Grateful Dead

Whether I like or love Seastones can't quite be answered objectively. I love that it exists. I love that someone was so weird that they made music like that. I love that it sometimes gets included as part of the archival releases. I pay attention to it whenever it reaches my ears. It doesn't have the same power that certain other music has, and I'm not particularly emotionally moved by it. It's more of a well appreciated sonic curio to me.

No matter what noise..."that which listens" is inexhaustibly silent...as a matter of fact, any noise one hears "points to" the inner-hearer, wherein the gate (that is) goal transcends illusory ego: one's vessel of transparency.

Loving the box set so far. Just wondering if everyone else has the intro cut from sugaree on 7/5. Mine starts out in middle of 1st verse. Thanks.

I can't think of single 78 show that doesn't give me wood. January 78s that I have heard rock February is immortalized on DiP April 78 is complete potency May is something I have little of but still like JuneJulyAugust RRRROOOOOAAAAARRRR September is freakin' Egypt October is Winterland NovemberDecember is chockfulla goodies No sir, I don't understand the 78 detractors. repetitive set lists? bah. GD78 is cool.

Hope you had a rockin' good time!

Mine starts off the same way. Guessing that's how it is on the source tape.

....then yes Bob. Yes I did. Sat on my ass all day and listened to the best birthday present I could think of. Thanks Dave, Jeff, Betty and the boyz for my gift. Now, where did I put those ribs?....Oh yeah.... ....today won't be so lazy. Honey do's are calling my name....

....with only the hallowed 7.8 show left to play, I realized that if I attempted that, I would be typing all day, so I'll post what I don't like. The St. Paul Deal. That is about all for now....I doubt 7.8 will change that very short list.... ...even Mrs. Vguy took note. She said, and I quote, "Sounds like someone put a burr under their saddle." Truer words have never been spoken. A few days ago I posted that DaP 18 is not a show to play if you're planning on cleaning house. After this release, I believe we have the cleanest house on the block. Musical crack....

give it a spin today ! Made it thru first 2 shows of July 1978 - a few highlights in each show !! 7.1.78 - "Around and Around" was really nice !!! 7.3.78 - "Looks Like Rain" was so sweet !!!! Donna is amazing !!!!!

....Simon & Garfunkel's Wednesday Morning, 3AM....also good dusting music....you all know I talk a lot, especially during a current release. I've been talking a lot this past year....Thank You dead.net....did you know Wednesday Morning has their take on Peggy-O and The Times They Are A-Changin'? Well, now you do....

Yep, Sugaree on 7/5 comes in drums only as the boys on the boards dialed in Jer's vocals and guitar, plus everyone else. To my ears and sensibilities, the first show in this box is one rockin' show from start to end and I enjoyed it immensely. Not to complain, cuz he has stopped doing it, but Bob's slide guitar on 7/5 is just plain shit and it ruins a number of Jer's tunes. Jer musta been one gracious player to not tell Bob to cut it out. Not only is Bob's slide playing quite amateurish -- I mean, I can play slide a lot better than that and that's not saying much -- but his tone is too close to Jer's vocal tone to not interfere. Okay, said it. Otherwise, the Bobby tunes are pretty effin' hot, as he properly returns to rhythm guitar. So, still have the 7/3 show to listen to, then going to communally enjoy the two Rocks shows with others who, like me, were there. (Gonna break out the 25% THC Indica for those...) Knowing how great those two shows are, at least 3 of 5 shows will be stand outs. If 7/3 is killer, that's 4 for 5 -- a damn good value for the money. Hell, I'd a paid handsomely just for the two Rocks shows, so besides bitching about Bob's slide "work," I'm a happy camper. Speculating on DaP 19: seems Dave said something about "doing something we haven't done before." Did I hear that correctly? If so, I'm betting that he has (3) full single-disc sets from 1969 or 1970 from returned tapes. As we know from the 2/69 opening sets for Janis, the boys sometimes had to bust it up for 75-80 minute sets, maybe in early/late show formats. If Dave knows for sure that an ~80-minute set is one full performance, he could do (3) shows in one DaP. Call it "premature speculation," but I'm seeing a doctor to see if I need to take something.....

....love the use of that song in The Watchmen intro. https://youtu.be/aVUDdQS2UxA ....underrated movie, awesome use of the song. If you know Watchmen, you know the theme. If you don't, check it out.... ....Hendrixfreak. 25% huh? I'm coming over. Super jealous that you were there. Who knows, maybe you and oroboros were dancing next to each other. I personally listen past Bobby's slide work. It's not easy, but it's possible....

Drivin that train High on cocaine Grateful Dead you'd better watch your speed Trouble ahead

I couldn't help but think that Jerry was thinking of Bob's slide playing during the 7/7 Candyman when he sang, "If I had me a shotgun, I'd PROBABLY blow you straight to hell!" Was he looking over at Weir?

Certainly, in my mind, BW is the best rhythm player in a rock band ever -- shoulda, coulda, woulda said that in my initial shocking post -- and he had to be a giant to anticipate Jer and Phil and weave them together in a sometimes nuanced, sometimes powerful way. But the slide? Meh! Blair Jackson even asked him face-to-face one time whether he was "embarrassed to learn slide onstage." Which was generous, considering that I never heard any progress per se. Bobby said, "No." All righty then! So, just to balance it all out, we always thought from the very earliest shows (fall 1972) onward that old Bobbo was the rockiest rocker ever and so when I say his slide playing has always been atrocious -- both in phrasing and tone -- I ... say it ... with ... love!!! And Vguy72, yes, horticultural science here in the Rockies has really become somewhat hazardous! Two tokes, max, at any given time or you're in the clinch! And that requires some training. So if you show up at, say, a Red Rocks show, DO NOT TRY TO KEEP UP WITH THE KIDS!!! They're in deep on the training front... Edit: and thanks One Man! You get it. Although that's a pretty respectable Candyman, given the circumstances!

I recommend the 9/11/74 Phil and Ned segment, Bill and Jerry both join in. This Sea Stones transitions into Ned Lagin's best and most audible GD performance IMo. (Though his clavichord on the so called DS-WR-DS "beautiful Jam" is also a highlight) https://archive.org/details/gd1974-09-11.135802.sbd.miller.flac16

....Simon & Garfunkel. My late Dad used to play this over and over. He died in a car crash when I was two. But I remember this....thanks Dad....followed by Cecilia. The ying to Condor's yang. Celebration!....

Some talk about Bobby's slide and rhythm playing. Clearly not a slide guy. But personally,I don't believe rhythm guitar play is the strength that Bobby brought to the Dead. I believe his song writing accomplishments, his singing voice, and his stage prowess is what made Bobby a vital asset to the Grateful Dead. Bobby was adept with his instrument, but he wasn't really a rhythm player. His guitar role in the Dead was largely that of a "utility" player, augmenting the music as needed. He had some hot years as a rhythm player in his prime ('71 - '74), but beyond that, most of what he played wouldn't even be considered rhythm guitar playing in the classic sense of the role (i.e. he played a lot of off-beat fills, and little flourishes in the unnocupied space between the other musicians). Keith actually played more rhythm than Bobby, especially in the post-hiatus years, when Bobby got away from the traditional rhythm player role (heck, by then, even Jerry was probably playing more rhythm than Bobby). I'm not saying Bobby wasn't the shit, I'm just saying it's kind of inaccurate to label him the best rhythm player of all time, as that was not his primary role, and to compare him to rhythm greats like Townshend, Lifeson, and Richards is like apples and oranges. If anything, Bobby developed into one of the most unique auxiliary players any band has bred, which I think is a greater compliment.

Good way to put it, Vguy (happy birthday!!). Here's exhibit A (CC Rider): https://archive.org/details/gd1982-12-31.sbd.miller.77301.sbeok.flac16 Bobby's slide starts in around the 5:35 mark, hangs together quite well until it ultimately goes right in the crapper around 6:05. But then listen to the fat line Jerry's laying down in the background, finally emerging into a kick-butt solo around 6:38, triumphantly salvaging what could have been a disastrous effort by the band. By the way, the Cumberland that follows is an all-timer. Play it loud!

....I do agree, this one is.... https://youtu.be/wVOa3xhl0bg

I don't have anything to contribute at this time, as usual. Just some random musings: a) love everyone's comments on the new set, you're all great and would love to hear more critical comparisons of the shows. b) I am now hungry and also want Walkerswood chicken. Also, I hate coincidences. c) Bought Festival Express a few years ago exclusively as a Band fan. Always dug this one before I knew anything about the Dead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp1MiIq9RQ8 d) Unrelated, was surprised to hear an easy listening female cover of The Weight in a commercial for Country Inn & Suites today. That was a weird feeling, did anyone else see that?? We're Ready to believe you. e) Happy (belated) Birthday Vguy!! Keep on keeping on in the Days of 49, ahem, 48. f) A donut, with no hole, is a Danish.

And in that hole he roared out his soul, in the days of 49.

I ran into this artist and want to toss her in front of you. She's a singer songwriter who travels with her husband who plays guitar with her. They travel all over the nation and live in their van full time! For my money she is amazing, and I've heard many a singer.Her name is. Nikki Talley. Check her out @ www.nikkitalley.com Her music page has her new album up to listen to. Every track, all the way. I kid you not, she's a very talented artist and I honestly think most of you will really like her sound. With that I'm off to the wilderness for a week of soul purging communion with our Mother Earth!

Has anyone else noticed an issue with the middle of the case or 2nd disc holder as if the machine had a problem incerting the disc. There is a small scrape on each side of the hole with some small residue on a couple of the discs. Luckily played 3 of the shows with no problem on the discs in question

I should add that Weir plays some of my fave guitar lines (call them what you will) in places like the China>Rider transition (1972-1974), Easy Wind (usually), and Hard to Handle (sometimes). That odd chording-mixed-with-single-notes style he used on those tunes is thrilling. I don't know why he stopped doing it.

My favorite Weir contributions are when he's playing his Gibson wide body, about the same period you mention, One Man. Good stuff.

I contacted customer service concerning my missing disc (Disc 1 July 3rd St. Paul).They sent me an email stating the supervisor emailed Dr. Rhino on my missing disc and that they will get a disc out in the mail to complete my set. Unfortunately, they cannot advise when it should arrive. I have not dealt with customer service in a long time. Should I give them the benefit of the doubt or contact Dr. Rhino myself? On a side note, the taper section this week is something to check out.

So what are the chances Betty had the missing 75 show from Winterland? That would be an really cool DaP.

Absolutely amazing...On the 2nd show already... and I'm blown away. AWESOME stuff here. Loving this box set. Next to Fillmore 69, it may be my favorite. ... check the Thank You's in the liner notes... to all who donated to my firetruck pull.... notice the last thank you, to Chuck Harris... that's who we were pulling for! woohoo! go chuck!

Our 30 Trips box had a cracked disc 3 1990, but we didn't notice until months after it arrived. In Feb, March and April we contacted customer service and got cordial but inconclusive treatment -- i.e., no replacement disc in the mail. Finally, the fourth person we spoke to 'elevated' the request or some such term and the Dr. got involved. Disc arr'd shortly thereafter. I'd say get right in touch with the Dr.

Yes, also love Bobby in China Cat, at I think the same spot you're talking about. Also love his slide playing on Stagger Lee, Closing Of Winterland - he got it right on that one! His guitar sounds very different in the late 70s, not sure what accounts for it. Sounds like some kind of mild flange effect, with high midrange, low distortion. Just guessing. Would love to know how he achieves it.

Happy to see that everyone is enjoying this box as much as I am! The sound quality here is just amazing in my view. I have been having fun listening to these at home and in the car. I went right for 7/7 the other night - really nice. Spent a couple of days on 7/1, which I really enjoyed. Yesterday, I went for 7/3. To my ears, the band sounds on during the second set. In general its seems the band is really "on" during all of these shows. There are a lot of nice little unique nuances and riffs in the version of many of these tunes. Last night I was able to get a nice listening state of mind and put on the headphones - post drums 7/3. Wow! What a Stella. That whole post drums set really rocked me. Show sounds so good on the headphones - true ear candy. I'm psyched to dive into these shows this summer. 7/8/78 was THE tape for me back in the 90s that really drew me into the Dead's music. I'm saving that one and can't wait. Thank you to everyone who brought us this music.

8/27/7212/31/76 5/2/70 July 78 12/31/78 Winterland 74 Rockin' the Rhein Stepping out with the GD Fillmore East 71 3/28/73 I love everything else, of course; these stand out to me as truly special.

Stoltzfus I like your list, those are some of my goto shows. No coincidence that a lot of them are multi-tracks (while two track is technically multi-track, Producers coloquially use the term multi-track in reference to 4+ tracks). But my point is, I tend to put the better sounding shows higher on my list, and multi-tracks inevitably sound better. That being said, your pick I REALLY like is 3/28/73. I thought this DaP 16 show was really really hot, but my recollection is that a lot of folks just found it to be average.

Without going into "show by show" and "song by song" critical analysis mode, this is a very strong run of shows for '78. I like that Phil is up in the mix for much of the first show. The Dead were just starting to tap into the higher energy approach and musical muscle that they would perfect in the '80s, especially the period when Jerry briefly became sober. I acquired the board recording of 7/8 many years ago, and that was good quality. This version surpasses that one. I don't mind Bob's slide playing most of the time, even though he would occasionally go overboard with it. For me, it doesn't detract from the rest of what's going on in the music. I can't say the same for the bulk of Donna's contributions here though. There are moments where she reigns it in decently enough like she did in '76 and '77, but all too often, she over-sings and ruins what are otherwise awesome moments. In hindsight, I really wish Jerry or Phil would have stepped-up into band leader mode and made her listen back to her performances after the shows. All too often, to my ears, her voice distracts from the awesomeness going on around her. It reminds me of an episode of Family Guy where Peter and Lois Griffin find Brian's bag of weed and decide to put their folk duo back together. In their stoned minds they thought what they were doing sounded awesome, then they show the audiences perspective and all they were doing is falling all over each other while moaning and drooling. Donna's voice can be like fingernails on a chalkboard at times for me, yet beautiful when she stays disciplined like the Spring and May '77 run. End of Donna bashing tirade... Otherwise, I think this is a very cool set with some inspired performances. The artwork and package design is another winner.

I made it through a couple of listens to 7-1 over the weekend. I agree with the general sentiment; very energetic despite some vocal miscues. The sound is fantastic, especially at LOUD volumes, but i did notice that bit of vocal distortion at high volume too. Is that distortion something the house heard? Or was it due to Betty's mix? Is it possible to tell? It doesn't diminish the quality or enjoyability of the show, I was just wondering. I plan to spin 7-3 tonight for a first go. Slow and steady wins the race for me. On the 30 trips front I've listened to everything except '95. Just can't bring myself to for some reason. It'll happen eventually. I was positively surprised by '92 - '94 though. I don't listen to that era much, but there were some great moments. Between 30 trips, July '78, and the Dave's picks there's a lot to digest right now. But i'm having a great time trying.

....Day of the Dead 5 disc set. Did anyone else order one of those?....

I feel the exact opposite: I don't mind Donna oversinging, because she does not sing over Jerry's solos(with the possible exception of Scarlet). On the other hand, Bob plays(out of tune) over Jerry's leads and while he's doing that, he's not holding the rhythm.Examples abound: Going Down the Road from the '78 30 Trips box, or even worse Sugaree from 12/28/79...Jerry's playing his heart out, while Bobby's ruining the whole feel of the jam. For a while I though he was tone-deaf, how could he not hear how off-key he played??

Agree with Spacebro about one aspect of Donna's vocals in these shows. I love Donna, but there are three distinct elements to her vocal performances in these shows that creep up and detract from time to time: 1) She is over-utilized. I prefer when she did not sing on every track. Back in the early days, she used to come out for certain songs, and then retire for large parts of the show. Back in the Europe '72 days, she had her spots: Playing in the Band; Greatest Story Ever Told; Sing Me Back Home; Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad; later on in '73 / '74, she would come out for Weather Report Suite. You get the picture - she was utilized selectively. There was a truckload of songs she did not sing on, even though she was present at the show: Sugar Magnolia, Ramble On Rose, Deal, Uncle John's Band, Not Fade Away, and many many more. In contrast, by 1978, she was on-stage full time, singing on every track. All of the songs I mentioned above, I personally prefer the non-Donna versions from the early 70s. But this is only part of the story with her vocals, and this is where observation #2 comes in. 2) She is TOO HIGH IN THE MIX! There are performances in this box set, Cassidy for example, where she normally sounds very good, but is so high in the mix on these July '78 versions that it doesn't sound great. You take April 24 in Normal (just a couple months earlier) and we have a mix where she is balanced with Bobby, and they sound great. Same goes for her lead vocal in The Music Never Stops - these were performances I was anticipating enthusiastically, because she blew the door off the hinges in previous '77 / '78 versions. Too much volume, though, detracts from the performance. I also hear the typically smooth balance of Donna / Bobby and Donna / Jerry lacking on a lot of these songs, where it was intact in other releases from roughly the same period. It is important to note that this may not have even been an issue onstage at the show. Depending on how loud their stage monitors were, it may well HAVE sounded good to them. You'll notice she always sounds best on recordings derived from 16-reel Multi-track, because she has her own track that Norman can adjust volume on and mix properly into the final version we hear. And you can't really hold Betty accountable, because, while it is she who mixes them at the board (and subsequently the tape), the only thing that matters at the time of the show is how they sound to each other through the stage monitors, and how they sound over the PA to the audience. Volume was a very difficult thing to manage in the old analog days, and I think in this case, it's illustrated for us the limitations of two-track recording. 3) As Spacebro mentioned, she's a little bit too aggressive with the screams and oooh/aaaahs and other vocalization noises. I guess they all did this a bit more in '78, and that's one of the distinctions in this year of "loose more rockin' Dead". I think all of these things could have been worked out without (and some were), but it seems in the end there was some insurmountable conflict in the band as a whole, sooo.....circle the wagons boys.... I should also note - none of this makes or breaks a show for me personally, or even a song - it's more like a "well, if I had the fine tuning knob of history at my finger tips, what would I do" Cousins - LOL - funny comment about tone-deaf Bobby.

Decided to give the Strand lyceum 5/23/72 show a spin and Donna's contributions are just about perfect in contrast to her ad libs in July '78. Wow, what a great show... Oddly enough, I've almost completely neglected the 4 Strand Lyceum '72 shows since getting the steamer trunk box when it first came out. This is like a brand new show to me. I'll come right out and say that my personal favorite versions of "Good Lovin'" are from this tour. So many winners from E'72, that whenever I think I have a favorite show narrowed down, another one jumps out at me. Like the 30 Trips box, E'72 is the box that keeps on giving.

5/23 Dark Star wrapping up and slipping into Dew, but not before giving way to a glistening groove with Jerrys twinkling arpeggios floating along on a jazzy wave. Quiet contemplative space midway broke into a full on meltdown that though cachophonic in structure, or lack thereof, was held together by the psychic mind-meld that ruled over it all...Walk me out... Moving on to DaP4, radically different than 18. Jerry out front taking chances...

Nice article: http://americansongwriter.com/2016/05/jerry-garcia-band-ruben-cherise/

Keithfan, I'm with you on DJG over-utilization and excessive level in the mix. However, Betty typically had a dedicated recording board with which she could make her very own mix, independent of the house or monitors. Some kind of splitter device sent her a separate signal from each of the various mics on stage. As an aside -- during 1977 (at least) she apparently also had her own reverb unit. So she could have lowered the "backing vocals" to a more tolerable level, but for some reason chose not to. Maybe she was making a point! Remember, these tapes were for the band and crew, and never meant for release to the public. That said, I find the mixes in this box pretty good for what they are (live to 2-track, and not intended for release). They are kind of muddy at times. I was noticing very little cymbal sound in Set 2 of the first Red Rocks show. I like some of the 1977 Betty mixes better.

....so I'm home, watching the Marlins/Rays baseball game. My Marlins are mounting a comeback. Before commercial break, the announcer says "The Wheel is turning. Tampa may need some luck to slow them down." I still can't make this stuff up. Miami just took the lead btw....

Didn't know Bill Walton did baseball too...

Speaking (benevolently) of Random Mutants...

the wife simply can't understand, and gets a little upset when I sing certain lyrics too authentically. Heh, I can't help it honey. I am a dying breed, who spent way too much time down on Avenue D back in the day. Just be happy I survived to reminisce, even though it's really not something to reminisce about, I'll give you that. Soon, no one will know what they meant. It simply won't be in anyone's memory.

Which I love, but is for those California folks to commiserate with first hand...I'll love it from afar ;)

I got my one show at red rocks today, I listened to the first set thru my stereo ,Very enjoyable set, The wolf sounds great. Does anyone know What kind of guitar Bob is playing in the picture, it looks a lot like an Irwin, but I know He was playing mostly custom Ibanezs then. One Man, you are very right, why did Weir go from playing lead notes with chords to playing straight chords. This is the first Cd that I really notice it. I hope they can get more of the Betty Boards back that she had to auction away. Some of the problems with the quality may be that these tapes the Dead bought back were in really bad shape, they had to do a lot of work on them to get them usable.

Agree she is high in the mix and very noticeable throughout...and to my ears that's really great. I love the energy she brings and think it's right at home in the unruly 1978 sound. Loving this release more and more everyday. Thank you Dave!