Has anyone compiled the extended version of Grayfolded, linking the full versions of all these Dark Stars?
It's fascinating to me to do this trip down memory lane, as it's so blurred for me the last 3 decades since I first bought it all (married, multiple moves, jobs, 3 kids, etc). Imagine these being the first 3-4 releases from the archive?? Who woulda thought where things would be in 2021 in terms of what the GoGD release vs this beginning.
That's what I'm talking about. This album is a friggen' masterpiece. Really brilliant use of collage/cut-up techniques in a work that's evocative of its original sources but still its own unique creation. The diagrams above show what an undertaking this was, and how heavily the versions are layered at different points... I recall reading (probably in The Golden Road or DDN) that there was one point in the album where he sampled one note from every version of "Dark Star" simultaneously. I mean, it's crazy, but it also works perfectly on its own merits, simply as a piece of music. While it remains axiomatic that the Grateful Dead did something in concert that could never be fully captured on recording tape, this album is, as Bob Weir might say, "exactly backwards" from that, taking unique live performances and creating a new work that could only be realized in the recording studio.
Huh...seems like they are linked end-to-end with some edits and only a verse at the beginning and end. Cool idea, but I was hoping they were all literally mixed together!
Grayfolded 2.0/5 I've only listened to this once after finding a second hand copy at a CD store in Santa Cruz in the summer of 2014. Listening again for this thread hasn't really changed my opinion. When taken out of context these free jams don't really make sense anymore and switching back and forth from things that are obviously 1968, then 1972, then 1989, then early 90s makes this a very uneven listen. It sounds like someone's hitting the skip button constantly on a compilation of different Dark Stars. What makes this an even more difficult listen is the effects on the vocals in the rare moments where something comes up. It might work as a sound collage, but not as a piece of Grateful Dead music. Give me any Dark Star I've heard over this any day.
Although I'm known to skip Dark Star on occasion, I find this compilation really enjoyable and I seem to be recognizing a lot of the particular themes from the various versions I've heard over the years. All the years combine, eh. I do have to concur on the statement that it is a little bit lost without the context of the remainder of the second set. An essential release? Difficult to say. More essential than Infrared Roses? Food for discussion I suppose. Will I be on the lookout for a second hand copy on Discogs? Probably not.
Well, the Dead are so versatile that I there is plenty of stuff to enjoy apart from half hour long jams. Just like some people severely dislike Donna's singing or songs like Row Jimmy (both of with I actually like), I'm not always in the mood for Dark Star. It also depends on what I'm doing, if I'm listening to the Dead during my 20 minute bike ride to work, I prefer to listen to shorter songs. I skip Drums > Space way more often though.
I have to be in the right mood for an extended Dark Star or Other One sequence. Fortunately that mood strikes quite often. In the band's last couple of years I often find Drums>Space the most interesting part of the show. But it will be a long time before we get to the officially-released 1994 and 1995 shows in this thread...
I listened to DP1 disc two last night and for contrast listened to part of the audience tape today. At a few spots there is conversation between the taper and a woman next to him. I was amused by the taper's comment on db.etreedb.org: "Thanks to Melinda B. (wherever you are) for help with the microphone/recorder and comments about Bob Weir's haircut." Grateful Dead 12/19/73 <b>flac16</b>; Matrix from sources: soundboard: 97361; and Dan McDonald's audience tape (new flat transfer)
I'm not surprised that Grayfolded hasn't generated a ton of discussion; it's not like we can talk about other versions of the songs, and a lot of people probably never bought it. I've been updating my original list by creating a week-by-week spreadsheet that I'll post here when it's ready. While I'm definitely breaking releases that include large chunks of multiple shows up so that each show has its own week's discussion, I'm debating how to handle 4-disc and 5-disc compilation sets like Steppin' Out, the GDM soundtrack, and So Many Roads. I'm concerned those are too much to cover in one week and wondering if we should break them into 2-disc and 3-disc chunks. There are only a few of these sets. Opinions? Next up, this Friday: Hundred Year Hall. Specifically, the old 1995 release, not the one from the complete E72 recordings.
Personally I like keeping it to a week per title. For me, I'm revisiting most of these titles, and I plan to re-listen to them over a day or three, and I can't see that changing much for 4 or 5 disc sets.
I think in terms of releases, not shows. So my vote would be to cover all of each release in a single post, with the exception of the mega box sets like the complete Fillmore or Winterland stands and the ‘72 monster. For those, maybe go by individual show after introducing the full box up front? Other releases like the So Many Roads box or Steppin’ Out could be given 2 weeks for discussion if people want the extra time to go in deep. Just my thoughts. Whatever you want is how I’ll roll.
When a release has multiple nearly-complete show I'm definitely giving each show its own week; for example, Dick's Picks 14 will have one week each for 11/30/73 and 12/2/73. But based on this feedback, compilations will be covered in a single week, and that will include releases like Dick's Picks 12, which contains the second sets from two shows. Thanks!
Thread guide List of releases By Release Date One from the Vault (1975-08-13 San Francisco, released 1991-04-15) Infrared Roses (1989-1990, released 1991-11-01) Two from the Vault (1968-08-24 San Francisco, released May 1992) Dick’s Picks Volume 1 (1973-12-19 Tampa, released 1991-10-31) Dick’s Picks Volume 2 (1971-10-31 Columbus, released March 1995) Grayfolded (1968-1993, released 1994 and 1995) By Concert Date Various (released 1994 and 1995 on Grayfolded) 1968-08-24 Los Angeles (released 1992-05 on Two from the Vault) 1971-10-31 Columbus (released 1995-03 on Dick's Picks 2) 1973-12-19 Tampa (released 1993-10-31 on Dick's Picks 1) 1975-08-13 San Francisco (released 1991-04-15 on One from the Vault) 1989, 1990 (released 1991-11-01 on Infrared Roses)
Hundred Year Hall Recording date: April 26, 1972 Recording location: Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt, West Germany Release date: September 26, 1995 Recording: Alembic Disc 1 "Bertha" (Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter) – 5:41 "Me and My Uncle" (John Phillips) – 3:05 "Next Time You See Me" (Earl Forest, William Harvey) – 4:15 "China Cat Sunflower" > (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:14 "I Know You Rider" (traditional, arranged by Grateful Dead) – 5:14 "Jack Straw" (Bob Weir, Hunter) – 4:47 "Big Railroad Blues" (Noah Lewis) – 3:54 "Playing in the Band" (Weir, Mickey Hart, Hunter) – 9:17 "Turn On Your Love Light" > (Deadric Malone, Joseph Scott) – 19:13 "Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad" > (traditional, arranged by Grateful Dead) – 7:32 "One More Saturday Night" (Weir) – 4:44 Disc 2 "Truckin'" > (Garcia, Weir, Phil Lesh, Hunter) – 17:45 "The Other One" > (Weir, Kreutzmann) – 36:29 "Comes a Time" > (Garcia, Hunter) – 6:45 "Sugar Magnolia" (Weir, Hunter) – 7:23 This will be one of a handful of shows we discuss more than once. Most of the concert was released as the third multitrack vault release, and the whole show was part of the later Europe ‘72 box. But this week we’re covering the original, abbreviated release. It places selected songs from the first set at the beginning, followed by the second set’s conclusion (Lovelight>>OMSN) to round out the first disc. The second disc is devoted to the heart of the second set. Europe ‘72 and Without a Net were my gateways into the Dead. Hundred Year Hall is old enough that good quality E72 recordings weren’t in wide circulation; I certainly didn’t have any. So getting most of a show, mixed from the multitracks, was a blessing. The recent songs still sounded fresh, and the band’s excitement (probably at both the songs and the location) comes across in the performances. First-set songs are played with enthusiasm, a little differently every night. This set is one of the better ones, and I never get tired of hearing it. China>Rider is an obvious highlight. We get our first jam in a fine Playing, a song which starts to really expand through the E72 tour. On this release, the next extended sequence is a 19-minute Good Lovin’; on the concert it was at the end. Either way, it shows a tight band playing almost telepathically and it ranges across quite a range of music. Pigpen stays largely in the background on this one, presumably due to his health issues. It’s not listed on the release but it distinctly segues into Not Fade Away before morphing into Goin’ Down the Road, for a while somehow being both songs at once. One More Saturday Night is clearly out of place at this point in the show, although it’s a fun closer. The second disc, containing the main second set jam, is indescribable. It opens with Truckin’, with Bob missing the lyrics at the start of almost every verse. But musically the band is on fire. Billy’s playing lots of little accents yet keeping the rhythm tight, Jerry’s adding a lot of tasty guitar licks, and the rest of the band is right there. It tries to dissolve but Billy won’t let it go yet. The goin’ home verse starts tentatively but leads into a loud, tight section. It’s remarkable how well the musicians are listening to each other. Finally the music lets go and we get a relatively long drum solo. The controlled chaos of The Other One arises. I’m not going to try to describe the exquisiteness of this track; it’s 36 minutes of Dead improvisational perfection, ranging through an amazing variety of textures and moods. It’s one of the tour’s highlights. A short time and an eternity after it starts, The Other One abruptly drops into the emotional Comes a Time. This song was not played frequently, and always adds something special to a set. After what we’ve just experienced, this one is spine-tingling. Finally, Sugar Magnolia brings us back to the reality of life and love. Some may express disdain for this song, but I think it’s wonderful, and never better than the many great E72 versions. Everything delightful, indeed. In retrospect, the only problem is that we know there’s more music to come, but the album ends here! This show is magical. Despite its shortcomings, at the time it was my favorite archival release. And listening to it again on the main stereo this week, it continues to satisfy. The second disc is one of my favorite discs in my music collection. The cover art, featuring stained-glass representations of each band member, is nicely done; each band member is quite distinctive. I’m surprised they haven’t sold it as a lampshade yet (or maybe they have). Of course, these days the entire tour has been released in its multitrack glory (the complete show adds about 90 minutes to this release). And we’ll get to all of it in good time... Some trivia about the release: Robert Hunter provided an essay that was published with the CDs. His description of the music on disc 2 is a must-read. Both John Cutler and Phil Lesh are noted as producers. The Other One is listed as Cryptical Envelopment on the release, although that part of the suite wasn’t played. According to Wikipedia, “Century Hall” is the usual translation of the venue’s name.
Great review, Al. I will always associate this release with the grief that all of us felt in the summer and fall of 1995, but what joy there was (and still is) in much of this music. The highlight for me (and the subject of much discussion with friends) is the push/pull transition from Lovelight into Not Fade Away...not so fast! That turn into GDTRFB is so unexpected, and the song unfolds like someone opened a window and let the breeze blow through the room. It still brings a smile to my face, after countless plays. This was the archival release that really lit the lamp for me. I still get a buzz from listening to this music. Hunter's liner notes are great, too. You can read them here.
Essential. Nothing more to add, really. Though I don’t listen to this one too often, as I prefer the whole show that was released with the full Europe ‘72 tour.
I remember both the cover and the liner notes made a strong impression on me when this came out. Hunter paints a vivid picture and the phrase that really struck me at the time was “the monster is out of the box now.” And then the music was just incredible! The meat of disc two knocked my socks off; it was another one I used to love to crank when in the moment. Such a great release.
When Hundred Year Hall came out, it was the first archival release after Jerry's passing. I can only imagine the emotions that listening to this slab of prime spring 1972 Dead music must have stirred in long-time Heads back in the fall of 1995. I always wondered why they abandoned the "from the vault" branding for this release, rarely using it again going forward. Going by how they originally set out their archival excavation project, this release should have been titled "Three From The Vault", given that it was a vintage multitrack recording. Regardless of its title and the fact that it doesn't present the complete concert (which I haven't heard since I don't have the massive E72 box set), this is an absolutely amazing performance. As strong as that tour was in general, this Frankfurt concert had to have been one of the highlights, despite none of the songs being chosen for inclusion on the original Europe '72 album. Everything here is just brilliant, captured in outstanding sound quality. While it's not my go-to for this tour (an upcoming release is the one I play most often, other than the original 1972 album), it's always a fantastic listen. This is just about the best "The Other One" I can think of, although there are other rivals. Plus it has great performances of a few of my favorite Dead songs: "Jack Straw", "China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider", and "Playing In The Band". What's not to love?
