Dead Box [Box set]

Dead Box [Box set]

Track Listings
Disc: 1

1. Crazy Man

2. I Need a Woman

3. Gimme Shelter

4. Country Boy

5. Proposition

6. Situation

See all 7 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Bald Peach

2. B.S. Creek

3. America

4. I'm Gettin On

5. Sefus Blues

6. Jimmy, Jimmy

See all 10 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Aristotle

2. Time for a Rainbow

3. I Love You

4. Dead Man [Live]

5. Get Off My Case [Live]

6. Louisiana Blues [Live]

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Akarma box-set for the Texas psychedelic band will make the listener wistful for this type of soulful, blues-based, pre-Pro Tools music. It's also a lesson on 'almost' - Josefus was right at the brink, opening for Grand Funk & making great music, but sadly the band never got it's just recognition. Dead Box makes for a great package & overview of this incredible band. Three CD miniature gatefold LP sleeves housed in a 5 1/2 X 5 1/2 inch deluxe box with 12 page booklet. 2003.

Tracks:

U.S. Blues
One More Saturday Night
China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider
Eyes Of The World
China Doll
Playing In The Band

Tracks:

Scarlet Begonias
He's Gone
Jam
Weirdness
The Other One
Spanish Jam
Mind Left Body Jam
The Other One
Stella Blue
Casey Jones

Tracks:

Weather Report Suite
Jam
Dark Star
Morning Dew
Not Fade Away
Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad

Tracks:

Uncle John's Band
Big Railroad Blues
Tomorrow Is Forever
Sugar Magnolia
He's Gone
Caution Jam
Drums
Space
Truckin'
Black Peter
Sunshine Daydream

Tracks:

Playing In The Band
Drums
Not Fade Away
Drums
The Other One
Wharf Rat
Playing In The Band
Johnny B. Goode
Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo
We Bid You Goodnight

Amazon.com

More than just a significantly expanded soundtrack to the new DVD edition of the band's 1974 documentary, the five discs here (taken from a five-night stand at San Francisco's fabled Winterland in October) also document the end of an early Dead era, capturing extensive highlights from the band's final gigs before beginning a performance hiatus that would last until 1976. Typically expansive in scope, yet tightly focused in the interplay of its performances, the anthology kicks off with a brisk slate of upbeat early favorites and then settles back as the band wends its way through spacious, jazzy jams ("Eyes of the World," "Playing in the Band," "Weather Report Suite"), roots-conscious workouts, and the fervent mysticism of Deadhead touchstones like "Dark Star." The recordings also capture the return to action of drummer Mickey Hart after a three-plus-year layoff, and showcase separate percussion solo interludes from both Hart and Bill Kreutzmann. Containing a considerable number of rich live takes that failed to make the DVD set's bonus outtake disc, this is a an expansive, riveting evocation of the band's early '70s prime--a must for any dedicated Deadhead. --Jerry McCulley

Album Description

In October 1974 -- at the peak of their global fame -- the Grateful Dead played five consecutive shows at San Francisco's legendary Winterland. Those dates were recorded and filmed for the 1977 motion picture release The Grateful Dead Movie. This five-disc soundtrack presents all of the music from the movie, plus 32 bonus tracks, including 20 songs exclusive to this set.

Many historic jams that were edited down for the film are restored in their entirety, including the 60-minute blockbuster jam featuring "Sugar Magnolia," "He's Gone," "Jam," "Caution Jam," "Drums," "Space," "Truckin'," "Black Peter," and "Sunshine Daydream." Also included is the now-complete 32-minute "Playing In The Band," cut to half that length on screen.

A 24-page booklet contains rare photos and memorabilia from the film.

Customer Reviews:

Alas, not nearly as fine as one would hope.......2007-03-05

Listening to this, it becomes painfully evident that the Dead by this time were rapidly running out of steam. Despite the vaunted "Wall of Sound" the band sounds "thin" with too much space around each instrument. Unusually, the strongest aspect of this set is Garcia's singing-- which is saying something, considering how inconsistent the band's vocals could be. Yes, there are a handfull of very nice performances scattered across these discs, but overall, compared to "Ladies and Gentlemen..." from 71, "Steppin' Out England 72", or "One from the Vault" there is a noticeable reduction in energy, enthusiasm, and cohesion. If you are a Deadhead who buys a multi-cd set just to get a few "hot" versions of your favorite tunes and are willing to ignore the rest, then this review won't mean a thing. For those who prefer to save their hard-earned bread for more consistently satisfying efforts, this may be safely regarded as non-essential.

Just Buy It!.......2007-02-07

Don't go another minute without this thing. A "Casey Jones" for the ages and so much more.

Not Perfect, but very listenable.......2007-01-28

More than just a soundtrack.

I purchased this box set less than a month after my wife bought the Golden Road and Beyond Description box sets for me. To which she stated: "Don't you have enough Grateful Dead already." Well, the last month or so I've been listening to pretty much nothing but Grateful Dead and this 6 and half hour box set has been in the car or on the stereo for the last couple of weeks (there's a lot to digest here).

The sound on this set is exceptional and Garcia's voice is the best I've heard of all the albums and bootlegs I have. There are moments on some 80's boots I have where Garcia just simply can't carry the tune without losing tone or tune and it gets very distracting. I find it interesting that the set begins with the encore "US Blues." Nice rendition and again, Garcia's vocals are in great shape here and throughout the five discs. The highlight on the first disc in the exceptional "Eyes of the World" and the tender "China Doll." I was pleased to see a great number of tracks were from their most recent From the Mars Hotel album. Then comes the almost 32 minute "Playing in the Band." When I first got into Grateful Dead music I mostly listened to bootlegs and so was able to hear the long jams that made them famous. In later years I realized that most of these long jams are just improvisation over one chord and my, does that get tedious after a few hundred minutes. I feel bad for Keith Godchaux and Bob Weir as they plink or strum the one chord for the next 20 minutes. Perhaps the hallucinogenic drugs the crowd and the band used aided in the enjoyment of this, but my thought is a great set of music will stand up to anyone's ears, particularly those ears who have not enhanced or dulled their senses by the usage of such chemicals. That being said, I still enjoy the extended jamming, as I am fascinated that the band is able to carry on for so long and not lose themselves or the audience.

Disc two begins with "Scarlet Begonia's," one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs, especially when coupled with "Fire on the Mountain." Of course "Fire" was not written at this time period, so you get a jam still in progress song. Garcia messes up the lyric on this one, and the end jam on this really goes nowhere and doesn't have the fire that later version of the song receive (check out The Closing of Winterland to see what I mean). "He's Gone," a fan favorite I guess, and one of mine as well, but this version and the version on Disc 4 are just a little too slow for my tastes. Certainly executed well, but the tempo doesn't serve the song justice. Then there's the 30 minutes of jamming that's really just a long version of "The Other One." This is Grateful Dead at their trippiest and probably most psychedelic, outside of the "Space" jams that came later on. The highlight of this disc for me though is the incredible version of "Casey Jones." Excellent rendition.

Disc 3 begins with what is for me a relatively new song. Since I never owned any of the albums other than Terrapin Station and American Beauty, I was unfamiliar with this song and I really enjoy this version. This track is an excellent set closer which brings us into the "Dark Star"- "Morning Dew" jam. I did miss the concluding verse of "Dark Star," but the psychedelic jamming on this track is well worth the listen, and I've always loved the way they played "Morning Dew," and now it has even more relevance now that I know that the song is about the last two people on earth after nuclear devastation. This version is certainly one of the better ones available. (Check out the version on Cornell, May 1977). This disc ends like it's the end of a concert--four plus hours of music with the fan favorite pairing of "Not Fade Away" and "Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad." The songs are not particularly great but they're not bad either. They're staple of a Grateful Dead show and therefore fit well into this set.

Disc four is like another concert (although we all know the tracks were pulled from 5 days worth of shows). I really enjoy the version of "Uncle John's Band" here and "Big Railroad Blues" is quite good as well. The Dolly Parton song, "Tomorrow Is Forever" is a special treat because Grateful concerts were an ever changing entity as the audience and I'm certain even the band sometimes did not know what they would play next. The last part of disc four is the Sugar Magnolia/Sunshine Daydream medley that is certainly worth the listen although drum solos get very old if one is not at the show. There are times when I wish they would just edit out the over-wrought, irritating, slow down the flow of the album drum solos. (Check out the 19-minute "Rhythm Devils" on The Closing of Winterland). It's like, "enough already." To me, drum solos are "You had to be there" moments.

The final disc is taken entirely from the October 20th show with Mickey Hart's return. The best thing on this set is the marvelous version of "Wharf Rat" which is one of my favorite Grateful tracks. Then we get the encores of "Johnny B. Goode," "Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo" (one of the best song titles EVER and an excellent song at that) and "We Bid You Good Night." And then it ends.

I find it amazing that an expansive, exhaustive set such as this can be so incredible. It is certainly a MUST for Grateful Dead fans--I think the casual Dead fan would find much on this set to be happy about as well and should be on the list of albums to buy. This may not appeal to the masses, but on the whole it's worth checking out because there is simply no group out their in the 70's that jammed like this, maybe Led Zeppelin, but I can't think of anyone else. Overall very good and a set I know I'll go back too often.

An almost perfect collection from Winterland 10/74.......2006-12-01

First, let me say that the sound quality on this is execellent. The only problem that I guess I have is that once again alot of the jams have been edited. David Lemeiux (the band's vault archivest) said after the release that this was originally going to be a seven disc set instead of five (what it now is) but the higher ups thought that seven was too much and so it was edited down to five. Aside from some cool stuff that's still missing from this run of shows, this set is great. Highlights are many but don't miss Eyes Of The World, Playing In The Band, Dark Star-Morning Dew, The Other One into almost everything, Uncle John's Band, and the Truckin' jam.

Worth the price.......2006-05-14

This 5-disc set has earned a place at the front of my shelf of Dead CDs. I place this recording up there with Live at the Fillmore East, and Harpur College.

This concert is also a good "transition" concert - the band had just said good-bye to Pigpen, and taken in Keith and Donna Godchaux. Although my personal tastes usually didn't favor Keith and Donna (I missed Pigpen pretty bad), I think they did pretty well on this particular concert.

I recommend this CD with my highest rating - *****

Varese Sarabande 25th Anniversary Celebration

Average customer rating:

A good value
The Sound Track Since Bernard Hermann
Good mix of film music
A mixed collection of movie music
Uplifts your soul, takes your mind into the heavens

Varese Sarabande 25th Anniversary Celebration

Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Star Wars | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Paramount 90th Anniversary Collection: Scores
In Session: Film Music Celebration
The Essential Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection
Jerry Goldsmith: 40 Years of Film Music
Music In Film (National Public Radio Milestones Of The Millennium)

ASIN: B00008WI90
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Tracks:

The Man from Snowy River (Bruce Rowland)
The Winds of War (Bob Cobert)
Blue Velvet (Angelo Badalamenti)
Witness (Maurice Jarre)
Raising Arizona (Carter Burwell)
Pee Wees Big Adventure (Danny Elfman)
Halloween (John Carpenter)
A Nightmare On Elm Street (Charles Bernstein)
The Fly (Howard Shore)
RoboCop (Basil Poledouris)
The Empire Strikes Back (John Williams)
The Right Stuff (Bill Conti)
The Final Conflict (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Abyss (Alan Silvestri)
Brainstorm (James Horner)
Peggy Sue Got Married (John Barry)
My Left Foot (Elmer Bernstein)
The Dead (Alex North)
Stanley & Iris (John Williams)
The Milagro Beanfield War (Dave Grusin)
Driving Miss Daisy (Hans Zimmer)

Tracks:

Steel Magnolias (Georges Delerue)
Unforgiven (Lennie Niehaus and Clint Eastwood)
Raggedy Man (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Grifters (Elmer Bernstein)
Green Card (Hans Zimmer)
City Slickers (Marc Shaiman)
Father Of The Bride (Alan Silvestri)
While You Were Sleeping (Randy Edelman)
Babe (Nigel Westlake)
The Adventures Of The Great Mouse Detective (Henry Mancini)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (Erich Wolfgang Korngold)
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (Laurence Rosenthal)
The Secret Garden (Zbigniew Preisner)
A Little Princess (Patrick Doyle)
Rudy (Jerry Goldsmith)
Iron Will (Joel McNeely)
Memphis Belle (George Fenton)
Eye Of The Needle (Mikl)
Total Recall (Jerry Goldsmith)
Back To The Future Part III (Alan Silvestri)

Tracks:

To Die For (Danny Elfman)
The Player (Thomas Newman)
Black Robe (Georges Delerue)
Medicine Man (Jerry Goldsmith)
2001 (Alex North)
Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire (Joel McNeely)
The Crow (Graeme Revell)
Blade (Mark Isham)
The Omen (Jerry Goldsmith)
Vertigo (Bernard Herrmann)
Scream (Marco Beltrami)
The Sixth Sense (James Newton Howard)
Xena: Warrior Princess (Joseph LoDuca)
Air Force One (Jerry Goldsmith)
Starship Troopers (Basil Poledouris)
The Matrix (Don Davis)
The Iron Giant (Michael Kamen)
Youve Got Mail (George Fenton)
A Little Romance (Georges Delerue)
Pleasantville (Randy Newman)

Tracks:

Sunset Boulevard (Franz Waxman)
L.A. Confidential (Jerry Goldsmith)
Rounders (Christopher Young)
The Score (Howard Shore)
The Replacements (John Debney)
Gone In 60 Seconds (Trevor Rabin)
The Bourne Identity (John Powell)
Rush Hour 2 (Lalo Schifrin)
XXX (Randy Edelman)
Die Hard (Michael Kamen)
The Last of the Mohicans (Trevor Jones)
Moby Dick (Christopher Gordon)
The Mists Of Avalon (Lee Holdridge)
Cleopatra (Alex North)
Life As A House (Mark Isham)
Emma (Rachel Portman)
In The Bedroom (Thomas Newman)
Cast Away (Alan Silvestri)
One True Thing (Cliff Eidelman)
Unfaithful (Jan A.P. Kaczmarek)
Far From Heaven (Elmer Bernstein)
Ice Age (David Newman)
Shrek (Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell)

Customer Reviews:

A good value.......2007-05-17

I wasn't expecting to have 4 discs for this price, and the music is a quality selection of film music, giving a good scope of the genre, and a very listenable transfer.

The Sound Track Since Bernard Hermann.......2006-07-25

This collection is bound to capture your heart and evoke a tin ear on successive tracks. I found much to like and some duds - easy to skip over.
Very good value.

Good mix of film music.......2006-07-02

Good mix of films!
I'm a big fan of this soundtrack music and will be looking for more CD's like this.

A mixed collection of movie music.......2006-02-23

For the price, this CD is a great bargain. The musical selections, as you might expect, are mixed in quality ranging from extraordinary to so so, the balance being worthwhile and interesting. Sonically the CD is excellent.

Uplifts your soul, takes your mind into the heavens.......2006-01-06

I have been listening to great scores for many years and this collection is truly inspirational in so far as the choice of different scores takes you on a journey of listening pleasure matched by only a few collections.The price is incredibly reasonable for hours of listening pleasure. Don't pass this one up

Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead: England '72

Average customer rating:

Another Great Live Document
"Some Folks Look For Answers, Others Look For Fights..."
Greatness
Good set... but certainly not perfect.
Very Good Recording

Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead: England '72
Grateful Dead
Manufacturer: Grateful Dead / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Fillmore East: April 1971
Rockin' the Rhein with the Grateful Dead
The Closing of Winterland
Two from the Vault
Live at Fillmore East 2-11-69

ASIN: B0002T2Q7O
Release Date: 2004-08-31

Tracks:

Cold Rain and Snow
Greatest Story Everr Told
Mr. Charlie
Sugaree
Mexicali Blues
Big Boss Man
Deal
Jack Straw
Big Railroad Blues [Live]
It Hurts Me Too [Live]
China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider/Happy Birthday to You
Playing in the Band

Tracks:

Good Lovin'
Ramble on Rose
Black-Throated Wind [Live]
Sitting on Top of the World
Comes a Time
Turn on Your Love Light
Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad
Not Fade Away
Hey Bo Diddley
Not Fade Away

Tracks:

Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu
Black Peter
Chinatown Shuffle
Truckin' [Live]
Drums [Live]
Other One [Live]
Paso [Live]
Other One [Live]
Wharf Rat [Live]
One More Saturday Night [Live]

Tracks:

Uncle John's Band
Stranger (Two Souls in Communion)
Dark Star [Live]
Sugar Magnolia [Live]
Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks) [Live]
Brokendown Palace

Customer Reviews:

Another Great Live Document.......2007-04-24

This 4 cd set is superbly recorded and the band is fearless. It is also poignant, as this was the last overseas tour that Pigpen played. Listen to him perform here, and you'd never know.

Oh yes, some great jams too.

"Some Folks Look For Answers, Others Look For Fights...".......2006-03-25

Steppin' Out (along with Hundred Year Hall) is probably the greatest example of how powerful the Dead were in 1972. This set contains, in my opinion, the greatest Dead lineup, minus Mickey Hart.

What is actually great about this set is that fans of the early Live/Dead era stuff or fans of the Post-Pigpen years will get the best of both worlds, here. You get Pigpen's B3 organ, Soulful Voice and astounding harp blowing wrapped up with Keith Godcheaux's stinging grand piano (he used the Helpinstill piano pickup system, that's why the piano always had somewhat of an electric feel to it, which you couldn't get with microphones; piano players and/or Helpinstill enthusiasts, take note).

Steppin' Out contains so many definitive Dead moments that were never released. Disc 1 and 2 contain superb performances of the shorter songs, especially "Greatest Story Ever Told", "Deal", "Black-Throated Wind", and "Playing In The Band". Speaking of "Playing In The Band", I really think that this is the best version that the Dead had ever done of the song. I really don't think that any hour-long jams that this song bookended after 1974 really captured the essence of the song, as well as this version does.

Speaking of hour-long jams, the "Truckin'-Drums-The Other One-El Paso-The Other One-Wharf Rat" jam on Disc 3 is the true defining moment of this set. However, "Dark Star-Sugar Magnolia-Caution (Don't Stop On The Tracks)" on disc 4 is just as deserving of the same title. But the only problem I have with it is that Donna Jean Godcheaux doesn't get up and harmonize on the "Sunshine Daydream" section with Bob Weir. She did that so well when you heard it on "Europe '72" (although I read that Donna's part was later added during studio overbuds for "Europe '72", so that answers my question). After mayhem of "Caution", Disc 4 and the entire experience in general, ends with the best closing song ever imaginable, "Brokedown Palace". It just sums up everything that has been experienced throughout the duration of the set.

Getting down to the musicians, Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh's lead guitar-bass guitar interplay has never been performed so well, especially in the cerebral modal crosstalk throughout "The Other One" and "Dark Star". Whenever Jerry plays low notes on guitar or Phil plays high notes on bass, they sound so similar, it's almost impossible to tell them apart. Bob Weir's solid rhythm guitar has never sounded so rich and full and hasn't since (during the tune up between "Ramble On Rose" and "Black-Throated Wind", he plays the opening guitar lick from "Weather Report Prelude", which makes you wonder what other things they may have needed these tapes for). Billy Kreutzmann's drumming is just so solid , especially on "Drums" where he rings in "The Other One" in true rhythmic splendor. Along with Kreutzmann, McKernan's random moments of backup percussion (tambourine [audible on "Deal", "Jack Straw", "Wharf Rat", and "Black Throated Wind"] maracas/shakers ["Sugar Magnolia", and "Playing In The Band"], guiro ["Uncle John's Band"]) really does at least make up for parts that were originally played by Mickey Hart in the studio. Still the double drumset crosstalk is sadly absent, and in a way was never the same again after Hart's departure and return, being that both Hart and Kruetzmann changed their drum sounds and styles radically after 1972.

Basically to summarize, any body who even likes the Dead a little bit, should get this set just to here really good live versions of their short songs, but any devoted Dead fanatic who followed the band in it's later years, but couldn't get over to England in time for the recordings of these shows (or you weren't born yet), should get this for the metaphysical/psychological rush of musical mayhem that is the jams, that encapsulate the ends of discs 2, 3, and 4.

The Dead sound very powerful, yet very natural. In later years, they would expand their stage setup with so much percussion equipment and amplifiers that the music seemed to become less original and astounding. This is why, in many respects, this was The Dead at their pinnacle, with Pigpen on his way out and Keith and Donna on their way in. Pretty much the only thing that could've made this better would've been a surprise appearance by Mickey Hart, but unfortunately that was never to be (at least with Pigpen still in the group).

So please, do yourself a favor and buy the album. I promise that a fan of The Dead on any level will love it.

Greatness.......2005-08-10

Judging solely on the basis of DARK STAR, Steppin' Out
is a no-brainer 5 stars. If you program for Dark Star plus
the two OTHER ONE tracks, you have a full hour of brilliant
jamming with a bare minimum of vocals. Now you may wonder,
the Rockin' The Rhein release, ALSO from 1972, ALSO has a
long DARK STAR that is over-the-top fantastic; so the question
becomes: is the 1972 Steppin' Out DARK STAR different enough from the 1972 Rockin' The Rhein DARK STAR to justify purchase?
Hell yes!!! In fact, it's COMPLETELY different! To my ears,
Jerry's guitar tone throughout Steppin' Out has a much sharper tone to it...I'm guessing it's because he was using a Stratocaster
guitar? Anyway, the long DARK STAR tracks on Steppin' Out and
Rockin' The Rhein are very different jams...both GREAT.
Also, if you search around, Steppin' Out has some definitive
vocal tracks as well...Sugaree, Deal, Ramble On Rose, Comes A Time, Brokedown Palace, etc., and after all, I believe it's best to buy Grateful Dead CDs for favored "definitive" tracks you program for, rather than playing the CDs from start to finish. Incidentally, Steppin' Out has some cool pictures in the little book. No "touch of gray" in Jerry's hair here!

Good set... but certainly not perfect. .......2005-03-28

I bought this 4 CD set because I was curious about the early 1972 era of the dead and Europe '72 didn't quite satisfy me. While many people give it loads of praise and it was a fairly good album considering the time it was made (hour-long jams just don't fit onto vinyl), current stereo technology has progressed to the point where a set like this is probably a better buy.

I must say that there is truly something for every kind of Dead fan on here. Fans of "good old rock 'n roll" will find plenty of what they want on here, as will people who like long, spaced-out jams and casual listeners who want to hear popular songs such as "Uncle John's Band" and "Sugar Magnolia." As a general rule, this CD's get more interesting as they increase in number; disc 1 is mostly short rock songs, while disc 4 is a transcendant voyage through one's inner psyche that is up there with Live/Dead and Anthem of the Sun as my favorite disc of Grateful Dead material in my collection.

Probably the most interesting musical ideas on this set are presented by the two keyboardists: Keith and Pigpen. By this time, Keith is fully integrated into the band's sound; sometimes, he can sound so dominant that I wonder why Pigpen isn't back home, nursing his health. Then the band launches into one of Mr. McKerman's songs or the organ kicks in with a funky groove and I realize just how important he is to the group. His finest moments appear on disc 4. "The Stranger" is arguably the finest song he ever sang, featuring some incredible lyrics and a great solo from Jerry. It would have been a great substitution for the somewhat lackluster "You Win Again" and "Ramble on Rose" on Europe '72. The "Caution" on here is probably the strongest jam I've herd from the Dead at this point, perhaps excepting the "Dark Star" on Live/Dead. Every band member gets a chance to shine and contribute to the sinister brew that follows an extremely high-energy "Sunshine Daydream," with screams from Bob Weir and Pigpen to drive up the intensity. At one point, the dying maniac in the cowboy hat sings a line as he plays the same melody on the organ... which is probably the highlight of the entire jam. Just as the song fades out, angry and distorted guitar breaks the silence, prompting two more minutes of additional jamming. THIS is what chaos sounds like. THIS is the sound of war, of panic and confusion, of lost souls heading to their doom and screaming in pain.

Needless to say, the entire set isn't nearly as intense or even as interesting. Quite frankly, some songs ("Sugaree," "Mexicali Blues," "Deal") sound quite boring to these ears. Perhaps that's why I'm giving this four stars; although there are some great recordings on here, a three disc set would serve the same purpose only without the occational track you have to skip. Were I reviewing the downloadable version of this on the iTunes music store, which is about ten dollars cheaper, I might decide to go for the full five stars.... however, this is the physical copy and is thus priced differently (although you do get a nice color booklet with an essay and pictures of the band). I reccomend this for people who already like the Dead and are interested in what REALLY went on in Europe in 1972. As I mentioned earlier, any kind of Dead listener will find something to like about this, although probably not the whole thing.

Very Good Recording.......2005-03-05

This is a great era in the Dead's music as we all know. If your a fan of the Godchaux's then get this now if you dont have it already! I personally like the dead before Keith and (mainly) Donna came on board, but this 4-disc release is generally pretty damn good. Most of their poppy short songs are on discs 1 and 2 (the Playing in the Band is only 10 minutes but we have to remember this is when PITB was still relatively new/young) You will find most (notice I said most) of their jamming on discs 3 and 4. The sound quality on this release is excellent.

I won't go on picking apart each and every song, so go out and buy it and find out for yourself how good this release is. I definately would recommend this over Europe '72 because A. You get twice as much music, B. You get way better songs included on this release, and C. this IS europe (well, england) in the year 1972! You will pretty much find the same quality in this 4-disc set and much more than in Europe '72.

Don't even hesitate, this is definately a worthy collection to be put in your collection.

Average customer rating:

Woowoo!
Beyond Discirption is beyond discription
Escapism revisited
Wish I Had Been There !!!
Lives up to its name! Bravo Rhino! Thank you for doing this music right!

Beyond Description (1973-1989)
Grateful Dead
Manufacturer: Grateful Dead / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Golden Road (1965 - 1973)
All Good Things: Jerry Garcia Studio Sessions
The Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack
Truckin' Up to Buffalo: July 4, 1989
The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics

ASIN: B0002NUTS8
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Tracks:

Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo
Let Me Sing Your Blues Away
Row Jimmy
Stella Blue
Here Comes the Sunshine
Eyes of the World
Weather Report Suite: Prelude/Part 1/Part 2
Eyes of the World [Live][*]
Weather Report Suite: Prelude/Part 1/Part 2/ [Studio Acoustic Demo][*]
China Doll [Studio Outtake][*]

Tracks:

U.S. Blues
China Doll
Unbroken Chain
Loose Lucy
Scarlet Begonias
Pride of Cucamonga
Money Money
Ship of Fools
Loose Lucy [Studio Outtake][*]
Scarlet Begonias [Live][*]
Money Money [Live][*]
Wave That Flag [Live][*]
Let It Rock [Live][*]
Pride of Cucamonga [Studio Acoustic Demo][*]
Unbroken Chain [Studio Acoustic Demo][*]

Tracks:

Help on the Way/Slipknot!
Franklin's Twoer
King Solomon's Marbles, Pt. 1: Stronger Than Dirt/King Solomon's ...
Music Never Stopped
Crazy Fingers
Sage & Spirit
Blue for Allah/Sand Castles & Glass Camels/Unusal Occurences in ...
Groove #1 [Studio Outtake][*][Instrumental]
Groove #2 [Studio Outtake][*][Instrumental]
Distorto [Studio Outtake][*][Instrumental]
to E Flat Jam [Studio Outtake][*][Instrumental]
Proto 18 Proper [Studio Outtake][*][Instrumental]
Hollywood Cantata [Studio Outtake][*]

Tracks:

Estimated Prophet
Dancing in the Streets
Passenger
Samson & Delilah
Sunrise
Terrapin Station, Pt. 1: Lady With a Fan/Terrapin Station/Terrapin
Peggy-O [Studio Outtake][*][Instrumental]
Ascent [Studio Outtake][*][Instrumental]
Catfish John [Studio Outtake][*]
Equinox [Studio Outtake][*]
Fire on the Mountain [Studio Outtake][*]
Dancing in the Streets [Live][*]

Tracks:

Good Lovin'
France
Shakedown Street
Serengetti
Fire on the Mountain
I Need a Miracle
From the Heart of Me
Stagger Lee
All New Minglewood Blues
If I Had the World to Give
Good Lovin' [Studio Outtake][*] - Lowell George, Grateful Dead
Ollin Arageed [Live][*]
Fire on the Mountain [Live][*]
Stagger Lee [Live][*]
All New Minglewood Blues [Live][*]

Tracks:

Alabama Getaway
Far from Me
Althea
Feel Like a Stranger
Lost Sailor
Saint of Circumstance
Antwerp's Placebo (The Plumber)
Easy to Love You
Don't Ease Me In
Peggy-O [Studio Outtake][*]
What'll You Raise [Studio Outtake][*]
Jack-A-Roe [Studio Outtake][*]
Althea [Live]
Lost Sailor [Live]
Saint of Circumstance [Live]

Tracks:

Dire Wolf
Race Is On
Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie
It Must Have Been the Roses
Dark Hollow
China Doll
Been All Around This World
Monkey and the Engineer
Jack-A-Roe
Deep Elem Blues
Cassidy
To Lay Me Down
Rosalie McFall
On the Road Again
Bird Song
Ripple

Tracks:

To Lay Me Down [Studio Rehearsal][*]
Iko Iko [Live][*]
Heaven Help the Fool [Live][*]
Paso [Live][*]
Sage & Spirit [Live][*]
Little Sadie [Live][*]
It Must Have Been the Roses [Alternate Live Version][*]
Dark Hollow [Alternate Live Version][*]
Jack-A-Roe [Alternate Live Version][*]
Cassidy [Alternate Live Version][*]
China Doll [Alternate Live Version][*]
Monkey and the Engineer [Alternate Live Version][*]
Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie [Alternate Live Version][*]
Ripple [Alternate Live Version
Tom Dooley [Live][*]
Deep Elem Blues [Alternate Live Version][*]

Tracks:

Samson and Delilah [Live]
Friend of the Devil [Live]
New Minglewood Blues [Live]
Deal [Live]
Candyman [Live]
Little Red Rooster [Live]
Loser [Live]
Passenger [Live]
Feel Like a Stranger [Live]
Franklin's Tower [Live]
Rhythm Devils [Live]
Space [Live]
Fire on the Mountain [Live]
Greatest Story Ever Told [Live]
Brokedown Palace [Live]

Tracks:

Let It Grow [Live][*]
Sugaree [Live
C.C. Rider [Live][*]
Row Jimmy [Live][*]
Lazy Lightnin' [Live][*]
Supplication [Live][*]
High Time [Live][*]
Jack Straw [Live][*]
Shakedown Street [Live][*]
Not Fade Away [Live][*]

Tracks:

Touch of Grey
Hell in a Bucket
When Push Comes to Shove
West L.A. Fadeaway
Tons of Steel
Throwing Stones
Black Muddy River
My Brother Esau (Single B-Side) [*]
West L.A. Fadeaway [Alternate Version, 1984][*]
Black Muddy River [Studio Rehearsal][*]
When Push Comes to Shove [Studio Rehearsal][*]
Touch of Grey [Studio Rehearsal][*]
Throwing Stones [Live]

Tracks:

Foolish Heart
Just a Little Light
Built to Last
Blow Away
Victim or the Crime
We Can Run
Standing on the Moon
Picasso Moon
I Will Take You Home
Foolish Heart [Live][*]
Blow Away [Live][*]
California Earthquake (Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On) [Live][*]

Amazon.com

As the Grateful Dead story continues with this 12-disc sequel to the equally outsized The Golden Road (1965-1973), the band leaves the relative comfort of the '60s (hey, it suited them just fine) and heads into a period that will provide them with greater rewards as a performing outfit, and greater challenges as a studio entity. The post-'60s Dead floundered nearly as often as they soared--at times haphazardly trying to play the game as defined by more disciplined bands of the '70s and '80s, at other times succeeding almost in spite of themselves. This was a time when they allied themselves with such unlikely coconspirators as hit-minded mogul Clive Davis (after their own label fell by the way) and Fleetwood Mac producer Keith Olsen. They consciously reached for commercial gold and fell short, then found it on their own terms--by recording the 1987 studio album In the Dark in a vacant auditorium.

As with the first Rhino box, Beyond Description (1973-1989) gets the kind of state-of-the-art remastering one would expect from the sonically ambitious bunch. Again, each disc is fleshed out with smartly selected outtakes, demos, and live recordings. Two thoroughly annotated and strikingly illustrated booklets pull the package together. This is where the long, strange trip leads, and if there were some wrong turns along the way, so be it. That's what happens when you don't follow the map. --Steven Stolder

Album Description

This monumental 12-disc assemblage presents the band's amazing, long strange trip from 1973 to 1989, encompassing the albums released on their own Grateful Dead Records label and later Arista. It's an essential companion piece on Rhino's first 12-CD Dead box, The Golden Road (1965-1973), which spotlighted the entirety of their early Warner Brothers output and concurrent evolution from a scruffy hippie outfit in the Haight to one of the biggest bands on the planet. Including studio masterpieces and live landmarks alike, Beyond Description enhances this repertoire with the sonic brilliance of 2004 mastering technology and a wealth of newly discovered supplemental material. It's an extraordinary portrait of a legendary band.

Customer Reviews:

Woowoo!.......2007-01-09

I bought the first half of this box set (The Golden Road) for my dad last Christmas and ended up stealing it. This Christmas I bought him this one and am trying my hardest to let him keep it but it is so tempting.
BOTH of the box sets are an absolute must have for any diehard deadhead. The cover art, the bonuses, the records themselves...awesome.
You won't be sorry.

Beyond Discirption is beyond discription.......2006-10-13

Classic box set features classic albums from '73-'89 with great bonus songs. Albums included - Wake Of The Flood, From The Mars Hotel, Blues For Allah, Terrapin Station, Shakedown Street, Go To Heaven, Reconing, Dead Set, In The Dark, and Built To Last.

Escapism revisited.......2006-01-24

In the early 90's I was a super-shy teen who innocently discovered the Dead... In hindsight it was most likely because of their vibrant artwork and graphics that attracted my artistic eye. I naively bought albums at random and played them thru headphones while I plowed through a stack of comic books and escaped the tortures of a difficult but typical adolescence. It was an open minded era of innocence and gentle escapism. Some of the albums I loved were Built to Last, Blues for Allah, Terrapin Station and Go to Heaven. I was not a "Dead Head". I did not see them live or adopt "popular opinion" of serious Dead heads to try and fit in... just an open minded artistic kid willing to enjoy some mellow tunes circa 1991.

The remastered sound, packaging, bonus materials, attention to detail and genuine "respect" given to these re-masters here is superb. They are also in my opinion fantastic purchases for their unit price. This is a collection to get lost in and simply enjoy. Play the heck out of it while you go about and don't compare every track to American Beauty. I do not think every album collected here is "brilliant" btw, but then again not every Miles Davis remaster I own is Kind of Blue from start to end either and I love them all.

If you are curious about this set and looking for advice to consider before jumping in because of it's price, I would go for it on this one. With an open mind it is a rewarding experience. Enjoy the Dead for what they were at this career stage and like what you like...

Wish I Had Been There !!!.......2005-12-10

Where was I when the Dead was alive and well? During the late sixties, seventies, and early eighties I suppose I was too stoned to appreciate the raw, gritty, and courageous musical genius of the "Dead". Only a few years ago I bought "So Many Roads" and quickly became addicted to their music as an old man in his late fifties. After this serendipitous discovery I then bought "The Golden Road" and was estatic when "Beyond Description" was released, purchasing it and all of "Dick's Picks" and additional live performances on CD and DVD. I cannot add much to the eloquence of other reviewers except to say that I truly believe you will never become disappointed that you purchased any of the sets or music previously mentioned, and your children and grandchildren will probably fight over who gets the "Dead" music some day!!! By the way may I suggest that you visit the "Dead" at [...]. Happy listening!!!

Lives up to its name! Bravo Rhino! Thank you for doing this music right!.......2005-08-29

As I wrote in my review of The Golden Road, I am new to the Grateful Dead. Prior to this year, I only heard "Truckin'" and a few songs like that on the radio and I thought, "Ugh. Spacey music for Sixties drop-outs and wannabes."

But the more I got into "jam bands" like Phish, Umphrey's McGee, Particle, moe., and others, the more the roads led back to the Grateful Dead.

So two months ago I bought The Golden Road and started to listen with an open mind. I wanted to know what I'd been missing, if anything.

Holy crap! I missed a lot!

I was immediately hooked by The Golden Road -- especially by the live CDs in that set. Like all jam bands, the Grateful Dead excelled on stage. The studio albums are okay, but bands like the Grateful Dead were able to demonstrate their chops on stage.

I was so blown away by The Golden Road that, two weeks later, I bought Beyond Description.

As with The Golden Road, Rhino did a fantastic job with these CDs! Phil's bass lines are now right there where they belong. And the vocals are crisp and clean.

Also, as with The Golden Road, it's obvious Rhino approached this material with reverence, for the sound is just one of the outstanding elements of this package. Everything here is first rate. The box is first rate. The two booklets that comes with Beyond Description are first rate, loaded with pictures and information. (As with the booklet that came with The Golden Road, I poured over these for hours and hours, enjoying every word and photo.) Even the price for all of this was reasonable.

Beyond Description is a different sounding Grateful Dead. A different era. In many cases, their CDs sound more polished. In some cases, even a bit disco-ish (considering the era in which they were recorded that's undestandable). But I like what I hear. Maybe more than many -- more critical -- Dead Heads do.

For example, I like Blues For Allah, Terrapin Station, Shakedown Street and other albums that some critics have panned. They're not American Beauty or Live/Dead, but they're still part of the Grateful Dead canon and, as such, are worthy of my time and attention.

I know seasoned Dead-heads will see my review as being shallow, lacking in critical thinking or knowledge of the finer points of this or that performance. But all I can say is that I approached this box set as a music lover first and foremost. I approached it with an open mind. And now my mind is made up: the Grateful Dead were an extraordinary band that (I think) too often suffered under its own fame. They became caricatures of themselves. And that's why people like me misunderstood who and what the band really was. I didn't take them seriously.

As with The Golden Road, Beyond Description strips away the larger-than-life persona they assumed and allows those of us who are late to the game hear what they had to offer the world.

I wholeheartedly recommend Beyond Description to anyone who loves good music. Forget what you think you know about Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead and just sit back to listen to these CDs. They'll tell you everything you need to know.

Sousa Marches Played by the Sousa Band: The Complete Commercial Recordings 1897-1930

Average customer rating:

Something very precious
Great historical resource

Sousa Marches Played by the Sousa Band: The Complete Commercial Recordings 1897-1930

Manufacturer: Crystal Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Stomp and Swerve: American Music Gets Hot
Sousa 3

ASIN: B00004SDBT
Release Date: 1997-09-30

Tracks:

Introductary Speech By John Philip Sousa - John Philip Sousa
The Stars And Stripes Forever - The Sousa Band/John Philip Sousa
The Honored Dead - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
The Mikado March - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
Mother Hubbard - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
The Gladiator - The Sousa Band/Henry Higgins
Semper Fidelis - The Sousa Band/Walter B. Rogers
The Picador - The Sousa Band
The Thunderer - The Sousa Band/Walter B. Rogers
The Washington Post - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
Corcoran Cadets - The Sousa Band
The High School Cadets - The Sousa Band/Nathaniel Shilkret
The Beau Ideal - The Sousa Band
The Liberty Bell - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
Manhattan Beach - The Sousa Band/Walter B. Rogers
The Directorate - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
King Cotton - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
El Capitan - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
The Bride Elect - The Sousa Band/Henry Higgins
March From 'The Charlatan' - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
Hands Across The Sea - The Sousa Band/Rosario Bourdon
Hail To The Spirit Of Liberty - The Sousa Band/Herbert L. Clarke
The Man Behind The Gun - The Sousa Band/Walter B. Rogers
The Invincible Eagle - The Sousa Band/Walter B. Rogers
The Stars And Stripes Forever - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor

Tracks:

Imperial Edward Coronation March - The Sousa Band/Herbert L. Clarke
Jack Tar - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
The Diplomat - The Sousa Band/Herbert L. Clarke
The Free Lance - The Sousa Band/Herbert L. Clarke
Powhatan's Daughter - The Sousa Band
The Fairest Of The Fair - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
The Glory Of The Yankee Navy - The Sousa Band/Walter Rogers
The Federal - The Sousa Band/Edwin G. Clarke
The Stars And Stripes Forever - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
The Lambs' March - The Sousa Band/Herbert L. Clarke
New York Hippodrome - The Sousa Band/Herbert L. Clarke
The Pathfinder Of Panama - The Sousa Band/Herbert L. Clarke
Liberty Loan - The Sousa Band/John Philip Sousa
U.S. Field Artillery - The Sousa Band/John Philip Sousa
Bullets And Bayonets - The Sousa Band/Joseph Pasternack
The Chantyman's March - The Sousa Band/Nathaniel Shilkret
Sabre And Spurs - The Sousa Band/John Philip Sousa
Solid Men To The Front - The Sousa Band/John Philip Sousa
Wedding March - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor

Tracks:

The Golden Star - The Sousa Band/Joseph Pasternack
Comrades Of The Legion - The Sousa Band/Joseph Pasternack
On The Campus - The Sousa Band/Joseph Pasternack
Who's Who In Navy Blue - The Sousa Band/Joseph Pasternack
Keeping Step With The Union - The Sousa Band/Joseph Pasternack
The Dauntless Battalion - The Sousa Band/John Philip Sousa
The Gallant Seventh - The Sousa Band/Joseph Pasternack
Nobles Of The Mystic Shrine - The Sousa Band/John Philip Sousa
Ancient And Honorable Artillery Company - The Sousa Band/Nathaniel Shilkret
The Black Horse Troop - The Sousa Band/Joseph Pasternack
The National Game - The Sousa Band/Joseph Pasternack
The Gridiron Club - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
The Pride Of The Wolverines - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
The Sesquicentennial Exposition March - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
Riders For (Of) The Flag - The Sousa Band/Rosario Bourdon
Golden Jubilee - The Sousa Band/Rosario Bourdon
The Harmonica Wizard - The Sousa Band/Rosario Bourdon
The Royal Welch Fusiliers (No.2) - The Sousa Band/Rosario Bourdon
The Salvation Army - The Sousa Band/Rosario Bourdon
Sabre And Spurs - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
Solid Men To The Front - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor
The Stars And Stripes Forever - The Sousa Band/Arthur Pryor

Customer Reviews:

Something very precious.......2004-11-16

John Philip Sousa was a great musician and a great American. These recorded relics are very fascinating, and sometimes most vivid, reminders of his greatness

Great historical resource.......2000-08-24

This set consists of every recording released under the name of "the Sousa Band", from 1897-1930. Since some of these recordings are over 100 years old, they tend to be somewhat scratchy and occasionally faint. If you're a casual fan or you're buying your first Sousa record, your money can be better spent elsewhere.

Tracks:

Can't Come Down
Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)
You Don't Have To Ask
On The Road Again
Cream Puff War
I Know You Rider
The Same Thing
Dark Star / China Cat Sunflower / The Eleven
Clementine
Mason's Children
To Lay Me Down

Tracks:

That's It For The Other One / Cryptical Envelopment / The Faster We go, The R Rounder We Get / Cryptical Envelopment
Beautiful Jam
Chinatown Shuffle
Sing Me Back Home
Watkins Glen Soundcheck Jam
Dark Star Jam / Spanish Jam / U.S. Blues

Tracks:

Eyes Of The World
The Wheel
Stella Blue
Estimated Prophet
The Music Never Stopped
Shakedown Street
Shakedown Street

Tracks:

Cassidy
Hey Pocky Way
Belive It or Not
Playing In The Band
Gentlemen, Start Your Engines
Death Don't Have No Mercy
Scarlet Begonias / Fire On The Mountain
Bird Song
Jam Out Of Terrapin

Tracks:

Terrapin Station
Jam Out Of Foolish Heart
Way To Go Home
Liberty
Lazy River Road
Eternity
Jam Into Days Between
Days Between
Whiskey In The Jar
So Many Roads

Amazon.com

Deadhead collecting has come a long way. An experience that was once based in haphazard bootleg tape trading of complete single shows has graduated to this: a fancy, cloth-covered, lovingly annotated five-disc box set of live recordings, oddities, outtakes, and rehearsals spanning 30 years. The live cuts comprise the heart of this package, and they put you right in the thick of things, presenting the Dead in pure, undiluted fashion, warts and all. The Dead intelligentsia who produced the package--David Gans, Blair Jackson, and Steve Silberman--have boldly chosen the most interesting improvisations and most riveting examples of group synergy: the Dead at their least accessible, but most ambitious and compelling. There are moments where you'll cringe at off-key harmonies or flubbed chords, but there is always a payoff. At times, you can hear the band desperately struggle through the verses just to get to the jam, where redemption always awaits. Jerry Garcia's wounded off-key moans on a 1984 version of "Shakedown Street" eventually give way to a wonderful in-the-pocket funk workout; on a 1988 reading of "Playing in the Band," Bob Weir's botched lyrics are long forgotten when the band intensely teeters at far-off edges just moments later. The problem with this approach is that you lose context by considering performances outside of their natural environment--the specific concerts that spawned them--but this approach also opens up many options as well. For instance, there are sparkling fusion-based jams from the early 1970s, examples of Garcia sparring with Branford Marsalis and Bruce Hornsby in 1990, and an assortment of eye-opening transitional instrumental passages and impromptu creations. These moments of splendid spontaneity are what the band is all about. Welcome rarities include early recordings driven by Pigpen's searing blues harp; a pair of studio outtakes from the Dead's landmark 1970 sessions featuring acoustic instruments and lovely harmonies; Pigpen's R&B-flavored "Chinatown Shuffle" and an arresting version of Merle Haggard's "Sing Me Back Home" from 1972; keyboardist Brent Mydland leading the crew through the Meters' "Hey Pocky Way" in 1989; and Garcia launching into the Irish folk tune "Whiskey in the Jar" at a 1993 rehearsal, much to the delight of his bandmates. A few of the oddities offer only historical value and the final disc bogs down a bit by focusing on the Dead's newest unrecorded material, which, despite some worthy additions, can't match the intensity of the live cuts. For courageous newcomers, the amazing trajectory of the band is here to behold--from psychedelic blues and folk to free-form odysseys to country-rock to jazz and funk to gritty heavy rock. For those only familiar with the Dead's radio-friendly songs, this is the other side of the spectrum. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

An interesting idea for a quick release.......2006-12-02

At the time this was released the Dead were still releasing cd's thru Arista/BMG and what happened was Warner Bros. had just purchased Rhino Records. Warner Brothers had put out a press release that they planned on rereleasing the band's old albums in a box set with bonus material. Phil Lesh who was the band member running day to day operations at that time said no and that he thought it was just another way to rip fans off by selling them the same old stuff with a few meager new tracks. However, the Deadhead community at large wanted a box set. In came David Gans, Blair Jackson, Steve Silberman and originally Dick Lavala(who passed away while trying to get this ready for Christmas 1999). The original idea was to use material that wasn't going to be used for Dick's Picks or Vault releases. Sort of an expanded Fallout From The Phil Zone. All of the performances were taken from David Gans' tapes that he uses to produce the Grateful Dead Hour radio program and not the master vault tapes. In other words they're digital copies of the masters where available. A fight began between Phil and both Bob and Mickey over the vault and finally Phil relented which cleared the way for The Golden Road in time for Christmas in 2001. The band's last Arista/BMG release was in 2004. Since then the band's back catolog has been getting reissueed on Rhino Records. This album will be rereleased in 2010. Since the original release of this album several songs have been released in better quality elsewhere. By the way, the discs that hang together best on here are discs 3 and 4.

Awsome.......2006-11-14

This is a great box set, get it now while you can, there will be no more. This has the best Eyes of the world that I have ever heard, it is my favorite GD song out. The last song on CD five is So many roads, Jerry sounds tierd and seems to be fading away, it is awsome and heat breaking to hear. A must for any fan.
Philip, TCBRN, Simpsonville, SC. 2006.

A Great Collection for the Already-Converted (i.e., Don't Start Here).......2006-06-02

I once thought that the Grateful Dead deserved a better epitaph than this. While I saw that it was full of unique musical ideas and moments of greatness, I also felt it was full of extraneous moments that are of interest to obsessives only. After living with the box for a while, though, its internal logic exposed itself. Initially, I hoped for a `greatest hits' collection of sorts and felt some disappointment to discover otherwise. Since a five-disk collection takes some time to digest properly, it wasn't until some time passed that I recognized how much better this collection is than any collection of `best bits'.
If ever a band could use a box set, it's the Grateful Dead. If ever a band could use a box set that disseminates their career and culls highlights from all time periods, it's the Dead. A box that includes the best tracks from "Aoxomoxoa", "Live Dead", "Workingman's Dead", "American Beauty", "Europe `72" and "From the Mars Hotel", along with highlights from other albums, plus selected versions of live tracks chosen from their endless catalog of live tapes would be a beautiful thing. THAT is what I once thought the Dead deserved. I also believed that is what Deadheads wanted, if only to convince nonbelievers of the inherent greatness of their chosen icons. That isn't at all what this box set provides, but after a few listens, I began to determine the intelligence in its design.
"So Many Roads" combines historically relevant outtakes, rare studio recordings and the occasional definitive live track, resulting in a collection that is as frustrating as it is fascinating. Disk one of this five CD set summarizes the faults and the highlights. It starts with a healthy amount of early tracks where the Dead resemble an ordinary "Nuggets"-era band; the Chocolate Watchband crossed with a touch of Van Morrison's Them, perhaps. Some are good, some aren't. Bob Weir's screaming punk-like vocals on "You Don't Have to Ask" are simply awful, while the energetic, fresh version of "I Know You Rider" is just as simply incredible. Pigpen's showcase, "The Same Thing," takes time to develop, but transcends all expectations before it finishes. Just as the punk-blues mood sets in, gears shift and suddenly, the disk morphs into the remarkable looseness of a twenty-five minute jam. A rather direct and poignant "Dark Star" transforms into "China Cat Sunflower", and then "The Eleven", with a grace and inquisitiveness that made the 1968-1972 Grateful Dead one of the most interesting bands in the world.
By disk two, the Dead had already lost most of their youthful impetuousness, replacing it with curiosity, attempting to bind themselves to something intangible, something like infinity. After Pigpen's death, assertive energy was substituted with exploration. With Keith Godchaux on keyboards, it became more and more apparent that the Dead really do sound better if you're stoned. As the timeline proceeds, so does the level of exploration, and casual fans will have difficulty sticking with disk four's collapsing, free-form version of "Playing in the Band." Disk four also makes it rather apparent that the Dead never really improved their vocals much. What did improve, though, was the level of expression that they could muster with their voices. Whiles notes cracked or soared out of tune, the emotional center grew more and more focused.
Brent Mydland is well -represented in the latter-day work. I once considered this guy to be a bland honky-tonker incapable of serving the Dead's needs, but "So Many Roads" proves otherwise. Besides showcasing his powerful vocal style, it also proves that he had a touch not unlike Billy Payne of Little Feat (if EVER there lived a keyboard who should have played with the Dead in their prime, it's Billy Payne). Disk six is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Momentum is scattered, direction is lost and a sense of impending dread resides over the proceedings, lending each song a sense of destiny that is unshakeable, and often profound.
While chronologically accurate, "So Many Roads" lacks any sense of coherence that an ordinary fan would crave. People looking for "Blues for Allah" would grow impatient with the band's early harmonica blues-based forays, and vice-versa. But, it is important to note that Deadheads aren't your typical fan base. This box was not created for neophytes but for those who are already convinced. If you want an introduction to the Dead, don't start here. This is where you turn after you have absorbed some of the band's history and legacy. At that point, the relevance of the tracks chosen for "So Many Roads" are more likely to sink in. Hearing Jerry Garcia sing "Days Between" simply won't have the same impact on a newcomer as it will on a connoisseur. "So Many Roads" contains little that is revelatory, because virtually everything that the Grateful Dead have played has already been exploited in some way, but discoveries can still happen virtually anywhere on this collection. Listen to the fluidity of Garcia's guitar on "That's It for the Other One." "Check out the intuitive weave of "Beautiful Jam." Listen to how the band brings "Terrapin Station" to life from its still-born studio version. Remarkable. The more you listen, the more you understand. A- Tom Ryan

A feast for the fan.......2006-03-09

Don't even know where to start with this 5 disc set. If you're new to the band this is not a bad place to start.

Everything here is beautifully mastered and strong material has been pulled from each period of the band. Even the later stuff sounds great (I generally stick to their older stuff)!

Buy this box set!! 50 stars! By the way, you can download it for a ridiculously low price on iTunes.

Heh?.......2006-01-27

Did I read right that this box set will be re-released in 2010??????? That's four years from now, as I write this! How in Jerry's name do they know that so far in advance?!

Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)

Average customer rating:

Goodall's Siegfried
"Do you know what Wotan wills?"
Slow and steady wins the race
Absolutely better than you think, the best of Goodal's Ring!
Better than you might think....

Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
English National Opera
Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
Wagner: The Rhinegold
Wagner: The Valkyrie
Wagner: Siegfried
Wagner: Die Walküre

ASIN: B000056KNC
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

Act I.: Prld - Barry Tuckwell
Act I., Scene 1: Wearisome Labour! - Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 1: Hoiho! Hoiho! - Alberto Remedios/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 1: Well, There Are The Pieces - Alberto Remedios/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 1: A Whimpering Babe - Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 1: Much You've Taught To Me, Mime - Alberto Remedios/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 1: I Found Once in The Wood - Gregory Dempsey/Alberto Remedios
Act I., Scene 1: And Now These Fragments - Alberto Remedios/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 1: He Storms Away! - Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 2: Hail There, Worthy Smith! - Norman Bailey/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 2: I Sit By Your Hearth - Norman Bailey/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 2: What You Needed To Know - Norman Bailey/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 2: The Fragments! The Sword! - Gregory Dempsey/Norman Bailey

Tracks:

Act I., Scene 3: Accursed Light! - Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 3: Hey There! You Idler! - Alberto Remedios/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 3: Have You Not Felt Within The Woods - Gregory Dempsey/Alberto Remedios
Act I., Scene 3: Give Me These Pieces - Alberto Remedios/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 3: Notung! Notung! Sword Of My Need! - Alberto Remedios/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 3: Hoho! Hoho! Hohi! - Alberto Remedios/Gregory Dempsey
Act II.: Prld - Barry Tuckwell
Act II., Scene 1: In Gloomy Night By Fafner's Cave I Wait - Derek Hammond-Stroud
Act II., Scene 1: To Neidhohl By Night I Have Come - Norman Bailey/Derek Hammond-Stroud
Act II., Scene 1: Not My Plan! - Norman Bailey/Derek Hammond-Stroud
Act II., Scene 1: Fafner! Fafner! You Dragon, Wake! - Norman Bailey/Derek Hammond-Stroud/Clifford Grant
Act II., Scene 1: Now, Alberich! That Plan Failed! - Norman Bailey/Derek Hammond-Stroud
Act II., Scene 2: We Go No Further! - Gregory Dempsey/Alberto Remedios
Act II., Scene 2: So He's No Father Of Mine - Alberto Remedios

Tracks:

Act II., Scene 2: Could I But Know - Alberto Remedios
Act II., Scene 2: See My Mother - Alberto Remedios
Act II., Scene 2: Ha Ha! At Last With My Call - Alberto Remedios/Clifford Grant
Act II., Scene 2: Who Are You, Youthful Hero - Clifford Grant/Alberto Remedios
Act II., Scene 2: The Dead Can Tell No Tidings - Alberto Remedios/Maurine London
Act II., Scene 3: Hehe! Sly And Slippery Knave - Derek Hammond-Stroud/Gregory Dempsey
Act II., Scene 3: Tarnhelm And Ring, Here They Are - Alberto Remedios/Maurine London/Gregory Dempsey
Act II., Scene 3: Be Welcome, Siegfried! - Gregory Dempsey/Alberto Remedios/Derek Hammond-Stroud
Act II., Scene 3: You Lie There Too, Mighty Dragon - Alberto Remedios/Maurine London
Act III.: Prld - Barry Tuckwell
Act III., Scene 1: Waken, Wala! Wala! Awake! - Norman Bailey
Act III., Scene 1: Strong Is Your Call - Anne Collins/Norman Bailey
Act III., Scene 1: You Unwise One, Learn What I Will - Norman Bailey
Act III., Scene 2: I See That Siegfried's Near - Norman Bailey

Tracks:

Act III., Scene 2: My Woodbird Fluttered Away - Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 2: Young Man, Hear Me - Norman Bailey/Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 2: Child, If You Knew Who I Am - Norman Bailey/Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 2: With His Spear in Splinters - Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 3: Here in The Sunlight - Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 3: Come, My Sword! - Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 3: Hail, Bright Sunlight! - Rita Hunter/Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 3: Siegfried! Siegfried! Glorious Hero! - Rita Hunter/Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 3: And There Is Grane, My Sacred Horse - Rita Hunter/Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 3: Oh! I Cared Always - Rita Hunter/Alberto Remedios

Customer Reviews:

Goodall's Siegfried.......2007-06-22

This is completely worth it. Other reviews aptly pointed out everything good, and this *is* good--brilliant. Alberto Remedios is the best Siegfried I've ever heard, and Rita Hunter is a stunning and convincing Brunnhilde. If I could give this more than five stars, I would.

"Do you know what Wotan wills?".......2007-06-12

Okay, so we have the Solti, Bohm, Karajan, Goodall, Boulez, Janowski, Levine, Haitink, and Sawallisch Rings on the market (I haven't listened to the other Ring recordings yet, sorry to say). And all of these leave me to one conclusion: the many differences lead me to believe that all of these ring sets have their own authenticities and setbacks. And here they are:

TIMING (Estimate):
Solti's Ring: 14 hours, 30 minutes
Bohm's Ring: 13 hours, 30 minutes
Karajan's Ring: 14 hours, 50 minutes
Goodall's Ring: 16 hours, 50 minutes
Boulez's Ring: 13 hours, 40 minutes
Janowski's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
Levine's Ring: 15 hours, 20 minutes
Haitink's Ring: 14 hours, 10 minutes
Sawallisch's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes

CONDUCTING:
Solti: Solti's conducting is driven with sheer muscle, but sometimes he makes the Ring overemotional. His Walkure & Gotterdammerung Preludes are clear examples: they're annoyingly bombastic. Nonetheless he almost seldom loses control with anything. His clear focus on the drama is astonishing.

Bohm: I must say his live Bayreuth recording brings out some of the best. He puts more faith in the orchestral score, but he also gives it more intensity. His tempi are some of the quickest, but they still don't seem rushed at all (except maybe "Wohin schleich'st du eilig und schlau"). I especially like his "Forging Scene" & "Hagen Summons the Vassals"; both are the most energetic on disc.

Karajan: Karajan's chamber approach is very interesting. Instead of going for the drama or the energy, the conductor goes for the beauty. Almost everything in his Ring sounds very ethereal because of his excessive use of lyricism. His orchestral preludes (except Walkure Act 1) sound more beautiful than others, and much of the soft parts (such as Siegfried Act Three Scene Three) are controlled nicely. His "Funeral March" and "Immolation" are recommendable. Siegfried Act Three Scene Two could have improved with more tension.

Goodall: Oh, boy. While I do praise Goodall with his amazing attention to detail, his ridiculously sluggish tempi will tick some Wagnerites off: nothing is faster than andante. But I did enjoy listening to the slow beauty of his "Wotan's Farewell/Magic Fire Music". This was recorded live and sung in English.

Boulez: Here it is, folks - the controversial Centennial Ring. To fit the Ring Cycle in the industrial age, Boulez gives it a very Schoenbergian, Bartokian atmosphere. Much of his tempi are very quick, very Bohm-like, though they're still not as fast as Bohm. Keep in mind, though, this live Ring works only if you hear AND see it (the DVD's work best).

Janowski: This is a very classical Ring. Instead of bombast, spacious, or lyrical passion, maestro Janowski gives us the straightforward approach. He goes straight for Wagner's original intentions (precise tempi, dynamics, flow of leitmotivs, etc.), which makes this another exquisite Ring. "Hagen Summons the Vassals" is probably the fastest I've ever heard (along with Sawallisch's). Rheingold Scene Four can be best described as "sensational".

Levine: While he does stay true to the score like Bohm, this conductor makes for a somewhat dull Ring. His handling of the orchestra is nice, but the moderately slow tempi he chooses is flawed. It should be more animated. His beautiful "Funeral March" and "Erda's Warning" are two of the few flawless features.

Haitink: This might be seen as a disappointment. If you want great conducting, then this is for you. If you want a persuasive array of singers, look somewhere else. Haitink's conducting saves this work from being a total flop. There is nothing quite like his Rheingold & Gotterdammerung ("Siegfried's Rhine Journey" is a bit forced, but magnificent nonetheless).

Sawallisch: I guess you can say that Sawallisch is half-Karajan, half-Janowski. While he does stay true to the orchestral score like Janowski, he also puts in a little Karajan-like lyricism. At some points he loses track with orchestra and singers (as does every live recording) but Bohm has more control. This was also recorded live.

ORCHESTRA:
Solti's Vienna Philharmonic: The woodwinds are the most beautiful in Solti's Ring (the "Forest Murmurs" is clear evidence of that). French horns and Wagner tubas make this a recommended listening. The strings in "Heda Heda Hedo" could've added a bit more work, but they are strikingly spectacular everywhere else. The orchestra gives it their all in Siegfried Act Two & Three, but they are at their weakest in Walkure Act One & Three (Bohm's Bayreuth does it better). Overall, it's the loudest and certainly most bombastic out of all the Ring orchestras combined.

Bohm's Bayreuth Festival: The ultimate Wagnerian orchestra gives it their all. The brass both high and low are the most powerful, while the woodwinds are the most delicate. The strings are muffled only a few times, otherwise the eighteen anvils are perfectly loud and clear. Erda's scenes aren't as effective as Janowski's, but the entire Walkure is more successful than Janowski's when it comes to tone & technique. Overall, this orchestra is the most dramatic.

Karajan's Berlin Philharmonic: The entire orchestra sounds polished, not to say that it is bad. Indeed the drama is still there, but much of the suspense is lacking (the scenes with Fasolt and Fafner come to mind). The brass sometimes overpowers the strings, which can be a serious problem. Gotterdammerung "Three Norns" Scene sounds very mysterious, very eerie.

Goodall's English National Opera: This orchestra sounds nice, even if the sluggishness can bring them down at times. The Flight of the Valkyries doesn't sound too good in a slow tempo, but the entire orchestra does sound lucid here. Siegfried Act Two Prelude is the creepiest. All of the leitmotivs are heard loud and clear, just like in Janowski's version.

Boulez's Bayreuth Festival: While it doesn't really pack the same punches as Bohm's Bayreuth, it still delivers a stunning performance. Orchestral interaction between characters (Ex. Siegfried's motifs mixed in with Mime's motifs) fares better than Berlin's and English National's. Rhine maiden motifs are given more wit, while the Dragon motifs are played with less eeriness. Beauty makes up for the irritatingly quick "Wotan's Farewell".

Janowski's Staatskapelle Dresden: This orchestra has the same force & flair as does Boulez's Bayreuth Festival, only Dresden sounds much clearer due to the fantastic digital sound. Even minor details are heard clear in this Ring. The strings imitate the Siegfried forest very well, while the woodwinds representing the songbird are wonderful (but not as wonderful as Solti's songbird). Dresden's "Magic Fire Music" (along with Berlin's) is the most extravagant.

Levine's Metropolitan Opera: The brass and woodwinds are the true stars. The strings sound too tired to continue on in Siegfried & Gotterdammerung. The Finale to Rheingold is absolutely stunning (the trumpets and trombones will not disappoint), and the Second Act of Walkure is the most impressive, the most refined.

Haitink's Bavarian Radio Symphony: This may very well be like Metropolitan, only this sounds much more poignant. The strings sound better and the percussion sound clearer. The leitmotivs are almost never screwed up. First scene of Rheingold will take one's breath away.

Sawallisch's Bavarian State: Wrong notes in this live recording won't matter, as the entire orchestra gets everything going in all four nights at the opera. The strings never surrender to imperfection, and the winds are marvelously aligned. I just wish that some of the singers would keep up with the orchestra.

SINGERS:
-Wotan
Solti: Hans Hotter is the superior Wotan. He sounds powerful throughout the Ring (except Rheingold, in which a less stellar George London performs).

Bohm and Janowski: Theo Adam in Bohm's live recording is another treat. While he is not as equally impressive as Hotter, he can certainly conjure up everlasting emotions. Adam sounds weaker in Janowski's studio recording, but he still doesn't disappoint.

Karajan: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau plays Wotan in "Rheingold," while Thomas Stewart replaces Fischer-Dieskau in "Walkure" and "Siegfried". I don't think Fischer-Dieskau was a good choice; he sounds too humane and too light. Stewart makes an astounding improvement in both "Walkure" and "Siegfried".

Goodall: Norman Bailey has that divine spark that Hotter used to cherish. He's heavy and unblemished, and he handles the English text with flair and sheen.

Boulez: If you watch Donald McIntyre on the Centennial Ring production, then you can tell that he's a fine "industrial" Wotan. If you just hear him on CD, then you'll be disappointed. His diction is weak, his emotions are forced, and his voice sounds robotic. The DVD's will do.

Levine and Haitink: James Morris is a notch below Hotter, Adam, and Bailey, but he overpowers Fischer-Dieskau pretty much throughout the Levine's and Haitink's Ring.

Sawallisch: I may be biased, but Robert Hale just didn't do it for me. He sounded dull and tedious, and his Wotan's Farewell wasn't enough to sadden me.

-Brunnhilde
Solti and Bohm: Birgit Nilsson is the best Brunnhilde on the market. Her Valkyrie cry is delightful, and her final scene in Gotterdammerung is brilliant beyond belief.

Karajan: Regine Crespin is without a doubt one of the finest Brunnhildes after Nilsson. She's fantastic in Walkure Act Three. I just wish she stayed on as the Valkyrie later on in the Ring (Helga Dernesch is no good in Gotterdammerung, sorry to say).

Goodall: Rita Hunter is at her strongest in Walkure and Siegfried. She is at her weakest in Gotterdammerung. What may have caused her downfall in the fourth installment? "The world may never know."

Boulez: How can anyone not be impressed by the Brunnhilde of Gwyneth Jones? One can almost feel her excitement during Siegfried Act Three, and her fear in Walkure Act Three. Her weakest point is probably during her Gotterdammerung Prologue (a bit too stressed).

Janowski: Jeannine Altmeyer is basically the most controversial Brunnhilde on CD. Some people say that she's too light and weak, while others say she sounds young and very enchanting. I'm with those who think Altmeyer was a good choice, but you yourself (the shopper) are going to have to decide whether she's good or not.

Levine and Sawallisch: Hildegard Behrens is just like Nilsson and Crespin: while she's not the best, she is definitely another perfect Brunnhilde of choice. She's at her most dazzling when she performs Walkure (Levine) and Siegfried (Sawallisch).

Haitink: Hmph. I was hoping that Eva Marton would do well here. I was seriously let down by her strained singing. She does okay in "Annunciation of Death", but she is at her worst in "Immolation".

-Siegmund & Sieglinde
Let's see. For the Siegmunds, we have James King for Solti and Bohm, Jon Vickers for Karajan, Alberto Remedios for Goodall, Peter Hoffman for Boulez, Siegfried Jerusalem for Janowski, Gary Lakes for Levine, Reiner Goldberg for Haitink, and Robert Schunk for Sawallisch. For the Sieglindes, we have Regine Crespin for Solti, Leonie Rysanek for Bohm, Gundula Janowitz for Karajan, Margaret Curphy for Goodall, Jeanine Altmeyer for Boulez, Jessye Norman for both Janowski and Levine, Cheryl Studer for Haitink, and Julia Varady for Sawallisch. Hmm . . . Jerusalem is good . . . and so is Vickers . . . Janowitz is charming, and so is . . . Oh, what the heck? All the singers for Siegmund and Sieglinde are fantastic. Three exceptions, though: Goldberg and Schunk don't sound heroic enough, and Norman for Levine doesn't sound young and innocent enough.

-Siegfried
Solti and Bohm: Wolfgang Windgassen may very well be the best Siegfried for the ages. His `Forging Scene" in both renditions are defiantly inspiring. His last scene in Gotterdammerung is celestial and overwhelming.

Karajan: Jess Thomas (Siegfried) and Helge Brilioth (Gotterdammerung) may not be as ideal as Windgassen, but they do know how to be a magnificent heldentenor. Thomas pulls it off with Act One and Three.

Goodall: Wow! What a singer that Alberto Remedios! He never drags in either of the last two installments, and he uses the correct emotions in every scene that he is in.

Boulez: Is Manfred Jung a good tenor? Yes. Is he a good Heldentenor? NO. He doesn't have that heroic voice like Windgassen and Remedios. Again, the DVD's are your safest bet.

Janowski and Sawallisch: Rene Kollo's Siegfried is a poetically expressive one. In Janowski's version he sounds playful when he's in Mime's home, and he sounds willed when he's in the Gibich Hall. He is not good enough in Sawallisch's version, however. His tiresome "Forging Scene" is obvious evidence of that.

Levine: Oh, Reiner Goldberg. At least you tried. Seriously, he sounds too tedious (especially in Gotterdammerung Act Three Scene Two) and too old. Levine should've chose Kollo or Jerusalem when he recorded his studio Ring.

Haitink: Have you ever seen Siegfried Jerusalem on the Levine/Metropolitan DVD? Well, here he is again, and this time, he sings with more valor and enthusiasm. Bravo!

-Alberich
Solti and Bohm: Gustav Niedlinger has a heaviness that overwhelms a few other baritones. When he sings his only sequence in Gotterdammerung Act Two Scene One, his emotion is so pure that his son Hagen would've drowned himself in tears (Too melodramatic? Sorry about that.). The only problem is that his character sounds too one-dimensional. Alberich isn't just some cardboard-cutout bad guy. He has a very good reason why he wants to take revenge on the world. Overall, Niedlinger is amazing throughout Wagner's Ring (He deserves many awards for "Bin ich nun frei?").

Karajan: I guess you can say that Zoltan Kelemen tries his best throughout. He is not good in Rheingold, but he gets better in Siegfried and Gotterdammerung.

Goodall: Derek Hammond-Stroud is three-dimensional, but not that much. Still, he can sound very demanding in Rheingold Scene One and Siegfried Act Two Scene One.

Boulez: What we have here is the weak Alberich of Hermann Becht. When he's in Nibelheim, the authority isn't there. When he's in the Neid-Hohle forest, the creepiness isn't there. And when he's near the Gibich house, the misery isn't there. Even on DVD he's unsatisfactory.

Janowski: Siegmund Nimsgern may be the most humane Alberich yet, but it's all good. He sings with more passion than Kelemen and more robustness than Hammond-Stroud. Niedlinger's ferociousness puts him below, however. "Schaf'st du, Hagen, mein sohn?" is noteworthy.

Levine and Sawallisch: Ekkehard Wlaschiha is one hell of a vigorous Alberich. I praise him in Rheingold Scene One and Three. His performance in Siegfried (both versions) could've improved with more distrustfulness towards Mime and the Wanderer.

Haitink: No offense, but Theo Adam as Alberich? Come on . . .

-Mime
Solti and Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is the creepiest Mime ever known to humankind. This dwarf outsings other Mimes on the market. When he sings "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" his anger and fear is the most effective to almost all Ring listeners.

Bohm: Erwin Wohlfahrt wins second place. He gives a first-rate performance in Siegfried Act One, but loses some of his edge in Act Two. He is an exceptional Mime nonetheless. Look for him in Karajan's Rheingold, also.

Goodall: Gregory Dempsey isn't emotional enough. He doesn't sound fearful or depressed at all, which makes him the dullest Mime for the Ring.

Boulez and Levine: Heinz Zednik is yet another excellent Mime, VERY fun to listen to. There is much humor and eccentricity in his voice, and that's what makes his dwarf much more compelling than Dempsey's dwarf. His performance in Rheingold Scene Three is pure gold, while his performance in Siegfried (particularly "Willkommen, Siegfried!") is a stunning achievement.

Janowski: Peter Schreier is for Siegfried, while Christian Vogel is for Rheingold. Vogel is less than perfect, while Schreier is way beyond outstanding. Schreier is less ghoulish and more benevolent, more three-dimensional than Stolze and Wohlfahrt. He is equal to Zednik when it comes to humaneness and lyricism. The only flaw I can find is his handling of "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" He could've added a bit more fear in that sequence.

Haitink: Peter Haage sounds like he's entertaining young kids. His version of Mime is a bit childish, and the dark humor that the dwarf brings out sounds-over-the-top here. Nonetheless, he is still entertaining to listen to ("Wer halfe mir?" has never sounded better).

Sawallisch: Helmut Pampuch is just like Schreier and Zednik: he's very VERY good. Nuff said.

-Loge
Solti: Set Svanholm may be the weakest Loge. He is not very ominous throughout all of his scenes, and his lack of a sinister atmosphere is greatly affects the entire Rheingold. But he'll soon be forgotten later on during the Trilogy.

Bohm: Why the heck would the conductor have Wolfgang Windgassen play both Siegfried AND Loge? The demi-god needs to sound different from a son of a Walsung. Again, another Loge that's marred by lack of cunning.

Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is easily the most entertaining Loge to listen to. He has the wit, the craftiness, and the untrustworthiness that the character deserves. His scenes in Scene Three are delightful.

Goodall: Emile Belcourt isn't as good as Stolze, but he certainly can make some of the best of an English-speaking Loge.

Boulez and Haitink: I can summon Heinz Zednik's performance in just three words: Brilliant Beyond Belief!

Janowski: Peter Schreier is the most eccentric out of all of them, and that's a fact. Much of his singing involves imagination, peril, vengeance, and deviousness. Belcourt and Zednik depend only on vengeance and deviousness, Stolze only imagination and deviousness, Windgassen and Svanholm only peril. His odd conversations with Alberich and the gods/goddesses are classic.

Levine: Siegfried Jerusalem doesn't seem like a good choice for Loge. He's better off playing Siegmund or Siegfried, but not a demi-god.

Sawallisch: Robert Tear is on par with Stolze and Zednik. Sometimes he takes things too low, but all is forgiven with his management of character development.

-Everyone Else
Uh-huh, what can I say? Everyone else does a good job in all Ring recordings. Matti Salminen is the perfect Hagen (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch), while Kirsten Flagstad is the most brilliant Fricka (Solti). Anja Silja is the most memorable Freia (Bohm), while Kurt Moll makes the most fabulous Hunding yet (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch). The Norns and Rheinmaidens do a splendid job in Solti, Janowski, and Levine. The Vassals (male choir) are at their unsurpassed in Bohm, Goodall, and Boulez. The only flawed Erda is Anne Collins (Goodall), maybe too light and too heavy at times. All in all, no one here is graded C or lower.

CONCLUSION: I have yet to listen to Barenboim's Bayreuth presentation, Neuhold's Badische version, and the essential mono recordings (Furtwangler, Krauss, etc.), but I'm pretty sure that have their advantages and disadvantages. So there you have it. We have the histrionic Solti, the energetic Bohm, the otherworldly Karajan, the spacious Goodall, the industrialized Boulez, the truthful Janowski, the unhurried Levine, the abnormal Haitink, and the serious Sawallisch Rings. They have their own authenticities and setbacks, and they certainly have their own significances for Ring listeners everywhere.

The Box Set: Wagner: The Ring Cycle (Box Set)
-The Rhinegold (Part 1): Wagner: The Rhinegold
-The Valkyrie (Part 2): Wagner: The Valkyrie
-Twilight of the Gods (Part 4): The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)

Slow and steady wins the race.......2007-02-07

Yes, we all know that Reginal Goodall's Wagner is VERY deliberate (read slow) at times. When I heard the late Rita Hunter singing in Sydney in the 80s, I asked her about working with Maestro Goodall, she said he was one of the most thorough and demanding conductor's you could wish to work with.

For me, this whole cycle is desert island material because the English translation is just superb. Fine singing and marvellous playing from the ENO orchestra.

Absolutely better than you think, the best of Goodal's Ring!.......2005-05-03

As good as his die Walkure is, Goodall's Siegfried is even better. For me this is the most difficult opera of the entire Ring and Goodall pulls it off with honors indeed. Remedios is a wonder! Wish we had had him in the Met Ring Cycles of the past decade. Hunter again is a wonder with beauty and strength of tone. Once more I enjoy Bailey. I found That Alan Blyth in Gramophone 5/01 and I seem to appreciate him. It would seem that Goodall gives this opera all the wonderful performance it needs. Not an easy show to pull off. This recording absolutely belongs in any Wagnerian's collection. Had I been at this live performance, I definitely would not have fallen asleep and would have regretted its coming to its inevitable end. And the orchestra rises to the occasion splendidly. From Siegfried's climb to Brunhilde's rock until the end of the duet, the orchestral playing is rich, very moving bordering on the monumental just because it is live and thus more of a risk than a studio recording. Hunter is nothing short of stunning. The duet alone makes the recording a must have. Too bad artists are not fully appreciated until we no longer have them around to enjoy. Thank God this is on CD to be enjoyed at the listener's command.

Better than you might think...........2002-03-17

I had to think more than twice before purchasing this recording, especially since it isnt at a budget price, but I dont regret having done so. Wagner's original German language opera sung in English might seem more like a novelty recording (or a horrifying experience to hardcore Wagner fans) than a serious approach to the music, but surprisingly it works (for the most part). For the listener who doesn't speak and understand German this is a great way to understand Wagner's opera, as the connection between text and drama is made clearer--though I sometimes wish the singers diction and pronunciation were a bit clearer--but hey, its still opera and a complete English only libretto is included (along with a scene by scene summary of the drama, a summary of the preceding two operas, and an essay and photos of this particular project). Overall the orchestra and conducting is up to par and the sound is clear, balanced, and spacious, the only annoying thing being the audience clapping after the end of each act--its a live 1975 recording. While this is no substitute for the original in German, think of it as a great resource ... to understanding Wagner's opera cycle for listeners without the time or inclination to learn German.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold: The Piano Music

Average customer rating:

Erich Wolfgang Korngold: The Piano Music

Manufacturer: Nimbus Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Complete Works for Violin & Piano
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ASIN: B0000SZ6WO
Release Date: 2004-03-23

Tracks:

I. Allegro Non Troppo, Ma Con Passione
II. Scherzo: Schnell - Trio: Ruhig
III. Finale: Moderato
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II. Sancho Panza On His Greyu Donkey
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IV Dulcinea Of Toboso
V. Adventure
VI Don Quixote's Conversion And Death
I. Introduction
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III. Entr'acte
IV. Second Scene

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III. Largo. Con Dolore
IV. Finale: Allegro Vivace
I. The Enchanted Princess
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III. The Ruler Of The Spirits
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I. Gretl: Grazioso
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IV. Mitzi
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IV. Serious Times
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III. The Imps

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Zwischenspiel Intermezzo (Akt III) Aus Der Oper 'Das Wunder Der heliane'
I. Allegro Non Troppo, con Espressione
II. Scherzo: Allegro - Trio: Viel Langsammer, Innig
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Geshichten Von Strauss Op.21

Tracks:

I. Allegro Molto E Deciso
II. Andante Religioso
III. Tempo Di Menuetto Molto Comodo - Trio: Fliessender
IV. Rondo: Allegro Giocoso
I. Walzer
II. Entr'acte
III. Serenade
IV. Pierrot Und Colombine: Valse Lente
Schauspiel - Overture Op.4
Gross Fantasie Aus Der Oper 'Die Tote Stadt' Op.12

Symphonies 1-3 / Piano Concerto 1-4 / Isle of Dead

Average customer rating:

An excellent set now as a compilation.

Symphonies 1-3 / Piano Concerto 1-4 / Isle of Dead

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Liszt: Works for Piano and Orchestra
Strauss: Orchestral Works
Sibelius: The Complete Symphonies & Tone Poems
Debussy, Ravel: Orchestral Works
Bruckner: The Complete Symphonies

ASIN: B00006HM8V
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

I: Grave - Allegro Ma Non Troppo
II: Scherzo: Allegro Animato
III: Larghetto
IV: Allegro Con Fuoco
The Isle Of The Dead, Op.29

Tracks:

I: Largo
I: Allegro Moderato
II: Allegro Molto
III: Adagio
IV: Allegro Vivace
Scherzo In D Minor
Vocalise, Op.34 No.14

Tracks:

I: Lento - Allegro Moderato
II: Adagio Ma Non Troppo
III: Allegro
I: Non Allegro
II: Andante Con Moto (Tempo Di Valse)
III: Lento Assai - Allegro Vivace

Tracks:

I: Allegro Vivace (Alla Breve)
II: Largo
III: Allegro Vivace (1941 Version)
III: Allegro Vivace (1926 Version)
I: Vivace - Moderato - Vivace
II: Andante
III: Allegro Vivace

Tracks:

I: Allegro Non Troppo E Molto Maestoso
II: Andante Semplice - Prestissimo - Tempo Primo
III: Allegro Con Fuoco
I: Moderato
II: Adagio Sostenuto
III: Allegro Scherzando

Tracks:

I: Allegro Ma Non Tanto
II: Intermezzo: Adagio
III: Finale: Alla Breve
Introduction: Allegro Vivace
Variation 1: (Precedente)
Thema: L'istesso Tempo
Variation 2: L'istesso Tempo
Variation 3: L'istesso Tempo
Variation 4: Piu Vivo
Variation 5: Tempo Precedente
Variation 6: L'istesso Tempo
Variation 7: Meno Mosso, A Tempo Moderato
Variation 8: Tempo 1
Variation 9: L'istesso Tempo
Variation 10
Variation 11: Moderato
Variation 12: Tempo Di Minuetto
Variation 13: Allegro
Variation 14: L'istesso Tempo
Variation 15: Piu Vivo. Scherzando
Variation 16: Allegretto
Variation 17
Variation 18: Andante Cantabile
Variation 19: A Tempo Vivace
Variation 20: Un Poco Piu Vivo
Variation 21: Un Poco Piu Vivo
Variation 22: Un Poco Piu Vivo (Alla Breve)
Variation 23: L'istesso Tempo
Variation 24: A Tempo Un Poco Mosso

Customer Reviews:

An excellent set now as a compilation........2003-07-11

This is a great set of Rachmaninov recordings, which until recently could only be bought in pieces. EMI deserves praise for making these worthy performances, under direction of Mariss Jansons, available in a box set.

Not only as a recording accomplishment but on artistic grounds as well does this set deserve to be offered as a compilation. The piano concertos are all distinguished and really have not received the exposure that they deserve. Mikhail Rudy offers a fine performance throughout. This set, if it is a straight reissue of the previous Piano Concertos, should also include the original, and very interesting, conclusion to the 4th Piano Concerto. The recording of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 is also a fine work that has been put into this Rachmaninov box set.

In the symphonies Mariss Jansons makes his own unique stamp on these works and the result is very satisfactory throughout. While one may disagree with some elements of his interpretations, such as his election to do the 2nd and 3rd Symphonies without the exposition repeats, one cannot fault his overall approach and vitality.

In addition to the well-known Vocalise, the listener gets the mysterious and rarely-recorded Scherzo as an additional filler piece.

Tracks:

Cold Rain and Snow
Greatest Story Ever Told
Mr. Charlie
Sugaree
Mexicali Blues
Big Boss Man
Deal
Jack Straw
Big Railroad Blues
Hurts Me Too
China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider
Playing In The Band

Tracks:

Good Lovin'
Ramble On Rose
Black-Throated Wind
Sitting On Top Of The World
Comes A Time
Turn On Your Lovelight
Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad
Not Fade Away
Hey Bo Diddley
Not Fade Away

Tracks:

Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu
Black Peter
Chinatown Shuffle
Truckin'
Drums
The Other One
El Paso
The Other One
Wharf Rat
One More Saturday Night

Tracks:

Uncle John's Band
The Stranger (Two Souls In Communion)
Dark Star
Sugar Magnolia
Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)
Brokedown Palace

Amazon.com

Marking the 30th anniversary of the Grateful Dead's first full-fledged European tour, the four-disc Steppin' Out will delight collectors wishing to dig deeper than the terrific original three-LP (two-CD) Europe '72. Culling performances from seven English shows from the spring of 1972, this set has much more of a "live" feel than the Europe '72 release, which had polished up the Dead's rougher edges, introduced a bunch of new songs to record, and in general been intended to serve as a "studio" record. Of particular interest here is a rippling, sprite reading of "Sitting on Top of the World" (sung by Jerry Garcia), a couple of lesser-known Pigpen originals ("Chinatown Shuffle" and "The Stranger"), and versions of chestnuts "Hey Bo Diddley" (in a "Not Fade Away" sandwich) and "Rockin' Pneumonia" that most folks have not heard Deadified. There's also a wonderful and lengthy "Dark Star"/"Sugar Magnolia"/"Caution" combo from Wembley Empire Pool on disc 4. While this collection shouldn't replace Europe '72 in your stack, it's a worthy complement for fans of this era in Dead history. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

shaking head.......2007-03-29

High Tech copy guard on a Dead album?
Jerry is rolling over in his grave as I type this

One of the best official live Dead releases.......2007-02-24

Whereas I recommend Europe '72 as a first purchase for newcomers, those who already appreciate the Dead and are disappointed by Europe '72's lack of extended improv. will no doubt find this set superior. It covers a much broader selection of tunes, all cherry-picked from the same tour, and in sad contrast to so much of the official live material released by the band, the performances consistently marry inspiration (emotion) and tight, in-tune musicianship. I have nothing personal against Dick Latvala, but can't help but wonder sometimes what might have been had someone else-- someone who was not so deeply invested in the "ragged-but-right" (read: "sloppy-and-out-of-tune-is-right") ethic-- had been in charge of choosing shows for release. IMO, when the 60's/70's Dead were playing at their best, few could touch them, and yet, to these ears, much of the live material that's been released so far is sub-par. Oh well. In any event, this delightful exception to the rule is to be cherished.

Superb!!.......2005-02-02

The album exemplifies the Grateful Dead at one of the high points in their time together. This is a great collection of their best known concert songs (China Cat > I Know you Rider, Playing in the Band, Jack Straw...) and what is undoubtable the BEST quality recording outside of their originally released live albums (Europe 72, Skull & Roses...).

The venue that they are playing in is a smaller club and it is fun listening to the band (ok - Bobby) interact with the crowd. Also, this was recorded during the brief interlude where Micky Hart had left the band leaving the Dead with only Bill as drummer. I have to tell you how impressed I am with his performance during the entire show. This recording highlights just how great a drummer Bill really is - outstanding.

Take note... if you are a new listener to the Dead, this album will get you hooked into being a fan of their live albums. If you are a long time listener, this is an album that needs to be in your collection. It is far superior to many of the newly released live recordings (example: "Dick's Picks"). It is right up there with "Europe 72" and in fact (IMHO) is even better because it is the entire concert. On average, there are about 75 minutes on each disc (4 in all) - WOW!

Positives:
Crystal clear recording.
Great collection of songs.
Entire concert on recording.
Flawless performance.
A few "rare" songs on it (ie: "Hey, Bo Didley").

Negatives:
Only one... why did they take soooooooo long to release this!??!

Best representation of the Dead's European tour '72.......2004-12-11

4 DISCS!!! 4 discs of purely awesome Grateful Dead, the greatest band ever and the greatest there ever will be. There's a whole lotta Pigpen, the most talanted vocalist of the group, Jerry Garcia, my hero and idol, and the crew. This is the best intro to the Dead and if it dissappoints than you must be deaf.

A Stellar Show .......2004-09-21

As a typical deadhead, I can well appreciate the concept of attending a concert or listening to one on disc where everything culminates in a single pure moment. For me, that moment occurs on this disc during the seque from Dark Star into Sugar Magnolia. That 60 second interval of music alone makes this disc a must have for anyone who really appreciates what the Dead where all about.

Music Info:

Music Info

music info

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