Features
A Trunk Full Of The Dead
How would you like a recording of every note from every Grateful Dead Europe show on the band’s famed 1972 tour of the continent? Yes, that is a lot of music. Thankfully, the folks at Dead.net are using a steamer trunk for delivery.
Called Europe ’72: The Complete Recordings, this special package really is an example of truth in advertising and contains recordings of all 22 shows from the tour, resulting in more than 60 CDs packaged in a replica steamer trunk. The recordings were produced from the original 16-track tapes.
Along with the discs, the package contains tour memorabilia, a coffee-table book and an essay by Grateful Dead author Blair Jackson. Each individual show will also be accompanied by an essay about the event written by noted Dead hands such as David Gans, Gary Lambert, Nicholas Meriwether and Steve Silberman.
The primary mixer of The Grateful Dead’s multi-track archival material, Jeffrey Norman, is mixing each show while two-time Grammy-winning engineer David Glasser is mastering the recordings to HDCD specs.
Needless to say, this isn’t your typical big-box set. Instead, it’s an individually numbered, limited edition release totaling more than 70 hours of music.
Because of the massive size and incredible scope of the project, Europe ’72: The Complete Recordings may not even see the light of day unless one very important condition is met – that at least 3,000 orders are received by April 1. As an added enticement, the first 3,000 fans ordering the package will receive their copy personalized with their name, or whichever moniker desired, on the package.
But even if the 3,000 goal is met, this is still a limited-edition set. Along with the first 3,000 copies, expect up to 7,200 sets to be released.
Priced at $450, Europe ’72: The Complete Recordings ships in September. For more information, check out Dead.net.