In preparing for listening to this new version, I first played my white label promo DJ copy of the album, which is about as close to the original vinyl presentation as one can get this side of hearing a test pressing. It is easily their last great studio release with a number of instant classics which remained in the Dead’s live shows for the rest of their careers including “Estimated Prophet,” “Samson & Delilah” and portions of the side-long title epic. To me it sounded like a natural evolution of the band. Personally, I love this album and never understood why some were taken aback by it. Tight and well produced by Keith Olsen (still fresh from his success producing Fleetwood Mac’s eponymously titled 1975 number one hit), the new production values threw some, notably the epic title track with orchestral strings arranged by no less than Paul Buckmaster (responsible for many of Elton John’s classic album arrangements). This 1977 release shocked some older Dead Heads but won new fans as the album garnered quite a bit of airplay (at least in markets like New York where The Grateful Dead were enormously popular). Construction wise, it employs a slight gloss flat paper stock and thick cardboard (the originals are decidedly non gloss, some even a bit textured). The cover art is quite accurate to the first pressings without the track-listing on the back cover.
Phil Lesh’s bass percolates like a bee bounding from flower to flower on “Eyes Of The World.” The acoustic guitar at the start of “Weather Report Suite” is gorgeous! I really like how the cymbals sound on “Here Come Sunshine,” with a nice sense of decay that is longer and more shimmery than the original pressing. The translucent coke-bottle green vinyl is dead quiet and well centered and that may be adding to the crispness of the sound (as I’ve written about in the recent past, click here). First off, it sounds very much like my original vinyl pressings, albeit a bit brighter but not offensively so (as might happen with poor digital mastering, for example).
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Prior to The Story of the Grateful Dead, Vinyl Me, Please released six other VMP Anthologies, including: The Story of Blue Note Records, The Women of Motown, The Story of Ghostly International, The Story of Stax Records, and The Story of Zamrock.įollow this link for more information about how to purchase the box set.My favorite Grateful Dead album, Wake Of The Flood may also be my favorite in the Vinyl Me Please boxed set, for numerous reasons. The Story of the Grateful Dead is the sixth VMP Anthology release. VMP Anthology is a reinvented, immersive box set experience for music fans willing to journey beyond the liner notes.Įach Anthology features expert storytelling, exclusive inserts, and a collectors-edition vinyl box set.
‘VMP Anthology: The Story of the Grateful Dead’ Album List: Printed on thick cover matte stock, this deluxe 12×12″ booklet also features archival and rare photos and ephemera courtesy of iconic photographers from the eras.
The collection connects the Dead’s history, subculture and lore to modern relevance and mainstream music culture with a star-studded, photo-filled liner notes booklet featuring essays from Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Avey Tare of Animal Collective, Dave Longstreth of Dirty Projectors, Margo Price, MC Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger, Scott Devendorf of the National, John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats, Jenny Conlee of the Decemberists, and Hunter Brown of STS9. The Story of the Grateful Dead acts as a deep, sophisticated entrypoint to the recorded and live music of the Grateful Dead across the band’s storied career.