Vinyl Me Please Essentials

MikeH said:
You mean the one that sold 2500 copies and is being repressed because of demand? I bet it took longer to sell out than they thought but I’d say it was still largely successful
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Maybe it's because they said it was a pressing of 7000 then almost immediately backed off? Let's not act like it was a roaring success, I think everyone got the slipmat that was offered to the first 3000 right? Didn't they also try and sell them on other websites?

I will say I like the idea of these anthologies the pricing and sometimes the selection are what I take issue with
 
4080 said:
Maybe it's because they said it was a pressing of 7000 then almost immediately backed off? Let's not act like it was a roaring success, I think everyone got the slipmat that was offered to the first 3000 right? Didn't they also try and sell them on other websites?

I will say I like the idea of these anthologies the pricing and sometimes the selection are what I take issue with
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They sold over $1 million in Grateful Dead records. I’d hardly consider it a failure. And they will sell another 1 mil when it’s repressed.

Acoustic Sounds sold some but they have sold most of the anthologies I believe, especially when they press them.

The pricing is a lot usually and agree on some album selections. That’s why I didn’t go for the Dead box—most of the albums were easily found for cheaper with really good pressings already. I’m not such a big fan where I needed Without A Net.

Cadet has more albums in it that are hard to find for good prices so I went for it. The box sets do largely maintain their value or exceed it.
 
keylime_5 said:
Yeah. I think 99% of the time though they do actual "essential" albums as their Essentials ROTM. We only occasionally get something more off the beaten path like Jim Sullivan, Beverly Glen-Copeland, or the 10th best Grateful Dead album
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At this point they need to drop “essentials” from the name. Just call it ROTM and leave it at that.
 
jamieanderson1968 said:
At this point they need to drop “essentials” from the name. Just call it ROTM and leave it at that.
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More than 9 times out of 10 the name fits. And it's just a name, they have 4 ROTMs not just one, so they have to call it something.
And while Anthem of The Sun might not be "essential" compared to a lot of the records they put out in that track, it's by an essential artist and it will probably be one of the handful of best essentials they release this year IMO (then again I have bias towards that era of music)
 
keylime_5 said:
Yeah. I think 99% of the time though they do actual "essential" albums as their Essentials ROTM. We only occasionally get something more off the beaten path like Jim Sullivan, Beverly Glen-Copeland, or the 10th best Grateful Dead album
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It’s not their 10th best “studio” album.

I’d have the list as:
1a/1b: American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead

3. Blues for Allah
4. Wake of the Flood
5. Anthem of the Sun
6. From the Mars Hotel
7. In the Dark

8. Aoxomoxoa
9. Go To Heaven
10. S/T debut
11. Terrapin Station
12. Built to Last
13. Shakedown Street

Anything at 7 or above is essential in my book. Also, Bob Weir’s Ace and Jerry Garcia’s Garcia would both be no. 3 on this list.

Though I’m reality essential Grateful Dead would be some of their live shows, which wouldn’t fit VMPs style/mission
 
I was counting live albums, which with the Dead is necessary. Live/Dead, Skull & Roses, and Europe 72 are in their 5 top albums alongside American Beauty and Workingman's Dead IMO. After those I think it's dealers choice, they're all about the same depending on your taste. Blues for Allah and Wake of the Flood are probably 6 and 7 for me. Mars Hotel, Anthem of the Sun, Steal Your Face after that in no order.
 
keylime_5 said:
I was counting live albums, which with the Dead is necessary. Live/Dead, Skull & Roses, and Europe 72 are in their 5 top albums alongside American Beauty and Workingman's Dead IMO. After those I think it's dealers choice, they're all about the same depending on your taste. Blues for Allah and Wake of the Flood are probably 6 and 7 for me. Mars Hotel, Anthem of the Sun, Steal Your Face after that in no order.
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I don't disagree that their 3 live albums between 1969 and 1972 are essential. Would have loved Live/Dead as the pick for a VMP Essentials title and it is the one that didn't see a re-release for its anniversary.
 
Yeah, the thing is they put Live/Dead and Europe 72, and most of their top albums in their anthology, so the best ones leftover were Blues For Allah, Mars Hotel, Skull & Roses, and their first 3 LPs, since they just dropped In the Dark as a store exclusive.
 
wmeugene said:
I don't disagree that their 3 live albums between 1969 and 1972 are essential. Would have loved Live/Dead as the pick for a VMP Essentials title and it is the one that didn't see a re-release for its anniversary.
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I guess it was in the Anthology, silly me. But they should have saved it for the Essentials pick
 
I don't have the anthology, but I did snag a copy of Live/Dead out of that box off of eBay. It's very good, but not that much better than the standard Ron McMaster AAA Rhino cut from 2003 that's been repressed a lot and is still in print I think. Less tape hiss is about the only advantage, the dynamics might be better on the McMaster. The tip-on gatefold jacket is cool too, but the coloring is too dark compared to every other version that came before.
 
keylime_5 said:
I don't have the anthology, but I did snag a copy of Live/Dead out of that box off of eBay. It's very good, but not that much better than the standard Ron McMaster AAA Rhino cut from 2003 that's been repressed a lot and is still in print I think. The tip-on gatefold jacket is cool too, but the coloring is too dark compared to every other version that came before.
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I have the Rhino cut and feel no need to replace it.
 
wmeugene said:
It’s not their 10th best “studio” album.

I’d have the list as:
1a/1b: American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead

3. Blues for Allah
4. Wake of the Flood
5. Anthem of the Sun
6. From the Mars Hotel
7. In the Dark

8. Aoxomoxoa
9. Go To Heaven
10. S/T debut
11. Terrapin Station
12. Built to Last
13. Shakedown Street

Anything at 7 or above is essential in my book. Also, Bob Weir’s Ace and Jerry Garcia’s Garcia would both be no. 3 on this list.

Though I’m reality essential Grateful Dead would be some of their live shows, which wouldn’t fit VMPs style/mission
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You want to get me to pony up the $$$$$ for a VMP Anthology, a Live Dead Only anthology would be a way to do it.
 
wmeugene said:
It’s not their 10th best “studio” album.

I’d have the list as:
1a/1b: American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead

3. Blues for Allah
4. Wake of the Flood
5. Anthem of the Sun
6. From the Mars Hotel
7. In the Dark

8. Aoxomoxoa
9. Go To Heaven
10. S/T debut
11. Terrapin Station
12. Built to Last
13. Shakedown Street

Anything at 7 or above is essential in my book. Also, Bob Weir’s Ace and Jerry Garcia’s Garcia would both be no. 3 on this list.

Though I’m reality essential Grateful Dead would be some of their live shows, which wouldn’t fit VMPs style/mission
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I like Go To Heaven more than Anthem of the Sun the last few years. It'll probably change back at some point. I think I just burnt myself out on the early studio stuff back in the day and now, like others, really only prefer most of it live if I'm reaching for that era. That said, I still spun Anthem twice this year, so it gets played.
 
MikeH said:
You mean the one that sold 2500 copies and is being repressed because of demand? I bet it took longer to sell out than they thought but I’d say it was still largely successful
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What was the announced number? Was it 5k or 7k? That’s great that they are pressing more, I just don’t think Anthem is going to move well.
 
Viking Dan said:
You want to get me to pony up the $$$$$ for a VMP Anthology, a Live Dead Only anthology would be a way to do it.
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It's hard to imagine what would make that worth it these days. There's a glut of Live Dead on vinyl and with stellar pressings. The only one that they're dragging their sweet ass feet on is Two from the Vault.
 
Hemotep said:
It's hard to imagine what would make that worth it these days. There's a glut of Live Dead on vinyl and with stellar pressings. The only one that they're dragging their sweet ass feet on is Two from the Vault.
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I guess I was thinking more of a carefully curated Live Show selection - rather than here's all the commercially available stuff in one box.

Kind of a Dick's Pick's/Bettys Blend's style selection process sold as here's a collection of some of the best live shows from across the various eras. Maybe anchored by Cornell 77 but with other not so widely available live shows included.

Also - I'd kill for a really killer live version of Unbroken Chain on vinyl.
So if you have a recommendation for that - then maybe I don't need this anthology.
 
Viking Dan said:
I guess I was thinking more of a carefully curated Live Show selection - rather than here's all the commercially available stuff in one box.

Kind of a Dick's Pick's/Bettys Blend's style selection process sold as here's a collection of some of the best live shows from across the various eras. Maybe anchored by Cornell 77 but with other not so widely available live shows included.

Also - I'd kill for a really killer live version of Unbroken Chain on vinyl.
So if you have a recommendation for that - then maybe I don't need this anthology.
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The only live Unbroken Chains are from 1995, so I wouldn't use the term killer to describe them. I doubt any of those shows would ever be commercially released, so I think it's going to be a trip to Archive.Org to fill that need.
 
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