Grateful Dead

Daverock, of course I too went straight to the Red Rocks shows upon first listen before hearing the rest of the box. After getting to all of them I was calling 7-3-78 St. Paul the hidden gem. That must have been a peak period for them. The energy is there. Almost swaggering I'd say, like they need a pack of cigarettes rolled into the sleeve of their t-shirt.
Cheers

I also played Omaha 7/5/77 after reading Oroboros's post. The first set, last night-excellent - Jerry's guitar sounds as cool and clear as the driven snow. Own up time....for the last couple of years, when I have played shows from this 78 box, I have played the first one 7/1, missed out the next two and gone on to the two Red Rocks shows. I have no idea what put me off Omaha in the past - makes me wonder what other unidentified jewels I have here.

Exile - I was unfairly dismissive of Black and Blue, too. It's a very entertaining album - I didn't like funk or disco in the 70's, but that's no excuse now. I wasn't keen at all when it came out-Spring 1976, I believe. With Mick Taylor gone, "Fool To Cry" issued as a single and punk waiting in the wings, The Stones, along with most of the great bands from 1965-1975 suddenly seemed a bit passe. I bought the first Ramones album in Summer 1976-that was the sound of the times for me. 40 odd years later... Black and Blue is still on my playlist, and I no longer even have that Ramones album.
I saw The Stones at Knebworth in 76 - and I have the programme here-nothing to do with music, but it's curious how The Stones and their fans were presented. In the article on The Stones, it states, "Young boys eagerly flocked the Mary Quant make up department in Harrods trendy Way-In shop on Saturday afternoon.The disco pumped out "Hey Negrita" as the boys applied eye liner and lipstick to gaunt virginal faces." I don't think so. I was 19 then, and the article seemed to show how out of touch The Stones had become at that time, with my generation.
They also apparently had a food stand where you could buy a portion of chicken curry for 0.55p. This in the middle of the hottest heat wave for decades.

That Estimated > Eyes is outstanding. That Eyes of the World has always been a go to post hiatus Eyes.. it's outstanding. I've always been big on that box. 7/1 never circulated and is outstanding, the first Red Rocks shows did circulate and are well.. not to overuse the term but outstanding. A great moment in GD history perfectly preserved for us to enjoy. Aptly timed as we are entering a holiday weekend and the box centers around the Fourth of July.

Outstanding

Been looking at that July 1978 box when picking some dead to listen to lately, but keep getting sidetracked by a different choice, but Oroboros' post about the virtues of the July 5, 1978 Omaha show prompted me to give it a listen today. Currently on Wharf Rat. I always liked that show, and the recording is excellent. I imagine it was exponentially cooler to be there in person at the time. The artwork on that one is probably about my favorite from that box as well, and I liked all the art from that box, a lot.

Hey guys, I lurk more than anything but I saw some Stones talk and I agree with Dave Rock. It's Only Rock 'n Roll is an underrated album. The thing with it in my opinion, is that the songs are either dynamite (like the opening song fictional drummer) or B side material. The other problem is a couple of the songs suffer from Led Zeppelin IV / Dark Side of the Moon syndrome, meaning they've been played on the radio so much that they've lost a little luster (title track and Ain't Too Proud to Beg). I think these songs are pretty high quality once you're sitting back giving them your full attention (In their order of appearance on the LP).

If You Can't Rock Me
Ain't Too Proud to Beg
It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)
Till the Next Goodbye
Time Waits for No One

Dance Little Sister

The first 5 songs are all of side one and are solid. It's Only Rock 'n Roll has "Start Me Up" hit quality. Time Waits For No One makes us realize that Mick Taylor should have had at least one or two tracks on every album to stretch out like he does on this one and Can't You Hear Me Knockin' from Sticky Fingers. Missed opportunity. The thing with these songs is you may think of hearing Dance Little Sister on the radio and thought, meh, average song. Until you really listen to everything going on with the guitars. Keith Richards bass chops on If You Can't Rock Me are cool. Till the Next Time is on par in my mind with Wild Horses and Angie, but again, missed opportunity in that Taylor could have been used to play an electric solo or something, similar to Wild Horses. The remaining songs on the record don't do it for me. Luxury is borderline, but leans too far into funk. Fingerprint File is way too far into funk and not that great a song for me. If You Really Want to Be My Friend and Short and Curlies should have been put in the can for later. Between Goats Head Soup and It's Only Rock 'n Roll, I think there's a great album in there.

Black and Blue had some great songs with Hand of Fate and Crazy Mama. I think Hand of Fate was as good as 70s rockers got, with very few exceptions.

Not much to say that hasn't been said about Dave's 43. I would never complain for this type of release.

you guys are so cool. Love this forum

...It's like buying a book from the bookstore and then realizing the pages are all put together out of order, and there are pages from another book mixed in. And when you go back and say, hey, bookseller, they put the pages of the book in the wrong order, and there are pages from another book mixed in. And he says, don't worry, you can rip them all out and put the book back together in whatever order you want.

The other day I ordered a burger with fries. Instead, they brought me fries with a burger. So I complained. But dude, the burger guy said, you can eat them in whatever order you want. Mmfff, I said, eating my fries and burger.

Received my shipping notice today for the TTB’s “I am the Moon” vinyl set. Because today is the release date. What a concept! You release the record on the release date! Genius! I just want to note that, when you bought the 4-lp set, they promised to provide a digital download of each separate album as each of the four parts of this project was released. And then they actually did! On the actual release dates! And the files actually worked! Amazing! And now they shipped vinyl on the release date. It’s so weird.

A lot of people don't realize what's really going on. They view life as a bunch of unconnected incidents and things. They don't realize that there's this, like, lattice of coincidence that lays on top of everything. Like the other other day I’m eating a plate of shrimp and listening to Electric on the Eel for the first time in years. And so were you.

Last five:

JGB: Electric on the Eel (discs 1 and 6)
Derek & the Dominos: Layla
Bill Evans: The Hilversum Concert
Christian McBride: At the Village Vanguard
Stones: El Mocambo

All is well in the middle of the country and I couldn't agree more with this esteemed group's statements on current and past musical topics.

Phil and Friends has consistently displayed such exploratory and jamtasic shows which makes them a 'must see.' I recently attended another Wilco concert prior to that show and the inclusion of Jeff Tweedy and Nels Cline in the friends in Chicago reflect excellent choices. Nels has sat in with P & F on multiple occasions and Wilco has covered the Dead on a variety of occasions including Bobby sitting in for Dark Star, Ripple, etc. I regretted that Phil got Covid and couldn't headline with String Cheese Incident's recent Red Rocks shows, but Billy Strings was a welcome replacement and we in the audience had a wonderful time. Still I long to see Phil play again and hope to have another chance soon. The SCI 'dead set' with Billy was a delight and I saw Billy rev up with the Cheese as they took on many of our favorite Dead tunes that evening. And I am quite relieved that Phil has fully recovered from the Covid and is back playing live.

Besides attending the Wilco and SCI shows, I have also loved recent concerts with the Infamous Stringdusters, Joe Russo's Almost Dead, the Jayhawks, Railroad Earth, Yonder Mountain, Mollie Tuttle, Sierra Hull, and several years ago was quite taken by previously mentioned Larkin Poe (opened for Elvis Costello). Such terrific music touring again and I'm very grateful to be able to make the journey (pun intended).

However, given this thread on DP 43, to get back on how this Dave's Pick is stellar and echo others sentiments how the primal Dead are such an unmitigated treat. This is a special release and deserving of frequent rotation.

And should any of you be inspired by the break-neck speed and turn on a dime of the early Grateful Dead, please consider attending a Joe Russo's Almost Dead show. Yes, Oro (my brother from another mother) those two Vail JRAD shows, along with the JRAD show at Red Rocks were stellar. These guys have the stamina and pace of the early Grateful Dead but along with the Dead's entire song catalogue. Simply remarkable jamming, truly exploratory, and much more in the vein of P & F as opposed to the D & C. JRAD is energy personified and each band member is truly infused with amazing grasp of these wonderful songs along with a jazz mentality and interplay.

To add to the dialogue regarding 'rain stories' from concerts (discussed earlier in this thread), I got one to share. I recall back in 1978 when the Grateful Dead played at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in July. The venue was about half full (4,000?) but everyone was chomping at the bit as we had not seen the Dead in Nebraska since early in the early 70's. I took my Nak 550 into the venue and there was no hassle getting in the deck in this time, but remember this was before the days of 'taper's sections.'

Out in the hallway, the Hell's Angels wandered about sporting full colors and big grins. They may have been transporting 'party favors' and decided to take in a show, or perhaps road tripping with the band? Although I did not see them at the subsequent Red Rocks shows. Anyway, I headed down to the floor to set up my Nak in front of the sound board. When I was getting everything ready, I saw this guy with a great rig setting up. Luckily this kind stranger (I have since discovered he was famous taper Bob Wagner) let me patch out of the back of his Sony, which was terrific as he had a tall (8 ft?) stand to get will above the crowd noise. We were about 15 to 20 feet in FOB. So Garcia treats us to a blistering Sugaree opener, the kind that drove the crowd wild. His leads mounted into a wave that crests, recedes, regroups, and roars back with such power and delight that adds to the synergistic effect causing our frenzied response as his rolling/soaring guitar work lift and subside within the band.

Then BIODTL, TLEO, and then Bob took the spotlight with a "Look's Like Rain." About half way through the son, I suddenly noticed something shimmering in the air between the band and me. I thought "what a fantastic light show! Or have I shifted into 5th gear just a little earlier than I scheduled?" I staggered towards that visual disturbance in front of me to investigate. The crowd was dancing madly in the middle of the floor as a waterfall played over them. The waterfall was about 25 feet in circumference. I put my hand into the water...hand out, no rain, hand in, pouring rain.. I jumped into the waterfall drenching us all in the middle of the Civic auditorium. Then stepped out and there was none. I shook my head and then dove back into the deluge and danced through LLR and next came Direworlf and a delightful All Over Now, with Keith and Donna simply killing it. Candyman, Lazy >Supplication and Bobby informed "we are going to take a short break" (ha, it was never a short break!)

I staggered back to reload a new tape (remember cassettes?) and I looked for some validation of my experience. I asked my friends if I was not in fact 'soaking wet' as I patted my wet t-shirt? And they grinned knowingly and affirmed that , yes, in fact I was 'all wet."

Then this unique show continued (nice indoor water feature, boys!) with a killer second set, complete with a transportive Estimated>Eyes>Wharf Rat>Truckin'>Iko Iko > Around and Around.

As I left the auditorium I noticed the water standing on the ground outside, a summer storm? Hey was this just a case of a leaking roof? Or did the Dead actually conjure up the forces of nature as they were so prone to do?

Next to travel to their/my maiden Red Rocks shows. Would Phil bombs create reverse gravity and make us float up into the air? What do they have up their collective sleeves for us next (ah-oooo, Werewolves of London, ah-ooo)?

Those were the daze.....

Zen saying "teachers open the door, you must enter by yourself."

Jim - You bring up a good point that Phil is well into his 80s, yet is still bringing it with such new creations as Philco. I think he personifies that well worn axiom “Find something you love to do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

DaveRock - I personally always loved the subtle guitar work on “Fingerprint File” from IORR. Mick Taylor should never have left the Stones, they were a much better band with him (with due respect to Ronnie). Last week, I re-watched their “bootleg” release from the Marquee Club in 1971 - now THAT was THE best Stones lineup.

Blues For Allah - what an excellent choice. Some really jazzy passages throughout that entire release.