Grateful Dead

To be more accurate one could say it's a couple-few hundred dollars.
A few couple hundys?
Anyways, a behemoth box like this needs maybe a little more time after announcement, for both promo hype and time for cash hoarding! Two and a half months is tough enough sometimes for a normal year-regular Big Box of 18 to 20ish cds, let alone 60!
The fire branded scorched wood looks way cool though.

In terms of the big box, I agree with the idea that the whole thing would have been more palatable if it had been released as two separate boxes. I am only interested in the shows up to and including 1973 - which is just a third of the whole.
Going off posts here, a major attraction with this seems to be that it includes shows people actually attended. The whole thing means less if you didn't follow the band round in the 1980's and 90's.

Curious that1967, 1968 and 1970 have been missed out. In the 50th big box these shows were - with the 1969 one - highlights of the whole thing.
On the plus side, the fact that those years have been missed out suggests that they may be featured in the next few Daves Picks. And we won't have to buy a load of 80's shows to hear them !

Made it on ABC WNN this AM...

ENJOY DEAD 15??.... Maybe Please? (~);-}

I can't afford this and a divorce lawyer...

I feel lucky to have gotten on the bus during the Vince Welnick era of the Grateful Dead. This has afforded me the ability to like and appreciate all eras. Of cousre I listen to some eras more then others, but I truly "love it all"

I feel lucky to have met a very kind dude in high school who was couple of years older then me with a really great tape collection. He kindly filled every blank Maxell tape I could afford to buy with shows from all eras.

I feel lucky to be able to purchase all these wonderful releases that are produced by Dead Heads with love and care. Yes, I know they're making money, they have to.

I feel lucky to wake up everyday and come here to interact with you wonderful folks.

I am, one lucky guy.

Rock on, gang

With no shipping cost.

And don’t take up shelf space.

Just saying.

And am glad to be getting this Box.

Although this now means we won’t be getting a 3-18,19,20-77 Winterland Box to match the other two 3-show Winterland Boxes.

I thought the same thing about those shows. Maybe a Dave's Pick on down the road.

I was equally shocked when Dave's #13 came out, as I thought Winterland February1974 would surely be a box.

It took me all of a nanosecond to jump in ... especially when I saw the Friday the 13h show at the Greek, by far and away my greatest memory of 50+ in-person shows. The website was non-responsive for about 15 minutes but finally let me spend my money. Sure it's a bunch of money... and each has to decide if they want to spend it. Also I completely agree that the cassette ought. to be FLAC-released for that amount of cash ... am certainly NOT going to buy a cassette player ... I'm out of money!!! ....tcc

3/14/81, 8/20/83, 10/3/94. Everything else is good!

Would be good to know which ones they list that they consider the 20 shows.
It looks like the shows listed for 69 Filmore West will count as one show?
The 71 Filmore East will be one show?

I echo the comment of providing a download code for the cassette. It’s been ages since I had a player and I can’t afford to buy one for just one cassette!

I sure I've asked this before, but.

If someone in the US sends you a birthday/Christmas present you still have to pay "taxes" on it?

Yes

Was riding passenger on a muddy two-track under low clouds in the Arizona outback yesterday morning when I happened on the box set announcement. Blinked hard a couple of times as it dawned on me what I was seeing - yep that's a lot of dough re mi but some of those shows I really would like to "have" in official Plangent mode - and just went for it on one bar LTE. No problems other than difficulty typing correctly as we bumped along and had a confirmation email in less than 5 minutes right before the announcement email hit my inbox. The one show I attended in this new iteration of a porch crusher was the initial Alpine show on 8/23/80 - of the 50 shows I saw, excepting several in '94 and '95, this one was probably the least expected that I would see officially released! I remember a guy in the parking lot, still buzzing from the 3 shows at the Uptown prior to this, saying "all I need now is a Lazy Lightning!" and he got it! Another of personal import is the Landover '93 show - I wasn't there but my younger brother was and he had a great time. A sweet late era show that has a personal favorite, absolutely sublime, musical passage - the Handsome Cabin Boy space. Thought that show needed to be released for awhile but expected it as a DaP and not part of a box set "whale" like this. Feel for the folks who would like this and can't swing it.

Just too much that I'm not in for here. Have gotten more stubborn over the years that I'll only fork out for something good that I don't have from about '68-72. Would have liked to have seen it split in two, even up to '77 or so, and would have gone up to about $250 for that.

But alas, not happening. For the rest of you, enjoy it. The big boxes are fun.

I'm deleting my previous complaint about no Southern California venues. Of course, I'm buying this box set - and will love it to death. I would just like to see more Southern California Venues in future releases.

Thanks for all the continued hard work to keep the music coming.

While trading tapes is a cherished past time, I have no desire to dust off the lowest quality music format. There had better be a download of the show 69 show. I love 68-69 and a cassette, while cool for the nostalgia, should not be only way to listen to the show after shelling out enough to buy a car that still has a functioning cassette player so I can listen with the wind in my hair.

Have all the releases, there are so many that can't get excited 700 dollars enough to go for it. Would like to pick up a two or three of shows on ebay like hartford and hampton but have so many shows and so little time to listen to all of them. I feel there are so many better shows that have been released from these tours. Good luck to everybody who orders it and enjoy

Selections of 4.25.71 and/or 4.27.71 > A mix of the whole Fillmore East run was released as Ladies & Gentlemen - a 4 CD set.

Love the theme of traversing some of the top venues the band played. Of course, a bit subjective. But what the heck. I like a concept to sort of hold together a sprawling box set.

The only thing that's a bit of a bummer if getting a cassette of what seems like is a great show. Like others have posted, I haven't had a cassette player in oodles of years. It would be cool if a bonus for folks who pre-order would be a CD of this show. What happened to pre-order bonuses for box sets? Not a thing any more?

Regardless this was an immediate order for me....pausing Dave's video gushing on & on at about the 5 minute mark. I guess his excitement was contagious or my anxiety that "My god, this may sell out at any second!" kicked in.

shouldn't they release a tracking list to clearly define what they're offering?

Transparency is needed.

And no '68. Hmmm.

Please include a download for the 4/5/69 show. Please!! Pretty please!!!

Like several others have said, I was (very happily) surprised to see 3/20/77 Winterland in this box, but it does foreclose on the possibility of a three-night Winterland box to match the other two sets that were released years ago. I wonder if anyone knows if all the reels from 3/18-20 are actually in the vault...?

This box was an insta-purchase for me, but I know I'm fortunate to have that kind of money sitting around right now. However, the majority of this music is anything but essential for my own listening habits. There are only 5-6 shows I'm truly excited about. But the reason I buy the box sets is because I love the liner notes, the photographs, and the packaging: it's a work of art. Sure, it's commercial - it's not like it's bespoke or made with the finest quality, properly-sourced hardwoods - I know it's merely tarted-up paperboard. But with 6000 available (destined to be fewer after people part 'em out on eBay) I love having it as a tangible object.

The downloads are out there, and unless you absolutely need Plangent, they don't cost you anything. I went looking for a better copy of 6/28/85 recently and saw that the great shadow archivist, Mr. Charlie Miller, had put out yet another revision late last year (169157) and it sounds fantastic compared to the cassette that I played over and over 35 years ago. Thanks, Charlie!

I'm not trying to tell anyone how to feel, what to buy, or what to do. I'm just feeling blessed that we have all of this music and all of these options. Closing this ramble with a shoutout to Doc!

....how long it took for 30TATS to sell out?

With winter drawing to a close, this set gets the chilliest reception yet.

I have to agree the theme is not very compelling, and even invites disputation.

Also, a collection of 20(ish) shows with no basis for being together other than the perceived need to do a big box does play into the familiar "so, big spenders win, while regular heads are locked out again" theme.

But is there any antidote?

Would Dave had succeeded in a pitch like: "Hear me out: starting in 2025 we'll release about 2 or3 times as many Dave's Picks individual shows from here on!!"

So it's this way or no way, and if you have the scratch, from where I see it, it looks like another set of probable (and mostly unfamiliar) gems, picked by hands I trust as much or more than any (yes, even after the Boise Eyes Debacle). So I am in again.

But I bet we won't see another set of this dimension again.

I was gonna ask the same thing VGuy did...

How long did it take for the other $700 boxes to sell out? This is the first one I can afford, was a family man and had to skip E72 and 30 Trips.

Really looking forward to the Crap Centre show, was there as well. The HCB is terrific jam and special moment in GD history

E72 was about a week.

Will have to check on 30 Trips.

Folks beatin up on ole Dave pretty good.
Poor Dave gives his all to R&R and we just consistently bash him.
Remember, Dave works for a corporation, and they exist to make money.
“It’s just the way of the road Ricky” name the speaker of that quote, and “you’ll receive Devine consciousness upon your death” lol

I like the venue idea, and I think they tried to keep it a little smaller/ affordable than Boxilla after so much complaining. But come on, 60!, it’s kinda a big deal! And I think he mostly did a good job of trying to pick the most widely known venues.
But of course that sets him up for criticism as there were so many good venues to choose from, but only so much room on the team.
Like my redneck varsity baseball coach told me “if I only had one more uniform you’d be on the team” (found out decades later actually because I was “on the wrong team” meaning though I was an outstanding athlete, I was also a budding freak etc, total discrimination, but that’s ok because that was the final straw that drove me fully into my R&R life) but I digress…
So yeah, Vegas, Meadowlands, Tower theatre, Fox Atlanta, Orpheum SF, Capitol Passaic NJ, so cal, Seattle, Onondaga Syracuse, New Haven, Providence, Maine, or one of my all time favs and a place they always kicked ass, good ole Crotchfester war memorial!
So many in fact that one might argue that maybe they shouldn’t have gone that route?
But hey, one can ALWAYS second guess good ole Dave, but I think the guy really tries hard to give us the goods….I just wish he’d consult with me first ; )
Oh, and I get the cassette dissent, but it is kinda a cool artifact seeing as how important the format was to the whole culture etc. AND, come on now, it’s DHeads here, if you can’t get a nice digital copy from someone here, well…..

PS I missed out on E72 and FW, and it sucks, but it’s just the way it was at the time and thanks to several kind heads here I have disc copies, so the music, which is imho, what’s really important.

Hey...I'm curious in how the Pay Later process worked for anyone when placing this order. I have used that method many times in the past and I am usually redirected to Paypal website to choose a payment option and complete the order. With this order, I was never redirected to Paypal and GD Store simply charged the full amount, using Paypal, without ever leaving the GD Store page. I am wondering if I missed something.
Thanks

TPTB will release a music only edition or better yet individual shows, the cost for me right now is a tad prohibitive. I will admit that this is an exceptional selection of shows.

Bet there will be zero Beach Boys on 4/27/71.

Very disappointing to see so much negativity and criticism of this box and, by implication, of Dave and his team who work so hard to bring us so much great music.

The reality is there is a demand for a 60th anniversary box and Dave has come up with a box that covers almost all eras of the Grateful Dead. He’s also come up with a clear and rational theme for the selections in box, which, to a great extent, stands up. it may not be perfect, but I’ve yet to read a better suggestion.

Some people want more pre 1973 stuff, some people want different shows, some people want more shows that they attended, some want only complete shows, some want three or four smaller boxes. Well guess what, you’re under absolutely no obligation to buy this box. If it’s not what you want, then pass on it, that is the freedom you have being a consumer.

Then there are the doom mongers who are saying lots of people can’t afford it or it won’t sell out or it will be the last major box we’ll see. People will buy this and it will sell out. Sure, not everyone is going to buy this, but it’s limited to 6000, Friend Of The Devils and Here Comes Sunshine were 10,000, 30 Trips was 6,500, Dave’s Picks is 25,000. I’m pretty sure there finances have been worked out pretty thoroughly and allow for all the criticisms that have been voiced. They clearly believe they can sell this one.

I don’t want to appear to criticize individual posts or suggestions but let’s live in the real world. One suggestion was that they release two or three times as many DaP’s this year to celebrate the 60th anniversary rather than a box. That sounds like a recipe for closing down DaP's completely. Currently we have 5 DaP’s that have not sold out, how would the additional release sell? Are we doubling/tripling the subscription or are they all a la carte? As has already been said, lets be mindful this is a commercial organization that needs to make money.

As for me, I’ve bought the box. Do I think it's sensational? No. But then I got my dream box two years ago, with Here Comes Sunshine, everything else is just a bonus. This one’s a bit light on the era’s I’m really into, but does have some interesting openings into areas that may not be my usual go tos. Can I afford it? Not really, but I’m sure I’ll manage. What made me buy it is the thought that I might miss out on it.

But you don’t want it, can't afford it or aren’t worried about missing out on it, don’t complain, just don’t buy it. Lets others enjoy it on your behalf.

I bought it. I still wish 4/27/71 will be complete. Also hope the Hard to Handle from this show will be included with a clean mix.

This was a must have for me .... I have a lot of the shows as SBDs, so I know how good this is going to be.
The only thing that bugs me is the addition of 4/5/69 as a cassette, so will be looking to download that show, as it it really good. Really looking forward to what the actual package looks like

Please make sure the digital D/L is correct.
Devil's box was a 24-192 corrupted disaster.

For $500 / $400... it should be checked before distribution.

I like the venues concept, especially the inclusion of Alpine Valley (first shows 88 and 89 at AV). Unfortunately, I am going to pass on this box, just too much in an uncertain economic world right now. The other issue I have is that we have so many shows now and while I realize every show was different, I am saturated with GD shows from almost every era (need more 67-68 and the Vince era doesn't have too many releases).

Looking at what is represented in the box, the only show that I am going to really regret not getting is the Greek Theater 7/13/84 show. I already have a good board of that one, so not a huge loss. Plus I may get the 3-disc set, which includes the Scarlet-Touch-Fire that is one standout of the show. I am sure there are tons of amazing jams in it and I will be missing out, so enjoy to all who can nab it.

I watched Dave's "office chat" about the box, and I have to say that whatever the concept behind this box is, I still have no idea. Something about great venues? But if that's the case, it seems like a lot of very nice places got left off and some pretty mediocre venues (looking at you, Oakland Coliseum) got included, so I guess I just don't quite get what the unifying concept is supposed to be.

Which probably doesn't matter much. It's all about the music, and in the end it doesn't matter to me if all the shows are from St Louis or a given month/year or whatever. I just want great shows, preferably whole shows, preferably in good-to-great audio.

So I'm kind of waiting until they post a track list before I order. Because at this point it's not clear which of the listed dates/venues represent full shows spread out over multiple discs and which might be a song or three from a couple different shows on one disc. It certainly looks like there are at least a half dozen shows I would love to have, but it's not completely clear what you're getting. Yet. And so we play the waiting game, as Mr. Plow once said.

And don't even get me started on the cassette.

I'd love to get everything up to the 1973 show.

Just ordered
Cheers
G.

Crow,

Based on what Dave said it appears the FW 69 will be a compilation. The FE April 71 will be a compilation.

Not sure if the 72 Boston Music Hall be a compilation or one comple show with bonus material.

I think the rest will be complete shows and then potentially bonus tracks. For example, the 1980 Apline show with bonus tracks from 81.

It would certainly be nice to get some '67, '68 and '70 ad Dave's Picks, but I'm not holding my breath. I've been waiting years for the Boston Tea Party and Ark shows to be released.

I have to say that I'm disappointed. Not in the music. In the price and the limited release. $600 guarantees that only the richest Dead fans will own this release-- and due to the limited 6,000 copies. Why not make it $300 and increase the production to 12,000? I have bought many Dead box sets, including the Europe '72 set which cost $400, I think it's 73 CD's. I've also purchased 50+ Dick's/Dave's Picks shows as well. The Dead have gotten themselves into a place where I thought that they'd never go-- only the richest and out of reach of most of their fans. It's sad, really. I'm not going to buy this.

Agree 100%. They should release this in 2 parts if they want to charge $600 for the total. $300 for the first 10 shows. IMO they should release the total 20 shows for $300 and increase the production to 12,000 as opposed to 6,000.

So please explain to us all why this is limited to 6,000 copies. What a BS comment.

Thank you for making this possible. The show selection looks stellar.

To my friends with struggles over the cost, find a friend who is buying it so you can enjoy it too! Alternately, maybe you can pool resources and split the cost with a trusted friend.

Yes, it looks as though this release is aimed at the more affluent American Deadhead, who followed the band around during the 1980's into the 90's. I say American, because the shipping and postage costs, are prohibitive if you don't live in the States. Also, the idea of basing the box on venues played doesn't mean much if you don't live in America.

Having said that, if the shows had been split up into two boxes I would have bought the first one, covering the first 10 shows, up to 1973. I'd have paid 300 dollars, plus the add on stuff for that.

The announcement on Rhino's main website gave a little bit more information on each show. Sounds like the main show from Alpine Valley will be from 1980 with bonus material from 1981. Not confirm, but sounds like it.

Thank you Dave for all that you do!