Yeah I love this thread, it's the best Dead discussion I've ever found. The clown percentage is low (in fact I don't think of any of you as clowns) which is rare for Dead world. Speaking of which, I am at my wit's end with Born Cross Eyed. In my Dead hiatus years I let my membership lapse, and they used to email me saying "Please come back!" (which is I think an automatically generated email to anyone who doesn't post for a while, not an indication that they gave a crap about me in particular). Now that I'm back to Deadheadness I can't get anyone's attention over there to get back on. If anyone is in contact with any of the admins over there, could you please put me in touch with them?
I'm enjoying the 4/17/72 Dark Star again (disc 3 was still in the spinner when I turned it on). There's some excellent stuff on this - many, many, many interesting and unique jams. At one point, Jerry and Keith echo each other with descending lines that sound like notes dripping off the edge of a cliff. Far out. Like I said before, the post "chaos" jam is delightful. At the 25-minute mark, they start a jam based on the chords that would become "Let it Grow" - very cool. Also, during the chaos/feedback/atonal section, Pigpen plays a lot of wild organ washes, which I don't recall in many other versions. While it's probably not a top five Star from the tour, there's still a plethora of delights to be enjoyed within its 30+ minutes. Actually, this "Let it Grow" jam is so cool, that with more listens it might make it into the top five. Maybe, just maybe. Update: at the end, right before Bobby hits the Sugar Mag chords, Jerry plays a repeating passage that almost sounds like they'd be heading into "Sing Me Back Home", which they wouldn't actually play until a couple weeks later. Keith continues to play some Dark Star-ish arpeggios for a half-minute into Sugar Magnolia. Cool stuff. Sugar Magnolia doesn't rock as hard as normal, but Jerry plays a lot of groovy twangy/country lines. A very strong version. In conclusion, even though "Caution..." is a slightly weaker performance, disc three/set three is still a hell of a good disc/set! When a show this strong is not even in the top ten from a tour - well, that just goes to show how incredible the tour was. I'd say the same thing about Newcastle (4/11).
I like it because it’s very mysterious and like most or all of the Dark Stars from this tour, it goes in unexpected ways without cliche.
I have that labelled as "25:00-cool groove" in Media Player, but you are absolutely right; Bobby is playing what would become the intro to the stand alone LIG versions. Nice catch. While we're on that show, Phil colors way outside the lines from 7:08-7:43 of the Truckin' that ends the second set (the really out part starts at 7:29, but what leads up to that is important for context). I know I've mentioned this before, but it's one of those "no one else on Earth would ever do that because they aren't as crazy as Phil" moments that shouldn't be overlooked.
As soon as I finish this Caution>J. B. Goode, I'm going to throw that in the player and play Truckin'. You have me intrigued, sir. This Caution is still a hell of a blast, but Pigpen is slurring his lines a bit, and the groove doesn't consistently hit that sustained intensity that the best renditions do. Still, if anyone skips it while enjoying this show, I'll come to your place and slap you for being a fool.
I suppose that there's not much to differentiate Good Lovin' and Caution on E72 shows once the jams get going. Caution, even though I think there are only four on this tour, still grinds with a more insane psychedelic churn most of the time. Wow, the 4/17/72 Caution goes into overdrive as it nears its conclusion (past the 20-minute mark). Rather than going into Feedback, like the primal days, it concludes with a Keith n' Phil ambient jam. Interesting. ...and then Jerry starts up Chuck.
As a final note about 4/17/72, I'll mention some of my favorite parts of the earlier part of the show: Cold Rain and Snow - a good, not great version, but nice to hear on this tour China>Rider - strong version, but then they're all great on this tour! Jack Straw - excellent He's Gone - first ever version, played quite fast Black-Throated Wind - excellent, soulful guitar soloing Sugaree - more amped-up than ususal Hurts Me Too - great slide work by Jerry Truckin' - a great example of four musicians playing "lead" solos simultaneously with amazing results
Yes, incredible, unpredictable improvisation from Mr. Lesh. On a blues-rock song! This night's "Truckin' " is a perfect example of the synergy of four "lead" players each soloing simultaneously with great results. This usually only happens with high-caliber jazz groups. Wait a minute. I think the GD are a jazz group. But they're a rock band, right? A soul showband/party band? Intrepid explorers of the psychedelic universe? FM radio/arena rockers? Indie/Americana/roots band? Answer: yes.
I think one big reason 8/6/74 is my favorite Eyes is the mix. In my opinion this disc--I haven't listened to the other parts of DP 31 in a long time and I seem to remember the sound maybe isn't as good there?--is the best sounding disc of live Dead there is, because you can hear every instrument clearly, and Phil dominates the mix in a good way, i.e. he doesn't drown out Jerry. The legendary PITB from Hofheinz Stadium in 1972 is an example of a recording where Phil dominates the mix in a bad way, i.e. Jerry is too quiet relative to Phil (of course it's still great and a case can be made that it's nice to have a recording with so much Phil once in a while). I think it's to a lesser extent for sure, but the Other One on Hundred Year Hall is another recording where the mix leans too heavily towards Phil relative to Garcia. But the last disc of DP 31 sounds perfect. It's not really as momentous an Eyes unless Phil and Jerry are intertwining and bubbling and percolating along, and the balance is exactly how it should be on this. Although it's not as momentous improv-wise as some of the other segments from this period (72-74), in some ways these 4 songs from 8/6/74 are the perfect slab of Grateful Dead. I need to check out the rest of the show, all I know is what is on DP 31. Very perspicacious comment from notesofachord that also applies here: "perfect example of the synergy of four 'lead' players each soloing simultaneously with great results. This usually only happens with high-caliber jazz groups."
Streaming the 9/19/70 Dark Star (starting at the 13-minute point). For an alternative perspective, I'm trying out an audience tape. Yep, just as astounding from the back of the hall. Great concert sound systems ftw. Admittedly hearing this amazing music on the soundboard tape does take you on a journey through time a bit more effectively.
Aw, you miss the first few minutes of the GoGD's The Complete History of Musical Evolution in Ten Minutes that way.
Re: 9/19/70 audience tape It's incredible how popular St. Stephen was with fans back then. When Dark Star ends and Stephen begins, they go absolutely nuts and begin to clap in unison for the majority of the song. I'd like to think that some of the enthusiasm was for having just witnessed what was, perhaps, the greatest Dark Star ever, but likely most of the excitement is because Stephen is starting up. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love St. Stephen too...
I have that in my notes for 69, a lot of times you can hear the crowd reaction for St. Stephen even on SBDs.
They seem pretty excited for Lovelight too. I get it. More folks want to boogie at a concert than zone out to trippy improv. Maybe Bobby was right after all. I'm going to keep listening. I'm curious about how they react to Pig's dirty word/suggestion.
I'm just going to put this here, because I'm still working through it: I've tried with Europe '72 stuff. I really have. I just can't get into it. I like the Academy of Music stuff from right before, later '72 stuff is OK, but Europe just doesn't resonate with me. What am I doing wrong here?
lol, I thought I was being contrarian with taking a hard line that 78>77. I would ask what is it about later 72 and Academy of Music that appeals to you and how is that different from E72?
You are doing NOTHING wrong! I personally love that tour, but there's tours I can't get into, (spring '90 is an example). You don't have to love everything.
