Buddy of mine says he held those tapes in his hands, as I'm sure quite a few fans did. Great performance. When that show first aired on the GDH, I asked David for a copy of the shows and I had it within the week. Another angel for certain.
Yo tambien. Although I will say the 6/30/85 Shakedown just demanded some time out of my day. I've been concentrating on 15+ minute songs/jams in the last month along with copious inhalation, and it's been a whole lotta fun. But I'm going on a NYE run soon and that should be equally baik. A question for this thread: what is your opinion of Dave's Pick 28? I haven't even listened to it yet. What say you? WHAT SAY YOU? (Sorry about the picture size, please delete if replying.)
Crap. I decided to go out to the record store like old times tonight on a whim to 2nd Spin in Costa Mesa, CA. They are liquidating.
You will not regret this choice. One of the VERY best, both in terms of sound quality and performances. It is the golden road to unlimited devotion standard. Report back once you listen!
I don't know how far Amoeba Records is from you Bro in West Hollywood, but it is HUGE and once you've been there you will NEVER hafta go anywhere else
I don't normally respond under duress, but you're in luck! Big River is the high point. Just for the record, I recommended it, but I don't own it. I was recommending it to @latheofheaven.
When we took a vacation to San Francisco in 2016, I was grateful my wife let me take 2 trips to Amoeba. Place was fantastic.
Also, spent some time in Deer Creek last night, summer of 1993. Specifically: Mostly known for the killer post-"Terrapin" jam, quite possibly one of the best (if not single best to my ears) jams of the Vince era. There are a few other highlights too though, including a better than average "Broken Arrow" and a nice "Lazy River Road", not to mention the brief "Dark Star" outta "Drums > Space". Despite how killer the jam is, I'd forgotten how bad the vocal section was - Jerry just completely stops singing at one point. That jam though, tasty.
@latheofheaven For me the one track that best exemplifies the Dead in the fullest flowering of their first maturity is "Dark Star" 1972-04-08. Of course there are a lot of great versions of Dark Star, and it isn't possible to say that one is more fully realized or better executed than all the others, but at the very least this is one of those that no one should look askance at as a candidate for GOAT status. I don't know if you've taken an interest in Dark Star or not. It is in some ways the quintessential Dead track, it was sort of their centerpiece and signature at times in various eras. From what you have said I gather you may be familiar with the Live/Dead version, which is 1969-02-26 on the Fillmore box. Where that is a hazy and ecstatic psychedelic trance, in 1972 the Dead had become more cohesively exploratory as a unit. Not that anything was missing in 1969, but somewhat improbably they took a huge musical step in 1972--if not "forward," as again nothing was broken in the first place, nevertheless it is patent that they had lunged into new territory and were now capable of a kind of musical communication that is rarely if ever seen elsewhere in rock (I lean toward "never" but that's a big claim that I don't want to defend right now). It's not easy to explain but fortunately it's not necessary, if you listen to the track it will be evident what I'm speaking of. One can blast it and let it wash over one, and thus get a sense of the gestalt of the thing, but headphones and attention to the various instruments and what they are contributing at any given moment, and a sense for how the band is getting from one place to another, is always edifying and enjoyable.
14 December 1971- Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI. A kind soul with digital editing skills reassembled the "bonus" material in the correct running order, filled with missing stuff from the circulating source. It's really a fine show whose reputation was tarnished by butchery.
Dark Star--for God's sake 1972-09-24 is fantastic. I listened to that through the end of the set today--well, I bailed before OMSN--and it's always an intense experience, or at least if I'm paying sufficient attention it is. Next I listened to "Sitting on Top of the World" from 1972-05-23 and "Bird Song" from 1987-09-18. @Dahabenzapple -- I'd be curious to know what you make of this "Bird Song." I like it as much as the great 1972 versions; I am seemingly somewhat in a minority here in thinking that Jerry's playing in the 80s is fantastic, and even perhaps more advanced (wrong phrase, but I don't know the right one) than his earlier style in some respects, particularly in a first set context. This version really does it for me.
Never heard it but I decided this AM to give the famous 3/29/90 Bird Song another chance today or tomorrow. I’ll try to open myself up to the annoying Branford saxophone doodling that so many seem to like
I am mostly ensconced in 1972 right now and have been since that fateful night a few months ago when I objected to NOAC's "1972>>>>>>>>>>>>1973." He got me listening to Other One from 1972-05-24, and it blew me away. Of course, I have been listening to the Dead for a long time and different things stand out in different ways at different times, but for some reason that listening experience that night moved me from a focus on 72-74 with an emphasis on 1973 to 72-74 with an emphasis on 1972. Right now it seems to me like 1972 is their best year, who knows how long I'll think so but the ardor enkindled within me for that year still burns brightly! I of course still love the smooth drug hit of their 1973 sound, but what really does it for me even more is the slightly rougher-sounding and more intensely focused jams of 1972...and the Dark Stars from this year are unparalleled.
I was thinking the same thing this morning, after listening to 09-18-87 I thought to myself that I should revisit that one. I've never listened to that a whole lot, although I was at the show and quite taken with it on the night, of course. I'm not sure if that is a top version, or whether it is lauded because of the Branford contribution, but I'm going to check. I don't think I've heard it since the 90s. In any case I can strongly vouch for the 1987 rendition...
Right now I'm playing Sugaree from 1987-09-18, this is an excellent version...what a kick ass show. I remember Burt didn't like this show for some reason...I always thought he'd eventually see the error of his ways, generally I always think that if a show is highly regarded and I don't particularly dig it, that it's always possible the right occasion and head space will allow me to get shown the light.
I did see DSO play this show last May. I havn’t heard the actual Dead show - I know it’s the 30 Trips Pick from 1987.
It has my favorite version of Morning Dew, among other things...a high point is when Jerry plays a wrong note and then leans in to it...it's not clear whether he hit it by accident and then had to ride it, or whether some imp of the perverse led him there.
2/27/69; bzfgt syndrome. Currently listening to Dark Holler and I've Been All Around This World from Bear's Choice...
