The Grateful Dead

[Lammycat]

Yeah, that MSG show is fantastic the whole way through. Really like the Deal, Estimated w/ Branford and correct, the SOTM is top-notch.

[dtram]

Yeah, that MSG show is fantastic the whole way through. Really like the Deal, Estimated w/ Branford and correct, the SOTM is top-notch.

 

I think I know what my drive home music will be today.

 

Forgot to mention in the 1st post; I don't really have a favorite dead tune but that 3/29/90 Eyes may be my favorite thing of theirs.

[Dmada]

on another note

I went to see the JGB on saturday night with Stu Allen on guitar

I wasnt expecting that much, but it was a lot of fun.

 

Melvin and the girls sound great and the venues are small and low key.

Good time.

[Lammycat]

Stu is great. Uncanny how his voice sounds like a 70s Garcia. I've seen them a bunch the past few years around here (coming again in a week or so) and it's always a blast.

[Dmada]

Stu is great. Uncanny how his voice sounds like an early 70s Garcia. I've seen them a bunch the past few years around here (coming again in a week or so) and it's always a blast.

I have to say, I was very surprised how good they sound.

Stu does sound like Garcia and his playing is great-without being too much of an imitator.

Wish I had gone sooner, but I will definitely go again. It was so low key and fun. Kinda like how ratdog shows used to be.

[Analogman]

Taper's Section (March 29 - April 4, 2010)

 

Welcome back to the Tapers’ Section. Our focus here will continue to be unreleased Grateful Dead music for the most part, but occasionally we come across some music on commercially released CDs that we’d forgotten how good it was, so we’ll play it for you here.

 

First up this week is a piece of music from the exceptional, and currently out of print Rare Cuts and Oddities 1966 album. You’re probably familiar with that album’s background, but a quick refresher in case not: in 2002, Bear was in Marin County and stopped by the studio and vault. While in the vault, he pointed to a couple of boxes and asked if I’d checked them out, and as they were clearly marked as Bear’s, I told I had not. He told me I should check them out when he was gone, and as soon as that door closed, I opened them up and found a dozen reels from 1966, some live and some rehearsal. There was a lot of great music in there, and we selected the very best to include on the Rare Cuts CD. So, from that great little album we are very pleased to present the earliest known Grateful Dead version of Promised Land, which is not only played great, but features none other than Jerry on lead vocals. Another great piece of music from that album is this studio version of Cream Puff War , with a completely different chorus, both musically and lyrically, than that which would appear on the Dead’s first album in early 1967. As much as I love the officially released version, I think this one is its equal in terms of a great little song.

 

Next up, from 5/15/80 at Nassau Coliseum, we have a beautiful High Time. This is from the Go To Nassau CD, mixed from crisply-recorded 24-track analog master tapes. That is one mighty fine, high-energy album from a very good tour, if you haven’t yet checked it out. Loads of great stuff on there.

 

From seven years later at one of the Dylan and the Dead shows in 1987, we have this peppy, exploratory Bird Song from Anaheim Stadium on 7/26/87. This is part of the two-show DVD/CD View From The Vault Volume 4, an album that is filled with little in the way of huge jams, but loads of powerful, extremely well-played, inspired 1987 Grateful Dead music.

 

Finally this week, from 4/2/89 in Pittsburgh at the soon-to-be-closed Civic Arena, we have the second set opening Shakedown Street. I distinctly recall dancing on Phil’s side, up the blue line, about 10 rows off the floor during this Shakedown Street, with a random fellow beside me screaming in my ear “just gotta smoke a pound” during the “just gotta poke around” chorus. Thanks for the memories, buddy…

 

Be sure to check back next week when we’ll have more great music, drawn from the world of unreleased Dead, from 1974 and 1990. Thanks for stopping by, and feel free to write to the email address below with questions, comments or suggestions

[mountain bed]

I think I know what my drive home music will be today.

 

Forgot to mention in the 1st post; I don't really have a favorite dead tune but that 3/29/90 Eyes may be my favorite thing of theirs.

I might agree with you on this: taken as a whole 9/10/91 might be superior to 3/29/90. It's really stellar. But that pre-drums in set 2 on 3/29 is just so crazy-good-weird!

 

Regarding the 3/29 Eyes - when my wife and I got hitched I INSISTED to the DJ that he play that tune while all of our folks were there at the reception. We got some odd comments - "How long does THIS go on?" etc.

 

Later on, when it was mostly just our friends we cranked up 8/6/74 (we were married on 8/6/94).

[Analogman]

I've always liked the sound of Jerry's guitar on Cream Puff War.

[dtram]

I might agree with you on this: taken as a whole 9/10/91 might be superior to 3/29/90. It's really stellar. But that pre-drums in set 2 on 3/29 is just so crazy-good-weird!

 

Regarding the 3/29 Eyes - when my wife and I got hitched I INSISTED to the DJ that he play that tune while all of our folks were there at the reception. We got some odd comments - "How long does THIS go on?" etc.

 

Later on, when it was mostly just our friends we cranked up 8/6/74 (we were married on 8/6/94).

 

Yeah, the pre-drums is great there, i love the crowd reaction when they go into Dark Star. Dark Star was obviously a perfect song to do with Branford in the fold. I have never been much of fan of drums/space, for me it's never been interesting enough to warrant 20 minutes of every show dedicated to it, but that 3/29 space with Branford is pretty spooky.

 

Love your wedding story.

 

I have a major problem here; I have tickets to Wilco for the next 2 saturdays on what may be one of their coolest tours ever and I can't stop listening to the dead. I think I just have to force myself to get into a wilco frame of mind here.

[NightOfJoy]

I've always liked the sound of Jerry's guitar on Cream Puff War.

 

Oh hell yeah!

[Mr. Heartbreak]

I just missed that 9/10/91 MSG show by a couple days. Saw 'em on 9/13/91...my very last Dead show.

[Analogman]

Oh hell yeah!

 

I think there is definitely a Yardbirds rave-up/Dick Dale influence going on there.

[Analogman]

Catch A Sneak Peek Of Crimson, White & Indigo At A Theatre Near You

 

Listening Party: Philly '89

 

Taper's Section (April 5 - April 11, 2010)

 

Welcome back to the Tapers’ Section, where this week, as promised, we’ll be digging back into unreleased Grateful Dead music, from 1974 and 1990, all from the Bay Area.

 

Our first stop this week is on 2/24/74, the final night of a three night run at Winterland to start the band’s 1974 performing year. I’ve long been a big fan of these shows, as interesting a trio of concerts as the November, 1973 shows at Winterland. From this night, we have Loser, Playing In The Band, with the latter including a typically hot 1974 way-out-there jam. Just like the 1973 run, these three nights in February, 1974 each include some extremely good, and interesting music.

 

Jumping ahead 16 years to 1990, we have the post-Drums sequence from the first of three nights in Oakland on 2/25/90, featuringThe Wheel>Gimme Some Lovin’>Wharf Rat>Sugar Magnolia. These three shows were right in the middle of a long stretch of multi-track recordings of the Grateful Dead, starting 5/27/89 and running through 4/3/90, recorded for consideration on what became Without A Net. Very few shows between those dates were not recorded to 24-track tape (actually, 26-track, as the recordings were made to 2” 24-track tape, with a second tape, a ¼” 2-track tape, synced up with the multi-track that included Mickey’s electronic drums that he used sparingly in this era), so there are plenty of possibilities for more albums like Nightfall of Diamonds, Truckin’ Up To Buffalo, Crimson White & Indigo, and Dozin’ at the Knick. In addition to great tapes, this was also a period when the Grateful Dead were playing particularly well.

 

From the following night, on 2/26/90, we have Playing In The Band>Terrapin Stationfrom the second set. At the time, you could be fairly sure Playing would go into one of three songs: Uncle John’s Band, Crazy Fingers and Terrapin (with exceptions like the Eyes in Hartford a month after this), but as these combinations were played so often, they were also played extremely well.

 

Finally this week, we have the entire first set of the final night in Oakland during this run of shows, on 2/27/90, featuring Let The Good Times Roll ; Feel Like A Stranger ; Sugaree ; Victim Or The Crime ; Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo ; When I Paint My Masterpiece ; Bird Song. This was still the time when Victim hadn’t found its permanent home in the second set, and the set includes a cool mid-first-set placement of ½ Step. Good stuff.

 

Check back next week for a bunch of good 1972 Grateful Dead music. And as always, we encourage you to write to the email address below with questions, comments or suggestions.

 

David Lemieux

[HungryHippo]

oh heck yeah, a summer '89 show! was just watching a clip of Bertha from a show around this time and loved it. not to mention that Truckin' Up To Buffalo video. Brent was such a positive influence in the band. the energy from this time was phenomenal.

[Analogman]

Rare Jerry Garcia Recordings at David Grisman’s Acoustic Oasis

 

David Grisman, who has released his music for 20 years through his Acoustic Disc label, has created the new website AcousticOasis.com. According to Grisman, the site features “new and previously unreleased projects that are now available to you as high-quality digital downloads, exclusively through this site. All projects include downloadable graphics (CD covers, tray cards and labels) and cost is less than most other download sites.”

 

Acoustic Oasis’s initial offerings include extended versions of Acoustic Disc projects like the 170-minute Extra Large Pizza Tapes with Grisman, Jerry Garcia, as well as Tony Rice Bluegrass Quintet recordings, educational materials and out- of-print albums like jazzmaster Don Stiernberg’s Mandolin Restaurant. The website also features new Oasis recording by Josh Pinkham and Texas swing legend Jerry Thomasson.

[mountain bed]

Ordered the Crimson, White & Indigo today, along with the tee for the old lady. Looking forward.

 

Also, this weekend marks 23 years since the UIC Pavillion run in Chicago. God, that was such a great time! Anyone here at those shows?

[Analogman]

Taper's Section (April 12- April 18, 2010)

 

This week we're going to hear some music from the first half of 1972, specifically music from the Grateful Dead's seven night run at New York's Academy of Music, plus a little taste of Europe '72 Dead.

 

Our first stop this week is on 3/22/72, the second night of the Dead's residency at the Academy of Music, and we're going to check out the start of the second set, featuring Me And My Uncle ; Sugaree ; Chinatown Shuffle ; Playing In The Band ; It Hurts Me Too ; Brown Eyed Women ; El Paso ; Brokedown Palace. the big jam of this night featured caution, and was included on a bonus disc that went out with orders of rockin' the rhein in 2004.

 

From the next night on 3/23/72, we have a good chunk of the first set, made up of China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider ; Black Throated Wind ; Chinatown Shuffle ; Brown Eyed Women ; Beat It On Down The Line ; Cumberland Blues ; Looks Like Rain ; Mr. Charlie ; Tennessee Jed ; El Paso ; You Win Again. that's a very rare first-set-opening China>Rider, for those keeping score at home.

 

Lastly this week, a good dose of Pigpen from Europe '72, recorded on 5/7/72 at the Bickershaw Festival and included on the 4-CD Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead album: Good Lovin'. One of the best from a tour that included many great versions of the song.

 

Be sure to stop by next week for some more good ol' Grateful Dead.

 

David Lemieux

[Analogman]

Grateful Dead Live at Hill Auditorium on 1971-12-15

[mountain bed]

^ I love December '71 - the return of Pig! Gotta love the Run Run Rudolph.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Catch A Sneak Peek Of Crimson, White & Indigo At A Theatre Near You

Thanks for posting that link, A-man. Going to see this in the theatre on Friday night!

[calvino]

I wish they were showing it in the Chicago area - would love to see it at a theater.

[calvino]

They're (XM) are playing the 9/10/91 show now. I had this on cassette, but I haven't heard this in a while. It does sound great. I don't know why I never downloaded the matrix before.

 

Huge fan of 3/29/90. Been on GD/Branford kick in the last week listening to 3/29/90, 12/31/90 and 9/10/91 at MSG and I have to say that I think 9/10/91 is the best of them all. First, it has Branford for the whole show for the first time and a Standing on the Moon that just blows me away, Branford adds so much to that song. There's a real nice GEMS Amdig matrix on etree ID 98132.

 

Set I

Shakedown

C.C. Rider>

It takes a lot to laugh, train to cry

Black Throated Wind

High Time

Cassidy

Deal

 

Set II

Help/Slip/Frank

Estimated>

Dark Star>

Drums/Space>

I Need a miracle>

Standing on the Moon>

Lovelight

 

Encore

It's All Over Now Baby Blue

[Analogman]

^ I love December '71 - the return of Pig! Gotta love the Run Run Rudolph.

 

That is a somewhat weird Dark Star. I like it.

 

 

 

Grateful Dead Live at Crystal Ballroom on 1968-02-02

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Catch A Sneak Peek Of Crimson, White & Indigo At A Theatre Near You

This was a pretty sweet show, and it was great to see it in the theatre. I love the 70s stuff, but for a late 80s show, this one is actually worth picking up and watching. It's fun seeing ol' Jerry smiling and tapping his leg, and the show has the additional benefit of showing the band's flexibility, with Phil and Brent solos (Box of Rain and Blow Away, respectively). The real highlights, though, are a smokin' Let It Grow in the first set and a nice Scarlet>Fire in the second. I may actually buy this.

[Dmada]

fall 91 was a good tour

the Boston garden shows are fantastic