• 8,077 replies
    marye
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    Bolo24 says: An Idea, Perhaps? Since we're all going to have a fair amount of spare time on our hands for the foreseeable future, what about starting another thread where we all listen to the same show/release on a given day and then share impressions afterward? Folks can submit suggestions and one person (not me) picks what we'll all listen to - call it Deadnet Picks or something. Anyway, if this idea is deemed to have merit, I'd suggest one of the loyal regular posters take the lead and do the picking - y'all can decide who. Might be fun. If it does go forward, I nominate Dick's Picks 18 for the first listen. Been talked about here lately, and, had it been a single show rather than a compilation, we'd probably be talking about it in the same conversation as Cornell, Veneta, etc. Or perhaps even Gainesville?? Stay safe and healthy, friends - this planet needs as many Deadheads as possible.

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  • The Good Ole G…
    Joined:
    While Walkin’ Around Pittsburgh One Day

    What a fun night!

    The Scene:
    We'd gotten home from Alpine and kicked around for a week or so and then headed over to Pittsburgh for our last taste of the Dead for the summer of '87. I guess it was a Monday night, but felt like a party. The only time we stayed in a hotel, and a bunch of our friends from Ohio had the room nextdoor. The rooms had a connecting walk through party door and we walked through it and partied all night long! It was off the hook. I can't remember if that was planned or coincidence, but feel like we didn't know until we got to the room. The hotel was taken over by Dead Heads and a party raged the whole time before and after. There was a Park & Eat diner up the road and we went there in shifts throughout the night, high out of our minds, laughing and shit like we were on a different planet, and we were. All these stoned out hippies flooding the place. We made up all these names for it, the barf & puke, the stop & ralph, we were rolling. I think there was a pool and the balcony circled around the pool.. but yeah it was 33 years ago, and we were all blotto.

    The Music:
    You ever been to a show with a friend and the band plays ALL of their favorites? That was this night for me and my buddy Walling. The place was electric and everybody was ready to party and so was the band. If I remember correctly, which is highly suspect, but mentioned elsewhere, there were guest musician rumors going around that day, so we were taking guesses on who it’d be, I was pretty sure it’d be Dylan, since they’d just played with him. I think that happened, but again the mind can do funny things. The show had that kind of extra excitement. There was magic in the air. And the band was on, Jerry was stomping around and belting it out and it had that ’87 energy of renewal. We’d seen it at Hampton, and felt it at Alpine (somewhat) but couldn’t see it there. So it was GREAT to have it confirmed in Pittsburgh. We had a great view of the happenings and just boogied down all night. If you weren’t hip before, when the Neville Brothers joined the band, everybody knew they were experiencing something special! I had definitely figured it out when Jerry started belting out Whoa’s during Shakedown Street, it was electric. What a fun show. It was my first & only Shakedown, and man it’s still my favorite. The first Knockin’ out of space was pretty epic to witness, by then we had been on such an adventure we just watched in awe, and then they revved up like a deuce with a couple more rockers to send us home or in our case, back to a raging hotel party that continued all night. Throughout, the band played my best friend & traveling partner’s favorite tunes that we didn’t see at Hampton or Alpine. The Shakedown > Samson, Iko > Day-O (he also loved that song, it was cosmically weird) > Women & closing Good Lovin’ & JBG encore, felt like it had been dreamed / willed up by my pal Harvey Wallbanger and we danced our asses off. Good times huh bro?!?!

    33 years later it still gives me the chills looking back on it and remembering

    Never Had Such A Good Time.

    Thanks to BLUECROW & JIMINMD for sharing their tales as well. And thanks to all for listening in with me, this one holds a special place in my heart. The band came to have an electric rock n’ roll party and that’s just what we did.
    EDIT: Ironic that In The Dark was released this day as well, and the band didn't play a single tune off the album, bad ass ;)

    What a band!

    Alright, what’s on tap for today?
    EDIT 2: Alpine Valley 7/7/84 you say...

  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    My turn!.....

    https://archive.org/details/gd1984-07-07.sbd.miller.94379.sbeok.flac16/…
    Alpine Valley 7.7.84. Welcoming Lovelight back into the fold! Let's do this!!!

  • DeadVikes
    Joined:
    7/6/87, etc.

    Jim and Bluecrow, thanks for sharing your memories of the Igloo! Really cool. Jim, yes, I do know what you mean, about the changes that occurred after In the Dark. The Dead achieved big time success, which I think was great for them, but of course it changed the scene forever.

    The ultra matrix I pulled up on Relisten was marginal. Maybe I am looking in the wrong place.

    Official releases versus bootlegs. I will say, this site would not exist if it wasn't for the official releases. Professional recordings, mixing and mastering take a ton of time and effort and in most cases sound way better than unofficial releases. If they didn't, Grateful Dead Productions and Rhino would not brother with these releases. I am sure glad they do, it has been tons of fun.
    I have also been surprised how good some of the shows on The archive or Relisten sound. Miller seems to do a fantastic job, however, it is still no guarantee that the recordings themselves were very good.

    Long live the Vault!

  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    Pittsburgh

    More a relation to timing, cash flow and where I was in college at the time, but I saw more shows in 87 than any other year. Plus.. I was kind of freaked by the 86 coma, which lead to full throttle 87 and Pittsburgh was less than two hours from where I was living at the time.

    I was there and it was a hoot. I was just beginning to know what the Nevilles were all about.

    What I remember from the whole thing was first that Jerry was looking and sounding better as the year went on. Second.. I was there with a bunch of college buddies and I could not wait long enough to ditch them and spend most of the show alone, just me and my girlfriend at the time. Something about people you don't know that well, that probably aren't that into the dead anyway talking while you are finding your footing is really annoying. So by Row Jimmy we had separated from anything resembling the crowd we arrived with and had achieved lift off.

    I have not listened to this since I was there until today. What a nice road trip and both brings back memories and reminds me how little I still remember. I do remember the Neville's centric second set and the drive back home a good bit.

    Well, that's the best I can recall.

    Oh, this might have been the day or the we ek that In the Dark was released. At first I was ecstatic, later deflated.. it was the beginning of the end of sorts.. We were no longer a small town, under the radar thing. It was so much more fun when were were under the radar.

    Oh.. and Otis.. it was hot as balls here today, and we are usually 10 to 15 degrees cooler than you. Great day on the river though. This working less stuff is a ok with me.

    CAUTION - DRIVER LISTENING TO HOT SHAKEDOWN. Truly the funniest thing I have heard all month. Hilarious, I want one of those stickers!

  • bluecrow
    Joined:
    7-6-87 - yep, it WAS a whole lotta fun

    hi everybody!! sorry, its been awhile posting, but i check in all the time on this oasis of friendship and good cheer.
    Pittsburgh 87 was one of only 4 east coast shows i saw (Hampton 88 the other three). I'd seen the Alpine shows, then went fishing with Dad and brother in Canada. just got back day before show. left Chicago area at dawn. for some reason took the scenic route, driving some US highway rather than the interstate. got a speeding ticket as I crossed into Ohio (65 to 55 speed trap) - boo. as i said goodbye to the kind officer i asked him how far to Pittsburgh? he looked at me funny - Pittsburgh??? long long day driving, lots of winding roads i think as i got further east but somehow made it to the arena. back in those days i would get to some confusing unknown city and just follow the cars that looked like they knew where they were going. just now flashed on a bumper sticker i saw wandering the lot that evening unwinding before the show -
    CAUTION - DRIVER LISTENING TO HOT SHAKEDOWN
    yeah, for real
    it was a heart of gold night. mail order ticket, might have been a GA show, but I was in the second level stage left. surrounded by kind strangers. more than a few empty seats in the arena i think. relaxed. really fun first set. remember Desolation Row as big cool surprise.
    and then that SHAKEDOWN - holy shit!!!! Jerry scat singing!! Phil!! craziness!! out of body rush just thinking about it!!
    and then "We ran into some of our friends the Neville Brothers" and its like you have got to be freaking kidding - Iko > Day-o > Women Smarter!! still have a dream vision of the stage during Day-O. yeah it was like a dream! coming out of space the whole place was buzzing with dylan energy, that bob d would join them. close. he was there in spirit. the knockin on heaven's door was one of the most righteous dead moments i ever witnessed. another vision of the stage as it lead to the first verse - unearthly blue/green lighting, the Nevilles, shadowed, slowly joining the boys. tears in my eyes. great good lovin set closer. then johnny b goode. super energy. smiles everywhere.
    at some point during the drive that afternoon i'd wondered what the heck i was doing. i left that show filled with contentment and happiness. of course i'm totally lost when i try to find my way out of town. most traffic long gone. i'm at a stop light, drifting in my own thoughts, when I look to my right and a couple of officers in a patrol car are 5 ft away giving me the real hairy eyeball. seconds from big trouble. I lean over, roll down the window, and ask Hi - which way to Ohio? the expression of the officer at the wheel suddenly goes from doom to Sure, let me help! Ohio? you take a left at this light! I'm like Great!! Thank you!! seconds later light turns green, i turn left, and make my getaway across some bridge. whew. at some early am rest area i remember a fellow traveler asking if I was headed to Roanoke. sigh. the answer was no - heck I didn't even know the next shows were in Roanoke. 10 years later i got to know shannon way out west. and she was from virginia and yeah the roanoke shows were way hot!! as for me, the next shows i saw were Red Rocks
    i'm listening to the Zaleski version on relisten right now - it sounds freaking fantastic, amazing pull, highly recommend!!
    https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1987/07/06?source=95912
    man, '87 was a fun year, with the newly re-energized Jerry. this brings back a lot of sweet memories.
    stay healthy and be safe!!

  • Zomby Woof
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    Joined:
    7/6/87

    This show might just be the most-listened to show in my listening history. I think it is so much fun, it is near the top of the list of shows I wish i had attended. Enjoy!

  • Thats_Otis
    Joined:
    7/6/87, another fine pick!

    I love that this board has gone more into the archives. I love the official releases, but there are so many gems in the ol' mine that sticking to just the releases exclusively would mean missing out on shows like this.

    Hooking it up to the stereo, hitting play, and spending as much of the day in the AC as possible. It is brutal around these parts... but a good book and a good show make it bearable. I hope everyone had a great July 4th weekend!

    Peace

  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    Pitt '87....

    ....that setlist looks tasty.

  • DeadVikes
    Joined:
    7/6/87

    Let's do it!

  • wilfredtjones
    Joined:
    Shakedown '80

    It's interesting how few times they played Shakedown Street in 1980. I know there's the one from Lewiston, ME in Sept. and the one enshrined on RT 3.4 Penn State/Ithaca. There's one too in Chicago, but not many more that year.

    7/6/87 is fun with the post-Space surprises. Enjoy if you tune into that! It would come with a recommendation from at least 2 of us, ;-)

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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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Lol, ok, nother story coming...
Yeah this show started out a bit “speedy” lol, but as Jim says bout the time the full SB kicks in so they seem to slid into the zone. Really digging 81 a lot lately.....Dave?

Ok, story. Doing merch on Ziggy tour winter 96...we’re in Salt Lake of all places. Staying in same Holiday in on the main strip with the band. Had them in their own separate wing if memory serves. So we happen to walk down that hall for some reason and shit you not, as soon as we opened the door and entered the hall the ganja smell was so intense I swear I caught a contact buzz by the time we reached the other end of the hall LOL! My cousin too and he quit years before that....Salt Lake of all the places, too funny. I loved working with those guys they were so cool and nice, and perhaps the hardest working group I’ve ever seen, but man did those dudes like to burn, prodigious is an understatement! Dam, sorry, memory jog, next show, same tour, first time in Vail.
My cousin wanted to head back home that night even though we had one more in Denver next night. So small venue etc, since not carrying through all those draconian states, asked their helper guy Bali if I could get turned on...so he takes me backstage where a bunch of road crew etc (some going way back to the wailers etc) are sitting in this tiny room, about ten folks, and they break out this giant spleef. So I take a hit and go to pass when Bali informs me the custom is to sort of bathe in it, spend time with it, take several hits, almost what we would call bogarting, so who am I to break custom etc. well after this goes round a few times I’m now completely otta my mind lol. So I make a polite excuse to extricate myself since I am supposed to work. Well I was too loose to truck and had to stand in a back hall have a smoke and chill,out for a while since our “booth” is the penalty box of the tiny rink only facing out towards the main entrance, which Is about 15’ in front of us and where ALL the cops, EMTs etc are hanging...so I finally meander back and as I turn and stare at these authority types staring at us, I immediately get the fear, which my cousin sees and understands, of course laughing hard and giving me shit to this day! Fortunately, being such a small venue, he says go have fun but be ready to help for the busy time as people leave the show! Thanks bro, phew, of course it snows like three feet that night but we’ve given up our room, and it’s February in Vail so no rooms anyway, Oh, and there wasn’t a gas station we could find. So as Im literally the last car through the I 70 closure gate as their closing it, guy waving for us to stop but my cousin telling me to go for it....so as there closing the dreaded Vail pass and my first time on the white ribbon of death, still stoned to the gills, with like next to no gas, in a rental car we got in Cali with no snow tires! oy!
Luckily we found gas up in Frisco and made the trek but man that was a tuff drive! I’d recently moved to Colorado, but had never been up their yet. Glad I grew up in the North east!
Aaaa the adventures of youth!
Another not so funny Salt Lake tale was of old roommate/bandmate who got popped driving right after sparking up leaving Salt Lake on LOS tour early century....long story short he wrote a great song called Calivada highway where (a bridge is built from Colorado over Utah with hilarious lyrics, including the chorus about building the plumbing so it flows right through so we can say Utah piss on you! (No offense to all the good folks we’ve met from/in Utah, just a funny song about a sore subject)
The look on folks face when we used to play it, priceless! Hard to believe they have medical etc now, there and Nevada with full legalization. Remember the days with the intimidating road signs showing a cop and proclaiming something like “1 seed equals a hundred years” or some such scary shit. Glad those days are starting to end!

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In reply to by Oroborous

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Holy crap Oroborous, you are smoking today, keep them coming.

Yes, the Blu Ray is special with the audio blue ray mix. Love to see them give us a video release with this mix again. Had a ball seeing this show at the 2019 MUATM.
New Speedway Boogie!
Remember those days?
We need to get back to that.

Stay well and everybody hang loose.

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I agree this is a pick of the day forum, not today in GD history..

So lets try and mix things up a bit today.. picked at random, how about 12/5/71, one of my first tapes. When I wrote the song list on the XLII S label, I used a red pen. I liked the the tape so much, I thought.. hey, for the really good shows I will use red ink. This lasted for about five good shows and then I got another batch and had no red pen. The stupid things we do for really no reason at all that seem to make sense at the time. 12/5/71 Felt Forum, lady in red.

So my toast, to things that seem to make sense at the time. I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream.....

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In reply to by JimInMD

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12/5/71 Felt Forum, I will check it out Jim.
Thanks.

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In reply to by DeadVikes

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Holy crap this board sounds fantastic. What is it about a great sounding show that turns your day around?

I washed my hands in muddy water. Love it.

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ran·dom
/ˈrandəm/
adjective
1. made, done, happening, or chosen without method or conscious decision.
"a random sample of more than 2300 grateful dead shows"

You guys are going way out there!
I like it.

Strider you were at these Felt Forum shows right?!?
I seem to recall you talking about Jerry playing a Fender Strat if that's where it's at...
Far Out.

What was the Felt Forum like as a venue?

Located inside the Madison Square Garden seats between 2,000 and 5,600 for concerts named in honor of Irving Mitchell Felt.

Seems as though the GDs popularity in NY at this time had them going to larger & larger Venues.
I should find out the story about Bill Graham's involvement in putting this on, having closed the Fillmore East and and telling the press on 4/28/71 that he was tired and it wasn't worth it. More negatives than positives.
Apparently, there were still some positives. Like some big fat sacks of cash!

BG intro.. harboring some resentment about Bob's baseball game and for smashing his shoulder. Love this stuff.

Oh wait... this is sounding like a This Day in Dead History.. shit!

PS - Jim that Fire On The Mountain yesterday!! Holy Moly, I loved that. Show was way off my radar. Really dug it. 1981 is ringing my bell lately. I'm telling you that year is in the air. DL is gonna release some :)
12/4/73 is ok, but the band sounds a bit fatigued.

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I have been there twice when it was named The Theater at Madison Square Garden..

I thought it was a weird place. Kind of an urban theater.. few frills, lacking the ornate gold leaf feel and Gothic/Victorian amenities. Typical theater seating in semi-circle curving around the stage. I do not recall a balcony and I recall the seating having a very shallow incline. Madison Square Garden is directly on top of you, Penn Station is I think below you. I recall it as being tiny, I cannot imagine 5k people there, maybe if your date sat on your shoulders... To me it seemed considerably smaller than say the Beacon Theatre which holds under 3k people. Maybe they can get rid of some baffling walls or dividers or something. Must have been a wild ride to see the GD there.

I think one of the times I was there was to see the How the Grinch Stole Christmas as a theatre presentation right before Christmas with my kid.. NYC is (was, will be again one day) a fun place to visit just before the holidays so long as you don't mind spending a little quality time with like 9 million of your closest friends. Hot Tuna used to play at the Beacon every year around Jorma's birthday between Thanksgiving and Christmas. A great time and place to see the Tuna.

Strider, wherefore art thou?

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In reply to by JimInMD

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Dug the Salt Lake show, but I think I liked 12/3 a tad more? You guys were right about the post drums! Wowsa...JG is rippin’ wicked good as the say up north. Glad I went back to it. Yeah, what is it about 81 lately? Dave.....

DV with the hit yet again. Forgot what a fun set list/show 6/17/91 is. And though the video is what it is quality wise, it’s so nice to watch them on occasion. I think the amazing sound on this one more than makes up for it though.
Think I’ve only seen this one a couple times so it was a perfect pick for my Friday night shenanigans!
That Giants box is awesome and yet another I haven’t spent near enough time with...

So from 81, to 91, to 71...
What version are you listening too?
Doubt I’m gonna have time for this today, but I should check it out ASAP. Had a crappy tape of part BITD (most of my tapes pre hiatus were crappy?) Actually used to play Muddy Water because of this tape, and it was easy lol.
Probably on a tape from one of our early shows we played out on? Man, someday I need to go through a bunch of that, but thats a huge project I don’t have time for and listening to much of that is painful...like seeing yourself on TV only worse.

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I went the first night of that run, 12/4/71. I listened two days ago by way of re-listen. Yesterday I listened to 12/5/92 Gila River Indian Reservation, ( not Tempe, Az as listed on re-listen). Was at the new Compton Terrace both days in 92 and December 90. Went to the original Compton Terrace in March 83, that was in Tempe. . Going to listen to 12/6/92 today and maybe Felt Forum 12/6/71 later. I remember the radio broadcast from 12/5/71 when it happened, WNEW carried it.
Was reminded just now about Acoustic Dead 12/6/80. Already loaded up in the iPhone.
Many Deadheads were waylaid by a major blizzard in December 92 trying to drive from the McNichols Denver shows to Arizona. It poured rain the day before the 1st Compton Terrace show driving from New Mexico to Superstition Mountains, where my 67 Chevy van died, but that’s another story.

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In reply to by Strider 808808

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Now this is not related to this Day in Dead History, but...

Do you all think it's just a coincidence that the longest Here Comes Sunshine (12/6/73) and the return of Here Comes Sunshine (12/6/92) happen on the same date?
Trippy, huh?!?!

Good Stuff.

12/6/71 is sounding good today, that transition back into The Other One from Me & Bobby McGee is tight! They were so on their game.

12/5/71 - I feel like I had a GD hour of Muddy Water & Comes A Time from that show, but maybe it was just filler on a tape, anyhow.. I've always loved that Comes A Time. The extra verse that Jerry sings is really poignant and always resonates with me. Even as a young lad, I could relate to that. Nice work Hunter.

12/6/73 - Gonna happen later today.

Strider - I'm curious of your take on how you viewed the scene in say '92 having been there back in the glory days and had been going to shows for close to 23 years at that point. So much had changed and yet, the magic could still occur. December '92 Jerry was back again and stayed that way for awhile. What was going through your mind during these December '92 shows?

Would love to hear. I caught the band in December '93 for my last show and I felt glad to be there, but a bit nostalgic. The band & the crowd felt like it was going through the motions that night, instead of feeling it. Coulda just been me.

But December '92 - Summer '93 there's some there there.

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I processed more torrent shows yesterday and loaded the ALAC files on a music player.
An hour ago or so started playing the first show displayed on the screen, and only just now realized that it is tomorrow’s anniversary.

12-7-68
Has some cuts but sounds pretty decent. Doing the 88674.miller copy.
Thanks Charlie.

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I brought an old friend to the Phoenix Dead shows in December 1990. He had seen them once before in the 60s at Winterland . The parking lot scene at Compton Terrace reminded him of a 1950s science fiction movie about people partying into the future while imminent disaster was ravaging the planet and the human race.
I vaguely remember an old British film from the 50s when the sun was getting bigger and would soon destroy the Earth. Beatniks were depicted having wild street parties. Saxophones and bongos. Nihilistic is the word that comes to my mind. This is a very generalized broad brush view of how wild the Grateful Dead scene became. Most Deadheads held down some form of work, myself included. So this is a comical view I hold about the later days of the Grateful Dead scene, (deadheads) I need to find that sci fi movie. Maybe it was “The Day the Earth Caught Fire”, 1961.

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That's rich Strider.
If you remember that movie please let me know, as that sounds like must see tv :)

Sometimes I wonder if this life is completely meaningless and totally absurd...

But most of the time I avoid thinking about that and listen to music to distract me and get some kicks.

I'm not one to tell people what to do, but if you skipped 12/6/73 Dark Star > Eyes of The World, do yourself a favor and pop it in soon before this ring around the sun is finished. It's big time. 3rd longest Dark Star or something for you statisticians.

And ConeKid is going Primal!!!

Primal Monday, I like the sound of that.
12/7/68
Rosemarinus officinalis, To wake the sleeping Beauty, she had to be touched by rosemary, a plant of many legends and ancient beliefs, and of many uses.
Also the flower of mourning.

How freaking cool is Robert Hunter?
And how inspired is a guy like David Dodd?

By the way in the annotated lyrics it seems to be in question whether or not they played Rosemary on 12/7/68.

You my friend can solve this mystery today!

The choice is yours, if you dare.

Good Stuff.

PS - and for a bit of randomness 6/9/84 Set 2 - Amazing!!

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Thanks Strider for bringing that '90 show on the res. back to mind. The scene was dusty but the liquor was clean. I had never seen a pre-show scene that wasn't paved and the freedom of no discernable authority was making up for the rag-tag that is selling to make enough to get to the next show. I thought the post-apocalyptic feel was from me going to a show solo but emotions can run strange in certain states of consciousness. It actually felt good to be back on the bus as it was my first show since the Folsum Field '80 fifteenth anniversary. Missed '92 Phoenix but caught my last ride at the '94 version and knew either Jerry or I wouldn't be at the next one. That turned out to be prescient as my next one was the 25th anniversary of my first show at Red Rocks 2003 with The Dead and Jimmy Herring.

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In reply to by 1stshow70878

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And where is Bolo? It has been a while.

I have been hitting up that 10/2/77 show quite a bit lately since Bob t turned me on to it. Just can't get enough of it. That Casey Jones and Dupree's are hot stuff.

December through January end up being long months, this year will be even worse.
How about a show released in ALAC and or FLAC for the faithful this month? That would help us all.

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Afghanistan? Angola?? It's got to be election season somewhere???

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December 7, 1968 gives us a cool view into the growth of the Dark Star suite.
With St. Stephen showing up in June ’68 time frame, it quickly finds it’s pole position following Dark Star and leading into The Eleven. By December ’68 the suite was about 6 months old. And on December 7th you get a great version of all 3 tunes. Dark Star clocks in around 13 minutes and has a lot of the flavor of it’s future self, but the songs growth in a little over 2 months will produce the stunningly magical Fillmore West ’69 versions. So by February ’69 this song reaches it’s zenith. But this version is definitely a point on the celestial sphere worth observing.

Fun show throughout and a rare glimpse into what the band was playing at this time. Despite the clipped beginnings, it’s a must have tape for your collection IMO.

I wish we had more shows from this time period (understatement).

Good pick ConeKid, I enjoyed that.

Also checked out the 12/5/92 Set 2 Strider was talking about and dug it. The band is playing well, good versions. Bob’s voice, it’s really gruff, but it adds a quality that I was digging. I think he had vocal cord surgery after this?

I like 90s GD. Shit, I might like all GD. Thanks for the ’90s memories!

October ’77, 10-2 is a ripper fo sure. Dig that Road Trips artwork from that month too.

Well, I picked up my bags, I went looking’ for a place to hide
When I saw Cameron Indoor Stadium from a ’73 December Night

I got as far as cleaning up the metadata and loading this on my devices last night... good to hear it this morning, better late then never.

The weight.. a song that carries special meaning for me. If you are bored one day, go to one of those sites that discusses song meanings and check out some of the interpretations. I think we all know what it's about.. but at least to me invokes one of those multi-layered, deep moments of reflection. For times when life is difficult but we have to find a way to pull through regardless. Sort of like 2020.

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In reply to by JimInMD

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Who has a pick for today? Jim? Bueller?

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I don’t listen to music at work, so it’s at night at home and in the car.

12-9-81 going now, but jumped to Bird Song, then Candyman, Cassidy, ChinaRider.
Now on Scarlet.
Yeah, not quite the same as 12-7-68, but I’m glad to have stuff from every year.

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Big fan of '81 Dead.
But... for some reason the 12/9 show hasn't really grabbed me up by the ears.

Let me clarify, I'm not bitching or trying to sound un-Grateful.
I'm happy to have this show to listen to and think about and with this release I know I don't need another version of this show so we're all good there.
But this is just me as a picky geeked out Dead Head discussing music with my homies during the ninth month of a global pandemic.
That all being said...
I think I have the same reaction each time I hear this show.
Which is: surprise.
Surprised this got released.

That's not to say I don't like it, I just find myself drifting off thinkin' there are some real smokers in December '81 and I'm not sure this is one.
First set is train wrecky, some pretty big audience patches needed, Bob being weird throughout.
That all being said, each time I look at the cover I think, what am I missing about this show, and so I give it a go.
I just haven't heard it yet. And yeah, didn't really hear it yesterday.
Personally, I think 12/3 smokes this show, but nobody really axed me that.

Now I'm listening to this China > Rider while I type and this is freaking good stuff.
But yeah.. this show hasn't reached December '81 go to status for me, but hey, that's ok!

And since we're talking.
Have we discussed Fade Out Tracks?
Since we're gonna be doing this CD medium for however long with Dead Releases, I'd love to propose something.
There's this cool trick I saw some bootleggers do when we were trading CDs BITD.
They'd add a separate Fade Out & Fade In track at the break point that way if you're not listening to the show on CD, say you were listening on a music playing device like a phone or what have you. You can just delete the Fade Out & Fade In track and the whole thing will be seamless again. So in this case, it'd look like:
Disc 1 Track Listing -
10. Looks Like Rain >
11. Fade Out

Disc 2 Track Listing -
1. Fade In
2. China Cat Sunflower >

So what I'm proposing is Cut those tracks so that Disc 1 Track 10 lines up with Disc 2 Track 2 and viola! Delete Fade In & Out tracks and you have Seamless Dead for all of us heads that are not listening to CDs and love seamless GD.

I sound bitchy. (read this whole post in the most non-bitchy way!! Just friends talking music here.)

Alright, Break time ladies and Gentleman.
But We'll Be Back Real Quick.
(insert big Jerry guitar fan)
See you in a minute or two.

Now, the total opposite side of this DaP V20 (which had a decent SBD in circulation for years) is an Unreleased SBD that doesn't circulate like...
December 10, 1973
Now this.. this here folks is a Go To!
Cause, it's all there is, there ain't no more (in circulation)
Supposedly there's what 4-5 songs that got excised due to "sub-par sonics".
(can't find any liner notes, anybody got the official explanation handy?)
From the one set list I found looks like Jack Straw, Jed, El Paso, BEW got nixed from Set 1 and a MAMU from Set 2.
But the rest is here in seamless glory for us to grok. And grok I must.
As the wonderful strains of 1973 Playing In The Band begin.
This sounds delightful..
I'm so Grateful for all you archival music releasing people, you are special, Great Work!!

Cast no stones

PS - JiminMD after your suggestion, I did read up on the meaning of the Weight, which I had never done. It was pretty fascinating the speculation out there. Now, what do you think it's about?

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In reply to by Strider 808808

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Master Strider

You have summed up what I wanted to say in one line when it took me many.

I still have much to learn.

I hear you man, there are better 81 shows. Would be interesting to pick DL brain on this pick. Anyway, it comes off the shelve a couple times a year.

Are you thinking 12/10/73 for today??

I still don't have this from the download series.

Stay well out there.

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DV - Yeah, Bob T twisted my arm and got me to go out on this December '73 tour, even though he ditched me in Cincinnati, we hooked back up in Cleveland. Sick Dark Star > Eyes bro!!!
The Durham show was good, but 12/6 was probably the best so far and the stuff in Boston on 11/30 & 12/2.

Just a few more to go.

LMK if you're gonna try and make the show and have trouble gettin' tickets, we might know of an extra.

Keep on Truckin'

Best,
GOGD

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Fade ins and outs between CD’s is really annoying.
Charlie Miller has been making seamless transitions for years, not sure why Norman has never figured out the concept.
I fix all releases that need it with editing software before loading onto HD’s and music players.

12-9-81
Stella struck me as quite good last night. Don’t know if I never noticed it before, or noticed it before but then forgot.

For me, this simply means taking on additional burdens that were not of your making and how this impacts your life and can bring you down emotionally. How someone else's irresponsibility forces one to take the right action or do right in order to avoid a greater catastrophe or additional harm to others.

Before I wrote this I decided I should revisit SongMeanings.com as it's been perhaps 20 years since I did this.. and there was a quote from Robertson I had not seen before that shed light on the songwriting process for this song. There is mention that specifics were purposefully left general so the song could take on a special meaning to the listener, which is certainly true for me. It also went on to add that Luis Buñuel was a major influence to the lyrics, so I had to check him out and watched one of his more popular films on YouTube, "Los Olvidados" or The Young and the Damned (with English subtitles). A pretty good little flick with a deep plot similar to the meaning of the song.. in this movie a young troubled kid gets out of kiddie jail only to continue his life of crime and destruction including theft and ultimately murder ultimately bringing everyone around him, even the most innocent down with him by mere association. Not the meaning I took from the song but just barely one step removed.

To me, it still carries a deep, personal meaning.. like I said I was never meant to be the responsible one yet I have carried a whole bunch of people throughout my life including now.. professionally and personally. It's not very much fun, often depressing and exhausting. But we all make decisions in life that have consequences both to us and those around us. I am a severely flawed human but I do try to grasp and understand each situation and try to do right or at least the best I can. My own brand of pragmatism I guess and I really try hard not to burden others with my own stupidity or lessor actions.

To tie this back to the Grateful Dead, I quote Phil Lesh from the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on 1985-06-27.. when two people were swinging dangerously from the balcony just before Stagger Lee Bobby stopped the show pleading that they stop hanging from the balcony to which Phil added, "Do what yourself what you want man, we just don't want you falling on somebody else." How many times have we all been that person that the guy hanging on the balcony fell on?

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I think you nailed it Jimi.

It's funny, having spent a lifetime hearing this song and loving it, I'm not sure I ever stopped to think about what it meant. I just always loved the way Rick Danko would sing the Crazy Chester verse. It always gives me chills (even as I write this) how much emotion he's able to deliver in that line and the way he sings it.

The songs always been a favorite. Since it came out in '68, I've been hearing it randomly here and there my whole life. I remember hearing the NRPS version from 5/2/70 with Bob & Jerry singing in around '88 (on the GD Hour I believe) and just losing my shit. The Grateful Dead are playing the Weight?!?!

Then as luck would have it, having not seen the Dead since Alpine '88, I happened to catch a show in Frankfurt Germany in '90 and they closed the show with the song. I was so stoked, it felt like they were playing it just for me. And maybe they were that night. I had no idea they'd been playing it for awhile. Back then, if you were overseas, it felt like it :)

Ah... Good Stuff.

Thanks Jim, I enjoyed the trip.

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In reply to by DeadVikes

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GOGD, you made some of that E 90 tour? Congrats.. so jealous.

I edited in a quote from Phil that relates this back to the GOGD, sorry to change my orig. post on meanings... Have we done 85 Saratoga yet? If not, we should try and fit that one in. It's been a while for me but it has always been one of my favorite tapes from that glorious summer of '85....

Oh.. and Cone Kid.. I get what you are saying, when I listen it's always digital copies, almost never the CDs.. but if had a hard cut from one song to the other it would sound really weird after the CD swap. I see the other perspective.

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In reply to by JimInMD

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Jimi - Yeah, you probably wouldn't be that jealous if you knew the circumstance behind it, but that's another story.
It was cool to see them in a place that small for sure!

DV - Tickets in the mail. PM sent.

I'm listening to Stella from 12/9 again to see if I catch the fever.
Short The Other One and another fade in before.. I'm not sure this will ever be my favorite. But I'm trying.

Meanwhile, loved 12/10/73 today and am gonna go back for more after 4:20ish this afternoon, give or take an hour or two :)

Good Stuff!

PS - '85 I'm still alive. Love me some '85! And Primal 12/11/69 stuff :)

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12-11-69 Thelma for tomorrow, some of it is on Dave's 10 bonus disc. Primal for sure But that Dark Star>Stephen>the Eleven>Cumberland to end the first set is the only time played and pretty awesome. Second set starts off with Morning Dew, can't beat that.

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I listen to new release CD’s twice to make sure they aren’t defective, then make a copy on a computer and type in the track names according to my system, then make any necessary edits and crossfades.
Then convert to AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, AAC-320, with each format on a separate HD. I then listen on music players and flash drives, so seamlessness (did I invent a new word? my spell checker thinks so) is mandatory.
The CD’s then go in a storage box (they stay cleaner that way).

At least with a 6-disc changer it moves pretty quickly to the next CD, so with a seamless transition between CD’s the gap is pretty short.
Single disc CD players are kind of like vinyl, but you get to sit on the couch for longer before you have to get up and change the disc.

My Garcia 15 showed up today. That’s going to spin tonight.
My Jimi in Maui got lost, so Uncle Beez sent me a new one.
People were discussing Anthem To Beauty the other day on one these boards. I’ve never seen it before, so I got one from Uncle Beez for like $6. Seems like a score to me.

12-11-69 tomorrow you say?
Sounds like a plan, and it’s even Friday night.

Edit:
The plastic thickness of the Garcia 15 CD’s is noticeably thinner than the Jimi CD’s.
Glad that the Hendrix Estate hasn’t decided (so far) to cut corners on manufacturing to save a buck or two.

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In reply to by icecrmcnkd

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Wow.. detailed. I can only surmise you have a user's manual and a detailed binder for Policies and Procures to be obeyed when setting up your metadata.

Perhaps even thinker than the set of binders I use. (kidding of course) :D

Pretty cool cone kid.

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In reply to by JimInMD

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Got my methods pretty well memorized at this point.
But, I do have a written list of HD’s and what’s on them to help me remember, since each main HD has multiple back ups.
Along with all the audio formats there are also HD’s for video.

I'm anal about my metadata and hard drive structure (how to label shows, etc.). Anything I have worked on since 2015 or so that's not an official release I save lossless as Alac, Flac and Wav. It just makes it easier to share as everyone seems to have different preferences. I can totally relate to your P&P manual and attention to detail.

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In reply to by unkle sam

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I'm always a day behind and a dollar short..

But I am enticed for a relisten, thanks Sammy.

Doesn't 12/11 wrap into 12/12 in the bonus disc or something like that anyway?...

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One of my favorite Dave’s Picks. The Workingmans Dead material sounds so low key. Black Peter has a real feeling of pain and aging segueing towards the last breath. Feeling of fever and suffering.
Somehow a cautionary tale.
Caution on disc three is chant like or hypnotic.
39 years ago on this date I saw the Dead first time in four years since Winterland on 12/29 & 30/77. Before that was 10/20/74. The Dance for Disarmament on 12/12/81 was interesting. Acoustic accompaniment with Joan Baez and then an electric set. Will give it a listen today but it was the complete New Years run later that month that was truly epic. 12/26 Eleven Jam was quite the exciting moment. I went all five nights in 81 when it was still the Oakland Auditorium.
Where’s Bolo & LMG.

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In reply to by Strider 808808

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Missed 12-11-69 yesterday, so now I need to make that up and earn extra credit.
Fortunately for me it’s the weekend and I’m not going anywhere (except outside later today to roast some coffee beans while it’s sort of warm and not raining).

I do have a legitimate excuse for not doing my homework, this week I received Jimi in Maui, Garcia 15, and the Anthem To Beauty dvd (watched it last night).

I see that I also missed
12-6%,7-71 (DaP 22 + bonus)
12-4%-73 (Winterland 73 Box bonus disc)
12-10-73 (DS8)

I better get to work because 12-14-71 (DaP 26) is around the corner.

Hope all this anniversary talk hasn’t driven away Oro.

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Dave's pick #10, but the bonus disc is the night before. Not that 12-12-69 isn't a great show too.

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48 years ago the last humans walked on moon. Next week Saturn and Jupiter will be in conjunction on December 21 the Winter Solstice.
Yesterday I hit a double header; 12/12/70 Santa Rosa Fairgrounds, ( killer Grateful Dead!!) and then 12/12/81 that I attended. Guadalupe Day. High Time.