I meant to say thanks for everyone sharing their touring stories, those were fun to read and certainly some top-notch credentials. But it is also very very cool to hear from so many who never saw them and are just as into the band as anyone who saw them hundreds of times. I am heartened that the music is the power and it really did not matter if you ever saw them or that it was about extra-curricular activities. I think that speaks volumes about the art they created and that it can continue creating new fans mostly on its own. On that topic, this trip back has shown me how great those 90's Jerry tunes are. I guess at the time at those shows I was like ok, nice enough song, but I was really hoping for a Dew here; and those years usually got short shrift on the archival plays back when I did that more; so this time around, and especially with the Spring 90 Other box, and seeing them played where they work as somehow truer tributes to Jerry-- like the songs really had the imprint of Jerry on them vs. a Wharf Rat that was more about a character-- anyway I have been surprised how much I am running to them to soothe my reminiscing bones, they hold up really really well.
Ok guys, help me understand how the hell 10/14/83 was chosen instead of 10/15/83 for DP #6?!?! I'm just finishing up listening to both back to back. 10/14/83 is ok during the first set without any real highlights. There is a mammoth 90 minute Scar>Fire>Estimated>Eyes>The Other One>Stella Blue in the second set, but imo the Scar>Fire is rather sub par (length does not equal great), the Estimated is just ok, and the Eyes>The Other One>Stella Blue is the major "WOW" part of the show. Compare three amazing cuts to the following night, 10/15/83, that, overall is way more killer on the whole with a lot more energy (imo), a phenomenal PITB, a fantastic Loser, a crazy awesome China>Rider and to top it all off an amazing Saint Stephen. I'm absolutely not the guy that would ever reccommend a compilation over a full show, but I would rather have DP #6 be a comp of the two nights instead of it being all of the, imo, mostly lackluster 10/14 show. This 10/15 is kicking 10/14's ass in every way (aside from the aforementioned Eyes>TOO>Stella).
Particularly with the early archival resources, a lot of things were released based on 1) what had been officially released at the time; and 2) picking things that were exciting to tape collectors because they had not circulated, or not in soundboard form, both of which needed to be filtered through band politics, as Phil and Cutler in particular were much more involved in the early selections in the series than they were later on. I think both points 1 and 2 above factored into the decision to release 10/14/83. I could be mis-remembering, but I remember reading something about Dick saying that in particular he wanted to release something from the 80s, and something with a good Scarlet-Fire (I disagree with your assessment of this one, and he apparently did, too). Hard to believe now, but at that point there had been zero official releases of Scarlet-Fires. As to point #2, I had a crappy audience tape of this Scarlet-Fire, but to my knowledge (which is limited) the soundboard didn't circulate, or at least not widely. I was thrilled when they announced this pick, as at the time it was one of my two or three favorite Scarlet-Fires that I had heard from the Brent era - it is still up there in my estimation. Maybe give it another listen in a couple weeks or so and see if you feel any different about it? Also, I believe this was the second release in the series to be a complete show, as Dick was starting to get some flack about partial releases. This release was clearly chosen for the second set, which is all very good to excellent in my opinion, but despite a very mediocre (although not terrible) first set. 10/15/83 is excellent, too, I slightly prefer it overall to 10/14 because a comparison of the first set tips the scales. A DP 12 style compilation of both second sets with a mix of highlights from the first set would no doubt be a stronger release, but also would have angered the completists. I am still hoping for a release of 10/15/83 sometime. May be more likely now that Dave has been revisiting that tour, in selecting the Worcester show from the box. [Edit: all of that said, you were not the only one puzzled by this release. I remember a fair amount of griping at the time, although not from me. I was more puzzled by DP 9, given that there were other, better shows in that run...]
Ok, awesome to get some perspective. Thank you for the great reply! Yea, that Scar>Fire, today was only the second time I've ever heard it, so possibly it was just me not being in a mood to fully appreciate it and recognize it at the time. Gonna revisit these two shows again down the line for sure.
Let us not forget that DP 6 also marked the first official release of Keep Your Day Job. Soon to be featured on the official release of Veneta '82: "Sunshine Dayjob". In my bizarro-world dreams, at least.
After reading about Veneta '82 in the Taping Compendium 1975-85, I'd wholly welcome that. However, Day Job is not reason enough for 10/14/83 to have been chosen instead of 10/15 considering it was played at both shows
Woah, I forgot about that! As a dead fan originally from CT, perhaps we are particularly recalcitrant and shiftless, so needed to get the message twice? Exhibit A: I didn't really get a full time day job until fall '95.
Funny, the Scarlet Begonias from DP6 is one of my all-time favorites. In fact, I'm a big fan of that entire version of the "Mega Suite." http://www.deadforayear.com/day-230-scarlet-begonias/ When I was in undergrad (2000-2004) I drove a '90 Chevy Astro van for a few years. It had a tape deck in it and I remember making a tape of disc 2 with Scar/Fire on side A and Estimated/Eyes on side B. That tape was in my tape deck for months at a time.
Never heard it called the "Mega Suite" before but it fits. I thought I would have seen more, but looking at your list of them the only one I saw live was the last one at the Omni in '89. Garcia was going off and screaming during the end of the Fire that night, it reminded me a bit of Normal '78. The other mega-suites that seemed to be played quite a lot were China Cat->Rider->Estimated Eyes and Other One-Wharf Rat-Throwing Stones-NFA. And of course going back way before my time you have the Mega-Suite to rule all Mega-Suites: Dark Star->St. Stephen->The Eleven. I would have killed to have caught one of those. Saturday night in Santa Clara is as close as I'll ever come, but not quite the same... still a welcome surprise.
which reminds me that i LOVE the 4.8.78 Jacksonville Scarlet>Fire!...gonna have to put that one on tonight.
I don't know, Crispy, but some DSO show down the road might give you your primal mega-suite fix. The challenge is picking the right show with those guys. They like the 80s too much for my pleasure. Still fun though. I am at a stopping point in my listening. I was going to take a break, but there doesn't seem to be a need for that right now. So back to the CD-R binder. 4/27/71-4/29/71, all complete. Then 8/6/71 (aud) and 8/26/71. Looks like (rain) I am in for a fun week. I love 1971-I think I'm going to collect every show from that year, if it's possible to do so. By the way, now that FTW is sadly behind us, shouldn't we be getting a Dave's Pick 15 announcement real soon-like?
Saw DSO a few years ago. It was a fun time. I remember reading an interview with one of the members and since their goal is re-creating the shows past they are a bit limited by personnel. The thing that stuck in my mind was that they couldn't do any Europe 72 shows because they didn't have a "Keith" and a "Pigpen" to play simultaneously. Baracco could handle one, but not both, at least given the guidelines the band has set for itself. 2/1, 5/1, 8/1, 11/1.... By Jove you're right!?! 8/1 is just around the corner. I'm going to guess something 80s, but hope for something from 73.
Listening to a show of definite novelty value: Jamaica '82! Yes, they do play Scarlet-Fire, and it's not half-bad!
Some footage here, starting at 3:00: They played from 4 AM to 8 AM, with the sun supposedly rising during "Fire on the Mountain".
I've been slowly easing in to the 80s. I usually like the big jam in the second set but I skip many (bobby) songs in the first. Anyway, I was watching the 79 NYE show from Oakland yesterday and I really dug the China cat> rider. Very bouncy and the transition jam was cool.
In my view, DSO cripples themselves by copying old Dead setlists, and trying to perform them in the style of the Dead from that time period. A couple of times I saw them they did a show from August '79 (a cure for insomnia) and a show from '85 (feh, I went to shows in '85 and don't need to relive it that way) that left me cold. But once they did an open setlist, which had Further-like creativity, and they played the music at the edge of their potential, which was far more satisfying an experience. If you want mega-suites, then listen to Phil's various bands.
I'm not extremely interested in shows from the 80's, but lately I've been developing the (dangerous) ability of enjoying some of them. Dick's Picks Vol.6, in fact, is very interesting! I haven't heard 10/15/83, so I can't give my opinion, but 10/14/83 is really nice (disc 1 of the set, though, is not as good).
71-10-21. One of Keith first shows. Dark star sounds really different with the piano all over the place. 72-10-18. 2nd set big jam. Great stuff. Interesting Dark star but it feel it bit chopped between the different jam themes and like it stops and then start again a few times when Phil is doing his thing. I usually prefer when it flows more smothly
I was hoping DL was going to announce 15 while guesting on air with Lambert & Gans during the 3 hour preshow on the SXM GD channel Saturday, but he only talked about 30 Trips...
