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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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  • Vguy72
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    Clams and liguini with a white sauce is on the menu....
    ....at the ole Vguy household. 10.27.79 it is. Are you ready for a brand new beat?
  • JimInMD
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    So...
    What's the show and how random was this selection?
  • JimInMD
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    Ha
    But you could probably say the same thing about the Grateful Dead. I've been thinking about perspective when reading all the back and forth about this release, but I need to at least give this an attentive listen before I comment. The GD were a big tent band, I always thought there was plenty of room for comments that differ from our own. There's certainly no wrong or right so long as some fun and enjoyment comes of it. The GD was all about a grand and shared adventure.. 83 was certainly an adventure.
  • Vguy72
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    Nothing says August 9th....
    ....like talking of Jerry's demons. Me? I'm playing a random Grateful Dead show. I'm sure it will be good, if not grate. My inbox is wide open btw.
  • shirdeep
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    (No subject)
  • Mr_Heartbreak
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    Patchouli
    I probably should have written "...so far up his ass they can taste Häagen-Dazs." I was thinking of Junior Soprano: "Federal Marshals so far up my ass, I can taste Brylcreem." Seemed a little harsh, so I went for a different sense.
  • Terrapin Moon
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    phil said jerry's hygiene
    phil said jerry's hygiene went south in the 80's before the first intervention.
  • One Man
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    Forgive Me (Not?)
    I haven't been keeping up. I'm still immersed in the 30 Trips box, if you can believe that. I happen to be around mid-80s right now, and I'm marveling at the quality of those shows. So imagine my surprise that DaP 27 is not anywhere near the unexpected glory of the ones selected for the big box. Dave's cheerleading aside, does anyone really think that DaP 27 is worthy? I tried to like "Help on the Way" (because I almost always love it) and Jerry mangles every single verse. And the first set is so lame. There are moments, as always, but it is not even a "solid" show compared to many, many others. I'm not a Brent hater (except for "I Will Take You Home" and maybe his goofy verse in "Red Rooster"). Are there really so few great performances/recordings from the 80s? Rhino doesn't care - it sold out anyway. I'm not looking forward to my DaP subscription getting watered down by shows like this one.
  • LedDed
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    Brent Godchaux
    I prefer Keith to Brent because I love acoustic piano, and I feel the 1970s were the band's peak musically. But I listen to it all. That last RFK box grew on me. The fact is, Keith was all used up by the time he and Donna left the band. He would have needed a rehab or some kind of re-boot to get energy back into his playing and the band. Brent certainly didn't lack energy! His vocals are distinctive and when he over-emoted they could be abrasive. But shit, some nights his enthusiasm really kind of elevated and helped carry the band. There are cringe worthy moments as there were with Donna, but not always. His keys and synths sure as hell moved these guys into another era, Brent adding more and more as Jerry diminished. There isn't one guitar solo from the 80s onward that matched anything on the E72 tour. Yes, there was great stuff, but Jerry the guitarist incorporated more and more effects and then MIDI into his playing. The Jeff Beck-like magic in his fingertips was blurred out and lost, gone forever. Look, I'm not saying he sucked - he had so much talent and fretboard knowledge he could half-ass it and sound great. As he did, many nights, well into the 1990s. I love Jerry but I understand the patchouli comments. You know, bad body odor is not made any better by a wash of patchouli over it. You're kidding yourself. If anything it adds to the pungency. No one but G.G. Allin would walk around with blood, semen and shit smeared across them in public. That is vile. Be hairy, be a freak, but for God's sake wash yourself. Brush and floss; do not have bad breath as a dog. Most of us have advanced past the dark ages.
  • JimInMD
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    Re: Cousins '76
    I think the unevenness of the recording is what gets most of the bite. I think it's an interesting show and a unique setlist. I enjoy it if for no other reason (besides is a pretty good show) that it is truly unique and quirky. Much sounds like most of us, and what's not to like about unique and quirky.
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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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Cub - Definitely a fan of listening to music on a pair of nice floorstanding speakers. The speakers I am using (Klipsch RP-280F) are pretty sensitive so I find I get plenty of volume and clarity using just a decent receiver (Yamaha RX-A1060), but it seems like you have taken it quite a bit farther. Working with the budget that I had to spend and the consideration of how far I could go without a bad reaction from my wife, that was about as far as I felt I could take it at the time. Honestly pretty pleased she adjusted to the size of the floorstanding speakers in the living room.
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who's selling Dave's vol 1 for 500 dollars? hell that's generous. its always a thousand if not up to 2 thousand on ebay everytime I look.
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That's the kindest thing anyone has said to me today. Thanks also to the people who gave me China Rider suggestions. I wrote them all down on the kitchen blackboard. I haven't heard a bad one yet. 12/31/69 really surprised me. I thought I was against the extra drums, I guess from Mickey in those older ones, but that one is great. 10/20/74 from the Movie Soundtrack, duh, I've had that one and somehow never copied it to my ipod with the rest of the box set so its kind of like a bonus track now. 2/9/73 also caught me by surprise because I didn't think I was that big on spring 73 since I thought the one on DaP 16 was just ok. 12/6/73 yes, may as well call it 74. I also jumped around arcive.org. I noticed some of those have Jerry or Bobby, one or the other too low. That's one song you need to hear both guitars!
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You need to look at the other side of the transaction, under Sold Items; it sells in the $350-400 range. Still a lot of dough, but at this point it's achieved collectible status, only by virtue of being vol. 1Kinda' like the original issue of the Amazing Spider-Man #1...
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well, i'll just say this: the generosity of the Dead Heads is alive and well. and I myself have paid it forward as well...god that phrase is so fucking lame, I need to shower I feel dirty
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12/1/79 one day this gem from Pittsburgh will see the light of the day with a shiny new Normanize. Here's an idea why not release 11/1/79 on 11/1/18 & then for Volume 30 go with 12/1/79 with 11/30/79 2nd set as the bonus disc? Isn't that a splendid idea, DeadLand?
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I feel your vibe for a 79 show....yes 12/1/79 is a gemstone!! Check your PM
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I wouldn't say it achieved collector's status only as a result of being vol 1. It is a damn good show too, where the band and vocals are mistake free and the playing is energetic. I would put it in my top 5 1977 shows, up there with probably 2/26, 5/9, 5/17, and 10/29. But it does help that it's the first of the series and that it's been unavailable for 6 years.
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A powerful piece.. Michael Caine delivers a powerful performance in the movie too. ok.. back to playing dead.
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The Crimson, White, & Indigo DVD has the full show that they're running in the theaters August 1st. That's not a bad thing, but there must be some shows that they could put on the big screen this year, shows that haven't already been purchased by many of us. Hippychic--one of my favorite China->Riders is from 7/21/74, at the Hollywood Bowl. Great audience recordings of this date abound on Archive.org. Everyone please remember to donate to the Live Music Archive periodically.
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...if only for the sake of interesting conversations! #27 ---- Good ear to those who heard the Aud patch on Big Railroad Blues...I did not notice that on my first listen. But thats probably a good thing, being good quality and all. MUATM -- kinda weird they are showing something that is available on DVD, but I still think it will be fun to watch on the big screen with great sound. Hopefully they are not stingy with the volume...In the past, I've had to beg the cinema employees to TURN IT UP!!! But this still begs the question, are they running out of options for the Meetup? I doubt it...
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Hey Now,maybe I can help you out. I have a DP 27 and more into the early years of the dead, ill be willing to part ways with it so if interested and want to know more hook up with me. Later, Rocco
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I'm up at Lake Tahoe right now, and Phish has been in town on a two day run here this week. However, some of the Phish Phans seem to be Phouling the Phorest, leaving trash all over the place. https://www.laketahoenews.net/2018/07/south-lake-tahoe-cops-phish-fans-… C'mon Phishers, a little more respect, huh? Keep up a good rep for the jam bands.
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Keith Godchaux...thanks for all the wonderful music you transmitted through your fingertips. R.I.P., old friend.
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HEAR HEAR BOLO! The Dead never would have reached the heights they achieved without Keith, imo. He helped turn a straight-ahead psychedelic rock band into a classy, glorious-sounding, well rounded ragtime band that turned 3D when the sun hit it just right.... And for that I thank him. I'll have to listen to Ramble on Rose tonight to celebrate. What are some of the better Keith recordings? (i.e.: good shows where he's high in the mix.)
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So now I have to tell a joke: Q: What did the janitor say when he jumped out of the closet? A: Supplies! ar ar ar....
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4/20/835/13, 14, 15/83 6/18/83 6/20/83 6/22/83 9/2/83 9/6/83 9/10/83 9/11/83 9/24/83 10/11/83 10/14/83 10/15/83 10/21/83 10/31/83 yep, plenty o' goodies in 83, Dave. I attended 3/27/83...meh also attended 7/30 and 7/31/83...they were fun, memory-wise. I think that's the first time I heard Touch of Grey. I liked it immediately.
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So I am totally interested in Dave's 27 what would you be willing to part with it for?? Thanks MN dead loving momma
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resist Dave's 17 aka 7/19/74 and Keith's birthday show to boot.Enjoyed reading N.G.Meriwether's write-up again - gives the show context. Be sure to "gear up" for this one, for it is not so laid back. The pudding starts with Playin;.
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Speaking of Dave's 17, Im surprised it doesn't get much love, just like vol.15, i think its a awesome show.
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Actually it's 12/12/73 and thank you - never heard that show. Crazy-fun soundcheck setlist, a late 2nd set China>Rider that smokes! And a happy birthday Dicky Betts (maybe he hung backstage but didn't play? I checked the 12/12/ date and it was not an ABB double-bill - or maybe they were just going for an easy cheer from the Atlanta audience). And yes some nice Keith in there! Thanks (to you AND Charlie Miller!).
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Like JiminMD says, the best Dark Star is whichever one happens to be the most recent one I listened to. I like this from 2/2/70 on Dave's Picks 6 a lot but its too short so I put it on again. I don't remember this ever getting much hoopla before. Is it really that great or am I just in a happy mood? When Dave's 27 arrives I feel like I want to start with disc 2.
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BRAND NEW/SEALED/BONUS LISTED ON AMAZON @ WARNERMARKET............DAVE'S PICKS: VOLUME 22 SEALED w/Bonus...$29.95! HIT IT!
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It's been a while since I gave that one a spin, will have to change that. ..I've never met a Dark Star I didn't like.
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....they can fit in any musical category if you look at them right. Like the Boxilla '68 Greek one, which just cued up. Or the Miami '89 mindfuck thats on deck. Worth the ticket price alone. Everything else is icing.
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I love Dave's 6 2/2/70 and 12/21/69, featuring two magnificent Dark Stars, each very different. Veneta 8/27/72 is just amazing, a 30 minute one that breezes by on a lysergic wave of energy before winding up in El Paso sung by a freaked out Weir. One that it reminds me of in an odd way is 11/11/73 Winterland, this one covers a lot of ground from a fantastic jazz excursion to some nice melodic weirdness towards the end of the nearly 36 minutes into a Mind Left Body Jam in double time. Dave's 13 also at Winterland 2/24/74 is another fantastic venture into the realm of Dark Star. My last listen to Dave's 19 1/23/70, I really enjoyed that one, too, but it did come out of That's It For the Other One, which adds extra oomph from the jump. And a show we probably all want to come out 2/18/71 with the infamous Dark Star> Wharf Rat (debut)> Beautiful Jam> Dark Star. One Normanized Star I want to hear is 3/24/72 from Rockin' the Rhein bonus disc. One Dark Star I avoid is Dave's 9 5/14/74, that one gets a little too dissonant for my tastes and does it for so long. Every time I try it again thinking I'll get over it I don't. But there's many other awesome Stars to focus on. For latter day versions, 3/29/90 of course and 4/1/91 Greensboro.
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I don't have a favorite Dark Star. To complicate things.. I find my mood and willingness to invest in what is often at least a half hour song impacts what I think of it. This sucks a bit.. but without a little mood enhancing help, that's just the way it is. Plus, I'm pretty busy as are likely most of you. So I have learned not to judge or invest myself into the outcome... just let it be and when I am rewarded I try to simply enjoy the moment. This approach seems to work just fine. The last one I listened to? Happens to be 10/19/73. It's currently my favorite but tomorrow never knows. Imagine that.
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alvarhanso, very interesting you spoke highly of the DaP 19 Dark Star. I've never considered this one of the stronger ones, but I'm going to give it a re-listen right now, sans The Other One. I have a little bit of a mental block on 1970 dark stars. They seem to either be in a class of their own or sound exactly the same to me. I'm not saying that as a fact just an impression. You also spoke of the Rockin the Rhein bonus disc Dark Star. This one's in my top 10. I read about someone on the Steve Forum site not liking this one and could do nothing but a Scooby-Doo "whaaaat??" I hunted that bonus this down for years on eBay and then ended up putting on two of them in the same week thinking I wasn't going to win both auctions, but I did. Ended up trading the second one for the closing of winterland bonus disc and one other, I forget which. The February 2nd 1970 Dark Star is also one of my favorites, if not top 10 definitely top 15. This first 10 fill up very quickly. Jimbo thanks for the reminder on the 1019 Dark Star. I've been meaning to merge the Mind left body track that follows it with the actual Dark Star for some time now, but I always forget. I'm going to take care of that this morning. I figure, it do it on a few other dark stars, you know, include mind left body is part of the Dark Star. The real motivation is having the two pieces of music run contiguously on shuffle play. I'd like to start merging all of my China Riders as well. I'm on the fence about some of the other big ones. I merged all the dark stars with there medley tracks on Europe 72. I just keep them at the end of the tracklist in my digital music folder for each record. Definitely retirement activity, if that day ever comes.
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My two holy grail shows for DaP: 6/10/73 11/19/72 what I have will suffice for now apparently 11/19/72 is not in the vault (sad face) 6/10/73, on the other hand...
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Thanks for the heads up. I missed oout on this one and have been looking for a reasonably priced copy since!
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Help / slip/ Franklin - primo second set jam, sweet my brother and sisters! :)...then into eyes, after ‘ estimated profit ‘ just kidd’n :) Love it!
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I may be the lone voice of dissent...that Help on the Way is horrendous, so is the Slipknot riff; great ensuing jam though.
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Yo Cuz, you're not alone. The last '77 version is pretty bad to my ears, and the 80s versions seem mostly sloppy and lazy. Although I think the suite performances improved a lot by 1990, the June Winterland performance in '77 was, to my ears, the end of crisp and (as-if) well-rehearsed for that material. October '77: muscular and coked rising, agile and tight fading.
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PapaHooper, others......YOU'RE ALL WELCOME! CHECK OUT THE STANLEY MOUSE AND FRIENDS LITHOGRAPHS, TOO!
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Crippled but free, I was blind all the time I was learning to see.
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I have to say that as much of a Dark Star fanatic as I consider myself to be, I haven't heard all of them. I am definitely revisiting 10/19/73. I haven't listened to the show in a long time so it will be good to revisit it just for that reason alone. I will say that I often gravitate towards 8/27/72 as my favorite Dark Star, with 2/13/70 being close. I also like the 10/18/74 Dark Star especially because it comes out of Phil and Ned. Yet I need to revisit all of the vast 69, 70, 72, and 73 versions. I have a vacation coming up and I might have to make this a little project for myself. * I have a honorable mention: the 1/10/79 Dark Star is really good, actually so is the whole show. I am fairly confident this show is not in the vault so all I have heard are audience recordings. Still good though. As for Help>Slip>Franks my favorite version is from 10/19/76. The full video of the show is on YouTube so that is always a treat. They played this a lot in 76, but much mess in 77. I do agree that the 77 versions don’t sound as good as the 76 versions on the whole. Although I really like 5/22/77. As for the post 77, I think it is toss up. Interestingly I have found myself getting more into 1991 shows. The Bruce & Vince combo appeals to me. I picked up View from the Vault 2 which has a 2nd set opener of Help>Slip>Franks, and then Estimated > Dark Star following that. It is a great show and one I had never heard until I picked up it up a few weeks ago. Just the fact that it has all of that in the pre-drums sequence is really cool.
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Dark Star09/21/72 H-S-F 9/19/90
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Dark Stars, Help>Slip> Franklin's discussions are sweet. Its like a twofer and possibilities are rampant. As fate has it, I just listened to 2/15/73 yesterday - which has one of THE MOST accessible Dark Stars, I determined after my most recent-listen. I'm familiar with this, as one is with an old pair of Birks. Its comfy and groovy and familiar yet open to realms of PHIL and contains one of the most poignant, beautiful, and soulful intros into an early, inspired and very fun Eyes of the World...among others in a truly awesome show. Where and when is this one, Senior Norman et Lemeiux? https://archive.org/details/gd73-02-15.sbd.hall.1580.sbeok.shnf I love all Help Slip Franks to The Core. No exceptions. My favorites are the ones with the long jams in Help on the Way proper, then crazy slipknots; but of course an amazing up-tempo Franklin's could easily define a Triad....it is a Vehicle of Pure Joy in my book. Period. Happy Friday in Deadland. Sixtus P.S. Listening to this one linked below right now in my sunny Back Patioland via Sonos 'relisten' (best app to mirror The Entire GD Archive to BLAST ALL THROUGHOUT MY HOUSE WHEN IGGY IS GONE). This show though...It ROCKS. The Half Step is a must listen. As is the Bird Song, Victim (gasp!), and pretty much whole second set. Stir it Up, baby. I feel early '91 gets overlooked, prior to Brucey's formal arrival. I think Mortal Combat is the best video game ever. I disagree. I think Donkey Kong is the best video game ever. My lingering question...I keep hearing Bruce...i didnt think he joined until the end of March 91; but was he here this night? I didn't find an immediate answer after Googling, but I may have missed it in some comment or asterisk.. https://archive.org/details/gd1991-03-21.mtx.seamons.111877.flac16 P.P.S. -> KEITHFAN - A++ for spreadsheet-a-rama, man. holy moly it's a beautifully rendered Dark Star map over time...flux capacitor is ... Fluxing...
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Gotta jump back in here. Gratefulhan mentioned he hadn't heard them all (Dark Stars). Has anyone? I've heard all of the official releases, but certainly not all of the soundboards. I have a spreadsheet of Dark Stars on my wall at work, printed up landscape style, and the 1969 column runs right off the page (so I taped the rest of it from the next page - looks ridiculous). There are an assload of DS performances in '69, and the second biggest year is '68. I haven't heard nearly as many of those as are out there. That being said, I imagine they sound very similar. Here is how the numbers pan out: 1967: 1 1968: 34 1969: 66 1970: 21 1971: 12 1972: 31 1973: 18 1974: 7 If you want the spreadsheet with dates and colors, here's the link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1i2WC8iVKjn60HoKICZ6ygEkrIDV13SxD
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The 9/24/72 Dark Star (30 trips) has been getting HEAVY rotation in my cave the last few months. Lots of love has been given here to the 9/21/72 Star (DP36) but somehow people seem to overlook the 9/24/72 Star. As far as I can tell it's every bit as crispy as 9/21/72. 30 minutes of Lesh saturated bliss. (Oh, and Hippychic, it jams into an electrifying Philsoaked China-Rider) Thanks for the Martin Hayes tip dmcvt. I bought "Welcome Here Again" and have been listening to it all day. Really nice stuff, right up my alley. Have a good one folks!
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is 8-13-75 to my ears. Bob, Jerry, Billy and Phil have heard all the Dark Stars.
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