[2017-11-10] Grateful Dead "RFK Stadium 1989" 6 CD box set

Charles · 19 Dec 2007

Available on dead.net only............................
http://www.dead.net/store/1980s/rfk-sta ... bigbanner1

Quote:

The Grateful Dead battled the elements in July 1989, enduring drenching rains and stifling humidity during back-to-back shows at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in the nation’s capital. In spite of the bleak weather, the band thrilled the massive crowds both nights with triumphant performances that rank among the very best of a busy year that included 74 shows and the release of the group’s final studio album, BUILT TO LAST.

ROBERT F. KENNEDY STADIUM, WASHINGTON, D.C., JULY 12 & 13, 1989 includes two previously unreleased concerts taken from the band’s master 24-track analog recordings, which have been mixed by Jeffrey Norman at TRI Studios and mastered in HDCD by David Glasser. The collection’s colorful slip case features original artwork by Justin Helton and a perfect-bound book with in-depth liner notes written by Dean Budnick, editor-in-chief of Relix magazine. The set will also be available as a digital download in Apple Lossless and FLAC 192/24.

When Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Brent Mydland, and Bob Weir rolled into D.C. in July 1989 for the Dead’s two-night stand at RFK, the band hit the stage running with a stellar rendition of “Touch Of Grey,” the group’s biggest hit from its only Top 10 album In The Dark, which was released in 1987. The following night, the band returned to its double-platinum commercial breakthrough when it opened the show with a fiery version of “Hell In A Bucket.”

“RFK Stadium '89 fell right in the middle of one of the best tours of the last 15 years of Grateful Dead performances, with these shows being the sixth and seventh of an 11-show tour. This tour is widely considered the start of a nine month period of sustained excellence, which ran from Summer '89 through Spring '90. The RFK shows are as good as any of the more famous shows from this period, including July 4 in Buffalo, July 7 in Philadelphia, and the Alpine run,” says David Lemieux, Grateful Dead archivist and the set’s producer. “When Bob Weir has asked me to provide copies of Grateful Dead songs to give to his bandmates to learn and rehearse, he almost always requests Summer '89, and I've often drawn upon the RFK shows for this purpose. It's really that good!”

Both shows feature standout moments, but the July 12 show is notable for a few reasons. Perhaps the biggest is that the first set featured at least one song sung by each of the band’s four lead singers – Garcia, Weir, Lesh and Mydland – something that rarely happened. Another surprise came when the band opened the second set with “Sugaree,” a song that almost always appeared during the first set.

Pianist Bruce Hornsby — who briefly joined the band between 1990 and 1992 — is featured on both shows. He played accordion during “Sugaree” and “Man Smart (Woman Smarter),” with a touch of keyboard-tinkling, on July 12, and then played more accordion the following night for “Tennessee Jed” and “Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again.”

For fans of Mydland’s tenure with the Dead – which began in 1979 and ended in 1990 with the keyboardist’s tragic death – these stellar shows capture that incarnation in peak form. Among the long list of highlights are performances of live staples such as “Eyes Of The World,” “Warf Rat” and “I Need A Miracle,” along with rarities like “To Lay Me Down,” which was played only a few times in 1989. The July 13 show also features the band road-testing “I Will Take You Home,” a track Mydland wrote with Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow that would appear later that fall on Built To Last.

Product Details

6-CD
Release Date: 11/10/17
A Dead.net Exclusive

R.F.K. Stadium, Washington, D.C. (7/12/89)

1. Touch Of Grey
2. New Minglewood Blues
3. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo
4. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
5. Far From Me
6. Cassidy
7. Friend Of The Devil
8. Promised Land
9. Sugaree>
10. Man Smart, Woman Smarter
11. Ship Of Fools>
12. Estimated Prophet>
13. Eyes Of The World>
14. Drums>
15. I Need A Miracle>
16. Dear Mr. Fantasy>
17. Black Peter>
18. Turn On Your Lovelight>
19. Black Muddy River

R.F.K. Stadium, Washington, D.C. (7/13/89)

1. Hell In A Bucket
2. Cold Rain And Snow
3. Little Red Rooster
4. Tennessee Jed
5. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
6. To Lay Me Down
7. Let It Grow
8. He's Gone
9. Looks Like Rain
10. Terrapin Station
11. Drums
12. Space
13. I Will Take You Home
14. The Other One
15. Wharf Rat
16. Throwing Stones
17. Good Lovin'
18. U.S. Blues

Charles · 19 Dec 2007

This is an out of left field choice for a box set.

I was at both of these shows and didn't remember thinking much of them. the previously released 7/7/89 Philadelphia (Crimson White & Indigo) was a much better show.

Since I was at these, I bought one.

Charlie · **Joined:** 23 Dec 2014 **Posts:** 14199

It looks like this isn't going to become a general release, so I've moved this thread to Collector's Corner.

dcscott · 26 Oct 2007

$64.98 is too much for average shows.

NoURider · **Joined:** 21 Jul 2006 **Posts:** 3308

well that is the tie-in for the RFK show at the movies this evening.

Mr Fuse · 01 Dec 2006

It would have been nice to include the video of these shows on a BD or DVDs.

Bishop Hammer · 03 Sep 2007

Not going lie; I've never liked The Grateful Dead. The only thing that caught my attention is that the box set took place in The Redskins old stadium. The only song by them I even listen to is Touch Of Grey.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ ... =080117_16

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

I'm not overly fond of this period.

NoURider · **Joined:** 21 Jul 2006 **Posts:** 3308

Yeah, I have to admit- as someone who collects all Dead (all but maybe one of the box sets listed elsewhere,not to mention all the various series), this one does not do much for me....particularly at the current price point...and that does not include dead.net's high shipping. I may be passing...

Willy Wilson · **Joined:** 22 Jan 2007 **Posts:** 939

I agree, they were kind of running on fumes at this point - Don't really think I need 6 discs worth of noodling and wheezing. Please more Pigpen!!!!!

ARK · **Joined:** 23 Mar 2013 **Posts:** 1320

Bishop Hammer wrote:

Not going lie; I've never liked The Grateful Dead. The only thing that caught my attention is that the box set took place in The Redskins old stadium. The only song by them I even listen to is Touch Of Grey.

Now we know.

Willy Wilson · **Joined:** 22 Jan 2007 **Posts:** 939

Did anyone else pick this one up? I don't remember ordering one, but I just got a copy in the mail. I haven't had a chance to spin any of it yet.

Federico · 12 Jul 2006

Willy Wilson wrote:

Did anyone else pick this one up? I don't remember ordering one, but I just got a copy in the mail. I haven't had a chance to spin any of it yet.

I got one.

It's OK, good late-Brent era but I didn't hear anything super special. I'll listen to portions of each show but I can't see myself putting on a whole show from the box.

NoURider · **Joined:** 21 Jul 2006 **Posts:** 3308

As mentioned I opted to pass, but typically in a 'should I anyway' mood (I still kick self for passing on the first Spring 1990). But not regretting too much (Thanks Federico). Interested in other views. But I have a feeling this one will not be selling out to soon. I got the sense that many heads were scratching their head on this one.

Willy Wilson · **Joined:** 22 Jan 2007 **Posts:** 939

I agree with Federico. Not going to spin this one very much, as I have so many other Dead faves I'd much rather hear.

Seth Hollander · **Joined:** 23 May 2015 **Posts:** 58

I was rather disappointed to see this release announced. I was for a long time a vocal and ardent proponent of GDM releasing more 80s/90s performances (on the GDM comment threads) and I still believe they should do so. But 7/89 is weak sauce compared to 10/89, IMO; the two Philly 10/89 shows would have been my choice. Still, I had to put my money were my mouth is.

80s/90s Dead is like post-Taylor Stones or post-Moon Who. It don't got the majesty that earned them their spot in history and our hearts but it is still the band doing their thing and it still has pleasures for those who love the band. These two shows are fine examples of late 80s Dead and the sound quality is AMAZING (like Spring90 #2).

By the time of these shows Jerry was renewed (not that he is back to his young self- that never happened) and Phil is strong and focused (I notice his work in these shows more than anyone else's). The multi-track-sourced mix really brings out all of Brent's keyboard sonics in a way that was revelatory for me (that "Dear Mr. Fantasy" is soooo rich!) and presents the sounds of Mickey's BIG drums just as they sounded to me at the shows back then, an audio experience I've longed hoped for.

I hope we see a dozen more 80's/90's pair-of-shows releases in the next 10 years. I think they are long overdue. The 60s and 70s are truly the best stuff, but more 72-78 should be low priority: those years are very well represented already! Ideally, I would like to see a pair release from 8x/9x and something from the Pigpen years released every year from now on; the 70s-centric Dave's Picks series can keep filling in the 72-78 period with an occasional box set compiling a classic run or expanding on a previous selections-from release (i.e. the 6/74 Road Trips release or the NYC4/71 4 disc compilation).

I pretty much no longer comment at GDM as A) I tend to get into adversarial shit-shows there that drag the whole vibe down and ruin bystander's days, and B) the number of Trumpers there makes me wonder if there is something ideologically suspect with Deadmusic. As I think there is some reader cross-over between here and there, i will take this opportunity to throw big props to JimInMD, the current saint of the GDM boards, WJonJD, the lost saint, and Mr. Jack Straw, the member of what I dubbed "the 70s mafia" who has always been pleasant and reasonable as people on both sides of the "era debate" (including myself) were turning into shit-throwing monkeys.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

I really don't like them as much after 1984 or so. Seems to me like they starting losing their magic after the 2 Arista live albums in 80-81.

Federico · 12 Jul 2006

I listen to late-Brent era differently from pre-Brent and pre-hiatus Dead. The Dead up through the Keith-era was about the sound of surprise. Even in the short songs it was about all the new, spontaneous creation. Late 80's-1990 to me is all about song arrangement and execution. It's about the energy and excitement within the songs. I don't expect them to take me new, exploratory places, I'm hearing creative responses to set structures. That's OK too. This set just struck me as low on that creative energy. Odd because David Lemieux has said that these are the tapes that Weir suggests these tapes and surrounding shows as the template for the Dead sound.

Rick A · 23 Jul 2006

Nothing more to add to this specific thread discussion but would like to take the opportunity to say Hi to Federico, the man who initially started my favorite thread ' What Are You Listening To Now'?

Have a Great Holiday my friend!

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

I'm playing this now & wanted to read comments; so far 2 tracks in it's worse musically then I expected. Guess I'll go a little farther as I don't see anything definitive re: the performance.

[2017-11-10] Grateful Dead "RFK Stadium 1989" 6 CD box set

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