It’s pretty awesome that I’m seeing DSO on 12/28 and then JRAD 16 days later on 1/13/2018. I’m looking forward to both concerts.
They let the cat out of the bag on the specific show for DC in advance. Maybe that persuaded more local DC folks to show up. For this specific show (June 14, 1991), DSO did a good job of capturing the tone and pacing of the original show without losing that improvisational flair. I talked to other folks who were at the original show who chided me for looking up the setlist, details of which had faded over a quarter century. "Half the fun is guessing what comes next." My wife and I really enjoy DSO.
My wife thinks my recent Dead obessesion is insane on many levels but she likes much of the music and she absolutely LOVED JRAD so she’s going with me to both upcoming shows. Plus she loved King Crimson
Ha! That's a trip. 12/28/88 was my 7th show and still holds a special place in my memory banks. That, and 12/29, were arguably better than the 12/31 NYE show itself.
5/11/72 Dark Star: Mellow & Introspective. What 2 words would you use to describe it? (listened to it this morning on a worn out cassette that I taped off of KZSC - the local college radio station - ~25 years ago)
I was there for that run (my first trip to the Bay Area, now my home for most of the time since), and agree that 12/28 and 12/29 were probably better than 12/31. Subjectively, an amazing time in my life, and objectively, a pretty strong run overall, although in some ways they were still on the climb up to the peak that really got started probably with California shows after Spring tour '89.
This seems spot on to me. I saw a lot of shows throughout those years. '94 was definitely hit and miss compared to earlier years, but I didn't see any of the east coast Fall tour that apparently was relatively good, for the most part, and agree with the person who said 6/26/94 Vegas was really strong. Summer '95 was pretty terrible across the board, with a couple exceptions. Three Rivers and the the Seattle shows were decent. I didn't see much of Spring '95, but it was better than summer from what I've heard. I did go to Memphis (couldn't resist the idea of seeing the GD play inside a pyramid) and those shows were not mind-blowing, but not really bad either.
I was there, too. My take was that it was a weird and kind of a pointless interruption of the Music Never Stopped jam, yet a positive sign that they were still willing to throw a curve ball into the mix at that point. Don't think I've ever gone back and listened to it since, though. I wasn't a big fan of Easy Answers, but it grew on me a bit and I did like it better than Eternity. Corrina was probably my favorite of the Weir songs that were introduced around then, mainly because it had a unique sound and led to some interesting outro jams. All three were definitely Weir songs I wasn't excited about hearing, though.
Giving Mickey's new effort Ramu a first listen. An interesting journey, as Mickey always is. The sound is impeccable.
I grew to like Eternity. It had that weird Cab Calloway/Betty Boop b&w cartoon feel where the characters go to Egypt or Hades while shuffling all spooked and such. EZ A? meh...
RAMU works for Hartty weirdness Here's the woman featured on some tracks at Tiny Desk NPR Kinda'dig it.
Corinna is my least favorite of the 3. If anyone can suggest me a good version of it, I'm all ears. I keep hearing it supposedly evolved into a good jamming vehicle over time, but all I hear is that annoying keyboard and the repetitive-as-all-hell "CORRIIIINNNUUUGGGHHHHH!!!!" I haven't heard more than a few versions of Eternity but I've dug the versions I've heard. Easy Answers is back-and-forth for me. When it's played "right" (for me, at least), it's great. But if it's not played right it's just stupid and repetitive on a level worse than Corinna. The debut version of Easy Answers is a "right" version by my estimation. Not dragging, with enough swagger and energy going on.
26 and a half years - plus she eventually started to go to free jazz and way out improvised music with me!! She might be going with me this month on 12/20 to see the band shown on my avatar. She loves the drummer and as far as Mat Maneri it goes way deeper than that for the both of us. She told him he’s like Hendrix last time we saw him play!!!
None of them are great songs, and I'm hardly enough of a glutton for punishment to have gone through and listened to figure out which are the particularly good versions of any of them. The 3/23/95 Charlotte one with Hornsby guesting is the only Corrina that I can particularly recommend offhand. That and the Salt Lake City show in the 30 Trips box are probably the two best shows of that year.
3/23/95 was definitely the best 95 show I’ve see or heard. Back in the dark ages, when the internet was still a primordial ooze, I got on a tape tree through rec.music.gdead for the Philly run with the Unbroken Chain debut. 3/23 was also included. The Philly shows got played once and once only. Charlotte stayed in the rotation for a while. Corrina grew on me on later listening. The exit jam was usually interesting. I fully agree about tempo and Easy Answers. Also Eternity. 5-10 bpm too slow and they both turn into dirges.
Even though Jerry cant remeber a vocal to save his life Charlotte is pretty hot. Must have something to do with a guest performer.
Dicks 17 just in. Vince and Bruce tickling the keys. Nice. The almost faultless H>S>F reminds me of my first show in Autzen Eugene. Gods, Jerry's vox sound sincerely weathered. Not in a posing Tom Waits way, but the real deal. His guitar playing is brittle yet tasty.
Phases and stages. So much mythos and depth of soil to unearth with the GoGD. Glad I'm finally giving the Touch Head era some ear.
