The Grateful Thread

9/11/74 2nd set Seastones>Eyes>Wharf Rat. Might as well start with the set 1 closing PITB. Depending on your Phil-n-Ned tolerance you can decide how much of Seastones to skip.

 

That is a great one. Jerry gets in a bluegrass mood at times and takes off. Jerry adds in some really fine turnarounds as well. The chord filled section form Jerry is really hot before the last verse.

 

It is a great version IMO. Heck, their two chord jams are some of their best in the style of the hottest jazz jams.
That is what made them great IMO.....two chords at the root but they turned it into a harmonic and melodic journey that kept your attention. Even something simple like the V-I of the Sugaree verse chords.

 

Today I checked out 5/1/80 (Greensboro Coliseum). Really good show. Highlights includes Feel Like A Stranger, Estimated Prophet, Uncle John's Band, Wharf Rat, Johnny B. Goode and Brokedown Palace. The playing throughout is terrific. Jerrys solo during Estimated is mighty fine, and as a whole it's a great version. The UJB is fantastic as well. Other highlightsv includes Candyman, Big River, Sailor > Saint and Sugaree. The latter features some excellent jamming. I'll listen to this show more as it feels like it has more to give. The sign of something really special.



Earlier in the day I checked out 3/16/68 (Carousel Ballroom). Incredible show. Highlights includes Dark Star, China Cat Sunflower, Good Morning School Girl, Alligator and Cauton (Do Not Stop On Tracks). This is a scorcher of a show, with incredible jamming. The Alligator > Caution features phenomenal vocals from Pigpen as well as some quite exemplary playing from the rest of the boys. The Alligator in particular might very well be up there as an all-time version. Ron also does a great job on Schoolgirl and It Huts Me Too. An excellent The Eleven is another highlight, and the same with The Other One which at this point was still somewhat primitive. From beginning to end this is a killer-show. It def should be listened to if ye haven't done that.

 

Listening to 2/28/73 at the moment. Very nice TOO and interesting, warmhearted show all around.

 

Heretic! Confess!

Cardinal Fang, poke him with the soft cushions!

 

Scott La Faro.

Edit: He said, repeating what three people have said already... sorry for the noise...

 

The prior night- 20 September 1974- Palais de Sportes. The China > Rider will take you new and unusual places. Plus the intro to Eyes of the World is unspeakably good.

 

The answer could be 0.

 

Ack, thanks. Wish I had thought to look for that before I ordered from Amazon.

 

I've been a Deadhead since the mid-80s, but the first time I actually tried to play Garcia's music (EDIT: First time I tried to play it in a gigging band - slight distinction!) was ca. 2011-2012 when I formed a JG solo cover band with me on guitar. Gave me a whole new appreciation for his playing when I tried to do anything close to it myself. Like, OK, I can solo over almost anything for one time through the head; now try doing it four times through the head without repeating yourself! Try to play a five-minute modal jam that doesn't get boring after the first thirty seconds and then actually bring it to a climax. Bastard made it look easy.

 

I got an email earlier about that and knew you'd be here sharing the good news. That is a fabulous vision Billy has, and a great way to honor the GD.

 

If that's the case, then it was perpetrated by the band, as well. I've read/seen interviews with them from around the turn of the 80s, saying that they felt like they were finally getting their act together, and that their worst shows ca. 1980 were not as bad as their worst shows from earlier years. This is all highly subjective, obviously, but I've come across quotes like this more than once.

 

Paul Bley famously said he didn’t listen to another pianist for 25-30 years. Fwiw no one ever sounded anything like Paul Bley. He would rant that all the pianists do is listen to Herbie, Chick and McCoy and they all sounded like cheap imitations.

 

I gotta say, as a relative newcomer to the Dead (since 2017), the conversation on this thread about Garcia and Lesh's playing styles is giving me a new appreciation for them. Thanks for your erudition and enlightenment!

 

Most importantly: Hockey is back!

 

Allow me to quote from the greatest musical of the past few decades:

**** is the worst word that you can say
**** is the worse word that you can say
We shouldn't say ****
No we shouldn't say ****
No we shouldn't say ****
**** No!

That being said, that mug is ****ing awesome!

 

1972.09.30, American University, Washington, DC

This is a pretty laid back show, very chill and a good way to come down off the massive success of the Jersey City run. Bobby is way, way up in the mix on this recording, and his guitar tone is captured really well. It's unique/interesting, but the lack of balance is not ideal. Still a very nice listen.

 

When do they usually release track details for the next couple of picks?

 

picks 37 and 38 have been revealed but i'm not sure if the bonus disc for 38 was announced

 

tonight 1/22/78. mighty Daves 23. one of the best picks in the Daves series

 

5/21/71. These early ones have always been very special to me.

 

1971 is underrated

 

Listening to the Watkins Glen soundcheck jam (excerpt?) from So Many Roads, disc 2. Since Butch Trucks was likely around and probably drunk by this time, I can kind of understand why he made the statements he made. The soundcheck jam isn't really anything specific; it's almost as if they started in the middle of Dark Star and just kept going without getting anywhere specific. I find it to be a great listen (and the journey is far more important than the destination), but a more rock-oriented drummer with a belly fulla Schlitz might not see it the same way.

 

This was a nice listen. I don't remember hearing this before. I read Butch's comments-sheesh...its def the Schlitz. Most likely the Tall Boys


(Of course now I need to listen to the Dark Star/Spanish Jam/US Blues that follows...)