Dave's Picks Vol. 49: Frost Amphitheatre, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA (4/27/85 & 4/28/85)

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January 19, 2024 - 8:00am

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Dead Admin

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Anyone who has ever seen the Dead can testify that one of its shows will add quite a bit of color to the environment here at Stanford. Anyone who has not seen one of these spectacles should have the opportunity to do so. The Grateful Dead are an important part of the Bay Area's cultural history. Those of us who saw them last week can testify that the Dead are alive and well. The Concert Network would be hard-pressed to find an act which would bring Frost Amphitheatre to life as the Dead would. - The Stanford Daily

As you know by now, we'd certainly have voted aye on this motion, so much so, that we've loaded up DAVE'S PICKS 49 with not one, but two complete Grateful Dead shows from the Frost Amphitheatre, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 4/27/85 and 4/28/85. The first shows from '85 in the series, these back-to-back hometown performances couldn't be more different while delivering the same level of passion and precision, five hours of it, in fact.

In 1985, the band were celebrating "20 Years So Far," a feat that found them on these particular nights confident with invention in terms of both setlists and playing. There are old songs renewed, rare covers revived, undeniably nuanced Jerry moments, and a few surprises from Brent Mydland too. While it's impossible to select highlights, we can say with certainty that the overall clarity of these shows is unparalleled, courtesy of Dan Healy's recordings.

Limited to 25,000 numbered copies, DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 49: FROST AMPHITHEATRE, STANFORD U, PALO ALTO, CA 4/27/85 & 4/28/85 has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering.

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February 7, 2024 - 10:24am

#821

dissident1980

Joined:
October 18, 2009

I was skeptical ...

I was skeptical about a 1985 release to lead off Dave's Picks this year, BUT, these are two very hot and very fun shows! Nice picks Dave :-) [Now, onward to September 1970! ... hee hee hee]
February 7, 2024 - 10:08am

#822

hendrixfreak

Joined:
February 26, 2014

I suffer from premature congratulations

Just finished the first show on #49 and have to add that Bobby finished off the show with Around & Around into One More Sat Nite and man, the band is ferocious! Those songs, except on E72, sometimes leave me cold, on this one my freakin' pants caught fire and... I ain't lyin!

Props to Billy, Phil and Brent and Mickey is playing with a remark-worthy precision that lays the sneakers-in-the-dryer effect to rest.

Dave L., you have chosen wisely. Hats off! And flaming pants off too!
February 7, 2024 - 9:49am

#823

That Mike

Joined:
November 1, 2014

Angry Jack Kerouac

A great road story, Jack, well told! They sure were different times.
“Roads were made for journeys, not destinations”
Confucius
February 7, 2024 - 9:41am

#824

hendrixfreak

Joined:
February 26, 2014

Strangely, I may be on topic here...

Enjoying the first #49 show. Yes, early first set sounds driven by the pre-show blast of marching powder but they settle down and my comment is:

Jerry may be in rugged shape, off-stage, but he sure seems to be the one driving the segues from song to song, where segues occur. He leads into GDTRFB, Truckin', Other One into Peter. I find Jer in exemplary form for most of the first show and on all "his" songs, in fact, like days of yore, the band is running after him at full tilt.

Ya know, I don't mind an "energetic" '85 show with the serendipity of setlist and the robust even raw treatment of the music. This is Rock and Roll, after all. I keep comin' back to Jer and his performance here.

So, a wide variety of shows sometimes leans on so-so performances, but in this case, the selection provides a reconsideration of long-held biases.

In other words, this sucker rocks with the fat man in the lead. God bless and RIP Jer.
February 7, 2024 - 9:36am

#825

estimated-eyes

Joined:
December 31, 2008

So Far

Reaffirming here how much I love this release now that I have fully digested it a couple of times. Listening to it on the home stereo over the weekend took me back to my dorm room in 1989 watching the video So Far. I have heard plenty of 1985 shows, but the way this one is mixed and remastered, the sound/feel of the band is exactly like they sounded when they recorded that video. Not surprising as they recorded So Far shortly after, but man... this is a time machine release. Brent's keys during Bird Song took me to that place, in particular. Thank you, Dave!
February 7, 2024 - 8:18am

#826

Dennis

Joined:
November 1, 2012

Kingfish - Big Iron

Nice call, I have a Kingfish show from 76 NYC. Very nice recording.
February 7, 2024 - 8:10am

#827

1stshow70878

Joined:
September 11, 2014

Big Iron

Said this one before.
Kingfish did killer versions.
Can't go wrong with Marty Robbins.
Cheers
February 7, 2024 - 8:02am

#828

Dennis

Joined:
November 1, 2012

off topic, of course

I’m sure we all have thoughts about songs the Dead could have played. I’m not talking about big hit covers, like knocking out a Stairway to Heaven. No, odd songs you really never saw coming.
I mentioned several times about how they should have done Ghost Riders in the Sky as a Bob song.
And Jerry really blew it when he didn’t do On Broadway, while he was on Broadway. Just to hear Jerry belt out –

But they're dead wrong, I know they are
'Cause I can play this here guitar
And I won't quit til I'm a star on Broadway
The house would have went nuts!

Well I’m laying in bed last night waiting for edibles to take me to sleep-world and this one crossed my mind. This may actually be an early version of Fire on the Mountain. I always thought Fire on the Mountain was about being in the band. Some of the phases remind me of Hunter.

The song – Six Man Band by the Association.

Well, I'm a day at a time
I'm a day at a time
Well, I'm a seeker and knower
In a six man mind
'Cause I'm a travelin' man
Yes, I'm a travelin' man
Well, I'm a comer and a goer
In a six man band
Well, I'm a California man, my instrument in hand
I'm electrified
On a fast flyin' trip, dirty laundry in my grip
Mostly drip-dry
We got the seventeen jewels that dictate the rules
And the time to fly, as we're passing by
We just got the time to say hello, and then a fast good-bye
I'm a travelin' man
Yes, I'm a travelin' man
Well, I'm a comer and a goer
In a six man band

Use of the word “grip” in the second verse, an old term, reminds me of the 20’s. Would a kid today know what a grip is? Does the youth have a sense of jewels in a watch?
But then throw in a huge jam after “fast goodbye”, coming out with Jerry growling out “I’m a Travlin’ Man”

Just a thought, ok maybe drug induced, but….

Anyone else have a song the Dead should have done?
February 7, 2024 - 7:39am

#829

dmcvt

Joined:
April 4, 2013

Angry Jack Straw in Vermont?

Your story, great stuff. Minor point, even adjusting for 1985, everyone outside of Burlington being farmers?? Hmmm... guess you did not get around outside Burl much. If you had said mid 60s, maybe, that's about when the back to the land movement, hippies, communes etc started the meaningful shift that turned Vermont from republican farmers to crafty democrats. The interstate highway system that made this happen began construction the early 60s. I get it about the difficulty is driving east west, drove out to Watkins Glen in 1973 from Maine. When I moved here in 1980 after visiting friends for years, lived on a farm in the mountains near Killington, old timers told stories about rural electrification still, which came in after WWII. Just sayin.... (and wowee zowee, first post in more than a month with no hay now or crapcha)
February 7, 2024 - 6:49am

#830

1stshow70878

Joined:
September 11, 2014

C'mon Louis!

Ten days of it will be here today. You're killing me Smalls!
Nothing innovative about lousy service Mr. Dejoy.
Cheers
Must be something with W. Colorado as my buddy in Crested Butte doesn't have his yet either.

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

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Anyone who has ever seen the Dead can testify that one of its shows will add quite a bit of color to the environment here at Stanford. Anyone who has not seen one of these spectacles should have the opportunity to do so. The Grateful Dead are an important part of the Bay Area's cultural history. Those of us who saw them last week can testify that the Dead are alive and well. The Concert Network would be hard-pressed to find an act which would bring Frost Amphitheatre to life as the Dead would. - The Stanford Daily

As you know by now, we'd certainly have voted aye on this motion, so much so, that we've loaded up DAVE'S PICKS 49 with not one, but two complete Grateful Dead shows from the Frost Amphitheatre, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 4/27/85 and 4/28/85. The first shows from '85 in the series, these back-to-back hometown performances couldn't be more different while delivering the same level of passion and precision, five hours of it, in fact.

In 1985, the band were celebrating "20 Years So Far," a feat that found them on these particular nights confident with invention in terms of both setlists and playing. There are old songs renewed, rare covers revived, undeniably nuanced Jerry moments, and a few surprises from Brent Mydland too. While it's impossible to select highlights, we can say with certainty that the overall clarity of these shows is unparalleled, courtesy of Dan Healy's recordings.

Limited to 25,000 numbered copies, DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 49: FROST AMPHITHEATRE, STANFORD U, PALO ALTO, CA 4/27/85 & 4/28/85 has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering.

Mike

Oh yeah, I gush back on February second…
85 baby!

Blue

I know this is out of the blue, but Dicks Picks #31 is fantastic!

straight up, fantastic!

4 disc, everyone of them is fire!

Peggy-O

yep, that's about as good as it get's

Go To Heaven -> South of Heaven

On the turntable this afternoon. Thanks for the news, Vguy.

Oro

Excellent. This is a great release, and hopefully everyone received it without much delay.
Oro, the Big Blue is in Vegas tonight, and out your way Saturday, and they are on a roll. McKinnon vs Matthews.

2/22/69 Dream Bowl

What a killer of a show! Time for that BIG 1969 BOX SET.

1st Show

Glad you finally got it!
Peace

Leafs are on a roll, yes....

....I'm more concerned about the Canucks currently.
Edit. Not a good start for the VGK.

Suck it Avs

Let’s go Red W I n g s

Pretty ridiculous that the name of that team is a Hey Now trigger.

Hey now test

W I n g s

As in chicken, Paul McCartney, Red, etc

Sure enough, that word is not allowed. Needs spaces between the letters.
Talk about an incompetent AI bot security guard.

some of...

... my FUNNY WORDS include:
e s t i m a t e d
w i n t e r l a n d
s e x t e t
these are just some off of the top of my head that I've noticed

As Homer Simpson once said

“Paul McCartney was only in the greatest band ever…..

W i n g s”

now I understand

why i got HN'd sending good wishes to Jim on getting his "w i n g" fixed

Thanks Cone Kid for solving that mystery

No W I N G S

is just weak sauce.

Tried to post and got IT again.

Edit: I Saw IT Again

February, the greatest Grateful Dead Month

2/14/68, 2/27/69, 2/28/69, 2/13/70, 2/14/70, and there ate so many shows that I didn't mention. February, the #1 Grateful Dead month.

2-23,24,68

Tahoe Bowl

February 1974

W i nter land

Yep, got hey now’d on W i n t e r l a n d

Tahoe Bowl 1968, 2/9/73 Maples

Those Tahoe shows are absolute knockouts! I forgot 2/9/73 , and so many more.

Speaking of February

First six shows of 73 would make a better box than HCS, with 2/9 being the weakest just as reference…

Problem with 69

FFS!!! Just wasted ANOTHER half hour of my rapidly diminishing life on the subject, but ya know….since this lane ass corporation can’t get their shit together.
Have no problem taking our money though!
Worst part is: your all happy etc, then this BS puts ya in a mood
Hey DN, yer becoming a major buzzkill!

Vol. 49

Got it today.. the first show is strong, but this should have been a 3-cd set and saved the extra disc for a summer 72/73 show.. Also - very dry recordings - a little crowd would have helped.. "She belongs" is wounderful, but we already have that on "Garcia plays Dylan".. BW to all

49 Art

The symbolism of the slice in hand for Magoo's pizza has been discussed but what of the rest? The kite, cat, bluebird?
Cheers

Edit: 2nd show as solid as the 1st. Again, no extended big jams but great transitions, setlists, and performances.

A Hey Now Hack?

Rather than use the “Post Reply” button, I launch the black “Reply” button on the previous post, and so far, it works.

DaneHead

49 sound is strong, but I wonder what a matrix of this could have been. Except, it is an outdoor show so not going to get the crowd noise like an east coast arena show. Hoping maybe more matrix recording are in the future like Dave's 8. Hope they find some MoTB shows to matrix with the board. Have a feeling they would be incredible.

Scored Pearl Jam tix with my friends today....

....rescheduled tour from 2022 when they canceled two days prior to the show due to Matt Cameron getting covid.
Let's try this again shall we?
They have a new record dropping in April. Dark Matter.
Speaking of new records, Mick Mars solo record, The Other Side Of Mars, was released today. By far the most talented member of the Crue. Will be checking it out later on tonight.

Dave's 49 cover

Hope this works. I tried a while back and got majorly Hey Nowwed. Here’s the cover art for Dave’s 49 that Copperdomebodhi found. Scroll down to 49:
dropbox dot com /sh/qx5j9ydoc7bzm8z/AAD8yK_vCv_kQ-oLkLJQVCEla?dl=0

If y’all PM me with your email, I’ll send future covers to you directly.

Onward

Re: 49 Artwork

Here's my thoughts about the artwork 1st Show, which are pure conjecture on my part.
If I'm not mistaken, kitesurfing is (or was) popular at Stanford?
I'm thinking the cat represents that pretty cool China>Rider on 4/28?
The bluebird possibly represents the Bird Song on 4/28?
Personally, I can't figure out which of the shows I like the best. They are both extremely good for that time period.
Much like the 11/1 and 11/2 '85 Richmond shows.

Art

TNJohn think you have it right. I think Dave writes in the booklet, one of the last china riders first set. Looked at deadbase. There were only six china ryders after this one first set. Last being 1989 same venue. Interesting only one china ryder encore if my eyes dont deceive me, April 1988.

Kite me thinks has to do with the eyes outa scarlet as kinda rare. In a tree eatin pizza daydreamling.

Bluebird = Birdsong.

40 minute Chalkdust Torture in Mexico....

....I miss Mr. Ones. Because music is indeed the best.
I'll carry the baton.

Nicky Hopkins

Reading today that Nicky Hopkins would have been 80 years old today, and it itemized some of the amazing records he played on (Kinks, Stones, Who, etc). Quite a remarkable player, and like many sought after session players (Jim Keltner comes to mind), they pop up on so many albums. The GOGD were never a band to utilize session players, had all the goods needed in-house.
On the darker side of session players, there is a new book forthcoming on Jim Gordon (“ Drums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon”).
I agree with VGuy - come back Mr Ones.

Let the games begin!

Go AVS! Lol
I dunno, Leaf’s been tough, AVS gave away another game to D.

Though D played tough and deserved it.
Sabs pulled last couple out their asses, but hey a w I n is a w I n!
Hopefully it will be a good game to watch regardless of outcome.
Maybe a little friendly scoring competition between Mathew’s and MacKinnon!

#6534 in Northern Germany

Got my copy last week. Sound is great but audience very low in the mix.
Remember an audience recording from Knickerbocker 1993 where the
audience singing is lounder than the PA (Cassidy, Casey Jones).
Like that recording sound.
Last 5:
Neil Young - Dume (Vinyl)
GD - Herouville 06/21/71 (vinyl)
GD - Fillmore 02/13/70 (DARK STAR!!!)
Mule - Beacon 12/31/23 (4-CD)
Neil Young - Year Of The Horse (got in finally on vinyl)

Oro

The Leafs are like ‘72 Dead right now, can’t be beat. Sorry Oro, a juggernaut has come for the AVs.

I’m completely surrounded!

TOO is rootin for the Leafs Too! : (

Prolly Vguy and Conekid, and Kraken boy out younder in See Aaaat le too!
That’s awright, harder they come mofos lol ; )
GO AVS!

What a conundrum

Is that word allowed by the hey now gestapo?

I still hold a grudge against the Av’s from the 90’s.
But the W i n g s are chasing the Leafs.
Ok, go Av’s.

W i n g s currently up 4-0 against the Blues.

D’oh

4-1

Yes, yes, yes

The rebuild is coming along nicely.

Let’s Go Red W i n g s!

Keep the momentum going to April.

Beating Saint Louey

Go W I N G S lol
Yep, those were the good ole bad old days when they were in the same conference and the rivalry was fierce!

Keeping it relevant

Had Grateful Dead night at the AVs game this week.
It must of helped as they beat the mighty Canucks…

Dead Night

What happens at a Grateful Dead Night? Does the team wear special warmup jerseys, and the PA blasts some great Dead tunes, etc? A very cool marketing idea!

That Mike

I tried to answer your question but the entire response was blocked.

icecrmcnkd

Hey Now doth sucketh!
Curious - Did you try launching the black “Reply” button, as opposed to “Post Reply”?

That Mike

I’ve been using both ways the past few weeks and have been Hey Now’d both ways.

Dead night

In D-town there was a GD cover band in the concourse before the game, and possibly during intermission too.
There were GD team jerseys from dead dot net for f r e e

F r e e is a banned word

I would say that the IT department is incompetent, but nobody can be this incompetent.
It has to be intentional.

I didn’t attend GD night

Watched it on tv.
Jerseys were a Stealie wearing a red Detroit hockey helmet, and a dancing bear inside the w i n g e d wheel.
The jerseys say dead dot net on them.

W i n g e d

Is also a banned word.

Upgraded my record stylus....

....whoa. What a difference!
Johnathan Marchessault just scored his 30th goal. Ties his personal record.
Let's go for 40 mister!

2-14-70

Turns out that’s the day The Who recorded Live At Leeds.
Spinning the vinyl version now.

Enjoy the upgrade Vguy.

Dead Set

Pulled this one down from the shelf yesteday.. The album was not as good as it should have been back in the day (mostly 1 set songs), but the bonus disc has me hoping for a box with the "leftovers" (3 songs from 10/13/80 has got my hopes up..) Fine re-mastering by Joe Gastwirt.. BW to al

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