Bill's book was like sitting with him at a bar. Fun for what it was. He had a Deadhead cowriter which was a mixed blessing since some fan opinions enter the story ("so I hear spring '77 is one of the best tours we ever did..")
BTW I had never heard the story of trying to kick Matt Kelly in the nuts and then Matt suing him for 600k because he couldn't use his manhood anymore and the way they outed him in court was to say that he was seen going home with a stripper. The stripper testified that it worked perfectly fine. HILARIOUS.
I'm at 1988 in this 30 Trips Vol 2 journey, and to my ears, 86-87 was the biggest, most abrupt change from year to year excluding 66-67. All the other years seemed pretty gradual. There's a big change in the sound of the band itself: clearer but maybe a bit colder, more metallic. Brent's keys seem like the most obvious thing, but even the drums and guitars sound different. Jerry's vocals are a whole other topic. Performane-wise: my immediate reaction was that they sounded ... old. It's slower, tighter, more controlled, but at the cost of some energy and spontaneity. It sounds like they lost some their edge and were playing it a bit more safe. Admittedly, this might have more to do with that specific night, 9/8/87, but imo those 85 and 86 shows blew the 87 show out of the water. I liked the second set of the 87 show but found the first set a bit bland in comparison to 4/19/86. I'm enjoying 7/2/88 more, so maybe that 87 show was just an off night. In conclusion, it's a toss up as to which is "better": clarity vs warmth, energy and excitement vs control and consistency. 89-90 is obviously a different story.
Mistake because you're not a fan of the '91 sound, the playing at that show, both, or something else?
A long Labor Day weekend of good old GD! Started the night before in Glens Falls in Albany and then packed up the car with sleeping Dead Heads for the overnight trip to Rochester. I believe I slept through much of the Greg Kihn the Good Rats sets as I did all of the driving! Unique (possibly) playing of Lost Sailor/Saint at both shows.
OK guys, I think it is time that someone explains me what the heck is that loud CRACK after "One man gathers what another man spills" verse that we almost always hear in 1969 and 1970 St. Stephens? Did Mickey throw firecrackers on stage? It sounds like a firecracker to me.
Firework I think as well. I know there is a show around then where there is a loud firework in Me & My Uncle as well. Sounds like a gunshot.
The March '91 shows at the Knick were basically a mess. I had a friend who had an extra ticket and he must have asked me to go 20 times and I simply said no (I really didn't want to deal with the travel, the era nor the music). Finally, I caved and that was, quite simply, a mistake.
I remember Dupree's mentioned "no trade" soundboards in the early Dick's Picks era, all of which surfaced one way or another in a short time. One example was 9/27/72 a short time before DiP11.
They had a cannon I think. I mean they weren't shooting cannon balls so I don't know exactly what it was, but there are reports of a cannon.
A friend of mine used to have a starting cannon that was used for yacht races (he may still, for all I know). About 18-24 inches long and it took 10 gauge shotgun blanks. TBH it sounded a lot louder than what I've heard on Dead tapes but they may have had something similar.
Maybe it was Boots. He was there a number of years if I remember right. He's the guy setting off the torch paper in the Grateful Dead Movie.
