"By now, after 11 years and 31 previous volumes of Dick's Picks, most of you ignore these dire audio warnings. Therefore, every once in a while I need to remind you of the inherent problems of some of our music sources. The master for Alpine 8-7-82, is a cassette... yes, the lowly, forgotten cassette. It is quite well preserved, but it is a sonically limited cassette none-the-less. In addition to that, because of overriding considerations at the time of the show, this mix is bass instrument shy. That being said, this is a great show, and that's the foremost DP consideration, right? So, let the music and performance jump out and grab you, and enjoy!" Now playing CD1... The Music Never Stopped > Sugaree > The Music Never Stopped Me and My Uncle > Big River It Must Have Been the Roses C.C. Rider Ramble On Rose BIODTL > On the Road Again Althea Let It Grow U.S. Blues (encore)
NP: Harpur College DiP. This is a favorite of mine but many do not care for it. I kid. "Everybody relax, we have you all night long."
Still getting caught up in this thread! Not sure if anyone mentioned it, but that 12/15/86 BMR was extra heavy because it was the first performance of that song, at the first post-coma show.
Another late reply. I have never seen them, JGB without the JG seems like a martini without the gin! That said, I stumbled across a recent Cats Under the Stars by this band, but Oteil and Stu Allen were sitting in. I would check out this band if that were the lineup...
Sound quality not good unfortunately. I think my old Maxell XL-II sounded better than the official release!
That's OK, tho' - as the set moves along, you just sort of go with it. It's fun. Thanks for pointing us to it.
I don't think I've ever heard the first set of that one, but I know the second set well, and it's a good one indeed.
Unfortunately there was a mastering error on DP 32; the original cassettes were not Dolby encoded, but they were played back with Dolby On Boosting the upper midrange and treble frequencies will help, but the damage can't be completely undone.
I'm sure I'm not the only one that was blown away by the second disc of the Keane College JGB release (After Midnight> Rigby> Midnight). Previously, I don't think I would think, "Oh, JGB... 1980... sick." Anyone else have any other gems from the era that get close to this show's quality?
Black Muddy River was Jerry's death song. Not in a bad way, it was the song of his soul. From this auspicious debut, until the GD's final show, when it was the final song Jerry performed as the leader of the band. The raw, naked truth as only Hunter could write it, and Jerry could sing it.
“The black muddy river is a dream I’ve had maybe three or four times over my life, and it is one of the most chilling experiences that I’ve had. It’s enough to turn you religious. I’ve burrowed under this incredible mansion, gone down into the cellars, and I find myself down at this black, lusterless, slow-flowing stygian river. There are marble columns around, and cobwebs. It’s vast and it’s hopeless. It’s death. It’s death with the absence of the soul. It’s my horror vision, and when I come out of that dream I do anything I can to counter it.” - Robert Hunter
Such a great song. Thank you for posting this. I hadn't seen this quote before. Very powerful to read. I certainly won't hear the song in the same way again. As "river" songs go--and as late period Dead songs go--I always thought "Lazy River Road" was quite an an exceptional song, especially that "careless love" verse I've always found especially powerful and moving. Certainly great versions to be found.
'the descent to hell is easy; night and day the doors of darkest Hades stand open. But to retrace your steps, to escape once again to the upper air, there is the task and toil. Some few, whom kindly Jove smiled upon, or children of gods lifted to heaven, have managed.
It is indeed beautiful. And when I think of Jerry Garcia, his humanity, and his walk along that black muddy river, this is where it leads, Standing on the moon With nothing left to do A lovely view of heaven But I'd rather be with you - be with you
I'll give it another try. I love a good deep space jam. Maybe I was just not in a Dark-Star-on-23-March-1972 mood last time I heard it. It felt very disjointed, as if they hadn't played much for a while...which they hadn't. They also hadn't done Dark Star in about three months. I'll try it again.
I assume he improved it, mostly just by EQ as I mentioned. We spoke about his doing that a few years ago, I guess he finally got around to "releasing" it.