Listen To The River: St. Louis '71 '72 '73 (20-CD)

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July 21, 2021 - 6:32am

1,587 replies

Srinivasan.Mut…

Joined:
July 2, 2018

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.

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October 31, 2021 - 8:16am

#521

icecrmcnkd

Joined:
October 20, 2015

10-31-71

I listened to DP2 extensively in the 90’s. Set 2 is smoking and the release sounded so much better than the cassettes I was collecting at the time.

But, I doubt that the quality of Set 2 would be diminished if Set 1 was included in the release. Full shows should be released when possible, and everyone will have the option of putting what CD’s they want into their CD player.

I also don’t believe that Dave and Rhino have a policy that incomplete shows won’t get released. Everything worthwhile will come out eventually. But, once again, Dave and Rhino have 30 years of material to work with and shouldn’t have to cater to a single group that demands that they get all the attention (that includes pre-hiatus, post-hiatus, Donna-in, Donna-out, Brent, heroin-Jerry, etc., etc.).

I am thankful and Grateful that these recordings exist and that they are being polished up and released. Keep them coming Dave and Rhino, from all years so that an accurate representation of the entire career of the Greatest Band In The Universe is available.
October 31, 2021 - 8:12am

#522

Oroborous

Joined:
June 19, 2007

Dicks/partials

I don’t mind some of the partials.
Vol 14 comes to mind.
As long as the songs are sorta in order.
Don’t like when they totally do Boroughs like cut ups.
Ladies and Gentlemen for example. Doesn’t have the same flow.

EDIT: looking forward to taking vol 2 for a ride, it’s been awhile.
October 31, 2021 - 8:05am

#523

Dennis

Joined:
November 1, 2012

Unk Sam & Johnny

As I said I'm glad I got the Johnny cd (also the fucking album :-) )

But was shocked at the recording. The recordings of San Quentin and Folsom are FAR superior. Of course they were set up to make a record so the recording should be top notch,,,, right? :-) It was of course a "Columbia Stereo 360" album!

Like most "country" the songs are SHORT! 28 Songs on this cd.

But if you like the man in black, get it. I like supporting the Owsley recordings.

On the Johnny front... I remember when Ice-T was having trouble with Body Count's Cop Killer and people were whining about the violence in rap. He said nobody complained when Johnny Cash sang, "I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die".

Then in Cocaine Blues Johnny sings.....

99 years underneath that ground
I can't forget the day I shot that bad bitch down

Life's funny!

Update on Johnny - ok my 3rd time thru. I'm getting use to the sound, I think maybe it was a mono recording(?) Not as muddy as first blush listen. But the distance between vocals and drums is weird. Like Johnny was standing on left side of stage at the edge and one guy with a drum kit was in the far rear right side. Odd imaging.

Glad I got!
October 31, 2021 - 6:51am

#524

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

Dicks Picks 2

10/31/71 - See Doc's review, this one contains one of our favorite Dark Stars. My first listen was followed with a Wow and am immediate relisten.

Didn't I hear the reels for the first set were not in the vault? I thought they did not exist, but they seem to be represented on the archive. I do think we have a case for shows with missing reels to make their way into Dave's Picks under the umbrella of Full Show releases. They sort of blew through this barrier when they released fifth reel of 2/27/77 at the end of Dave's Picks Vol. 29

February 27, 1977 – Robertson Gym, University Of California, Santa Barbara, California:
"Morning Dew" (Bonnie Dobson, Tim Rose) – 13:58
"Sugar Magnolia" (Weir, Hunter) – 9:45
"Johnny B. Goode" (Chuck Berry) – 4:23

Dick's Picks 2 - an instant classic. A great release. Happy Halloween all.. trip or treat?
October 31, 2021 - 6:34am

#525

billy the kidd

Joined:
August 17, 2021

Daverock/partial show releases

Daverock, once again your intellligent and insightful comments make such a great case for partial releases. Using DP2( 10/31/71), is the perfect example, that is one of my all time favorite releases. There is really great material out there in the form of partial releases from 1968, 1969, & 1970. I listen to those shows on the Archive and sometimes there might be a nasty reel flip that makes releasing the whole show not the best option, but there is tremendous music all around that reel flip would make for a killer release. Aoxomoxoa 50th anniversary release is another example of a partial release, the music from the Avalon Balllroom is really cool. I would always prefer a complete release if it is possible,but you make such a great point using 10/31/71 as an example, why partial releases can be cool.
October 31, 2021 - 5:46am

#526

unkle sam

Joined:
October 3, 2008

wow

just reread some of the comments after I made my now infamous comment. Someone said bla, bla, bla which made no sense some said, I, I, me, me, I, I, I lol, some even agreed with me, thank you. Some even misunderstood what I said and some even put words into my mouth. I never said it was a rip off, I never said any thing that I thought was negative, just an opinion about what I thought and my preferences. You know what, I don't have to explain my self to some of you on this site who think you are the dead head of all deadheads, lol, get over your selves. Like I said before, my days of blindly buying dead music is over, I will listen first, try and get some information from non brainwashed deadheads about sound quality and make an INFORMED decision, that is all.
Of course I am down for another year of Dave's, but I too wish I could hear the releases first, (or at least know what they are going to be) then purchase, but then they wouldn't be able to sell any less than stellar shows which as we all know can be included in this set up. I will still blindly purchase these releases for the bonus disc and the early bird pricing. That is what keeps me coming back, early bird is like 4 for the price of 3, plus a bonus disc, a real no brainer. And as was stated by someone, if I don't like one of the releases, I can always sell it on ebay for double what it cost, lol.
Thanks for the heads up about the new Johnny Cash release from Bear, Dennis. I am truly sorry to hear that, I was so looking forward to hearing some Man in Black from the height of hippy days. I do understand that Bear was into a lot of things and recording the Grateful Dead was a passion and perhaps he had a bit of trouble with the set up due to the type of music it was and the way it was played, being used to the Dead and that set up. I don't know, just a theory. Still, would love to hear it.
October 31, 2021 - 3:32am

#527

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

Bright Star!

I played Dicks Picks 2 myself last night....a wonderful disc. Proof positive that the distilled highlights of a show make for a great release. Unique Dark Star - both jazz inflected and melodic, with Jerry shining brightest. Hardly a whisper can be heard from Keith, though. Which probably adds to the tracks uniqueness-they could presumabley hear him, and respond to his playing-but we can't - we can only hear the response.

John Keats birthday today, too. Author of some of the most transcendental poems I have ever read - "Was it a vision or a waking dream/Fled is that music - Do I wake or sleep?"
October 31, 2021 - 2:10am

#528

Forensicdoceleven

Joined:
June 17, 2008

And so we came forth, and once again beheld the stars……….

50 years ago today……………

October 31, 1971
Ohio Theater, Columbus, Ohio

Set 1: Bertha-Me & My Uncle-Deal-Playing In The Band-Loser-El Paso-Tennessee Jed-Jack Straw-Big Railroad Blues-Brown Eyed Women-Mexicali Blues-Casey Jones-Cumberland Blues-One More Saturday Night

Set 2: Dark Star>Sugar Magnolia>St. Stephen>Not Fade Away>Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad>Not Fade Away

Encore: Johnny B. Goode

Deadicated to Jason Stempin…………

Long before the awakening of thought on earth, manifestations of cosmic energy must have been produced which have no parallel today………

The first set, average while fine, gives no hint of the cosmic energy that would be unleashed in the second set. Previously uncirculated, officially released as the only single-disc Dick’s Picks in March 1995, this exploded like a supernova upon first listening way back when. And it has stood up to repeated listening since then. It is indeed very very fine, one of the best official 1971 releases……

To quote DL himself: “I’m absolutely thrilled. I can’t believe that anyone who hears this is not going to go to outer space, intensely, over and over… This show was like getting hit with a brick in the face, I couldn’t believe it. I put it on again and said ‘Man!’ I must have played it ten times before I could talk… This is as good as it’s ever been. I’ve never heard anything like it, and I’m shocked… I have to put myself in a seatbelt. I start shaking, it’s so exciting… This is a thrill a minute.”

Doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love……..

Rock on!

Doc
I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars……
October 31, 2021 - 12:29am

#529

simonrob

Joined:
June 7, 2007

Paranoia strikes deep.

Sad. That's all.
October 30, 2021 - 9:36pm

#530

Gratefulhan

Joined:
June 6, 2007

Oro & Jim/Phish on West Coast

Oro and Jim, thank you both as well. I plan to stay in shape and keep up with BJJ for as long as I can. I think I am one of the younger commenters on these pages, but at my BJJ academy, I am one of the oldest. There are few guys that have about a year on me, but most people's I train with are in their 20's to early 30's. They are hard to handle, but I can still hold my own, at least for now.

I saw Phish this summer in Hershey. I had great time , but these West Shows look bonkers. What I have heard sounds great. Phish has been on top of their game I think for a while now, really least for the past 4 years or so. I need to do so more listening but it seemed like they turned their game up somewhere around 2015-2016 and just kept improving from then. Now it seems like just about every show is above average if not stellar.

Also, I will say that Dead & Co have upped their game as well. I saw them at Blossom this summer. I felt like that show was OK, but there where some really good shows over summer. Plus some of their recent West Coast shows have been high level as well from I have heard. As I typed this, I watched the free 2nd set opener for tonight - it was a very well played Jack Straw.

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

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.

Re: Sasquatch Plural

Duck I says

Drunk Sasquatch

I wonder if they are happy drunks or ahole drunks? Is Big Bird a drunk Sasquatch in disguise? I mean.. he's an 8'2" tall talking, clumsy, flightless bird who would never pass a field sobriety test. Just asking.

Are Sasquatch adept at stealing catalytic converters?

Back to your regularly scheduled The Other One > Morning Dew.

Angry Drunks

The angry drunken ones are called Assquatch:

Ass.quatch
/ˌassˈkwaCH,ˈasskwäːCH/
Noun
1. a drunken, belligerent Bigfoot.
2. anyone with an abrasive, off-putting personality.
"That guy is a raging Assquatch!"

The Duke of Death

Duck I says

Class Clown?

We are both Rhode Scholars.. but many thanks for the compliment.

Ein prosit, ein prosit

Mein bruder!

BW und AL

Henry Louis Gates Jr. needs to profile us, 7878.

"You both share a significant strand of DNA with Jerry Garcia!"

PF: It's Getting Spooky!

I was going to post the exact same idea about Dr. Gates. Less the Jerry part but still, great minds think alike. Or we are joined like all Deadheads through the cosmic connection of the dosed mind. Either way I'm good with that.

Had this thought, almost dream, while going to sleep last night. It's this coming July at Red Rocks and I'm strolling in and go down to the first row and beg everyone's attention with, "Hello all you Dead net posters! Is Hendrixfreak here? Oroborous? How about you Vguy? Shout out your usernames and raise your hand!". And then practically the whole place raises their hands and responds and we all give a good hoot and applause.
I guess it just helps to feel a part of something positive these days.
Thanks, and prost!

assquatch

love it

So, did they shut down the DP 40 site because

I said "fuck" or "morphine"??

Let's find out. Oh, wait!!

1stshow

Right On!

He's Gone

Dap40 is gone but at least they fixed the black friday sale. Trade 'ya back?

well now

I had posted on #40 about the Target website sale...go to the page and enter Grateful Dead and you'll see some Dick's Picks, Road trips & Vinyl pop up (all Real Gone Label)...best part is buy two get one free sale going on...

Was it something I said??

Nah, it's always about the money. They cleaned up the site, getting rid of anything that's not for sale. Because, you know, "Black Friday," etc.

Happy Holiday$

Can't post a photo

But wanted to show you all the red-coded terminal of my car battery. With all the bad things on social media these days, I thought it would be nice to see a positive post for once.

Have a Grateful Thanksgiving, all!

Nyuk nyuk DHBrewer

Glad youre in _charge_ of todayz pun

10 30 73

:)))

Re: 10 30 73

I know right?

Positive post....

....took me a minute. Good one.

Still listening to the river...

The pair of '71 shows was delicious. Tons of songs, and a real nice two-night evolution to the sets. Just listened to the first of three '72 nights and, again, the band manages to make old favorites sound new as they take different angles on the jams and the feel of jammy tunes.

Waiting in the wings: Neil Young/Carnegie Hall, Coltrane/Seattle, Los Lobos/Gates of Gold, Pharoah Sanders/Live, Gov't Mule/Heavy Load, Dylan/1970, and more.

Happy Indigenous People Sorrow Day to all.....

10-18-72

There is a digi click between China and Rider.
I just confirmed on my copy.
On the STL Box download page KF says that it’s on 10-19 too.

Nappy's Right

There's more music on that Target sale than d-net's black friday sale. The buy 2 get one free will help but some items were considerably higher priced than RGM's recent sale prices where you didn't have to buy 3.
Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving!

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see………

Fifty years ago today…………

It was a day between, a travel day, now, fifty years later, giving us time to ponder the deeper mysteries of music, because there is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres…..

I have been asked by a fellow traveler in 1971 Grateful Deadness to post a comparative analysis of two December 1971 Dead shows. I won’t tell you where his own tastes lead…….

Monet or Renoir? Joyce or Dostoevsky? Ellington or Mingus? Whitman or Frost? Wells or Bradbury? Rubies or emeralds?

Second Felt Forum or Second Fox Theater????

Every precious gem radiates and luxuriates in its own unique brilliance. One mustn’t necessarily outshine the other. Must we be forced to choose that single one that touches our hearts, and ears, most deeply?

The "1971 challenge" is a lot more challenging than I thought it would be. I generated a single page/single post rough draft early, and while it's nice, I'm not totally satisfied with it. After all, 12/5 vs 12/10 is serious 1971 Grateful Deadness. LOL it's like Ali vs. Frazier, Cowboys vs. Steelers, chocolate chip cookie dough vs. pistachio.

The analysis itself isn't that hard, as long as you try to apply uniform criteria to both shows. And in attempting to be "objective" (always an issue while trying to analyze/criticize any art form), one has to try to put aside personal, subjective feelings and opinions. Which in this case, is truly difficult. I'm very familiar with both shows, but 12/5 has been a favorite of mine for a long long time.

When comparing different years, one comparative factor is "style". Here, that's not an issue since the shows are only 5 days apart. Which is actually good, because that factor is quickly eliminated and therefore one can concentrate exclusively on "content". Which means things like lengths of first and second sets, characteristics of the big jams, encores, etc. Naturally, the two shows have a lot in common, but there also have some very important differences as well.

For any and all who wish to weigh in, vote early, and often!!

Tomorrow: Felt Forum---how much does weirdness count?

Rock on!!!

Doc
What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the spirit…..

11/27th heaven

Billie, Peggy Lee, Bird, Jimmy Forrest , Ya Ya's, Roy Buchanon "Livestock" or the expanded version w/ HF liners.
Weird's gotta count for something!

Where's your will to be weird?

Felt Forum December 5 1971

Set 1: 15 songs. Opener: Bertha. Closer: One More Saturday Night. 7 Garcia, 5 Weir, 3 Pigpen.

Substantial, top notch first set. Perhaps the greatest one-off ever, revealing Garcia’s old soul. Muddy Water sounds so well rehearsed, as if it had been in the repertoire forever. Garcia’s picking is so so sweet. Solid Weir and Pigpen material. Excellent first set.

Set 2: 15 songs, plus one ‘loose jam”. Opener: Truckin’. Closer: NFA reprise. 5 Weir, 7 Garcia, 1 Pigpen, 2 “group” (NFA, NFA reprise). Encore: Johnny B Goode. Big jam: Dark Star.

A Truckin’ for the ages. A nonverbal—but certainly not silent---version of their signature psychedelic opus. Fine jamming in the NFA suite. Really fine second set.

We should revel in the gooey exotic weirdness of the Felt Forum show. Twists and turns, peaks and valleys, Pigpen and Bakersfield, rock and roll, Grateful Dead. In December 1971, did it get any better than this???

Overall rating: classic of the first rank.

Tomorrow: Second St Louis, Rodney Dangerfield’s favorite December 1971 show…..

Rock on!!

Doc
Embrace your weirdness!

Grateful whine

12 5 71 should have been the one released, not what was released.

I respect music, I do, I love it…………..

Fox Theater December 10 1971

Set 1: 12 songs. Opener: Bertha. Closer: Casey Jones. 6 Garcia (including two back-to back), 4 Weir, 2 Pigpen.

Well played, somewhat Garcia-centric first set. No major surprises or weirdness. Appears “typical” for late 1971, which still means “excellent”. Even so, clearly, on this evening the goodies were delivered in the second set.

Set 2: 14 songs. Opener: Good Lovin’. Closer: NFA reprise. 5 Garcia, 5 Weir, 1 Pigpen, 2 “group” (NFA, NFA reprise), 1 loose jam (sometimes labelled “China Cat” jam”, which lasts perhaps one minute, does that count as a song?).

Encore: One More Saturday Night. Big jam: The Other One.

Really fine Good Lovin’ to open, here Pigpen reveals his old soul, the only time it was played this month. Excellent big jam, as the Other One bobs and weaves along, seamlessly transitioning into and out of Sitting On Top Of The World. Typical fine late 71 jamming in the NFA suite. Rockin’ Saturday Night to close the show.

Now, after all these decades, we are treated to the full sonic majesty of the second Fox Theater. Now, without doubt, it shall get its due respect………..

Overall rating: Excellent!!

Rock on!!!

Doc
To the living we owe respect, but to the dead we owe only the truth……

Never cut what you can untie……

I’m not big into analyzing—or choosing--one show over another. I like what I like, but I am interested in what criteria folks use to judge what is “best”. The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis.

Style? Content? Quantity over quality? What is the value, if any, of weirdness? Whose tunes are “better”? Decisions, decisions, decisions, every song is like a painting. Speaking of which, Renoir-Dostoevsky-Mingus-Frost-Bradbury-Rubies. Just for the record….

Honestly, I love BOTH shows. One is “merely excellent”, while the other is “quirkily classic”. Which one is which? The only difference between a rut and a grave are the dimensions. By constant contemplation of excellence, we clear our selfhood of all dross and impurities. Freedom comes with the impossibility of choosing…..

This may surprise no one, but if I had to choose a “desert island show”, it would not be either of these shows, although clearly, both are exceptionally fine, and worthy!!! Music is the best means we have of digesting time…..

Tomorrow brings December, be prepared! He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summer will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter……

Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk. Sorrow is knowledge, those that know the most must mourn the deepest, the tree of knowledge is not the tree of life……

Rock on!!

Doc
Truly fertile music, the only kind that will move us, that we shall truly appreciate, will be a music conducive to dream, which banishes all reason and analysis. One must not wish first to understand and then to feel. Art does not tolerate reason.

So that we might have roses in December……

Yo! Rockers!!!

We’re in the home stretch. Cold winter beckons, warming music arrives……..

This is not the winter of our discontent. The anniversaries of eleven fine shows await. Two bona fide classics, maybe more, all worthwhile. October good, November better, December best. Be prepared!

Rock on!!

Doc
A man's work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened…..

The Earth is like a child that knows poems…..

50 years ago today……

December 1, 1971
Boston Music Hall, Boston, Massachusetts

Set 1: Truckin'-Sugaree-Mr. Charlie-Beat It On Down The Line-Comes A Time-Jack Straw-The Rub-Tennessee Jed-El Paso-Big Railroad Blues-Casey Jones-One More Saturday Night

Set 2: Ramble On Rose-Me And Bobby McGee-Big Boss Man-Cryptical Envelopment>drums>The Other One>Me And My Uncle>The Other One-Not Fade Away>Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad>Not Fade Away

Deadicated to Albert, where ever he may be. Don’t go all existential on me…..

There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered. After an absence of eighteen shows, Pigpen returns, albeit in a slightly subdued mode. But it’s good to have some grease back………..

This was the first show with both Pigpen and Keith Godchaux. It includes the final performance of The Rub, which is actually a pretty decent, hard rocking version. The Other One reprise has some nice, energetic “interior jamming” before they return to the Other One theme and the second verse, after which they fairly abruptly stop. This is followed by extended tuning prior to the start of Not Fade Away.

Hard to assess the first set due to “suboptimal sound quality” of the first set audience recording, but it seems well played and well received. The second set is very fine, highly recommended!

Rock on!!

Doc
I have just returned from Boston. It is the only thing to do if you find yourself up there……

12 1 71

I heard that one a few months back...nice and happenin'.

Re: China Rider 10/19/72

Just to clarify, what I hear is a distinct increase in volume from China Cat to Rider.

The Doc knows his stuff....

....good to know you're still healing Forensic.

Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs……

50 years ago today…..

December 2, 1971
Boston Music Hall, Boston, Massachusetts

Set 1: Bertha-Playing In The Band-Mr. Charlie-Sugaree-Beat It On Down The Line-Black Peter-Next Time You See Me-Jack Straw-Tennessee Jed-Mexicali Blues-Smokestack Lightning-Big Railroad Blues-Casey Jones-One More Saturday Night

Set 2: Sugar Magnolia-Deal-El Paso-Brokedown Palace-Uncle John's Band-Not Fade Away>Turn On Your Love Light>Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad>Not Fade Away-Johnny B. Goode

Deadicated to Ken Kirk and Joe Lydon, for all the shows we shared together……

Maybe not a top-tier classic, but it has its own quirky gooey goodness. One of only two 1971 shows with both Black Peter and Brokedown Palace, and the only 1971 show with both Smokestack Lightning and Turn On Your Lovelight.

Back in the very early years of my crazy tape trading daze this was one of the first “local Dead show recordings” I had, so it has a special place in my Grateful Dead heart of hearts. It never seemed like the greatest Dead show ever, yet I still treasured it then---AND now.

Definitely worth a listen…………

Rock on!!

Doc
There may be a great fire in our hearts, yet no one ever comes to warm himself at it, and the passers-by see only a wisp of smoke…..

Man is a messenger who forgot the message......

Yo! Rockers!!

Speaking of messages, does anybody check PMs any more? Hint hint................

As they say at my office, "Sure is dead around here......"

Rock on rockers!

Doc, paperwork day
You die, but most of what you have accumulated will not be lost; you are leaving a message in a bottle.....

Forensic '71s

Yes I'm onboard with Vguy: Doc's reviews are great reading, especially if I catch them in the morning with that cup if French Roast. And it's not just the show reviews - you also get some pearls of wisdom to stimulate thy waking brain. Heh. I said "thy". Been reading a lot of Tolkien lately.

Sure get stoned at night Big Boss Man. Just tuning into 12/9 the past couple of days after reading about the predicament Doc found himself in, with the 12/9 vs 12/10 comparison request (kk

I hope it wasn't me). Comparing Dead shows on back-to-back nights is especially difficult. Assuming the audio quality is the same, it's almost down to the set list.....almost. I don't think I've heard a "bad" show from '67 to '77. The factors that influence my replay likelihood are:

Recording Quality - this affects me more than I like to admit, and sometimes my tolerance grows over time. As a headphone listener, an undercurrent of buzzing, drones, excessive tape hiss, or other anomalies will definitely impact the frequency that I play a show.

Mix - If I can't hear Jerry, I'm not going to be happy, whatever else is going on. Sometimes it happens - not much you can do except move the balance a little bit to the left. The opposite is true for me too. If Jerry is high in the mix I'm going to listen a lot more (examples of hHigh Jerry: DP 23 from '72, DaP from Nassau 9/7/73, Road Trips '74, DaP from the Orpheum '76, DaP from Swing Aud 2/26/77, and pretty much most multi-track releases, to name a few).

Performance / Energy - did they play well?/ I think pretty much every night before 1978 was at least an A- on the grading scale right? But most nights I think they had some extra rocket sauce and played extremely well - an A night. And then there were some nights where they had "the stuff". You know "the stuff". FW 2/2/69, 5/2/70, 4/29/71, 5/3/72, 11/11/73, 2/24/74, eckcetra, eckcetra). Sometimes there's this vibe that even the tapes catch. 12/10/71 feels like lightning in a bottle to me.

Setlist - it somehow factors in sometimes, I suppose. If the tape quality and performance are top notch though, the setlist almost doesn't matter. What's that? Yes you in the back. What if it's Dark Star night? Well perhaps, yes, that can be special - but a Dark Star does not an A+ concert make.

Thanks for all of the great insight Doc. It's only rock 'n roll but I like it.

Bad - no. Bumpy - yes

It isnt all plain sailing for me between 1969 and 1972. Not by any means. How could it be-given the nature og what they did? For me, the first half of 1969 is stellar - a real peak in terms of material and performance. But things ran less smoothly from about June onwards when the "Working Mans" and country songs started getting introduced. To me, these early versions sound a bit awkward, and the energy of the first half of the year gets dissipated a bit. Plus, the "Lovelight's " get tediously extended. Typically, these are the only shows from 1969 represented in Dave's Picks.

In 1970, its more of the same-interstellar jams, awkward short songs and interminable "Lovelight's". I should say though that I do like the acoustic sets from this period.

1971 seems to be a complete reverse - they are now spot on with the country style-but what's happened to the jams? Look no further of course - in October, with Keith onboard they return, and the Dead became lords of all they survey. Every type of song they play they take ownership of. And the "Lovelight's" get shorter.

That's a ridiculosly truncated summary of course-just a general impression I have this morning in repsonse to Keithfans post. I wouldn't descibe The Dead as rock n' roll, either. They sometimes played it , but only in the context of a greater whole.

I am a magpie. My eye collects details............

Yo! Rockers! And especially Keithfan...............

If I recall correctly, the comparison was 12/5 vs 12/10. I know, just a small detail, but still.................it's probably because you listen to too many Dark Stars...................

To me, 12/9 has always been an anomaly. For years it's been postulated that there was a missing reel. My guess is they were running late. I know, shocking for a professional band....................

Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.................

Rock on!

Doc
Once you hear the details of victory, it is hard to distinguish it from a defeat......

Mark the calender

I actually agree with everything DR said except about the R&R part lol
with much of what is now in the R&R hall of fame, I don’t think there’s any debate about the Dead being a R&R band, unique yes.

DOC: we’re in the final stretch. Have hit all the Capital run and everything since Winterland 3/24/71, (plus the boxilla show!) Keep ‘em coming and thanks for all the informative/entertaining posts!
Some real Bobbie Dazzlers coming up! Looking forward to 12/15 and New Years as I’ve never heard those
Guess you have to add 1/2/72 as another I’ve not heard but folks seem to go on about?

R&R Hall of Fame?

I'm not sure I like the sound of that very much! No...in England rock n' roll is now a distinct culture - very different from rock music. Near where I live, they have rock n' roll weekends - or they did before Covid, and it was a sight for sore eyes. Incredible cars would turn up, and the patrons modelled themsleves in hybrid 1950s style. They looked great, some of them.
I've only attended as an outpatient - I don't dress up to suit the band I'm going to see. But I did feel a bit out of place. There was a sign on one wall saying "hippies not allowed"!
I like listening to The Dead and rock n' roll-but they both seem very different- no, they are very different.

Lovelight

never a major fan

although I will tolerate them when in the right mood

I have always said, I don't need to know about Pigpen's action.

Oops Wrong Shows

That's pretty funny Doc, considering I've been playing the daylights out of 12/9 and 12/10 the past couple of days (including the past 2 hours). Heh. I suspect you're right about the shortened 12/9 show. Probably swung into town late and didn't get to the gig from the diner fast enough.

Daverock, agree on those half hour Lovelights - most of them throw me off the scent for a bit, but I just FF >> to the last 5 minutes or so and keep on Truckin'. I imagine the live experience was much more exciting - Pigpen up there engaging the crowd in those tiny venues (if Reverend Grease helped close the deal for even one pocket-ball player, I'd say his work was complete :D

I do love the 2nd half of '69, probably as much as 1st half, but for different reasons. 1st half I'm into for same reasons you mentioned. 2nd half '69 brought us the first UJB, Feeling Groovey, and Tighten Up jams. I hear what you're saying on them getting their legs on some of the new tunes (1st Cumberland Blues rough, but didn't bring down DP 16 for me). There aren't a whole of official releases, but what we have is pretty good stuff (sans the half hour Lovelights). Thelma has some great stuff with Bonus Disc (including a singularly unique UJB with an incredible gooey intro). Some great soundboards: 8/30, 10/25 partial (fantastic Dark Star => St. Stephen => The Eleven), 11/2, and the whole last week of December (Dallas 12/26 + Boston Tea Party shows). New Speedway Boogie. Mason's Children. Easy Wind.

And in the words of one drunken man who has crashed more cars than most of us have owned in a lifetime: next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways -
It's still rock and roll to me....

The busy have no time for tears…..

50 years ago today…..

December 4, 1971
Felt Forum, New York City, New York

Set 1: Truckin'-Sugaree-Mr. Charlie-Beat It On Down The Line-Tennessee Jed-Jack Straw-Run Rudolph Run-You Win Again-Me And Bobby McGee-Comes A Time-El Paso-Smokestack Lightning-Cumberland Blues-One More Saturday Night

Set 2: Ramble On Rose-Me & My Uncle>The Other One>Mexicali Blues>The Other One>Wharf Rat-Casey Jones

Encore: Johnny B Goode

Deadicated to evilyn2003, Mr.Dc, dissident1980, Maine Dave, Across the Rio, cosmicdavid, Lost Dantian Tapes, Dantian's Wei Lu, Heart of Dantian, Sydney Prentice, and Grayteful, because how cruelly sweet are the echoes that start, when memory plays an old tune on the heart…….

The food that feeds us all, the Grateful Dead………

We shouldn’t let the intense cosmic quality of December 5 overwhelm the other shows from this fine run. Here is a solid, well played show that you almost never hear about. The first set is long, well played, and has some nice, slightly oddball tunes like Run Rudolph Run, You Win Again, Comes A Time, and Smokestack Lightning. Equipment difficulties appear to be at a minimum. Admittedly, the second set is short, but does have the quirky, heavily Weirish jam sequence. Maybe not a top tier show, but certainly worth a listen…………

Rock on!!

Doc
To have no time for philosophy is to be a true philosopher…..

Long strange trip and all that

Keithfan-yes, there have been some good recordings from late 1969 - throughout the year, in fact, taking into account releases outside of Dave's Picks. And they are all fascinating and worth hearing ( again and again) in my humble estimation.

Part of the attraction for me with these shows, is that the band actually evolved on stage for all to hear not closeted away in rehearsal - so we can all recognise from whence they came, where they were, and sense where they were going. Much more interesting than if they had simply stopped touring for 6 months - say from May to December 69, and reappeared as a new model.The develpoment happened in public, over a period of time, for all to hear. To me, this meant that some shows featured somewhat tentaive playing as they evolved-but that's not a problem. It's a quality, in fact.

I've pigeon holed 1969-but this on stage development obviously started in 1966 and continued spiralling on into the 1970s.

1969

You've inspired me Daverock, to revisit the latter half of 1969. Up to my usual tricks, I've taken some editorial initiative to combine the Thelma 12/12/69 show with the bonus disc from the previous night, as well as drop Lovelight Feedback and drums. I popped Bonus Disc tracks Dark Star => St. Steven => The Eleven in the space between discs 2 & 3. It works nicely..
Then disc 3 plays like normal with that miraculous UJB; and then I placed the remaining Bonus Disc tracks Cumberland Blues => The Other One and Cosmic Charlie to just before the closing And We Bid You Goodnight. Without drums and Feedback in that ending sequence, stuff just flows better. Great Caution btw. What a show, and barely longer than the original. I hadn't listened to this one in a good 6 months, and this re-ordering of tracks really optimized the lozenges I recovered (long story).

Hey Stoltzie, regarding Pigpen's action:
she got her leg up against the wall.....nuck nuck nuck

12/4/65, An important date in Grateful Dead history

56 years ago today the Dead played their first public gig as the Grateful Dead, at the San Jose Acid Test. For a very cool story about a 16 year old who went to the party with his brother, type in "jerry's brokedown palaces big nigs house". The 16 year old kid meets Pig Pen and Garcia that might and gets quite a different reception from both of them. His story is toward the end of the article and an absolute must read. The Rolling Stones were playing the same night at the San Jose Civic Auditorium, and Keith Richards and Brian Jones showed up at the Acid Test when the Stones gig was done.

Shout out to dr. rhino, dead…

Shout out to dr. rhino, dead.net and whoever had their hand in expeditiously replacing the 6 discs from my St. Louis box that had a lot of scratches on them! Keep up the great customer service, and keep bringing it, DL and team!

Daves 10

Keithfan - that's a good idea. I too brought that one down this morning, and just had time to play the Drak Star from 12/11/69 before going out for my booster jab. I might follow suit, and start again from cd1 in the order you suggest. There do look to be an awful lot of songs played at 12/12!

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