I'd guess early Brent versions (1979 until Jerry's voice started going a few years later) would be good for that.
Three days in 1973. A back-to-back-to-back bonanza in Boston. DP’s #14 “reviews”: 30/11/73 — The Grateful Thread 02/12/73 — The Grateful Thread Beautiful. Blissful. Bountiful. Bloody brilliant. Brain blown. This run deserves—no, demands—the full box treatment. Behold, the Wall …
Listening to April 22, 1978 - Dave's 16 - Nashville. Definitely a great "Tennessee Jed" - Weir and Garcia's guitar playing throughout this version is great. A great recording.
One of my favorite 78 shows. The Sugar Magnolia is probably my favorite (or tied with 2/1/78), and the Wharf Rat just might be, too.
The version from 3/23/74 on DiP 24 is rather solid in this area (Phil's high harmonies are mixed down a bit which works well). And the subsequent WRS has a rippin' Phil/Jerry sparring match in the out jam from 12:54-13:20. Top shelf intuiting.
Just about any E72 show, as Jeffrey Norman sounds like he had plenty of time to mix the vocals. I like having having Pigpen in there too. I avoid 5/3/72 - this is the one they used for the original E72 LP, and the overdubbed vocals do not sound good to me. 4/26 is nice. 5/13 is also nice and has some great guitar work from the guys. 4/16 & 4/17 are also good and feature some nice parts from Keith. And 4/24, possibly the best of all worlds.
Thanks for all the Rider harmony recommendations. A group I play with wants to do some Dead and are interested in singing harmony. I'm looking for a good example to send them.
30 November 1973- The Music Hall, Boston A mere 5 days earlier the Boys were out in the sun in Tempe, now ensconced in the Northeast the cozy confines of the Music Hall, so small they had to stack the PA like a Wall. An exceptional show on a Tour of Excellence. Happy listening @Zafu
I wasn't paying attention to the high harmonies but this "China > Rider" hit the sweet spot this morning, and now the subsequent "Bird Song" is doing the same. This is a seriously excellent compilation, I only wish it had been expanded to four discs to include the "Dark Star" from the box set. I suppose they couldn't give everything away on the bargain version! *Man, the jam following "Truckin'" on CD1 is seriously awesome. I love this set!
Yea, loving this Dark Star. Wasn't familiar with this show until recently, but this DS is definitely up on my list. Delicate, floating, weaving spirals and everybody is really listening hard. And I dig the echo-ey kind of thing Phil does right after the intro. You can feel your feet lifting off the ground as the journey begins.
That 5/19/74 jam was part of what made me become a serious Dead fan, when I heard it on the Grateful Dead Hour in 1993.
That's awesome! I feel like '74 has more of these unique, don't-sound-like-anything-else-in-the-catalog jams than any other year I can think of (though '76 has a good few too, I think).
I forget which sage around here observed that there is a lot of '74 in '76, and I'd say those unique jams are a strong part of it.
This is a top 3 Dick's Picks for me, really only surpassed by the aforementioned Vol. 16 that I waxed poetic about at the top of the month. I usually listen to this one in the spring, oddly enough. The HCS > WRS > DS Jam > Eyes > Sugar Mag is my soundtrack to a warm, thawing spring day. I will go as far as to say that it's my favorite HCS and Eyes. I also love BOTH Playin's included in this set!
The 5/19/74 was one of the first of those funk jams with Bill smacking the quarter notes on the hi hat they did that year. 8/6/74 during Playing->Scarlet was another one. That seemed to get lost when they went back to two drummers.
Question for the thread... I'm sure this has been covered to nausea before, but what are people's thoughts on Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings? I recently acquired it SEALED at a steep but comparatively reasonable price. Loving the box packaging, and still digesting the music. Are all 3 of these shows pretty stellar, in y'all's eyes?
Superlative. 11/11/73 may well be arguably the greatest ever show. That 2nd set. Jesus Christ, that 2nd set. Sublime.
WOW!!! High praise on 11/11/73. So far, the China > Rider and Dark Star > Eyes make a pretty good case.
