Your 5 favorite Grateful Dead Europe '72 shows

Just saw this now (I'm newer here)..........
4/17 - love that Dark Star has a passage that would become part of Let It Grow
5/10
5/11
5/23
5/26

 

Which Europe 72 show has the best Mr. Charlie?

 

I have to include 14 April in any list of best 5 shows from this tour. The three proper West Germany shows in April might be the best three consecutive shows from the tour, although admittedly Hamburg for the most part is probably not at the level of the previous two. The Dark Star> Sugar Magnolia> Caution from Hamburg is blistering though. Just phenomenal music.

 

I'm a fan of the 4/14 Dark Star in Copenhagen. Not only because it was my 8th birthday.

 

4/26
4/29
5/13
5/25
5/26

 

It's funny this thread came up as I was going to resurrect it soon. I have Europe 72 Vol 2, Stepping Out, and the full 4/26 show. I thought it would be fun to get two shows in a row to create the feel of a mini-run and to make sure I get a Dark Star and Other One. Candidates are:

5/3 and 5/4 - Paris
5/10 and 5/11 - Holland
5/25 and 5/26 - England

On the other hand I could go with 5/11 and 5/26. Based on everything I have heard and read, I am sure I can't go wrong but I would be interested to know if there are there any strong opinions on how these sets of shows compare.

 

From a personal standpoint, I really like 4-8 as a complete show. Really speaks to me. A review I wrote for the (hopefully) upcoming new Deadbase is below...I still haven't listened to all the shows from my box set. I started in chronological order, but had to give it up after a while! I dig the fact that I still have some fresh listening to do at some point from this fantastic tour.

4-8-72 - Wembley

The Dead are on fire for this second show of its European adventure, delivering some of the finest moments of the tour. The Dark Star>Sugar Magnolia>Caution is a triumph and is something we’ve all had for quite some time courtesy of David Gans and the Grateful Dead Hour, but the rest of the show is not to be overlooked. Having this gem officially released along with all shows from this tour is a blessing.​

Bertha kicks things into high gear with Jerry belting out the second stanza. The band is VERY tight from the get-go and you can immediately tell this show will be far superior to the previous night. It’s no surprise they need to fix a string after this version. Some lively stage banter begins, which is a reoccurrence throughout this show – always a good sign in my opinion. Me & My Uncle comes next and Billy really starts to stretch his legs – and arms! I’ve always thought that this is the tour when Billy came into his own as a solo drummer. In fact, one might be able to pinpoint that it was this show specifically. The following Mr. Charlie is tight and funky, just as it should be. What a fun song and always a treat on a setlist. Deal was still in its country stage at this point and Black Throated Wind is particularly nice. It really is amazing they were able to play all these new songs with such gusto right off the bat. Next Time You See Me is pleasant and bouncy with strong vocals from Pigpen. Up next, the blistering Cumberland featured on the Europe 72 album. Not much new to say here except that it demands a listen in this exceptional sound quality upgrade. The comical Yellow Dog Story comes next and I have no idea how Bobby kept it all straight. Brown Eyed Women is diligently played until a minor vocal flub. Easily forgivable. The always welcome Beat it on Down the Line is up next and is nicely propelled by Billy. At the song’s conclusion Phil states, “right on.” Tennessee Jed is its usual funky self, played with a more upbeat tempo in this era. I wonder what all of the Europeans thought of all the Americana played in these first sets? I tend to think they ate it up. I find the versions of Playing in the Band from this tour to have the most delicate and beautiful intros. This song in particular gained so much on this tour which is evidenced by the length of the versions. This one clocks in around 11 minutes, but by the end of the tour 16 minutes was the norm. As the structure fades Jerry comes in with some mellow feedback that he plays around with for a minute as the band keeps things pulsing forward with high energy. The wah-wah pedal soon arrives and Jerry jumps in with the rest of the band. I really dig the frenzied pace of the Playin’ jams from this tour. The energy stays lively with a tight Good Lovin’, a song that was arguably never better than on this tour. Due to the Pigpen raps, I’m sure people at the time were saying how “Good Lovin is the new Lovelight.” Looks Like Rain is sweet and tender with the cradling pace of the pedal steel; an excellent version that was also featured on the original Europe 72 album. The set closing Casey Jones has that classic vibe to it while having a steady locomotive of a finish.
I love the second set opening stand-alone Truckin's from this tour. Pigpen's organ adds a unique element. The jam must have had the whole theatre jumping up and down. The following Big RxR Blues is another lively rendition of this fun tune. I love the snap the versions from this era have. Hurts Me Too is as deep into the blues as they'll get in 72. It's also incredibly heartfelt and shows patience and excellent musicianship.

Next: arguably the finest Dark Star of the tour. A benchmark version. Jerry is constantly searching for new ideas at a dizzying, swift pace. The rest of the band is always there to pick right up on new themes and they weave an intricate tapestry of notes and moods. It's almost hard to keep up with them while listening. As they head back to the main theme it's as if the whole band breathes a sigh of relief. The space that follows the first verse is both delicate and dissonant. Very pretty with each note serving a textural purpose. It eventually turns darker although not a full Tiger Jam and right on its heels a glorious jam is born. It defies description, but it has elements of Mind Left Body Jam, China Cat Sunflower and Sugar Magnolia. Not bad! Dick Latvala once said it reminded him of Donovan’s song "First there is a Mountain" and I can't disagree. Just as the jam begins to get a hair shaky Billy comes in with a snare beat that Jerry immediately latches on to and they're off and running. This is one of those moments the band and its fans live for - spontaneous improvisation that dances along the top of a pin. For good measure, Jerry throws in some heavenly notes a few moments before the official, smooth transition into Sugar Magnolia led by Bobby. At this point everyone on and off stage must have been in awe.

The Sugar Magnolia is as good as one would expect and as it winds down I envision Phil and Jerry leaning into each other saying, "Let's do ****in’ Caution!!!" This version is no-holds-barred / in-your-face from moment one. The band hasn't been this primal since mid-1970. The pace is frenzied while having incredible focus. After the first verse Jerry does some amazing slide guitar work before delving into new territories. There's so much going on here that it really needs to be heard to be believed. Eventually things wind down while featuring some nice harmonica from Pigpen before coming to a standstill. BUT! The best part of the song comes next - Phil drops these massive chords ushering the song back in and the pace is even more frantic than ever. They soon build it up to a boiling crescendo to finish off this monster jam. Wow. Just, wow. The One More Saturday Night encore Bobby dedicates "to tonight" and picks up where Caution left off as it’s one of the more raucous versions they've done. Surprised they had the energy for that. All in all a tremendous, tremendous show. If you don't have it, get it.

 

I guess I'd vote for the 5/10 and 5/11 combo (as of the last time I listened it seemed like the 5/4 and 5/25 Dark Stars were relatively weak, although I might change my mind if I listened again) but the second set of 5/26 is amazing.

 

4/8, 4/14, 4/26, 5/11/, 5/26 - if this were a top 10, I'd add 4/24, 5/3, 5/4, 5/10, 5/25

 

Thanks for the replies. That is really an impossible question to answer in many respects. My guess is that I am going to end up getting 4 more shows to have a nice feel for the tour without dropping the big cash on the box set. I am just thankful that these are available by individual show. I can pace myself at one new show a month.

 

That's the spirit! Although there's a lot of competition for the dollar they have had a sale on Cyber-Monday (aka the Monday after Thanksgiving). I picked up 4 individual Europe '72s last year on that date. 3 were upgrades from what I had had and one was a show I hadn't gotten around to. Dead.net's postage is harsh so you might want to bunch them more than the one-a-month plan, but your thought process of "more than 2 shows" is spot on!

 

4/26 ordered with the 20% JULY4 promo code.

 

Good stuff. Thanks everybody!

 

I`ve been on a Grateful Dead kick lately.I`ve really been enjoying the handful of shows I bought from Deadnet. 4/8
5/26
5/3
5/11
4/26
Now I`m interested in hearing more.I have a feeling I`m going to end up with a bunch of these shows eventually,I kind of wish I saved for the complete 22 show set!I liked Steppin Out but I didn`t expect to get into these complete shows as much as I have been.
The packaging is terrible.I emailed deadnet to exchange a set because it arrived so scratched up in those cardboard sleeves.

 

April 26 is way in the lead. The reason?

 

Disc 3

 

I realize this was probably a joke but I'm hearing 5/13 for (I think) the first time, and they really slowed "Mr. Charlie" down for this one. Maybe not the best version ever, but it stands out and is very good.

On the other hand, the China>Rider and Playing In the Band from this show are up there with best-of-tour. Outstanding. Looking forward to the rest of the show.

I'm taking my time through this box set. It will be two years in January and I still have six more shows to go after this one.

Then I can finally vote for my 5 favorite shows.

 

I have listened to some "Mr. Charlie"s back to back. Not the most exciting Dead song, but it is a study in how Jerry wouldn't play the same solo twice.

 

I love the 5/13 show..*especially* the "Other One" from this show which is one of the best of the tour in my opinion and as we know there were some GREAT ones from this run!

I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on it!

 

Well, it's a great show. And the passionate love for the truncated-show version on the 1995 2-CD Hundred Year Hall set — the first Dead release after Jeryy Garcia's death — created a big fan base for the whole thing, I guess.

 

I have to agree - this "Other One" is outstanding. I can hear sirens at around the 20-minute mark.

Fantastic show, and will most likely be in my Top 5 when I finally vote sometime later this year...


I looked up 5/13/72 in the Taper's Compendium to see what they had to say about it and it's not even listed. I guess this didn't circulate at the time the book was published?

 

Correct.

 

The Other Ones on this whole tour are just stellar. In most cases they are just as long as any of the Dark Stars on the tour and clock in at over 30 mins. They are also split up verses like the old Dark Stars and the weird ones fade into a El Paso, My & My Uncle or Bobby McGee, kind of weird. But immediately after those songs Jerry & Billy just take off and get the band back into the Other One. There is also one that fades into the legendary Morning Dew from Europe 72.

I really love the Other Ones from this era as they also seemed to finish both verses no matter where it took them or how long it took to get there. Very different from the Dark Stars on this tour, some of which are also off the charts and legendary in their own right, in that they where only ever focused enough to finish one complete Dark Star with both verses. Not complaining just a observation.

I really could listen to this complete '72 release over and over as I always seem to find something I missed on a re-listen. Its quite a transition period from the jammy 70 shows to the awesome '73 shows. Its quite staggering how much new material they were able to come up with during that time span.

 

Yes, for some reason unfinished Other Ones rarely happened but most versions of Dark Star between fall 71 and 74 have only the first verse (and there were a few times like 12/5/71 and 6/23/74 where Jerry never even got around to singing that).

 

Bickershaw Festival: "Dark Star" > drums > "The Other One"

Wow.

Hey guys, couldn't you have played that at Woodstock?