I've got plenty of unofficial stuff and listen to it sometimes. But by and large I reach for the official releases about 95% of the time. For me it's just a question of efficiency. I don't want to have to search for a good source when it's easy enough to find something in the year/time frame from the stuff I've purchased over the years. Might as well get my money's worth.
Pretty much all of this. I know is sacrilege but a few years ago I scuttled all my live shows in lossless in lieu of mp3s. I just don't listen to them enough to justify wasting the HD space (yes, even with how cheap memory is these days) on lossless. I don't listen to these things on a nice system or cans so the MP3 doesn't bother me for live shows. I too have an archive of all the releases in lossless so those are always close at hand for better SQ.
This may be informative on that, it's about Live/Dead the album, but mentions the circulating boards: Grateful Dead Guide: Dark Star: A Tale of Four Mixes I wonder, I have both a tape and a bootleg CD and they seem to have different mixes (organ is more audible on the cassette, for instance.) I prefer the cassette as well I think.
Mine are #3. I remember getting them and then broadcasting them on Dead Air in Tucson back in 93-94, maybe.
A Frankenstein'd set to finish off the other night's '77 and S>F sampling ... The Road Trips 10/14 + 10/16/77 mishmash d2 of Playing>D>TOO>GoodLovin'>Terrapin>BlackPeter but then the Lakeland Scarlet>Fire instead of Around & Around (mostly because, well, Around&Around), followed by the 10/14 Brokedown/Playing reprise encore.
First China Cat->Rider I heard live (and first Estimated and Eyes for that matter), and a very well played and unusual first set. I missed the first night of that run but saw both that got released on that Road Trips.
Just digging into winterland 73, night one disc 1. I'll reiterate what others have said but the sound so far is amazing. The piano was a little low in the mix on the first couple of tracks but is more present later on. Top shelf versions of BEW, Bobby Mcgee, and Black Throated Wind. Took me a minute to figure out that I was listening to a fast version of They Lover Each Other....which was awesome. Too bad they didn't keep that tempo. Also featured rocking versions of Don't Ease and The Race is On. Really, really, REALLY impressed with the playing and the sound. The band seems to be firing on all cylinders and I haven't even made it to China Rider. I am wondering if the fantastic sound is due more to the recording, Plangent, or both? Wish they would just Plangentize all releases going forward. I sure wouldn't mind paying a couple extra bucks for that.
My iPod is temporarily absent, so at work today I did something I rarely did (because I like to concentrate on the music when playing full shows) and listened to a couple shows chosen by Relisten's random show feature at work today. Both new to me. First up, Salt Lake City 8/12/81, good Althea and Scarlet->Fire, nothing earth shattering but bear in mind I was listening at low volume while doing other stuff. Then 5/1/77, mainly notable for the Other One->Comes a Time->Playin' Reprise segment in set II, and a good way to prime myself for the upcoming box of well worm May '77 faves. Now listening to DaP 18 disc 2, because I fell asleep on the last attempt - not because it's boring, but because I don't usually get a chance to listen to a large chunk of music at home until after 11 pm. Such a unique and amazing show.
I think 11/9 (the first night of the run) is my favorite first set of the run. I'm not surprised you loved it - they were firing on all cylinders, indeed.
1 May 1977 (May Day! May Day!) also features the unique combo of Dancing In The Street > Brown Eyed Women.
It's a gorgeous day, I don't have to work and my mocha is perfect. I felt like throwing subtlety out the window today, so back to 1991 I go with 6/24/91, Bonner Springs, KS A thirty minute Half>Slip>Frank to open?!
Even better than the previous mind-blowing night, here's my latest review 09/11/74 - London, UK - DP #7 ************* Great relaxingly mellow first set. VERY upbeat and worth hearing. It all begins with an excellent and lengthy Scarlet. A rarity to see it open a show but always welcome nonetheless! It's really mellow in a nice upbeat way – very tropical sounding, kinda. Tons of great leads from Jerry already! Wow! It gets REALLY cooking towards the end. Unbelievable way to BEGIN a concert!! After a hot Mexicali, it's into a very, very nice BE Women. It's exquisite – for real. Very dynamic, from soft to powerful. One of the nicest BE's these ears have heard all year. Up next is a perfectly rockin BIODTL with great Donna vocals and enthusiasm from everyone. A super chill-as-all-hell Sugaree follows. Quietest Sugaree ever? Some great background keys from Keith. A very nice, like the BE Women, Jack Straw rocks us out a bit. It doesn't explode everywhere like normal but it is very well-measured and powerful. It's what I imagine a steadied studio version of the song might sound like. After Row Jimmy, it's onto a wonderfully relaxed Bobby McGee. Man, this show is the show for lazing on the beach!!! Bobby McGee has some very very cool soloing from the Jer. If you can believe it, a blisteringly hot Tennessee Jed is up next – as someone who hate how this song often drags, THIS is the kind of T Jed I enjoy right here!!!! Wow! DAMN!!! The following Big River takes the fire started with T Jed and just throws gasoline on it turning it into a monster of a jam. Holy crap. With a Roses being a short reprieve from the awesomeness, it's onto the first monster of the night – a 23 minute PITB. It begins very strongly with TONS of energy. The space jamming begins right away. You can't tell where the “song” ends and the jamming begins. This isn't one of those complicated multi-part epics. This is what I call a “Type 2” PITB. The kind that jams and jams excellently, but without much in the way of direction. There's no space story to be told here. Just a bunch of guys throwing everythign at the wall and seeing what sticks – with lots of success! This incredible first set comes to a close now. Seastones commences. After a long while, the rest of the band decides to join in and begin the second set with a full on Space Jam for 20 minutes, reaching the outer limits of the known universe. Whatever they were dosed on tonight, I'm 'avin' it. Around 12 minutes, the swirling vortex of doom relents and Jerry tries hard to introduce Eyes Of The World, but alas it must wait another 10 minutes or so. At least this gives way to more “typical”, if still abstract, jamming. This jam that begins around 12 minutes is some of the coolest jamming you'll find the guys doing. It's like they decided to jump into an Eyes Of The World jam section, slow it down a bit and make it more abstract. Very, very cool! Things quiet down briefly around 19 minutes before they decide to switch gears permanently into a fantastical Eyes. It proceeds to be one an incredibly satisfying Eyes. But what 1974 Eyes isn't?! The bass solo that begins around 12 minutes is one of the best I've heard out of Phil. Totally AWESOME!!! The jamming that follows is just beyond heavenly. Check out the incredible soloing Jerry does around 17 minutes. To die for.....until the jamming is completely derailed by the return of Group Seastones. Space out of flippin' nowhere! Thankfully it evolves back into a “normal” jamming scenario reminiscent of the PITB earlier in the show. Some very, very nice playing throughout. Eventually this mammoth Seastones>Eyes>Space winds down into a wonderfully powerful Wharf Rat. Perfection. The jamming at the end is really freaking cool. Even though we've just traveled to the furthest reaches of the universe, it's back to normalcy with a rocking Around and Around and “end of show” set. Ship of Fools is lovely – great piano! Jerry gives us a wonderfully bluesy and heartfelt solo that even gets crowd applause. And just when you think it can't get any more insane, this has to be the greatest GDTRFB ever played!!!! IT'S MORE INSANELY GORGEOUS THAN A 1976 THE WHEEL. HOLY CRAP. A perfect Sugar Mag and US Blues close this incredible show. Easily in the top 5 of the year, maybe the top 20 of all time?
Headed to England this morning, with Steppin Out: Disc four "Uncle John's Band" (Hunter, Garcia) – 7:20 "The Stranger (Two Souls in Communion)" (McKernan) – 7:57 "Dark Star" (Hunter, Garcia, Hart, Kreutzman, Lesh, McKernan, Weir) – 31:27[a] "Sugar Magnolia/Sunshine Daydream" (Hunter, Weir) – 7:15 "Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)" (Grateful Dead) – 17:15 "Brokedown Palace" (Hunter, Garcia) – 7:02 This mellow UJB that starts the disc is exactly what I wanted, even though I didn't realize I wanted it.
At the risk of being overly earnest and open here, I just want to send a Tuesday morning thank you to the denizens of this thread for spreading the light in many ways. I was away from the internet for a few days, including a few days of fighting a nasty stomach bug, so I spent the last half-hour or so catching up and I was smiling right through. Sure, for the Dead talk and song discussions, but also the general friendliness and kindness. In particular, all the kindness directed to warewolf and, especially, wavethatflag's wonderful chopper metaphor (I've heard that same intent told many times, never quite as simple and thoughtful as that way!). I'm truly grateful for all you guys and I'm sending positive vibes to all of you. Seeing the kindness in this thread reminds me that, no matter what the world may look like when I turn on the news, there are a lot of good folks out there still. And before I completely threadcrap, finished off the other May '77 box on the train ride this morning, which has me even more excited for the new one coming out.
For a self-proclaimed Pigpen fan, I have never spent much time with this tune. It's true that he's sung better in the past (and we can guess why he might not be at his best in May '72 ). But the emotion is powerful, and Jerry's playing is gorgeous.
nice review! but i hate all that noise after PITB thru Warf Rat. there's almost 50 minutes of that craziness in this show! i just dont enjoy it.
Fun coincidence! I listened to Disc 3 of DP7 yesterday because I needed some Dark Star>Jam>Dew. Although I guess that was technically from 9/10/74, not 9/11.
I need to spend some time with this version as I've committed May 26th to memory. One of pigs finest.
I'm right there with you. It's generally not my cup of tea but depending on the show, and my mood, I can be open to it within certain contexts. I did skip Seastones though - I don't know how anyone can sit through that. At least once the band joins in there's things to listen for, lol.
I mentioned earlier this year that I needed to get Nightfall of Diamonds to fill in a gap in my collection, so I was really pleased to find a copy for less than 8 bones last week. Playing it now, the first set is fine enough but I'm really anticipating that second disc.
