I really wish this had been released as a full show, not a chopped up and reordered hybrid. I don’t say that too critically; the times and perspectives on archival releases was entirely different back then. But still, a great show that deserves full release.
Clearly chopped up because it was one of the first titles issued in an era before Dick was allowed to release complete shows. A fantastic release nevertheless. Not sure how the band could rectify it now -- most of the key material has been released, so there could be concerns that a complete reissue will not sell particularly well.
87 was definitely the “turn the corner year”into far bigger mass popularity, and it wasn’t just Touch of Gray or In the Dark. Recall that the Spring tour was the first time most people got to see JG after the 86 coma. I was at Hampton in March, and tickets were tight as hell. I remember the third show (3/24) pretty well, and it was great. In general on that tour, it was all about a re-energized and healthier, less overweight Jerry. 1981, great year. If the technology ever gets to where cassette masters can sound full and amazing, we’ll all be in for a treat.
Checking out 3/16/94....came for the Dark Star (short but bouncy), stayed for Standing on the Moon....whoa. Best Standing on the Moon I've heard. I'd compare it to the 3/21/94 Stella Blue in Jerry's intensity.
4-6-94 was another good rendition I recently heard. It's been a while since I listened, but I remember the first one I heard was 10-15-94, it seemed pretty great in person.
Yes, except for the first few rows. First 2 rows are special seating. I'm treating my kid sister, it's her birthday and she has not seen JRAD yet. We'll be there early for the Red Rocks Rush to claim a good seat. It's also an anniversary, we first visited Colorado as kids in 1969 and the first concerts we ever attended were at Red Rocks that August. Peter, Paul & Mary one weekend, Diana Ross & The Supremes the next weekend. 49 years- where does the time go? btw- Her first Dead show was 10 January 1979.
That's great! A nice present. Have a blast. That's awesome. I only went to Red Rocks once, 1987 Grateful Dead. You have a nice long run going there. Enjoy the show and say hi to Red Rocks for me.
Estimated is one for me. I prefer the earliest versions of it, before Bobby started taking the nah-nahs off the deep end, and started this really whiny, obnoxious shouting for the “call down thunder” bridge. Also, at some point in the 80s he changed the melody altogether and sounds like he’s singing in a different key half the time. Occasionally adding in some unhinged falsetto screaming just for good measure. 77s are my favorite Estimateds. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty to like about other ones, especially Jerry’s increasingly wahhed our and processed guitar.
I have just made a small discovery: At 9:16 of the "Nobody's Fault Jam" from 6/16/74 (timing and track breakdown from the Bonus Disc of Road Trips 2.3), Bob Weir plays the "Egyptian Melody," or "Snake Charmer's Song." It's not clear exactly where this melody comes from; this article gives a brief summary of its known history: Where does the “Egyptian” melody originally come from? In any case, if you play the first video of the kid playing the bass clarinet, you will immediately recognize the melody; it's often used to convey a sort of generic, stereotypical Middle Eastern or Egyptian vibe. He only plays it once, and then moves on. Does Weir do this elsewhere? Has his quotation of the melody here been discussed elsewhere? It's interesting that he just slips it in there in the background, and if it's something he does from time to time, I've never noticed it before. @Archtop , do you know anything about this? EDIT: I think the Wikipedia entry is more informative than the link above: The Streets of Cairo, or the Poor Little Country Maid - Wikipedia
I think that's the opposite of what I'm saying, if I understand you aright--I was asking about songs where, no matter what happened in the singing, it wouldn't affect your evaluation of the version. If I get what you're saying, you are saying that you like certain versions of Estimated less because of the singing...
Dark Star and Playing In The Band for me. Any lyrical problems with these two songs is easily offset by the what the rest contains.
Yeah I think those might be the only two for me, although of course a great instrumental section can overcome other things in other cases. Maybe Other One too, it's hard to imagine a great version marred by the vocals. I don't think that one is often messed up, though (although @notesofachord earlier mentioned being annoyed by "y'all").
So, when I played the Rotterdam '72 Dark Star recently, I really should've taken notes. Regardless, I'll just mention a couple of things: Around the 6 or 7 minute mark, they start playing a jam based on the chords that would become "Let it Grow". I kid you not. It may not be exactly "Let It Grow", but it's very similar. The jam goes on for a few minutes. Anyone else want to spin that part and see if they agree? Also, in the later part of the performance, Phil distinctly plays the bassline/melody of "Bird Song" several times. This is very interesting considering the recent talk of them not playing that song during the Europe tour. Phil sure seemed to want to go into it, but no one else joined in. Or maybe he had no intention of them actually playing the song, but he just was inspired to play the riff during that specific Dark Star? Who knows.
Yes indeed. It seemed when Jerry botched a vocal he dug into his guitar a little more like he was trying to make up for it. Or maybe it just seemed that way live at shows.
Man, I would love to see them live! "The Q” ft. Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, Rob Barraco & John Molo
