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"When we began discussing audio projects to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead back in 2012, we knew we wanted to do something completely unprecedented. We could think of nothing more exciting or ambitious than a career-spanning overview of the band's live legacy focused on what best tells the story: complete concerts. Our first criterion was the very best live music to represent any given year in the band’s history. We wanted to make sure that there were not only the tent-pole shows that fans have been demanding for decades but also ones that are slightly more under the radar, but equally excellent. For those who listen to the entire box straight through, chronologically, the narrative of the Grateful Dead's live legacy will be seen as second to none in the pantheon of music history." - David Lemieux
We are more than pleased to announce the Grateful Dead's most ambitious release ever: 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN. Available as both an 80-disc boxed set and a custom lightning-bolt USB drive, the collection includes 30 unreleased live shows, one for each year the band was together from 1966 to 1995, along with one track from their earliest recording sessions in 1965. Packed with over 73 hours of music, both the boxed set and the USB drive will be individually numbered limited editions.
The 80-disc boxed set is individually numbered and limited to 6,500 copies, a nod to the band’s formation in 1965. Along with the CDs, it also includes a gold-colored 7-inch vinyl single which bookends the band’s career. The A-side is “Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)” from the band’s earliest recording session in 1965 with the B-side of the last song the band ever performed together live, “Box Of Rain” recorded during their final encore at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 9, 1995.
The box also comes with a 288-page book that features an extensive, career-spanning essay written by Nick Meriwether, who oversees the Dead archives at the University of California, Santa Cruz, along with special remembrances of the band submitted by fans. Also included is a scroll that offers a visual representation of how the band’s live repertoire has evolved through the years.
The USB drive version* will be shaped like a gold lightning bolt with the Grateful Dead 50th anniversary logo engraved on the side. The drive includes all of the music from the collection in both FLAC (96/24) and MP3 formats and is an individually numbered limited edition of 1,000 copies. Digital version of the book also included on USB.
Shows will NOT be sold individually on CD. This release is sure to sell out quickly so pre-order your copy today and stick around as we will be revealing a mighty fine selection of music, art, and much, much more right here.
(Looking for a smaller 50th Anniversary commemorative keepsake? September 18th will see the release of a four-CD version of the collection titled 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN: THE DEFINITIVE LIVE STORY 1965-1995. More on that here.)
ROLLINGSTONE.COM SONG PREMIERE AND EXCLUSIVE DAVID LEMIEUX INTERVIEW
Head on over to Rollingstone.com for the very first listen of "Morning Dew" 9/18/87 Madison Square Garden, David Fricke's exclusive interview with archivist David Lemieux, and the reveal of 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN's '69 and '84 shows.
*Helpful hints for using your USB:
Running the 30 Trips Player / Reader program:
On Windows – Navigate to the USB drive and double click the PCStart.exe file to run.
On MacOS – Open the GD 30 Trips drive, and double click the MacStart to run.
Viewing the digital book:
You can either view it within the program that comes on the drive, or by opening the PDF directly.
To view the PDF, open the PDF folder on the drive and the USB_bk_spreads_08-31 file within. Selecting the option within your PDF reading application to view as a “single page” might be preferable to viewing as a continuous document.
Importing music into iTunes and other library programs:
When you import the songs from the USB into your library, the information used to identify the track will likely leave them sorted incorrectly. Please use the song list found here to re-number the songs for each show so that they playback in the correct order.
PDF
Text
@purpleerik69
Tombstone blues in FranceThank you friends
let there be songs to fill the air
10/21/83 The Centrum, Worcester, MA. show
10/21/83 The Centrum, Worcester, MA. show. Years ago I had this show on cassette, I thought it was good but hardly ever listened to it because it was a hi-gen audience recording and just plain hard to listen to, but when I did I liked it. Now with it's inclusion in this box collection, its still fantastic, after five listens which was probably more than I ever played that damn tape. It is the only full 1983 show I have outside of Dick's 6 (10/14/83 Hartford)
Thanks to Dave Lemieux and team for the inclusion of this show.
The 83 Worcester show
I just finished listening to the second set of this again, and christ jesus i can't fathom how anyone wouldn't get off on this show. It's fantastic. Has one of the best drums-space they ever did, and the whole set rocks and rolls and jams and takes off. Someone commented earlier at there being no creativity in Jerry's playing on this show. Listen to the second set of this show with headphones and play it loud (there are parts of this where the wisdom of moving sharp edged furniture out of your immediate vicinity will be apparent), and then re-read that last sentence. I LOVE this show.
re Alain
it`s a matter of fact that this terrorism can happen anywhere anytime. Glad to hear you are ok. I feel sad and angry at the same time ..... why can people be so ill-minded ? what has happened to love and peace ?DEADHEADS UNITE AGAIN AND DEMONSTRATE AGAINST THE RAPTURE OF FREEDOM AND PEACE
FLAC > ALAC on a MAC
I simply drag the FLAC files into XLD, press convert, and the change to ALAC. Open up in iTunes.Simple. I save the FLACS, but back up my iTunes ALAC files with all the AW etc.
10/21/83 • Fire On The Mountain
This song turned my 4-year-old son on to the Grateful Dead (or the Skeleton Band, as we call them). He loves it. One time, I put the song on and set iTunes on to the "Classic Visualizer." We sat, listened, and watched as my son ooh-ed and aah-ed at all of the cool shapes,color, and patterns on the screen. Kinda reminded me of the digital images they'd put up on the screens at Dead shows.
I'm so proud!
With the grace of God we all
With the grace of God we all can be forgiven.
I too committed a terrible missdeed I must confess to you now.
It was the summer of 1989 and was also coincidentally on Martha's vineyard as well. Was at a rich spoiled kids house party and took one cassette on the way out. It was an incredible recording of Fillmore East Dark Star Lovelight with the allman brothers. This tape turned so many people onto the dead in college it was incredible.
I have felt guilt but let it go as an act of rebellion as a wayward youth.
I wish this could be an official release Dave lemeiux ???
Life is about moving on and forward.
Couldn't afford the box but have gotten
1968
1979
1983
1984
1988.
All great in their own way.
Love the matrix recordings of 79 83 84.
These new cds are of unreal sound quality in General. Not sure what the dead or Jeffrey Norman starting doing in mastering in the past year or two but I am eternaly grateful.
Also the 1984 show is top notch all the way but to see what Jerry Garcia actually looked like, poor condition physically all hunched over barely moving is nutty but obviously mentally he was all there.
https://youtu.be/3cgc7Srb_Jw
re: jbob
Thanks jbob. Now if someone will come forward with my missing Fox Theatre '77 tape.. that will complete the run of misplaced tapes from my stay at Martha's Vineyard.
Reminds me to be careful with my Dave's Picks while driving through Massachusetts. (kidding)
As for the Augusta '84 show, that's Quasimodo on lead guitar and vocals.. Jerry called in sick that day. Man that guy can play the guitar!
Who Knew???
....that MV would be a locale so as to spur such mass tom thievery. Ahh, well. We all seem repentant and in fact better off for it in the end despite some initial angst. It's the Joy of The Share, in The End, afterall.
Chin Up to All on this Monday
Sixtus
what 970jbob said
"These new cds are of unreal sound quality in General. Not sure what the dead or Jeffrey Norman starting doing in mastering in the past year or two but I am eternaly grateful."
I agree - these sound so good, it's like some new technology was implemented. I would like to see some Dick's Picks remasters with the 30 Trips treatment. Let's get Dick's Picks 8 sounding like the 30 Trips Winterland 1970 show; let's get Dick's Picks 1 sounding like 30 Trips San Diego 1973; let's get Dick's Picks 3 sounding like 30 Trips Possaic '77 (I mean wow, this 1977 show is fantastic, probably the best sounding '77 show - put Peggy-O on the headphones).
Even the DaP 15 show from 4/22/78 sounds eons better than DaP 7 from 4/24/78. Performances two nights apart, releases two years apart; I know, there's something going on says Frida.
Maybe a little off-topic
This might be a little off-topic, but Minas' post got me to thinking about DP8. If I'm not mistaken, most if not all of that show is recorded only in monophonic. I remember reading a story where Dick Latvala, very early in the Dicks era, mentioned to some of the folks involved, including engineers, how great the Harpur show is. They responded by laughing that he must not know a good tape, because that one was in mono, and not a great recording even so. Of course, Dick, like many of us, always valued the performance significantly more than the sound quality.
In any case, years ago there was an attempt by record companies to offer simulated stereo versions of older recordings that had only been recorded in mono. Back then, this simulated stereo was really bad, and the idea never really never took off.
However, with modern digital technology this need not be the case. A company called Pristine Classical offers their version of stereoized versions of older mono classical recordings. I don't remember what they call their process, but they describe the process on their website. Even though the purist in my cringed, I tried a couple of these, and you know what? They sound great. Very natural, as if they were originally recorded in stereo, giving the result a much more spacially natural presentation when played.
My question is, since this is can be done very well now, do you think most deadheads would rather get the best mastering possible of the Harpur show, but essentially left as it is in mono, or do you think folks would be willing to give a stereozation a shot? Personally, I wouldn't mind paying to get a professionally stereoized version of this show.
Not Off Topic At All
I agree with what was what written on this topic.. if I wanted to go back and compare a few of the more recent releases to previous ones (Dick's and Dave's Picks) around the same and also compare them to the better sbds of the same shows.. I was struck with how good the last batch sounded.
As for Dicks 8, I believe the second set is mono, and the story is true.. Dick had to fight to get it released.
Interesting stuff.. I would pony up if they were able to significantly increase the quality of some of these older tapes, especially if they were released as full shows.
Interesting subject.
Plangent Process and Norman Magic
The plangent process has helped the transfer of old analog reels tremendously! http://www.plangentprocesses.com/index_save2.htm
That and the decades that Jeffrey Norman has had to hone his craft have been a tremendous boon for this old music.
I love how Norman describes running analog tape thru one of Jerry's old amps and then recapturing that sound in 16-24bit glory. (From the GD Movie bonus features?)
I daresay there be some bone-shakin' going on at Mockingbird Mastering Studios.
Jeffrey Norman breathes new life into those dusty reels, one more time. We win for his tryin'!
Plangent Process
Nice read Guss.Have they not done a version for cassette tapes yet or is it a customized head only for reel tape machines.
Planget Process....
....so THAT'S how it works. Cool tech....you go Mr. Norman!!!
Don't Need Love
I am just gonna say it. Brent's song from the 1984 show "Don't Need Love" sums up Brent's attitude and angst. Which for me added a edge to the band and Jerry's Guitar work backing him up is spectacular. One of the many highlights of the box for me. "Well I don't need Love and I don't need you" for all the naysayers out there. The Grateful Dead including Brent Rocked the 1980's.
bolo24 . . .
damn that is hilarious. I nearly teared up from laughing so hard. Thanks, I needed that.
If there's any other WEENERs out there...
Just did a e-mail order kinda thingy for WEEN reunion shows in Colorado during Presidents Day weekend.I'll find out tomorrow.
If ya like WEEN,get some.
:)
bolo24
That was great! I was hoping that at the section where the camera shifts to the women whispering outside the room, they would refer to the USB debacle; something along the lines of "we're all lucky he didn't order the USB version." Maybe the video was made before the extent of that debacle had become known.
USB stuck in Mobile
On first of december, every delayed USB order will gratefully gifted of a case of Chianti!thank you Deadnet.
Bravo Bolo24.
German Shephard
Will not even let my dog listen to the MP3s.
Laughing out loud in inappropriate places!
Thanks Bolo!!!
Mono is just alright by me
Looking at the previous discussion of the mono recordings vs. stereo recordings got me thinking. I have a cd release of the Beach Boys Pet Sounds album which includes the original mono release and a stereo version of the same album. Either one sounds fine to me, definitely a masterpiece of an album, but I realize that when I listen to the album, I end up listening to the mono version. Sounds the way Brian Wilson wanted it to sound. If I like the music, the stereo / mono issue just isn't a big concern. Just my random thought on the issue.
@JimInMD - DP #8
JimInMD: "As for Dicks 8, I believe the second set is mono, and the story is true.. Dick had to fight to get it released."
Can you elaborate? What was the difficulty?
This is the greatest Dead show EVER. Period. Bar none. I was so thrilled when it came out. I had half the show on a cassette since the mid-70's.
I may have even helped get it chosen for Dick's Picks. They sent out surveys to ask what our top ten shows were that we'd like to see released. I filled all ten slots with Harper College 1970! They wrote back to me saying I must have good taste, the show has been chosen!
Garcia is the hottest I've ever heard him in sections of that show. Absolute ecstasy!
@wjonjd re: DP#8
"do you think most deadheads would rather get the best mastering possible of the Harpur show, but essentially left as it is in mono, or do you think folks would be willing to give a stereozation a shot? "
I couldn't care less. It's the most ecstatic Dead CD ever and as far as I'm concerned can't be improved.
30 trips around the sun book only
Anyone know where one could maybe get the 30 trips around the sun book only?
Dick's Picks 8
I agree that this is one of the best shows in GD history. Anyone remember when they sold the t-shirt with Jerry's "everybody just relax man we have you all night long" quote on the back. Really wish I had bought one. The thing I always liked about Dick's Picks was the "real" sound they had. The caveat emptor warnings were always funny, but to me that was part of the appeal, hearing the show the way it sounded, not all cleaned up and remastered to studio quality. Don't get me wrong, I love the sound we are getting now and it's totally amazing how good they can make these old tapes sound but I will always enjoy the authentic sound of Dick's Picks just as much.
There is just that certain something about the playing on DP8, the way they tear through cryptical, it's just flawlessly executed.
@rbmunkin - DP#8
You asked "Can you elaborate? What was the difficulty? This is the greatest Dead show EVER."
Like most of us, including evidently yourself, Dick placed much more importance on the greatness of the performance than the greatness of the tape quality. He tried to get Harpur released for a long time, and it was rejected MANY times because others (including I think John Cutler and Jeffrey Norman) thought it was ridiculous that fans would be happy to spend money on a mono release regardless of the performance. Obviously they were wrong, but they were not, at that time, really in tune with actual Deadhead culture from this side of things. Here are some quotes from Dick Latvala interviews:
"AP: So you have had tapes where you really liked the performances, but the tapes were just not usable?
LATVALA: Oh yeah. Hundreds. I’ve been beat up and died over things. Harpur College was rejected every time I brought it up for years. From the first time I got involved, I was trying to bring Harpur College to people’s attention and it got beat down every time. It was like a nightmare to me."
And
"Once I was hired, it became more in the capacity of helping to make decisions of what’s good and what isn’t or what should be listened to and decided upon. I had to start paying attention to a lot more than I ever thought I’d pay attention to before—like is it stereo or mono. (laughs)
Who cares, actually? Harpur College, for example, it’s disgusting, but one of the reasons I’ve been pushing for this one as long as I have for 2/13-14/70, and being rejected for a long, long time is because of the fact that the electric sets are in mono. There is a big problem with that. (laughs)"
------------
Dick considered it a great personal victory to FINALLY convince those with veto-power to release that show. Thanks Dick, wherever you are!!!!
Edit: I will note for whatever it is worth, that to this day whenever a new release comes out, any sonic anomalies are sometimes heavily criticized, not just pointed out as a factual matter, but complained about. I will never understand that. There were complaints recently about the missing vocals in the mix on two short tracks. Not pointing it out, but complaining about them. It's not the norm in deadhead culture, but obviously it exists to some extent. The tapes are what they are. I believe most of us, wherever there is a great show, want to have the show released and damn the sound quality issues, unless it is truly unreleasable as a commercial release, like it has a loud buzz throughout the whole show from some piece of electronics that got onto the entire tape.
re: rbmunkin
I agree.. Harpur College is sacred ground. Its a real shame more of 1970 did not survive. I bet there were other shows that dare I say might have been just as good where it either wasn't recorded or the tape did not survive.
Capitol Theater 1970
The 11/8 show is one of the best I have ever heard with a rare set list with songs like New Orleans and Searchin' as well as an incredible Morning Dew and Dark Star. This is one of the best sounding Audience recordings ever made to me. I would love to have an official release of that one. Not sure if it's in the vault or what the status is but it's a great show!
here here
I raise my glass to performance over perfect sound quality. Harpur College is the banner for both halves of that equation ~ its majesty can't and shouldn't be denied, even if its sound is noticeably less than standard release quality.
The mono vs. stereo preference is really a big deal to some. Not so much to me...I can think of examples I prefer on each side. And if there's no choice but mono, then your choice is made, release away!
If you're all about separation, hearing everything each instrument or voice is doing, then you love stereo. But sometimes, the magic of an old record is the gestalt of all the sounds mixed close to the middle together.
Piper At the Gates of Dawn is an album worthy of both stereo & mono listens. While I think it's hyperbole to exclaim, as some do, that it's "a different album" in mono, you really do hear some different sounds, which nerds like myself appreciate ~ Pow R Toc H & Flaming come to mind. And that annoying panning on the Interstellar Overdrive finale is mercifully absent in the mono mix.
I'd never noticed 2nd set Harpur College was mono, though. Good excuse to dig that one out.
Wjonjd, thanks for the Dick interview!
My Two Ears
A well-mixed stereo recording can sound three-dimensional, if each signal reaches both ears in just the right way. Owsley often strove to create this image in his "sonic journal" recordings. Personally, I'd rather hear most of his stuff in mono because he would assign each close-mic'ed signal 100% to one side or the other, including vocals, with a little bleed going to the other side. That might evoke 3-D, but it does not sound natural to me to have vocals (or bass guitar) leaning that far to one side. I remember Owsley saying he tried and failed to convince Phil (I think) to release some tape in his original stereo mix, but it got collapsed to mono over his objections. To each his or her own. I like a sensible, balanced stereo mix best, but mono is fine in a pinch and usually preferable to highly unbalanced stereo mixes. One exception might be the stereo mixes Mickey did of American Beauty and Workingman's Dead for the DVD-Audio release. That sounds fantastic if played loud enough, and it is radically panned L-R, with carefully placed bleed opposite the main signal.
DP 8
I wasn't impressed by it, what am I missing? Is it still the best thing ever if I just listen to the electric set? I bought this one after reading on Heady Versions how great The Other One is. I thought The Other One we just got with 30 Trips from 4/15/70 was better. I'm looking for a thrill though, so I'm going to blast this on the way home in about 15 minutes:
Cryptical 1
The Other One
Cryptical 2
Cosmic Charlie
Casey Jones
It's a Man's World
Morning Dew
Viola Lee Blues
Should I be getting my rocks off with the above set list?
@KeithFan2112; DP 8
Seriously, not impressed? OMG. You must like '80's stuff; LOL! Kidding, kidding!
"Should I be getting my rocks off with the above set list?"
So you focus on what song is played? I don't really care about set lists, if they play great.
Anyway, OMG, The Other One > Cryptical, are the greatest Jerry I have ever heard. It gives me goose bumps. ESPECIALLY HERE:
Starts at The Other One at 11:30 to 13:00. This of course is just the absolute highlight.
And check out Other One from 4:22 to 5:24. OUCH! His fingers must have caught fire!
There is NO Jerry, NONE, like this from 1971 to 1995. Nowhere. I've been listening to Jerry for over 40 years, have collected tapes galore in the '70's before it was a popular hobby, have listened to countless shows, and I haven't heard anything this amazing.
I would sell my soul to you know who to be transported back to this show.
But I will check 4/15/70 now that you bring it up :)
folks, the spam filter seems to be a bit overzealous presently
for whatever reason. If it sends one of your posts off to moderation for what seems like no good reason, send me a PM and I'll deal with it.
Sorry for the trouble.
Re: Keithfan
Try 3 or 4 drops from bolo's magic Visine bottle, give it an hour and crank it up.
Then report back and tell us what you think. Disc 3 is what got me.
Dick's Picks #8 - 5/2/70
I assume KeithFan isn't trying to jack with us, but the response would seem to reflect someone who is. I'll preface this response by saying this stuff is certainly subjective. But the Cryptical->Other One->Cryptical->Cosmic Charlie is to me, since my first listening a few decades back, the single greatest and most exciting piece of Grateful Dead music I've heard. Nothing else is even close. It's loud and raucous, joyous yet angry and grungy before grunge was in the vernacular. I can ID any part of this show with little more than a 5 second sample. It's all great, but the aforementioned jam is just pure bliss.
Now having had similar negative or neutral reactions to certain shows, I'd recommend Keith putting this one away for a few days and waiting till you are in a good (doesn't have to be great) mood. If 5-2-70 takes hold...well...just give it another chance....
Jumping in on the sonic topic....
....to quote Mr. Diddley on DP 30...i.e. Academy of Music 3.25.72...."I enjoy them all". Actually the song is titled "I've Seen Them All", but if the shoe fits....
@novembereleven on DP8
novembereleven: "the Cryptical->Other One->Cryptical->Cosmic Charlie is to me, since my first listening a few decades back, the single greatest and most exciting piece of Grateful Dead music I've heard. Nothing else is even close."
All I've got to say is "ditto".
But let me elaborate: back in the '70's I had suit cases full of cassette tapes of Dead shows. I lost them in Seattle at one point. Very sad. But I STILL have the 5/2/70 show. Why did ONLY that one survive in my possession? Back then it was the greatest show I ever heard so I always had it separate from the rest, I guess. And it's been the greatest to me ever since.
Harpur
Great posts! I'm still only just on San Diego 73 in 30 Trips (listening now). But you've inspired me to give Harpur another chance - like Keithfan, I never "got" that one before, but it's been years since I pulled it out. Will do soon! (Maybe after a couple more 30 Trips shows).
Harpur Charlie (or Cosmic Harpur)
My Harpur College tape is why I always pined for a Cosmic Charlie bring-out...the definitive arrangement & performance. Even though Jerry all but said they wouldn't do it again, I still always thought they would.
(In the years without Jerry, I've seen the others play nearly all the psychedelic songs from 67-69...but Cosmic Charlie, and New Potato, shall remain the rings that just slipped away. Of course, I never imagined I'd see Phil singing What's Become of the Baby...!)
Other awesome Charlies I've been enlightened to in recent years are 1/02/70 and Thelma 12/11/69. Thanks, Dave, for that awesome pair of Dec '69 bonus discs!!!
Honorable mention to the 5/15/70 one on RT 3.3, perhaps unsurprisingly given its proximity to 5/02.
Does anyone else remember those Cosmic Charlie t-shirts, with a tie-dyed Charlie Brown lying on his back having a Sunshine Daydream with the rest of the gang dancing around him?
Uh...no, not jacking anyone....
Uh...no, not jacking anyone....I had 80 minutes and was picking the most appealing 80 minutes of the electric set list for the drive home...I was just wondering if the magic was ascertainable in what I selected. I didn't end up listening to it due to this got damn '73 kick I've been on. Ended up listening to DP 14.
Listening to Harpur now. The Cosmic and Casey are definitely smooth. Good Lovin' jam is really nice, I'm beginning to feel the appeal. Man's World just started, watch out. I think this, Morning Dew, and Viola will complete my journey to the Dark Side. I'm sure this is all a big misunderstanding emanating from too much Dead and not enough time. What I really need to do is quit my job and start from the beginning. I actually bought this one after reading how hot The Other One is on Heady Versions (probably novembereleven and rmunkin right?)
Not a big deal, but almost sounds like this is in mono....
'84 30 Trips show.
Checkin' out the '84 30Trips show. That second set, especially from Uncle Johns Band(!) through the end of the show is very toasty. The opening Stranger smokes, too.
Yeah This Is It
Now I have it rbmunkin, this Other One is as good as advertised. Jerry really turned up the Blues dial here, while Weir, Lesh, Pig, and Co pound out the rhythm; rock 'n blues. I'm going to have to circle back to 4/15/70 and sort this all out....
product sku
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