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) Fallout from the Phil Zone (Various, released 1997-06-17) By Concert Date Various (released 1994 and 1995 on Grayfolded) Various (released 1997-06-17 on Fallout from the Phil Zone) 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: 1990-03-15 Landover (released 1997-09 on Terrapin Station Limited) Next week: 1990-09-16 New York (released 1997-10-19 on Dick's Picks 9)
Playing catch up here with the last three offerings, going in reverse order. I listened to Fallout for the first time a month or so ago, as it was one I never really gave a thought, but that was a mistake. It is obviously dated at this point with so much of it released elsewhere, but to me it is a great collection of really good versions of the songs, with the first disc pretty much perfect, with the Viola Lee and Hard To Handle as all time worthy versions. As great as the Midnight Hour is, a 30+ minute song in the middle of a comp was probably not the best idea, as the flow is killed. The 1995 Johanna is remarkable, showing that Jerry could deliver the goods right to the end, albeit less frequently. Really good collection that I'll revisit again.
Terrapin Station Limited Edition Recording date: March 15, 1990 Recording location: Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Release date: September 30, 1997 Recorded by: John Cutler Disc 1 First set: "Jack Straw" - (Hunter, Weir) – 6:19 "Sugaree" (Hunter, Garcia) – 11:14 "Easy to Love You" (Barlow, Mydland) – 6:32 "Walkin' Blues" (Johnson) – 6:12 "Althea" (Hunter, Garcia) – 8:32 "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" (Dylan) – 6:57 "Tennessee Jed" (Hunter, Garcia) – 9:17 "Cassidy" - (Barlow, Weir) – 6:12 "Don't Ease Me In" (traditional) – 6:02 Disc 2 Second set: "China Cat Sunflower" - (Hunter, Garcia) – 6:27 "I Know You Rider" (traditional) – 6:50 "Samson and Delilah" - (traditional) – 7:07 "Terrapin Station" - (Hunter, Garcia) – 14:23 "Mock Turtle Jam" - (Grateful Dead) – 8:23 "Drums" - (Hart, Kreutzmann) – 6:16 Disc 3 "And" - (Bob Bralove, Hart, Kreutzmann) – 3:43 "Space" - (Garcia, Lesh, Mydland, Weir) – 10:06 "I Will Take You Home" - (Mydland) – 4:20 "Wharf Rat" - (Hunter, Garcia) – 10:59 "Throwing Stones" - (Barlow, Weir) – 8:59 "Not Fade Away" (Hardin, Petty) – 9:21 Encore: "Revolution" (Lennon, McCartney) – 5:07 It’s a little surprising that another spring 1990 concert was released so soon after Dozin’ at the Knick; it’s the second 1990 show in six archival releases, and the first year to be represented by two releases (and the following release is also from 1990, although with a different line-up). Mind you, I’m not complaining as this is one of my favorite tours. This time it’s a complete show from the Capital Centre, just outside Washington, DC. The opening Jack Straw has a bad vocal miscue, but it’s still a solid version with an extended jam section. From there it’s a fairly standard first set; the band is playing well and it’s an enjoyable listen. Althea is the same outstanding version that's on Without A Net and Cassidy is positively explosive. I consistently enjoy these spring 1990 first sets, and they’re an integral part of the concerts to me. The second set starts in high gear with a very energetic China>Rider; the band and audience are loving this. After an enjoyable Samson, those majestic opening Terrapin Station chords start playing. It’s a beautiful, expansive version, with a long coda which turns into an unusual jam driven by the drummers, before finally turning into Drums. For those who enjoy Drums (I’m one of them for this era), this is a really fun version. When Jerry and Bob come back to the stage, it sounds almost like Close Encounters at times. And then we go into… I Will Take You Home. I actually like this tender song, but not right out of Space where it inevitably appeared. Luckily Wharf Rat roars to life, and it’s a fine version; Phil’s playing some great stuff here. At the time of release, Throwing Stones>Not Fade Away wasn’t available on a ton of releases, and it’s certainly a lively pairing here. A rolling Revolution sends the crowd home happy. This was an expensive limited-edition release; mine is #22069. Despite its limited pressing it seemed to be available for a long time. Funds were supposed to go to the Grateful Dead's Terrapin Station museum, and fans were upset when this never happened. It was a cardboard package much like Dave’s Picks, with a fold-out mini-poster and a separate wrap-around cardboard train that enclosed everything. Liner notes were nonexistent. I have mixed feelings about this one. It’s a great example of the quality of the spring 1990 tour, and the sound quality is excellent. It’s certainly a concert I keep coming back to, possibly one of the best of its tour. But the “limited” nature and high price seemed gimmicky at the time (at least the current crop of limited editions are reasonably priced), and with all the subsequent releases from this era, it’s much less essential now than at the time of its release.
The Terrapin Station Limited Edition release is one I've not heard and probably isn't high on my list to seek out, unless the comments here make me reconsider!
Here we go (previously posted in The Grateful Thread)— “I’m goin’ back to Foggy Bottom, I do believe I’ve had enough” . . . Kicking off the Spring 1990 tour (well, that was actually the day before) — it’s been a long time since I was last here. It’s also Phil’s 50th birthday, and I’ve only just realised he shares a birthday with my old man! It’s a fun show and the Dead are in good spirits. Hearty stuff. Some brief highlights: A smokin’ Jack Straw kicks off the 1st set, with a vocal flub by Bobby that cracks up someone (I think, Brent) as you can hear him howling with laughter; I’ve not heard Easy To Love You in ages, and this is a sweet one with great vocals all-round—I believe it was the first time they played this in almost 10 years; an all-timer Althea is the set highlight. Great guitar tones. Jerry in top-form throughout; “We want Phil. We want Phil!” chants the crowd, and he duly obliges with a fun-tastic Tom Thumb’s Blues; a rollicking Dough Knees set-closer. The 2nd set opens with a neat little Happy Birthday tune before an energetic China > Rider with some epic jamming and band interplay; a powerfully jammed-out Terrapin Station > Mock Turtle Jam is a treat and set/show highlight—it’s huge and thunderous, heady and spacey and is just sublime. Epic stuff. Jerry has some fun with the MIDI sounds throughout the jam before Drums > And > Space; Wharf Rat is always a delight and this one is massive and soaring; there’s some muscle to the heavy thumpin’ rockin’ Throwing Stones > NFA that closes the set; before a rare(?) Revolution encore, apparently one of Phil’s favourite songs, played at his request for his birthday. A damn good time.
There is no amount of hype that is too great for this incredible release. My go-to has always been the Miller SBD, as it just isn't the same without the NRPS set, and certainly not without "Cold Rain & Snow". There are a handful of perfect sounding bands at a particular time - the '71-'72 Stones, the '77 Ramones, '90 NY & Crazy Horse - and the '69-'70 Dead would be included IMO. This show is among the peaks of the band during this period, highlighting everything that made this period so special. The one thing that immediately strikes me about the acoustic set is how much I prefer most of these songs in that setting. Don't Ease, FOTD, Dire Wolf, and especially Black Peter are so perfect with the acoustic instrumentation. IKYR is good any way it's done, but this version is a flat out stunner. This is a set I can listen to over and over - it's a shame they waited so long to go back to these sets in 1980. Everyone here has already said it all about the electric portion of this show - the TOO is a barn burner, I love the Man's World, as it's vintage Pig with some great Jerry, and the Dancin' is a classic '70 version. But the 'third set' Morning Dew and Viola Lee are what turn this from a great show into an otherworldly one. Jerry wrings every bit of emotion out of this Dew, and the Viola Lee is climax after climax, until everything is brought back to earth with We Bid You Goodnight. This is as good as it ever got.
By the way, it makes me happy to see releases like Dick's Picks 6 and Fallout getting some love here. I'm enjoying listening to each release on the main system (although there are a couple I'm not particularly looking forward to). Some of these I haven't heard in many years! And in case anybody didn't realize, the thread guide has links to each release's discussion.
Finishing up Fallout. I think it would be improved by losing the 30 minute Midnight Hour. It doesn’t really go anywhere. It probably worked as background music for an acid test style party at the time.
I recently listened to the Terrapin Limited show on the Archive. A very enjoyable show and a good choice for a standalone archival release. Since Althea appeared on Without a Net, does that mean that multitracks exist but weren't used for this release? I was wondering that about the entire Spring '90 run, actually.
Multi-tracks exist for, I believe, every show from sometime in Summer '89 through Spring '90 (they were recording for what became Without a Net). They cheaped out and used the original Cutler two-track mixes for the first Spring '90 box, but after the predictable mass outcry, they did the second box right and mixed from the multi-tracks. I am not sure whether they used multi-tracks for the Terrapin Limited, but to my ears it sounds better than the first Spring '90 box. Could be that Cutler made a better mix than typical, though. A Fall '89 box set from the multis of the currently unreleased shows, or at least some of them, seems like it's bound to happen sooner or later.
I've read that "Walkin' Blues" was also on Without A Net (might have been overdubbed/edited there) but I haven't confirmed.
A strange-ish album. Where else could you have Pigpen, Keith/Donna, Brent, and Vince all on one release? This certainly wasn't a career retrospective either, containing some deep tracks and long jams which were not presented in chronological order either. I bought this when it was released and purged it at one point in time. I did reacquire it for a few bucks years later and am glad to have it in the collection. I think most of the tracks are great and enjoyed revisiting this release. Really enjoy New Speedway Boogie, Viola Lee Blues, Mason's Children, Music Never Stopped, Midnight Hour, and Visions of Johanna (one of my favorite Dylan songs - the first time I heard the Dead play this song was on this album.)
Terrapin Station (Limited Edition) - 4/15/90 After first experiencing Spring ’90 with Dozin’ at the Knick, I remember being excited to get a full show from the tour as an official release. I also remember being disappointed that it didn’t consistently reach the heights that 3/24 does. I would learn later that a lot of Spring ’90 doesn’t (even if some shows come close), so in retrospect, it’s not really a fair fight. Once I got more familiar with the tour, it became apparent that this is one of the better shows. Notes & Highlights: The sound quality on this is amazing, maybe even better than on Dozin’. Kind of interesting that this is the second Spring ’90 release in a row to feature a Terrapin > Jam (good!) and I Will Take Home (bad!). Very solid first set. The Jack Straw and Sugaree are a bit faster than I’m used to – I bet they were just really hopped up for Phil’s big day. Sugaree is a nice bouncy performance, even if Jerry’s solo is a little on the lightweight side tone-wise. Easy to Love You is one of the better Brent songs and it’s always nice to hear a bust-out…I can picture how excited he must have been to sing this after so many years. Althea is of course excellent (already knew it from Without a Net). Newly minted 50-year-old-Phil is in surprisingly good voice on Tom Thumb, which also includes a gorgeous Jerry solo. Very energetic Tennessee Jed and a great (if a little brief) Cassidy. Don’t Ease to close the set…skip. After standard but well-executed versions of China > Rider and Samson, we get to the Terrapin > Jam, which is the obvious highlight of this show. The song is a little midi-heavy, especially in the middle solo and the outro, but the jam out of it hits on some themes I don’t think I’ve heard before. Jerry starts out with the midi, but fortunately ditches it after a minute and I like the surprisingly twangy tone he jumps in and out of in the back half. Also cool to hear the MLB teases at the end, which they of course deployed in full just a few shows later. The whole thing sounds somewhat directionless and noodly at times, but maybe because this was the first jam out of Terrapin of the tour. Post-Space is a little uneven. Eagles Brent makes an unfortunate appearance, but the Wharf Rat that follows is a great performance, with a typical late-era raging solo and an unusually spacey outro. Stones > NFA has become by this point in my Dead listening experience a rote set-closing couplet and stopped being very interesting a long time ago, even though I like both songs. Nevertheless, Stones has some great piano work from Brent and a killer solo; the first half of NFA is typically hot, but devolves predictably into an extended chant outro, which…sigh. This is when I remind myself that I’m not hearing another watered-down Chuck Berry cover. It’s always nice to hear an unexpected song like Revolution in the encore slot and it’s a trip to hear Jerry soloing over this progression. The fact that this is a little messy only adds to its ragged charm. Must have been really cool to see them bust this out. This is a fun show and features a few songs that hadn’t seen official release at the time. I’d hesitate to call it essential – there are other shows from this tour that I like more, but it’s still nice to have in the collection.
The album credits list Cutler as doing the recording and don't mention a mix engineer, so I assume they used the 2-track. It's a good recording, regardless. In some ways, it has a sharpness that the fuller mixes on Without a Net and Dozin' lack. On the former, for example, Jerry's guitar seems pushed back in the mix, which is certainly a very odd choice.
Interesting, because his guitar is really pushed back to far in the mix on the 3/24/90 Loser from Cutler's two-track mix in the first Spring '90 box, and often is in the Cutler soundboards from later years.
Lagging behind on the thread... It's been some 2-3 years since I've last heard Fallout From The Phil Zone. Gave it a fresh spin. Like others said, it is a lot less relevant release today than in the time of original release due to so much material becoming available through subsequent releases. For that reason alone I would not consider this an essential listen as a whole any more. There are still some goodies in here. • Dancin' In The Streets - top tier version, up there with 5/2/70 in my book. 5 stars. • New Speedway Boggie - one more top version. Great vibe and groove. 1970 delivers. 4.5 stars • Viola Lee Blues - it gets too subdued and meandering in the middle. Still very strong. 4 stars. • Easy Wind - strong rendition. Much better in the context of the full show though. 4 stars. • Mason's Children - nearing the trainwreck in vocals department. Nice jam in the middle but a controlled mess anyway. Nowhere near my top version, which is 1/24/70 Honolulu (Now that one is a scorcher!). 3 stars • Hard To Handle. 5 stars. • The Music Never stopped - Nice but inessential. 3.5 stars • Jack-A-Roe - great groove, but without any significant energy peak. 4 stars • In The Midnight Hour - I like it! It sounds like crossover between Lovelight and New Potato Caboose. Is this still the earliest officially released version of *any* of the monster jams ? Essential early GOGD listening. 4.5 stars (maybe a bit stretched rating, but this is a rare early gem that has to be appreciated). • Visions of Johanna - see TMNS comment above. 3.5 stars to this ears. Not a big fan of later eras. • Box of Rain - Phil really tries not to mess up vocally and he succeeds. Nice version. 3.5 stars. Overall Rating: 4/5
Sorry if I'm doubling back on something said already, but wasn't the 31 minute 'In the Midnight Hour' on Fallout From the Phil Zone as result of JG offhandedly commenting that they used to play the song for up to an hour sometimes, and that this version is simply the longest version Phil could find in the vault?
One possibility is how Jerry's change to a much cleaner guitar tone in the late '80s coincided with the live drums being more processed and bigger sounding. It was harder for a tone like Jerry's to stand out in the mix.
I've been listening to each release during the correct week, but haven't had a chance to do write-ups for the past three. Most of my thoughts pretty much echo what others have said So here is a catch-up post: Dick's Picks 7, Ally Pally 9/74: I picked this one up on release, and was excited to hear some '74 material that was new to me at the time. I think Dijon was the only show from that tour that I had at the time. First disc is bookended by its highlights: Scarlet Begonias and Playing in the Band, the latter a very restrained and spacy version (which is not at all a bad thing). The version of Half-Step is also quite good, but the rest of the material is pretty standard for the era. Disc 2 is stronger overall. A very good Weather Report Suite, and nice Truckin'>Jam>Wharf Rat sequence. Disc 3 is fantastic. An all-time great version of Not Fade Away, and a terrific Dark Star>Morning Dew are highlights not just of this release, but of the series. I'm glad they have stopped the practice of making up names for jams, like "Spam Jam". Of course, we have a few of those to go on this thread before it fizzled out. Dick's Picks 8, Binghamton 5/2/70: A classic. Like pretty much everyone who collected tapes, I got this one fairly early on in my collecting days (circa '87-'88), although I believe I had the acoustic set for a few months before the electric came my way. One of the all time great shows, and it's a shame we don't have more '70 soundboards. Probably my favorite acoustic set they did, great playing and banter. Shame about the missing portion of Candyman, but just like the official version, my cassette copy had that splice into Cumberland that made it sound like the band had just changed gears after one version of the former, which is what I'd thought for a long time. Agree with many that the Charlie Miller version beats the official release, and it would be great to see this one reissued with Cold Rain & Snow added. I'm not a big fan of buying Dick's Picks or other live archival releases on vinyl (although I did break down and get Cornell '77, Buffalo '77, and One from the Vault in that format), but I regret sitting on the fence for too long when this one came out with CR&S added a couple years ago. Would have been a big sonic upgrade as well as nice to have the whole show. Re-sale prices are too rich for my blood. Hope it gets reissued in some format. Highlights have been mentioned enough by others, but I'll go on record as saying this is my favorite version of Dancin' in the original arrangement, and as being pro-It's A Man's World. I've been a huge fan of the playing and goofy harmonies ever since first hearing this one in the early morning hours of a Friday off of whatever NYC station had the GD show from 2:00-5:00 AM Fridays back then. I got my first copies of an awful lot of shows by recording those broadcasts back when I could get away with that kind of sleep deprivation, although I was able to get upgrades without the radio step later. Fallout from the Phil Zone: A solid compilation with a lot of fun stuff, although more exciting back when it came out. I didn't buy my own copy for several years after it was released, but heard it at friends' places enough over the years to be very familiar with it. The Hard to Handle was already a favorite of mine, and nice to have an official release (and of course I now have the soundboard version as well from the Road Trips bonus disc). Great Dancin', just a notch down from Binghampton, and everything on Disc 1 is really enjoyable. At the time, it was nice to have another officially released Mason's Children. Disc 2 isn't quite as good, and the main highlight for me was always the Jack-A-Roe, with that cool, different rhythm than later versions. I'd never heard a version like that before this release came out. Of course, that one's now available in the first May '77 box, and I'm used to hearing it in context now. Midnight Hour is pretty fun, but does take up a lot of real estate. Good versions of Music Never Stopped and Box of Rain, but not too earthshattering on their own. I'd rather hear them/see them in a complete Alpine '89 CD/Blu-Ray box. I'll try to get my write up of 3/15/90 done before we move on to the next one...
Not with Cold Rain And Snow, though. That was an LP exclusive. The reissue CD is the same as the OG release.
