Let's talk about The Grateful Dead (studio, live, and side projects)

I'm listening to my a 90s show for the first time tonight, 1990-03-24. I've always stuck with their 60s & 70s material in the past. I'm not sure why, but I always had the impression that they slowed down at some point during the 80s... maybe because of their terrible 80s albums? (I hate In the Dark)

In any case, this '90 show is nice. I like to listen to shows without looking at the setlist so I'll be surprised at what is played. I guess the main surprise here is a cover of Desolation Row!

From what I've read, a major positive of the Dead's later shows is that their setlists are widely varied.

 

I saw the premier of Desolation Row (Philly Spectrum 3-25-86) I couldn't believe Jerry mangaed to remember all the lyrics, especially since he was wasted on Persian for most of the late 80's (been there, done that!) I only like to listen to the around 60 Eighties shows I was at, otherwise I stick to the seventies stuff, preferably pre-1976...I lost interest around '89 after moving to S.F. and getting bored with the whole "hippie" scene...I heard that around 1990 they switched to ear-piece monitors which caused them to listen to only themselves, and lessened any real magic they may have had left. I think by the mid Eighties they had such a large payroll they just had to keep playing no matter what, although I did witness some magic between 1985 and 1989, if you litsen to the real classic era Dead ('68 to '74) there's absolutely no comparison, especialy the same old setlists like the second set after drums, they only played about the same boring 10 or so songs after drums, they should have taken another one year vacation, and maybe Jerry wouldn't have died........

 

I didn't know Jerry sang "Desolation Row". Every version I've heard is sung by Bob Weir.

 

You heard wrong..plenty of magical shows in 1990, and 1991 has some nice ones as well, especially the Boston Garden run in September.

Greg, I was at that show you're listening..Albany isn't it?

Excerpts from that night make up a big part of the three disc set "Dozin At The Knick", along with bits of the other two nights they played, the 25th and 26th.

The 24th, a Saturday night, was one of my favourite shows.

 

THey had about 120 different songs they would do in a given year, with about 100 of them getting played more than once.

The times they did the "special" ones...it was something to behold. The audience would get as quiet as mice during the song, after roaring their approval when it started.

I saw them bring back Casey Jones in 1992, after 8 years of not playing it.... the place erupted in such joy, people hugging those around them, tears...it was crazy.

I saw them play 6 nights at Boston Gardens in 1991, and they roughly played 20 songs a night for about 120 over all...and only repeated two songs during the six nights. During the second last night, they played "That Would Be Something" for the first time, a McCartney ditty...just magical. To even attempt stuff like that was a big part of why they were special.

The Stones have the song selection to do that too... it's a pity they can't take a page from the GD book and mix it up a bit.

 

Some 90's recommendations:

Without a Net - highlights from fall 1989 through March 1990. Great versions of Althea, Bird Song, Eyes of the World, Looks Like Rain, Help>Slip>Frank, Victim Or the Crime, Dear Mr. Fantasy.... Get this!

3/15/90 (Terrapin Station CD) - the "Mock Turtle Jam" out of Terrapin is really cool. So is the "Revolution" encore.

3/22/90 - one of their greatest shows of the era

3/24-3/26/90 - Dozin' At the Knick

3/29/90 - Branford Marsalis joins them on Bird Song/Promised Land in set 1, and all of set 2. I can't believe this show hasn't been officially released yet, though Bird Song is on the SMR box and Eyes of the World is on Without A Net.

6/8/90 - cool jam out of Foolish Heart

9/16/90 - Dick's Picks IX. Great 2nd set.

9/19/90 - great Help>Slip>Frank to close set 1

9/20/90 - monster Truckin'>China>Rider sequence to open set 2, Dark Star out of space.

6/14/91 - View From the Vault soundrack vol 2

9/4/91 - great Scarlet>Fire to start set 2

9/25/91 - Dick's Picks 17 - this is the show with McCartney's "That Would Be Something", mentioned by Musicalbeds above. This release also has Eyes of the World from 3/31/91, one of the best.

6/11/93 - one of my personal favorites. Jerry sings the heck out of "Foolish Heart" and "So Many Roads".

10/5/94 - Philadelphia Spectrum - one of the best shows of their final years. Beautiful "Standing on the Moon"...

10/14/94 - one of the greatest Scarlet>Fires ever, of any era.

There's more but I've gotta run....

 

I gave away all my GD records in 1974 because I was tired of the whole hippie ethic. I paid little or no attention since then but I am surprised to find myself interested again. I just took "Ladies and Gentleman" (1971) out of the library based on someone's recommendation here. It sounds very good on first listen. I understand they went through different periods but I have no understanding of what those were. I feel pretty safe wth the stuff before 1974 but don't know where to go next. To be honest, I always liked their playing more than their singing. Was there a period where the music was "jazzy"?

 

1972-1975 was their most "jazzy" period. 9/21/72 (DP 36) and 6/28/74 (DP 12) are two of my favorites from this era. Also "Steppin' Out With The Grateful Dead" from April-May 1972. The "Europe '72" album is a must too.


See the attached threads for some recommendations. The threads cover all releases from all eras, but there are plenty to be found from those years.

My review of the Dick's Picks series - Grateful Dead

Grateful Dead - reviews of official live and Vault releases

 

I saw all of the above shows! The Hamiton shows of 1990 were incredible, only to be followed by the awesome Albany shows.

The June 11 1993 had Sting opening, and Jerry came out and did a song with him that was just wicked! I have it on tape, somewhere.....

 

Oh, and honourable mention should go to the night from Boston 1991 that they played Help>Slip>Fire On the Mountain....incredible...I;m running out of superlatives.

 

Hmmm....I just realised something Greg; you're listening to a show I've not got a full version of...I'm missing one song.

Since I saw all three nights, I've wanted to put together the shows in their entirety.

I found a torrent offering "Knickerbocker Leftovers", and it's got all the songs that didn't get officially released from the three nights in Albany.

Since I already had Dozin at The Knick, and Without A Net, the only song I seem to be missing is Desolation Row, which I think is on Postcards From the Hanging, an official release of GD doing Dylan songs.

Mind you, I have a cassette copy of it so I could transfer it over on CD for that, but I can't seem to find a second hand copy of Postcards....frustrating for sure.

Did you get the show in trade?

Mike, do you know the various releases the Albany stuff appeared on? I think Bird Song also appeared on an official release...but not Without a Net.

 

I'm a bit late to the GD party, having really gotten into them only in the past year or so, but everytime I tried listening to any of their concerts after '76 I was really really bored. It just seemed like they slowed everything down and it all sounded too plodding. So now I just stick with < 1976 (although I do actually like the In the Dark album).

I have very little Dead material compared to the typical fan, but it's still more than pretty much any other artist in my collection, save maybe Miles or something. All of the WB albums, the Ladies & Gentlemen and Steppin' Out sets, a few of the primo Dick's Picks, and The Grateful Dead movie DVD.

'69-73 is my favorite period.

 

duh, you're right, I was thinking of the other ponderously long Dead cover of a Dylan song I saw the premier of (Visions of Johanah - Hampton 3-19-86) one of the most special Dead shows I remember was the first Box of Rain in 13 years at the next night's show (3-20-86)...also saw the premiers of All Along The Watchtower, Don't Think Twice It's Allright, and When I Paint My Masterpiece, a premier was an exciting event for sure !

 

PM on the way David.

 

I'm with you, Mike... with a couple exceptions. I think that '77 rivals '73 and '72 as the Dead's best year. As I've said quite a few times, DP29 (5/19 & 5/21) is what originally turned me onto live Dead shows. '78 and '79 were solid, but still a letdown for me. Most of 69 is magical too. I wish I'd have been fortunate enough to get ahold of one of those limited edition 10disc Fillmore sets... it'll be a long time before I'm ever able to afford one on ebay.

 

Jeez, I've got a lot of shows to listen to... there just aren't enough hours in the day!

 

Here's what I picked out to listen to this afternoon:

Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders w/John Kahn
Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA
October 2, 1973

CD #1
It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
Finders Keepers
The Harder They Come
My Funny Valentine

CD #2
That's All Right Mama (w/Sara and Matt)
I Second That Emotion
Unknown Blues Song (W/Jellyroll)
How Sweet It Is

Guests:
Martin Fierro (saxophone)
Unknown Player (trumpet)
Unknown Player possibly Matt Kelly (harmonica),
Roger "Jellyroll" Troy (bass, vocals)
Sara Fulcher (vocals)

 

my favorite era is the 1973-1974 era when they were the jazziest and still doing Dark Star, I have the 2nd longest version (44 min. Cleveland 12-6-73) I'd love to know what the longest version is, anyone ???

 

I don't really keep track of times, but that is the longest Dark Star that I've heard of.

 

Here's an ernest question from a casual Dead fan: did the group
ever record an instrumental in the studio?

 

I'm with Mike on this. IMO Mickey's presence puts all the grooves "behind the beat" which is a great effect for a song or two but gets a little sleepy for a whole set. Also, around '76 - '77 they converted many tunes to that lazy disco beat that came to be their signature sound through the rest of their career. I really prefer the days with Kreutzmann on his own. He's a vastly underrated drummer.

 

The Dark Star from 5/11/72 runs 48 minutes, including the drum solo in the middle somewhere...

 

EXACTLY, hence my fave era of the Dead, without Mickey Hart....it's the only time you can actually hear the drums as an instrument and not a bunch of stuff which clogs up the pure sound, Bill K. was an awesome drummer, I'd say almost as good as a jazz drumer, some of his stuff is phenomenal! Watch him during Dark Star on the Sunshine Daydream video and you'd think you were watching Elvin Jones. I read that Mickey and Bill used to do acid and practice sitting next to each other with one arm around each other's shoulder, so one would be doing the left hand and the other the right hand patern, but nothing beats the sound of just Bill K on his small kit IMO...