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"The Grateful Dead picked up their instruments and hit the first note with perfection. They never missed a note for the next three and one-half hours. People followed the flow of the tunes. Down on the floor in front of the stage was a sea of heads keeping time with the music. No one sat still. No one, except the youngsters behind us sat still. They were still and stunned." - The Power County Press
And what a stunner it was, that show at the Boise State University Pavilion in Boise, ID on September 2, 1983. Dave's Picks Volume 27 contains every stitch of music from this mid-80s show (our first in this series), one that's as good as any other in Grateful Dead history. When the Dead were on, they were ON! Straight out the gate with a definitive take on the old standard "Wang Dang Doodle," the band swiftly switches back to a setlist of yore, firing off 70s staples like "Jack Straw" and "Brown-Eyed Women" and wrapping things up with a terrific trio of "Big Railroad Blues"/"Looks Like Rain"/"Deal" (don't you let that epic guitar solo go down without you). Primed for the second set, they tackle the complexities of "Help>Slipknot!>Franklin's" with heart and ease. It's clear there will be no stopping their flow - Bobby and Brent hanging in for a fantastic pre-Drums "Jam" and Jerry and Bobby in the zone on a not-to-be-missed melodic "Space." Not a skipper in the whole lot!
Dave's Picks Volume 27 has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman and it is limited to 18,000 individually-numbered copies*.
*Limited to 2 per order. Very limited quantity available.
Ragged but right
Pass me some of that psychedelic licorice. I’ll take the purple. I’ll even take 2, they seem a little small.
Wang Dang Doodle....
....Bobbys voice was a couple of octaves off for the first two lines. I almost pushed the stop button right then and there, but I trudged on. Much to my delight.
Dave's from Amazon/Warner
Just received Vol. 14 It's numbered, but the front of the cover is a little sunk in; it looks like the seam is cut too wide, so when the cover closes there's a gap. These may be factory 2nds, sets with cosmetic issues.
#erd editions on Amazon....
....this, my friends, ranks right up there with Nessie, alien abductions and Bigfoot. Hmmmm. I was abducted once. At Monterey '88. Then the goonie birds wore off. The real test begins now. The wife and son went to get a new treadmill. They'll be gone an hour or so. The volume on my Onkyo goes to 70. Boise is poised at 53 (get it?). I finally get to crank this shit legit like. Wish me luck!!
There appear to be vox drop outs in Jack Straw....
....but in reality, I think Bobby was too far away from the mic then stepped up. Shazam!
Mama Tried....
.... suddenly, Bobby's singing in a barn. A little more echo than the first three songs. We all know it sometimes takes that many to get the sound just exactly perfect. Jerry's throwing coke infused licks. It is what it is. You can't un-coke it. It's not Norman's fault.
Big River....
....OK. I'll admit. The harmonies are off, but the music is still breakneck speed. I think Bobby's more off than Jerry. Jerry even throws some growls. Brent is in your face. But I love Brent, so there's that. The train comparison shows up during Garcia's solo. Chugging along. Watch your speed....
Boise pick
I'm loving this Boise pick and all the debate about it. For me, it is easily tied with Augusta 10/12/84 (30 trips) for my favorite release from 80-85. I think the instrumental mix is almost perfect (except the keyboards might be a teeny bit high). Finally, an 80-85 release where Weir's guitar is right up front in our face where it belongs! Such a treat to hear Weir's early 80's guitar like this. IMO, this is the best sounding recording yet from 80-85 (not counting Dead Set/Reckoning and Go To Nassau). Well, we are all listening on different equipment and are looking for different things, right? Musically, I think it is as fascinating as 10/12/84. Better or worse? I'll need many more listenings of each to decide.
Alvarhanso
Thank you. Pulling out 21 tonight.
Phish video. Scroll by.
Phish video. Scroll by.
Phish video. Scroll by.
No problem.
But very weird.
Brown-Eyed Women....
....way too fast. 4/10. Not a very solid version. Oh well. Time to sell it.
Minglewood....
....Phil!!! Back on track. Rocking with their rocks out. Nowhere else will you hear "stay right here in Boise" so it's a keeper.
Big RxR Blues....
....I've already sung my praises on this version, so I won't bore you.
Looks Like Rain....
....not bad. But there are tons better. More vox drops. Stay at the mic Bobby Rockstar! The coda is very nice though. Usually is. Here it comes again. I will admit, it's nice to let off the pedal. I'm a huge fan of the thunder effects Healy gave this song later on in the 80's.
Goes to show, you don't ever know....
....watch each release you play, and play it slow. Just wait until that Deal goes down. Who knows? On 2.24.21, you might just want to bust Boise out. Yeah, there's some dust, but at least the musics clean. 4:50 mark. The boyz huddle up and get their shit together. You know, the Dead were known to play some rock n roll at times.
Well If Anyone Wants To Know What I Think
My copy made its first rotation.
Family's home....
....time to drop the volume down to 25. (sad face).
The Mix is a Problem
I don't think the recording does the performance justice. The limitations of the mix make it impossible to accurately gauge how good they may have sounded that night. I get the impression Betty did a whole lot more mixing in real time than Dan Healy. Forget the cassette tape source, the show can hardly be mixed worse. The vocals on on a few of the July 1978 shows are not nearly as smooth as May 1977, and that's the same band, same songs, a year apart, recorded by the same person on presumably the same equipment. Sure, the band was a much less consistent band in '78, but the July shows are good performances. Yet to my ears, the background vocal mix on some of that box set is lacking, compared to May '77. My point is that I believe some mixing factor accounts for what I hear as inferior vocals in some sections of July '78, as compared to May '77. Even a non Betty from '77 like 4/29 makes the band sound much worse than they were really playing. We don't know what kind of audio enhancement effects Betty may have used on her mixes to provide us with the final products we have today (except the reverb, and look how different a perspective that gives us on the band). Add the same principal 10 fold to Boise '83, and what's the point of discussing how good or bad the show is? There's no way to tell as far as I'm concerned. For whatever reason, Dan Healy's mix here is so bad it does the band an injustice. Apply a mild harmonization effect to the vocals at the mixing board and maybe there wouldn't be so much distance between each vocalist. Anyway, I'm not saying a better mix would turn this show into a replica of Go To Nassau, but it would improve the performance immensely. For what we do have, I felt like many people posted. The music is so inconsistent as to be a distraction. Parts sounded really strong, but quickly turned me off a moment later. I don't think Brent's voice will ever grow on me. It just sounds so ragged and tired and overbearing.
Well Hell...
I've played it, not the best not the worse...It'll sit on the shelf with all the others and I doubt I'll pull it down and play it again for quite awhile...one thing it did do though was have me pull out the Santa Fe Downs Matrix shows and give them a spin...fun to hear those again...my '83 collection is a bit sparse after my first external HD crash from some time back...now I do back ups of back up etc...ya pays your money and take your chances after all...
Cornell vs. Boise
Back to my point about people hearing things differently...
Very insightful Love Jerry
First I got to ask. Is it love Jerry like you love Jerry? Or is it love Jerry like:
"What a long strange trip it's been."
Love,
Jerry
I kind of noticed the same thing you mentioned about July 1978. Not quite as smoother than smooth as May 1977. I would love to get Betty sat down for an interview. Anyway I think your point is well stated and very accurate. For the people who are loving this release, I'm sure it would rank even higher with better mixing. I teach chorus, and it's very difficult to mic up the kids for the spring and winter concerts. For people who don't like this release, a great mix may have made all the difference. But oh well what can you do it is what it is. As far as the series goes, I think this is definitely subpar, but it's the only way they ever would have moved 18000 units of a show that sounds this way. Also agree with your Brent comment. It seems in the Grateful Dead circles he has a love it or hate it voice. I love it when it's real low in the mix. Or not at all. Eagles fill the sky, blecchhh.
I cannot
So what will they pull out for the fourth quarter? Can't be 1971, unlikely to be 72 73 or 74, impossible to be 75, also unlikely to be 77, although I would love to hear that swing Auditorium show from February. I can't see it being 1978 either, but maybe. I think some kind of 69/70 mix like Vol 6 maybe. I'd be great with that. 1976 is due. I would be surprised if Dave reaches into the 80s or 90s twice in a row.
Phish - this one's funny every time
I tried for years to like Phish.. bought tons of releases and saw a bunch of shows - but THIS is what they sound like to me now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNHIFM0Y87c
Impossible to watch the whole thing without cracking up. The vocal bits sound like red-stapler guy from Office Space.
TAlk about "hearing things differently"....
ain't no time
for name-calling, why? I think an intelligent conversation is better than whom ever calling whoever uninformed or someone else calling them illogical. There are just a few unkind folks on this site. I don't care much for this release, but if you do, far out. The band didn't go to Idaho, or Montana often (once each?) but both of those shows are now released by Dave, maybe he's just trying to get unheard or not often heard releases out there for the faithful. Can't really blame them for not going to these places again, beautiful scenery, but not a very hospitable atmosphere for hippies.
Re: Butch/ DP 28
Hey, it’s 8/4, so why not 8/4/76? Someone mentioned Dekalb, there’s a Betty Board of 10/29/77 in the vault- that would definitely be a treat. Lots of talk of 79, which would be nice, but why not another 80s/90s? Su91, anyone? Mmm. Sp/Su 93? Yes, please.
Although maybe these contradict the seeming mission, in ways actually that 9/2/83 did not, in releasing more relatively unknown and less heard of dates. Who knows?
#27 pre drum jam
I like this Bobby, Brent and drummers jam out of Eyes! Good stuff. Also, if you like this little jam check out the Bobby, Bruce and drummers jam from Dicks #17 aka Boston Clam Jam!!
I bet that if the locale were different...
(such as Chicago, the Bay Area, or NYC) more people would be more open to this release.
Boise is indeed one of the strangest of places to have a GD show.
"well it's 8:00 in Boise Idaho"
Unopened DP 27
80s Dead just isn't my thing...to each their own. My DP 27 has been sitting unopened as I pondered what to do. For those who want but missed out, I just want to cover cost plus shipping, no EBay style gouging involved, maybe some interesting 70-73 trade? PM interest...
In A Perfect World
Phish vs. The Dead.
https://youtu.be/VZ82wxnuX58
"You'd better be talking about tilapia Buddy!"
Minglewood
Jerry's soloing on this version is phenomenal. His tone and harmonics jumps right out of the mix. Awesome.
David Byrne tour
Got a last minute present to go to his show last night in Toronto. Only know some of the Talking Heads stuff from way back. Was blown away by the show - top notch production, uniqueness and grooves. Had a bunch of the age 50+ crowd on their feet and dancing from 3 minutes in. Highly recommended if the tour hasn’t passed by your city already.
Will definitely be checking out his solo catalogue in between Dead releases. Maybe he appeals more to the Phish crowd than Dead, but the guy is quite an artist.
My wife's car got stolen while she was out the other day....
....I asked, "Were you able to see what the person looked like?"She replied, "No, but I got the license plate number!"
re DByrne: my wife got to meet him (very) briefly recently
he was in town re his and Fatboy Slim's musical "Here Lies Love".she went with a friend.
on the way out, he was standing right there, so she said "hi", he greeted politely back, and she went on her way.
he has been part of my musical landscape since I heard/saw Talking Heads on SNL in 79.
love deez:
More Songs About Buildings and Food (not about Fucking, though...tip of the hat to the poster who shared Big Black with us ;))
Fear of Music
Remain in Light
attended a concert of him solo in 1992 during the LA RK riots. "Burning Down the House" took on a whole new relevance
David Byrne....
....came through Vegas recently. I didn't even know.
Informal poll
For those who think the sound sucks, what type of speakers did you hear it through?Obviously, computer speaks are the wrong tool for this job.
For those who think the sound is great/good/acceptable, what type of speakers did you hear it through?
I suspect that SpaceBro has a Wall Of Sound replica in his house. Combine that with his unbridled enthusiasm (Seinfeld reference) for the era, and he’s in pure ecstasy.
I’m using Bose 301 speakers that are about 5.5 feet in the air on stands (helps to fill the room), an Onkyo subwoofer, Onkyo receiver, Onkyo 6-disc changer. I do have to turn the volume up past the ‘normal’ point for DaPs. Most DaPs are pretty consistent in the sound level on my system, ‘40’ on the Onkyo display. For DaP 27 CD1 starts at 44 but I just had to turn it down to 42 during Deal.
These numbers are a little arbitrary and are influenced by how much I want my neighbors to hear the GOGD.
Just turned it up a tad to 43 for H/S/F. It’s Saturday afternoon, not like it’s In The Midnight Hour.
I can clearly hear all the instruments on Slipknot!, with Jerry right up front.
Listening devices....
....I use two tin cans and 15' piece of string. Am i doing it right?
Depends on what kind of string
It will also help to hold a 9V battery to your tongue
Speakers for DaP 27
I'm listening on earbuds that I have suspended from the ceiling about 6 feet above the floor. The sound doesn't bother me at all.
product sku
081227931599