Have you ever stopped to consider that maybe the reason the Grateful Dead‘s live sets are so long is that they’re very good? Plenty of deadheads would agree, at least, and they’ll be glad to hear that their favourite band — celebrating their 60th year in 2025 — will be maxxing out the conceivable amount of hours one should cull for a box set in honour of the band’s diamond anniversary with Enjoying the Ride, a 60CD, 60-plus-hour box set of live recordings arriving exclusively through Dead.net.
If more than a standard workweek’s worth of hours is more time than you’d prefer to listen to the Dead, then Rhino‘s more concise, perhaps less aptly named companion anniversary release, The Music Never Stopped, clocking in at a measly 6LP/3CD, is perhaps more your jam. That’s out IRL and digitally on May 30.
Rhino Records President Mark Pinkus shared his personal connection to Enjoying the Ride in a statement:
I truly believe that Enjoying the Ride captures both the spirit of following the Grateful Dead and the magic of their live performances at these storied venues. The collection David has curated is even more meaningful to me because it includes the official release of my first-ever Dead show — July 13, 1984 at the Berkeley Greek Theatre — with its epic “Dark Star” encore. This show marked the start of a lifelong journey for me, and I’m willing to bet there are many shows in this fantastic set that will resonate with fans who also found community on the road. I am forever honoured to work alongside David and the Grateful Dead to keep this long, strange trip alive.
The news of both collections arrives alongside the release of unheard versions of certified bangers “Scarlet Begonias,” “Touch of Grey” and “Fire on the Mountain,” which were recorded live at the Greek Theatre on July 13, 1984.
Listen to those forever below, where you’ll also find the collection’s lengthy lists of tracks and shows. Get all the 60th anniversary details here.
The Music Never Stopped (vinyl edition):
LP 1, Side A:
1. “The Music Never Stopped” – Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA (5/13/78)
2. “Althea” – Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT (3/14/81)
LP 1, Side B:
1. “Playing in the Band” – Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY (3/16/73)
LP 2, Side C:
1. “Hard to Handle” – Fillmore East, New York, NY (4/25/71)
2. “Wharf Rat” – Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY (9/16/87)
LP 2, Side D:
1. “Doin’ That Rag” – Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA (6/5/69)
2. “My Brother Esau” – Frost Amphitheatre, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA (8/20/83)
3. “Deal” – Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA (5/12/91)
LP 3, Side E:
1. “Scarlet Begonias” – Greek Theatre, University of California, Berkeley, CA (7/13/84)
2. “Touch of Grey” – Greek Theatre, University of California, Berkeley, CA (7/13/84)
LP 3, Side F:
1. “Fire on the Mountain” – Greek Theatre, University of California, Berkeley, CA (7/13/84)
2. “Lazy Lightning”> – Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI (8/23/80)
3. “Supplication” – Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI (8/23/80)
LP 4, Side G:
1. “Attics of My Life” – Boston Garden, Boston, MA (10/3/94)
2. “Estimated Prophet” – Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO (8/12/79)
LP 4, Side H:
1. “Eyes of the World” – Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO (8/12/79)
2. “Brown-Eyed Women” – Winterland, San Francisco, CA (3/20/77)
LP 5, Side I:
1. “Truckin'”> – Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, IN (7/15/89)
2. “Smokestack Lightnin'” – Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, IN (7/15/89)
3. “Big Boy Pete” – Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, CA (11/21/85)
LP 5, Side J:
1. “Bird Song” – Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA (9/15/72)
2. “Let It Grow” – Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA (5/1/81)
LP 6, Side K:
1. “Black Muddy River” – Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA (12/27/89)
2. “Days Between” – Capital Centre, Landover, MD (3/17/93)
LP 6, Side L:
1. “Not Fade Away”> – Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY (2/24/71)
2. “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad”> – Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY (2/24/71)
3. “Not Fade Away” – Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY (2/24/71)
Enjoying the Ride (show list):
Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA (4/5/69) – Cassette
Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA (6/5/69)
Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA (6/7/69)
Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA (6/8/69)
Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY (2/24/71)
Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY (2/20/71)
Fillmore East, New York, NY (4/25/71)
Fillmore East, New York, NY (4/27/71)
Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA (9/15/72)
Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA (9/16/72)
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY (3/16/73)
Winterland, San Francisco, CA (3/20/77)
Philadelphia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA (5/13/78)
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO (8/12/79)
Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI (8/23/80)
Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI (7/11/81)
Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT (3/14/81)
Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA (5/1/81)
Frost Amphitheatre, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA (8/20/83)
Greek Theatre, University of California, Berkeley, CA (7/13/84)
Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, CA (11/21/85)
Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, CA (11/22/85)
Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY (9/16/87)
Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, IN (7/15/89)
Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA (12/27/89)
Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA (5/12/91)
Capital Centre, Landover, MD (3/17/93)
Capital Centre, Landover, MD (9/15/82)
Boston Garden, Boston, MA (10/3/94)
