"To my ears, the best Dead shows are those that not only fit the criteria that make them amongst the best of a year, but that are also completely unique for their era—shows that fit perfectly into their year of performance, but also fall somewhat outside of the norm for that year. Harpur College, Veneta, Cornell, Cape Cod, and Augusta are all shows that are objectively excellent, and if they are not the best from their respective years of performance, they are certainly unique. Miami 6/23/74 falls into that category: not only one of the very best shows from this outstanding year, but also one of the most interesting and unique. It’s certainly worthy of many, many deep listens." - David Lemieux
¡Ándale, ándale! ¡Arriba, arriba! We're back with a hot one from Miami, F-L-A. DAVE’S PICKS VOLUME 34 features the complete show from the Jai Alai Fronton, 6/23/74, one with unparalleled sound quality due in equal parts to the Wall Of Sound and the beautiful sonic clarity of Kidd Candelario's tapes. The first set is chock full of dynamite takes on classics like "Ramble On Rose," "Mississippi Half-Step," and "Cumberland Blues." The second set delivers on the JAMS - one leading into a gorgeous "Ship Of Fools," one rare instrumental version of "Dark Star," and a "Spanish Jam," this is Miami after all! The show also offers up a "first" and an "only" - the former, a Seastones set featuring Phil and Ned Lagin and the latter, the sole Grateful Dead performance of Chuck Berry's "Let It Rock."
Limited to 22,000 numbered copies, DAVE’S PICKS VOL.34: JAI ALAI FRONTON, MIAMI, FL 6/23/74 has been mastered from the 7.5 IPS reel-to-reel tapes to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman. ¡Agarrarlo mientras esta calientito! (Get it while it's hot!)
*Limited to 2 per order. Very limited quantity available.
Subscribed to Dave's Picks? With this release, you'll also get a bonus disc with selections from Miami 6/22/74. Excellente!
It's always a good weekend…
It's always a good weekend when a new DaP arrives. But damn, Seastones done drove my dog straight out of the room. Not a fan myself. Haven't heard this show in probably 5 years, it's a good one alright!
December 86
I've been going through the December 86 shows. My first time going through this run. I've heard the 3 Oakland Coliseum shows, which were all great. Right now I'm currently listening to the 1st Kaiser Convention Center show. 12/27/86. What a fun and surprising show this is so far! Playing in the Band opener, can't be a bad sign. 2nd set opens with Mighty Quinn. Then a very well played OLD version of Dancin in the Street, which transitions amazingly well into Black Muddy River (only the 2nd one!). Then back to the Playing Jam which leads into I need a Miracle. I can't imagine how exciting these shows must've been. I also find it interesting they played 3 shows at a venue that holds about 50,000 and then played four nights at a venue that only holds about 5500.
More on Reading Festivals and other nostalgia...
Firstly, Daverock: You say you were at the Reading Festival of 1977. I was surprised to note that Kingfish allegedly played there on the Friday (they are listed in a list of artists who played but their name doesn't appear on the festival poster) and the Doobie Brothers played on the Sunday. Do you have any recollection of either of them? I certainly was not present that year.
I was at most of the earlier Reading Festivals. I am pretty sure I was there in 1971, 1972 and 1973, all three of which were graced by Genesis. Unfortunately I have very few recollections of those festivals - summers in those years were spent visiting the plethora of large and small festivals that took place all over the south of England in those times. Hawkwind and Quintessence were pretty much fixtures on the festival scene in those times. Also in my hometown of Portsmouth there were weekly gigs on the local pier (South Parade Pier, which unfortunately got burnt down during the filming of "Tommy"). I'm pretty sure I saw Genesis there in December 1971 during their "Foxtrot" tour. I certainly remember seeing Yes and Iron Butterfly there. Yes were the support band (this was before they became a top act) and at the end of Iron Butterfly's impressive set various members of Yes joined them for a bit of a jam. Other notable events I remember included the first ever performance of Emerson, Lake and Palmer at Plymouth Guildhall, a strange venue that looked more like a church than a city hall and held a couple of hundred people. The band was so new that they had a limited number of songs that they knew, and half of those Keith Emerson had brought from The Nice. No matter, everyone wanted more so they played songs for a second time. Those were the days, my student days - seemingly endless summers, permanently wasted with nothing better to do than hit the festival trail or go to concerts and generally hang out with like-minded people. Such freedom was never afforded again as things went downhill from the mid '70s.
Everything has been figured out, except how to live
Hendrixfreak check your PM.
Doc
Right place, wrong year?
Simon...no, I wasn't aware that Kingfish played at Reading in 1977. I'd bought their studio album the previous summer, which I thought was great, so if I had known they were appearing I would have made a concerted effort to see them. I have no memory of the Doobie Brother either...but I didn't know who they were at the time. The only bands I can remember are Hawkwind, Thin Lizzy, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - I think - maybe Golden Earring. And the bottling off incidents I mentioned earlier. Maybe it wasn't 1977 I was there...but I'm pretty sure it was. I don't mind admitting, I was as drunk as skunk for the three days I was there. As The Cramps sang "Intoxicated till I can't what the hell I can see."
I got the very strong impression I caught the downward trajectory of the festival era -even at the time. I started in 1975 with Pink Floyd at Knebworth, had the strongest acid of my life at The Stones at the same place 1976, went to the free Deeply Vale festivals in the North West-1976. 1977 and 1978 and got busted at the smallest recorded Glastonbury Festival on record in 1978. None of these festivals were that great, really. I enjoyed seeing bands in doors much more.
Mr Ones...I also tended to like bands in their earlier years more. I was quite fickle in the 1970s. A lot of the bands I mention that I saw, including The Stones...seemed to go off after about 1974, and I simply stopped buying their records after that. I didn't follow them, like a football fan, or anything. I loved David Bowie up to and including Alladdin Sane..but I didn't go round dressed as Ziggy Stardust. A band made a rubbish record-they were out.
Reading '77
As far as I am aware Golden Earring did play at Reading '77. I made a very strange discovery whilst surfing the interweb this morning. Searching for "Reading Festival 1977" under "Images" I came across two totally different posters for Reading Rock 77. One of them showed the lineup that Daverock obviously saw, with John Peel amongst the DJs wheras the other was completely different and featured both Gary Glitter and Rolf Harris with Jimmy Saville as one of the DJs. WTF! The significance of this lineup may well be lost on our American friends but if what is known now had been known then, there would have been an attendance of precisely zero, nought, nada. Hahaha. What a fucking nightmare.
good morning everyone
O.k. now that everyone is starting to get their Jai Alai Fronton CD's I have to comment about the last release... I am usually very positive on the releases, and what i post on here. If it wasn't for Disc 3 of Dekalb, i probably would never listen to it again. I just didn't do it for me, and I am a big fan of 1977.... Disc 3 is amazing, the first two are os os..
No, no, and thrice no
I am certain that none of that unholy trinity were at Reading the same time as me. Thank gawd.
Incidentally, I didn't see Hot Tuna either, despite being in the same field as them at Knebworth 1976. They were on one side of the field, I was on the other. And it was a big field. They appeared before I lost my mind - about midday, and I can remember their sound wavering about in the atmosphere before it reached me. I couldn't actually see the musicians. In fact I could barely make out the stage. Again-own up time - I wasn't sure who they were at the time. I knew that had something to do with Jefferson Airplane - but the only thing I knew about THEM was White Rabbit and seeing that excerpt at Woodstock. I had along way to go. Still do, come to think of it.
Seems like you did catch the golden era of the British Underground, Simon. You must have seen the illustrious Pink Fairies a few times. I caught the later, inferior versions, but the two drum, Paul Rudolph led rabble rousers must have been something to behold. Looks good on paper, anyway!
Pink Fairies & Hawkwind...
Indeed I did have the good fortune to see the two drummer line-up of the Pink Fairies at the Bath Festival in 1970. They were playing on the back of a flatbed truck outside the festival ground. Didn't see Hawkwind there unfortunately. Wikipedia summarises it quite nicely. As for the "proper" festival - an unbelievable line-up for a mere 2 pounds 50. Including Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna amongst many others.
This from Wikipedia:
The Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music was a counterculture era music festival held at the Royal Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England on 27–29 June 1970. Bands such as Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin performed, and the festival was widely bootlegged. An 'alternative festival' was staged in an adjoining field where the Pink Fairies and Hawkwind played on the back of a flatbed truck.
The festival started at midday on the 27th (a Saturday) and finished at about 6:30 am on Monday morning. A DJ played records for early arrivers from the Friday evening and continued to do so between many of the sets until the end. The festival featured a line-up of the top American west coast and British bands of the day, including Santana, The Flock, Led Zeppelin (headlining act), Hot Tuna, Country Joe McDonald, Colosseum, Jefferson Airplane (set aborted), The Byrds (acoustic set), The Moody Blues (unable to play), Dr. John (acoustic set), Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention, Canned Heat, It's a Beautiful Day, Steppenwolf, Johnny Winter, John Mayall with Peter Green, Pink Floyd, Pentangle, Fairport Convention, Keef Hartley, the Maynard Ferguson Big Band.
Bath 1970
Simon - What a weekend that looks!
There are a few photographs of the Pink Fairies playing on that flatboard truck you mention, online. Quiet a few of the onlookers can be seen, and there only seems to be about 25 people there. If you aren't on it, you must have been missed by a hair's breadth.
Pink Fairies
I just Googled for pictures of the Pink Fairies at Bath and indeed that is exactly how I remember it. Not a lot of people in attendance.
Factoid: I used to have a cat called Twink, named after the Fairies drummer.
In music the passions enjoy themselves
Morning rockers!!!
Speaking of Europe 72...………………..
May 3. Not only the anniversary of my stroke, but also the anniversary of one of the greatest Dead shows ever played? I have always savored the power and crispness of the playing at this show. No Dark Star, but still...…..
I must admit I've always had a soft spot for Newcastle and Aarhus. Sometimes the lesser lights bring greater enjoyment...…………
Rock on, rockers!!!!
Doc
UK Festivals
Bit late to this discussion, but I was also at Bath and Bickershaw, probably sat next to Simonrob, not much to add to his musings, except did seea very pregnant (with her daughter God/China) Grace Slick stuggeling through the mud carryting equipment, she told my friend Keith, now sadly no longer with us, to fuck off when he had the temerity to ask if the y might play after it stopped raining. At Bickerhaw our tent blew over in the rain, and by the time we got it up again, it was decorated by the hooves of police horses who had ridden over it,
I was also at Hollywood UnderLyme for the Deads UK debut (in the summertime)
I wasnt too keen on three days of mud generally, Im built for comfort, but I was at Reading once for Commander Cody having been recently blown away by them in London, and also the very excellent Tassavallen Presidentii.
In those days Reading was good for European bands we had never heard of , Magma anyone? No thought not...
But I loved one dayers, Crystal Palace bowl, or Wembly, or Knebbworth: howabout this lineup: Tim Buckley, Mahavishnu orc, Doobies, Allman Brothers and some also rans, Alex Harvey...
But my favourite one dayer wasnt a festival at all, it was a bithday party, Zigzag magazines 5th to be exact at the Roundhouse with John Stewart, and Mike Nesmith, but also Starry Eyed and Laughing, Chilli Willy and the Redhot Peppers ( Martin Stone of Mighty Baby!) And the UKs very own Quicksilver/Mad River, Help Yourself.
Living in North London we were spoilt for choice, club gigs every night, the Wake Arms in Epping every sunday, the Roundhouse in Camden Town, the Rainbow and, briefly, the Edmonton Sundown
Twink
Saw him play drums with the MC5 at the Wake Arms, but he was so, shall we say indisposed?, That he fell off his drumstool, comatose, and the gig could only continue when sombody from the audience stepped up to the plate.... is there a drummer in the house? I seem to remember we were only a dozen or so in the audience!
Short lived jealously.
For a while I was jealous or envious of those folks lucky enough to be living in the bay area in the late '60s and early '70s but when I thought about the multitude of fine bands and cool venues that we had in England at the time then I realised that, in our own way, we were just as blessed as our Californian counterparts. Help Yourself? One of the best, but there were just too many to name. T2 anyone? Or High Tide? Jody Grind? The list is endless.
The annual Crystal Palace Garden Party was another goodie. I have fond memories of the 1971 edition with Quiver, Mountain (Loud), The Faces and Pink Floyd. Enhanced naturally by some extremely good acid.
No Show
My Dave's Picks 34 did not arrive on schedule yesterday. Hopefully today.
Doc, I started my walk this morning with the May 3rd show. I have been able to keep up and get in all of the shows on their anniversary dates for Europe 72 this year. It's only because the Dave's Picks hasn't arrived yet...
One of the great things about the May 3rd show is that Bobby hoots like a cowboy during Me and My Uncle. I only have a limited time, so I rearranged the order a little bit. I'll get it and its proper order at some point today but for now I started with the Bertha / Uncle 1-2 punch. This was a great couple songs to open a show with in the 71-72 area. Next I put on the playlist Parts 1 2 and 3 of The Other One. I omitted drums and Me and Bobby McGee. When you put the three together with a 1 second crossfade you can barely tell an alteration has been made. Sometimes I just like to hear them altogether.
The China Cat might be my favorite is the tour. Definitely my favorite Cina Cat solo. It's the one that used for the original Europe 72 LP so I wonder if and if it was redone in the studio, besides some vocals. Like did he really play that guitar solo....
Jealous guy
And I felt jealous for missing out on the culture enjoyed by Simon and Dogon. Amazing what a difference a few years can make. But nevertheless, I saw some cracking bands (with maybe more to come), even if the festivals were a bit unsatisfactory.
A few years ago, I was talking to a much younger guy than me about different bands we had both seen. He told me that the group he would like to see, above all others, was The Australian Pink Floyd. Talk about having low expectations of life.
My last big outdoor event...
The second Knebworth fest of 1978. Featuring The Tubes, Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel, Boomtown Rats, Rockpile, Wilko Johnson's Solid Senders. A good enough line up for a day out. Peter Gabriel was strange as always. Frank Zappa was good as always and the Tubes were very entertaining. At the time they were the new big thing from the west coast. I remember being impressed with their keyboard player, which is why I was happy when he became a member of the Dead. Little did I know then how the '90s would play out.
Covers
Couldn't find any decent cover images online so here's the best my scanner could produce:
- B
DOGON - Zigzag concert
The Zigzag birthday party was one that I would really have liked to go to. I subscribed to the magazine for many years and if they haven’t been eaten by mice I still have a lot of issues. One day I’ll fight my way through the other debris to get to them and all the Let it Rock magazines to see how they are. I loved John Stewart and used to get the Omaha Rainbow fanzine. Unfortunately that concert was at a time when money was tight. I do have the box set of all the acts that was released many years after the show.
San Francisco Blues Festival
I went to the San Francisco Blues Festival many times. It started in 1973 and ran until 2007. It was a fantastic event that was held every year , usually in late September. It was held in Golden Gate Park , McLaren Park , and Chrissy Field overlooking San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. It was free for years, you could bring in an ice chest full of food. and beer. Then they started charging, but that was fine, they had great food and cold beer inside. Through the years I saw, B.B. King, Albert King, Bobby Blue Bland, Buddy Guy & Jr. Wells, James Cotton, Mike Bloomfield, Charlie Musslewhite, Lowel Fulson, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Albert Collins, just to name a few. It was a wonderful time, and I really miss it.
Zigzag
Pete Frame's family trees pointed the way to so many interesting and unknown bands and their recordings. Without the family trees I would have missed so much music. The magazine was worth it for those alone, but was filled with all sorts of interesting articles as well.
My last big outdoor event
Was as late as 1999-WOMAD. First festival I had been to for 21 years. My girlfriend at the time wanted to go. It amazed me how different things were from the 1970s. Many different stages, so there was music going on all the time-on site shops selling all manor of ethnic type clothing and international cuisine. We stayed in a hotel. Some things don't change though...while I was sitting in a beer garden, a passing stranger offered me a chocolate from her box, and asked if I would like a space truffle. Down the hatch it went. I got so stoned I lost my pyjamas.
I agree-5/2/70 is phenomenal.
DP34 smashed
I received my DP34 today in Baltimore. Numbered 9991. I have never had the mail service deliver on a Sunday which was unusual and then I see it comes in this rinky dunk cardboard with no padding. Never saw them ship in such inadequate packaging. I open it and of course it is crushed and the spine of the cd set is torn and blown out. The inside plastic parts around the cds is smashed with little bits of plastic falling out. This doesn’t fit with my collection and not the quality I paid for it expect. I have been ordering box sets and release from dead.net for the last 25 years. This is first time I had something damaged. My previous two orders were screwed up too. Ready or Not LP was delayed shipping for weeks and then they put the address on it wrong and I had to wait longer and go track it down at UPS and go pick it up, my 1976 box set they sent it and it was returned to sender before it got to me and had to have them resend it. Wonder what is going on over there. They put sourced this stuff now I guess and quality of service took a nose dive.
Will they send me a new case for my DP 34. Anyone get damaged stuff before and what did they do about it?
Anyone else?
I put my tracking number on the UPS website, and it still says:
Status: "In Transit"
Estimated Delivery Date / Time:
Saturday
05/02/2020
By End Of Day
So it didn't show up yesterday and there is no update and status. Anyone else have this with theirs? Thanks
Damaged Packaging Blues
Do the CDs play?
I wouldnt want my case damaged, buut, if the CDs played that would be ok. With me.
I dont know if youll get replacement packaging. Marye? Dr. Rhino? Customer service? Anyone?
Buehler?
Keith Fan......
Keith Fan did you try tracking with USPS? They might have additional information for you since I believe they are the ones that ultimately deliver the CD
CDs sound great
Yeah the CD’s play and sound great. I’m listening now and loving it. Magic is coming out of my speakers right now. That is most important thing I guess. I take very good care of my cd’s and have a nice collection. This is a bummer about the damage. I guess the plastic being smashed is t terrible as it looks but the spine of the case is torn and blown out. Doesn’t fold right and will look bad on the shelf next to all my others sticking out and looking raggedy.
If it was just a random accident I wouldn’t be upset, but I feel this got smashed because they went stingy in the shipping packaging. What gets me is I never had damage before and looks like they tried to save a few cents by packing it in folded cardboard with tape on it instead of the softer padded sleeve all the other ones have come in. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Don’t try to skimp on packing and send out stuff that is damaged. I bet many were messed up because the packing was a joke. Saved a few pennies but in return screwed customers and sent out damaged product. I looked on forums and in the past sometimes they have offered a refund if you send it back or they have sent out unnumbered version to replace damage.
Dave’s 34 has landed
Dave’s 34 hit the mailbox today 15256/22000 Sunday delivery another great pick from Dave love it tight show the boys were hittin the note on this one. Dark Star Jam > Spanish Jam > US Blues......killer this whole show is awesome. New packaging is also great and long over due no more cheesy flimsy paper only took 8 years to get that straight. Sounds like some are unhappy with the new packaging I personally like it that’s just one mans opinion though. My mailman is hard on packages. To all that have received messed up cases I’ve had several problems over the years with messed up cracked cases dented corners box cutter slices Rhino has always been good about replacing them and when they do they have always told me to keep the damaged one. It’s always frustrating to deal with damaged cracked, dinged cases but in the end they have always put a smile on my face with a new undamaged one. Don’t hesitate to call them do it soon they should fix it after all you payed for a new unbroken product.
Good luck :)
Colin, Zigzag...
Yes, Zigzag was indespensible, at least till punk came along .
Then its place for me, was taken by John Platts Comstock Lode.
Also used to get the Omaha Rainbow zine, and Hot Wacks, named after the excellent Wackers band.
As we filed out after the Zigzag birthday party, the music played was Beefhearts Zigzag wanderer.
There was a similar gig later at the Roundhouse when John Cippolina played with Man, also in attendance solo Barry Melton, but also the eras pubrock royalty, Bees make Honey, Kilburn and the Highroads with Ian Drury and others.
Back Covers for Dicks Picks
I’d love if I could get some good quality scans for Dicks Picks I’ve got great scans for the fronts but have troubles finding backs with the spline. Any help would be much appreciated.
Packaging
I want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are You listening? Plastics. There's a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?...great movie.
I feel a little sense of regret every time I receive something packaged in plastic. That packaging is likely to outlast us all and will just be detritus in a landfill or ocean for ages. Cardboard will degrade in a more timely manner and will not cause me to feel a pang of guilt when I receive the package. I will admit that I have developed an increasing aversion to single use plastics over the last few years so this affects my perspective on the matter. I got a Zippo so I wouldn't have to wonder where all those bic lighters were ending up after seeing some photos of ocean birds filled with plastic detritus including lighters. So I'm in favor of cardboard packaging over plastic packaging. Having said that, I would hope that if someone receives a damaged product that deadnet will make it right.
Magazines
There used to be one in England called Dark Star. I got it from about 1977 to 1981. Although I bought it as a Dead fanzine, there were plenty of reviews and interviews with and about other related bands - lots on Spirit and Jefferson Airplane/Starship.
The main writer was a guy called Steve Burgess, and he championed what he saw as the "new psychedelic" British bands of 1980-1981. The Teardrop Explodes, Echo and the Bunnymen and the great Soft Boys were among those so favoured. Actually, all those three were pretty good.
It still says "USPS Awaiting Item" on my tracking
No rush but what the hell? :)
Going through PNW '73-'74 box in preparation for this.
Just finished Phish Baker's Dozen, Dead "30 Trips" and "Europe 72", "Get Shown the Light" boxes over the past month.
No rush, but what the hell? :)
Packaging vs Content
Sorry to read so many people experiencing packaging issues. In my case, I am still waiting for a working copy of DP 33. I have received three shipments over the past four years that had defective discs. The first time I received a replacement tout suite. The second time it took almost three months. This time three months and still waiting, no information, no communication, no response to emails. This pattern had me forego the June '76 box set, even though I really, really want it. I wish the service was as great as the music. This Jai-Alai show sounds heavenly.
Confused on the packaging thing....
....is it the package the pick is sent in, or the CD package itself? The outside packaging has changed over the last 9 years, but the CD itself hasn't.
(Mines due tomorrow)
5-3-72 Gratest Hits
Didn’t have time for the whole show, so
China Rider
Playing
Good Lovin
Sing Me
Truckin’ >>> just passed Phil/Drums>>>.......
Excellent (picture Mr. Burns tapping finger tips)......
Packaging
Sounds like they went back to those brown paper/glue wraps they were using several years ago. Haven’t received mine yet so don’t know.
As for paper/plastic cases, they are more protective than the paper of the Road Trips Series, and seem to be more sturdy than the jewel cases of Dick’s Picks which often had the little tabs in the middle easily break off.
Packaging
My comment referred to the outer shipping containers, sounded like the original complaint was that the outer shipping packaging was cardboard instead of padded envelope and the actual DaP was damaged. I like the actual DaP setup with the digipak style setup with plastic tray on cardboard.
Hmm. Cardboard in cardboard....
....seems safe enough. Plastic in cardboard on the other hand.
Cardboard Cowboy anyone?
Currently grilling corn and chicken on briquettes with Coltrane in the background. Palate cleanser.
Re: The Graduate
Nice Graduate reference Charlie.
...as for 3 27 83, I had to at least give the China Rider a spin. The Miller seed sounds nice indeed.