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

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  • #1281
    rockthing
    Joined:
    5/19/74 > 2/22/69

    >daverock>

    The vocal dropouts are not evident in the audience tape, so that must have happened on the way to the board tape.

    That said, the recording is slightly overpowered by Jerry and Bob's guitars from the taper's vantage point, but a little time with a simple Equalizer was enough to bring more Phil and better presence to the vocals. I do recall a few lyric flubs with the new material, but in the overall mix it didn't really jump out at me. Probably much more obvious in the official release/soundboard recording.

    2/22/69>
    Oh, my. I can see this is gonna send me on a primal quest. I have all these fall '69 and fall '68 shows that I've never listened to, but I don't have much from the spring of those years. I love this gentle psychedelia. It's really these delicate type of sounds that really trigger the senses. I'm only up to Dark Star at this point, but what a beautiful way to start a show.... oops, "The transitive diamonds?" Haha. I'd probably have trouble remembering my name if I were there, so whatever.

    It's such a shame that we're restricted to streaming this show. Imho, if the official release isn't so significantly better sounding than one of these circulating boards that it isn't a no-brainer to buy it, then what's with the classism, eh? I know the boys need a retirement plan... but... --mini rant off--

  • #1282
    daverock
    Joined:
    5/19/74

    Rockthing - good notes on this show - cheers! I'm going through it very slowly, but it's the L.P. I am listening to. Although it has the famous vocal drop outs, the sound and balance of the instruments sounds fine throughout to me. I have just played the side with Loose Lucy and Money Money on. A short side. The lyrics are a bit naff on both of them - but I like the music, and they were both played so rarely that when they do crop up, it's a welcome surprise to me.
    I presume the version you have listened to has the earlier vocal dropouts too.

  • #1283
    rockthing
    Joined:
    5/19/74 (Part II)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • #1284
    daverock
    Joined:
    2/22/69

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

  • #1285
    Forensicdoceleven
    Joined:
    You can't blame gravity for falling in love…..

    Mornin’, rockers!!!

    Pick Of The Day: Dream Bowl February 22, 1969

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

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

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

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

    Rock on,

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

  • #1286
    daverock
    Joined:
    Heads in Mississippi

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

  • #1287
    PT Barnum
    Joined:
    5-19-74

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

  • #1288
    daverock
    Joined:
    5/19/74

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

  • #1289
    DeadVikes
    Joined:
    Dave's 13 and 42

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

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

  • #1290
    rockthing
    Joined:
    5/19/74

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

    A Pat Lee master cassette passed down the generations.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Submitted by marye on
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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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Submitted by JimInMD on Sun, 02/28/2021 - 21:19

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..and so ends a great winter. We are at flood stage and water is just now beginning to creep into the basement (largely cement). With perhaps a three to four foot base in the high country and 50 degrees, we got three inches of rain today and another inch in store before 8 am. Water is just beginning to enter the basement. It's officially a flash flood.

It's going to be a long night.. not that this is terribly unusual.. but always unnerving. Protect vehicle's, the big TV, computer eqpt and the sound system.

So what are the best GD flood songs? The Mighty Flood>Black Snake from 4/18/70 comes to mind.

And so the fun begins and the transition from winter to spring sports. I say who needs sleep anyway...

I do love rain and flood songs and train and railroad songs. It's baked into my being. Perhaps that will drive the pick of the day as much or more than the calendar. But I'm not picky.. so long as it;s good and hopefully GD or at the very least the JGB.

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Submitted by billy the kid on Sun, 02/28/2021 - 23:28

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I wish we could have some of your rain, we have only had a little over 3 inches, we are supposed to have at least 18 inches a year, we are in a terrible drought. I'm afraid the fire danger this year will be extremely high.

Its not by, or covered by The Dead, but "Tupelo" by John Lee Hooker is an amazing flood song. "When The Levee Breaks" by Memphis Minnie-and Led Zeppelin - is also a corker.

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Submitted by JimInMD on Mon, 03/01/2021 - 05:24

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Sending some rain your way.

I only saw the GD twice after 1991, I was simply too busy in that period of my life.. the last show I saw was the rain show. I think 80s fan and a couple others here might have attended too. 6/30/95 Three Rivers Stadium Pittsburgh. Their seventh to the last.

To open the second set:

Set 2:
Rain
Box Of Rain
Samba In The Rain
Looks Like Rain
Terrapin Station
Rhythm Devils

It was fun, not their best. Little did I know Jerry would be dead in less than two months. I wish I had seen more shows but I am content with the ones I did get to see.

Have a great week all.

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Submitted by The Good Ole G… on Mon, 03/01/2021 - 08:34

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Couldn't think of anything clever for my subject line.

6/30/95 might have to dust that off.
I remember in around '97ish my roomate telling me about that show and since I hadn't followed what the Dead were up to throughout most of the '90s, I was pretty interested in hearing their version of Rain as well as the "new songs" that he mentioned.

He talked about how they played Corrina at every show he saw, and I asked, what's that?
He put one on.
I was not overly impressed at what I was hearing.
I didn't dig into collecting 90s dead for quite awhile after that.

Funny.

Dead Air played a sweet upgrade to 9/11 & 9/12/73 last night.
It was kicking my ass.

And.. I stumbled on this today which is a really decent interview piece with Garcia & Weir if you haven't heard it:
https://archive.org/details/gd1981-00-00.interview.90795.flac16

So whose got a pick or are we gonna listen to the Rain show in honor of Jim?

Jim I hope the basement flooding doesn't get worse.

Monday... I'm def dragging my feet.

...It is then. At, but haven’t heard since...
then perhaps I’ll get to that 10/18/72 GOGD rated so highly.

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Submitted by The Good Ole G… on Mon, 03/01/2021 - 09:33

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Far out, I'll cue it up after this obligatory journey through 3/1/69 which is soooooo good.

And I will not compare the two.

OB - Prepare yourself to have your mind blown!! (I can't recall the quality of Pre-China Cat tunes, but man everything from China Cat on rules).

EDIT - I believe this is the first '95 POTD. I know we've talked about '95 but no "official" picks until today.

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Submitted by billy the kid on Mon, 03/01/2021 - 10:32

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What a show! I put this one on my Mt Rushmore of Grateful Dead shows. But what are the other shows that go there ?

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Submitted by The Good Ole G… on Mon, 03/01/2021 - 10:55

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BTK - The other 3 are Epic too! ;)

Jerry really nails it when he said if you put Aoxomoxoa & Live Dead together it gives you a vision of what we were doing at the time.

I add to that, if you put Aoxomoxoa 50th, plus Fillmore West '69 box, Live Dead & 2/11/69 FE together you get a view of what the band was really up to in early '69.

What a cool time for the band.

They'd passed through the late '68 turmoil in the band and Weir & Pigpen had managed to hang on and the band was going furthur.

Great Stuff!

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Submitted by gratefulgerd on Mon, 03/01/2021 - 11:43

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he was on duty, all the time.
he had the ability to look behind the mirror.
Great personality, sharp minded, he could analyse what's behind the scene.

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Submitted by billy the kid on Mon, 03/01/2021 - 12:51

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There is a quote on the Archive from Dick Latvala, "The best and the most exciting Grateful Dead show ever is without a doubt 2/28/69 Fillmore West". I dig this whole run myself, and 3/1/69 is my favorite, but I believe that all 4 of these shows could be placed on the Mt. Rushmore of greatest Dead shows ever. You would have to carve two more heads for 5/2/70 and 2/14/68.

Crested and beginning to drop. I should have given a full discloser, that Pitt show has some Jerry issues.. still, my last show. Since I have already absorbed what I can from that one.. I might follow BTK's lead and check out 3/1/69. Hope that doesn't offend anyone. I have to agree, if there is a run of shows that has more ferocity and focus than that run, I like to meet it and hang out with it for a while.

Cheers all.. the river is dropping and my pumps did their job. One one minor fiasco, but I did not take a big hit and this one is beginning to be in the rear view mirror.

Man.. I want to get vaccinated.. that would be grand. Setting the dials for 3/1/69 and cracking open a well earned beverage.

Good news.

I don’t have a flood song for you, but how about
River Deep, Mountain High by Burdon/Animals.

I saw a Take Me To The River in Memphis ‘95.

Good joke Vguy.

“It’s gold Jerry, it’s gold.”

Drums/Space in the latter years was usually quite good, and with a nice trippy light show.
And if you pee’d during the pre-Drums Vince song you got to then sit through all of D/S.

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Submitted by bob t on Mon, 03/01/2021 - 20:22

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I know it is not the pick of the day, or Grateful Dead but Wow!!! Haven't listened in a while... To quote Weird Science.... "Crazy.... Insane!!!" What a great Knockin on Heaven's Door and Stir it Up..... Volume 7 CD release... if that mean's anything.. Bob t

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Submitted by billy the kid on Mon, 03/01/2021 - 22:54

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It's to bad Bolo didn't find himself at the corner of Sutter & Vaness., but there certainly is some gold left at Post & Stiener.

Looking at Road Trips 4.2 which includes all of April 1, 1988, and part of March 31, 1988. I think this is a solid release.

Ler us know.

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Submitted by The Good Ole G… on Tue, 03/02/2021 - 07:00

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On the jingle-bell rainbow.

Wonder if proud walkers are where white walkers came from?

That George, he's a hoot. I think he dug Robert.
Did those two ever meet... hmmm.

April Fools & Jerry Band sounds fun!

PS - Dug that 6/30/95 show, one of the better shows of that year I would say.
Band sounding like they were enjoying themselves, and the crowd definitely sounded that way.
Far out.

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Submitted by JimInMD on Tue, 03/02/2021 - 07:57

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Good choices Bob and DVikes. I haven't listened to either in years. When I see Mission in the Rain or To Lay Me Down on a setlist, my ears perk up.

I like the artwork on Road Trips 4.2 and there's some interesting songs on those CDs. Ballad of a Thin Man, To Lay Me Down, a good Scarlet Fire, Estimated Eyes.. China Rider, Other One Wharf Rat.. and for good measure it's got a Cumberland.

Happy to see some palate cleansing Garcia Band too!

6/30/95: even better than I remember. I remember on the drive home we thought it had been worth the ten hour R/T drive time, and all enjoyed it, especially because of all the Rain. It was one of those you had to be there. Remember thinking “what are they doing up there” as they seemed to be waiting around with Robbie Taylor on the 2-way radio etc. I still think that between the radar weather station they had at those big outdoor shows, and they had someone out front of the stadium, and the band was waiting for the signal that the front had arrived, like they synchronized with the weather, because you couldn’t have choreographed that better if you were Bob Fosse!
It was a fun show especially due to the adversity, which the band rose above.
Unfortunately the recordings do seem to suck, but no so bad I didn’t enjoy the listen.
So onto 88 today...

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Submitted by Vguy72 on Tue, 03/02/2021 - 10:56

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....solid release. Except for the Watchtower on 3.31. It's pretty bad. Skip button territory.

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Submitted by Oroborous on Tue, 03/02/2021 - 12:08

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What VGUY said.
Your not Bob, Bob...

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Submitted by DeadVikes on Tue, 03/02/2021 - 21:23

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Have always loved this release and it reminds me of my youth. Ballad of a Thin Man never gets old and I wish they played it more than this show and the other gem from Hampton on 3/27/88.
I know this is a Healy recording but I don't think they ever revealed the source. Was this a Dat cassette? Sound quality is really good and would love to have some other 88 releases to compare it. Not sure when we will get another 1988 release. I liked this year, not as good as 1989, but there were some great shows. The four Alpine shows were a blast, of course I was a 17 year old hoping the train would keep rolling. It sure did for a while!

Bring on the next box release!

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Submitted by bob t on Wed, 03/03/2021 - 04:38

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I know zero about this show...sound board on archive... Opens with a Sugaree.... that's about all I can say. Bob t

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Submitted by bluecrow on Wed, 03/03/2021 - 07:23

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Thanks for shining a light on this DV. Been a long while. Great playing and a solid balanced recording by Healy (head and shoulders above most of his work in Spring '87). Really enjoying this listen (quite the raging Other One). Saw the shows in Hampton just prior (as did several others here.) After first night hanging with a dozen folks in motel room and Katie(?- name a little fuzzy 30+ years later) asks the room "What song would you like them to break out tomorrow night?" My choice was To Lay Me Down. Opening notes that night and I'm like OMG and I remember glancing down the row and there's Katie looking right back at me with this big smile on her face. Earlier in the set they played that first Thin Man and that was a crackling Holy Crap moment in itself. Such a powerful run of shows and other than a couple of shows in Pittsburgh my only shows in the East. Glad I got to experience Spaceship Hampton in person - thank you Grateful Dead ticket mail order!
12/28/78 is terra incognita for me also.
I've got a pick for tomorrow if I can beat you early risers!

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Submitted by Oroborous on Wed, 03/03/2021 - 08:42

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12/28/78:
Some times under a rock there’s only worms,...other times there’s gold!
BobT heading into the unknown jungle without bug spray or a flash light!
That’s the spirit!
ONWARD!

4,2: nice release. Some of these RT are pretty sweet. Remember this and the 82 release really surprised me when I got them. Yaasssss a Thin Man AND a Lay Me Down, AAAAND...it’s got a Cumberland!! good times!
BLUECROW bringing back wistful memories, especially about “spaceship Hampton”....siiiiiigggghhhh! I loved that place, the place itself and all the awesome shows I was fortunate to see there,....sighhhh...
Remember being a little disappointed with the year 87. Like they were back and all, but something was missing? Those Hampton 88 shows were like a drink of fresh water, just what the doctor ordered! The boys were back...

EDIT: yeah, BC, put your order in early! That way maybe it will get delivered on time ; )

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Submitted by DeadVikes on Wed, 03/03/2021 - 08:50

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Right on. Love that 3/27/88 Hampton show and sounds like it was a blast. More 88 please.

Bluecrow, give us the pick today and we will get it going tomorrow.

Stay well. Sun is out here in MN and mid forties, yeehaw!

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Submitted by JimInMD on Wed, 03/03/2021 - 11:37

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Ditto what everyone is saying. Thanks guys for keeping this rolling. I don't make each and every show, but I try....

I am declaring to day international fun day. Hoping others feel the same.

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Submitted by bluecrow on Wed, 03/03/2021 - 14:09

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Thanks for the green light guys. How about 3-17-93 Landover for tomorrow (3/4)? If this has come up before I missed it (my apologies.) There's a nice Miller board - https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1993/03/17?source=99608. FYI - the encore is sandwiched between set I and set II. Spoiler alert - going to mention a few of the tunes below.

Got to thinking about this show last few days. Wasn't at this show but I was surprised to find out my youngest brother was when he joined me out west August '93. I remember Gans playing Set II material on GD Hour shortly after the show and it completely floored me. Garcia plays Handsome Cabin Boy (no lyrics) out of Space (a complete OMG / I can't even...) and then after the Other One its the 3rd ever Days Between. This was my first exposure to Days Between and remember feeling like a portal had opened into another world of myth and dream, just full on spooky and haunting. And its the same to this day. A Hunter/Garcia masterpiece.

I'm not sure my brother even had a beer for this show as he was in midst of exams or some such for law school. He said the energy surge that swept through the crowd (and his body) with the opening notes of the Lucy in the Sky encore was unlike anything he had ever felt.

"Solid" show front to end. No Cumberland, alas, but its got a Desolation Row. Also, an early Lazy River Road, another of the latter songs I really dug. Plus there's a Dark Star :)

Enjoy. Onward.

12/28/78: never would of gone there otherwise, so, glad I did. Nothing mind blowing but another solid Dead show!
And another notch on the proverbial bedpost....
Was Phil Singing backups on Truckin’?

3/17/93 works for me, mañana!

This is a really good show, thanks for the pick Bob t. What did you think?

78, what a year for the Dead. Most really love, including Dave, the first half of 78. Most likely because they feel it maintains the 77 vibe. I have really never felt that based on the releases to date. Great shows, but it really doesn't stack up to 77.
For me, late August through the end of 78 is the best part of the year. The energy just feels so different after they returned from Egypt. And the release of Shakedown Street!
This show is a monster, I will definitely listen to it again soon. The Shakedown is fantastic and the late 78 Estimated Prophets were really groovy, into a short really fast Eyes. And we get a Truckin (Sounds like Phil Oroborous) and Wharf Rat. I will have to check out the previous night as well soon.

Okay, Bluecrow, on to a 93 show for tomorrow. Looking forward to checking that one out.

Thanks all, this has been a great experience.

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Submitted by Vguy72 on Wed, 03/03/2021 - 22:06

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....I will not look at the setlist.
12.28.78 has a really good Shakedown and Estimated. Love me a ❤ Of Me as well.
Edit. Whelp. I glanced over bluecrows critique. Lazy River Road you say?

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Submitted by JimInMD on Wed, 03/03/2021 - 22:15

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I look to 2021 as a year of growth. When the E72 box was released.. I listened to each show in sequence, what a blast that was.. virgin listen after blow my mind virgin listen. It was so much fun and I had never done something like this before. From there I kept the torch alive and went in sequence show by show through mid year '78 at which time I got burned out on the whole ordeal. But that journey lasted years and was to me rewarding.

With the Doc Project and the 50th aniv of the '71 shows combined with newly restored Capitol run I am hell bent on listening to '71 in sequence. No reason, just because I think it will be fun, so far so good. I will keep the pace here too, as best I can.

Peace all.

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Submitted by Strider 808808 on Thu, 03/04/2021 - 05:33

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50th anniversary’s on the days and corresponding dates.
Safari so good. Thoughts on 3/3/71 Fillmore West. Five of the new songs get their west coast debut. March 1971 was when I turned 17. I can’t say enough about how great an era for the Grateful Dead it was. Jerry played several different guitars that year. Also a few personal changes in the band formation.
Somehow the fresh vibe of that exciting year comes through in the recordings.
I need to read Docs work about 1971.

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Submitted by The Good Ole G… on Thu, 03/04/2021 - 08:06

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Gonna Wave To The Curious People's in the Pick Of The Day Forum :)

Good stuff you all!

'88 Hampton sounds dope, and calling TLMD.. nice work BlueCrow.
The 3 nights I spent at Hampton were awesome, have loved that place ever since.
Energy Vortex!

12/28/78 was fun and I agree with DeadVikes observation about the band after Egypt.
I love set 2 of 12/30/78 at the Pauley.. that show rocks!
And then we all know what happens the next night, wow.

And then there's 1971, in which young Strider began to really cut his teeth on this here band.
Another big Wow.
Jim let us know how that '71 journey goes, that's dead-i-cation.
With a thirty year archive of music and the constant upgrades and releases, I have a hard time making it through a whole tour, let alone a whole year.
But we'll see.. maybe someday or maybe not.

However, today... it's 3/17/93
Which I'm glad this came up as I noticed a Soundcheck I didn't have.
Cha-Ching!

Alright, time for some good trouble :)

EDIT: 4 of the newer tunes and a cover bust out. Don't tell me this band ain't got no heart in the '90s ;)

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Submitted by The Good Ole G… on Thu, 03/04/2021 - 12:38

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As has been mentioned Drums > Space really was going some far out places in the final years.

Mickey's trance influences begin to appear and really help with the time traveling.

When Jerry comes in on this Space on 3/17/93 the dynamics of the recording are just about exactly perfect.

I keep thinking it's coming from somewhere else.. but it's right here in my head.

Nice Pick BlueCrow, This is a real cool show, digging it.

Playing In The Band > Dark Star > Drums > Space > Handsome Cabin Boy Jam > The Other One > Days Between

Pretty dope. :)

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Submitted by bolo24 on Thu, 03/04/2021 - 13:55

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...on this forum.

Kudos to the faithful for keepin' this train on the tracks! Y'all are good people.

Looks like Cousins is first with the box set reveal. Sweet!