Grateful Dead

Yes, good catch quodlibet. I wasn't aware of that Viola session. It's great to hear Jerry leading the arrangement. I bet he was a great guitar teacher back in the day. The "turkey wrote it" line always cracked me up!

All 22 shows. Sitting there on my porch. Waiting for me. Oh why is that clock on the wall so slow...

I believe it is "the clerk he wrote it down" rather than "turkey"

The beguiling chanteuse, Lee Wiley, 1940; Dizzy, '45; Getz, '50; Pepper Adams, '58 and Blakey from the Jazz corner of the world, '59. But I've enjoyed thoroughly the first four shows of '72. Especially the new ones, 4/07 and 4/11. Of course lost my mind at 4/08 and the first four-discer, 4/14. Will be back on the tracks tomorrow for 4/16 and 4/17 Sunday. Man, to be 29 again to experience fully these back-to-back shows! Turned 29 X 2 recently so I need a little more time 'tween these jewels. Where's that confounded announcement?

Canned music, canned music, playin' on the radio...

That's pretty funny, but now I'm going to hear that every time I listen to Eyes of the World.

I love the link to the early Viola Lee Blues rehearsal but I hate the mistreatment of Pigpen. At the beginning, his low harmonies sound WAY better than Weir's do after Pig is booted. Also, his organ and harmonica contributions are essential. Sadly, this denigration of Pig apparently continued throughout his tenure. Did you ever notice his diminishing contributions during the E72 dates? There is a point in the tour where he ceases all extended rap segments, never to return to these for the short remainder of his life. I get that his drug of choice was not the same as the general flow in the band (except the Phil "Heineken Years" later) but why was he treated like an outcast? There is an untold story here, and I'm not surprised the surviving band members don't want to talk much about it. Long live Pigpen, the lost soul of the Grateful Dead.

Might as well add a random post...Though it's possible for another box this fall, 2 in a year is kind of unprecedented. But at the same time, a May release for the '78 Box leaves an opening in the Fall. Maybe the plan is to go relatively light this year, after an enormous 50th celebration last year. That said, 2 of my top picks for the next box would be the Ark run from April '69 or the Spectrum run from October '89. I'd also love an early 80's Box, it's just more difficult to imagine considering potential issues with the source tapes. Maybe the next big release is a dvd/cd release of this year's MUATM. And if true, how sweet it would be if the Alpine run is included- like a cd/dvd box set from Summer of '89. So nice to read the praises of 4/14/72...One of my favorites from the tour. It just has that special something and I fell in love with it instantly- especially the Dark Star.

....if any of you Google+, but, if you do, join the Grateful Dead circle. It's unpretentious, not "in your face", like some other communities that shall remain nameless, and posts some really cool artwork and photos. Maybe I will see you there!.... ....and yeah. 4.15.70 gets better with every listen. TOO -> Dire Wolf....yeah, I said it.... ....I lied earlier. I blog/post/comment there occasionally too. Look for Vincent Thompson. I carried over the same avatar, so I should be relatively easy to find.

My brain is too immersed in E '72 shows at the moment to make such a drastic switch but 10/19/89 is one of my favorite shows (the 18th is no slouch either)... actually have to drive to philly today for a family thing so maybe I'll bring it along just in case....

4/16 the show I heard the minute I opened the steamer trunk & yes it was spectacular. &....4/16/79 The Brent Rehearsal vey unique & why not 4/16/78 another underrated gem from the 1st Spring Tour '78. Now a rant, last night the wife & I went to a cocktail party in the lobby of her downtown Philadelphia office building it was a party hosted by the law firm to celebrate a very successful year financially & to hand out promotions to some officer personnel. It started at 6 and ran until 9 the one guy she works with had to much to drink & we took he and his girlfriend home it was on the way so it was no big deal. His girlfriends car was parked in the garage & even she was in no condition to drive either. I'm a 20 plus year Wharf Rat so I was the only sober person in attendance by 8 o'clock. So we are on 95 as the couple we were taking home live in Fishtown the wife and I live in NE Philly so its sort of on the way. Well right off the bat this dude asks what are we listening to (12/28/80 set 2 SBD) the wife says the Grateful Dead dude asks her who likes them old F****S the wife says my husband LIVES for the DEAD he then proceeds to tell me you don't look like a Deadhead now I understood what he was saying yet his GF was very embarrassed. Rather than debate this drunken idiot, I ask him what does a DH look like in your eyes?. He said your supposed to have long hair & not conform to rules. Now I'm bald headed by choice as I shave my head every March for St. Baldrick, I'm heavily tattooed arms, neck, chest you name it I'm inked as I appreciate the art of tattoos & I'm a collector of tattoos in fact if it wasn't for my job I get my face tatted also the wife loves my tats but I think she'd be like WTF you tatted your face you idiot!!!. And I conform to rules today. So do I qualify for being a DEADHEAD? Come to my house every room even the kids room has either a tape or CD of the GD, even the bathroom has a newly acquired DeadBase Jr. in it, if I have to do something in the girls rooms yes the good old Grateful Dead is my listening companion. My question is DEADLAND what does a DEADHEAD look like? @80'S fan ENJOY Philly today its simply gorgeous out last Saturday it was cold rain and snow today it's like a Sunshine Daydream!!!!!!! The weather is absolutely beautiful in Philly today the kids are at my sisters house for the weekend the wife is sleeping off a hangover I think its the perfect time for 4/16/72. YES HAPPY SATURDAY DEADLAND!!!!!

Wondering if these are 2 track or multitrack? I thought Betty's were 2 from her board. Yes?Either way it looks like. Nice box but I am curious......

Very cool article on the early days of Silicon Valley and Deadheads. http://www.wired.com/2016/04/heads-jesse-jarnow-excerpt

Was checking the site of choice before I journeyed north for a few days for some r and r at the lake. Could not have said it better One Man! Not gonna get on my high Pig this morn, but sometimes people lose appreciation for the ones that brought um. As for E72, my collection is now 7 after grabbing 4/8,4/14, and 5/7 last week. I am VERY satisfied with that number; although, would not mind picking up the Paris twins somewhere down the road at a good price. On another musical note, I bought the Beatles stereo box set last week. Can't wait for the mailman! Never have completely understood the infatuation with or appreciated the music of. However, over the last few months, have been listening to their albums on the internet. Wow! Just great stuff. I owned Abbey Road in college, but never cared for their earlier material. The only other albums I ever owned from the 4 boys from Liverpool are comps consisting of their greatest hits. All the songs are wonderful, but it's just too much. I would compare it Neil Young's Decade. Neil is one of my faves and Decade was one of the first cd's I owned, but had to dig deeper to fully appreciate his music. Now, based on the advice of many at this site, I am digging deeper into the Beatles treasure trove of goodies. Who knows what I might find! Have a wonderful weekend cats and enjoy all the desserts in life! SamT

How cool is it that we've got our very own Rick Steves here in Keithfan with his E72 travelogues, and Sixtus as Carl Sagan with his map to the cosmos charting every E72 Dark Star? Thanks, guys!

Turn off you mind, relax and float downstream...

sorry you had to put up with idjits, especially drunk idjits. I rarely listen to GD with others around. too many chances for those who don't get it to go, "ew." I hear the joy of the cosmos, others hear...something else. The harshing on Pigpen is not cool I agree. The historical significance of the recording is undeniable. I have heard along the way that for a short while in October 68 Pig and BW were both "fired". Interesting that BW goes after Pig in consolation mode. Also, it is evidence that backstage, many bands are vicious and disagreeable. I just read the RS article on the Ramones (Leave Home plays at this moment), and man, they are guys you want to know only as the musical force they were/are; I wouldn't want to hang with them. "separate the art from the artist" "stay kind, my friends", as someone wrote

9/24/72, 3/18/71, a few others. Eventually...

lol

Samthardman, I must be older then you, because for me, when the Beatles landed in the U.S., that was the beginning of music for me. All else was just an imitation for a long time. I still think they aree just phenomenal on every level. You are in for a rare treat if you are just now digging in. Enjoy man, you are in for quite a ride. Rock on

....did someone mention The Beatles?....

The best version of this was by The Dead with Joan Osbourne and the three-man guitar line-up Bob, Warren H, Jimmy H, with some of Steve Winwoods' band members joining in. I saw them at play it in Holmdel N.J..

I think in the early days it had to do with his degree of drunkeness. As far as E72 and the lack of mid-song rants, remember he was sober at this point but I think his health (not very good) was the main factor for this.

i am a case myself of instant a$$hole, just add alcohol

....my E72 shows showed up two days early. I got 4.8, 4.11, 4.14, 4.29, 5.7, 5.23, 5.24 & 5.25. Six Dark Stars! where should I start?

Yup. They look like everyone else. My favorite bumper sticker back in the day was: We Are Everywhere

Day 5 / Europe '72 / April 16, 1972 This was the first show I bought from the E72 box set. I had already owned RTR & HYH since they'd been released, but never the original E72 LP/CD. After a many-years layoff from the Dead, I saw Sunshine Daydream in the rack at Barnes & Noble, and was impressed by the hype sticker that indicated it was the most requested Dead show ever - and I bought it. The rest is history. In my search for something to rival the fantastic Veneta show, I looked online and found a Rolling Stone article that listed 4/16/72 in the top 20 best Dead shows ever. Soon after, I ordered it from dead.net and the addiction that had taken hold with Veneta was firmly underway. My first impression was very positive. RTR was THE music that pulled me into the Dead's orbit many years before, and HYH was high on my playlist as well - so expectations were running high. I was still in the phase of cherry picking "best of all time" song performances, and I was looking forward to the extended jam version of Playing In The Band without Donna, and the extended jam Truckin'. The Greatest Story opener is solid; however, my trepidation about Donna has long since dissipated, and I miss her "cool clear water" vocal, which is now the highlight of the song for me. Sugaree is one one my favorite pre-hiatus versions, because there's some subtle reverb from the barn's acoustics that treats Jerry's guitar line nicely; but more still, Pigpen's organ is great accompianment on this song, and he's (thankfully) up in the mix on this show (not always the case). There are a couple of great tour rarities played here - Cumberland Blues and Dire Wolf. At the time I bought this show, I considered them both throwaways; today they're an integral part of my listening experience, and an element that makes this show a little bit special. Jerry is in prime Bluegrass picking mode during the solos on CB, and Billy drives a swinging no-nonsense rhythm train through Dire Wolf, with plenty of off beat fills that make this slow folk tune sound like an up-tempo rocker - all Billy. China Cat Sunrider is one of my favorites of the tour. There's not much more to my liking it than Jerry & Bobby's sharp crystal clear picking throughout - not that they don't always play it well, but between the barn acoustics and some x factor I can't put a finger on, it's one of the versions I turn to most often. Good Lovin' is a 20 minute affair, and let's just say - she's a bitch dog in heat who got to turn her oven around so Pigpen can smell it (did he really say that?). Tennessee Jed is great - I get the feeling this was one of their personal favorites to play, because you can feel it grow throughout the tour, not so much in arrangement, but in intensity. The jam that leads up to the final chorus of the song seems to get longer and stronger with every performance, and everyone gets involved. Compare to 10/21/71 and you'll hear what I mean. Deal I love best in '72, and while I used to talk up Veneta the most, this 4/16 version has caught my fancy lately (despite Billy coming in late at the beginning - drummers, always late). Jerry's solo, wah wah, and stretched out vocals are what hit the spot. I like this Loser a lot, the harmonies are perfect. The second set jam is worth the price of admission: Truckin' => Jam => TOO => Me & My Uncle => TOO2 => NFA => GDTRFB => NFA2. What can I say, other than they're all top rate versions if you break them up and listen to them independently (but why, right?). Everything is stellar - the sound, the immaculate execution, the energy, and the symbiosis of the musicians in their craft. There aren't any naysayers in this audience, so there's nobody to convince; but even for the Dead, the transition between TOO and Me & My Uncle is so smooth and unheralded, that the uninitiated would swear it's a rehearsed move they've practiced no less than a dozen times. Really, don't miss it. NFA and GDTRFB is equally impressive, though I can't make the same argument about rehearsals:-) The Other One is much shorter than usual, and there's no Sugar Magnolia for the only show of the tour - almost as if to say, next time at least clear the lunch tables out of the cafeteria before inviting us to play (it was a 700 ticket party in the University cafeteria). Playing in the Band is better with Donna. Pigpen may actually be the star of this show. I get the impression his stage time on songs he didn't sing lead on was inconsistent throughout the tour, as there are long stretches during some shows when I don't hear him playing or singing harmony (or even shaking the maracas and tambarine). Not the case at Aarhus; he's all over everything, especially the Hammond. While he's never going to be mentioned in a conversation about the best keynoardists, greatest lead singers, or innovators of rap music, he's the goddam best utility player to grace a rock 'n roll band. His chops during this show augment the rhythm and melody in all of the right places, which is the true sign of a great band musician - knowing when to play. Long live Pig. He was and always will be, one of the Grateful Dead.

Something went wrong in an edit I did and it reposted, so I deleted the 2nd one. Will suckif it removes my original post....

....first time hearing the Europe '72 Cumberland where it belongs. Between BT Wind and BE Women. As I've stated before, that is the version/song in general that turned my auditory radar to this impeccable band many, many moons ago. That second Garcia solo still makes the hair on my neck stand up. These days, I have more hair there then on my head, but that's another yellow dog story.... ....nice review keithfan. So good, you posted it twice....

I'm just coming out of the jam - indeed, a thing of beauty. NEVER sounded better - JEP!!!

First -- Yes to all things Pigpen! Here's hoping a tribute compilation is in the works, including some of his final recorded moments with or without the GD. Second -- Something on one of these threads got me thinking about the long lost 1975 Keith & Donna LP on Round Records. I hesitated, but eventually bought a vintage vinyl copy and listened to it just now. I am wowed. As much as I am a Donna detractor at times, this is certainly her best hour. Keith too. Not everyone loves "Let Me Sing Your Blues Away" (from Wake of the Flood, and not included on the Keith & Donna LP) but I do. So here we have a bunch of professionally rendered gospel infused tunes that really make me smile. Garcia is present as the only guitarist and he vocally leads "Who Was John" like any number of other songs he championed in this vein. Any of these songs would (and will) make great additions to playlists around the house. Bonus: Garcia drew the "thoughts" of infant Zion Godchaux on his forehead on the album cover, and you can totally tell by the line style and imagery. This deserves a re-release.

You'd be surly after 10PM too if those damn kids wouldn't stay off your goddamn lawn.. Haha Jim / Keith - Always cracks me up, thanks. Dylan is busy bootleggin' Coors across Japan as we speak (My hat blew off, daddy), but I was off in rural Nagoya- err Virginia to witness test some 50MVA transformers for work. Unless things go horribly wrong, tests on a transformer are incredibly boring as they uh, just sit there and hum. While that made for a good title of a Willie Dixon cover album I once recorded (this is a lie), it makes for a boring week. Digging the punk discussion, my favorites don't go as far back as most with the originals, but maybe more in the punk / ska era. Operation Ivy, Rancid, some NOFX, Suicide Machines.. On that line, Rdevil - Thanks for the Ramones shout out! Sounds good to me, awesome to hear them doing Dylan..love seeing stuff like that translate across different genres. Reminds me, if you haven't heard it, this is a cool version of My Back Pages in Japanese from Masked & Anonymous..works best as the opening track in the movie but also love it on it's own: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WGlfTc3NTE Note: The random events of posting a Japanese Dylan cover while he simultaneously tours Japan should be taken as nothing but an innocuous coincident. Roger wilco, Hawkeye slob-san.

Not that it matters to the music...but I wonder what caused Keith & Donna to "break up?" Probably an intriguing soap opera there.

I may be wrong but I thought that it was Keith's untimely death that caused the "break up". It is a shame that the Keith & Donna album is pretty much the only Round/Grateful Dead catalog release that has never been reissued on CD. Maybe one day it will happen.

I finally got to listening this officially released nugget again. It's only my 3rd time from this box. I know this show quite well from previous unofficial recordings - cassette & CD-R, but this 3rd disc containing Dark Star> Sug Mags> Caution> JB Goode really shone brightly this morning while listening to it. It's as if I heard it for the 1st time - excitedly and with no expactations.An amazing great show, but all of Europe 72 is like that.

I bought this LP not long after it was released in March of 1975. About 10 years ago, I transfered it to CD-R. It's clean sounding, but you can tell that it's from vinyl. I listen to it from time to time and I do appreciate it. If you have a copy on hand, read the credits on the back cover. I see "Published by Artists Publishing Collective except: ..." I wonder if this has anything to do with why this album has not been released on CD yet. According to bizpedia.com: Artists Publishing Collective, Incorporated is a California Domestic Corporation filed on January 23, 1975. The company's filing status is listed as Suspended and its File Number is C0729867. The company's principal address is 1016 Lincoln Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94902. Hmmm...

Day 6 / Europe '72 / April 17, 1972 Night #2 at the Tivoli Theater, of course, was the night the Dead were recorded for television. If you thought these guys would be a little stiff in front of the cameras, think again. As the liner notes point out, they had no problem mugging for the cameras in clown masks or introducing a new song (He's Gone). Yeah, that's pretty loose. They even opened the show with a song that hadn't been played on the tour yet; for fuck's sake, if you're going to dust off a song, put it in the second set after you've warmed up! But if there's any question still - the onstage banter about monitor levels after Next Time You See Me will put all doubts to rest. This is not how a band plagued by nerves behaves. It's the type of thing that seasoned Dead Heads are used to by now, but to put the moment into historical context with the TV cameras and the overseas crowd, it demonstrates that the stage is their home, and it doesn't matter what country that stage is in, who is watching them, or whether or not their behavior is being immortalized on TV. Home is where you're comfortable being yourself, and they pull this shit all the time. 4/17 is one of my go-to shows from April. It should be noted early on that Keith Godchaux is high in the mix again, and he's having a typically good night. They open the show with a Cold Rain & Snow that is hands-down my favorite of all time. I initially came to know this song as the opener from Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead: England '72 (taken from the E72 show at the Lyceum on 5/24). It grew on me and became a favorite Dead song; but as my collection grew, I noticed they didn't play it that often. The Ladies & Gentlemen version is definitely hot, but for my part, I prefer Keith's input, and that's where 4/17 trumps 5/24 from Steppin' Out. In an otherwise identical performance, Keith is higher in the mix on 4/17, and it's good stuff. Opened with a doozie - check. The sound is a liiitle bit better on this one (all E72 sounds great, but some shows sound a liiitle bit better). They slide Me and Bobby McGee into the #2 slot, as Bobby's first song, and I find myself paying more attention to it here. It's flawless, of course, and Bobby's vocals are spot on. Better understanding of what freedom means - check. The rest of the first set is a little bit different, as it consists of stellar short length rockers, so the energy and momentum is sustained with very little interruption. The only "ballad" per se is the first performance of He's Gone, but even that one was played pretty fast in the early days of its performance life. I love this rendition; in fact, I love all three versions that were played prior to the development of the "going where the winds don't blow so strange" bridge. I may even prefer it. This has something to do how my brain was hardwired for He's Gone, as the only version I knew for years was performance #2 from Rockin' The Rhein. I don't discount the greatness of the outgoing jam in Englishtown '77, but if I had to pick one version of He's Gone for the desert island, it would be from 1972, and at that, it would probably be one of the first three. I like it faster, I like it without the bridge, and I like it without the "whoa-o-whoa, nothin's gonna bring him back" outro. Difficult to undo hard wiring - check. Yeah, I just copped out on the rest of the first set. It's Europe '72, it sounds great, it flows well. More great China Cat Sunrider, Jack Straw, and Black-Throated Wind, no Good Lovin' this time around. Second set has a typically great Playing In The Band; another great Pigpen / Hammond-laced Sugaree; an early One More Saturday Night that they threw in to finish off the stint on TV; solid El-Paso (with more great piano); another great Truckin'; a Ramble On Rose that also features some great Hammond chops from Pigpen and piano greatness from Keith (this song peaked on the Europe '72 tour IMHO). It Hurts Me Too - outstanding. It both peaked and died on the Europe '72 tour. Jerry's blues soloing is outstanding, and he did it so infrequently that it's always a treat. Enjoy. They end up doing a third set because of the TV affair. The show was not really longer for having a third set; it was more like three shorter sets. It went like this: Dark Star => Sugar Magnolia => Caution => Johnny B. Goode. The Dark Star is one of the best of the eleven that they played on the tour, I think even better than the one they played at Tivoli on night #1. The main theme noodling and improv jamming that goes on in the first ten minutes is melodic and superb; the vocal section is fine as can be; the post vocal improv section is melodic and up-tempo; the Space section and subsequent discord is sharp but not overcooked; and then there's the final movement, which is this great jazz piece with lots of cool double-time on the ride symbol from Billy underlying these great piano leads from Keith (which is all decorated with some of that well-timed Hammond goodness from Pigpen, and additional embellishment from Bobby, Phil and Jerry). The transition into Sugar Magnolia on this night is a Face Melt Special with extra How Do They Do This. So...extra melodic thirty plus minute Dark Star without overcooked cacophony section, featuring one of the best transitions into Sugar Magnolia ever - check. Sugar Magnolia is a thing of beauty in 1972. It reached fruition on the Europe '72 tour and sustained that magic through Veneta; but it slowly began to change, and by 1973 it was not quite the same creature. It was still a great song by any band's standards, but something elemental had been lost - perhaps it wilted in Pigpen's absence. It no longer evoked the Sunshine Daydream itself, only reminded us of what that dream had been like. In any event, it's still all caught up in sunlight on this night. The transition from Dark Star is ushered in with some rare non-chordal organ notes from Pig, which fade out as each band member joins the high times of Europe '72 Sugar Magnolia. For fans of the Billy drum fill, he goes with the smooth roll on the floor toms on this one. Caution is incredible. If this show were available on Dead.net still, I would say just buy it for Caution. It goes on for 23+ minutes and showcases one of the rarest (and greatest) elements of the McKernan years: the Pigpen-Godchaux double-barrel keyboard extravaganzational assault. I don't think the keyboards ever sounded better than the Hammond-Steinway / organ-piano blend that they achieved with these two onstage, and the Caution jam is where it climaxed. With only four or five performances the entire tour, and Pigpen's sporadic presence in the mix, this might be the best of the best. Don't miss the trademark Caution bomp-bomp-boms at 18 minutes or so; it's actually kind of cool that Pig raps over them on this version, as it's customarily an instrumental passage. If nothing else, Pigpen demonstrates his versatility as a lyricist here, as he manages to incorporate some stanzas about a certain demure young woman we heard him woo during his Good Lovin' rap the previous night. Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) with lady who still has her leg up against the wall - check. Inventing a new adjective - check, check. I usually turn off Johnny B. Goode, unless it's Three From The Vault or this show. It's really good here (and the only performance from the tour). There used to be an hour of a great quality video footage on youtube, but alas, it's been taken down. There are however, still a couple of tracks still up there - He's Gone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-yDZdHn6mw

Keithfan, lovin' the play by plays but don't forget about the JBG encore from 12-31-78! Jerry is positively blazing! Check out the Closing of Winterland DVD. Never a more animated Garcia will you ever see! Butter!

Thanks wharfratx - as much as I love the Closing Of Winterland, I don't recall the Johnny B. Good on that one.

Newly discovered (by me) at local coffee shop...90's album byBrian Jonestown Massacre : "Their Satanic Majesties Second Request." Terrific example of trippy hypnotic drone music wherein vocals do not distract listeners from creative/artistic concentration. Kewl stuff!

April 17th..should be close to the official announcement for Dave's 18, eh? Looking forward to it, I've heard alot of 1976 lately, most recently DP20. Not necessarily my favorite, but it was a good listen for the car. As far as '76 goes, in my limited exposure thus far it has been tough to beat the Day on the Green shows. That one is probably in the Top 5 of all the releases I've heard so far, period. While not rated that highly, I've been revisiting the October '77 Road Trips. Especially interested in the LSU show since it was just down the road. Not going to pause and ponder how unfair that is :D The Baton Rouge Sugaree is awesome, and I think the whole release is probably the best example of the post-hiatus double drum kit in my small Dead library. Maybe just the way it's recorded, obviously there's a million examples of that, but the dual drums always hits me as the salient point on this release. Cool Black Peter > Around and Around now too.

So I hope the Rich Boys have decided to throw Betty some proceeds from this one.

4-17

Encroaches, who are the Rich Boys? Feel like I missed some backstory. Keithfan, awesome write up, if you're not a rock journalist you missed your calling. How long did that take you? Mule_skinnee, which post-hiatus 70s shows so you have? It's an interesting comment about the double drum. It sounds like a new listen for you. This 4/17 show is great, maybe my favorite DS. Haven't heard the whole Caution yet. Also a fan of Sugar Magnolia from this show. Can't believe E72 Complete is sold out. I waited too long, but I have friends with it.

I have a handful for late 70s; Englishtown, Winterland '77, May '77, Closing of Winterland, DP10, DP18, Dave's 12, Dave's 15 and a copy of 7, the shows from that period in 30 Trips, a few more I believe. Obviously the double drums are prominent in all of them, but it always leaps out at me on that Road Trips for some reason..can really hear the different approaches and it seems like there are always drums! Strangely hypnotic in a way, even compared to those other releases (and obviously the rest of the recordings on). Or maybe I'm just crazy...probably so. But to quote Waylon, I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going insane.

Muleskinner that release is very high on my list of favorite releases. There is something about the sound on it. Sounds very clean and in your face. If you don't have it the bonus disk from this release is very highly recommended. It's 77 perfection but with a little bit more looseness that would eventually become the 78 sound. Good call.

I can't stress checking out the video of Johnny B Goode from the Closing of Winterland enough. Jerry is doing deep knee bends, hoisting his guitar sideways and wildly shaking his head, all the while pulling insane notes out of the Wolf. Wouldn't have guessed he had it in him. If it's been awhile, pop in the DVD and behold! Weird wild stuff!

Cool man, thanks for clarifying that. I wasn't sure if you meant that the double drum was prominent in all of the posthiatus stuff or just extra noticeable on RT 77. I just put it on headphones a few minutes ago, and wow!!! I haven't listened to this in a long time, and Jerry is IN COMMAND on this. What incredible guitar work from 5 minutes onward. Thanks for the recommendation. I don't think I've ever listened to this straight through. I bought it long after it was released, and was immediately turned off by it since it is a hack job of different shows, and I had dozens of complete shows to catch up on instead. My bad!

....a Dylan fan showing Dead fans what's up. I raise my glass to you muleskinner....and yes, the October '77 RT is stunning. Sometimes I wish I had three pairs of ears to absorb it all.

One Man, I checked this album the other day after your post to see if Strange Man was on it. The CD was available on this site at one time and I regret not buying it although I have a copy. Personally, I thing anything with Jerry on it is worth rereleasing but I suspect there is not a huge demand for this album.I assume when you asked why Keith and Donna broke up you meant the band, not the couple. I would guess they had time to perform during the hiatus but much less time to do so after having a baby and the Dead touring again, as well as touring with the Jerry Band. Muleskinner, I've been a '76 fan for a long time and there are several great official releases now including Cobo Hall and the Oakland shows to name just a few. What really turned me on to that year though, during the tape trading days were the June shows along with the Orpheum shows in July. Boston Music Hall gets a lot of love but those Beacon Theater shows really got me. 6-14 gets mentioned fairly often but 6-15 is a HUGE favorite for me. I remember playing it for some of my 80s loving friends who had their mind made up about Donna. They were shocked at how good she sounded. It's been a long time but it was my favorite LLRain for a long time.