Truckin Up to Buffalo July 4 1989 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)While I am neither a Deadhead nor a Dead Detractor, I do appreciate good music done by great musicians. With so much exterior baloney and cultural hoo-ha surrounding the Dead, a lot of people forget how hard they worked at becoming world class musicians. They succeeded. What comes across more than anything on this wonderfully mastered recording is the amount of energy that they had this night. When complimenting the Dead, everyone singles out Jerry's Guitar, Bob W.'s vocals and rhythms, or the two drummers working as one. Myself, I tip my hat to Phil Lesh. He anchors it all while retaining a great sense of melody on an instrument that many take for granted. Listen to the way he walks up and down during Row Jimmy. At some points he is going the opposite direction of Garcia and they still blend perfectly. Other times he takes the lead. He propels the song forward until it assumes its own direction. It is beautiful and expressive bass playing. Rhino is to be commended for the work they have put into preserving the live legacy of the Dead. The packaging is a crack-up.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Truckin Up to Buffalo July 4 1989

A classic July 4th concert is brought to life in HDCD Sound on the first of three historic live releases celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Grateful Dead. Drawn from arguably the band's strongest tour of their last 15 years on the road, the two-disc Truckin' Up To Buffalo features the entire concert at Rich Stadium on July 4, 1989. Favorites include "Bertha," "Touch Of Grey," "Man Smart, Woman Smarter," "Morning Dew," and "U.S. Blues."

Click here for more information about Truckin Up to Buffalo July 4 1989

Winterland June 1977: The Complete Recordings (9 CD Boxed Set) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Rhino have really outdone themselves in every way possible on this one.
The first thing you notice is the elaborate artwork of the package, which was painstakingly and beautifully done by neo 60s rock poster artist Emek. Each of the 3 CD packages that contains each of the three shows folds out, and when put together, form a new picture.
But the packaging is just the beginning of these great shows. The sound quality is literally mind blowingly unbelievable. Each show was carefully remastered by longtime sound engnineer Jeffrey Norman, who has worked on a long list of previous Grateful Dead recordings.
Over the years, I've amassed somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 or so official live Dead releases, and can confidently say that nothing even comes close to the sound here. I will just stop writing about it now, because words can't describe the clarity and definition.
If you're reading this, you probably already know that 1977 is widely considered among the Dead's strongest. Assuming that to be true, then these 3 shows are the cream of the crop.
So sit back, get yourself properly regulated ahead of time, insert the disc, and you might just feel like you've been teleported three decades back to the legendary Winterland.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Winterland June 1977: The Complete Recordings (9 CD Boxed Set)

Winterland June 1977: The Complete Recordings presents the legendary 3-night run (June 7, 8, 9) that marked the band's triumphant return from one of the greatest tours in rock 'n' roll history. Winterland's relaxed atmosphere truly brings out the best as the guys deliver six inspired sets of free-flowing creativity and peak musicianship.
Completists rejoice -- 9 full discs, 68 tracks of prime time Dead! Experience all 3 shows from start-to-finish as every note from the analog masters has been brought back to distortion-free, pitch-perfect reality using Plangent Processes. Adding to the bliss, the restored audio has been lovingly mastered to HDCD by Jeffrey Norman.
Winterland June 1977 is the faithful companion to last year's standard-setting set, Winterland 1973. It features archival packaging, cover art by Emek, a 28-page booklet with an insightful essay by Rolling Stone's David Fricke, along with lots of amazing photos and a few surprises.

Click here for more information about Winterland June 1977: The Complete Recordings (9 CD Boxed Set)

Formerly the Warlocks Box: October 8 & 9, 1989 (6 CD Set) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Dead's Fall 1989 Tour began with a couple of surprise shows at Hampton Coliseum in Virginia. The Dead hadrecently brought back We bid You Goodnight in July while Death Don't Have No Mercy followed in September. Jerry had done an interview with Relix around this time talking about reviving songs for the band's 25th Anniversary with both a new studio album and a live album in the works.
10-8-89:
The first show opens with a nice version of Foolish Heart before giving way to Walkin' Blues. Candyman is nice and was a bit rare at the time being played only every once in a while by this time. Me And My Uncle->Big River, Stagger Lee, Queen Jane, Bird Song->Promised Land are all great but had a lot wondering where the "surprise" was in these surprise shows. The second set opened with the first Help On The Way/Slipknot since 1985 and is quite well performed. Next up, a strong Victim Or The Crime gives way to a strong Eyes Of The World. The Drums->Space segment is really good as the following I Need A Miracle->The Wheel->Gimmie Some Lovin'->Morning Dew. And We Bid You Goodnight ends the show on a great note.
10-9-89:
The second night's show opens with a Feel Like A Stranger that most will know as being the one from Without a Net: Live. The new album title track Built To Last is played quite well as is the following Little Red Rooster. Ramble On Rose is a joy to behold. We Can Run is better than some while Jack A Roe is hot. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again is it's usual fun self. The set ending Row Jimmy->The Music Never Stopped is very well played. The second set opens with a hot Playing In The Band before giving way to Uncle John's Band which goes back into Playing In The Band. At this point, one would expect something like Terrapin Station but the first few notes make that a long gone memory. The first Dark Star in five years is quite amazing, to put it simply. This isn't a trivial Star but a monster with a nice full jam. The Drums->Space->Death Don't Have No Mercy is quite impressive. I actually find the rest of the second set to be good but unimpressive. The encore is a different matter as the first live Attics OF My Life since 9-27-72 Dick's Picks, Vol. 11: Stanley Theatre, Jersey City, NJ, 9/27/72.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Formerly the Warlocks Box: October 8 & 9, 1989 (6 CD Set)

In October 1989, the folks who were lucky enough to score tickets for the "Warlocks" shows in Hampton were treated to two of the most exciting shows of the year. Every song was recorded with the state-of-the-art Le Mobile remote recording truck and recently mastered to HDCD specifications, so needless to say, it sounds like you're there, in the best seats in the house.
The Hampton "Warlocks" box collects every note of the band's two "stealth" shows spread over six CDs. This collector's set comes packaged in a wooden replica of a cigar box (Virginia being a tobacco state dating back to colonial times), and is filled with all sorts of goodies, from a photo-laden historical essay to various pieces of cool memorabilia from the time.
Track listing:
Disc 1
1. Foolish Heart
2. Walkin' Blues
3. Candyman
4. Me and My Uncle
5. Big River
6. Stagger Lee
7. Queen Jane Approximately
8. Bird Song
9. Promised Land
Disc 2
1. Help On The Way
2. Slipknot!
3. Franklin's Tower
4. Victim or the Crime
5. Eyes of the World
6. Rhythm Devils
Disc 3
1. Space>
2. I Need A Miracle
3. The Wheel
4. Gimme Some Lovin'
5. Morning Dew
6. We Bid You Goodnight
Disc 4
1. Feel Like A Stranger
2. Built To Last
3. Little Red Rooster
4. Ramble On Rose
5. We Can Run
6. Jack-A-Roe
7. Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again
8. Row Jimmy
9. The Music Never Stopped
Disc 5
1. Playing In The Band
2. Uncle John's Band
3. Playing In The Band
4. Dark Star
5. Rhythm Devils
Disc 6
1. Space
2. Death Don't Have No Mercy
3. Dear Mr. Fantasy
4. Hey Jude
5. Throwing Stones
6. Good Lovin'
7. Attics of My Life

Click here for more information about Formerly the Warlocks Box: October 8 & 9, 1989 (6 CD Set)

Europe 72 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)There are three seminal, essential live Grateful Dead albums, each a bit different, but each containing all the elements orf improvisation, multiple musical styles, and ensemble tightness that made the Dead so unique. These are Live Dead, Grateful Dead (Skull and Roses) and Europe 72. It is impossible to pick one over the other as *the best* of the officially released live Dead albums, and if I had to, I could live with no Dead albums other than these three, but I could not give up any one of them.

Europe 72 contains both some of the tightest compact versions of several Dead tunes, as well as some of the most ethereal extended jams. For those interested in the magic of what used to happen when everything just jelled exactly right, listen to Weir's unique idiosyncratic rhythm-lead solo between China Cat and I know you rider (yup - That's Bobby playing the lead). There are lots of examples of this jam on other live Dead recordings, but nowhere does the playing of all band members synergize in the segue as well as on this cut. Trucking-Prologue-Epilogue Morning Dew is basically one long piece of music. Epilogue gets really nice and jazzy and stretches things out like only the Dead could. Prologue merges into a Morning Dew that has a Bobby-Keith rhythm guitar/piano section that is so tight that even after listening to it for more than 30 years there are still parts where I can't tell if I am hearing Bobby or Keith. Jerry's vocals and lead are are stronger and more emotional on this than on any other Morning Dew available anywere. Europe 72 also features a wider range of styles from Jerry and the boys than either Live Dead or Skull and Roses, ranging from very countrified on Cumberland Blues to rock on One More Saturday Night to good old trademark Greatful Dead style everything but the kitchen sink on the long jams.
This is a great album. The new tracks are a nice feature, but not one of them is as strong as any of the originals (But Jerry's pedal steel on Looks' Like Rain is a nice touch). Still, this is one (of 3) Dead albums that is an absolute must for DeadHeads of all ages.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Europe 72

Expanded & remastered in HDCD, this reissue of 1972 livealbum includes seven bonus tracks, 'The Stranger (Two Souls In Communion)', 'Looks Like Rain', 'Good Lovin', 'Caution(Do Not Stop On Tracks)', 'Who Do You Love?', 'Caution (DoNot Stop On Tracks)' & 'Good Lovin'. Featuring some ofJerry Garcia's last-ever pedal steel guitar playing withthe Grateful Dead. Includes expanded booklet as well withrare photos & all-new liner notes, packaged in doublegatefold Digipak. Warner/Rhino. 2003.

Click here for more information about Europe 72

To Terrapin: May 28, 1977 Hartford, CT Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Okay , I'll admit it. The Dead are one of my all-time faves. Writing an impartial review from the perspective of owning over 1,500 Dead discs is a tough challenge. However , it is from that vast collection that I can relish in a release such as this.
It would be 2 more months before Terrapin Station the studio album was set for release on July 27 , 1977. The boys (and one girl) were in Hartford on closing night of a grueling tour. Fans were treated to many faves , and what would soon become staples of the Dead shows in years to come. "Terrapin Station" , "Estimated Prophet" , "Samson And Delilah" are all heard in their infancy stages.
Many felt these same songs (especially the title track) were subsequently overblown on the studio release ; not here. Stripped down and performed with remarkable energy.
And a 20 minute "Sugaree" ? Geez , this band knew what a live performance should be.
So , I finally can put the audience recording of this historic show away in the archives , as I now proudly own history in HDCD.
I can't imagine if you are reading this review that you might be unfamiliar with what the Dead stood for. Maybe you are curious about discovering what all the fuss is about. This would be a great place to start.

Click Here to see more reviews about: To Terrapin: May 28, 1977 Hartford, CT

As they were prepping for the summer release of their first studio album in two years, Terrapin Station (a Top 40 Billboard album), the Grateful Dead blew the roof off Connecticut's Hartford Civic Center on the closing night of their spring '77 tour. A show long sought after by Dead fans, the set features inspired versions of songs that would soon come out on Terrapin, including 'Estimated Prophet,' 'Passenger,' and the title track. Epic jams also include, of course, 'One More Saturday Night,' 'Jack Straw,' 'Candyman,' 'U.S. Blues,' and takes on 'Tennessee Jed' and 'Sugaree' that many fans claim are as good as any ever recorded. Released in celebration of the Dead's '09 tour which plays Hartford and presented in HDCD, the recordings from this previously unissued show were mastered from the original two track master analog tapes.

Click here for more information about To Terrapin: May 28, 1977 Hartford, CT

Road Trips, Vol. 3 No. 4: Penn State-Cornell '80 (3CD) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I should start out by saying that I find the performances very good but the problem with this release is that the tape speed wasn't corrected and, as a result, the songs all run slow by about 3.2% which is alot. These shows were taken from standard cassettes make on a tape deck that ran slow. All the songs are played strongly in my humble opinion and, if this was adjusted to the right speed, it would get 5 stars. One major plus is that there's NO BONUS DISC with this one so if you don't have the money upon first release, there's nothing to miss. Another major plus is that you can hear all the instruments quite well in the mix (including Brent's Keyboards).

Click Here to see more reviews about: Road Trips, Vol. 3 No. 4: Penn State-Cornell '80 (3CD)

Road Trips, Vol. 3, No. 4 combines two back-to-back college shows in a 3-CD set. The Dead performed dynamic versions of a number of favorites on May 6, 1980, at Penn State and May 7, 1980, at Cornell University. Every instrument has its place in the wide stereo spread of these two performances.
Track listing:
Disc 1
Penn State (5/6/80) and Cornell (5/7/80)
1. Jack Straw
2. Peggy-O
3. Me and My Uncle
4. Big River
5. Loser
6. Cassidy
7. Row Jimmy
8. Lazy Lightning
9. Supplication
10. Althea
11. Lost Sailor
12. Saint of Circumstance
Disc 2
Penn State 5/6/80
1. China Cat Sunflower
2. I Know You Rider
3. Feel Like A Stranger>
4. He's Gone
5. The Other One
6. Rhythm Devils
7. Space
8. Wharf Rat
9. Around and Around
10. Johnny B. Goode
Disc 3
Cornell 5/7/80
1. Shakedoown Street
2. Bertha
3. Playing In The Band
4. Terrapin Station
5. Rhythm Devils
6. Space
7. Saint of Circumstance
8. Black Peter
9. Playing In The Band
10. Good Lovin'

Click here for more information about Road Trips, Vol. 3 No. 4: Penn State-Cornell '80 (3CD)

The Grateful Dead: The End of the Road - The Final Tour '95 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The summer tour that this film captures was filled with many problems. I saw shows during this tour and unfortunately, there were harmful elements that I witnessed that had encroached into the community that followed the Grateful Dead. I commend the filmmaker for showing an honest perspective without sanitizing the negatives. I appreciated that the film also avoided sensationalizing events such as when unruly fans crashed through the fence at Deer Creek Amphitheatre. This could have been easily exploited with a drawn out examination for dramatic effect but instead it lasted less than two minutes. In the next scene, the film presents a very inspiring sequence where older Deadheads take accountability for not properly educating the new generation of fans. The determination of those interviewed to confront the problems on tour was very uplifting. Tragically, their vision was never realized as life following the Grateful Dead ended with Jerry's untimely death. Without a doubt, the closing scenes of fans gathered to celebrate Jerry's life makes this film worth purchasing. I highly recommend this film not only for Deadheads but more importantly for younger fans who have adopted the nomadic lifestyle of following the next generation of bands. There are lessons in this film to be learned, gathered and passed on.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Grateful Dead: The End of the Road - The Final Tour '95

Music by Merl Saunders & Jerry Garcia, appearances by Babatunde Olatunji, Merl Saunders, Wavy Gravy, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bill KreutzmannWritten & Directed By: Brent MeeskeFor 30 years, Jerry Garcia played guitar and sang for the Grateful Dead, and by doing so, inspired a modern cultural phenomenon – the legions of nomadic fans that made a communal way of life out of following Jerry and the Dead – the Deadheads."The End of the Road" began shooting just 3 months before Garcia’s Death in 1995 – documenting ‘life on the road’ with this family of bohemian wanderers – on what would be the final tour with Jerry and the Dead.That summer the road came to an end back where it all began – in San Francisco – where thousands gathered one last time for eulogies from bandmates, friends and family at the memorial for Jerry Garcia.DVD Features: Uncut Memorial Ceremony, Extended Merl Saunders Interview, Follow-up Interviews, Deleted/Extended Scenes, Original Press Kit

Get 5% OFF

Click here for more information about The Grateful Dead: The End of the Road - The Final Tour '95