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

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  • rockthing
    Joined:
    5/19/74 (Part II)

    Wrote these notes on Monday morning while drinking my coffee and getting ready to do some work from home. After a while I was mostly distracted by the show.

    I'll get to that Feb. 22 '69 show if I can, but I don't have that one handy. Hafta stream it.

    The ETree identifier of this source is 115876, btw. I don't have the box set, so these are my first impressions.

    It Must Have Been The Roses: Ok. /Now/ I'm awake. Possible tape change? There is suddenly a big improvement in sound quality for this hauntingly sensitive rendition. Jerry's voice is now clear above the guitars. Everything, save Phil, is suddenly much clearer and the sound field feels wider. Up to this point the tape had sounded like the tape the biker is listening to at the beginning of the Dead Movie. Nice harmony work during the refrain, blended well in the house mix.

    Loose Lucy: Gettin' in the funk. Jerry's just perfectly behind the beat to make it nice and nasty. If the syncopation isn't just right, this tune can completely lose all form really quickly. Loose Lucy must be a pretty new song at this point. I have no idea when this tune debuted. They didn't do this in concert much, as far as I know. I was lucky enough to see'em do it once, but the performance I saw was almost unrecognizable. Something was wrong with the timing, so it sounded all backwards. I was embarrassed to not even recognize it until Jerry started singing. This is a nice treat.

    I Know You Rider? Something seems to be wrong here. The info text says Money Money should be next followed by China/Rider, but we're just dropped into IKYR. Looks like some minor surgery might be needed on the meta data.

    Money Money: Ok. Someone's just mislabelled these files. Man, this has always been one of my least favourite songs in the Dead's catalogue. I rarely skip songs on albums, but being the album closer on Mars Hotel makes it easy. I don't think I've ever heard a live version of it, so this is kind of a treat, in its own sort of way. Having not heard it in such a long time, I guess it's not such a bad song. The negativity of the lyric just sems to strike such a contrast to most of the other stuff in the repertoire. John Lennon, for example, has a lot of negativity in his lyrics, but when I listen to him, I expect that.

    China Rider: Yeah. They're keepin' that funky groove going that was working so well during Loose Lucy. The transition jam seems to go almost immediately to an I Know You Rider feel. The guitar tone is very unusual here. It almost sounds like Bobby's Gibson 335 tone. He's playing lots of double-stops, where he plays two notes at a time even while soloing… wait… maybe that /was/ Bobby!? Some very cool interplay between Bobby and Phil before a guitar sound that is unmistakably Jerry joins in just ahead of the trademark unison bit before I Know You Rider. What is now clearly Jerry's tone keeps it going after the unison part, and now there's a Feelin' Groovy jam. I can almost see the smiling faces and twirling homemade sun dresses with flowers in the hair right now. Big, big ovation from the crowd as they settle into the Rider vamp before going into the first verse. They know what they've just heard. That was sweet, breezy, and smooth as can be. I'm guessing Jerry had some sort of equipment or other issue causing him to stop playing for a bit at the beginning of the transition. Oh, yeah, Jer, dig into that "On a north bound train" line. This and the out-of-place IKYR are going to get merged into one track when I get a chance.

    Set II:
    Promised Land: Yeah. Everybody's definitely up off their blankets now.

    Bertha: Got a little "Yee Haw" from someone nearby for "All night pouring, but not a drop on me." It's quite amazing how inobtrusive the audience is, considering this was recorded with a handheld mic by someone just hanging out in crowd.

    Greatest Story: Nice wah wah Jerry licks. Jerry's wah is so bubbly and has a rich swell, like the sound of a wave on the ocean. Using the rocking motion of the foot pedal definitely puts the player physically off balance, so I can understand why he seemed to abandon it later in favor of the Mutron "auto-wah" tone filter. Sounds so good here, though. Jerry's volume sounds cranked, though, totally drowning everything out. I ain't complaining. Oh, yeah. A little jam in GSET? They seem to have gone into something altogether different. I'm not sure if this is a set piece, but it feels unfamiliar to me. I know that I've heard occasional jams in Greatest Story, but they seem rare. This is definitely no longer the Greatest Story chord progression, but I don't know what it is, and then Wamp, Wamp-Wamp, right back into it. Now I'm gonna hafta start checking out Spring 1974 Greatest Stories. That was hot and adventurous, like maybe something went wrong and they fought through it… but maybe there was just a jam in this song back then.

    Ship of Fools: Giving the manic dancers their first break of the second set. The taper is stopping the tape between songs, though, so who knows how long they spent tuning in between. Very nice harmony work from Bobby and Donna.

    Weather Report: Seems a bit tentative in the earlier segments, but the Let It Grow jam is developing interestingly. The whole band just seems sort of in a gentle mood this night. Everything is soft and malleable, and most of all, creative, when they go off into improvised sections. The straight tunes are tight and, well, straightforward, but I'm hearing all sorts of novel ideas coming through during the instrumental segments. There seems to be a completely different confidence at work during this jazzy work out. You can hear Billy getting back to his swing roots and playing off Keith. This is fantastic. Such subtle interplay. Normally when I hear the full suite performed I wonder why they didn't continue to use the first parts, but in this case I didn't feel that way.

    Peggy-O: Jerry's picking is quite aggressive, and his tone is very chimey, even behind his vocal. Relaxed tempo, even by Peggy-O standards. In this recording it sounds almost like Billy and Jerry doing a duet, but Keith adds some accents here and there.

    ??: What is this? A playful little jam and some quiet noodling where the audience's shouts and requests become more prominent. Bobby announces technical difficulties.

    Truckin': Nice buildup, but not the major bomb drop I'm used to, and from there things start to get really weird. It's not spacy weird, just, "Whoa, what the heck is this?" weird. Some of the early 70s Truckin's could get totally abstract, so this is just the way they rolled back then. Great stuff. Gettin' that funky groove goin' from the first set again, even as the changes take on some jazzy influences. Bobby is very clear in the mix, and my oh, my it's gettin' Weir'ed. Jerry busts in with a burst of guitar feedback which seems to shock everyone for a moment, but they're still groovin'. This is the gold I look for in any show. It's funny because Mind Left Body actually sounds a lot like Loose Lucy. Billy and Phil getting' into a little funky-drummer exchange. Finally Phil breaks through in the mix with some space for him to hit that Bootsy one. In the info text "Jam" and "Mind Left Body Jam" had been listed separately, but they're actually all included in the Truckin' track, which is my preference. Cousinit made a real mess of this file set, but I can fix it. Rarely are there such glaring mistakes on the Archive, but this one has definitely been put together somewhat carelessly.

    NFA: This interesting because I've been listening to a lot of Alligator era NFA's or Bean era NFA's, and that gives a nice context to compare to this Wolf tone… of course, there is a LOT of recording tech affecting the sound here, but even though there's a nice honk, everything seems so nice and round and gently muted. Hey. What's this breakdown in NFA. Pretty sure I've never heard that before… and GTRFB. THAT, was an interesting transition.

    GTRFB: Nothing to worry about here. The old standby. Billy's hi-hat figure during the breakdown is, again, getting really funky with a swinging 16th note feel, or something. Very cool.

    US Blues: Mars Hotel weighted setlist. What month did that come out? Good, tight version.

    Johnny B. Goode: Full colosseum clap along for a high energy reading that does justice to the Check Berry original. Sometimes this can get a bit too languid. This one is rockin' hard.

    On repeated listen, I've messed with the EQ some. First of all I bumped up the EQ preamp level, I dunno, about 10db, I guess. I then added a further 12db of 64Hz, and 125Hz on the 10 band EQ to bring Phil nicely into the mix, but also lowered almost everything else about 6db on frequencies that had been flat to make the bass frequency differential greater. The bass still isn't terribly defined, but it at least brings Phil into play. He was completely inaudible without EQ. Got just a touch more vocal by giving the 1KHz and 2KHz about 1db. The tape has a sort of nostalgic cheap car speaker sound, so I actually wanna preserve a bit of that… not that I could really get rid of it. There's quite a nice venue ambiance, especially when there is more space in the arrangements, like during the Mind Left Body Jam.

    The vocal drop-outs others have mentioned were not audible to the audience.

  • daverock
    Joined:
    2/22/69

    That is a great show. According to the cd notes it was recorded, along with shows in late January and the Feb-March shows, for possible inclusion on Live Dead. It probably won't happen - the song lists are obviously very similar, but it would make a great box set to release all the shows recorded.
    The shows from 1967-1971 inclusive are the main ones for me in 30 Trips.

  • Forensicdoceleven
    Joined:
    You can't blame gravity for falling in love…..

    Mornin’, rockers!!!

    Pick Of The Day: Dream Bowl February 22, 1969

    Relatively speaking, the yang to the yin of February 21, 1969. True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist…..

    I have the space, you have the time, let’s revisit. Officially released in October 2015 as part of Thirty Trips Around The Sun, one almost never hears about this show, possibly because it gets overshadowed by the blazing white hot glare of the Fillmore West Shows of February 27th to March 2nd. This is very much “of a kind” with those shows, featuring the typically sweet Mountains Of The Moon (always loved that song!), a long exploratory Dark Star, a fierce, crunchy Other One, a deathly Death Don’t, a fine Eleven, and a greasy Lovelight that clocks in at a mere 21+ minutes.

    Great music, great sound quality, I suggest you find the time…..

    The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once…..

    Rock on,

    Doc
    There comes a time when the mind takes a higher plane of knowledge but can never prove how it got there…..

  • daverock
    Joined:
    Heads in Mississippi

    That's good to read - they opened with Mississippi Half Step - Franklins Tower the first time I saw them 3/24/81. A great start to the show for sure.

  • PT Barnum
    Joined:
    5-19-74

    In my experience, any show that starts off with Mississippi half-step uptown toodleloo is usually a great one and 5-19-74 is no exception. That pacific northwest box grows on ya, for sure.

  • daverock
    Joined:
    5/19/74

    I haven't played it this year yet, but it has become one of my most played shows from this year - mainly because I bought it on vinyl. But it is really good, too. To me, it's better than its song list suggests - the songs leading up to the Truckin' jam are well played and forward moving, and that final jam is superb. It has been castigated in some quarters for the vocal drop outs. A price worth paying, in my opinion. All three 1974 shows in the box it was culled from are top notch.

  • DeadVikes
    Joined:
    Dave's 13 and 42

    Hey Bluecrow, #13 is definitely in my top five. Love this show. Listen to it quite a bit. #42 hasn't resonated with me as much as #13, don't know why. How do you all feel?

    I will throw out Dave's Picks #7, 4/24/78, for our old buddy That's Otis. I believe you are fan of this era. Hope all is well out there for you and the rest of the crew!

  • rockthing
    Joined:
    5/19/74

    I've got a beta-max transfer of 2/24/74... which stayed in heavy rotation for a long time when it first hit my library, but low and behold Portland 74 has collecting proverbial dust in the old hard disk, too. Time for something brand new (to me).

    A Pat Lee master cassette passed down the generations.

    It's a little hissy, and I'm not getting much Phil at the start, but Jerry and Bob's gutiars are crystal clear. Jerry's voice coming in a close second in the mix with some occasional Keith flourishes wafting to the fore. Billy's cymbals sound crisp, if somewhat thin. Getting a nice Jamaican dub sound when he switches to the highhat. Kick is in there, clear, but with with a soft tone, and none of the hyper-compressed abrasive contemporary festival sound. Donna's harmonies are on, and blended well with Jerry and Bob for the Across the Rio Grande-oh finale of Halfstep. Jerry plays an aggressive outro solo.

    Mexicali: The mix and tape quality remain consistent. It's mostly a guitar oriented sound, but Bobby's voice is clear, if slightly too far back. Even in '74 they could do this one in their sleep. Have you ever heard a real train wreck during Mexicali? I can't recall one. A fan let's out a hoarse, "Whao!" apparently feeling the southwest polka vibes.

    Big Railroad Blues. Love me some BRB. There are short pauses in the tape where Pat Lee is clearly well aware of the need to conserve footage. Could do with A LOT more Phil in the mix. Might fiddle with the EQ in a bit.

    Black Throated Wind: Awkward song that I sometimes really like, and other times can do without.

    Scarlet: Crowd gives Donna a big cheer as the song reaches it's finale. Of course they egged Bobby on with some of his crazy antics, too, but it's nice to hear that early 70s audiences appreciated her contributions.

    Beat It On Down The Line: Always love this one. Nice double vocal from Bobby and Donna. Some unfortunate microphone feedback during Jerry's solo. Phil's backing vocals are there. The bass frequencies either never made it onto the cassette, or have evaporated through the generations of open reels and cassettes.

    Tennessee Jed: Nice bounce to this laid-back rendition. Another one of my favorite tunes, as I've mentioned before. Another nice, appreciative response from the audience who are almost completely unnoticeable for the majority of the time.

    Bobby McGee. I picture the audience mostly having a lie-down on the lawn during this first set. Just a nice day in the park with some live music in the background.

    Ok, well, that's as far as I'll get in this sitting, but really looking forward to that big Truckin' jam at the end of the show. Now spoilers! 😉 Just kidding.

  • rockthing
    Joined:
    Woodstock

    >DAVEROCK>

    "It's about 37 minutes long, but it seems more like an hour when you watch it."

    HAHAHA

    I'll be on the lookout for that CCR set. John Fogerty strikes me a somewhat difficult man. Brilliant songwriter and producer, though. Never get tired of Cosmo's Factory, in particular. Gotta get reacquainted with the first album. I recall it being more psychedelic.

    Got a trove of stuff to listen to after yesterday's catch up. Thanks!
    Not sure where I'll start, but probably with something that already has ID tags. lol.

  • daverock
    Joined:
    Woodstock

    There was a good cd of CCR's set that came out a couple of years ago. Apart from Hendrix, possibly my favourite set of the whole festival. "Lovelight" was included on a dvd as an extra, on one of the celebratory reissues of the festival. I don't think I'm being controversial when I say that it wasn't there finest hour. It's about 37 minutes long, but it seems more like an hour when you watch it.
    The Dark Star, I've just remembered, was included in the 6 cd 40th anniversary release of Woodstock, too. That's okay. But it's not a show I would suggest as a contender for an official release.

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Bolo24 says: An Idea, Perhaps? Since we're all going to have a fair amount of spare time on our hands for the foreseeable future, what about starting another thread where we all listen to the same show/release on a given day and then share impressions afterward? Folks can submit suggestions and one person (not me) picks what we'll all listen to - call it Deadnet Picks or something. Anyway, if this idea is deemed to have merit, I'd suggest one of the loyal regular posters take the lead and do the picking - y'all can decide who. Might be fun. If it does go forward, I nominate Dick's Picks 18 for the first listen. Been talked about here lately, and, had it been a single show rather than a compilation, we'd probably be talking about it in the same conversation as Cornell, Veneta, etc. Or perhaps even Gainesville?? Stay safe and healthy, friends - this planet needs as many Deadheads as possible.
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7/13/76 very happy you were there. I know you said you also saw the Bob Fried Memorial Boogie the year before!!! The soundcheck from the night before is actually on Youtube.. Great seats, do you remember how challenging it was to get tickets for that run??? Thanks bob t

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The first place we went to, maybe Record Factory, was all sold out, so we went to this small place called Penninsula Box office, and they had three tickets, for the three of us . Two people came in right after us and bought the last two tickets. It was tight to get tickets, and we went as soon as they went on sale.

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Good Stuff, an upgrade of the 7/12/76 Orpheum Show showed up last week from Mr. Miller for those wanting more.
Tiny Theater Dead Shows, those were the good ole days!
BTK thanks for sharing. Tell us more.

The Reel flip during The Other One on 12/12/70 from the Santa Rosa Fairgrounds pretty much ensures we won't be seeing that show released any time soon. Rough!
It's funny to think that these recordings we all collect so obsessively were basically an after thought :)

Have a Grate Day!

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I remember that there were two Dead posters in the front window, Skull & Roses. and the one with Garcia in a leather coat, the Dead at the Fillmore 1966 . Blair Jackson did a big write up on the shows in BAM magazine in July or August of 76 ,I have it laying around here somewhere with all my Dead posters and collections. I thought it was a great show and I still think that as I listen back to the tape. Winterland held about 5000 some people, it was cavernous compared to this place. I saw the Jerry Garcia band play there once. But those Dead shows were special, and this 1976 box set is very special . 1975 & 1976 fantastic years!

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Nice! 1800 capacity Dead Show sounds so amazing, shit that's like a 1000 people smaller than the Fillmore East.

I'd like to check out that BAM article, I did a couple google searches but didn't find it. I wonder if it's in This Is All A Dream We Dreamed? Hmmm.

Well, I know what I'll be listening to today.

Thanks for the inside scoop!
Good Stuff.

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Capacity, 1,800 . I was last inside there over 49 years ago. Not sure if capacity has changed in the 21st century. Lesh is more. Got an empty cup. Phil it up.

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In reply to by Strider 808808

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I don't think the capacity has changed.. they certainly didn't add on any rooms. I was last there sometime between 6 and 9 years ago. Classic venue.. hallowed walls.

I love small, quaint, intimate theatres. Yummy. Makes me want to travel back in time and set the dials to Europe, spring 1972 (and Port Chester 1970 and 1971).

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Hey man, PM me your email, I have something I think you will dig.

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In reply to by billy the kid

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Done!

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The photograph in the bulletin shows Jerry playing the Alembic experimental guitar or the “peanut”. One of two that were made. That does set the date of its first appearance two to three weeks before the March 71 date as stated in Blair Jackson’s book “Grateful Dead Gear” and a day later from what I thought was first time 2/19/71. Looking closer at the photograph, Billy’s drum placement would suggest after the 18th. Mickey was set up on the left of what was a small stage with Ned Lagin between him and Jerry. Would love to see the photographers proof sheet, or all the negatives. But it looks like five piece Grateful Dead.
I guess I should quote my old friend Pete Bogle , taper / archivist who coined the phrase “another picky Deadhead” when he introduced it as a bumper sticker in the 80s.
Ah yes, those foggy ruins of time.

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"The people up front are visibly bug eyed. They are looking flat". On to the second set... Great stuff.

It looks like Ned posted a broken link, or more accurately, the "......with" was mistakenly attached to link making it dead)

I think this is what he meant to post.. Wharf Rat w/ Pete from Rockpalast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20dic8S3cWI

Has anyone ever noticed that when Bolo disappears fire, brimstones and complete mayhem is unleashed upon the world?

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Good Eye mate!

I didn't catch the Peanut Guitar, it's hard to determine, but you've got a good eye for that instrument Strider.

We might need some Hair forensics for this photo. I see it floating around with some different dates attributed to it. But since that's the Peanut, that would definitely help narrow the date range of the photo, and yeah looks like 5 man Dead.

The shirt and boots Jerry is wearing are featured in the famous family dog photo from February 1970 by Altman. But, who's to say he didn't wear them for a while. I've got some shirts that are at least 10 years old, possibly older.

Cool photo for sure, Stephen Gilbert has some other cool photos on GDAO of the GD from October & November 1970, this one is dated from the November '70 Capitol Run on that site. But I think the real tell would be Phil's haircut.

Phil, when did you cut your hair in 1971, was it right before the Capitol Theater run in 1971?

Yeah, the Contact Sheet would be sweet. I second a look at that. But I think you're on to something Strider, I'm thinking 2/19 or after.

Fun stuff. Makes me want to hear some 1971 Capitol Theater, and I do believe that's the point :)

VGUY: GD Newsletter came today, check spam.

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Here’s an interesting article on that seldom played custom Alembic

https://relix.com/articles/detail/jerry-garcias-pretzel-guitar-resurfac…

EDIT: perhaps there were 2 different guitars as the one in the news letter showing the capital pic looks different then this “pretzel” guitar? Wouldn’t be that unusual for them to offer him different options since Alembic was in house etc...

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November 1970 he had a ponytail. February 1971 he had the haircut.
The internet has way more about the “peanut” guitar than ever before. I believe it’s not the same as the “pretzel” guitar. Peanuts , pretzels and beer. Port Chester is where 18-20 year olds would go to drink when it was still 21 in Connecticut. Lowered drinking age in Ct in 72.
Back to the mystery guitar. I definitely remember Jerry playing a much smaller body guitar most of the February 71 run. I called Alembic in Santa Rosa about five years ago and talked with Ron Wikershams daughter who told me they still had two peanut guitars that Garcia played. I asked her if they could remember if Garcia played them in February of 1971 and she said I should have a better idea as I was at the Capitol Theater five nights during that run. Rick Turner who built the peanut says it was pre-Alembic.
So maybe the Stephen Gilbert photograph shows a completely different guitar altogether. I do remember Jerry’s homemade Guatemalan fabric cowboy shirt, 1970.
Where’s Columbo when we need him.
By the way, the German film Wings of Desire staring Peter Falk is a beautiful film.
But I digress.

It's all about the Hair.

I love archival research and yeah the internet is the place for GD info!

It's too hard to see much detail from the Feb '71 pic we're looking at, so like Wikersham's daughter was saying, you should know if it was THE peanut or not ;)

It looks kinda like peanut to me, maybe we can tell when we hear the new tapes. Are you able to pick out the peanuts sound? I remember you mentioned it having a distinct sound. There's some cool pics of Jerry playing peanut at the Manhattan Center in April '71 for sure. So we might have to put our archivist ears on and play some back to back shows from the Cap & Manhattan center.

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is that we still have to wait another month to hear 2-18-71 in all it’s Plangentized glory (the samples don’t count).
Just announce it and put it in sale when it is ready to ship.

71 comparisons and investigative work - this is the group to do it.

Record Store Day this Saturday

https://recordstoreday.com/NewsItem/9003

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The famous Brotherhood of Eternal Love show? I think yes... Interesting...

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In reply to by JimInMD

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So the photo from this Rick Turner article on the peanut guitar looks like the cap theater one in the bulletin, only from a better angle.
Interesting history about its pre-Alembic origin.
Strider, you sir are blessed with a great memory! Thanks for sharing all this groovy stuff for us!

https://rickturnerblog.com/2017/12/05/garcias-turner-peanut-guitar/

EDIT: the Gibson headstock really gives it away!

EDIT: I meant the guitar was the same in both pics

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Right.. how can you remember all this detail? You don't see too many show reviews from me because most of the memories are inconveniently erased from my mind, or worse, all I can remember are broad details and when I even contemplate writing something there's just not enough to make a point. Perhaps I need to start taking some of that jellyfish memory pill crap or something.

Sometime I really think I am pre-Alzheimer's.

It's unbelievable you remember all this stuff so many years later... you put me to shame.

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Photo on the Rick Turner Blog definitely not from the same night as the photo in the GD Bulletin. RTBlog shirt is the blue denim, sawtooth pocket, pearl snap that Jerry is wearing for 8/14/71 BCT. No way is that the same shirt in the GD Bulletin photo, which even in b/w is clearly multicolored shirt. I think the Turner photo is from the Manhattan Center shows - Jerry Garcia site has photo with that same denim shirt for 4/5.

I love the Peanut Guitar - in part cause I hadn't even heard about it until the last year, the name strikes me as freaking funny, the back story is outrageously cool, and, lest i forget, it sounds great!

Strider - love the tracks you lay down for us to follow.

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Nice OB!

That adds some color to this picture.

Based on Turner’s blog post it sure sounds like there was only one Peanut.
Based on the Photo, photographer’s labeling and Phil’s haircut we can assume it’s from the Capitol Theater circa February 1971.
Based on the photo and Strider’s eyewitness account Garcia is playing the Peanut.

I wonder if LIA etc have already discussed this?
Looks like.. Yes. Deadessays has the Rick Turner Peanut listed as 1/21/71 - 4/29/71

Shoulda figured to start there ;)

Good Stuff.

PS - 4/5/71 is a Rocker, it’s been awhile since I’ve played this one. The Peanut sounds good!

Love the raunchy grunge tone of Jerry's guitar this show. I know they are very dissimilar, but I get the same vibe from the Dec'77 shows, the (sort of) return of the Wolf. Full of anger and disdainful sustain. Rock and Roll.

Sorry to go off on a tangent. As you were..

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Yeah Jim & GOGD - the Peanut sounds damn good.

pick of the day (some day) i think ; )

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Someday being today.. I just finished it. Been a while, doc would be proud. I know (knew) every note of this of this show, but it's been so long I picked up a whole lot of new stuff. Like.. why were the harmonies for Rider so off compared to a year into the future, clearly they worked on this. Was it Phil? ..but still a kickin' version, especially the transition, so young so fresh. As mentioned earlier the tone and raw power of the performance. A great little show.

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Enjoyed 4/5/71 yesterday, it'd been a really long time.
Had to happen with all that Peanut talk.

Super fun listen. Think I need to hear the rest of the run.
Will throw that out there as a suggestion for pick of the day, pick one 4/4, 4/5, 4/6 and give it a spin.

It is like reconnecting with an old friend. Whose Yodeling in Me & Bobby McGee? I always thought it was Jerry, but now I think that's Marmaduke? Check out Bobby in China Cat, killing it! The Other One, completely slays. And the NFA > GDTRFB is like a part of my DNA, note for note, I must've heard it a million times on Skullfuck. Think I gotta go dust off 4/6 now.

Worth a revisit for sure, and it'll get you pumped for some '71 to come.

Alright, be well all and Happy Friday!

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Back cover photograph shows Jerry passing a J and is wearing the Guatemalan cowboy shirt. I saw Howard Wales and Jerry both early show and late show at the Academy of Music (January?) 1972. Talk about throwing the audience for a curveball. I enjoyed it.
As far as one or two peanut guitars , I’m only going on what Alembic founders, daughter said. No big deal.
Ability to have a sharp memory, a lifetime of working in the woods/mountains. Tons of fresh air, sleeping on the ground, avoiding white powders, pure water, simple food, meat in limited doses, backpacking, walking, climbing mountains, (still do) reading actual books not kindle, taking breaks from Ganga, going on 20 years since quitting all alcohol. (Not passing judgment, most of my friends drink) , traveling in Latin America, learning a second language (Spanish) by direct immersion talking with people, only using a translation dictionary, getting to know and making friends with people of different ethnic backgrounds, mixing it up , leaving comfort zones at times, waking up at or before dawn, (even as a teenager), as far as dates, I know my seasonal work history,(mostly trail work in Wilderness areas) Official book of the Deadheads was the first time I saw a list of Dead shows with dates, synced work, travel, Grateful Dead concerts, other bands, where I’ve lived, (almost 40 years in New Mexico) it all fits together like a puzzle.
My number of Dead shows are within 2-3 for exact count, 133 in 25 years to the best of my ability. Was I at Manhattan Center two or was it three nights in April 71, was I at Academy of Music three or four nights in March 72. I know I was at all four nights of November 1970 at the Capitol Theater. I’m certain I was at the Capitol Theater 2/18,19,20,21 and the final night, 2/24/71. By summer 1972 and beyond dates are very exact. I have most of my ticket stubs starting with December 1981.
The other way I keep my memory sharp. Have hardly watched television since leaving home in 1972.
Will have to listen to 4/5/71 today .A day late a dollar short. Oh well. As far as a venue, Manhattan Center had a twisted vibe, oversold and rundown, of course the music was at a high peak in the history of the band. Nevertheless “Aces back to back”.
Tractors you say, my uncle Harlan worked for John Deere in Des Moines.
Stairs you say, “Stairway to Heaven”!
Parking meters you say, “ watch your leaders and your parking meters”

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8 years 11 months

In reply to by Strider 808808

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Now that's some merch I could get behind.
And the boots!

That'd be sweet :)

Nice Strider! Keep em coming my man.
Thankfully you kept that brain together so you could tell us fools some stories (I jest!) :)

BTW 4/5/71 wasn't the official pick yesterday, I just got a hankering, all that Peanut talk.
Sounds like Jim & I jumped on it. But recommend the rest of you do too. Make it official BlueCrow!

So Fire it up Folks, head to the Manhattan Center circa 1971, don't get crushed by the overcrowding and have a good time!

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I was just emailing Uncle Gary about one of these shows that he sent me (2/22). This pair of shows would make a great mini box. They're on the shorter side, so they can probably fit it all on four or five discs and they play extremely well.

The set lists are no joke (Bird Song, Dark Star, China Rider, Playing in the Band, Eyes of the World). At a minimum 2/22 could use an official rendering. Hook me up bartender, hook me up.

For all you folks going to the Manhattan Center show

Listen to how happy Pigpen is!
Especially during the end of Lovelight, man he sounds so stoked.

Thinking April '71 was the peak of Pig's career.

Good Stuff!

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Added to the general vibe that night. MC was a block or two away.( Correction, 8 blocks away 9/26) I just read my comment for 4/5/71 that I wrote 9 years and 6 months ago on Dead. Net. Listening to China/Rider just now I could hear the difference from the Capitol Theater. Manhattan Center was at least twice as big. (?) I did make it from the floor to the huge balcony for the second set where there was room enough to dance. It was supposed to be a “dance marathon “. The sound of the recording in that room has a different sound from the Fillmore East or the Capitol Theater. Perhaps somewhat like Winterland. Although Winterland was longer from the back to the stage. Now the Oakland Auditorium was awesome. Another decade, another era. I still have audience tapes I made there with my Sony D-5.
Another time marker I use is foreign travel. First time out of the States was to Montreal, Quebec, Canada in late April 1970 to film the Expo 67 dome. Was making a super 8 film on geodesic domes. Or my first time to Mexico to TJ and k-49 surfing with an old friend from the east. Or the first time to southern Mexico (Chiapas) and Guatemala in January 1988. Living in the highlands of Chiapas (& selva) five winters 1992-1996 while furloughed from seasonal Forest Service. It’s those kind of times that stand out in my memory just as amazing Grateful Dead concerts do. So it goes.

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of all the Dead eras and sound I've always had a special place in my heart for the Skull and Roses lp. and only yesterday, when GOGD commented on the 4/5 Not Fade Away > Going Down the Road, and I'm like oh yeah, those lp tracks are from this show(!), did it click that the Peanut is at the heart of that sound. The Peanut, a somewhat obscure Garcia guitar, unlike no other, that Jerry used for all of 3 months. I was listening to 4/5 today at work and Jerry's sound is so freaking early rock and roll bluesy clean and raw at the same time and I love it.

GOGD - The yodeler IS Marmaduke. After the song is finished Bob quickly says his name!!

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In reply to by bluecrow

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..and all of your creations.

Such a personal lyric.. when your children, they all start to resent you.

What mind would write this stuff.

Say what you want about 80's GD, but at the very least.. they were the worlds best Dylan Cover band for a short period of time.

Checking out 7/2/ 89.. part of the Shakedown Stream.. but I missed it and they took it away almost immediately.. now it's back.

To Lay Me Down kicking in now. Amazing stuff.

No doubt Jim. The Dylan slot. My god, some shows saw 3-4.

Recently, I have been really digging the different versions of Maggie's Farm. So many favorites. I can't pick one. Of course Desolation Row and Phil's take on Tom Thumbs Blues.
I remember being a big fan of Stuck Inside a Mobile.... During the late 80's Alpine days. Still love it.

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Here is an option for tomorrow, 9/26/1980, The Warfield Theatre, second night. There is a good SBD Miller copy on Relisten/Archive.

I will be going through this entire run I hope this year. I have listened to a few and not all have SBDs and the sound quality definitely varies.

Everybody hang loose.

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9/26/80 you say?

I've been crammed into the crowded and way oversold Manhattan Center circa '71 for a few days now, and my minds been squished. It's been a fun trip.
I think I saw some of you there.

Great stories abound on the internet, a Dance Marathon on the East Coast in the Grand Ballroom of the opera house built by Oscar Hammerstein. An attempt to show all the seated venues of the area how to party. Capacity at around 2500 people, reports of 10,000 in attendance. Not much dancing reported. And the music created imho is quintessential spring '71 Dead. (Funny, not only do you have to quantify the year, but the time of year, as by the Fall they were yet another type of Dead, love it).

If you didn't get to it, I say give the other 2 nights a spin, 4/6/71 at the very least (the band take a rare dip into the back catalog and play the oldies!) and search out the many reviews & articles written about the shows. Or at least the reviews in Taper's Compendium. Worth the trip.

But Hark!?!? What's that I hear?

A call to change gears and dive into another legendary period of the Grateful Dead.
The hallowed Warfield Theater run of 1980.
I'm already at Birdsong.
These acoustic sets from the 1980s sure make for nice morning music. La Da Da Da...

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It would have been nice if the Dead had included, Rosemary, Mtns of the Moon , and Attics of My Life to their acoustic sets in 1980.

Absolutely!

I listened to 4-6-69 last night, it has a Baby Blue.
Now I’m wondering when the first Dylan cover was played. There’s some homework for today if any of you are bored.

I love the Dylan covers from the 80/90’s.

Well, I have to run to the beer store, which is by the record store, but 5-9-77 vinyl is out on October RSD. I’ll have to check today’s list of releases to see if I should buy some vinyl today.