Grateful Dead: Barton Hall, Cornell U. 5/8/77 & "Get Shown The Light" box set*

And if you listen closely to the people who know how these things are done, the Dead folks are not interested in putting together sets that will take a great up-front cost to get off the ground, but sell slowly to the extent that they'll have stock taking up space in the warehouse for year after year until they're gone. Heard David Gans go on a big rant about this once on Sirius/XM when someone was making your point about "Why won't they release a set covering (maligned/marginal tour/year) that I want because people would TOTALLY buy it!"

It's the same reason Dave's Picks are limited edition--they want to sell these things up front, and they want to make sure they all sell. That's not to say they couldn't produce more of those and still sell out, but that's the logic there. A 1985 set is something a small percentage of the fanbase might get excited about, but in an era where physical product is increasingly hard to get off the shelves, it's a risk the Dead corporate office probably isn't going to be eager to take. 1977, 1974, 1978, 1990... Take it to the bank. 1985? Not so much.

 

Anywhere from hours to months.

 

What kind of issues? Will the disc not play at all, does it skip in a particular spot, or something else? And was it OK previously, or is this the first time you've played it?

I haven't run across any problems with any of the discs, but since there have now been at least a couple of reports of different discs with problems, I'm starting to wonder if these are just isolated issues or if this is indicative of something more widespread.

 

It stops playing during "Bertha"

 

Ah--that is serious. In fact, Jerry once physically attacked Phil for doing much the same thing...

 

Just FYI I emailed a replacement CD request (for the July '78 box) about three weeks ago and just got a reply today, along with an apology for the delay. They may be backed up; in the past I've heard back fairly quickly (including previously for the GSTL box when mine arrived with every CD loose and scratched or scuffed).

 

They e-mailed me today. All is well.

 

Which show/disc?

 

New Haven

 

I’ve been wondering about the differences myself considering switching to files in the future so I checked out the hi res of 5-8-77. I’d say if one were to make an argument that say the hi res is about 20% better, my guess is about 70% of that 20% difference is probably equalized with your volume knob. The CDs are not bad, but the hi res is quite a bit more crankable; almost scary how you can keep cranking it without getting any stop sign that is some level of discomforting loudness.

So maybe the 30% of the 20% is the joy that comes from cranking it—a good solid 3-4 dB on my main amp— and yet still having plenty of headroom and air making it a lot easier to hear and pickup little nuances; I’d say the reverb on the tape in this case makes a lot more sense to me if you will, it is more natural sounding in how it rests in your room.

On some level I can see people falling on both sides of the difference; meaning people not hanging around audiophile forums or with less revealing gear, or who don’t want to really focus on little nuances but rather more enjoy a gut reaction to these things; they are probably liking the extra loudness of the CD (I’d call it feeling more like a loudness difference than compression myself); but yes most all audiophiles I'd guess are going to like the hi res where the reaction is maybe a bit more cerebral; also maybe a bit more taxing in hi res making sense of all the nuances shown (maybe that is more a first listen reaction however); but it is very beautiful indeed and highlights what I consider the best recording/transfer/mastering job done on a GD tape to date.

So if you have a system that shows hi res pretty well yeah it is a solid 6% better. One note though, the hi res flacs take up 4.9 gb and the 16/44 flacs .97 gb. Here are the DR numbers of the two:

 

Wow, those DR numbers are really pretty different.

 

Still, DR 11 - 14 on a 2017 CD release is quite remarkable, if you think about it.
But, yes, I'm sure the high-res version has even more headroom and space.

 

Just stopping in because I'm jamming the colossal set closing Music from 5-9-1977. Just exactly perfect.

 

Massively good shows in '85. Incredible shows. Amazing shows.

 

It is so sad that, IMHO, the greatest moment in improvisational history is ruined by a reel switch, or something happening in Betty’s booth? During the jam in The Music Never Stopped from Buffalo ‘77, right when it reaches its epiphany, the tape messs up of the sound board recording, and we get an audience patch. Aaaaaaaarghhh! What did they end up doing for the Get Shown The Light version?

 

I don't know and I still haven't listened to it yet on the box, but I wanted to register my agreement, that patch is almost on the same level of tragedy as Stella Blue from 10/21/78 (the all time worst cut in GD history, or at least worst patched cut). Boston also has a hard burning MNS, fortunately.

 

Well, hyperbole notwithstanding, I don't hear any patch on the 5/9/77 TMNS on the Get Shown The Light version. I just listened to it and there's nothing untoward going on.

I'll add that "the greatest moment in improvisational history" might subjectively involve Coltrane or '74 King Crimson or '73 Zappa at The Roxy, or something very different. I mean, I take your point, but I can't unilaterally agree with it. And I do realize that you stated IMHO. Fair enough.

 

I don't know what they did but there was a serious cut on the tape. It went to an aud which you could hear the rest of the solo from but your groove took a hit.

Yeah I let that "greatest moment" slide, if there wasn't a cut he might have been more measured but you know the grass is always greener and all that.

 

Someone needs to compare the tape and the cd

 

I think that cut was edited and shortened on the box. Or if it had a SDB patch from another show. I'm sure someone will chime in, maybe our friendly duck @Rne

 

Way upthread @bmoregnr reported that Jeffrey Norman had said they used soundboard patches from other shows on this set because audience patches were too jarring. I don't think any of us figured out where the patch they used for the Buffalo Music Never Stopped came from.

 

Wow, to me that is vile and wrong (sorry, I mean it's not a moral issue--I just mean aesthetically I recoil from the idea of using a different show when an aud patch is available--particularly when, as in this case @searing75 is not altogether wrong, Garcia is in the midst of an historically great solo).

 

or any of a number other singular moments in GD's history itself....

 

Concur.
Aud patch made by using the Deadicated Taper may upset the sonic flow but there is a feeling of needing a miracle moment and the cat was there with his rig. Heads and historians can easily deal with it. A reminder that has a sense of novel relief and subdued awe.
Patching another show sbd is the veritable slippery slope.

 

The slope's been slid down and the rocks at the bottom reached, as there is at least one 1977 show with a whole song from an entirely different show--someone probably remembers what it is, I think there are two releases with the same version of GDTRFB labeled as from two different nights....turpitude.