If they are good, I’ll thank you again!! Plus my wife is going as well. Website says they play 68-74 Dead so I’m sure we’ll hear some good music - 2 Nights in Brooklyn within a week
Brutal. I may have to check into Threadaholics Anonymous. But before that, gonna listen to 1974/09/18, 30 Trips. I think @warewolf95 told me it's OK to go to a '74 after you finish an '81.
It's possible it is, though what does Garcia play then? Also, Nelson is credited only for Box of Rain on the record. I swear I hear Marmaduke singing backup on that track, and he's not credited at all, so who knows? Usually that kind of late night talk gets swallowed up in the next day's volume. But it's a holiday weekend... I don't think I mentioned 6-17-91, which is a pretty cool 'concept' show, the only time they ever opened a show with Eyes of the World, and well-played all around. There was a heavy rumor this was going to be a Dave's Pick (which turned out to be 1-22-78.) My anti-subscription sentiments tend me to propose 80s and 90s shows with tongue in cheek, but seriously this one would make a great Dave's Pick, assuming the SQ is up to it. An attempt at something unique, especially for the later period.
Wow. This really puts some perspective on people complaining about Victim Or The Crime and Picasso Moon. I have a 1989 Australian "promo" LP of Ace. No idea why there was a 1989 Australian promo LP of it done but it sure sounds nice.
As others have said, it's Bob doing the flourishes. There is a brief snippet of footage from the Festival Express documentary of them on a truck doing a free show outside one of the stadia for all the people who thought they should get something for nothing. In it, as I recall, one sees Bob playing the exact parts you are talking about. It's only very short and I can't remember when in the film it occurs. It surprises me that anyone (I know you aren't suggesting this) would consider some of the things Bob played as parts he needed Jerry to teach him or write for him, other than the possible exception for China Cat, which was very early days. Weir could play all sorts of things that Jerry wouldn't (and, I suppose, because he wouldn't think of them, couldn't) and vice versa. That's part of why they worked so well together.
I found the china cat quote, no surprise LIA has it on the Grateful Dead Guide: "Bob Weir later said, "China Cat Sunflower is just about the only song where Jerry ever taught me a riff and told me that's what he wanted" Grateful Dead Guide: China>Rider - The Early Years
...which raises an interesting issue - In Jerry's "I'm not the leader" leadership role, I wonder if he ever directed the other members in arrangements once he and Weir were both bringing material regularly (or even before). He strikes me as the type never to tell one of the others not to play something but rather to tolerate it for two decades.
Now that one will be harder to find, but I definitely have read a quote from him where he says that's basically the process. Something like 'my vision of the song dies anyway once I bring it to these guys, because you're not going to tell them what to play.' IIRC that was part of his reason for doing his solo debut the way he did it.
At the same time - one of the reasons that the shows were recorded was so that they could review their performances in the hotel rooms in-between shows. While it's true that no one probably explicitly prohibited certain things from being played, you can be sure that there was, um, "feedback" provided when something worked or didn't work.
I recall reading that when Brent joined he brought in "Easy To Love You" and had a specific part for Jerry to play at least in one section. From what I remember, Jerry was nice about it but the band made it clear to Brent that this was not how they worked.
Finally getting around to 1-17-79, the show I saw DSO perform way back when (it seems their version of the show isn't recorded, so I can't do an A/B.) Like most other shows of 78-early 79, it's a fairly pedestrian set list full of really strong performances. Garcia's voice is even more in transition than in earlier parts of 78
A good day to Dead. I'm revisiting this after some time and it is perfect for this morning. The playing is 'in the pocket', El Paso was even great, so now we are hitting the stride of China Cat>Rider-a worthy Phil bomb (nice kick to the Hsu)-Black Throated Wind. There is an awful lot of good official '72 and this is up there with the best that I've heard. Interesting that Latvala had this in mind to open the series, but ending up doing the opposite. Saving one of the best for very last... a 5 star dessert. disc one:
For this show, 1-17-79, I should call out the transition between Estimated and Eyes and the jam after Drums as two really strong points.
It's kind of strange to realize that Garcia actually played Wolf for a majority of shows in 1973. Their schedule was really slanted towards the end of the year, 9-7-73, the debut of Wolf, was show #36 of 72 (if you count Watkins Glen Soundcheck separately.) Anyhow, I mention it because I'm on to 9-11-73, the first show with the horn section, and a Dark Star>Morning Dew I don't know much about.
It’s a great one. I’ve beaten the drum on this one before, but 9/11/73 needs a release particularly if there’s a returned Betty Board for it. One hopes there’s a SBD tape somewhere without the cut of death in the Dew.
Aha, cut of death would we? I guess it's lucky I have the matrix version on (which is really well done, btw.) By definition, this one may have to be everyone's favorite Dark Star>Morning Dew from '73
