You can listen to Grateful Dead records over and over again and never understand the attraction they have for certain people until you attend one of their concerts. Sometime during the Dead's usual five-hour set, it will all click: Jerry Garcia's Indian bead string of notes on the guitar, the ozone ooze of the vocal harmonies, the shifting, shuffling rhythm of bassist Phil Lesh and drummer Bill Kreutzmann, and the distant echo of the oldest of American folk music. - Columbia Flier
"Certain people" will know that we're coming in hot with one that's got all these things and more, DAVE’S PICKS VOLUME 41: BALTIMORE CIVIC CENTER, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, 5/26/77. Yes, there's still plenty of spectacular May '77 to go around. Nearly chosen for Dave's Picks Vol. 1, 5/26/77 delivers three-fold. There's one count for the energy - all the precision of the Spring tour conjuring up the raw power of the Fall tour that was to come. There's another for the setlist which featured beloved songs from WORKINGMAN'S DEAD and soon-to-be favorites from the freshly recorded TERRAPIN STATION. And a third for its element of surprise (or shall we say surprises) from an astonishingly peak 15-minute "Sugaree" to new delights ("Sunrise," "Passenger," "Jack-A-Roe') to a rare first-set finale of "Bertha" to the second set's "Terrapin>Estimated>Eyes," traveling leaps and bounds towards the improvisational journey that is a nearly 17-minute "Not Fade Away."
Limited to 25,000 numbered copies, DAVE’S PICKS VOLUME 41: BALTIMORE CIVIC CENTER, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, 5/26/77 was recorded by Betty Cantor-Jackson and has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering. Grab a copy while you can.
June '68??....
....I was still pooping my diapers.
"Make it so number one!"
From The Warlocks to The Dead
It always feels a bit barren to me, this time of year, due to them announcing two Dave's Picks at the same time at the end of each year to whip up a bit of interest. I can't remember when the last box came out - but I am guessing October, so if we follow the same pattern, there will be a bit of a wait before that is announced too.
A 66-68 box tickles my fancy. I seem to remember Jerry Garcia saying somewhere that they became the Grateful Dead at the acid tests. But it doesn't sound like it to me. To me they only really became The Dead in Fall 1967. What's in a name - I agree it would be great to hear their evolution during these years in one box.
1968 box
A 1968 box would be very cool. I wonder what the dates are. I have a nice poster with the Dead & Charlie Musslewhite from 5/30, 31 & 6/1. 68 from the Carousel Ballroom, I wonder if it could be those shows. You can see the poster online, just type in Grateful Dead memorial 1968 poster. Hopefully they will include 10/12 /68 and any shows from the tour of the Great Northwest if its a 1968 box set. I also hope that the Charlie Musslewhite stuff gets released by O.S.F. If that was recorded. This is great news!
A St. Dilbert's Day Miracle!
Actually, I think St. Dilbert's Day is April 1. Today is St. Joseph's Day, now that I check.
(It's good that saints get days, isn't it. And it's nice, as I think Jim Gaffigan said, that saints get to be in charge of things. Like St. Patrick is in charge of Ireland. St. Joseph is in charge of aspirin. St. Vincent in charge of indie rock. Etc.)
But seriously, a previously unheard full set from June '68? Recorded by Owsley? Brethren and sistren, let us fall upon knees, burn ye the sacred herbs, and let us rejoice and sing and dance and ring in the new. This does not happen every day. I am beyond stoked.
Last five:
James Brandon Lewis: Jesup Wagon
Tom Harrel: Light On
GOGD: Anthem of the Sun
Wagner Overtures: Szell/Cleveland
King Crimson: THRAK
In the interim
F Z has just released 2 vinyl 3 lps. An expanded Fillmore East and same wiTh Rainbow Theatre and 8 cd all 4 Fillmore shows. The vinyl is perfect. So far Joe Travers et al have done a fantastic job
St. Steve’s day!
No, other one, big dude, took care of Jer, now believe it or not recognized as a modern philosopher on premium TV!
Check out the last episode of Billions on Show Time from 3/14. None other than the U.S. AG for the southern district of NY, played by none other than Pig Vomit himself (sorry Paul, that’s an honor that’s not going away) quotes Steve, while calling him a modern day philosopher!
At the thirty minute mark he quotes our beloved Mr Parrish and not just a one liner, it goes on for a bit!
Must viewing for any long time DH!
Congrats Big Steve, Showtime baby!
BTK re Piazza and George...
Billy I have s a show I recorded off of my radio from the Long Beach Blues Festival. early 80's...Rod & the band kill it for a bit and then they welcome George to the stage to play...great stuff...I sent my cassettes to a buddy who has the equipment and the joy to get the best possible sounds out of things like this...he also did a Hollywood Fats Band show from the Monterey Jazz Festival for me...so good to hear this 40 (^#":##!!!) year old stuff sound this good....
Re: VGuy/Pooping Diapers
If I was front, center and (ahum, "centered") on one of the 68 brain roasters, I bet I would have pooped my diapers too.
The setlists were not always inventive but the playing was a explosive. ...And they played it loud to make sure the point got across. Can't wait for more 68. How does the song go, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun? Bring it.
So I'm wondering....
Whether we'll see the day that the OSF puts out a GD show, as opposed to them turning the '68 tape over to the GD vault. In either case, even were the organization to move "quickly," it's gonna take time. OSF has an April announcement for an upcoming June release. (I'm guessing its Dxxx Sxxx, but I actually have no idea.) So even if they bumped their own schedule to get this out, it'd be fall at best. As for Dave L. and M. Pinkus, I tremble to consider how they view a double-CD special release of a '68 show... In my dreams, I'd be checking my mailbox every day from now on. But when I woke up this morning I realized that moving that tape into production, with the two parties' plans already in place, might take an excruciatingly long time. ("Excruciating" being more than, say, 72 hours...) My only hope is the historical fact that, nine years ago, Lemiuex realized the uniqueness of that 4-18-70 acoustic tape that Mtn Grrrl returned and valued the surprise factor that could gin up excitement for a somewhat predictable (timing-wise) release schedule. According to Dave's liner notes for 4-18-70, Mtn Grrrl called in mid-2013 to say she had some reels of GD. Lemieux characterized that batch as "performances we'd never heard or even knew had been recorded." (Note the plural, "performances." More '70-'71 to come?) So , literally within months, Dave & Co. previewed the tapes and moved a single disc to market in November 2013 with the most unique thing he heard. Maybe our best bet is to have OSF cook up this little best-seller-in-waiting. If OSF tackles the job, the GD would be the "biggest" band they've done a release on besides the ABB. Perhaps the OSF's willingness to divulge their find (they typically do not discuss their vault holdings) bodes well for them or dead.net to release this show. No doubt they've discussed this find with Lemiuex & Co. prior to a public announcement. (I'll say this: I sponsored preservation of a single reel of a multi-reel NRPS show.) Does anyone know if the Rhino Records deal with the GD vault is for only what's produced from the GD vault or whether it covers any and all GD releases, period?
Hmm. It's not like I want to experience an Owsley tape of the band in June '68 or anything... And clearly, as I approach 65 this year, I have no concern that "maturity" is suddenly going to rear its ugly head.
Edit: Oh, and Vguy, thanks for the visual!
Because you asked
David Bowie"s best albums according to me
The Man who sold the world
Ziggy Stardust
Hunky Dory
"Heroes"
Scary Monsters
Low
Station to Station
Great single tracks
Diamond Dogs
Rebel Rebel
Watch that man
Jean Genie
John Im only dancing
Last Five....
Pearl Jam - No Code
GOGD - 1.22.78 Eugene Dave's 23
Medeski Martin & Wood - Friday Afternoon In The Universe
Duran Duran - Notorious
Phish - 9.29.99 Pyramid, Memphis
Avatar changed to my classic acoustic. Calluses formed.
For Vguy & company
So Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail, and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath.
This, according to Ms, Mary Poppins of Sussex England, made him…a super callused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis!
; )
The first step....
....is practicing past the pain.
Pretty much unanimous.
Also learned when not playing, use your thumbnail to press against the fingertips throughout the day.
Goal is to learn to play Brokedown Palace. 👌
Oro with the sublime joke.. I love it!! Good one dude.
But don't get me started with Mary Poppins. Early crush 😍
And the chimney sweeper dance scene is one of my earliest memories of media. Classic. My mom told me that Mary Poppins absolutely enthralled me as a six year old.
The very first step
Is learning how to tune the darn thing. Back in the 70's I can remember trying to do this with what was called tuning pipes - a model of little plastic tubes that sounded a bit like a bee farting when you blew into them-and nothing at all like the Spanish acoustic I also had at the time.
No Code
Vguy this is probably their most underrated album. Solid and diverse. Bought this one and its kick-ass follow-up the day they were released. Was lucky enough to score tickets for the No Code Tour at Randall's Island. This was the first tour since they became outrageously huge that they came anywhere near me. The whole Ticketmaster debacle was going on, so it wasn't easy. Resellers were asking $500 minimum. I don't know what kind of craziness they were expecting (probably the Woodstock '94 type), but there was a massive police presence there - at least 50 on horseback in a row and as many on foot. That was the show where you bought beer tickets at one booth, and then got in another line to redeem them. My cousin and I found a strip of maybe 20 laying on the ground. Ah the good 'ol days.
Last 5
‘The Voltarol Years’ - Half Man Half Biscuit
‘Warfield Theatre Feb 2 1972 - ‘ JG and David Grisham
‘Live at The Other End Dec 1975’ - John Prine
‘In My Own Time’ - Karen Dalton
‘… but I’d rather be with you’ - Molly Tuttle
This is album of covers including a beautiful version of ‘Standing on the moon’. I could have filled the last 5 with Molly Tuttle since I’ve been watching as many YouTube clips as I can find. She is a stunningly good guitarist. Highly recommended.
Aw shucks
But I can’t be mayor and senator ; )
Yep, the first days are the hardest fo sure. Can be truly painful.
Besides the calluses, I remember trying to learn bar chords being really uncomfortable.
The carrot to get me to do so was the promise of learning Hotel California.
My guitar teacher knew every kid back then wanted to learn that and a couple others, so used them to force us to torture ourselves making our hands do things they didn’t want to lol.
But it worked!
A fire broke out at a local marijuana farm....
....and the smoke began to drift to a nearby cattle ranch.
The steaks were high.
bonus discs
i have those bonus discs I would be happy to burn WAV files on data discs for you. If Road Trips discs weren't so rare/pricey I would trade them.
Check out...
Mikaela Davis and Southern Star doing "Birdsong" on utube...very sweet
Too Good To Listen
Does anyone else have shows you listen to sparingly, so that it doesn't lose the magic? I have a few:
Winterland 1973 Box Set
DaP 13
DP 12
DP 8
3/23/75 Blues For Allah performance from the Beyond Description bonus disc.
Crimson White & Indigo
KF: 6/10/73
I keep hoping it will be released, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards.
I have had it in my on-deck circle for months. It really needs full attention.
one of these days....
Call me crazy...
but every release gets only one listen, then it goes on the shelf. Especially shows I attended, where some memory nodule gets nudged and I recall a detail from the show experience.
That way, every single show is pretty darn fresh by the time, months or years later, I select it for re-listening.
I also like following someone's suggestion not to keep checking the setlist as I listen; let the sequencing be a surprise. Just pssst on the vaporizer, sip that beverage and melt into the couch, unless I absolutely must get the flaming high-heeled boots out of the secret closet and dance around to the cat's utter dismay. Rinse and repeat.
Looking over my top shelf just now -- 1965-1976 is upstairs, 1977 to 1995 is downstairs -- it looks like I'll have to quit work and go on a permanent road trip to get caught up. Dang, though, it's hard to drive the pickup with those flaming boots on.....
To good to listen
I have shows that I listen to constantly, because they are so good. 2/27/69, 3/1/69, 5/2/70 , 5/15/70, 2/14/68 , 8/13/75, just to name a few. That Blues for Allah performance is fantastic, I saw the Dead do Blues for Allah at Winterland, on 6/17/75, hopefully that show will be released soon.
Hale, hale
A musician AND a comedian!
New kinda smoked meat!
6/17/75: you’d think that would be the Blues For Allah 50th Bonus show, but with Dave, who knows?
re: Too Good
...interesting topic, KF.
I am more of a 'gimme what I want when I want it' kind of guy, what with the archive and all; it's all literally right there, very little effort required other than an inspiration. And since I have the archive available on the house-wide Sonos, it's literally scrolling through to find a gem with the flick of a finger and in a moment's time it's booming out everywhere. I just got a Sonos Sub (half-off $$ from a relative who works there) and man OH man does that thing pump Phil out like nobody's business (I digress).
All of this to say that in fact, I have the opposite hankerings - as others have mentioned - more of the 'go-to-shows' to fit that inspiration or other mood that may strike me. One example of a show that just makes me happy big-time is 4/27/85 (The Frost) or of course 6/11/76. I also find myself gravitating often toward Spring 90, as well as peAk Bruce, '91 to early '92.
The one show I suppose I won't listen to.... is the one that is not in the vault.
Sixtus
Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin agreed....
....to take care of each others gardens.
This means Roger Waters Robert's Plants and Robert Plant Waters Roger Water's Plants.
Dang, Billy...
You were AT 6-17-75, a true gem! I've told this story before, but that fall an old friend showed up from California with a large reel of tape, said we had to hear it. So we found a reel-to-reel player that would do the trick and I hooked up my cassette deck and we heard Blues for Allah for the first time from a glorious audience tape of 6-17-75. So that became a huge tape for us when we'd been starving for new GD since they "retired." (I.e., shed the Wall, Heard, and other staff and costs.) I'm too old to get the jealousy gene going, but like Oro I'd sure like 6-17-75 with the BfA 50th and I don't wanna wait til 2025 for the freakin' thing.
Still wondering what's up Dave's sleeve for 2022. I guess we can count on WotF + for next year. I do hope Dave drops the Watkins Glen soundcheck on us. That's a two-disc 130 minutes. Don't cut it up!! I still easily recall laying on my sleeping bag right in front of Jerry maybe 20-30 yds away, a cool gallon jug of water for a pillow, snorting mescaline and smoking Numero Uno as the GD blasted away. A pretty unique situation for a Dead show. The next day got a little crowded.....
And Vguy -- are you going for Comedy Gold or are you learning the guitar?? Uh oh, maybe you'll do both, as Oro suggests.
Listening sparingly
I'm more likely to just listen to the parts I like out of specific shows now rather than the whole lot. I've been, listening to the shows from Europe 1972 again recently, and I am picking and choosing. I am not going to listen to every note from every show. Sometimes - Rocking the Rhein I am.
Shows I play most tend to be the ones I have on vinyl 11/10/67, 2/27/69, 2/28/69, 3/1/69, 5/2/70. With those shows the highlights are...all of it. Though I may miss the acoustic set from time to time on 5/2/70. Paris 5/3/72 and Spectrum 9/21/72 will get played several times a year for some time to come too I suspect.
H.F. 6/17/75
Like you, the Crazy Fingers is my favorite version.
Red Rocks June 29, 2022
Jerry's 80th birthday is being celebrated with songs from Garcia done with the 65 piece Colorado Symphony and guests Melvin Seals, Jacklyn Labranch, Dave Schools, Tom Hamilton, and Duane Trucks. Limited pre-sale tickets available March 24th only from 10AM-10PM MT from redrocksonlinedotcom. My notice came from the Jerry Garcia Newsletter which I'm getting because I ordered some Jerry CDs from The Family I guess. That would be fun but I'm committed elsewhere that week. Maybe we'll get reports on it from Oro or HF, our Denver gurus. Have fun y'all!
Cheers
Happy 40th anniversary....
....to Iron Maiden's Number Of The Beast. I was twelve when that bad ass record came out and it literally changed my life.
Last One. That One.
Still holds the fuck up 🤟
Mom & Dad were skeptical, but let me purchase it at Tower Records with my allowance.
See, I turned out pretty much ok.
An Odd Pairing in Hindsight
Vguy, your Number of the Beast comment got me thinking. I was more into classic rock in the 80s than hard rock and heavy metal. As it were, I was at the mall with friends and walked into the CD store with the aim finding something I had not heard before. I was a big Yes fan and had been telling myself for years that I should try a Peter Gabriel Genesis album. The only songs I knew were The Lamb and Watcher of the Skies. Well, Foxtrot had Watcher, as well as this 22 minute diddy called Supper's Ready. An album side track was certainly progressive-rock enough to earn its spot at the cash register. My buddy came up with some choices, and one was Iron Maiden, who I'd never heard a lick of. They were already legends (it was Spring 1993 at the time), and my buddy said it was one of their best.
So those were the two I took home that day on a warm breezy day in MD. It was odd pair because I had unwittingly ended up with two completely different visions of the Apocalypse, both referencing 666 and the Beast. I have over 400 albums and CDs (not including the Dead) and as far as I am aware these are the only two songs with 666 in them. It's too bad that classic Genesis lineup never reunited.
Well, missed it by that much...
I meant to post this yesterday but I was a little under the weather due to GI issues...anyway it was 53 years ago yesterday that I went to The Rose Palace in Pasadena to see headliners The Butterfield Blues Band (The "Keep On Moving" line up)...2nd billed, Grateful Dead and opening was a new group from England called Jethro Tull...it was $4...had a chance to buy a poster for the show 30 years ago or so for a $120 but I passed...now the durn thing goes for about $1,200 if you can find it....