Grateful Dead Dave's Picks 2016 Subscription Thread

I think he's done a great job. Not every pick will be everybody's favorite, especially with a catalog like the Dead's that covers so many different eras and sounds. Are you referring just to the Dave's Picks series? Dave has also been instrumental in "picking" the steady stream of excellent box sets recently and the Dick's Picks series back as far as 13(?).

 

Spring of 1981 features some great shows, led by Jerry, who was playing really well in March and May on the East Coast.

 

The fall European tour has some great shows, too, especially the tour closer in Barcelona. As a friend of mine says, "Even the 'Don't Ease' is smokin'!"

I'm listening to 12-9-81 now, and it's a solid show, but nothing really exceptional IMO. If it were ten bucks I'd buy it.

 

Don't listen to the Jack Straw

 

11/29/81 (first show of the tour that finished on 12/9) has a long pre-drums jam that is worth a listen.

 

U.S. Blues into Satisfaction? Nice! I haven't listened to much Dead since the summer but I knew Dave would pull me back into the fold again with his next pick. This one looks like it will be a unique addition to the series, especially for me, since I missed out on Vol. 8. Count me in!

 

Odd combo. I saw a US Blues > Satisfaction on 9/15/85. Even odder, it was out of Space.

 

Devore Stadium. That was a GREAT show....

 

If you want a pure, unvarnished rock & roll show, 9/15/85 is it. 8 hours in the car round trip from Santa Barbara was well worth the effort, even just for one show. The D/S was in the wrong spot. They charged straight through to A&A, and then Bobby pointed back at the drums, kinda shrugged at us, and left them to it. It worked out well overall. [\offtopic]

Dave likes the 12/9/81 Satisfaction best of all of them. If it's better than the version from 2/17/82, then it is a beast indeed. I wonder how many times I will listen to this one, but I'm cool with an 80s show. Brent gets a little more airtime.

 

If it's anywhere in the ballpark of the DP13 show (5/6/81), then it's gonna be great. That show was excellent!

Oh, and a '67 box would be one of the most exciting things ever put out, for my taste at least. I'd be all over that!

 

Look forward to hearing the China/Rider.

 

I liked it even though Jerry didn't know where he was for awhile.

 

Dear lord was that a train wreck or what?

 

I've got the Internet Archive stream going and am disappointed to hear Brent's Casio keyboard loud and clear during "Candyman". Ugh.

 

It's more likely this that you're hearing, but your point is taken:

Dyno-My-Piano: The Chuck Monte Story »

 

I have not agreed with all of DL2's picks, but if I was in the vault and it was time for 1981 (and when shouldn't it be.....it was a great year), I would certainly look first at the master reel material (which was, unfortunately, a much less common format in the early 80's).
Some of DL2's picks have been spot on, such as 11/17/73 (one of the best 73 shows which was in dire need of an upgrade), 7/19/74, and 7/17/76. And other "seemingly head scratcher" picks have turned out to be nice surprises when you give a careful listen and the bigger picture is revealed (11/17/72).

There's a phenomenon that occurs, a thing that happens in the real world, but most definitely in the deadhead world, that no matter what you do, someone thinks you fu**ed up.

 

"This is going to be such a nice upgrade!!!"

- Charlie Miller

 

How is that different from CM release?
Source SBD -> Master Reel (7 inch Reel @ 7.5ips 1/2trk) -> Dat -> CD

 

I wonder if some of the "all time shows" that is out there in the trading world doesn't get released just because there won't be an significant audio upgrade...?

 

Correct- no DAT, and a fresh transfer of the reels will provide much better sonics.

PS- DL2 implied they have reels of this whole tour. Looking through the setlists there's an opportunity for a properly curated release here, too many Lost > Saints to go unedited.

 

Also a past post mentioned that they may have a cassette SBD to fill the gaps while CM used an audience tape.

 

Most bands don't even have tapes of their old shows. The Dead release old shows every few months, and we call it a "nice upgrade." Good times.

 

Early on Brent's keyboard sounds were sometimes kind of risky-dink but I've never seen any actual evidence that he played
a casio keyboard. I would say at this point his electric piano was a Fender Rhodes played very cleanly.
I'd like to see a photo or some other definitive evidence that he played something by Casio.

According to Blair Jackson's exhaustive history 'Grateful Dead Gear' the only person that played anything from Casio
was Bob who played one of their early midi guitars.