Grateful Dead

Okay, distortion on this increases as they move to the electric sets. Decided to move on to 10/4/1980, which has a fresh transfer in 2021 from Miller via Gans. Sounding really good so far.

Dusty Hill, ZZ Top bassist.

It was probably cheaper and easier to just throw in a cassette and hit record, then do something else for 45 minutes.
And when the show was over you could play the cassette in the car, boom box, living room, etc.

Should have kept Betty around.

Enjoyed 4/10/78, another solid show, but I felt it didn’t quite match 4/11 or 4/15. Couple miscues and though the sound was still awesome, have to grade it slightly less than the aforementioned....

12/7/78: good show, listened to most...haven’t had a good chance to hear it all continuously.
Seemed decent but I’m not sure it hangs with spring? For me anyways....

10/80: looked at the 2nd, but was in a hurry and the versions seemed all chopped up?
Haven’t really had time.
Did finally hear 2/14/68 for first time. Yowsa! Primal Dead fo sho!
It’s a little unpolished but man what a set list and energy etc...

Cassettes Masters: definitely way easier to just pop in a cassette and it would be easy to remember to flip at drums, where having to constantly change/thread reels etc, while riding a complicated mix, would probably not worked out well. It’s a shame because listen to any of the late eighties/early nineties multi-tracks to get a better idea of what might of been...the resolution and frequency response is amazing, it sounds more accurate than any 70s show I’ve heard, EXCEPT multi-track! I think they should release all the good multi track shows they have, then dribble out the rest. I know their trying to space things out, but why? Most of the folks with the most interest, and probably the most disposable income will be dying off or losing interest sooner than later. RELEASE THE MULTITRACKS SMITHERS!
But I’ll still take cassette masters of good shows versus nothing...As long as it’s good quality etc. I don’t get hung up on it, imho, it’s pointless to compare as of course a good cassette is not going to compare to a good reel.
I’m finding more and more it’s pointless to compare any shows except those within a single tour...

Agree with you 100%. Get the music out.

10/4/80 show sounds much better than 10/2/80. Check it out if have time. I love these shows and believe we will continue to see new transfers pop up.

Yes, 4/11/78 is A++. Hopefully it gets released at some point.

Release the hounds..
Agree with what you guys are saying. A little behind.. did a last minute, hurried road trip to Baltimore to fulfill a few family and friend obligations, finished with a rocking party tonight, just getting home.

Good fun.

2.14.68, in my humble opinion.. one of the best shows I have ever heard.. Oro.. can I get you the music from the bonus d? Contains one of my more liked Violas.... Added to the 2/14 show and it's wowwow time.

Wowsa, thanks Jim, that’d be awesome! (check PM)
Looking forward to hitting 2.2 up again this WE along with a bunch of other “new” stuff!
And maybe some I’m behind on here.....

Was thinking of hitting 4/12/83 as a 39 warm up?
A show that’s near and dear to my heart that flys under the radar....

4/12/83 sounds good to me.

No clue when I will receive my #39.

Looking forward to the Seaside chat.

Looks like mines scheduled for Tuesday, we shall see?
Interestingly received notice, but took a few days for tracking to kick in...

Hopefully DV yours will just magically show up this WE!

Another 50 coming up. That was my first outdoor Grateful Dead concert. I used to think it was Hard to Handle when the audience rushed the stage. Looking at the set list it had to have been Mr Charlie as I know it was the third song when Pigpen stepped out in front and electricity (allegorical) burst forth to the crowd. I also remember being down in front of the stage when they played Dark Star / Bird Song.
Highly recommended for a listen tomorrow.

I was literally just looking at my Deadbase and thinking it was time for ole Doc to illuminate us again, and now that we know you were there it makes it’s that much more fun!

Oh Great Doctor, where out thou?
Oh, I was looking back at my spring 83 notes after the announcement, and totally agree with what the wise one recently stated: Providence was top shelf fo sho!

I'm all in Strider. Good call.

Still working my way through 4/12/83 and it is sounding good so far. Will need to to finish up tomorrow and then on to Yale Bowl, 7/31/71. If memory serves a chunk of this is on RT1. 3...

If Doc is the King of 71, Oroborous is the sage of 83. Looking forward to your take and everyone else's on #39.
Did I hear correctly from Dave that Norman used Plangent for this release?

I do remember I might have been the only person dancing for the first song 50 years ago. Up for Truckin’. Sugaree was a first. Then Pigpen brought the house down.
My old friends Mr Jimmy, Theresa and Dan were also there. Same three friends also at Veneta a year later. Speaking of Veneta, Ken Babbs’ memoirs to be published later this year. Ken Babbs was central to the Veneta performance, not GJ or the so called “pole guy”. Had historians taken time to learn about the gentleman on top of the douglas fir they may have discovered how he was central to many of the mind manifesting discoveries of the old original hippie days of western Oregon. As were more than a few assorted players, movers and shakers, from several different camps, school's or philosophies.
V-Guy, here here on Santa Fe 1983. Maybe my favorite two Dead shows I attended through the 80s. Part of the reason being I lived north of Taos and it was all down-hill from there.
Down hill with Jean-Claude Killy, Goin’ South with Jack Nicholson .

That is cool Strider. I will have to check that Ken Babbs book out. Gunther your kid is waiting for you at the Kiddie corral.

I listened to the complete July 31, 1971 yesterday late afternoon and into the the night. Aside from my copy of Road Trips that is only part of that Dead show I had never heard the complete concert since being there 50 years ago. There was a fresh new sound that brought a flood of memories during last nights listen. First a couple quick corrections. I mentioned Pigpen stepping out in front during the third song. Obviously he was playing the Hammond B3 organ while singing Mr Charlie. Another correction is from reading the notes of Blair Jackson in Dead Base 50. Blair states that the audience rushed the stage during the first song Truckin’ but it was indeed the third song, Mr Charlie when people poured on to the grass in front of the band. My friend Danno who I have stayed in touch with for over 50 years also correlates that sequence of events. Practically nobody danced during the first two songs. It was as if it was a high school dance where hardly anyone was wanting to be the first up and dancing.
On a side note the best writers involved in the history of the Grateful Dead in my biased opinion are Blair Jackson, David Gans and Dennis McNally. I have to include Rosie McGee in that mix as combined writer and photographer who was there from the beginning (or damn close) of course add in the books by Jerilyn Lee Brandelius (GD family album) , Phil Lesh (Searching for the Sound) , any of the books written by Mickey Hart ( Song Catchers my favorite) Bill Kreutzmann’s book with ghost writer Benjy Eisen. Must include John Barlow autobiography. So much for book reviews
What struck me about 7/31/71 was the high energy that comes through. Jerry is candid as in effervescent, both singing, playing and commentary with the audience.
Another aspect I remember was the moon was out, and I looked this up on the internet, it was waxing gibbous at 60% illumination.
Another important note, my old school classmate and friend Missy Infante attended her first Dead show that night. I mention her to honor her memory as she passed on in recent years.
So those are some of the flashes I can remember from Yale Bowl, July 31, 1971.
This was at a time when I was earning money cutting oak for firewood. It was how I paid for my first trip to the Bay Area a few days later to visit my sister who was living in Sausalito. That trip included my first two west coast Dead shows that were at the Berkeley Community Theater mid August and then hitchhiking to Oregon to visit my brother and his wife who were spending the summer living in a tipi 35 miles southeast of Eugene. But that’s a whole other story.
Yale Bowl Grateful Dead was an amazing night.
Jerry Garcia would have been 79 today. Also, today Ramblin’ Jack Elliot turns 90.
“ Rollin with my baby down by the San Francisco Bay”.

To Mr JG. Hope yer digging the jam...

STRIDER: thanks for the tales, always a pleasure!
Your Yale description let’s us be there, instead of in our mind.

Interesting show. CM SB Audio started out less than stellar but was pretty good bye and bye...
Really dug the Dark Star, perhaps the spaciest of the year so far?
Perhaps this show is a slight step back from some of the earlier beasts, but it’s another solid, very enjoyable 71!

4/12/83: glad you liked it DV. This one goes under the radar, which is a shame, as I think it hangs with most any other on the tour. Among other highlights, forgot about that sweet Rat!
Of course I’m big time biased on this one;
- My 10th show
- front row between Phil and Bob (closer to Phil)
- first show tripping (purple dot I believe, had beautiful death experience)
- first time seeing new, awesome varilights etc
- first time hearing, awesome new Meyers PA
- first time seeing/hearing Phil’s new awesome Modulus 6 string bass (perhaps new Bob guitar?)
- first Help/Slip/Franks, which besides slight early vocal hiccup was awesome
- first (I think?) NFA fadeaway/chant to end, then Mickey came back out and they quietly pick back up and fade back into for encore NFA, followed by sweet Baby Blue!
One of those shows that even after the lights came up nobody moved right away, many still doing the chant! The kind of night where it appeared like A LOT of people were tripping, total 10k mind meld, gives me shivers to recall....

BABS memoir, bet that’ll be interesting!
Loved Last Go around, and that bus one, but don’t have Water Buffalo?
Guess we’ll have to talk to Santa about some books...

Who Shot the Water Buffalo is a great book by Ken Babbs. The title has a funny twist , double meaning. Any of us old time wild land firefighters knows what it refers to. Once they get to that point in the book.
Pick of the day. I have been staying on the 50th anniversaries of 1971 Dead shows since January. Otherwise taking a break from Grateful Dead music. Kind of like smoking ganga all the time. The effect may become lack luster. As was said in the old days, “space your trips”. Although yesterday I did watch the black & white video of Robert Hunter sitting in with the Garcia Band 1980 at the New Jersey Capitol Theater. Tiger Rose “where the children play ringolevio”.
Speaking of books, “Ringolevio” by Emmett Grogan was one of Jerry Garcia’s favorite books.
On the subject of the mountain west states. Ironic that the people who lost the most , true Natives and in the case of Montana where I lived from 1975-1981 the Blackfeet treated me the best. Very similar here in New Mexico where I’ve lived most of my life. But respect has to be earned and that doesn’t happen overnight.
As an old professor Joseph E. Brown who taught Native American Studies at the University of Montana used to finish his class by saying, “Be of good heart”.

For the reference, I’ll definitely have to check that one out. Love Babs, what a character!
I’ll bet his memoir will be very interesting after all he’s lived.

And thanks for the rest of your sage words of wisdom.
You should write a book!

Been really digging 71. Was sorta a flyby year for me until nice folks like you and Doc helped show us the light.
His job was to shed light, not to master...

Maybe 5/14/78?
Got my server back, up and running and need to HEAR, some good sheet mon.

The 30 Trips show, yes, this one smokes. On it!
Thanks Oroborous.

I was going to offer up another Spectrum show, Dave's Picks #32, 3/24/73. Maybe tomorrow.

My #39 still has not shipped, 😩.

Great show... It's been a long time since I listened to it.

Good Housekeeping tunes!
Kept the mother rolling with first disc of 2/14/68 etc. shizzle fo sho!

Next chance I get we will get down to tge funky sounds of 3/24/73!

Hey Now. I guess this thread /is/ called "Pick of the Day", not simply "Now Playing with Discussion", but I'm just gonna bore you with stuff I've been listening to lately.... and then you probably won't see me again for a month, so, hey, decent trade-off, I'd say.

First off, right now I've got 3/24/93 Chapel HIll rollin'. (I'll explain later) It's weird how in the second set the band totally sees-off Jerry's attempt to start Crazy Fingers out of the Playin' Jam. Phil basically sounds like he's just thrown his hands up, and completely stops playing. In fact, basically every just stops, er... dead. Only Vince seems game to find something to do. When Jer finally gives up, they launch into Box of Rain. After they finish BoR Jerry immediately starts Crazy Fingers again and they actually do it, and do they ever.

Whadda ya figure's goin' on there? Did Jer "forget" the pre-written set list? was it like a super-tease, or did Jerry just get vetoed on his audible? The Playin' jam was sounding cool and a spaced out transition into Crazy Fingers would've been killer. However, Box of Rain into drums would have been, let's just say, unusual. It seems Billy's got some bidness to take care of, 'cause it pretty much immediately turns into a Mickey Beam solo.... as did the 3/25 drums, but Space takes off into a Spanish Jam that seems to go on and on, thankfully. When they launched into GDTRFB I was thinking, wait, what song were they just playing, did I space out?... well, I guess in a way I got spaced out. ... Now that I think of it, there may have been a "We Want Phil" chant starting in the Phil Zone, but it's not audible in the SBD, and I can't remember if that was actually before Box of Rain, or not.

The Crazy Fingers is actually really cool, btw. SPOILER ALERT there's this momentary, and initially slightly awkward, little Playin' reprise before someone gets on the intercom (you can hear the ambient noise disappear for a second... yes I'm listening to a board for once) and seems to call it off. All of these questions seem to typify the sort-of cool, detached, risk-averse nature of this period. Haven't found an AUD source from the Dean Dome that has much life to it. Might be some new ones. It's a basketball arena designed to amplify cheering voices, not music, I'd imagine.

Anyway, just wanted to take a peak at Jer the last time I saw him, in Vegas back in '94, and the same YouTube uploader also had the second night from Chapel Hill, which is notable for its nice Terrapin, and perhaps more so for the stellar Morning Dew. Jerry keeps trading sly grins with someone, and getting an outright laugh out of watching Bobby do his thing. I actually read the comments on YouTube videos 'cause, wow. there are some opinions out there. One dude mentioned this Crazy Fingers from the 24th and how the first night had "always" overshadowed the second. In my mind it had been the other way 'round, which sent me to the Archive this monsoon-drenched morning. Yeah, nobody goes back to listen to 90s Dead, I know. Even the band seems bored sometimes, but there are diamonds in the rough. More often, however, there are outright wth? mysteries like the one above.

The other one... on heavy rotation has been the 50th Anniversary Skull & Roses 180g vinyl. Missed the propeller variant waiting for the credit card roll-over date. Anyway, wow, the bass is boomin'. I mean, it's not overpowering booming, but there is a LOT of Phil. I A/B'ed it with the single disc CD, and even though there's a lot of Phil on that too, he's allotted a lot more low frequencies on this version... which is odd, because people will tell you that you can't put too much bass on vinyl or it'll cause the needle to skip. No fade in, but Bertha also starts a few seconds earlier than on the CD version. There's some little warming up noise before they hit it. Pretty superfluous, but, hey, 2 more seconds! I have not heard the OG Skull and Roses vinyl, but I actually debated on picking one up from Discogs instead of getting the anniversary edition, which ended up being released three weeks late. The price is comparable. Maybe next month.

Speaking of records skipping, I've had the 5/4/72 Olympia Theater vinyl for, what, less than two months and Bertha is already skipping. I think I screwed it up with the generic replacement stylus that I installed back in April. Apparently the Sure stylus/cartridge division has gone belly up. I've kept the old needles lying around, and found one that had been swapped out really early for some reason, so I went back to that. Otherwise, I can't figure out what the problem could be. I play my records, but consider myself more careful than most when handling them. Hard to say. I might have damaged the record, or stylus myself, but it looks like I'm in the market for a new cartridge. The vinyl had no problems at first, but I have records I bought 30 years ago that still play fine, while this one is skipping after 5~10 spins.

The difference between Phil's bass frequencies on the Olympia Theatre record versus Skull and Roses, is beyond description. Phil is fully present in the Olympia Theatre release, but he couldn't deliver a bass bomb if he tried with the frequency range he's assigned here. Wanna compare with the Europe 72 album, but actually don't have a copy of Europe '72 in any format. Just ordered a green label '72 pressing. It was a mint for one in decent condition, but so will any 50th anniversary that might come out next year be. These are supposed to sound amazing. They've already done a bunch of Europe 72 reissues recently, so it might get the Live/Dead treatment.

Two non-audio notes about the Olympia Theatre box are regarding the photos used for the inner sleeves. At first they seemed really dark, and not particularly interesting. The photo of out-of-her-mind-on-Owsley Donna was of interest for how calmly she appeared to be peering out into the spotlight, but a closer look reveals a rather wild set to her jaw, or perhaps I'm just projecting. The other photo that finally grabbed my attention was the Side 1 photo of the band, completely washed out in red lighting taken from stage left, almost behind them. Bobby is standing out front in the spotlight singing and Jerry and Phil appear to be standing behind(!) Billy with Pig at the organ stage right harmonizing with Bobby. So, Jer and Phill would totally just retreat into the shadows when they didn't have any singing parts in those days? Fascinating. Might depend on the stage. You don't see that in the Veneta footage, but there really weren't any shadows that day, were there.

Anyway, my answer to a question nobody asked.

At the risk of double-posting...

Strider 808808>

Wow. A Joseph Epes Brown reference! Thank you! Black Elk Crying For A Vision from a mid-70s omnibus made a huge impact on me in my late teens, but I've only recently got round to picking up The Sacred Pipe in its entirety. You actually studied with him!? m(_ _)m

The Ken Babs book sounds interesting. I know what a Water Buffalo is, but not the expression about shooting one.

So many Dead-related books. I've got a ton wishlisted, but there's only so much time in the day. I've been interested in the Owsley book for a while, but have yet to pull the trigger.

I wanted to hit that 7/31 show last weekend but just couldn't get it going for one reason or another. Couldn't remember if I already had a copy, or if I only knew it from legend.

DeadVikes>

3/24/73. That's always a good idea! :D

Oroborous>
Oooh, 2/14 at the Carousel. That's cookin', ...or cleanin' I guess in your case. ;)

Not sure I'm familiar with 5/14/78. Had 9/2 on repeat play last week, or so. We often talk about years regarding the Dead sound, but a few months can make a big difference with these cats. :) Thanks for the tip... as if I need any encouragement..... up to Brown Eyed Women now, listening to the matrix and downloading the mono AKG source. Lovin' it! Never had any problems with '78, myself, other than the stunning disappointment of the GIza shows :0 IDK, I usually associate 78 with the great groove they've got goin' on here in the 5/14 show. Wow. BEW is hot, and that was just the first guitar solo. Damn. Cheers, folks. Whatever I was supposed to be doing this morning has just gone out the window. lol. :D

There's no rules here, feel free to ramble on and off topic, on and off the pick of the day. Great posts.. sorry about the record skip.

I am better suited to hang here than some of the other threads, no era or keyboardist is out of bounds and a very positive vibe. It all flows like a very well tuned show... Just my two cents.

Good to hear from you. You are right, a couple of months did make a difference with the sound and performance from year to year. Shoot, I was always thought from one night to the next, you could hear a big difference sometimes.

JimInMD>

Hey, man. Thanks for indulging me. I won't say I don't have preferences for material, and so forth, and occasionally find myself in hyper-critical moods, but that's what discussion is for, I reckon. Ten people all sayin' "killer" isn't very enlightening, but it certainly makes for quicker browsing! ^^; There's good stuff happenin' right through their career, and it's fantastic to be able to watch (listen to) the evolutionary process, even when it sometimes feels like the spark is not what it once was. The goddess still shines upon them.

Just did one full run through the 5/14/78 Providence show. Day-yum. I had ta start takin' notes.

This Let It Grow is cookin' and what the hell is this crazy hyper jam? Whoa-- That Jerry tremolo picking is out of control, no, totally IN control. Perfect. I think I'm starting to understand something I read about the band's veer toward gluttonous virtuosity in '78. This is some killer playing (see, I said it). The dancers must already be picking their asses up from the floor. They're gonna need oxygen by the time this tune is over. I've tried to find merit in the Giza shows, but I think they really can only be described as nothing short of disastrous. I have not heard the compilation that was finally officially released. Keith is goin' nuts here. Really on it. It's impossible to think that just a year from now the lineup will be totally revamped. Holy Shxt! That's not even the ending jam! This is off the hook.

Sampson & Delilah continues the absolutely rockin' high energy trip.

Ship of Fools is a nice surprise. Jerry's diction seems kind of odd. He still has that silvery tone, but maybe the old pipes are already startin' to show some wear and tear. When was the laryngitis show? That was '78 wasn't it?

Estimated is nice. Really searching, possibly a touch on the aimless side, but I'm not really gonna complain about Jerry jammin' a minute or two longer. Might relisten to this.

Eyes is off to the races, but Phil is just shredding the arpeggios. I think that's Phil playing in the upper register just goin' over and over... hard to tell, but that's usually where Phil's bass solo goes.

Dude, the NFA jam is 15 minutes long and that doesn't even include a St. Stephen, or GDTRFB (yet).

Ahh, Bobby takin' a little time out for a little on-the-job slide training. lol. :)

Man, they brought the HEAT to Providence. I can see how this'd be good music to do housework to. Done. Lickety split.

Ok. I really did have other stuff to do today. So you're rid of me for a while.

Rockthing, Since that LP is almost new a skip could be a tiny chunk of pressing material. If you can't see a visible scratch going generally sideways debris is possible. Get a bright light and a hand lens to look down in the groove. I've had luck with a toothbrush for removing a chunk as well. Soft things obviously. I still use a discwasher brand record brush every play and sometimes without the liquid for a quicky dusting if it was cleaned recently. Also use that hand lens to examine the tip of the stylus. If it still looks pointy and not missing a chunk or too rounded it may not be the stylus. In my dormitory days where my roommate or friends may have been doing the DJ-ing I discovered my Shure M-44E (basic mid level cart.) had a slightly bent cantilever but still played fine. Vinyl is the best. Good luck and cheers.

All this talk about Montana. I better check it. Rock-thing, I’m impressed you know about Joseph Epes Brown. I lived in the Bitterroot Valley for a time in the 70s and was friends with Joseph and his family. I also used to sit in on his class. Informal student. He would have me share stories of New Mexico in his class, Southwest Indian Religions. I’m still on the trail.
Grateful Dead forever!

How does 4/4/88 Hartford sound? Edit. Jerry was sick during this show. Recording sounds fantastic, Jerry is hurting.

There is a fresh Miller transfer from June of this year. Recorded by Healy and Pearson.

I will start the campaign now for more 88, oh and while we are at it, more 79-81.

Peace folks.

Full Disclosure, I just finished 5/14/78 today.. great show, but I get the feeling one day soon, I will have to be more descriptive with my show reviews.. RockThing is probably right, albeit I am an in moment kind of fungi.

Additionally, I want to do 5/14 74 to.. as I think I might be going to Montana Soon... so I think that was the suggested pick today, but for us slackers that were behind.. can we do this the day after tomorrow by chance?

I think this is a big tent group, all picks get covered eventually.. castles made of sand, slip into the sea, eventually....

My second and last time seeing Frank Zappa was in 1974 at the Berkeley Community Theater . They performed Montana. Kin Vassey on vocals was over the top outrageous. Who writes this stuff?

Unexpected day off....um-hmmm.
Nuf said!

Me and Hanna r going to Montana...

I fit this show in with my morning work. Not the most focused listen, but enjoyable nonetheless. It's a decent show, especially post drums. Jerry does sound haggard in this one.. which is too bad. You almost have to ignore his singing to get the show.. even in Stella Blue he seems to be projecting his inner Kermit the Frog. Poor Jer but his guitar work is mostly spot on and Brent/Bobby deliver at the end. I'm a sucker for Dear Mr. Fantasy.

It looks like Dave's Picks 39 will get bicycle delivered to the top of mount crumpet today.. looking forward to that and will definitely give it a spin. I don't know who impresses me more, Santa - with his yearly feat of delivering presents to every kid on earth or MaryE for hand delivering all these Dave's Picks by bicycle four times a year.

Somehow I will start feathering in Missoula too. I honestly have not listened to this show in a very long time. It's a classic. Lots going on in GD Land, including an impromptu party at Chez Oroborous.

Devoured, man I love that DS. Hangs with 12/6/73 in my book. Really dig the soft cloud landing into China Doll after that juicy sky walking dissonance! Big Sky indeed!

Perhaps a nice project for Kiethfan as I know he’s spent mucho time on them: list biggest, weirdness Dark Stars...say 72, 73, 74...
68/69 are sorta in different class, and not much/many that fit the criteria elsewhere?
Say top 10 long, weird, awesome DS’s...

Ok, onto 4/4/88.
Cool start!

PO has my 39, so hoping they’ll get around to releasing so I can hit that and catch up on the 71 stuff I missed the last few days.

Yes, let me apologize for this pick. Jerry sounds terrible, must have been really sick. Like the Kermit the Frog reference Jim.

Just goes to show you don't offer up a pick until you hear Jerry.

I still don't have my #39 either OB. Don't even have a date yet.

Enjoy it Jim. Let us know.

Personally, that doesn’t bother me much, especially doing cores etc.
And hey, he’s ripping much of the time on the ole git-tar!
Spirited show too. Good Cassidy.

Sorry about your 39 : (
Somehow, mine just showed up, and since they’ve streamlined the packaging it fits in the box so we don’t have to mess with waiting in line etc.
AND...looking like I might get tomorrow off (probably just jinxed myself)
If so, all hells breaking lose LOL.

...with 'interesting' Jerry vocals is 4-7-85 Philly. Personally, I do like the show and listened to it a heck of a lot back in the cassette days. I'm not necessarily offering it up as suggestion. But, check it out sometime at least. Maybe I'll tune in now. BTW, I have an old friend from back in the day that flew cross country to attend 4-4-88 because he won tickets on a radio call in. Flew from WI to Hartford to check out the show. I think this might be the show Jerry purportedly threw the mic due to frustrations with his vocals. Or at least it was from the same run. Forgive me if someone already brought this up. Take 'er easy Deadheads! :-)

Checking it out now.. I'm a fan of 85.

Agree with Oro on pick of the day, a bonus of this thread is it draws me to shows I haven't hit before. I get as much out of the road less travelled than the superstars we all know and love.

We had a week of stunning weather here the Mid Atlantic this week.. highs in the mid 70's and sun. Not too hot, not too cold.. tie dye t-shirt weather. It looks like the temps and humidity are ticking up and the dog days of summer are upon us. After rehabbing my hurt wing I plan on spending a good bit of the rest of this month in the water listening to Gold Ole Grateful Dead. Have a great weekend all.. be safe play dead.

....day late and a dollar short, but I'll check it out.

Best Easter Sunday ever, and one of my favorite shows attended.
Yes JG has the tour “cold” going on, but if that doesn’t bother you this show smokes!
First time to the Rectum, which would become the venue I saw the most Dead shows at (13, and another JGB in 89).
Still GA in 85 and not overly crowded. Wasn’t up front but pretty close when Phil stepped up to the mic (I think before the lights were down?) and started yelling “hi a, hi a, hi a kids, can ya hear me” and just like that our tripping arses were shot out of a canon!

Just finished the first set 6-pack. REALLY creaky Jer-Bear vocals, but as I have found with a lot of 85, the music is fierce - almost like Jerry is making up for the fact that he can barely eek out the lyrics with his guitar. The copy I found on the Archive sounds good too - you can really feel the energy coming from the band. The 85 energy reminds me of the raucous 78 sound, like the band is constantly teetering on the brink of destruction, holding on by a nail. It is exciting, but I don't know if it is my favorite. However, the "Bird Song" and the "Dancin' in the Streets" are both really solid, with the "Bird Song" achieving lift-off and taking it pretty far out there. Good stuff.

I see a "She Belongs to Me" coming up in the 2nd set - a song that I really wish they would have kept around a lot longer, and I am looking forward to that. Sometimes Jerry's old shot voice actually adds something to the songs, and from other versions I have heard (the one from Dick's Picks 21 - November 85, Richmond) this is one of those songs that can actually benefit from the creaking and the croaking.

Anyway, fun show! Thanks for the rec!

Is anyone else checking out the Cal Expo 89 shows this week? (8/4,5, and 6)? There are some real gems to be had there!

Peace

"Did you ever just know you're not going to remember the chords?"

There's an edge to 85. Jerry's tone is the same but he is attacking the front edge of his timing on notes and chords.. aggressive and edgy. His vocals, even on the good nights, had this harsh richness to it.. too much chasing the dragon me thinks.. but they brought out all these great tunes (some starting a year earlier).. the old arrangement of Dancin' in the Streets, Midnight Hour, Do it in the Road, Smokestack, I could go on. Anyway, I really liked this show, but Jerry sounds like Kermit the Frog, probably not going to be the next Dave's Picks. Man he could play, I like the energy from this period.

Edit: Love the She Belongs to Me.. but I don't think it's near the best of the year. Same with MDew.

Jim, Wow! That is quite the experience. Definitely not one to share with the kids.

Otis, do you have a pick in there? I have actually never listened to any of those Cal Expo shows.

I edited it out. TMI I guess.. I thought it was funny though..

Okay Otis, I will check out 8/6/89.

Hope you all can check it out.

Hi everyone hope you are having a good summer!!! Question, a friend asked what you think the best Althea is??? I know asking for the best is a reach... I love the song, gave him a few choices and you tube videos like ESsen 81 and Alpine Valley 89.... looking for a few other audios to give. Thanks all... been stuck between the May 73 shows and Jersey City Jerry Bday... thanks.... Bob t

BOBT: always dug 3/15/90, perhaps not the GOAT, but a beauty and sound is fantastic on that release.
One on Go To Nassau I believe is no slouch either?

4/7/85: in my memories this show will always shine.
Now...maybe not all I used to think? Still a good show.
Fierce playing, fun show, etc, but you guys covered it pretty well.

Missed Cal Expo, though I’ve YouTubed at least one of em?
Gave 39 the “first” listen treatment: Mucho Bueno!

Been trying to catch up on the Doc train, so caught 8/4&5/71. Dug 4, 5 was ok.
Heading to the 6th and 7th today.

I passed those along.... I always forget about go to Nassau CD's... listening right now... Bob t