DF 12: 2/17/82

2/17/82 - Warfield Theater - San Francisco, CA

I'm back, folks, at least for awhile anyway. I don't know how long this blog is for this world, and I think the amount of time I took to finish this entry kind of attests to that. But I thought a new tactic was in order, so this is what I've decided for the meantime: Ben's done a great job collecting the best AUDs available from Archive.org, so I'm going to work to complement that list. Should I continue, I'll be adding one that I come across that isn't there yet, but I reserve the right to highlight one that's already there that just blows me away. So Ben - consider this entry an addition to your list!

Another change: previously, I would listen to a show, and jot down notes in a Word document. Later, I would craft my entry from those notes. I found that my notes weren't specific enough, and I would often have to go back and listen to tunes to get more thorough information about whether they rocked or not. Well what you're reading here is being typed as I listen. I hope to get a more immediate description of the performance this way. I'm not even reading the setlist prior to listening!

Another note: I'm not sure why (and some of you may have noticed this already), but some of the streaming shows at archive.org are streaming doubled tracks. Not sure why that is. It's only mildly annoying, though.

I didn't have anything from 1982 yet, and I really like the early Brent years (the later ones don't suck either, of course). There was a two-show run at the Warfield to kick the year off, and while the first night's AUD isn't great, this night is a bit better (recorded by the same guy). It isn't the best-sounding AUD I've heard, not even close, but the energy is really there, and it's to the point where you can close your eyes and imagine you're there. I really wanted a photo of the marquee with "The Grateful Dead" on it for this entry, but after 10 pages of Google Image Search results, Phil and Friends is a more-than-adequate substitute.

Minglewood starts things off, and although Bobby's vocals are a bit off rhythmically, it still got my head bobbing. Sugaree is great, with Jer doing some serious runs at the 6:30 mark. While the vocals don't come through the mix as well as they could, the guitars and other instruments are right there. It should be noted, however, that Jerry's voice is in TOP form for this show.

On the Road Again! A relative rarity outside of the band's 1980 acoustic performances, and always fun to hear. In fact, since we're at the Warfield tonight, this is probably a nod to the fact that this theatre was the spot for over half of the Dead's 1980 three-set anniversary performances, when this song was played acoustically in the first set. And it's great! The between verses solos are played nice and smoothly, with the drummers providing a really nice groove to jam to. Short but sweet, OTRA leads into Bird Song, another common acoustic number from that magical Fall of 1980. The main jam section kicks in around 4:00 or so, and we're off. A great jam, and Jer and Brent are working together really well here.

CC Rider is next, and while not my favorite Bobby "Blues venture," it does showcase some nice soloing from Jerry and some outstanding organ work from Brent around 4:20 (heh) to 4:45. Wow, is that Bobby or Jer with the nice slide solo after Brent? Either way, some killer stuff, great sound on that solo. Jerry telegraphs "Tennessee Jed" and the crowd responds in turn. What's that crowd response at 4:15ish for? The band wanted to go into the chorus, but Jer just sang another verse. He probably had it wrong, timing wise, but the audience clearly appreciated the band's willingness to just follow. It's a good version of the song, not at the level that the late 1977 ones were, but really enjoyable.

"It's All Over Now" is nice and driving. Nothing outstanding, but a nice solid version of the song. Man, Jerry was so good at telegraphing songs, wasn't he? The whole crowd seems to know that "Loser" is the next tune a good minute before the song starts. Solo is fantastic, Jerry really lets loose, and you're able to lose yourself in the grind of a typically-great minor key "Loser" jam. "Women are Smarter" -- do I smell an end to the set? If so, it's a great choice, particularly after the minor-key "Loser." Very dance-able version, particularly Bobby's vocal entrance on the last verse -- lots of energy. Enjoy!

A Scarlet opens set 2, the band is cooking by the time the pre "Wind in the Willows" solo arrives. And it's a long one! I absolutely adore those extended Jerry Scarlet solos, and this is one is so full of joy that you can hear how much fun Jer and the others are having. The "Fire" transition jam arrives at around 5:30 with a nice guitar harmonic and some solid hi-hats. The transition jam is beautifully-executed, everyone in tune with each other and playing some raging music up until the 13-minute mark and over into the next track, and then collapsing into the relative calm of the beginning of Fire.

Fire is nice, as it usually is. The Estimated that follows, however, nearly steals the second set with its dual soloing by Jer and Bob. It's not often that they trade licks like this, and it's a treat for ears who have heard way too many cookie-cutter versions of Estimated.

"Eyes of the World" is up next, as it traditionally was after Estimated. It's a decent Eyes, but I still have to give the nod to Estimated in this pairing, which is normally opposite of how I usually feel. Odd, that.

Drums -> Space gives way to a beautifully-rendered "The Wheel," perhaps the best song the Dead used to "exit" Space. It's a good rendition, with some very nice dynamic shifts, and it's at its ending nadir that it gives way to the inevitable NFA. NFA starts a little understated, with Jerry playing around a bit and letting the drummers find their rhythm, which they do quickly. The rest of the band backs the leader up nicely. Some slide guitar finds its way into the mix (Bobby, maybe?), and pretty soon the main theme and opening vocals come in majestically. At about the 4:25 mark the band erupts and you can hear how much fun they're having at the end of this show. Some ending soloing and then a bit of improv experimentation lead into "Wharf Rat."

"Wharf Rat" is among the greatest of the Jerry "weepers" that traditionally closed many shows. The only one that topped it (IMO) was Dew. There's something about singing about a down-on-his-luck alcoholic looking back on his life that rings a bit true for almost everyone, especially since the song contains so much optimism for the future. This version is great, with amazing dynamic shifts between the "But I'll get back on my feet...", "I'll get up and fly away...", and "Pearly's been true..." sections. After this last section, the band explodes again into pure unadulterated loudness until bringing it all back down again for "Got up and wandered...". A little bit more experimentation and we're in Magnolia land.

It's a really upbeat version, a bit faster than normal, and very happy. Is it the good vibes in the air, or is the band eager to end the show? Either way, you're not likely to hear a quicker version of this tune elsewhere. In any case, it's very, very good. The SSDD coda is just as good, and just as fast.

"I Can't Get No Satisfaction" encores the show, and we're graced with a false start. The crowd loves it, of course. The song finally kicks in, and everyone's happy again. It's a rolicking affair, of course, with Brent giving some very nice vocals on the chorus. On the whole though, feh. It's definitely of the you-had-to-be-there variety.

Well, that's it, folks. Not sure if/when I'll be back. If I am, it will almost certainly be another AUD to add to the list. If I'm not, it's been a splendid ride.

DF 11: 3/30/87

3/30/87 - The Spectrum - Philadelphia, PA

Finally, our long national nightmare is over. So let's get back to the tunes!

The Spectrum was another one of the Dead's homes away from home, much the same way Madison Square Garden was referred to during the band's many East Coast visits. This show fell on the second night of a three-show stop in the city of brotherly love, and although 1987 isn't looked on as one of the uber-quality years, this show is excellent, and I'm happy that it's the first DF in the post-LMA-controversy era. You may not be able to download the sbd from archive, but listening to it at the office will put a smile on your face nonetheless, guaranteed.

I'm really big on the importance of a strong opening tune, and "Shakedown Street" was one of the Dead's best openers. Unfortunately, Jerry kind of telegraphs it with his opening warm-ups, but the spoiled surprise is well worth it -- he's getting his chops ready, the drummers give the queue, and BOOM! Shakedown. And what a version it is! Jer is doing some fine work at the beginning. The sound source changes about 3 minutes in, but it's done pretty seemlessly. Very hot Shakedown, a strong candidate for best of that particular year, I'd say. "It's All Over Now" follows with some rhythm issues at the very beginning, but a fine version is turned in. A relatively rare "Stagger Lee" comes next, it's always fun to hear the crowd's reaction to this one. It's a fun tune, doesn't normally lead into moments of musical brilliance, but it does please the ears.

Brent gets a turn next with the first "Never Trust a Woman" for 1987. He'd been doing this tune since the early 80s, but I really think it got better with age. In fact, I think it hit its prime in 1990, the last year of Brent's life. Just listen to the version on "Dozin at the Knick" to see what I mean. Tons of fun. It's good here, but gets better. Woah, "Box of Rain!" A bit of a surprise, and it's a really pretty version. one of the better I can remember hearing recently. Phil messes up the first couple lines in the song, but it's kind of endearing.

"Loser" is the perfect choice to follow "Box of Rain." Why? I don't know. Maybe it's the contrast the two songs provide: optimism versus pessimism. Something like that. "Cassidy" is good, but fairly standard, and surprise! That's the end of the first set. I think the short sets in 1987 might have been for Jerry's sake. He'd been in a coma the year before, after all, and probably needed that rest that came with setbreak.

Iko -> Saint to start the second set. Interesting choice! Not one I would have called, but it's pulled off pretty well, and makes for an auspicious start to the set. Again, a slow Jerry tune to follow an upbeat optimistic tune seems like the perfect choice. "He's Gone" is performed beautifully, with one of my favorite "Smile Smile Smile!" instances ever. Listen and smile! The vocal jam that follows is wonderful, this thing isn't scripted at all, but at quite a few points, the boys harmonize on queue - it's almost eerie. Then the delve into a very niiiice slow jam featuring some great poignant stuff from Jer.

This brings us into Drums, and it's a pretty groovy segment. It sounds for awhile like we're in the islands, mon! NFA rhythm comes at about 8 minutes in, and we hear the audience begin to clap along in rhythm. The band wasn't about to skip the Space segment, naturally, but this definitely hints at things to come. Space itself is a nice clean-guitars version, which seemed to be par for the course for 1987. If someone is more familiar with '87, could you chime in on that? Were Space jams free of the MIDI that later stuff was known for? There's a touch of delay, but that's the only real effect I can hear.

Jerry starts to tease Truckin' toward the end of Space, then the drummers queue the beginning, and Bam! -- we're into the song itself. Nice version, great organ, and Phil is prominent in the mix. But it's nothing compared to "The Other One" that comes next. The pre-verse jam is glorious, and this is probably my favorite part of the show. The band is smokin', Bobby uses the weird vocal effects, and we get treated to a wonderful late-80s version of the tune. Awesome awesome stuff. The "Wharf Rat" that comes next is just the ticket to come down from the chaos of TOO. By this point, Jerry's role in this show is clear: use the slower songs to bring us down from the wonderful anarchy of the previous tune. This band knew exactly what to play when. "Rat" is good, but Jer's voice is definitely tiring out for the night.

Bobby takes over to round the night out with a decent "Throwin' Stones" and then the whole band delivers the previously-promised NFA. It's a great one, too! Jerry delivers a great solo starting around 2:00. He's flying all over that fretboard for awhile, and then brings us down again. The ending is tight, with just vocals and drums as normal, until it's only the drummers that survive.

What better way to end the night than with Jerry Garcia singing Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue." His voice is perfect for the tune, and it's what Jerry has been giving the crowd all night - perfectly executed tenderness.

So what's next? I don't know. Ben has started to put together a list of the best AUDs available for download at LMA, maybe I'll use one of them? It'll be my first AUD DF, but it might be fun. Looking at the list of shows I've done, I'm due for another Godchaux-era show, so it's highly probable that the next DF will be an AUD from the 70s. See you then.

DF 10: 11/19/66

11/19/66 - Fillmore Auditorium - San Francisco, CA

As I said earlier, I've found that this period of the Dead isn't my favorite. But, as Stewart reminded me in his comments, what band didn't get better with age? Let's see -- Beatles? Check. Stones? Check. Zep? Check. Yep, I guess the theory holds, and it's the same with the Grateful Dead.

There's a lot to like in this recording, though, which is why I'm happy to present it here for my tenth DF. There's a bit of a question as to what song actually opened the show, though. Some have it listed as "Cold Rain and Snow," while archive.org has "High Healed Sneakers" as the kick-off tune. Regardless, it has escaped the setlist questions that plague quite a few shows at archive.org from 1966, where we're not even sure if songs presented in some archives were even played that night.

"High Healed Sneakers" contains a wonderful solo from Jerry, hinting at the greatness to come in later years. We then get what is one of probably two "Pain In My Hearts," and I'm surprised this tune wasn't played more. Pig's organ sounds great, Jerry's guitar sounds great, and the Pig-man himself puts down some truly fantastic vocals, again hinting at what's to come.

The earlier versions of "Cold Rain and Snow" are a little jarring if you're used to the ones that came later. The song, as it appeared in 1966, is much faster than in later years, and the organ gives the song an almost happy feel. They wisely slowed the song down later, and gave it a more crunchy feel.

"Cream Puff War" is excellent, a top-notch version of the song. Unfortunately, there's some static in the left channel of the song starting at around the 5:45 mark, and continues to the end of the song. It actually sounds like the person recording the show is aware of the problem and is trying to fix it, and it does get better for "The Same Thing" and eventually disappears.

"Smokestack Lightning" begins a run of 3 Pig songs to close out, and this is probably the best section of the show. Fantastic solo from Jerry around the 5 to 6 minute mark. "King Bee" is one of my absolute favorite Pig songs, and I could listen to a 20 minute version, if such a version actually existed (although I'm not sure that it doesn't). This one is top-notch. The "Midnight Hour" that ends the night is glorious -- all 18+ minutes of it.

Pig is clearly the leader of the band at this point in their career. One can only wonder how this would have shaped their musical direction later on had he remained healthy. Shows from this era are wonderful documents of a band finding its legs, experimenting with directions in which they want to go. I can't say that I'll listen to it with any frequency, but it was a worthwhile show to analyze nonetheless.

It's back to the future for next time, in all likelihood something from the early-to-mid eighties, a period I don't know that well and am eager to learn more about.

DF 9: 4/16/78

4/16/78 - Civic Center - Huntington, WV

The Dead did a show in West Viriginia? Yep, in fact, they did two: this show and one later in Morgantown in 1983. I haven't listened to that one yet, but if this show is any indication, maybe they should have visited the "Mountain" State more often. Firstly, the sound on this show is just incredible. It's one of the more pristine soundboard shows I've listened to recently, and it's a treat to hear sound this amazing. Secondly, the show itself rocks from start to finish.

Things don't exactly get off to an auspicious start, however. The opening phrases of "Jack Straw" are marred by some unsure playing and a few flubbed notes. But things settle down very quickly, and we get a pretty amazing version of the tune. The sound is almost perfect (the piano might be a little too prominent in the mix), and Jerry's second solo is a thing of beauty. It's a little more urgent than the ones he normally turns in, the kind of solo you're hoping Jerry's going to bust out when JS starts up.

"Dire Wolf" has a really nice swing to it, and Jer's vocals are crystal clear. He's clearly beat the laryngitis that had plagued him in the early part of the tour, and frankly, his voice sounds as good as it ever did, even in the early seventies. Sadly, of course, that wasn't going to be the case for long. "Cassidy" again is a fantastic version of the song, and Phil's bass just pops. The band have just laid down three all-time versions of three of their most famous tunes.

But then "Peggy-O" hits, and it's clear that this is not a normal concert. I haven't heard a version this crisp, this heart-felt, and with a solo this strong. The solo comes just after the 3 minute mark and climaxes gorgeously between the 4 and 5 minute marks. An unbelievable treat of a song that I normally don't pay too much attention to. You're not likely to hear a stronger version.

The Mexicali -> Mama Tried duo is good, but the transition between the two songs is a bit of a trainwreck. Sounds like basic missed communication between the band members.

"They Love Each Other" is a continuation of the beauty of "Peggy-O." Great vocals from Jerry, and as I listen to it, I'm starting to wonder if the laryngitis didn't leave him with a better set of pipes for awhile. I'm happy to report that TLEO also has some fine work from Keith, in a year when his playing took a bit of a slide.

"Minglewood Blues" is an absolute monster. Jerry goes nuts on this song, mimicing the rhythms supplied by the drummers nicely at times, at other times he just kills everything in sight with his fierce soloing. A top-notch version of the song, to be sure.

"Scarlet -> Fire" to end the first set? This isn't 1977, after all, and the setlists got mixed up a bit. It's a risk that pays off nicely here. There are a couple of Jerry vocal flubs early on in Scarlet, but this Scarlet is fantastic. Great playing by everyone, and the build to the transition to Fire is tremendous. The actual transition, while a bit boring in other shows, has some really interesting work by the band. There's some wonderful direction going on here in a part of the song that sometimes seems directionless. "Fire" is just as interesting as "Scarlet", and we get a really cool piano slide (glissando, is the correct term, I believe) from Keith around half-way through. This "Fire" on the whole is vicious and mighty.

Set 2 opens with a great "Samson and Delilah," but "Ship of Fools" suffers a little bit from out-of-tune instruments and out-of-tune Donna. The song does get better and the lead-in to the last chorus is fantastic. Phil is especially tight here, laying down some terrific bombs, particularly at around 6:05.

Estimated is pretty standard up to about 4:10, when Jerry takes off on a solo that’s a lot more joyful and up-beat that his typical solos in Estimated. Things return to standard in Estimated toward the end, and then Jerry rips off a really interesting fluid solo of triplets just after 11 minutes. Despite the brief "phoning-it-in" periods, this is a superior "Estimated Prophet." The "Eyes" that follows is certainly one for the ages, but it pales in comparison to its near predecessor, which can be heard on Dick's Picks 18, my all-time favorite "Eyes of the World." On its own, this Eyes more than satisfies, however.

An extremely long Drums session follows, followed by a shorter Space. Unless you're a really big fan of this section of the shows, it's not a necessary cog in the show, and can be skipped. The rest of the set is pretty short, unfortunately, Iko and Sugar Magnolia. But what a Sugar Mag it is! It's everything you want when you hear the song start, pure elation and rock from start to finish. The "US Blues" encore is top-notch as well, rounding out what was become one of my favorite shows from this period. The first set, in particular, stands out as one of the finest firsts I've heard in quite some time.

I haven't decided where to look next. I have another late-80s show lined up as a definite future DF, but it's from a year I've done already. I may go back to primal 60s Dead, as its been awhile since I stepped into those waters.

DF 8: 4/12/70

4/12/70 - Fillmore West - San Francisco, CA

It's been almost a month since the last DF, and while my acquisition of an iPod is partially to blame for the drought, I have to admit that I was having a hard time finding relatively unknown 1970 shows that I thought were worthy of including. I didn't listen to as much as I have in other years, but I found, on the whole, the earlier 1970 shows left me unsatisfied.

1970 was a strange year for the band. For the first time, an obvious influence other than psychedelia was pervading their music -- American roots and country music. Incorporating this into their live show while still trying to maintain a hold on the psychedelic that made them proved a little difficult, and it shows in much of the music I listened to in the past month. All that said, however, there are some moments of pure beauty in this week's DF.

The show opens with "Schoolgirl," one of my favorite ways to open a Pig-era show. He's lewd, he's crude, he's awesome. Listen for an amusing vocal flub from Pig and a resulting "Good Golly!" The jam in "Schoolgirl" is decent, but at times seems a little aimless. I think it was probably a bit difficult at times for the band to jam immediately to open a show, which is why so many first sets in the later 70s seemed so predictable at times: Minglewood, Jed, Cassidy, etc. The guys probably needed to get the juices flowing before going into creative zen mode.

After "Schoolgirl" the sound goes a bit south (at least on the version linked to above). "Casey Jones" suffers from this the most, and things seem to improve a bit for "Mama Tried," but the vocals are still poorly recorded. It could be an AUD patch, and this is mentioned in the notes at archive, but it wasn't immediately obvious to me. Things go pretty well for awhile, nothing spectacular, and then the band arrives at "Good Lovin'", yet another Pig showcase. But here, it's Jerry and other instrumentalists that shine. Indeed, this is where the show really picks up its steam. A great great jam is present in "Good Lovin," one of the best of its kind from the era.

"Candyman" sounds like it definitely pre-dates the version that found its way onto "American Beauty" -- the rhythm is a bit more up-tempo, and the time signature even sounds a bit different. It comes off as a little strange to ears used to the version that came later, but it's interesting in its own right. I certainly prefer the later more laid-back version, particularly in later years, as Jerry's health was declining. For some reason, hearing him sing some of the magic words in that song with a failing voice came off as incredibly optimistic: "Won't you tell everybody you meet that the Candyman's in town!"

"Dancin" is a song that went through many changes in its time with the Dead. Its late seventies "Disco-Dead" version is probably the most controversial of the incarnations, and I personally prefer the version the band played in the earlier part of the decade. And here is the highlight of the show. The "Good Lovin" jam from earlier was just a warm-up for Jerry: now he lights himself on fire and explodes. Or, as I've seen a different guitarist from another band described, "rips the universe apart." This and "Good Lovin" are the reasons to listen to the show.

"It's a Man's World" is another great Pig work-out, and the closing "Viola Lee" is a good serviceable rendition, and a good way for the band to come down after the chaos of "Dancin."

For next time, I really should find a Keith and Donna show, but I'm really tempted to go back to 1989, where I've found a show even better than the one I highlighted last year. Ah well, having too much music to listen to is never a condition I'd complain about.

DF 7: 2/26/81

2/26/81 - Uptown Theater - Chicago, IL

Forget what you've heard about early 1980s Grateful Dead. Forget those allegations that the band wasn't playing up to par, that Brent was still finding his way. The fact is, while the early 80s didn't deliver the consistency that most of the seventies did, this period certainly serves up some shows that are as good as any.

The Dead began 1981 with a three-show stay in Chicago, and while the second night of this trio of shows tends to get most of the attention, I think this first night deserves a nice spot in anyone's collection as well. In fact, I think it stands up to the second night as an equally impressive show.

The sound quality on the soundboard is outstanding, but things don't start off very well. "Feel Like a Stranger" is plagued with muddled instruments and confused channels. Too bad, as it's a well-executed earier version of this song. "Go To Heaven" is still the most recent studio effort from the band, so another song from this album follows: "Althea." By this point the sound problems have been solved, and this version is a nice laid-back bluesy one, with Jerry delivering a great solo toward the end. The drummers are both very impressive here, backing everyone up wonderfully.

A turgid "Rooster" follows, with all members putting in stellar performances. Brent's organ work at around 4 minutes is the kind of stuff he does best, and I was wishing upon first hearing this track that he was a bit louder in the mix. As it is, he's getting a bit drowned out by the guitar's simple E-A-B patterns. I love listening to this song in my car with the windows open. It's grown on me in recent years, and I definitely prefer it to "Walkin Blues," Bobby's other 80s blues showpiece. The stuff that comes after Brent's organ is exactly the sort of stuff I love to hear loud with the wind blowing through my hair. If I had a convertible, it would be perfect.

"Bird Song" starts a little shaky, but turns into an all-time version of the tune. The early 80s had plenty of great "Bird Songs," owing mostly to the acoustic performances at Radio City and The Warfield, but this plugged-in version rocks. Amazing soloing by Jerry (won't be the last time during this show) makes for the bulk of the middle part of the tune. The "Me and My Uncle" > "Big River" duo comes next, and it's a rocking and rolling affair the entire way through. Jerry's work on "Big River" is especially outstanding.

"Peggy-O" is its normal pretty self, but the "Passenger' that follows just rocks. This song kind of confuses me sometimes -- it's not a typical Dead song, but it's good, and they almost become a different band when they play it, especially when following it up with an old Dead standard like "Tennessee Jed." Maybe it's just me, but it's a likeable but weird little tune. A quick note on some tag strangeness: when I download this show and listen to it in WinAmp, "Peggy-O" is tagged as "Tennessee Jed" and vice-versa. Someone goofed along the way -- don't get fooled by it if you create labels for your CDs.

"Jed" is great, but has lost a little bit of steam. I think this song peaked in 1977, particularly in the Fall. I hate to draw attention away from the show at hand, but here is, in my opinion, the best version of "Tennesse Jed." Enjoy.

The first set ends with a great version of "The Music Never Stopped," and although I think this was a great song to have Donna Jean sing on, Brent's vocals are really nice here, as is his keyboard playing. Jerry, not letting anyone forget that he is an absolute monster this night, turns in some wonderful noodling in the jam part of the song. The entire band is listening really well here -- this is almost Dead at its best. The best kind of improv in music is when you can hear the band members reacting to each other. Listen as Mickey and Billy ratchet things up a bit in response to Brent and Jerry's playing (4:45) and then as Bobby steps in with some nice fills at around 5:05. The main theme is entered again around 5:15 -- not as gracefully as it could have been, but still very nicely. Jerry stokes the fire again just after the seven minute mark, and then brings the song to a close. This is as good of a first set as I've heard in a long time. Make sure you include it in what you burn for your collection.

Set 2 starts with a nice laid back "China Cat." Nothing too special, but it does lead into a nice Rider, with a cool guitar tone from Jerry (that you can actually hear him switch into around the 1:48 mark.

Jerry, once again, is ON for "Samson and Delilah." He stumbles a couple of times trying to do too much, but he recovers in time for the instrumental descent into the final "If I had my way..." And when he does, Brent accompanies him wonderfully on the organ -- which is the perfect instrument for this song. The "He's Gone" that follows is an absolute treat. A bit more mellow than usual, perhaps, the song itself is played with a deliberate care that foils perfectly the relative chaos of "Samson." Great setlist choice here. The song itself evolves into a nice vocal jam between Jerry, Bob and Brent, with the drummers playing slow fills in the background and some slow noodling from Jerry. After a couple of minutes, this gives way to a pure instrumental jam -- free form, slow, as deliberately played as the song that preceded it, and beautiful. Things pick up quicky, and it sounds like they're going into "The Other One," but it's only a tease! For the next five or six minutes, we get another nice example of the Dead listening to each other, a pleasure to listen to when done right. Things get a little strange in the last few minutes, but it's nothing the boys can't handle. While not for everyone, the fast-paced guitar soloing from Jerry and Bob is at least interesting.

Drums and an extremely short Space come next. In fact, I wouldn't even call this one a Space, it's more of a pre-Truckin' jam with even more "The Other One" teases. By about 1:15, it's fairly obvious what Jerry wants to go into, and "Truckin" is released in all its glory after about 1:42. Pretty good version, but the "Black Peter" that follows is even better.

The end to the show is a fairly good GDTRFB > Johnny B. Goode with a nice "US Blues" encore. Nothing spectacular here, they just finish a top-notch concert with a fine ending. I'm tempted to say that the first set surpasses the second here, but I can't quite bring myself to say it, due to the strong "Samson", the great "He's Gone > Jam" and the gorgeous "Black Peter." In any case, both sets are a worthy addition to your CD stacks.

For next time, I think I'm going to do a Pig-era show. I just got my copy of Dick's Picks 35, and it's nice to hear the Pig rant and rave again after listening to so many 80s shows. So in a couple of weeks, DF8 will appear, and will probably be from 1970.

Till then, Happy Listening!

DF 6: 7/31/94

7/31/94 - The Palace - Auburn Hills, MI

This is obviously a late-Dead show, so take it with a grain of salt, and remember that 1994-95 shows just don't consistently hold up on tape as the earlier ones do. That said, I have a bit of a confession: I didn't listen to scads of 1994 shows to pick this week's DF. Instead, I went on a hunch. This show is one of those that I could have gone to but didn't, and of course later regretted. Everyone I know who went had a blast. Not much was said of the quality of the performance, hence the hunch. So I checked it out, and what do you know, it's a pretty cool show.

It's also worth mentioning that parts of this show were played a few weeks later on Gans' Grateful Dead Hour radio program, pretty high praise for a show so late in the canon. But on to the particulars...

The opening "Touch of Grey" is great. A few togetherness issues toward the beginning don't hamper things, and Jerry nails a nice extended between-the-verses solo. The man may have been in failing health, and his singing voice certainly wasn't what it once was, but he could still sing through that guitar of his. This is continued in a perfectly-executed "Greatest Story Ever Told," where Bobby shines vocally and Jerry's wah-wah is in great form, delivering a wonderful showing of the tune.

"Row Jimmy" is perhaps a bit of a let-down after the opening one-two punch of Touch > GSET, but it's a pretty version, very listenable, and no real flaws in it. "Spoonful" is a nice treat. The song was in rotation for around 13 years, but only played around 50 times. For audiences who had heard Bobby's other blues tunes a few too many times (Walkin Blues and Red Rooster), "Spoonful" was a nice respite. This version proves to be a good one after too long, thanks to some really nice tightness from the band and a nice little mid-song solo from Jerry, helped by the others.

Wait -- "Me and My Uncle" sounds like it's going into "Mexicali Blues," but instead Bobby starts singing the words to "Big River." Intentional? Not sure, but it seems to mess the band up for a second, but they recover nicely. In any case, it's a nice little tease, and a great version of "Big River." The rest of the set concludes with a groovy "Loose Lucy" and a "Midnight Hour" that starts a little shaky, but gets its legs and sounds like it brought the house down.

"Samon and Delilah" starts the second set, and the recording apparently started a few seconds into the tune, so we miss the first bit. The song starts off a little sluggishly and even though it gets a little better, it remains a fairly unremarkable version. Why they chose to go to "Way to Go Home" next is beyond me, as it doesn't do a whole lot for the set's energy. The drummers sound a bit lost at times, Jerry's solo meanders, and Vince's piano work is well, uninteresting. At least he puts some effort into his vocals here. Enough! Let's move on.

"New Speeday Boogie," one of Garcia/Hunter's all-time great compositions, picks things up a bit. The interplay between the two guitars sounds really nice after the first verse/chorus. Without warning, the song segues very nicely into "Truckin'", and now things finally get cooking. A nice decent-length jam leads into "He's Gone," a very tender version with some nice vocals from Jerry. Phil is very prominent in the mix, and he and Jerry have some nice interplay here. Bobby's guitar has, for some reason, come down in the mix a little since "New Speedway", which is too bad, because just before Jerry's main solo in "He's Gone", you can hear Bobby doing some really interesting things. The solo Jerry pulls off, for what it's worth, is top-notch.

"He's Gone" descends into a very cool "Nothin's gonna bring him back" vocal jam, which turns into an impromptu jam between the instruments. It's a little on the sloppy and wandering side, but certainly holds your interest. It evolves into Drums, a shorter segment than normal, but then Space clocks in at just over 18 minutes, a pretty long version. If Space is your thing, you won't be disappointed. Some pretty cool left ear/right ear back-and-forth stuff happens, and the piece has a whole has a satisfying eerieness about it that makes the best Spaces enjoyable.

The true Space jam leads into an AWESOME Spanish Jam MIDI-fest. Very nice exploration here, particularly by Jerry, and Vince lends a nice piano to the goings-on. "Last Time" is great, with Bobby going nuts vocally, and a nice round of cymbals allows Jerry to start "Black Peter," my favorite song from Workingman's Dead. Jerry's weary voice almost suits this song better than it did back when it was written and first recorded. Vince's keys are very nice on the tune, giving it its slow honky-tonk feel. Bobby sure loved him some covers this night. Of the 9 Weir-led songs, seven are covers. Truckin' and GSET are his only originals. And here he is again, pulling out his second cover of the post-Space segment. "Good Lovin" is one of those tunes that I think come off better in person than hearing on tape (except for Pig's versions, naturally). "The Weight" encores nicely, but I always thought this one dragged a bit when they played it.

This isn't an essential show, by any means, but it is certainly representative of good ol' Grateful Dead toward the end of the band's career. Get it if you like that sort of thing, but Truckin > He's Gone > Drums > Space > Spanish Jam > Last Time > Black Peter make it worth at least a partial download.

For next time, I'm going back to Brent. The lineup with him from late '79 through '90 is my favorite GD lineup, even though most of their best music was from the seventies. I've been listening to a fair amount of '89 recently, even though I already have a DF '89 show, so it could come from that year, but don't be surprised if I hit the mid-80s, too. I also have my eyes on a few shows from 1981.

If this is your first time to my site (and even if it's not), feel free to leave show suggestions in the comments suggestion. No promise I'll use them, but with so many shows out there to hit, it's always nice to have a few more sources. I do have a few rules, though.

DF 5: 8/24/72

8/24/72 - Berkeley Community Theater - Berkeley, CA

Yeah, I know I'm early. Thing is, I'm going out of town on Friday morning, so I decided to throw this up a bit early.

1972 was the year that Donna and Keith joined the band. It was also the year of the Grateful Dead's massive tour of Europe, which has been mined for quite a few official releases, such as Europe 72, Hundred Year Hall, and a few others. And since that tour is so famous, I decided to stay away from that part of the year for this first DF in five months.

1972 is a favorite year among many Heads, possibly ranking only behind 1977 and 1973. As such, it's hard to find good shows that have fallen under the radar, but I think this one fits the bill quite nicely. One of the more famous shows in Dead History happened just three days later: the 8/27/72 benefit for the Springfield Creamery in Veneta, OR. That show is great, to be sure, but this one holds up pretty nicely against it, and even matches it in many spots.

The first set is played in typically-fine 1972 fashion. A "Promised Land" opener played really nicely gives way to a fine "Sugaree," even though 1-2 opening punch was used extensively during 1972's Fall Tour. A decent "China Cat Sunflower" gives way to what I think is a remarkable "Rider," with the vocals sounding a lot like the song did way back in the sixties. Keith then either teases "Bird Song" or honestly thinks that's what they're going into. When the song finally does come, it's wonderful - 1972 had some great "Bird Songs," the most famous of which is probably the Veneta show I mentioned earlier. But I think I like this one a bit better, at times soft and delicate, at other times loud and intense -- wonderful extremes in the same tune.

Donna then takes the mic to say she hopes it's cool with everyone to see a chick singing with the Grateful Dead. She'd gone on the European tour, of course, but American audiences were still getting used to seeing her up there. The band then launches into "Playin'" which rocks, as most 72 Playin's do.

The second set start starts with "Mississippi Half-Step", and I must confess I'm not a fan of the way the band did this tune in its relative infancy. The jams that served as a bridge between the main part of the song and the "Across the Rio Grandeo" part is missing here, and was a much needed addition in later years. Here, it just sounds a little abrupt to begin singing that very different part almost right away. I should cut it some slack though, as this was only the 7th time it was played.

"Truckin'" is great, and has an AWESOME solo at around the 5:13 mark. What comes next, though, is what makes this show what it is. "Dark Star" starts in typical fashion, and remains really nice and mellow for around 18 minutes, but then everyone on stage goes nuts. Then, just as quickly, the music stills and mellows, and then goes nuts again. It may sound chaotic and useless to the virgin DS ear, but it's a great example of the togetherness of the band, even when playing the most seemingly-chaotic music. The "Morning Dew" that DS settles into is a nice builder -- it gets more and more intense as it goes, and Jerry's playing with Phil and Bill is powerful.

The rest of the set is good if not unremarkable. "Greatest Story Ever Told" is a pre-cursor to its top-notch Veneta version. "Sing Me Back Home" has some audio problems in the archive I've linked to above, but is a typically sweet and gentle version (minus some Donna warbles). The song was to be played only ten more times after this night. Sometimes I'd really like to have been a fly on the wall during the conversations in which the band chose to not play songs anymore but continue to play others until they'd been (Estimated) done to (Prophet) death.

In any case, a really good show that's great in parts, and a worthy addition to an extended collection. If 1972 is your year, I'd say it's essential.

Next time, I really am going to do a Vince-era show, and I might even have the show in mind already. But, I need to listen to some more stuff. Right now 1991 looks very nice, as do a few '93 shows. But here's the hint: the one I've got in mind is from 1994, not exactly a renowned year.

DF 4: 10/15/76

10/15/76 - Shrine Auditorium - Los Angeles, CA

In October of 1976 I was in Kindergarten. I didn't know who the Grateful Dead were, but I probably didn't know who the Beatles were either at the time, so that's not really saying too much. My four year old daughter certainly knows who the Dead are now, but that's mostly because she thinks that my dancing skeletons bumper sticker is cute. But it's still a shame that my five-year-old self wasn't Dead-aware, because man they put on some great shows in this year.

The year as a whole is a bit neglected, and for a couple of reasons. It's the first year back for the band after their year-and-a-half hiatus, and some of the early shows show some rust that probably turns quite a bit of fans off. But the rust is quickly dusted away and by June (they started in May) the band is in top form again. Some highlights that I've heard include a 6/9 "Let it Grow", a stunningly-gorgeous 6/14 "Row Jimmy" and the entire second set of 7/18. The other reason 1976 doesn't get much press: 1977.

The show that I'm highlighting this week is the last show the band delivered that year before New Year's Eve. The sound is a little tinny to begin with, but this is remedied fairly quickly, and most of the show is available from archive.org as a very crispy soundboard.

'Might as Well' (one of my favorite Dead openers) kicks off an extremely well-played first set. It's always great to have a tight first set in your collection, since so many first sets, while they might be delivered adequately, tend to blend together and, in the case of 1977, become quite predictable. An excellent first set means that the CD it takes up isn't just a placeholder in your CD wallet, it's something that might actually find its way into your player more than once or twice. The only big flaw in this set is in the recording itself. In the version I link to above, there is a fairly sizable cut in Jerry's solo during "Lazy Lightning." There is an all AUD version of the show available at archive as well, but I haven't listened to it yet. Might be worth checking out the Lazy Lightning there to see if an AUD patch can be lifted.

As is usual, the 2nd set is where things start to cook. "Eyes of the World" opens, ahh, the true way to my heart. It goes into a decent "Music Never Stopped" and then Jerry delivers a beautiful "It Must Have Been the Roses" to calm things down a bit. 1976 was the first year for "Samson and Delilah." It's a song that's still finding its legs with the band for much of the year, but by the time this show rolled around, they'd just about nailed it. This version is much of what the song will become in the years following.

Oddly, Jerry chooses to slow things down yet again with "He's Gone." His and Donna's vocals blend precisely as they should in this version, and it's worth noting here for a moment that Donna, when she was good, was a fantastic part of the band. So all you Donna-hate-ahs take note: listen to this "He's Gone." Yeah, I know, there are times when she sounds like she's strangling a goat, but the woman can sing when she has the right material, and this was it.

The true climax of the show occurs next, when Drums leads into a rousing "Other One" that transitions into "Comes a Time!" Great, great work here. Unforunately, the soundboard portion of the show ends here, at around the 9:20 mark of "Comes a Time." The AUD that takes over isn't too terribly bad, and is good enough to keep for your copy, since the "Franklin's" and "Sugar Magnolia" that close the show are nothing short of excellent.

For next time: I think I'm going to throw some caution to the wind and inspect the Vince era. I don't know much about the period, but there are some decent shows there, particularly in 1993.

DF 3: 2/14/68

2/14/68 - Carousel Ballroom - San Francisco, CA

OK, so this show isn't exactly "lesser-known," but I couldn't resist. I was a few shows into 1968 and this one just jumps at you, begging to be added to your collection if it isn't already. Simply put, it's one of the best instances of primal Dead I've ever heard.

What is primal Dead? It's a term used pretty commonly by Heads to denote the period of time prior to Keith and Donna Godchaux' arrival in the band, and even more specifically, the sixties. The Dead had been fashioning their sound since 1965, and by '68 they had come up with something very fast, very loud, and very harsh. It's not the Grateful Dead as we normally think of them, happy feel-nice music to listen to in the summer outdoors, dancing around the grass and feeling nice. While there is certainly some feel-good music to be found in this period, the music the band was creating was more about making sure every member of their audience heard them, and knew that they were good. They were still making a name for themselves, after all, and most shows from this period are great, for that very reason.

The band isn't that far removed from Ken Kesey's acid tests either at this time. They were the house band for "tests," which was just a nice euphemism for a bunch of people getting together, dropping LSD, and going nuts. You can hear what they learned from these tests in the frenetic energy present in the jams from these shows.

There is some debate about the start of this show. The first track is "Morning Dew", but some setlists leave this out, claiming that the song wasn't played there, and that the show really started with "Schoolgirl". I'd recommend downloading it anyway, taking date accuracy with a grain of salt, and just enjoy the very nice upbeat version of Dew that it is.

A very nice "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" follows, with Pig at his most lascivious. The interplay between him and Jerry toward the end, just as Pig starts the "I don't care" rap is great, a top-notch version for sure. The "Dark Star" that follows is short, to be sure, but contains some beautiful rapid jazzy soloing from Jerry that wouldn't appear in this song later on, as the tune became more and more experimental. An early "China Cat Sunflower" with no "I Know You Rider" comes next, and segues beautifully into "The Eleven."

The second set opens with a dedication. Neal Cassady, an important member of the Beat Generation, friend of the band and of Ken Kesey, had died 10 days prior to this show. The band dedicates the set "and especially this next song" to Neal's memory. The "next song" is, of course, Cryptical Development --> The Other One, in which Cassady makes an appearance in the lyrics:

The bus came by and I got on, that's when it all began...
There was Cowboy Neal, at the wheel of a bus to never-ever land

(There's a decent discussion of this song here.)

The entire second set is great, with a nice excursion through "New Potato", "Born Crosseyed" and a wonderful "Spanish Jam," but it's the Alligator --> Jam that makes things really cook. "Alligator" is a great little tune where Pig can strut his stuff as well as the band, but the Jam that comes out of it is gorgeous. Imagine some typically gorgeous Jerry jamming, add a little Allman Brothers to it, and then turn it to eleven. There's an unfortunate cut in it around the 6-minute mark, but I'm going to be playing this one a lot, I'm sure.

The set ends with a pretty good Caution, Feedback, and then a great "Midnight Hour" encore. There is some FM radio chatter afterwards, as the show had been broadcast live in San Fransisco, to celebrate the Carousel's opening.

Next time: well, I haven't really decided yet. Seeing as I haven't done any Keith and Donna shows yet, maybe that's where I'll head. It's difficult to find a period of time in the seventies though that doesn't get enough attention already. Heck, maybe I'll do another Pig show.

DF 2: 5/6/89

5/6/89 - Frost Amphitheatre - Palo Alto, CA

1989 was a great year for the Dead. Some of the most famous shows of the Brent Mydland era are from this year, most notably 10/9/89 at Hampton Coliseum, in which "Dark Star" was busted out for the first time in over five years. There were also great runs of shows at the Meadowlands, the Spectrum, and their final appearance at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley (also a great show, and one that was almost this week's DF).

This show presents us with a much better first set than I supplied in DF1. "Jack Straw" kicks off the set and immediately you can appreciate the high quality of this recording. Jerry's "Peggy-O" is next, and oh what a version it is. Gorgeous vocals (believe it or not, his crackly voice is perfect for this song), and his soloing is very nicely stated, with the band playing perfectly behind him.

Then comes a neat little sequence of tunes. "Walkin Blues" is normally one I skip, but this is a pretty darned good version. Great stuff from Brent in there. "They Love Each Other" is performed well, and then followed by "The Race is On", an old standard that they hadn't played in three years. "Race" is a song that was performed almost to death by the band back in 1973, and was blessedly shelved for awhile. It's fun to hear a latter-day-Dead version of the tune, and the band would only play it four more times after this night at the Frost.

"West LA Fadeaway" was the first song I ever heard Jerry sing live, so it owns its own particular place in my soul. This is followed by Brent's "Just a Little Light", possibly the weak point of the set. I like the song, but it didn't really hit its stride until the following year, most notably in Albany, recorded for posterity on Dozin at the Knick. Bobby then channels Dylan by performing a wonderfully tight "Queen Jane Approximately" and then the band surprises everyone with a sweet "China Cat Sunflower" > "I Know You Rider" to end the set.

There is a fair amount of static in the recording early on in the second set, which is a great shame, because the set opens in fine fashion. "Let the Good Times Roll" followed by a ecstatically-perfomed "Hey Pockey Way." Gosh I love that tune. "Samson and Delilah" is pretty standard, far from its hey-day of the late 70s. But "Ship of Fools" begins a run of perfection. That song gives me shivers every time, and the intro to this one is gorgeous. Then "Playin!" What a great choice to follow "Ship of Fools." This song just grows on me every time I hear it, since it takes awhile to warm to the long jammed-out part of the tune. But dang, I love it now.

"Eyes of the World" follows, which as you know, is the easy way into this reviewer's heart, then Drums > Space. Space leads into a Brent-weeper, "I Will Take You Home." Dah, this song makes me cringe, but not why you might think. The man wrote it for his daughter, then goes and dies of an overdose. What a waste. Every time I hear that song, I just get mad, since that little girl then had to grow up without her daddy, the exact opposite of what the song is saying.

Thankfully, the band picks up from there, going in sequence through the last five songs of the set. "The Wheel" is always beautiful, and then Bobby delivers a fantastic "I Need a Miracle." "Wharf Rat" contains a gorgeous jam at the end, and then the set ends in normal fashion: "Around and Around" > "Not Fade Away."

The encore is a treat. "Black Muddy River" is a song that just wasn't played enough. Perhaps that's what made it special, but it's gorgeous. Not quite as incredible of a song as "Comes a Time", that other rare Jerry-weeper, but it's beautiful, and having Brent singing backup vocals makes it better. He and Jerry add some very sweet instrumental flourishes.

Next time: primal Dead!

DF 1: 5/8/80

5/8/80 - Glens Falls Civic Center - Glens Falls, NY

When I decided to do this blog, I knew that the first show was going to be from 1980. It's a year I knew almost nothing about, only that Go To Nassau was from the Spring Tour. It was also Brent Mydland's first full year with the band, which gave me even more motivation to get the goods (I'm a Brent fan). I started listening to shows from 1980 from the very top of the list, and it didn't take me long to get to this little gem, which, as soon as I get my laptop back from the service shop, I will be adding to my collection.

An interesting piece of trivia: one of Phish's most famous shows was performed in this same venue 14 years after the Dead did this show. The first Halloween costume show, in which Phish played the entirety of the Beatles' White Album took place here on October 31, 1994. Now on to the show.

The first set begins as many shows from the Spring tour did: with "Alabama Getaway." The sound isn't great at first. Bobby's guitar is too high in the mix, and Jerry's lead guitar is almost inaudible. This is fixed after awhile, but it's a little annoying at first, almost to the point where some collectors might just be happy with just getting the second set. 'Bama segues into "Promised Land" on this night. When AG opened shows back then, the band would segue into one of two songs: "Promised Land" or "Greatest Story Ever Told." I prefer it when the band goes into GSET, but PL is a pretty solid rocker as well.

Jerry decides to tone things down a bit with a gorgeously played "Friend of the Devil," performed in the slow manner that this song took on in the late 70s. The FOTD's performed during this Spring tour were of exceptional quality, and even though the source for this show that I listened to was soundboard, you can still hear the crowd roaring their approval.

Bobby goes Western next, with a Mama Tried -> Mexicali Blues duo that is played textbook perfect. "Mama" is usually very good, but I find "Mexicali" to be hit-or-miss. This one just gets nailed to the wall.

The "Lazy Lightning -> Supplication" that comes after a nice "High Time" is interesting in that Brent's organ is so high in the mix. This is actually a nice change, since I'm so used to Keith on this song. Brent is so much more of a presence, both instrumentally and vocally than the Godchaux's were, and I usually prefer his input (not that Keith and Donna didn't have their great moments, of course).

"Saint of Circumstance" is one of my favorite Bobby songs, and the version that closes out this first set is not going to be in my top ten ever performed. It starts a bit slow for my tastes from the fading chords of "Lost Sailor" and takes awhile to get going to its usual tempo. The end of the song makes up for it, however, as the band finally finds their footing in the closing jam, delivering a very nice ending punch.

Second set opens with "Uncle John's Band!" Nice, how often did this happen, I wonder? Too bad deadlists doesn't let you search with that parameter. This second set is what made me decide on this show to be the first DF entry. "Estimated Prophet" follows UJB, and "Eyes of the World" is after that. Any set with "Eyes" in it is worth looking at, in my opinion.

A really long "Drums" segment comes after "Eyes", and then toward the end of it is where the magic starts to happen. Phil and Jerry start to lead into a "Space" segment that's well worth listening to. I don't listen to Space probably half the time it comes on during a show, but this one's great. Wonderful paths are explored, everyone's clearly listening to each other, and it's a good length too -- about three and a half minutes. As Space winds down, Jerry goes right into "Truckin'" in a wonderful transition. The Truckin's a good one, and slides GORGEOUSLY into "Stella Blue," the song of the night. It's a nice long and mellow version, until the bridge: "I've stayed in every blue-light cheap hotel..." is delivered powerfully, with a crunching guitar to back it up. This literally sent shivers down my spine the first time I listened to it, and pretty much sealed the deal for this show.

SB leads into an "Around and Around" -> "Johnny B. Goode" ending, and the band encores with a serviceable "US Blues."

I'd recommend you at least get the second set, and listen to Space -> Truckin -> Stella Blue as often as you can. For the completists, the first set is definitely worth it for the FOTD as well as Mama -> Mexicali, and the great ending to Saint.

I think next week I'm going to delve a little deeper into Brent Mydland's career with the Dead, probably something from the late 80s. Not entirely sure which year yet, but I'm leaning toward 1989. Then again, I could decide I really need to do something from 1971.

Some other finds this week from this time period:

• 1/13/80 - Fantastically joyous "Sugar Magnolia"
• 4/1/80 - Great jam in "Estimated Prophet."
• 5/6/80 - (this show is audience recording only) Great China -> Rider and the transition from Space -> Wharf Rat is spectacular.
• 5/10/80 - (also AUD only) "Comes a Time" will make you weep for its sheer beauty
• 5/11/80 - "Fire on the Mountain" has a eerie crunchy solo at 7 minutes that must have made the crowd scream. Also: wait for Bobby to yelp "Whoops!" during "Loser."