Excepting most of the Chuck Berry covers, I'm never unhappy to hear any of those tunes -- especially Big River, which always cooks.
Since we're hitting DiP 25 in the Archival Release thread this week, here's one: 5/10/78 - The Other One (7:50, when he first comes in, through 13:00)
Sunshine Daydream procured! I guess that means for '72 I've got -- Europe 72 E 72 vol. 2 Hundred Year Hall Steppin' Out Dick's 11 Dick's 36 Sunshine Daydream Eventually I'd like to get Rhein..
Speaking of Dark Stars.... last night on my way home from rehearsal, the "Dark Star" on Wake Up To Find Out popped up.... hadn't heard this in a very long time. Branford!
That's a pretty good chunk o' '72 there, that is. I would recommend 9-17-72 and the Dave's Pick from the Academy of Music over the Rhein release, but that's just me. The Rhein is probably easier/cheaper to procure.
Easier, yes, but perhaps I'll look for that those first. Thanks for the suggestions! Then again, I'm at the intersection of "Lots To Still Crack Open and Play" and "Want to Procure More". Decisions must be made....
yes get the Rhein release ASAP. also recommend Dick's 23 for the massive other one on disc 3. volume 30 has bo diddley guest on some stuff.
I made a hard right turn onto "Want to Procure More" Street a while back. But I do remember that intersection well...
I'm still checking out the early 1979 gigs. Love this run of shows. Even the lesser performances have their moments and some of the audience recordings are first class! Currently I'm listening to 01/18/79 Providence. shn #100210 Steve Rolfe recording. This is FOB and I don't understand how it's so good. lol All of the instruments can be heard well and the audience is really not too loud??? Check out this second set. Notice anything odd?? d2t01 - Tuning d2t02 - I Need A Miracle -> d2t03 - Bertha -> d2t04 - Good Lovin' d2t05 - From The Heart Of Me d2t06 - Ship Of Fools d2t07 - He's Gone -> d2t08 - Truckin' -> d2t09 - The Other One -> d2t10 - Wharf Rat -> d2t11 - Around And Around Encore: d2t12 - U.S. Blues No drums, no space. I always enjoy drum/space but it's really cool having a gig without any. Maybe they should have done it more often.
Among my listening last night was the Turn On Your Lovelight Practice Sessions [#125314] Date and location are uncertain, but best evidence points to early-mid 1967. Very likely the first recorded Lovelight, and one still in an embryonic form in this practice session. Jerry can be heard shaping the session. To borrow a quote from Garcia (made in a different context), "not everybody likes licorice, but the people who like licorice really like licorice." I happen to LOVE this licorice. Bill
I've been moving through Spring tour of 1981, it's all really up-front electric stuff, reminds me a lot of 78, especially now that they've struck a balance with the Go to Heaven material. Yesterday I did 3-7-81 University of Maryland. This one opened with a hard-hitting combo of Alabama Getaway>Greatest Story, and they didn't take their foot off the gas until 6 songs into the set! That song, Candyman, was laid-back, but Garcia's solo was all-out. This was another long and meandering Bird Song, briefly getting into Playin in the Band and Dark Star territory. Looks Like Rain and Deal complete the 'triple closer.' Set 2 was well done, but definitely in the 'rock show' vein. The main jam was Sailor>St. I am usually more a fan of Lost Sailor than Saint of Circumstance, but this Saint of Circumstance was pretty neat, they do a nice little jam within it and a typical 'early Brent era pre-drums jam' afterwards (typical in that it's random relative to what came before and after.) A solid post-drums segment, they keep the throttle revved up, even Black Peter is kind of a foot-stomper, and after that its Rock Star Bobby all the way through the encore. Having gone through late 1980 and into 81, the difference between Fall 80 and Spring 81 has been Garcia is more assertive and loud with his guitar playing. Raw and crazy more often than laid back and chilled out, I guess he needed a tour with the Garcia Band to shake off the acoustic set mentality.
Word of that Birdsong spread up the East Coast right after the show. At 17+ minutes in length it was a long adventure and is a tremendous jam. The jam after Saint is also worthwhile.
Stumbled on this photo of Ron and his ol' lady Vee enjoying some relaxing domestic time together out at the ranch: Bill
I was on my way to a pub on Saturday night in central London and dropped by one of the surviving record shops in Berwick Street in Soho about fifteen minutes before closing time. They are selling a considerable CD collection. Given the amount of still sealed stuff I imagine many of these are second copies held by a collector. Everything is locked in a display case and you can see it and check this list, then ask to buy what you desire: Some of the larger items like the Golden Road Box (£80 0r a hundred bucks) are not on the list because you can clearly see them and the price in the case. One pound sterling is $1.32, so £100 listed above is $132, £50 is $66, and £30 is $40. I spent £70, or just over $90 and got Dave's Picks 26 with the bonus disc and Dick's Picks 20. The Dick's Picks was one I need to conclude my run of the first 25, and I have never seen a Dave's Picks in the wild, or indeed anywhere other than on-line. Prices are below what you would pay on-line for the most part, with no postage of course, and no tax added. But they ain't giving this stuff away, as you can see. I am pleased with my additional ten hours of Dead. I had dinner with an old girlfriend on Sunday night who is a Dead convert, and she said I should stick with what I have and stay the hell away from there. In her words, 'you haven't even played everything from the European '72 tour more than once yet. Leave them be.'
She is an excellent source of good advice which I take more often than not (and in this case have so far). We were good friends before seeing each other and have returned to that. One summer in 2005 we spent a month camping in Wales and England with only ONE working C90 cassette for the car, containing Europe '72. We never got tired of it, and it still brings back memories.
3-9-81 MSG - Imagine a time when the GD only did two nights at MSG, and only one in Boston. A pretty good show for their first appearance of the year in NYC. Garcia goes up to 11 in the middle of Feels Like a Stranger, and they are typically fired up for this tour on the rest of the set. Bird Song was not quite as deep as the last performance, but still gets into some of that 'rarified for this period' air. Minglewood Garcia uses what sounds like the Mutron on his solo on Minglewood, I don't think I've heard him use it in that context before. Great China Cat>I Know You Rider to open set 2, and Estimated>Uncle John's Band>D/S>O1>Stella Blue is a very nice sequence. It almost sounds like they are going to start the Wheel at the end of Stella Blue (Phil thought so,) but instead they close it out with Good Lovin. That would have been something, but still a very good show. I liked it so well I decided to carry on to 3-10-81 next.
Tour box set or bust! It should be noted that each of these 10 spring 81 shows to date is captured on a brilliant audience recording, I have not listened to one soundboard yet and haven't thought about looking for one once.
My Spotify yearend summary is all 1972 Dark Stars. They have about 15 of them, all the Euros, Veneta, DPs, and I put them in a Playlist and play it all the time. Ambient Dark Star. The Dead, the whole* Dead, and nothing but the Dead. Perfecto. I did the same thing for 72 Other Ones, and 72-74 Playings, but those dont get played as much. Once drove across Kansas getting screamed by Donna at 18 minute intervals, decided there needs to be an edited Playin compilation. That would be a great box set. 72 Playin's. Each disc opens with the song part, then stitch together as many jams as will fit, then one Donna scream, maybe muted a bit, and the reprise. 6 discs good with everyone? *of course not
