Grateful Dead

Double Double

I think it was last year when Dave announced they had enough quality shows to go another 22 years; it might have been 40, but whose counting. Was this before or after the 50 Betty reels were returned? Does not matter. The point is, there are at least 150-200 shows to still be released as Dave's Picks, boxes, or stand alone's. And, as we have seen, more "lost" reels might return in the near future. This might not be my favorite year of Dave's Picks, (I do like 26 and am looking forward to 28) but we did have the chance to purchase a top 5 box ever released (opinion) Got to spread the love around. I do have a question. If the Dead did have the 69' Ark or New Year's Tea Party shows in the vault, (which I think they do) Does it matter if they are released next year or could they wait another 5 years? If reels are stored properly, does it matter? Positive vibes ladies and gents! Sam T

Lol good point

Gotta disagree with ya there. You are implying the '70's Scarlet's were better than the '80's. I will agree that '77 Scarlets blow away the '76 Scarlets which always leave me wanting more. But '80's Scarlet>Fire's were mythical beasts that we're the reason I kept coming back. '77 had some great versions for sure, but they were just foreplay compared to the rip-snorting later ones, imo. The reason the '77's loom so large is the jaw-dropping quality of the recordings. Dick himself once wrote in a blog his fav Scarlet>Fire's, and none were from 1977. He chose: 09/02/78 Meadowlands 08/08/82 Alpine Valley 06/25/91 Kansas City 02/05/78 Cedar Falls 10/14/94 Madison Square Garden (i was there) 10/21/83 Worcester 03/27/88 Hampton VA 05/23/82 Greek Theater, Berkeley 3/22/90 Ontario And one of the MANY reasons they focus so heavily on the '70s is that Betty was making pristine recordings LIKE THIS ONE mixed for headphones ("doin' it just for you") with added reverb where needed (see 5/8/77 for an example of reverb overkill), not just supplement the stage sound. 80's show SBD's were mixed for the room listeners ONLY = vocals/keys much louder than the guitars, and they were mastered on a crappy cassette instead of high Q reels - as a result I usually prefer to listen to the '80s audience recordings just so I hear a truer image of the show. Plus the ravages of drugs and time compromised the music heavily in the 80's until Jerry cleaned up in '89.

This was my first show and Really want this. Can I get on a wait list for cancellations or other reason?

You ask, "What's left for Dave that I need?"Well, Swing Auditorium or Dekalb '77 would be pretty enticing. But I get your point. Most of us probably don't "need" more GD but I love the anticipation of each new release, the excitement of finding it in the mailbox and picking out a special IPA or bottle of red to enjoy while digging the new show on the big boy stereo. I don't see much downside to subscibing at all.

Sorry for negative vibe but the art has been too cluttered with goofy skeletons doing silly human stuff. Cartoonish but not in a good way. Certainly not stylish psychedelic. Gives off a juvenile sensibility.Change Please.

I am among those that really enjoy 1976, the weird setlists, bust outs, and some pretty lengthy/interesting jam segments are all reasons to check out the year. I can think of quite a few shows from 76 that would make great picks, having said that, this pick from mostly 6-17-76 does seem somewhat lackluster or average. As for the artwork, for me its about tied with DaP 11 for the worst of the series. I don't mind the skeletons as much as some, though I agree that they are overused and often way too cartoony. My opinion is that if we are going to have skeletons, then I'd prefer they were more like the one used/depicted for/on the DaP 18 cover (which is also easily one of my favorite releases). Sold out quick though!

6/10/7311/19/72 7/18/72 something 80s

listen to Closer by Joy Division superb album