• 1,815 replies
    heatherlew
    Default Avatar
    Joined:

    "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.

Comments

sort by
Recent
Reset
  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    Avengers Infinity War comes out today on bluray....
    ....steelbook edition available at Best Buy.
  • Cousins Of The…
    Joined:
    27
    If you missed it, Ebay has an over abundance of these; copies have been selling for as low as $34, and dealers still have a lot of stock. I doubt 28 will sell out on this site within an hour, and I don't believe production numbers will go up anytime soon either.
  • shirdeep
    Joined:
    merry pranksters
    PHISH, THURSDAY 08/14/1997DARIEN LAKE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Darien Center, NY Soundcheck: Buffalo Bill, The Old Home Place, Funky Bitch, Crosseyed and Painless SET 1: Ya Mar, Funky Bitch > Fluffhead, Limb By Limb, Free, Cars Trucks Buses, Tela > Train Song > Billy Breathes, Run Like an Antelope SET 2: Chalk Dust Torture, Love Me, Sparkle > Harry Hood -> Jam > Colonel Forbin's Ascent -> Merry Pranksters Jam[1] -> Camel Walk, Taste ENCORE: Bouncing Around the Room, Rocky Top [1] Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. The second set featured a remarkable jam after Harry Hood ended and before Forbin’s began, as well as an appearance by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. The Merry Pranksters Jam contained a Somewhere Over the Rainbow tease from Trey, an If I Only Had a Brain tease, a Spam Song quote, and a Frankenstein jam.
  • Mind-Left-Body
    Joined:
    What Dave said
    Yeah I posted that question a couple weeks ago. I think Dave might be right, but can only know for sure by someone who was there seeing shows in the 80s. This was the question I posted and didn't get any response (safe to assume the answer is no?): Is there anyone who has never seen the Dead in the 80s or 90s who loves this show? I think seeing the 80s lineup makes this tape more accessible. Grateful Dead Europe '72 and One From the Vault is a pristine representation of the band, so I think it's an easier listen than something like Boise. But like one poster said, the people at the show that night had a much different experience. Unfortunately I don't recall who I was referring to in the last sentence, it was something someone posted.
  • Dogon
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    Who likes what...
    What Dave said.
  • daverock
    Joined:
    Who likes what and why
    Reading all the various reviews of DAP 27, and thinking of my own feelings about it, I am beginning to think that enjoyment of it depends to a large extent as to whether you actually saw them at that time. If you did, especially if you followed them round on tour, then this release may be emblematic of that time, and a signifier of the ritual of a Dead gig. In which case, individual performances of individual songs may be less important than if you weren't there at the time If you are listening to the release purely as a recording, without reference to the experience of seeing them at the time, then you are surely coming at it from a different angle, as you are listening to the performances without referencing the event in which they were performed at. This argument could be levelled at any era of their music of course. But it feels less necessary to have seen them, say, between 1967-1974, to enjoy the releases, than it does form 1979 onwards. Just a thought, and of course there are always exceptions!
  • Dogon
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    Heraclitus he say you cannot step into the same river twice
    Coincidentally my Anthem and Daves 27 arrived within a day of one another. Anthem, is, and has always been, transcendental. The 67 live show is, in my humble opinion,a great addition to the canon.Daves? Well 27 has a pretty cover, indeed one of the best of the series. But musically? To me, again, my opinion as a gnarly old timer, who did see both Pig and Keith shows, is that its not the same band not withstanding the continuity of its membership. Spanish jam is counting votes, inferring and extrapolating statistics for the defence, my opinion is that its a shoddy piece of work, musically and soundwise it hardly passes muster. Glad it scratches the itch for those who caught the band in the 80s, but its not for me. Now bring on the Pacific North West!
  • SpanishJam
    Joined:
    DaP 27
    I don’t know what it is, but I’m really diggin’ on this release. I wasn’t expecting to, but I took a bite and I’m on the hook. It’s uneven at times, sure, but it gets so funky (particularly in the second set) and it rips. I’ve probably listened through the show 4 or 5 times now and I keep enjoying it. I really, really like that GDTRFB and the eyes>jam>drums>space>stones sequence leading into the GDTRFB. The first set isn’t so bad either. This show has got me spinning through several of those September Mountain West shows. That’s some good stuff there; how oblivious I’ve been… I can’t say that this release will go down as an all time favorite for me, but it’s certainly opened some doors. Thanks Dave! It’s weird, but I think DaP 20 (12/9/81) is a better show but I never really got into it, though, I’m enjoying 9/2/83 a whole lot more. Go figure? Thanks to several prior posters for sharing their thoughts and experiences on this show. Would love to hear from others that were there at these and other shows in the tour. Really helps someone like me who was so far removed from the day to get a feel for the scene and experience. A fart in the wind, of course, but something… Dreading, I do enjoy your posts so I don’t want you to think I’m calling you out, but I think you’re reasoning might be flawed the you state, “…too many people already agree this show came up short, so the polls are in and the numbers are significant…” I’m not a statistician by any measure, but to infer that what you have read constitutes a significant sampling of the population is likely an over-statement. I haven’t gone through to tabulate the total number of responses on this thread (nor have I read any other GD threads—barely keep up with this one), but if I’m being generous, there have maybe been 100 profiles that have voiced an un-approving opinion here. For the sake of making the numbers easy, let’s round up to 180. So that would put the total sample size at 1% of the population (based on a population size of 18,000, which is the total number of discus issued, though, the total number of people who have heard this release would likely be greater). What you have likely read on this thread is the vocal majority which is not necessarily the same as a true sampling of the population. To paraphrase VGuy’s point, to infer too much from a vocal majority and not a true sample of the population is to have “hivemind” and deriving one’s own opinion from small segment (albeit a more-or-less informed sampling of the population) can in some ways be misguided. I know you have first-hand knowledge of retail, price points, shelf-life, etc. for these GD releases, and I believe you when you’ve previously stated that 80s sell for less and take longer to sell (this agrees with my anecdotal inference from Ebay as well). So I definitely respect your informed opinion on this and other shows. In my opinion DaP 27 is what it is: sometimes uneven with hot moments. How it reaches and impacts individuals in the population is something that’s less tangible and I haven’t seen anything from this thread that convinces me of what the true population response is like. I tend to think most people are somewhat ho-hum about it and it neither get’s them too excited or too disappointed. I’m glad I had the opportunity to get a copy and will gratefully file it along with many others in the series to listen to when the time is right. One last thought: I missed the original offering on the 30 Trips box, but managed to snag a copy of the factory extras. Should land in a couple days. Thanks to the good folks on the message boards for the heads-up on those—they didn’t last long. This site is full of kind folks and it’s greatly appreciated.
  • Exile On Main St.
    Joined:
    Deadwired
    I've come to the conclusion we're all Deadwired different. I like this show, but I understand why the people who don't like it don't like it. I enjoy all the parts that you mentioned Mr Jack Straw, but I don't think it holds a candle to 12/7/71. That show is certainly not at the top of my 1971 list, and I understand why people don't like that show. Side by side though, it's better in my mind on all measurable aspects. I think we're all just Deadwired different.
  • Mr. Jack Straw
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    DaP27
    I dunno, I like this release OK. Early-80s Dead is very hit-or-miss, and this hits more than it misses. It's SQ is acceptable for an official release and it has moments. The GDTRFB is especially fiery and the Slipknot! grooves nicely. I have yet to hear an It's All Over Now, Baby Blue that isn't worth listening to. I probably won't listen to it very much, but it fills in the early/mid 80s hole, so it's nice to have. I know I'll listen to it more than DaP4 (9/24/76), DaP7 (4/24/78), and DaP20 (12/9/81). It's probably on par with DaP22 (12/7/71), and definitely in the lowest quartile of DaPs. I hope Dave closes out the 2018 subscription with a bang. There's nothing wrong with 11/6/77, 12/17/71, and 9/2/83, but I don't feel that it has been up to the standards of previous years. DaP27 is acceptable, but not a top show. Yes, the Half-Step and Truckin' on 11/6/77 are other-worldly, and The Other Ones from '71 are always worth listening, but if you remove those moments, there's not a lot left. It's especially disappointing when 2017 gave us 4/2/73 and 1/22/78, which are all-timers. 8/25/72, which unfortunately is not 8/24/72, is still better than anything we have received from 2018. I think we're going 1969 with DaP28...we're due.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

7 years 11 months

"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.

user picture

Member for

6 years 11 months
Permalink

I disagree, it's a full 10 out of 10. They're priming DaP 27 for national release. I'm changing my avatar to it right now. You're a cute little guy, keep up the spirit!
user picture

Member for

6 years 11 months
Permalink

You seem locked into that avatar picture somehow.
user picture

Member for

8 years 10 months
Permalink

Pass me some of that psychedelic licorice. I’ll take the purple. I’ll even take 2, they seem a little small.
user picture

Member for

17 years 2 months
Permalink

....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.
user picture

Member for

15 years
Permalink

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.
user picture

Member for

17 years 2 months
Permalink

....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!!
user picture

Member for

17 years 2 months
Permalink

....our wedding song. I'm biased so this would be an unfair review. I love them all. Next!
user picture

Member for

17 years 2 months
Permalink

.... 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.
user picture

Member for

17 years 3 months
Permalink

yeah I was also wondering why we needed constant reminders that phish psucks........sry to those who find listening value?????
user picture

Member for

17 years 2 months
Permalink

....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....
user picture

Member for

13 years 9 months
Permalink

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.
user picture

Member for

15 years
Permalink

Thank you. Pulling out 21 tonight. Phish video. Scroll by. Phish video. Scroll by. Phish video. Scroll by. No problem. But very weird.
user picture

Member for

17 years 2 months
Permalink

....way too fast. 4/10. Not a very solid version. Oh well. Time to sell it.
user picture

Member for

17 years 2 months
Permalink

....Phil!!! Back on track. Rocking with their rocks out. Nowhere else will you hear "stay right here in Boise" so it's a keeper.
user picture

Member for

17 years 2 months
Permalink

....I've already sung my praises on this version, so I won't bore you.
user picture

Member for

17 years 2 months
Permalink

....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.
user picture

Member for

17 years 2 months
Permalink

....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.
user picture

Member for

17 years 2 months
Permalink

....time to drop the volume down to 25. (sad face).
user picture

Member for

9 years 5 months
Permalink

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.
user picture

Member for

11 years 7 months
Permalink

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...
user picture

Member for

6 years 8 months
Permalink

Back to my point about people hearing things differently...
user picture

Member for

7 years 1 month
Permalink

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.
user picture

Member for

15 years 11 months
Permalink

don't make me laugh, move along now
user picture

Member for

11 years 2 months
Permalink

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"....
user picture

Member for

15 years 11 months
Permalink

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.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

6 years 10 months
Permalink

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?
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

11 years 10 months
Permalink

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!!
user picture

Member for

17 years 2 months
Permalink

What he said! You got it “just exactly perfect” Enough already. STFU and just sell the dam thing....don’t worry, we’ll be back to 99% 70s soon enough!
user picture

Member for

14 years 8 months
Permalink

(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"
user picture

Member for

14 years 8 months
Permalink

thanks for the laughs Phish: I do appreciate them, but rarely listen to them. the thing that drives me crazy about them is the cutesy stuff they do. but they can jam when they want to.
user picture

Member for

17 years 3 months
Permalink

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...
user picture

Member for

17 years 3 months
Permalink

Jerry's soloing on this version is phenomenal. His tone and harmonics jumps right out of the mix. Awesome.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

7 years 3 months
Permalink

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.
user picture

Member for

14 years 8 months
Permalink

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
user picture

Member for

17 years 2 months
Permalink

....came through Vegas recently. I didn't even know.
user picture

Member for

8 years 10 months
Permalink

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.
user picture

Member for

17 years 2 months
Permalink

....I use two tin cans and 15' piece of string. Am i doing it right?
user picture

Member for

6 years 10 months
Permalink

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