The Grateful Dead

[thingfishp]

Good sugestion Mr heartbreak, thank you! I'll contact them as soon as I fix my travel dates

 

On an unrelated note, I didn't know that some ultraposh people may also like gd.  I bet it's just a pose

 

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/victoria-beckham-fan-grateful-dead-4122552

 

Victoria Beckam is just creepy.  Somebody feed that woman, please.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Listening to 9/20/70 from the archive this morning, don't believe I had ever heard any of the acoustic set of this show before. Acoustic Big Railroad Blues and Truckin' both in the first set, are you kidding me? Excellent show.

 

https://archive.org/details/gd70-09-20.aud.remaster.sirmick.27583.sbeok.shnf

[mountain bed]

Yeah, Big RxR REALLY works acoustically, very bluegrassy. I'm a fan of that show. Check out the Dark Star from 9/19 on that run if you haven't already. With all due respect to fan favorite 2/13 it's probably my favorite version from 1970.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Wow, someone on the Facebook 80s Dead page just reminded me of my one and only JGB show. It was 25 years ago today, at the Hartford Civic Center.

 

http://www.allmusic.com/album/fall-1989-the-long-island-sound-mw0002591663

[Lammycat]

Wow, someone on the Facebook 80s Dead page just reminded me of my one and only JGB show. It was 25 years ago today, at the Hartford Civic Center.

 

http://www.allmusic.com/album/fall-1989-the-long-island-sound-mw0002591663

I have those discs. Good group of shows. Caught JGB a bunch of times and really came to appreciate the older, mellower nature of the crowds as well as some of the smaller theaters  (early-mid  80s, at least).

[Vacant Horizon]

I loved Jerry Band Shows!  It was just pure, unadulterated Jerry solos for 3 hours.  The crowds were big, but totally mellow compared to the Dead.  Always ended up meeting and trading with some real nice folks at Jerry shows.  That Long Island set is pretty good, although rough in some spots.  Really cool to get the Bob/Rob sets as well.  

[last cigarettes]

8/27: one of those fabled days in Deadhead history:

 

http://www.dead.net/sunshine-daydream

 

42 years ago today...damn, what a show.

yeah- one of my all-time favorites. one of the best bird songs i think, plus that epic dark star>el paso.

all my excitement over getting tickets for port chester also brought to mind one of my other favorite bootlegs from the days of a crate full of maxell XLII-S's- 2/18/71 at the capitol, with the delicious sandwich of dark star>wharf rat (first ever)>dark star...

[BobLamonta]

Seeking recommendations...

 

I'm in my mid-30s and have been listening to the Dead off and on for 20+ years (mostly off). I have all the studio albums (may have skipped a few from the 80s), all the major live albums (e.g. Europe '72, Dead Set, One From The Vault, etc.), and a couple times a year, I'll spend a few weeks with various Dick's Picks or whatever latest release is getting good ink. But I'm still not very well-versed in the strengths of every era.

 

Anyway, I just spent the last month binging on May and Fall '77, and having loved what I found in that rabbit hole, I'm curious to know what my next stop should be. While the '77 setlists are fairly repetitive, the big appeal to my personal tastes are just how clear and dynamic the Betty boards are (10/2, for example, or the obvious 5/8), and how well-rehearsed the band is. As an emerging fan, I still tend to favor the songs over the jams, and May '77 has scratched the same itch that Europe '72 did in my youth. The singing sounds great (by Dead standards, at least), the playing is on point, and the jams are fairly concise (I'm more of a Little Feat/Steely Dan guy than a "explore space and really get out there" type of guy).

 

So what should I check out next? Is '74 the way to go? I've really liked aspects of the 89/90 stuff I've heard, though the MIDI effects don't work for me at least half the time, and I'm not big on Brent songs. But that "cleaner" Dead is definitely my preference (for now at least). Thoughts? You can also just yell at me if you want. That's cool, too.

[Analogman]

I'd get Dick's Picks Number 2, 4, and 8

 

Here's a list: Dick's Picks Series. 

[kbraz]

40 years ago the Wall of Sound visits London.  Great Dark Star with Phil laying it out there.

 

9/10/74 Alexandra Palace, London

 

Set 1

Around And Around
Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo
Beat It On Down The Line
Peggy-O
Black Throated Wind
Tennessee Jed
Mexicali Blues
China Cat Sunflower ->
I Know You Rider
Loser
Weather Report Suite Prelude ->
Weather Report Suite Part ->
Let It Grow ->
Stella Blue

Set 2

Seastones

Set 3

Me And My Uncle
Dire Wolf
Not Fade Away
Ramble On Rose
Big River
Dark Star ->
Morning Dew
Sugar Magnolia

Encore
U.S. Blues

[Lammycat]

 

Seeking recommendations...

 

 

So what should I check out next? Is '74 the way to go? I've really liked aspects of the 89/90 stuff I've heard, though the MIDI effects don't work for me at least half the time, and I'm not big on Brent songs. But that "cleaner" Dead is definitely my preference (for now at least). Thoughts? You can also just yell at me if you want. That's cool, too.

 

Try 87/88 if you're not big on the MIDI sounds but like that "clean" sound. And, start liking the Brent songs. For the most part, they kick ass.

[The Inside of Outside]

 

 Thoughts? You can also just yell at me if you want. That's cool, too.

 

This cracked me up.

[calvino]

40 years ago the Wall of Sound visits London.  Great Dark Star with Phil laying it out there.

 

9/10/74 Alexandra Palace, London

 

 

 

I went the opposite this morning and listened to:

Grateful Dead Live at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center on 1985-09-10 (September 10, 1985)

Some of these mid-80's shows are over so, so quick --- esp. the above. Okay show, never heard it before. Guess Weir was climbing the scaffolds during Sugar Magnolia.

 

Now onto 9.10.83.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

I've been in a '72 mode recently, and have listened for the first time to a bunch of that material. In a way, it's like '77: the band is very tight, playing at a high level, and the set lists are very song-oriented (unlike, say, your average 1969 set). They might go way out there once in a while on Dark Star or The Other One, but most songs in each show are less than 10 minutes.

 

There are still plenty of good boards out there, but if you want something as close to perfect as you can get, you can buy some of the Europe '72 releases. I didn't have the deep pockets to spring for the entire Europe '72 box, but it's worth buying a show or three from dead.net. Also, if you google "steel cut oats grateful dead," you can find a link to a blog that has some good stuff.

 

I bought the Europe '72 show from Aarhus, when Donna was mysteriously absent from the show. So there's no "whoa-oo-oh-oh-yeeeah" to mar the Playing in the Band on that one.

[jw harding]

Yes, go with 74. Here's a nice 6 part retrospective that will give you a good sample of the highlights of the year:

 

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/122662/Stormy-Mondays-Grateful-Dead-1974-Retrospective-Part-6

[BobLamonta]

Thanks for all the recs! It's obviously a daunting catalogue, and while I'm familiar with the basic eras, it's nice to have insight from experts. I will make a completely heretical comment and say that when I listened to Veneta '72, I was largely underwhelmed. I know that was a Holy Grail release for many, but to my newbie ears it mostly just sounded like vaguely out-of-tune versions of material that I really enjoyed in their polished state on Europe '72. I realize that for most, that would be missing the point of the Dead entirely, and I get that. But yeah, I remember wanting to love that legendary Playin' only to be bored after a few minutes of the solo. I probably need to revisit that one, and I'll check some of the individual Europe shows as well, though the stumbling block for me has always been that the official release back in the 70s benefited from all the redone studio vocals, which is probably a bone of contention for many, but works for me.

 

And I will give Brent another shot! I love his background vocals and his keyboard playing. To me, he's a consumate sideman. That throaty raspy thing is perfect in the background, but it doesn't do much for me when it takes the lead. Then again, it took me a while to learn to love Weir, so...

 

Other quick question, if I may. I'm a massive Hornsby fan (my primary entryway to the Dead, really). I'd always assumed that Jerry's declining health had meant his era was weak, but there must be some gems in there. Any good SBDs from the Bruce years?

[NoJ]

The '73 box set is pretty good too.

[Lammycat]

 Any good SBDs from the Bruce years?

Check archives for the 9 MSG shows, particularly 9.20.90. Also, Greensboro '91 (particularly 4.1.91) and the Deer Creek 91 shows. The Boston Garden run in 91 is really good, too, particularly 9.22.91.

[jw harding]

Hornsby really engaged and energized Jerry. Plenty of great shows from that era. Probably the last peak of the band. I'm partial to the second set of 6/22/91. Great second set. 

 

Veneta 72 is probably more of an acquired taste. Important to consider the context for that show too: everyone tripping their faces off, naked, in extreme heat. Helps to be in an altered state as well to appreciate it, particularly the Dark Star, which is completely bonkers.

 

Agree with your thoughts on Brent too. 

 

Not sure if this show is included in the 74 retrospective I mentioned before, but this Playin>Scarlet>Playin absolutely smokes. Never been a huge Playin fan, but this one knocked me on my ass:  https://archive.org/details/gd74-08-06.merin.weiner.gdADT.5914.sbefail.shnf

[BobLamonta]

Thanks for all the tips, gents (I assume there's no ladies here... safe bet). Look forward to digging into some of the Bruce stuff as he is one of my all-time favorite musicians. I heard one of his covers of Wharf Rat in college and just thought "what the hell is this? This is the greatest thing ever!" Rabbit hole from there. I know he and Jerry got close (Garcia played some nice solos on "Harbor Lights" and "Hot House"), but I mistakenly assumed that their Dead shows together were a mess. Happy to hear the good stuff!

 

The Veneta insight is welcome as well. I figured part of the appeal there is the attendant film that was held up for all those decades and the mystique of it all. I'm not a drug guy, so that's probably part of it, too. I know everyone raves about that Playin' and the Dark Star, and I have to confess, I'm not sure I've ever made it through a full Dark Star before. The base melody is cool, but the free-form stuff just doesn't do it for me. Same goes for something like "The Other One," which I love as a shot, fuzzed out blast of energy on the 10/2 show I've been listening to recently (maybe 7 minutes?) but am pretty sure I never finished on "Skull & Roses" which I admit makes me an awful person.

 

To each his own, right?

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Thanks for all the tips, gents (I assume there's no ladies here... safe bet). Look forward to digging into some of the Bruce stuff as he is one of my all-time favorite musicians. I heard one of his covers of Wharf Rat in college and just thought "what the hell is this? This is the greatest thing ever!" Rabbit hole from there. I know he and Jerry got close (Garcia played some nice solos on "Harbor Lights" and "Hot House"), but I mistakenly assumed that their Dead shows together were a mess. Happy to hear the good stuff!

 

The Veneta insight is welcome as well. I figured part of the appeal there is the attendant film that was held up for all those decades and the mystique of it all. I'm not a drug guy, so that's probably part of it, too. I know everyone raves about that Playin' and the Dark Star, and I have to confess, I'm not sure I've ever made it through a full Dark Star before. The base melody is cool, but the free-form stuff just doesn't do it for me. Same goes for something like "The Other One," which I love as a shot, fuzzed out blast of energy on the 10/2 show I've been listening to recently (maybe 7 minutes?) but am pretty sure I never finished on "Skull & Roses" which I admit makes me an awful person.

 

To each his own, right?

I'm actually a lot like you in my appreciation of the Dead: prefer the shorter, song-oriented set lists, and have to be in the mood for the long jams on the types of tunes you mentioned.

 

Seriously, in addition to '74, check out some of the other official '71 and '72 releases. If you're looking for best versions or polished vocals, there are some good ones in addition to the Europe shows. (Rockin' the Rhein is one, but I know there are some others).

 

As for the Hornsby era, I am sure there are some shows with great playing, but I've always put late-era Dead on the bottom of my priority list. I have always also liked Jerry's tunes much more than Bobby's, and to me, Jerry's voice was pretty much shot to shit by about 1985 or '86. In my opinion, there's just nothing better in their catalogue than the shows from '71 to about '77. I like a lot of Brent's contributions, too, but Jerry certainly was vocally in fine form only in the pre-coma period. Again, my opinion only, but I think it's based on pretty objective evidence (I'm adding that before the attacks begin). 

[jw harding]

What did you think of the vocals during the Wall of Sound era? Despite it being possibly their musical peak, my least favorite vocals due to the tinny sound.

[Lammycat]

I've never really noticed the vocals being particularly tinny during the half-year or so they used the Wall. The sound was obviously crisp as hell. That official DPs release from the Cow Palace shows sounds pretty normal, vocally, to me.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Never bothered me either. The vocals aren't as good as they are on, say, Europe '72, but that is a pretty great era overall.

[jw harding]

Have you ever seen the Grateful Dead Movie? Tinny as shit. I prefer Garcia vocals in the 90's to that.