Mickey's last show until 10/20/74 I believe. So did Betty make those Porchester 71 tapes? They sound incredible.
Speaking of 77' I was just listening to the 10/14/77 PITB last night. That's always been a top post 74' version IMO.
I'm reading Billy's book. It takes a lot for me to not be able to put a book down but I'm really into this book! Hoping to get some hammock time at the lake this weekend to finish it up. He really takes some shots at band members but that's why the book is so good. He hasn't slammed Jerry yet but I'm only at Egypt 78. Has anyone else seen the Prankster footage from Egypt? I have it somewhere still hopefully. I got it directly from "Zane Kesey" I believe back in the early 2000s. It was a hard watch. Kind of like ********ers Blues. Also watched Festival Express in conjunction with the book. Its amazing how much different Jerry was back then. Happy and personable. Before the dark drugs.
There's a moment in that film where he says "I love you, Janis. I've always loved you" that's just heartbreaking.
I started riding my bike a few weeks ago again after two years off due to a hernia and surgery. I’m 50 and in reasonable shape, but it’s like those muscles ceased to exist. Anyway, it’s coming back and I was on this one route on a rural mountain road with a climb that’s about 20 minutes in the easiest gear - just a grind. That 9/21/72 Star was in my ears and got me through it. It’s an all time Star for me. On the ensuing descent I stopped at a viewpoint. The Dew and oxygen depletion has me basically tripping (or dying), watching the leaves of a tall poplar, seemingly dancing in the wind backdropped by blue sky and clouds. Finished the show and the 9/3 bonus yesterday on a run. The magic was gone. It was too soon after lunch and I was burping garlic the whole way. 9/24/72 starts on today’s hike. Should time the 2nd set for Saturday’s return to the bike.
Brilliant! The Gong lot had similar ideas they done! A recall a gig in Norwich corn exchange the lads stuck tabs of purple bloody lysergics fresh from the lab in Bodmin Moor in the folds of a Cornwall rhubarb crumble They done. The lads had them more than one slice they done that night i tells ya right, my son, bloody right as rain we was, mate, right as rain Bloody fookin hell yer man Taffy got off his nut right proper and stripped off his rude boy creepers and bloody mod gear in a pile and ran off down the lane never to be seen that night..lad later turned up in Wrexham HMP he done ..seems yer man stormed thru lovejoys bloody tea room in nothing more than a pair of bird knickers and a hat...Bloody pissed on lager and that gong crumble he was I reckon...had to send Dabney over to fetch the lad...seems yer man had a proper punch up with pissed West Bromwich EFL yahbos on the tram..took on 4 c**ts in the bleedin jacks and left em in a pile ole Dabbers done...mate can STILL throw the hands when the chips is down ya best recognize, my son...he done time with Ronnie Biggs in the scrubbs... ya ain’t gonna learn that knowledge in bloody Bishops Castle prep Dabney always said ...I seen yer man take out 7 blokes at a bloody Mott gig in Newcastle after one of them twats stepped on yer mans new creepers...right there in the pit...bout the only time ole Hunters took the shades off ta get a better look we reckoned at the arms after the gig...nothing like a proper punch up, a well poured pint and a taste of lysergics with yer mates to get the blood pumpin he’d say...Dabney was wise beyond his years the lot reckoned...them was the days, lads, them was the days indeed!
Yup. All of the scenes with Janis are kind of heartbreaking. She is so happy there, hanging out with friends, drinking and singing. I've always loved this song, since I first heard it on The Basement Tapes. Then she flew on...
It’s a great read. I definitely want to re-read it. And Festival Express is awesome. Of all the old concert/festival documentaries (Woodstock, last waltz, etc etc) it’s far and away my favorite. I’ve probably seen it 10 times.
"The Weight" and "Cry Baby" from that film are among the best live footage available of that generation of artists. I thought there was a Pigpen song in the movie but it looks like it's only on the DVD version?
Yeah I totally agree 100%. Its the only footage I've seen where you really know what he was like back then. But maybe not because he was famously drunk.
I just watched the whole scene. They were talking about where in Canada they are, and someone asks if they are in Alberta. Janis and Jerry both immediately start singing "Alberta, let your hair hang low." Then Jerry says he has always loved her. I think it was a sweet way of acknowledging their shared love of folk music. Neither of them could hear the word Alberta without putting that song in their head. FYI, as soon as I heard the word Alberta, I had exactly the same thought in my head!
Yeah, I didn't see that coming up, but then I was looking at computers at B&H Photo and the next thing I remember is U.S. Blues. So I need to listen to this volume a third time so as to properly digest "Spinach Jam."
With the way Jerry says that to Janis and before that during the song he is making sure his part is played well despite everybody being trashed just seems so Jerry.
Today I listened to 5/14/78 (Providence Civic Center). A great show. Highlights includes Mississippi Half-Step, They Love Each Other, Me And My Uncle > Big River, Let It Grow and many more. Tge band sounds relaxed, yet at times it gets really exciting. Jerry cooks something fine with the Wolf... Earlier I listened to 8/23/87 (Calaveras Co. Fairgrounds). Highlights here includes Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, PITB, Dear Mr Fantasy, NFA and Morning Dew. In fact the entire second set just rips. It's some incredible jamming, especially by '87-standards, during much of this set. Smoking guitar work by Jerry and Brent's terrific on Fantasy.
