• Post reply
    1,587 replies
    Srinivasan.Mut…
    Joined:

    What's Inside:
    7 Previously Unreleased Complete Shows On 20 Discs
    Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 12/09/71
    Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 12/10/71
    Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 10/17/72
    Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 10/18/72
    Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 10/19/72
    Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO 10/29/73
    Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO 10/30/73
    Sourced from tapes recorded by Rex Jackson, Owsley "Bear" Stanley, and Kidd Candelario
    Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
    Restoration and Speed Correction by Plangent Processes
     
    Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 13,000

    Steamboats and BBQ, ice cream cones and Mardi Gras - are you ready to laissez les bons temps rouler with the "gateway" to the Grateful Dead? Meet us, won't you, in St. Louis for seven complete and previously unreleased Dead concerts that capture the heart of the band's affinity for the River City.
     
    LISTEN TO THE RIVER: ST. LOUIS ’71 ’72 ’73 is a 20CD set featuring five shows from the Fox Theatre - December 9 and 10, 1971; October 17-19, 1972; and two from the Kiel Auditorium - October 29 and 30, 1973. 
     
    The seven shows in the collection span slightly less than two years, but they represent some of the best shows the Grateful Dead played during some of its peak tours. The music tells the story of a band evolving, changing from one sound to another seamlessly, precipitated – in large part – by significant personnel changes in the Dead’s lineup.
     
    The two 1971 shows feature the original Grateful Dead lineup plus newcomer Keith Godchaux on piano. This version of the band would hold together for the next six months as the Dead embarked upon its Europe ’72 tour. By the time the Dead returned to the Fox Theatre less than a year later, they were without Pigpen, who’d played his final show with the Dead at the Hollywood Bowl on June 17, 1972. A year after the exceptional Fox 1972 shows, the Dead came back to St. Louis, but played the much larger Kiel Auditorium, touring behind the release of WAKE OF THE FLOOD, which came out just two weeks before.
     
    All told, the band played 60 different songs during these shows highlighted by blazing romps through “Beat It On Down The Line” and “One More Saturday Night” and wistful takes on “Row Jimmy” and “Brokedown Palace” (whose lyrics give the collection its name). Meanwhile, the copious jamming ebbed and flowed like the mighty Mississippi River on multiple voyages through “The Other One” and “Dark Star.” Naturally, the band paid tribute to one of its favorite rock and rollers and one of St. Louis’ biggest stars by playing Chuck Berry songs at every show in the collection, including Pigpen galloping through “Run Rudolph Run.”  
     
    Each show has been restored and speed corrected using Plangent Processes with mastering by Jeffrey Norman. The collection comes in a slipcase with artwork by Liane Plant and features an 84-page hardbound book as well as other Dead surprises. To set the stage for the music, the liner notes provide several essays about the shows, including one by Sam Cutler, the band’s tour manager during that era, and another by Grateful Dead scholar Nicholas G. Meriwether, among others. 
     
    Due October 1st, LISTEN TO THE RIVER: ST. LOUIS ’71 ’72 ’73, is limited to 13,000 individually numbered copies and available exclusively from Dead.net.

Comments

sort by
Recent
Recent Oldest A to Z Z to A
Reset
  • #561
    Vguy72
    Joined:
    Jeez. What happened here?....

    ....everyone upset.
    I'm packing up and going to see Phish.

  • #562
    icecrmcnkd
    Joined:
    AUD patches or chop job?

    Any song that is not complete and pristine sounding could not be included in these releases, but then some people would complain about the chop job.

    If you want every 73 and 74 show to be released then you should expect that they don’t all sound the same. And if there is an audio drop out that occurred at the show, you can’t blame Dave or Norman.

    Most Boxes don’t sell out immediately. So if you think that Dave is scamming you, then don’t buy the Box until you read what people say about the sound quality.

    I just did a China Cat -> I Know You Rider sound quality check from 3 shows, playing ALAC files from an iBasso DX120 that is connected to my stereo, and the best sound quality by far is 10-30-73, followed by 11-9-73, and then 10-19-73.

  • #563
    simonrob
    Joined:
    Caveat emptor.

    What was the point of that little box full of small print on the back of Dick's Picks releases? Some may think it was to warn potential purchasers that the sound quality may be less than pristine, thereby giving one the option not to purchase it. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that for products purchased online. You buy it, it arrives in your post box, you open it and read that it may not meet your expectations. What to do? Send it back? Certainly not if you live outside the US and have paid serious shipping costs, waited weeks for it to be delivered and paid various taxes and duties. If it is sourced from two track tapes there is a good chance that there will be "anomalies" here and there and if it is sourced from a cassette master it is likely to have a somewhat muddy sound lacking in top end. We all know this and accept it, otherwise we wouldn't unhesitatingly buy each release. Even so, there is a certain sense of disappointment when one encounters a jarring aud patch. That is natural. For some, this is not acceptable and they do not blindly purchase each release. Each to his own and everyone has the right to air their views on here. Complaining about perceived whiners is a futile exercise and adds nothing to the discussion.

  • #564
    Crow Told Me
    Joined:
    They're Real, and They're Spectacular

    I agree that it's maybe not the best practice to describe the audio as "pristine," since that seems to imply a flawless squeaky clean perfection that you're not going to get with live concert recordings, especially when they're 50 years old. It would make for a really tedious (even more tedious?) seaside chat to have to listen to Dave list out all the anomalies and audience patches and whatnot, especially with a 20-CD set, but I suppose maybe the Powers That Be might consider listing all of that online somewhere for those who might feel that a minute or two of poor sound ruins the overall experience of 7 full concerts rendered in audio that is on the whole Pretty Darned Good.

    But that's just me. I grew up listening to music on a transistor radio with one speaker that was about an inch and a half across. Then on a crappy record player where I had to put on a nickel top of the cartridge to keep it from skipping. I generally dislike any rock and roll that can be described as being in any sense "pristine" anyway. Always feels like a pair of jeans with no holes in 'em. Gimme the "warts and all" presentation every time. I doubt I would be a fan of the GOGD if I thought otherwise.

    Now, I AM sorta kinda miffed that Dave doesn't give us the full poop on the new subscription series. He mentioned that 41 and 42 are already in the works, so why not tell us what they are? Some of us are not independently wealthy, and since I absolutely HAD to plop down for the vinyl Mosque thing, I'm not sure I can spend another $100+ any time soon on yet more Dead. It sure would be a lot cooler to know what I was paying more.

    Perfect circle of acquaintances and friends. Drink another, coin a phrase.

  • #565
    Oroborous
    Joined:
    Oh

    And if it’s such a rip off, sell it.
    What other music, especially a rip off, could you sell a year later for more than you bought it for?
    Sorry, rant over, just sick of all the negativity.

  • #566
    Dennis
    Joined:
    Unkle Sam & Bear

    I saw you comment about Bear recordings.

    JUST, JUST got in the Johnny Cash at the Carousel from Owsley.

    I would have thought it be TOP shelf,,, this recording is less than stellar. I've only hit a couple of tracks. But most of the sound is left channel, drums solidly in the right, Johnny behind a wall of muffle.

    Glad I got for the what it is, but the recording is not what I expected.

  • #567
    Oroborous
    Joined:
    Enough already

    My god what a bunch of whiners.
    You get mostly great shows and the years YOU want, then complain that a fifty year old recording made unprofessionally, and not intended for release, that has a few idiosyncrasies, is a rip off?
    It’s not like their packaging really poor sounding aud tapes some stoned nut in the last row tried to record on his boom box, and then promoting it as professional, thaaaat! would be a rip off.
    FFS! How bout they stop releasing anything, would that be better?

    Yes Dave drinks a little too much koolaid, but he also usually mentions that these are fifty year old non professional recordings etc…is that really ripping you off? Anyone who KNOWS the dead knows every silver lining has a touch of gray! They know that there’s always something you COULD bitch about, but most folks are so glad to get all we get worts and all. If you want sterile perfection, there’s plenty of new stuff out there drenched with auto tune and other electronic wizardry that has no splices and is note perfect!
    So I could go on about what I don’t like about this box for instance, like how I’m sick of Bobby playing the same five songs over and over etc, but big picture, I don’t because;
    A) its a buzz kill for someone who thinks it’s the shit. So what what you think, their happy!! What’s so bad about that?
    B) I don’t care because I get big weird Other ones and sweet playing sandwiches and awesome Dark Stars etc.
    I would of bought this box just for disc 10 and 20. The rest I like is gravy, the stuff I don’t I can skip!
    Would you have preferred that the box didn’t include the 73s instead?

    If you expect the Grateful Dead to EVER produce a show that is completely perfect your in the wrong place my friend!
    As some have mentioned, the trick is to concentrate on the good stuff, and there’s ALWAYS some good stuff, and forget the rest. Take what you need and leave the rest!
    Like Eecktar’s rule of relativity: a little bit of somethin is better than all of nothing.

    Oh, used to be folks realized that what made the Dead so special was because they weren’t perfect.
    Ya know, like us: misfit power, dead freaks unite etc.
    It was just part of the fun: ooopps Jerry missed that chord lol, or Bob forgot the lyrics again, or ha ha, Beatty must been burning a fat one and missed the real flip etc. This is all supposed to just be fun and entertainment!

    Enough already, yer bumming us out.

  • #568
    proudfoot
    Joined:
    Perfection

    NOT something you always get with the GD, either performance-wise or recording-wise

    "I think that any Dead is good Dead
    so I take what I can get
    yes I take what I can get"

    why would someone skip a trip to heaven because of a hiccup here or there? and _I_ have OCD.

    just my opinion

    caaaarry on, Daaaaave's is coming
    Daaave's is coming in the maaaaiiillllllll.......

  • #569
    JimInMD
    Joined:
    Re: A Bonus

    I haven't missed a release yet, and I don't plan to start now. Still digging St. Louis.

  • #570
    icecrmcnkd
    Joined:
    Caveat emptor

    Recall that Dick’s Picks had a disclaimer.
    Even though Dave doesn’t give one you should know and expect that to be the case.
    Multi-tracks were made in an attempt to get commercially releasable material. Everything else is just a bonus that I am Grateful to be able to listen to.

user picture

Member for

6 years 4 months
Submitted by Srinivasan.Mut… on
Forums
Dead Store Products

What's Inside:
7 Previously Unreleased Complete Shows On 20 Discs
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 12/09/71
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 12/10/71
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 10/17/72
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 10/18/72
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 10/19/72
Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO 10/29/73
Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO 10/30/73
Sourced from tapes recorded by Rex Jackson, Owsley "Bear" Stanley, and Kidd Candelario
Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
Restoration and Speed Correction by Plangent Processes
 
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 13,000

Steamboats and BBQ, ice cream cones and Mardi Gras - are you ready to laissez les bons temps rouler with the "gateway" to the Grateful Dead? Meet us, won't you, in St. Louis for seven complete and previously unreleased Dead concerts that capture the heart of the band's affinity for the River City.
 
LISTEN TO THE RIVER: ST. LOUIS ’71 ’72 ’73 is a 20CD set featuring five shows from the Fox Theatre - December 9 and 10, 1971; October 17-19, 1972; and two from the Kiel Auditorium - October 29 and 30, 1973. 
 
The seven shows in the collection span slightly less than two years, but they represent some of the best shows the Grateful Dead played during some of its peak tours. The music tells the story of a band evolving, changing from one sound to another seamlessly, precipitated – in large part – by significant personnel changes in the Dead’s lineup.
 
The two 1971 shows feature the original Grateful Dead lineup plus newcomer Keith Godchaux on piano. This version of the band would hold together for the next six months as the Dead embarked upon its Europe ’72 tour. By the time the Dead returned to the Fox Theatre less than a year later, they were without Pigpen, who’d played his final show with the Dead at the Hollywood Bowl on June 17, 1972. A year after the exceptional Fox 1972 shows, the Dead came back to St. Louis, but played the much larger Kiel Auditorium, touring behind the release of WAKE OF THE FLOOD, which came out just two weeks before.
 
All told, the band played 60 different songs during these shows highlighted by blazing romps through “Beat It On Down The Line” and “One More Saturday Night” and wistful takes on “Row Jimmy” and “Brokedown Palace” (whose lyrics give the collection its name). Meanwhile, the copious jamming ebbed and flowed like the mighty Mississippi River on multiple voyages through “The Other One” and “Dark Star.” Naturally, the band paid tribute to one of its favorite rock and rollers and one of St. Louis’ biggest stars by playing Chuck Berry songs at every show in the collection, including Pigpen galloping through “Run Rudolph Run.”  
 
Each show has been restored and speed corrected using Plangent Processes with mastering by Jeffrey Norman. The collection comes in a slipcase with artwork by Liane Plant and features an 84-page hardbound book as well as other Dead surprises. To set the stage for the music, the liner notes provide several essays about the shows, including one by Sam Cutler, the band’s tour manager during that era, and another by Grateful Dead scholar Nicholas G. Meriwether, among others. 
 
Due October 1st, LISTEN TO THE RIVER: ST. LOUIS ’71 ’72 ’73, is limited to 13,000 individually numbered copies and available exclusively from Dead.net.

user picture

Member for

4 years 3 months

Submitted by proudfoot on Wed, 07/28/2021 - 16:59

Permalink

Old ZZ preferred by me, before they switched.

I have an old cassette of best of zz top

I aint asking for much
I say lawd take me downtown
Im just lookin for some kush

user picture

Member for

7 years 3 months

Submitted by Butch on Wed, 07/28/2021 - 17:38

Permalink

I feel the same as when you said thanks for taking my money but filling my soul. This box set represents everything I enjoy about the Dead. I started with Veneta and Ladies and Gentlemen, and then Winterland 1973. I have not listened to any of the St. Louis shows. I feel like the guy from Animal House when he said Oh boy isn't this great!

Best Europe 72 Truckin'? Is there a better one than the 18 minute 4/11 show from Newcastle?

A bunch of friends and co-workers made the drive south to Phoeniz AZ to catch GD at Compton Terrace for a couple of shows...after the show on Saturday the 8th we headed over to the dump that is the Veteran's Memorial Coliseum to see ZZ Top on thier Recycler Tour...pretty much fun to do both in one day...RIP Dusty...

user picture

Member for

17 years 1 month

Submitted by direwulf on Thu, 07/29/2021 - 03:08

Permalink

Wu Tang evicted outta Atlanta?! They're a NYC group through and through. Sounds like you're old landlord just evicted regular people and told you they were Wu Tang, ya sure it wasn't the landlord who was in the Klan? It was ATL after all, he sounds likes a curmudgeony racist ouch. And ZZ top was looking for tush, not kush? Right?! Songs about ass not grass, though no one rides for free still. :)

user picture

Member for

17 years 4 months

Submitted by Oroborous on Thu, 07/29/2021 - 07:05

Permalink

Saw the Top once.
Got in for free after helping this crazy Radio dude out that was starting his own station, sort of gorilla format: play what you want etc...
We used to put windshield fliers on cars at concerts for him and he’d get us in for free.
Guys name was Bob Allen and his station was WUWU...
His big claim to fame was taking over, and barricading himself in the transmitter building, and playing nothing but Pyscho Chicken, a hilarious twist on the Talking Heads song, for several days, before they finally shut him down.
Guy was a trip! More funny, at the time I was working my first “real job” at KFC. It drove the old lady who ran it crazy!
She took it as a personal insult or something and was constantly on the phone trying to get someone to stop him lol.
Every time she’d leave, we’d change the station, which the customers thought was hilarious....
Used to get outta work, take a shower, then try and make out with my girlfriend and she’d be like “nope, get back in that shower” I could never get the greasy residue off lol. Needless to say, that one didn’t last!

I got that ish working at mcdonalds

I worked weekends but could still smell quarter pounder on my hands on wednesdays

user picture

Member for

4 years 3 months

Submitted by proudfoot on Thu, 07/29/2021 - 08:22

Permalink

First set is actually pretty good to my ears

Then second set starts off ok and then slowly leaks air until...oh, just turn it off.

More on 86
6 28 86 is a fine lil show
6 26 86 sounds ok

Again, this is in the comfort of my home, not outdoors in HEAT and HUMIDITY for hours.

I have never heard Irvine 86...

user picture

Member for

17 years 4 months

Submitted by Oroborous on Thu, 07/29/2021 - 08:26

Permalink

Recently listened, Felt similarly...

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months

Submitted by itsburnsy on Thu, 07/29/2021 - 09:43

Permalink

Tres Hombres mofos, bummed I never saw 'em, loved the 70's stuff. This documentary is excellente: That Little Ol' Band from Texas

user picture

Member for

4 years 11 months

Submitted by billy the kid on Thu, 07/29/2021 - 10:11

Permalink

Best show of 1986. Touch of Grey & Candyman, as good as it gets. Garcia, back from the Dead, back to the Dead. You had to be there.

user picture

Member for

15 years 1 month

Submitted by Colin Gould on Thu, 07/29/2021 - 10:27

Permalink

Holy Modal Rounders - 1st album
Coil - Live One
Material - Intonarumori
V/A - Journeys in modern jazz: Britain 1965 - 1972
Morton Feldman Crippled Symmetry: at June in Buffalo

Just revisiting a lot of old favourites and the newly released British jazz compilation.

#39 shipping notice received this morning

user picture

Member for

10 years 2 months

Submitted by 1stshow70878 on Thu, 07/29/2021 - 12:22

Permalink

Cover band that had a show recently in SoCal that apparently was a mass-Covid19 event. The whole band has it and is advising anyone who attended to get tested and quarantine. Maybe a bit early for unmasked crowds with the Delta variant peaking. Just get a shot people. Preaching to the choir here where intelligent folks hang out. Be safe and well. Cheers!
P.S. Nappy, I went to the Sunday show 12-9-90 on the reservation (one of the 3 venues called Compton terrace I think) south of PHX. Very loose parking lot scene with no law enforcement anywhere in sight. Excellent show with Bruce on board. We got a first set Maggie's Farm and ended the set with Bruce's Valley Road. And a Brokedown encore to top it all off. Early start had us out of there by dark. Had a strange time going dosed to our R.E.I. X-mas dinner party immediately afterward. For some reason I wasn't all that hungry.

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months

Submitted by SPACEBROTHER on Thu, 07/29/2021 - 14:03

Permalink

Caught them several times. First time was on the Eliminator tour. Afterburner and Recycler tours had massive sport arena stage productions. Recent years they were touring theaters in stripped-down fashion.

MTV definitely changed the trajectory of their career for a while, much like the Dead. Even if you're not familiar with their music you know their beards.

I didn’t witness it personally, but it could be possible since they had a store there and maybe needed an apartment to crash at.

WU-TANG CLAN PARTIES IN ATLANTA
MTV NEWS STAFF
08/15/1997
August 15 [7:55 EDT]

The party was a celebration of the Clan's new album, "Wu-Tang Forever," going platinum, and the group decided to mark the occasion in Atlanta partly because they have a Wu-Wear clothing store there, and partly because they feel at home in that city.

user picture

Member for

9 years

Submitted by icecrmcnkd on Thu, 07/29/2021 - 16:13

Permalink

Saw them in 92 or 93, it was a good time.
Wanted to see them at least once.

user picture

Member for

17 years 4 months

Submitted by Vguy72 on Thu, 07/29/2021 - 17:34

Permalink

....i read that Grateful Shred story. Phish started their tour last night in Arkansas. Nary a mask to be seen. Next stop is Alabama tomorrow, then two shows in Georgia. Yeah, the shows are outdoors, but a little disappointed that people don't care, even though the band put out a press release to please mask up. We'll see how it goes.
The South is a little lax on the vax.

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

8 years 5 months

Submitted by wharfrat6969 on Thu, 07/29/2021 - 19:53

Permalink

I used to jave a filler from I believe the 2nd night from 71 and there is a China Cat jam in NFA that's decently substantial. Anyone else know this?

several china cat jams in nfa, including 12 10 71

What i recommend is listening to good lovin from 1 2 72. Dont look at the set list!

user picture

Member for

10 years

Submitted by Sixtus_ on Fri, 07/30/2021 - 06:16

Permalink

...there is also the 11/15/71 monster that has a pretty notable Chincacat Tease prior to hitting Goin Down the Road; incidentally I also happened to be listening to 5/26/72 on the way back from daycare drop off this morning, and to my pleasant surprise yet another Chinacat tease popped up at the end of the NFA.

Love is Love with a Crazy Cat Peekin'

HappY Friday DeadFreaks - oh yeah and be ready for all hell to break loose when they unleash Dave's 39 shortly...

Sixtus

P.S. Spinning 7/29/88 at the moment; also an interesting Chinacat-related nugget with a 2nd set opener of
Chinacat>Crazy Fingers>I know you Rider. I always found these uncommon pairings/split-ups totally addictive and entertaining as hell especially if you don't see 'em coming

Yes yes yes, Sixtus. I agree 100%.

Yall have probably picked up on my "dont look at the setlist" vibe. It really takes things to a higher level. Such as the encore of 5 11 86. If you dont expect it, it is thrilling to hear.

user picture

Member for

4 years 11 months

Submitted by billy the kid on Fri, 07/30/2021 - 09:07

Permalink

What a great tune, the Dead only played it live one time. I wish they would have played Rosemary & Mtns of the Moon, durring their acoustic sets at the Warfield Theatre in 1980, that would have been amazing. It was thought that they never performed it live until they found a stash of Dec 1968 tapes, I sure wish that some of those 1968/1969 tapes will be released someday.

user picture

Member for

10 years 1 month

Submitted by FiveBranch on Fri, 07/30/2021 - 09:46

Permalink

And don’t forget the first Tivoli show and (if memory serves correct) the tease works itself into a glorious transition for GDTRFB. Such a beaut.

user picture

Member for

10 years

Submitted by Sixtus_ on Fri, 07/30/2021 - 10:06

Permalink

... is playing on Sirius XM. I've never heard the show despite its proximity to the next night. I had to go back and re listen, because the loose Lucy played on June 9th is nothing like I've personally heard before. It's super groovy, and they take it around the block more than once for a nice tasty little Jam in there, clocking in at almost 10 minutes. Sublime to these virgin-to-this-version ears. Highly recommend for a groovy Friday romp.

Sixtus

P.S. Looks like Dave's 39 is up

user picture

Member for

16 years 1 month

Submitted by unkle sam on Fri, 07/30/2021 - 10:25

Permalink

Saw them in 73, Tres Hombres tour, 79 Deguello tour and that Recycler tour which was can't remember 80's for sure, Nappy that was an awesome show, when they did that disappearing act and came back recycled. The Deguello tour was great, they came up out of the floor surrounded by a ring of fire playing I want to thank you, best tune of the night, I'm just a fool for your stockings, Billy just bending strings and sheading it and way back in 73 it was so hot in July in Florida that Dusty passed out after Beer drinkers and hell raisers, therefore, no encore. Awesome band, glad I got to partake of their particular brand or blues.

user picture

Member for

16 years 4 months

Submitted by Forensicdoceleven on Sat, 07/31/2021 - 02:02

Permalink

50 years ago today……

July 31, 1971
Yale Bowl, New Haven, Connecticut

Set 1: Truckin'-Sugaree-Mr. Charlie-Mama Tried-Big Railroad Blues-Playing In The Band-Dark Star>Bird Song-El Paso-Hard To Handle-Loser-Me And Bobby McGee

Set 2: Bertha-Big Boss Man-Me And My Uncle-Deal-China Cat Sunflower >I Know You Rider-Sing Me Back Home-Sugar Magnolia-Casey Jones-Not Fade Away>Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad>”Darkness jam”>Not Fade Away

Encores: Uncle John's Band>Johnny B. Goode

Deadicated to Jeffrey Greenberg, Bob Messina, John Starks, and Rich Petlock…..

So, how did they do???

Actually, not bad at all. Solid if unspectacular show. Little bit of Pigpen, interesting first set Star, unusual Bobby McGee set closer, Sing Me Back Home, a Darkness jam, two song encore. What’s not to like about all that?

Coffee spilled on guitars, executive nannies, homicidal maniacs, rock and roll, Grateful Dead…………

Rock on!!

Doc
……unless we can play them well…..

user picture

Member for

4 years 11 months

Submitted by billy the kid on Sat, 07/31/2021 - 05:41

Permalink

38 years ago today I was down in Ventura to see the Dead. The crowd sang Garcia happy birthday a day early. They opened up the show on 7/30 with China Cat. Ventura was a non-stop party, from the the time you left your home to last note played.

71...I love this show. Playin' > Dark Star > Birdsong. Ja, gerne!

83...I was at this one. I think this one has the audience chanting "one more set! one more set!"

Either the 30th or the 31st has the first Touch of Grey I ever heard, and I recall it standing out to me as a great song.

This talk of Ventura reminds me of the great opening chapter in Blair Jackson's book "The Music Never Stopped." Its all about a show the Dead played there in 1982, and describes the Deadheads mingling in the area and hanging out before the show actually starts. I found it quite transporting when I first read it on a train coming out of Manchester one rainy afternoon in the early 80s. I couldn't have been further away-although I was there in my mind.

Half way through the June 1977 box, which I normally never get to. Trying to follow anniversary shows, by the time I have finished May its already September. This year I missed out the second May 77 box. I thought the first two shows in the June box were excellent. The 1st set seemed better than the second on the 8th-something I have felt with other 1977 shows. Like 5/9.

user picture

Member for

17 years 4 months

Submitted by Vguy72 on Sat, 07/31/2021 - 12:47

Permalink

....JGB 8.1.92. Irvine Meadows. There was a giant birthday card in the concourse. I signed it of course.
.
Set 1.
Cats
Mission
Waiting For A Miracle
Mississippi Moon
No Bread
Sisters & Brothers
Somebody To Love
.
Set 2.
Shining Star
Tore Up
Waiting For A Miracle
Drove Dixie Down
Lay Down Sally
Midnight Moonlight
.
No encore.....
.
He was supposed to be going through rehab at that time. The Deads tour was canceled due to it, but he just couldn't help but to play. Rumors swirled that he blacked out backstage after the show, but played the next night in Chula Vista anyway.
I only caught the JGB 4 times, but that one was special of course.
If any of you checked out the Phil show the other day, he looks great for 81.
Still looks younger than Jerry at 53. Sigh............

user picture

Member for

15 years 2 months

Submitted by Cousins Of The… on Sat, 07/31/2021 - 16:15

Permalink

...on 22nd in Fairfax, still billed as Jerry's birthday show and there were a coupla' huge birthday cakes which prompted some weird, rowdy food fight in the middle of that very small place. John Kahn did not make the show, Phil took his place and as added bonus, John Cipollina was running the soundboard. Show was good but not memorable except for the general weirdness; I remember Phil playing the chorus over the verses during the opening How Sweet It Is. Very strange show altogether; there was an opening act, and I swear I've never seen a band perform on such a small space: all of JGB's gear was onstage, there was nowhere for the singer to move, poor guy looked a mixed of angry and disbelief.

user picture

Member for

10 years 8 months

Submitted by hendrixfreak on Sun, 08/01/2021 - 07:32

Permalink

Still clearly remember a woman on a man's shoulders with a cake. The crowd parted to let them reach the stage. A roadie leaned over the stage lip and secured the cake, which he paraded on stage for a cheering crowd. I was 15 years old and had just 'experienced' a few days getting to, into, and from Watkins Glen. 48 hours after arriving home, burnt to a crisp, and we took off for a two-nighter with the GD and The Band. Vivid memories of many moments at the Glen, but not so much the two nighter that followed.

But we did sing a crazed 'Happy Birthday' to Mr. Garcia. who turned 31 that night. I would turn 16 two weeks later.

Misspent youth? In spades, my friends. In spades.

Just sharing the news........

user picture

Member for

17 years 4 months

Submitted by Oroborous on Sun, 08/01/2021 - 09:21

Permalink

to Mr G, hope yer having a great jam somewhere/somespace...

Saw his 52 in 94. Two pretty good shows actually. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

user picture

Member for

10 years 3 months

Submitted by KeithFan2112 on Sun, 08/01/2021 - 09:55

Permalink

What would you have been doing today? Still touring with the Dead I suspect.

I read 8/1/73 was the last time he played the Strat.

user picture

Member for

10 years 9 months

Submitted by alvarhanso on Sun, 08/01/2021 - 15:38

Permalink

I would hope if he had lived a bit longer, he would have been able to take a year or more away from touring. We're lucky we got as much time out of him as we did. But I just listened to the digital single of Sugaree from 12/10/71, and WOW, fantastic sound! The single, by the way is 24 bit 192 kHz. It sounds like a multitrack, because things are so well balanced, Keith's piano has a fantastic sound. And right there in the center of it all is the man of the hour himself, singing his heart out and already playing blistering leads on the soon to be staple.

Sidenote: I've been watching the Ken Burns miniseries Jazz after neglecting it for years (who knew it was damn near 20 hours?), and the tales of genius of Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke and many many others who revolutionized their instruments and gained some of their fame and notoriety when they recorded the standards that had already been standards by the 20s and 30s and reshaped them as their own. Jerry and the Dead did that, and added the Duke Ellington thing of composing your own library that makes an amalgamated new style, such as the case with Sugaree and the song was about to succeed it, Jack Straw. Sugaree fits into the mold of a heartbreak song, but is darker and the loping rhythm is precisely the Dead swing that set them apart as Louis Armstrong's swing invented a larger genre built upon improvisation and feel or groove rather than rote performance in perfect cadence. Jack Straw has such an authentic western feel and historical folktale vibe that people can be forgiven for questioning whether the Dead really wrote it. Like the miner that unwittingly praised Robert Hunter by remarking on the Dead odd choice of an old miner song Cumberland Blues, not realizing Hunter had written the "old standard". Jerry was the heart of that, but it took all of the weird characters to make the Dead into the unique beast they were. And I can't wait for this box set to unleash that beast's most potent furies and Plangentized!

Two months is a long wait, and I still have 5 days wait on DaP 39, which the Shakedown sounded good on tablet speaker. Shame the Touch> Playing> Terrapin from 4/25 was missing, but looking forward to the He's Gone> Bob Star. I perpetually forget about that song until somebody brings it up and then I listen to one, this time I chose the Merriweather one Jim caught, def Weir'd, but pretty cool with that Other Oneish riff going on around it. We'll see on the Rochester one.

user picture

Member for

17 years 4 months

Submitted by Oroborous on Mon, 08/02/2021 - 08:30

Permalink

I’ve said for a long time, probably since Brentski checked out, that they should of taken another hiatus or 2.
Look how well that worked out in 75. Best thing they ever did!

And yes JG was also a playing junkie, but compare his posture, demeanor and sometimes even his playing with the Dead, to all the cool work and side projects he did near the end. JGB was awesome, his stuff with Dawg, and a bunch of cool studio work with Ornette, Sanjay, Bruce etc. He was really shining everywhere else except the Dead!
I guess it’s the ole difference between doing things because you want to, versus you have to...
Yeah, looking back you have to wonder what if....

user picture

Member for

4 years 3 months

Submitted by proudfoot on Mon, 08/02/2021 - 09:16

Permalink

He looks a bit haggard in the Essen video
I know he was hurtin in 92 when they cancelled Eugene

A wince-inducing moment is 4 13 86 during Terrapin...he walks offstage before Inspiration part.

If only he had become a health freak.

We miss you Jerry!!!

user picture

Member for

10 years 8 months

Submitted by hendrixfreak on Mon, 08/02/2021 - 11:39

Permalink

For Jer, it appears, the last years were indeed his "obligation" to the GD and his desire to play with his own band and pop in on Grisman as opportunities arose. Absolutely. Same h***** habit, different motivations. So '89 and '91 might have been decent GD years, but the whole run of Jerry shows sure seemed to shine.

Oh well, the guy was human and it's all over now, baby blue. Except for the pleasure we still get from the tapes. So, thanks to Bear, Betty and the boys in the crew for taping!

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

15 years 7 months

Submitted by Dogon on Mon, 08/02/2021 - 22:57

Permalink

Nice that Mosaic recommendations are turning up here.
In my opinion the real meat of the catalogue remain the Blue Note sets. Of course being limited they are mostely oop. BUT the recent Joe Henderson set IS available, limited to 2500 sets, its a no brainer.
You will thank me.

product sku
889198321643
Product Magento URL
https://store.dead.net/special-edition-shops/st-louis-collection/listen-to-the-river-st-louis-71-72-73-20-cd-1.html