Grateful Dead

After the 72 Steamer Trunk graced my front porch, I became reinvigorated with GD. I listened to each show in sequence and was blown away. So I kept going.. 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77 making it halfway through 78 until I paused things.

Eventually I got tired of listening to the same era GD every night, although evolving, it was still a slow-moving same era GD. I seemed to do it at about the same pace as they did, so a year would take me a year more or less. I loved Spring '78. ..but by October, I was in 78 overload and had to jump the tracks.

I like 78 almost as much as 77 GD, except I seem to listen to 78 more. One day I will revisit 77 in earnest, it's just not on my radar at the moment.

Anyway.. the point of this post is that is so much fun to explore a region, really explore it. Spring 78 is a-ok with me.

I think I need to revisit 6/30/74 again.

Dedicated to Doc as he’s spoken highly of this one. It’s new to me and being my last day on hiatus I thought I’d go big!
Will hit some of that Dekalb later/after.

BC: I just sorta “discovered” spring 78 this past year. Bunch of good Betty’s, especially that awesome DaP 37 from 4/15! Yowsa, didn’t see that coming!

WTJ: 6/22/83 check out Bobs speech before the start of Bucket second set opener.
“I don’t know, maybe you want a radioactive volcano in your back yard?”
Oh, great show BTW if you’ve never checked it out.

JIM: agree 100%, except bad/missed notes aren’t really subjective, there just mistakes.

Do it DV. I had it dialed in a couple weeks ago. Awesome show. My favorite from latter part of that tour I think. I've been on something of a Fall 77 through Spring 78 groove as of late. Time frame not exclusive for sure in terms of listening but I keep going back to it. Close Encounters in Eugene was part of that.

BTW - really enjoyed a return to Dave's 32 - Philly Spectrum 3/24/73. Way back I had a tape of He's Gone through end Set II. Just got to say that band and audience are hopping from the get-go on this one. Fast and fun show. Nice how deep in the 1st set they finish with Here Comes Sunshine > Bobby McGee > Loser > and then a big ole Playing in the Band.

I seem to remember 2-9-73 has some political commentary by Wavy Gravy. I'm still wondering which other shows had political commentary centered around Nukes besides 1-13-78 (Stop Nuclear Power Benefit) and maybe 2-9-73.

I ended up going with a little DaP 30 (1-2 and 1-3, 1970) yesterday and today. I also took a flyer on 8-24-72, but only made it through set I. Fairly uneventful, 8-24-72 set I, but enjoyable.

Have fun with 10-29-77. Black Peter has that nice, rare slide solo by Jerry. Powerhouse show all around. The night before Soldiers and Sailors has long been a favorite of mine since my blanks and postage/trading days. Someone hooked me up with a really clean board recording. Unfortunately, it cuts near the end of set II. I understand the vault recently had the masters returned, so we may see more of this in the future. Fingers crossed!

Be well all...

Thinking about 10/29/77, Dekalb, Dave's 33 for today. I haven't listened to this show in a while.

Let me know.

Any impressions I have on the music are based on my last listening - and are open to revision on my next one. Not really that healthy to see the same thing the same way twice. If you do, it might be time to move on to something else.

I always thought we aged well, like fine wine.

With GD music I have learned not to trust my initial reaction of shows unless I really liked it. How much we like a show is so subjective.. your mood, the sound, distractions, is there an issue floating around in your brain that is consuming you.. something unresolved where you just cannot just let go. Some of these barriers are made smaller by mood enhancement, psychedelics tend to blow them up. But we are all human, what we get out of a show or a relisten depends largely on whatever is going on in our heads at the moment.

In a way getting into a good show is like meditation. If you are under the influence of the trance, if you are able to let go completely and become absorbed it all clicks (or doesn't in those cases the show doesn't cut the mustard). If you cannot clear your mind you just don't know yet.

Sorry for rant, this conversation reminded me of something very specific hard to explain.
The last one I listened to or the one I play tomorrow are always the best ones.

shouldn’t multitask lol.
Yeah I may have over generalized a bit on 8/24. My apologies.
I still think JG takes a little time to? It’s not that he’s off, just not fully on, if that makes sense?
Like Sugaree, ok, but it doesn’t sound like he’s fully on vocally. His solo in BIODTL is not tight either.
The harmonies at the end of Bird Song are ruff on an otherwise great version. Someone hits a big clam on the end of Jack Straw. Mostly small stuff as there is no such thing as a perfect show, but add em up, and pile on the horrible chorus vocals on an otherwise decent Half Step, and I think there’s enough evidence that my previous discussion was at least worth consideration? I think the vocal mix is part of the problem, but think they have Betty’s so…

Personally, the Dark Star alone makes it worth the price of admission, but I would think that folks with more 72 knowledge then myself could argue there are better choices! Which goes back to if there’s more great shows available than possible outlets/releases, then would some of these shows perhaps not be good enough, compared to other 72s?
Ok, I guess I’ll compare the 25th next.

EDIT: 25 miiight be a little tighter overall, but I still like the 24 better, hey a DS/Dew trumps most others ; )

Well, I’ll have to try it again?
Definitely strong finish, I just felt like there were more worts etc early on then you’d expect from a release, and especially from 72., at least comparatively to the intensity, majesty, and near perfection of Europe, which is a pretty high bar to match.
I’ll have to give er another spin, and then I should probably hit the 25 to compare, lol. One step up and two back!
Was going to go with Dicks 26, the twofer from 69, but I guess that’ll have to wait?
ONWARD!

Five dancing bears for this show. Strong show from start to finish. We get a nice Birdsong, end the first set with a Casey Jones. Early Miss Half Step, Truckin Dark Star Dew... really enjoyable. Sing me back Home OMSN and UJB. What a show. Would love to see it released.

I think July and August 72 are both good months. A lot of good shows, I don't hear a let down at all. Check out 7/21/72 as an example, from the Paramount in Seattle, download series #10.

Would love to see them release more shows, but they seem pretty set in their current pattern and I am sure it doesn't help when their box sets don't sell out like LTTR.

We are supposed to crack 30 here today in MN, so need to get out and enjoy it.