Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye! Gentle mistresses and most distinguished gentlemen, we have come upon the release of the DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 37, from the Fifteenth of April in the year Nineteen Seventy-Eight, at ye olde College Of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Cast your waistcoats and your bonnets aside, the Grateful Dead are on steady gallop from the opening high-kick of "Mississippi Half-Step" into a where are we going? where have we been? "Passenger," followed by full-on versions of "Friend Of The Devil," "El Paso," "Brown-Eyed Women," and a double-barreled "Let It Grow>Deal." Catch your breath and straighten out your tricorne because the 2nd set shows no bounds with delightful takes ("Bertha>Good Lovin'," "One More Saturday Night") and introspection ("Candyman," "Playing In The Band"). Then - great fifes and drums - it's 15 minutes of "Rhythm Devils," with band and crew gathered round to amplify the merriment before delivering a rare incantation of "Not Fade Away>Morning Dew" that sets the soul alight. Pure jollification!
The town crier's addendum:
Three bags full! Lest you feel 4/15/78 beginneth and endeth too quickly, we've selected highlights from Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA, 4/18/78 to satisfy your fancy.
Limited to 25,000 numbered copies, DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 37: WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA 4/15/78 was recorded by Betty Cantor-Jackson and has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman. It is guaranteed to sell out - often within hours.
*2 per order. Very limited quantity available.
Favorite Solo Albums From Classic Rock Gods....
....All Things Must Pass - The Quiet Beatle.
Solo
Let's not forget Brent's solo album.
Oh, that's right, that one that did not get finished but in the process of not getting finished it somehow gobbled up lots of the multi-track masters from Radio City Music Hall and the Warfield Theatre in 1980. If I could go back in time, I coulda shoulda woulda bought him some blank tapes...
Anyway.. concur with what was said about solo artists. I also like Gilmours On an Island album. It's got some really good lap guitar work sprinkled liberally throughout.
Have a great weekend all.. Thanks MaryE. You're the glue that holds this wacky freak show together.
Solo album
‘The Madcap Laughs’ Syd Barrett. I bought it on the day it was released. In my opinion it is far better than any Pink Floyd album.
Hurdy Gurdy - solo Floyd
That Mike - you've got me doubting now. I have just had a look at the sleeve notes for the album "Hurdy Gurdy Man" and it says there that, although Jimmy Page claimed to have played on it, John Paul Jones, who arranged it, said he didn't, and that a guy called Alan Parker was the guitarist. The Jeff Beck Group backed Donovan on the single "Barabajagal" and its flip side, "Trudi". Again, I'm just going off sleeve notes. It doesn't look as though anyone is 100% sure who played on what!
I've never heard a Roger Waters or Dave Gilmour solo album, and have no plans to do so. But Syd Barrett's " The Madcap Laughs" is brilliant. The follow up, "Barrett" is also well worth hearing.
I also like Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets-the live recording at The Roundhouse from a couple of years ago is great - opening with Interstellar Overdrive and Astronomy Domine, if I remember rightly.
7-18-76 - to be honest ....
.... I haven't listened to a word DaveL has said ever since he confirmed that there are multi-track tapes of this show. I always wondered if this was so after the Go To Nassau surprise (to me) multi-track release came out. That was recorded to multi-track because it was a King Biscuit broadcast. I knew 7-18-76 was also a King Biscuit broadcast and after learning that about the Nassau shows, I hoped the same was true for the Orpheum show. When Dave confirmed that it was so at the time the did the 76 Boxset, I dropped the (figurative) phone and have thought about nothing else ever since! Not really, but that is how much I look forward to the day we get a standalone Normanized release from those multi-track tapes. I do so love that show going back to my earliest fan days; that was one of my first tapes.
Alan Parker?
Dave - That’s a new name to me. I am not familiar with the name at all, or his work. One of those enduring mysteries is Hurdy Gurdy Man - one of the most distinctive guitar parts in 60s rock, yet no one can pin down who it truly was (although I like to think it was Alan Holdsworth). And Page is certainly out, if John Paul Jones discounted him.
A great tune, regardless!
My choice for solo album is an off the wall one - The Tin Man Was A Dreamer, by Nicky Hopkins. Produced by David Briggs (Neil Young), lots of great players on it, including Mick Taylor, and it still holds up after nearly 50 years. A great sideman to so many great artists and albums.
Never heard of Alan Parker?
Mike-no neither have I. Apparently he went on to play for Blue Mink, which is a bit of a step down from Soft Machine and Led Zeppelin, and did some sessions with David Bowie and Elton John.
shout out
to Roger Waters' "Amused to Death". Great album and one that is as good as any later day Pink Floyd lp. Jeff Beck plays on it and it has some great tunes there that he rips it up on. I agree that Roger's other solo lps "Pros and Cons of Hitch hiking" "Radio Chaos" and his latest effort are for sure not that good, but Amused to Death is one I think all Floyd fans should check out. Released in 1994 I think and has been re released just in 2019 for 25th anniversary. It's best if you sit down and listen to it completely to get the proper effect.
David Gilmore's solo efforts are good but again nothing compared to the Floyd, his first being his best and his latest is also very good.
Was going to check out Saucer full of Secrets band but never got a chance and then ..... but have heard a few cuts and they sound great.
I agree Daverock, Syds stuff is great too.
Big shout out to Mary E, she has helped me so much in the past and I would have left this site long ago if not for her and her uncanny ability to get things done for me and all or any who need her help. She is the best. our love is real not fade away
my thoughts at THIS. EXACT. MOMENT.
Vguy: re GD n Gucci...clever
Syd Barrett Madcap better than any Pink Floyd album? Uhhh....everyone has a right to their own opinion. Ummagumma, Meddle, Piper...
On the rare occasion when I force myself to listen to something not GD, I reach for a variety of stuff, not-least-of-which is MOTORHEAD. That stuff always gets me going.
Rock managers
There should be a book (collective) on rock and roll managers and their contribution to musical history. Vast it would be! There are plenty about individuals, among them
Peter Grant: The Man Who Led Zeppelin
Is a fascinating read. I got it off amazon. Tons of stuff about the band I never read anywhere else. I never realized how important he was to them. He was a pretty good guy underneath all the boorishness, and at his peak he was untouchable. Who could blame him?
Col. Tom Parker, Brian Epstein, Don Arden (not to mention $auron, er, Sharon), Irving Azoff, etc.
Producers. Promoters. So many people had so much to do with the success of these bands we grew up on and love to this day.
Cheers!
More solo fun
I love a good theme, with a challenge attached. A couple of people here have already stolen my thunder. It’s not easy to find great solo albums from(most) great bands of the ‘60’s-‘70’s.
My friends frequently accuse me of being purposely fond of less popular fare, which may be true, to a point. But I’m never going to say I like an album, just because I think it would be ‘cool’ or out of the main stream. So......
I agree led ded that Robert Plant’s Dreamland is a fantastic album, and he really turned a corner with that one. He’s always claimed to be a big fan of ‘60’s music, and his last 2 decades of solo work bear that out.
When it comes to the Stones, I have to go with Mick Jagger’s Wandering Spirit, a truly fine album.
With Floyd I agree that Roger Waters’ Amused To Death is also fantastic, and best heard start to finish.
As far as The Who, I really like Pete Townshend’s “Psychoderelict”. There is a version without all the dialogue that’s great. Also, he played a 3-hour show at the Philly Tower Theater on that tour that blew my mind!! (White City is very good too!).
As far as Beatles, I really feel like you need one from each. So again, I second a vote for “ All Things Must Pass”.
Plastic Ono Band from John.
McCartney just has too many albums, but I’ll go with Ram.
And Ringo(yes, even Ringo). His Ringo album is truly fine, but he had a hell of a lot of help on that one.
Sorry for going on, but I just can’t shut up, because:
Music is the Best!!
Managers...
There have been some abhorrent people who have managed bands over the years. Names like Saul Zaentz and Matthew Katz spring to mind but the award for the most loathsome manager surely has to go to Peter Grant. A man in a league of his own.
Turning art into commerce
"Col." Tom Parker seemed pretty reprehensible, too. The man who had the most positive influence on Elvis Presley realising and expressing his talent was surely Sam Phillips. Parker was instrumental only in orchestrating his decline.
The Beatles solo album I used to play the most, back in the 70's, was the John Lennon one with "I Found Out" and "Working Class Hero" on.
Lenny Hart, manager
Lenny Hart, the Deads finance manager, certainly was questionable, he embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Dead.. " He's Gone", was written for Lenny Hart, so something good came out of it.
Amused to death
I have the reissue which has a CD and a BluRay audio disc.
Played the CD last night and wasn’t overly impressed. It’s OK, sounds similar to Final Cut (which I listened to a lot in mid-80’s).
I’ll play it again and maybe it will grow on me. Haven’t heard the BluRay audio version yet, so will check that out.
I noticed a few parts that sounded like they were taken from Wish You Were Here.
Also noticed that a song starts with a melody taken from Phil Colins (take, take me home.....).
I’m playing Gilmour’s first album right now. Had that on cassette in the 80’s.
It’s a pretty good album.
Favorite solo album
That's easy, Garcia's first album, every song is fantastic.
Solo LP
I'll copy BTK and pick Ace by Bob Weir; a solo album that features the Dead minus Pigpen. This is probably the closest to how they sounded in their actual live shows. Playing in the Band alone is worth the price, with Jerry on fire, but everything else is also quite good.
Pretty much anything by Gene Clark is also worth checking.
Favorite Garcia solo
Garcia , his first. On the night of August 9, 1995 I listened to a clean vinyl copy on my friends high end sound “system “, Macintosh amplifier and klipsch speakers.
Honourable Mentions
David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name
Paul Kantner - Blows Against The Empire
Rick Danko - Rick Danko
KISS released solo albums of every member at once....
....lest you forget. They were riding high in 1978. Aces was the best.
All the Good Ones are Taken, but ...
One really under-rated album by a member of a classic rock band: Ron Wood's 'Gimme Some Neck.' Ronnie's such an under-rated guitarist, and this one had Mick, Keef, Chollie, Ian Mclagan, Bobby Keys, Dave Mason. Mick Fleetwood, even, on one cut.
Eric Clapton, once a member of a group called Cream, had a few good solo records, too. Although I suppose the best one, Layla and Other Love Songs, was a group effort.
Gregg Allman's "Low Country Blues" I really loved. Ditto for Levon Helm's "Dirt Farmer."
If God dropped acid, would he see people???
And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming..........
50 years ago today……..
April 4, 1971
Manhattan Center, New York, New York
Set 1: Bertha-Me And My Uncle-Next Time You See Me-Morning Dew-Playing In The Band-Loser-Easy Wind-Me And Bobby McGee-Greatest Story Ever Told>Johnny B. Goode
Set 2: Truckin'-Hard To Handle-Deal-Sugar Magnolia-Casey Jones-Good Lovin'-Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad-St. Stephen-Not Fade Away-Uncle John's Band
And so, musically speaking, Acid Month begins. A well documented, sonically well represented, and much beloved month in Grateful Dead lore…………..
On this first night, a little bit of rust has to be shaken off. Once that’s accomplished, the Dead are in fine psychedelic Bakersfield form. Interesting and unusual early first set Dew. There’s a good dose of grease, including a solid Hard To Handle, the last Easy Wind (OK yes, Pig plays a little loose with the words, but it’s OK and they jam it!), and some great Good Lovin’ snake music. The second set is nicely crunchy, and even though the convoluted jam sequence at the end doesn’t quite jell, it’s alright cuz the Dead are back and rockin’!!
A show you almost never hear about, underrated and certainly worth a listen!
Rock on!
Doc
Acid allows you to walk through the door to an alternate reality, but most people have no idea how to walk back through………….
More solo
Mention of Garcia' first and Ace makes me think that they would be good candidates for the 50th Anniversary treatment.
Kevin Ayers made some good solo albums after leaving Soft Machine - "Joy of a Toy" and "Wherevershebringswesing" are worth checking out.
Daevid Allen made some great off the wall ones, too, before after and concurrent with Gong.
And Steve Hillage made some great albums after being in Gong - "Fish Rising" and "L" come to mind. Maybe the last blast for British psych/space rock before ground zero and punk. Every discerning head should own a copy of the box set of his solo albums and live gigs , "Searching for the Spark."
solo albums
Jorma Kaukonen's "Quah" had always been one my favorites. It's certainly one of my "if I was stuck on a desert island" albums that I would never get tired of. Hell, just look at that album cover!
Gregg and Levon
Good call, Crow, on these solo efforts. Gregg's Southern Blood was good as well, though his vocals were clearly getting creaky. Reminded me of Cash's last couple American efforts. Which I will listen to until I croak. (Southern Blood has a nice Black Muddy River on it, as well.)
Wish Levon had been more active the last 20 years of his life. He could have been producing work as strong as Dirt Famer and Electric Dirt the whole time. (Obviously his throat cancer had a lot to do with that, but I'm guessing his stubborn bitterness did as well...) His Midnight Rambles would certainly be a stop on my Time Machine.
God and acid...
We dropped one beautiful night at Settler's Park in Boulder, saw God in the ancient rock faces. It was accompanied by an overwhelming sense of well-being, like some kind of grandmotherly love and warmth, that everything was and is going to be OK.
That's my last, best psychedelic memory, one that will never leave me, and I'm going to leave it right there.
memories on Easter
27 years ago I got gassed in Orlando on Easter Sunday. And I don't mean N2O. Great show, Jerry worn out but still a great time at the show, not so much after.
Last five
Todd Rundgren - A Wizard, A True Star
Ten Years After - Cricklewood Green
Beatles - Yellow Submarine 30th year anniversary release
Jade Warrior - Floating World
Eric Burdon Band - Sun Secrets
After 2nd dose a month ago, I am immune, funny, dosing used to mean something else when we used to go on tour. Time for the announcement about the upcoming boxset, Autumn 1972 would be fantastic.
Flyin Solo
Happy Spring Fellow Heads!
Catching up on the forum here this morning. Lot's of great posts. Fun to read
There are a lot of solo albums that I enjoy and many of them were mentioned here. Some of my favorites:
- "Garcia" - one of the best studio albums from the full Dead catalog IMO. All killer, no filler on that record. Second side is a mellow psychedelic masterpiece.
- Crosby - "If I could only remember my name" - loved this one since the first time I heard it. Vibes!
- Jorma - "Quah" - does it get any better than Genesis? I'm putting this on later today for sure :-)
- I might put on some Gene Clark today too - can't go wrong with any of his solo albums. I think of him more on his own than in the context of the Byrds.
- "Imagine" is one of my favorites from the whole Beatles catalogue.
I'll add:
Mickey Hart - "Planet Drum" - my favorite of his. I listened to that one a lot in the 90s.
For something more recent, Stephen Malkmus, one time leader of Pavement, put out a solo album called "Traditional Techniques" in 2020. Mostly acoustic instruments, great players, well worth your time IMO.
I'm sure there are other solo albums that I love that I'm forgetting.
Second the shout outs to the great solo artists that keep this circus on the road - Mary E and Dr Rhino - Thank you for all that you do!
Happy 50th Acid Month! Turn it up!
Youth doesn't need friends - it only needs crowds.....
50 years ago today…….
April 5, 1971
Manhattan Center, New York City, New York
Set 1: Cold Rain And Snow-Me And Bobby McGee-The Rub-Loser-Playing In The Band-Big Railroad Blues-Me And My Uncle-Big Boss Man-China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider-Casey Jones
Set 2: Truckin'>drums>The Other One>Wharf Rat-Sugar Magnolia-I'm A King Bee-Bertha-Deal-Sing Me Back Home-Not Fade Away>Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad>Turn On Your Love Light
Does the intensity of the show match the density of the crowd? What’s the distance from Marathon to Athens?
Perhaps the best of the three nights. Really solid performance. Good dose of well performed Pigpen tunes (including the rarities The Rub and King Bee). Fine Truckin’/Other 1/ Wharf Rat big jam. The premiere of the Dead’s cover of Sing Me Back Home. The NFA/GDTRFB that later appeared on Skullfuck. This show gets much more respect than the previous night, and maybe deservedly so. Perhaps not a certified “top tier classic” but certainly worth the $5 it took to get in. Especially if you like yodelling…………..
Rock on!
Doc
We tell our triumphs to the crowds, but our own hearts are the sole confidants of our sorrows
Not all the good ones are locked
Electric Flag's A Long Time Coming is a did for me. Granted it's not a solo but Bloomfield was the driving force before he left. Almost like Kooper and BS&T another did. Of course he didn't leave voluntarily
One more not solo
Here's one I've burnt through since the day it was released. Hot Rats ...FZ
Music is the best. I know there's at least one person on here that gets that
I saw Electric Flag....
....thought it was Black Flag. Hi Snafu! 🙌
And music IS the best!
@Snafu...
Did you get the "Hot Rats Sessions" box set that came out a couple of years ago??? Effin' amazing...there's a 15 minute instrumental version of "Willie The Pimp" that Zappa & Sugarcane just effin' go off on...also a lot of stuff that was used on "Weasel's Ripped My Flesh" & "Burnt Weenie Sandwich"...a newly remastered version of the original pressing is also included...And I was lucky enough to see the "Hot Rats Band" at the Olympic Auditorium in LA when the LP came out....
I'm okay with being the oddball…..
50 years ago today…..
April 6, 1971
Manhattan Center, New York City, New York
Set 1: Bertha-Beat It On Down The Line-It Hurts Me Too-Me And Bobby McGee-Dire Wolf-Oh Boy-Hog For You Baby-Playing In The Band-Midnight Hour-Mama Tried-Cumberland Blues-Casey Jones
Set 2: Greatest Story Ever Told>Johnny B. Goode-Loser-Good Lovin'-Sugar Magnolia-Not Fade Away>Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad>Not Fade Away>Truckin'
If you like your Grateful Dead oddball, maybe this is the April 1971 show for you. Was it something in the water? Was there acid in the air? Full moon perhaps? Maybe just Friday the 13th……………???
I love this if for nothing more than the quirky gooey goodness of the first set, with its abundance of kinda scarce to definitely rare tunes----It Hurts Me Too, Dire Wolf, Oh Boy, Hog For You Baby, Midnight Hour, Mama Tried. Did people in attendance realize what great little musical nuggets were being dropped on them? LOL! The second set is more “traditional repertoire”, with rockin’ versions of Johnny B Goode and Sugar Magnolia, a rappin’ Good Lovin’, but just an OK NFA suite UNTIL they cap the whole thing off with a crazed Truckin’! Absolutely recommended!
Rock on!!
Doc
When you feel like an oddball, it never really leaves you…..
Back to biz....
Hey Doc, great to see you posting with enthusiasm on the 50th '71 shows. Great work analyzing their specific strengths and peculiarities.
I'm now guessing that now we're entering the pre-hype period for DP 38, we'll likely get a Dave video and pre-order announcement on the upcoming Sept '73 shows. Meaning that a box announcement may well come in late May, after we've all received (or not) our copies.
I'm still pulling for a fall '72 box along with an early "50th" for Wake of the Flood. But I'd take an April '71 box in a heartbeat...........
DaP 38 ‘pre-order’
Hendrixfreak
Remember the announcement for the 2021 DaP subscription. It said that the individual sets would not be offered for pre-order. They would be made available on their release dates. From memory this means that the seaside chat and order forms should appear on April 30th, unless dead.net change their minds. It would be good to get a box set announcement before then but I doubt it.
It is good medicine to go to a concert hall .....
50 years ago today…..
April 7, 1971
Boston Music Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
Set 1: Me And My Uncle-Next Time You See Me-Casey Jones-Playing In The Band-Loser-Me And Bobby McGee-Hard To Handle-Sugar Magnolia
[possible set break?]
Set 2: China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider-St. Stephen>drums>jam(x)>Not Fade Away>Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad>Not Fade Away>Johnny B. Goode
Growing up outside Boston, the Music Hall was our Mecca. Santana in 72, Pink Floyd in 73, Zappa, Steve Miller, and of course the good old Grateful Dead…………….
Unusual Me & My Uncle show-opener (apparently this occurred only one time in 1971). Unusual positioning of Casey Jones. St Stephen from a standing start. Oddness accrues….
It’s unclear if this is two sets, with a distinct set break, or one long set. There is no audible set break announcement after Sugar Magnolia and there is no audible break in the recording between Sugar Magnolia, the tuning that follows it, and the start of China Cat. The available evidence, while not conclusive, suggests one long set.
This show is victim to one of the best known---and most painful---tape edits in 1971. After about two minutes of the jam following drums, the tape apparently ran out. By the time the next tape was set up, it’s already the beginning of Not Fade Away. Sigh………………….
Certainly worthy of a leafy listen…………
Rock on!
Doc
The great problem of the concert hall is that the shoebox is the ideal shape for acoustics but that no architect worth their names wants to build a shoebox
*re/ 2021 Releases & More RSD 2021
.. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=305670190930603&id=10004462…
...”DOc” grateful posts , thank you for sharing, I love them! Always brings a smile to my face!!! 🙏
🙏💀🌹
@ nappyrags
Hey now. Absolutely! While FZ put out a lot of amazing music Hot Rats has always been my favorite. With the exception of FO I have bought every FZ release on day of release. A shame the Captain wasn't able to hold it together, no doubt the two of them could've done some more great things. "She's 200 years old..."
I definitely am what he lovingly called a fetishist. I collect Zappa vinyl from US, Canada, Japan, Australia, NZ, England, and Germany.
I have almost every Verve release in existence. All variations no matter how small. For example I have 11 different versions of U S WOIIFTM.
MUSIC IS THE BEST
@ VGUY
While there were a number of great rock bands that added horns in the 67-69 period ( BS&T, Chicago, Sons, Tower of power). To me the Bloomfield Flag was the best. Still listen regularly. Of course having Nick the Greek certainly didn't hurt. I even enjoy to a lesser degree the 74 reunion lp
Robert Hunter
Hey y'all! I don't post here too often, but eagerly awaiting the reveal for Dave's Picks Vol 39, and I like to tune in to the comments here once in a while to see what's happening. I had a thought I'd like to share, and hopefully inspire some like-minded individuals to help get something into motion.
Robert Hunter, in many ways the architect of the whole Grateful Dead experience, the Wordsmith, one of the inspirational pillars the whole thing is resting upon, passed away from our earthly realm a short while ago.
I am surprised and a little disappointed that I haven't heard of anything in the works for the re-release of Hunter's solo albums, perhaps with a little remaster love and some extras like rare tracks, live cuts, or demo recordings. I know his solo albums are not full of chart-topping hits, but they are more than worthy to be preserved and enjoyed by new and old fans alike. So many gems in his catalogue of songs that were only performed by him as far as I know.
Also there should be at least a few good live releases that could be put together from his stuff. Robert Hunter with Comfort circa 1978 comes to mind. Also there were some fiery moments I've heard from his shows with the Dinosaurs. And of course his acoustic shows would yield some wonderful moments that could be released.
I love hearing the more complete versions of the Terrapin Suite as recorded on his Jack O Roses album, Tales of the Great Rum Runners is start-to-finish incredible, etc.
A Box of Rain - Live 1990
Grateful Dave - I would like to chime in and add “A Box of Rain - Live 1990” to your list of Hunter gems. The Franklin’s Tower on this release gives me chills how good it is, and the rest of the album is incredible. So many of his great numbers, stripped down to the point you really “hear” the genius of Hunter’s lyrics.