This week's pick — #23 McArthur Court, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 22/01/78 . . . 1978/2017 Rhino Records (2) – R2-557455, Grateful Dead Records – R2-557455
Also note the transition from Space to Not Fade Away...a really beautiful piece of music. I was on the rail at Jerry's feet for this entire show. (Sorry that I've said this before) but the thought of locking eyes with Jerry several times during that show still sends shivers down my spine. 4-3-82 needs an official release.
No doubt the band is on fire with its 9/21/72 "Dark Star." Almost like a school of fish or flock of birds changing direction simultaneously with some sort of nature-based (as opposed to alien-based) telepathic communication.
Aliens are part of Nature, they simply evolved in a different Biome on another planet in a distant solar system. Nature is Big.
The first Acid Test was at Big Nig's house in San Jose after the Rolling Stone's show at the SJ Civic Aud.
Yeah, during this period, the "space" into "Not Fade Away" was usually more of an extended intro. I don't recall exactly what they did at this show but I like it, and it's not just your typical "bloopy bloopy doop" sort of 80s space (which I also love, make no mistake).
Extradimensional/interdimensional beings (if they exist*) may not have a biome, or an existence that's developed and accrued complexity within the constraints of linear time. But in the most-all encompassing sense, I agree with you (and Garcia) that there's no such thing as "alien." [*probably, imo] <you mean "certainly", dummy There is such a thing as "plenty weird." But the word "alien" is language that tends to shut down dispassionate inquiry. "Alien beings" are just experiencing being within their own set of bandwidth contraints, man. (This is what happens when bright, curious 11-year olds read Heidegger; they don't know any better than to skim the cream.)
"If a UFO landed and invited me on board for a ride, you'd never see me again." Jerry Garcia (paraphrased from memory)
I'll be starting this one today if I can manage to tear myself away from a mountain of work. Finished up 10/18/74 last night. These shows have had such different shapes thus far -- I love it. This one's got a really solid first set, minus Jack Straw, which is musically fine, but Weir doesn't know which verse he's singing early on. And as much as I hate to say it, I'm not sure I've heard a pre-hiatus Peggy-O that touches anything I've heard from, say, 77 or 78. Oh well. Sugaree and BIODTL are on Steal Your Face (the latter is a VAST improvement over 10/16, which is one of the few clunkers of this whole run thus far), and this final full Weather Report Suite is on disc 3 of the GD Movie Soundtrack. Set two is of course the completely ridiculous Seastones>Dark Star>Morning Dew sequence, much of which is on the Movie Soundtrack as well. It's possible this is my favorite Morning Dew. It certainly has gravitas to spare. The Dark Star is very 1974. The third set is mostly back in short-song territory, with particularly fine versions of Promised Land, Greatest Story Ever Told, and Ship of Fools (Steal Your Face), plus NFA>GDTRFB from the Movie Soundtrack (the latter in edited form) and a US Blues encore (also Movie Soundtrack, also edited). Wasn't sure where this show could possibly go after that second set, since I wasn't sneaking glances at the setlist and haven't committed the SYF and GDMS source dates to memory, but I liked where it went. Very crowd-and-KCWhistle-pleasing.
The opening Walkin' the Dog > It's All Over Now > Walkin' the Dog sandwich is epic, but as a whole, it's not as impressive as when they co-headlined the "End the War" rally with The Beatles in 1971: Those tributes to "Jimmy", Janis, and Jim were really heartfelt.
Bertha!!!!!!!!!!! The craziest jazz/funk/soul version ever played. After the second set they came out to play and had nothing left to prove, so they just played for the utter fun of it all. I was listening to the 3rd set this morning and flashed to the image of a guy in the GD Movie, staring at the stage as NFA is winding down into GDTRFB- he's staring at the stage without blinking, all filters off, absorbing the full spectrum of energy being put forth by the band through the WOS, at One with the moment. Bliss!
His death was real, and he is now zooming around the universe. As @Panama Hotel teaches: "Extradimensional/interdimensional beings may not have a biome, or an existence that's developed and accrued complexity within the constraints of linear time." Of course we humans meet these criteria too.
That's funny, I did think Bertha had a groove that felt more 77 than 74... but maybe it was normal for 74, and my brain has so totally absorbed the sound and feel of 71-72 Berthas that any deviation from that still feels weird. Your regular enthusiasm for the 10/18 Seastones etc. sequence was very helpful in priming me for the second set. It really does enhance the experience, although I can certainly see why it didn't make it onto the Movie Soundtrack.
Unrelated to October 74, I forgot how much I enjoyed the 11/17/71 (Dave's 26) Cryptical>drums>TOO>MAMU>TOO, particularly the transition into and out of MAMU, the presence of which lingers well into the back half of TOO. I don't think this show is quite as good as the RT 3.2 shows they played a few days earlier, but there's still a lot to recommend this one.
My extensively traveled house guest, Mascot, refuses to confirm or deny any personal encounters or other knowledge on that score.
So what do I read a micro SD card with, on my computer? If I go to Amazon, do I just get any "SD car reader"?
