• 8,101 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
  • 1stshow70878
    Joined:
    The Short Ones

    5-16-72 Lille: Lively, despite sound issues early on. Again every song played well. Energetic, these guys are durable! Classic Truckin' with Jerry going off on it. The TOO seems advanced for '72, short but completely fully developed. Some of this tour's TOOs rival Dark Stars in this regard. Best yet TOO? It's a contender. Hurts Me Too was stellar.

    5-16-72 Luxembourg: Were those first two a sound check? The treatment of Big River I could see as a regular thing but sadly no. Almost starts like the '77 intros to Jack-a-Roe, and Bob gets an interesting part not seen later. Radio broadcast maybe quickened the pace on many 1st set songs? The TOO not nearly up to the level of the other Other Ones. A short and sweet show as I'm finishing the usual NFA> GDTRFB> NFA ending now. How many kinds of radio bandwidths did Europe have back then?

    A shout out to Bluecrow who clued us in on some easy to get to petroglyphs in the front yard of his San Juan River, Utah cave up in the hills. A friend of the devil is a friend of mine. Fantastic stuff and an inspiring place for sure. I'm rejuvenated and ready to cruise through the rest of EU72.
    Cheers

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    Good times/Bad Times

    Good, because I finished the quest on Saturday with a sit down listen to 5/26/72.
    Bad, because everything lately is a blur, so the multiple times I hit 5/24 and 5/25 are now also a blur, so I’ll try to remember some of the standouts?
    5/24: variety pack = Cold Rain and Snow, Dire Wolf, Only Black Peter, You Win Again, Rocking Pneumonia, and Lovelight. Most were good with Win Again and Hurts Me Too making the album cut!
    The second set sequence they do step it up, and I liked the shorter LL, sadly, Pigs last…
    I hadn’t heard this show before so I did hit it multiple times, though didn’t get a great listen in…
    Generally, by now, they’ve totally melded and though perhaps early on in this show you might catch a slightly passed the peak vibe, but not sure hearing it alone, out of sequence and/or casually listening you’d notice. Still mostly full on magnificent.
    Part of my problem deciphering is how much these shows do sound alike, sure their all different and have unique nuances, but after so many in a row, they all sorta roll into one…
    5/25/72: this one seemed like it took a bit to build up from good to RJ…, but certainly did!
    Of course the second set sequence was superb, and benefited from the tour unique UJB> Warf Rat> DS> Mags variety mix. Other Variety pack songs= Another awkward Promised Land, a sweet Brokedown, the aforementioned UJB and Rat, with unfortunately the last Sitting on top (another farewell to that 60s pyscho style/energy), and a sweet Sing Me Back Home! The Dark Star of course was RJ (have you ever heard a 72 DS that wasn’t lol), and a nice slightly different GDTRFB/One Mo Saturday finale. Sadly Pigs last Good Lovin, perhaps a bit abbreviated due to fatigue, and an unusual only four songs on the night…
    5/26/72: some call this the greatest Dead show ever, not sure I’d say that, but it is a beast!
    Only did one listen on this one as I’ve had it, gave it a sit down, and honestly, I’m just burned out. Both in general, which unfortunately didn’t help my tour burnout. But I’ve enjoyed every note, and this one didn’t disappoint either!
    Not so much variety, and sadly, only 3 helpings of grease, perhaps due to some being repeated at least a couple times here at the end: Promised Land, Dire Wolf, nice Cumberland, Sugaree returns after more regular play early on, same with Loser, and of course THE Dew! Another sweet Sing Me, and another OMG second set sequence that is definitely RJ! It’s all most too much, when some shows, they basically play another small set AFTER these big powerful sequences, but here they do it again, though why they had to repeat Me&My Uncle yet again I’m not sure? They just did it a year before on Skullfuck so why use up so many slots on this tour that might have made room for another, possibly THE version of something different to make it to vinyl?
    Anywho, A great show and proper fitting ending to one of the all time greatest tours! They Hit most of the usual suspects of the tour, and even managed to nail some album worthy versions, including that magnificent Dew!
    Oh, and how could I not mention the consistently hot PITBs, everyone RJ fo sho…

    Well, this was bittersweet. I’m glad I finally went for it even if the timing was poor and I didn’t feel I went as deep as I usually do when hitting a tour. But I did hit every show in order, including a few I hadn’t gotten to yet, though I did miss some of 4/7 and 4/8 which I’m going to do this week, perhaps with a couple other partial rehashes, though I really need to hear some other Dead for a much needed cleanse…
    I’ll, prolly think of more insights, but for now I’ll just comment on something I kept thinking of that DR said awhile back about post Pig Dead. After hitting all those amazing but long 73 box shows, then hitting all these amazing but long 72s,
    Pigs departure really did affect the flow and energy of those long shows. As awesome as those 73 shows are, they can sometimes be a bit monotonous, so they definitely miss not having those little Pig interludes to break things up, keep things moving, add more variety, and give an occasional energy boost. It also made me think a lot about what if Pig hadn’t checked out? By this point in their trajectory perhaps the overly long repetitive nature of LL and Good Lovin, and the old, overripe straight blues numbers, maybe needed to take a break, but think of all the sweet alternatives they were coming up with that just shown so brightly on this tour: Hurts Me Too, Mr Charlie, China Town, 2 Souls, and some old chestnuts like Lied Cheated and Big Boss Man. And who can forget the few but enjoyable Cautions, a tour highlight for me personally.
    You have to wonder what if…what if he was healthy and kept writing and growing as a writer etc?
    I think he would have had to have grown as a byproduct of just being in the band and how they kept changing etc.
    He may have transitioned from being the main focus, but there probably would have been some monumental new stuff that might even have been better, but alas we’ll never know…
    Well, hopefully we didn’t lose ole 1stshow in some unknown rural border jail lol, and he’ll fill us in on his travails.
    Until next time, keep it forward, never straight…and get yo self a shotgun and a pocketful of shells ; )

  • Elbow49
    Joined:
    Without A Net Coming To Vinyl

    I heard on the YouTube broadcast from the In Groove in Phoenix, AZ that Without A Net is coming to vinyl November 17, 2023 as a Brick n Mortar release.

  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    Hot Opener

    stMade it to the halfway point, but they started playing 10/18/74 on SiriusXM, so I hit pause. They were out of the gate with a bang. High energy opener with some Healy vocal distortion on Hey Pockey Way. Nice high energy Jack Straw too. I never made it to the Kaiser.. caught news years at the Auditorium, never the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.

    Man, Jerry's tone on that October 74 run, just love it.

    I'll hit the second set later this afternoon.

  • DeadVikes
    Joined:
    11/7/1987

    Enjoyed the revisit of 9/18/1987 at MSG Jim. If you ever watch any shows from 1987 you can see Jerry trying to find his form. Looking back I still can't believe how much they toured right after his coma.

    Looking at 11/7/1987 Oakland for today if there is any interest out there.

    Still think we will get a 91 show released soon. Although the talk is 1988 is coming soon.

  • daverock
    Joined:
    Goodbye to the 60's

    In some ways the E72 seems like the last tour that nodded back to the 60's. The Caution jam seems to conjure up the old psychedelic vibe the most. Both Dark Star and The Other One sounded very different from how they had sounded in 1969. An incredible transformation for both songs.
    Although they brought back songs from Aoxomoxoa after 1974, they too had lost the psych vibe by then. As had everything else, come to that.

  • 1stshow70878
    Joined:
    Back at ya BC (DM)

    Yes that 5-11 show is my new favorite. That just exactly perfect pace and performances on the 1st set matched with the killer 2nd set does it all. Everyone in fine voice and harmonies as well. I knew it was going to be good when the first song was Playin' and the first song of the second set was Dew. This show alone could have filled the EU72 album all by itself and wouldn't have shorted us one bit.
    Cheers

  • bluecrow
    Joined:
    5-11-72 Rotterdam

    I can lose my mind, so to speak, in any show from E72, and a whole lot of shows outside that tour over the many years, but that Rotterdam Dark Star > Sugar Mag > Caution > Trucking > Uncle John's will always be one my favorite passages from any show, any era.

    1stShow - check your DMs

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    5/16, 18, and 23

    NIIIIICCCCCEEEE! Glad to hear you liked 5/11 1stshow. Yeah not exactly sure why that one always resonates so well for me. I hate “favorites” (like the Jim philosophy: last one heard is the favorite etc) and this tour has so many RJs is damn near impossible for me, but this one always just pops into my head when I think of E72!
    I’m sure the set list is part of it as you mention in why you liked 5/10 etc, and yes, that Dark Star is mos def RJ!

    Though I really dug the 5/18 DS too, hell, who am I kidding, all these DS are top shelf!
    I’ve had this show and have definitely spent time with the DS, but it was nice to dig deeper into the rest!
    Actually got to give this one a good sit down listen on the big boy stereo, always a plus ; )
    Not sure what it was about Germany, but they seemed to step it up each night.
    We get another DS but pared nicely here with a decent Dew. Sing Me as part of double encore was nice.
    Another nice but rare You Win Again, shame they didn’t keep on with that one? oh, a Sitting On Top!
    That was a nice fun addition if not mind blowing.
    A reminder of another thing I’ve noticed on the tour: it’s most definitely not the 60s Dead anymore, but they still have those flashback moments, they can still totally get that vibe and energy, and at times, if it wasn’t for the completely different sound they’ve cultivated, you might think it’s the 60s. (Besides the DS/TOO weirdness!)
    But it’s not, so they throw down more stellar versions of the new stuff and a perhaps light, but satisfying side o grease.

    Ah snap, I skipped 5/16 lol. Well, at this point they are all starting to roll into one, but that becomes helpful when you do hear a particular hot version of something as it seems to stand out enough to distinguish itself from the mob…
    Don’t recall much of that on 5/16, just yet another solid well played beauty. First time for this one so I gave it multiple whirls streaming at work. Certainly they were trying to reign it in a bit and keep it tight being on world radio broadcast, though as the tour rolls on nearer the conclusion, I have noticed a loosening up occasionally and perhaps slightly more imperfections, but that’s really taking a hard micro look as even with occasional blemishes these shows are all so good. Of course they had to get at least a little weirdness out there with another trippy TOO. Wonder what that would have been like: to randomly turn on your radio to THAT! Lol.
    Interestingly, no Good Lovin again, probably due to time restraints, or the fear of Pig getting to spicy on the radio lol.

    Continuing in a haze now with 5/23. I’ve had a copy of this, but it’s missing some tracks and seemed to have songs mixed in from other shows or some weirdness, so I stopped near end of first set and started over streaming. Interesting show as they continue to mix it up and add some new/old stuff in for variety. I didn’t get the best listen in, but it seemed a tiny bit subdued? I don’t know, can’t come up with right word, so I’ll,project. They seem like their relaxing just a bit like they know they’ve got some good stuff in the can so can mix it up and let go a bit? Or not,…? definitely need to hit this again later, but honestly getting burnt not so much on this Dead as not hearing any other eras. Too each their own but I can’t just listen to one kind of Dead exclusively, but that’s just me. But whatever, another great DS/Dew, perhaps a slightly more polished Dew? Oh oh oh, Mr Kotter, can’t forget the best Comes a Time so far, another fun Sittin On Top!,
    They mix it up with a fun Rockin Pneumonia (dedicated to my cousin Eecktar who’s currently laid up in a Hawaiian hospital with pneumonia and Covid as he’s been their working on some recording studio).
    As I say, not the best listen but all good, another enjoyable show!
    Ok, on to 5/24. This has been an elusive one. I remember being a POTD but only could find aud copy so skipped it, actually a couple times, but today we’re soldiering on and gonna finish it. Since I’ve heard so much about this one I’ll probably give it multiple whirls and check it out on Spotify at work (for better audio) for a couple days before I move on to the big 5/25 beast. So that’s where I’ll be for a bit, until next time,
    ONWARD!

    EDIT: Ha who says there’s no Dead heads in this tour! Ya can hear one singing and humming along at points on this 5/24 aud lol so there was at least one, and Murphy’s law he’s standing right near the mics lol

  • 1stshow70878
    Joined:
    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.

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.

92 you say Vguy. Definitely getting out of my comfort zone. I will check it out.

Thanks

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

I hear an audience tape of the acoustic set surfaced a few weeks ago. Of course the last set has been a masterpiece of the recording universe for years.
9/19/70 was my fourth Grateful Dead concert. If no one has made a suggestion for tomorrow I highly recommend September 19, 1970 for listening pleasure and more.
I believe that most heads/longhairs were in a state of shock learning about the death of Jimi Hendrix. The Dead must have felt the need to raise the roof, to go where no man has gone before. And being in the forth row center that night it felt like being on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. Bob Weir looked like Captain Kirk and of course Mickey Hart looked like Spock. There were more orange barrels floating around there that night than the I-40 interchange in Duke City.

user picture

Member for

8 years 11 months

In reply to by Strider 808808

Permalink

Man 4th Row during one of the most epic Dark Star Jams ever!

That sounds fun. Can you see it when you close your eyes?

I think that would be imprinted on my brain. Talk about flashbacks ;)

The Darkness Darkness > China Cat Jam gets me every time. That's the stuff!

I'm hip to take that trip.

Like you mentioned the Audience of the Acoustic set reappeared in circulation in July this year, it's rough.. but it's all there is. A little bit more like archival research than listening pleasure, but hey we're all heads!

I did notice they mentioned the following:
B&W video footage was shot by the Fillmore East crew but it has yet to re-surface.

I'd love to see that!! FE crew where are you?!?!
Show us the Video, just like the old days, the Sunshine Makers ride again!

Woke Up to the Sound of Thunder today.
Sounds like we'll be able to do the same tomorrow ;)

user picture

Member for

17 years
Permalink

No anniversary shows... jumping ahead 2 years to Dijon France 9/18/74.... released on 30 Trips... strongest of the 3 shows in France. The first set always reminds me of 10/19/74 Winterland first set. Good weekend everyone. Bob t

Started it early, while driving into work this morning.
Bird Song was mighty fine.
No driving this weekend except for a grocery store run tomorrow.
Monday morning’s commute should then start close to Set 2.

user picture

Member for

8 years 1 month

In reply to by icecrmcnkd

Permalink

I am digging this show Vguy! Sound quality is really good. We get a Wang Dang Doodle and a Maggie's Farm, Cumberland is great. I like the Way to Go Home. Truckin. Fun show. Thanks for turning us on to this one. And you were there!

user picture

Member for

17 years
Permalink

Good chilly morning from Rhode Island... As i make my way through the 12 show September tour, it is sort of the best of both worlds as far as sound quality. 4 of the 12 have been officially released. (9/17/72, 9/21/72, 9/24/72, 9/27/72)... and then there is today's anniversary show, 9/19/72... Only one copy on Internet Archive... and it is an audience... In one of comment sections Dave says that the board is in the vault, but is missing one reel, so there is 5 of the 6 in there... So Icecrmcnkd I'm looking forward to catching up with you on Monday with 9/21/72.. If you have a board from this show, you are my hero!!!! Be good.. Bob t

Done already... not that long of a show by 72 standards....

Nice Bob T!

Yet another reason I like hanging out with you all here.

Bob T talking about 9/19/72 made me notice I didn't have that there show. Looked at my Dead Base and it's listed as Aud Only / SBD exists. Must've been from back in the days when I only grabbed SBDs so this lil gem got overlooked (probably didn't help it's chances that there's no PITB;)

I'll have to give it a full listen, but so far it's average Audience quality for '72 (rough in general).
Bob T I wanted to be a hero, but ended up a zero, but thanks for bringing this to my attention.

But first... 9/19/70 aw yes!
I started a little yesterday, went ahead and gave the Jack Toner Audience recording of the Acoustic Set a spin before crashing, it's as remembered, a rough recording but the TLMD makes it worth it, anybody know who's playing the Piano? It's an amazing version of that song, hampered by the rough recording, but it's all we got so put your archivist hat on and give it a spin. Bonus, it's the complete set with a reel flip in NSB and stops between songs.

I believe I asked Strider about the piano player, but maybe a revisit will trigger your memory.

Today started with the last two songs of Acoustic Set and the beginning of the Electric Set from legendary taper Marty Weinberg's recording. Strider you ever meet him?

I've been reading a lot about the Fillmore East, it's cool to think about how people would actually be sitting in their assigned seats. You can hear a FE usher during Morning Dew hassling people about their tickets :)

Morning Dew opener for the set, must've been a clue on where they might go that night. It's a powerful rendition and the Weinberg Audience is much more listenable.
Fun banter before Schoolgirl (They haven't done this in years!)
CR&S, Easy Wind & Early Sugar Mags is fun too.

Alright, getting ready now for the circulating SBD portion, legendary amongst the faithful.
Gotta love this band.
Even though I've heard this show a bunch, I still get excited to take the trip!

Have a Grate Day you all.

PS - DV agreed on 5/30/92 fun show for sure, I dig that Spanish Jam. If memory serves the next night is the smoker from the run, and the first night is good too, nice PITB. First Vegas shows? How was that scene VGUY? Had to be a trip.

user picture

Member for

17 years
Permalink

Starting 9/19/70..... 9/19/72 is a rough audience, you made the proper call!!! Bob t

user picture

Member for

8 years 11 months

In reply to by bob t

Permalink

You are correct sir!

I see now how I missed this one ;)

ROUGH!

BTK - Definitely the usual suspects, I do see where some people are saying it's Garcia playing Piano.

Strider listen to it and see if it triggers any memories. 4th row center, do you remember seeing Garcia playing Piano?

Love this stuff. Crazy how quite they could bring it down too during Dark Star, in NY of all places.
I should say on the SBD at least, I'll have to listen to that part on the audience tape and see if it is quite.
Great St. Stephen too, and again the Darkness > China Cat Jam is the stuff.

NFA
Awww yeah :)

EDIT: FWIW Eyewitness review on archive.org states the following in regards to 9/20/70 - I just want to try and clear something up - we watched in awe as jerry played the piano on To Lay Me Down. This was my last of many FE and Port Chester shows and most had big acoustic sets - but never had we ever seen JG tickle the ivorys. You do not forget that!

50 years later and we're still talking and wondering about it, that's Good Stuff!

user picture

Member for

5 years
Permalink

Garcia did play some piano on American Beauty. Garcia said in an interview, how the Dead recreated some of the tunes on American Beauty onstage at the Fillmore East exactly how they played them in the studio. I believe it was in that Rolling Stone book, that he mentioned that. I posted a few weeks ago, I wondered if it was Garcia playing piano on 9/20/70 on Broke down Palace, he said he always worked out new tunes on the piano.

user picture

Member for

8 years 11 months

In reply to by billy the kid

Permalink

BTK - Yeah, I read something similar, probably same article.

Something about Box of Rain being performed just like it was on the album in regards to instrumentation.

I can't remember where I read that, or the details of what was said.

But it would appear that these are the shows where that happened if it indeed did happen, which it sounds like it did. Love all these versions of the AB material Truckin', Box, TLMD, Brokedown, Ripple good good stuff.

Said it before, but man I wish these SBDs would turn up / existed!

A good bug to have.

Bummer that our man Owsley got thrown in jail and that the band wasn't recording more from July until December.

Probably so many legendary performances that happened that we'll never know about.

I like to think about them...

1970 The Lost Shows

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

The 17th a group of us went to the Fillmore. Jimi, Theresa, Dan (tipi Dan) who also went to Veneta in 72. Dave, Janet and myself.
I had bought tickets in advance. It was an amazing night to say the least.
The 17th was such a “high time” that a couple days later I rallied a couple other friends Kirk B. and Dicky Z. to join me and take the train to the city and try and buy tickets at the door. Sold out, so after a mad scene on the “Sidewalks of New York” I was able to buy two tickets on the street from Ricky, for face value, $5:50. Kirk was able to buy a John Mayall ticket for a future date and quickly pass it off as a Dead ticket and get in.
My mind was very altered before I even went inside. I remembered as I entered a deadhead saying “ let’s go melt in our seats”. Boy howdy, to say the least. And the fourth row center seats were spectacular. Crowd response was intense. St. Stephen seemed to make everyone go bananas. I don’t remember a piano but it was fifty years ago. Going to listen to the recording a little later. Sync it up to to the time frame? Pigpen was fucking awesome, lively, top of his game. I also remember the guy and the gal being introduced to each other by Pig. Where are they now. I would hope they at least got each other’s phone numbers. 1970 was in many ways my favorite year seeing the Grateful Dead and my favorite year to listen to all these light years later into the future.
The concert ended way late. So the three of us Connecticats made our way to Grand Central Station about 3am. We tried laying down on the wooden benches in Grand Central (sleep was out of the question) only to be rousted by a NYPD cop slamming his biilyclub on the bench a couple feet away“No sleeping in here!!”. Finally caught the first train out to Connect. That same morning wound up going fishing for bluefish with my father and my high school friend Tyler.
When the dust settled I was so enamored with the Grateful Dead that I started seeing them whenever I could manage it. My next Dead shows I made my way to the long night of Halloween at Stony Brook and all four nights at the Capitol Theater in November. Looking back to those times as a youth are true golden memories from the Golden Road somewhere in the Golden Eternity.

user picture

Member for

10 years 4 months
Permalink

I can't remember if I posted this or mentioned it to someone in an email, but yeah, the Dark Star from September 19th 1970 is something else. There's like a complete silence in the middle where somebody's unplugging and plugging back in probably a broken string or something and replacement guitar... and then it really heats up.

I was checking out the bonus tracks on Dick's Picks 36 from September 3rd, 1972. The Other One => Wharf Rat is so perfect. The Other One is a jam fest that never loses me (in some versions the meltdown and cacophony gets a little too much). Bobby sounds great - some of his best contributions to '72 improv jamming is right here. Somehow I don't think I've ever listened to the whole thing before in one session, undisturbed. And then right into a Wharf Rat where the tone of Jerry's Strat and Bobby's Gibson ES blend for some guitar weaving that I think even Richards would appreciate.

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

My avatar is from the Fillmore East, Joshua Light Show. I believe my first bootleg from this four night run at the FE were a couple Maxell 90 minute tapes of September 20, 1970 from my old friend Jay Kerley. A several day rainy taping session in December 1981 in Glen Ellen, Califas. (Valley of the Moon) Great feedback from 9/20/70.
Listening to 9/19/70 now. Been a long time since hearing it. Dark Star from that night still gives me goosebumps. Interplay between Jerry and Bob are like waves of northern lights washing over time and space.

user picture

Member for

14 years
Permalink

Thanks for sharing the memories Strider. I love reading about these shows, here and at the archive. I can't help but wonder how the orange barrels mixed with the acoustic sets, but it sounds like everything went down just fine! I've loved the Dark Star for years but that's about it. I'm finding the audience tapes a painful listen tonight. Maybe I'll give them another shot tomorrow.

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

Jambase lists Jerry Garcia on piano on To Lay Me Down for 9/19/70. Just read that after listening to Dark Star through Lovelight tonight.
Wow Jerry really tickled those ivories , even with a missing middle finger.
A friend recently asked if I knew what the Mr Spock hand salute was , I said of course “live long and prosper” or the opposite of giving the finger.
Peace out, not piece out.

....logic. That is the Vulcan 🖖 mantra.
We need more Spocks in this world.
Unfortunately, that isn't the case.

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

Complete show exists. I believe. Jim must be river running. I’m ridge running.

user picture

Member for

8 years 11 months

In reply to by Vguy72

Permalink

That’s rich.

These are the voyages of the Starship, Enterprise. Weir looking like Kirk and orange barrels.. man.

Thank You Ricky!

Great show.

Pigpen at the top of his game.

And yeah I think that’s ole Jer playing Piano on TLMD. It’s such distinctive playing I always think, who’s playing that? Just like his guitar playing, the guy knows how to capture the feeling.

Far Out!

I dug that, thanks for the sweet flashes from the show.
And for all that endured some rough audio archival digs, salute!

Whenever I dig into 1970 it takes me awhile to come back, what a trip.

Hard to beat that.

Can’t Come Down, It’s Plain To See, Can’t Come Down, Been Set Free…

9/20/70 you say.. don't mind if I do!

user picture

Member for

5 years
Permalink

Always been my favorite, killer acoustic set, Grisman and Nelson sitting in, beautiful Broke down Palace with Garcia on piano, maybe. A burning electric set, with an anthem like Attics. Thank God somebody recorded this, One of my top three Dead shows, 9/20/70, 5/2/70, & 5/15/70. If I had to pick just 3 shows to own, it would be those 3. Dave, lets have it, please.

user picture

Member for

8 years 11 months

In reply to by billy the kid

Permalink

The 9/20/70 acoustic set quality is best from the run that we have.

Listening to TLMD I hear:
Piano - Jerry?
Guitar - Bob
Bass - Phil
Drums - Mickey or Bill
Organ - Pigpen (I think)
Pedal Steel? - ?

Bob does a great job, and I love Pig's tasty fills. Can't tell if that's a pedal steel, but I think I hear that, it doesn't sound like Jerry playing it.

You'll notice when they switch to Truckin' Jerry's back on guitar and I believe Pigpen is playing the Piano. Note the "Garlands of Neon" verse.

Fun stuff and yeah BTK I'd love it if these SBDs existed. I'd spend a whole day talking to Dave Lemieux about these tapes and what he knows about them. But from what I can gather, there's no Master Reels in the Vault from 7/16 - 12/12/70. It's probably been discussed ad infinitum but somehow.. it's still interesting :)

EDIT: Yeah, that might be Jerry playing the keys in Brokedown as well. Can't tell if there's 2 guitars or not on that, my ear or the recording or both, but I think that is Jer. Great Acoustic set for sure. Personal favorite is the 9/17/70 with the first Box.. man I wish there was a SBD of that.

user picture

Member for

13 years 5 months

In reply to by Strider 808808

Permalink

I was river running and doing some exterior work on my house before winter shuts in.. until Friday that is.. I got speared by a 6'2" guy in a 12 foot kayak, so I am on the injured reserve for a bit. Right in the rib cage.. Don't make me laugh...

: )
9/xx/70 it is. I am a bit behind, but it looks like I have ample opportunity to catch up.

user picture

Member for

8 years 11 months

In reply to by The Good Ole G…

Permalink

I've heard it said that this 9/20/70 version is the one to beat.

I'll say this.. Bob's solo shreds. That dude could play. (Still can)

Jerry just lays back and lets him go and then answers with some classic Garcia.

Good Stuff.

user picture

Member for

9 years 2 months
Permalink

so this is completely new to me and I am blown away. everything about this set is astonishing, beautiful, gorgeous, otherworldly, a gift.

i had no idea that several (4?) acoustic 1970 To Lay Me Downs were out there. heck, Jerry didn't record that first solo album until July 1971. it doesn't show up in concert again until Nov. 1973! so very cool to have Jerry on piano, and his singing is so nuanced and emotive. a stunningly beautiful version.

it makes sense (to me at least) that Jerry might also play piano on Brokedown given its one of the 2 other songs Hunter composed with To Lay Me Down on that beautiful English afternoon. until checking the liner notes today i hadn't really taken in that Jerry played piano on almost all(?) of American Beauty.

Jim - glad you're tough and came out of that with only a bruised rib cage. jeez.

on that note, keep your head on a swivel, be well everyone, and happy fall equinox!

user picture

Member for

17 years
Permalink

For another anniversary show, Palais Des Sports 9/20/74 is a strong Europe 74 show... good 34 minute Truckin>Eyes of the World in set II... Show opener Cumberland.... Black Throated Wind, Row Jimmy, Scarlet, FOTD and a first set WRS>Stella... and I will see you tomorrow 9/21/72 Spectrum in all your Dick's Picks glory......bob t

My first listen ever as far as I know, and I like it.
Went with version 140664.Miller and Co.

Some of the new material seems a little shaky at times, but a grate listen.
NFA just started....

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months

In reply to by icecrmcnkd

Permalink

....i have never heard this show.
That changes today.
Going with this recording.
https://archive.org/details/gd1970-09-20.140664.sbd.boswell.smith.mille…
Buds+ engage!!
I'm at FOTD. Garcia is just showing off at this point. Grate version!
3rd Big RxR Blues. Nice. 4th To Lay Me Down. Even nicer.
Ha! I picked the same source as conekid. This is the way.
The boyz shined in 1970.
I would post a joke, but Jim has brused ribs, so i will refrain.

user picture

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink

I just did a quick preview of this show. I am going to give it a proper listen tomorrow. I think this will get me through work as it looks to be a long day.

user picture

Member for

8 years 11 months

In reply to by Gratefulhan

Permalink

Cool that some of you are discovering this run for the first time.

It’s a legendary run of shows. The band was playing their new album’s material live for the Fillmore East. They'd just finished recording American Beauty and the band wanted to play the tunes with the same instrumentation as they'd recorded them.

For me, this is the run I really wish were in the Vault.
Apparently what SBDs we do have are from the Famously Fabulous FE crew and from what I understand the Master Reels have long been missing. So when you put together the partial fragments of SBDs and Audience Recordings you get a pretty good picture of what went down.
And what went down was epic. Ask Strider!

Anyhow, here’s a list of the SBD stuff that’s out there. If you dug 9/20 and haven’t heard this other stuff, seek it out. The 9/17 acoustic set is prob my all time favorite acoustic set, and it’s a good audience recording, wait for it… for that time.

9/17 - Audience Only - Fantastic Acoustic Set (First / Only Box of Rain before ’73) Amazing Dark Star (Do It!)
9/18 - Partial SBD (Best Sounding of 4? / Rare Operator)
9/19 - Partial SBD (Great! Dark Star Suite)
9/20 - SBD (Far Out Show, SBD is the worst of the 3 we have, but it’s pretty complete, Tape Shedding on last reel, but worth it cause the Caution is out of this world)

50 years ago today, people were wandering the streets of New York thinking OMG did I just see that? I was soooo high. That couldn’t of possibly happened. Who are those guys?!?!

Alright, glad you all turned on to this far out Fillmore East trip this weekend.
It’s good to know about these shows, they were magic.

I had listened to some of this run before, but not the whole run sequentially before. It was fun and I learned a lot along the way. Here's to learning, those that help you out along the way and the never ending quest for knowledge (especially when it comes to the GOGD).

Special shout-out to Strider and GOGD.

user picture

Member for

5 years
Permalink

GOGD, great summary for the 9/70 shows. Somebody does have a complete tape of 9/20/70, so I'm sure with all the technology available these days and great sound guys like Jeffery Norman to make it just exactly perfect, we will see a fantastic release of this show. Thank goodness that some of the acoustic shows were recorded and saved. 1969, 1970 and 1972, before Pig Pen left the group, we're the Dead at their peak, but I dig it all!

user picture

Member for

13 years 5 months

In reply to by billy the kid

Permalink

Alright all.. who's got the next week of back to back shows containing some of the best music ever performed that we can listen to, thumb through, over-analyze and toss around personal stories we remember from being there 50+ years ago?

Preferably from 1970, preferably with missing master reels that somehow wound up in that pile of Ampex tapes that have been holding up the turntable in someone's basement since early 1971.

Anybody?
Bueller?

Someone.. things were just getting interesting.

user picture

Member for

8 years 11 months

In reply to by JimInMD

Permalink

Jim's got the bug!

5/1/70 tapes have a pretty interesting story behind them. I believe some of the reels for this show were found under the stage at Meramec / Kirkwood College gig at 5/14/70. Disappeared, reappeared. Anyhow must of the show circulates in SBD now. Some of it is in the Vault, maybe all now. I don't think we've gone there yet.

And there's always the 6/24/70 Ken & Judy Lee audience tapes from the Capitol Theatre. Some good story time stuff there too. However, some may be tired of 1970 audience recordings after the weekend :)

5/1 sounds fun.

user picture

Member for

13 years 5 months

In reply to by The Good Ole G…

Permalink

One of the first shows I pulled down from the Archive when I first discovered it...

Classic, and an interesting school with a great ceramics program. I'll tag this tomorrow, today is already mostly behind me.

user picture

Member for

8 years 11 months

In reply to by JimInMD

Permalink

Yeah, it's a good one. Not quite the same as what happened the next night. But good.

I think Jerry mutters something about college kids. I gave it a spin today, but was distracted and half paying attention.

I need to check out 12/12/70 again, I know there's a nasty reel flip in The Other One, but I can't remember much else about that show. I've been working my way through the SBDs that exist after 7/16. Not much there..

Be Well!

user picture

Member for

13 years 5 months

In reply to by The Good Ole G…

Permalink

I think he said, "Get Off My Lawn, Hippies"

Checking this out now.. I recall vividly where I was and when I listened to this last. I had just discovered Archive.org and I was hankering for something akin to Harpur College, 1970 acoustic/electric GD. My last house was had a deck literally cantilevered over the river and I had some friends over after boating and put this on. Probably 20 years ago this summer.

Yes, probably not the best of 1970, 1/2, 2/13&14, 5/15, 4/15 and 9/xx are better, but it's the full deal and the tapes are pretty much complete. A snapshot in history.

Do we even know who recorded this?

Anyway.. historical stuff. Has anyone ever seen the 5/3/68 Columbia University stuff on YouTube? It's hodgepodged together and the video seems to not match the audio in large sections but it makes you wonder what's really available and if something better can be done now???

Memories, light the corners of my mind...

Good stuff!

The 5/3/68 footage is great, the best footage of the band from '68 (brains not working, but I can't think of any other '68 film footage currently, if there is it'll come to me.. Oh Yeah 3/3/68 Haight Street, but the 5/3 stuff is pro style). Unfortunately, no audio exists from the 5/3 show.

I guess the best thing that can be done is guess what song they're playing. The Other One sync is pretty dope and I believe that's what they're playing, but correct me if I'm wrong. I think I've also seen it synced with New Potato.

The footage that exists, I believe was shot for a film titled "Columbia Revolt". This is all off the top of my head, so I could be missing bits and pieces, but yeah.

I'm gonna check out 12/12/70 today if anybody else wants to give it a spin.

Got the 1970 bug.

Came close to going to school there, some kind of electronics program? Even went on some school bus RT to check it out.....details are very fuzzy.....such a long time to be gone, but a short time to be there lol.

Been checking a couple of these out. Not a normal go to year for me, but I’m trying to broaden my horizons, lol.
And like I always say, it’s all good and there’s always something there! Just gotta poke around!
Thanks to GOGD etc for all the groovy info and saving us dilettantes time by steering us in the right directions...wait???, which side is up again???
Thanks to Strider for more tales from the Dark Star!

user picture

Member for

17 years
Permalink

Well I can say I haven't listened to this show since 1990 or so... I only have an audience copy. Looking forward to listening. First Half Step since 10/20/74, they didn't play it in June.... Also excited to hear the Dancing encore as well as Crazy Fingers and High Time... The Orpheum shows have such a different vibe to them then the June tour that wrapped up less than 2 weeks before it... bob t

Sounds good to me Bob t. Yes, the Orpheum run has a different feel to it and you would think we will get more releases from this run. We do have Dave's 18 from 7/17, which is a great release.

user picture

Member for

5 years
Permalink

I was there, we were sitting in row c, center, but there wasn't a bad seat in the house. The Orpheum theatre only held 1,800 people, so it's a small place. I think if I could go back and see one Dead show that I had attended it would probably be this one. It was cool and definitely should be a released.