Embarking on a Grateful Dead journey (all purpose thread, second set)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by MilesSmiles, Feb 15, 2014.

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  1. DrLunchbox

    DrLunchbox Forum Deadhead #1604

    Location:
    Hillsborough, NC
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  2. xTraPlaylists

    xTraPlaylists I bring order to chaos.

    Location:
    *******, *******
    That's a nice looking site! Gonna peruse right now!
     
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  3. Crispy Rob

    Crispy Rob Cat Juggler

    Location:
    Oakland, CA
    Volume 18 is one of the real high points of the series. Cedar Falls in particular has a ripping Samson with long lead in due to Weir having microphone trouble, apparently, a version of Scarlet-Fire for the ages, and a monster Other One, one of the best of the era (along with the From Egypt with Love version on the RT series). I had a crappy audience tape of the Cedar Falls second set from that run for years, and was really excited for the major upgrade when this was released (the other show is no slouch either). They cut Bobby's corny "Sahara forest" joke from between Samson and Scarlet-Fire, but it is out there on archive.org (and at least it's something different from the yellow dog story or the my dog has no nose joke).
     
  4. DrLunchbox

    DrLunchbox Forum Deadhead #1604

    Location:
    Hillsborough, NC
  5. Sandinista

    Sandinista Forum Resident

    When I started this thread I mentioned that I was having a hard time getting into Dark Star - never having been a big improv/jam fan I was getting lost - well, a couple months later and... I'm all in. I have several versions of Dark Star now and have been getting into it.

    I've been listening to one lately that I was curious to hear feedback/opinions on.

    The 34 minute Dark Star from 5/25/72 Lyceum Theatre, London, England. To my new fan ears, this is a killer version that covers all or most of the bases - it's jazzy, spacey, dissonant, smooth... and then right around the 21 minute mark they slip into this poppy little riff turnaround that sounds similar in chord structure and rhythm to the 59th Street Bridge Song and they play off on that for several minutes. I've only heard 10 or so versions of Dark Star but I've never heard them do anything like that. How often did they do that or something like that?

    What, if any, is the prevailing opinion on this version of Dark Star?
     
  6. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    The "Feelin' Groovy" jam (as Dead fans often call it) was common in Dark Star in late 1969 and 1970 and turned up occasionally in later versions. Another form of it was in the jam between China Cat Sunflower and I Know You Rider around 1972-4.

    I'll need to listen again to that 5/25/72 Dark Star. It's good like basically every Dead improvisation in that era was, but didn't jump out at me.
     
  7. fishcane

    fishcane Dirt Farmer

    Location:
    Finger Lakes,NY
    its a great Dark Star and the Lyceum run is very well thought of as a whole. All of the Europe72 Stars are fantastic, par for the course in a stellar year.
    My favorite era for DS is from 8/72 > 12/73... You CANNOT go wrong with any DS that falls in this period.

    I also really dig the resurrected era from 10/89 thru the early 90's
     
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  8. fishcane

    fishcane Dirt Farmer

    Location:
    Finger Lakes,NY
  9. Sandinista

    Sandinista Forum Resident

    I've also been listening to the Branford Marsalis set from Uniondale 1990 - killer set and a sweet Dark Star there as well.
     
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  10. Sandinista

    Sandinista Forum Resident

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  11. fishcane

    fishcane Dirt Farmer

    Location:
    Finger Lakes,NY
    I was at that one, it was a good un! Also check out 12.31.90, 9.10.91 for good Branford Stars, check out 9.22.93 for another guest Star, David Murray.

    And if your really looking for a couple of really "DARK" Dark Stars, 10.31.91(Ken Kesey guest), and the mother of all scary Dark Stars, 10.26.89:
     
  12. dajokr

    dajokr Classical "Mega" Box Set Collector

    Location:
    Virginia Beach, VA
    Any rumors or speculation on the next big box set?
     
  13. fishcane

    fishcane Dirt Farmer

    Location:
    Finger Lakes,NY
    Only speculation/hope here:
    I think the latest DaP #10 announcement has put to rest any hope I had for a Ark 69 box...

    put me in the minority camp(at least here) that wants an 80's box(80, 85, or 87)

    or a great garage/psychedelic-surf box 66-67...

    but Rare Cuts and the Birth of the Dead releases may have to suffice there
     
  14. Crispy Rob

    Crispy Rob Cat Juggler

    Location:
    Oakland, CA
    The most famous version of the Feelin' Groovy jam is 2/13/70, on Dick's Picks 4, and it usually, if not always, topped Deadbase polls of favorite versions of Dark Star back in the day. The deadessays blog site has a lot of discussion of this jam, the Mind Left Body Jam, Spanish Jam, Tighten Up jam and various other jams that made multiple appearances over the year. Lots of great info there.

    I feel the same about 5/25/72 Dark Star, listened to it once when I was going through the whole Europe '72 box, and like all of the dozen or so Dark Stars (!) in that set, it was quite good, but didn't stand out particularly in the pack. I should start revisiting random individual shows from that box more often. I took in the whole box in order over 2-3 months back when it arrived, but listening to so much '72 Dead at once meant that I started to get the aural equivalent of palate fatigue.
     
  15. LandHorses

    LandHorses I contain multitudes

    Location:
    New Joisey
    Summer '85 Saratoga > Hershey > Merriweather x 2 > Pittsburgh box set!!!!!!
     
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  16. Crispy Rob

    Crispy Rob Cat Juggler

    Location:
    Oakland, CA
    IIRC, Dave said somewhere that he was listening to a lot of '83 and '84, so there seems like a fairly decent chance we might finally see something from that era, either as a box or a Dave's Pick. Just speculating, though.
     
  17. Mad Dog

    Mad Dog Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chester County, PA
    The only problem with the Hershey show is that Jerry has a senior moment and just gets lost on the Terrapin, other than that a great show (I was there standing in the rain). I was just listening to that show today. Got to love a first set Comes a Time.
     
  18. JRM

    JRM Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eugene, Oregon
    And three Jerry tunes in a row to close first set...
     
  19. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    I just relistened to this Dark Star. It is an unusual one (they drift into the song from Wharf Rat without playing the opening motif) and it sounds a bit unfocused to me, especially Jerry's playing. It still has plenty of great moments including some that remind me a lot of the famous post-Truckin' jam from the next night. It does having a Feelin' Groovy jam (introduced by Phil near the end of a segment after the first verse where they play without Jerry for a few minutes, but Jerry rejoins at this point).
     
  20. DrLunchbox

    DrLunchbox Forum Deadhead #1604

    Location:
    Hillsborough, NC
    I've always loved the fall '71 Dark Stars. 10/31/71 from DP2 is my personal favorite. The only thing that mars that version is that Keith is non existent in the mix. The version from 11/15/71 from RT3.2? I think has the same jam theme in it, I think that's the tighten up jam. Those are my favs.
     
  21. Sandinista

    Sandinista Forum Resident


    My gut (for whatever reason) was telling me that this was unusual Dark Star but I'm not surprised to hear from long term fans that it is not viewed as anything special other than its unusualness. It's probably more my being new to the band, even more so to charms of the few Dark Stars that I'v heard.

    Rob, it's interesting you mention the palatte fatigue - I plan on getting the whole Europe box at some point and have been wonding about that as well - probably best to take in the box in smaller dose intervals to avoid that.
     
  22. LandHorses

    LandHorses I contain multitudes

    Location:
    New Joisey
    I got burned out too.......I took the box set to work and listened to 1 show per day (it took me a month).

    You need to worry about defective discs with something that big, so I listened as fast as possible.
     
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  23. Sandinista

    Sandinista Forum Resident

    that's a good point about defective discs - hadn't thought of that. Probably becuase I've been so lucky over the years, hardly ever having to return anything.
     
  24. rbbert

    rbbert Forum Resident

    Location:
    Reno, NV, USA
    I think most 'Heads into Dark Star like 5/25/72 a lot. I know I do!
     
  25. dajokr

    dajokr Classical "Mega" Box Set Collector

    Location:
    Virginia Beach, VA
    Did the same thing (and also ripped the entire box to iTunes) - I actually had to get three replacement discs. Customer service was good.
     
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