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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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  • stoltzfus
    Joined:
    My disappearance didn't take

    Those who diss 9 2 83

    You are WRONG.

    Plenty hot.

  • carlo13
    Joined:
    Keithfan the wallbanger

    I was a freshman in H.S. at this time. I remember my uncle buddy had a homemade stereo and amp. With the colored lights and switches and the black and white 'the who' poster with the arrow pointing up from the big H. I also remember he had a Harvey wallbanger poster in 1974 which was the new cocktail at the time. Orange juice and Galliano. The old days.

  • KeithFan2112
    Joined:
    This guitar only has seconds to live....

    Daverock, hats off for knowing Pete's studio guitar on Who's Next. I bought the LP in October of '83 (I can remember an astounding number of dates up through college years). I was in 6th grade at the time, and had gotten into The Who shortly after It's Hard came out the previous year. I remember being hooked on Athena from the radio, and then Christmas of '82 I went up to Buffalo, where my extended family lived. My cousin and I spent most of our days listening to music (and eventually, most of our nights drinking). Well that year we delved into my Uncle's album collection, which consisted of at least 7 crates of rock music. He put on Baba O'Riley from The Concerts for the People of Kampuchea (excellent live version in their first touring year without Moon). We just kept playing it over and over, probably 20 times that week. I think it's safe to say that's when I became a Who-Head.

    Anyway, I'm babbling at this point, but let it suffice to say I eventually bought the Who's Next Deluxe Version, and learned through the extensive liner notes the history behind Lifehouse; the abandoned Who's Next recording sessions from the Record Plant in NY (featuring Leslie West on several of tracks; AND the the Gretsch 6120 he used to record the album, which was given to him by Joe Walsh.

    Rare trivia that perhaps only one other person I could think of other than Uncle Gary might be aware of off the top of their head, and that is Kevin Brandon, who posts here periodically and is also a Who-head.

  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    Marye's Wonder Woman comment....

    ....has left me scratching my head. 1984? Which is the name of the new movie?

  • KeithFan2112
    Joined:
    Ha marye

    Took me a minute to get your Wonder Woman comment, but now I'm up to speed.

    Checking out 12/12/72. I've had the Bird Song in a 73/74 Bird Song folder awhile, but the time's come to get more of the show in. With limited time on my hands, it's always the (75% of the time) reduced audio quality of the soundboard recordings that send me into the Normanized archives. But the tracks I grabbed from this 12/12/72 show (aka Return To Winterland) sound pretty solid from an audiophile standpoint.

    Me and Bobby McGee - exceptionally good I would venture to say.

    Tennessee Jed - this song has been steadily growing on me for 5 years. 1972-73 is real nice. It's the instrumental jam about 4 or minutes in

    Playing In The Band - as good as the Europe 72 versions are, they get longer as the year goes on, and they good longer in a rocked out jammin kind of way, as opposed to a spaced-out jazzy kind of way (which believe you me has its place in Dead Greatness).

    Even Around and Around sounds great.

    That's as far as I've gotten.....Keith is raging loud. I wonder if Betty recorded this. They're really all pretty much raging loud.

    I'm sure none of this 12/12/72 business isn't news to a lot of you, but it's melting my face at the moment so I thought I'd pass it along.

    **************************
    And Now For Something
    Completely Different
    **************************
    It would be awesome if they made software that allowed you to make your own mix from a multi-track source, and the CDs (like Veneta) came with a second CD / DVD that contained each of the tracks. Then you just open your software program, put your DVD in your drive on your computer, and load the tracks for each song. From there a virtual soundboard would come up that allows you to start mixing. Even cooler would be if there were effects you could put on each of the tracks. I would turn up Jerry and add more distortion in a lot of spots. I would turn Keith up on most of Europe '72, I would substitute Donna's scream on Playing in the Band with Daltrey's from Won't Get Fooled Again. I would have multiple mixes for all songs. Turn up Billy for that "rock out hard" mix.

  • daverock
    Joined:
    The devils in the detail

    Keith - I agree that The Who only really found their live sound once Townsend strapped on a Gibson SG. On the original studio album of Tommy, they still sound like a pop band to me. On Live At Leeds/Hull/Isle of Wight they were well and truly rocking out, 70s style. For better or worse.

    Interestingly ( if you are a nerd like me) the SG that Pete played actually had single coil pickups - P90s. Other players who used SGs with P90s on their early albums were Robbie Krieger, Santana and, surprisingly, Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath. And he had a sound that could topple a factory.

    Also...Pete's premier studio axe in the 1970s seems to have been a Gretsch 6120, albeit one loaded with humbucking filter tron pickups. That great guitar sound on Won't Get Fooled Again?...its a Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman by all accounts.

  • marye
    Joined:
    Wonder Woman
    has left the building. Moving right along...
  • KeithFan2112
    Joined:
    Guitars

    I am on the same wavelength as LedDed as far as Jerry and the Alligator Nash Strat (the Fender Strat has that smoothness about it that suited Jerry's style so well). Somebody on this site recently said that they couldn't think of anyone who made a Stratocaster sound as good as Jerry did (it may have even been LedDef). That comment stuck with me.

    But I also love the pure power and volume of the the SG that Daverock talks about. I think it's a toss up between Pete Townshend and Angus Young on who put that sound to greatest effect, as far as overall career impact. Townshend built an empire on it that far outlived his personal use of the guitar; you've only to listen to Live at Leeds or Isle of Wight '70 to appreciate what the SG did for The Who in '69 / '70. It's the guitar that gave Tommy a set of balls. It played a very similar role in the Dead's evolution as a band, and IMHO may have been the most impactfing facet of the Live Dead sound and success (along with the record's engineering distinction as the first live 16 track recording - this brought out an incredible "harmonic" that was spearheaded by the SG).

    But for me, the real magic would be taking somebody with the artistic virtuoso talent that might be very well suited for that smooth polished sound of the Fender Strat, and placing the Gibson SG in his hands. Imagine that. If only such a player existied. A slick player who is both fast and gentle, picking through the glowing hot interlacings of those sharp SG strings and unforgiving pickups. Whew. And then if he could glide seamlessly from lead to rhythm at need (whatever it took to serve the song). But alas, no such man exists.
    Just a fantasy band, so I may as well take a step further and pair this divinely talented wielder of the SG with a tight riff-master who could lay simple but tasty groundwork for our lead player to weave his way over, under, and alongside . Then you'd have the makings for something extraordinary and unparalleled. But this kind of talent.... simply...... doesn't...... wait.....he does exist! And his name is Reggie Hammond. No wait, that's a movie. His name is Mick Taylor.

  • daverock
    Joined:
    Great guitars

    I would say I prefer single coil guitars to humbuckers generally-although my tastes are more inclined towards telecasters than strats. I could list dozens of players, but mention of the great Otis Redding puts me in mind of Steve Cropper of the MGs, and all the great records he played on with Otis, and at Stax generally during the 60s.

    For pure sound + eye candy a large bodied Gretsch is hard to beat-especially a 6120 or a White Falcon. I'm lucky enough to have a 6120 with a single coil dynasonic at the bridge and a P90 at the neck, a la Eddie Cochran. I'm no great shakes on the guitar...but you wouldn't believe the sound this thing makes. You can get slapback echo even before you plug it in.

    With Jerrys SG I just liked the sound of the single string solos he did with it. You could perform open heart surgery with that tone.

  • Thats_Otis
    Joined:
    Let me c'mon home...

    ... Everyone that reads this message should go immediately to the nearest way they can listen to Otis Redding. I promise you will be happier after than you were before. G'damn MG's!

    Peace

    - Otis? I think he was only 26 when he passed... plane crash. Tell me he doesn't sing like a man that knows about it all. Kinda like Jerry.

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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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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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