• 1,256 replies
    Dead Admin
    Default Avatar
    Joined:

    Who's ready to boogie with a little Brent-era Grateful Dead from the Gateway to the West? DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 47 features the complete unreleased show from Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO, 12/9/79 and you're going to need stamina because this one is high energy from start to finish.


    By the time December 1979 rolled around, Brent Mydland had fully cemented his place in the Grateful Dead canon with his twinkling keys, harmonic tenor, and songwriting skills. No more is that evident than at this show boasting 25 songs including soon-to-be classics from GO TO HEAVEN like "Alabama Getaway," "Don't Ease Me In," "Lost Sailor," and the Brent-penned "Easy To Love You." It's also packed with whirling takes on fan-favorites like "Brown-Eyed Women," "Shakedown Street," and "Terrapin Station." And you've never heard a 2nd set quite like this with eight songs before "Drums" including an improvised "Jam" launching from the end of "Saint Of Circumstance." It doesn't stop there though, with a blazing finale of "Bertha>Good Lovin'" and perhaps one of the best versions of "Don't Ease Me In" the band ever did play. We've rounded out Disc Three with an extra nugget from '79.


    Limited to 25,000 numbered copies, this release was recorded by Dan Healy and has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering. Grab a copy while you can.

Comments

sort by
Recent
Reset
  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    David LaFlamme....

    ....I remember him from Frasier!

  • Gary Farseer
    Joined:
    Alvarhanso

    I was in W-S to start on my master's degree at Wake Forest. As it had been a while since undergraduate degree, they wanted some of the older folks to attend an advanced math boot camp to reinforce/prepare for the coming math onslaught. Started boot camp on August 7th. The camp was 7am till noon for five days.

    WFU gave me a great education. Previously I had been what is called a "Lead Negotiator" for the federal govt. Just had to get out of there, as by working harder, I was honored by doing the work of the many less than acceptable employees. Now as I approach 60, I am semi-retired and have worked from home almost 15 years. So things worked out well. Have time to read and sometimes post here.

    More later on Robbie, other topics here.

    Still we must smile smile smile

  • That Mike
    Joined:
    RR Redux

    Great post, Oro, and you raise some really valid points. You have first hand knowledge, and that had to be an incredible trip being with them (and I agree on Jim Weider’s guitar prowess). I know the guys were also pissed that RR never shared songwriter credit (and the incredible royalties), but why were they not equally upset at Dylan for excluding them for songwriting on the Basement Tapes? Excusing Lee being a late arrival to the Tapes, I cannot believe that Tears of Rage (Richard) and This Wheels On Fire (Rick) were the only two songs they helped shape? Garth and RR contributed zilch!? So why didn’t they have an axe to grind with Dylan?
    So there is a lot of here say and egos and anger that did them in, and that was unfortunate. But the stories you tell are great, and it had to be a hell of an experience to see them play first hand.
    We know, too, how destructive drug addiction can be - look no further than Jerry and Brent. And with three of them heavily into junk, Robertson must have felt like it was nailing jello to a wall trying to get them sober enough to record. I’m just saying a lot of stuff is hung on RR I don’t think was fair.

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    3 sides to every story Mike

    Yes, I’d say the truth is skewed a bit towards the middle, but as you say RR could be very self serving. Probably why he did so well on his own, especially with film etc. And yeah, those boys weren’t always the most professional.
    I got to work several dozen shows with them in the nineties and there were definitely some sub par outings that usually could be attributed to use, or more likely, being without and not being able to…I remember this one show in Houston in 96 at some small dumpy club. Horrible super short show. Pauly the roadie told me Lee wanted to stop after like 3 or 4 songs. Pauly said he kept having to tell him “Lee, you just started, it’s only been like a half hour” etc.
    But the majority of shows, though perhaps short, we’re very enjoyable. Some nights, usually if there was more incentive than the endless crappy clubs, you could still witness the greatness first hand. We were on stage with them when they opened for the Dead at those last Chicago shows, and they played great. With Jimmy Weider, Randy Ciarlante on drums, and the great Richard Bell on piano, I saw nights that were amazing. And what a dance band!
    I danced way more at Band shows in the nineties than Dead shows.
    I think if they’d been playing the caliber of shows they had become a custom too, they would have been more motivated and thus professional. Traveling hard and playing clubs is tough enough even if you’ve never been that famous.
    Yeah I can understand Robbie’s POV, and he certainly is justified in personally wanting more/different, but it’s the way he went about it that leaves a bad taste.
    Honestly, I think much of it was Lee didn’t know anything else but playing, so like Bob and Jer needed to be playing, it’s who he was. So I think maybe deep down he was bummed that Robbie sorta took that away, for awhile at least. He overly blamed Robbie for breaking his heart more than anything, and so turned that into anger…and hey, sometimes it’s easier to put the blame elsewhere?
    But Boy it would have been cool to see them get together even if just for that Carnegie reunion run. The band was tight then and Robbie would have just been the Cherry on top!
    Really it’s all just a shame they couldn’t have worked something out besides all or nothing…
    Oh well, as a former muscian I’ve always said being in a band is like being married to several people.
    The musics the easy part it’s all the rest that makes and breaks bands.

  • proudfoot
    Joined:
    8 3 82

    I gotta get that and some other 80s going on

  • proudfoot
    Joined:
    Hopefully none of you fellow Deadheads...

    live on Maui

    A tragedy and a half

  • Lovemygirl
    Joined:
    *RE/ Dave’s picks

    … any Love for the dead’s ‘STARLIGHT THEATRE’ - AUGUST 3, 1982 performances from the entire band ! Bob is really nailing it during crucial parts of the performance on every song. Jerry is on top of his game! Jerry’s guitar playing seems to be pouring out his fingers going down the frets of the guitar! Fire indeed! The first set is one of the strongest in a long time! 11 songs if I remember correctly. The second set shows the band flying down the train tracks with a a killer “ Casey Jones!” As an encore . Very rare at this point in time in the dead’s playing.
    The second set contains amazing good Ol Grateful Dead musicianship as a band! Grateful Setlist as well! Anyone else a fan of this show??
    Beautiful’Stella Blue’ very sweet!
    One of my favorite ‘he’s Gone’ primo!
    Setlist 1
    Mississippi Half-Step
    Franklin's Tower
    New Minglewood Blues
    Peggy-O
    El Paso
    Cumberland Blues
    Althea
    Cassidy
    Big Railroad Blues
    Man Smart/Woman Smarter
    Might As Well
    ‘Set 2’
    Shakedown Street
    Samson and Delilah
    To Lay Me Down
    Let it Grow
    drums
    He's Gone
    The Other One
    Stella Blue
    Sugar Magnolia

    Casey Jones

  • proudfoot
    Joined:
    It always seems to boil down to $$$

    Same old story and I know it's been told

    Some like jelly jelly

    The vast majority like gold.

    Easy for me to say, but if I had 2 million in the bank, I would gift some to my bandmates.

    But I don't have 2 million in the bank nor former bandmates, so maybe I'm full of brown acid.

  • That Mike
    Joined:
    Oro

    Oro - I agree the guys were pretty sore at Robbie, Levon especially. Robbie argued that Lee, Rick and especially Richard became major fuck ups and too unreliable to record or tour, and I’m sure the truth is somewhere in the middle. I’m not defending RR, and I found his film (Band of Brothers) and his book kind of self-serving, but lots of bands break up, and the guys don’t crash and burn like those guys did. They did live hard, and maybe there was truth to what RR said. Maybe Garth is the only guy that knows? But regardless, they made music for the ages. Timeless.
    PS - I agree with VGuy that August 9 kind of has an aura about it now.

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    That’s just it Mike…

    …THEY, didn’t want to quit, only Robbie did. He tried to make it out like “they” did, but it was only him.
    Heard this straight from Lee himself around the time they were getting offered millions to do a reunion at Carnegie Hall. The Band and especially Lee could have really used the bread.
    That’s how hurt and stubborn Lee was about Robbie breaking up the band: he’d rather be broke…

    Of course the Band kept on in one form or another and eventually Jimmy Weider took over the guitar slot and did a Hellava job! The 90s Band was sweet if perhaps not the monster they once were.

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

3 years 6 months

Who's ready to boogie with a little Brent-era Grateful Dead from the Gateway to the West? DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 47 features the complete unreleased show from Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO, 12/9/79 and you're going to need stamina because this one is high energy from start to finish.


By the time December 1979 rolled around, Brent Mydland had fully cemented his place in the Grateful Dead canon with his twinkling keys, harmonic tenor, and songwriting skills. No more is that evident than at this show boasting 25 songs including soon-to-be classics from GO TO HEAVEN like "Alabama Getaway," "Don't Ease Me In," "Lost Sailor," and the Brent-penned "Easy To Love You." It's also packed with whirling takes on fan-favorites like "Brown-Eyed Women," "Shakedown Street," and "Terrapin Station." And you've never heard a 2nd set quite like this with eight songs before "Drums" including an improvised "Jam" launching from the end of "Saint Of Circumstance." It doesn't stop there though, with a blazing finale of "Bertha>Good Lovin'" and perhaps one of the best versions of "Don't Ease Me In" the band ever did play. We've rounded out Disc Three with an extra nugget from '79.


Limited to 25,000 numbered copies, this release was recorded by Dan Healy and has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering. Grab a copy while you can.

user picture

Member for

11 years 5 months
Permalink

My Guess is the bonus material is from 12/4/79 from Chicago after space. We got the Estimated /Frankiln’s / Jam pre drums on No. 31. But it looks tasty. I dig me some early Brent.

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

Fall of '79 is super under rated. Jerry was really trying to show the new kid how to play, there was soooo much good music on this tour, really, the best Brent tour until Spring of '90. Been waiting for Fall '79 since the early days of Road Trips. Now what about Pittsburgh Dave? That was the best show of the tour?

user picture

Member for

10 years 9 months
Permalink

Of Billerica is only logical, Dave. I have been told by natives (who laughed at my own use of Bill-erica), that it is pronounced Bill-rick-a. They have some strange pronunciations here, I just laugh and move on while trying to make a mental note of that "correct" way to say something.

Was not a huge fan of DaP 31, the Jack a Roe and the filler jam is about all I recall from it. Listening to the Lazy Lightning now, and Bob mumbles through some verses, the sound of cassette hissing away. But will definitely give it a good listen when it comes. Don't think it will get near the workout DaP 45 and HCS box will, but I like random shows to pull out for a change, too. This could fill that need.

Don't Ease is not a favorite of mine by any means, but a band I was in started doing it, and I came to like it more then. Especially when we found it is a perfect way to do a stop on a dime segue into The Other One. So, I could see an encore version working well for a rocking closer. At least it's not yet another Around and Around.

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

12 years 10 months
Permalink

For 12/1 however any fall '79 show is worth a listen or two. I guess it's time to play DEAD & play DEAD loud. Happy Tuesday to all you kind folks out here in DEADLand.

user picture

Member for

17 years 4 months

In reply to by wissinomingdeadhead

Permalink

instead of sea side chat lol

I remain hopeful about this one, but apprehensive…

ha ha, yes you've bottled that up appropriately: Bill-rickaaaah

Others that fall into the same category 'round these parts:

Stoneham = Stone-um
Worcester = Wust-ahhh
Woburn = Wuuuu-bern or just 'The Woooo'
Peabody = Pea-biddy
Cape Cod = Down The Cape

Just to name a few.

Bring on DaP 47!

From Greater Beantown,
Sixtus

user picture

Member for

3 years 3 months
Permalink

Dave is Canadian we will give him a break on that pronunciation. God Bless The GD Grateful Dead!

user picture

Member for

12 years 1 month
Permalink

Unless I am wrong from long ago. What about

Haverhill: Have - rill

Leominster: Lem-in-stir

Gloucester: Glaw-stir

user picture

Member for

11 years 4 months
Permalink

Hi All - Haven't been here forever - hope all's well.

I like the 1979 energy. I just wish they didn't have to use cassette masters...

Most interesting was Dave's tease at the end about DaP48 - he seemed ESPECIALLY excited about that one: "I will see you here in 3 months for the DaP48 announcement. That's a Doozy! Gonna be a lot to talk about on that one!" What is it? Special guest? Special missing reel was returned to the Vault?? What could it BE???

user picture

Member for

7 years 3 months
Permalink

In Med-fid.
Grandparants lived in Stone-um
They went round dancing in Woo-bin
Other family lived in Scituate (that's Sitch-you-It)
Vacationed in Barnstable-Bon-sti-bull
Enough!!

I will give Dave's 47 an unbiased listen, and probably tell Y'all what I think. Not that anyone would care!! :)

Music is the Best!!

user picture

Member for

14 years
Permalink

More Dead Head TV released on DreamsWeDreamed dot com:

Kezar Stadium: Two Historic Grateful Dead concerts (just in time for the 'Sunshine" box!)
Dan Healy interview part three
Spring Tour 1989 Report part one
Dead Base: the Origins of the "Taper's Bible"
The Dead News May 1989

Enjoy!

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

It is indeed pronounced Bill-Rick-A. I saw that night (from right in front of the very low stage) and the next at UMass. Great shows! Apparently no soundboards exist, but one can hope.

user picture

Member for

10 years 1 month
Permalink

I've never heard a late '79 show I didn't enjoy sitting down with and I'm sure this will follow in kind. Regarding DaP 31 (12/3/29), a great show but a recording where the vocals are disembodied from the instrumentation-- reminds me of that Journey arcade game where you have to connect the heads to the instruments. A definite damper when you have so many other official shows to choose from. This release however sounds much more balanced. Not as dynamic as RT Vol3#1 (12/28/79), but nothing that will keep me from giving it a listen when the mood strikes. Looking forward to it. A nice antidote to all that boring '73 stuff!

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

Always happy to see a new Brent era release and 79 was a good year.

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

12 years 10 months
Permalink

Now what that could be?

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

I love 1979 Grateful Dead, especially this whole fall tour. I am know I am not the only one who is slightly disappointed about not getting 11/30 and/or 12/1. Again this is minor as this show intrigues me. I have never heard it and now I am really curious about the jam that comes out of Saint of Circumstance. And what about a 2nd set composed 7-8 songs pre-drums??? I don't think that happened too often post-hiatus. I am really looking forward to this one.

The extra nugget is the post drums segment from 12/4/79, at least I think it is. We got the Estimated Prophet > Franklin's Tower > Jam > as bonus material, so now we can close out the 2nd set of that show. We are just missing the China Cat > Rider and LLR that opens the 2nd set. Still with the extra material on this release this is not a bad little nugget to have.

I am glad I have some time before this release makes it to my mailbox as I am still taking in the here Comes Sunshine box. Those shows on that box are wonderful.

user picture

Member for

8 years

In reply to by Gratefulhan

Permalink

Hey Thin, good to hear from you.

I think there is a possibility they used Plangent on this one as they did with Dave's #39, the 83 Philly show (MSG box as well). Cassette masters with the Plangent process makes a big difference.
We will see....

#48, I think he breaks into 91.

user picture

Member for

8 years 6 months

In reply to by DeadVikes

Permalink

…in part of the art department. I graduated college, ‘ Cooper Union’ NYC , had full scholarship!

user picture

Member for

8 years 6 months
Permalink

… Dicks picks 5 is a favorite of mine! I Love 1979 Grateful Dead! Every release the Dead has been released to date are All, in Dave’s Words, “top tiers” performances from the Grateful Dead as a whole Band gives me the feeling of opening the “doors of Perception ind my mind! 1979 , especially December of 79’ is filled with’Primo Shows! Betty recorded 12/26/79 , the source used for Dicks Picks #5.
Sure wish this was a Betty board but I’m just grateful for the release no matter who recorded it, Healy, did Dave’s Picks #47, which the Dead uses for our next pick in the series!
“Smile Smile Smile “ my brother and sisters, I believe everyone is going love this latest pick!
Peace be with you all!

user picture

Member for

17 years 4 months

In reply to by Lovemygirl

Permalink

....there is a Lost Saint.
I kinda forgot about that pick.
And that's on me.
Making up for lost time currently.
#3046.
Refresher course.
Better late than never!!
Lots of good music out there if you look at it right. And I tend to be all over the place recently.
Let's call it a mydland life crisis.
Extra nugget? Well, I've got one right here.

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

4 years 1 month
Permalink

My first show was on 11.9.79 and these early shows with Brent are so sweet as he feels his way around with the band. Phil was playing so well in this time period that you can shred your speakers just to add a little more Phil.

user picture

Member for

4 years
Permalink

The '60s didn't really end until 1974 or so, and the '90s didn't start till about '92. And I think the '80s got started in '79, at least as far as the GOGD was concerned.

It's kinda weird, isn't it, the way we obsess on numbers that end in zero? The way we pretend the world changes every ten years as soon as the calendar flips over to a year with a zero? Too bad our civilization didn't stick with roman numerals, everything would be different,

Anyway, glad to hear 47 is an '80s show, even if this one took place in '79. I think it's appropriate that Dave tries to represent different eras, and we were overdue for an '80s. I also think that, in this case at least, his interest in unusual set lists is likely to pay off: lots of then-new tunes on this one, and the unusual second set will be a breath of fresh air, for me, anyway. Looking forward to this one!

Meanwhile still working through the HCS box. (No defective discs so far, praise ye gods.) Like a lot of people, I was surprised and blown away by the excellence of that Des Moines show! What's that expression about "the strangest of places"?

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

13 years 1 month
Permalink

But we all are waiting for 12/1/79. But still, I am open to more December shows. Good energy. Another tidbit from 12/4/79 (is he gonna piece the whole show together via bits & pieces a la 3/24/90?). But speaking of '79 shows we want, I'd love 2/17/79. K&D's finale.

Still, we have had our 2 K&D shows this year (1 without Mickey, 1 with), and now a Brent. Does he go Pig or Bruce (for the first time?) for 48? A sneaking feeling #48 may be some 1970 Allman Brothers/Dead (2/11 + completing 2/13 or 2/14?). The 1973 HC sunshine box has me hoping that there was a breakthrough with the ABB on some stuff.

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

Also Watkins Glen. I've been getting promotions for a Woodstock type documentary for the Watkins Glen performances coming out this year. Hoping all the music sees a release this year, including the Allman sets from RFK. Wake of the Flood 50th will also be announced soonish so there's definitely more 73 coming out this year.

For completing 79 Dead show releases there are a bunch on that first Road Trips plus hopefully a rerelease of the download shows that came out from that tour that were briefly available.

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

16 years 1 month
Permalink

interesting pick, it already floats around freely traded and in good to excellent quality depending your source. same with almost everyting in the 73 box set. i got it, and compared to the bear boards, miller re dos, etc the shows dont sound that much better if they do at all. i have nice 73 box set if anyone wants one... reach out to me.

user picture

Member for

10 years 9 months
Permalink

Mid-song second set. Had some friends there. I've always wondered about it, especially with Walnut Creek '97, a legendary Phish summer show in Raleigh on 7/22/97, with an epic thunderstorm and lightning struck the lawn or very nearby during Taste. Nobody hurt, but Phish played to the storm. Then played an unbelievable second set. Sadly, tonight went unfinished. Interestingly, String Cheese made their debut at the same venue in Wilmington last Spring and one night was stopped due to storms with the band playing a set backstage and livestreaming it on Instagram and Facebook. In 2017, was in Atlanta for Cheese and we got dumped on both nights, but the first night was far worse. Full on July Southern Thunderstorm, and my most vivid memory is running back to my car in the pouring rain and feeling I was dodging lightning to put my camera back in my car (them was the rules for my photo pass). When I went back in, I was getting a bit of shelter from the storm for a bit and overheard the stage manager being told they got lucky as the radar showed the storm moving away, one more close lightning strike and they would have shut it down. Luckily for us, it was not. A fantastic show, really inspired, as the band was loving those of us who remained dancing in the pouring rain, while a lot of people crammed under the bit of shelter at the back of the amphitheatre.

Anybody remember any times they personally or knew of Dead shows getting stopped due to storms? I know Red Rocks one year got moved to McNichols Arena in Denver, and SummerFest '78 was cx'd, but they never started.

user picture

Member for

7 years 6 months
Permalink

I'm hoping the billerica clue will come to fruitation. I'm not sure how many times thy played there, but the 1989? Tape I have has an amazing setlist. That tape given to me in the late 80s? A deadhead friend gave it to me, and I was hooked ever since.

user picture

Member for

2 years 3 months

In reply to by DeadVikes

Permalink

#47 is $10 less than #46, so there's that, which I don't understand. I think they'll both be around a while, and I hope I'm wrong. Maybe 47 goes first.

It seems the Grateful Dead played Billerica only once, in May of 79 so I'm not sure whats going on there.
5/11/79

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

Took 6 months for 45 to sell out, and 46 is still available. Take your time. Forget about Dave’s comments about 48, it’s 50 I want to know about.

user picture

Member for

7 years 6 months
Permalink

You are right. I remember the Estimated on my tape. It's the most incredible Estimated I've ever heard, in my opinion. The tape I obtained was unlabeled, so it was hard to pinpoint which show it was taped from, especially back in the day. Thanks for clearing that up. P.S. - when I mentioned 1989?, I was eluding to the time I obtained the tape, and was clueless to what show was actually on it. I started going to dead shows in 86' but started collecting tapes around 88' or 89'.The billerica tape was the tape that got me to dig my heels in, and really start to collect and trade shows.

user picture

Member for

10 years
Permalink

Billerica is a good show - I recall this had come up on here a few years back and I dove in then and am re-listening now. Good FOB and I've cranked the sub. Setlist right up my alley; Half Step>Franklins opener, LL>Supp, Peggy'O; a massive Shakedown, Estimated>Eyes and a powerhouse trio to finish it off. No encore this evening.....

...Dave?!?!?

Be Well People!
Sixtus

user picture

Member for

10 years 2 months
Permalink

Tony Bennett was 96. RIP
The best of the crooners.
Cheers

user picture

Member for

3 years
Permalink

Carousel Ballroom 1968

user picture

Member for

7 years 6 months
Permalink

Cool. I'll check out the C. Miller Tr. on archives.

user picture

Member for

12 years
Permalink

Third man records is releasing a syd barret collection on vinyl.

Has anyone got their garcialive 20 yet?

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

14 years
Permalink

Hello. I got a question. Although my "name" is Luis ( in spanish), I've never been in St Louis. I dont know why the cover has what looks like something in honor of a a dog. but I don't know.-:)

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

12 years 10 months
Permalink

6/21/71

user picture

Member for

17 years 4 months

In reply to by Dennis

Permalink

....got it about a week ago. Love it.
The AC broke at work today. Hate it.
Got home. Turned the shower to the coldest I could handle to help cool my core. AC set to 75.
Brain got a little scrambled.
I'm good now.

user picture

Member for

9 years 1 month

In reply to by luis

Permalink

Luis - that's a Missouri bear sculpted of limestone by Robert Cronbach. One of two, slightly different pose for each, at the entrance to the Kiel Opera House. There are 2 grizzly bears in the Missouri state seal. The Cronbach bears seem a bit chill for grizzlies. One of them in fact reminds me of my (late) dog Spirit, a very good dog, in his demeanor.

Listening to Set II on the Rolfe pull/Miller upload of Billerica 5/11/79. Wowza. Very very nice.

Edit - actually 3 grizzlies in the Missouri state seal. One small representation on all 4 paws, and 2 larger ones standing.

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

14 years

In reply to by bluecrow

Permalink

Yes, I've just Saw It on wikipedia. Also un other article They say that the population of the Missouri Bear is increasing, lately.

product sku
081227834616
Product Magento URL
https://store.dead.net/en/grateful-dead/music/daves-picks/daves-picks-vol.-47-kiel-auditorium-st.-louis-mo-12979/081227834616.html