New Grateful Dead Box set...Opinions?

If I had to explain you wouldn't understand...

Haven't heard it yet but I am going to take the plunge. If you watch the blurb on their site on the set, their archivist explains that they are all taken from the original analog masters and they are the original mixes too. If the pressings are anything close to the Neil Young box, they'll be great.

I'm slowly making my way through it. American Beauty and Workingman's Dead sound awesome. Aoxomoxoa... not so much, but I suspect that's not a remastering issue.

I'm curious what others think...

Just listened to American Beauty.

Truly, I think the recording was SPECTACULAR. The instruments had placement and there were the subtleties in the recording that make me happy I spent all the money on my system.

Every instrument actually sounded like an instrument. The transition between Ripple and Brokedown Palace provided that magic feeling when the bottom drops out of music in the "trippiest" way. Backup vocals were purposeful and clean.

Even my wife thought it was special and significantly better than any Dead she had heard.

Jerry's voice was focused, clear, throaty, and sounded like candy. Bobby was mixed in well (not to0 overpowering), and Sugar Magnolia sounded "different....more like music than just a song! Even Phil sounded like he could sing :)

I guess you can tell that I thought it was pretty good :)

E

AB is definitely a great recording. The Rhino reissue from a few years ago is good, but my WB green label is better still.
Having Workingman's Dead and AB on Green label, I don't think it can get much better. Thus, the box doesn't make sense for me. I would rather try and find the other 3 records in NM originals. Easier said than done, for sure.

You might find more interesting music with the Dead's concert downloads or the Dick's Picks CDs. Workingman's and American Beauty are great albums, but the live dates of that era really capture the band at its best.