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

1,210 replies

Dead Admin

Joined:
April 28, 2021

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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April 17, 2024 - 5:45pm

#51

Crow Told Me

Joined:
October 15, 2020

Up the Grand Wazoo

Some months ago I mentioned being curious about Zappa here, and several people provided really useful recommendations. (Thanks again!)

My take, having now listened to fair number of those recs? The music is never less than interesting, occasionally great. His guitar playing is technically impressive but can get wanky. His bands are universally amazing. The lyrics are often annoying, with lots of juvenile potty humor. Ergo, I tend to gravitate towards the recordings where there's lots of the great playing and not so much singing.

Which is to say: I LOVE Hot Rats, the Grand Wazoo, and the Wake Jawaka box. And much of the aptly titled Shut Up and Play Your Guitar series.

Oddly enough, I don't really want him to shut up, though. His interviews are always great. He may have had a cynical view of mankind, but it's hard to argue with most of what he says.

"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."

Amen, my brother.
April 17, 2024 - 4:34pm

#52

icecrmcnkd

Joined:
October 20, 2015

DaP page

46 - 49 all still available.

On another page, how ‘bout that Wall of Sound tshirt?
I might need one of those.
April 17, 2024 - 4:28pm

#53

dmcvt

Joined:
April 4, 2013

FZ

Profane, controversial, polarizing. Brilliant satire, great guitar, exceptional composer. He was working on getting out the vote more than fifty years ago, when our country was reeling from Viet Nam, Civil Rights issues and a corrupt administration. My apologies, happily avoid politics here. Dark, yeah, however Stephen Hawking also warned us we had about 100 years before the planet is ruined.
April 17, 2024 - 2:10pm

#54

gratefulgerd

Joined:
June 7, 2007

Frank

'Human species is a mistake, I am convinced of it.
If there is a god he really fu cked up when he made people.
Because there’s only one thing human beings can do and that is K I L L.
They do that exclusively well and better than any other species.
They like to make a mess, they like to k i l l, they like to make trouble.
That’s why the species will eventually just obliterate himself and the world would be safe,
once again, for cockroaches and moss'.

(FZ - A comment from back in the 70ies!)
April 17, 2024 - 1:49pm

#55

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

Zappa

I've heard a smattering of Frank Zappa albums over the years, and haven't been overly impressed. With one notable exception - "We're Only In It For The Money" - which is a great album to my ears. Far and away my favourite of his.
April 17, 2024 - 1:41pm

#56

jjc

Joined:
July 21, 2021

Yes

As a New Yorker in good standing that cover is 100% NYC all the way down to the manhole cover! God Bless The Grateful Dead!
April 17, 2024 - 1:17pm

#57

Chuck

Joined:
June 4, 2007

Zappa

Proudfoot

You are correct in your thoughts of Zappa. I saw him in my Senior year at Penn State 1972 and the show was Great but a friend saw him in the "East Halls" section of the campus and he was not the most friendly person to approach. That is what my friend said. I never really knew how and what he said to Zappa when he approached him
April 17, 2024 - 12:15pm

#58

proudfoot

Joined:
August 2, 2020

my unasked-for opinion

Angels' Share?

I don't care.

back to work, PF
April 17, 2024 - 12:13pm

#59

proudfoot

Joined:
August 2, 2020

totally unrelated to this

but

happened upon a Frank Zappa documentary last night. I don't remember the title or the channel, but interesting stuff.

FZ: I've always had mixed feelings about him and his stuff. Obviously a musical genius and incomparable composer. Some absolutely magnificent music. Also some not so great. And I wouldn't have wanted to meet him. His vulgarity always turned me off.

anyway, an important figure in the world of music.
April 17, 2024 - 11:43am

#60

wissinomingdeadhead

Joined:
December 17, 2011

NO..

CD release-why?

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

Dead Store Products

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.

NEW...

...daP 50 release less than 2 weeks away
...Knopfler release good to hear
...FEAT release OKAY

I laughed out loud at the…

I laughed out loud at the Lenny Hart comment. That's f***ing funny.

Come on 50!

Molly Tuttle

Not sure where else to put this, but should I check out Molly and her band at a small club that holds under 700? I love me some bluegrass.

4-12

1983

4 12 83

What a night! Ya had to be there!
First row, Phil’s new bass, new PA, lights etc, and my first time tripping at a show!

Rasta5: for sure

Molly is the real deal, you will enjoy. If you can, go early, get down front.

Molly on the Moon

Check out Molly Tuttle doing Standing on the Moon, then check out her version of White Rabbit. Both on Yew No Where Tubes. Should make the decision about whether or not to go see her pretty easy.

She's a Rainbow

Also see Molly's version of this Stones song at Ossipee. Their Satanic Majesties music takes me way back to the late 60s, today drencher, it's been JJ Cale's Naturally.

There's no brainers....

....then there's Molly.
You know what you need to do.
Edit.
VGK playoff spot clinched. Now it's just seeding.

Las Vegas was fantastic

I would have looked you up Vguy, but there is no way my beloved would go for connecting with a person I know only online.

LV: there is only one.

I can vouch for Vguy

He's almost as weird as me. We met up at the Rocks two years ago. I witnessed the man high-fiving every single person in his row en route to burning one with me.

Maybe proudfoot's wife would love to meet us both! Under, er, concert conditions...

Yeeeehhhhiiiiii!!!!!!!!!

Hey now!

You be careful there, HF.

yes, concert conditions only

;)))

We are indeed an odd lot on this odd little place of a website

One more LV thing is the show Awakening at the Wynn

Top notch production with a w t f plotline

Born and raised in Vegas....

....moved to Elko (still Nevada), met my wife and drug her back to the heat.
Seen this city morph into pro sports and expansion up into the hills. Traffic is getting exhausting, but first world problems.
Knopflers new record is A+.
Vinyl arrived today.
Even the wife likes it. Bonus points.
That's twice you've come to Vegas Stoltzfus and didn't give me a heads up.
I'm harmless. Unless....
Yeah. I remember your Gov’t name lol.

12/1/66

Find it on that too b thing

Labeled as the 4th but it is the 1st

A treasure

Take my word for it Vguy

It is much better this way

Simply weird to see the changes there

Our first visit was 1990

Hello

Is there anybody in there

Just n o d if you can hear me

Is there anyone home?

3 18 67

Perfect accompaniment for this mornings walk

49

I put 49 back in again before I put the actual discs away, this was a really solid release. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
The sound, setlists, playing, four discs! And it's an interesting period I think, not alot of exposure. I hope the next one is as much fun...

49

Mas Fina!

Thanks

Is not enough mister d l

Hopefully

You

W

E
R
E

N
O
T

J
U
S
T

B
L
O
W
I
N
G

S
M
O
K
E

About

More eighty five goodness
Mucho Garcias!

04-14

'72
E72 The Complete Recordings, By far my all time favorite release ever.

where...

...there is SMOKE there is Fire, HIGH anticipation for a summer '85 BOX in 2025,
cause, ya know, conception began this month, and
currently weeding out shows for an 8 show box [6/14 thru 9/15]

it's all a dream we dreamed, one afternoon long ago

85 box

I, Too, thought an 85 box set could be in the cards. The main reason being ( we're so jazzed to release more of this great year) part of #49 liner notes. Maybe i'm reading to much into it, who knows.

Like every year, i'm totaly stoked to hear the news regardless of era!!!

Proudfoot's got the idea

They've got a few choice '67 Grease shows in stock. Let's have 'em!

The focus on this special release (in my head) is Pigpen as leader of the GD, so drop the remaining '66/'67 Grease shows on us. Follow that with the remaining Six-Headed '68 Beast shows, including the latest discoveries.

THEN we can settle down to the rest of the Vault. If you question this selection, just think about it. Who the hell cares anymore about '66/'67 Grease? Only the dodderheads who gather here...

Dodderheads

Count me in.

66-68

I'm all for a 66-67-68 box, but more for the lightning than the grease.

Yes no

Yes I’m down with primal faster than ole pig with a seventeen year old, but, like they say on the mountain: if yer gonna go, go big! 66-70!

4/15/70

My favorite show in thirty trips. They apparently used patches from 4 different sources to pull the show together.

4/15/70

4 sources? Masterful editing job, can't tell. Now my question on this show is: is there a third drummer on that funky Drums and Soul Sacrificish Jam before The Other One? Also, I believe this is one of the shows with the Miles Davis Quintet that featured Tony Williams and John McLaughlin. My God, what an unbelievable weekend that must have been.

Edited to add: no McLaughlin or Williams, but Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Airto Moreira, and Steve Grossman on sax. And it was 4 nights, but April 9-12. Alas. Still they were fresh off that buzzing experience confronting another form of experimental music from a master. And that is one of the better shows in that massive box. '67, '69, '74, and '77 are my other favorites. Not big on the '72 or '73 shows.

4.15.70....

....admittingly it's been a while. Brb.

4/25/77

From the big box. I played that one yesterday, and it is indeed excellent. The Scarlett-Fire, and..especially the spiralling jam from Wharf Rat back into Playing are the highlights.

4/15/70 may be next - although I was so impressed with the 77 show I dibbed into 5/5/77 afterwards. Great Sugaree in the second song first set slot.

4/15/70 W i n t e r l a n d

Alvarhanso - as you noted in your edit (which I didn't catch at first) the 4 shows where Miles Davis Quintet opened for the GD are 4/9 - 4/12 at Fillmore West. 4/15 is first show after that run. If anyone is interested in how the MDQ sounded in that run, the second night, 4/10 was released as Black Beauty: Miles Davis at the Fillmore West, first as a double LP in 1973 (import in US) which seemingly treated the set as one long improv (no proper song titles) and then a CD in 1997 that had actual song titles (I bought the CD a few years ago but can't remember if I knew it was one of "those" shows at the time).

more Miles at the Fillmore

Miles Bootleg Series Vol. 3, from the June shows at Fillmore East, also includes three bonus cuts from the April 11 Fillmore West show.

The Dave's 50 is available…

The Dave's 50 is available for pre-order in the store!

If anyone isn't subscribed...

It's under the Dave's Picks tab

Joey

Nice work Joey.

Now, where is that box?

50

Is available for preorder!!!! The cover art has a New York feel to it.

50 tracklist

Tracklist
CD 1
Palladium, New York City, NY (5/3/77)
1.PROMISED LAND
2.BERTHA
3.ME AND MY UNCLE
4.PEGGY-O
5.JACK STRAW
6.ROW JIMMY
7.LAZY LIGHTNING>
8.SUPPLICATION
9.DEAL
10.GOOD LOVIN'
11.SHIP OF FOOLS
12.THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED

CD 2
1.MIGHT AS WELL
2.ESTIMATED PROPHET
3.SUGAREE
4.SAMSON AND DELILAH
5.FRIEND OF THE DEVIL

Palladium, New York City, NY (5/4/77)
6.MISSISSIPPI HALF-STEP UPTOWN TOODELOO>
7.BIG RIVER
8.THEY LOVE EACH OTHER
9.IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE ROSES

CD 3
Palladium, New York City, NY (5/3/77)
1.EYES OF THE WORLD>
2.SPACE>
3.WHARF RAT>
4.DRUMS>
5.NOT FADE AWAY>
6.AROUND AND AROUND
7.UNCLE JOHN'S BAND

Palladium, New York City, NY (5/4/77)
8.DANCING IN THE STREET

50

I think they took it down...

Alvar got the tracklist for proof. lol

#50

I saw it Joey.

Another stealth roll out.

Ari Eyes

Anyone catch Ari referencing deadheads and Eyes of the World this evening?

#50

Now you see me, now you don't.
I agree with Philly Deadhead.
That is a very New York looking cover.
Peace

DMCVT

Yeah, I laughed at his use of "wake up" (I was just resting my eyes, I was not asleep) "to find out"....
He's not just leaving it to the late night comedians to point out the absurdity of it all. Sketch artist even caught him, lol.
Cheers

love...

the STEALIE hood badge on the TAXI...
and how about that FOR HIGHER taxi roof sign "TRIPS"
very COOL graphics on daP vol #50

JRAD and Jazz is Dead, summer in Burl

Local thrill seekers have advised me the early bird advance tix go on sale today for JRAD show on Jerry's birthday, and in early June, current Jazz is Dead iteration featuring Steve Kimock helps kick off Burlington Jazz Fest with a show at Nectars... hmmm seem to recall some other band playing at Nectars back in the day....

product sku

081227817442

Product Magento URL

https://store.dead.net/en/grateful-dead/special-collections/daves-picks/daves-picks-vol.-49-frost-amphitheatre-stanford-university-palo-alto-ca-42785-and-42885/081227817442.html