Not even close to the best show of April '78. 4/16/78 Huntington is the best in a darn good month. 4/11, 4/12, and 4/16 are all worthy.
Checking 11/19/72 DS for the first time. My appreciation of these big jam pieces is really contingent on set and setting. Phil's solo feels a bit anti-climactic to me.
That's 2/23/74. Not quite as stellar as DaP 13 (2/24/74) but it's very good and the sound and mix are excellent. It features the final Here Comes Sunshine until December 1992 and it's a corker: Check out Jerry from 3:57-4:08 and then Keith tosses in a fantastic cascading riff at 4:13. Brilliant.
This is probably my favourite Pick of the last few years (maybe since Vol 34). It takes a few songs to really get into the groove, but by “Here Comes Sunshine” the band is cookin’ and it’s all 1974 brilliance through the rest of the show. “Weather Report Suite” knocked me sideways and really made me a believer in what that piece can be, and the whole near-hour-long stretch of music on disc 3 is a ride.
I would not rank any of these shows in the top 5 for the month, so I would suggest listening for yourself and making your own decision
Yeah sorry I didn't mean to say he orchestrated it just that he added it and the band didn't like it. Phil and Bill both count Terrapin as their fav studio albums and I think it is pretty good just way too glossy. I don't mind the orchestration. See.... the thing I DO like about their studio albums is the subtle differences or the fact they tried stuff they didn't do onstage like experimenting with studio effects or orchestras or the great sax on TMNS or the different instruments and arrangement on Halfstep. It makes it interesting to listen to the studio albums for a change.
That said... beyond the odd album I go like a year between listening to the studio albums... but every time I do I wonder why I don't more often.
I have been buying a number of Dead live vinyl releases Including the 1, 2, 3 from the vault If I understand correctly these are multi-tracks? The 9-(23-24)-68 Two from the Vault is a bit hot on the top end without warm mids. Not the Gratest recording These 68 recordings seem to have a lot of raw open elements Playing 2 sides The Morning Dew is very aggressive to start I also sampled Dark Star - a condensed version at 11:20 Is PigPen providing those spacey set of 3 triplet interesting underpinnings? The more muscular St Steven sounds a bit overpowering, overloaded and congested in the main riff sections The calmer parts are more developed here I really like the vinyl when there is a stellar recording but this isn’t one of those I am hesitant to buy the Dick’s Picks 1 on vinyl, I think I am reaching my limit (report me) Or at least being much more selective based on sound quality Those 72 recordings on vinyl really spoil you
He was recovering from an accident and said he wasn't up to it. Portions of that suite are pretty demanding.
2-23-74... I found that one kind of "meh.j" It's '74 Dead, so it's not *bad*, but there's much better material to be found from that year, e.g.: Dave's #13 (2-24-74) - pricey! Believe It If You Need It - has some great 1974 material. Road Trips #2.3 (Wall of Sound) Dave's #34 (6-23-74) Dick's #12 (6-26,28-74) The 5-CD Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack
It was the shiznit when that was the only Phil solo I'd ever heard, but they all sort of sound the same. Fortunately, the melodic jam they go into afterwards is sublime.
Not gonna lie... I love this cover. It feel it's just pastiche but even if it wasn't ... still a good contrast.
TBF he was BARELY recovered and shouldn't have been back on the road yet. The Dead pushed themselves hard to perform. Similar to Bill in Egypt.
Also gonna say... this album isn't that bad. It's glossy and the live versions are superior... but it is not a bad album. I prefer it over Shakedown.
The Dead's 11/21/70 show at the Boston University Sargent Gym also was close to Fenway Park, but it says online that the openers were the New Riders and a vaudeville chimpanzee act. I suppose that Joe Perry conflated memories of different shows, or maybe while on acid he thought the chimps were the Stooges.
At Englishtown Mickey was recovering from a broken collar bone so they called it off. Bobby had a twin-neck guitar that he was going to play for the Terrapin Station encore, never happened. As for the remained of time, you'll have to ask Jerome John Garcia. While you're at it ask him why he put away The Wheel and Uncle John's Band in 1978. And why China > Rider looks several years to return after the hiatus.
