They got on the bus to the Port Authority, rode in on the Long Island Railroad and the New Jersey Transit line. They traveled North, South, and West on the 1, 2, and 3 subway lines, their numbers growing as they descended upon Penn Station. Some rolled up in those iconic New York yellows. Some walked excitedly through the bright lights of Broadway and Times Square, meeting up with old friends on the way and picking up a few new ones too as they ascended The Garden's stairs. Maybe you were among them - lightly buzzed on the way in, fully aglow on the way home. New York City was in its prime and damn if the Grateful Dead wasn't going to rise up to meet it! If you were there, we call on you to join us as we recapture that MSG magic and if you weren't, we invite you along on the epic journey that is IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN '81, '82, '83.
Numbered and limited-edition to 12,500, this 17CD set celebrates the band’s rich history at “the world’s most famous arena,” introducing six previously unreleased shows recorded at MSG between 1981 and 1983. It offers a front-row seat to the Dead in the early 1980s, an overlooked and underestimated era of rebirth for the band. At the time of the recordings, the group featured Brent Mydland. Mydland’s vocal power and colorful keyboard palette energized the band, invigorating older material like “The Wheel,” “Truckin’” and “Eyes of The World.” He also gave the band more musical flexibility, which encouraged them to dust off rarely aired treasures like “Dupree’s Diamond Blues” and “Crazy Fingers.”
IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN touches on the three-year period after 1980’s GO TO HEAVEN was released, a time when the Dead were constantly on the road, playing more than 200 dates. While they were in no rush to return to the studio during this time, they continued to write new music. In 1982 and ’83, the band performed most of the songs that would appear on 1987’s IN THE DARK. The new collection includes performances of four songs from that album – “Touch Of Grey,” “Hell In A Bucket,” “Throwing Stones,” and “West L.A. Fadeaway” – plus the B-side, “My Brother Esau.”
Due September 23rd, IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN comes in a custom box featuring new artwork by Dave Van Patten celebrating the band’s eclectic fanbase, with a cavalcade of illustrated Dead Heads. The collection also includes detailed liner notes by award-winning music journalist David Fricke, who explores the band’s connection to the Big Apple. It features newly restored and speed-corrected audio by Plangent Processes, mastered by Jeffrey Norman.
WHAT'S INSIDE:
Madison Square Garden 3/9/81
Madison Square Garden 3/10/81
Madison Square Garden 9/20/82
Madison Square Garden 9/21/82
Madison Square Garden 10/11/83
Madison Square Garden 10/12/83
Newly restored and speed-corrected audio by Plangent Processes
Mastered by Jeffrey Norman
Liners by award-winning music journalist David Fricke
Artwork by Dave Van Patten
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition Of 12,500
