Dancing In the Streets was an awesome beginning to the back end of the Cornell 05/1977 show. I felt like everything that followed flowed so nicely.
First listen: First from the matrix recording of 11/30/80 via Dave’s Picks 8. Sounds way better than the few other early 80’s standard cassette soundboards they sourced for releases such as Dick’s 6 or Dick's 13. I understand the Bob Wagner audience recording they used is one of the great sounding audience recordings. According to Mr. Walker it was the best one he ever taped. Best aspect is Brent doesn’t overwhelm the mix. Jerry sounds amazing. His voice on Loser & Ramble on Rose is powerful and his solo on the former is an all-time one with the band reaching a peak towards the end of his solo. Jerry gets all fired up in Rose and plays a couple extra power chords and the Fox Theatre crowd is all whooped up. Even Looking forward to the Sailor>Saint set closer that starts Disc 2. Second set is said to be a great one and the set list is pretty great already and gets better for the second set. Plus full 3:08 show. I wasn’t aware they played too many 3 hour shows after the hiatus. All the 76-79 shows I know of are 2-1/2 hours to maybe 2:45 at the most. Glad I got a copy of this insanely priced release from a good friend seen around these parts.
Thanks for the recommendation on this! Any others like this that would be in the same vein? specifically '72-'74?
I was finally able to land a copy of Dick's Picks 25 today. If I can ever find DP 30 and 32, I'll have a complete set on CD. I realize this isn't earth-shattering news, but I was damn glad to find a copy at a reasonable price (screw you Real Gone Music!). Anyway, I'll be off to '78
Thanks for the history, that seems to bridge the gap between what @Crispy Rob heard and what I did. Stu Nixon, Deadbase editor, was on some of the shows (I know this because I have a Dick Latvala interview that goes on for 20 minutes or so after they first tell him they have to get off the phone. (It also meant I didn't get much of 7-16-72 which was the tape that night.) I also looked it up, Don Grossinger is still on the show, he was definitely one of the hosts back in the 90s too. I don't recognize the other names from the web page. I'm listening to the end of the Keith and Donna era, (I just finished 2-3-79,) the first time I heard 2-17-79 was in December of 95 or 96, and I haven't listened to it since. One of these days I'll finally set down the history of the "Christmas Party Acid Freakout and the Dark Star That Wasn't," but Morning Dew was a key part of that series of events. This morning I have 3-17-94 on, which was a pretty solid set 1. I actually really like Weir's guitar tone, he's perfected the crunchy sound to go with his 'sustained chord inversion plus whammy bar' technique. Garcia has a very clean and twangy tone - you can definitely hear every note. He's playing well on this date, the first set is pretty solid and he's picking apart Iko Iko as I type this.
Dicks Picks 7 is another good offering from 74. Any of the Europe 72 shows. Have you heard Veneta 8-27-72 already? Dave's Picks 9 and 13 (5-14-74 and 2-13-74,) or Spring 73 with Dave's Picks 16 and 21. (3-28 and 4-2-73)
Once again upon my own recommendation, I put on 1/15/79, Springfield, MA. I saw two shows there in '85 that were very much a red carpet to an exit from the bus, but in a good way. I had just passed my Competency Exam at WPI, so I was off into the real world. I'd have one more show at SPAC in June, '85 (and unfortunately, one after that at The Knick in late March '91 that was more painful than a tooth extraction with no medication). But 1/15/79 is really, really great, from Miracle--> Shakedown to Terrapin. Normally, live versions of Terrapin don't do a whole lot for me, but this one is an exception. And the subsequent Playin' is hitting all the right spots...
Both are outstanding. For a couple of tidbits, Jerry quotes Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring @0:59-1:03 of Dark Star on 11/30/73 and in the China--> Rider transition from 6/16/74, starting at ~7:40, Jerry goes off the rails in a great, country way; dragging Phil into the fray (with no arguments from him, I should add) and the ride is miraculous into a smooth crash back to the ground @8:12 and the Groovy @9:00. Top-shelf stuff all around. But DP 12 (6/26, 28/74) tops all of this.
Continuing my journey through February/March 81 via all audience recordings. In the midst of the 2nd night at the Stanley Theater. What a great tour! Just starting a crisp Estimated->Franklins. As has been mentioned in the past, the opening shows at the Uptown deserve the box treatment. The tour so far just keeps getting better and we all know how it went once the got to MSG. Admittedly I am not familiar with the following Boston shows. Looking forward to jamming them.
All the recommendations you got so far are good. If you like Other One, check out Hundred Year Hall, Dick Picks 23, and Dave's Picks 17---all are from 1972, and are three of the best renditions ever of this song (maybe the three best ever, I'd probably put HYH and DP 23 in the top 3 at least. Dave's 11 is less epic but still one of the best.).
I just spent 10 minutes going through past posts to find this (sorry @notesofachord if you heard some bumping and banging in your shed; that was just me trying to find the lightswitch). Great googly moogly, this transition is just fanfreakinfabulous. Phil's drivin' the bus, but everyone is fully engaged.
I just started up 10-25-73 at the Dane County Coliseum - this is a good show so far, only two songs in, a rocking treatment of Bertha and typically energetic Big River to get things started off. The end of this show looks like the Stone Turntable special - WRS>GDTRFB>Saturday Night with a UJB encore.
I love all of those June 1990 West Coast shows. Of course I was at all of them. Really appreciating Brent in his final CA & OR shows...
I've been listening to the 72-74 Dave's Picks and the most recent one has been 7/19/74. PITB, Seastones, and WRS>Jam>Eyes are all just what I need. Especially the Jam. My only complaint is that it should be way, way longer than 9:35!
The more I listen to this the better it gets. This is now my wife’s absolute go to set. Best Sugaree ever. Fine versions of Candyman, Jack Straw, Bertha, Row Jimmy & Brown Eyed Woman. Great PITB sandwich thingy with a chunky long classic 1977 NFA.
Hello GOGDTD (my new acronym for you fine folks, Good Ol' Grateful Dead Thread Denizens), been MIA with much work craziness this week, so pardon me for catching up a bit since I missed all the new box hype. I'm not sure why I was worried, given that it's still out there today, but I made sure to get in my cart within the hour. And, heck, for a minute I was worried that I might have already missed the boat. I figured this would be gone right away given those prime years. I'm super stoked for this and I can't wait for it to get here, due just a week after my birthday so it'll be my gift, thanks to the patient Mrs. Listened to disc 1 of the 7/8/78 show from the box, I forgot just how much liveliness they bring to those set 1 tunes in '78. That seamless segue from "Bertha" into "Good Lovin" sounded great this morning, I always love it when a "Bertha", of all overplayed tunes, brings an unexpected smile on a fresh listen.
Thanks for posting this. Not the biggest fan of post '80 GD but it's members like you who post clips like this one that kinda remind me to be more open about these shows. A very good one indeed, great Estimated btw..
Finished up 7/2/88 the other day - a show I've heard plenty of times but could never fully enjoy as the sources I had just didn't have enough Phil. Even the long circulating "Haugh" matrix didn't quite do it (for me). Well I finally heard a pull of this show that I think does Phil some justice! The recently shared "new to circulation" Schoeps FOB. Ho-Boy, we're in the Phil Zone! Finally! When I mention a show, I like to include the setlist.... for context.... I: Iko Iko> Jack Straw, West L.A. Fadeaway, Stuck Inside Of Mobile, Row Jimmy, Blow Away, Victim Or The Crime, Foolish Heart II: Crazy Fingers> Playin' In The Band> Uncle John's Band> Terrapin Station> Drums> Space> The Wheel> Gimme Some Lovin'> All Along The Watchtower> Morning Dew> Sugar Magnolia E: Quinn The Eskimo Lots of fun banter in the first set, with Phil, Bobby, and Jerry all chiming in! "Let Mickey Sing!" Ha! Nice first set.... Foolish Heart is not fully fleshed out yet but has a nice jam... the Playin' goes some places that hint at the version to be played 27 days later, the Famous Laguna Seca Playin' Meltdown... Jerry really kicks it up notch for the Watchtower, followed by a most excellent Dew (although not quite a rip roaring as some of them...)
And then of course this morning I went even further back in time..,. to... 10/17/78! Haven't listened to much '78 lately, other than Eugene 1/22 and July 78 box. I used to have these Oct 78 shows on cassette (in fact - not "used to," but still do!) but now prefer the Miller transfers.... got through set I on the drive to work, set II should set the mood for my drive home.... I: Promised Land, Friend Of The Devil, Mama Tried> Mexicali Blues, Tennessee Jed, I Need A Miracle, Stagger Lee, Jack Straw II: Scarlet Begonias> Fire On The Mountain, Estimated Prophet> Eyes Of The World> Drums> Space> If I Had The World to Give> Around & Around E: U.S. Blues (portions released as Road Trips v. 1 no. 4)
