Grateful Dead Dave's Picks 2018 Subscription

These as 2019 and 2020 Box Sets respectively. Just exactly.

 

I just finished up 10/15/76. I would not want this as a Pick unless the remainder of the show was found. Not likely.

 

I've said that kind of thing before, so I decided to make a list of what circulates from 68 as far as I can tell:

1-17 seems to be a higher gen copy of the master reel, that may be in the vault.
1-20 that circulates is multi track, but a fragment.
1-22 is another multitrack SBD
1-23 (aka 1-27) another 4 track fragment
2-2 a 4 track fragment (all of the above except 1-17 have seen partial release on Road Trips bonus disc or So Many Roads.)
2-3 one complete set on 4 track*
2-14 (Road Trips 2.2)
2-23 (Dicks 22)
2-24, (Dicks 22)
3-3 audience fragment
3-16-68 multi track, partial release (So Many Roads)
3-17 Download series 6
3-29 - multi track, full set*
3-30, supposedly a multi track SBD, major SQ issues.
3-31 same deal, also just a fragment.
5-18-68, aud,
6-14-68 aud, (but partial release on Fillmore West Bonus disc)
8-21 SBD*,
8-22 SBD date in question for some of it.
8-23 - multi track, partially released (bonus tracks on Anthem reissue, etc.)
8-24 - (Two from the vault,)
8-28 SQ issues
9-2, SBD master reel*
9-20, SBD fragment (20 minute drums),
10-12 SBD master reel*
10-13 SBD master reel*
10-20 released 30 trips,
11-1 SBD, terrible SQ for half the show,
11-22 - AUD
12-7 - cuts and SQ issues (Mickey hart solo drummer, only Rosemary on tape)
12-20 cassette master fragment, SQ issues
12-21 cassette master minor SQ issues, power outages on stage
12-29 cassette master SBD

The shows I marked with stars could be good candidates for release - they've already put out some of the 68 multitracks as Dicks Picks and Road Trip stuff, so that's not an obstacle, the problem then becomes putting together a 3 CD set. 10-12 and 10-13 could be a good pairing, though you'd still need some filler as 10-12 and 10-13 together run less than 160 minutes.

There are also the mystery reels, which fill about 4-5 discs, they could be good for filler too.

Still if I'm Dave, unless they give me an intern or something, it looks like it's a lot easier to just slap together a 77 show than to do all of the collating and editing for something from 68.

Unless they want to give us an 'all that's left from 68 in the Vault' box set.

 

That is a given, I think

 

6/7/69 would fit the bill nicely. 6/27 too!

 

Nice updated list of known 68 shows here:

Grateful Dead Guide: 1968 Show List

Also, IIRC DL2 has said 1/17/68 is not in the vault.

 

Yes, the circulating source originates from the Vault reels.

 

I doubt that any Hartbeats shows will get an official Grateful Dead release.

 

Ha, I listened to all of 68 over the summer, it looks like he updated that about a week ago. I used that page as a guide but the new format would have been better.

Interesting note on 9-2-68, the person introducing them says something like 'here's the people that started it all,' I've read some people saying they didn't get that reputation until they were the last SF band standing (ie the 80s,) but obviously it goes back as far as 68.

 

I'm going to stick with my guess of 1-2-70 for #28 and 2-26-77 for #29.

Definitely hope they found the last part of 10-15-76. I'd love to see that come out in 2019.

 

I wonder if the person doing the introducing attended an Acid Test.

 

That list makes it obvious there's lots to release from 1968! A winter '68 compilation, 3-16, 8-21/22, 10-12/13, there could be several picks. But the odds are against any '68 release anytime soon.
Dave has said that '68 isn't very popular with Dead fans -- he complained that DP22 didn't sell well -- so that may bias him against it. (Even though sales of Dave's Picks are irrelevant since they all sell out instantly.)
Also, setlist-wise, the Dead played more or less the same few suites all year, so if you've heard the few '68 releases you've pretty much heard all the songs '68 has to offer. I would think the releases of 2-14-68, 8-24-68 & 10-20-68 make any further releases from those months very unlikely due to the setlist repetition; the shows are not very distinct from each other. (It would be an ideal year for compilations, but they rarely release those anymore!)
Plus there are other factors you mentioned -- several shows are on multitrack and would need mixing; the inflexible 3-CD Dave's Picks format isn't well-suited for '68 shows; multiple shows have bad cuts, so only a few shows are both complete & in good reel quality -- so even just looking at the best-quality '68 shows, I don't think it's a year Dave would give much consideration.

 

Well, it's relative, a similar list of most years after 68 would be 60 or more items, and 99% of those could be a standalone Dave's Pick. Even heavily mined years like 74, 76 and 77 which have less than a 'normal' amount of shows still have like 3x the material of 68.

My feeling is if Dylan can release a box of 20 or so shows with the same exact setlist, the GD could get away with a box full of similar setlists, only 10-12/13 are identical. But, most of what they put out from early 69 is very similar to late 68 as well, so it is a lot of repetition.

 

Dave has said time and time again that he doesn't consider song selection when picking a show. He might rule out 68 for various other reasons but not because similar suites are present on previous releases

 

I suppose that's why we have so many Big Rivers and Me and my Uncles.

 

That and Me & My Uncle was the song the band played the most in their career.

 

Yes, they really wore it out - and there were even two years they didn't play it at all! (that we know of, anyway, 68 and 76,) and they only did it once in 94.

 

I'll take those over "I Need a Miracle" or "Wang Dang Doodle" any day of the week.

 

Will very likely be getting a '68 show when the Aoxomoxoa 50th anniversary set comes out next year

 

Good point. Another reason why it is unlikely Dave goes the 1968 route for the next DaP release.

 

Ill take any of those over Looks Like Rain.

 

The Dead's rep began in Fall '65 when Ginsberg told Dylan and Warhol about an LSD party at Kesey's pad that had strobe lights, colored smoke bombs and a rock n roll band that played a noise filled Morning Dew for 2 & 1/2 hours. "It was a Howl...man"
Ok.. fake but close enough to pretend.

 

Regarding the live releases with the studio album reissues, someone was mentioning how they wouldn’t mind more Road Trips style releases. I think that’s essentially what we’ll get with those live companion discs. Assuming they continue the single disc trend then we’ll see a bunch of compilations...imagine they’d stick with shows they likely wouldn’t release on their own anyway. Things like parts of a September 73 show (except Nassau Coliseum) and parts of 5-25-74 come to mind.

 

Parts of 22 February 1974 would also fit that bill.

 

I’d love them to do a proper compilation of 27 January ‘68 - about half of it is on Road Trips 2.2, about the other half circulates and that cut Spanish Jam (ending with Jerry’s faint “see you next time we’re in Seattle”) also circulates. I guess they don’t know what order the tracks were played in. I tried to piece together a coherent set list from that night based on setlists from shows surrounding it but have never succeeded.