Also, thinking ahead to 2024 and the 50th anniversary release of Grateful Dead From the Mars Hotel, with these 3 May '74 shows released, and considering the other early-74 shows that have been released (2/24, 3/23, 5/14), which show will we get packaged along with the studio tracks?
If it was nominated for Worst Female Vocals, it'd be a shoe-in. Still waiting on my replacement discs...
Fingers crossed that we may vicariously bask in the shimmering glory of the Complete Finance Blues Anthology Grammy.
5/19/74 That’s a pretty severe Donna on Scarlet Begonias. Kinda sounds like she cracked herself up and laughed while she was wailing.
FWIW Donna on the Movie Soundtrack version of Scarlet (10/17/74) should serve as evidence to those who aren’t convinced that Donna was simply horrible. This performance (among many other BTW) is spectacular to my ears. Also FWIW I think she’s almost always a plus and rarely if ever a minus. The Donna haters to me will almost always reveal themselves to be close-minded to most other alternate forms of improvising and sound creation. Just because something is grating or extreme doesn’t mean it isn’t good or even great.
I think it will be 22 February 1974- Winterland. It's got U.S. Blues, China Doll, Loose Lucy, and Ship of Fools
The mix is a little strange on that show, but the music is dandy. Three sets on the first of 3 nights at Winterland. The middle night is also very fine.
has anyone compared the mastering/quality of the 5/17/74 Money Money from the box to the one released as a bonus track on Mars Hotel on Beyond Description? I need to do this.
I revisit those shows twice a year, and my rankings are always changing. There is something special about every song in the 1st set of 2/22
On the other hand, 2/22 is a very long show. Probably not suitable "bonus disc" material. I'm curious about how they'll handle the 50th anniversary releases from American Beauty onwards, as the shows get a lot longer.
