Grateful Dead

Sounds good to me.

Sorry I've been amiss. Struggling with time lately. Between my son playing HS basketball and balancing out surgeries for my folks back East I seem to be treading water just getting my work done. It's sort of put me in a music rut. Funny, you sometimes shun the one thing that can see you through. Spring '73 sounds good.

Edit: I guess it's really Winter '73. A very creative year for the boys.

. . . sounds good to me. Despite the fact I love 2/15 and 2/19 I don't really know these shows despite having listened to them at some point.

Oro I hope you don't think i was giving you a hard time. I was just surprised. Lord knows it's hard to keep up sometimes. Almost a full time job to give it all a dedicated listen. There's a lot of music out there!

Okay, those sound good to me OB. I will get those started. Champaign Illinois let's go.

How bout a double shot?
These are both on Dicks list of recommended 73s and I don’t think we’ve heard them here, at least I’ve never heard em.

BC, I’m sure I’ve missed some picks, GOGD I am not lol. (Even though he’s a stinking quitter; )
Perhaps part of the problem is when several of us toss several things out at once, or like your recent mention of some 72 stuff: we’re those picks, or just stuff for discussion/suggestion?
In those cases, say where four shows are brought up, I’ll mark the one or 2 things that others seemed to actually listened to and or commented on.
Like how I’ll mention something related to a days pick as a suggestion for furthur listening, but I wouldn’t call a “pick”

I’ve been trying to go through at least once a week and note the shows picked and who picked em in my Deadbase, but I don’t keep track of when etc. I’m sure there were times between GOGD and when I became more diligent about keeping track that I’ve missed, SLACKER! LOL

3/21/94: I need to discuss these shows sooner after I listen as I’ve already forgotten some of the nuances I wanted to discuss, yeeesshhk.
I thought this one had good energy for 94 or in general, though Eternity was a bit of a buzz kill. Didn’t used to mind that one so much but it’s shelf life might be coming up? Really dug the second set! I’ve always liked the rocking vibe of Picasso and how JG can rip it up sometimes even if I have no idea what it’s about lol. Cool Speedway, and I usually like a good Victim, though I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Sweet He’s Gone, great harmonies, lil jam into another trippy 90s rave space, followed by a a nice LL/Stella/LL samitch and a Liberty encore for some variety.

3/30/87: I’ve found these spring 87 shows more enjoyable then I recall?
I like the matrixes and this one didn’t seem too bad though I agree that some of them are not balanced so well. I think part of my weirdness with this tour stems from being there, and being disappointed because if certain expectations we had more than the music itself?
The way things were progressing vis a vis breaking out oldies and the old psychedelic energy, 87 was like a step backward (to us perhaps versus reality?) the jams were fewer/tamer, the vibe was much more dialed in, settled, and lacking that element of danger we were getting used to before the first health hiatus.
We had gotten the whole tour ticket package (perhaps for a discount?) though not intending to do the whole thing. Probably figured extra tix on tour are gold Jerry, gold i tell ya!
Whatevs, we did hit the first 8 but by Worcester I think a combination of burnout, tour colds, rapidly diminishing funds, and most of all, feeling underwhelmed? It’s all such a blur, don’t recall much of that spring or more so 86?
So we sold the Wooster tix, hindsight being 20/20 wish we’d gone… (think we got rid of Chi town and Jersey already?)

Anywho, my point being at the time we had a blast, dug the shows as always, but we’re a little disappointed.
So unfortunately, like many things, once I’d made a judgment that was that and I’d sorta wrote em off.
But through going furthur these most recent years I’ve grown to like them, even if not perhaps top shelf?
So This go round of 3/30/87 was quite enjoyable for a lazy day in the comfy chair.
Shakedown not the goat but no slouch and a good opener! Nice well played energetic songs with a good set list.
Second set builds up nicely, including another good He’s Gone. I believe it was this one that has Phil hitting these big single notes on the backside outro section. I remember it really stuck out and I was smiling etc.
Perhaps like much of 87 no really stand out stuff, just good clean safe tight GD! I’ve come to think of 87 as 77s younger cousin in that sense of the band really listening and playing consistent good clean music together as a unit, even if lacking the big jams and fireworks?
Anyway, glad I got it in abd hey, it’s got a Baby Blue ; )

Wish I would of continued with more music yesterday instead of more poorly played football.
Onward!

but you know I mean :)

I can't believe I just read a positive review by one Brian Dyke!! 3/21/94 in the Taping Compendium.

Well I'll be....LOL :-)

Onwards and Upwards...

P.S. Just happened to check out the "Fox Box" (edit- well almost) recently and was sampling the 72, too!! :-)

94 is definitely not a go to year for me
However, I enjoyed this show. Nice same thing, Queen Jane, West LA Fairway, New Speedway Boogie, and yes a great He's Gone! Nice Stelle Blue. Fun times. Recording is good. Thanks WTJ for the pick.
What did you all think?

OB, shit I don't like either team left in the NFC, particularly the Eagles. So, let's go Niners!
Routing for the Chiefs, not a Bangles fan. Should be a couple good games.

Great story about your youth BC, love the Skull and Roses tee. February 73 is hot, but shoot, is there a bad month in 73?

When I was coming up in the ranks of the Dead world in 85, most of the guys at my school were big metal heads, being a Dead fan was definitely not cool. By the time I graduated in 89, those same metal guys turned into dead heads.

I will have to get to 10/19/72 tomorrow. I got through the first set of 10/17/72. Smoking hot!

#45 shipping notice received a couple days ago. Still sitting in the shipping label created stage since 1/25.

Be well out there.

He's Gone/Trucking/Other Ones (though not necessarily in that order) I been listening to the FoxBox '72 and that Disc 3, Night 3, 10/19 is freaking ridiculous. Phil's entry into the Other One??!! Madness I say! Madness!

Have a great weekend everybody.

Pretty much mended from the surgery, Oro, thanks. Glad I got it taken care of and other than occasional soreness at the end of the day along the inguinal incision scar all good and fine to hike and scramble out and about.

It surprised me that you didn't have 2/19 on your radar given that you are the primary record keeper after GOGD went radio silent. It's a favorite sequence of mine. I'm a total sucker for those He'sGone/Trucking/Other One jams from those days. Eyes 3rd time played, way jammed out and into China Doll. Perfection. They broke out the Nudie suits for Set I. I think this has to be one of the last shows, if not the last one, where there is no complete set list known. New Riders opened I think. Love to hear it whole. Also, even what we got is missing a chunk at the end of Other One, could be 1/2 a minute, could be 10. Hometown show, though I was still a wee lad at the time and didn't even know who the dead were probably. It's possible that one of my fellow 7th/8th graders went. Many years later a hometown deadhead friend and were i were late night reminiscing about our school days and going over the class photo poster, and while basically everybody is in their sport coats and dresses, one was very much not and we're like "Holy crap, Dan's wearing a Dead shirt??!!" Either a Skull and Roses tee, or maybe a Europe Cone Kid or the Rainbow Foot. '73 or '74. Maybe he was at McGaw Hall later that year. We were totally flabbergasted. Radical move back then for picture day. He was clearly a true fan - heck he might have even gotten on the bus at this show - as a few years ago l learned that he owned Wolf and later donated the proceeds of its sale to the SPLC.

As a somewhat random 3 am aside along lines of gaps in tapes, the DiP18 Eyes from 2/3/78 (my first) is missing about 50 seconds of beautiful Jerry soloing. They did a pretty good job of hiding the splice. Over the years I've seen maybe one person comment on it - they detected the slight tone shift at the splice and were wondering what might be up. You can hear the whole solo on the audience tape (which is a pretty good tape for the era by the way.)

Hope you’ve mended up well and are fully able to explore etc!
Sorry about not realizing we’ve hit 2/19/73 per your pick.
Duly noted now and fully dug by moi. Yep, wonder what that first set sounds like?
Looking forward to checking out more unheard 73 this year.

1/24/71: nice short sweet one! Fully dug.
Last third a virtual Pork Roast!!
Recording good cept for occasional distortion, levels or tape condition?

Hoping 3/21/94 next/soon…