The curation aspect is important in several ways. One thing I love about both Steppin' Out and the Movie Soundtrack is that the sequencing of each disc works as a standalone listening experience. By contrast, a lot of the '73-74 show releases push off the first set capper (PITB or China>Rider, usually) onto the second disc, leaving the first disc with a somewhat anticlimactic ending and unbalanced second and third discs that start with the big jams and end with a bunch of shorter songs.
Considering the first two releases in their Live LP series are "Ruby Waves" and "Waves", this criticism doesn't seem warranted. Ok. Back to the Dead.
Those releases are absolutely nothing like what I was wishing for. (I wish I could get excited about them, but I just can't).
I've long since moved past the concept of 'discs' but I really enjoy both those albums. The Ladies And Gentlemen comp from April '71 is one of my favorite Dead releases of all time.
I agree that the disc concept is lost on me. Now if they want to have “sequence” with a beginning, middle and end that is all good with me. Constraining it to an 80 minute maximum is not. The unnecessary fade out and fade in with a repeat when music spans a disc change is my biggest peeve with all the GD archive releases. They should provide seamless files to be downloaded for all purchasers of physical media to repair those transitions.
DiP Vol 8 is the first release in this thread I feel somewhat qualified to speak to, being the only one so far that I own and have listened to repeatedly (I only got it in the mail a few weeks ago). But man, what is there to say that hasn’t already been covered?! The acoustic set is a wonderful run of songs in very unique arrangements from what I’m used to, the blend of covers and then-unreleased originals is a great way to insert themselves into the canon of American folk/country music. And then the second and third disc? Phwoah! That whole run through Stephen -> Cosmic is some of the most raw and rockin’ Dead I’ve yet to hear. I honestly don’t mind the sound quality anymore, it just suits the sensation of the music trying to break out of your speakers 51 years after it was recorded. Generally speaking, I don’t really understand the appeal of Dancing in the Street (yet, I’m open to convincing) but this is my absolute favourite version. It’s loose and rocks hard, less groovey and more drivin’. The only song I don’t gel with on here is Man’s World, but maybe the lyrics don’t sit well with me from my contemporary listening position. Because of that it sits as a relic of its time, whereas the rest of the set sounds timeless to me. But the extended encore more than makes up for all that with a brilliant Dew, then an absolutely wild Viola Lee that just builds wonderfully, before finishing off with a “Goodnight” that fills me in on what I was missing on “Live/Dead”. This is an essential release for me.
I still listen to CDs a lot, but the main benefit for me is providing a 70-80 minute listening experience (or a group of them) that is more realistic for my current living situation than a 3.5 hour show.
I'm with @trd on this one. You can skip tracks. You can rip them and make your own comps. It's 2021. Full shows only please.
Dicks Picks Vol 8. First release on this thread that I had never heard before. Good timing with Real Gone doing a reissue recently and people on here warned me to be ready for a great trip. Having ZERO knowledge of this show and holding off on reading your guys' reviews until after I listen, the acoustic set was a pleasant surprise that made me smile and drink a beer. Even the wife loved it. Not a huge fan of switching from stereo to mono for the electric sets but good god dam do the last two discs deliver the goods. Most ominous "The Other One" I have heard and I think it is better than Dp4 which was my favorite version coming in. Coming off DP7 which has great tunes but just doesnt flow for me, this one flows from start to finish, cuts be damned. Discogs has one LP set on sale for close to a grand. Son of a ....
I am purely physical media at this point with some Spotify to sample stuff I may want to buy on Vinyl or CD. All these Grateful threads though have me itching to start researching digital players though.
My long road trip has been canceled so I am now listening to DP 8, or more specifically, the entire night including the NRPS set. The acoustic set is great fun and has long been a favorite of mine. This is the first time I listened to the Miller version without the jump from Candyman to Cumberland. I honestly miss the splice. A few extra seconds of Candyman is not crucial and then 1-2 minutes of tuning/stage noise. That jump cut works so smoothly that I assumed that they had played it that way. NRPS set was also a hoot. Is Garcia playing the pedal steel? I didn't think I heard him singing and I can't imagine that he would be on stage and not joining in. I just started the electric set last night, only made it through Cold Rain and Snow. While I disagree with the decision to cut that track from DP8, I certainly understand why. Listening to someone tune up in the middle of a song is a little jarring, to say the least. I'm getting geared up for the main event: Its a Man's World, The Other One, Good Lovin', Dancing in the Street, Morning Dew, Viola Lee, Bid You Goodnight This will be late-night, dark room, headphones listening.
I guess they have changed their philosophy about releasing songs with tuning problems. The Workingman's 50th has a live version of "Ripple" that is so out of tune that they stop the song to fix it.
Stopping to tune up would have been a good idea. DP8 was still in the early days where the band (I'm looking at you, Phil) were taking a very active role in vetoing potential releases.
Quite a few Alternative Intonations going on during the PNW boxed set, too. It's what happened during the shows, so it has to be there, I guess. Did any other band in the early '70s have as much problem staying in tune as the GD did, or is it just that we have most of the shows available to listen to versus the handful of carefully selected ones by other acts? It seems like the tuning problems were mostly solved by the late '70s--maybe a combination of Bobby and Jerry both playing more stable guitars and the guitar techs learning how to do better setups (dressing the nut, stretching the strings, etc.).
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 1 (1973-12-19 Tampa, released 1991-10-31) Dick’s Picks 2 (1971-10-31 Columbus, released March 1995) Grayfolded (1968-1993, released 1994 and 1995) Hundred Year Hall (1972-04-26, released 1995-09-26) Dick’s Picks 3 (1977-05-22 Pembroke Pines, released 1995-11-07) Dick’s Picks 4 (1970-02-13, 14 New York, released 1996-02-23) Dick’s Picks 5 (1979-12-26 Oakland, released 1996-05-30) Dozin' at the Knick (1990-03-24 Albany (mostly), released 1996-08-29) Dick's Picks 6 (1983-10-14 Hartford, released 1996-10-07) Dick's Picks 7 (1974-09-09, 10, 11 London, released 1997-03-04) Dick's Picks 8 (1970-05-02 Binghamton, released 1997-06-14) By Concert Date Various (released 1994 and 1995 on Grayfolded) 1968-08-24 Los Angeles (released 1992-05 on Two from the Vault) 1970-02-13, 14 New York (released 1996-02-23 on Dick's Picks 4) 1970-05-02 Binghamton (released 1997-06-14 on Dick's Picks 8) 1971-10-31 Columbus (released 1995-03 on Dick's Picks 2) 1972-04-26 Frankfurt (released 1995-09-26 on Hundred Year Hall) 1973-12-19 Tampa (released 1993-10-31 on Dick's Picks 1) 1974-09-09, 10, 11 London (released 1997-03-04 on Dick's Picks 7) 1975-08-13 San Francisco (released 1991-04-15 on One from the Vault) 1977-05-22 Pembroke Pines (released 1995-11-07 on Dick's Picks 3) 1979-12-26 Oakland (released 1996-05-30 on Dick's Picks 5) 1983-10-14 Hartford (released 1996-10-07 on Dick's Picks 6) 1989, 1990 (released 1991-11-01 on Infrared Roses) 1990-03-24 Albany (mostly) (released 1996-08-29 on Dozin' at the Knick) This week: Various (released 1997-06-17 on Fallout from the Phil Zone) Next week: 1990-03-15 Landover (released 1997-09 on Terrapin Station Limited)
Fallout from the Phil Zone Recording dates: various Recording locations: various Release date: June 17, 1997 Disc 1 "Dancing in the Street" (Marvin Gaye, Ivy Jo Hunter, William Stevenson) (Fillmore West, San Francisco, April 12, 1970) – 11:44 "New Speedway Boogie" (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia) (Alfred State College, Alfred, New York, May 1, 1970) – 8:08 "Viola Lee Blues" (Noah Lewis) (Electric Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, April 26, 1969) – 19:46 "Easy Wind" (R. Hunter) (Fillmore East, May 15, 1970) – 8:06 "Mason's Children" (R. Hunter, Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir) (Fillmore East, New York City, January 2, 1970) – 6:09 "Hard to Handle" (Alvertis Isbell, Allen Jones, Otis Redding) (Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood, August 6, 1971) – 7:36 Disc 2 "The Music Never Stopped" (John Barlow, Weir) (Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, July 17, 1989) – 8:56 "Jack-A-Roe" (trad., arr. Grateful Dead) (University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, May 17, 1977) – 5:55 "In the Midnight Hour" (Steve Cropper, Wilson Pickett) (Dance Hall, Rio Nido, September 3, 1967) – 31:53 "Visions of Johanna" (Bob Dylan) (The Spectrum, Philadelphia, March 18, 1995) – 10:26 "Box of Rain" (R. Hunter, Lesh) (Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, July 19, 1989) – 5:13 Put together by Phil Lesh, Fallout from the Phil Zone is a compilation of various "rare" live performances through the years, and includes brief notes on each track written by Phil himself. I can’t think of another archival release with any band member's involvement at this level. It's oriented towards the band's early years. At the time of its release, there was very little material from these years available; Live Dead and Dick’s Picks 8 comprised just about everything. I don’t think anybody imagined the amount of material that would be released over the next couple of decades. The album starts with a strong version of Dancing In The Street. This is followed up with an acoustic/electric New Speedway Boogie, an essential element in the acoustic sets of the day. Next up is a long Viola Lee Blues, the second primal version of this song in as many releases. To these ears it seems a little disjointed; more from that concert was released on Dick’s Picks Volume 26. The first disc is rounded out with good versions of Easy Wind and Mason's Children, and an incredibly energetic audience recording of Hard to Handle. These songs are now all available on various Road Trips and Dave’s Picks releases, although Hard to Handle is from the soundboard. The second disc jumps all over the place. The Music Never Stopped and Jack-A-Roe (the latter also available on the May 1977 box set) are both first-rate, while Visions Of Johanna and Box Of Rain are very emotional. A 30-minute version of Midnight Hour in the middle of the disc outstays its welcome; while it would have been a lot of fun in person, it's not so enjoyable after multiple listenings. While there’s some great music here, overall the disc isn’t a cohesive listen. Given the number of releases since this one, and how much of it is now released in the contexts of the original concerts, this was much more interesting at the time than it is now. The first disc remains a fun listen, a great overview of early Dead, but the second disc is much less compelling despite some strong performances. I’d only recommend this to the deadicated collector or someone with an interest in early Dead and without the other releases that now cover the era. I'm sure there will be alternate opinions...
