Grateful Dead

.... I did buy a mike tyson toad infused wrap. Burned well, cost 7 bucks. Next morning I had a weird tattoo on my face!

I thought Halloween was yesterday...

Then I remembered: for this crowd, every day is Halloween...

I thought of this page when I was flicking through The Deadheads Taping Compendium this morning to see what they thought of 12/31/81. It's a John Dwork marathon, and in it he refers to himself as a "serious Deadhead." Never can it be, brothers and sisters. You can be serious. You can be a Deadhead. You can't be both. Not for any sustained period of time anyway.

The first set of 12/31/81 is a corker, incidentally. Weird harmonies by Joan Baez, of all people, on "It Must Have Been The Roses" and Matthew Kelly blowing the roof off the joint on "C.C. Rider".

LOL,
Yeah, the whole Baez thing didn’t move me so much, certainly not like set 3 of 12/31/82 with Etta!

I don't believe I've ever heard that one. Etta James is much more to my taste than Joan Baez, though.

It's on YouTube. Search for Grateful Dead Etta James

Will do. I don't tend to look on youtube for Dead music, as my laptop isnt connected to any speakers. Tinny, to say the least. A quick blast of the MC5 is alright - but I'm not so sure about an extended jam by The Dead.

I stayed home on 12/31/82 and taped the show on the radio. I went to 12/30/82 and Etta James showed up and played with the Dead on that night.

That 3rd set with Etta James is fantastic. The mere mention of it and her wailing on Tell Your Mama comes into crystalline focus in the happy spots in my brain.

I've listened to watched that set several times over the years, it never disappoints. I'm quite sure I posted the Lancelot Linque at dead.net more than once.

the 81 and 82 New Years shows are memorable, worth a listen and imminently releasable. Tasty stuff.

I think you might be in Europe, so I don't know that you have access to the same products, but after years of having headphones near the laptop, or running a long cord from the laptop to the main stereo, I broke down and purchased some computer speakers. After much research I pulled the trigger on some Vanatoo Transparent Zeros, and I've enjoyed them very much. They aren't so hot at filling a room with sound, but are fantastic when you're sitting right between them. They connect quickly via many different sources, and do a lovely job on the frequencies they try to reproduce. They're built like tanks.

I listen to a LOT more music on the laptop now, and Dave's seaside voice sounds MUCH better on the Vanatoos. When you're Zooming, the voices are much more realistic and pleasant, or if you're streaming some soccer or an online yoga class, the announcers and teachers sound like they're in the room with you, and their voices have a natural depth that they don't have just coming from the laptop's built-in 50-cent (37 GBX) computer speakers. If I move the laptop for yoga, then I'll hook up just one speaker, and that works well.

Or, if I go sit outside, I can easily bring the speakers along, and I've even taken them on a driving vacation so that we could have good-sounding tunes in the house we rented for cross-country skiing.

Anyway, I was convinced I didn't need good computer speakers, but I was wrong. :)

Add a nice economical usb DAC, like audio quest dragonfly just to name one, there are many.
Because like the cheap shitty speakers, the DAC chips in laptops also suck.
For a nominal price it should give you noticeable improvement…

Agreed! I already have a Dragonfly, a Schiit Fulla, and a Maverick Tube Magic D2 (but the last one is hooked up to the main stereo). Supposedly the Vanatoos have a decent DAC built in . . .

DHB - thanks for the info. I was told when I got my hi fi, a few years ago that if I got the right cable, and downloaded...something...I would be able to connect my lap top to that. Which sounds stellar. Truth is I am quite lazy-and maybe I haven't adapted to the dictates of the 21st Century as well as others. Still...it's early days in my cosmography.

Hey Billy, This day in Grateful Dead History is playing BCT 11/3/84 right now! I was there, also! Crazy G-L-O-R-I-A and Why Don't We Do it in the Road? !

All you should need is a cable that goes 1/8" (3.5mm) male to RCA male, no? Those are inexpensive, and I've used that to go from the headphone out on the laptop to the rear of my stereo receiver/amp.

If your computer has Bluetooth, I can highly recommend the new ifi Zen Blue. Great range (through walls etc) and it has a Sabre DAC chip. Sounds very good.
If no Bluetooth then run a USB cable out to a DAC to stereo, even cheap music DACs are much
better sound than the computer DAC.
Yay!

Hoping future releases will be from the sixties & seventies, as that's what i though we originally signed up for. limiting audience noise would also be a plus... Thank You Dave.

Perhaps the cable you refer to is a USB, and if your “hi fi has a built in DAC the software might be for DAC drivers?

is a long time

half the band's output was 80 and after

I don't remember hearing that we'd be getting only 60's and 70's GD...

I am fairly convinced Dave does not read these threads.. I'm not sure I would go all in on 60's and 70's only. Vegas odds and the magic 8 ball suggest we have not seen the last of 80 and beyond.

Do you have a modern TV with WiFi and/or Ethernet port, and apps preinstalled?
Sony, Samsung, Vizio will all have this.
If so, you can watch YouTube on your TV.
With the YouTube app on your phone or tablet you can send the video to your TV.

Run an audio cable (I use fiber optic) from the TV to your stereo or home theater and get good sound.

My Vizio TV is plugged into my internet router and I’m currently streaming hockey and getting 5.1 surround sound through my home theater system.

Edit:
Clarification,
I watch YouTube on my TV with the Ethernet cable that is connected to the TV (by selecting the video on the YouTube app on my iPad, then casting it to the TV), but for hockey the TV is getting the signal through an HDMI cable from a computer (also connected to the router with an Ethernet cable; the TV acts as the monitor for the computer) because Vizio TV’s don’t have the ESPN+ app.

what is going on? When I click to pre order 2022 DP subscription( like I do every year) ,I get an old crappy, non functioning blue text HTML format. Is this a Warner Music Group Problem or a Dead Net problem . Please fix it I've been trying to order for days. WTF!

Clear the history in your browser, or try a different browser, or a different computer.

Oro - my hi fi does have DAC built into it. The store I bought it from toild me this was one of the advantages of buying it. I did get a cable, shortly afterwards, but it didn't work and I got discouraged and never tried again. It might be an idea to ring the store again and get it properly set up. It works and sounds beautiful with cds, too.

cnkd - no, I have one of the old televisions that doesn't allow for connection with a computer. It's a handsomely sized flat screen-but I must have bought it about 12 years ago. But that would be something else-being able to watch youtube on the T.V. with sound coming out of my hi fi. I'd never go out again!

You should check with the store. I’m guessing you just need to DL DAC driver software to your computer?

For your TV, does it have HDMI inputs? If it’s 12 years old it might. If so you can get an Apple TV or other inexpensive streaming device that plugs into your tv like your cable tv or DVD. Your DVD might even be able to stream Dead videos from YouTube etc? But their user interface is usually pretty clunky.

Oro - yes, that seems likely. I might give them a ring on Monday. I could do with knowing a few young people, really. I wouldn't want my motives to be misinterpreted - anybody under about 50 would probably do!

Ha! I’m pushing 60 so not sure what category I’m in lol.
My head still feels youngish, but my old bones sure don’t ; )
I just know about the DAC thing because the thirty something that built my music Server tells me these things.
Not sure I could actually “do” it lol, though I bet it’s like most things: once you know how it’s pretty easy!

I thought you set up sound systems?
But you have a 30-something do your music player?
Google and YouTube can probably teach you how to do it.
But, outsourcing is easier…..

Daverock,
Time for a TV upgrade.
You will like YouTube on your TV. Lots of concert videos there.
I watch all of Dave’s seaside chats on my TV. Also watch the D&C first-song previews that way.

Hello all, I bought 2 Get Shown the Light box sets way back when they were originally released ... I hate the packaging, hate the way the discs slide in and out of those way too big cases ... for a long time I've kept the second box unopened, thinking it might be valuable someday (then they released the all music edition) ... so I've struggled with the 5 5 77 show for years, the second disc simply will not play ... so I opened the second box today, went right to 5 5 77 disc 2, and lo and behold, same exact thing, defective, won't play ... disc 1 plays fine, but the 5 5 77 disc 2 from both copies of the box set I bought will not play ... I can't imagine that I'm the only person with this issue, given my 0 for 2 performance on the same disk from 2 different box sets ... This is beyond frustrating. Has anybody else had issues with 5 5 77 disc 2?

My discs all played fine when I received them.

Try a different CD player or use a CD burner to make a copy on a HD.
Some people with high-end CD players have reported that they have skips that aren’t there when played on their car CD player.
Some people have also reported that the skips went away after cleaning the laser lense.

I’ve had GD CD’s that had skips when played on my Onkyo CD player, but didn’t have any skips with my CD burner and I was able to get good copies onto a HD.

I’ve also had the reverse, some CD’s in the Golden Road Box will play on my Onkyo CD player but had skips when copied by a CD burner. And what’s worse, I tried a couple of different burners and there were always skips, but in different places. Road Trips Fall ‘77 w/ bonus disc was like that. I eventually got good files on my HD, but I had to do each CD on 3 different burners, sometimes more than once, and then piece together the songs that didn’t have skips.

Conekid, yes it’s funny I’m a Custom AV design/integrator, former sound tech and musician, but when it comes to computers this Geezer doesn’t know much lol.
I’m a HW guy, which fortunately for me the kids aren’t really into, especially the labor to find ways to custom integrate the HW etc.
Unfortunately it’s why I still have to kill myself at work. If I had only been open to learning that stuff back when, I’d only have headaches instead of back aches earning my daily bread.
But nobody’s fault but my own!
Long story, a friend and former work associate, who’s also an audiophile nut, custom built a handful of high end ridiculous sounding dedicated YFS music servers. I have like #3 of less than a dozen.
YFS used to show at Audio shows, so I’d hang out at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest with the team, where I’ve heard all kinds of ridiculous hi end systems and the only computer based audio players I’ve heard that were as good or better were considerably more expensive and built by bigger, more commercial company’s. YFS even occasionally got mentioned in The Absolute Sounds reviews of said shows.

I’ve learned how to use it well enough, but only its creator fixes/messes with it since being a delicate hi end boutique instrument, it’s not Dinosaur proof!
I mean you wouldn’t take yer Porsche to a Yugo dealer for service would ya? ; )

And I’m sure it’s like most things: if I wanted to learn that stuff I could as most things aren’t that difficult once you learn.
But you can’t teach an old dog new tricks if he doesn’t want to lol.

We have EAC SW for ripping on it, which works really well, even on trouble discs.
The only official release that has ever given us fits was the Boxilla music only addition.
Had several discs that took forever to rip!

Looking forward to another subscription year. It’s great that the early bird price remains the same..$99 including shipping it’s a deal to me.

bargain

Yearlong entertainment for pennies per day

111 (dont forget the taaaaaaax) divided by 365 = juuuust over 30 cents per day

And the peace of mind with a subscrip aaaand the bonus disc...

Its my birthday 4 times per year

So. I'm watching the Cowboys getting thrashed by the Broncos, and this commercial comes on that made me do a double take. Apparently, our beloved fabulous furry freak brothers will be starring in an animated series on a channel called Tubi. I'm not really grasping this yet. Talk amongst yourselves.

Love the Freaks.. I think I read something about an upcoming FFBros project about five years ago.... way to go Gilbert! Looking forward to it.

Awesome!
Too bad it’s animated, or I could be Fat Freddy…though I don’t have a cat.

....I'll deal with that later. Watching an awesome Tull show on YouTube. Tampa '76.
Great show. Plus I gained an hour today, so it's free time!

The Dead will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no Dead.

we went yesterday to see about adopting a cat. The cat is rather plump.

The cat didn't say anything about knowing Fat Freddie, though.

The Freak Brothers...wow.

I am gonna respectfully disagree on both counts. Regarding 60's/70's only, factually, I do not think that is accurate. No one ever said 60s/70s only. Did they? Dick's Picks had 80s/90s shows. Road Trips had 80s/90s shows. The Box Sets, mini-boxes, and one-offs have had 80s/90s shows. The only release series that were exclusively 60s/70s were the Vault series, and there were only 3 of them. And that is counterbalanced by the 4 View from the Vaults, which were exclusively 80s/90s. Where did you get the idea that Dave was gonna exclusively pick 70s/60s shows?

As others have said, half the band's output is 1980 onward. Plus, some of those years don't have many shows ('75, '74, '76, '77) or have had a ton if shows released already ('72, '77). And the # of tapes is an issue some years ('70, '71, '60s). I mean, they only did 40 shows in 1974. We've had about 15 released as Daves/Dicks or on boxes or RTs. Plus the 5 shows from the Steal Your Face/GD Movie/Soundtrack. That is nearly half the shows from '74.

Lastly, by my count, 7 of 41 have been 80s or beyond. 34/41 60s/70s. What, getting your way 83% of the time is not good enough?

And I for one LOVE the audience bits. The Matrix effect makes it much more ALIVE in my view. And detracts virtually nothing.

Some live recordings are enhanced by hearing the audience in ther background, and some aren't. I'm not as keen when you can hear the audience and the band is in the background, though. Some live recordings I have seem very much like recordings of an event, of which the audience is an integral part, and to take them out of the mix is to diminish the whole.
On some live recordings - mainly films, it has to be said - the crowd are actually more interesting than the bands - Woodstock (minus Jimi Hendrix) and Altamont, terrible though it looks, being prime examples.

To be actually at a concert, as opposed to sitting at home listening to a recording of one, there were so many variable factors, apart from the music, that affected how I felt about the show. The music being only one of them. But that's another issue.

I agree DaveRock, sometimes the audience recording is an integral part of the recording, such as the inebriated young lady you point out greeting Jagger on “Get Yer Ya-Yas Out!” My all time favourite is the lone voice at the Manchester Free Trade Hall calling Dylan “Judas”. His reaction, turning to The Band, and imploring them to “Play Fucking Loud!” was priceless!

“Judas!” cried ex-Brit Keith Butler, now living in Toronto.
"I don't believe you," the singer spat back. "You're a liar!"

Some humorist shouted during the quiet time between songs at a Jewel performance in Telluride's town park. She responds while flipping him off, "I've got a bird for you. And it's free!".
Cheers!

A friend of mine had twins.. they were very young but could speak so ~3-4 years old? We were eating at a brewery/wood oven pizza place and this Bluegrass band was playing for free in the grate room. During a song break I got them to heckle two requests with great enthusiam, one then the other. "Fweee Burd" followed by "Dawk Strawer" in an unmistakable toddler accent.

The band (and crowed) cracked up but you could tell they had no idea what to make of it. They did play an old and in the way tune later on in the set.

I guess you had to be there, but it was pretty funny.

Some lady in the crowd shouted at Garcia, Hey Garcia, why did you shave your beard off and Garcia answered back, Why did you shave yours off. It's on a tape from 1970, could be 5/15/70, but maybe someone in here knows exactly which day it is.

BTK - That is a great comeback from Garcia about his beard! I’ve never heard that one, but it’s priceless. Garcia had such a great sense of humour. Didn’t he ask a Broadway matinee audience on his Lunt-Fontanne Theatre run who was skipping work to see the show, and when it sounded like everyone was clapping affirmative, he asked tongue-in-cheek “Who is running New York!?”

A shout out (pun intended) to the dude that told Joni Mitchell she had “more class than Richard Nixon, Mick Jagger, and Gomer Pyle combined!”

I used to like listening out for that girl who asks Jerry if he is still teaching banjo, just before the band go into "If I Had The World To Give" at Winterland on 10/17/78. It was clearly audible on the tape I used to have, but when the track was included on the bonus disc for Road Trips Vol.1 No. 4 they missed it off. Boo.

There are lots of examples of times when audience reactions really add to the experience of live recordings. But also times when it’s like a laugh track on a sitcom.

On the one hand, there’s stuff like Van the Man’s Too Late to Stop Now record, with some great audience interactions that sound real and spontaneous and really add to the experience.

On the other hand, there’s stuff like Kiss Alive, where they overdubbed loads of loud cheering to make it sound like, wowie wow, you’re hearing the most excited crowd at the most exciting concert that ever happened!!!! When in reality it’s just a bunch of overdubbed sports stadium crowd roars. It’s an easy trick, and one that was used on lots of live recordings from the ‘70s, from Lou Reed’s Rock and Roll Animal to Frampton Comes Alive.

On the other other hand, there’s the Dead. I always respected the fact that their officially released “live” albums didn’t need a laugh track. Unofficial recordings and audience tapes are different, of course. You take what you can get. But now we’re getting some of these hybrids, where Dave seems to be augmenting the vault tapes with audience recordings that inevitably have more crowd noise. So far, there’s only been one—DaP #36—where I thought there was too much audience. Hope it stays that way.

I believe I’ll walk down by the railroad with my cherry wine.

As a former musician the “I’ve got yer free bird right here” was used often.

My favorite was our buddy used to come to our shows, walk up to the stage and start yelling “ya know the one thing that would make you guys good?…lessons!”
or, the ultimate, “don’t quit yer day job”

I dig a good matrix. I’ve copied the audio off some of the DVDs and I think some of those sound great.
I believe Dave’s 8 11/30/80 is a good matrix? I’ll take a good matrix over just a SB any day, but…
I agree that the crowd feed has to be used appropriately though.

I get historically why SBs became the “thing”, but the don’t sound very natural at all.

I recently got the CD/DVD of Lynyrd Skynyrd 1976 Knebworth, and it totally sounds like crowd noise was overdubbed. What’s even worse is that the audience track sounds like it was recorded indoors, but Knebworth was an outdoor show.