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    clayv
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    "Cause it's always like that with the Dead, you know - it's always the whole thing." - News Journal

    As we close out the 2019 Dave Pick's series, we deliver on our promise to give you the "whole thing" with the complete performance from The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 3/24/73 and what a show it was! An upstanding "musical eulogy" to the recently departed Pigpen, the Grateful Dead conducted a potent study in contrasts on this bittersweet night. They found easy balance between tidy jams like "They Love Each Other," "Wave That Flag," "Playing In The Band," and introspective moments on "Stella Blue," "Sing Me Back Home," and a poignant "He's Gone." It was all laid down with a discipline and a polish unheard of in any of the truly exceptional shows that had come before it. Yes, you might say, they cleaned up nice to carry on the legacy as Pig would have wanted.

    Limited to 20,000 numbered copies, DAVE’S PICKS VOLUME 32: THE SPECTRUM, PHILADELPHIA, PA 3/24/73 has been mastered to HDCD specs from the 7" and 10" reels by Jeffrey Norman.

    GET IT WHILE YOU CAN

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

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  • Charlie3
    Joined:
    CSN and Dead

    Carlo13, CSN opened for the Dead on 7/16/90 in Buffalo. I had a good time at that show, recall being stoked for Loose Lucy as I hadn't seen it at a show before that one and it just seemed like they were having a good time playing it. Good times.

  • daverock
    Joined:
    Lack of practice

    Oroborous...I can remember reading somewhere that that was why The Eleven got dropped. They apparently practised for hours at a time playing in that time signature. To such an extent that they became so familiar with it that they could improvise within it on an almost nightly basis-a stunning high wire achievement that ultimately proved unsustainable. So by 1970 it was goodbye "The Eleven", hello "Not Fade Away".

  • carlo13
    Joined:
    JGB debut album anniversary

    1972 JGB DEBUT ALBUM ANNIVERSARY TODAY.

  • carlo13
    Joined:
    CSNY

    I've been listening to CSNY since 1978 and still love them. Seen CSN a few times and once with the dead in buffalo (I think it was buffalo.) Its to bad this kind of music went extinct. They were like the dinosaurs. Big and badass.

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    Carlo/movies

    Music, books, movies....what else is there? Ok, you need some “green” and beer, but that’s it!......well, maybe this chair, but that’s it.....and this paddle ball, but that’s it....
    I don’t buy so many movies anymore, but you are correct, the Criterion collection is good shit. If my memory is correct they are the ones who go the extra mile on refurbishing/scans etc

  • rusty string
    Joined:
    Last order (of beer) and first lines

    [Thanks, CaseyJanes for the link to the brewery site. I am not an expert on beer, so I always wonder whether I use the correct translations of the German types into English - that helps a lot.]

    I can perfectly understand that post about "Eyes": The opening line of a song sometimes gets you right into the perfect mood for what's to follow. And Hunter gave us so many of those. "Well, the first days are the hardest days, don't you worry any more." Love that, too.

    Last 5:
    Stephen Stills - "First Album"
    Stephen Still's Manassas - "Manassas"
    McGuinn, Clark and Hillman - "Three Byrds Land In London"
    Jerry Garcia & Merle Saunders - "GarciaLive Vol. 12: Boarding House 1975"
    Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: "CSNY 1974" (box set)

    Bought a copy of Uncut's "The Ultimate Music Guide: CSN&Y" - how I love these compendiums. A bit pricey as imports but always worth the money. Always make me want to revisit tons of albums.

  • carlo13
    Joined:
    Oro

    You nailed it on the NOD cd. I see you are a movie buff. Have you tried the criterion movie collection? It's a collection of the best domestic and foreign movies on a high def and remastered quality disks. Most come with booklets and quality dvd/blu-ray holders. They also have some concerts like Monterey pop fest. and the stones gimme shelter at altamont speedway with the best remastered version found anywhere. Check out criterion.com. they are more pricey than other dvd/blu-ray movies but well worth it. They have 1/2 price criterion a few times a year on the site and at barnes and noble too.

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    St. Steve’s and others through the years..and 41 years tonight!

    First I will say that of course nothing compares to those early psychedelic years, especially the 69 versions, but like anything else, when played well, I felt like they stood the test of time at least. But like Jim touched on, made a big difference if you were fortunate to see any of the big dogs live. Saw the 10/15/83 Stephen, probably a half dozen Dark Stars (some were only the jam/partials). Saw many one offs, 1st or Second versions, or first or second reintroductions etc; Attics, Death Don’t, Box o Rain....but unfortunately, close but no cigar for Casey Jones, Ripple, or the perhaps the biggest regret, no Here Comes Sunshine, Dooooo! Cant complain though, had uncanny luck over the years as far as that goes, from my first show, 1/20/79 (Dark Star)....hey, that’s today! Today’s my 41st anniversary....I was fortunate to rack up some good stats as far as seeing obscurities.
    EYES; I agree that generally I don’t like the faster ones, but that they did play some awesome mid eighties versions. Imho nothing is like those 73/74 monsters with the awesome jazz jam in the middle. To me, those Eyes are in my top handful of elite songs/versions...
    TOO; similar feelings about The Other one....early big ones, especially the Cryptical's, were awesome, then they just seemed to drone on, then say mid eighties they got a little psychedelic again...I usually liked the Healy weirdness effects on the vocals, though sometimes it was a bit much. I know many folks didn’t dig that, and I believe I read somewhere not all the band was into it? But that’s another that seemed to go through phases...
    POST PIG; also not a big fan of the Pig stuff after he passed, except years later I thought Warren did a great job on all that old stuff. Still think they should of had multiple guitars for Fare Thee Well, even if they cycled through and took turns. Always loved Wareen doing the old blues stuff, and some of the Brent tunes too!
    But like all the songs, on the right night, or even sometimes today listening, if they stars align and their ripping it up, any song is awesome! Surely saw some great Good Lovin’s and Lovelights, and if nothing else, many a night we felt like at least it wasn’t yet another Stones/NFA, but generally speaking, perhaps they should have let sleeping dogs lie...

    PRACTICE; I think the biggest reason/factor with them not keeping up on the St Steves etc was practice, or lack there of. I know they all commented that in the good old days they still rehearsed enough that they could keep their chops up on the more challenging material....you can’t fake your way through Steve’s, The 11, Help, Cosmic Charlie etc.
    So another unfortunate side effect of Jerry’s addiction problems was they basically didn’t rehearse much. They all have mentioned that over the years, and it’s clearly evident by all the great tunes that came back in more recent years of Phil, Furthur, and D&C shows, which to me is the highlight of these later incarnations; getting to see the great old psychedelic stuff we didn’t get in the later years of the Dead.

    EDIT; well said Daverock!

  • daverock
    Joined:
    "here's one you might remember.."

    Jiminmd….100% agree. It is totally different experiencing the songs live to listening to a live recording. You wouldn't have heard me complaining if they had played St. Stephen at Wembley in 1990. How well it would have stood the test of time is another matter. But maybe that's beside the point...the magic was to be in the moment, not consider how it would be perceived 30( (!) years later on a cd.

  • stoltzfus
    Joined:
    Billy the Kid

    Envy

    Especially 7 13 76

    Long time love for that show

    One "special" night, hearing that on tape...

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"Cause it's always like that with the Dead, you know - it's always the whole thing." - News Journal

As we close out the 2019 Dave Pick's series, we deliver on our promise to give you the "whole thing" with the complete performance from The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 3/24/73 and what a show it was! An upstanding "musical eulogy" to the recently departed Pigpen, the Grateful Dead conducted a potent study in contrasts on this bittersweet night. They found easy balance between tidy jams like "They Love Each Other," "Wave That Flag," "Playing In The Band," and introspective moments on "Stella Blue," "Sing Me Back Home," and a poignant "He's Gone." It was all laid down with a discipline and a polish unheard of in any of the truly exceptional shows that had come before it. Yes, you might say, they cleaned up nice to carry on the legacy as Pig would have wanted.

Limited to 20,000 numbered copies, DAVE’S PICKS VOLUME 32: THE SPECTRUM, PHILADELPHIA, PA 3/24/73 has been mastered to HDCD specs from the 7" and 10" reels by Jeffrey Norman.

GET IT WHILE YOU CAN

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

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Just fyi friends...the "Warlocks 1989 Box" is available for only $19.99 via digital download here on site...One of my fav runs from fall 89--incredible buy....great version of "Death Don't Have No Mercy" --10/9/89

Merry Christmas!

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This book is an underrated, illuminating read. Like most of Crowley's output it can be rambling and inconsistent at times, however bookended by brilliance.

I gave it as a gift for the second time this Christmas, to another fiend - er, friend. Anyone interested check it out. Most aspects of the man's life have been stereotyped and sensationalized.

Merry Christmas everyone!

\m/

Nice to see old Edgar Rice Burroughs pop up on here earlier in the week. Our reach is wide indeed. You often read that although Burroughs wrote all those Tarzan books set in Africa, he never actually went to Africa himself. Although he also wrote many science fiction books too, no one ever says that he never actually went to Mars. Makes you think.

Happy Christmas one and all !

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Two great Christmas songs, Merry Christmas Baby by Charles Brown and Santa Claus by Sonny Boy Williamson. Right now listening to T Bone Walker 1940-1954 on Mosaic Records, great box set. T Bone Walker influenced B. B. King, Eric Claption, Jimi Hendrix and so many many more great guitar players. Merry Christmas folks,, have fun.

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My wife either really loves me or she secretly loves the GOGD despite her complaints. She got me the subwoofer that I wanted, and this thing is going to make the house shake...lots of Phil Bombs in my future!!!

Merry Christmas Dead People...Have a safe and happy holiday!!!

KCJ

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War is Over! if you want it
Happy Christmas from John & Yoko

Still has meaning 49 years later

“Merry merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, lets hope it’s a good one, without any fear” .
Thank you David Lemieux , Steve Vance, Ivette Ramos at Rhino. You helped me achieve one of my dreams. To the Grateful Dead, thank you for helping to create a better World.
To fellow Dead Heads. Don’t ever let anyone break your spirit. (Collective and individual) .

It snowed overnight here on the “old Pecos Trail”.

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Have a Grateful Christmas everyone!

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May the new year bring peace, prosperity and happiness.

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Going back a few threads here . Looks like the official unnofficial story on Townsend's Gretsch 6120 and its infrequent stage appearences is that it was too difficult to keep in tune:

http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/gear/guitar/gretsch.html

Which brings me to another thought that has frequently crossed my mind since I've gotten into the Grateful Dead hardcore. Why do they have so many problems keeping their instruments in tune? Is it because they never swap out instruments in the middle of a show? That would be my guess. You go to a concert nowadays and there's no time spent tuning instruments between every third song. But still there non swap instruments that much. Thinking back to Alex lifeson on the Hold Your Fire tour, and he used that white guitar with the little circular emblem on it the entire show pretty much. Or Trevor Rabin and and that funky customized strat (?) he used the majority of his days with Yes.

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In reply to by DeadVikes

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Everyone here on this site makes my day more fun, happier, and often more informed. Thanks all for great ideas and comments throughout the year. May we all have a fun, prosperous, peaceful new year.

Listening to last year's stadium box (was it last year?) Sugaree is kicking off the second set. Gonna cook a Christmas day ommlete for family and open presents. Shake it, Sugaree.

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jerry xmas and a happy new weir to yall beautiful freaks

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To all you turkeys out there, happy holidays and a drunk new year's. Peace. P.S.- thanks to you know who on the Woodstock box. Right on.

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Hope all have a fantastic holiday and New Year!

Keithfan, the instruments largely go out of tune due to conditions such as weather like heat and humidity in outdoor shows and indoor shows as well. It could also be the instruments themselves. The Gretsch in this instance has a whammy bar, and whammy bars are notorious for sending guitars out of tune with usage. Also, Townshend is not exactly a light player on his strings, and he bends them quite a bit while playing, as well as attacking them with a windmill motion. There's many jokes about bass players not tuning up for years at a time, which is hyperbole, but basses usually stay in tune longer, despite longer necks, and longer strings, as long as they are set up correctly, so you'll likely see more guitars being tuned at a show than a bass. Technology has made the guitars sturdier and more stable, but those conditions can still send the guitars out of tune. Why the Dead took so incredibly long to tune up is another question. I would bet that they tuned so often between songs due to Jerry bending strings on solos, and Phil having perfect pitch. It probably drove him nuts hearing out of tune guitars. Just a supposition there. Hope that helps!

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… the new-ish pink Floyd box set - the later years. Big sticker proclaims "limited edition",,,, I can't find what the limit is?

Anyone?

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Hi folks...hope everyone had a swell Christmas...we had about four inches of snow fall here at the edge of the world which compared to the nearly two feet that fell for Thanksgiving was quite doable...anyway for my anniversary show today I will be listening to 12-26-70 El Monte Legion Stadium...the start of a three night run which I was lucky enough to attend...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2hmh579Cd8

a lot of changes going on as "Workingman's Dead" had been released the previous June and "American Beauty" had just been released in November...Happy New Year to all and rock on...

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Taking you up on your offer, however I'm opting for the Terrapin>Drums>Space>UJB segment. Thanks for the recommendation! :-)

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There's still a lot of tuning going on during shows, but everyone has pedals now and bypass the house while they're tuning, so you don't hear it.

Last 5:
Winterland '73: - 12-9-73
Giants Box: one of the 89 shows
Neil Young: Harvest
King Oliver
Charlie Parker

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In reply to by Slow Dog Noodle

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I can't get enough of the 5 Disc release of the Grateful Dead movie soundtrack. Multi Track Wall of Sound music. Is there anything better than this. Disc four has one of my all time favorite Uncle John's Band. The energy is unreal.
Recorded by Bill Wolf. Who was he? I don't remember that name.
I know it has been talked about for years, but these five nights with video would be a box dream come true. We know the tapes are there.

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Is a primo 1974 performance, every time I give it a listen I can’t help but smile smile smile! 🙏❤️😎🌹💀🌹💀

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Ditto.

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aka Dick's Picks 5

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Anybody else excited about the Cream "Farewell Tour" 4-cd set coming in February? It should come soon after Dave's 33, so 2020 is all ready to get us started early.
Music is the best!!

Yes, I'm looking forward to this one, too. There have been a few dodgy Cream releases over the last year or so ( ie Detroit 1967-great playing - average sound), but this new one looks like the real deal.

I haven't played 26/12/79 this year yet, but that's a great second set. Rocking Alabama-Promised Land to close set 1, too. It dove tails nicely into 12/28/79-a Road Trips release as well. Good synth playing from Brent in both second sets, as I recall.

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I didn't realize they sound checked Black-Throated Wind at that show. Interesting bit of trivia...

Thanks for the link P Hill.

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smokey the tiger

https://archive.org/details/gd1981-12-27.143630.fob.beyer.m160.streeter…

Set I
New Minglewood Blues >
Sugaree
Cassidy
Deep Elem Blues >
C.C. Rider
Friend Of The Devil
Passenger
Althea >
Looks Like Rain >
Deal
Set II
Samson & Delilah
To Lay Me Down >
Playing In The Band >
Drums >
Space >
The Wheel >
Playing In The Band Reprise >
Wharf Rat >
Sugar Magnolia

Encore:
It's All Over Now Baby Blue

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Thanks for the thoughtful guitar tuning reply. You know what else just came to mind - I've read some stuff about how difficult it used to be to keep Keith's piano in tune (even the elecric stuff he was using by the late '70s; the Egypt run was notorious for it). Maybe he was the troublemaker.

I can imagine them carting around the grand piano by the time they hit the road for the wall of Sound tour, but I wonder if he was stuck playing some house piano at other places in '72 (in '71 he used a stand up, which you can prominently on a lot of those October recordings, like DaP 3).

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74 bermuda triangle
81 salt lake city
72 kansas city
69 electric factory

maybe gainsville

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Good call on the China Rider from the DaP 14 Bonus Disc. You made it a while ago but I'm listening to it now. It's actually a great self-contained one disc chunk of Dead. AOM March '72 for anyone with a head full of bong weed.

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thats right folks it is time for another game of guess that dead show

funiculi funicula
you can call me ray or you can call me jay or you can call me r j j or you can call me johnny or you can call me jaimey or you can juney but you doesnt have to call me johnson
when they come to take you down etc

first prize will be a funky winterbean golf ball and a handful of flinstones vitamins
two dinosaur and 3 bam bams

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In reply to by daverock

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Love that band.

But it looks to me like you are essentially getting four identical concerts. Mehhh.

At least throw in a Tales of Brave Ulysses or Badge in one of the shows.

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gimme blind faith or harmony row any day at that

ive worn out a few copies of ginger bakers stratovarious yet in my younger daze

gem of an album

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word on the street is the aniversary album will come with a bonus disc

that one is a good listen always has been always willbee

although i still wish they had stuck with calling it go to hell with the black suits and flames and what have you

dog gone arista

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You can't get four identical concerts with improvisational live bands. Even if the setlists are very similar. I was also disappointed to see the Cream set lists, but there must be something there worth releasing. I would hate to think that Clapton is allowing this to be put out just to help the Baker and Bruce families. He could do that himself, he's worth $300 million.

A case in point (beyond the obvious - GD) is that last Hendrix box. Many songs played multiple times, but each take quite different from the others, which allows each show to feel like a fresh listen even with songs being repeated.

Where I really learned to appreciate Cream was their initial box, Those Were The Days. Go buy it now and be blown away. The radio never plays anything beyond White Room and Sunshine, and there was so, so much more.

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I have to agree with ledded. Cream is similar to the dead and Hendrix when it comes to live shows. They may have the same songs but each is very different in a great way. Just dont listen to them in row. Give each live concert venue a day apart.

Even the four FW69 shows had more variety in the setlists. All I am saying.

It still remains one of their top two releases.

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In reply to by Angry Jack Straw

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Another point of view is that the more limited the set lists, the more expansive the playing. A bit of a generalisation,but sometimes, certainly with The Dead from 1968 to mid 1969, dedication to a relatively short amount of songs meant that they stretched and recreated those songs in ways they might not have done had they been played more sparingly. Sometimes, maybe the more extensive and varied the set lists are, the more trivial the playing of those songs becomes.
I don't agree with this all the time...its just another way of looking at things.

Having said that, those Cream set lists do look very samey ! The 4 cd Humble Pie Live at the Fillmore East 1971 features essentially the same set 4 times over...and although its a blinding set, and sounds fantastic ( much better than the single disc edition) I would be lying through my teeth if I told you I could tell the difference between one set and another. So fingers crossed with Cream - it has to be bought, no question.

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6/9/1977, what a show! Is there a better Franklin's Tower? I don't know. The whole box is just so damn good. So, we have DeKalb in about a month or so and the Dave's 34 announcement should be coming soon. Looking forward to more releases and another box set in 9 months.

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Is there a better Help-Slipknot-Franklins? If there is, I haven't heard it.

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Music - is it an addiction? Is addiction bad? Does addiction mean loss of control and will, or just total surrender to that which inspires one's muse? Can one be addicted to something good? Or must the line be drawn at being an "aficionado, enthusiast, or fan?"

It would indeed be good to have a Brave Ulysses or Badge on those Cream sets... but, alas, there isn't. Folks might be surprised to know that Clapton has dug deep into the bag over the years and pulled out stellar live renditions on the Crossroads I and II sets, as well as his Crossroads Guitar Festival lp's and assorted other live releases, paying homage to Cream.

God bless Eric Clapton. There have been uninspired releases over the years to be sure, but there's plenty of that from any artist of that era. McCartney, The Who and the Stones have put out their fair share of crap.

I got guitar playing buddies who are "bored" by Clapton. My theory is it's because he wrote the goddamn book on blues-rock soloing and the licks everyone has stolen came off of that tree.

Anyway, to each his own, but I love Eric Clapton. Going back and watching that Cream reunion from a few years ago it's striking that he is all that remains, but he is still strong and I hope he will remain on limited display for a while longer.

\m/

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