Every Dark Star (Grateful Dead)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by bzfgt, Aug 4, 2020.

  1. Mr. Rain

    Mr. Rain Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    1970-02-13. Jerry feels like stretching out in this one! The opening jam has the normal theme>digression>theme>etc. cycle, but this time Jerry explores little side-paths at length, making this an unusually long opening for the year (when they were usually keeping this part concise). They keep getting quieter as it goes, until it almost drops into space before the verse....and, probably not intentionally, the speed gets slower too....at the start they're at 77 beats per minute, but by the verse they're at 64 bpm. In a way it's like they're receding deeper into a meditation state, with the verse a final Zen recitation before they become one with the universe.

    Nice slide into space as the music lets go. Not much happens in space, it's very minimal...some solar winds, a little percussion. (Is this Pigpen returning on congas, in the most unexpected spot?) Jerry might not be feeling like sound effects tonight since he already starts a nice melodic bit at 12:50, which blends well with the strokes of weirdness from the others. This fades away, but before long they're entering the real jam, which comes together really quickly: at 14:30 there's nothing, 30 seconds later they've found a group rhythm.
    After a while some claves come in and I can sense a little flamenco feel in here. Will they return to the Spanish Jam again? But then after 17:10 Jerry rings out some mighty chords, and starts wailing away in a piercing tone....for 10 seconds! Then cools off again...and like a plunge into the water, they enter Feelin' Groovy, which is very mellow and happy-sounding. (It's been pointed out that Jerry actually plays the melody line of the original Feelin' Groovy...for a few bars, anyway.) At 19:20 Jerry starts what seems at first like a casual little hook, but then keeps repeating it over and over, developing it with elaborations until 21:15 (by then it starts sounding like Cosmic Charlie!).

    It seems like they've reached a grand conclusion, but they start anew, fluttering up to a little mini-peak at 22 minutes. Dark Star's creeping back in, and our friend Sputnik returns. (I'd call this a minor Sputnik even if it's not quite the same notes as the classic versions -- this is one of the Sons of Sputnik they've been doing lately -- the band gets a little wacky which is a sign of a true Sputnik.) Doesn't last long though...they slide into the theme, Jerry at his prettiest, taking us to a laid-back Bright Star.
    The band's in the Dark Star theme, bringing us home, but Jerry's in no hurry....he casually starts Bright Star again! At 25:30 he introduces what seems like a little filler lick, but, once again, plays it over and over until 26:30 as the band builds up with him. Then boom, he's wailing again....til he cuts it short and plops into the main theme again after 27:05. Time to quiet down for the verse.
    This was mainly a calm, quiet, dignified Dark Star, more into soft relaxation than the hard-edged rock & roll jams they get into in other Dark Stars around this time. More than he usually does, Jerry indulges in repeating little earworm melodies multiple times. Also Jerry's mostly very restrained here, so the moments when he does turn it up stand out more.
     
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  2. JSegel

    JSegel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm, Sweden
    #98 1970-02-13 Fillmore East

    After an electric and then a really nice acoustic set with mostly just the guitarists, they do Uncle John’s Band with Phil and some claves, then let Pigpen do a solo of Katie Mae. In the minute or so changeover from this, Phil already hints at the Dark Star intro, they eventually start it, with a nice feeling to the groove, (loud guiro, though. Very ’68.) Jerry is into some new ideas right at the intro. He’s got a nice control of the Stratocaster tone gamut now, it seems, which is great. This is nicely recorded (Bear) with all parts audible and the jam is relaxed but creative, a great combo. Waves of intensity come and go, volume is up and down with all players in the flow. Bobby tries out some nice ‘second chords’ before it comes to the theme before the 4 minute mark, and they go off again with some chromatic and then modal areas, long fluid runs from Jerry. Phil comes along after a while too. They are able to hear each other well even in the lower volume areas, so this goes on, a few eddies in the flow, netted notes that build and let go. At 6 minutes some stretching notes into quiet pools, brought down so low that we can hear some tapping on the strings.

    Phil comes up a bit with the theme, while there are rubbed strings from Jerry, and some volume swells. Very delicate. At 8:20 they start to build it up again, to the theme and then on to a delicate verse at almost 9 minutes in.

    Nice verse delivery, the cymbals crash the second line, lead guitar doubling the vocal melody. A relatively sedate reading, but beautiful.

    And the drums signal the counterpoint and they start the Transitive Nightfall, the bell-toll string is picked up and the cymbals crash, the groove falls away with some bell-tolling, crying notes, into space space space.

    Everything dies away, leaving some metal percussion noises and small feedbacky notes, cymbals rolling up and down quietly. Then we have a section of shorter sounds from percussion and bass strings, some hand drums even (Pigpen? He wasn’t on organ.) Some notes come in from a tone-rolled-off guitar, odd sounds from bass strings and feedback bits from Bob. JG starts some modal notes, interspersed with Bobby rocking a slide or the whammy bar on the strings. A melody slowly emerges with side stick drums in a groove at 15 minutes or so and it builds to a groove, Bobby playing with a G7 as the second/other chord after the A, so an F natural in there. Nonetheless, with that odd modal element it’s very much using the Dark Star groove and hinting at Spanish Jam simultaneously. Jerry builds it to a chordal plateau of sound before coming in strong with lead stuff, whereupon it suddenly changes to the Feeling Groovy riff/progression. Or a type of it, the chords come at wider rhythmic intervals. Plus they’re using the swing to move toward emphasizing the 6/8 feel at times. Building this to a funny chord progression for a while, sort of like the Stones “Last Time” before settling more into a heavy Dark Star, which breaks off into more noodles from JG and PL, that almost head toward The Other One.

    At 22:30 Jerry starts a Sputnik! Phil is totally jamming on it, even with Jerry’s volume ups and downs. A minute later it lands back on Dark Star, to a slow Bright Star.

    We *could* of course enter verse 2 territory now, but it goes on to a quieter thematic jam, with both drum sets but mid-tempo and volume. This wave builds slowly to an incredible peak at a newer Brighter Star with long runs up to it, back down and we’re finally getting set up for verse 2 at 27:40.

    Nicely and perfectly pitched vocal lines from Jerry, with strong and feeling delivery.

    Outro vocals are decent, all present with elongated notes, and a perfect counterpoint outro into the static chords, which land on the Cryptical introduction.


    A really great version, a half-hour long and followed by a half-hour That’s It For the Other One (with all condiments), then a half-hour Lovelight. Dang. I (also) think this is one of the best recent Dark Star versions, the modal shifts in the central jam are cool, and not really the same ones used before. The band is playing together and seem to all be there, firing on all cylinders, good sounds coming out. The exploration and discovery in the improvisation is obviously piquing the players’ interest as they play it and they have the energy to keep it up. This weekend must have been fun for everyone involved.
     
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  3. bzfgt

    bzfgt The Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler Thread Starter

    Maybe I should list the Sputnik for 2-13 as everyone else seems to be counting it, and I counted the one on the 14th....
     
  4. adamos

    adamos Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southeastern PA
    #99 1970-02-14 Another good opening albeit it a short one. Everyone is clear on the recording and the collective interweaving comes through nicely. Bob's rhythm is prominent which adds additional flavor. Jerry heads out on a wandering line and Phil plays off them nicely. They're moving with pace and by a couple of minutes in you can feel the building intensity. They back off a bit and there are ebbs and flows, winding and spiraling lines and some collective build-up and the whole thing just sounds really good. They shift into the theme at 4:08 and then proceed to the verse.

    After the verse Phil and Bob do their thing and keep it going longer than they have been. Some cymbal comes in and eventually Jerry joins in too with some high notes and it all swirls a bit before they dissolve it into space. Things get fairly quiet from which some freaky guitar noises begin to emerge. There's string scraping and brief bell tolls and then they quiet further with not much but faint chimes coming through. More weirdness follows, taking it's time. They are venturing into the void but delicately. Around 10:00 Jerry introduces some gentle notes but he morphs it into volume knob action with Bob joining in a little too. Things quiet again and then by 11:00 Jerry is back to the gentle line which quickly takes shape and the others jump in and they're off on a jam.

    The jam touches on some familiar territory at least initially and Jerry, Phil and Bob play off each other with faint but increasing drums in the mix as well. The intensity builds and they're rocking it out and then suddenly they ease up, keeping it going but with a different vibe and Phil stepping forward more. Slowly it builds back up again and they've got a good groove going. Around 15:00 they ease up and then shortly after Jerry starts up Sputnik. It's a mellower and feels more dreamy than otherworldly. Things gently unfold with a pretty feel sort of like a flower blooming. They continue to work in this space and it's a really nice passage.

    Around 17:30 Phil starts up Feelin' Groovy but they blend it into what they've got going and increase the intensity of the jam. After 18:35 things ease up and it's sounding more Dark Star-ish but still it's own thing. They begin to ascend again and they launch into Bright Star at 19:49 which sounds glorious. It's not a blistering peak but it's got some oomph and groove. Around 20:20 they shift back into the jam which 30 seconds later turns into Feelin' Groovy. FG is brief but melodious with some rev and Jerry extends some high notes and then swings down powerfully into the main theme, after which they head to the second verse.

    Great version and a nice way to follow 2/13.
     
    Last edited: Nov 11, 2021
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  5. JSegel

    JSegel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm, Sweden
    #99 1970-02-14 Fillmore East

    Third night of three here this weekend, this time Dark Star is the 2nd song in the Early Show, after Cold Rain and Snow and some technical monitor issues.

    A vocal count in even, to the intro riff and immediate jump into a groove improv, that’s moving forward. With guiro/shakers, all three guitars are in full-steam ahead mode on it, even hints at Bright Star theme stuff early on, it stays up for a few minutes before dropping into more ponderous eddies of sound, and Jerry changes his pickup settings to a darker one, but with the Strat it’s still a very round and bell-like tone, theme following at 4 min with Bobby on his classic chord groove method, and verse 1 comes 30 seconds later. Good vocal delivery, a little tired sounding by the third line (long weekend!)

    The jam starts with an aggressive groove, Bobby and Phil plugging away before it starts to slide away into space, Jerry eventually comes in with some high repeated notes and into the small sounds and they devolve into noise making, rubbing the strings, small hits on the guitars, cymbals. The bells or chimes comes in, small feedbacks in the mix, popping out. This space has mostly small guitar sounds and feedback play. Arhythmic noises and decelerating strikes with a metal slide or something, JG comes in with notes and then some volume knob swells by 10 minutes. A minute later he’s making quiet melodic runs, instigating the band to come in, and they do with a groove, Bobby using the A7-G7 thing from the night before again, so Jerry plays with the B-F tritone in his licks. This is an interesting jam, sort of dissonant and aggressive. It mellows after a few minutes, but Bobby is still sticking with the G7 for a while, Phil comes in on a new bass line with an E Major, but it doesn’t stick them into the major mode quite. Drums are in, side-sticking.

    Jerry starts a casual Sputnik at 15 minutes, this area dies out into a more chaotic area, drums fade and then come back quietly, the guiro still taking charge of the rhythm. Phil makes a stab at the descending “groovy” bass line but it doesn’t stick really either. They’re taking the cues and casting them aside one after another. The jamming continues forward, but no real riffs stick (Phil tries an A-to-E major again) eventually Jerry hits a slow Bright Star right before the 20 minute mark and it goes into a sort of chaotic sounding theme area, loud and odd, and at 20:50, Phil goes for the descending bass line and they actually do the Feeling Groovy chords for a while, but it comes back to a Dark Star theme stated like stomping boots on the stage, slow and loud and drunken-sounding. Immediate verse 2 follows at 22 min, bringing the volume down through the lines, starting loud. Almost no strong rhythmic statements for line 2, and almost no wandering on line 3.

    Outro has drum punctuation between the madrigal vocal lines, very embellished “transitive nightfall.” The outro counterpoint heads to the static chords leading into St Stephen, the Eleven, Lovelight.


    This is a very confident version, everybody is playing very strongly, though the forward motion ends up a little chaotic and loud. It almost sounds drunk at times. Bobby is really into his new G7 modality in the jams in the middle, he stuck with it for quite a while. A good recording, again, decent version but maybe not as creative as the night before.
     
  6. jwoverho

    jwoverho Licensed Drug Dealer

    Location:
    Mobile, AL USA
    I'd love some recommendations for trippiest Dark Star, if there are some that rise to the top of the mountain.:)
     
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  7. SJR

    SJR Big Boss Man

    You want trippy, try Cleveland, OH, 06/12/73. A wild trip.
     
  8. Archtop

    Archtop Soft Dead Crimson Cow

    Location:
    Greater Boston, MA
    Yes, the Cleveland Steamer Star is right at the top of trippy. 5/11/72 and 11/11/73 are other worthy examples. Really, anything from '72-'74 has face-melting as part of the experience. Just some more than others. I suppose that "trippiest" isn't a clear criterion even if we know exactly what you mean. Their music is very rubbery in many ways.
     
  9. jwoverho

    jwoverho Licensed Drug Dealer

    Location:
    Mobile, AL USA
    I guess it is kind of hard to articulate exactly the essence of music, especially that of a group like The Dead, which shifted between genres easily and even blurred the lines between genres. Trippy when talking about The Dead could really encompass a whole variety of aspects. That's one of the wonderful things about their music.
     
  10. Mr. Rain

    Mr. Rain Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    1970-02-14. They don't waste time starting this one! The opening jam is speedy, intent, and not very long. They sound focused even if they're not inclined to dawdle like on 2-13. The great Fillmore East recording highlights Bob's guitar and the inevitable guiro.
    The bustle after the verse gets more involved than usual, it sets a kind of frantic mood before they wobble out into space. Then we get silence, moody noises, whines and plonks, like we're entering the Twilight Zone. But it sounds very fragmentary like you say, not as much a grand sonic sculpture as some other spaces.
    Jerry picks the way out, and this time there's no uncertainty where they're going -- within about 30 seconds they've got a strong groove going. Bob turns up his volume and lays down a choppy rhythm. Bill comes in, and for a while it's more like a hard-edged Dancing in the Streets jam; this is a full rock flight. Sounds like they're heading for Feelin' Groovy, but that gets postponed...they calm down around 13:30 and get more mellow for a minute, bringing the pressure up & down again. Jerry rejects a Feelin' Groovy overture to launch a Sputnik instead. (Mickey brings back the guiro.) But this turns out to be kind of half-hearted, quiet & scattered, a mellow quasi-Sputnik. Jerry shifts gears and takes the jam in a new direction. He turns down another blatant Feelin' Groovy nudge from Phil, and they go through some interesting twists & turns -- here the playing sounds more like it did the night before, with a more wistful mood. (Bass alert: Phil plays the same riff at 14:00 and 19:15.) Suddenly a Bright Star, a release of delight, which turns into a cool new riff, and at last, Feelin' Groovy springs forth, full of pent-up emotion. And bang, the theme! Jerry jumps right into the verse without letting them calm down like usual, but they still do the verse well.
    Fascinating version. What strikes me are all the sudden shifts in mood; you get whiplash in this one bouncing around from one distinct feeling to the next. Very different from 2-13 which sustains pretty much the same mood at length. They really pack a lot into these little micro-jams that get strung together, and it feels like it's over in no time.
     
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  11. JSegel

    JSegel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm, Sweden
    a parenthetical #000 : 1970-3-17 *no tape* — with Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.
    Oh how I wish there were a tape of this, this really seems like the perfect version for #100 on this list, but oddly nobody at the school thought to record the event! Dark Star with additional orchestral players sitting in (possibly.)
     
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  12. bzfgt

    bzfgt The Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler Thread Starter

    This is a problem. There will be cases in the future that test our resolve, and I'm not sure if we've set the right precedent with this. For instance, should 1974-06-28 be listed as a Dark Star? Probably not.........maybe if it has no vocals but starts with "da dee da daaa" it is a Dark Star?
     
  13. Mr. Rain

    Mr. Rain Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    It's heartbreaking to read about all those 1970 shows that didn't get taped! This one's high on the list.
    We haven't come across too many Dark Star Jams so far....I'm sure an instrumental piece within a larger jam is something we can tackle, though some "quotes" might be marginal. It's not til the '90s that it really gets to be an issue with all the short teases & fakes they did. But by then this thread will be on its last legs anyway!
     
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  14. bzfgt

    bzfgt The Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler Thread Starter

    Number 100--I feel like we should be giving something away:

    100. 1970-03-24 (possibly 03-23) 32054 Florida 13:50 (13:42)

    Main theme at 1:35.
    Feelin’ Groovy at 9:32.
    Bright Star at 10:45.
    First verse at
    Main theme at
    Goes into The Other One.

    A snappy intro is played here with confidence. The main theme is visited early, and as usual they seem to be hovering around it in this section. From about 3:00 the band slides into a remarkable jam. Weir is playing some high counterpoint, which contributes to the unique flavor here. It comes to a head about a minute later, and then they dip into a kind of Sputnik-y region to regroup. Unfortunately, there is a cut at 4:55, and we are cast forward into the post-verse space.

    Space, which again seems a little disjointed tonight, turns into a kind of gentle noodling as ordinary sonorities reassert themselves. When it comes together at around 7:30 it seems like Soulful Strut is in the offing. The band starts pedaling in a repetitious pattern, which sometimes suggests they’re getting ready to play a modular jam. However, they stay with what they’re doing for a while; Garcia starts a frenzied high solo at 9:00, and then he breaks into Bright Star at about 9:12, although it’s more of a quote, and he goes on to quote the main theme at 9:24 before the band kicks into Feelin’ Groovy at 9:32.

    They don’t stay with Feelin’ Groovy for long, and soon Garcia is again weaving his solo around the Bright Star pattern. There is quite a peak here before the band brings it down again. As we reach the 12 minute mark it almost sounds like Garcia is pushing toward Cosmic Charlie for a moment or two, and there is a Sputnik pattern at the end before the band shifts into The Other One (without an intervening Cryptical Envelopment).

    The playing is really great at times, and the jam after space is pretty vicious. Although the intro is cut what’s here of that is also really good. This is a nice piece of music that is sadly incomplete; in any case, it seems like the band is on a roll with Dark Star at this point.
     
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  15. JSegel

    JSegel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm, Sweden
    #100 1970-03-23 Pirate’s World, Dania FL ding ding ding, number 100. Donuts, everyone!

    Middle of the set in Florida here. Medium tempo, decent groove established right off the bat.

    Great lead in jam up to the gliss Jerry does to start the theme proper about 2 minutes in. This is more relaxed togetherness in the rhythm section (guiro alone from the drum area to start with shaker after a few minutes). Nice playing from Jerry, it builds into some strong whirlpools, and into riffy theme jam area which backs off drastically at a little after 4 min and goes into a quieter jazzier jam, and then the tape cuts to the space section after the verse! Crud.

    Space has volume swelled notes and swirling strokes on guitar strings. Drums making small rhythmic cadences. JG and Phil start the build back into melodies at about 6 minutes into this tape, the side stick drum set wants to come along, but it’s not settling into a rhythm for a while. When it does get to a groove, Jerry sticks on a G for a while, before starting longer runs. Bobby still wants that G7 sometimes, but at 9:30 they start the descending bass FG/UJB groove progression. Jerry is continuously streaming notes, and hits a Bright Star run area within this section, and builds it further to a real Bright Star by 11 minutes.

    They rein it in, back to a moderate groove, and get caught in a weird arpeggio area for a bit (both JG and BW) as they build it up, and then it drops away with a slightly different feel and Phil pedals for a while, and they continue arpeggio-building and then when it finally actually sounds like a Sputnik (ya think Cosmic Charlie?) for a second, it changes to The Other One! And off they go.

    Decent version, actually, though with a cut so we lost verse 1. Lots of forward momentum in the jams, and the energy is high, and it continues into the Other One jam and beyond. That's a hundred captured performances in a little over 2 years of very incessant touring. Pretty amazing, even if they stopped there. Which, we all know, they didn't. At all.
     
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  16. Mr. Rain

    Mr. Rain Forum Resident

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    1970-03-24. This one goes at a speedy clip! The opening jam went by so quickly I had to hold onto my seat. (But it's very restful at the same time.) Bob's very active, doing a lot of counterpoint-playing; and the inevitable guiro keeps up the beat. Toward the end they get quieter and Mickey's doing his guiro-tapping, it sounds like they're getting back to the chord changes they were doing at 3:00 -- then zip, a cut throws us into space. Oops, there goes the verse!
    Space is a couple minutes of the usual weirdness. It's a little busier than usual; Bill's pattering on drums which gives it a more agitated feel. But it's not long before Jerry's playing a little tune and the other guys slowly return to normal, an interesting transition. Then after 7:20 they step on the gas and boom, we're in a percussive jam, Bill snappy on drums. It does sound like Bob's in his Soulful Strut modality, though not quite getting into that chord pattern. Hot stuff -- surprisingly Jerry breaks into Bright Star after 9:05, earlier than expected, and seems to realize it's too soon and backpedals, so Bob guides them into Feelin' Groovy, a very ebullient take. (Bill's bangin' those toms!) Jerry takes them right into Bright Star again -- the playing keeps getting hotter! At the point where they normally go back to the theme, (around 11:00) Jerry wants to keep going, so he noodles around for a while and gets into that Cosmic Charlie-type pattern, which after 12 minutes turns into something really beautiful. Jerry's arpeggios change into the Sputnik pattern and Bob gamely counters him, but Phil wants to move on and starts pressing for the Other One, so that's where they go.
    I actually liked this one more than 2-14. A very high-energy version that races to the finish -- they really put some pep in their step for the bored teens at Pirate's World!
     
  17. Archtop

    Archtop Soft Dead Crimson Cow

    Location:
    Greater Boston, MA
    I'm a bit behind all of a sudden. 2/13/70 has hit and now I'm in. This was on one of my very first tapes in January 1982 in snowy, cold Worcester, MA over holiday break. The tracks that got me on the bus were from 4/29/71 (especially the Alligator Jam --> Road) and the second set from 12/1/79. My friend (Curtis, if you are out there, thank you 1,000,000 x over) said, regarding 2/13/70: "You need this. You're still digesting, but you'll need it sooner or later."

    Needless to say, I put this on once back in my dorm room. A nearly empty building, snow coming down like a banshee and nothing to do for 10 days. This ripped my brain from my skull. I was a Yes, ELP and Rush fan, and I thought I knew progressive music, but this was a whole different kettle of fish. I couldn't completely comprehend it, but I loved it. What I find fascinating about the 2/13/70 Star is that it's a perfect companion to the 9/19/70 Star, but the versions in betwixt don't really have that glue thing. Maybe I need to relisten, as it were.

    9/19/70 takes this Star to another level. But the 2/13 version is one of their best. I promise to be more analytical moving forward, but this visceral memory is really my input for now.
     
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  18. bzfgt

    bzfgt The Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler Thread Starter

    I put this in on the blog. I edited it to say "I put this on at once" as I assume that was a typo?
     
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  19. Archtop

    Archtop Soft Dead Crimson Cow

    Location:
    Greater Boston, MA
    I think it works either way, with or without the "at."
     
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  20. adamos

    adamos Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southeastern PA
    #100 1970-03-24 There’s a nice gliding feel as they get going. Bob’s rhythm adds texture, supplemented by the guiro and shaker, and they head out at a decent pace. By 1:35 they’re already hitting the theme. Bob continues to be prominent in the mix which adds a nice feel. Jerry is exploring high and low, winding through lines. After three minutes they’re gaining some momentum and add a little edge and the jam soars upwards. They ease up somewhat and proceed a bit more delicately and then a tape cut fast forwards us into space.

    Space is oozy and insect-y and somewhat melodious with lots of cymbal action and some kick drum as well. Around 6:30 things are starting to coalesce and by 7:20 they are off into a jam and get cooking. After 8:30 Jerry is reaching higher and around 9:05 he takes it into a semi-Bright Star but the jam keeps rolling and around 9:30 they transition into Feeling Groovy.

    FG is lively and uplifting but brief and you can hear Jerry wanting to get back to Bright Star. They’re moving fast and building and at 10:45 he hits the Bright Star peak. From there they bring it down and cruise along at a lower altitude for a bit. Starting at 11:50 it does sound like there’s a touch of Cosmic Charlie in the proceedings. They rev it up and then ease off and Jerry works a pretty line with a little twang and it builds again and things get progressively more Sputnik-ish before giving way to The Other One.

    It’s a good version with lots of energy; shame about the cut.
     
  21. bzfgt

    bzfgt The Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler Thread Starter

    101. 1970-04-24 (possibly 4-23) 19531 Denver 24:39

    Main theme at :30, :50, 1:32, and 6:05.
    First verse at 6:34.
    Sputnik at 11:05.
    Feelin’ Groovy at 13:01.
    Soulful Strut at 13:54.
    Bright Star at 22:05.
    Main theme at 22:30.
    Second verse at 23:03.
    Goes into St. Stephen.

    The sound quality of this aud leaves much to be desired. The band cranks along convincingly on the intro jam, with some visits to the main theme punctuating the proceedings. Garcia, who is once again playing an SG, sounds really great here. There is a quite majestic feel to the playing here, and there is a sense of bobbing along on some effective swells and peaks in a continuously flow of sound. There is a particularly rousing peak before the drop into the main theme just prior to the verse.

    Once again there is a good patch of near-silence at the beginning of space, which is a particularly unique and effective strategy in the Dark Stars of this era. At 9:30, we find that the return of the SG also has brought us the return of the insect weirdness, which seems to lend credence to JSegel’s theory that he is playing behind the bridge in a way he cannot do on a Stratocaster. Space proceeds very quietly until, at 11:05, there are adumbrations of Sputnik. This is sort of a Sputnik and sort of not, as is often the case these days; I guess it can’t hurt to list it. It soon turns into a more ordinary line from Garcia; Lesh dips into Feelin’ Groovy at 12:40, and after a little dithering that’s where it winds up going, and then it works its way over to Soulful Strut.

    They play the heck out of this one, and Garcia sounds magnificent on the SG (or at least, given the quality of the recording, he sounds like he sounds magnificent). By around the 16 point Soulful Strut seems to be winding down, but they crank it back up to a crescendo. Finally at around 17:20 Garcia lets out a flurry of notes that bring Soulful Strut to a close.

    He then plays some double stop riffs, and it’s not clear exactly what’s going on here, but it seems like something different. It starts to take the rhythm of Feelin’ Groovy, more or less, but with different chords. At 19:05 Lesh starts playing Feelin’ Groovy, but Garcia keeps shifting up a fourth and throwing it into disarray. Lesh lets out a final flourish of Feelin’ Groovy chords when Garcia stops. At about 20 minutes, they shift back into a Dark Star pattern. This then changes into some 5-beat arpeggios, and then back into a hard charging jam that again dips into a Feelin’ Groovy kind of beat before veering into a Bright Star-like peak; then they take it over the top into Bright Star, drop down into the main theme and head to the verse.

    This is a remarkable version. The jamming after Soulful Strut is rather unique, and at times it’s hard to discern what they’re doing. At times this again reminded me of Run for the Roses. The final peak is brutal, devastating. The sound is terrible, though.
     
  22. JSegel

    JSegel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm, Sweden
    #101 1970-04-25 Mammoth Gardens, Denver, CO 24:39 AUD

    Audience tape shows an interesting aural spectrum, the band starts the songs and Jerry tests some feedback and swells before a theme entrance, played a few times before heading to more restrained lead playing, sounds like neck pickup in the hall, not super bright—he’s back to using an SG now, a ’66 Standard. They reference the theme a few times before it starts to take off. Nice playing, wish it were a better tape! Bob sounds like he’s keeping the rhythm, essentially, it’s tough to hear his chordal notes exactly. They build with Phil following Jerry closely into waves that crest and break. Some chordal whirlpools at 4:00 in, with Phil controlling the harmonic environment. Back to the song basis, and JG is off again, he’s exploring some nice runs, endless melodic motion, then goes into an area of stretching strings. Really beautiful stuff! Then the gliss up to the A and the theme proper again at 6 minutes, into verse 1 at 6:30.

    People clap at the singing (reviews said the audience were sort of expecting Live/Dead and got hit with a full opening set of folk music). Nice verse version, a little more motion as it goes through the lines. And off to the counterpoint and into the middle section, Phil is setting it up droning on the A string as the band tremolos toward quietude.

    A slight bell toll from one guitar rings an e-minor… cymbals take over with small sounds from the instruments, hardly audible in this hall recording until they build the volume a bit. Scrapes and sounds. Some volume knob swelled notes. Space. It gets very quiet by 10:30 minutes, sounds like a quiet Sputnik emerging by 11, against some odd sounds still happening, some feedbacks. It breaks at 12 min, melody returns with lead playing, again not the bright Strat tone exactly (I wonder how much of that is the tape?) Phil picks up underneath and they go immediately to the UJB descending bass riff major-key progression. (I’m just going to call it that.) And then a lithe segue into the “Soulful Strut/Tighten Up” two-maj7-chord jam. (I’m still finding all these names weird, and given our historical perspective, it does sound sort of proto-Eyes...) Jerry’s tone is honky and nasal, maybe he has a wah pedal backed off like he used to use, or the SG's tone knob does that? In any case, soaring lead playing, lots of claves and Bill on side-stick latin groove. Move over Esquivel, here’s some real space-age bachelor pad music.

    At 17:20 it breaks to a new arpeggio, sort of Sputnik-y, with the “Shall we go” sixths following, playing on them to a new area, which sort of leads back to the UJB riff as Jerry plays with the implied chords. At 20 min it drops back into the Dark Star chordal area. Drums still plugging away a bit and JG starts a type of arpeggiated lead section that relates to the Sputnik chord, but he takes off on it and the band follows upwards. Several melodic waves up and down and to a Bright Star, really playing it out, loud and strong by 22 minutes!

    Bringing it down from there in volume and tempo, people clap and cheer as the band enters the Dark Star theme again.

    Verse 2 at 23:00, no filigree really, sort of a staid rendition, the outro vocals sound good in the hall, reverberating. Counterpoint leads to the static chords, leading to St Stephen and a searing version of the Eleven, so the audience is gonna get some Live/Dead after all.

    This is really a great version despite the bad quality audience recording, very seamless transitions between the jam sections, nice playing all around, great full-band playing. Wish there were a better audio copy!
     
    bzfgt and adamos like this.
  23. Mr. Rain

    Mr. Rain Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    1970-04-24. They're soaring right off! They drop right into a mystical wonderland....something the audience tape enhances with its blurry, far-off prism. Strange creatures wander through the Mammoth Gardens... They do some careful construction around the theme at the start, then work up to a heavy peak at 3:30. This opening jam gets a lot more exotic than usual, oozing all kinds of places before the theme at 6:05. Does Jerry sound excited to be back on his SG?

    The exit into the post-verse space has been getting to be more of a big production lately...but the tolling bell is still hanging in there! This is a chimey, glittery, fairytale-forest kind of space...really great use of feedback and, well, space. And as it fades out, a lovely transition to Jerry's usual sputnik routine, half-in and half-out of space, which bursts out in a torrent and then fades away. This whole sequence reminds me of Caliban's speech:
    "The isle is full of noises,
    Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not.
    Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
    Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices,
    That if I then had waked after long sleep
    Will make me sleep again; and then in dreaming
    The clouds methought would open and show riches
    Ready to drop upon me, that when I waked
    I cried to dream again."


    After that they get into the big jam right away, and Phil wastes no time nudging them into Feelin' Groovy. It's basically just a short introduction; before long it turns into Soulful Strut in a deft sleight-of-hand! (These themes haven't been paired in a few months, on tapes at least.) Soulful Strut is pretty neat; they quiet it down in the middle and then bring it back up again in an old r&b trick. But this theme must come to an end too...then there's a lovely little drift with Jerry wandering downstream Chuck Berry-style (that is, if Chuck had ever played a Dark Star). This gets back into kind of a quasi-Feelin' Groovy...a return to how the jam opened, like a mini-palindrome!
    Then the cauldron bubbles & boils, chords flying every which way, drummers going hard, who knows what'll come out.... They're edging back to the Dark Star theme, but taking the scenic route, Jerry climbing back up to the cloudy peaks. After 21:20 he nails a thrilling high flight that climaxes in a blazing Bright Star. After that it's almost funny when they suddenly slow down and return to Dark Star like nothing had happened. The audience is sure impressed!

    Great version for sure. Like on 3-24, they sound super-excited, and the jamming really goes places. I could adjust to the recording all right...you can make out the guitars okay, and the hazy mist that obscures the performance is actually well-suited to Dark Star. (This is nothing compared to the brutal ear-hammering that awaits us on the NEXT Dark Star....)
     
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2021
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  24. adamos

    adamos Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southeastern PA
    #101 1970-04-24 Recorded glimpses like we're looking in on something that took place long ago in a far away land. They jump right into it getting a nice groove going with early swells and a fluid feeling. Things slow up a bit and get more dreamy. Jerry is working some lovely lines. Majesty from a distance. They get some more momentum going again; after 3:20 or so the intensity builds and then they ease into a revvy, spacey zone that slips back into a fluid groove. Jerry climbs a spiral staircase and they're cruising through the clouds, reaching higher before shifting into the main theme and on to the verse.

    After the verse Phil and Bob do their thing and there's a rumbling feeling before things quiet down. In comes some bell tolling that feels delicately dramatic. They get into almost pin-drop territory with just faint chimes and slight sounds. Things slowly build with cymbal or gong washes and some feedback and a bit of insect weirdness. It's an oozy, other-worldy zone subtly executed to good effect. Around 11:05 Sputnik starts to slowly emerge. It takes its time, not fully formed, then picks up some pace while remaining fairly low-key. Pretty becomes more powerful before giving way around 12:05, after which Jerry shifts into a gentle wandering line.

    By 12:40 there are Feelin' Groovy cues from Phil which they launch into properly after 13:00. It's brief but nice and then they shift into Soulful Strut around 13:55. It's lovely and uplifting even from a distance and they work it for a good while, eventually quieting down before bringing it back up for a final peak. Then at 17:20 Jerry hits these high, repeating notes and then some longer, stretchy ones. Everyone joins in and it rises up and gets Feelin' Groovy-ish and then after 19:30 they ebb and swirl and rock and then ease up and transition back into Dark Star territory. Things start to build and they're cooking along, rising up and then bursting into Bright Star that just screams out in triumph. They don't stay for long however and quickly descend into the main theme (which is greeted by enthusiastic cheers from the audience) and then on to the second verse.

    A strong performance with plenty going on and an enjoyable listen despite the recording quality.
     
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  25. bzfgt

    bzfgt The Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler Thread Starter

    102. 1970-05-08 32056 SUNY Delhi 18:05 (the beginning is cut).

    Main theme at :45.
    First verse at 1:14.
    Sputnik at 7:30.
    Soulful Strut at 11:10.
    UJB jam at 16:00.
    Goes into Dancing in the Streets.

    This is a truly horrible recording. Much of it sounds like a piano accompanied by a tuba. Since the Grateful Dead at this point included neither of these instruments, one has to question the fidelity of this recording.

    There is a certain amount of charm to the screeching, roaring and howling space section, although I wouldn’t go so far as to say the experience is enhanced by the nature of this recording. This does seem like it was probably one heck of a space, in any case. It ends with a Sputnik; this time, it seems like a little more of a traditional Sputnik than we’ve been getting lately.

    At around 9 Minutes we seem to be back in a more traditional Dark Star type jam, as it seems like Weir and Lesh are playing a main theme kind of pattern. Garcia seems to be playing a kind of rolling pattern in various places that has an odd effect, as the tape picks up his high notes in a way that makes them sound much different from his lower sounds, so he sometimes sounds like two different people.

    They work their way into a Soulful Strut jam. This gets kind of hypnotic if you bend your ear to the murk. 14:20 is a good example, if you listen for a few seconds, of how when Garcia changes registers the sound seems to come from somewhere else—an interesting artifact of the recording, I suppose.

    At around 16:00 the jam changes. JSegel has been callin Feelin’ Groovy a UJB jam, but this time that is what it sounds like to me here. It is possible that the recording is fooling me and I can’t adequately discern the chord pattern, however. In any case, at least for now I’m going to call this a UJB jam.

    A few seconds before the end of the track the band shifts into Dancing in the Streets, and Dark Star ends without a second verse.

    I don’t have anything more to say about this—it was difficult to get through. Probably a good version, but anyone not doing a project like this one should not feel obliged to listen to this.
     

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