Pick of the Day, with Discussion

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April 6, 2020 - 9:47am

8,077 replies

marye

Joined:
May 26, 2007

Bolo24 says: An Idea, Perhaps? Since we're all going to have a fair amount of spare time on our hands for the foreseeable future, what about starting another thread where we all listen to the same show/release on a given day and then share impressions afterward? Folks can submit suggestions and one person (not me) picks what we'll all listen to - call it Deadnet Picks or something. Anyway, if this idea is deemed to have merit, I'd suggest one of the loyal regular posters take the lead and do the picking - y'all can decide who. Might be fun. If it does go forward, I nominate Dick's Picks 18 for the first listen. Been talked about here lately, and, had it been a single show rather than a compilation, we'd probably be talking about it in the same conversation as Cornell, Veneta, etc. Or perhaps even Gainesville?? Stay safe and healthy, friends - this planet needs as many Deadheads as possible.

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October 5, 2023 - 7:41am

#811

DeadVikes

Joined:
October 26, 2016

Pigpen-1/30/78

I have never heard it Jim. Interesting.

Okay, here is a pick, 1/30/78, Uptown Theater. Can't remember if we ever hit this one, so if we did apologies in advance.

And go Twins. First playoff win since 2004 and first series win since 2002. A long time ago. On to Houston!
October 3, 2023 - 8:33pm

#812

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

It Was A Trick Question

Not Phil, It sounded an awful lot like Pigpen, but not quite. I was thinking it was a stand in or guest or something.
I arrived at my destination and had to turn off my truck before they said anything about who was singing.

I guess it was Pigpen, it was just a rehearsal and I suspect he showed up or tried to practice with the band. It was very good, especially Jerry's solos. Perhaps the last thing he did with the GD which is why it sounded different?

Has anyone else heard of this? They did say it was from January or February 73.
October 3, 2023 - 7:39pm

#813

DeadVikes

Joined:
October 26, 2016

King Bee

Jim, Phil?
October 3, 2023 - 10:03am

#814

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

I always liked Lille

It gets an A for overall vibe.

I did revisit 4/7, 5/11 and 5/26. First, I always held Rotterdam in the highest regard but giving a relisten to the whole show and man, start to finish it's great. So is 5/26 but unlike Oro I have tried really hard not give this too many listens. When you finally hear that suite in the second set, in it's whole it's more like a symphony than a rock and roll show. Nothing leads, nothing follows it just flows, moody, brawling, reflective, sad and hopefull from minute to minute. 5/7 is another other big favorite. I think I like 5/3 a bit more than a few. I like to listen to 5/4 with 5/3, 5/10 with 5/11, etc. It's hard to discount the final four shows of the tour too.

I also fit in the 85 Red Rocks show the folks at the DaP 47 thread were howling about (8/7/85). A fine little show with some memorable highlights.

I agree with the comments on 73 v 72 also. To me, when they took off in January off, they left behind the smooth continuity of 72. They had a really good show and set structure going and the new Wake and other material they brought into the fold took some time to gain it's footing.
The beginning of the year was rebuilding, where are going to put Let Me Sing Your Blues away and You Ain't Woman Enough for example. A little of this disjointedness continued into '74. Nonetheless, '74 was the polished version of this era and direction of the band with their new Grateful Dead Records material.

Speaking of which.. David Gans played this passage from I think January 73 on the radio a month or two ago. It was a really good performance of King Bee I had never heard before. Supposedly, it was lifted from a practice session. Any guesses to who sang vocals? I was kinda floored by it.
October 3, 2023 - 6:33am

#815

Dennis

Joined:
November 1, 2012

Elbow & Without a Net

This vinyl was part of the big box "The Story of the Grateful Dead". I almost ordered it, then checked the box and there it was. So if you already have the box,,, UB set on Without a Net.
October 3, 2023 - 6:01am

#816

DeadVikes

Joined:
October 26, 2016

E72

Nice work OB and Firstshow. What a feat! I am sure you both will need a break. It is quite the box. Not sure if they will ever put another box like this with a full tour.

Go Twins. They are due. They have lost 18 straight playoff games.
October 2, 2023 - 1:20pm

#817

1stshow70878

Joined:
September 11, 2014

The Short Ones

5-16-72 Lille: Lively, despite sound issues early on. Again every song played well. Energetic, these guys are durable! Classic Truckin' with Jerry going off on it. The TOO seems advanced for '72, short but completely fully developed. Some of this tour's TOOs rival Dark Stars in this regard. Best yet TOO? It's a contender. Hurts Me Too was stellar.

5-16-72 Luxembourg: Were those first two a sound check? The treatment of Big River I could see as a regular thing but sadly no. Almost starts like the '77 intros to Jack-a-Roe, and Bob gets an interesting part not seen later. Radio broadcast maybe quickened the pace on many 1st set songs? The TOO not nearly up to the level of the other Other Ones. A short and sweet show as I'm finishing the usual NFA> GDTRFB> NFA ending now. How many kinds of radio bandwidths did Europe have back then?

A shout out to Bluecrow who clued us in on some easy to get to petroglyphs in the front yard of his San Juan River, Utah cave up in the hills. A friend of the devil is a friend of mine. Fantastic stuff and an inspiring place for sure. I'm rejuvenated and ready to cruise through the rest of EU72.
Cheers
October 2, 2023 - 11:35am

#818

Oroborous

Joined:
June 19, 2007

Good times/Bad Times

Good, because I finished the quest on Saturday with a sit down listen to 5/26/72.
Bad, because everything lately is a blur, so the multiple times I hit 5/24 and 5/25 are now also a blur, so I’ll try to remember some of the standouts?
5/24: variety pack = Cold Rain and Snow, Dire Wolf, Only Black Peter, You Win Again, Rocking Pneumonia, and Lovelight. Most were good with Win Again and Hurts Me Too making the album cut!
The second set sequence they do step it up, and I liked the shorter LL, sadly, Pigs last…
I hadn’t heard this show before so I did hit it multiple times, though didn’t get a great listen in…
Generally, by now, they’ve totally melded and though perhaps early on in this show you might catch a slightly passed the peak vibe, but not sure hearing it alone, out of sequence and/or casually listening you’d notice. Still mostly full on magnificent.
Part of my problem deciphering is how much these shows do sound alike, sure their all different and have unique nuances, but after so many in a row, they all sorta roll into one…
5/25/72: this one seemed like it took a bit to build up from good to RJ…, but certainly did!
Of course the second set sequence was superb, and benefited from the tour unique UJB> Warf Rat> DS> Mags variety mix. Other Variety pack songs= Another awkward Promised Land, a sweet Brokedown, the aforementioned UJB and Rat, with unfortunately the last Sitting on top (another farewell to that 60s pyscho style/energy), and a sweet Sing Me Back Home! The Dark Star of course was RJ (have you ever heard a 72 DS that wasn’t lol), and a nice slightly different GDTRFB/One Mo Saturday finale. Sadly Pigs last Good Lovin, perhaps a bit abbreviated due to fatigue, and an unusual only four songs on the night…
5/26/72: some call this the greatest Dead show ever, not sure I’d say that, but it is a beast!
Only did one listen on this one as I’ve had it, gave it a sit down, and honestly, I’m just burned out. Both in general, which unfortunately didn’t help my tour burnout. But I’ve enjoyed every note, and this one didn’t disappoint either!
Not so much variety, and sadly, only 3 helpings of grease, perhaps due to some being repeated at least a couple times here at the end: Promised Land, Dire Wolf, nice Cumberland, Sugaree returns after more regular play early on, same with Loser, and of course THE Dew! Another sweet Sing Me, and another OMG second set sequence that is definitely RJ! It’s all most too much, when some shows, they basically play another small set AFTER these big powerful sequences, but here they do it again, though why they had to repeat Me&My Uncle yet again I’m not sure? They just did it a year before on Skullfuck so why use up so many slots on this tour that might have made room for another, possibly THE version of something different to make it to vinyl?
Anywho, A great show and proper fitting ending to one of the all time greatest tours! They Hit most of the usual suspects of the tour, and even managed to nail some album worthy versions, including that magnificent Dew!
Oh, and how could I not mention the consistently hot PITBs, everyone RJ fo sho…

Well, this was bittersweet. I’m glad I finally went for it even if the timing was poor and I didn’t feel I went as deep as I usually do when hitting a tour. But I did hit every show in order, including a few I hadn’t gotten to yet, though I did miss some of 4/7 and 4/8 which I’m going to do this week, perhaps with a couple other partial rehashes, though I really need to hear some other Dead for a much needed cleanse…
I’ll, prolly think of more insights, but for now I’ll just comment on something I kept thinking of that DR said awhile back about post Pig Dead. After hitting all those amazing but long 73 box shows, then hitting all these amazing but long 72s,
Pigs departure really did affect the flow and energy of those long shows. As awesome as those 73 shows are, they can sometimes be a bit monotonous, so they definitely miss not having those little Pig interludes to break things up, keep things moving, add more variety, and give an occasional energy boost. It also made me think a lot about what if Pig hadn’t checked out? By this point in their trajectory perhaps the overly long repetitive nature of LL and Good Lovin, and the old, overripe straight blues numbers, maybe needed to take a break, but think of all the sweet alternatives they were coming up with that just shown so brightly on this tour: Hurts Me Too, Mr Charlie, China Town, 2 Souls, and some old chestnuts like Lied Cheated and Big Boss Man. And who can forget the few but enjoyable Cautions, a tour highlight for me personally.
You have to wonder what if…what if he was healthy and kept writing and growing as a writer etc?
I think he would have had to have grown as a byproduct of just being in the band and how they kept changing etc.
He may have transitioned from being the main focus, but there probably would have been some monumental new stuff that might even have been better, but alas we’ll never know…
Well, hopefully we didn’t lose ole 1stshow in some unknown rural border jail lol, and he’ll fill us in on his travails.
Until next time, keep it forward, never straight…and get yo self a shotgun and a pocketful of shells ; )
September 28, 2023 - 12:23pm

#819

Elbow49

Joined:
October 26, 2012

Without A Net Coming To Vinyl

I heard on the YouTube broadcast from the In Groove in Phoenix, AZ that Without A Net is coming to vinyl November 17, 2023 as a Brick n Mortar release.
September 28, 2023 - 11:02am

#820

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

Hot Opener

stMade it to the halfway point, but they started playing 10/18/74 on SiriusXM, so I hit pause. They were out of the gate with a bang. High energy opener with some Healy vocal distortion on Hey Pockey Way. Nice high energy Jack Straw too. I never made it to the Kaiser.. caught news years at the Auditorium, never the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.

Man, Jerry's tone on that October 74 run, just love it.

I'll hit the second set later this afternoon.

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

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Bolo24 says: An Idea, Perhaps? Since we're all going to have a fair amount of spare time on our hands for the foreseeable future, what about starting another thread where we all listen to the same show/release on a given day and then share impressions afterward? Folks can submit suggestions and one person (not me) picks what we'll all listen to - call it Deadnet Picks or something. Anyway, if this idea is deemed to have merit, I'd suggest one of the loyal regular posters take the lead and do the picking - y'all can decide who. Might be fun. If it does go forward, I nominate Dick's Picks 18 for the first listen. Been talked about here lately, and, had it been a single show rather than a compilation, we'd probably be talking about it in the same conversation as Cornell, Veneta, etc. Or perhaps even Gainesville?? Stay safe and healthy, friends - this planet needs as many Deadheads as possible.

68 and Loud

I completely agree.

On occasion and if I'm not careful volume gets the best of me. One day I might live to regret this. Thankfully, that day was not today.

A new one for me. Some sound weirdness especially in and around banter, but what the hey.

I don't know what it is, but I have soft spot for The Eleven, Born Cross-Eyed and especially New Potatoe Caboose. Good show with some vintage grease to end the night with me feeling a little dirtier than I did when I woke up.

If there's no pick for tomorrow, I suggest the next in line. It's a partial, starts with a rare Clementine. 1/20/68 Euraka Municipal Auditorium. I think we should set up a go fund me to find all the missing reels, there's a couple missing from this show. It would be something for them to be found.

4/30/88 at the Frost

Hey Jim, I know you have had a lot on you plate this year. Thanks for checking this one out. Yes, the recording is decent, not great. Like a lot of 88 recordings out there. Still think they have some good ones in the Vault.

I liked the show, anytime I see a Hey Pocky Way, I am in. Nice Shakedown to open the second set. Love the triple Encore with China Rider OMSN.

It is good to get out of the comfort zone once in a while Doc.

Carousel Ballroom 68, okay Jim, Ok will have to que it up this morning.

Enjoy the weekend out there.

Edit. Oh and after the carousel ballroom I will be moving on the 12/9/79, Dave's Picks #47. Love this one and I need some 79. If I had the keys, I would be putting out a big 79 Box.

Lewiston, for your consideration

44 years ago today, there when Roy Buchanan along with Levon and His All Stars opened for the Dead. My last in person show, on the bus since their first album, however things had changed so much.... Doc was there, a wild late summer scene, part of my farewell to Maine.

All is worthwhile if the soul is not small.....

Hey rockers!!

Yes, we were there and had a blast. Beautiful day and tremendous music. A very fine show by the Dead, one of my all-timefavorite in-person Dead experiences.

Would make a solide offical release. It is worthy......

Doc
Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile, I caught hell for.....

All is worthwhile if the soul is not small.....

Hey rockers!!

Yes, we were there and had a blast. Beautiful day and tremendous music. A very fine show by the Dead, one of my all-time favorite in-person Dead experiences.

Would make a solid official release. It is worthy......

Doc
Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile, I caught hell for.....

9/6/80

Hey DMCVT,

Love this show and will get it going again this weekend.

And yes, it would make a great releasen.

Pretty sweet you and Doc were there.

9/6/80 Lewiston

I'm in - hopefully sometime this weekend I can transport my mind and spirit into late summer beautiful day/evening Maine. Sounds like a dream show and setting. Very cool that a couple of you guys got to be there. Didn't realize this was the last show before the Warfield run. Long and heartfelt write up on grateful seconds (he was there). Comment at the end from a guy who was 8 at the time and lived a "bike trail" away from the fairgrounds. Listened to part of the show from his clubhouse. Rode his bike over and snuck in. Totally dug the Drums. Made major bank (for a kid) collecting cans and bottles for deposit afterwards (which is exactly what 8 yr old me would have done.) Think I might travel John Deere with the Jim Wise FOB.

Been Gone

But back this week. I can do Lewiston again.

As I recall there is not a good soundboard that circulates, right? And the one that does is first set only and it sure does sound like an audience (or ultramatrix on steroids at least).

High energy though.. like Gainesville, there must have been something in the water.

You have to wonder if this was recorded and if so where the hell are the master tapes? I think someone (Parrish??) tossed out the language that some of the master reels were left on the seat and when the truck pulled away they must have flown out the window or something.

I'd love to see more reels (and cassettes) returned.

Anyway, Lewiston Me for me tomorrow.

Edit: Started tonight - why not? Gave up on the "soundboard" and settled on the Jim Wise same as Bluecrow. Good news, Bluecrow.. The John Deere Broke down and was sitting in the yard for the last half of the week. I got it working today. Had to replace the solenoid. Damned electronics are always interfering with time travel. Just imagine if this broke back in time before Jebediah Solenoid created the first working model for riding mowers.. we would have been screwed.. I mean, nothing wrong with being stuck in 1980 but why not go back another 10 to 15 years...

High energy is right. Pretty good audience.

Follow-Up

While I was in the neighborhood, I took a quickie with 11/28/80 Lakeland Civic Center - Lakeland, FL (30 Trips).

I figured why not.. most enjoyable, especially To Lay Me Down. Not sure why I like that song so much, but I do.

More 1980

Ah, yes, more 1980. You don't have to twist my arm. A shorter show for the time period, but still really good. Will get it going after I finish up Dicks #36, which was mentioned on some other threads. Such a great show, but apparently didn't sell well at the time. No idea why.

My Favorite Non-Multi-Track 1980 Release

Random Musing - 1980

My favorite non-multi-track 1980 release has got to be Dave's # 8, 11/30/80 Fox Theater. Love how that Matrix worked out. If anyone remembers the seaside chat, he was spot on.

Crowd noise was not as big an issue in 1980 as they could play in some pretty intimate venues. Also, as the age of the cassette master replaced the lovely Ms. Cantor Jackson, a lot of those early soundboards are a bit sterile sounding without the crystalline highs and the booming lows. Blending those early 80's soundboards with one of those near perfect audience masters works. When they aged out of the smaller, cooler venues (thinking after Jerry's coma and In The Dark) audience tapes had to compete with hundreds of the guy next to you screaming "JERRY!!" at 95 decibels, this was no longer possible.

That SBD/Dr. Bob matrix is almost exactly perfect (or as good we are going to get for the time).

On the opposite side of the same coin, I think some of the Ultra Matrix's have a bit too much of the guy yelling JERRY! then I sometimes want to hear. Thinking a lot of 87 suffers from this, and by then the audience tapes were no better.

Anyway, if Mr. Norman can pull of similar wizardry I wish they would do more like DaP#8.

Being that it’s the anniversary

9-16-90 playing now.

Wonder what the Black Friday RSD release will be.

Music comes from a place we don't know...........

Mornin', rockers!!!

Pick of the day? September 24, 1972. Because..............Dark Star!

Minor rain storm headed my way................

The man that hath no music in himself, nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils......

Rock on!

Doc
Music comes from an icicle as it melts, to live again as spring water......

9/24/72

Oh yes, this is a great show, I am in.
Thanks Doc.

Why Not

It's an early audience, but contains one of the few Seven's that were recorded.

09/29/69 Cafe au Go-Go - New York City, NY

It's no betty board, but an interesting inflection point in GD history, so maybe worthy of our time. Primal GD on the heels of WMD Americana GD.

Despite the recording quality, it's pretty good for a 1969 audience. Worth the trip for the Seven alone. Plus, it's pretty short. Something different, something quick, and well, it's really something.

So why not mix it up with a shortie from the fall of 1969.

9/29/69

Will mix this in as I listen to the new box today. Thanks Jim.

Hope everyone had a good summer

Been a while, just wanted to say hello. Watching the Dark Star from 10/18/74, cool to see video of Ned on stage, as well as see Jerry interact with the head nod. Enjoyed the April 78 release. With the 50th anniversary of the Winterland shows a few weeks away, doesn't look like anything is happening. Be good everyone. Bob t

Bob T

Hey Bob T, how have you been man? Hope all is well.
Yes, love that bonus footage from the GDM soundtrack. Might be one of my favorite UJB.
I have been traveling for work this week so still haven't made a dent in the new box, but loving it so.far.
Good thing there is no rush at this point.

Picks

Hope everyone is enjoying the new box set. Really enjoying it so far over here.

If anyone is interested in a pick, it has been a while, how about 5/16/81, Barton Hall from the 30 Trips box?

5-16-81

Started playing it last night and finished it tonight.

Good call DV.
And I’m having a Bell’s Octoberfest too. They’re gone from the store but I have 5 more cans in the fridge.

Conekid

Nice Conekid, must be esp.

Enjoyed the show again, nice Shakedown Bertha, Sailor Saint. Show ends with that audience patch.

Enjoy the last few Octoberfests. Still have a couple six packs to get through. Would buy a few more but the self life of this beer is only 3 months and it goes bad fast.

Change alone is eternal, perpetual, immortal…..

Good morning fellow rockers!!!

October 19, 1971

The second great seismic shift of 1971. The Yang to the Yin of February 18. Similar, yet different. Old, yet new. A vision of the new era. Change can be for good if you combine audacity with safety………

An old friend missing, a new guy who seems to fit in right away. Six new songs. The return of the complete CE/TOO/CE suite. The unusual occurrence of back-to-back Garcia songs twice in the first set. The first of the Fall 1971 FM broadcasts. One of only two 1971 shows that featured both Black Peter and Brokedown Palace. There ain’t no grease, but there’s plenty of Bakersfield left, as well as big jams.

Not without its rough edges, yet somehow it hangs together oh so well. Absolutely historic and worthy of a serious listen……

Rock on!!
Doc
He who rejects change is the architect of decay, the only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery………

10/19/71

Oh, yes, Doc this is a good show at the University of Minnesota at the Northrup Auditorium. Good idea.

Some may never live, but the crazy never die.....

Morning, rockers!!

This is for AJS. He'll know what I'm talking about...........

October 20, 1984, Carrier Dome. The last show we saw on that tour, maybe not Augusta level but very enjoyable. We had a great time. Maybe it was the liquid 25, courtesy of Deadhead Fred, a little drop'll do ya!!

Or maybe it was the music. Worth a listen!!!

If I had known being insane was so much fun, I'd have gone crazy long ago.....

Rock on,

Doc
No one can drive us crazy unless we give them the keys......

Doc & Angry Jack

10-20-84 - Syracuse

I was there also, think I met doc in the bathroom during drums,,, he was wearing a tie-dye :-)

My records show we rated Jack Straw at end of set one, a plus 2. Also second set opener of Shakedown got a plus 2 rating from our crew. We have the Black Peter that night at a plus 1.

Thing I remember was the air pressure blowing you out of the exit doors,,, deadheads LOVED this,,, kept going back in just to be blown out!

My wife went to Syracuse (both her parents also!)

Carrier Dome

Love the energy of this show. I'm pretty sure I tossed this out for a pick of the day a few years ago. I was not there, but hey.. we make it to the shows we can and hope for magic and a lightning strike or two.

Still, an enjoyable show and how about that Jack Straw. Another one where I wish I was there.

10-20-84 playing now

Just finished set 1.
It’s a Miller, but the file on my music player doesn’t have an ID number.
Vocals are pretty weak in some places. The playing seems to be trying to make up for it.
Shakedown poking around now…..

Edit:
I would have had fun had I been there.
Drums/Space was good.
I’ll listen to it again.