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    clayv
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    An institution in American rock music, the Grateful Dead continue to surprise the ears with new arrangements and altered styles. If their playing continues with the force that was heard in San Bernardino, the spirit of the Dead will live on. - Sun Telegram

    We are more than pleased to kick off this year's Dave's Picks series with the much requested and quite spirited complete performance from Swing Auditorium, San Bernardino, CA 2/26/77. The Swing ’77 show was a unique beast, unlike any others from this era: as the band’s first concert of the year, it bridged the gap between the new and re-emerging sound of the returning 1976 Grateful Dead and the precision excellence of the spring ’77 Dead. Debuting two of their most intricately crafted songs of the 1970s, “Terrapin Station” (to open, no less!) and “Estimated Prophet,” the Dead demonstrated right from the start of this new touring year that they were not going to be a nostalgia act; they were going to be as adventurous and ambitious as they were at any time in their career.

    Join the adventure as they soar through tried and true ("Playing In The Band," "Tennessee Jed"), well-loved covers ("Mama Tried," "Samson and Delilah," "Dancing In the Street"), and epic new jams.

    Rounded out with three songs from Santa Barbara, CA 2/27/77, this one was recorded by Betty Cantor-Jackson and has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman.

    Dave's Picks Volume 29 is limited to 20,000 individually-numbered copies*.

    *Limited to 2 per order. Very limited quantity available.

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  • KeithFan2112
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    85

    85 bucks is actually pretty cheap for for vinyl LPS, 180 gram vinyl. Every place I look for vinyl these days, it's either 25 or $30 for a single vinyl LP. 85 seems comparatively cheap.

    There's a really solid Terrapin Station on Dick's Picks 29. Most of them from 77 or pretty solid. How many Terrapin fans out there. How many would put Terrapin Station in their top 10 desert island Grateful Dead songs? It would be borderline for me. Nah, as much as I like it I could come up with 10 others.

    Dennis, thanks for the feedback on the Bertha from May 77. I may have to dig up my CD. What I am hearing is actual distorted guitar on Jerry side. The kind of distortion you get when you turn the recording level up to high. It's kind of fuzzy.

    Edit - just listened again. The distortion is from 3:00 - 4:00 mainly on Keith's piano.

  • PapaHooper
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    Delayed release this year? …

    Delayed release this year? Every other year I’ve subscribed, a shipment notice is received on the 23rd or 24th of the month, like clockwork. This year... it’s the 28th and I’ve received no such notice. Hmmmm

  • stoltzfus
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    been listening to a bunch of GD66

    a lot of fun

    I now have a CD version of Vintage Dead/Historic Dead, too.

    GD: the only band that _truly_ matters. at least to me.

  • stoltzfus
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    I love the GD, but...

    the prices for individual shows y'all are citing...never.

  • MDJim
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    EBay

    I didn't even know how to see what items sold for.. didn't even know you could do that... so I did the same thing.

    The $99 one sold in a little more than 8 minutes after being listed, and was a couple months ago. The rest seem to be in the mid-range. ..so patient but quick to pull the trigger if you want it under $400 to $500.

    Interesting.. I am admittedly an eBay novice.

  • Charlie3
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    FW 69 Prices

    The comments about ebay listing prices for FW 69 Complete Recordings got me curious, so I checked the sold listings and there is a huge variation. The lowest prices were $99.49 for a set rated "very good" and $100 for a set rated "like new". At the other end of the spectrum, there was a set rated "new (other)" sold for $850 and a few sets that sold for $699 each. There were a number of sets sold with intermediate values in the $400-600 range, give or take. Seems like they can reliably be had for a few hundred dollars, and occasionally someone gets lucky and pays close to the original cost of the set, kind of an argument for patience.

  • MDJim
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    $85 lol

    well.. the complete recordings (4 shows 10 cds) is listed for $900 on eBay, used. I think I paid something like $100 in 2005 and the bonus disc came free.

    https://www.ebay.com/i/333014665513?chn=ps

    Not sure if they will get that much, but it adds some perspective. There is a listing for just the bonus disc for $450. I think I am going to start selling bridges.. wish me luck.

  • stoltzfus
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    85$

    lol

  • Trainwrecked
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    Thanks Jim

    That's a reasonable price for 180 gram vinyl, 4 discs. I didn't think to look on eBay because I assumed the prices would be so over-inflated that I wouldn't be interested. If they're going to be selling all 4, how can I not, right?

  • Dennis
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    keith fan - distortion

    my bertha starts with low vocals like mike too far. only last 30 seconds maybe.

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An institution in American rock music, the Grateful Dead continue to surprise the ears with new arrangements and altered styles. If their playing continues with the force that was heard in San Bernardino, the spirit of the Dead will live on. - Sun Telegram

We are more than pleased to kick off this year's Dave's Picks series with the much requested and quite spirited complete performance from Swing Auditorium, San Bernardino, CA 2/26/77. The Swing ’77 show was a unique beast, unlike any others from this era: as the band’s first concert of the year, it bridged the gap between the new and re-emerging sound of the returning 1976 Grateful Dead and the precision excellence of the spring ’77 Dead. Debuting two of their most intricately crafted songs of the 1970s, “Terrapin Station” (to open, no less!) and “Estimated Prophet,” the Dead demonstrated right from the start of this new touring year that they were not going to be a nostalgia act; they were going to be as adventurous and ambitious as they were at any time in their career.

Join the adventure as they soar through tried and true ("Playing In The Band," "Tennessee Jed"), well-loved covers ("Mama Tried," "Samson and Delilah," "Dancing In the Street"), and epic new jams.

Rounded out with three songs from Santa Barbara, CA 2/27/77, this one was recorded by Betty Cantor-Jackson and has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman.

Dave's Picks Volume 29 is limited to 20,000 individually-numbered copies*.

*Limited to 2 per order. Very limited quantity available.

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A 2 LP version titled "Drink Up And Go Home: Live At Margarita's Cantina, Feb. 20 & 21, 1975" will be released on RSD19 this coming Saturday.

Sort of confusingly, the 2 CD version (released last year?) is just called "Live". It includes "Drink Up & Go Home" with Jerry on lead vocals. Amazon has the CD:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K14LYZ4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?sm…

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In reply to by CaseyJanes

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Obvious? Garcia on banjo, the Dylan, John Lennon. Off the beaten path? Jeff Tweedy-Warmer. Pink Floyd - Mono (I'm on the fence. I've never heard it. Thoughts?). Otis Redding @ Monterey Pop. The original had Hendrix on side A, this has Booker T & the MG's. I already own the original w/Hendrix. Jazz? How bout Art Ensemble or Fela/Ayers. Of course I may also have to get acoustic Dead from '80.

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In reply to by Sun King

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Another one I will be looking out for is Gong Live at The Bataclan 1974. This one isn't listed in the British releases. It seems that different countries have different titles coming out-the Gong is a French release, so the chances of it pitching up in Norwich on Saturday may be pretty slim.

Actually, the chances of me pitching up in Norwich are a bit hit and miss, too. The only time I have ever gone to a record shop on RSD was about 5 years ago, and as there was a huge queue to get in, I didn't bother.

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...anyone here have the 50th anniversary remixes of the Beatles White Album and Sgt. Peppers or know how they sound? Came across them while browsing for discs recently, kind of curious what the remix sounds like but not sure I need another copy of either.
Not really doing E'72 in order or anything, but I did listen to that 4/11/72 Newcastle show today. Really can't go wrong with anything from E'72, but that Newcastle Other One is a favorite of mine.

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and based on what I've heard there's some interesting stuff, like especially in the extras and outtakes and stuff. At least if I'm thinking of the same thing. I've heard a few tracks and liked them. Dunno if they're streaming anywhere.
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I just downloaded this from I-tunes today and am listening to it now. I give it a hearty thumbs up! A great addditon to the Garcia acoustic/bluegrass catalog.
I avoided it when it first came out because on Itunes it lists "Garcia on banjo" for only a couple of songs. This is misleading, as Garcia is present the whole show, and adding plenty of very tasty banjo licks on every tune. Dave Nelson and Frank Wakefield also sound great and the sound is very good, to my ears.

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I've been listening to the White Album 50th anniversary re-issue and I think it sounds great. I read somewhere that Ringo said he could finally hear his drums in the mix. There is also a cool cd of demos the beatles recorded at George's house just with acoustic guitars. These are early demos of the White Album songs, it's pretty cool to hear their raw beginnings.

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In reply to by nitecat

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Velvet Underground Peel Slowly
GD DaP 29
GD 4/7/72
GD DiP 36
JGB Electric Eel
JGB Acoustic Eel

(my first ever last five).. :D

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That IS the first time I've seen you post a last 5 Jimbo. I'm always game for hearing what everyone is spinning.

Jeff Smith - always nice to hear from you buddy.

Sixtus - I'll second the emotion on some Other One dissection.

Charlie3 - you have me looking forward to The Other One on 4/11 Newcastle. If it's somebody's favorite oh, it's got to be good. The Other One is the single most difficult song for me to recall from show to show on Europe 72. Everything else on E72 I can pretty much remember the great ones from the really really f****** awesome ones. For E72 Other Ones, I pretty much recall 4/21 & 4/26. You may Wonder how I was able to obtain a PhD in Europe 72 considering that circumstance, however my dissertation was on Dark Star, Openers, and Lovelights; and of course I did case studies on Mid-length Jams and Infrequently Played Numbers; my short essay was Stage Banter and Other Exciting Moments. You can see how I got by with so little memory of all those Other Ones.

4/11 rolling now. This one gets better every time I listen to it.

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Thanks Marye and Nitecat, I appreciate the input on those 50th anniversary Beatles discs, moved me another step closer to the apparently inevitable purchase. After reading a description of the remix and a wide variety of opinions about it's sound on a stevehoffman thread I am pretty intrigued. And the extra stuff looks cool, so glad to see that's what you folks thought as well. I saw someone describe the acoustic stuff on the White Album as the Beatles Unplugged.
Jim, I counted your list twice and came up with a last 6 both times;) ( Unless you are counting the Electric Eel and Acoustic Eel as a singular item)

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Kiethfan, I'll be curious to hear your thoughts after hearing that Newcastle Other one, there is just something about it that really works for me. This time I was really listening for the jam Sixtus was pointing out earlier. Good stuff. I have been meaning to listen to Dusseldorf 4/24/72, perhaps my favorite show and favorite Dark Stars from all of E'72, but I am waiting till I have a long block of time to focus on it so it isn't just background while I work. Also, my wife needs to be out as 3 hours or so of loud dead will be likely to wear on her unless she is in just the right mood.

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....track seven. THAT'S the best Cumberland ever!! My "wtf is that" moment when I first heard it on E72 back in '86. That was my bus stop my friends. Engrained in my grey matter to this day. As far as Newcastle goes, I'll be honest, I don't think I've spun that since 4.11.18. I remember loving it, and it falls in between the Vegas Golden Knights playoff schedule, so I'm all in Thursday knight. People get ready.
Been binging on Alan Parsons for a bloody week now. Yay! So much music, so little time. Now news of some remastered '75 Garcia & Friends? The garden is indeed producing surprising fruit....
.... edit. Cumberland.
....double edit. The new White Album release. I sampled some of my favorite tracks. Rocky Raccoon, Glass Onion, Dear Prudence....wait a sec. That list will get too long. I didn't sample the songs I don't like. Honey Pie, Savoy Truffle, Back In The USSR. I loved it!! The Beatles were very good. Junk and What's The New Mary Jane were fun. Spotifyed it. Not cheap, even though you get 107 tracks for your bucks.
BTW. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da is one of the best sing-a-long songs ever penned. La-la, how the life goes on indeed. You Go Desmond and Molly Jones!!

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I have just noticed your post on Sergeant Pepper. I am not sure if its the big box of Sergeant Pepper you are considering buying, but if you are-its well worth it. A beautiful book, three discs of outtakes,a documentary on dvd, but best of all, the best stereo version of the album that I have ever heard-plus the mono version-which many people, including me ( and John Lennon) consider to be superior to the stereo. This was how the album was intended to sound by The Beatles themselves - although this new stereo version is great too.
Also nice to see the original promo films for Penny Lane and, especially Strawberry Fields Forever.

been listening to:
DP 7 (London 1974)
DP 12 (Boston Music Hall 1973)
DP 14 (June 74)
DP 31 (Aug 74)

I know we all like complete shows, but if more compilation albums were released like the ones I just mentioned I'd be totally fine with it. Especially for eras where there aren't great tapes for whatever reason - just combine what exists and I doubt any of us would be unhappy...

EDIT: Added the time periods to each release!

...Still ahead of the game so far here but I did go back again last night and listened to the Truckin' > Drums > Other One > Comes a Time > Sugar Mag from this show....what a wallop to the gut this is! BUT- what I really noticed this time (on top of the in and out of crazy that the Other One does all wrapped around a Feelin' Groovy) was the tail end of that Truckin'...it absolutely heads into TOTAL JAZZ for several minutes before it spills over into drums. Just some really interesting bass work by Phil that leads them off into this slower beat but very jazzy feel. When I had listened to 4/11 the other night, it was lost on me that this portion of Truckin' was actually Truckin'....I assumed it had landed in The Other One territory by that point....but no. I will probably listen to this suite again one more time before I cheat and get ahead to 4/14.....an all-time favorite. That Dark Star - oh boy.

Appreciate the enthusiasm for these Other Ones....it's palpable.

Sixtus

P.S. 80s Fan - I'm ALL IN on DP12 - one of the best things they've ever released. Don't care it's chopped, what we got was pure gold.

Good point, and I tend to agree. Many cds have been released that feature great music, but which don't feature the whole show. As has been said before, we are not listening to live music when we are listening to cds/downloads etc-we are listening to the recording of live music . A totally different thing. What works while you are in the hall doesn't necessarily work when you are sitting at home. A case in point for me might be that Live Dead 69 show I recently went to. I loved the show-but I would be very surprised if the magic I experienced there would be evident on a live recording.

Also-I hope you don't mind me saying - but I often have no idea what show is being referred to if it is just referred to as DP, Daves Picks, Road Trips etc. without a date being included. I know that DP7 is a compilation of the London shows from 1974-but I don't know which other shows you are referring to. I know I could get up and go upstairs to have a look. But I tend not to. No offence intended.

No worries DaveRock (I edited my post to provide the time period).

Regarding DP 12 (June 74), I agree with Sixtus. That is one of the best releases of all time. Is there a better China>Rider than this?

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First, you can't beat the 19 minute Truckin'. I am a little puzzled on why they separated the extended Truckin' jam on 4/16 Denmark into it's own JAM track, but not here. Not important, just things that make one ponder.

I love this Other One. Very rockin', and Pigpen is all over the Hammond in the first 5 minutes, and again later. This to me is what we signed him up for. He plays sparsely but effectively, and when he's engaged you know it. They pretty much rock much of the first half, which is to my liking. There are some slower melodic passages where you can finally hear Keith's piano (it's a crime what was omitted from him in the mix); if you really want to know what that man contributed on the grand piano in '72, Sunshine Daydream is the to go (and Rockin' the Rhein to some extent). Jeffrey Norman on these very boards said he would like a shot at a remix. I have the impression he was rushed through the process. And love Rhino though I do, they were clearly aware of the problem, as they brought hyper-focus to Keith's performance in the liner notes on the Dusseldorf show from April 24th. He is present to a great degree on that one because they simply used The Rockin' the Rhein mix, which as we all know was released few years prior as a single project, so Jeff Norman had the time he needed. Otherwise, Keith just kind of floats in and out of the mixes. Shame too, because these multi-tracks captured him in his grand piano playing zenith. The '71 shows featured more stand-up piano, so you don't get that rich tone of the grand. The two tracks from 2nd half 72 capture some of it. Anyway, major tangent.

The Other One! Don't think I missed the foray into Feelin Groovey, which came along nicely. The first 15 minutes are pure uptempo bliss, with some mid-tempo interludes. Bobby plays heavily into the sound on that kickass Gibson ES, and Bill the drummer just continues to carve out his niche as most underrated drummer in the world. I mean, WE know what the man does every night, but I've never seen his name in a discussion of the best. I'm not talking top 10, but somewhere in the top 20 he deserves a spot (certainly before Stuart Copeland). But I digress again.

Next is what I call Bass Space. Phil leads the Space Jam, or at least trades off with Jerry, while Keith does his Space Pie-anner thing. The atonal stuff comes next, but only for a couple minutes, and then they come full circle back the main theme to close things out, as the bus comes by and Bobby gets on. A+ Thanks for the inspiration to pay closer attention. And then we get one of Brother Jim's favs in the aftermath, as Comes A Time rises quietly out of the sweat and tears.

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That IS the primary time I've seen you post a final five Jimbo. i am perpetually game for hearing what everyone seems to be spinning.

Jeff Smith - perpetually nice to listen to from you chum.

Sixtus - i am going to second the feeling on another One dissection.

Charlie3 - you have got American state trying forward to the opposite One on 4/11 Newcastle-upon-Tyne. If it's somebody's favorite American state, it's ought to be sensible. the opposite One is that the single most troublesome song on behalf of me to recall from show to point out on Europe seventy two. Everything else on E72 I will just about bear in mind the good ones from the extremely extremely f****** awing ones. For E72 alternative Ones, I just about recall 4/21 & 4/26. you'll marvel however i used to be ready to acquire a Ph.D. in Europe seventy two considering that circumstance, but my thesis was on Dark Star, Openers, and Lovelights; and in fact I did case studies on Mid-length Jams and sometimes vie Numbers; my short essay was Stage Banter and alternative Exciting Moments. you'll see however I got by with therefore very little memory of all those different Ones.

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VGuy, Daverock, thanks for the input on the Beatles boxes. I picked up the 2 disc Sgt. Peppers and the 3 disc White Album, the box sets were just a little spendy for me at this time of year as this is when I have a number of annual financial obligations that come due. Glad to hear you both liked the sound of the new mix, that is really what I am curious about. I have been on a little cd buying binge lately, filling in some gaps in my collection, and I believe the 5/15/70 Road Trips is due to be re-released by Real Gone Music in the next couple of months, and of course hopefully there will be a dead box set coming later this year, so going with the less expensive deluxe editions instead of the box sets seemed like a more responsible choice at the moment. Keeps the door open for an irresponsible choice or two down the road;)
Kiethfan, nice write up on that Newcastle show and Other One.

Many thanks, that's very helpful. I actually agree more with you now that I see you have focussed on the 1973-74 time frame. To me, the gap between the highs and the lows of shows were at there greatest during those years. The jams were out of this world-the country style shorter songs less so. Very different form the last show I played-Boston 5/7/77, where they peak during the very first song-and then stay there, without the ups and downs of earlier years.

I would also say that Dicks Picks 12, the June 1974 highlights is one of the best releases in any of the series. The China Cat-Rider stands out in my memory as being the best ever version, too. But I was happily surprised listening to the one played on 3/23/74 earlier this week. I have never remembered that particular version as being exemplary in any way-but it surely is ! One of the benefits of having a growing collection and a receding memory is that even listening to shows you have heard many times before, you can never be sure what's coming next.

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From the newly added auto train user. Must sell automatic trains or something. Copy and pasted a post from last night that I wrote, but Funny how he changed several words. Weird scenes inside the Goldmine...

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HAH! Nice job ATSC! Thanks Keithfan for pointing out why there was an echo. Re-read that post a couple of times. Further proof we've all waked up in a multiverse – "perpetually". Weird scenes indeed. Onward!

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Bot or Nobot, that is the question? If it is the former, they seem to be getting smarter. Throw some more traffic lights at them, or maybe confuse them with pictures of other robots.

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There is some great piano at the very beginning. It's much more prominent on the Steppin' Out mix. Lately it occurs to me - Keith's joining the band was one of the luckiest things they had happen to them. I say that because they weren't auditioning anyone at the time, so it's not as though they listened to a bunch of people and he was the best fit. He basically walked up to them and said, you need a guy like me in your band to fill out the sound - and he was right. Or at least his wife was. Not just anybody would have fit the bill. Clearly TC was not the right person, despite his enormous talent. It's very unusual for somebody to pop into a band that's been successful for five years already, and make such a heavy imprint on their music. It was like when Mick Taylor joined the Stones.

Listening to the Sept 72 show from the 30 trips set. What a cool show - really interesting dark star. Good way to start the day.

It's crazy to think how much we have from 1972 available to us but there is still so much more out there that could be packaged up for release. Really not sure how they could possible top the 73/74 box set from last year, but a fall 72 set would be pretty close.

on another note, we're getting close to the release of the next Dave's Picks I believe. Did they ever specify what would be on the bonus disc?? either way can't wait...

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Always good to see a post from you. I listened to the Bird Song and Dark Star the other day from that '72 / 30 Trips show. I love these 2nd-half '72 shows. Need more.

I asked a while back if anyone knew if both the early show and the late show would be included in DaP 30. Lovemygirl said yes to both shows from 1/2.

I think the Bonus Tracks from 1/3 are someone of a mystery. All I can say for sure is that I hope Midnight Hour makes the cut, because there are WAY too few official releases.

*** SPOILER ALERT *** I've never heard the Dark Star, but I read that it has (SPOILER ALERT) the Feelin' Groovy Jam + the Tighten Up Jam, for about 10 minutes of total extra-Dark Starial bliss.

Dave’s Picks Vol. 30 is the complete show from January 2, 1970, at the Fillmore East in New York City, the show that began one of the most exciting years in Grateful Dead history. This is a show that’s been a long time coming, and we’re incredibly excited that it’s finally being released. In addition to the January 2, 1970 show, the release will include our annual Dave’s Picks Bonus Disc for subscribers, and between this Bonus Disc and some room we had on our main release of January 2, 1970, we’re very pleased to tell you that we’ll be releasing nearly two hours from the next night, January 3, 1970, also at the Fillmore East.

1/2/70 Set Lists

Early Show

Mason's Children
Casey Jones
Black Peter
Mama Tried
Hard to Handle
Cumberland Blues
Cryptical Envelopment
Drums
The Other One
Cryptical Envelopment
Cosmic Charlie

Late Show

Uncle John's Band
High Time
Dire Wolf
Easy Wind
China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider
Good Lovin'
Me and My Uncle
The Monkey and the Engineer
Dark Star
St. Stephen
The Eleven
Turn On Your Love Light

The following songs were mentioned in the news letter:

“Dark Star”! “St. Stephen”! “The Eleven”! “Lovelight”! “That’s It For The Other One”! “Alligator”! “Dancing In the Street”!

Alligator and Dancing are not in either set from 1/2: one is the 1/3 early show; the other is in the 1/3 late show.

So I'd say there's some mystery here.

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In reply to by KeithFan2112

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thanks Keithfan - I was actually thinking of you the other day when I was listening to the Crimson White & Indigo release (7/7/89 I believe). You were there right? Must have been an awesome experience!

1989 is full of so many amazing shows up and down the calendar. Wouldn't mind seeing a Dave's Picks from say, 10/19/89 (one of my favorite all time shows)

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You guys (and hopefully gals) are awesome. Great posts.. great vibes.. plenty of energy and ideas on what to listen to next.

Thank you.

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Got to say you know how you always secretly hope that the shows you attended will always be released, well I have to say these two I can wait for other shows to be released. I am a pretty positive person and would love to see a show tomorrow with the lineup that played at these shows. Not knocking these years because I saw the 3 Alpine shows from July 89 which were awesome, and the 88 Landover shows with Ripple... 4/11/89 Rosemont Horizon had a great Shakedown to open also. They were just the shows that you went to hoping to get that killer show. The Mecca shows from 4/15 and 4/16/89 were really good!! Maybe I am just trying to say in a round about way that there a lot of good shows that can still be released! Or maybe they used all the magic up on 4/11/72?? bob t

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I'm from the Philly area, so it was big news that the Grateful Dead were taking the stage for the last event that would ever be played at JFK Stadium. It was the summer between my Junior and Senior years of high school. What do I remember? Well, I've told this story before, so if you've heard it, feel free to stop me.....

It was a sweltering hot sunny day, as humid as NJ and Philly ever get. I had no idea I was going to the show until 4pm that day. I was sitting at my kitchen table playing around with my brother's unloaded Glock, shooting imaginary bad guys, just like Martin Riggs had done a few hours earlier at the premier of Lethal Weapon 2. As I goofed around with the 9mm, which, I actually had a legitimate reason for holding nearby (the purpose of which does not come into this story), I made phone calls to WMMR and WYSP, as well as the local record stores, in an effort to figure out the song that was played at the end of the movie, right as it looked like it might be Riggs' last stand; after all, he was lying in a pool of blood with knife and gunshot wounds, and the most somber gospely blues tune I ever heard playing - something about going to Heaven. Well, [SPOILER ALERT] Riggs lived to make two bad sequels to the sequel, and my eyes dried up by the time I left the theater; but I couldn't remember how that damn song went, and nobody I contacted had a clue.

Then into my house walked two complete strangers: one was tall and lean, perhaps a year or two older than me; the other was a little bit shorter, thickly bearded, and smiling. I wasn’t expecting anyone when I heard the front door open, so call it instinct if you will - you know, the kind of instinct that guides us to mindlessly remove bongs and other various sundries from site, when an unannounced visitor enters our domain - only it was the Glock and ammo cartridge that I was reaching for. I might have jammed the clip in at once if the shorter bastard hadn’t been smiling so friendly and looking so damn familiar. He greeted me by name, still smiling, still friendly-like. You would think this might have settled my uneasiness, but among other things, the FBI guys instructed my brother not to acknowledge any strangers who called out his name (apparently this is a technique that some would-be harm-doers use to identify a target they’ve never met in person). A lot of things went through my mind in a flash: I should have loaded the gun instead of hiding it; I should have locked the door after I came back from the matinee; I can’t believe this “very small chance they would bother us” possibility came to pass; but overriding all of that second guessing was a rush of adrenaline that hit me when I realized they never saw the gun. I croaked “hello” or something equivalent, and began to insert the clip, out of site, under the table. I had no reservations about living out a different movie now, the one where our hero famously gets off a round from under the table - kill or be killed - at least until George Lucas got bored and started f***ing around with CGI; except now the bearded hippie SOUNDED familiar too. The whole encounter played out in just a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. The voice belonged to my cousin from Buffalo. We're the same age and grew up spending a couple of weeks a year together; but up until that day, the visits were announced, and he certainly never showed up long haired and bearded (hell, I didn't even know he could grow a damn beard yet - we were only 17). Never met his friend before, so the duo WERE 50% strangers. Suffice it to say they didn't get shot that day, but the story echoed through our lives for many years.

His buddy had come with him from the Truckin' Up To Buffalo show on the 4th of July. They enjoyed it so much they decided to surprise me with a visit and an invitation to go. I was not too familiar with Dead in those days. I knew In The Dark from MTV and MMR, and I may have heard Friend of the Devil once. But I wasn’t about to pass a Dead show by, just because I didn’t know their music. After all, my cousin was my partner in crime: we'd seen KISS in '79, Rush in '86 and '87, Van Halen in '86 on Sammy's first tour, Pink Floyd in '88; and now we had driver's licenses, so it was only getting better. He was supposed to be arriving a couple of days later for The Who Reunion at Vet Stadium, and then we had the Stones Steel Wheels Tour kicking off at the end of August. Good times.

I remember the circus atmosphere of the crowd at JFK. I imagine the tailgating scene in the 70s was a drop in the bucket compared to this. We've all been to the rodeo, so I won't rehash it. But it made me feel liberated, watching all of these liberated people. Liberated from what? I don't know - just free. However free you may feel, I think live music intensifies that feeling, and I don't think any more so than with the Dead. I'd never seen so many people in one place before. When Jerry walked out, I remember my cousin smiling and saying "there he is – Jerry Garcia. He's like a messiah around here." My response was, "well, he has my respect - he's playing Pete's Woodstock guitar". Of course in hindsight, he was not - at least not since 1970. The guitar I mistook for Townshend's "Woodstock guitar" was The Tiger, which has a very similar shape and color. Pete had played the Gibson SG, which Jerry also used on Live Dead and into 1970 (depicted on DaP Vol 6). The crowd erupted when Jerry walked out, like no greeting I'd ever seen for a band, let alone one guy in the band (he came last and was greeted loudest).

Then completely unheralded - no light show or elaborate stage rig, no announcement stating we'd got the best - they just simply started playing Hell In A Bucket. Good by me, I knew that song. But that was like a soundcheck for the crowd. The real DeadHead personalities came out on the next number - Iko Iko. Now that was a unique concert experience. In the course of the next 7 or 8 minutes, I GOT what all of the hoopla was about for this band. If ever a performance captured a band's soul and spirit and allowed it to be imbibed by the audience, it was Iko Iko at JFK, where the kids all danced and shaked their bones. Did I mention all of the beach balls? It was a sea of Tie-Dye and beach balls.

Check out the contrast in crowd movement between Hell In A Bucket, the show opener, and Iko Iko, song #2

Hell In A Bucket:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkAzMiEUUQ8

Iko Iko (crowd shots around 1:47, 2:10, and 3:02):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMpaD-ktv7Q

Highlights at the time include Blow Away, Standing on the Moon, Garcia's soloing during Scarlet Begonias (how did he produce that tone???), the crowd singing Fire On The Mountain, and of course the encore, which, by some strange twist of fate was the very song I was trying to track down from the Lethal Weapon movie. I turned to my cousin and exclaimed "holy shit! THIS is the song I was talking about from the movie!"

"Oh!" he said, "This is an old Bob Dylan song - Knockin' On Heaven's Door."

Amen.

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the email just hit my box that the sale date for DP 30 is next Thursday the 18th...Don't quite understand the cover but that's ok...

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Fantastic cover, no skeletons, no beards; just the Dire Wolf's paws.

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In reply to by Cousins Of The…

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Fargin Bastages..

Edit: One of the kind folks here forwarded me the email.. agree, they seem to be wolf paws. I like the cover art if for no other reason there are no cartoonish skeletons and especially no skeletons with full beards.

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In reply to by MDJim

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....it's fresh on my brain, but I freaking love it!! Looks like my dog's paws! And dogs are always the first to greet you when you get home. If you scroll down a bit, you get a cool rotating AOXOMOXOA thing. Ye haw!!
Newcastle 4.11.72's first set is under the belt. Taking a break. I'm exhausted though, so the second set may be broken up.

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In reply to by KeithFan2112

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Can't wait to find out what parts of these fantastic looking shows we're gonna be devouring! I've been preparing by listening to DaP 6 2/2/70 (the show after the New Orleans bust, and sans TC), and 12/20/69, finished 2/2 on lunch break in the car, hoping Pig didn't go too much on the "reach over my left shoulder" rap as there was a young lady sunning herself whilst I blasted my music with my windows down eating my Zaxby's. But since somebody suggested they go into Not Fade Away for shits and giggles, we were all spared from a salacious Pig rap from 1970, and he only mentioned getting yo hands outta yo pockets once I recall. But the ride home featured the incredibly lovely 20 min Dark Star opener from the second show, 12/20/69 at the Fillmore West (with TC), 9 months previously the site of 4 nights of fire and fury captured for all eternity on 16 track reels (the first ever 16 track live recording) and gifting the universe with Live/Dead, but a lot had happened over the course of 9 months, if the setlist stayed somewhat the same. The band on the second part of DaP 6 goes Dark Star> St Stephen> The Eleven> New Speedway Boogie instead of into the Lovelight they eventually get to, and instead of light, they plunge into the darkness that was Hunter S Thompson's great crashing wave, sweeping the dreams and idealism of the 60s back out to sea. Talk about coming full circle... Which brings me back to DaP 30 and the wonderful mystery meat we get to devour in just over 2 weeks time. From 2 weeks after they played the Fillmore West, they were on the left coast to play Bill's legendary theater, and here's the only thing missing from keithfan's post, the 1/3 setlist:
Ealy show: Morning Dew, Me And My Uncle, Hard To Handle, Cumberland Blues, Cold Rain & Snow, Alligator > Drums > Jam > Bid You Goodnight Jam > Jam > Alligator Jam & Reprise > Caution Jam > Feedback, E: Uncle John's Band;
Entire Late show played was: Casey Jones, Mama Tried, Big Boss Man, China Cat Sunflower-> Jam-> I Know You Rider-> High Time Tease, Mason's Children, Cryptical Envelopment-> Drums-> The Other One-> Cryptical Envelopment-> Cosmic Charlie, Uncle John's Band-> Black Peter, Dire Wolf, Good Lovin', Dancin' In The Streets-> Drums-> Dancin' In The Streets, E: Saint Stephen-> In The Midnight Hour

I am so looking forward to hearing some tasty stuff from that! I'm actually listening to The Other One from it now... But the combinations of these setlists is just mindblowing. We get everything. It's a Thanksgiving feast of epic proportions.

And I wonder if these were part of the Houseboat Tapes, been a while since we got something from that batch. DaP 19 1/23-24/70 I believe was from that, as well as DaP 6 as mentioned above, and DaP 10 Thelma 12/10-11/69.

Also, no 1969 show to come out with Aoxomoxoa?

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THE worst cover of any of Dave's Picks by a long shot. Very disappointing.

Rock on

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In reply to by alvarhanso

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Alvarhanso-there seems to be a bonus disc coming out with the 50th Anniversary of Aoxomoxoa that is a compilation of songs from the 24-26 January shows that were recorded in preparation for the release of Live Dead.

Also on this theme, I listened to what has been released from Houston 11/18/72, an RSD release from a few years ago, on vinyl last night Its a great and unusual record. A completely different mix from the Europe 72 shows I have been listening to. Bob and Keith are almost none existent in the mix, which is very different from the earlier shows where they are vey audible and clearly contribute so much. This latter show features Phil very clearly, and the jams seem to be based on the interaction between him, Jerry and Bill. The stand out track, is probably the 25 minute Playing in the Band, but the jam out of He's Gone is also highlight. You wouldn't want to miss a minute.

A brilliant release. My favorite He's Gone and Playing. The first time I heard it, I thought the bass was too overpowering. Think that was a problem on my EQ, but I listen to that set quite a bit, and wouldn't mind seeing 11/19/72 as a future release. That Dark Star with the Phil-o Stomp is famtastic!

Thanks for reminding me about the bonus material for Aoxomoxoa, was basing it on the email, had forgotten they mentioned some tracks would be put out.

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Love it or hate it, if you hold it upside down in the mirror, the image and lettering are indeed right side up. I love it. Nice alternative to hippie skeletons. Clever idea I thought. I don't want to tell an artist his business, but it would have been really cool if you could see the Good Morning Little School Girl letters etched in the sidewalk, from the 2-11-69 album cover. I guess that could be misleading since the song is not in the set. Maybe the coattails of the wolf's Red Riding Hood get up. Just sayin'.

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Like Dave's 29's cover, the Dave's 30 cover makes you stop and think. Took me longer to figure out what the arrowhead was all about on Dave's 29. And this time, no skeletons! "Worst ever" may be a little harsh. Think of it like the rating system for shows on the archive – most soundboards are rated 4- or 5-star – it's the Dead, right?

Alvarhanso, the dominant bass on Hofheinz 11/18/72 may not be all your equalizer's fault. Vguy72 commented a while back that "Hofheinz arena has an awesome low, even ceiling - any bass player or drummer would salivate." And then DrowningWitch said: "When someone asks you why people play the bass, this is what you need to play for them. Phil bombing the way forth for the band. But that's just the surface we are shoveling through. Is Jerry leading? Is Phil leading? Does it matter? When this kind of interplay boils through the surface of their psyche into the instruments, you can follow a fractal & reach any conclusion you like. "
. . . bring on 11/19!

I was thinking that too KeithFan - in fact I went back to the copy of 2/11/69 to see if the paws match (I clearly have too much time on my hands). Maybe a distant cousin...

Anyone here know much about two acoustic sets from Warfield being released as part of record store day ? I heard in addition to vinyl that a small number will be released on CD. Would love to get my hands on that.

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Dude that is so funny. I read that the cover was available from a couple people posting last night. I was driving home and checked my email to see if I had it, and I did. And don't you know the next thing I did was Google The Fillmore East 2-11-69 album cover to see if the paws matched. But as you discovered too, the wolf is wearing gloves LOL. Well that's a funny start to my day. I just pulled into the parking lot at work so off I go. I've gotten through the first set of the first Tivoli show 4/14/72. I missed out on the steamer trunk, so I ended up buying them a la carte. This was one of the first that I picked up. And of course it's outstanding. Jerry's guitar has some extra volume and distortion that I love. Playing in the band is particularly good. Donna does not get the first scream in on this one, and the second scream is really not too loud at all - all in good mixing. It's the two tracks that damage her reputation. But I love her. Little cutie.

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In reply to by KeithFan2112

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I cheated the other day and listened to this Dark Star from 4/14/72. It's by far, one of the best they do on this tour....it has the fabled Feelin Groovy jam, and the main take away here is that at least in my opinion, this may be one of the 'most accessible' Dark Stars out there. By 'most accessible' I mean that it never truly goes waay off the rails into any major meltdowns; in fact for a nearly 30 minute Dark Star, this one just stays high energy almost for the whole ride save for about the last 4 minutes where there is a mild meltdown before Sugar Magnolia. This is one you could potentially put on for a novice and say, Ok, hold on for this one...it's gonna achieve liftoff and won't really come down for 30 minutes....see you on reentry!

Looking forward to the full spin of 4/14 over the weekend. But also prepping for Game of Thrones and oh my god they are going to kill everyone.....have a nice day!

Sixtus

P.S. - I thoroughly enjoy the cover for DaP30; I also immediately thought of that other release with the same marquee, and I even pulled my wife in front of the mirror and showed her the backwards/upside down genius going on in that puddle

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But

Who g.a.s. about the cover

I want the music.

They could pack in tin foil

Idc

Just make sure the music is there

I thought I spent enough. I didn't get no stinkin' email!

Where do I go to grouse about the cover :-(

Just saw Hellboy in "DBox",,, save your money on the dbox front. Hellboy, ok,,, seemed long.

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I think the cover is great - very creative and thoughtful. Reflections, shades of ugly rumors, wolf paws, ripples, used matches - just all kinds of relevant imagery without being to cliche or obvious about it.

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