Would you care to expand on this review? I've always been fairly underwhelmed with this show, which makes me feel like the odd man out around here. As I recall from my last listen, there are some great improvisational passages but there are some parts where Keith's block chords really seem to drag the energy down. I'd like to hear what it was like in person, if you're so inclined.
Another quirk of that 7/19/74 "He's Gone" is Bill's "reggae" drumming on the first verse. He was doing that a bit in '74.
The first set seemed very ordinary, especially after the MNS > Scarlet from 7/16 (we wondered what happened to the Scarlet on 7/18) and the intense Sugaree from 7/17. The pre-drums second set looked like it would lead to something special, but every time that seemed about to happen (post-drums) someone in the band would kill it, either with some gross mistake, boring rhythm or an awkward segue. Listen past the otherwise impressive setlist and you will probably see what I mean.
All this 76 talk. I swear I will be listening to 7/17 and 7/18 this week. Things keep getting in my way.
"Boring rhythm and awkward segues" aligns with my experience. As I said, there are some portions of great jamming, but the second part of the set sounds sometimes sounds like they're lurching from song to song without much style or finesse. This was the first post-hiatus K&D show I got on cassette in the mid-80s, and while I listened to it a lot (as I did with all of my Dead tapes at that point), it gave me a negative view of that whole period until a little while later when I finally heard (brace yourself) 5-8-77.
Just catching up on the Weather Report Suite discussion from a few pages back and will briefly trash the vibe here to say I’m strongly in the anti- camp. It’s like a Jesse Colin Young composition that Jesse Colin Young forced the band to play after kidnapping Bob Weirs grandma and holding her hostage. One of the early signs that whatever guardian angel had been watching over the Dead’s divinely inspired songwriting quality control was starting to nod off in the early ‘70’s. Shall we call it by a name? Sorry, against forum rules.
Exactly. Overall, I would rank this show no higher than 4th of the 6 night Orpheum run. 7/14 is an underappreciated show with a lot of "space", although Keith's "boring chords" do occur here and there.
I enjoy Prelude and Part I more than Lost Sailor, although the amount of exposure may have something to do with it.
WRS Pt 1 - well, the weepiness about cold weather is nearly John Denver-worthy, but the music is pretty and quirky enough to save it.
Thanks for sharing! Jerry was so philosophical. When he talked about people dialing up there own reality I couldn't help but think about the news media.
Part 1 is nice, but I don't think there's enough musical payoff there to justify the length. It's kind of "light." When they first introduced this song, they started using it to replace longer jams like "Playin" (end of first set) and as a second-set jam vehicle, but the whole first part is pretty static. I guess it's similar to "Terrapin" in that regard, but "Lady with a Fan" has a lot more lyrical depth, and there's that great modal jam before the transition into "Terrapin Station" proper. With "WRS", it's more like a great, complex jam vehicle with an extra-long intro tacked on the front. I think "Let it Grow" works better as a standalone and was at its peak from late '77 through Jerry's coma.
I've heard the Hollywood Palladium (08/06/71) show (including Hunter Seamon's SBD/AUD which uses the Harvey Kaslow audience tape as a source), but I've never heard the straight AUD. Rectifying that now. Bobby just admonished the taper to move back. Needed a cover. The type of Sony recorder and mics used: Bill
Listening to Dave's Picks 11 -- 11.17.72 Fall 72 is like the progress of Europe with the additional setlist goodies like Bird Song and Box of Rain. Love it.
I may tend to prize Dark Star close encounters more than some, 7-18-76 has some of that. I fully expected to be less impressed with it than the other shows of that run but when I listened again it was a standout. It's was 3 years ago Thursday I last listened to it, maybe I will check it out again though I have a lot on my list. It looks like I listened to the entire run over the course of 4 days back then, so I must have gotten some enthusiasm for it along the way. (e.g right now I'm playing 4-3-86, I started that Spring Tour of 86 back at the beginning of 2021.)
I was going to say this also, I was also surprised by the Colt Park show, they definitely picked up steam as 76 went along.
Bobby is addressing a different taper, not Harvey Kaslow and Craig Todd. rbbert has mentioned this previously.
one quick note on 10/3/76 Cobo - there is a strong thematic flavor of Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" started by Keith around the 6min mark (30 trips release) up til about the 7:20min mark and Jerry seems to noodle with the main riff as well...killer stuff.
Put me down as a fan of the complete Weather Report Suite. The emotional impact of the whole measures more than the particular notes and lyrics. When I saw The Dead play it at Red Rocks back in the 'aughts' it was a pure treasure- Weather Report Suite on the Rocks during a rainy Summer. Just. Exactly. Perfect.
Jerry's uninspiredness is certainly a "thing" once he started chasing the dragon. To my ear the devolution of his playing hits hard after the Godchaux depart, and his acquisition of the Tiger allows him more room to slur notes and lose the articulation the Wolf offered.
Thank you for the homework, I need to listen to both AUD sources this after to hear the difference, things I learned today 2 AUD’s are available of 8/6/71. I have always have had the copy of the taper saying he was staying put.
