Grateful Dead

39 years ago today, I saw the Grateful Dead put on a great show, at the tiny Marin Veterans Auditorium. It was the first show of 1984.

Dennis: Yes, let's drive them nuts with requests! We don't know what we don't know, so tell us already. If 45 and MSG have not sold out yet, they will, eventually. WMG is not going to lose money, how they guide their program must take us into account. I did not buy the trunk, could get by with 6 or 9 of those shows, they were available for a long while by the each direct from dead.net, picked a few off. Never designated as numbered or limited, now harder to find at 3x price, thankful for the help of friends. WMG could reissue selected Europe 72 shows and they would sell well. Found a simple easy resource to quickly show whats been released officially, through #45, search on deaddisc or GDFD Dead by Date. Chronological and incremental, easy to scan periods/eras, telling us stuff we already know but might have forgotten. SIXTUS: well said, nothing I could add to that, other than my thing, followed them since age fifteen, 55 years now at 70. Did not get over to Rutland for recent DSO, did previously thank Rob Eaton in person for all his crucial work for the archives... JRAD at Jay Peak in August.

The more I think back on all that the GD have done, one of the real enticements and awakenings for me at the beginning of this musical journey – once I realized that the recordings were ‘out there’ to find and consume – was the very real and tangible difference in their sound as I ventured across the years of their output. Indeed, the sound of this band, and rightfully so, morphs tremendously over the three decades they all made music together. We all know the general reasons for this, from the burgeoning and relatable hold that rock and roll had on the initiating generation, to numerous personnel changes which literally forced the sound to change (i.e. Pigpen’s passing, Mickey in/Mickey Out/Mickey In, the subsequent ‘Spinal Tap-esque’ revolving keyboard slot, etc.), to of course the addition and/or retraction of various mind-altering substances, as well as the inevitable wear and tear of the ravages of time on band members themselves.

For a band to have existed for 30 years, it would be really difficult for them not to morph and change with the times given all of the circumstances. But I guess what has really hit me recently, especially after starting to listen more intently to other, newer bands on the upswing, is how much of the Grateful Dead music I reference in my mind as attributable to a particular time, or era. We all know that 66-69 GD is its own special beast. And that 70 was it’s own nuanced moment too. As was 71, then into 72 and the fabled tour, coming back and going into 73 and 74; the sound stays the same but also subtly shifts more toward the jazzy and open-ended. Then the hiatus and return, and once again they had reinvented their sound and approach to a lot of the music. Onward through the 70’s things shifted yet again, culminating with the end of the decade, another roster change, and the music now being played much faster (and arguably less exploratory) which permeated much of the 80’s until Jerry’s brush with death. They got another reboot, and things sort of calmed down as they headed off into their last half decade or so but they morphed yet again with the advent and inclusion of MIDI, love it or leave it.

I guess what I am saying is that when I think about Grateful Dead music, I immediately think of a year or collection of years (i.e. The Era) in the context of whatever it is that I am referencing. I always have in my mind when listening or thinking about The Good Stuff, the inseparability of the band and the year the music in question or in thought is referring to. Because when you talk about the music, it is always tied to a year or to a performance and thus bringing with it the nuance of that time period, the good, the mundane, the transcendent. Thinking about the GD at different points of time throughout their career provides me with variances in appreciation that I honestly cannot say is received from many other bands, or even Things, for that matter. The fact that the Grateful Dead, on the whole, really need to be considered in their totality when thinking about them or honing in on any one thing, is fairly unique. In retrospect, I’ve been listening to the GD since I was about 13 years old. I’m now in my 50th year. That’s literally a lifetime! I know it pales in comparison to many others’ exposure, but what it has taught me is a really neat expose on longevity and creativity and how these guys continued to keep things new and fresh as a result of who they were and the changes that were forced upon them.

Be Well People.
Sixtus

Maybe they don't produce a list because we would drive them nuts about what to do next. We do anyway,,, but a list would make us whine even more! :-)

.... yeah, where is that last FW69 vinyl?!?!?! :-)

sidebar - VMP is putting out a box set of Miles Davis. 350 bucks, 7 electric albums. One of the albums (on the corner) is a record store day buy. Box looks nice, may have to pass or wait. Those unemployment blues! :-)

One of my most favored "moon" songs... just listen how JJ creates such a deep groove that swings in a few seconds. That sweet laid back guitar. I would buy an Ark box in a heartbeat. If they have been listening at all, we are way overdue for a primal/primal transition box, a late 60s Bay Area box, et al. How about publishing an inventory of whats in the vault? And where, oh where, is the final vinyl for FW69??

Ledded - I liked your post titled Dark Road. To me, the country blues of the 1920's and 30's also has a supernatural quality. The fact that the recordings are often quite crackly adds to this feeling of mystique - you really do feel as though you are listening to music from another dimension. Some of the mythology adds to the vibe - Robert Johnson selling his soul to the devil, Peetie Wheatstraw A.K.A The Devils- Son -In -Law. But the power is in the grooves. Scores and scores of great and otherworldly recordings.

I'm not sure years are always the best way of thinking of eras with The Dead. For me, what I think of as primal Dead started when Mickey Hart joined around September 1967. They seemed to be on a continuous, thematic run of creativity from then until they started introducing Working Mans Dead songs, around May 1969. Not that the creativity dried up - it just started shifting, gradually, into another dimension. Looked at like this, that whole era, from late 1967 until mid 1969 - one of the most creative periods in their ( or anyone else's) career, has been completely overlooked in the Dave's Picks series. Even the 1969 shows released in the series so far have been outside this period.
So, to cut to the chase - high time we had a release from late1967- mid1969!

I don't think I would buy a 1990's box - maybe if it was Europe 1990, as I was there for three of them. That would be the selling point, I guess, for 80's-90's shows -people would be tempted to buy them just because they were there at the time.

....that would sell out in six hours.
I know EVERYONE here would buy it.
The women aren't always smarter 😉

We know Wake of the Flood will be released with (hopefully) some live ‘73 stuff. We know about Dave’s 46 (can’t wait!!) live ‘72.
The optimist in me says surely’71 for the box?!?!
Not a chance. My guess is ‘85, ‘87 or ‘91.
Or….maybe another 1 venue cornucopia.
Whatever it is, I want it/gotta have it.

Last 5:
Beyond Description-Bonus Disc (sweet!!)
Zappa-Mudd Club ‘80
Jeff Beck-There And Back
Jackson Browne-Hold Out
Dick’s 11-Disc 3 (Dark Star- 31 minutes!!)

Music is the Best!!

Nice imagery Ledded.

As for the box.. I'm not getting a 90's vibe. We have St Louis, then MSG.. so early 70's then early 80's. Neither were multi track. Something of higher sound quality or perhaps some 73 to celebrate a half century.

I have to think there are a few boxes containing 1" thick reels of magnetic particle coated acetate sitting in the vault waiting to be heard. I'm a little bit surprised there was not more push back on the last box being pulled completely from cassette masters. I enjoyed that box primarily because the years are not very well represented, and shows were strong from the era.. but compare it to say July '78 and it was a big step down in sound quality.

I think there will be some pressure to step things up, and if there isn't there should be. Or maybe.. (hope I'm wong), they have to scale back on the boxes or they will lose their specialness among what's being released. The last box set was something like $189 I think, during a time of economic instability.. well.. I don't think they want a dud. They really have to step it up a bit.

All this is moot, however, they surely are well beyond the selection process. Let's hope they selected wisely.

I do think at some point they have to give us a 68 show or a composite of partials/shorter shows. Geeze Dave.. look beyond the banana boxes, perhaps you will find an orange crate (hint, they're bigger).