• 8,086 replies
    marye
    Joined:
    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.

Comments

sort by
Recent
Reset
  • DeadVikes
    Joined:
    Firstshow. Betty

    Firstshow, I believe she left the band in the early eighties after a relationship with Brent that went bad. She fell on rough times and had some of her recordings and Rex's recordings in a storage locker. She could no longer afford the rent and the locker was sold off to three different parties. I thought it was actually in 1986 before Jerry's coma. Anyway, she informed the band about her situation and the music in the locker. They did not act. At the time, I don't think they saw the value.

    I believe Dave has written about the returned reels in the Summer 78 Box and a couple of Dave's Picks.
    Also, there are a couple of good articles out there on the Betty Boards and ABCD LLC and their quest to return the reels to the band.
    I believe Dave's #21 was the first release from the returned reels and the 78 Box was the first box set from the returned reels.

    Oh, and wasn't that your first show?

    Edit. The write up from Dave on the reels was included in the GSTL Box, not the July 78 Box.

  • 1stshow70878
    Joined:
    Just read the rob eaton story

    about how these tapes came back. ( Dead Essays 3-26-72 from deadessays dot blogspot) Very interesting and a tidbit of copyright law that allowed him to get them back where they belonged. The guy who had them wanted a million dollars and the office basically told him to eff himself. He owned the physical tapes but not the music on them. So Dick's 30 and Dave's 14 + bonus disc it is. (and bonus disc for Rockin' The Rhein if I have it) Thanks Doc.
    Cheers

    Edit: so now I want to find out how/why the Bettys came to auction in 1986 in various lots. Was she gone by then? Why wouldn't she have gotten these back to the band? And interesting to hear a good portion of this lot was JGB and Saunders and some Jerry and Howard Wales too.

  • Forensicdoceleven
    Joined:
    If you fell down yesterday, stand up today…….

    Mornin’, rockers!!!

    Pick Of The Day: Academy Of Music March 26 1972

    Yes, I know this was briefly discussed recently, but I compose these things well in advance, so here we are……

    Back in the day, in the crazy daze of tape trading, there were no commonly circulating soundboards of this run yet. It was rumored that they weren’t recorded, there was a flood in the vault, perhaps the building had been struck by lightning. Our audience recordings---much like the Port Chester 71 run----varied from borderline listenable to truly wretched. We dreamed of better quality………

    Well, apparently, maybe they had been there after all, well guarded, well protected, top secret material. The official releases started in 2003----can you believe it’s been nearly twenty years already?---and were a revelation. While perhaps not up to the creamy scorching brilliance of the E72 tour, the entire AOM run is excellent in it’s own way, looser perhaps, but all worthy!

    I always wondered what exactly was the AOM run? Open, paid rehearsals? A tune-up for the European tour? A week long musical party to pay for their fun across the pond?

    The March 26 show was released in 2015, and while appearing “standard on paper” does have a good mix of grease, jamming, and rock and roll. What more could one expect of the Dead at that time? Absolutely worthy of a revisit!!

    The past is the beginning of the beginning and all that is and has been is but the twilight of the dawn……

    Rock on!

    Doc
    Nothing leads so straight to futility as literary ambitions without systematic knowledge……

  • bluecrow
    Joined:
    11-20-78

    Thoughts Part I - Not sure if i ever listened to Set I, but Set II caught my attention many years ago. In part because of the obvious set list weirdness (thumbing through Deadbase) and as part of that set list weirdness the first Jack-a-Roe after the initial handful in Spring '77 (previous 6/7/77) (Jack-a-Roe can be my Cumberland) - its the only one in '78, before being brought back in rotation final month and a half of Godchaux era from 1/7 to 2/17/79. So, as Oro mentions, the word from Healy to a head was that Bob was "sick as a dog" (see IA), so not on stage beginning Set II but, trooper that he is, does make it back. Sounds like Jerry was going to open set with Shakedown but given circumstances slowly leans into what could easily be a jam out of Playing. Pretty freaking cool.

    [Edit] - Thoughts Part 2 - What a unique and amazing Set II. Total "Wow". As Inspector Clue notes, despite an eyewitness account, Bobby is back on stage for Jack-a-Roe and rest of set. The intro and outro to World to Give are otherworldly haunting and gorgeous. In that way they remind me of the atmosphere of Days Between. I think Jerry struggles on some high end vocals, maybe that's why the song didn't last. On the outro Bob's not so much playing slide but making whale calls and it sounds fantastic and beautiful. Tough to have the board cut during the Playing reprise because that Reprise is a beauty but being in the audience from there on out its clear that its a big old party and the Around and Around is a full on swinging-from-the chandeliers closer. Maybe, just maybe, the end of Set II was in fact recorded at the board, we can only hope. Would love to have Set II released.

  • daverock
    Joined:
    Gateway drugs

    Many people discovered Chuck Berry through listening to The Dead. The Stones served the same function in England.

  • 1stshow70878
    Joined:
    11-20-78

    Wanted to hear that third IIHTWTG so I went to the Bertrando/Sacks that starts at the post-Supplication Jam which without it's connection was fairly hard to guess but it sounds like Jerry was just noodling and trying to get to Playin' already. Then Drums into more pre-Playin' then shuffles right into a good Jack-a-roe. Playin' starts for real and abruptly shifts to a bouncy and funky Shakedown and has the crowd clapping along in time. Slow shift to the IIHTWTG with an almost silent (confused or maybe just respectful?) crowd. Fairly different from the debut which was as-written-clean (was this ever on a studio album?) including Bob adding some slide that turns into whale song (Jim, the gift that keeps on giving, lol) while Jerry fans the ending. Tough song to sing with lots of chord changes. Maybe that's why it was dropped? Then Playin' reprise with Bob trying to go elsewhere, but settles nicely before the slam into Around & A.
    Glad I got to hear this and thanks to Oro. Will try that 11-21-78 on your recommendation.
    Cheers
    Edit: Duh, of course! IIHTWTG was on the Shakedown album. There's a ut-oob of the Cleveland IIHTWTG with good sound but no video. Lots of interesting comments there. Lots of love for this song. One guy suggests this was a tough one to sing as it stretched Jerry's vocal range a bit. Same guy has a great detailed logical argument for why they dropped Cosmic Charlie, well reasoned. Another poster said this was their wedding song - cool! Another said it was a dedication from her hubby who has passed on. And a strange number of people said they liked/loved Bob's slide on this. No accounting for taste I guess. Oh and one said Bob had issues at start of second set which may explain some of that weirdness with the "Jams". (as Oro has already documented in his review a few posts back)
    Doc, you know what happens when the going gets weird. If not see Hunter Thompson.

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    11/20/78

    Miller 95660, it’s an SB, but it has flaws and several patches. I didn’t mess with the others…
    11/21/78: went with Carpenter SB, recording overall better than 11/20, still has some patches.
    11/21 is a hot show! Only hiccup I recall is Black Pete…hell did they ever play bad in Ra cha cha?
    78 nuts will want to hear 11/21 and at least the Playin Sandwich from 11/20!

    December 73. What a month!
    Not sure about 1985 1st show. With no net, Deadbase etc, all we were focused on was trying to get to as many shows as practical, and hopefully later getting tapes of those shows. Never dreamed of the riches that have been mined since!
    Years later when I did start to consider these things, besides shows we were at it was all about those magic last ten shows of 73, featuring just the guys.

    3/24/71: I like 1971, but sorry, just did like 96% of 71 last year so not ready for rehash yet. I will say I really enjoyed this show though.
    That JBG off of Skullfuck was the lightning bolt that changed me from interested, to whoa, I have got to see these guys!
    It was April 78 and I was at my buddies. We listened to Skullfuck a lot sans not much else live Dead to listen to. Live Dead was still probably too weird for us to fully engage. Steal Your Money was cool, but it was all about S&R.
    Being a Hendrix freak in HS, I was really into JBG, and I’d heard this version many times, but for whatever reason something happened that day and JBG just blew me away. I made him replay it over and over and from then on the scaled tipped and I started becoming more into the Dead then the other stuff.
    The final straw was finally getting to see them in January. The rest as they say is history.

  • DeadVikes
    Joined:
    11/20/78

    I wasn't able to find a good source for this show. What source did you listen to guys?

    December 73. Another fine month Jim.

  • daverock
    Joined:
    Lagging behind

    3/18/71 is a good show - least the first cd moves nicely through it's changes, and the song list and jams to come look promising.

  • Forensicdoceleven
    Joined:
    Proceed Plan Dakota…………………

    Hey hey hey rockers!!

    Pick Of The Day: Winterland March 24 1971 (Benefit for the Sufi Choir Of San Francisco)

    Code Seminole, check 3 check 3 check 1, Red Dog over……………

    The yang to the yin of March 3. The band may have started the month off low, but they ended high. Yes they may have forgotten an organ, but this fine and underrated show is much crunchier and more expansive than what came three weeks previously.

    The Skull Album Johnny B Goode, so early in the first set. Top notch grease, especially the crispy Hard To Handle. A big jam sequence in the first set highlighted by an excellent Other One. How and why did they end the set with such a hard rockin’ Beat It On Down The line? Solid NFA suite to close set two, followed by a nice Uncle John’s Band encore.

    I know not everybody digs 1971 shows, but this one is worth a listen, and would make a nice official release some day……..

    Is it weird in here, or is it just me?

    Rock on!

    Doc
    Where's your will to be weird?

user picture

Member for

17 years 6 months
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.

If we are going to do 11/8/69, I am going to have to carve out the requisite amount of time like we did Saturday.. no distractions, no cell phones, no texts, no questions, no one tapping me on my shoulder.. and not the dreaded words, "one more thing" .. and of course get in the proper frame of mind beforehand.

Honestly.. these two shows, add in 2/14/68, 2/13&14/70, sprinkle in FW 69 for good measure and I have taken a liking to 1/2/70 + Bonus disc and an honorable mention for what I think of when I want to get in the transportation business.

Boy does listening to these shows take a lot out of you.. perhaps that's why they wrote AB & WMD.. to slow things down just before we careened off that cliff and into mental oblivion.

user picture

Member for

16 years 1 month
Permalink

GMLSG sounds as smooth as butter,,,

re, Well... I just hit play but, I paused it. Jim, when is a good time for you I'll wait??

The planets seem perfectly aligned this Thursday. That seems enough time to plan.

That will give us some time to switch things up too.. play around the calendar, pick shows from different periods too.

Does that give us enough time to plan?

That's a pretty nifty number ya got there!

I am all for Dick's 16, but if we need to pause on it to soak up Jai-Alai, I get that too. Let's keep this thing going! I am all for GD from any era!

Today was a good day for 74 Dead around here. Shortly after my early morning Dave's 34 was delivered (at 6:30 am!) I got another package from Real Gone containing Dick's 31, which I looked into after all of the discussion around these parts.

I hope I don't over do the 74 stuff - wait, I don't think that will ever happen.

Peace

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months

In reply to by Thats_Otis

Permalink

....and the sound is already impeccable. And to quote Bobby "Its the real thing".
Just like Billy Sunday in a shotgun ragtime band. This pick came at the right time.

We can pause while the WOS gently peels the plaster from our ceilings.

Whatever works.

user picture

Member for

8 years 1 month

In reply to by JimInMD

Permalink

Okay on the pause for the Picks. I will keep my own going tomorrow as my #34 is still in CA.. Okay, no whining here, that gets old.

Oh yah I might have chased a couple women around..., the waiting is the hardest part.

Week eight of this crap, be well people.

user picture

Member for

16 years 1 month
Permalink

No problem all good. Those who have received the 34 happy listening!

"New ones coming as the old ones go"

Alright, sounds like the Pick of The Day is in hold pattern as we wait for & listen to the Pick of The Dave.

#34 to be exact - 6/23/74 & 6/22/74 Bonus Disc

Roger that.

I'll proceed accordingly...

Sherman set the Wayback machine to June 1974, we're going to listen to the Wall of Sound.

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

I love the overlap of old ( psychedelic ) & new ( country/workingmans ) . It’s the palindrome 69 major phase shifting. The sound of small venues compared to larger halls or outdoor concerts all have different ambience . Same goes for instruments ( Jerry’s guitars) . Gibson SG in 1969-70. A whole slew of different axes in 1971. Wall of Sound 1974, with Doug Irwin Wolf Guitar.
Suggesting different eras of GD has been educational, even heard / seen fresh, and in 2020. Who would have known fifty years ago.

RE: STRIDER 88

Interesting observation and I believe you've tapped into something.

Hypothesis:
Does inspiration then lead to a love of learning?

I would venture to guess.. Yes!

Prediction:
Being inspired by Grateful Dead music, if I listen to the Grateful Dead from many eras over and over and over, through the course of many days and years, I'll want to learn more and will be loving it!

Test Prediction:
Continue listening to lots and lots of Grateful Dead from many different eras and discuss with friends.. ad infinitum

user picture

Member for

16 years 1 month
Permalink

Perfect timing. I got an amp and speakers on the way. Had to take advantage of the 30% offer. I got the speak's for half price and ac line filter for free. I'll be putting off listening to 34 till I get set up.

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months

In reply to by fourwindsblow

Permalink

Carson, CA 5.5.90. 30th anniversary.My final Brent shows.
https://archive.org/details/gd1990-05-05.141262.sbd.miller.flac2496/05S…
Rumors were rampant these shows that Timothy Leary was backstage dosing everyone. The band does sound "fat and juicy", so I can see where it could be true. Phil was turned WAY up.
I remember hanging out with some hare krishnas after the show eating free rice.

Strider...I think Jerry started playing a strat at some gigs in 1969, and on through 1970, as well as the mighty SG. This always seemed to me to be a signifier of the bands gradual shift to a more country based sound. As you indicate, they could still turn on the psychedelic power in 1969 and 1970 - but the times they were a changing .

Whew.. saved from an 11/8/69 induced nervous breakdown.

Edit: Saved for now. It's always the bats that start these things. Well, a melty PITB, then the bats. Look out for Dark Star>The Other One>Dark Star's too. A sure sign that society is in collapse.

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

Bats have got themselves a bad reputation lately. Hunter knew it long ago.

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

DaveRock , I can only go on photographs before 1970. I believe you’re correct, Jerry would use a strat for some late 69-70 songs. Of the ten times I saw them in 1970 I only remember the Gibson SG. 1971 was all over the map. Starting with seeing the SG my last time same night as Mickeys last show 2/18/71. The next few nights was the peanut Alembic experimental . By April Jerry was playing a Les Paul and then the peanut some nights. First time I saw Jerry play a Fender Stratocaster was at the Felt Forum 12/4/71. Then 2-3 strats through 72/ 73. The Wolf was a real game changer.
This is a fresh way of listening the good ole Grateful Dead.

user picture

Member for

10 years 2 months

In reply to by Strider 808808

Permalink

Strider...I am only going off photographs of course-I have nothing like the first hand experiences you are talking about. It must have been amazing to see them in 1970-1971-truly a mythical time. The photos I remember of him with a strat in 1969-70 are mainly in the Taping Compendium. Jerry is holding a sunburst strat in the picture accompanying the Feb 70 shows.
Its always interested me which guitars he played at shows-and Bob too, to a lesser extent. I watched the Festival Express dvd a few weeks ago, and Jerry is jamming with...a band who's name escapes me...but he is playing a tele. I don't think he played one of those very often.

user picture

Member for

9 years 1 month

In reply to by daverock

Permalink

Good call Daverock, I need to watch that this weekend

user picture

Member for

8 years 1 month

In reply to by Strider 808808

Permalink

Thanks for joining in on this one Vguy and Jim. Loved the cover last night Vguy. Recording is Multi Track excellence as all these shows are. Have not listened to this show in maybe three years. Of the three Omni shows, I usually pull 4/3/1990, maybe because of that glorious Shakedown opener.
Anyway, Vguy, agree with you on this show. Great first set, with a great Althea, to Lay me Down, Music Never Stopped. Even the Victim is good. China Rider, what did that guy say last night about Ship of Fools??
Great Truckin, Stella, Sugar Magnolia and one of favorite encores, It's All Over Now Baby Blue. Great show.

Check it out if you have not listened in a while.

Be well all!

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months

In reply to by DeadVikes

Permalink

....Victim -> Lay Me Down -> MNS is solid. Raucous Sugar Mags. And who doesn't like a Baby Blue? I know this guy does!

user picture

Member for

7 years 7 months
Permalink

*

user picture

Member for

7 years 7 months
Permalink

I'm half way through 4/1/90. Althea was playing on our boombox at a motel room at an airport at the giants show in '89 with my friends. Like anyone would care.

user picture

Member for

7 years 7 months
Permalink

He called us fools talking about potholders and other normal things. Strange.

I didn't make it through the whole show.. but made it beyond the Victim/Lay Me Down. Let it be known I LOVE To Lay Me Down, but the Victim was so much better ( a song I don't normally adhere to).

Anyway.. just had to comment. Not coherent enough to add much more than that.

Who's fucking idea was it to watch Festival Express anyway.. a great yet terrible idea all at the same time. Thank god nobody drives cars anymore. My liver and my lungs both suddenly hurt both at once.

user picture

Member for

13 years 6 months
Permalink

Man, it was HOT down there!

Anyway, just catching up. I did dabble with disc 2 of Dick's 16 the other night... that is some mind-altering stuff. It looks like yesterday was 4/1/90 - just started "Touch" now.

Today is Three from the Vault? Sounds good to me :)

Peace

user picture

Member for

9 years 1 month

In reply to by Thats_Otis

Permalink

Sounds grate, and it’s not even Plangentized.

Smokestack Lightning! Grease it up.

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

I’m there. And was there.

user picture

Member for

13 years 6 months
Permalink

I loved that Omni show! I didn't get either of the Spring 90 boxes, so this show was new to me (at least for a good, quality sit-down and listen.) I LOVED it! The band is so hot, Brent in particular was on fire, the Bobby tunes rocked, and there were so many high-quality Jerry ballads. I mean, a show that has a "Candyman" "To Lay Me Down" "Ship of Fools" "Stella Blue" AND "Baby Blue" - c'mon... all played very well too!

Just started on 2/19/71 - the first Billy-solo show. Was this chosen to celebrate Billy's b-day? Good choice! I haven't listened to this one in a while!

Peace

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

I remember from 2/19/71 was, “where’s Mickey?”. Was disappointed at the beginning of the show. The level of musicianship had greatly evolved since 1967 or last time as five piece. They blew the roof off the Capitol Theater that night. Jerry played his Alembec experimental “peanut” guitar for the first time on 2/19 and continued to play it the next several nights.I went Thursday through Sunday nights. I vaguely remember Weir commenting on Sunday as it being slow. As I remember it was sold out all nights. Unlike November 1970 shows in Port Chester when I could buy tickets night of the shows at the box office. Fillmore East was harder to get Dead tickets and February 71 shows sold out in hours . I bought tickets by getting in line at 5 am on a December (1970) Saturday morning. “What’s become of the baby that cold December morn”. Blair Jackson was in that same ticket line. 70/71 was quite the phase shift. Keep em guessing.

user picture

Member for

10 years 2 months

In reply to by Strider 808808

Permalink

Strider...do you remember much about the ESP experiments at these shows?

user picture

Member for

8 years 1 month

In reply to by daverock

Permalink

Nice pick Conekid!.
Always thought it was odd this came out in 2007 and with no real explanation why it took so long to get it out.

Great recording with A+ sound quality. Really good Truckin, Dark Hollow, China Rider. Really liked the Greatest Story, early Bird Song. Did somebody say, Easy Wind? This was great and I wish this got more play as well as New Speedway Boogie.
Great finish!

Strider, you were there, really cool.

Good to see you here Oroborous, I thought a Spring 1990 pick might peek your interest.

Otis, as a huge Brent fan, you should consider the Spring 1990 box sets. Highly recommend.

user picture

Member for

12 years
Permalink

I think this is the thread where Jim mention Victim -> Lay Me Down (1990-04-01). I'm a huge fan of Victim, this is a great one. I think this is the depths that, Just a Little LIght, Blow Away, Foolish Heart (if Jerry could remember words when he came out of jam :-) ) could have reached. Picasso Moon probably didn't have much too go! :-) But I really like a good Corinna.

Great Victim though, thanks for pointing it out.

Is there a better "Just a Little Light", than Dozin' at the Knick? Come on? Is there? Just took it off , best.

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

Only that it was a random image , not all the time. I do remember Bob and Betty being set up on a side balcony booth. Saturday night was the major rave up night. NRPS finishing their set w Honkey Tonk Woman and the crowd going bonkers, balcony shaking. Weir, Pigpen and Pigs girl friend Veronica watched the end of the NRPS set from back stage right, Bobby shaking his head as if to say”tonight’s the night”. Highlights from 2/19 for me are Smokestack Lightning. Jerry’s use of the Alembec experimental peanut guitar looked amazing after he used his Gibson SG the night before. The peanut guitar was very small in its size but belted out a sweet big sound that was especially evident during Johnny B Goode, that had most of the audience up dancing. A few people at my high school would go one night only , but I was completely consumed.
Too bad there are not many (any)more 1970 tapes. Anything from either 1970 or 1971 is no less than spectacular .