The Grateful Dead

[Lammycat]

Late 80s wer good years for the band, imo. 88 and 89, in particulr) were excellent. New tunes being introduced and all.... Always like those years....And yeah, 91 was decent, too,. Vince finally settled in a bit and a bunch more new tunes....

[Analogman]

Lessons Of The Dead (Lefsetz Letter)

 

Taper's Section (April 19 - April 25, 2010)

 

Greetings, and welcome back to the Tapers' Section. This week we have music from 1970, and a first set from 1992.

 

Our first stop this week is at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, just a few weeks after the 11/7&8/69 (Dick's Picks Vol. 16) shows at the Fillmore Auditorium, just a few blocks away. From 12/4/69, drawn from the cassette master recordings, as there are no reel-to-reel tapes from these shows, we have the first ever live version of Black Peter, followed by the first ever live version of Uncle John's Band (with lyrics; they had played it instrumentally).

 

From the very same venue about two months later, we have this very good, very inspired Lovelight from 2/6/70 at the Fillmore West. Every version of Lovelight in 1969-1971 was incredibly different, both instrumentally and in terms of Pigpen's rap, and it's always great to play one we haven't put on the Tapers' Section in the past.

 

From just three weeks later in San Francisco, on 2/28/70 at the Family Dog, we have a good trio of songs from the era, featuring some fine Pigpen amongst other things: Good Lovin', Big Boss Man, Casey Jones. Grateful Dead shows at the Family Dog always seemed to be a little more laid back than Fillmore West shows, almost giving the feeling that they didn't have to impress Bill Graham, so they could be a little more playful. That's certainly not say they were less professional, but the shows certainly feel like the band was playing under a little less pressure to perform.

 

Finally this week, from 3/21/92 at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, we have the entire first set made up of Help On The Way> Slipknot!>Franklin's Tower ; Little Red Rooster ; Peggy-O ; Queen Jane Approximately ; So Many Roads. This was one of the few shows I saw from the first row (GDTS treated the locals so well! Thanks!), and I distinctly recall after So Many Roads, Jerry and Bob looked at each other, unable to decide what to play next, or unwilling to play anything further, so they decided to take the break after this unconventional first-set closer. Bruce Hornsby was gone from the band just two shows after this, but he sure did add a lot while a member of the Grateful Dead.

 

Be sure to join us here next week for more fine Grateful Dead music, including another taste of 1970, plus some 1986 and 1988. As always, you're encouraged to write to the email address below with questions or comments about the Tapers' Section. Be sure to put “Grateful Dead” in your subject heading to make sure the missive breaks through our state-of-the-art spam filters.

 

David Lemieux

[HungryHippo]

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.

I picked up the set today and am loving it! being that I never had the chance to see these guys play, these releases are the next best thing. I can feel the magic of the show while watching it and can't help but smile. one particular moment struck me during Stuck Inside of Mobile... when the camera was behind Brent and the wind was blowing through his hair. I can only imagine how it must of been at a GD show for those of you who were lucky enough to have made it to a show (or 36).

 

the show itself is quite solid so far. haven't quite made it into the last set. I've read mixed reviews but overall I'm very impressed. it is indeed heart warming to see Jerry enjoying himself during Hell In A Bucket, Ramble On Rose, etc. I was also surprised by that solid version of Box Of Rain. this isn't a song I've heard many live renditions of, but the few I have feature interesting vocals by Lesh. he actually sounds pretty good here! the highlight for me is the Scarlet>Fire. I won't even try and describe how cool that is, it's gotta be seen to be believed.

[Analogman]

Furthur Festival News

 

4/23/2010 - Join us on Memorial Day weekend and help us take the musical journey Furthur.

 

When Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh & Bob Weir were pondering where to play this summer with their new band Furthur ~ the notion came to them to host a festival in Northern California where they could invite many of their musical friends for a holiday weekend of fun and jamming. And what better place to incorporate music, camping and adventure than to return to those thrilling days of yesteryear to the Calaveras County Fairgrounds ~ a place where the Grateful Dead and Phil Lesh and Friends have played over the years ~ and call it The Furthur Festival.

 

Fans can expect Lesh & Weir to push the musical envelope Furthur with high-flying improvisations and timeless renditions of Grateful Dead classics with their all star band that includes keyboardist Jeff Chimenti , drummer Joe Russo (Benevento – Russo Duo), and guitarist John Kadlecik (Dark Star Orchestra).

 

Phil Lesh & Bob Weir will take the musical journey Furthur performing some of the Grateful Dead’s most beloved albums in their entirety, including a very special 40th Anniversary celebration of their classic recordings; Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty.

 

Furthur will treat fans to a special sound check on Friday night while also headlining both Saturday and Sunday evenings. There will be jamming on several stages with some of their friends and lots of side trips like a spoken word stage that will feature some of our Grateful Dead family members and a trove of iconic Grateful Dead memorabilia, rare instruments and sound recordings.

[jimtweedy1977]

Furthur Festival News

I watched the DVD last night, pretty cool. I came away with a much more favorable impression of Brent. There have been recordings with Brent that remind me too much of Micheal McDonald (yuck). However, this show demonstrated more of the capability of his soulful side. Keith is still my favorite keyboardist.

 

Has anyone picked up the road trips? I've thought about picking these up, but didn't know how much I would like them. The Dead are much like Miles Davis, there's so much recorded output out there, its hard to know what to get or at least where to start.

[Analogman]

Road Trips (Wikipedia entry with information about each release)

 

I have Volume 1 Number 3 and Volume 3 Number 2. I got those as that is the time period I am into.

[calvino]

I have all but the last three. I should have gotten the last 71 one. The 68(2.2) and the 74 (2.3) shows, I think are my favorites.

Though I like them all. I kinda like the idea of this Road Trip series, but complete shows are good, too.

 

I got the new DVD yesterday and will be watching it tonight.

[Vacant Horizon]

I watched the DVD last night, pretty cool. I came away with a much more favorable impression of Brent. There have been recordings with Brent that remind me too much of Micheal McDonald (yuck). However, this show demonstrated more of the capability of his soulful side. Keith is still my favorite keyboardist.

 

Has anyone picked up the road trips? I've thought about picking these up, but didn't know how much I would like them. The Dead are much like Miles Davis, there's so much recorded output out there, its hard to know what to get or at least where to start.

 

 

Loved Brent!! what a treat it was to hear a brent tune at a show!!

[HungryHippo]

Loved Brent!! what a treat it was to hear a brent tune at a show!!

in all honesty, I never paid much attention to Brent's solo songs but Blow Away is actually quite good! sorta reminds me of a Bryan Adams song. he's got a nice singing voice which complimented the band quite nicely.

[Analogman]

Taper's Section (April 26 - May 2, 2010)

 

Welcome back to the Tapers' Section, where this week we'll check out some music from 1970, 1986 and 1988.

 

Our first stop this week is on 4/3/70 in Cincinnati, where the Grateful Dead played one long set of music, including a bit of acoustic Dead. We have a good mix of acoustic and electric music here from that show, with Hard to Handle, Dancing In The Street, Me and My Uncle, Friend Of The Devil, Deep Elem Blues, Candyman. Hearing a show like this makes me want to run and check out the full blown acoustic perfection of a night like 5/15/70's early and late shows.

 

Next from a year that is certainly underrepresented here at the Tapers' Section, 1986, we have the entire first set of 3/30/86 in Providence, RI, made up of Hell In A Bucket ; Sugaree ; El Paso ; Cumberland Blues ; Tons Of Steel ; C C Rider ; Dupree's Diamond Blues ; Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues ; Deal. As you'll likely notice, there are a few minor audio dropouts during this set, owing to problems with the master tape, recorded to the fragile Beta PCM digital tapes. Overall these tapes have held up quite well, particularly after the band switched to VHS PCM tapes in 1988, but many do have slight dropouts.

 

From two years later on 4/3/88 in Hartford, CT, we have the entire first set of the first of three nights in Hartford, featuring Promised Land > Greatest Story Ever Told; Althea ; Little Red Rooster ; Cold Rain & Snow; Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again ; Box Of Rain ; Don't Ease Me In. As you can hear, Jerry's voice was quickly fading, and by the second set, he was really croaking. Trooper that he was, though, he sang the encore that night. An interesting personal anecdote from this night: after the show, my friends and I went to a Denny's for food. You know those toothpicks with the little frilly coloured things on the end that they stick into club sandwiches? We blew those toothpicks through straws into the air like blowdarts, where they stuck into the ceiling, leaving these little coloured things hanging above our table. Two years later, when the band played Hartford, we stopped at the same Denny's (the last time I've been in a Denny's…), and there they were, our coloured toothpick ceiling art, still hanging. There's some hygiene for you…

 

Be sure to stop by next week when we'll check out more cool Grateful Dead music. As always, feel free to write to me at the email address below with questions or comments about the Tapers' Section, or anything else about the music.

 

David Lemieux

[calvino]

Here is a pretty neat link that has lots of Dick Latvala "best of" lists.

 

Also has pages of his note books, that was discussed earlier in this thread.

 

[Analogman]

Taper's Section (May 3 - May 9, 2010)

 

Welcome back, and we hope you're in the mood to hear some excellent Grateful Dead music from May, 1991. If not, I'm sure there's some music to your liking to be found in the older, archived entries in the Tapers' Section series. But, the music below is really good!

 

From the start of the second set of the first night of a three night stand at Cal Expo on 5/3/91 we have China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider ; Estimated Prophet>He's Gone. Bruce Hornsby was absent from these shows, giving Vince a rare solo spotlight during his first year in the Grateful Dead.

 

From the same slot in the show the next night on 5/4/91, we have the start of the second set, featuring Victim Or The Crime> Crazy Fingers >Playing In The Band >Uncle John's Band. This is a fairly typical, and very well-played, batch of songs from this era. All of these Cal Expo bits are drawn from the DAT soundboard master tapes, with some good audience blended in.

 

From the final Cal Expo show during this run, on 5/5/91 we once again have the start of the second set, Eyes Of The World>Man Smart (Woman Smarter) ; Ship Of Fools ; Truckin' >Terrapin Station. The Eyes is of that early-1990s, slow and laid back variety, much more similar in tempo to the 1974 versions than the mid-1980s super speedy versions that often clocked in at 6 minutes.

 

We'll have more great music for you here next week, so be sure to stop in. And as always, feel free to write with questions or comments to the email address below.

 

David Lemieux

[Oil Can Boyd]

Here is a pretty neat link that has lots of Dick Latvala "best of" lists.

 

Also has pages of his note books, that was discussed earlier in this thread.

Thanks for that link. There is some cool stuff on there ...

[Analogman]

Grateful Dead Live at Winterland Arena on 1969-05-03

 

Source: Audience: Sony Stereo mic

Lineage: Sony Stereo mic (stage-lip). . .

 

He Was A Friend Of Mine, Cryptical Envelopement-> Drums-> The Other One-> Cryptical Envelopement-> Doin' That Rag, Me & My Uncle [end of tape]

 

Dupree's Diamond Blues, Sitting On Top Of The World, Dark Star-> Saint Stephen-> The Eleven-> Turn On Your Love Light, E: It's All Over Now Baby Blue

[Analogman]

I have mentioned this pamphlet around here a few times over the years. I scanned it for someone on Facebook, so I thought I would post it here also.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Grateful Dead Live at Boston Garden on 1977-05-07

Pretty great month in Grateful Dead history...

[mountain bed]

Grateful Dead Live at Boston Garden on 1977-05-07

Pretty great month in Grateful Dead history...

Well well well...I'm sitting here listening to 5/7/77, and I log in to the board and notice you were the last poster in the thread. Synchronicity!

[Analogman]

Grateful Dead Live at Fillmore Auditorium on 1969-12-21

 

"NOT FADE AWAY" is a 'treasure'. Early version of NFA with maracas and Pigpen playing harmonica, singing back-up. This is a "Must Have" for collectors of 1969 GRATEFUL DEAD shows.

 

Not your usual tom-tom dominated NFA, Garcia takes the solo instead of the drummers and lays down some smooth licks that gives NFA a whole new (old) dimension. The song does end abruptly for some reason.

 

Taper's Section (May 10 - May 16, 2010)

Welcome back to the Tapers’ Section, where this week we’re mostly going to be checking out Grateful Dead music from the late 1960s, with a dose of 1990 Dead to round things out.

 

Our first stop this week is on 6/5/69 when the band was playing a four night run at the Fillmore West in San Francisco. This is the venue also know as the Carousel Ballroom, not be confused with the Fillmore Auditorium. From this night, we have a typically hot and lengthy Lovelight, with Pigpen doing what he does best, bringing the crowd to the point of frenzy while the band behind him keeps things rolling.

 

Moving back about two years, we have music from the O’Keefe Center in Toronto, when the Grateful Dead were playing a week of shows at the venue as part of the “Bill Graham Presents the San Francisco Scene” production. These shows featured the Dead, the Airplane, and Luke & the Apostles. From the Dead show on 8/4/67, we have this tight Viola Lee Blues, and from a day later we have Alligator from 8/5/67. Unfortunately there are reels in the vault clearly marked with the date and venue of some of these shows, which has been scratched out, as the tapes were recorded over. Bummer. But, what does exist is pretty sweet. And it’s always cool to have some Canadian Dead to hear.

 

Finally this week, from the Without a Net album, released just before the Europe 1990 tour, we have this great version of Help On The Way>Slipknot!>Franklin's Tower, recorded live at Nassau Coliseum on 3/30/90. This show often gets overlooked due to the 3/29/90 show, aka the Branford show, but both 3/28 and 3/30 at Nassau are filled excellent music.

 

Be sure to stop by next week for music from 1967, 1970 and 1982. A good week coming up for certain. And as always, we encourage you to write with questions, comments or suggestions, to the e-mail address below. Please put “Grateful Dead” in your subject line so it busts through our state-of-the-art spam filters.

 

David Lemieux

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Well well well...I'm sitting here listening to 5/7/77, and I log in to the board and notice you were the last poster in the thread. Synchronicity!

Just saw your post, mb. Pretty cool! I just downloaded that show, as it has a good rep...although 5/8/77 always gets all the glory.

Sitting here listening to 7/2/71...guess I should wait to July to mention that one!

[Lammycat]

Just got an email from my buddy Eagle reminding me it was 29 years ago today we caught our first show (we didn't know eachother at the time, however).

 

 

 

Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, CT (5/11/81)

 

New Minglewood Blues

Sugaree

El Paso

Jack-a-Roe

Beat it on Down the Line

Row Jimmy

It's All Over Now

Althea

Lazy Lightnin'

Supplication

Don't Ease Me In

 

Scarlet Begonias

Fire on the Mountain

C.C. Rider

To Lay Me Down

Playin' in the Band

drums

The Wheel

Playin' in the Band

China Doll

Around and Around

Good Lovin'

 

Satisfaction

 

[Analogman]

Taper's Section (May 17 - May 23, 2010)

 

As we roll through May, we have a good batch of music covering the Grateful Dead’s first 17 years or so, with music from 1967, 1970 and 1982.

 

Our first stop this week is at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY on 4/11/82. There were loads of excellent shows on this tour, and our selection today includes the first half of the first set, featuring Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo > Franklin's Tower > El Paso ; Candyman > Little Red Rooster, the final song of which has some great Brent scat singing. Just less three years into his tenure with the band, Brent was as much a lead player as anyone else on certain songs.

 

Next up, from a dozen years earlier at the Warehouse in New Orleans on 1/31/70, we have this powerful Morning Dew, rough and raw as so much early 1970 music was, but very solid nonetheless. It was at this stop in New Orleans where the band was, famously, “busted down on Bourbon Street.”

 

From the very next day, at the same venue, we have music the Grateful Dead performed as part of their bust show benefit (the bust had taken place after 1/31/70’s show when the band got back to their hotel). From this show we have the opening Beat It On Down The Line, featuring an introduction that alludes to the bust, and a nifty China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider.

 

Lastly this week, we have a bit more 1967 Dead for you, after a good response to last week’s double dose from August, 1967. From Winterland on 3/18/67, the day after the band released their first studio album, The Grateful Dead, we have this great Viola Lee Blues.

 

Next week be sure to join us for a nice batch of 1967 Dead. We tend to get into grooves around here in which we check out a lot of music from a specific era, and it ends up here on the Tapers’ Section. And, right now, we happen to be in a bit of a 1967 groove. And feel free to write to us with questions or comments about the Tapers’ Section. Please put “Grateful Dead” in your subject so that it will break through the spam filters.

 

David Lemieux

[Vacant Horizon]

Grateful Dead Live at Fillmore Auditorium on 1969-12-21

 

 

 

Taper's Section (May 10 - May 16, 2010)

 

 

LOVE Without a Net! even Victim

[Vacant Horizon]

Just got an email from my buddy Eagle reminding me it was 29 years ago today we caught our first show (we didn't know eachother at the time, however).

 

 

 

Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, CT (5/11/81)

 

New Minglewood Blues

Sugaree

El Paso

Jack-a-Roe

Beat it on Down the Line

Row Jimmy

It's All Over Now

Althea

Lazy Lightnin'

Supplication

Don't Ease Me In

 

Scarlet Begonias

Fire on the Mountain

C.C. Rider

To Lay Me Down

Playin' in the Band

drums

The Wheel

Playin' in the Band

China Doll

Around and Around

Good Lovin'

 

Satisfaction

 

 

that is a great setlist! so lucky you heard lazy lightning.

 

fyi, los lobos is covering west LA on their new album coming out in august.

[mountain bed]

Taper's Section (May 17 - May 23, 2010)

For some reason 1967 is dreadfully under-represented in my collection (as is '80 & '83). That 3/18/67 Viola IS rippin', but the Cream Puff War from that show may be the finest I've heard. A real speed-freak version.

[Analogman]

Taper's Section (May 24 - 30, 2010)

 

Welcome back to the Tapers' Section, where, as we mentioned last week, we're on a bit of a 1967 kick right now. We hope you don't mind, but considering the dearth of 1967 Dead here over the years, we feel we're making up for a bit of lost time.

 

Like last week, this week we'll play some music from Winterland on 3/18/67, specifically Smokestack Lightning and Dancing In The Street. These were two of the longer jamming songs for the Grateful Dead in early 1967, clocking in at around 10 minutes each. Aside from Viola Lee Blues, these two plus a couple of other were the only songs on which the Dead stretched out, as tunes like Alligator, Dark Star and The Other One had not yet appeared in the reportoire, so it was more a case of finding a classic blues, folk or Motown song and Grateful Dead-izing it.

 

To bust us out of the 1967 mode, we have this heartfelt early Days Between, recorded in the studio in 1993 and included as part of the magnificent So Many Roads boxed set.

 

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming from 1967, with this bluesy Good Morning Little Schoolgirl from the Shrine in LA in November, 1967. Way back in my tape trading days, these were some of the first (and only!) decent quality 1967 tapes I ever got, and it's always nice to revisit some of the music that got me hooked in the first place.

 

Next week we're going to check out a batch 'o Jerry, so don't miss it. See you then.

 

David Lemieux