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    What a setlist!... Made me jealous of those who saw this era live. Great sound… like ‘77 was yesterday. @derekb192 on 10/1/77, YouTube

    Wow! Just as when you think eyes is gonna go to drums out of the bliss comes dancing! One of my all time fave moments! Not just classic 77 but classic ever dead! - @emrysdavies1215 on 10/1/77, YouTube

    ...this show was off the hook from the very get go. The Casey Jones is the best I've heard... beginning a jam that goes through each member going off on an instrumental solo. The end has them jamming so hard you can no longer hear them singing through it. Now you know you're in trouble (The Good Kind) when a show starts like that... Weirtheir on 10/2/77, Dead.net

    Holy hell, the 10/2/77 Betty Board sounds incredible... I just wanted to pay homage to this unreleased gem, which features the lovely, tight playing you'd expect of a 77 show with some of the highest audio quality I've ever heard ... What a treat. u/monsteroftheweek13 on 10/2/77, Reddit

    I told my mother I was going into Portland with friends. I never told her where I went... @jamesmoore3694 on 10/1/77, YouTube

    We know where you've been and we're taking you back with the twice as nice DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 45: PARAMOUNT THEATRE, PORTLAND, OR - 10/1/77 & 10/2/77. Back-to-back complete previously unreleased shows on 4CDs? You betcha! Why? Because we couldn't pick one over the other of these two nights that have been described as "fire," "mind-frying," and "crispy" (bit of a theme here) too many times to count. Witness it for yourself when you dig into the inventive medleys and pristine sound, not to mention the first "Dupree's Diamond Blues" since '69 and the first live "Casey Jones" since '74.

    Limited to 25,000 numbered copies, this release was recorded by Betty Cantor-Jackson (with a boost from Bob Menke, more about that in David's video) and has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering. Grab a copy while you can.

    *2 per order. Very limited quantity available.

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  • billy the kiddd
    Joined:
    Anniversary show 3/28/84. Marin Veterans Auditorium

    39 years ago today, I saw the Grateful Dead put on a great show, at the tiny Marin Veterans Auditorium. It was the first show of 1984.

  • dmcvt
    Joined:
    official releases vs. streaming

    Dennis: Yes, let's drive them nuts with requests! We don't know what we don't know, so tell us already. If 45 and MSG have not sold out yet, they will, eventually. WMG is not going to lose money, how they guide their program must take us into account. I did not buy the trunk, could get by with 6 or 9 of those shows, they were available for a long while by the each direct from dead.net, picked a few off. Never designated as numbered or limited, now harder to find at 3x price, thankful for the help of friends. WMG could reissue selected Europe 72 shows and they would sell well. Found a simple easy resource to quickly show whats been released officially, through #45, search on deaddisc or GDFD Dead by Date. Chronological and incremental, easy to scan periods/eras, telling us stuff we already know but might have forgotten. SIXTUS: well said, nothing I could add to that, other than my thing, followed them since age fifteen, 55 years now at 70. Did not get over to Rutland for recent DSO, did previously thank Rob Eaton in person for all his crucial work for the archives... JRAD at Jay Peak in August.

  • Sixtus_
    Joined:
    Years vs. Eras

    The more I think back on all that the GD have done, one of the real enticements and awakenings for me at the beginning of this musical journey – once I realized that the recordings were ‘out there’ to find and consume – was the very real and tangible difference in their sound as I ventured across the years of their output. Indeed, the sound of this band, and rightfully so, morphs tremendously over the three decades they all made music together. We all know the general reasons for this, from the burgeoning and relatable hold that rock and roll had on the initiating generation, to numerous personnel changes which literally forced the sound to change (i.e. Pigpen’s passing, Mickey in/Mickey Out/Mickey In, the subsequent ‘Spinal Tap-esque’ revolving keyboard slot, etc.), to of course the addition and/or retraction of various mind-altering substances, as well as the inevitable wear and tear of the ravages of time on band members themselves.

    For a band to have existed for 30 years, it would be really difficult for them not to morph and change with the times given all of the circumstances. But I guess what has really hit me recently, especially after starting to listen more intently to other, newer bands on the upswing, is how much of the Grateful Dead music I reference in my mind as attributable to a particular time, or era. We all know that 66-69 GD is its own special beast. And that 70 was it’s own nuanced moment too. As was 71, then into 72 and the fabled tour, coming back and going into 73 and 74; the sound stays the same but also subtly shifts more toward the jazzy and open-ended. Then the hiatus and return, and once again they had reinvented their sound and approach to a lot of the music. Onward through the 70’s things shifted yet again, culminating with the end of the decade, another roster change, and the music now being played much faster (and arguably less exploratory) which permeated much of the 80’s until Jerry’s brush with death. They got another reboot, and things sort of calmed down as they headed off into their last half decade or so but they morphed yet again with the advent and inclusion of MIDI, love it or leave it.

    I guess what I am saying is that when I think about Grateful Dead music, I immediately think of a year or collection of years (i.e. The Era) in the context of whatever it is that I am referencing. I always have in my mind when listening or thinking about The Good Stuff, the inseparability of the band and the year the music in question or in thought is referring to. Because when you talk about the music, it is always tied to a year or to a performance and thus bringing with it the nuance of that time period, the good, the mundane, the transcendent. Thinking about the GD at different points of time throughout their career provides me with variances in appreciation that I honestly cannot say is received from many other bands, or even Things, for that matter. The fact that the Grateful Dead, on the whole, really need to be considered in their totality when thinking about them or honing in on any one thing, is fairly unique. In retrospect, I’ve been listening to the GD since I was about 13 years old. I’m now in my 50th year. That’s literally a lifetime! I know it pales in comparison to many others’ exposure, but what it has taught me is a really neat expose on longevity and creativity and how these guys continued to keep things new and fresh as a result of who they were and the changes that were forced upon them.

    Be Well People.
    Sixtus

  • Dennis
    Joined:
    DMCVT - list of vault

    Maybe they don't produce a list because we would drive them nuts about what to do next. We do anyway,,, but a list would make us whine even more! :-)

    .... yeah, where is that last FW69 vinyl?!?!?! :-)

    sidebar - VMP is putting out a box set of Miles Davis. 350 bucks, 7 electric albums. One of the albums (on the corner) is a record store day buy. Box looks nice, may have to pass or wait. Those unemployment blues! :-)

  • dmcvt
    Joined:
    JJ Cale: Cajun Moon

    One of my most favored "moon" songs... just listen how JJ creates such a deep groove that swings in a few seconds. That sweet laid back guitar. I would buy an Ark box in a heartbeat. If they have been listening at all, we are way overdue for a primal/primal transition box, a late 60s Bay Area box, et al. How about publishing an inventory of whats in the vault? And where, oh where, is the final vinyl for FW69??

  • daverock
    Joined:
    Dark WasThe Night

    Ledded - I liked your post titled Dark Road. To me, the country blues of the 1920's and 30's also has a supernatural quality. The fact that the recordings are often quite crackly adds to this feeling of mystique - you really do feel as though you are listening to music from another dimension. Some of the mythology adds to the vibe - Robert Johnson selling his soul to the devil, Peetie Wheatstraw A.K.A The Devils- Son -In -Law. But the power is in the grooves. Scores and scores of great and otherworldly recordings.

  • daverock
    Joined:
    1967-1968-1969

    I'm not sure years are always the best way of thinking of eras with The Dead. For me, what I think of as primal Dead started when Mickey Hart joined around September 1967. They seemed to be on a continuous, thematic run of creativity from then until they started introducing Working Mans Dead songs, around May 1969. Not that the creativity dried up - it just started shifting, gradually, into another dimension. Looked at like this, that whole era, from late 1967 until mid 1969 - one of the most creative periods in their ( or anyone else's) career, has been completely overlooked in the Dave's Picks series. Even the 1969 shows released in the series so far have been outside this period.
    So, to cut to the chase - high time we had a release from late1967- mid1969!

    I don't think I would buy a 1990's box - maybe if it was Europe 1990, as I was there for three of them. That would be the selling point, I guess, for 80's-90's shows -people would be tempted to buy them just because they were there at the time.

  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    Ark us!!....

    ....that would sell out in six hours.
    I know EVERYONE here would buy it.
    The women aren't always smarter 😉

  • Mr. Ones
    Joined:
    Who Knows?? Not Me.

    We know Wake of the Flood will be released with (hopefully) some live ‘73 stuff. We know about Dave’s 46 (can’t wait!!) live ‘72.
    The optimist in me says surely’71 for the box?!?!
    Not a chance. My guess is ‘85, ‘87 or ‘91.
    Or….maybe another 1 venue cornucopia.
    Whatever it is, I want it/gotta have it.

    Last 5:
    Beyond Description-Bonus Disc (sweet!!)
    Zappa-Mudd Club ‘80
    Jeff Beck-There And Back
    Jackson Browne-Hold Out
    Dick’s 11-Disc 3 (Dark Star- 31 minutes!!)

    Music is the Best!!

  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    This Years Box

    Nice imagery Ledded.

    As for the box.. I'm not getting a 90's vibe. We have St Louis, then MSG.. so early 70's then early 80's. Neither were multi track. Something of higher sound quality or perhaps some 73 to celebrate a half century.

    I have to think there are a few boxes containing 1" thick reels of magnetic particle coated acetate sitting in the vault waiting to be heard. I'm a little bit surprised there was not more push back on the last box being pulled completely from cassette masters. I enjoyed that box primarily because the years are not very well represented, and shows were strong from the era.. but compare it to say July '78 and it was a big step down in sound quality.

    I think there will be some pressure to step things up, and if there isn't there should be. Or maybe.. (hope I'm wong), they have to scale back on the boxes or they will lose their specialness among what's being released. The last box set was something like $189 I think, during a time of economic instability.. well.. I don't think they want a dud. They really have to step it up a bit.

    All this is moot, however, they surely are well beyond the selection process. Let's hope they selected wisely.

    I do think at some point they have to give us a 68 show or a composite of partials/shorter shows. Geeze Dave.. look beyond the banana boxes, perhaps you will find an orange crate (hint, they're bigger).

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What a setlist!... Made me jealous of those who saw this era live. Great sound… like ‘77 was yesterday. @derekb192 on 10/1/77, YouTube

Wow! Just as when you think eyes is gonna go to drums out of the bliss comes dancing! One of my all time fave moments! Not just classic 77 but classic ever dead! - @emrysdavies1215 on 10/1/77, YouTube

...this show was off the hook from the very get go. The Casey Jones is the best I've heard... beginning a jam that goes through each member going off on an instrumental solo. The end has them jamming so hard you can no longer hear them singing through it. Now you know you're in trouble (The Good Kind) when a show starts like that... Weirtheir on 10/2/77, Dead.net

Holy hell, the 10/2/77 Betty Board sounds incredible... I just wanted to pay homage to this unreleased gem, which features the lovely, tight playing you'd expect of a 77 show with some of the highest audio quality I've ever heard ... What a treat. u/monsteroftheweek13 on 10/2/77, Reddit

I told my mother I was going into Portland with friends. I never told her where I went... @jamesmoore3694 on 10/1/77, YouTube

We know where you've been and we're taking you back with the twice as nice DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 45: PARAMOUNT THEATRE, PORTLAND, OR - 10/1/77 & 10/2/77. Back-to-back complete previously unreleased shows on 4CDs? You betcha! Why? Because we couldn't pick one over the other of these two nights that have been described as "fire," "mind-frying," and "crispy" (bit of a theme here) too many times to count. Witness it for yourself when you dig into the inventive medleys and pristine sound, not to mention the first "Dupree's Diamond Blues" since '69 and the first live "Casey Jones" since '74.

Limited to 25,000 numbered copies, this release was recorded by Betty Cantor-Jackson (with a boost from Bob Menke, more about that in David's video) and has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering. Grab a copy while you can.

*2 per order. Very limited quantity available.

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WOW !...Just got my D ave`s Picks #45 Today...Not Long after my Email Notifying me it was ON IT`S WAY !.. Nice..I`ve had Trouble in the past , Sometimes taking over 5-6 weeks getting my order. So THANK YOU Amigos / Amigas...To be Honest, The First few songs on Disc #1 Sound Terrible !...Bad Recordings to say the Least...The Drums are recorded very Loud..(And this coming from a Drummer)...Seems Mikey Hart just Dominates this CD....I`m one of those ``Older`` Deadheads that Liked Billy K. as the Lone Drummer, (I got on the Bus kinda late...1969), That being said....The set list is Great and The Tennessee Jed is Rockin`.....MUCHOS GRACIAS ...From the Land of Enchantment....TOM TOM.

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Wonder why they didn't pick the Charlie Miller aud, it sounds clearer to my ears.

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I bet they put these shows out on records for the 50th anniversary. Hopefully they will put them out on CDs and video.

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17 years

In reply to by proudfoot

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....gonna start with 10.2.
Checked out the following show in Phoenix off and on at work earlier. Good shit.
Edit....check out Donna on Duprees 💎 Blues. Very nice.

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That DITS jam is sweet as honey. Eyes too. A spliff is needed for that dancing jam.

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In reply to by carlo13

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....as is Betty. As is the best band in the land. Hit the spot. Can't go wrong with Drumz -> The Wheel imo.
Onto some Doors. People ARE Strange indeed. Especially these daze lol.
10.1 this weekend.

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Loving #45. Starting 2nd set, 1st show now. Great music. I was a 1-3 show/year person beginning in the early 70's, and I got to wondering if I ever caught a '77 show. My only one was in Bloomington, IN on the IU campus on 10/30. I always wondered why they never returned to do another show there.
Also, I read a lot of chatter here about an Ark box. Curious if anyone here ever attended a show at the Ark, or is this just an urban legend of a great venue. Lots of places I would have loved to have seen a show but never got the opportunity (Labor Temple, Electric Circus, Thelma, to name just a few).
I've never heard a bad Passenger, either live or on CD.....really allows Jerry to make that guitar scream.
I love all the DaPicks, because I prefer full shows. That was my issue with Dick's Picks is that you rarely, if ever, got a full show. And I loved the Road Trips series, even though I got in on that party too late and only have 2 (Big Rock Pow Wow and Valentine's Day), and those are full shows.

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In reply to by rasta5ziggy

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Hard.

Lie down CANT SLEEP TWITCHY LEGS CANT BREATHE
Get up sit there DROWSY AF think I will lie down
Repeat

Ever since fookin' Covid

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In reply to by proudfoot

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Proudfoot - Everyone has a remedy for insomnia, here is mine, and you’re right, insomnia sucks. There is some science to the “478” Rule, which works for folks with insomnia, or anxiety. Breathe in deeply through the nose for 4 seconds, and hold it for 7 seconds, then exhale deeply through your mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat. Studies have shown lower blood pressure and reduces heart rate, leading to greater relaxation. I’ve tried it myself, with success. Good luck.

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In reply to by proudfoot

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Is the worst. I’ve had it for years.

Melatonin will help you temporally but it wears off after a short period of time as your body acclimates to it. Chamomile tea is mildly effective. Of course the best remedy is a couple of shots of bourbon.

I’ll reuse an old joke and tell you to put on some Dead and Company. You’ll be asleep instantly.

In all honesty it sounds like you might have something else going on there with your legs. Probably worth going to get checked out by a doctor.

Good luck.

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was my 'brush with greatness.' Apologies to you all who have heard this tale, but with this anniversary and the releases of shows from '77 and '78, I want to spin this old chestnut again (hopefully some haven't heard this).

But first grab a cup of coffee (or your preferred beverage) and get comfy, because this will take a while. Brevity is not my long-suit, so bear with me on this, but the background/back story is info it help it all make sense. Back in 1977, myself and my girlfriend (now wife) and two buddies decided to road trip from Nebraska to a New Year’s Eve Dead show run at the Winterland in San Francisco.

I toted along with me a clay sculpture that I had made the prior year. It was a one and ½ foot (in circumference) dragon that was biting or consuming it’s own tail. It was fired and had ‘scraffitto’ (my own designs) carved into it’s ‘hide’ and then stained. It was the biggest piece of clay sculpture I have ever made. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to give it to the band on New Years Eve show.

So away we go on the trip and get there and secure tickets for the shows on that Winterland run. The shows were unbefuckinliveable and that old Winterland was such a great venue. We were all sitting on the sidewalk on Dec 31st waiting for the doors to open early. We heard Bill Graham was going to let us all in early and we were going to play ‘freak’ volleyball until Graham played us movies from his collection (16 MM of Ray Bradbury’s Illustrated Man and the original Beatle’s Magical Mystery Tour) before the start of the show tonight.

I thought that I better try to unload ‘Oroboros’ now (it was heavy and how was I going to talk that past the gate?) so I spied a door that said Backstage. No answer. The line of people on the sidewalk started getting up and moving to the door. Banged even harder thinking “I got to get this dragon in there so I can go in and play before the show tonight, this thing is heavy”, and as I pound harder the door yanks open so hard it draws me into the doorway, where a gigantic black man in a red Winderland shirt stopped me from being pulled inside with his had on my chest. “What do you want?” he bellowed. Startled, I said “I want to give this to the band” and held out the dragon in both hands. The giant took it in his immense hand and immediately the dragon shrunk to the size of a keychain. And he asked “Wow, what is it, I’d like one” and I explained “it’s an Oroboros, and that is the only one there is”. He grinned and said “Cool, who do you want me to give it to?” and I stated “Garcia, give it to Jerry Garcia.” And the door closed quickly, like in Dorothy’s first attempt to get into the Emerald city in Wizard of Oz.

So, I happily hurry into the show and needless to say it was a singular experience: with those movies starting in the afternoon, the celebratory/raucous/colorful crowd, and the Grateful Dead 'playing in' the year of 1978. As each of us entered we were handed a piece of paper that had the message "Good things come to those who wait, surprise at midnight" with the stealie logo on it. Once inside I was stopped by ‘Rainbow’ Rose who had an eyedropper of liquid party favor in her hand. She said “ just one dollar per drop, on your tongue or for the adventurous, a drop in your eye.” Wow, this was going to be some night! One on the tongue, please!

When you entered Winterland, you could go into the 'big hall' surrounded on all sides by an elevated balcony (complete with theater seats). You could also go into a bar, which was playing black and white videos (on an old fashioned 'big screen') of past performances of Hendrix, Airplane, etc from Graham's Winterland archives. Very entertaining, hey, the New Riders are starting to play, I got to get in there, the sound is loud and they are rocking the house.

Anticipation is high and the Dead came out for the first set. Our party favors are now starting to engage...things began to sparkle and the old Winterland venue takes notice, and her walls start to sweat and then to sway with the strains of familiar music and the Dead coaxes this old hall to join us in our dance.

Bill Graham got into the act dressed as Uncle Sam and he rode his motorcycle down a cable suspended high above us from the back of the Winterland auditorium to the stage. As the Dead improvised/noddled into the New Year Uncle "bill" Sam slowly moved above us illuminated by a spotlight. The hilarious part was as Uncle BoBo (as Bobby called Graham) was on this motorcycle, and as he approached the stage, the combined weight was too much and he sagged below the lip of the stage. So as the stagehands ran out and to drag ‘Uncle Sam’ onto the stage, Jerry and the band were all laughing as they saw his hilarious arrival to the stage. Then they burst into Sugar Magnolia, along with confetti explosions, as balloons dropped from the ceiling of the Winterland for our NYE celebration. Also on stage flanking the Dead were a gal and guy dressed in diapers as the new year's babies, dancing their asses off.

And as I squinted at the band, I noticed in between Billy and Mickey’s drum set, sitting on a monitor with a white candle by it was the Oroboros ! ON STAGE with the Dead. Then I watched as Jerry walked over to it and he lit his cigarette off that candle. And when the stage lights went down between songs, the Oroboros was illuminated by the candlelight. I was 'on top of the world' (dead reference intended). If you google the song 'Fire on the Mountain' from the NYE show in 1977 on Youtube and at the conclusion of the song (7:20 or so), the camera focuses on the Oroboros by the candle (as we hear Bobby waxing about 'technical difficulties'). It is an old black and white movie/video, but I did show that to my three sons to prove the old man's story was true. But the boys still rolled their collective eyes at me, but I am used to that.

We walked out into the cool San Francisco early morning and drove through the fog back to Nebraska. Now fast forward to Madison, Wisconsin 2-3-78 and I made the road trip to catch the show. It was a killer night and the Dead were in fine form (second half was in DP 18). The 'Cold Rain and Snow' was thunderous and Phil's bass boomed out to shake that snow off the roof of the venue.

The next morning before I left the hotel, I got a wild hair and called the front desk “Could I have Jerry Garcia’s room please” and the phone rang and Jerry answered! I said “Hey, I’m that guy that brought that dragon to the New Year’s show” and Garcia said “Meet you in the coffee shop in 20 minutes”. I couldn’t believe it what was happening but stumbled into the Madison Hotel coffee shop at the appointed time and looked around and saw Jerry Garcia seated at a table with a ravishingly beautiful raven-haired Gypsy woman.

I walked over an introduced myself and ‘shook the hand, that shook the hand of PT Barnum and Charlie Chan’. Jerry beamed that smile and gestured for me to sit down. “Man, how did you fire that dragon, so that it didn’t explode in the kiln ?” Jerry asked me. I told him that I had cut it in half lengthwise with a guitar string (that a friend had given me) and then put it back together. We locked eyes and he exploded with laughter and I followed with “Ironic, huh?” And he said “No, not at all, that makes perfect sense.” And we laughed some more. Then the Gypsy Beauty said “where are you from” and I replied Nebraska. And she stared at Jerry and stated “He came all the way up here from Nebraska to see the band”. Jerry shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows and said “we didn’t ask him to come” and looked at me and we both howled with laugher. No deadhead was she!

We talked more about art and the dragon, I didn’t know at that time of Garcia’s interest and practice in art. He was completely engaged in the topic of art, but quick witted with ‘turn on a dime’ twists, turns, and little quips. (Sound familiar to a band we know/love) Garcia was so focused on listening, not acting like he was the center of it all. He was locked in on taking time with me and talking about our shared interests, along with side commentaries on a variety of topics. The Gypsy woman asked “You went out to San Francisco and then traveled here?” and I stated yes and turned to Jerry and asked why don’t you come back to Lincoln? He said “you mean to Perishing Auditorium?” and I corrected him “no it is Pershing Auditorium, after the General” and he quickly retorted “no man, it was Perishing, really.” And we erupted in laughter again. There were some drunk frat boys yelling ‘boogie” at the top of their lungs at that ’73 Lincoln show, but the music was still topnotch! Anyway, I asked Garcia “could you bring your Circus back to Nebraska?” and Jerry grinned his Cheshire cat grin and said “who knows”.

I saw it was time for me to leave them to eat as their breakfast arrived and excused myself and took off. Jerry brought the Dead back to Nebraska, that summer on 7-5-78. I taped them on my Nak 550 (my best aud tape of all) and then I had to follow them to their (and my) first Red Rocks shows.

So that is my story of that time in space (or space in time). Garcia was totally a gracious, engaging, and kind man to this DeadHead who approached him for a moment in time. So to make a long story short (which I am constitutionally incapable) Jerry was focused on what he could learn, not what he could teach, on humor/laughter and valuing another person and really listening to their experience. He was so inquisitive, asking questions and then sharing his own thoughts. I have often thought about that lesson he taught me that cold Wisconsin morning. And for the rest of my life.

Apologies for the thread hijack, so everyone can return to your regularly scheduled programming.

Teachers open the door, but we must enter by ourselves

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Or is that tail? Epic tale well told Oro-1.
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers
DiP 18 is my favorite Dick's.

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10 years
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Great to hear your tale once again! WOW!. . . That's a story that needs to be retold every few years! THANKS!

I found a new version of the NYE'77 Fire On The Mountain video that shows your Oroboros sculpture starting at around 7:21:
3w dot youtube dot com/watch?v=SCJJH6MphrQ

Onward

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16 years 4 months
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A bit shocking to settle in expecting pristine SBD and getting audience for the first two songs. I'd hoped the rest of the show would be free of patches and it would appear to be, however the vocals are all over the place depending on the song, but whatcha gonna do. 10/1 IS an excellent show (haven't checked out 10/2 yet) and I would have subscribed anyway but one would assume there are enough high-quality complete SBD shows remaining to avoid patch issues. Release those as bonus discs or something. Caveat Emptor but...

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The 1 Oct, 1977, Portland, OR, show cooks from the beginning because the Dead play a typical first set list of prime 1977 audio (the magic at Dave’s Picks makes this show so much better than before). The band presents its foundation for all to hear with unmistakeable '77 versions of such great songs as Love Each Other, Cassidy and Peggy-O, then the Dead sprawl into the set's first extended jam, The Music Never Stops. The music really does not stop. With a typical '77 cohesive rhythm, Bobby's drives this jam into rush-hour traffic. Jerry's lead somewhere around the 4-minute mark tosses out a fluent and melodic solo that first Bobby, then the band, recognize. This is where the band pauses and then pursues an intensely wound, therefore loose, Bertha. The band digs in to boogie.

After what feels like hours, the band takes another turn pouncing from Bertha into Good Lovin'. The audio is unbelievably clean, so it really makes me want this sweet Bertha to carry on for just a few more hours (I think Owsley would love this platform). Sooner or later, of course, Jerry pioneers a direction where Bertha becomes a high-level and hellfire jamming Good Lovin'. To mark the occasion of another fantastic jam near five-and-a-half, Keith kisses the end of Lovin' with a “Tah-dah” two-note tribute which is its own easter egg.

Then Jerry leads the band into...this is the real deal kind of Roses where the band harmonizes the chorus as the song ripples along. Prophet has its depth and step. From these, Jerry launches into another Eyes with his own blazing melody. Billy and Mickey do such a great job navigating…

I had not planned to listen to the first show. I had not planned to describe a show. Instead, I planned to interact with the music Dave’s Picks released. As for the description of the show, Ray Robertson describes the scene very well in the liner notes essay, “The Engine Just Gleams”. I just pre-ordered his book, All The Years Combine: The Grateful Dead in Fifty Shows”. As for ’77 Dead, this particular first concert in Dave’s 45 is superior ’77! I'm staying here for a little while. Tomorrow night's show, October 2, 1977, can wait for just a little bit…One more thing comes to mind: Mickey, you created the original “too much cowbell” on this Dancing In The Streets…

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DP 45 is a ho hum affair with a few bright spots. If you have as many official concert releases as myself, and it's complete over kill, this release is nothing special. I could have done without it. 10/1 peak moments are the Music Never Stopped, Dancing in the Streets and NFA. Nothing else really stands out. With so many 1977 versions of everything out there times 10, this would be an okay release if your collection needed 1977 shows if not, pass. 10/2 peaks are Casey Jones and that would be about it. Let it Grow is not that intense, well played but not as good as other Dave's Picks from the fall of 1977, so it's not essential. Set 2 does it's thing but really nothing outstanding. Though iv I was there and in the moment it would have been awesome. But time has passed and there are so many other shows to compare it to. It's well played and enjoyable but not essential for an over loaded collection. . Are there any shows that will be released in the future that are better than what was already released for the same year? Precedence would indicate NO. No wonder as of Feb. 3 it's not sold out, it is not essential to have at this point. The Betty Board sounds great except either sometimes Jerry does not feel like signing or the recording just is trouble. Where are the vocals? A glorified bootleg, but better than a tape that was copied 20 times over for sure. Hope DP 46 Picks up the pace.

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?

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Cool story, Brother Oroboros, and I mean that sincerely. I never get tired of hearing tales of the GOGD good ol days, and that one’s a double doozy. And I really like how you tied it into the whole thing about being a listener and a learner as opposed to a talk talk talker. I've been guilty of that too damn many times. I heard ten thousand whispers and nobody listenin, somebody sang once.

So 45 showed up today. For the first time ever, I received my copy before the run sold out. Kind of weird, but I doubt if it portends disaster. Probably to be expected, now that the runs are up to 24,000 and lots of the most essential shows have been issued. Maybe it has something to do with ebay, maybe there’s such a thing as ’77 fatigue, maybe the moon was aligned with Uranus, I don’t know. But I’m guessing it’ll sell out soon.

Listening to the first disc now: sound takes a long time to get settled, for a Betty board. Even after the audience tape section (which sounds about how you’d expect, ie not very good) balances seem way off for a few minutes, but settle in very nicely during Deal and the fi gets hi. I’m home alone, wife at work, cranking it and annoying the neighbors.

Sorry to hear about sleep problems Proudfoot and some others are having. Be sure to get checked out for sleep apnea. I got diagnosed, and treated, and it was borderline life changing. For garden variety insomnia, both alcohol and melatonin can be helpful in getting to sleep, but harder to fall back asleep if you wake up a couple hours later, which in my experience is exactly what happens. Cannabis of the indica variety helps. As it does with many things.

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In reply to by JeffSmith

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Pony Express dropped off 4749 this morning in Red Rock country! Just down the street, numberwise, from VGuy.

Having the new Dave's Picks in your PO Box is like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, like a touch of Christmas in February, an icy cold beer on a hot desert day, the smile of a pretty girl.

Happy,happy,happy.

Oroboros - thanks for sharing that story again! I forgot that you met Jerry after 2/3/78. That was my first show. There's a Miller upload of the complete SBD in case anybody wants the rest of the story. And that sublime Eyes of the World includes a ~20 sec audience patch of fine Jerry soloing between verses 2 and 3 that was missing in the release. Me? I want to hear that!

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Damn it: big old skip all through Passenger on disc 1. Brand new, first time played. Truly sucks. Deadchief at hotmail.

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In reply to by Crow Told Me

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Exercise, diet, relaxtion -which rules out online activity and watching a screen before bed time - are often cited as activities conducive to getting a good nights sleep. Oh, and no alcohol ( sorry Crow). It's much easier doing these things when you are retired, I admit. Meditation might not sound very exciting, but it's benefits are increasingly being recognised for all sorts of conditions. Worth checking out, I would say.

No Dave's Picks yet - sounds good, overall, going off reviews. I'm wondering if I will find myself agreeing with 72Live Dead, though, that they are both a bit humdrum if you already have a gazillion 77 shows. Time will tell, I guess.

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Come all sorts of mystifying things. And not all positive. I just feel compelled to say this about that.
Stating that one is tired of hearing’77 shows (or any other year for that matter) is simply ridiculous to me. And I’ll tell you why. EVERY Dead show is an individual event. Does every show from the the same year sound exactly the same?? Why of course not. Are they similar in some aspects?? Certainly. But I am here to state that in my opinion, the boys were FEELING IT these 2 nights. I don’t care about 2 songs from an audience tape, don’t even really care about set lists so much (though these are great set lists).
I just care about performance. And I’m not talking about flubs or mistakes. I’m talking about pure adrenalized performance.
These shows are HOT, and if you disagree, I’m perfectly okay with that. However, I cannot understand how an open mind could not hear the juice flowing here. So DAVEROCK, have a listen (once you get them) and let us know what YOU think. Anyone else??
I guess it’s just me, but I don’t hear anything to complain about. And so guess what?? I’m going to play all 4 discs again, 2 tonight, and 2 tomorrow. And I guarantee you I will enjoy the HELL out of them.

Music is the Best!!
Rant over!!

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I'm surprised they are still in stock at this point? Normally anything "1977" flies off the shelf just because of the year...

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Listen closely, do you hear someone talking?

I think someone mentioned this several days ago (if my memory serves men correctly), but I didn’t check it then.
Just heard it, then backed up and confirmed it.

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Yes! I just heard it too. There is definitely a male voice speaking in the background of CD 2 Track 7 @ 6:44

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Good post Mr. Ones, I had some similar thoughts. I've only listened to the 10/1 show so far, and there were some sonic imperfections in the mix at times, but I found it to be a pretty hot show. I'm not expecting perfection from 46 year old recordings that were never meant for commercial release in the first place. I look at these releases as much as a historic audio snapshot of the Dead at a particular show without the expectation of sonic perfection, so that surely affects my perspective and expectations. Even imperfect shows can add some interesting context to the evolution of the sound of songs and song sequences over time. I'm looking forward to listening to 10/2 sometime soon.

As far as the audience patch, having a patch for two songs out of a two full show release doesn't bother me, but I'm easy to please. They did give subscribers an extra disc essentially for free, so there's that too. On the other hand, people like what they like, so no harm to me if someone else finds it to be a drag, and it seems hard to argue that someone is wrong when they tell you what they don't like. I know I've bitched about it when there are out of sequence songs on releases due to the inclusion of bonus material, 'cause I don't like that, and felt like I was a heretic based on some of the responses to my preferences. Like the song says, you can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself. So far, I find this release pretty pleasing.

....I'm just happy these shows were cleaned up and released.
My entire tape of 10.1 sounds like the first song and a half here.
I mean, how many perfect sounding versions of Promised Land does one need anyway?

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There's a case to be made that 45 is the best Dave's Picks release in several years. Let that sink in. And while you're at it, contribute to the cause. This pick needs to sell out yesterday. Or the day before that. Make that the week before last. If you don't already own these shows, you're either spending too much time on the archive, you're cashless and have no credit, or you just don't give enough of a damn to turn your attention away from a silly internet forum to give yourself the gift of great music. There are no other options; full stop.

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I agree that each show regardless of your and year are unique events and a big part of the enjoyment of collecting these. Overall I think both shows are cool. Within the context of the '77 Fall tour it's interesting to see how they evolve and experiment over the course of weeks. There has been a lot of '77 shows released and there's plenty of nuance to be found given the time to absorb after a couple of spins through.

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This is a great pair of shows. I'd rank it above average for sure. Samson rocks. Thanks to Betty+Dave. Those crash cymbals towards the end of Samson.

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Spot on Mr. Ones. I was just thinking after my previous reads of comments and then listening to 10/1 Estimated /Eyes, this is a moment in time that we get to revisit-what a gift. The sound quality is Super. Like really Super! And what a fun juxtaposition to have the two opening songs to give us an experience of what came before soundboards. It’s like a test to extract the energy from those songs…and then we’re in sonic bliss before the second song ends. So good.
Hats off to Bob Menke the taper!

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Got a midnight phone call this evening from my 17 year old daughter who was ostensibly sleeping over at a friend's house. "Hi dad...I didn't do anything wrong...but... my friend had a party and the sheriff wants me to take a breath test...should I?" I told her no, you should politely decline and say that you don't consent. And then I went and picked her up from her friend's house, along with what looked like a dozen other parents doing the same thing with their own teenagers, while a few sheriff deputies sat on scene helpfully directing parents to the right house. Honestly, I'm more amused than annoyed, but that's ok, because it seems like my wife is way more annoyed than amused. With the stuff I did at 17 I'd feel like a pretty big hypocrite getting too worked up about the situation.

Yes, I agree with what you say as well. I am not really influenced by others opinions on things, although I find others views interesting. It's always fun to read the views of someone who goes against the grain in any field.

While all shows are different, there is a similar tone in certain years, surely. It's not just 1977, either. I have been listening to the February 1973 shows I have this year. Then I pulled out 2 Daves Picks, 32 and 16. 16 is 3/24 and 32 is 3/28. After listening to 3/24, I decided to leave the next one for a while....try something different and go back to it later. The jams in this year may be unique, but there is a similarity in the way they played many of the shorter songs.

I'm not fussed about this audience patch that has been mentioned.

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>>>>> I mean, how many perfect sounding versions of Promised Land does one need anyway?

2317 :-)

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We had it so much easier Charlie3. House parties that spilled out into the suburban street and even if the cops came all they did was tell the host to turn it down and keep them in the backyard, not the front yard. And we seldom if ever got pulled over. Yesterday saw a scary report on fake Oxy saying 99% of what's on the street is fake and likely have deadly amounts of Fentinol (sp?). Literally one pill can kill. These kids have no chance against that. The profit motive as those cheap Chinese chemicals make it to Mexico and have taken over the fake pharmaceuticals. All we had to worry about was taking too much or mixing the wrong ones in stupid quantities. I'd like to think we were smarter but it's more likely we had safer choices and were simply more experienced. They just want to have fun.
Cheers

Edit: Back from the mail and 7798/25000 is here. Sounds like it's time for a safe and sane house party.

I never threw one at my parent’s house. Knew better than that.

My friend threw one in his parent’s house, no damage except a small cigarette burn and got it completely cleaned up. When his parents were back they found a used condom in their bed.

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....-108 F registered on top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. That's Mars (Hotel) temps. Likely a new record for the U.S. 🥶 (Blues). Brought to you by Ice Nine Productions.
Now back to your regularly scheduled house parties.

the only house party is in my head. Mother of Goodness, this 10/1 Estimated sounds freaking amazing!! Betty was a magician.

BigChief - I would email Dr. Rhino for a replacement of the scratched disc if you haven't already done that.

1st show - some seemingly random current in the universe was trying to hook you up with #7878. it came pretty close!

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Got mine. I'm totally cool with the fact that they started the show out with an audience patch... it's about the content, right? Not the medium. I love those old Humphrey Bogart and Boris Karloff movies and they can only be made to look so "good," even on the finest modern equipment.

Insomnia does blow, the worst is "trying" to fall asleep. I learned years ago when struggling to get some sleep after ingesting too many of the wrong kind of chemicals that there is great value in simply resting one's body and trying to quiet the mind. In fact, over a few hours time spent thusly I've achieved some pretty blissful states, rising in the early morning feeling much fresher and less fatigued than if I struggled and stressed trying techniques to fall asleep. It it happens, great, if not, no sense in fighting it.

Been on a rare Foo Fighters binge lately, there's a brilliant cover of Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street" out there worth checking out.

Time to go make a cup of coffee before taking some lads to the batting cages.

\m/

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