Let's talk about The Grateful Dead (studio, live, and side projects)

Oohhhh, if today is the 5/8/77 anniversary, that means tomorrow will be the 5/9/77 anniversary. 5/9 is a far superior show, IMO.

 

It's 5/8!

Oh, it looks like I'm late to the party.

 

You talkin' 'bout me? Yah, it wuz me. I have nothing better to do with my life.

 

See, first, ya take yer verb.....HEY, you listenin'? I'm talkin' here!! Wat, do I ammooze you? If ya cut yer friggin' hair, maybe it's like you'll hear better or somethin'!!

 

It would never happen, but I would love to see the next multi-day run be Winterland June 7, 8 & 9, 1977. I'm listening to this today and it's great music. That East Coast run of '77 was pretty cool also. Heck, ALL of 1977 would be mega-cool.

 

Yep, that June '77 run is fantastic, every note.

 

I need to see a doctor, something is very wrong with me, I think I'm beginning to like Donna's vocals.....

 

Listening to 5/9/77, eh?

 

Yeah, that's the one I'm listening to also.

 

I've said this before (but since when has that stopped me).... I hear a definite overall improvement in Donna's vocals starting in 1976. I read an interview with her with Blair Jackson where she said she couldn't hear herself very well on stage so that may account for...something.

Actually I pretty much enjoy her vocals except for when she goes over the top on Playing in the Band and some other songs (Sugar Mag for example).

I thought she blended in well for the most part. I didn't realize how well until I really listened to the vocals from the late 1973 shows after she went on maternity leave. She was definitely missed.

 

She really sounds nice on this Winterland run. I haven't listened to these three shows in a while and I forgot how good they are, though the boys sound a little ragged on 6/7/77. Still, love the music being played here.

 

6/9/77 Winterland is very cool, very rocking. I wonder if anyone has collected all the various Funiculi Funicula on a cd, I think that song means Jerry is pissed off.

 

Well, it may well mean that Bobby is dicking with his rack but if that was enough to piss Garcia off then he'd have died of hypertension MUCH younger.

 

Here's a question that I've been pondering: Who calls the songs for the Dead? Was it pre-arranged? I've noticed, especially in the first set, that either Garcia or Weir will strum some of the melody to indicate what's next. For the second set, I strikes me that it's Garcia all the way.

 

They took turns, generally...but not strictly. Everyone had input, especially when it was non-verbal transitions during jams. For example, Hart might call The Other One with a rhythmic cue.

Weir (at least once) joked that "this next one is a drummers choice" before launching into "El Paso" or "Mexicali Blues" or some such, since the drummers tended to loathe playing the cowboy songs.

The rules changed big time when The Other Ones formed. Phil got to establish a lot of authority in exchange for his participation. He insisted upon both pre-determinned set lists and more rehearsals. The setlist were often deviated from but they hit the stage with a game plan. This meant less noodling but it also meant less non-verbal communication and alchemy. The introduction of clearcom in the earpiece monitors virtually put an end to musically negotiated transitions.

 

Picture yourself standing in front of the Wall of Sound trying to contribute vocal harmonies. While Jerry and Bob mostly managed to figure out how to sing over the thing, I imagine it was rather a challenge. Also, I've read that just mic'ing the vocalists so that the Wall didn't feed back through the mics was another technical hurdle, and one of the reasons why the vocals sound funky/under-mixed on a lot of the 73-74 tapes. I have the sense that in 73-74, if you were standing on stage, all you could hear was Phil, and occasionally Jerry.

So, when the band resurfaced in '76 with a relatively 'normal' sound system, it was probably a lot easier for Donna to find her proper place in the mix.

 

Did they always work without a setlist. then? Sorry if that's a stupid question...

And while I'm here, I'll ask for a little word of advice. I am currently rocking to Red Rocks 1978-07-08 and am being blown away. I still love 77 above all, I think, but am starting to discover the wonders of the 78 shows, too. What are the best shows to seek out from this era? Any Dick's Picks?
Stevie

 

They took turns, but usually (though not always) without a plan or setlist. They'd quite often step out on stage and wait 5 minutes (not actually tuning) to feel what rhythms were inherent in the noise of the crowd. There could be "quiet" nights and "supercharged" nights. Some songs did become usually 1st set songs and 2nd set (and "pre" and "post" "Drumz" ) songs depending on how much they could expand the jamming, but on good nights they could open with "2nd set" songs.
There were "slots" in 1st sets where "Friend Of The Devil" was interchangable with "They Love Each Other" (both in G), "Weather Report" with "Lazy Lightning" to close a 1st set, and any double combo mid 1st set of "Me & My Uncle","Big River", Mama Tried" etc (Weirs cowboy tunes) so Bob could give Garcia a 6-8 minute singing break. There was a "Dylan slot" for a few years.

The "shape" of the concert could change like a long card game as Bob or Jerry's choice of tune would influence the other's choice of next tune; back and forth, back and forth. There were some periods when Jerry would keep breaking Weir's uptempo momentum with another slow ballad.

Some second sets were heavily influenced by keys; The key of E could bring jams including Truckin and The Other One, key of A could be Dark Star and Wharf Rat. The outro jam on Terrapin was in D as Playing in the Band. Scarlet Begonias and Fire On The Mountain were in B. Admittedly there were some combos that became more commonplace than they should have been (Estimated/Eyes) but the Dead seemed at many periods to be more interested in "letting the music play through them" effortlessly than "forcing" a more interesting song combination. Some rare combos (UJB/Cassidy) occured because some outsider suggested it; it had simply never occurred to them to try it! I'm sure they would've addressed this in time because the fans were demanding it.

 

Some 1978 favorites of mine:


1/22/78 - the second set is phenomenal. The way the Jerry pulls out the "Close Encounters" theme has to be heard to be believed. I love the way it crashes right into St. Stephen.

Dick's Picks 18 - 2/3 and 2/5/78 - one of the greatest Scarlet>Fire transition jams, and fiery Other One.

11/20/78 - very spacey second set. The tape starts in the middle of a very loose jam which then descends into (of all things) "Jack-a-Roe" which hadn't been played since May of 1977. The Playin'>Shakedown from that set is great too.

11/24/78 - Excellent "Estimated>Shakedown Street" combo. "Fire On the Mountain" develops out of the percussion jam. I wish they would have played it in this position more often.

12/31/78 - immortalized on the Closing Of Winterland CD and DVD. Super opening 1-2-3 punch of Sugar Mag>Scarlet>Fire. Well-jammed "I Need A Miracle", and an awesome "Terrapin>Playin" in the second set. Third set has Dark Star>Other One>Dark Star>Wharf Rat>St. Stephen>Good Lovin', with a rockin' Casey Jones and Johnny B Goode to close things out. John Cippolina on "Not Fade Away".