The Grateful Thread

Thought I would try a Dead thread and see if gets any traction. Similar to the Jazz Beat threads where folks talk about recent listens, new discoveries, etc.

Would love to hear about anything Grateful Dead-related. Anything goes...GD, JGB, Phil, Furthur, DSO, whatever...here goes...

3/2/87: Listening to this random show this morning. The middle show of a three show run at Kaiser in 1987.

Solid first set, the Althea and Feel Like A Stranger are particularly strong. Bobby is nice and loud on Althea, apparently too loud because at the end of it you can Mickey yell "Bobby...hey Bobby...I can only hear you, you're too damn loud!" And then Jerry chimes in quickly "You're too loud!" Sounds killer to me though The FLAS is extremely rocking, super tight and Jerry totally sticks the landing...turn it UP.

https://listentothedead.com/1987/3/2-2

 

Took the Fall '79 Road Trips (v1 n1) for a spin yesterday while spring cleaning. Very nice selection of tunes, convincingly played. The 11/6 Jackstraw>Deal has long been a favorite of mine.

Not earthshaking, face-melting Dead, just a solid runthrough, and a compelling argument for the 'best of run' RT philosophy.

 

Great idea for a thread.

I realized that I'd neglected the Boston '76 Road Trips release since giving it one spin when it came out, and re-listened to Disc 1 the other night. Very nice Crazy Fingers and Music Never Stopped (still with additional harmonies similar to the studio versions), and I can see why these made the cut for the earlier Spirit of '76 bonus disc. I also listened to the St. Stephen from Disc 2, which has a nice long jam before the return to the last chorus. I'm not sure I've heard other versions like that, with a lengthy jam that does not go into NFA before returning, but it's been a while since I've listened to any '76 St. Stephen's other than DP 33, which is one of the Dick's Picks that I listen to the most often (and to my ears is more genetically similar to the first half of '77 than earlier '76 shows, which have a nice precision and beautiful playing/harmonies, but also feel a bit slow and tentative overall). Haven't had time to listen to the rest yet, but will probably re-listen to Stephen and the rest of that set later this weekend.

Also re-listened to Dave's 2 (Hartford '74) lately, which I think I like slightly better overall than DaP 9, despite sound not being quite as good. The China Cat-Rider on DaP 2 is particularly nice. Also game the Scarlet-Fire from 10/21/83 a listen for the first time on archive.org. Very similar Scarlet-Fire to the Dick's Pick's 6 version from a week earlier, with similar steel drums-like sounds from, I presume, Brent.

 

6-9-77. Also the Garcia studio box and a JGB 12-31-75 show. All good

 

That is one of my favorites in the RT series, and I think the cherry-picking approach worked well there. I play the Dancin'-Franklin's and Shakedown from that release (and/or its bonus discs) quite a lot.

 

primal!!!!!!!!

 

9/20/70

Lovely...
http://retroreviews.blogspot.com/2006/02/grateful-dead-9-20-1970-fillmore-east.html

Grateful Dead 09-20-1970, Fillmore East, New York, NY

Set I (acoustic) Uncle John's Band, Deep Elem Blues, Friend Of The Devil, Big Railroad Blues, Dark Hollow, Ripple, To Lay Me Down, Truckin', Rosalie McFall, Cumberland Blues, New Speedway Boogie, Brokedown Palace

Set II (Electric) Casey Jones, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Candyman, Sitting On Top Of The World, Good Lovin'-> Drums-> Good Lovin', Big Boy Pete, Me & My Uncle, Easy Wind, Sugar Magnolia, Attics Of My Life, Mama Tried, Not Fade Away-> Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)-> We Bid You Good Night

 

I was listening to 12-05-1979 this morning on the way into work. Much of this show is a snoozer, in my opinion, with Jerry seeming particularly off in the first set. But the He's Gone > The Other One > Drums/Space > Black Peter sequence is really fantastic with some really impassioned vocals from Jerry.

 

Featuring Nicky Hopkins on keys, fantastic stuff

 

China Cat > Eleven is one of my favorite primal combos. Amazing Alligator on that one too

 

Don't forget the Spanish Jam!

 

I love this version of JGB, especially on Let's Spend The Night Together. The Let It Rock release from a few years ago is fantastic, would love to see more releases from this period.

 

Nothing but Europe '72 for the last few weeks - the last 5 shows. I just finished up set one of 5/26. More to come....

 

I've been following the Grateful Dead through their Europe '72 tour (42nd Anniversary). Or have they been following me??

 

Yep me too. I was hoping for another announcement from the JGB camp soon. It's all been about the Garcia vinyl release lately...

 

Just listened again to the 12/20/69 Dark Star issued last year on Dave's Picks, after the announcement of the new release from the same month. Neither the best performance or recording, but it has some great moments with Jerry and Phil locking in to some great patterns shortly before the first verse.

 

Also, the JGB show from 7/26/81 has been in my car player for the last month. Fantastic versions of "Tangled up In Blue" and "Lonesome and Long Way From Home".

 

I like the Feb 1970 Dark Star on that Dave's Picks a little better. Gets a little more out there in the beginning, you can hear the Stockhausen influence.

I was just spinning some of the demo's from Mars Hotel.
I was surprised by how much I liked this:

 

I just got this recently, and just getting started. Just made it through the first show so I still have tons to listen too, yay. This weekend I will get to 4/8/72 which has Dark Star-> Mind Left Body Jam -> Sugar Magnolia-> Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks. I've read that part is pretty spectacular...

 

I was just listening to this album about an hour ago.
In fact I was talking to some friends about this during dinner.
I put it on to let them hear Playing in the Band.
I described it as one of the first rock recordings to feature serious jazz interplay.
They did not understand what I was talking about, I'm sure.
Are you?

BTW My friend C. thought it was called Playing in a Van (he's a real non Dead Head).

 

I just scored some original Dead CD releases at a pawn shop for $3 each. Been listening to them last 2 days.

 

Borrowed a copy of Dick's Picks #18 from a buddy (Wisc/Iowa '78). New to me and nice!

 

Today, I'm listening to Dave's Picks Vol. 8, a snappy little Brent show. Tomorrow I will start a new poll: "Is Dave's Picks Vol. 8 underrated?" along with a complementary thread "I'm tired of people unfairly bashing Brent Mydland, dammit, amirite--you betcha!"

Edit: There is a great interview with Phil in the new Rolling Stone.

 

Holy crap! $3 each for all of those? Great score.

 

This is probably my favorite JGB release. The whole thing is great but Sitting inLimbo and Roadrunner are a couple of my favorites from it As a bonus, it might also be the best recorded JGB or Dead show out there.