Pick of the Day, with Discussion

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April 6, 2020 - 9:47am

8,062 replies

marye

Joined:
May 26, 2007

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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September 23, 2023 - 4:43pm

#811

1stshow70878

Joined:
September 11, 2014

5-10-72 Amsterdam (+ 5-11 Rotterdam)

I really liked this one. Part of that may have been a good focused late night listen. Mix was slightly different with more Bob, maybe less Keith? That highlighted by Bob's interesting work in China>Rider too. They attempted to slow the tempo in the Rider part but not everyone caught the drift there. Maybe I liked it for the set list and song order again which I found appealing in more than one of the tour so far. It does seem to be the difference some times in what I perceive as a good show. Highlights: Loser, Big Boss Man, TOO which was extended and very spacey (one part had the cat looking at me like WTF?) in the first go, then a little jazzy Keith, then a lengthy somewhat quiet interlude before >Bobby McGee>TOO again. Maybe the best Sing Me Back Home so far of the tour. And a sweet but shorter Sugar Mag> NFA> GDTRFB> NFA again to end. Again DeadbaseX way off with setlist out of order and missing songs. Not really counting on that being right anymore. Still plugging away with Rotterdam next but may get stalled Mon. - Tue. with a trip to the Four Corners region. Need us some slickrock and petroglyphs before the weather starts turning.
Cheers
Edit: 5-11-72 Rotterdam. Jeez- Louise! I can see why Oro said this might be his favorite EU72. The whole 1st set is at that slow, let's get this perfect pace and is another killer set that starts with a Playin' so you know it's going to be good. Then this 2nd set starts with a Dew and is monumental with the best DS so far and one that is now in my top 5 of all time and the 2nd set jammed portion runs like 75 minutes! The final Caution/Who Do You Love is a great way to end that song's run. I googled best show of EU72 and this one came up often and is in the top 3 or 4 in most lists. Just a wowzer.
September 23, 2023 - 6:06am

#812

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

Icecrmcnkd

Crumbs...sorry, I wasn't expecting that for an answer. Thanks for the heads up - nice that them upstairs read these posts.
September 23, 2023 - 4:24am

#813

icecrmcnkd

Joined:
October 20, 2015

Daverock

The September GD Bulletin came out yesterday in an email.
At the end there is a section Community Bits that briefly summarizes what it being discussed on these boards.

It says:

In the Pick of the Day, With Discussion thread, Daverock raises the interesting point that for Europe ’72, there weren’t so many Dead Heads in the audience — and that affected the band’s playing. Maybe for the better? What do you think?
September 23, 2023 - 3:22am

#814

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

Icecrmcnkd

Sorry - I'm not sure what that means!
September 22, 2023 - 3:00pm

#815

icecrmcnkd

Joined:
October 20, 2015

GD Bulletin

Daverock gets the call out.
September 22, 2023 - 2:43am

#816

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

Bickershaw and repetition

1stshow -no, I have never heard Hawkwind's set at Bickershaw. Curiously, I have never read anything about it either, not from the band or from people who were there. Simonrob was there - maybe he knows something.
1972 was the year it all came together for Hawkwind, culminating in the Space Ritual tour in December. In fact - a timely thought - the 11 cd special deluxe edition of Space Ritual is out next Friday. Probably not good value for money unless you are really into it - they basically played the same set on that tour wherever they played - this new set features three of them. I'll be getting it - but the original album may be better value overall.

Going back to The Dead's repetitive - or otherwise - song lists - they would have played to a different audience every night, for the most part, during E72, so maybe it mattered less than later on if they played the same songs a lot. Maybe that was the case for American gigs at first, too. It wasn't common practice in England in the 1970's to see the same band twice on the run, so I wouldn't think it was in America at first. As teenager, apart from anything else, I wouldn't have been able to afford it.
September 21, 2023 - 8:50pm

#817

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

Repetitive, Sort of..

With the exception of Copenhagen and London, they hit these cities just once and my guess is most locals had not had any real exposure to the touring Grateful Dead. Copenhagen is the real outlier, two hits at the same venue and similar second set setlists.

I always assumed they wanted to make a presence in Europe and knowing people were not as exposed in the US, wanted to paint a strong picture for each city.

So 51 years later listening to the whole tour, there is lots of repetition. But if you were there then, it was all brand new. That's how I digested it. They wanted to hit Europe with a cohesive picture of what they were doing then not knowing when or if they would return.
September 21, 2023 - 3:23pm

#818

Oroborous

Joined:
June 19, 2007

RE: repetition

Yeah they always went heavy on what was new. Guessing partly for their own sanity/interest, and partly for the crowds.
Not unlike Taylor Swift etc: make an album, go on the road to support it, rinse and repeat…of course like most things, they weren’t that formulaic, thank goodness lol. Plus, they were smart enough to figure out that it’s better to work stuff out on the road BEFORE you go into the studio to record it, especially when you do constantly tweak and re-invent them. So this tour was perhaps a bit of both lol.
Also, (think we’ve discussed before?) folks didn’t tour so much back then, probably not at all in 1972 Europe?
So they didn’t have to worry about that like they did later on.
Sometimes I think they, or someone, just really enjoyed certain songs, so played en more.
I’d say they played less repetitive in some ways as the years passed and they had more and more songs to choose from.
Ok, maybe not Bob, he seemed to need to play everything to death lol. Speaking of, why Me&My Uncle every night! I mean they just put it out on the last live album only a year before! With so much new stuff as the Dead, and from WM and AB, AND both Bob and Jers recent solo albums, why Bob, why LOL ; ) Perhaps trying to bring more American “culture”?
As far as reinterpreting songs, I think they always did that, though some more than others and with various results.
I guess that’s yet another thing dependent on the listeners taste and chever way yer pleasure tends…
But I’d bet the biggest factor on this tour was trying to get at least one good useable version of all the new material since they purposely chose this methodology to get the new songs out on a new album. That and mix in some familiar stuff as you never want to do all unknown songs. I could tell ya a story about doing that lol
September 21, 2023 - 2:35pm

#819

1stshow70878

Joined:
September 11, 2014

Bickershaw again

Finishing up as I write.
Highlights: Dark Star, The Other One, Lovelight (Jerry!).
The line-up for this festival is astounding. Woodstock level of mud too.
DR, guessing you've heard Hawkwind's performance. Good?
Cheers
September 21, 2023 - 2:20pm

#820

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

Repetition

Is that true, though, that there was more repetition of songs during the E72 tour than others in the late 60's and 70's?
I haven't checked it out, but listening to shows, I always get a sense that they had a core group of songs that they leaned on during specific tours. It was the same listening to the 1973 box that has just come out. There weren't any shows that were wildly different from any other - possibly 6/10/73. That has a different feel than the earlier ones.

That's not a criticism - the more they played specific songs - especially the ones incorporating jams, the better they got to know them and the more they were able to re-interpret them. Part of the ongoing mystery - especially from late 1971-1974. Maybe.

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

Currently Listening To...

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.

Cognitive Diffusion Strategy

I'd select 9/19/70:
St. Stephen >
Not Fade Away >
Darkness Jam >
China Cat Jam >
Not Fade Away

And crank it up!

Anthem of the Sun.......

Anthem of the Sun, Workingman's Dead, blues music, great bbq, and lots of ice cold beer, the world is always a better place.

Bolo

To achieve a peace accord the psychedelics would have to be required, and more than 30 minutes of music would probably be needed. But each country could throw out 10 minutes of music (as part of Set 1), then the GD Nation would get Set 2 for 60 min.
I would end it with 5-8-77 Morning Dew.
Somewhere before that a China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider would also be needed. Probably one from E72 since European dignitaries would be present.

Ha, yes..

The 2021 Camp David Pop Festival. Electrify Camp David.

I'd have to go with 8/13/75 Great American Music Hall

Bolo... The Bill Graham intro and then the Help>Slipknot> Franklins... bob t

I Don't Know

If we dosed them.. 2.14.68 or Live Dead? After 30 min they will either beg for more or politely ask for a straight jacket and a padded room, the exception might be Kim Jong Un, who will likely ask for a pack of smokes and access to some good American porn.

I have it on good authority...

...that Putin sobs uncontrollably every time he hears Peggy-O.

12/6/73

Dark Star, after this 43 min blowout, they would have to regroup and sue for peace.

Psychedelic Camp David

Although a mind-bending Dark Star sounds good to the experienced, I think it would only take one freak out and nukes would start flying.
Better to ease it in.

So,
start off with Peggy-O (Jim’s choice).

Followed up with a smokin’ China->Rider. Although I previously said a 72, I’m thinking that the situation calls for a 74 with the extra jammy transition.
Now the dignitaries are all up and dancing, with big grins that they can’t wipe off their face.

Time for some grease!
Good Lovin’ or Lovelight with Pigpen on full display.
Now the dignitaries are all happy and hugging.

Follow up with Help/Slip/Franklin’s.
Putin is twirling so fast the sweat is flying off his bare chest.

Now bring them back to earth with Morning Dew.

Who knew that achieving world peace could be so easy. It just takes the Good Ole Grateful Dead and some psychedelics.

Or is it whirled peas?

Weird

Almost as soon as I made this post last night.. a 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Sedanca de Ville appeared and parked in front of my house. It really stands out in my neighborhood and people have begun to take notice. It came with an immaculately dressed, elderly Korean man wearing a top hat of all things. License plate reads ODDJOB.

Weird. He gets wigged out easily, got really pissed when I called him Random Task for example.

One caution regarding an incendiary Morning Dew. The song is about nuclear fallout that kills all of humanity. Might save that until after disarmament. Has anyone out there seen the 1959 movie On The Beach which? It inspired the young Ms. Dobson to write the song. A pretty cool flick and it gives you some insight to what inspired the lyrics. Her original version has some haunting vocals that provide, in a sense, some of the same emotional content and feelings of hopeless despair that Jerry brings in his voice and guitar.

Edit: More accurately stated, Jerry brought some of the same emotional content via guitar and vocals as the haunting vocals on Bonnie Dobson original recording. Both send chills up my spine.

Good point Jim

The meeting should start with Morning Dew to show how bad things could be.
Then pull them out of despair with a rockin’ Shakedown.

If the negotiations fail then end the meeting with Throwing Stones and a Day Job encore.

RE: Morning Dew

My favorite is still 12/31/76 - NYE Cow Palace. We were there with several college friends, mostly non-heads. The whole night was full of synchronicity for us - almost magical. More on that another time.

During MD, everyone around us was completely silent, just soaking it all in. A girl with our group whom I didn't know turned to me at the end of the song, tears streaming down her face. She didn't understand why she was crying and asked me what the song was about. When I told her, she put her head on my shoulder and just sobbed. Looking around the folks near us, she wasn't the only one moved to tears. Powerful performance - stunning, really.

Bolo Morning Dew

Wow!

Man, you sure were at a lot of legendary shows, lucky guy.

DV

Helps to live in the Bay Area - no shortage of GD/JGB/Kingfish/etc. shows here, back in the day

12/31/76 Tomorrow Then

Great story Bolo.

Guaranteed success at Psychedelic Camp David

Have Al Franken dress up as Henry Kissinger and host the event.
He can even pick the tunes.

Al Franken

He does a great Kissinger.

I'm pretty sure I discussed this on these threads.. but I had an airplane seat next to Mr. Kissinger 15 or 18 years ago, give or take. What a trip that was... Franken nailed it. The voice.. classic. And an avid taper. Dammit Henry, give me that tape, I'm gonna erase it right now.....

Keithfan reminded me on the 38 page....

....that this is the anniversary of St. Paul '77. Been too long since I've listened. Screw peaking at the set list. Firing it up now.

Cow Palace 76

This show is always welcome Jim. A big favorite.

Keithfan and VGuy have sucked me in...

5/11 at such a late hour. Starting at Scarlet Fire, will hit the highlights of set I after. Work tomorrow will not start at 8 am.

Edit: It's got a Peggy-O

5/21/82 for marye

Has anyone ever brought that show up yet?

If it were me, from '82 it'd be a good recording of Red Rocks 7/28. :-)

Have a Grateful Day all...

May '82

@WTJ as far as I can tell, May 1982 hasn't come up.
I thought the greek shows had been discussed, but.. if so I didn't write it down, I guess.
5/21/82 looks fun.

5/11/72 - still working through this puppy. Fun stuff. Pigpen's organ on Good Lovin' is super tasty. Pig must've been feeling pretty good this night, 7 tunes and some nice organ playing.

5/11/77 - Shiz, been diggin' May '77 since the 5/8 anniversary. But I missed this yesterday.. so, gonna try and remedy that. BTW really great liner notes in that May 77 2013 box set. Steve Silberman & Blair's takes on stuff, especially jaded Heads, will give you a chuckle, highly recommended.

And @JiminMD I forgot about that Kissinger story, classic. Ted Koppel tells the funniest Kissinger story I've ever heard to Johnny Carson in his final month hosting the Tonight Show. Makes me laugh out loud every time I've seen it. I can't do it justice, but let's just say Ted Koppel had a great sense of humor.

Good stuff all.

BTW @WTJ what's the MaryE connection to 5/21/82?

marye 5/21/82

Pretty sure she has memorized the transition to UJB so much so that she can sing it. Overall she is also an undervalued writer and dead denizen, as many props as she gets here. Hope ya had fun today all. I know I did! :-) Not too shabby for a Wed.

-edit- https://www.dead.net/show/may-21-1982

5/21/82

another one of my earliest shows on cassette

I listened to it recently

magnificent show

The Greek '82

Yeah, that 5/21 show is sweet, nice call!
I kinda want to listen to the whole run now.
But I think I like this first night the best, so nice and spacey.

And the MaryE connection puts it over the top!

+1 on props to MaryE.
Mary's interview with Robert Hunter is amazing.
Highly recommended.

Alright, gonna listen to parts of 5/11/72 again.. cause it's just that good.

What's the pick anyhow?

Pick

I'm still working my way through 12/31/76.. but I am slow this week. Too many distractions this week.

Pick of the Day

Let's keep it going Jim. The St. Paul Civic Center 77 show still is hot. Cow Palace 76 rocks. My favorite around and around.

How do you all feel about hitting 8/13/75 tomorrow?

Oh, and where is that box announcement? 15 months and counting.

Stay well folks.

5.21 anything....

....passes my litmus test.

8/13

The one that blew us all away in the day. I had an embarrassingly hissy cassette that I thought sounded great and loved labeled "Make Believe Ballroom." One From the Vault floored me when it hit the streets.. was that 1993? Or earlier? What an upgrade. I love the Bill Graham intro, which I believe might have been truncated either on the old cassette I used to have or on the release.. or maybe I've got this confused with another B. G. Intro. After a while it all rolls into one. I seem to recall they truncated this on the official release, but I might be wrong.

So a rocker and a classic... well, it's Friday.

"Good evening.. we welcome you. On behalf of the group..." I hope Bill is looking down and laughing at us right now.. I do miss him, what a great promoter.

8/13/75

Jim, if you can believe it was 91, 30 years ago. I still have my original copy and two years ago I picked up a remastered version they released in 2007 and it was a big upgrade in sound quality. Let me know if you don't have the 2007 release.

I rebought the From the Vault Box..

..but I am not completely sure which version I ripped.

I guess I will have to re-rip the version from the new box. Thanks Vikes.. I will make sure I have the remastered version in my library to listen to manyatta.

I'm doing Arrowhead '78....

....charting my own course.
Come aboard!

Ah, One from the Vault. My…

Ah, One from the Vault. My roommate had that back in the day. I got Two. Never managed to pick up my own copy of One. Used to love that. That period was so mellow and sublime. Easin' back into it. I'd have to go plug in to my external drives to see which things I DO have, but it's a lovely breezy Saturday afternoon, and I don't feel like sitting at my desk.

This is goin' back back back, way back in the pick list, but I just noticed that the top page says Dave's Picks 38 "Now Available", but you click and it's sold out, as otherwise expected. Any guesses why don't they offer a download edition?

RE: If the world peace meeting goes bad, end with Throwing Stones and a Day Job encore. Too funny!
As much as people say Day Job was hated, I was just listening to 4/13/84 (still!) the other day and the audience is totally singing along joyfully with the refrain.

RE: "The St. Paul Civic Center 77 show still is hot. Cow Palace 76 rocks. " Note taken!

"5/21 Anything." That's an easy order to fill. :)

so, how about 5/15/77??

Way way back in the day, in August 1982 to be (somewhat) exact, following the Alpine shows, I got an audience snippet of a show that to this day blows all (my) doors off. St Louis Arena, 5/15/77 --- St. Stephen > Iko > Not Fade Away > Sugar Magnolia. First Iko!! into ripping NFA. Love this Set II closing sequence, love it love it to this day. Years later discover that it was taped by Steve Maizner. Thank you Steve.

I'm a big fan of the transportive audience, the one that places you "there". For naive me, this was the real deal and still is. To quote Ken Nordine in Eugene '93 - you are the cinematographer. First yelps and yells and shouts of joy on recognition of Stephen. Bob and Donna on the Daydream climax. My freaking God.

Linking the start of that "snippet" here: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1977/05/15/saint-stephen?source=91094.

Whole show - https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1977/05/15?source=91094. Its got a Jack a Roe :)

Of course - we've all (hopefully) got the May '77 board to listen to.

Spun 5/11 St Paul - another great May '77 show out of the Midwest. A favorite Scarlet > Fire. Currently Disc 2 of Daves 16 Springfield in the ride. Sounds divine. Plus Buffalo 5/9, good god Help opener (GOAT?) and comes A Time, though 5/8 still is the desert Island for me of the 2 if I got to choose. And back in the old times (last month), the whole Fillmore East April '71 run, plus Bill Graham's (Ratners??) ramble-on interview (which I loved). All that a first for me. For all the years I've seen that set list with the Beach Boys, hearing that show for the first time was something else. Pluses and minuses - ultimately a tough trade off I think.

Another bit of personal history. The friend who scored me the ticket to my first show (2/3/78) was from St. Louis and his older brother, who actually bought the 2/3 tickets, was a long time head who was at 5/15 and I think a whole f*ck ton of other St Louis shows going back who knows how many years. So yeah this show got me in the door in some fashion and made me who I am today :) That plus another visit to the Henry Mountains. Plus some Odell Sippin' Pretty.

Here in Spirit, if not posting presence, day to day.

Be well. Be safe. Onward!!

5.15

I will try and fit it in. It's a beautiful day here, lots to do.. and good tunes to see me through.

Have a great weekend all.. be good and be kind.

5/15/77

St. Louis! Alright. Tuscaloosa might be next. I think that show might be a notch above.

Be well.

Gotta hear that summer 78 box

I have had a bunch of other stuff in the on deck circle for a while

3 31 73 today
and
8 25 72

I need more GD time!!!!!!!!!!

Rockthing

check your PM's

so, yes, 5/15/77

not to belabor a point but 5/15 is an off the hook show. been to the well time and time and time again the past 2 days (I've got my reasons) - Maizner audience, Sir Mick Matrix, Jay Ashley Bertha SBD remaster, HDCD discs from the first round of May shows. yeah I'm sort of obsessed. All excellent and bringing their own flavor. But if anyone is so inclined to go the audience route, put on the Sennheisers (or whatever you got) and listen to the Maizner pull on the Set II closer of St Stephen > Iko > Not Fade Away > Sugar Magnolia. Real deal, pure gold - trust me. And probably stick around for that Uncle Johns encore too :)

cued up 24 bit at relisten - https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1977/05/15/saint-stephen?source=90900

5/15/77

I've been waiting for the right time to hear disc three.

eventually..............

5/15/77

That show is impeccably tight. The one issue I have if there is one is they forgot to finish off the St.Stephen.

Tuscaloosa AL

I have this show going now. Love these early versions of Jack A Roe.

5/17/77!

I say...

my potd is 8/2/76

started it the other day

disc three...I arrived at work after the lead section of PITB. The jam awaits after work...

In the immortal words of Flounder in Animal House:

"oh boy, is this great!!!"

Palate Cleanse Perhaps?

This one's way off the beaten path.

https://archive.org/details/gd83-04-10.sbd.harrell.16579.sbeok.shnf/gd8…

I hear banjo music...

Playing hooky from work today. An adventure is in order. (Don't tell my boss)

PITB

I like how that linked right to PITB Jimbo!

I'm in.

As soon as I finish this 6/8/92.
Show popped up on GDHour today, and Gans said his pal Charlie Miller mentioned that he thought this was possibly the best show of 1992.
Couldn't pass up that kinda feedback from those two bros and had to give it the once over.
the jam out of Crazy Fingers sure has some nice sparkle.
Not too shabby dabby do if I do say so myself.

Alright, onward.
Happy Hump Day!

PS - Missed 5/18/72 yesterday, but gonna try and fit that in somewhere too. It's a good problem to have :)

4/10/83

I am going to check it out Jim. Thanks.

92

Not sure if I’ve heard 6/8 before, but I was at 6/25,26 and they were pretty good.

4/10/83

Took a crack at this show Jim. I wasn't able to find a decent version through Relisten.

Decided to go with 4/2/90 today from the Omni. Check it out if have not in a while.

Would love to have some information on that box leak.

Morgantown '83

There was only one soundboard on archive.org (what I listened to):

https://archive.org/details/gd83-04-10.sbd.harrell.16579.sbeok.shnf/gd8…

I think there is an audience patch for the first minute or so then it settled into a nice sounding board.

I don't do relisten much but this might be the same version???
https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1983/04/10/friend-of-the-devil?sourc…

Path Beaten...

4/10/83 ✔️ Soundboard, shmoundboard, I listened to a good aud and dug it. Show has good energy and was a nice change up, haven’t done any 83 in a while, but been drawn there lately. Did 4/13/83 too. ✔️ Went with a decent HS matrix, but I enjoyed the show and the aud from 4/10 better.
Hit up 9/2/83 ✔️ the other day. Another good show that suffers from the recording...
Might go with more of this tour? Was at 4/12 & 15 on the rail both nights, big history with 4/12.
Have/have had parts of the meadowlands shows, so not sure where I’ll go?