Grateful Dead

dead.net the official site

I understand that this marks the 50th year of the Grateful Dead. But, this is not the band that I saw from 1978 to 1995. The name "Grateful Dead" has not been used since Jerry's passing, so why now! It seems disrespectful. I have seen different incarnations of The Grateful Dead over the years & they have always came up with another name - The Other Ones, Rhythm Devils, The Dead or Furthur. They could have came up with a name for the band & just billed the shows as - Celebrating 50 years of the Grateful Dead's Music. Selling CD's & DVD's of the shows before they happen strikes me as even more strange. Are they selling nostalgia or music? How do we know if the shows will be any good. I'm sure each musician will give it their all, but Trey is not Jerry Garcia. I have never been a fan of Phish, or Trey's style of playing guitar. I'm not trying to insult Trey or the band's decision to make him a member for these events, but The Grateful Dead and Phish are two entirely different bands. Whay would I pay close to $200.00 for music that I might not like. Not trying to be a downer, but this is how I feel.

Since the 5th is the final show, I assume they have some special guests planned. Like Pigpen, Keith and Jerry...

We've been trying to sell out for years, nobody's buying! - Jerry

I don't begrudge the band for seeking some security. It is the crass way they have allowed others to use their name and turn a nice DVD offering into a huge rip off by over pricing it. $175 for all 3 shows come on! These are going to be less than $10 dollars to produce. And why now? Can't we even see the shows before we have to make up our minds? Also everyone is still reeling from the huge fraud perpetrated by Peter Shapiro on the mail order ticket scam. Why upset people even more. We should be seeking federal prosecution of Shapiro and not being sidetracked by the overpriced DVD's.

Wow, My wallet is getting a workout this summer. I had to order this, my OCD had me pulling out my Visa within minutes of seeing the offer. The price is not to bad. I got a laugh out of the big $4.96 discount during check out. I have no doubt that these shows are going to be great, historical and full of jams. I'm spending a lot this summer on this stuff, but I know I'm not alone. Peace

Most Dead shows were 2 set affairs that fit on 3 CDs, so unless the Dead are doing 5 hours marathon sets that would fill up 4 discs per show, what is going on the Extra 3 discs? I am not gonna be happy if I get 12 30 minutes cds

This is not a sell out. This is a very good price for what you will be getting. I am sick and tired of people bitching. I bought one right away. I am in love with all of the box sets that Rhino has been putting out over the years. Nobody seemed to be bitching about those. This will be superb quality of Trey melting your faces. Like someone else said if you don't like it, simply don't buy it and if you don't like the shows then don't go.

I agree that Rhino generally puts out superb quality Grateful Dead releases. The difference this time is that these shows haven't even happened. They're just marketing the shit out of it. Like they have been since they announced these $$$ shows. I agree it's annoying how much people are complaining, but this isn't a GRATEFUL DEAD release. Sure they will be probably release worthy, but I think that a prerelease is a tad smug for the organization to price these this way. It just another cash-raker. And these guys are brilliant at that. I guess I was lucky enough to get on archive and bTree before they pulled all the soundboards. And yes I am Grateful to have had that access. I will probably stick to attending Santa Clara and checking out webcasts at local venues. Madison House and Shapiro are $$ off of this one oh boy. Fare the Well. All about the music and the fans, right?

Anybody know where the listening party for this is?;)

You got it right. The difference between this and the other Rhino releases is this is not a Grateful Dead release. I already celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead by buying the box set that celebrates the 30 years they played

Shapiro is all about the money!!! It is sad.

It's a good thing the contest is for the opener at Santa Clara, since the opening song for Chicago is already on this release!

Normally 3 CD discs a show for $25 so 3 shows =$75. How you can predict the number of discs to capture the spirit of the happening is beyond my limited mortal powers. Happy I got the rebound seats upon 2nd release but sad anyways as I see another paradise paved for a parking lot. I'm hoping the boys will visit some of the many friends that will be playing in town so those of us that got blanked or only a show can see some of the spirit of Chicago blues jams. Perhaps there could be a free concert in Central Park NYC for free and a final counterpart in Golden Gate Park SF? That would be a grand send off!

Well I decided to post my inital thoughts of this release as well as comment on some of the previous posts. I orginally planned on attending these shows but like so many sadly got shut out well from paying reasonble price for tickets that is. first I dont think that anyyone that posts on here agrees with all posts. but I do think that its just as much poster right to post their opinion as being an individual is to me atleast one of if not the single greatest things of being a person, hey just agree to disagree dont take it personal opinions are what make us all human. With that being said I believe the option will still be available for a while so consideration may likely be there after a person has a chance to review the shows after the fact. Auds will be out there. my theory is that if they dont have the material to fill the cds for these shows and and they chose not to release the Santa Clara shows in full that they will use "the best of" as filler. Oh had to giggle when I read the comment that mentioned someone was somewhat of a completist still trying to figure that one out. so the options are here do with it what you will.

A box set with just the 12 CD's, charge $99.98-$124.98?

Easy gentlemen...in this, the year of seductive spending (ya knew DaPs were gonna be hot and The Box is already Legend), God bless GDP and Rhino for proffering a categorically unessential release. Kinda like when they broke my utterly indefensible purchase streak of commercial output w/ 90 TOO! Honestly, can you really picture any edition of FTW sitting shelfside with Tahoe 68, FE 69, E72, Winterland 73/77, Fox & Lakeland 5/77, or The Warlocks 89? Of course not. Power to those who grasp at the last incarnation of The Parking Lot scene - stream it, sun grope it, party to the valediction with friends, but remember: the enduring legacy is in the living sound of original genius and if you've a dime to spare for a mere echo when there are still Grateful Dead releases that you've wanted but don't own, then you've strayed from the path of reason./K

To ALL involved in this. I can't make the shows from Australia although saw GD 28 times in my life (from 85 to 92) - these shows are welcome to me on top of viewing PPV via YouTube! What with this and the 80CD goliath set it's a great time to be a deadhead (although an expensive one!!). All we need now to cap this off is find out what the NEXT Dave's Picks is - please make it an 82 85 or 89 show (or Halloween 90 London). ALSO - FOR SALE - I'm selling all my old tour t-shirts (LARGE-XL) - ranging from mint to good condition - tie dyes and plain - including rare ones like the great Dead/CSN tour t-shirt with the indian skeleton front and the Sting/Dead tour t-shirt - offers and enquiries to gilmourstephen@hotmail.com. Also for sale, the 2009 Beacon ABB FULL set and the 2012 and 2013 full sets - all deleted and out of print - MINT condition and ships from Australia - best offers please to gilmourstephen@hotmail.com ONE QUESTION - IS THE BLU RAY REGION FREE AS THIS IS WHAT I ORDERED. NOW TO SAVE FOR THE WALL OF SOUND BOX SET......

blu-Ray newb here.. It says high definition video..I know Blu Ray is higher definition in comparison to dvd but in terms of what video? Audio and sound? Both? Is the sound higher def or better with Blu Ray too?

I tried to get tix (via MO), nostalgia was involved, then I waited and waited and waited, then Ticketmasterbation, waited and waited and waited. Then I got my letter, you LOSE. Then the nostalgia and HYPE went away, I realized Jerry won't be there (and some twat from Phish will BEE) and felt better. To all who paid to see this, have fun, enjoy the ride, but come Monday it's all over NOW baby, blue. If Donna isn't there that weekend on stage at some Point it would be a wasted moment, but that ship flew long ago when they never announced Donna as a part of this. And if someone is subbing for Jerry who ya got for Pigpen? Bury your dead.

I love the comment pre-order something that didn't even happen yet. I can only guess they'll have every song we want to hear but we don't know the formats. Will there be an acoustic set? Who's singing lead they all can't be Bob Weir. I agree it's not really the Grateful Dead as they dispersed in 1995 following Jerry Garcia's death. Can these shows be worthwhile? Will we want to hear them again and again...and see? The price is high for just 3 shows or is it 6 if you count video as a separate entity. What we're missing are the 2 California shows...I really can't morally pre-order this. I pre-ordered the 30 shows box set and bought every box they threw out there...but this one I don't feel comfortable with...now if they said you get to watch the 5 shows FREE with the purchase of the box set I might be gullible and do it...but If I listened to every Grateful Dead CD I would surely be busy until my repective death and i'm not even 50 yet...close to it but not 50 and I know I would be busy for a long time listening to Grateful Dead live shows on CD...from dick picks, to road trips, to dave's picks, to rhino releases, to from the Vault releases, to the many box sets 1972, spring 1990 twice, fillmore 1969, VA 1989, winterland 2 years...it's insane...20,000 sets it's limited my guess a few days after the concert they'll all be sold...maybe not it's a lot of $$$ but we don't know what they have in mind at the concerts.

DVD can allow 24/96 audio and Blu Ray can allow 24/192 audio. So if everything is mastered to the max hi-res, Blu Ray should be better and hi def

On the region coding question, I asked about this yesterday and someone posted back saying that they are marked down as region free on one of the web pages.

"These are going to be less than $10 dollars to produce." You can't be serious? You really think the only cost is that of pressing? These shows are going to be filmed with multiple cameras, entailing a large crew and all the resources needed for such an event. If the shows were released on their own as audio, they'd probably cost $30 each. Add about the same amount for the videos, at a more or less standard price, and you come up to the cost of the set. If you don't want to pay it, don't buy it, but at least understand that there is some value to this set.

Bob Weir said, in a New Yorker interview, that they've been slotted for up to five hours for each show. He did say that he doesn't think they'll play that long; my guess is the shows will come in at around 4 hours each.

But you won't hear any difference. And, anyway, you'd need an appropriate DAC connected to your Blu-Ray player.

Yes, I've got other region-free blu-rays, such as the Sunshine Daydream disc. They work fine in my not-region-1 part of the world.

At noon I'm going to the World Café Live in University City to have lunch with the wife, Warren Haynes & Railroad Earth are the guests for the Free at Noon concert. It will be streamed live at wxpn.org or you can listen to it on the radio at 88.5 on your FM dial. Lunch with the wife & Warren, I'd have to say it's going to be a FUN FRIDAY, DEADLAND!!!!!

can i help you guys out by paying 50 dollars per balloon if i should buy a 1000 dollar ticket, blow one of your children and bribe them to get me onto the floor to dance to gamehenge riffs w the multibeast after you break out a cryptical> who was john after a sesame street, one of these things, tuning... is this the bizzaro world.. help , i am in an alternate reality for junkies. you are torturing us.. whats next are you going to spray the sky with metal nanoparticle toxins to wage war with an angry sun to make it rain and perform miracles and rewrite the constitution with an act that removes all of our fake liberty with the sweet sound of a cracked bell, longing to be recast , dewing it correctly now. hey bob are you sitting in judgement as you preside over sacred failing before profane, i trust you you prankster, say anything and makes us.. cringe with pride.. I'm a jackass who robbed the blue monolith and gave it away to instruct and help those to access the tachyons with the text of the helping friendly akashic records for free or at a discount based on my warped interpretation of neal casady's ideals but ..CHARGING FOR TAPES AHEAD TIME... is truly the SKULLFUCK of all time...hilarious.. you all can change the channel... i hope it brings you a laugh as you tell stories about us the stupid guyim (sp), muggles etc to your grandkids.. this is the humor i love as i simply notice the obvious.. i love you all, just like you, i can self justify anything. fare the well. hey jer or any of his friends brothers and those that claim to be protectors.. i always have a bed and a good meal of rice beans in a veggie vindaloo or a shot of boy and girl combined without judgement w a vburger at Milliways bar and some ice cream w the love to help clean up that mess if that is the choice of anyones' need to escape the empathic nature of yourself nin a false reality. come on guys... are u kind? if i give you all of my money will you be kind then. if i promise my love will you be kind again and tell me the nature our existence..i have a pope hat for you big boy, rebuild it. i am not judging, i will not not judge, i will trust and love. i long to be smashed in the face for the chance that i may not be. my sincere apologies for my transgressions and i truly hope you all get high, get loose and feel young like your friend jerome tried to stay. befriend all the devils that tempted your friend with endorfins to dilauidid and for 8 days embrace joy with people (good and bad in your eyes) that love you for trying to tell them a new (doomed to repeat it) story. i am waiting with a cheshire grin and the fascination of a child for yourlive concert to a weary band that is called the homeland now.. good luck.

Didn't get tickets. Plans fell through for getting together with my brother for the theater showings. Now even the webcast is looking iffy for me with some computer question marks and, apparently, no PPV on TWC. So I'm about to jump on this preorder, thinking that if I just stick my head in the ground for the next several months, don't check out the setlists, message boards, or press, I can watch the BluRays as if they were live (while enjoying the ability to pause if the bathroom calls) -- no spoilers please! As the 30 years box set has finally gotten to the "not paying that much money" point for me, my completist streak broken, I can at least bite on this sucker right? I pressed "add to cart," nothing happened. I pressed it again, nada. Left the site, came back, still nothing. Rebooted, etc, still nothing! Is somebody trying to tell me something here?

What a diference a day makes. I am so glad I did not spend my life savings to attend an oversold Chicago mosh pit, listening to poor, Non-Stereo Stadium Sound from my behind the stage seats. However this offer is no substitute. I like Justin's work but I would like to hear from him (via web-interview) the technical aspects of this sound and video project. How is the Dolby Digital 5.1 or 7.1 mixed for this. Will it put me on the stage with the band all playing around me or out in the field ? I did purchase "Sunshine Daydream-blue-ray" even though I did not have the technology to watch it. But I knew that that my Home-Theater would soon catch-up with the 21st Century. The release date for this curious. Send out attention getting music mdse. just when some New Years Shows get announced ?????? I wish.

I assume that12-CD/7-DVD "Full audio and video from all three shows on CD and Blu-Ray" should read "Full audio and video from all three shows on CD and DVD" There, I just saved a lot of unhappy customers who order DVDs and expect Blu-Rays.

So is this 20,000 blu-ray and 20,000 DVD?Or 20,000 combined? I'm guessing this will be like SSDD and be 20K of each.

Sad how much bitter there is over this, prices, nitpicking, etc. As one who desperately wanted to go, and missed out at every turn on tickets, this is a godsend. I'll get to see every minute of the shows, hear every note played, forever. Sure, it's costly. So what. Alot cheaper than the $5,000 the trip to the shows would have cost. Thanks G.D. Thanks!

Last night about the Dead's final concert (the current configuration- not the "Grateful Dead"). So the remaining guys plus Anastasio were playing. I saw a bit live, a bit over cable, and a bit of a recording. Bits and pieces here and there. They were fairly good for later-era Dead, but the pieces were not particularly recognizable. I also saw the set list at the end. One Dead song (can't remember which), one Phish song- and the rest were covers. Not even of songs I recognized, and certainly not of the ones the Grateful Dead or its following incarnations played. Folk, funk, rock, stuff like that- but just the modern Dead's sound without any of the classics. Just thought I'd share that. My takeaway- the shows may be good in their own way, but they won't be like what you're getting from the past ones! I guess that goes without saying, but... wouldn't it be a hoot if they were to play and the bulk of the set lists WERE of stuff we'd just never heard before? Jerry would probably have approved- it would be the trickster thing to do.

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6612680/peter-shapiro-grateful-d… in case you are interested....

Worst. Imaginary. Show. Ever. The setlist sucks and the mix was wrong.

Dear Dead Heads... I am really happy that The Grateful Dead are playing three final concerts together, and that they are also releasing all three of these concerts as Audio / Video Box Sets. Thank you! We are very grateful to the band for doing this, as most of the faithful, for one reason or another, will not be able to attend these historic events "in Grateful Dead History." So that is cool. ... It looks like these concerts will be remembered as the "Grateful Phish Head Festival" instead of the "Other Grateful Further Festival," because the band has chosen Trey Anastasio to play lead guitar instead of one of the other many great guitar players who have played with one incarnation or another of our favorite band over the years. I have no problem with this, as I have always admired Trey Anastasio as well as his love for the band and their music. Phish were always considered one of the first as well as one of the best Grateful Dead Cover Bands to make it big. Trey is a fine guitar player, and I am sure he will do Jerry proud as the Dead Head that he is and as the fine guitarist that he is. When Jerry moved on into "the great beyond," many Dead Heads began attending Phish concerts, as well as Dark Star Orchestra concerts, to fill the void. ... Which leads me to mentioning John Kadlecik, who played with Furthur for many years. He is also a fine guitarist who can, if not fully fill Jerry's guitar shoes, can fill Jerry's soulful voice better than anyone under the sun. As much as I like Phish's musical instrumentation, I have, personally, always considered their vocals as well their lyrics to be less than stellar. Not so with John Kadlecik! Man, if anyone can sing and sound like Jerry Garcia up there on that stage, it is this man! I hope that The Dead bring him out as a guest performer on stage on one of those three memorial and monumental nights in Chicago over the Fourth of July holiday to add his beautiful and soulful voice to the musical mix! Indeed, "that would be something!" ... Long Live The Good Old Grateful Dead !!! ... YOWZA! - George Nicholas Koumantzelis / The Aeolian Kid : )

Love to see Chris Robinson join the line up for these five shows and channel his inner Pigpen for Good Lovin', Lovelight, Caution and obviously Hard to Handle. Imagined if they opened the first show with Alligator - who picked that one Bolo??? I'm glad they're opening the flood gates on all fronts to celebrate the 50th. I think the quality and extra's for the video release of these live shows will be top notch. Before Dave was Master of the Vault, he was the video guru. I would imagine that they'll film it better than the special affects videos of the stadium era. Probably include some rehearsals, the VIP interviews, etc. I think people will get their money's worth... I'm going to initially pass on this and the live stream. Hope to hear the shows someday from the archive or pick it up at a later date. I'm committed to the 30 Trips boxset (and very psyched), so I'm currently tapped for these types of expenditures. I hope everybody enjoys the shows and please refrain from talking during the songs, especially when they're jamming...

The marketing never stops

While I love a good concert dvd as much as the next person, I find that I seldom break out the ones I have. I would prefer a cd only release of these shows, say for about $100. I would buy that in a minute. Rock on

Has anyone noticed it is 12 cds. That means four per show. Hopefully this means the shows are gonna be long!!

Obviously, 4 cd's will be the maximum, and it probably won't be needed. However, with Europe 72 (for example) there are a few concerts where the fourth cd is not needed because of concert length, but to create a nice flow, or avoid nasty cuts in second set jam segments.

Ok so $10 is hyperbole on my part but the fact remains these don't have to $175 AND pressuring me to buy NOW; I haven't even seen the shows. Maybe the band is not so confident in their abilities. Also why restrict how many copies are produced? Let the market decide.

Here's the excerpt from the dead.net email: "The two dead.net exclusive versions, one 12-CD/7-Blu-ray and the other 12-CD/7-DVD, will EACH be limited to 20,000 individually numbered copies ON THEIR FIRST RUN. These versions will also feature an exclusive bonus disc featuring a behind-the-scenes look captured by Justin Kreutzmann. Included on the disc will be footage from the Grateful Dead ticketing office documenting the 350,000 plus tickets requests received for the shows..." So the "limited edition" is for the "first run" of 20K....maybe Rhino will use that kind of weasel wording to justify future re-releasing of any previous "limited" editions??? And the Rhino math -- 350,000 ticket requests, but Weir says only 1 in 10,000 come for the show. Does that mean only 35 people really, really will want to view this package regularly in the future??? Folks....enjoy your weekend and the dress rehearsal at 49ers Field.

I am confident the music will be strong with Trey at the helm. I want to hear Bruce take over the shows, especially vocally. I really don't want to hear Lesh butchering stuff like "Half-Step" with ill-advised lead vocals. Please don't do that. Play your bass and do "Box of Rain." I want Drums /Space to the fullest extent of the law! If this all happens, I can't imagine it will be less than satisfactory. I for one don't want many guests. That shxt almost never works. Even Branford Marsalis. . . I don't want to hear guest lead guitar players, at all, especially. So refreshing it will be one lead guitar player. That's the template. With one exception - somebody find Steve Winwood for a kickass "Dear Mr. Fantasy" - don't forget it's been 25 years since the passing of our favorite little buddy.

The email about this release says that the FTW products will be in stores on 11/2?.Those who want audio only may get their wish as they saturate the market with as much product as possible. That's what I'm hoping for.

Let me introduce you to the Grateful Dead, get it while you can. After 6 months of nothing much to celebrate the 50th some Marketing Genius thought it was a good idea to release the biggest box set ever (and wonderful too) at $700, a $200 video and CD box of a series of concerts that haven't even happened yet, the pay per view at $$, the actual concert at, well pick a big number and multiple by 10 all in the same few weeks. I'm not anti any of the releases or the concert but to dump it all in one go seems like the idea of a record company executive who has never picked up a CD because, while he supports any man wanting to wear women's clothes it's not something he partakes in. Reality anyone. On the plus side i have just found that banging ones head against a brick wall while listening to dark star is really quite enlightening.

I think this is a great, historical event and I wish I had the $ to be there. Do I want to buy cds/dvd of the shows? When faced with my wall of Grateful Dead cds to listen to, would I ever pull out these shows versus shows with Jerry? I don't think so. Personally, I just don't see myself listening to these shows except as a curiosity. I want to hear MORE shows of them young, in their prime, with Jerry. Not as 70 year old men on their last hurrah.

the only reason id be buying this is because of trey anastasio. and i can get a box set from his band for 40 bucks or a little under and most have 3 complete shows. and again another limited release. see i just DONT understand why Grateful Dead doesnt do things they way phish does things. they have individual shows for dowload for every current show and on cd Plus archival releases on both formats. the cds are made to order. with 3 cd shows at $23 dollars and two discs being $21 bucks both with 3 dollar shipping. box sets are a decent size(of late two or three shows)come in individual sleeves in a slipcase with no memorabilia trinkits and usually priced $40 bucks(or under) and are not limited to like oh 20,000 units. and you can say blah blah the band cant do that cuz they'd be broke. phish has been doing it like this for years have families and they are not broke. I love grateful dead i dont think these releases are cash grabs but its hard to do buisness buying releases cuz they are always of late in the hundred dollar bracket and limited edition. leaving me and others with making one of two decisions: do i buy the release and possibly let myself be near broke and enjoy the music (depending on the financial status at the time)? or not and let this great music slip away and never enjoy it all? over at phish.com if a box set or run of shows come out i dont really have to make that hard decision i can sock away a few bucks on the side and then buy whatever it is that peaked my interest. i wish the dead would do things like this instead with dave's picks and box sets. it would probably make a lot of us dead heads a lot happier.instead of being bummed out cuz "hey i really wanted this cool show that was in dave's picks or this cool box set but i couldnt get my order in quick enough or didnt have money at the time and now its sold out." this isn't written with bitterness and its not my intent to be like "oh phish is the better band cuz blah blah". both bands are completely different and seperate.

laughing my ass off, first, hype the shows, which will suck, then, hype the ppv, then hype the dvd. I'm done.