If you want to hear Bob at his most bizarre, listen to “Turn On Your Lovelight” from both 4/13/86 and 6/22/86.
There are differences in the tape quality, which may partly account for the perception of the guitar sound between 08/23/71 and 08/26/71, but they're definitely the same axe, Grateful Dead Live at Auditorium Theatre on 1971-08-23 : Free Borrow & Streaming : Internet Archive Grateful Dead Live at Gaelic Park on 1971-08-26 : Free Borrow & Streaming : Internet Archive (listen to both versions of BRRB between circa 1:20 and 1:30) I love the enthusiasm for that Chicago gig, though! It is a good one.
So loyal, so trustworthy, always by my side! (FX: Car door slamming, ignition turning, tires squealing)
I have a sibling with OCD tendencies. I'm the anti-OCD guy. I've taken to setting my microwave at odd intervals, like 3:06 instead of 3:00 or 3:15. And every so often I set it to the more standard intervals, just so the odd time thing doesn't become a habit.
Currently grooving to: GRATEFUL DEAD Dave’s Picks Volume 38 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY September 8, 1973
Wow. I forgot how excellent this 9/8/73 Eyes of the World is. It’s almost as good as the all-time great one from the previous night.
Playing some Jerry Garcia Band-10/31/92 Oakland on my Sansui 9090db. I pulled it off the shelf, did some de-oxit and connected it to my Sony CD player and Yammie bookshelf speakers. Sounds great!
The smart move was to pick Bruce OR Vince. Keeping them both didn't help anyone including the band. Jerry seemed to relate better to Bruce at MSG in 90. They should've pulled the plug on Vince right then and there American Idol style. Alternately maybe have the wisdom to not ask Bruce to step in until Vince had had a chance to find his footing. 33 years on and I'm still replaying this tape? Talk about OCD!
He went back and forth but I seem to recall he didn't use a pick when I first started seeing them. You can find a bunch of early photos like that.
While I see your points, I think it was clear Bruce had no intention of staying/becoming a permanent member. Not sure if he was asked to join full time, but he had his own career and his own interests to follow. Having Bruce when they did was a plus, and it paid off in several ways. Not the least of whch was helping ease Vince into “the hot seat.” Brent didn’t have that luxury, but I think it was much a different time. Brent had been there longer than any previous keyboardist, and the band was playing bigger venues. They were under a greater microscope than 11 years earlier, and they likely felt they couldn’t stop the touring machine (So many people under their care, one of the things that probably did Jerry in a few years later). Scoring a ringer like Bruce, who knew the songs and could play pretty much anything, probably seemed a great way to let Vince get his sea legs while not having the full spotlight on him. Whether that helped or held Vince back is hard to say. Not sure he ever quite found his niche, although I liked hearing him sing Baba O Riley/Tomorrow Never Knows, and It’s All Too Much… I didn’t even hate Way to Go Home or Samba! Not letting Vince touch the B3 was the biggest mistake, IMO. I listen to how synth-heavy some of the post-Bruce shows get and I wonder what they were all thinking. Everyone having to help carry Jerry along when he was clearly fading was another issue. Bobby, Phil, and the drummers all stepped up. Not sure Vince was up that task. Bruce got tired of trying to light a fire under Jerry himself. He’s said as much.
I love the set opener choices on 9/8/73: First Set: Bertha Second Set: Greatest Story Ever Told Can’t get better set openers than that!
100%. Bruce leaving was the best move, it was going to pay big dividends down the road and they headed off in the right direction, only to be derailed by substance abuse of one particular member
