I always prefer to say something is in my "top five" or "top ten" without specifying the other 4 or 9, since there would probably be more than 5 or 10 if I did...
I do have DP4 and, for some reason, this one isn't a favorite. Not sure exactly why. My highlights are "Dire Wolf" and "Dark Star". I think the long jams on Disc 2 sort of derail the album for me. Not that they are bad performances - "The Other One" is excellent, if not quite up to the level of the one from HYH - but it's rare that I'm in the mood to hear two straight 30+ minute songs back to back. Still, it's a solid release and I've no real complaints with it. They were clearly playing extremely well in early 1970. This one just isn't my favorite Dead.
I feel as if the 2/13/70 Dark Star was begun on 2/13/70 and completed on 9/19/70. Two similar performances with the letter being somewhat more "mature." I first got a tape of 2/13/70 back in '83 or so and nearly wore it out (to the extent that one can actually wear out a Maxell XLII). The moment from 2/13/70 that stands out to me is how the semi-meandering intro to DS suddenly collapses into itself at 3:40 and the piece immediately crystallizes into what it was becoming all along. The sympatico was strong that night.
I assume you mean Dark Star? I think they're completely different beasts - DP4 is still rooted in the '60s (see Live Dead), while DP2 is looking forward to the epic E72 versions. I love them both in different ways.
Well, I see the 2/13/70 Dark Star as being light years ahead of the Live/Dead Star and, as I mentioned, as a companion piece to the 9/19/70 Star (sans Jerry's ball-peen SG, of course), which is probably the best version pre-1972 for my money. While not officially released, there's no point in discussing the official releases without the benefit of context of other versions. For those who haven't heard the 9/19/70 Dark Star, play this when you have a chance to play it as loud as you/your significant other/your neighbors can stand. Thick air is finally discovered at ~12:00 (Dave Hassinger had long since left the building) and Jerry starts wielding the ball-peen SG at ~13:45. relisten.net/grateful-dead/1970/09/19/dark-star?source=88895
That one is top-tier, and I must admit that I prefer it to the DP4 version. There aren't many that compare, but one is coming up in just a few weeks thread-time...
Dick's Picks Vol. 4: Fillmore East, New York, NY, 2/13-2/14/1970 This is the first Dick's Pick I've heard. First off, 1970 sound is one of my most favorite sounds of the band. Check out a Dancing in the Streets jam to hear what I mean. They have this rolling aggressive sound where everybody are locked in perfectly. Here I must emphasize Bob's playing. I think he may equaled it but never surpassed it. He can be properly heard in the mix, and his »rhythm« guitar just rages, and sometimes even leads the band, which is not the first thing it comes to mind when you think of Bobby. Orthodox opinion has it that he supports Jerry and Phil. While this may be the case in the earliest of years, by now this is not the case any more and this Feb 1970 Fillmore East run is attesting to this. Also check out his playing during »The Other One« - WOW- his energy level is through the roof! Back to the review, highlight here is obviously Darks Star - > TOO - > Lovelight. Dark Star is totally ethereal. It may contain one of those »thick air« moments caught on tape. Later it transforms into climactic joyous jam, the whole band perfectly locked in. I already mentioned raging TOO and this must be one of the greatest versions of the era. Jerry's playing is so aggressive that it is almost unbearable (of course I mean this in a good way). Lovelight is a a bit too long though, but if you're in a mood, you're going to love it. 3rd disc is just as great. The band is cooking during NFA in the good old 1970 way I mentioned above. This has to be one of my favorite versions that is not from 71-72. MAMU also sounds rather different that later renditions – it sounds so 1970 and I like it! At the end, the whole band brought the house down with Caution and Feedback. Did they ever surpass this kind of energy level? There are also some cons to be found. Well I really regret that over the course of 3 discs we have two long drum solos, which is too much. With this compilation approach, maybe they should have edited the drum solo leading out of the Alligator and use the space for something else. I guess that would not have been a sacrilege? That is why we NEED a box set of the Feb 1970 Fillmore East whole run, unedited and in its original sequence. Anyway I really don't have anything new to say that others didn't already mention. This is a timeless classic and no Dead collection is complete without it. Overall rating: 4.5/5
It seem that your ears are similar to mine. I've written my notes on this one couple of years ago and there are some obvious common points. I guess that has something to do with the continent
Yeah on the Dark Star thread we are up to 1969-03-01, and I was just noting tonight how Weir's playing is starting to get really great at that point on Dark Star....he's really amazing
The Alligator - Caution sequence is sick. Mamu out of drums is a classic fake out and sounds as if it's coming straight from the belly of the gator and then the NFA explodes and delivers that primal style Alligator jam after all. A rocking Mason's and there's that train coming, oh my. 5/5 crucial listening
The 2/13 Dark Star gets a lot of love as well it should. It's on my top 5 Stars ever played list. But I find that disc 3 gets the most repeat listens from me. I admit I did a cross fade edit to shorten the drums solos. The Alligator >>> Feedback is blistering! 5/5 - essential! Oh, and for those of you playing along at home my top five Dark Star list has about 20 of them!!!
On a side note, unfortunately I can't follow up on that thread... I guess my listening capacity is limited, and I sure do not want to expose myself to the possibility of getting burned out on a Dark Star. I am more of an "abstinence" kind of guy. After certain period of abstinence some stuff will hit me that much harder. I am amazed by some (most?) people's capacity on this forum to listen to one show (or even more) per day. I openly admit I couldn't do it. I need pauses in between. Even One Dark Star per week would be too risky for me
I thought about joining the Dark Star thread (it's a great idea), but I don't like listening to them outside their contexts. And for me, there's just not enough time to do that, which means I wouldn't do them justice. One show per week is just about right for me and I wanted an excuse to listen to all the official releases on the main stereo...
Jus read your review, you're right Don't see many of our kind over here...I don't think I've met a single German Deadhead in the 10+ years I've been here -- I myself am not German.
Despite having the full show -- I still love Hundred Year Hall. I had always regarded DS as the undisputed king of Dead exploration... until I listened to HYH in conjunction with reading those liner notes. I've never quite listened to the Other One the same way again. What a monster version. What an amazing set of liner notes. What a fantastic cover. This release is a home run.
It is amazing. I can do like 4 shows a week tops, and that's if I'm in a heavy Dead phase (they are my favorite band by far, but it's not all I listen to, plus family, job, blablabla). I'm digging the pace and purpose of this endeavor so far, it's just about right.
I'm amazed at my own ability to do this. There is just so much out there... it seems whenever I'm wondering what the mood calls for... I can always put on the Dead. I question my own sanity.
Aha, so that's the catch! I was reading some your posts in this thread and got really curious about existence of tape trading community in Germany in the 1980's. That would have really been something
Best EVAH Caution as well as best EVAH NFA - but the Mason’s Children stuck in the middle is magical - great great song that never should have been dropped. Of course I love the 2/13 big jam (I’m ambivalent on almost all Lovelights) but the 2/14 sequence might be my favorite GOGD thing ever despite the way too long drums.
