• 8,102 replies
    marye
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    Bolo24 says: An Idea, Perhaps? Since we're all going to have a fair amount of spare time on our hands for the foreseeable future, what about starting another thread where we all listen to the same show/release on a given day and then share impressions afterward? Folks can submit suggestions and one person (not me) picks what we'll all listen to - call it Deadnet Picks or something. Anyway, if this idea is deemed to have merit, I'd suggest one of the loyal regular posters take the lead and do the picking - y'all can decide who. Might be fun. If it does go forward, I nominate Dick's Picks 18 for the first listen. Been talked about here lately, and, had it been a single show rather than a compilation, we'd probably be talking about it in the same conversation as Cornell, Veneta, etc. Or perhaps even Gainesville?? Stay safe and healthy, friends - this planet needs as many Deadheads as possible.

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  • 1stshow70878
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    5-10-72 Amsterdam (+ 5-11 Rotterdam)

    I really liked this one. Part of that may have been a good focused late night listen. Mix was slightly different with more Bob, maybe less Keith? That highlighted by Bob's interesting work in China>Rider too. They attempted to slow the tempo in the Rider part but not everyone caught the drift there. Maybe I liked it for the set list and song order again which I found appealing in more than one of the tour so far. It does seem to be the difference some times in what I perceive as a good show. Highlights: Loser, Big Boss Man, TOO which was extended and very spacey (one part had the cat looking at me like WTF?) in the first go, then a little jazzy Keith, then a lengthy somewhat quiet interlude before >Bobby McGee>TOO again. Maybe the best Sing Me Back Home so far of the tour. And a sweet but shorter Sugar Mag> NFA> GDTRFB> NFA again to end. Again DeadbaseX way off with setlist out of order and missing songs. Not really counting on that being right anymore. Still plugging away with Rotterdam next but may get stalled Mon. - Tue. with a trip to the Four Corners region. Need us some slickrock and petroglyphs before the weather starts turning.
    Cheers
    Edit: 5-11-72 Rotterdam. Jeez- Louise! I can see why Oro said this might be his favorite EU72. The whole 1st set is at that slow, let's get this perfect pace and is another killer set that starts with a Playin' so you know it's going to be good. Then this 2nd set starts with a Dew and is monumental with the best DS so far and one that is now in my top 5 of all time and the 2nd set jammed portion runs like 75 minutes! The final Caution/Who Do You Love is a great way to end that song's run. I googled best show of EU72 and this one came up often and is in the top 3 or 4 in most lists. Just a wowzer.

  • daverock
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    Icecrmcnkd

    Crumbs...sorry, I wasn't expecting that for an answer. Thanks for the heads up - nice that them upstairs read these posts.

  • icecrmcnkd
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    Daverock

    The September GD Bulletin came out yesterday in an email.
    At the end there is a section Community Bits that briefly summarizes what it being discussed on these boards.

    It says:

    In the Pick of the Day, With Discussion thread, Daverock raises the interesting point that for Europe ’72, there weren’t so many Dead Heads in the audience — and that affected the band’s playing. Maybe for the better? What do you think?

  • daverock
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    Icecrmcnkd

    Sorry - I'm not sure what that means!

  • icecrmcnkd
    Joined:
    GD Bulletin

    Daverock gets the call out.

  • daverock
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    Bickershaw and repetition

    1stshow -no, I have never heard Hawkwind's set at Bickershaw. Curiously, I have never read anything about it either, not from the band or from people who were there. Simonrob was there - maybe he knows something.
    1972 was the year it all came together for Hawkwind, culminating in the Space Ritual tour in December. In fact - a timely thought - the 11 cd special deluxe edition of Space Ritual is out next Friday. Probably not good value for money unless you are really into it - they basically played the same set on that tour wherever they played - this new set features three of them. I'll be getting it - but the original album may be better value overall.

    Going back to The Dead's repetitive - or otherwise - song lists - they would have played to a different audience every night, for the most part, during E72, so maybe it mattered less than later on if they played the same songs a lot. Maybe that was the case for American gigs at first, too. It wasn't common practice in England in the 1970's to see the same band twice on the run, so I wouldn't think it was in America at first. As teenager, apart from anything else, I wouldn't have been able to afford it.

  • JimInMD
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    Repetitive, Sort of..

    With the exception of Copenhagen and London, they hit these cities just once and my guess is most locals had not had any real exposure to the touring Grateful Dead. Copenhagen is the real outlier, two hits at the same venue and similar second set setlists.

    I always assumed they wanted to make a presence in Europe and knowing people were not as exposed in the US, wanted to paint a strong picture for each city.

    So 51 years later listening to the whole tour, there is lots of repetition. But if you were there then, it was all brand new. That's how I digested it. They wanted to hit Europe with a cohesive picture of what they were doing then not knowing when or if they would return.

  • Oroborous
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    RE: repetition

    Yeah they always went heavy on what was new. Guessing partly for their own sanity/interest, and partly for the crowds.
    Not unlike Taylor Swift etc: make an album, go on the road to support it, rinse and repeat…of course like most things, they weren’t that formulaic, thank goodness lol. Plus, they were smart enough to figure out that it’s better to work stuff out on the road BEFORE you go into the studio to record it, especially when you do constantly tweak and re-invent them. So this tour was perhaps a bit of both lol.
    Also, (think we’ve discussed before?) folks didn’t tour so much back then, probably not at all in 1972 Europe?
    So they didn’t have to worry about that like they did later on.
    Sometimes I think they, or someone, just really enjoyed certain songs, so played en more.
    I’d say they played less repetitive in some ways as the years passed and they had more and more songs to choose from.
    Ok, maybe not Bob, he seemed to need to play everything to death lol. Speaking of, why Me&My Uncle every night! I mean they just put it out on the last live album only a year before! With so much new stuff as the Dead, and from WM and AB, AND both Bob and Jers recent solo albums, why Bob, why LOL ; ) Perhaps trying to bring more American “culture”?
    As far as reinterpreting songs, I think they always did that, though some more than others and with various results.
    I guess that’s yet another thing dependent on the listeners taste and chever way yer pleasure tends…
    But I’d bet the biggest factor on this tour was trying to get at least one good useable version of all the new material since they purposely chose this methodology to get the new songs out on a new album. That and mix in some familiar stuff as you never want to do all unknown songs. I could tell ya a story about doing that lol

  • 1stshow70878
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    Bickershaw again

    Finishing up as I write.
    Highlights: Dark Star, The Other One, Lovelight (Jerry!).
    The line-up for this festival is astounding. Woodstock level of mud too.
    DR, guessing you've heard Hawkwind's performance. Good?
    Cheers

  • daverock
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    Repetition

    Is that true, though, that there was more repetition of songs during the E72 tour than others in the late 60's and 70's?
    I haven't checked it out, but listening to shows, I always get a sense that they had a core group of songs that they leaned on during specific tours. It was the same listening to the 1973 box that has just come out. There weren't any shows that were wildly different from any other - possibly 6/10/73. That has a different feel than the earlier ones.

    That's not a criticism - the more they played specific songs - especially the ones incorporating jams, the better they got to know them and the more they were able to re-interpret them. Part of the ongoing mystery - especially from late 1971-1974. Maybe.

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Bolo24 says: An Idea, Perhaps? Since we're all going to have a fair amount of spare time on our hands for the foreseeable future, what about starting another thread where we all listen to the same show/release on a given day and then share impressions afterward? Folks can submit suggestions and one person (not me) picks what we'll all listen to - call it Deadnet Picks or something. Anyway, if this idea is deemed to have merit, I'd suggest one of the loyal regular posters take the lead and do the picking - y'all can decide who. Might be fun. If it does go forward, I nominate Dick's Picks 18 for the first listen. Been talked about here lately, and, had it been a single show rather than a compilation, we'd probably be talking about it in the same conversation as Cornell, Veneta, etc. Or perhaps even Gainesville?? Stay safe and healthy, friends - this planet needs as many Deadheads as possible.

....for one one the best shows I've heard them play. 9.7 goonie birds out of 10 and Don't Ease Me In hasn't even ended yet. Pure gold. Off today and the wife went to work. This one begs to be turned to eleven.
"Relax people. We have you all night long."

excellent anniversary pick! acoustic 1970 is such a special sound. so intimate, at times almost like you're seated cross legged in front of them in a small room with your close friends. once again, it's been awhile since I've listened to this set, more recently those in that awesome Road Trips 5/15/70 release. we really need another of these acoustic / electric shows from 1970 released. too bad that most of the fall run appears to not have been taped.

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....Jerry making that pedal steel sing. Outstanding!
If Henry doesn't get your foot tapping, better check yourself for a pulse.

....gotta take a break. Shower up. Because I know that the upcoming St. Stephen->The Other One->Cosmic Charlie is going to blow my mind and will have me picking my face up off the floor. Again.

....hitting that record button at the start of St. Stephen. Wonder why? "Guys! Wait a minute! I was hanging with the crowd! You usually take a longer break! Dammit! (Pushes the button). Ahhhh. All is good."
I got all clean, just to get dirty again. Let's gooooo!
The 6.9.76 RT release also has a cut start to St. Stephen. Hmmmm.....

DP 5 12/26/79✔️ Ahh, finally got back to this one. Been meaning to play this one. It was played all the time back in the day since there weren’t many official releases yet, or at least I didn’t have many. When DaP 31 came out I dove into as much fall 79 as I had, but somehow didn’t get to this one. So now, finally we get back to this gem. Typical for 79 but great first set, with an UJB to open the second sliding nicely into a hot Estimated. But the highlight to me is the 2 jams. The first is more traditional with them skirting around the edges of a Caution jam, with wiffs of DS and Eyes, but then Phil clearly try’s to start He’s Gone, but Jerry’s not ready until a few minutes later Phil starts again and this time they go with it, SWEET! Then after a nice He’s Gone, TOO, and drums, they slide into almost space like segment that gets delightfully weird. One of my favorite things from this tour is all the far out jams and weirdness that regularly popped up in the second sets. The rest is standard fare except a nice but perhaps a tad allegro Brokedown. Of course the big surprise is the Shakedown UJB reprise for the encore. It’s not surprising ole Dick put his name on this one, what a great 79 show!
4/29/72: ✔️so then I did this one to somewhat follow the European trail. I even had Sierra Nevada 2019 Ocktoberfest, Sierra Nevada Skiesta “Bavarian Style” and my last bottle of EKU 28. All leftovers I’ve been saving for too long for a tasting that’s not going to happen anytime soon. So not proper authentic German beer, but in the spirit of the event celebrating the fine show and DS from the sister city of my hometown, Hamburg.
10/26/89: after this one came up the other day I figured I’d give it a spin. Since it was getting late and the buzz was making me sleepy, I FF here and there and by the end of DS was falling asleep in the big boy chair, so decided, hang it up and see what tomorrow brings....was totally enjoying the show, but not sure I’d rank it above 10/9 or 10/16? I’ll have to slip back to this one after 5/2/70....

....is strong with this Spanish lady with a rose. Total cacophony, into a lulling bliss, then back into masterful ladder climbing. Its an auditory roller coaster. Pretty much perfection. Makes me feel high, without being high.
The 12:20 mark....for fucks sake. Rainbow colors blended.

my favorite year is '72, like the deep space mind melt of the Berkley show. but a fire-breathing cryptical - other one - cryptical is another beast altogether, and i love them too! phil thunder intro right now! holy shit!

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....its a full fledged Pigpen grease party. Incredible.
Life pro tip. If you have a grease fire, water or fire extinguishers don't suppress it. Gotta cut off the oxygen.
The 5:35 mark of Good Lovin'. Kicking into the extra gear. Reminds me of wild horses. Can only tame them so far until they race off.

....also marked.
Ducked out of the CD into the archive for the Cold Rain & Snow that was cut from the release. Earning my badge.

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In reply to by Vguy72

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“The goal is to find shows that can stand up under repeated listenings and still give you the goods.” - Dick Latvala

Harpur College – anyone with any common sense knows Harpur College is a show that should have come out centuries ago. It was ten years of trying to get that one up the flagpole. Healy would say, ‘That Latvala, he can’t tell the difference between stereo and mono!’ And that’s why he would reject Harpur College, cause the electric sets are in mono. So fucking what? Does anyone say that ain’t a great example of a show? I’ll tell you, it wasn’t like I snapped my fingers to have it occur, it was like embarrassing myself forever to get it out.”

Thanks Dick,
I hope you know how right you were.. LATVALA!

Anybody want Electric Wine? = Dick's Picks Volume 8

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In reply to by The Good Ole G…

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Here’s the first paragraph of the DaP34 announcement:

"To my ears, the best Dead shows are those that not only fit the criteria that make them amongst the best of a year, but that are also completely unique for their era—shows that fit perfectly into their year of performance, but also fall somewhat outside of the norm for that year. Harpur College, Veneta, Cornell, Cape Cod, and Augusta are all shows that are objectively excellent, and if they are not the best from their respective years of performance, they are certainly unique. Miami 6/23/74 falls into that category: not only one of the very best shows from this outstanding year, but also one of the most interesting and unique. It’s certainly worthy of many, many deep listens." - David Lemieux

Sounds like you’re all having a good time with Harpur.

I have some more yard work to do, but then it’s Harpur, beer, grilling. Looks like I got a good evening coming.

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My 2nd Dead concert was 5/15/70 early show. That was also first time seeing NRPS. Then Workngmans Dead released late May. May 3rd was free Jefferson Airplane concert at Central Park bandshell. Super intense , only one of two times seeing JA. Kent State happened in early May .Saw CSNY at the the Fillmore East at the end of May 1970. Neil Young had already written Ohio. What a month , fifty years ago!
Now to the electric sets.

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Great Other One descriptions Vguy & thanks for those Latvala & Lawson-Garcia quotes Good Ole.
I listened to Good Lovin' and Man's World on my Saturday outdoor stroll to the Grocer. Even the Man's World shines on this show. Every note was golden that night. It was great to escape my quarantine and be outside in the sun with bugs and dogs and the Grateful Dead. This show has always felt very Springlike anyways.

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I first got this show-5/2/70-about 1987 on a very rough sounding tape. I only had a primitive ghetto blaster to play it on, but I loved it and played it to death.
So on to Dicks Picks, which sadly missed the New Riders set-which was on the tape I had, and seemed to be an essential part of the whole show. Its my favourite in the series. Then I got the vinyl last year, which has no New Riders but includes a somewhat ropey Cold Rain and Snow. But it is an incredible show in any format. The acoustic set is beautifully recorded-they could be here in my living room.

I always think of the electric set as being the last hurrah for primal Dead. The versions of Other One, Dancing in the Street, Good Lovin' and Viola Lee Blues are incendiary. It seems to me as though they take a bit of a breather with the shorter songs in the set, before diving off the high board again with these all powerful jams. I can't think of another Dead show that is like this, either. Unique and brilliant.

.....Billy The Kid said earlier "if there was one show I could time machine back to, it would be this one." I paraphrased, but you get the gist. Top 10.
Good luck to tomorrow's pick.

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Listened to the whole night together for the first time. Even though I've listened to DP8 tons of times, I really absorbed it + NRPS this time around. I may have to wander up into the mountains for a week or so to process what I just heard.

I know we're a biased lot here on this site, but, really, who else is in the conversation for Musician of the 20th Century besides Garcia? Mastery of varied instruments and genres, improvisational skills, longevity, number of people played in front of....you get the picture. Yet try to find him listed on those inane "best of" polls that pop up from time to time. Sheesh.

Maybe our deadhead brains are just wired differently than the rest of humanity. If that's indeed the case...thank you, God!!

....either you get IT or you don't. Screw the "lists". I'm hard wired. Jerome John Garcia is/was the most pleasing guitar player, at least to my ears.
Miss you.

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Right on bolo. No other musician comes close to Garcia in my world. We are lucky....

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In reply to by Gollum

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That’s why people say that they didn’t find the Dead, the Dead found them.

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In reply to by icecrmcnkd

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What a great pick, Strider. You people hear these guitars?

Haven't listened to this one a while, so great, the acoustic set! I know you Rider is so smooth and relaxed.

I have no clue when my Dave's 34 is coming. Tracking still just says lable created, not yet shipped. I guess it is my turn to experience the shipping blues.

Be well folks!

I, too, listened to the whole thing in one sitting. I managed to carve out just enough time and mother nature took care of the rest.. a relatively easy close by river was running just right, temps in the mid sixties (hey, that rolls right off your tongue).. I combined the listen with an outdoor adventure, social distance style.

Dropped off my bike at the bottom and proceeded to the top with my boat. A 12 mile wilderness canyon, a ten mile bike ride to the truck allowed me to be completely alone for the entire day with it. Most excellent. There and back again.. four and a half hours of mind blown fun, nobody could call me, text me, email me, tap me on the shoulder, ask me a question.. no one could disrupt a single note. Heaven. Plus I completely burned off the cabin fever that's been building up these last couple months. Man, if I ever get the chance to do what I did today again, it will be a life well lived. Holy shit what a piece of music. A psychedelic masterpiece, the entire thing. Oh, and to drive the point home, I did reach deep into my bag of tricks to make sure my mind was properly malleable for the journey.

No point for me to get into a song by song study, everyone else did a great job covering the details.

Great choice, great day. It really was not that different than what I described this morning.. not that different at all.

Edit: Out of shape and sore I am.. What a drag it is getting old...

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In reply to by Vguy72

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I love Paris in the springtime

Good times were had at Harpur College for sure!

Did anybody else get something cool in the mail yesterday?

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5/2/70 might have left a smoking crater of our minds...

5/3/72, Paris - that should set it right.

GOGD - Still no mail here in B'more :(

Happy Sunday, friends.

Peace

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In reply to by Thats_Otis

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The music comes on and keeps coming!

It's in the music

It's in the water

More Dead

May 5, 1970 - Colonial News SUNY Binghampton by Richard Walinsky

OTIS: It's coming!
I'ma holding off and waiting for you all, for now... :)

Sunday listening = Olympia Theatre 5/3/72.. don't mind if I do!

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Looks like everyone had a great show yesterday. I am on Dire Wolf right now sounds nice!

5/372 sounds like another fine pick. Thanks!

ps. I am wondering if anyone has any interest in doing a Sunday Night At The Movies with VFTV 4 7/26/87 Anaheim.

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In reply to by Thats_Otis

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I'm in a bit of a mind fog myself.. not from alcohol. ..and my body hurts.

Right there with you Otis/4Winds. I will get up some energy to make a good day of it soon. I am thinking 5/3/72 sans the stem I chewed on yesterday.

Yesterday was a glorious day in Western MD. I owe it all you guys pumping up the good vibes.. and Bolo for keeping it all unreal.

Thanks all.

P.S. View IV is a monster.. The Jack Straw opener is epic and it just grows from there.

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In reply to by JimInMD

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Extra props for being one with nature yesterday JIMINMD!

This here 5/3/72 Tennessee Jed is the first one I ever heard...

No can do VFTV 4 tonight.. But that sounds fun!

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Also The Playin'> D/S> Uncle Johns is mighty fine too. Miracle> Bertha> Sugar Mag, But the 7/26 has some unique Jerry just saying.

If this is not doable can I have tomorrows pick? Thanks!

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In reply to by fourwindsblow

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....but the arrival date got bumped to Monday instead of Wednesday, so there's that!
5.3.72 on deck. A 3h 40min monster! Going to have break this one up.

VGUY72 - 40 plus minutes of that close to 4 hours is a big bad Other One Monster that weaves in and out of Set 2.. and it's sounding pretty hot too.

And Monday is better than Wednesday fo sure!

FOURWINDSBLOW - The 5/2/70 Monster Other One suite is some of the greatest Dead ever IMO (and many others from the sounds of things).. and it never gets old, every time it's sick!

What's everyone thinking in regards to listening to Dave's Picks Vol 34?
They seem to be trickling in at diff times all over the country as we speak.

Just curious.. that Monster keeps looking at me...

Yes, for sure!

Love the Taper's Compendiums, out-of-date but still great!

Along with the liner notes article reprint it really paints a cool scene.

Damn, I'd love to hear the beginning of that St. Stephen, just hearing the crowd response to those opening notes..

alas, it's all a dream we dreamed, One afternoon long ago

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This is a show i really like that I had not listened to in a while.

It's a really great show, the best!

11/8/1969 Dick's Picks, Volume Sixteen

Heard it was one of Dick's all time Favorites, posthumously released as a tribute to him.

I'm on a Latvala trip, Dick sure knew how to Pick!

Latvala!

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Dick was the best!

I thought I'd make up for the '87 suggestion.

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In reply to by fourwindsblow

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FWB: Dude ‘87 pick is still in the mix!

Love ‘87 & haven’t heard that in awhile..

But.. it’s no 11/8/69
JIMINMD that was all FWB’s pick, I just picked up on it ;)

But yeah that’ll put you right back on the bus!!

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In reply to by The Good Ole G…

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....is indeed a good show. Comes highly recommended by yours truly! 👍🌹💀
Then again, I was at 7.26.87. First world problems!
Back to Paris. Love the fade out from Sugar Mags into NFA. Good stuff right there.

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Jerry was the father I never had and I like to see him when I saw him. Sometimes.

Never could compete with 11/8/69 I know.

ps, Just so ya know I'm a sixties head (Freak!).

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In reply to by fourwindsblow

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Dick Latvala's response to Jim Wise after receiving the "fixed" version of 11/8/69 master.

Initially planned to be released in honor of it's 30th Anniversary.

The amount of work put in to this recording in order for us to hear it at it's best possible sound quality, is impressive to say the least.

Another fine moment in Grateful Dead history, both the show and the story of how we are now able to listen to it.

Big Thanks to Jim Wise & Dick Latvala!!

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I’m up for that

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In reply to by Strider 808808

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RE: STRIDER 88

Would love to hear your 2nd Dead concert 5/15/70 early show story some time..

That had to be amazing.

Jesse Jarnow speculated in a blog post that this show was "possibly" the night that Jerry was tripping so hard that he began to think that assassins / mobsters were after him, and that the only way he'd survive is if he played for his life.

Of course there's no way to know for sure, but..

It sure sounds like he's playing for his life.