• 8,100 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.

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  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    And so it is....

    I'm in.

    Been busy lately and gone a bit. But I'm home today and queueing this one up.

    Thanks doc and thanks to all. We truly have a lot to be grateful for.. I was just reading up on the history of Valentines day. Most of these ancient holidays seem to end with a beheading or crucifixion. I guess we have evolved a little, although it doesn't seem that way when I watch the news. Baby steps over the centuries. Whoever invented the electric guitar and recording devices needs a medal.

    Can't leave 2/14/70 off the list of classics either. How cow, February packs in a punch. Nothing wrong with the classics, in fact.. I kind of like them. 2/14/68 is certainly one of my favorite all time shows, wowwow stuff.

  • Forensicdoceleven
    Joined:
    Anything you're good at contributes to happiness…..

    Hey rockers!!!

    Pick Of The Day: Carousel Ballroom, February 14 1968

    And the early Grateful Dead, primally speaking, were very good at it. Dedicated now, as it was then, to the memory of Neal Cassady……

    I only said I would try to avoid the classics. It’s open to debate, but this may be one of, if not the first, classic Dead shows. Sorry but I couldn’t resist. Back in high school Anthem Of The Sun was some of the first truly weird Dead we ever were exposed to, and this show is Anthem in extremis…..

    Back in my tape trading daze, excellent copies of the second set circulated widely and were revered for their primal stupendousness. Flash forward to March 21, 2009, when the complete show (along with some crazy good “bonus material”) was released as part of the Road Trips series. That series gets shit on a lot, but actually featured some really excellent releases, this perhaps first and foremost. In fact, this may be one of the most important Dead releases ever. Of course, just one man’s admittedly biased primal opinion……

    Cue it up, find a comfy chair, add some green leafy material, and voila!! Happiness!!!

    To understand a name you must be acquainted with the particular of which it is a name…..

    Rock on!!!

    Doc
    In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted…..

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    Neglected boxes

    Fo sho.
    That’s the by product of too many shows…

    I’m actually half way through 3/15/73, but I’ll hit some 5/19/74 after.
    So far this show is good but maybe not great, though after a nice HCSS and now this sorta frenetic jazzy PITD, things are picking up!

  • DeadVikes
    Joined:
    3/29/83

    Shoot OB, you were busy this weekend. Nice work. Yes, the aud recording for 3/29/83 is an okay audience recording. A little rough.

    I have been digging into some past box sets. Enjoyed the tour through LTTR. I really like the MSG box. I keep listening to all six shows periodically. Love them! Such a different time period than all the past box sets. Hope we get more of these in the years to come.
    Going to hit 5/19/74 from the PNW box today. Interested? I think this might be my least played show from this box.

    Looking forward to this year's box. Wish we didn't have to wait so long to find out what it will be. Not sure where Dave is going this year. I do think they will release the October Winterland shows for the 50th anniversary next year (at least I hope it happens) Enjoy your Superbowl Sunday out there.

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    Ooops

    Though 3/29/83 is a decent enjoyable show, it unfortunately was only a mediocre aud, not a SB as advertised?
    Liked the Miller a little better than the other one.
    Ok Jack, and Bird song in cool spot, some status quo first setters, interesting early, alternate lyric 4th Easu, another Bob song I always liked but perhaps didn’t understand fully, lol. Nice Big RR, though not quite like those ripping 81s! Into GSET for another interesting fun set.

    Second we get the second time out for H/S/F since 77. Good, welcome effort but all three songs had some ruff spots.
    Rest pretty typical for the time with still sorta new feeling Stones and haven’t nailed the slick Segway into NFA yet.
    Rocking JBG and another sweet Baby Blue. 83 has some nice ones!
    So not a mind blower, and the Aud might scare some off, but hey, that’s what happens sometimes “when we just ride”
    Some times you eat the Baaaarr, sometimes the Baaarr eats you. But nothing ventured, nothing gained…
    Going next night, 3/30/83 for extra credit since it appears to be a SB…maybe hit Docs primal I’m behind on later?

    EDIT: DHB hat trick?…technically probably not, but did complete 3/29/83, 3/30/83, 2/2/68, and 2/3/68!
    All were dug, some more than others. 3/30 seemed a step up from 2/29/83 and the 68s were proper, forgot how much Clemtine has an ABB vibe to it, good sheet Mon!

    Don’t think I’m in the video? We were center lawn in fairly close.
    Went with the CD this go round…

  • DeadVikes
    Joined:
    6/16/90

    I have always liked this show and the video. And you were there OB, that is great. Sounds like fun. Are you in the video?

    Yes. the first two songs get the show off to a great start, Truckin, at the number 2 slot! That second set jam/space after Terrapin is interesting. Charlie Miller has the whole sequence as Terrapin, but I think it moves out of Terrapin. Anyway, great stuff. Love those Baby Blue closers. If you stay tuned in after the encore they have some great bonus footage from 10/2/87 from Shoreline. Another great show.

    Alright, count me in on the 83 show!

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    3/29/83

    Howsa bouta a little 83 energy for a Fri yea?

    6/16/90: good call DV! Haven’t heard this since the Shakedown Stream, man those were fun.
    Needed some kind of ritual at the time, even TOO watched and she ain’t really into the dead.

    Always dug a good Good Times Roll opener, usually a good sign. Fun Truckin if not mind blowing, solid Touch O,
    Nice FOTD, hot Cassidy, fun but perhaps trepid Big Boss, but fun non the less, and another slightly unusual and fun OMSN to close a fun set.
    Though the first might not of been thoroughly consistent, the second set gets going nice, good versions of most songs, and a nice China Doll in spite of Jerry struggling a bit. Rousing Mags and and always welcome sweet Baby Blue encore. But!…But, to me that whole sequence from Estimated, terrapin and all that awesome psychedelic goodness that follows is what makes this show stand out for moi.
    For a while I was thinking “this shows ok but..?, “ by half way through the second those thoughts were gone baby gone. It’s a shame JG didn’t fully nail the China as that would of really took it up a notch overall.
    Good show, even better in person, first trip to the promised land, hot 20 year old GF along, tripping the light fandango in the cool California night sea breeze. What a trip that was, sighhhh.
    Dems we’re da daze…

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    It’s like

    That image that shows either two faces or a chalice depending on how you look at it.
    If I try to hear those anomalies I can, but if I just crank up some tunes and don’t try, then I only notice when it gets bad, if that makes sense. Another variable: plangent etc. Those old Road Trips and Dicks didn’t have the benefit of Plangent.
    Capitol 71 bonus disc did, AND, their multitrack so if say Bobby had some weird noise issues on his line, it couid isolated and messed with. Wood really love to hear some of that deconstruction tech they used on the Beatles…

    St Louie: going in I thought I was going to dig the 73 the most, and that one disc probably is my pick of the litter. I thought I’d dig the 71, but comparatively not as much as the other 2 years. But at first the 71s really stood out to me.
    I love when that happens!
    I think I recall thinking the music was great overall, but that there were some unfortunate anomalies.
    I guess to get full shows that’s going to happen sometimes especially in years that have been mined more extensively.
    To me when it comes down to it and your properly prepped and ready, once you settle in it’s all about the music!
    Like the band entraining, after a while it all becomes one…

    DV with a call for 6/16/90. That sounds good, just not sure if I should wait and watch it, or just fire it up now?
    Thinking I might dabble this WE with the Louie…still have some primal Doc to catch up on too.
    Finally getting a few extra days off, then one last push at this job swapping out net and installing new Cisco stacking tech. Owners are supposed to be gone so maaaayyybbbeee I can catch some tunes. I really need to get a portable personal rig but I’m such a snob that would get pricey and more importantly I don’t have time, err, if /when I do have time I’d rather just sit and listen to tunes!
    So 6/16/90, think that was my 86th show, weird/cool vibe, you had to be there, or maybe it was the roses ; )

  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    10/18

    For me there's a certain point where both the right brain and left brain agree that it's kick ass Grateful Dead I am listening to and recording anomalies fade into a blissfull background.

    Let it be known i am a recording snob.. so it hurts by my left and right to commit to great performance vs. great recording.

    I still think so highly of this run. Warts and all, it's classic Fall '72 GD.

  • DeadVikes
    Joined:
    72 St. Louis Shows

    Appreciate the insight Jim, BC and OB.
    I have found sometimes, for whatever reason I hear differently after the first go around with the Dave's and the Box sets. Most of the time, I think damn this sounds so good, once in a while I think, this sounds a little off. Sometimes I panic and think my speakers must be blown. I need to go out and replace them.
    Of course, yes, we are lucky they recorded almost all these shows. We all know there are all kinds of different results of the shows and recordings for various reasons. I would think there is no way Norman finished mastering 10/18/72 and texted Dave and said you can't believe how good this sounds. I could be wrong.
    I totally hear what you are saying on the 71 shows OB. Some of them definitely have a different sound to them, Dick's 35, RT#1.3. Great, but different. And then I compare them to the 71 Port Chester shows which sound incredible and are some of my alll time favorites.

    Jim, sorry to hear about the issues you are having, definitely hard stuff to deal with.

    Let me offer up Charlie Miller's 100th show for tomorrow, 6/16/90. There is a newer version from the man himself from 2019 and the version from VFTV III.

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

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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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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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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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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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In reply to by icecrmcnkd

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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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9 years 1 month

In reply to by The Good Ole G…

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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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13 years 5 months

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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In reply to by unkle sam

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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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13 years 5 months

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.