Grateful Dead: Barton Hall, Cornell U. 5/8/77 & "Get Shown The Light" box set*

I love Keith's contributions...a real shame he had the death chair

 

Looks Like Rain circa 1976 changed my opinion about Donna.

 

Dead Set

Often wonder about Europe. Grab Rotterdam and 5/26 while still on the table or wait and see and miss out altogether? The life of a gambler.

 

Hmmm. "When a company has the track record of GDM"...

Let’s see – in the last 6 years they have released a 30-show box set, a 22-show set, and 8-show, 6-show and 5-show boxes, as well as 21 Dave’s Picks, 4 Road Trips and 4 one-off vault releases. Over 100 archival performances released and enjoyed by many.

When a company has the track record of GDM? You decide. One man gathers what another man spills.

 

I had the funds available and I went with Paypal so as not to risk similar failure. The charge is now done. Does this secure that my/our orders went safely through this mess? Any hints? Do we need to get in touch with them so as to be sure?

 

Funny you say that, I always felt that Keith was very quiet on this run of shows, Donna as well for that matter. A guy playing an acoustic piano has a hard time being heard in a disco band. I think Keith was an amazing and transformational player for the band in a time that they needed just that to evolve. I don't think he finished nearly as strong as he started. Kind of nodding off behind the keys if you catch my drift.

 

The only thing better will be if about 30 people show up recording rigs in tow, all penned together in a little fenced off section to tape that monster set.

 

heroin will do that to you

 

yes, from what I've heard he had it pretty bad. Fighting with Donna got weird and he helped himself to Jerry's briefcase without permission. It will be interesting to see how all that gets dealt with in the upcoming documentary. The Band has been very tight lipped on all that for years.

 

Sort of makes the "numbered" limited edition a bit meaningless. Still, it is nice that the fan-base who missed out on the pre-sale will have access to the music.

 

Well, Bob was frank in his documentary about being the "bag man" for Jerry so that's out there. I'm not sure I would have been as candid.

 

That was a big admission but I was talking more about why Keith and Donna were replaced. The most I've ever heard them say was "It was a mutual decision", "it was hard to be in a band with a married couple" and they just had a kid they needed to raise.

 

Donna has said that part of the issue is that they were in two bands, GD and JGB, and with Zion being young it was more than they could handle. I recall, maybe from McNally's book, there was a question of whether they could stay in one band and not the other.

And in light of Keith visiting Jerry's briefcase, let's also recall that harm that Jerry suffered from his addictions. As much as the Godchaux's may have been blamed for the state of the music, Jerry's proclivities had a noticeable impact, especially in '79.

 

I actually like Donna's PITB wail, versions without her sound weird to me

 

That is the kind of weird story telling I'm talking about. They certainly didn't need to sever all relationships because they were playing in two Garcia projects. I do think they really got out of sync with the rest of the band in the last couple years. Keith got quiet and Donna got loud. They did seem to get it just exactly right with JGB but that is perhaps the most sluggish tempo JGB ever played.

 

I would guess Jerry wanted something different musically for the JGB too. In the 79/80 band there were no female vocals and Ozzie Ahlers had a synth and electric piano setup along similar lines to Brent.

 

oh sure.. i'm thinking mainly of the 72 stuff which i live for.. like the stuff on the hundred year hall cd..

 

Donna, I think it is fair to say, was not to the Dead what Grace Slick was to the Airplane. However, one listen to Brent Mydland's "Far From Me" — a song and performance exemplifying almost everything I dislike about early eighties American rock — makes "From The Heart Of Me" sound like "White Rabbit" in comparison.

 

heard a Brent tune last night... "don't need love" take: "you ain't woman enough" any day... yikes

 

I always felt that Keith was just about the best thing you could hope for in the band from 1971-1974 and although having some great moments 1975-1979, was not quite what he used to be. But that Donna was exactly the opposite. It is hard to find a good vocal from Donna in 1972-1974, but from 1975-1979 there is PLENTY of wonderful Donna vocals. Some of my favorite vocal harmony moments from the band in fact.

I've never understood the complete dislike about Donna's vocals, just for being "off" or out of tune. I seem to have an equal or great amount of "off" or out of tune vocals from Phil, Bob, Pigpen, Jerry and a bit lesser extent Vince, Bruce & Brent.

But back to Keith, he definitely lost some of that jazzy, creative mojo in the later years, playing in a more percussive, chordal and repetitive style than the earlier years. And I have to think that maybe some of his passion was lost in the oblivion of the lifestyle.

I actually like "From the Heart of Me" a lot. It seems genuine. There is a great live version from early 79 (I'll have to look up the show) where Donna is perfect and I think it's a step up from the studio version. But I guess I can totally get people not liking that sort of song. It's not particularly the sort of thing I would normally go for, but for some reason I have a bit of a thing for it...

 

I don't dislike "From The Heart Of Me". I just can't help comparing it to "Sunrise", which I really love.

 

I actually like "Far From Me" and "Easy to Love You", but I'd agree that "Don't Need Love" is a bit painful. And I can't handle "We Can Run" for some reason. Good sentiment, very amateurish way of getting it across.

But overall I think I really appreciate the little bit Brent, Vince, Keith, Donna etc. contributed to the catalog because it's a nice contrast to the band's "main" catalog. I like variety!

 

Yes, I love "Sunrise" and it's is a very special song to my wife. I love finding excellent live versions. 10/2/77 comes to mind.

 

That is called Stockholm Syndrome.

I keed I keed. I like Donna for sure; and for the few blood-curdling yelps I know are coming given the year, I have learned to brace myself for them and they are over in a jiff. There is nothing better that when she can hear herself well and gets into a song. I think this is why ’76 was a good year, I understand the PA they were renting had some sweet custom monitors, plus small theaters and all of that JGB work. I need to check out some ’76 to see if I am remembering this correctly.

 

Sunrise has a special place in the hearts of those of us that consider the "crew" to be as integral a part of the band as the members themselves. The song was written for Rex Jackson after he was killed