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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February 27, 2024 - 8:02pm

#471

Angry Jack Straw

Joined:
October 2, 2012

TTB

Put me in the “I don’t get it” camp as well. It seems like I should enjoy the music much more than I actually do. Not sure why. Kinda like Steely Dan.

That Patrick Kane trade looks pretty good so far. Sorry, Chelios.
February 27, 2024 - 6:45pm

#472

Vguy72

Joined:
June 29, 2007

Sorry That Mike....

....Golden Knights losing streak broken.
Thanks to this release from '85, I've been playing every show on relisten from those Frost shows on at work. Background mostly, but listening.
Some good stuff there. Most of the first tapes I got back in the day were from 1984-1985 so still somewhat familiar. They were brand spanking new back then.
Made it to 1986 and now at the Hampton shows in March.
Bobby, "Now you'll see what happens when we practice". Then the Box Of Rain bustout. I totally forgot about that. Literal goosebumps. Awesome.
My first show is coming up. Probably Thursday.
Edit. Looks like the TTB are doing the "swamp family" fan club pre-sale thing regarding ticket sales. Pearl Jam does that. Whatever works I guess, because the Vegas shows are pretty much sold out.
Should be a good time, because hanging out with thousands of people that love what I love gets me off.
Scored upper level center section 4th row for my friends and I.
Now Phish at The Sphere is a totally different animal. Lordy.
February 27, 2024 - 5:56pm

#473

billy the kiddd

Joined:
November 8, 2021

KPFA GRATEFUL DEAD MARATHON. 3/2/24

KPFA 94.1 FM. will be airing the annual Grateful Dead Marathon this Saturday from 9am pst. to 12am pst. 15 full hours of live tapes and in studio guests. David Gans & Tim Lynch put on a great show. On the radio at 94.1 FM, streaming on nugs.net, gdradio.net, and kpfa.org.
February 27, 2024 - 5:23pm

#474

billy the kiddd

Joined:
November 8, 2021

Favorite slide players

Jerry Garcia, Elmore James, Son House, Mike Bloomfield, Muddy Waters, and on and on.
February 27, 2024 - 4:45pm

#475

Peaceful Man

Joined:
June 23, 2007

Crawling out of the woodwork....

... to say how much I'm enjoying this release. Both shows are excellent and have excellent sound quality. Phil is loud in the mix and his playing is phenomenal. My Brother Esau played loud is pure joy. There is a funny moment at the very beginning of Disc 4 as they are trying to start Bucket. I am thankful for a great 85 release. I pulled out 11/1/85, 6/24/85 and the DVD So Far.... So Good! Looking forward to more 85 in the future as I have always been partial to this year. I'm also looking forward to #50.... and beyond. Thanks Dave L & Co.
I'm not a robot!
February 27, 2024 - 3:39pm

#476

Deadicated

Joined:
June 4, 2007

JR Pasquale - Thanks for the…

JR Pasquale - Thanks for the 1/31/98, Zero/Derek Trucks tip!
February 27, 2024 - 3:30pm

#477

Gary Farseer

Joined:
August 1, 2015

Sliders

Love the burgers and the guitarist.

Love The ones mentioned. If you haven't seen Clapton's Crossroad benefits, Sonny Landreth does some smoking material. Doyle Bramhall II also has some major playing.

And if memory serves, Trucks and Bramhall were part of Clapton's touring band about 8 years ago. Will have to research a little bit.

But I am tired and fussy.

And who can forget SRV - Lookin out at the weather - I see, Cant stand the weather
February 27, 2024 - 2:10pm

#478

simonrob

Joined:
June 7, 2007

Top five sliders

In no particular order...

David Lindley
Sonny Landreth
Roy Rogers
Lowell George
Ry Cooder

Honorable mention - Bob Weir
(Just kidding)
February 27, 2024 - 1:09pm

#479

hendrixfreak

Joined:
February 26, 2014

Different strokes...

I'll just chime in with my two cents about Derek and Susan. Their TTB is, hands down, the top live band in the world -- for me. And have been for 4-5 years. I'd put Susan second only to Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples (yep, two at No. 1!) -- she's got soul, vocal chops, great song selection and writing and she can burn on a Strat like few others.

Derek I have seen now for perhaps 20 years. His slide playing is, for me, the very best in the electric arena on this planet. He doesn't sing, per se, but his slide playing is akin to Coltrane, Pharaoh Sanders as well as Duane Allman, who I rank with Jimi Hendrix in their respective bags. Very few in that circle except Jerry, Roy B, and, of course, the three Kings (BB, Freddie, Albert) and those mentions are perhaps only appropriate to a GD forum, because then there's also Lonnie Johnson, Django Reinhart, Charlie Christian, Charlie Byrd, Les Paul -- them's deep waters! Whoever you include, you exclude someone worthy. Which is why I typically resist or qualify my remarks.

So I'm definitely not taking any position with anyone else's take on Derek and Susan, but I find his soaring beyond melodic lines to be transcendant and an unparalleled inspriration as a band leader (to his band). Susan brings it all back home with sensationally emotive singing and the rest of the band is a powerhouse.

So glad to be securing tics to their two-nighter this summer at Red Rocks (along with Joe Russo in June), which makes this my 50th year at the Rocks. Started in 1974, missed only a handful of years when I lived too far away to make it, and I'm still alive, still rockin', still going to select shows AND, in the immortal words of Maxwell Smart, Agent 86, "And... loving it!"
February 27, 2024 - 12:10pm

#480

gratefulgerd

Joined:
June 7, 2007

David Lindley

I must agree, a fantastic player, slide and all other styles!
Saw him live in Neu Isenburg (El Rayo-X) on March 21st, 1983.
It was his 39th birthday.
Great guy, great musician.
May I say underrated?
Cheers,
G.
(got nice photos)

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.

081227817442

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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