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    heatherlew
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    "The Grateful Dead picked up their instruments and hit the first note with perfection. They never missed a note for the next three and one-half hours. People followed the flow of the tunes. Down on the floor in front of the stage was a sea of heads keeping time with the music. No one sat still. No one, except the youngsters behind us sat still. They were still and stunned." - The Power County Press

    And what a stunner it was, that show at the Boise State University Pavilion in Boise, ID on September 2, 1983. Dave's Picks Volume 27 contains every stitch of music from this mid-80s show (our first in this series), one that's as good as any other in Grateful Dead history. When the Dead were on, they were ON! Straight out the gate with a definitive take on the old standard "Wang Dang Doodle," the band swiftly switches back to a setlist of yore, firing off 70s staples like "Jack Straw" and "Brown-Eyed Women" and wrapping things up with a terrific trio of "Big Railroad Blues"/"Looks Like Rain"/"Deal" (don't you let that epic guitar solo go down without you). Primed for the second set, they tackle the complexities of "Help>Slipknot!>Franklin's" with heart and ease. It's clear there will be no stopping their flow - Bobby and Brent hanging in for a fantastic pre-Drums "Jam" and Jerry and Bobby in the zone on a not-to-be-missed melodic "Space." Not a skipper in the whole lot!

    Dave's Picks Volume 27 has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman and it is limited to 18,000 individually-numbered copies*.

    *Limited to 2 per order. Very limited quantity available.

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  • DP36
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    Dark Star vote... spoiler alert: there's no surprise
    September 21, 1972. The Spectrum in Philly. It can be found on Dick's Picks 36. I consider it my fine China. I break it out ever so once in a while...whew! Man, does it just take me away. It has it all. Jazz, acid, blues. The first notes to me I'm being sucked though a terrific vacuum off to a place where everything is going to be strangely all right. And everything is all right. But there's a solid journey in which to partake where drabs of doubt break through. Flowing over sonic waves of fluid emotions permeating from some heavens I am gently guided back down safely one note at a time. Thanks to all have been posting their faves! Cheers all!
  • Vguy72
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    Almost twelve hours of Dark Star....
    .... sounds about right.
  • nappyrags
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    Speaking of a show you were at vs a recording...
    I'm ashamed to admit that I walked out of the 2-26-77 Swing Auditorium show in San Bernardino thinking "meh" as I drove back to LA...WTF was wrong with me...listening to improved boards through the years I feel like such a schmuck...I'd like to try and blame extenuating circumstances/distractions but it boils down to me being in a wrong state of mind that night I guess...Jerry should of have tossed me down some stairs....
  • Kayak Guy
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    Daaaaaaaaaaaark Star
    if you have a 12 hour fight or insomnia this is a handy composite of 1972 Dark Stars. sort of like Greyfolded without the folds. https://archive.org/details/DarkStar_1972 Version 2: This is V2 of the original 10 hour 1972 Dark Star mix. It has the following benefits over the V1 mix: better mixing - I reviewed every cross fade and adjusted many correct order - a listener pointed out that the V1 had some out of order added missing Dark Stars - added 4 of the 5, one was very poor in quality and not included 10/23/1972. includes Verse 2 vocals 1hr 42min longer! Playlist: 3/23/1972 New York [includes Verse 1] 4/8/1972 London 4/14/1972 Copenhagen 4/17/1972 Copenhagen 4/24/1972 Dusseldorf 4/29/1972 Hamburg 5/4/1972 Paris 5/7/1972 Wigan 5/11/1972 Rotterdam 5/18/1972 Munich 5/23/1972 - London 5/25/1972 - London 7/18/1972 Jersey City 7/26/1972 Portland 8/21/1972 Berkeley 8/24/1972 Berkeley 8/27/1972 Veneta 9/10/1972 Hollywood 9/16/1972 - Boston 9/21/1972 Philadelphia 9/24/1972 - Waterbury 9/27/1972 Jersey City 10/18/1972 St. Louis not included 10/23/1972 10/26/1972 Cincinnati 10/28/1972 Cleveland 11/13/1972 Kansas City 11/19/1972 Houston 11/26/1972 San Antonio 12/11/1972 San Francisco 12/15/1972 Long Beach 7/26/1972 Portland [includes Verse 2]
  • MDJim
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    10/18/73
    Yes, again.. ditto. How could we forget that one. I will toss in 11/8/69 for good measure, but it's the UJB, Eleven, Caution that sizzle in the Dark Star dominated suite (they come in and out of three times that night). We could probably go on with this well into the fall. There are still quite a few out there I have not even listened to yet.. Didn't somebody out there say So Many Dark Stars, So Little Time? So true. Dark Star - Played 231 times. The Other One - Played 587 times.
  • 80sfan
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    Dark Star
    Earlier I listed my top 5 dark stars, none of which appear past 1972 (though as mentioned, there are plenty of great ones in 73 and 74). I loved the late era list as well. However, I think the last "great" dark star came on 10/18/74. While there were really cool or fun or historically significant dark stars post hiatus (NYE 78, 84 encore, 89 breakout, and first one with Branford Marsalis), none of them really blow me away the way the pre-hiatus one do. As much as I love 80s-90s dead, those dark stars were always more cool than great if that makes sense. If anyone can recommend a version that might change my mind I'm all ears! Forgot to mention...loved that Europe 72 Dark Star breakdown! I'd love to see one for The Other One as well. As much as I love the dark stars from that tour, some of the versions of TOO are absolute all-timers...
  • daverock
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    Record Store Day 2012-Dark Star
    A bit belatedly, I've noticed that the Dark Star from 4/5/72 from Paris is available on vinyl. Its still possible, just about, to get a copy, so I am hovering. I wondered, if anyone has it, if it has much better-or different-sound to the one on the cd.
  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    Daverock & Fat Freddie!
    Daverock, perfect example! Jim, remeber what fat Freddie says, “getting drunk, theeen getting high is like pissing in the wind” Aaah, good ole Gilbert Shelton. Shakedown Street cover artist! Actually have some T-shirt’s by him that my buddy from Austin gave me. Something like “has everyone gone crazy except you and me” Have one copy of T,F.F.B. comix stashed away somewhere? Actually picked it up in a head shop in Virginia Beach during the Hampton run one year. You know, typical dumb ass northerner “it’ll be warm at the beach, it’s march!” Like it’s Fla or something lol idiots! Yeah the last story ended with some wild bonfire debauchery with everyone dancing in a circle round the fire signing “let’s all get drunk and naked, let’s all get drunk and naked, let’s all get drunk and nakeeeeed..... and lie in a great big pile”...which is reasonable ; )
  • Vguy72
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    Grading Dark Stars is an exhausting endeavor....
    ....boot camp for Deadheads. Ten-hut!!
  • daverock
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    Live v recording-Jerry
    I have just remembered a sequence in the Dead Movie where Jerry describes a similar feeling about live performance to the one I was trying to decsribe. I think he was talking about the 2/14/68 show, and he describes feeling really disappointed with the performance, and angry with Phil-even throwing him downstairs after the show-only to hear a tape of the show later, and recognise that it was "crackling with energy"-if memory serves me well.
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"The Grateful Dead picked up their instruments and hit the first note with perfection. They never missed a note for the next three and one-half hours. People followed the flow of the tunes. Down on the floor in front of the stage was a sea of heads keeping time with the music. No one sat still. No one, except the youngsters behind us sat still. They were still and stunned." - The Power County Press

And what a stunner it was, that show at the Boise State University Pavilion in Boise, ID on September 2, 1983. Dave's Picks Volume 27 contains every stitch of music from this mid-80s show (our first in this series), one that's as good as any other in Grateful Dead history. When the Dead were on, they were ON! Straight out the gate with a definitive take on the old standard "Wang Dang Doodle," the band swiftly switches back to a setlist of yore, firing off 70s staples like "Jack Straw" and "Brown-Eyed Women" and wrapping things up with a terrific trio of "Big Railroad Blues"/"Looks Like Rain"/"Deal" (don't you let that epic guitar solo go down without you). Primed for the second set, they tackle the complexities of "Help>Slipknot!>Franklin's" with heart and ease. It's clear there will be no stopping their flow - Bobby and Brent hanging in for a fantastic pre-Drums "Jam" and Jerry and Bobby in the zone on a not-to-be-missed melodic "Space." Not a skipper in the whole lot!

Dave's Picks Volume 27 has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman and it is limited to 18,000 individually-numbered copies*.

*Limited to 2 per order. Very limited quantity available.

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16 years 8 months
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Thanks Dave!
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Yes!
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13 years 4 months
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Interesting choice & a nice change of pace.
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15 years 3 months
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Dave's27 is only the third officially released 83 show. It includes one of the 27 (or so) 83-85 performances of Help/Slip, the first officially released.68-72 is my favorite period. I will happily add an infinite number of Dark Star performances to my Deadshelves. The glut of 71-74 releases HAS taught me that Billy alone at the drumkit IS better than Billy and Mickey working together. But this will be the FIRST time we hear Mickey's 80s percussion leadwork in Slip Normanized! Could be awwwwwwwwwwwwwwesOME! Yeah I want more Dark Stars and those epic 70s Playin's, but diversity is way overdue (IMO) and I want more of these "firsts"!
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Well over due, nice show....bring on the early 1980s for the next 4-5 picks DL!!
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7 years 1 month
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great tour. looking fwd to this one. love those Chicago Poplar Creeks!
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13 years 5 months
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Well.. it was a nice streak, but it's over. I had successfully guessed all the shows from the Dave's Picks series from Dave's Picks 1, 5/25/77 through Dave's Picks 26, 11/14/71 by deciphering the quarterly Bolo riddles. I missed this one though.. and it was so obvious.
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6 years 11 months
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Excited for those who were hoping we'd see an 80's release, but this won't get any play in Tripville. Anyone who doesn't nab an a la carte copy, PM me and I'll gladly pass along my subscriber copy (at cost). First message after it sells out is the one I'll go with.
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7 years 10 months
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Being fairly new to the Dead I am not familiar with much 80's, really looking forward to it!
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14 years 9 months
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Well, I’ve been hoping for a long string of 80s-90s releases, but only because I generally find anything past 1975 to be unlistenable. Still, I’m a huge fan of the Santa Fe show just nine days later, (it’s one of only four 80s shows I’m actually able to listen to without regretting it) so I figured it’s best to get this one since the playing is on par, and the sound is probably better than the circulating boot. But Dave, please listen to these people and make the next five Pics from 80-95; my wallet needs a break.
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Not overwhelmed by the setlist, but that isn't always important. Hope the sound quality is up there. I would've liked an Althea or Touch or West LA Fadeway for a Pick of this era, but c'est la vie. Looking forward to another show for the collection.
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That was a clunker if ever there was one, only goes to show how much the energy and playing ebbed and flowed on the same tour, weeks apart. That and City Island was a horrible venue.
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That was a clunker if ever there was one, only goes to show how much the energy and playing ebbed and flowed on the same tour, weeks apart. That and City Island was a horrible venue.
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I was going to come on here and post, "Thank God Dave picked a show from the 80s. Now maybe the tiny vocal minority that comes on and complains every single time a 70s show is released will stop complaining!" But of course, that's asking too much. The next 4-5 picks?? Come on, man. You know that's not going to happen. Did you watch the video? Did you listen to what Dave said? Did any of it register? It's really pretty simple: if you want to buy a release, buy it. If you don't, then don't. There's no need to come on the board after every single flipping release to whine, complain, make demands, or critique every Dead.net decision. It's so, so old and played out. It's been going on for years. Thanks, Dave. I'm not excited for an '83 release, but I am relieved that maybe, just maybe the Vol. 28 announcement will be met with a slightly smaller chorus of boos and rotten tomatoes.
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nice to see the '80s represented again. ----
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17 years 5 months
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Thanks for this release, can't wait to hear it!!
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13 years 1 month
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...listening party sounds great, looking forward to this release.
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14 years 9 months
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It’s funny that you say that, and to each their own, (after all, this is Deadsville) but the set list is the only reason my resolve crumbled and I bought this one. I just can’t resist a good sounding Help>Slip>Franklin from what may have been Jerry's last good year. That, Scarlet>Fire and Crazy Fingers are the only Dead thrills I can’t get from the No-Mickey years.
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Not familiar with this show so I checked out the Listening Party. Sounds very good and I agree we needed something different. I can't wait to listen to this one and the cover art is outstanding again.
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Hey Dave, nice Pick. Interesting how the sound sample on this page has an audience patch. They seem more common now -- I noticed a number of them on the 30Trips shows, amongst other releases. I'm assuming it's a result of getting deeper into the catalog. I also notice that you guys rarely acknowledge the patches in liner notes or credits. I think the tape geeks like me out there would love more info. Cheers
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15 years 2 months
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Agreed, Fox!! Very psyched to get an ‘83 and one I haven’t heard even in part. A blessing from the Vault, thanks Dave L and company!!
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15 years 6 months
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welcome this jam! hope the SQ crushes any doubts
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15 years 2 months
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And 110 bumps to CeeDee’s comment. It really is just wrong to not give a shoutout to the Aud tapers in the fine print in the liners.
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7 years 11 months
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With the PacNW box set coming out later this year, and with plenty of Dave's Picks material, I'm feeling pretty satisfied with the HQ material that I can listen to from '73-'74. '77 is well represented, too. We've had a '72 and '71 release in the last 3 picks before today. So even though I've never heard this show and even though '83 was probably the year that I collected the least back in my tape-trading days, I'm still really happy that we're going to get some early 80s love. Thanks, Dave!
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11 years 10 months
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Oh well...Happy for the pre-drums...so so on the post drums, but that's just me....Ventura or Santa Fe me would've likey more but I do have good boards of those so... so when does 28 release??? ;)
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15 years 7 months
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Just saw it's out of stock, not sure if I'm the first message though.
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17 years 6 months
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When I saw the new Pick was from 1983 my 'disappointment reflex' kicked in, but that's not really fair to the year or the show or the band (or Dave!). Great rock & roll show and set-list, and the show is near enough to the show on September 6th at Red Rocks to know they were on a roll. The sound is much better than what's already in circulation too, so I'll have to give it a good listen when it arrives!
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But i'm going to listen to it with an open mind.
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17 years 5 months
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Every Dead era has treasure. Very happy to see a mid-80s show being released.
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14 years 1 month
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I'm looking forward to this release!
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i got the tank top . love it , a guy i know from Albany is always raving about the "Dew" from SPAC June 1983 over the weekend Dead and Company performed in Boulder , the poster from those shows has a very similar look/feel to this classic image from Alton Kelley, that was my initial thought. And coincidentally the purple color tee takes me back to summer 2016 Dead and Company tour, each venue had a shirt with date , venue , city and SYF. When i saw those purple tees being sold at places like SPAC i was thinking this exact shirt from 1983 I am going to wear a shirt from 1983 later today in honor of this release
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I used to have a review of this show from a local newspaper taped to the wall of my office cubicle. Let's just say it was a stellar review. The reviewer had never heard the Dead before, so it's not much use for comparing this to other shows, but the show certainly made an impression. Until now, I'd forgotten about that review, and I've yet to listen to the show. The setlist looks pretty good. I'm among those who feel that the Dead peaked in the '70s, but there's still a lot to like about '80s and '90s Dead. My big complaint about these years is that, due to the basically fixed format, the shows became highly predictable. Before that, I used to completely lose track of time during a show. In the later years, I always knew pretty much exactly where I was as the show progressed.
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Very happy with this choice...I love so much of 1983. I will take an Estimated->Eyes with some jets on it from this era any day. The listening samples sound GREAT for this show...nice and crisp with some audience feel. Thank you, Dave!
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I was a fool to have been in Boise and to miss this show! Coming home early from a 3 week family camping vacay to go back to work on Monday, thinking I needed few days to decompress, wanting to get home before the weekend. . . . All the way back to town, driving with all the heads on tour rolling in for a Friday show, every rest area & gas fill-up begining to look more and more like Shakedown ("Help us with some gas bro, buy a grilled cheese?") really kicking myself for NOT scoring a ticket before vacation, especially the last 200 miles in...! My ex even said "go, find a miracle" & I remember muttering something about being on the road 3 weeks, bathing, laundry, staying home with her & the baby, & not having anyone else to go with that night at the last minute, deciding to be responsible instead of following the dream. Only the second time I ever passed on a ticket, the other having been for a brother in law funeral ("But, it's The Dead--he's dead--he won't miss me," didn't cut it with my family, so I ended up having to miracle the ticket) but this time--not even a good lame excuse. Thanks Dave--for the returning that miracle--about 25 years later, but FINALLY--the Boise show that got away!
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As with most of the early 80s, there are some gems and some rough spots. '83 has some high energy moments... but also some sloppy playing and Jerry's voice sounded a bit nasally (and got worse in '84 and '85). Still, I saw 7 shows in '83 (2 in New Haven, 1 in Saratoga Springs, 2 in Hartford, and 2 in Worcester). I have some very fond memories of those shows (and one of them 10/14/83 already wound up on Dick's Picks). Fans who like how tight they were in '77 or how exploratory they were in '72-'74 may not like 1983... but those who like high energy rock 'n' roll Dead will find some high peaks to enjoy in this release. From '83 I would rather hear that monstrous second set of Saratoga 6/18/83... but perhaps there is no pristine SBD recording of that. Anyway... thanks, Dave for choosing an 80's release. I saw the bulk of my shows from 1980-1991 so I have some amazing memories tied to that era. How about a release of Greek Theater 5/21/82-5/23/82 (all 3 shows have some great moments)? How about Worcester Centrum and Augusta from fall of '84? How about Oakland 12/27/86 (4th show after Jerry's coma)? We have plenty of releases from '89/'90... but the early/mid-80s is worth looking at to find a few hidden gems!
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Did it really sell that fast? Or just saying that to put the scalper type off? I'll take a nice 83 show, thanks Dave. Not sure if the "official" release is much better than "soundboard" I have. Shame they didn't record the shows better in the 80's. But lord knows anything sounds better than MOST tapes I had back then. :-) In any event, again, thanks Dave.
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They almost sold out of pre-orders so i would assume much less then 500 left for the a la cart. That is why they are giving all a fare chance by saying we are posting at this time on this day.
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So do you accept blame or congrats for this release? :-)
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Wow, can't wait to listen! Don't have much of middle 80s concerts, so this one will fill a huge gap in my collection. Interesting setlist, by the way!
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Was that you following me back then? I managed 38 shows that year.saw tje ones you mentioned to me Worcester 1st night was the climax of the 80's. Scarlet >Fire>Estimated >Eyes >Drumz> Other One. I still vividly remember that. Everyone was dripping. Unfortunately the Dick's Pick was an example the weakness of the record in the vault for the 80's . My friends's aud had more of a feel for the energy but he saturated the tape. Definitely looking forward to this release
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Of 36, Dick picked just one 81, one 82, one 83, and one 85. And for what it’s worth just a couple from 90s (one 90, one 91). Nassau 81 and Hartford 83 are easily among my favorites. As for Dave, so far of 27, there’s been just two (one from 80, one from 81) and now three with this one from 83. Happy to hear more are on the way, though I don’t expect it for 28. From the Roadtrips, of 17, there’s 3 from the 80s (80, 82, 88) and 2 from the 90s (90, 93). Otherwise, including boxes, dvds, etc, there’s been plenty of official releases from 89/90. Interestingly, I don’t know of anything from 84 (or 86, for what that’s worth) other than that monster Shakedown on So Many Roads- and that’s practically 85! 84 would be nice and I’d definitely get a kick out of more 91 and 93- some of my absolute favorites.
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I know, I know, wrong release but figured a lot of people will be visiting here today. So.....shot in the dark but if anyone has an extra Dave's Picks Vol. 26 and wants to "gift" it to me (or privately discuss other arrangements) please get in touch. Thanks!
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