The Grateful Dead Dark Star

[jazzbo]

Received the set last night.

Pretty nice little cigar box, all paper (three three cd digipaks) and the bonus disk was sealed inside the set in a paper sleeve, so don't freak if you don't see it separately in the shipping box.

Booklet is okay.

Sound is awesome.

[vajerzy]

what are the special surprises?

[Quincy]

what are the special surprises?

There's a button inside. When I picked up the cigar box I heard a rattle. There's also a reproduction of a mailer for the shows with a comic and uh, some sort of writing. If you unfold all of the digipacks and line them up by date you get a giant version of the artwork on the front of the booklet.

[WD45]

I just discovered something as an add-on for Firefox; it is something that will rip all mp3s in an M3U playlist.

You might find this interesting if you peruse archive.org...

dig it

[Chalupa]

Dead on Vinyl

http://www.lonestardeadradio.com/vinyl.htm

[vajerzy]

Now that I have DSL- I have to discover Archive.org and other sites to get some shows. MP3s will work for me.

[John L]

Did you guys order your Winterland set through the Grateful Dead Store? I got a notification from them that the set is still on pre-order, and will only be shipped sometime later this month.

[jazzbo]

Yes, preordered when it hit their website, and it was shipped April 1.

My guess is that the email was either outdated/inaccurate, or they mailed out the initial sets received and are waiting for more (though that seems unlikely. . .seems unlikely they would print so few or presell so many).

[John L]

Yes, preordered when it hit their website, and it was shipped April 1.

My guess is that the email was either outdated/inaccurate, or they mailed out the initial sets received and are waiting for more (though that seems unlikely. . .seems unlikely they would print so few or presell so many).

Thanks, Lon. By the way, there are some complaints on the Music Archive Grateful Dead forum about a skip on disc 2. Maybe there are cleaning that up before they sell any more? Does yours skip?

[jazzbo]

Yes, it does, in one song. Not going to cry over it but hopefully they'll replace. Hadn't thought about it, but that may be why they aren't shipping.

Edited April 7, 2008 by jazzbo

[vajerzy]

I ordered mine through the Dead website after people started posting that their set has shipped. I ordered last Tues and Thurs I received an email saying the set was shipped. Haven't received it yet.

[Chalupa]

http://www.audiojunkies.com/blog/730/an-in...wall-of%20sound

[Quincy]

Here's a picture of the contents of the November '73 box.

From the top is the "cigar box," the white sheet is a reproduction of a flyer about the shows. That bit of color on the lower left of the white sheet is a button that comes with the package. The 3 digi-packs are at the bottom (each holds 3 discs), the booklet is to the left and at the upper left is the bonus disc.

I was going to try use the board software "spoiler" feature but it apparently doesn't work for pictures. My sincere apologies if I ruined anyone's surprise.

[Chalupa]

Nice package, ahem.

[Dave Garrett]

Got mine today. Listening to disc 1 right now - very nice. (hey, we need a stealie smiley...)

[Chalupa]

Rocker Steve Miller hated the Grateful Dead

By Dean Goodman Thu Apr 10, 10:32 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rocker Steve Miller may have honed his craft in San Francisco during the late 1960s, but don't lump him in with local bands from that time, especially the Grateful Dead.

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"I couldn't stand that band," Miller said on Thursday, during a panel at a music industry symposium, recalling the Dead's interminable jams and lengthy tuning breaks between songs.

In fact, Miller said it was much more interesting to listen to frontman Jerry Garcia's stage banter than to listen to the band play its psychedelic improvisations.

The San Francisco music scene was more of a "social phenomenon," Miller said, and his eponymous band was more musical and more professional than the pack.

Miller was speaking at the "I Create Music" expo hosted by performing-rights group ASCAP. The night before, he received a lifetime achievement honor from ASCAP, and performed a half-dozen tunes, including such hits as "The Joker," "Rock 'n Me," and "Take the Money and Run."

During the panel discussion, he stressed the importance of having complete artistic control, noting that he held out for such rights when 14 labels competed to sign him after his performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. He eventually went with Capitol, which still represents him.

He recalled that he allowed the United States Postal Service to license his tune "Fly Like an Eagle" in the 1990s under an $11 million deal that gave him final approval of every aspect. But the first few television ads aired before he received the submissions in the mail, and were "awful."

Increasingly frustrated, he called the USPS and its ad agency, and told them, "You have to stop sending this stuff by Priority Mail ... Use FedEx."

"It was really bizarre working with them," he said.

Reuters/Nielsen

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If Steve hated them so much then why did he accept the opening slot on their 1992 Summer tour?

[WD45]

Well, today I feel a little more justified in my dislike of Steve Miller.

[kenny weir]

Well, today I feel a little more justified in my dislike of Steve Miller.

Oh yeah - fuck him. Sounds like sheer envy to me.

There's a choice few pars in the McNally book quoting Miles Davis and his horror at the Miller band's efforts and then delight with the Dead when the Davis crew played with them at Fillmore. I concur. IIRC, Davis compared to the difference between non-music and music.

Edited April 12, 2008 by kenny weir

[Tony Pusey]

Miller was really dismisive of the whole SF scene, but that didnt stop him relocating and using it to launch his career.

I saw him once at the Rainbow in London where the whole first set was plagued by equipment failure, and then a complete power failure. In the end, increasingly frustrated and close to tears he responded by playing a magnificent solo accoustic set, and then was finally able to bring on his band. I always felt sorry for those waiting in line for the late show, whose entry was delayed by a couple of hours.

But I concur with the rest of you, Miller was an undreacheiver, none of his albums not even Sailor can be counted in the top rank of the SF pantheon . The Joker? give me a break... Give me Mad River, another band that relocated, anyday.

[Dave James]

Miller peaked early IMO. Livin' In The U.S.A. was about as good as it ever got. Wasn't his original bass player Boz Skaggs? At any rate, comparing The Dead and Steve Miler is like comparing The Stones and Herman's Hermits.

Up over and out.

[kenny weir]

Miller peaked early IMO. Livin' In The U.S.A. was about as good as it ever got. Wasn't his original bass player Boz Skaggs?

Yep, although I think guitarist rather than bassist.

And, truthfully, at least three of Scaggs' subsequent albums - S/T. My Time and Moments are cleary superior, IMO, to anything released under Miller's name before or after. But then, I consider all three masterpieces, even if minor masterpieces..

Hey I have nothin' against Miller - good luck to him. But slagging off the likes of the GD is just cheap BS.

As far as SF blowins, I'd vote for Cody and Crew and also Doug Sahm and crew. That Sir Doug Quintet box set is calling me ...

Edited April 12, 2008 by kenny weir

[John L]

I used to hear the Steve Miller (Blues) Band quite often in the 60s, as they played a lot of free concerts and festivals in the Bay Area. In you ask me, Boz Scaggs was always the best thing about that band, and he proved it later on by making albums that blow anything Steve Miller ever did completely away.

Miles Davis really cracked me up in his autobiography when he talked about having to be second billed at the Filmore to "some sorry ass motherfucker named Steve Miller."

Edited April 12, 2008 by John L

[Tony Pusey]

Kenny, a couple of other out of towners to remember H.P Lovecraft and Seatrain!

And the Sir Doug box is a must have!

[vajerzy]

The Winterland set is getting some big bucks on Ebay....$150.00, $125.00.......don't people do their homework?? I asked a seller about the set (beginning bid 149.99) on whether it's OOP and a limited edition- he gave me a nebulous answer about the last set going OOP and they're collector's items.....I think he knew.

[John L]

I've just finished listening through the Box. Brilliant stuff. This is as good a portrait of the Dead at their peak as exists, and the sound quality is remarkable. The presence of Phil and Keith is really boosted relative to the SBs that I had of these concerts, in addition to other major sonic improvements.

It struck me listening to this collection is that one reason I love this period of the Dead so much are the setlists. The song selection can hardly be beat. I also love the latter 70s, but the setlists began to deteriorate somewhat (IMO). Bringing back Good Lovin' with Bobby singing lead was NOT a good idea. The Terrapin Station material has not worn on me too well either. And losing Dark Star in the mix lightened up the center of gravity a bit too much.

Edited April 20, 2008 by John L