• 8,064 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
  • bluecrow
    Joined:
    Park City!!

    gonna toot the horn again on this one. finally heard Set I and on my 3rd spin or so through Set II in past several days - what a fun listen and fun show!! pretty sure my cassette was the Ultramatrix. who knew? it kicks ass. everything I remembered. though I didn't see this show, it really captures that great '87 summer vibe. FOB I listened to earlier was also excellent.
    only '81 show I saw was 12/6 at Rosemont. Some solid moments including sweet Jack a Roe, China > Rider Set I closer, and a Set II To Lay Me Down. Just a few weeks earlier saw the Jerry Band at the final show at the Uptown - move to Rosemont sadly was end of an era. there were rumors that Dead were thinking of booking a final Uptown run but no. Oro mentioned 1st set from previous night in Indy. I haven't checked sources but the Set II from that night was smoking from what I heard at time - opens with a fat Shakedown and its freaking got a pre-drumz Big Railroad!!

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    81 and Healy vs Betty

    81, yaaasssss another fine overlooked year! Love 5/6, definitely better than Dave’s 20. Can also vouch for 3/13, 5/17, and 9/26 as I was there and Dave and XM have played these often over the years. Always thought 5/17 was a top show and better than 5/16 from boxilla. Remember having first sets from Indianapolis 12/5?, and St Louis, and a hot 2nd set from KC. Had more back in the day but don’t recall. Probably not great recordings etc so didn’t get the same love as the others?
    IMO I don’t think Healy should of gotten fired, or at least not until he did. Perhaps sent off to rehab....
    He didn’t get canned because he couldn’t mix, but because of his personal problems, differences of opinion and being insubordinate. I think the collaboration between he and the Ultra-Sound crew/equipment provided the greatest live reinforcement ever!
    Also, some mixers are good at live versus studio etc. I’m sure Betty had good enough ears to mix live, but that doesn’t mean she could have as there’s more to it than that. And conversely, if Healy only did recordings using the same rig as Beatty, I’m sure he’d do fine.
    I’ve never felt the GD or any of the after groups has ever sounded as good. I love Cutlers studio stuff but wasn’t a fan live. Too clean and not loud enough for my taste. By clean I mean in the sterile digital sense versus that nice tube or tape saturation. For example, listen to E72 when they were still mostly using only Fender power on the instruments. You can clearly hear the tube overdrive on occasion. To some folks it sounds more like R&R than the ultra clean sound that evolved. It’s one of those fine artistic lines, not unlike a great chef.

  • bluecrow
    Joined:
    Park City '87

    so funny thing is I only had Set II so this is first time for Set I. Didn't even know the set list. Nice to see the Big Boss Man opener - they broke that out 3rd night at Red Rocks.
    not going to dig through the avalanche right now. listening to the Ultramatrix and that may have been my original source. it sounds real good to my ears, much better than others I've heard from earlier in the year. I had no clue back then that Healy was experimenting with those so I would have thought my source was a sweet FOB pull. I'll figure it out some day.
    enjoy this show and the day folks!!
    edit - deep state coming for you senator! careful!

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    Test

    Hmmmm

    Fuggggggg, just spent time posting and site said I’m not authorized? What kind of BS is that?
    I’m senator OB from the great dead.net state of altered consciousness for #@&* sake!
    What do ya mean I’m not authorized!

  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    8.20.87 starts with Addams Family Tuning....

    ....tis the time of the season.

  • The Good Ole G…
    Joined:
    Park City '87 here we come

    Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

    Start digging out that Vault Avalanche BlueCrow or grab your favorite relisten app.

    We're heading to Utah 8/20/87 to party with you!

  • DeadVikes
    Joined:
    81 and Today's Pick

    Thanks for the recommendations guys, I will add them to my ever growing list. Yes, the recordings! What could have been, but it looks like Miller has done some good work.

    8/20/87 looks like a winner to me. I definitely want to check this one out.

  • The Good Ole G…
    Joined:
    1981 & Today's Pick

    1981 is totally worth checking out.

    February Uptown shows are fun.
    I might need to revisit March.
    May is killer, the band is hot and the shows are hot. 5/6/81 is a good example of what you can find there.
    Starting with the 4/25/81 acoustic Benefit sans Phil, every show rolling through 5/22/81 acoustic Benefit is in my opinion worth hearing / owning.
    Then the July shows are real good too, especially 7/4.
    Greek shows in September also deserve a nod.
    2nd European tour of the year is hit or miss and the recordings def have issues like Jim was saying, but 10/16 is an all time Wowser.
    And then December has some good stuff. In particular 12/3 and the NYE run with 12/26, 12/27 & 12/31 as stand outs.

    I dig '81. And really had fun collecting that year as I wasn't that familiar with it prior to that.
    There are a lot of those killer hidden gems of the 1980s in there.
    So yeah, if you liked yesterday's pick, which I was digging, then dig in!
    Lotsa good stuff.

    Speaking of... on the GD Hour today we've got.. wait for it..
    3/13/81
    Big slinky Shakedown to start it off. Nice

    Alright, you all making me want to stay in '81 all day.

    Or is it time to head to Utah and groove to 8/20/87?

  • icecrmcnkd
    Joined:
    Deadvikes, 81

    Lots of good 81 out there.
    Try 3-9-81, that is a good sounding recording, and I love the Deep Elem.

    Also, I assume that you are aware that there is video of 3-28-81, if not check it out on YouTube.

    Feb 81 Chicago
    Rainbow Theater (or is it Theatre?), London

    There is plenty from 81 available for release.

    Edit:
    Jim makes a good point about audio quality, and I haven’t listened to those shows in a while so they may sound better in my memory than they do in your reality.

    Just imagine where we would be today if the band had dumped Healy and kept Betty.......

  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    13 v 20

    Much better than Dave's 20. Completely agree. 81 is a weird year, the recordings are so spotty. DiP 13 is a diamond in the rough that year and it's no wonder it was culled to be one of the early Dicks Picks. The European tours in particular just don't convey to great sounding concert recordings which is a shame because on a whole the two tours were hot.

    Clearly Dave's #20 was picked more because it was a reel and not a cassette master, at least if you compare to all the other factors. There were hotter shows that year. It seems to be viewed by many as one of the weakest of the Dave's Picks series. DiP 13 on the other hand is hot.

    81 was midway through the downward slide of the cassette mastered recordings. I know there are a lot of fans of the Ultra Mixes Dan was doing. It's great if you like them, I wish I was so patient.. but I miss the crisp sounding, high fidelity boards. We lost them for whatever reasons with Healy at the wheel. The 80's would be a different beast altogether if they were better recorded. My opinion, not to be confused with fact.

user picture

Member for

17 years 3 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

15 years 11 months
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 2 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

7 years 10 months

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

15 years 11 months
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 3 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

15 years 11 months
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 2 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 3 months
Permalink

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

user picture

Member for

17 years 3 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

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

8 years 11 months

In reply to by daverock

Permalink

Good call Daverock, I need to watch that this weekend

user picture

Member for

7 years 10 months

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 2 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 4 months
Permalink

*

user picture

Member for

7 years 4 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 4 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 4 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

8 years 11 months

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 3 months
Permalink

I’m there. And was there.

user picture

Member for

13 years 4 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 3 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

In reply to by Strider 808808

Permalink

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

user picture

Member for

7 years 10 months

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

11 years 10 months
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 3 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 .