>
    6. I NEED A MIRACLE>
    7. BERTHA>
    8. GOOD LOVIN’
    9. CASEY JONES
    10. ONE MORE SATURDAY NIGHT



    15687

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  • estimated-eyes
    14 years 5 months ago
    I second gratefulhans
    I think Gratefulhans makes many fine points. This Road Trips format is limiting to two discs because of the packaging and I think the bonus discs should be included straight up in the set. For this set, in particular, I was most intrigued by the bonus disc. I would rather be charged a couple extra dollars for three discs in proper packaging than continue with the current format-- the packaging damages discs. That said, two recent RTs were quite good and complete shows, so that is all well and good. I just received this one last week and must say there are many fine moments throughout-- especially the Phil Bombs during Playing In the Band. They really melt a good version on this set. This Brent-era show is appreciated, but I would still rather see them release more shows from the 1985-1990, after he got his feet a bit wetter. And really-- get this customer service thing taken care of. While I had no problems, this seems to be a real issue, especially with the international Heads. I recall receiving a DP disc with skips about 8 years ago. I called and they had a replacement disc in the mail to me by the end of the week. I do not look forward to the day I have a problem with an order.
  • rrussell8
    14 years 5 months ago
    Importance of Customer Service
    I share your sentiments, wharfrat1. I have no gripe with the selections, and never have had. As someone who never saw the Grateful Dead live (Australian), these releases are heaven sent. Keep them coming! However, poor customer service can kill a business and a non-functioning web site is particularly toxic. Making promises and not keeping them (and no explanation) seems to be a common theme here (not you, Mary). Somehow Rhino have managed to take a functioning operation and turn it into a suicide pill. Outsourcing is not necessarily the best way to do things. On a happier note both the Jerry and the RT arrived today, can't wait to get 'em on the CD player. Happy Trails
  • Default Avatar
    wharfrat1
    14 years 5 months ago
    Welcome to the Heartbreak Club
    Welcome to the club Meeko. I received the Jerry CD but no RT on the 16th. I have called and spoke with customer service 6 times since than and still no RT. The last person I spoke with on Friday said they would get the cd in the mail asap and he would send me an email personally letting me know when it shipped. As of today, nothing. I have ordered from dead.net at least 70-80 times and I have never had one issue until now. I am going to call CS one more time and track down the guy that promised me the email to see what the hell is going on. I guess my next step is to call and chew someone out at Rhino. My favorite part of the process is the customer service message that states you can look up old and current orders on the web. Maybe they didn't get the memo that has also died, along with the good customer service we used to get. I have never once complained about releases, etc. I have never had any problems with formats, shows picked, whatever. But I will not tolerate spending my hard earned money and being treated like this. I cannot believe that all of these complaints are falling on deaf ears at Rhino. Come on boys, businesses live and die by customer service, get your s**t together.
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15 years 8 months
Submitted by frogstorm on

Oakland, 12/28/79

The latest installment in our Road Trips series, now entering its third big year (and ninth release overall) is bound to become a favorite. Road Trips Vol. 3, No. 1 is the complete show from December 28, 1979, part of the sparkling run that has already given us the excellent Dick’s Picks: Vol. 5 (from 12/26/79). You’ll recall that these year-end concerts, held at the Oakland Auditorium because Winterland had closed down for good the previous New Year’s Eve, were the first holiday shows featuring new keyboardist Brent Mydland, who joined the band in April 1979.

The new lineup had been gaining momentum with each passing tour since that spring, and by December was truly hitting its stride. It helped, too, that the band was in the midst of recording their Go To Heaven album, so they were really playing together a lot during this period. This 12/28/79 concert is a blast: a super high-energy rock and roll show that also has its share of spacey jams and exploratory passages. The first set includes standout versions of “Sugaree,” “High Time” (rare enough that it always felt like a treat!) and “The Music Never Stopped,” while the second set opens with the always potent pair of “Alabama Getaway” > “Greatest Story Ever Told,” turns deep and introspective with “Playing in the Band” and “Terrapin,” and then later turns into a non-stop party with “Uncle John’s Band,” “I Need A Miracle,” “Bertha” and Good Lovin’.” If you’re not wiped out after that, the double-encore will waste you—“Casey Jones” and “Saturday Night”!

The sound on both discs is spectacular (it’s hard to beat great reels as source tapes), and as always the CDs have been mastered to the exacting HDCD spec, because you would accept nothing less. The colorful accompanying booklet contains a number of excellent Jay Blakesberg photos from those Oakland Aud. shows, as well as a typically inspiring essay by the always poetic Dead scribe Steve Silberman.

So it’s a win-win. A slam-dunk. A no-brainer. For more info on all the goodness packed onto these discs, click here. And when you finally come to your senses and decide that you can longer live another day without Road Trips Vol. 3, No. 1, you can order it here.

—Blair Jackson

Track List

CD 1: Oakland Auditorium Arena, December 28, 1979

1. SUGAREE
2. MAMA TRIED>
3. MEXICALI BLUES
4. ROW JIMMY
5. IT’S ALL OVER NOW
6. HIGH TIME
7. THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED
SET 2:
8. ALABAMA GETAWAY>
9. GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD

CD 2: Oakland Auditorium Arena, December 28, 1979

1. TERRAPIN STATION>
2. PLAYING IN THE BAND>
3. RHYTHM DEVILS>
4. SPACE>
5. UNCLE JOHN’S BAND>
6. I NEED A MIRACLE>
7. BERTHA>
8. GOOD LOVIN’
9. CASEY JONES
10. ONE MORE SATURDAY NIGHT



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Submitted by vegafleet on Tue, 01/12/2010 - 04:18

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I too never got Road Trips 3.1, despite preordering in October and having my credit card charged in November. Multiple emails to MARYE and customer service were for nothing. When you do get thru to India on the phone, they promise to investigate and get back to me (they have never gotten back to me) and refuse to credit my credit card. I also am never buying from Dead.net again. I am trying now to get the 3 cd set from ebay. I'll pay more but at least I'll have an assurance that I'll get it. I have been defrauded and ripped off by GDP. I have been emailing and calling about this for 2 months now but I give up, life is too short. GDP should not use the bonus cd hook to sell cd's they can't ship. It only frustrates and penalizes the fans, it is a ripoff and only enriches the sellers in ebay (how did they get theirs in large quantities?) And GDP gets to keep my money! Never again.
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Submitted by vegafleet on Tue, 01/12/2010 - 04:27

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One more thing: They offer free shipping when you order sets in combo (i.e. RT3.1 and Let it Rock), and then go ahead and charge you for the shipping anyway. It seems the whole scheme of this website is now to ripoff customers. It didn't use to be like that.
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16 years 5 months

Submitted by stuman on Tue, 01/12/2010 - 05:19

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The Old Renaissance Faire Grounds from August 27, 1972. ??Nobody would be able to buy it , at least not from Dead.net !! However it would be nice to be able to vine out copy`s that already do circulate as bootlegs..
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16 years 6 months

Submitted by Captain Stormfield on Tue, 01/12/2010 - 13:09

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Time to start the wondering 'bout the next release. I see some are already doing so. I've been wrong about nearly every guess I've made since the series has started, so I guess I'll just keep my guessing to myself. Nevertheless, I AM eager for a new release... For Pure Jerry? That awesome JGB Halloween '93 show from Brendan Byrne would be sweet. One of the finest versions of Shining Star in existence. Just wishful thinking.