If anyone is interested I was flipping through Bull Moose's catalog and they still have some of the Dick Pick's reissues from Real Gone available. They still have Dick's Picks 7, 15, 21, 22, 24, and 26.
Earlier today, listened to a good chunk of 2/3/79 Market Square, Indianapolis, only the second post-hiatus China Cat->Rider (on the heels of 12/29/77 aka DiP 10) in the first set, but the real draw for this show is a top notch Scarlet->Fire, certainly a top 20 or so version if not top 10. Only the first set circulates in SBD as far as I know, but as I have said in these parts before the audience of the second set is well worth seeking out. I had started a second listen to DaP 25 aka Binghampton 11/6/77 a few nights ago, but had to stop part way through the first set, so am resuming tonight -- feel like I need to finish what I stared even though the JGB Hawaii '90 CD arrived in today's mail and is also calling me... At some point I'd like to also revisit the entire 11/2 through 11/6/77 run, but that probably won't happen for a little while.
That amazes me. I know you're not that into 80s and 90s Dead, but I didn't think I'd live to meet someone who thought 90/91- era JGB isn't hot stuff...
'70s and early 80's are great, but I also love the later years, especially through '93 (and even '94 and '95 were generally stronger than the GD shows of those years). Highly recommend hunting down the Eel River shows from '89 and '91, two of the best that I attended (and a fantastic setting, near the Mendocino/Humboldt border with mountain backdrop behind the stage and a hardcore GD "family" audience). Both shows had some rarities in the set list, especially the '91 show, although the '89 is a slight favorite for nostalgic reasons.
Yeah I looked up the 1991 setlist and it looks great, the main thing that keeps me from listening to more JGB is the repetitive setlists and the plethora of ballads which I absolutely love, but it takes a lot of mental energy to get set for the 3rd version of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" in a week. On the pro side is Garcia is one of the only, or in fact the only, artist I can listen to doing a bunch of covers and have no thought for the original, even if it's something well familiar.
Agree with all you points, what was extra nice about those Eel River shows, beyond the incredible setting, was that there were rarities, especially in '91. Despite relatively predictable setlists, other JGB shows can still surprise -- the Milwaukee '91 show (GarciaLive 9) was much better than it looked on paper, and I am hoping for the same from the new Hawaii release.
The > Jerry & Phil > just maybe my favorite 60 seconds of music ever. The way Jerry plucks that beautiful passage out of the ether is sublime.
Well, the playing in 1991 is exceptional. I sort of lean toward 78-91 but within that even 90-91 for Jerry's playing, he just seemed to have gotten more volcanic and passionate in those couple of years particularly. I think there's something about his JGB playing in, say, 74-77 that other people get that I haven't developed a proper sense for or something because it doesn't sound as on as the later stuff to me, with of course lots of exceptions.
I'm with @budwhite on this one, I find later JGB to be kinda boring. It's all very polished and well presented, and that is what doesn't work for me. My favorite JGB is 76 - 78 with Keith & Donna, and Maria Muldaur for the last year of that period. Down home, much more family, The Heart of Gold Band. I find a lot to enjoy in the musical interplay of Jerry and Keith, whereas Melvin Seals is just providing a background sound that Jerry plays in front of all night. There's no interplay in the later years, just Jerry getting away from the pressure of being "Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead." And even then the JGB started playing in the same big buildings that the Dead played in. Sad.
Yeah those are good points, it's very much Jerry front and center and blasting. That's what I love about it...
Yes, that's a great moment of blooming possibilities, but as is typical, Phil puts that melody on a tee for Jerry. To be fair, Jer hits a 350 yard drive, but without the juxtaposition of Phil's abstract solo and then dropping into the groove, whatever Jerry did wouldn't be anywhere near as effective. This is exactly why I don't listen to JGB. I want to hear Jerry sparring with a worthy adversary/compatriot in Phil, not Jerry dragging a lame mule up a sand dune.
