Depends on what era you like. Any of them that I have from 2/68, 5/70, 11/73, 6/74, 6/76, Fall 77 or Fall 79 are great. Even the recently re-released RT 4.4 (4/82) is worth hearing despite dicey cassette recorded sound.
My take is that the November '73 and June '74 RTs are head and shoulders above the rest, but that's not really a surprise to anyone, is it?
Depends on your tastes and experience level. If you're like most around here the Denver 1973 and summer 1974 releases might suit you. But if you're like me you will love the summer 71 and Austin 11/15/71 RTs. They rock.
I have been spending a ton of time in 77... really love the band in this era. June 74 seems like it could be interesting... maybe ill go there!
Well, well. I just listened to disc 3 of DiP 8 on Sunday. Love those primal jams, and while This is a Man's World and Viola Lee make my mind reel out of control, it's the middle melodic jam of Dancin' and the apocalyptic Morning Dew that really captivated me yesterday.
Those two 71s, 5/70, and 2/68 do it the most for me. But then again, I don't try to hide my retro preferences, with their full throated, muscular guitar riffs, unbridled energy, and the occasional psychedelic organ excursions.
Ok, this is a lil creepy but Weir playing' Cassidy one last time for Barlow Dropbox - john perry barlow.mp4
The "Samson"'s are usually just okay (the added plus or minus-prefix may vary from mildly to wildly, ofc), but this Binghamton one makes me wanna testify, brothers. Phil is unusually groovy and poppin' here and miss Donna Jean is mos def not in screech county. Even that sly rascal mr. Boppin Bob almost sells me his snake oil this time 'round. There might one day some day be 'enough' 1977 out there, perhaps. But this is not it. Not by a long shot, Sir. This is actually that other type of IT. And what that it is, well, it is that it is gooood. They just turned my Monday into a Sunday.
Better to read The Great Liberation Through Hearing in the Intermediate State, aka, The Tibetan Book of the Dead.
4.4 is a better show than some of the RTs from the 60s/70s. The gems are fewer and farther between, but they are still there.
What IS great about RT 4.4 is the bonus mini-sandwich PITB>Ship of Fools>PITB from 8/5/82 - especially the second half of said sandwich - very tasty abstract improvisation which faded into Drums as the disc ends...
I'm not trying to be contrarian here (god knows I'd never do ya that way), but hopefully my sacrilege will (not) offend anyone. I think DaP 25 is much better than the Hallowed 23. In fact, I haven't enjoyed one of these thingies this much since numero 15. Maybe I'm just hopped up on first date nerves and the joy of something new n beautify here, but this thing is just sweet. The overall guitar tone and choice of notes, the incredible vocals (!!!) of "St Steven" and the drummers, man. TH' DRUMMERS
Of course, here is how that segment of the show actually went: Playin' In The Band-> Ship of Fools-> Drums-> The Wheel-> Playin' In The Band-> Wharf Rat->
Thanks - I sure wish they put the whole sequence on the release! But I checked and I notice that there is a 9:48 PITB Jam section after SOF that is on the RT release. At least they didn’t chop that up
Over the course of the last several months, I’ve gone from casual fan to basically obsessed. This thread (and many others here...thank you great search function) have proven to be a deep well of inspiration and information. So first off...thanks for augmenting what has thus far been an incredibly rewarding journey (with no end in sight). The real reason I’m de-lurking is to solicit for book recommendations. I’m midway through the Dennis McNally book, which is great in its own way but also somewhat frustrating in that it is weighted quite heavily toward the early years and the San Francisco scene. While I feel that is a necessary bedrock, I can already anticipate wanting a deeper dive into the years where most of my listening has thus far been mainly rooted (ie, 71-91). What can the seasoned folks recommend in terms of books that really delve into the touring years, so to speak? While I know that there are the Lesh and Kreutzmann books out there, I think I’m more apt to try for another overview of the band’s career as opposed to an inside view. McNally goes into insane detail, but right now I’m kind of like “yeah yeah, who cares about the Diggers, can we get into writing Dark Star, or creating the Wall Of Sound, or dealing with Jerry’s coma or how the band scored an unlikely smash hit or or or...”
I've read probably a few dozen books on the Grateful Dead, but for a quick response, I'd say absolute must reads are Phil Lesh's book, "Searching for the Sound," and the book on Jerry, "Garcia: An American Life" by Blair Jackson. For the outside looking in view, the Gans and Jackson newer book called "This is all the dream we dreamed".
