Grateful Dead

Fellow rockers!!!

Recently returned from my wife's immunotherapy session in Gainesville, only now catching up on comments abount Scranton. Keep in mind that this is from the perspective of a serious 1971 Dead freak. Clearly, there are many folks who don't care for 1971 no matter what, just as there are many (like me) who don't care for the late 80s and 90s. This is why there's different flavors of ice cream.......

I am very famiiar with the show, as I try to keep the "lesser known" April shows in regular rotation. There's lots of gooey Dead goodness to be mined there, although not all of it is gold. Scranton is a bit of an oddball---no Dark Star, no Other One, but still with lots to enjoy. Well played and well recorded. Is it the best of April? No. My guess is that the "better shows" are being held back for future 2 box releases of the remaining April shows.

Scranton is in the vault and part was streamed on deadnet a while back. It's definitely in Deadbase. HIgh quality soundboards have commonly circulated for years. I really wish they would fill up a third disc with highlights from Meadville, especially the second part of the second set. Wishful thinking......

One point that folks got right is that DaP series has been heavily weighted towards the 70s. Lots of issues from 73 and 77, frankly many of which don't really inspire me. Doesn't mean they're good or bad, just that they're different, and there's a lot of different Dead eras to try and parcel out. There's many worthy shows from the late 60s, late 70s, and the early to mid 80s. Sure wish they could find a way to put more out, with greater frequency, it would all continue to sell well. It's a cosmic juggling act, and I'm glad I'm not in charge of that.

Bottom line: good but not great release, will get significant play here........

Men must live and create, live to the point of tears......

Rock on my friends!

Doc
A taste for truth at any cost is a passion which spares nothing......

Yawn. Wake me up for #52.

Alaska box set. Double yawn.

There's always 2025.

...nice Tele, Thin!
Just got an American Professional II, that is now my main gigging axe. Teles are the best, tried others but I keep coming back...kinda' like 71 Dead
To paraphrase Pigpen and the Coasters, I'm a hog for 1971, so this one's a no brainer for me

DeadBase 50, page 43, in the Updates section.

Spinning 2-19-71 vinyl as I type.
Good stuff!
I’ll gladly accept more ‘71.

I listen to all eras, have TB’s of torrents, and want more official releases on an annual basis than what we currently get.
2 Boxes per year, DaP subscription, studio album 50th when applicable, Record Store Days….
Might As Well restart a Download Series too…..

And more video too, Dave.

LONG drive today, full show came on at 9 AM, I think it was this DaP 51? Heard most of it but definitely missed a few songs due to reception. I almost never have enough time in the car to listen to a full show, my lucky day. Recording sounded excellent. Not a huge Pig fan by the 10th "wait a minute, wait a minute" but he sounded healthy and prime.

On another note, Joseph, OR, otherworldly. Long strange trip it was

Some hot stuff

There has to has to has to be some choice filler

In the immortal words of Sponge Bob

"I'm ready
I'm ready"

Good to see thin' return and doc's analysis is spot on.

I find a little irony in the tele comments. As I recall thin is not a fan of tele skiing. (a little joke, no hard feelings whatsoever). I guess thin likes tele more than he would admit.

Full disclosure, I tele ski. Poorly in my old age. But at least I'm enjoyin' the ride.

As for the 70's debate which seems to never end. I find myself agreeing with everything written here lately. I have listened to this show (#51) at least twice but it isn't in my long term memory.

I think the emphasis on 70's vs. other is somewhat artificial as there have been many 80's cassette mastered shows released recently which might suggest the trend has shifted. But there is no doubt things have been 70's centric since Dick's Picks ended with a few honorable mentions in the road trips series. I honestly believe the reason for this is not the quality of the shows but the quality of the recordings and the lack of vocal flubs in the earlier years compared to 80ish shows. Plus in general they could for the most part sing better in their youth. They are trying to mine gold as best they can with what they have. When viewed in that context '71 makes sense right now, especially a good recording like what we are about to hear all cleaned up by Dr. Norman.

Just my two cents, I could be wrong.

As you were folks. Enjoy your ride and be considerate to those you encounter.

....holy shit. Who and what is this band?
Fixin to find out.
Thank you the Spectrum XM channel.
Phish's Tiny Desk is up and running.
Conekid got a turntable?
Tell me more.

This would seem to be as expected from what Dave said about the 2024 schedule of releases. Next I would imagine would be the oft anticipated Vince & Bruce era pick, 1991? Heck! As soon as I'm done with this post I am picking up the left over 2019 Box Set single show disc, 6/17~1991, lucky for me it's still there! Anyways I forsee a possibility of 2025 with Frost 1982 (2) shows. Maybe 1978, 12/22 with a bonus disc of 12/17 "From the Heart of Me" onward. Cross your fingers for Aug. 4th, 1976, and maybe 10/25/73 to finish off the year. Or! Sept. 11, 1973 with BirdSong & Sunshine bonus filler from 9/12? Then for 2026 plug in another Bruce & Vince show and either a Pig or Brent era to go with 7/25/74 & 4/23/77. I KNOW!!!!! Damn! 1977 again!

.........raucous Sugar Mags to end the first set. Very unusual..........
.........how badly they screwed up Truckin'. Then they made up for it. We always forgave the Dead their foibles and pratfalls, this is no different...........
.........good Good Lovin'..........

Rough diamonds may sometimes be mistaken for worthless pebbles.......

Rock on,

Doc
Whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust, like diamonds we are cut with our own dust.....

Not much of this show left too release.

No DS or TOO?? But a nice H2H. Been listening to Winterland, three weeks earlier, March 24th H2H, that's a very hot one. 1971, next best thing to primal.

Five 71 Dave's Picks through #51.

Seems odd to me that he has not touched many other years much or at all. Definitely a proponent of variety, but we will take what we can get.

I think we would have all thought we would get a 91 released by now, but now I don't see it happening any time soon. At least they gave us a great 91 show for last year's MUATM. Wish they would release it on video and CD.

Well, not the sort of jam we were referring to, but kind of in my sphere of expertise.....

There were a handful of April 71 shows that had no Dark Star or Other One---if memory serves me well, that included April 4, 6, 7, 10, 15, 17, 18, 22, 25, and 26. So maybe not so unusual for that month. Often times, Good Lovin' was the "jammy tune" of the evening. All, of course, leading up to the penultimate Good Lovin' of April 26, 1971, which was about the crankinest jammyest Good Lovin' known to humankind. Now that one is definitely worth a listen!!!

March 24. Oh yeah. Highly rated here. "We brought Pigpen, but we forgot an organ". And Bobby with the Code Seminole mishigas. Too funny. Now this one does have an Other One and it's pretty good. Healthy doses of Pigpen. Would make a nice official release some day. Like maybe next year LOL.............

Paperwork day. No bodies to cut up. I'm jonesing................

Rock on,

Doc
Because the sweeter the cake, the more bitter the jelly can be.......

I was just going to post about this one..

Give it a listen... Good show! Has a different feel...

Comments and seaside do not seem to be enabled yet... yes, indeed 3/24 an interesting show, Thanks Doc for the DS/TOO April recap, noticed same thing, them being on hiatus. Turn out we do get another TOO, from Pittsburg.

While we can bemoan the # of 1971 shows released in the DaP series, this is the first from the spring with all the others from the fall of 1971. This is a completely different band from the previously released 1971 shows. In fact, in the last 20+ years, there have been just a few releases of shows with this configuration from 1971-- Ladies and Gentlemen, Three From the Vault and the bonus discs to WD and AB (with one of them including Mickey, so not quite). I agree with doc, Good Lovin' was frequently the jam of the night instead of Dark Star or Other One-- and they cooked in the month of April 1971.

I will mention I am a bit disappointed in #50. I like May 1977, but little of that release truly 'grabs' my attention. Nice show, but nothing extraordinary. I love #49 though and will likely very much enjoy #51.

So, we do get an Other One, finish off 10/24/70 and a full disc from the night before. I'll take it, especially for an early Wharf Rat as well!

Was hoping that the joke about the Catholic Girl (with the tiny little mustache) would make the cover. "They're learning to blow" and "Alllllllll the waaaaaaaaayyyyyyy" make that one of Zappa's most hilarious tracks.

And don't forget, "Hey she gave me VD!" But I guess we get a Steve Carrell reference instead, too bad Dwight or Mose isn't lurking in the background.

Easy there Dexter ; )

Isn’t the cover a photo of Uncle Joe back in his Scranton daze?

Dave's 51 is up on its pre-order page in the store. Three CDs with some tasty extras.

I just had to say it

The cover art on DaP 51 is OK, but seems like kind of a missed opportunity. I mean, we're talking about a show that was at the Catholic Youth Center. The mind is boggled by the wealth of graphic art possibilities.

Sure, The Office was a fun show. But it wasn't as fun as making fun of nuns.*

*I am allowed to say this because I am a "failed" Catholic whose knuckles are still sore after suffering the wrath of those deranged ruler-wielding pelicans.

All this talk of oversaturated 1977 releases got me thinking. Re~imagine the Terrapin Station album. For one, as I grew older and wiser when it comes to the Dead & their music, I realized how live was always better. I used to collect the studio albums 30 years or so ago when I wasn't hip to the tape trader circuit. Now them studio albums are long gone and I have a supreme live {mostly official releases} collection to date. So what better way to get rid of that over saturated "Phil Spector Beattles" sound than to implement live versions of the album's songs! I have all my music discs on the computer so this is quite a simple and really fun time consuming task. One difference is I add a "Fire" with no "Scarlett" and place it between "Estimated" & "Dancin'Streets" because I had heard it really was a 1977 Terrapin sessions song and just missed the cut. Not that the song doesn't fit in the "Shakedown" album motif, I just like it better in my mix! So now I have 13 different versions of the Terrapin Station album, to go along with the THOUSANDS of playlists! Still wanting 4/23/77.

Beyond and besides what I've already been doing, (in regards to my previous post) my "Terrapin album live" playlists are now peppered with 1976 "Dancin' Streets" and "Passenger" tracks from spring 1978. I swear this is the last I post about this, and of anything on this 1977 thread!

RYXS - what, no St. Stephen?

I can post here but not on 51.

WMD - are starting with some changes.

51 always goes to product recommendations now.