Grateful Dead

I have just been watching the second episode of Ken Burns "Country" documentary, which focuses on the migration of people to California during the 1930's, having lost everything. And of course the music they played. Stunning photography. That Bakersfield Box released by Bear Family a few years ago is calling my name.

I have noticed that Dave seems to favour shows that feature songs over jams. He comments on this in some of the sleeve notes. I can't remember which ones - one is from 1973. I'm not so keen when I look at a release and see about 12 songs on both of the first 2 cds. Still, Dave's the man with the plan !

Oh Yeah! Dave's #43 was an awesome primal pick, basically two full shows (minus 1 song) on only 3 discs! Such perfect example of the shift from the psychedelic late '60s scene to the country folk rock era of the early '70s. Even the cd cover was killer, it should've been a T-shirt, like the bonus disc #38 had a shirt.
Anyways, in two days there's another anniversary of a damn fine show, that also was a Dave Pick {#13} and has a Dark*Star, San Francisco 2/24/74 at the Winterland.
Dave's #9 from Missoula, MT is another good pick with that song.

As for Dave not putting out the long jams, I have my doubts. The single (chop)show 3cd release from the 2018 PNw box is my example. He put the behemoth 45 minute "PiTB" from Seattle on that, it took over half the time of disc two! Now, me personally I would've used that time and mixed the disc differently. Especially since I had decided to purchase the whole big Box and found what I had been missing!
For one, I would've included the 1973 Dark*Star from 6/24 at Portland Memorial Coliseum. Most certainly the "WRS~Let it Grow" from 5/21/74 Seattle, it would've gone nicely with the Seattle "China Doll" it naturally segues into. Also the "Scarlett" from 1974 Seattle 5/21 preceded by the "BlackThroated Wind" from 1974 PdxS 5/19 would've been a good combo. With any time left maybe a 1973 "Greatest Story" from 6/22 Vancouver B.C. or the "Ramble on Rose" from 5/17/74 Vancouver all sounded chop show ready.
Yeah, you should see how many playlists I've created from that Box of Boxes!

Finally worked into the rotation.
As a representative example of the tour/year, this is a fine show.
I can totally appreciate why Dave went with this one.
You have to think there is some professional considerations involved in his processes that we civilian nuts might not consider?
The audio is nice, the playing solid, nearly flawless, good selection of tunes to compliment other releases etc. So why am I not shouting “RJ”?
I can see how some might find it a tad subdued, especially the JG tunes, depending on how your pleasure tends, but I think that’s kinda on purpose, and perhaps not as exciting, certainly not a fault?
But I’m struggling for the right word to describe how it made me feel? I thorough enjoyed it, but perhaps it didn’t hit me as much as, imho, the peak sweet spot of this tour, the four from 9/24 through 9/28. Fortunately, we’ve been blessed with 3 outta the four (so far 🤞)…
The next four are also quite good, but perhaps that’s it, too “good”, like some of 77 for me personally, their too shiny clean and sparkly good?
Jimmy’s “super model” analogy?
They’ve been on the road just long enough to get jiggy with it via those spicy unusual jams and sequences, work out the kinks, and by Ohio evolved into a smooth, velvety goodness? So all good, but personally, I think those four or five, “worts and all” were more up my alley? Ya know, more dirty but daring? Obviously subjective conjecture certainly influenced by bias…
Fortunately, David himself discusses some of this in his notes, which to me intimates promise for more of this tours awesome, underrated goodness!

Actually listening to 10/3 as we speak and this one’s even better than I recall, though admittedly I haven’t given it a good shake yet?
8/2 was perhaps a practice gig, and 9/4 takes a little time to get up to speed, but then, oh boy! I felt 9/23 was good, but comparatively the “warm up gig” for the tour. But from there onward, mighty fine indeed!
Next up will be those awesome Oakland shows, then the 2 shrines for the first time. It will be interesting to compare them all upon completion!
Onward!

More best of from that Box......
Eyes of the World(PdX73) Row Jimmy(Van73)(Sea74) Deal(Sea74) MS Half-Step(pdx73)
Greatest Story >> Bertha(pdx73) WRS~Let it Grow >> Wharf Rat(pdx74)
Looks Like Rain(Van73) Here Comes Sunshine(Sea73) PiTB(Van73)(Sea73)

.....Alright I'll stop with this madness!

Still listening to about 2 shows a week. Just using archives for new shows. Also stream released shows from what I’ve got already.

Is too much of everything just enough? I don’t know. The big questions perplex me. Peace all.

Just realized haven’t ripped a new Daves since #48. The actual process of ripping the shows has been enough to slow me down .

Randomly shared while waiting for food @ Poke Bowl. That is all. Still subscribe and just throw the Daves in a drawer. Skipped 2 of last 3 boxes. Never opened the 73 box either.

Bruh...

My analogy: Nicole Kidman in her prime shows up at my door and says, "come on hey Joe you wanna give it a go?"

"Uhhh...maybe later."

Duhfuq.

Go listen to 6/10/73 RIGHT NOW. please.

You'll be glad you did.

:)))

:-} Slip in TOO.

Taking another tour of the Friend of the Devils box. The Estimated from the Duke show is a real banger! In fact, the whole third disk is a great groove.

....looks like that's just what I needed today.

The '74 Vancouver China Rider is an all timer too. If you listen really closely, a moment after they reach the crescendo as they complete the transition into IKYR, some woman (think it's a woman) totally loses her shit and it comes through on the soundboard if you listen really carefully. It's a primal scream that loosely translates as Mind = Blown.

And how about that February Winterland 74 run. Talk about box sets that should have been. Gooey, Jammy Goodness.

Proudfoot, the Philly and Baltimore 73 shows were some of my favorites on the spring tour, perfect compliments of each other and in another 3 months both will have been released in their entirety. No dark star but it's got a great xxx,xxx,xxx,xxx (redacted)

Did listen to that one release several times. Was quite awesome and beautiful to hear. It was the featured box show on the streaming service and easy to access.

Yeah….need to but a new disc-ripper it appears. One of these days…Duke 78 show was nice as well. But 73 is my year, so no excuses for the rest of that box. Sloth and life I guess.

I just have to say that to me the best Brown Eyed Women version is the 4/14/72 version. And one of the best GD songs.
Be well.

Ola Luis, my old friend.

I'll just toss this out there. Love Brown Eyed Women, I rarely hear a version I do not like. But the version on the oft overlooked Dicks Picks vol. 18 (2/3/78, Madison Wisconsin) is practically perfect in every way.

Brown Eyed Women highlights the classic Hunter Garcia Americana flirtatious period. Perhaps it's about multiple generations of a poor, troubled Appalachian family in the early 1900's focusing on the matriarch and patriarchs of the family that did what they had to do to survive in tough times. Each generation fades with the lyric "And it looks like the old man's getting on." The lyric "Delilah Jones went to meet her God and the old man never was the same again", well.. goosebumps.

I can't argue against the 72 versions. It's a win/win.

Good to see you, Luis. Be well my friend.

BEW from Dave's #37 at William & Mary ain't the best all around but Keith's keys soloing is immaculate. Europe`72 was the cradle of that song, and I mean that in a good way.
As for Dick's #18 it's one of the finest of "chop" shows, up there with DiP#12.
The version of "Passenger" on DiP#18 is totally off the rails, similar to the one on DaP#37.
Also most excellent is "Music Never Stopped" from DiP#18!

Such a great version of the song here on the new Dave's from 1976. The "Might as Well" really punctuates the set closing too! Dave has blessed us with a few other versions lately of LiG as recent from the last pick #52 and that one was awesome. Special mention to versions on Dave's #45 and back to #39. Two versions apiece from Keith & Donna's era and Brent.

***EdiT** Almost forgot about the "Let it Grow" from Dave's#37 & the on Bonus Disc for #38!

Thinking of "Let it Grow" it's almost time to get poppin' pot seeds!

...during the 1st go round
with cans
felt the pace
at various times
it was a '76 JGB release
more than GOGD
just sayin'

I truly believe I saw a version once,,,, maybe at the Meadowlands,,,, maybe 1st half of the 80's. Maybe I was just tripping balls way to hard. In any event, huge jam, came out with a HUGE drum roll into "tumble down shack in big foot county". I've never research if this really happened or not (and I could,,,, I guess), but seemed like not the usual jump off point for the jam.

Guess I need to research :-)

But agree, great lyrics.

....many good times were had.

Nowadays I trip ON my balls!

Oh! Rodney Dangerfield ovah hehr!

I listened to a lot of these tonight and can't piece it together.

I'm going out on a limb, maybe the 84 Brendon Byrne arena?

There were several with better jams but this one had a nice little drum roll leading into Tumble Down Shack....

I'm probably wrong. One of the shows I sampled had this incredibly long, lightning fast, winding jam but they whispered into the tumble down shack line (maybe one of the 83's I forget).

Well that was fun, time for sleep.

Thanks for the early morning chuckle!

I kind of like Dave's Dark Star shows being rare, because it makes it more mysterious on when the next one will materialize. "Lean, and mean and not to far between." - Carl Spackler/Caddyshack

Will number 55 be a 4-disc set ? What do you think..

Ja, gerne.

A GD72 gem.

Yeah! I would say chances are high that either the summer release (#55) or the final release (#56) is a double. Dave been steady doing that since year 9, with the only exception of 2022, but that year still had a double show, just on 3 discs, that was #43.
Whatever the pick number happens to be, and it being a double show there's a nice chance it could be,.... say....
Both 1982 Frost shows? Ya never know!

may the windows be filled with Frosts

Ooh la la. But the AUD recordings from this year are where it's at. As well as the Ventura AUDs.

1982 was always my favorite year at the Frost.

...DOUBLE!

I say
april 18th 1982
april 19th 1982

like we used to say in the late 80's

"Just Do It"

The Electric Recording Company is making 450 copies of E72, and it is due to in April. From the blurb:
"Cut directly from the original analog master tapes, through our unique all valve 1965 Ortofon / Lyrec vinyl cutting system in stereo. No equalisation, compression or any other processing was added during the cutting process. Sleeve artwork made by hand and letter-pressed on a 1963 Heidelberg SB."

A bit out of my price range for a 3-LP but if it was the whole box on CDs for that price it would be a screaming deal, lol. I'll bet it will sound good though!
Cheers

I should have mentioned in my first post that it works out to around £217 per disc.

We have come a long way from trading tapes.

.....for that price it better come with a sheet of windowpane.

For three vinyl discs?

Of an album that has been around for decades?

W T F?

That has to be a joke.

Edit: Well, no joke.

Anyone who buys that is a freaking fool.

Just thought I 'd drop by and say that 48 years ago tonight me and the usual gang of idiots went to The Swing Auditoium to see the Dead...also just read about Pink Floyd's "Live At Pompeii" being re-released soon so I was wondering if anyone had any leftover windowpane in their freezer?

Good to hear from you Nappy! It has been a while and the 77 swing show to boot! Pretty cool.
Do you remember your reaction to the first ever Terrapin?

I’m hoping to still be around for the 60th anniversary box set which will be contain thirty 78rpm discs with a gramophone player and a small dog to sit in front of the horn. You heard it here first.

Gene Hackman..

.....underrated.
Looks like accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. His wife and dog also died. Not to sound morbid, but I could think of worse ways to go.

Would a sugar cube work for ya? Got one left in the deep freezer...

P.S. Proudfoot, thanks for the cold hard truth...

Good to see the federales haven’t caught up to yer cave up in the hills ; )
Bastardos!

Seems worth mentioning here that Dogfish Head is about to put out Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale. They did another “tribute to the GD” beer about ten years ago that I think was called American Beauty. It was pretty darn good IIRC.

$650 for a new vinyl reissue of E ’72? You can’t tell me it’s going to sound any better than the 180g, Plangent-processed, speed-corrected and Dave Glasser-remastered version that’s widely available for $50. In fact, if it’s “cut from the original master tapes,” without all the aforementioned sonic restorations, it probably sounds worse (if perhaps closer to how the original vinyl edition sounded).

The thing I remember about windowpane was that it was really easy to cut off little slivers and do what people today would call microdosing. We were ahead of our time! We used to call that a smiley hit, and you can probably guess why.

An all time classic, knock out of a show! A Dark Star that all other Dark Stars are measured against.. The first show in one of the greatest Dead runs of all time. , In my top 5 of all time Dead shows. Thank goodness these shows didn't get erased so someone could use the tapes for their solo album.

Not only glad that the reels didn’t get recorded over, but they’ve now been Plangentized/Normanized and pressed to vinyl.
I have them all!

You ain’t wrong Billy. I’m so glad I got the box set when it came out. I go back to that often.
It’s crazy what that is listed for on eBay.

Yes, amazing shows one and all. I missed out on the box set so I am really pleased they have all been released on vinyl. They sound great. Albums to keep on rotation throughout every year left to us. Not one after the other, but dotted throughout the year so we can have 2- 3 listens a year, just to remind us what is.

Another incredible show from this incredible run! Its to bad 1969 wasn't a leap year, the Dead probably would have done another show on the 29th. The Grateful Dead at their best!

It's also amazingly great 👍

The 2025 kpfa Grateful Dead marathon will take place 3/1/25. from 9am PST time until 12 midnight, 15 hours of unreleased tapes, live studio guests, and performances. Listen live on kpfa fm 94.1, its also streaming on kpfa.org or nugs.net or GDradio.net.