The Grateful Dead

[mountain bed]

I always thought that a GD Trivial Pursuit game would be the shit. If only to prove what a fucking geek I am.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

I always thought that a GD Trivial Pursuit game would be the shit. If only to prove what a fucking geek I am.

That would be a blast. Start out with stuff like, "During what show did the Dead play the longest-ever version of Dark Star?" and then throw in stuff like "Coventry City last won the English football cup in what year?" just to fuck with people.

[Lammycat]

Cleveland 12/6/73....

[NightOfJoy]

I peeped that 1975 JGB release with Hopkins this morning. Just got through half of the first disc and am mighty pleased with it so far. If you dont have this, go get it!

[uncool2pillow]

Cleveland 12/6/73....

Surprised by 2 things. 1) You answered before Mt. Bed, 2) It took either of you 23 minutes to answer.

[IRememberDBoon]

Our next selection is from 12/27/89 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena. I believe we've played the post-Drums sequence here at the Tapers' Section, so this week we'll play you the pre-Drums sequence, featuring Iko Iko, Playing In The Band>Crazy Fingers>Uncle John's Band, with the first couple of songs featuring none other than the Big Man, Clarence Clemons sitting in on saxamaphone. A funny personal anecdote to this show: I'd flown in to San Francisco at around 3 PM from the east coast for these shows, and throughout 12/27/89 I kept thing 'wow, the sound is really muddy.' It wasn't until toward the end of the second set during Morning Dew that I decided to plug my nose and pop my ears, and all of sudden the sound became crystal clear. I was so bummed as I felt that despite being in a great location, I felt I'd missed the show. So let that be a lesson: if you fly the day of a concert, pop your ears.

 

 

Oh hells yes. I was at this run and this set on this night in particular was in my top 5 Dead experiences ever.

I am here to tell you that The Oakland Coliseum was fucking ROCKING during this Iko. I mean it was the sickest energy you have ever seen.

[Analogman]

Taper's Section (December 28, 2009 - January 3, 2010)

 

Welcome back to our year-ending Tapers' Section. We'd like to take this opportunity to wholeheartedly thank you for stopping in here every week throughout 2009 and checking out what we're doing. You're the reason we do the Tapers' Section, and your enthusiasm for our work is such great motivation to keep us inspired and excited about making some of the Grateful Dead's musical history accessible to you on a weekly basis. Again, a huge thanks.

 

As you might recall, last year we played the post-Drums sequence from 12/28/89, so this year we're going to play you the pre-Drums sequence, featuring Foolish Heart>Looks Like Rain>Eyes of the World. This was a terrific New Year's run in Oakland, and was all captured to 24-track analog tape by John Cutler in the Le Mobile recording truck. Hopefully some day we'll see a nice CD release drawn from these concerts.

 

From the very next show, on 12/30/89 in Oakland, we have the pre-Drums sequence again, this time consisting of Jack Straw>China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider, Estimated Prophet>Terrapin Station. tThis was a very rare second set Jack Straw, and the way it barrels right into China>Rider is pretty darn cool.

 

We'll slip into some 1977 Grateful Dead now before we get into our main big piece of New Year's music. From 12/29/77 at Winterland, we have several of the first set's songs, specifically Jack Straw, They Love Each Other, New Minglewood Blues, Sugaree.

 

Lastly this week, to ring in the New Year, we have the entire first set from 12/31/89 in Oakland, which featured Sugar Magnolia>Touch of Grey>Women Are Smarter, Big Boss Man, Memphis Blues, Shakedown Street. Just about everything in this set was a little out of place, in a good way, aside from the Dylan track, making it one of the oddest, and coolest, first sets of the late 1980s. That's Bonnie Raitt sitting in on Big Boss Man, lending her slide guitar skills.

 

Have a great end to 2009 and an even better start to 2010. It's been great seeing you here weekly and getting to know some of you. As always, we welcome and encourage your comments and questions, sent to the email address below my name.

 

David Lemieux

[mountain bed]

Wow, I've never heard that very interesting sounding set 1 from 12/31/89. I do have set 2, where Bobby announces the New Year by saying, "My buddy over here just reminded me that it's the beginning of a new dickhead, ummm i mean decade". The Victim > Dark Star from that show is very very good.

 

'89, to me, felt like the year where we finally got Jerry all the way back from the brink. EXCELLENT year of music - I think I saw more shows that year than any other.

[Vacant Horizon]

Wow, I've never heard that very interesting sounding set 1 from 12/31/89. I do have set 2, where Bobby announces the New Year by saying, "My buddy over here just reminded me that it's the beginning of a new dickhead, ummm i mean decade". The Victim > Dark Star from that show is very very good.

 

'89, to me, felt like the year where we finally got Jerry all the way back from the brink. EXCELLENT year of music - I think I saw more shows that year than any other.

 

I love 89-90...up until brent died of course. i could listen to that era for the rest of my life and be happy. used to hate hearing victim at shows, but what a great song. that and foolish in the first set in those days was fun. always thought vince's songs belonged in the first set.

[Analogman]

Taper's Section (January 4, 2010 - January 10, 2010)

 

Welcome back and thanks for joining us on for first full week of 2010 here at the Tapers’ Section. This week we’re going to feature music that has been inspired by one of the finest, and most important, behind-the scenes people in the Grateful Dead world, Eileen Law.

 

Many of the readers here might be aware of how the Grateful Dead’s tape archive became so, well, organized, and that is due mainly to the efforts of Dick Latvala. Dick, as you might know, was a fixture in the Grateful Dead world since the 1970s (he also saw plenty of 1960s Grateful Dead shows), and it was Dick who, around 1985, suggested someone should take care of the tapes, and the next thing he knew he was hired to do so, and the rest is history. Likewise, about 15 years before that, Eileen Law showed up at the Dead’s offices, and suggested someone should take care of the memorabilia and ephemera that was evidently accumulating in the Grateful Dead world. She was hired, and over the next 35+ years she amassed a stunningly large collection of Grateful Dead items that included photos, newspaper clippings, business documents, concert posters, awards and loads of original iconographic items, such as the Touch of Grey skeletons, Hell in a Bucket trident pitchfork thingies, and on and on. I was fortunate to work with Eileen at GDP 1999-2006, and up to the present in a more limited way, and she had plenty of great stories about specific shows and memories, and these stories, so often surrounding New Year’s Eve shows, has inspired the Tapers’ Section to put together a week that centers around these stories.

 

Our first selection is this version of Ripple from 4/28/71 at the Fillmore East. Eileen had once told the story of the crew setting up a microphone on the side of the stage at the Fillmore East for Eileen and a couple of the other support staff/friends to sing backup on Ripple. Lo and behold, while producing the Ladies and Gentlemen…the Grateful Dead: Fillmore East April 1971 album in 2000, Jeffrey Norman was mixing the multitracks when he found a track assigned to background vocals on Ripple. So, if you listen closely, you’ll hear Eileen singing backup on this penultimate electric version of Ripple until 9/3/88 (they’d play it acoustically in 1980 a lot).

 

Another show that comes to mind when talking about Eileen is 2/28/73 at Salt Lake City. Eileen flew out for this show from the Bay Area to celebrate her birthday, and what a show it was! This mighty fine concert features loads of first cabin Grateful Dead, including these great versions of Jack Straw, He's Gone and Big River. Perfection! If you want to hear five hours of this excellent music, Dick’s Picks Vol. 28 was drawn from this show and the previous show, on 2/26/73 in Lincoln, NE.

 

Eileen had also mentioned the 10/20/74 show at Winterland, a possible goodbye for the Grateful Dead. She described walking up the ramp to the stage, for a gathering that might have been the final show. Thankfully, they returned to playing in the not-too-distant future, and from that great night of music on 10/20/74, with Mickey sitting in during his return to the Grateful Dead, we have a few of the songs from the big jam, featuring Playing In The Band, Not Fade Away and The Other One.

 

Finally this week, we have the first live version of Cassidy, from 3/23/74. This would be the only Grateful Dead version of Cassidy until 1976, and the only one with the background “doo doo doo doo”s. Cassidy, of course, is Eileen’s daughter. While here at the Cow Palace on 3/23/74, we figured we should play you the final version of the musical sandwich consisting of Playing In The Band>Uncle John’s Band>Morning Dew>Uncle John’s Band>Playing In The Band.

 

Well, thanks for joining us. The next time you’re flipping through the booklets that accompanied Dick’s Picks 23, 28, 33, 36 (these ones really stand out as making full use of the GD’s non-musical archives) or really any Grateful Dead archival release, you can thank Eileen for not only saving all of that amazing memorabilia, but for digging it out and keeping it so well-organized. Thanks, Eileen!

[calvino]

And don't forget to buy your:

Dead-opoly Game

 

 

 

My sister bought this me for Christmas. Have gotten around to play it, yet. I agree with MB and his Trivia Pursuit idea, that would be great.

[Analogman]

My sister bought this me for Christmas. Have gotten around to play it, yet. I agree with MB and his Trivia Pursuit idea, that would be great.

 

I recall playing some sort of rock trivia board game years ago. I don't recall the questions, but there must have been some GD questions on the cards.

 

You can sure tell that Mickey is back on drums during that one segment of the most recent Taper's Section.

[jc4prez]

So I got to come clean, I'm not big on late eighties early nineties dead. BUT this guy I'm working with is and he just got a portable music player which I told him I would add some shows too. I was wondering if you guys have any recommendations, any of the dicks picks?.

[mountain bed]

So I got to come clean, I'm not big on late eighties early nineties dead. BUT this guy I'm working with is and he just got a portable music player which I told him I would add some shows too. I was wondering if you guys have any recommendations, any of the dicks picks?.

Well, you have to start with 3/29/90 Nassau of course. Even if you're not a big fan of that era it's hard to dispute that that show is one of the great ones.

 

A few others (off the top of my head):

 

10/9/89 - the Dark Star breakout ("Formerly The Warlocks")

10/16/89 - officially released as "Nightfall Of Diamonds"

10/20/90 - VERY good show from the Bruce era - parts of this are on one of the Road Trips series

12/31/90 - last great NYE show

6/28/92 - best Vince era show I ever caught

5/26/93 - one of the last truly awesome shows

 

Hope this helps. Enjoy!

[jc4prez]

Well, you have to start with 3/29/90 Nassau of course. Even if you're not a big fan of that era it's hard to dispute that that show is one of the great ones.

 

A few others (off the top of my head):

 

10/9/89 - the Dark Star breakout ("Formerly The Warlocks")

10/16/89 - officially released as "Nightfall Of Diamonds"

10/20/90 - VERY good show from the Bruce era - parts of this are on one of the Road Trips series

12/31/90 - last great NYE show

6/28/92 - best Vince era show I ever caught

5/26/93 - one of the last truly awesome shows

 

Hope this helps. Enjoy!

 

You can't deny the Nassau gig, which is why I already have it hehehehe.

 

Thanks for the tips, I'll have to search those out being as though I no longer have a hook up on soundboards. Our any of the Dick's Picks from this period worth grabbing?

[calvino]

I know it not a full show but I always liked the Without A Net disc. Especially for someone who is not that familiar with the Dead.

 

I have Dick's Pick 17, which is the show from 3.31.91. It's okay, though I must admit I don't listened to it too often.

 

I agree with MB on The Road Trips: Vol 2, Number 1: Madison Square Garden: September 1990 is quite good.

[mountain bed]

You can't deny the Nassau gig, which is why I already have it hehehehe.

 

Thanks for the tips, I'll have to search those out being as though I no longer have a hook up on soundboards. Our any of the Dick's Picks from this period worth grabbing?

Remarkably there are ZERO DPs from Brent's last few years - '86,'87,'88,'89...zilch.

 

DP 9 is from 9/16/90 - Bruce's first set of shows with the band. It's good, but the final night 9/20) is REALLY good.

[Analogman]

If you go to bt.etree.org, and do a search, you will find hundreds of GD soundboard torrents.

[jc4prez]

If you go to bt.etree.org, and do a search, you will find hundreds of GD soundboard torrents.

 

Oh I'm aware of etree, thanks though A-man.

 

I ended up getting the road trips from MSG 1990. Started on disc 2, I'm liking what I'm hearing.

 

Only think i don't dig is Vince. There were never any shows were Hornsby played keys unaccompanied right?

[Analogman]

Taper's Section (January 11 - January 17, 2010)

 

Greetings, and welcome back to the Tapers' Section. We figured that with winter at its worst in many parts of the world, we'd check in on some music from late July in California, specifically at Laguna Seca, near beautiful Monterey, CA, in 1988.

 

The 1988 version of the Grateful Dead is a tough one to classify. It certainly wasn't a bad year for the band, but it was sandwiched between two very important GD years, the triumphant comeback of 1987, and the perfection that defined much of 1989. It reminds me a bit of 1978 GD, in that 1978 was also sandwiched between two distinct years of Grateful Dead music with clear identities, the masterful 1977 Grateful Dead, and the rebirth of the band owing largely to the addition of Brent in early 1979. Regardless, 1988 (just like 1978) had some excellent music, perhaps not as consistently great as the previous and following years (just like 1978), but some very solid material. To demonstrate this, we've decided to play the first sets of three nights at Laguna Seca. These shows came on the heals of a short eastern tour that featured such shows as four nights at Alpine, the first Buckeye stop, the final SPAC show, and the two nights at Oxford Speedway in Maine, as well as the penultimate run of shows at the Greek in Berkeley.

 

The first night, 7/29/88, featured a very unique second set opening sequence of China Cat>Crazy Fingers>Rider, as well as a complete Playing In the Band, very rare by 1988. But, as this is a trip through the first sets, today we have for you Iko Iko, Walkin' Blues, Candyman, Queen Jane Approximately, Althea, Blow Away, Cassidy>Deal. This is likely the least adventurous first set of the three nights, but it is played very well, and includes a very early Blow Away, which was debuted about six weeks before this at Alpine in June.

 

Next up, from the middle show on 7/30/88, is the first set consisting of Let The Good Times Roll, Feel Like A Stranger, Loser, New Minglewood Blues, Row Jimmy, Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again, When Push Comes To Shove, The Music Never Stopped. Another great set of music, with a meaty Stranger and a rocking Music Never Stopped. Bobby was embracing his inner rock star more and more as the 1980s moved onward, and songs like Memphis Blues allowed him to shine.

 

Finally, the last night at Laguna Seca on 7/31/88 featured what is likely the best first set of the run, made up of Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Little Red Rooster, West L.A. Fadeaway, Me And My Uncle > Big River, Ramble On Rose, Gentlemen Start Your Engines, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Bird Song. Rooster and West LA feature David Hidalgo from Los Lobos (who opened the shows along with David Lindley and El Rayo X) on guitar, and this could be one of my favourite special guest appearances with the Grateful Dead. He brings things up to such a high level, which certainly isn't always the case, as the band would often keep things safe when special guests would sit in, so as not to spook their friends. Also worth noting, for good or ill, is that this is the final live performance of Brent's Gentlemen Start Your Engines. Jerry has some fun with the raunchiness of this song, and Bob's doing some interesting stuff, but it never had a chance to develop beyond this version and the one in Pittsburgh in June, 1988.

 

So, there you have it, three-plus hours of Grateful Dead for the price of, well, nothing. We hope you've enjoyed this trip through 1988's first set material. Thanks for stopping in, and we'll see you next week for more great Grateful Dead music.

 

David Lemieux

[mountain bed]

I saw quite a few shows in '88, and while they were fun in general, nothing stands out as being special (unlike '87 or '89).

 

That 4 shows in 5 nights run at Alpine was the most BRUTALLY HOT run I ever caught. Someday if I get a scanner I will post pics. The best part of that run was that Dylan played there the night before the Dead run, and it was the best Dylan show I ever saw. SPINE-TINGLING.

[Dmada]

I saw quite a few shows in '88, and while they were fun in general, nothing stands out as being special (unlike '87 or '89).

 

That 4 shows in 5 nights run at Alpine was the most BRUTALLY HOT run I ever caught. Someday if I get a scanner I will post pics. The best part of that run was that Dylan played there the night before the Dead run, and it was the best Dylan show I ever saw. SPINE-TINGLING.

aside from the Berkley run, oxford maine shows in 1988 were pretty darn good-Jerry sounded good that summer!

[Lammycat]

aside from the Berkley run, oxford maine shows in 1988 were pretty darn good-Jerry sounded good that summer!

Agreed. I caught a ton of shows in '88, too. Speaking of Hornsby earlier, he played on a few tunes at Buckeye that summer (on accordian). Believe it was Sugaree and Memphis Blues. Oxford shows were a hoot, too. Green Oniions opening second set in Bufalo (Garcia in blazer) sticks out, as well. Lot of bust-outs in Alpine, too. It was a jovial time with all the new material and the band was in hiught spirits. It was a nice precursor to '89, which was a great year for shows....

[mybenito]

Jackie Greene's Grateful EP

 

Jackie Greene put a free 3-song EP containing his versions of "Sugaree," "New Speedway Boogie" and "Brokedown Palace" on his web site.

[HungryHippo]

the Curator's Choice over at archive.org last night was a Boston show, forget the year, think '71, that was a really cool sounding matrix recording. the audience recording was mixed higher than usual which gave it this nice, warmer dimension.