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

Back to product page

Post reply Log in to post comments

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.

Comments

sort by

Recent

Recent Oldest A to Z Z to A

Reset

February 7, 2024 - 4:44pm

#801

wharfrat6969

Joined:
May 16, 2016

So many great moments!

D>Beautiful S>Wheel!
Truckin'>Other One transition!
Black Peter!

Just for starters.

Team Dead firing on all cylinders!

The recording, the recording!!!
February 7, 2024 - 3:47pm

#802

Vguy72

Joined:
June 29, 2007

From personal experience....

....my last fives have been blocked.
Lets see....
Taylor Swift - Red
Pink Floyd - Obscured By Clouds
Pink Floyd - Meddle
GOGD - The Second Frost Show
Blue Oyster Cult - Tyranny And Mutation
Hey now!! He likes it! Hey Mikey!!
February 7, 2024 - 3:23pm

#803

billy the kiddd

Joined:
November 8, 2021

I saw Willie Dixon....

Play at the S.F. Blues festival, he put on a great show. "I'm Ready and Hoochie Choochie Man" two great songs Willie Dixon wrote done by Muddy Waters.
February 7, 2024 - 2:57pm

#804

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

1stshow

First hand evidence suggests you were actually right. I do like that version of "Same Thing" from 1966 that is either on "Vintage" or Historic" Dead.
February 7, 2024 - 2:50pm

#805

1stshow70878

Joined:
September 11, 2014

I stand corrected

Thanks HF and others. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing and I should check my sources better. That GD cover of Same Thing from 1967 is sure rough and ready.

Edit: I was unaware that they did that song way back in the primal era. I do remember an interview with Bob about working with Willie. I liked the song Eternity in the later era. Was that Rat Dog or GD?

Cheers
February 7, 2024 - 2:25pm

#806

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

Who wrote what - Willie Dixon

There's a documentary on and with Buddy Guy, in which he states that Willie Dixon routinely amended other peoples songs, changed a word here and there, and then claimed authorship. In the same film Muddy Waters agrees that such behaviour was common practice around the blues scene in the 1950's. And he should know - "Rollin' and Tumblin" is often credited to him - yet it was first recorded by Hambone Willie Newbern in 1929.
February 7, 2024 - 2:05pm

#807

Gary Farseer

Joined:
August 1, 2015

HF

Thanks for the warm welcome back. I spent several weeks down in Margaritaville. So away from net for the most part and phones. Holding close to my 5 oclock somewhere attitude; as well as, 420 somewhere attitude. Had some friends come down to visit at various times. Mostly welcomed the year blotto. Gulf Coast is lots of fun off season.

And yeah, i needed a break from hey now. Think it actually raised my blood pressure. But yeah, feels good to be home again and home here again.
February 7, 2024 - 1:56pm

#808

Angry Jack Straw

Joined:
October 2, 2012

Dmcvt

My intention was not to demean VT in any way. I love Vermont and get back there quite often. I actually spent quite a bit of time outside of Burlington. My point was simply to illustrate the volume of traffic. When you’re hitchhiking on the New York State Thruway you have access to about 100 cars a minute. When you’re hitchhiking on the back roads of Vermont, you’re lucky to get one car every couple of minutes, often interspersed with farm equipment. That’s all.

My apologies for any misunderstanding.
February 7, 2024 - 1:13pm

#809

estimated-eyes

Joined:
December 31, 2008

willie dixon

I would have to go back to some of the blues biographies in my collection to confirm, but it was pretty well established that Willie Dixon would get new, young players in Chicago Chess sessions and proceed to take writing credits for the songs artists brought in. He knew the real money was in the songwriting credits. This is why he was so prolific. He wasn't the only one doing that in the music industry of the 1950s, but it is pretty well known.
February 7, 2024 - 1:11pm

#810

snafu

Joined:
April 23, 2008

Willie Dixon

Dixon wrote every song he is known for. As for stolen songs the reverse is actually the case. Most 60’s 70’s and 80’s rock bands did at least 1 of his songs and frequently didn’t give credit. The worst were of course Zep and of course Chess Records . He finally got his rights back before he died and set up Blues Heaven Foundation

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.

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