Pick of the Day, with Discussion

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April 6, 2020 - 9:47am

8,086 replies

marye

Joined:
May 26, 2007

Bolo24 says: An Idea, Perhaps? Since we're all going to have a fair amount of spare time on our hands for the foreseeable future, what about starting another thread where we all listen to the same show/release on a given day and then share impressions afterward? Folks can submit suggestions and one person (not me) picks what we'll all listen to - call it Deadnet Picks or something. Anyway, if this idea is deemed to have merit, I'd suggest one of the loyal regular posters take the lead and do the picking - y'all can decide who. Might be fun. If it does go forward, I nominate Dick's Picks 18 for the first listen. Been talked about here lately, and, had it been a single show rather than a compilation, we'd probably be talking about it in the same conversation as Cornell, Veneta, etc. Or perhaps even Gainesville?? Stay safe and healthy, friends - this planet needs as many Deadheads as possible.

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February 23, 2023 - 1:20am

#1281

Forensicdoceleven

Joined:
June 17, 2008

Music is the best means we have of digesting time......

ROCKTHING.............

Check your PMs...........

Music is the one incorporeal entrance into the higher world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend........

Rock on,

Doc
I frequently hear music in the very heart of noise.......
February 23, 2023 - 1:10am

#1282

Forensicdoceleven

Joined:
June 17, 2008

I have just got a new theory of eternity…...

Hey rockers!!!

Pick Of The Day: Austin, Texas February 23, 1970

I reluctantly discussed this at the end of last year. Here I am again. It appears that I’m stuck in a time warp. The galactic rock and roll union. I have no special talent, I am only passionately curious…..

It appears that the currently circulated recording of this show is the only surviving audio document from the Dead’s four show excursion through Texas in February 1970. It’s tough coming right after the wonderful, brilliant Fillmore West/Fillmore East shows earlier that month, and perhaps it’s not unexpected that the intensity level might come down a bit. That being said, this is still interesting, enjoyable, and worthy…..

The band is in 1970 electric/acoustic/electric mode. The circulating recording appears to be missing part of the first electric set, coming in during Know You Rider. For fans of acoustic Dead, this set is nice---Monkey And The Engineer-Little Sadie-Me And My Uncle-Black Peter-Seasons Of My Heart-Uncle John's Band. The festivities are completed with a jammy NFA and Mason’s Children.

The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind. I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity……

Did Bear travel to Texas, and did he record? Banana boxes, reveal thy mysteries…..

Rock on,

Doc
Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of truth and knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods……
February 22, 2023 - 7:47pm

#1283

rockthing

Joined:
August 2, 2020

5/19/74 > 2/22/69

>daverock>

The vocal dropouts are not evident in the audience tape, so that must have happened on the way to the board tape.

That said, the recording is slightly overpowered by Jerry and Bob's guitars from the taper's vantage point, but a little time with a simple Equalizer was enough to bring more Phil and better presence to the vocals. I do recall a few lyric flubs with the new material, but in the overall mix it didn't really jump out at me. Probably much more obvious in the official release/soundboard recording.

2/22/69>
Oh, my. I can see this is gonna send me on a primal quest. I have all these fall '69 and fall '68 shows that I've never listened to, but I don't have much from the spring of those years. I love this gentle psychedelia. It's really these delicate type of sounds that really trigger the senses. I'm only up to Dark Star at this point, but what a beautiful way to start a show.... oops, "The transitive diamonds?" Haha. I'd probably have trouble remembering my name if I were there, so whatever.

It's such a shame that we're restricted to streaming this show. Imho, if the official release isn't so significantly better sounding than one of these circulating boards that it isn't a no-brainer to buy it, then what's with the classism, eh? I know the boys need a retirement plan... but... --mini rant off--
February 22, 2023 - 10:30am

#1284

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

5/19/74

Rockthing - good notes on this show - cheers! I'm going through it very slowly, but it's the L.P. I am listening to. Although it has the famous vocal drop outs, the sound and balance of the instruments sounds fine throughout to me. I have just played the side with Loose Lucy and Money Money on. A short side. The lyrics are a bit naff on both of them - but I like the music, and they were both played so rarely that when they do crop up, it's a welcome surprise to me.
I presume the version you have listened to has the earlier vocal dropouts too.
February 22, 2023 - 3:51am

#1285

rockthing

Joined:
August 2, 2020

5/19/74 (Part II)

Wrote these notes on Monday morning while drinking my coffee and getting ready to do some work from home. After a while I was mostly distracted by the show.

I'll get to that Feb. 22 '69 show if I can, but I don't have that one handy. Hafta stream it.

The ETree identifier of this source is 115876, btw. I don't have the box set, so these are my first impressions.

It Must Have Been The Roses: Ok. /Now/ I'm awake. Possible tape change? There is suddenly a big improvement in sound quality for this hauntingly sensitive rendition. Jerry's voice is now clear above the guitars. Everything, save Phil, is suddenly much clearer and the sound field feels wider. Up to this point the tape had sounded like the tape the biker is listening to at the beginning of the Dead Movie. Nice harmony work during the refrain, blended well in the house mix.

Loose Lucy: Gettin' in the funk. Jerry's just perfectly behind the beat to make it nice and nasty. If the syncopation isn't just right, this tune can completely lose all form really quickly. Loose Lucy must be a pretty new song at this point. I have no idea when this tune debuted. They didn't do this in concert much, as far as I know. I was lucky enough to see'em do it once, but the performance I saw was almost unrecognizable. Something was wrong with the timing, so it sounded all backwards. I was embarrassed to not even recognize it until Jerry started singing. This is a nice treat.

I Know You Rider? Something seems to be wrong here. The info text says Money Money should be next followed by China/Rider, but we're just dropped into IKYR. Looks like some minor surgery might be needed on the meta data.

Money Money: Ok. Someone's just mislabelled these files. Man, this has always been one of my least favourite songs in the Dead's catalogue. I rarely skip songs on albums, but being the album closer on Mars Hotel makes it easy. I don't think I've ever heard a live version of it, so this is kind of a treat, in its own sort of way. Having not heard it in such a long time, I guess it's not such a bad song. The negativity of the lyric just sems to strike such a contrast to most of the other stuff in the repertoire. John Lennon, for example, has a lot of negativity in his lyrics, but when I listen to him, I expect that.

China Rider: Yeah. They're keepin' that funky groove going that was working so well during Loose Lucy. The transition jam seems to go almost immediately to an I Know You Rider feel. The guitar tone is very unusual here. It almost sounds like Bobby's Gibson 335 tone. He's playing lots of double-stops, where he plays two notes at a time even while soloing… wait… maybe that /was/ Bobby!? Some very cool interplay between Bobby and Phil before a guitar sound that is unmistakably Jerry joins in just ahead of the trademark unison bit before I Know You Rider. What is now clearly Jerry's tone keeps it going after the unison part, and now there's a Feelin' Groovy jam. I can almost see the smiling faces and twirling homemade sun dresses with flowers in the hair right now. Big, big ovation from the crowd as they settle into the Rider vamp before going into the first verse. They know what they've just heard. That was sweet, breezy, and smooth as can be. I'm guessing Jerry had some sort of equipment or other issue causing him to stop playing for a bit at the beginning of the transition. Oh, yeah, Jer, dig into that "On a north bound train" line. This and the out-of-place IKYR are going to get merged into one track when I get a chance.

Set II:
Promised Land: Yeah. Everybody's definitely up off their blankets now.

Bertha: Got a little "Yee Haw" from someone nearby for "All night pouring, but not a drop on me." It's quite amazing how inobtrusive the audience is, considering this was recorded with a handheld mic by someone just hanging out in crowd.

Greatest Story: Nice wah wah Jerry licks. Jerry's wah is so bubbly and has a rich swell, like the sound of a wave on the ocean. Using the rocking motion of the foot pedal definitely puts the player physically off balance, so I can understand why he seemed to abandon it later in favor of the Mutron "auto-wah" tone filter. Sounds so good here, though. Jerry's volume sounds cranked, though, totally drowning everything out. I ain't complaining. Oh, yeah. A little jam in GSET? They seem to have gone into something altogether different. I'm not sure if this is a set piece, but it feels unfamiliar to me. I know that I've heard occasional jams in Greatest Story, but they seem rare. This is definitely no longer the Greatest Story chord progression, but I don't know what it is, and then Wamp, Wamp-Wamp, right back into it. Now I'm gonna hafta start checking out Spring 1974 Greatest Stories. That was hot and adventurous, like maybe something went wrong and they fought through it… but maybe there was just a jam in this song back then.

Ship of Fools: Giving the manic dancers their first break of the second set. The taper is stopping the tape between songs, though, so who knows how long they spent tuning in between. Very nice harmony work from Bobby and Donna.

Weather Report: Seems a bit tentative in the earlier segments, but the Let It Grow jam is developing interestingly. The whole band just seems sort of in a gentle mood this night. Everything is soft and malleable, and most of all, creative, when they go off into improvised sections. The straight tunes are tight and, well, straightforward, but I'm hearing all sorts of novel ideas coming through during the instrumental segments. There seems to be a completely different confidence at work during this jazzy work out. You can hear Billy getting back to his swing roots and playing off Keith. This is fantastic. Such subtle interplay. Normally when I hear the full suite performed I wonder why they didn't continue to use the first parts, but in this case I didn't feel that way.

Peggy-O: Jerry's picking is quite aggressive, and his tone is very chimey, even behind his vocal. Relaxed tempo, even by Peggy-O standards. In this recording it sounds almost like Billy and Jerry doing a duet, but Keith adds some accents here and there.

??: What is this? A playful little jam and some quiet noodling where the audience's shouts and requests become more prominent. Bobby announces technical difficulties.

Truckin': Nice buildup, but not the major bomb drop I'm used to, and from there things start to get really weird. It's not spacy weird, just, "Whoa, what the heck is this?" weird. Some of the early 70s Truckin's could get totally abstract, so this is just the way they rolled back then. Great stuff. Gettin' that funky groove goin' from the first set again, even as the changes take on some jazzy influences. Bobby is very clear in the mix, and my oh, my it's gettin' Weir'ed. Jerry busts in with a burst of guitar feedback which seems to shock everyone for a moment, but they're still groovin'. This is the gold I look for in any show. It's funny because Mind Left Body actually sounds a lot like Loose Lucy. Billy and Phil getting' into a little funky-drummer exchange. Finally Phil breaks through in the mix with some space for him to hit that Bootsy one. In the info text "Jam" and "Mind Left Body Jam" had been listed separately, but they're actually all included in the Truckin' track, which is my preference. Cousinit made a real mess of this file set, but I can fix it. Rarely are there such glaring mistakes on the Archive, but this one has definitely been put together somewhat carelessly.

NFA: This interesting because I've been listening to a lot of Alligator era NFA's or Bean era NFA's, and that gives a nice context to compare to this Wolf tone… of course, there is a LOT of recording tech affecting the sound here, but even though there's a nice honk, everything seems so nice and round and gently muted. Hey. What's this breakdown in NFA. Pretty sure I've never heard that before… and GTRFB. THAT, was an interesting transition.

GTRFB: Nothing to worry about here. The old standby. Billy's hi-hat figure during the breakdown is, again, getting really funky with a swinging 16th note feel, or something. Very cool.

US Blues: Mars Hotel weighted setlist. What month did that come out? Good, tight version.

Johnny B. Goode: Full colosseum clap along for a high energy reading that does justice to the Check Berry original. Sometimes this can get a bit too languid. This one is rockin' hard.

On repeated listen, I've messed with the EQ some. First of all I bumped up the EQ preamp level, I dunno, about 10db, I guess. I then added a further 12db of 64Hz, and 125Hz on the 10 band EQ to bring Phil nicely into the mix, but also lowered almost everything else about 6db on frequencies that had been flat to make the bass frequency differential greater. The bass still isn't terribly defined, but it at least brings Phil into play. He was completely inaudible without EQ. Got just a touch more vocal by giving the 1KHz and 2KHz about 1db. The tape has a sort of nostalgic cheap car speaker sound, so I actually wanna preserve a bit of that… not that I could really get rid of it. There's quite a nice venue ambiance, especially when there is more space in the arrangements, like during the Mind Left Body Jam.

The vocal drop-outs others have mentioned were not audible to the audience.
February 22, 2023 - 3:28am

#1286

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

2/22/69

That is a great show. According to the cd notes it was recorded, along with shows in late January and the Feb-March shows, for possible inclusion on Live Dead. It probably won't happen - the song lists are obviously very similar, but it would make a great box set to release all the shows recorded.
The shows from 1967-1971 inclusive are the main ones for me in 30 Trips.
February 22, 2023 - 1:16am

#1287

Forensicdoceleven

Joined:
June 17, 2008

You can't blame gravity for falling in love…..

Mornin’, rockers!!!

Pick Of The Day: Dream Bowl February 22, 1969

Relatively speaking, the yang to the yin of February 21, 1969. True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist…..

I have the space, you have the time, let’s revisit. Officially released in October 2015 as part of Thirty Trips Around The Sun, one almost never hears about this show, possibly because it gets overshadowed by the blazing white hot glare of the Fillmore West Shows of February 27th to March 2nd. This is very much “of a kind” with those shows, featuring the typically sweet Mountains Of The Moon (always loved that song!), a long exploratory Dark Star, a fierce, crunchy Other One, a deathly Death Don’t, a fine Eleven, and a greasy Lovelight that clocks in at a mere 21+ minutes.

Great music, great sound quality, I suggest you find the time…..

The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once…..

Rock on,

Doc
There comes a time when the mind takes a higher plane of knowledge but can never prove how it got there…..
February 20, 2023 - 3:08pm

#1288

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

Heads in Mississippi

That's good to read - they opened with Mississippi Half Step - Franklins Tower the first time I saw them 3/24/81. A great start to the show for sure.
February 20, 2023 - 1:11pm

#1289

PT Barnum

Joined:
December 2, 2009

5-19-74

In my experience, any show that starts off with Mississippi half-step uptown toodleloo is usually a great one and 5-19-74 is no exception. That pacific northwest box grows on ya, for sure.
February 20, 2023 - 12:53pm

#1290

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

5/19/74

I haven't played it this year yet, but it has become one of my most played shows from this year - mainly because I bought it on vinyl. But it is really good, too. To me, it's better than its song list suggests - the songs leading up to the Truckin' jam are well played and forward moving, and that final jam is superb. It has been castigated in some quarters for the vocal drop outs. A price worth paying, in my opinion. All three 1974 shows in the box it was culled from are top notch.

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

Currently Listening To...

Bolo24 says: An Idea, Perhaps? Since we're all going to have a fair amount of spare time on our hands for the foreseeable future, what about starting another thread where we all listen to the same show/release on a given day and then share impressions afterward? Folks can submit suggestions and one person (not me) picks what we'll all listen to - call it Deadnet Picks or something. Anyway, if this idea is deemed to have merit, I'd suggest one of the loyal regular posters take the lead and do the picking - y'all can decide who. Might be fun. If it does go forward, I nominate Dick's Picks 18 for the first listen. Been talked about here lately, and, had it been a single show rather than a compilation, we'd probably be talking about it in the same conversation as Cornell, Veneta, etc. Or perhaps even Gainesville?? Stay safe and healthy, friends - this planet needs as many Deadheads as possible.

Bills/Vikings

The Vikes have been winning ugly this year OB, so winning in Buffalo will be a tall order. Should be a good game. Enjoy it.

Congrats DV

A win is a win!
Still not sure what the hell happened, but the Bills did everything they could to lose and the VIKS did what they had to do to win. On top of everything else I have going on, the Bills lately ain’t helping my mental health.
No tunes aren’t helping either!
Did get 11/9/73 in and some southing Jazz, but I’m way behind : (
Man I love fall 73!
I hate having to choose, but IF I was forced, I’d probably claim fall 73 as my top dog? Woof!

Bills/Vikings

What a game OB, probably one of the best games I have seen in years and what a crazy finish. A huge win for the Vikes on the road.

It definitely could have gone another way.

The Bills still have a great team, hang in there.

Winterland 73

Just finished 11/11/73 today. Hard to pick favorites with this three show run, but man, the 11th is really enjoyable.

The WRS, Half Step, Big River into Dark Star into Eyes, is pretty hard to beat. Love it!

Thanks for pointing us in this direction Jim.

Winterland 73

Grate Box.

Goes to show, a 3-show + bonus disc Box can sell.
Boxes that size could be part of the 2-Boxes-per-year plan I’ve been calling for.

WL 73

Still hating myself for not buying this one!
Back then I wasn’t collecting things, in fact, I was one of those “I have too much already etc.
That plus my cousins used to do business with GDP so they’d often get free stuff that I had access to.
So I thought WTH do I need to buy that for, idiot!
FW was off my radar, E72 I couldn’t afford at the time, but WL 73…IDIOT, especially it was not expensive!
Oh well, if your going to be dumb, then you better be tough (or rich).

Anywho, did get 11/10 on in the background while I joust at greedy immoral insurance companies.
Hoping to give 11/11 a good go mañana.
Fall 73 baby! Boo-yah

Yeah Conekid, that’s what I’ve been saying, put out a big dog, perhaps at lower numbers, and also a small boxes too annually! Think there should be 5 Dave’s a year also, I mean their market will be dwindling rapidly, what the hell are they waiting for!

Tungsten, X-rays, and Coolidge.......

Mornin’, rockers!!!

Pick Of The Day Trifecta:

November 15, 1969 Crockett, California. A beefy show, with a good dose of grease, but currently sonically lacking. We need an upgrade! Is there a “new & improved” copy in those banana boxes? Let’s pray to the gods of reel-to-reels. And for all you Lovelight haters, lol this one clocks in at almost 43 minutes!

November 15, 1971 Austin, Texas. An oh-so-cool show that was officially released back in 2010. Fine Truckin’ opener, sweet first set Star, fierce NFA transition jam. Just plain yummy and certainly worthy of a revisit……………

November 15, 1972 Oklahoma City. Typically fine late 1972 show. Bird Song, Box Of Rain, Cumberland, China/Rider to close the first set (love that position!), jammy Playing, fine NFA suite. Music to our ears!!!

Three tapestries, tattered at the edges and come unwoven to reveal a single mutual thread……

Rock on!!!

Doc
The out-of-tuneness of the triad is part of its beauty…………

thanks again Doc, Ark is calling

As I have been scoping out various unreleased and off the beaten path primal to cowboy transition shows 68/69 (like Bellarmine 12.7.68), here Doc goes with a fall 72 gem just before Dave's 11 and the sweet Hofheinz duo. Keeper show, mandated by discovery there's an extended 31 plus minute PITB. How many more calls for the Ark shows do we need, maybe 2023 is the year. And add the Cl-, the show at Cl-Ark just before that, apparently the origination on 4/20 of 420 tradition.

11-14-73

in the 30 trips box, second set is so fine. the other one 3 times.

The hidden harmony is better than the obvious........

Mornin', fellow rockers!!!

Pick Of The Day: Albuquerque, November 17, 1971

Obviously, needs no explanation. And by the way, dedicated to Strider Brown.......

Was once the Holy Grail of 1971 Grateful Dead recordings. What's next? Soundboard of December 5 1971? 46??? Say a prayer.................

If you haven't heard this, where you been living? In a cave? Come on out, listen and step into the light.....

It is obvious that we can no more explain a passion to a person who has never experienced it than we can explain light to the blind............

Rock on!!!

Doc
Sometimes the first duty of intelligent men is the restatement of the obvious........

11/17 Box

In hindsight, they should have put out an 11/17 mini-boxset. 11/17 from 1971, 1972 and 1973.

Or, they could have gone big and released them all.

11/17/68- Eagle's Auditorium - Seattle, WA
11/17/71- Albuquerque Civic Auditorium - Albuquerque, NM
11/17/72- Century II Convention Hall - Wichita, KS
11/17/73- Pauley Pavilion, UCLA - Los Angeles, CA
11/17/78- Uptown Theater - Chicago, IL
11/17/78- Loyola College - Chicago, IL
11/17/85- Long Beach Arena - Long Beach, CA

Either way, it would have been a winner.

Fall 73

I always thought they should have put a big Fall 73 box out, especially those unique last ten shows!
Fudge, I’m so far behind, on everything, guess I’m going to have to make a date night with 11/17 lol.
Still have that magnificent 11/11 to get too, let alone the others here I’ve missed.
And the way life’s been lately, going to need a big dose of 12/6, (for medicinal purposes only of course!)

11/17

They played the killer portion of 11/17/72 yesterday on Today in GD History. Those two shows seem to go together pretty well. Just saying.

I'm always behind OB.. but believe it or not.. my backlog of crap I have not been able to do is little by little getting done. I need to get my skis ready for the season but my time is starting to free up. Holy cow.. the options.

In fact.. my morning chores are complete, I am caught up with work and it's Friday. I think it's time to take a little tincture and super charge the beginning of the weekend.

ketchup

on the drive back to Smokey the Bear land several days ago got a good night driving listen into Disc 3 of !1/9/73 and full show of 11/11/73. All great fall '73 of course, but man o man that Dark Star > Mind Left Body > Eyes of the World > China Doll is without question one of my favorite sequences of dead music (of course I do have more than a few favorite "children"). Love it love it love it.

Also listened again to the new Dave's from Autzen and just want to say that LLR > Crazy Fingers was magical.

Not traveling with the 11/17's from Albaturkey and Pauley so they'll have to wait. That '78 Rambler Room craziness took place less than 10 miles from the family home - so close. No good soundboards of the first 2 nights, including 11/17, of the Uptown Theatre run taking place at that time, but a sweet SBD of night 3 - 11/18/78. Awesome show - release worthy for me - that I pointed to awhile ago as a POTD. encourage folks to check it out or revisit if they did listen to it back then (why it's a TDIGDH).

Enjoy the weekend. Onward!!

Yeah BC

I’ve been holding off on 11/11, hoping today might be the day!
After a week of no tunes, got a good night in.

Started with that awesome 12/6/73 disc, but I put the China-Rider after the DS/Eyes, while slamming a Fremont Dark Star Stout to get things going and back toward some balance of sanity. This darkness got to give…

Then ABB Ludlows Garage, then a big session with much of 11/17/73. Yep, forgot just how gooey that jammy Samich is! Crikey mate!
I only hit HCSS, Race is On, and BEW off disc one, but did pretty much the rest, though things were getting a little foggy by the end. But when I came back to I had some beer left so fired up the Dark Star>drums>space>Wheel from 10/26/89. Though I was out again during Wheel only to be jarred awake by NFA.
Still can’t believe I had tix and didn’t go : (
Anywho, good session, hopefully more today,
ONWARD!

2/19/71

Popped in 2/19/71, Three from the Vault, this morning. Sometimes you just need a heavy dose of Pigpen. Multi Track delight.

3 From The Vault

Didn't even know I had this gem.
First Bird Song, first Deal.
Cheers
Edit: Found it next to a mislabeled aud. CD copy of Cincinnati Gardens 12-4-73. Said Dec. 3,1975 but the 5 was blurry. This on one CD? 12 song 1st set, only 4 song 2nd set according to DeadbaseX. Next in the queue.

2/19/71

Definitely my favorite of the run and one of the best of the year!
Love that Smokestack O Snow-lightning!

Getting prepped for 11/11/73

GO VIKS!
I can say that again now that the embarrassment has subsided lol

12/4/73

a chunk of the show was released as the bonus disc for Winterland '73 box set - yes there was even a "bonus disc" for that awesome box! Short show because band arrived late from Boston. Ages since I've listened to the disc but did snag it for this session for that reason and might throw it in on the way home.

2/19/71 is always on the menu!

but right now took my own advice and am listening to 11/18/78 Uptown (got snowed out of work today). just now listening to the awesome meltdown at the tail end of Other One - swear to goodness that at one point Jerry is playing the repeated "riff" from the original Twilight Zone.

2/19/71

Yes, this run is so great and we are lucky they recorded it in Multi Track.

Dark Hallow, what a great Easy Wind. Why did this song not make it to Europe?

And of course the first Bird Song!

The Vikes are off to a good start OB, that's all you can say right now. It is a long season. The Bills still look good.

Stay warm out there, at least we aren't in Buffalo. Hope they can dig out soon.

Feb '71

I recently revisited the released versions of these shows (I wouldn't be surprised if I posted accordingly). I can't believe how good they sound. I realize the band didn't use these shows for Skull and Roses, probably because Mickey had more or less just left and there were so many new songs they were still breaking in.. but wow this is a great run of shows.

Oh, and you are right DV, Blair did survive just barely into the Dave's Picks series. Sort of about the time the Road Trips ended. Missed it by that much.

Edit: Sometimes when I am out and about and the pick of the day is something I have not converted digitally yet.. I go rogue and do a string of released shows. Last month I had such a moment and hit the whole run. I do love how this forum has shed light on some under the radar and not yet released shows, but like a warm cup of good hot chocolate on a cold winters night.. some of these already released classics are food for the soul and joy for the mind. Sometimes it feels like we wallow in an abundance of riches, and I'm not complaining.

When you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you......

Hey there fellow rockers!!!

Pick Of The Day: Cal Expo, November 21, 1969

Back in the day we had only a partial copy of this. It wasn’t February 28, but due to the relative scarcity of 1969 soundboards at the time, we did savor it. It had much to recommend it. Later, complete recordings surfaced. It’s fairly “standard” repertoire, and yes there’s no Dark Star or Other One, but it’s still definitely worth a listen.

Oh by the way, did I mention there’s some decent greasy goodness as well?

The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness……..

Rock on!!!

Doc
It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure……

BlueCrow 12-4-73

Thanks BC for identifying my mystery disc.
It is the bonus disc from the Winterland '73 box.
Couldn't figure out the chopped up set list to find it in my Deadbase X.
I mistook it for the bonus disc for RT 4 No 3 Denver '73.
It got shuffled around when I moved my collection to a new CD storage rack earlier this year. Relabeled and correctly shelved now. Oddly no scorch marks on it like Vguy's and Jim's adventures.
Cheers

Edit: That research showed the RT '73 bonus disc has a 43:33 Dark Star. Wowzer!

1st Show

looking forward to rediscovering that 12/4/73 disc!

saw your post under Rosemont 3/11/93 jam of the week and Ken Nordine. Did you know he was part of "Oregon Trail Mix" a fundraising sketch for the local public radio station that was broadcast at the 8/21/93 show at Autzen. Healy played it over the PA before Set II(?) or maybe before Set I. It was a definite WTF am I hearing at the time. See my comment on that thread if interested in hearing it.

Ken at NYE?

Was he also at a New Years broadcast?
That sonorous baritone!
Cheers

why yes!

yes he was!

12/31/90

also 12/31/91

not one but 2 - see gdh 368

I had that on tape

Well one of them. Just gave all my 85 GD Hour tapes to a novice Deadhead to listen to on his commute. Good indoctrination as David Gans has all eras and digital masters straight from the vault. That way we won't bias the guy right off the bat, lol. GD Hour on radio is what brought me back on the bus in the early 90's. Thanks other David!
Cheers

gd hour 368

The GDHour was like a gold mine for many of us back in the day. I can still picture myself listening in amazement to the 10/19/73 Dark Star sequence released years later as DP 19 (show 245 as it turns out from end of may 1993). 368 was "rebroadcast" on this site week of 4/15/20 and can still be found and streamed here. it includes a backstage conversation with Garcia, Nordine, and Jack Ellis from 12/31/91. Not sure if I ever heard it, and for all purposes at this point it would be new to me even if I did hear it back in the day.

edit - it's a great little convo!

6/12/80

Here is a change of pace for you all, 6/12/80, Portland Oregon. I am diving in.

Post Thanksgiving

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.
We had two yesterday, busy day, so no Dead yesterday.

I would recommend 6/12/80, great show and a good recording.

What is on tap for today?

6/12/80 (next maybe 9/27/76?)

I'll be sure to check it out. i knew this show was associated with an ash plume from Mt St Helens that reached Portland, legend had the eruption occuring during Fire. I always thought it was from the big one but turns out a secondary eruption ~3 weeks later.
Yesterday's 30 days was a Might As Well > Samson from Oro's home country (Rochester War Memorial 9/27/76). Kept streaming on relisten from that point on and found it highly entertaining. Recommend no peeking at the set list. Not sure if this was ever a POTD but new to me (so it seemed). A case where I didn't realize '76 was just what the doctor ordered until I listened.

Partial Listens

6-12-80 from a Tapers, Jam of Week, or GD Hour not too long ago?
I remember the reference to the eruption during Scarlet>Fire. A hot one, lol!
Agree with BC that 9-27-76 needs investigating after hearing the Samson.
Love Jerry's noodling on that one. 30 days has me engaged more than usual.
Cheers

9/27/76

Hey 9/27/76 sounds good to me Bluecrow, thanks.

People always say, 'Why don't you play more sets in Texas?'

Hey rockers!!!!

Pick Of The Day: San Antonio November 26 1972

This is dedicated to Phil Carson, where ever/however/whoever he may be…….

The Dead close out their November 1972 tour in typically fine form, although one rarely hears about this specific show. Oldies, rockers, cowboy songs, Europe 72 material, all presented very nicely indeed. Due to “sonic issues” this is a challenging listen, but worth the deep dive. Ear candy, for sure…………

Clearly, the highlight is the Dark Star. I’m no Dark Star expert (KeithFan, we need ya!!) but this one is real nice. Its starts out somewhat gently, true exploratory mode, perhaps even subtle. After the first verse we get treated to some thunderous Leshiana, followed by a well formed “Feelin’ Groovy jam” before the band diverts into deep space before it all dissolves into Me & Bobby McGee. Very good copies of this sequence do circulate and are certainly worth a listen!!!

People (me included!!) have been clamoring for a Texas 72 box set for quite some time. Can the vault tapes be brought up to official release quality? Therein lies the challenge for the esteemed Mr Norman. A mini-box of Austin-Dallas-San Antonio would be oh-so-cool. Part of first Houston was officially released already (hell ya, check that out too!). I’m guessing they’ll hold back the sublime second Houston for a single release----maybe 46????

The definition of insanity in Texas is so insane that it's impossible to be insane in Texas…….

Rock on!!!

Doc
One thing about Texas people, they're very passionate about their Rock N' Roll, and I love it…….
P.S. We were at the 76 Rochester show and had a blast. Especially the second set......

Speaking of Texas

Doc and others, what do you know about the mini TX tour of:
2-20-70 Panther Hall, Ft. Worth
2-21-70 Civic Center Arena, San Antonio
2-22-70 Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston
2-23-70 The Auditorium, Austin
Got nuthin' in the Deadbase
Thanks and cheers
P.S.There's a frequent poster here who knows Mr. Carson well, but there's no telling where he might be. Check remote wilderness areas and unmapped dirt roads. You may find him on his tailgate serenading antelope.

And a belated gobble gobble to all 🦃

Not sure if I’ll get any Dead in (I know, I know, but ya don’t have to throw shit)
But I’ve noted 6/12/80, 9/27/76, and 11/26/72 into the record.
Which reminds me I need to document the last couple weeks…
The 72 I might try to get a taste of, I bet the 80 is good, and that Crotchfester show might be argued one of the years best! It’s surprising how under the radar this show is?
I have older friends like BOO469 who say that was the best show they ever saw! Front row of course!
You Definitely want to check that one out and yeah, don’t peak! Well, peaking is good, no looking lol

6/12/80 is the only show between 6/7 and 6/21 I haven’t checked out, but will try since I’ve liked these shows!
It’s definitely a nice tour, need to hit the first 4 some time too.

Phil Carson? Does Phil Carson even KNOW Phil Carson?
But hey, what would be the answer to the answer man?

GO VIKS! Hellava game! 2 roller coaster affairs, Daaa Bills and Daaa VIKS! Proper!
Now if only I could source my 10 case years supply of Anchor Xmass beer, down to my last 12er from last year : (

You've got to bumble forward into the unknown.....

I was hoping to hold off on commenting about this show until February 23, 2023, but lol, somebody has apparently forced my hand.......

There is a pretty good circulating soundboard copy of most of the February 23, 1970 Austin show. Lineage is SBD>MR>C>DAT>CDR, Vernon remaster through the Music Never Stopped Project back in 2002. The first electric set and the acoustic set are very decent quality, second electric set has a bit of distortion.

Here's what's there:

Electric Set 1: //I Know You Rider>High Time-Dire Wolf false start (PA adjustments) > Dire Wolf

Acoustic Set: Yellow Dog Story-Monkey And The Engineer-Little Sadie-Me And My Uncle (some distortion on vocals)-Black Peter-Seasons Of My Heart>Uncle John's Band

Electric Set 2: Not Fade Away > Good Lovin' tease>Mason's // Children

Anbody who needs/wants, you know where to find me.

I have never seen or even heard rumor of circulating recordings of any kind of the other Februay 1970 Texas shows, and I've been looking for over 40 years now. It's my understanding that Bear travelled/recorded up through the NOLA shows in early February 1970, so maybe all those are in those banana boxes.

One is never afraid of the unknown; one is afraid of the known coming to an end.

Doc
Exploring the unknown requires tolerating uncertainty.......

NEWS FLASH!!!

Talk about synchronicity..............

Charlie Miller just put out a complete remaster of the November 26, 1972 show. Anybody who needs/wants, drop me a PM......

LOL fair warning, it's VERY bassy................

Doc
We do not create our destiny; we participate in its unfolding. Synchronicity works as a catalyst toward the working out of that destiny........

If you want longevity, just keep people guessing a little bit...

Hey rockers!!!

This just in from my spies at TPTB:

New for 2023 will be a megabox. TEXAS. It'll be big, just like the state.........

Texas February 1970 (banana box breakout)
Texas November 1971 (minus 11/15)
Texas November 1972 (minus 11/18)

Preoders accepteed through next April 1. It might just sell out, call now!!!

A friend should be a master at guessing and keeping still: you must not want to see everything........

Rock on,

Doc
I like keeping people guessing. I like to have fun with them wondering if I'm sane or not.......
P.S. I will go shut up now. Unless Phil Carson calls.............

Bear

Theoretically he could have been spinning tape until 7/15/70 when he was fully incarcerated. His bail was revoked on 2/22 after the Nola bust, but he somehow yet again got out until 7/15 when he was remanded and started his sentence with his return being the August 72 BCT shows…
I guess only Dave knows for sure and he ain’t talkin!

EDIT: enjoyed 11/26/72, though the hiss was tough at times. Status quo fall 72 with another awesome Dark Star!

9/27/76

Enjoyed this show Bluecrow. Recording is really good. A few patches here and there, but nothing major. Great second set sequence. I have always been a fan of extended Franklin's.
And you were at this show Doc. Must have been a blast!

76, such an interesting return and so many great shows. I always wondered what they were up after their last show at the Shrine on October 15. They return of course to the Cow Palace on 12/31 and deliver an unbelievable show, still one of my favorite releases.

Those were some great games on Thanksgiving OB, go Bills. They are looking good.

Hope your Father is doing better Jim.

9/27/76

glad you enjoyed that DV! I love those Phil heavy Help intros from this era. On that first exploratory listen I was blown away by the move from Slipknot into the Other One > Wharf Rat. One of those classic '76 twistin and turnin segue fests. Great show all around. Keith is really digging in from the get-go. Doc and Boo seal of approval. Just now cuing up Set II from the that last Shrine show of the year 10/15. Hadn't realized this show has the post '74 return of He's Gone, and then it didn't show up again until late May '77.

That mini Texas tour February 1970?? Had never noticed that in the old Deadbase. That a partial SBD from Austin circulates gives hope that the rest may surface.

Speaking of Texas, still need to check out 11/26/72.

6/12/80

Managed to sneak in about 3/4s of yet another solid show from a good tour yesterday!
Think I’ve checked out all, including Nitecats fine Boulder Auds, except the first four shows, and they’ve all been at least good, not a dud in the bunch!

1/10/79

Snowy day here in MN.

How about a Dr. Bob Wagner/Miller 1/10/79 Nassau Coliseum?

1/10/79

Not sure if I’ll get to it, but I’ve heard it and it’s a beauty!
Wish they had tapes as this plus highlights from my first on 1/20 would have made a great second of the year Dave’s.
My understanding is no tapes?
Oh well, maybe someday…

Oroboros, Bluecrow

Thanks Oroboros for the kind words about my Boulder 80 recordings. Bluecrow, I was at the show in Portland 6/12/80, and after the show, the ash storm from Mt St Helens was so intense the whole city got dusted, including their rose celebration decorations. In our hotel room, TV news reported that everyone should stay indoors, and that the airport was grounded and the state bridge was closed. We had air tickets to fly to Seattle the next day for the next show. We hung out in the greyhound bus station, and at about 3 in the am they decided to send a bus to Seattle, and we took it. Driving on the freeway was like driving through a serious blizzard. You couldn't see very far in front of you. The driver took it real slow. We arrived in Seattle at something like 6 in the am.

31 Days of Dead

I think it was Nitecat that asked for any info about 31 Days of Dead 2022. In any case, I just got an email from Ed Martin, and looks like he's gonna do it again this year:

Hello my friends!!! It's that time of the year again. I’m very excited to bring you another installment of the 31 Days of Dead. Most of you know the drill, but for those who don't here is some background...

Similar to what dead.net does in November, I pick a live track (or tracks) for download each day in December and do a quick write-up. Unlike the “Official 30 Days of Dead,” there is no contest here. Instead, the prize is the music and the winner is the listener.

I started these annual projects in 2010. I had no idea where this would go, nor did I care. I did it for no reason other than my own personal enjoyment - I still do. To my surprise, what started as daily email blasts to a small group of friends has grown to an Instagram account that has over 35k followers. I am grateful to every single one of you for the love you have shown. Follow me on Instagram at @31daysofdead

Mañana

Any interest in either of the Nov/Dec '79 Stanley theatre Shows in Pitt? 11/30 and/or 12/1. A great little Vaudeville theatre with impeccable sound.

I always liked these shows when compared to some of their peers.

79

Jim, absolutely!

I will get started with 11/30 tomorrow.

Check out that 1/10/79 when you get a chance. The audience recordings bring back a lot of memories for me in the eighties. I sometimes forget how these sound due to all the officially released material I normally listen to. Anyway, enough babbling, it is a fun ride.