Grateful Dead

Acronym Track: River Red Gum Label: Northern Electronics Cat #: NE2

Have to admit when I heard Dave's 20 was gonna be an '81 show I was totally down with it, but when I heard the show that was picked (Boulder CO-12/9/1981) I was a bit bummed and confused. There are so many wickedly rockin' badass shows from earlier in the year (even just a few months before) and after quick grabbing the old compendium and reading the 12/9 review, I was even more worried. But oh, I guess I have little faith in Dave (and Dick's notes)! I had not heard 12/9 before so I went in blind. Immediately I was struck by a strange vibe throughout the show. The sound is great, being recorded onto reels instead of cassette. But there was just a weird electricity (including the strange mega-low frequency feedback that I think caused Weir to flub the lyrics in the "Jack Straw" screw up) and it seemed members of the band (especially Weir and Mydland) may have been a bit spaced out on more than music, as this is one of those shows that gets better with and more adventurous with each song to the point where by "Friend Of The Devil" (just the third song) the band is near perfect and they know it, laying down what I believe with time will become one of my fave versions of "Friend Of The Devil". "F. Of The Devil" leads right into a down and dirty, raunchy blues rock-a-thon version of "Little Red Rooster" with Garcia and Weir's slide guitar just tearing things up. A tight version that's just loose enough to really get down to the groove. One of the best versions of '81 (a year featuring a plethora of great renditions). The band switches gears with "Bird Song" leaving no question that they are way "on", going surprisingly way out there on several very far out jams. A very memorable "Bird Song" for this period. Garcia takes a nice extra long and rocked out solo in "Mexicali Blues", which is followed by a real nice reading of "Candyman". "Cassidy" winds itself into a spiral jam of supreme psychedelia and is a must hear and then Weir lays down one of the greatest post-Donna versions of "Looks Like Rain" I've ever heard. Totally amazing with Garcia's playing just drenched in emotion while Bobby raps with the sky!!! Following the unique "Cassidy" followed by "Looks Like Rain" pairing there's the "China Cat Sunflower" > "I Know You Rider". Seriously, this thing is SO badass and simply mind-blowing it alone makes this release essential. It's well-played and VERY jammed out (almost frantic, yet never off the rails) in that great almost hard-rock '81 way. Garcia's confident opening of "China Cat", Weir's killer transition solo, Garcia's soloing, the superb vocals throughout, and a spot on rhythm section, who just drive the hell outta this one, then pull it back for "I Know You Rider", all make this is a serious piece of Dead music that deserved to be heard. Then there's Set 2 which starts with a incendiary "Scarlet Begonias" > "Fire On The Mountain" and ends with a double encore of "US Blues" > "I Can't Get No Satisfaction". Set 2 is solid as a rock with a epic "Stella Blue" coming outta a very spaced "Estimated Prophet" > "He's Gone" > "Drums" > "Space" > "The Other One", nearly 60+ minutes of pure '81 Dead power on a night where the band wasn't having much trouble tapping into the cosmic vein (individually or collectively) or kicking out straight-up kickass rock 'n' roll straight from the gut. So I thank Dave for dropping a gift in my lap. I very well might of missed this show. After hearing it, the thought of that is quite unthinkable! An excellent choice of a show that many (like myself) who are pretty damn into this thing called The Grateful Dead may have overlooked. A GREAT 20th pick!!!! Wish I had your job....you're the luckiest guy ever! Cheers on a job continually well done and obviously taken with the utmost seriousness, as there are so many factors in deciding on which pick shall become a release. Just make sure that this thing keeps going and try and catch as many new (12-25 year old) fans as possible so that this trip can continue. The Dead are the greatest American musical combo of the 20th Century and their music has such longevity and continued relevance that it may truly have no expiration date. Hell, I've turned so many punks, metal heads, 70's obscure rock/psych fans, etc., into Dead fans it's amazing how potent their musical potion still is...

The Frank Wright Quartet Track: Church Number Nine Part. 2 Label: Calumet Cat #: C 3674

The Giuseppi Logan Quartet Track: Bleecker Partita Label: ESP Disk Cat #: 1007

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRSL7K5y8cg

I am listening to 9/3/88 (Capital Centre) right now. I needed something happy and peaceful to take my mind off of everything sad and warful (?). Someone on Chat said they were playing this show so I figured why not join him! Peace, -Dave

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtyOq-SU0Ec

Sam Rivers Track: Involution Label: Blue Note Cat #: BST 84261