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    marye
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    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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  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    Do we have a pick today?/Was it a trifecta?

    Besides 4/22/71 natch, how bout either DaP 35 or 37? One last good ride before we (hopefully) get our new 38s...

    Dug 4/21. Really liked the first set. More of the same consistent tight, full throttle, but not manic. Cool jam and smoking Hard To Handle. Second set seemed to....? Don’t have good descriptor? Perhaps more like earlier in the tour when they were feeling their way more? Though I was more preoccupied so maybe it was just me?
    My overall impression was good, but perhaps I liked the last 2 more by this much 🤌

    Wow, talk about getting yer cherry popped lol. Can’t imagine knowing basically nothing about the Dead, dropping, and then peaking out during THAT! LOL. Was it your first time tripping too? If so, that’d be like the trifecta!
    - never heard the Dead (basically)
    - First Show
    - First Trip?
    Hee-hee, I had almost 2 years of indoctrination/training before my first show and I didn’t trip at a show until like my tenth show, and it was still almost too much !
    Favorite quote in quite some time;
    “act straight man, he cannot know” 😂😂😂
    Yeah, like an older head who tapes even, is not gonna notice those giant pupils, sheeeoot, he probably could smell the fear on ya lol. I mean just one look and I woulda started laughing......we used to call it “Cats that got that bright eyed look” sorta our code for it...
    Anyway, baptism by fire, I love it! Your lucky ya didn’t permanently fry some circuits!
    Great story! Nothing like starting with a bang!

  • DeadVikes
    Joined:
    Jim 4/19/82

    Holy crap Jim, I don't know how you guys made it through that Raven Space twice!
    Freaks me out now. What a first show!

  • rockthing
    Joined:
    OROBORUS: There's definitely…

    OROBORUS: There's definitely something to what Hunter is saying. I write lyrics for some friends' band, and they usually give me the vocal melody before I start for exactly that reason. The first album I did with them, I focused mainly on the meaning, but came up with a lot verse that didn't rhyme. The vocalist commented later that he was having a hard time remembering the lyrics to that album, so the second time I worked with them I put more thought into the rhyming schemes, and that made the lyrics more memorable for him, and I suppose for their listeners, too. Another member of the band who is not a native English speaker only wants one syllable words for the songs he's writing because he says it's easier to find the beat. I've read that Hunter didn't like the vocalists altering his lyrics, but when writing for myself a lot of editorial decisions about the lyrics occur as I'm trying to marry the page to the music. Some lines just look much better on paper than they sound when vocalized in rhythm. I've got the freedom to just say, well, I like that word, but it's never gonna work. To me a lot of songs that end up sounding awkward do so because the authors were too precious with their words, not being willing to alter the page to suit the performance. That has nothing to do with Desolation, of course. Dylan's lyrics are on another plane of existence. I don't have a specific problem with the song itself, just in the context of a show, it often feels like a prolonged drop in intensity to me. I guess I just haven't heard "the one" that will convert me. There have been songs that I just didn't get until I'd heard one performance that suddenly struck a nerve. From then on every performance became important.

    But anyway.....

    Still raven about 4/19/82.. I can totally see how that space would wig out both dogs and ravers on a ride. It's maniacal. The 9/15/88 space was just the opposite, so sweet and then evolved into a really nice I Will Take You Home, iirc. That's a really tight show all around. I'm gonna have to revisit that period, 'cause the tapes I had didn't leave as favorable an impression.

    4/19/82 Around and Around is pretty unique, too, at least to me. Beautiful Stella Blue. Man, what a first show. Trying to picture what the folks "up there" were doing when Bobby cautioned them during Broken Down Palace. Standing on the tracks, perhaps? :P

    When did they stop doing On the Road Again?

    First Earth Day in 1970, and The Airplane at the Central Park Band Shell... massive event envy.

  • Strider 808808
    Joined:
    Earth Day 1970

    I participated the first year at the NYC Central Park bandshell. The following month I saw the Jefferson Airplane for my first time, same location.

  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    4/19 & Happy Earth Day

    Happy Earth Day everyone.. hope that's something we can all agree on.

    Yea, that Space grabbed us too.. we left the arena thinking what the hell was that?

    I think I've told this tale here before so I'll keep it brief. The weirdest thing of the whole show was the setting. I went with a buddy and his older brother who was purportedly as straight as can be, but an avid dead fan and a taper. Me and my buddy were quick to depart him at the car.. got two steps inside and serendipitously bumped into a benevolent stranger underneath a dark stairwell.. and we both got two that set the stage for the rest of the night. I only knew of the GD from a couple of my older brothers studio albums. So I was expecting mellow, acoustic type playing. The last thing I listened to before we left was an 8-track of Terrapin Station so I was happy they played that.

    Well.. things turned dark during Drums/Space. My friend to my left started really wigging out. He was scared and not happy.. at a certain point I stopped looking over at him and began worry about myself. I looked over at the woman to my right who was not surviving this any better. Tears of fright. ..and that laughter, that taunting, looney laughter and the noises. It was all any of us could take. ......and eventually in those minutes that seemed like a lifetime, it all seamlessly melted into the delicious sounds of the most beautiful melody I had ever heard. A tranquil Wheel that came just as I this "my nerves were shot and I felt like I couldn't take it anymore" feeling had outlived it's useful life. I got a hug from the cutie on my right, she next hugged her boyfriend and everyone was happy again.. all was good with the world.

    So we survive the whole affair, and it really felt like survival. We miraculously met up with my friends older brother at the correct time and place (how we did this I will never know, surely divine intervention) but just before that got a very stern warning ".. act straight man.. he cannot know..." so we meet up, hop into the car and on the drive home he grabs a tape out of his Sony and fast forwards the second set tape and says we gotta hear that Space again man.. and listened to it at high volume on the first playback of his master which took most of the drive home.. so we had to survive it again, this time driving through the streets of downtown Baltimore, through the freeways on another trip through never, never land.

    I will remember that mad cap laughter and that trip for the rest of my remaining days and the feeling of fearlessness that I carried through school the next day. When things get weird.. there's a challenge and reward to put it in perspective and grind on through it with a smile on your face. Thanks for listening and commenting guys.

  • DeadVikes
    Joined:
    4/19/82

    What a great show Jim. Recording is fantastic. They Love Each Other really stood out to me. Love it when when a show does that. Peggy O, Cumberland. That Feel Like a Stranger Franklins is hot. Like that finish and the Brokendown encore is solid. But, the strangest part of the show was that Raven Space. What the hell was that?? My god, my dog went nuts when that came on.

    Keep it moving forward.

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    One man gathers,...

    LOL, this is why I love this place!
    Personally I love Desolation Row, but that certainly doesn’t mean you have to lol.
    Those 89 versions are sick. Or any that Jerry’s “on”...
    Man that is a lot of lyrics...how can Bob usually do well with this one but constantly mess up Trucking, lol, and Promised Land! Bet it has to do with where the vowels/consonants fall relative to timing and playing at the same time etc. Unfortunately I can’t remember where, maybe Relix book? But read an interview recently with Hunter discussing just how difficult it is to write so the singer can sing/breathe right etc.. Rockthing,.bet that’s why your having trouble in the same spot...

    Gonna hit up 4/21/71 just cause, “buy the ticket, take the ride”. Actually almost to the final stretch of the April madness.
    Hit up both those 88 shows yesterday and enjoyed both. 88 is another under radar year that needs more love.

    4/19/82. Been a big fan since I got the tape back then, perhaps even more so the previous night.
    Wasn’t sure I’d have time but the Mrs works late tonight so maybe if it’s on YouTube....I thought I saw some of this there once?
    So one step done and another begun...hup, hup, vamonos!

    Oh, ps, hey Vguy I think Striders trying to take away your class clown/site jokester title ; )
    Keep em coming boys! Not enough smiling or laughter “in this world of trouble, we got ta....”

  • rockthing
    Joined:
    JIMINMD: 4/19/82: Helluva…

    JIMINMD: 4/19/82: Helluva first show. Wow. I had an hour drive each way to my work site today, so nearly got through the whole thing in the car. I'd just made it up to the most blatant Other One tease that turned into Truckin' when I got home. So much good happening from start to finish, but that Raven Space is fantastic. Not sure how I missed this one, considering it's my wife's birthday, and a few years ago I made a point of checking to see what shows landed on her birthday. Got stuck up in Orono, I guess. :P Only wish I'd not been driving so I could've listened with more attention and taken more notes about specific hot and not spots. All I know is, I wish I could say that was /my/ first show. I think I'm gonna be listening to this for a while.

    DEADVIKES: 9/15/88: Oh, yeah, I'm amazed they remembered the lyrics as well as they did, tbh, pulling songs out of nowhere on stage that way, well before the teleprompters became practical. It happens. I get it. Usually I have a laugh over it, 'cause sometimes it's the imperfections that are most endearing. I guess Desolation just doesn't appeal to me as much the other tunes in the set, or other Bobby tunes for that matter, so that missed lyric right at the climax of the 12 minute rendition of the song sort of added insult to injury, so to speak. lol. I guess Casanova was just being punished for going to Desolation Row. ;) On my first listen it kind of stood out as one of the few points in the show that weren't pedal to the metal. Don't get me wrong. I love it when Jer brings it waaay down with one of his dramatic ballads, and I love Bobby's role in the band. I know some people who're like, "I only listen to Jerry Band 'cause I can't stand Bob," but I totally do not get that.

    Normally I like the stretched out tunes, but I also dig the hot and tight atmosphere circa '87/'88. So many different approaches over the years. That's what keeps it fun.

    Speaking of flubbed lyrics, There's a line in Promised Land, "Right away I bought me a through train ticket right across Mississippi clean" that I've heard Bobby miss on multiple recordings. The reason I bring this up is that whenever I try to sing that song, I always forget the exact same line. Has Bobby hypnotized me?!

  • DeadVikes
    Joined:
    MSG 9/15/88

    Agree Strider, this is a great 88 show and so representative of the time. Short show. Love these 2 source matrix recordings.
    Rockthing, flubbed lyrics is part of the charm and deal with the Dead and so is stretching out those songs. Desolation Row, that song is stuck in my craw. Love it. Might be because it reminds me of the late 80s and being a different dumb kid.

    Going to check out 4/19/82 today. Jim's first. Oh and this is Dan Healy's master soundboard recording.

  • rockthing
    Joined:
    JIMINMD: I'd imagine anyone…

    JIMINMD: I'd imagine anyone who wasn't at the Pizza Parlour says they wish they'd seen'em sooner. :) Sorry I horned in with Maine when we were talking about (What's new in) Baltimore That sounds like a cool show. '82 is one of my weaker years, but I've been getting into several shows from that period over the past year, so I'm definitely curious. Now the queue.

    Currently diggin' on that 9/15/88 MSG gig. I was mistaken. It was another September MSG run that I'd spent time listening to. Sure never had heard this. Most of my '88 shows came from old tape trades several gens off the master, so this reminds me that maybe I should be looking to upgrade those. Steve Porter's Sennheiser ME80 pull appealed to me the most. Frequencies seemed most well-balanced. I always go for AUDs first and fall back on boards when it's slim pickins. This show, though. Man. Gimmie an E-N-E-R-G-Y! What's that spell? Great show. Grahme's first "Rock'n'Roll" is certainly noteworthy. Sugaree is rockin'! That's a song that I'm kinda used to feeling like it's draggin on a bit, but not this night. Wow. Desolation Row, otoh, kind of overstays its welcome a bit, and then Bobby flubs the climactic lyric. I love Dylan tunes, and obviously The Dead do too, but this song is rarely a highlight in a Dead show for me. All Along the Watchtower in the second set, however, really cooks. Jer could really rock some dirt in these later days, which makes the contrast with his wonderful clean playing in the early 70s a real treat, and also highlights how each era has its attractions. On the other hand, I prefer Crazy Fingers with Jerry's "silvery elf voice", but I'd never complain about getting a Crazy Fingers. Deal. This has got to be one of the band's most dependable numbers. Such a cool tune to begin with, but they always nail it. Good night for Bobby tunes, with both Cassidy and Playin'. I love how Phil seems to be the first to hint at going back to it during the jam out of Uncle John's. Pretty concise Drums/Space. The crowd clearly reacts to Brent's daughter coming on stage during I Will Take You Home. Interesting choice out of Space showing that Space wasn't all about melting face, but also creating some more gentle dream atmospheres, too. The Lovelight false ending is cool, like, in a James Brown throwing off his mantle kind of way. Bobby really strikes the right balance here delivering exuberant rather than psychotic. ;) They barely slow down at all. I'm not sure I've ever heard such a relentless show before. Nice call.

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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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In reply to by icecrmcnkd

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Crumbs...sorry, I wasn't expecting that for an answer. Thanks for the heads up - nice that them upstairs read these posts.

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I really liked this one. Part of that may have been a good focused late night listen. Mix was slightly different with more Bob, maybe less Keith? That highlighted by Bob's interesting work in China>Rider too. They attempted to slow the tempo in the Rider part but not everyone caught the drift there. Maybe I liked it for the set list and song order again which I found appealing in more than one of the tour so far. It does seem to be the difference some times in what I perceive as a good show. Highlights: Loser, Big Boss Man, TOO which was extended and very spacey (one part had the cat looking at me like WTF?) in the first go, then a little jazzy Keith, then a lengthy somewhat quiet interlude before >Bobby McGee>TOO again. Maybe the best Sing Me Back Home so far of the tour. And a sweet but shorter Sugar Mag> NFA> GDTRFB> NFA again to end. Again DeadbaseX way off with setlist out of order and missing songs. Not really counting on that being right anymore. Still plugging away with Rotterdam next but may get stalled Mon. - Tue. with a trip to the Four Corners region. Need us some slickrock and petroglyphs before the weather starts turning.
Cheers
Edit: 5-11-72 Rotterdam. Jeez- Louise! I can see why Oro said this might be his favorite EU72. The whole 1st set is at that slow, let's get this perfect pace and is another killer set that starts with a Playin' so you know it's going to be good. Then this 2nd set starts with a Dew and is monumental with the best DS so far and one that is now in my top 5 of all time and the 2nd set jammed portion runs like 75 minutes! The final Caution/Who Do You Love is a great way to end that song's run. I googled best show of EU72 and this one came up often and is in the top 3 or 4 in most lists. Just a wowzer.

NIIIIICCCCCEEEE! Glad to hear you liked 5/11 1stshow. Yeah not exactly sure why that one always resonates so well for me. I hate “favorites” (like the Jim philosophy: last one heard is the favorite etc) and this tour has so many RJs is damn near impossible for me, but this one always just pops into my head when I think of E72!
I’m sure the set list is part of it as you mention in why you liked 5/10 etc, and yes, that Dark Star is mos def RJ!

Though I really dug the 5/18 DS too, hell, who am I kidding, all these DS are top shelf!
I’ve had this show and have definitely spent time with the DS, but it was nice to dig deeper into the rest!
Actually got to give this one a good sit down listen on the big boy stereo, always a plus ; )
Not sure what it was about Germany, but they seemed to step it up each night.
We get another DS but pared nicely here with a decent Dew. Sing Me as part of double encore was nice.
Another nice but rare You Win Again, shame they didn’t keep on with that one? oh, a Sitting On Top!
That was a nice fun addition if not mind blowing.
A reminder of another thing I’ve noticed on the tour: it’s most definitely not the 60s Dead anymore, but they still have those flashback moments, they can still totally get that vibe and energy, and at times, if it wasn’t for the completely different sound they’ve cultivated, you might think it’s the 60s. (Besides the DS/TOO weirdness!)
But it’s not, so they throw down more stellar versions of the new stuff and a perhaps light, but satisfying side o grease.

Ah snap, I skipped 5/16 lol. Well, at this point they are all starting to roll into one, but that becomes helpful when you do hear a particular hot version of something as it seems to stand out enough to distinguish itself from the mob…
Don’t recall much of that on 5/16, just yet another solid well played beauty. First time for this one so I gave it multiple whirls streaming at work. Certainly they were trying to reign it in a bit and keep it tight being on world radio broadcast, though as the tour rolls on nearer the conclusion, I have noticed a loosening up occasionally and perhaps slightly more imperfections, but that’s really taking a hard micro look as even with occasional blemishes these shows are all so good. Of course they had to get at least a little weirdness out there with another trippy TOO. Wonder what that would have been like: to randomly turn on your radio to THAT! Lol.
Interestingly, no Good Lovin again, probably due to time restraints, or the fear of Pig getting to spicy on the radio lol.

Continuing in a haze now with 5/23. I’ve had a copy of this, but it’s missing some tracks and seemed to have songs mixed in from other shows or some weirdness, so I stopped near end of first set and started over streaming. Interesting show as they continue to mix it up and add some new/old stuff in for variety. I didn’t get the best listen in, but it seemed a tiny bit subdued? I don’t know, can’t come up with right word, so I’ll,project. They seem like their relaxing just a bit like they know they’ve got some good stuff in the can so can mix it up and let go a bit? Or not,…? definitely need to hit this again later, but honestly getting burnt not so much on this Dead as not hearing any other eras. Too each their own but I can’t just listen to one kind of Dead exclusively, but that’s just me. But whatever, another great DS/Dew, perhaps a slightly more polished Dew? Oh oh oh, Mr Kotter, can’t forget the best Comes a Time so far, another fun Sittin On Top!,
They mix it up with a fun Rockin Pneumonia (dedicated to my cousin Eecktar who’s currently laid up in a Hawaiian hospital with pneumonia and Covid as he’s been their working on some recording studio).
As I say, not the best listen but all good, another enjoyable show!
Ok, on to 5/24. This has been an elusive one. I remember being a POTD but only could find aud copy so skipped it, actually a couple times, but today we’re soldiering on and gonna finish it. Since I’ve heard so much about this one I’ll probably give it multiple whirls and check it out on Spotify at work (for better audio) for a couple days before I move on to the big 5/25 beast. So that’s where I’ll be for a bit, until next time,
ONWARD!

EDIT: Ha who says there’s no Dead heads in this tour! Ya can hear one singing and humming along at points on this 5/24 aud lol so there was at least one, and Murphy’s law he’s standing right near the mics lol

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In reply to by Oroborous

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I can lose my mind, so to speak, in any show from E72, and a whole lot of shows outside that tour over the many years, but that Rotterdam Dark Star > Sugar Mag > Caution > Trucking > Uncle John's will always be one my favorite passages from any show, any era.

1stShow - check your DMs

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Yes that 5-11 show is my new favorite. That just exactly perfect pace and performances on the 1st set matched with the killer 2nd set does it all. Everyone in fine voice and harmonies as well. I knew it was going to be good when the first song was Playin' and the first song of the second set was Dew. This show alone could have filled the EU72 album all by itself and wouldn't have shorted us one bit.
Cheers

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In reply to by Oroborous

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In some ways the E72 seems like the last tour that nodded back to the 60's. The Caution jam seems to conjure up the old psychedelic vibe the most. Both Dark Star and The Other One sounded very different from how they had sounded in 1969. An incredible transformation for both songs.
Although they brought back songs from Aoxomoxoa after 1974, they too had lost the psych vibe by then. As had everything else, come to that.

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Enjoyed the revisit of 9/18/1987 at MSG Jim. If you ever watch any shows from 1987 you can see Jerry trying to find his form. Looking back I still can't believe how much they toured right after his coma.

Looking at 11/7/1987 Oakland for today if there is any interest out there.

Still think we will get a 91 show released soon. Although the talk is 1988 is coming soon.

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stMade it to the halfway point, but they started playing 10/18/74 on SiriusXM, so I hit pause. They were out of the gate with a bang. High energy opener with some Healy vocal distortion on Hey Pockey Way. Nice high energy Jack Straw too. I never made it to the Kaiser.. caught news years at the Auditorium, never the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.

Man, Jerry's tone on that October 74 run, just love it.

I'll hit the second set later this afternoon.

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I heard on the YouTube broadcast from the In Groove in Phoenix, AZ that Without A Net is coming to vinyl November 17, 2023 as a Brick n Mortar release.

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In reply to by 1stshow70878

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Good, because I finished the quest on Saturday with a sit down listen to 5/26/72.
Bad, because everything lately is a blur, so the multiple times I hit 5/24 and 5/25 are now also a blur, so I’ll try to remember some of the standouts?
5/24: variety pack = Cold Rain and Snow, Dire Wolf, Only Black Peter, You Win Again, Rocking Pneumonia, and Lovelight. Most were good with Win Again and Hurts Me Too making the album cut!
The second set sequence they do step it up, and I liked the shorter LL, sadly, Pigs last…
I hadn’t heard this show before so I did hit it multiple times, though didn’t get a great listen in…
Generally, by now, they’ve totally melded and though perhaps early on in this show you might catch a slightly passed the peak vibe, but not sure hearing it alone, out of sequence and/or casually listening you’d notice. Still mostly full on magnificent.
Part of my problem deciphering is how much these shows do sound alike, sure their all different and have unique nuances, but after so many in a row, they all sorta roll into one…
5/25/72: this one seemed like it took a bit to build up from good to RJ…, but certainly did!
Of course the second set sequence was superb, and benefited from the tour unique UJB> Warf Rat> DS> Mags variety mix. Other Variety pack songs= Another awkward Promised Land, a sweet Brokedown, the aforementioned UJB and Rat, with unfortunately the last Sitting on top (another farewell to that 60s pyscho style/energy), and a sweet Sing Me Back Home! The Dark Star of course was RJ (have you ever heard a 72 DS that wasn’t lol), and a nice slightly different GDTRFB/One Mo Saturday finale. Sadly Pigs last Good Lovin, perhaps a bit abbreviated due to fatigue, and an unusual only four songs on the night…
5/26/72: some call this the greatest Dead show ever, not sure I’d say that, but it is a beast!
Only did one listen on this one as I’ve had it, gave it a sit down, and honestly, I’m just burned out. Both in general, which unfortunately didn’t help my tour burnout. But I’ve enjoyed every note, and this one didn’t disappoint either!
Not so much variety, and sadly, only 3 helpings of grease, perhaps due to some being repeated at least a couple times here at the end: Promised Land, Dire Wolf, nice Cumberland, Sugaree returns after more regular play early on, same with Loser, and of course THE Dew! Another sweet Sing Me, and another OMG second set sequence that is definitely RJ! It’s all most too much, when some shows, they basically play another small set AFTER these big powerful sequences, but here they do it again, though why they had to repeat Me&My Uncle yet again I’m not sure? They just did it a year before on Skullfuck so why use up so many slots on this tour that might have made room for another, possibly THE version of something different to make it to vinyl?
Anywho, A great show and proper fitting ending to one of the all time greatest tours! They Hit most of the usual suspects of the tour, and even managed to nail some album worthy versions, including that magnificent Dew!
Oh, and how could I not mention the consistently hot PITBs, everyone RJ fo sho…

Well, this was bittersweet. I’m glad I finally went for it even if the timing was poor and I didn’t feel I went as deep as I usually do when hitting a tour. But I did hit every show in order, including a few I hadn’t gotten to yet, though I did miss some of 4/7 and 4/8 which I’m going to do this week, perhaps with a couple other partial rehashes, though I really need to hear some other Dead for a much needed cleanse…
I’ll, prolly think of more insights, but for now I’ll just comment on something I kept thinking of that DR said awhile back about post Pig Dead. After hitting all those amazing but long 73 box shows, then hitting all these amazing but long 72s,
Pigs departure really did affect the flow and energy of those long shows. As awesome as those 73 shows are, they can sometimes be a bit monotonous, so they definitely miss not having those little Pig interludes to break things up, keep things moving, add more variety, and give an occasional energy boost. It also made me think a lot about what if Pig hadn’t checked out? By this point in their trajectory perhaps the overly long repetitive nature of LL and Good Lovin, and the old, overripe straight blues numbers, maybe needed to take a break, but think of all the sweet alternatives they were coming up with that just shown so brightly on this tour: Hurts Me Too, Mr Charlie, China Town, 2 Souls, and some old chestnuts like Lied Cheated and Big Boss Man. And who can forget the few but enjoyable Cautions, a tour highlight for me personally.
You have to wonder what if…what if he was healthy and kept writing and growing as a writer etc?
I think he would have had to have grown as a byproduct of just being in the band and how they kept changing etc.
He may have transitioned from being the main focus, but there probably would have been some monumental new stuff that might even have been better, but alas we’ll never know…
Well, hopefully we didn’t lose ole 1stshow in some unknown rural border jail lol, and he’ll fill us in on his travails.
Until next time, keep it forward, never straight…and get yo self a shotgun and a pocketful of shells ; )

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5-16-72 Lille: Lively, despite sound issues early on. Again every song played well. Energetic, these guys are durable! Classic Truckin' with Jerry going off on it. The TOO seems advanced for '72, short but completely fully developed. Some of this tour's TOOs rival Dark Stars in this regard. Best yet TOO? It's a contender. Hurts Me Too was stellar.

5-16-72 Luxembourg: Were those first two a sound check? The treatment of Big River I could see as a regular thing but sadly no. Almost starts like the '77 intros to Jack-a-Roe, and Bob gets an interesting part not seen later. Radio broadcast maybe quickened the pace on many 1st set songs? The TOO not nearly up to the level of the other Other Ones. A short and sweet show as I'm finishing the usual NFA> GDTRFB> NFA ending now. How many kinds of radio bandwidths did Europe have back then?

A shout out to Bluecrow who clued us in on some easy to get to petroglyphs in the front yard of his San Juan River, Utah cave up in the hills. A friend of the devil is a friend of mine. Fantastic stuff and an inspiring place for sure. I'm rejuvenated and ready to cruise through the rest of EU72.
Cheers

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Nice work OB and Firstshow. What a feat! I am sure you both will need a break. It is quite the box. Not sure if they will ever put another box like this with a full tour.

Go Twins. They are due. They have lost 18 straight playoff games.

This vinyl was part of the big box "The Story of the Grateful Dead". I almost ordered it, then checked the box and there it was. So if you already have the box,,, UB set on Without a Net.

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It gets an A for overall vibe.

I did revisit 4/7, 5/11 and 5/26. First, I always held Rotterdam in the highest regard but giving a relisten to the whole show and man, start to finish it's great. So is 5/26 but unlike Oro I have tried really hard not give this too many listens. When you finally hear that suite in the second set, in it's whole it's more like a symphony than a rock and roll show. Nothing leads, nothing follows it just flows, moody, brawling, reflective, sad and hopefull from minute to minute. 5/7 is another other big favorite. I think I like 5/3 a bit more than a few. I like to listen to 5/4 with 5/3, 5/10 with 5/11, etc. It's hard to discount the final four shows of the tour too.

I also fit in the 85 Red Rocks show the folks at the DaP 47 thread were howling about (8/7/85). A fine little show with some memorable highlights.

I agree with the comments on 73 v 72 also. To me, when they took off in January off, they left behind the smooth continuity of 72. They had a really good show and set structure going and the new Wake and other material they brought into the fold took some time to gain it's footing.
The beginning of the year was rebuilding, where are going to put Let Me Sing Your Blues away and You Ain't Woman Enough for example. A little of this disjointedness continued into '74. Nonetheless, '74 was the polished version of this era and direction of the band with their new Grateful Dead Records material.

Speaking of which.. David Gans played this passage from I think January 73 on the radio a month or two ago. It was a really good performance of King Bee I had never heard before. Supposedly, it was lifted from a practice session. Any guesses to who sang vocals? I was kinda floored by it.

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Not Phil, It sounded an awful lot like Pigpen, but not quite. I was thinking it was a stand in or guest or something.
I arrived at my destination and had to turn off my truck before they said anything about who was singing.

I guess it was Pigpen, it was just a rehearsal and I suspect he showed up or tried to practice with the band. It was very good, especially Jerry's solos. Perhaps the last thing he did with the GD which is why it sounded different?

Has anyone else heard of this? They did say it was from January or February 73.

I have never heard it Jim. Interesting.

Okay, here is a pick, 1/30/78, Uptown Theater. Can't remember if we ever hit this one, so if we did apologies in advance.

And go Twins. First playoff win since 2004 and first series win since 2002. A long time ago. On to Houston!

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Legend has it that if you click your heels together three times while saying "There's no place like Lille" during the Phil thunderclap intro to The Other One, Bolo himself will post once again on POTDWD.

1/30/78 - fine choice DV - 1st show of excellent run at the mighty Uptown Theatre. My 1stShow mere days later in Dane Co.

Jim - trick question indeed! No record of it on the GDHour that I see.

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Sublime but lively and complex, deep but spare, acoustic but dynamic, smart but not preachy, harmonious but challenging.
Best I've heard in a long while.
On Spodify under Martin Eden. Albums titled "2020" and "2021"

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I can't recall hitting this one. This is an interesting period for the GD. Jerry's voice was still flying at half mast, but he often made up for it in the ferocity of his playing.

I'll get to it shortly.

In hindsight, perhaps we were too hard on GOGD for keeping track of us all and the picks. Hope he is alright.... As for Bolo, we know exactly where he is. Either Ukraine or behind enemy lines keeping an eye on Count Vlad.

Rumor has it, if you slip Count Vlad 1000 MCGs of pure LSD, the war will end within 3 days.

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I love the artwork for that show. Just sayin'

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I didn’t have it marked in my DB 10, but I quit keeping track awhile back…so ?
I know we hit the show before DaP 23.
So I gave this one a quick listen and JG is still perhaps on the mend but not too bad…
Overall decent, but perhaps not quite the fury and greatness of April shows?
Love Phil calling out the overzealous security holes…
Yeah, would love a spring 78 box with more of those awesome Betty’s just rotting in the vault…
Good job DV, certainly a much needed different direction after all that E72 lol.

Go VIKS! Man so many games they just miss it by “this” much! Enough to drive a fan to drink ; )

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“Now for something completely different”
Like another off of Dave’s list “that does not exist” lol
3/29/93 through Stranger currently, Jer sounds like he’s ready?

Need a cleanse before I hit the WOTF bonus etc…

EDIT: not a barn burner but an all around well played show. I can see whey Dave likes this one.
Maybe it’s just getting older but I sometimes find myself liking the relaxed feel of these later shows. The industrial sound isn’t as distracting as it was, and some of the songs are perhaps even more relatable now? i.e., Lazy River

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5-18-72 Munich: Highlights for me were the ones not played every EU72 show like Hurts Me Too, You Win Again, and Sittin' On Top Of The World. Nice Dark Star> Morning Dew as well. Took me a while to get started again on this project after a week off, but no other tunes snuck in there in between except my usual Night Music on classical public radio to doze off to. But I was tempted when BC said Dane County '78 was his 1stShow. Got to be my favorite Dick's Pick. I know Marye likes it too (or was that Bolo; no he'd be speaking in the 3rd person about himself, not a good thing) as it was her nomination for our 1stPOTDWD, 7273 comments ago! Wow, we've come a long way since then haven't we?
Cheers

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In EU72. And the one in 5-23-72 Lyceum is now in my top 10 of all time. This is another killer show on par with the best of the tour. Likely in my top 5 of the tour when all is said and done. That Sittin' on Top of the World into Rockin' pneumonia tops off a great 1st set with another Two Souls that is the fantastic slow down song of the tour (with of course the new He's Gone). I never really caught on to some of Pig's songs until this tour. As Oro said, what could have been had he lived. But this "Dahk Stah!" is damn near perfect in my book. So well executed with all the frills and none of the excesses that sometimes make me wait for the rest of the good stuff. Classic disassembly - chaos - order and Jerry just goes off on it! Followed by Dew where Jerry is using his guitar as voice perfectly. Comes A Time is situated in just the right spot too then the cold start GDTRFB> NFA is so polished by now and they throw Hey Bo Diddley at it as if it was in the plan since 3-25-72 Academy of Music. Almost Jerry rap there. I loved this show as you can tell by now.
Cheers

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I like fact that the short songs Pigpen sang during E72 added variety and a blues/soul feel to first sets. They never really got that back after he went. Not that convincingly, any way.
I also rate 5/23/72 very highly. And 26th - off the scale !

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Really enjoy this show, thanks DV. Repeated listenings over last few days, particularly Set II, on it again right now. I agree with Jim that Jerry's voice still seems a bit fragile but his heart is clearly there when he sings. The Latvala source sounds particularly fine. Some highlights to my ears from Set II. Estimated > Eyes, with a sweet Eyes intro (not quite as jammed out as 2/3 Dane Co.) and nice extended soloing between verses. The Stella Blue is exquisite, a top shelf version, and wonder of wonders it segues into the rare and super special "untethered" late second set Franklins Tower. An amazing song to hear after that Stella. By untethered, I mean not part of H/S/F. Another shining example of course is 7/8/78. The last H/S/F until 1983 was on Fall '77 tour (10/11), and by Fall '78 Franklin's was generally paired with 1/2 Step as a first set opening combo.

Not just the first show of the run but the Dead's first at the Uptown in their short but storied history with the venue - 17 shows in just over 3 years. A close friend saw all but 1 of those. Last concert played at the Uptown was JGB 11/17/81 (IWT). At the time another friend told me there was rumor that the Dead were thinking of buying the theatre - seems a stretch but who knows. The Uptown still stands, waiting restoration.

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Hey BC, I agree this is a solid show. So close to your first, great time period to get started. They played so many great shows, can't believe I have never heard this one. Will have to check out the other two nights as well. Always love a Dire Wolf, solid Peggy O, It's All Over Now, Deal.
Enjoyed the second set Estimated, Eyes, with some extended weirdness at the end, Stella Blue and that solid Franklins. Good finish with Around and Around and JBG.

OB, did you get a chance to check out the Relix interview with DL from September?
1-4, complete disarray.

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Still can't believe the 11/20/71 shows up on the order status before they have released the information on the show. Good work from JoeyMC for poking around.

If we think the 11/20 show will take up discs one and two, what will be on disc 3?

We should know soon.

Maybe Dave will give us four shows from the 1980's next year. You never know what he will do next.

Speaking of 71, I should go back and listen to the 11/17/71 show from Albuquerque, Dave's #26. Who is with me?

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...for once I finish EU72 tomorrow.
Have a lot to catch up on.
11-17-71
12-4-71 on JOTW from Sept. 8-14
and all these chunks from Taper's Sept.-Oct.:
12-31-76
4-25-77
5-28-77
12-31-77
And maybe those two chunks of K.C. 7-3-84 too for dessert.
Bonus points: 1-30-78
Cheers

Edit: And the new, old GD Hour looks nice too, 5-25-74.

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It only took me as long to listen to them all as the band took to play them all, like six weeks, lol. How many tours, especially this big, can you say every show was great? My learning curve items include: Pigpen's organ playing added so much to so many songs. Keith really shining, and he has a perfect beer barrel style for the Pigpen songs. The Playin's developed nicely throughout the tour (as did the new He's Gone) and ended with a cool 23 minute one. New appreciation for Two Souls and Sing Me Back Home. The Cautions were a treat. The TOOs were as well developed as the Dark Stars and in some ways almost interchangeable in the setlists. Many of both of these two songs are now in my top 10s of that song. I seem to remember two jams had a Mind Left Body or Beautiful Jam section as well. How did they pare it down to the 3-LPs? So many great songs that didn't make the cut. I have a stack of post-it notes an inch thick from the shows but re-reading them has not helped me pick a top 5 so here are some favorites in no particular order that are in the running:
4-7-72 Wembley
5-3-72 Paris
5-11-72 Rotterdam
5-13-72 Lille (best TOO?)
5-23-72 London ( best Dark Star?)
5-26-72 London
Honorable mentions include:
4-14-72 Tivoli
4-26-72 Frankfurt
4-29-72 Hamburg
5-7-72 Bickershaw
But really you just cannot go wrong with any show on this phenomenal tour.
So glad I took the plunge!
Cheers and special thanks to all you mentors out there.

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It's a time commitment... but so worth it.

DVikes, I hit up Dave's 26 pretty hard this summer, it was on one of my river devices so it came up randomly throughout the summer until I lost use of an arm.

It's dusk and I just finished a three day craze of too much shit to fast and no rest. I am going to peel off this electronic device on my shoulder my PT guy makes me use, put on 10/12/84 and do a little soak in the hot tub. I might even bring a beverage of choice, which is a real treat because I have been cutting back recently.

So GD, good earphones and a relaxing state of mind.. what could possibly go wrong?

Thanks to all for keeping life just a little better than if you were not here.

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10/12/84 looks interesting. I am going to check it out. Thanks Jim.

And it is the 84 30 Trips show to boot. Where is my brain.

Stay well out there and Tuesday we will find out what will be on Disc 3 for 48.

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Whole tours are a commitment and can be grueling, but I find it’s the best way to get deep!
You summed it up pretty good.
And another great part of this achievement is how fresh other stuff sounds, although some not so much after the overall consistent magnitude of E72.

So my lasts post tour Dead, prolly not in order is:
3/29/93: about as far from 72 as I could get lol.
Decent show, better neighbors perhaps?. Off the “list” that doesn’t exist.
11/1/73: nice, but what a tease…
12/9/79: good but not great…better than 31…
11/17/71: awight
1/30/78: decent, but not quite April yet…
9/24/88: meh. Among other, JG sounds beat/shot…
10/11&12/83: nice revisit since initially acquired
11/1/85: (m/o), didn’t get to finish. I need more 85!
10/14/83: personal 40th anniversary today, will hit 10/15 mañana.
Always nice to remember this one. Big day for this tenderfoot…still feel recording doesn’t do justice, but it’s also perhaps lost a bit of the original shine as I’ve listened to so much other Dead over the years?
However it ranks, it’ll always be a top shelfer as far as nostalgia, and man what a story lol.
Kinda in a weird music phase, so not sure where/what I’ll get into next?
I’m going to skip the 84 for now as I hope to hit 84 hard next year in keeping with my years that end in same number as current year for primary focus, and that year plus or minus 5 for secondary. So 74, 84, 94 next year for prime, and 69, 79, 89 for secondary…

Yep DV, I did check that out, but had forgot, so thanks for the reminder to read it again lol.
I’ve heard his history before, but still fascinating how easy it sometimes was to end up working in or around the Dead.
And though I don’t think there’s a master chart on some boardroom wall, I don’t believe he’s just randomly picking stuff either. No list lol, “mmhhmmmmmm, I don’t think so”
We know he’s been hitting the “possible wish list” that was posted back when DaP started!
Sure he doesn’t go hard or obvious, but he has gone to that well significantly, which is fine, but this no list stuff sounds like no set list mythology ; )

BLUECROW: I just knew you’d be all over the eclipse today, especially where yer at!
We had about 80% here, but still pretty cool. Good Sheet Mon!

Oh, finished reading Heads this WE. Pretty interesting, we ARE, everywhere!
Big kudos to our very own Den Mother Mary the pioneer! Right On!

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Finished my catching up with all the JOTW and Taper's.
No whole shows just yet. Got slowed down by, I think, the flu. Had my shot weeks ago, WTF.
Played my new John Hartford LP, Aereo Plain. Said to be the first Newgrass in '71.
Excellent players including Vassar. Liner notes blew up my picture of him. Said he had fallen out of favor in Nashville as being unreliable and prone to recreational drugs by then. Said the younger players like Hartford and Jerry brought him back on the scene. Even in '71 they called him the Flying V as he liked cocaine apparently. Still my favorite fiddler bar none. Followed up Hartford with Old & in the Way. Just exactly perfect.

BC was it quiet there or some eclipse tourists? I read the Dine' treat it with reverence and don't work, eat, or do much other than quiet reflection to honor the death of the sun. Other tribes not so much. Others have some strange stories about little people and even frogs that tie in.

Cheers all

For some reason my post regarding the eclipse, Aereo-Plain, etc. is being blocked by the pinche security function on this site. literally nothing that could be construed as linque etc. very frustrating.

Maybe later. Enjoy the rest of the weekend folks! May your beer be tasty and football team victorious.

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Over on the DaP47 thread he says he tries dozens of times and it almost never works and that may be why it isn't so busy here at the threads anymore. Giving him credit for the pun, "that's why this forum is so dead". Touche. I think we must get blacklisted or something for multiple tries? I seem to have had good luck for years and I weirdly almost never get picture crapchas to solve. No telling with GD IT.
Synchronicity file item: I was planning to watch the movie Noah tonight long before I read his name on 47.
Cheers

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Yes, I have been having the same issues. Had to delete a bunch and start over and in most cases just move on. No idea what is going on.
Go Bills, they squeaked one out tonight.
So did the Vikings.

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Had one last week that had nothing wrong but wouldn’t post.
After wasting a bunch of time, got pissed a quit…
Pphhheeeww,, da Bills squeaked that one out Viking style DV!
I’m too old for this shite lol

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It seems like once a post is flagged, no matter what you do it will not take. Best to reboot and try the next day. If you try and edit a problem post to the simple word Hello.. it still will not let it go through.

Woke up way before dawn this am.. weather in the 40's and drizzling, since I couldn't get to sleep, I hit the second set of 10/19/73 with headphones and took a little outdoor soak. It has been years since I listened to this one. The Dark Star>MLB>Morning Dew was just as it's always been. Jerry was a little reedy on the vocals but after a pleasant Dark Star, a spectacular instrumental piece in MLB, a little mischievous discord and the beginning of the Dew, Phil supercharged things with a tremendous burst of energy in the first solo which led to a delightful second solo and transition to Sugar Magnolia.

Just like I remembered it with the end of the show coming into focus just as the sun oozed through the clouds. What a band, what a show, what a Dickus Pickus. Roasted a little coffee and started my day.... Not a bad way to get over a little spell of unexpected sleeplessness. It sure beats watching the news (although the crescendo of the Dew seems to foreshadow the coverage)

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Sounds sweet Jim!
10/19/73 has always been a fav/top DP for me!
Another one I can’t necessarily say why, but it always rises above for me?
Kinda like 3/28/73 in the DaP series…and 5/11/72 from that tour…
Planing on hitting 10/19 soon, if/when I can find the “right” time…
Also looking forward to 10/21 and 10/22/83 next WE.
(Personal 40th for 10/22, but haven’t checked that one out much, so due)
So much Dead, so little time…
Hitting 1/31/78 and 2/1/78 today to finish that run out while I do housework.
So far, 1/31 perhaps a step ahead of 1/30?
ONWARD,

I'll follow you down that rabbit hole this weekend. Springfield is due too, the show with the awesome disc 3.

A surprisingly productive day, somehow got through it without running out of gas.

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In the glory of his youth? Lookin' good man.
I'm used to your other avatar with the aviators.
I knew it wasn't Phil, lol.
Hope you weren't being forced to play your nightly Me & My Uncle.
Cheers

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Yes, good stuff.

I also couldn’t post on Saturday and gave up.

Deadvikes,
Had Bell’s Octoberfest on draft Friday, tasty. Better than from a bottle.
Also had Oberon Eclipse last week. It’s a darker wheat.

I am jealous Conekid, Octoberfest on tap, fabulous! No Octoberfest on tap in Minnesota this year, which is a bummer. Still have a few bottles in the fridge. Very short shelf life of just three months. Haven't heard of that Oberon Conekid, I will have to look for it.

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…more like 16 years ago,
Uncle…prolly lol
This pic was in the paper with an article about how much we worked.
Which is ironic because it was my second last gig before getting booted…still not sure why?
We were opening up for Del McCoury. It was supposed to be at Statebridge which you might be familiar with? But Statebridge mysteriously burned down the night before so gig was moved to Four Eagle ranch, where the photo is from. The band thread in the bulletin made me nostalgic: ( and I figured I’ve officially mourned the death of Anchor long enough…

Goin 2/10&11/89 today, got shit to get done…”it’s what doers do” lol

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I did some of October 89 this morning, again at an ungodly hour soaking my injured shoulder and Achilles Tendon in the tub. I am really wishing I was in my 16 year younger body also. Today I doubled my coffee intake, but instead of getting shit done I seem to stuck in a technical anomaly with one of my clients. I had to do an upgrade and now nothing works and no one can tell me why (yet).

Seems like I've been here before....Fuzzy then and still so obscure,......

Great Pic Oro! PM me the number of your plastic surgeon.

Oh, I hit the end of the fist set into the second set of 10/10/89 (Ooops, meant 10/9). Timed it so the Dark Star would end about the time the sun came up. I did not get any productivity bump for the effort today.. but alas, it was not my fault.

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What is going on with your shoulder Jim?

I am not seeing a show for 10/10/89. What am I missing.

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Ooops, my bad, meant 10/9/89. I don't listen to this often either, but I know me and Oro were there. Oro got me thinking about 89 a while back. I have not listened to that many shows from fall 89 believe it or not. The only ones I caught that fall were the Hampton ones.

Tore my rotator cuff back in July. What a drag it is getting old....

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Sorry to hear about the rotator cuff Jim. Not fun. Hopefully it is on the mend.

Love those Hampton shows. Usually listen to both a few times each year.