Kanada Kev

http://bit.ly/rWhsY3 Pure Jerry 05 - Merriweather Post Pavilion, September 1 & 2, 1989 The latter part of the 1980s was a strange and wonderful time for the members of the Grateful Dead and their fans. Jerry Garcia had survived a diabetic coma and was in better health than he had been in a long time, and the unprecedented success of the band’s 11th studio album In the Dark meant that its financial troubles finally had been resolved. Though its audience grew considerably and subsequently posed an entirely different set of complications, by 1989, the group once again was performing as a formidably cohesive unit. Naturally, this positive turn-of-events affected the Jerry Garcia Band, too. When the ensemble embarked upon its first tour of the eastern half of the United States in two years, it found itself visiting the familiar haunts that now housed the Grateful Dead’s own concerts. Providing an in-depth glimpse of this era of the Jerry Garcia Band is the fifth installment in the rapidly expanding Pure Jerry collection of archival releases, which fills a quartet of CDs with the entirety of two consecutive shows that were held on September 1 and 2 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Granted, there already is a plethora of material that currently is available from this rendition of Garcia’s side project, but save for the second and third volumes of the Pure Jerry series, which irked more than a few fans who felt that the sets were hindered by their sonic presentation, the other outings — including a self-titled, double-disc effort; How Sweet It Is; and the stunning Shining Star — were pieced together from a variety of shows. As to why this variation of the group is receiving so much attention, it’s simply because organist Melvin Seals, drummer David Kemper, bass player John Kahn, and vocalists Gloria Jones and Jackie LaBranch provided Garcia with his longest running cast of supporting musicians. One certainly could quibble that perhaps the Merriweather Post Pavilion concerts might have been better represented by a compilation-style effort, and the case for this undoubtedly is made stronger upon hearing the off-kilter execution of Run for the Roses or the ruckus raising but otherwise perfunctory Deal that appear on the lackluster first disc of Pure Jerry, Volume 5. Yet, there also is something to be said for releasing shows intact, if only because concerts by the Jerry Garcia Band, much like those by the Grateful Dead, contained a unique ebb and flow, and plucking songs out of context, more often than not, seriously diminishes the group’s carefully constructed continuity. Such is the nature of any performance piece, of course, but this particularly holds true in regard to those of an improvisational nature, where instrumentalist freely spar with one another in an attempt to unearth a myriad of new ideas and fresh discoveries. Sometimes, the interaction is subtle; other times it is more direct; but either way, it’s the unspoken communication itself that tells the story and makes it a fascinating one to witness. Indeed, save for the exchanges between Seals and Garcia that perfectly captured the embittered fury of Get Out of My Life Woman, the opening set for the September 1 concert was rather forgettable. The latter half of the show — which included the raging blues of Think; the pensively poignant Mission in the Rain; and the gentle, gospel-infused embrace of Lucky Old Sun — was something altogether different, however, and the collective successfully refocused its efforts in order to salvage what otherwise might have been dismissed as a less than stellar performance. The Jerry Garcia Band’s second night at Merriweather Post Pavilion proved to be a far more effective gambit, and the introductory I’ll Take a Melody easily set the tone for the expansive passages that followed. Granted, with the exception of the mind-bending meltdown of Don’t Let Go that concluded the concert, none of the material quite captured the kaleidoscopic essence of the Grateful Dead, though, to be fair, the group wasn’t designed with that particular goal in mind. Yet, each tune — from Garcia’s impassioned vocals on Forever Young to the funky groove of That’s What Love Will Make You Do to the driving rock of Evangeline to the spry, bluegrass-tinged bounce of Midnight Moonlight — successfully highlighted a different aspect of the ensemble. Even the group’s quirky arrangement of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, which felt so tepidly tentative as a studio track and frequently sounded just as awkward in concert, was smoothly executed and contained seamless transitions between the radiantly uplifting loveliness of its verses and the island-tinged lilt that graced its chorus. In other words, while Shining Star remains a more pristine representation of the latter day Jerry Garcia Band, Pure Jerry Volume 5 is also a very worthy endeavor, simply because of the way that it presents an unfiltered examination of the inner workings of Garcia’s musical mind, from his selection of songs to the manner in which he led his eponymous outfit. - John Metzger mp3@320 Track List Disc 1: 1. How Sweet It Is 2. Stop That Train 3. Get Out Of My Life Woman 4. Run For The Roses 5. Like a Road Leading Home 6. My Sisters and Brothers 7. Deal Disc 2: 1. The Harder They Come 2. Mission In The Rain 3. Band Introduction 4. Think 5. Mississippi Moon 6. Waiting For A Miracle 7. Lucky Old Sun 8. Tangled Up In Blue Disc 3: 1. I’ll Take A Melody 2. They Love Each Other 3. Forever Young 4. That’s What Love Will Make You Do 5. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door 6. And It Stoned Me 7. Midnight Moonlight Disc 4: 1. Cats Under The Stars 2. Waiting For A Miracle 3. Simple Twist Of Fate 4. Evangeline 5. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down 6. Don’t Let Go http://bit.ly/rWhsY3

http://bit.ly/tzxraE Rush - ABC 1974: The First American Broadcast The history of the ever mighty Rush goes back to 1968 when the group first got together, but it was not until 1974 that the band proper -with Neil Peart joining Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson to make for the line-up we have known and loved ever since - came to the fore. Peart joined just two weeks before Rush’s first US tour and it was during this American jaunt that the guys played the infamous Agora Ballroom, Cleveland - a venue at which the group would go onto play numerous more shows during their formative years. At their 1974 booking however, radio station WMMS radio was on hand to broadcast the whole event across the airwaves and thus make this particular gig a somewhat notorious event as well as being Rush’s very first radio broadcast. The set played by the group that hot August evening in America’s dark industrial underbelly includes songs from their debut album, Rush, and features two early versions of cuts from their sophomore record, Fly by Night. The show also contained a cover of Larry Williams ‘Bad Boy’ - a 1950s rocker and no mistake - plus incredibly, two excellent tracks that have never been released on any previous Rush release; the super-rare ‘Fancy Dancer’ and ‘Garden Road’, both composed in their very earliest incarnation before Neil Peart was on board. The package is completed by three bonus tracks from their second US broadcast, back at the ABC a year later, and again courtesy of their by then long time champions, WMMR Cleveland. All three songs from the 75 set originated on Fly By Night. This rare recording, now available legitimately for the first time and with de-luxe packaging, designed with the collector in mind, will prove a must have item for Rush’s enormous army of fans still fighting the cause well over 40 years into a quite marvellous career. mp3@320 Track List Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, Ohio, 1974 WMMS FM Broadcast: 1. Finding My Way 2. The Best I Can 3. Need Some Love 4. In The End 5. Fancy Dancer 6. In The Mood 7. Bad Boy 8. Here Again 9. Working Man 10. Drum Solo 11. What You’re Doing 12. Garden Road Bonus Tracks - Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, Ohio, 1975 WMMS FM Broadcast: 13. Anthem 14. Beneath, Between And Behind 15. Fly By Night http://bit.ly/tzxraE

Here's the most accurate video of Ford I've seen yet: "Great" arguments from the Fatfuck Mayor

Like this? :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPBXbg1Jbrk

Really? Sympathy for Ford? Ambushed? Come on. Ford says it was dark out ... it was light Ford says his daughter was "scared" ... she was nowhere to be seen Ford demands preferential treatment from public services Ford flips out on 911 operators over the phone Betcha he did scream and yell and call the cops Bitches when they arrived. Countless other politicians and celebs have been "ambushed" by Marg Delahunty over the years and NONE of them reacted like this buffoon. The man is a joke and is not doing Toronto any favours whatsoever. The morons who all voted him in have themselves to blame.

http://bit.ly/uYNK2L Umphrey’s McGee 2011-10-24 Death by Stereo In Studio Webcast, Chicago, IL This rare in studio live performance was recorded at IV Lab studios in Chicago, IL for the Death By Stereo pre-order webcast. Hear this unique side of UM complete with acoustic, electric and solo performances alongside hilarious banter. mp3@256 Track List Set I: Domino Theory #5 FF* > Booth Love Puppet String Deeper > “Jimmy Stewart†> #Glory Miami Virtue Set II: Search 4^ Orfeo^^ The Weight Around@ Susanah@@ The Pequod@@ > Dim Sun@@ > The Pequod@@ August@@** > Keefer@@ > August End of the Road@@ Hajimemashite > The Floor * with The Fussy Dutchman teases # with All In Time tease ^ just Jake on acoustic; “demo†version ^^ just Joel on piano @ just Brendan on acoustic @@ with Brendan and Jake on acoustics ** with Head Over Heels (Tears for Fears) teases http://bit.ly/uYNK2L

http://bit.ly/tAwfDP John Prine - The Singing Mailman Delivers The Singing Mailman Delivers, the first true archival release from John Prine, is a collection of early takes of the songs that would largely make up his self-titled debut. One half of the double-disc set is a collection of demos recorded at a radio station, the other a performance at Chicago’s Fifth-Peg. Many of the staples on John Prine: “Angel From Montgomery,†“Hello In There,†“Sam Stone†(or its working title here, a bit more telling: “Great Society Conflict Veteran’s Bluesâ€), still make up the heart of Prine’s oeuvre as a songwriter and performer today, four decades later. “Twenty-four years old and writes like he’s two-hundred and twenty,†wrote Kris Kristofferson in the liner notes to John Prine. Prine’s narrators too, the men and women singing his songs: the middle-aged housewife, the old couple whose kids have grown up and left, the kid whose heart’s just been broken, all feel older than they should. The songs themselves feel ancient. Prine’s singing on “Blue Umbrella,†“Angel From Montgomery,†and “Paradise†sounds as weary and weathered as his disillusioned characters. It’s even more apparent in the live set, where many of the songs result, almost bizarrely, in crowd-pleasing sing-alongs, as if at twenty-four Prine is already the well-traveled veteran troubadour he is today. His songs, to anyone whose ever heard them, are like creation myths, part of our shared vocabulary, holding more weight than they can sometimes bear, from their very moment of inception. “He starts slow,†said Roger Ebert, in his now-famous review “Singing Mailman Who Delivers A Powerful Message In A Few Words,†after hearing Prine for the first time, “but after a song or two, even the drunks in the room begin to listen to his lyrics. And then he has you.†One night in November 1970 in Chicago, it took four songs to win over the drunks. Prine is so very young: self-conscious, goofy, and arrogant enough to introduce his next song like this: “This is a song me and Francis Scott Key wrote not too long ago, he writes political songs and I write love songs…it’s a hate song to a woman I love.†He may be suggesting he’s written his own version of our creation myth, a song we can all sing out loud, because it’s 1970, and stars and stripes and bombs bursting in air isn’t going to cut it anymore, or more precisely: “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymoreâ€. The audience laughs at all this—the previous song, after all, was a comic, absurdist anti-war song— and though Prine may not yet have the drunks listening, he’s already won these people over. He introduces the next song further, and things don’t seem as funny anymore: “It’s about a kid that went out looking for America and he found her in a bar room, drinking, she was feeling bad.†And then he starts. “The Great Compromise†is still very new and Prine treats it carefully, gives it special attention. His singing is tremendous, but he’s also careful, he knows this is a delicate setting, this folk club, so he interrupts the sad singer’s story and tries to keep the mood light, a wisecrack here or there, so as to keep his distance from whoever’s singing this song, because maybe he’s a little afraid of what’s being said. Josh Ritter, one of Prine’s finest disciples, on his album The Animal Years: “I wrote a record, which I meant to write about this country, and it all came out sounding like a love song.†In the “The Great Compromise,†a girl named America breaks the singer’s heart. She hops into another man’s foreign sports car (“a Hanoi Hudson,†Prine adds, not insignificantly) when he’s not looking, but there will be no warfare, not even a fight, just a lot of bad dreams. By the last verse she’s become a sick woman, and it’s no fun not-believing in her anymore: “but sometimes I get awful lonesome, and I wish she was my girl instead, but she won’t let me live with her, and she makes me live in my head.†If all lasting relationships, as they say, are about compromise, then this lady, full of “blossom and beauty, born on the 4th of July,†hasn’t kept up her end of the bargain. If America really is a woman, then Prine’s earliest songs are tales of her cruelest endeavors: she robs men of their childhood paradises and turns them into little souvenirs that make them cry, and then she leaves them standing in the rain, feet cold and wet, trying to think this whole thing over. They may all just be hate songs to a woman Prine loves. - Jonathan Bernstein mp3@320 Track List CD1: 01 – Hello in There 02 – Souvenirs 03 – Great Society Conflict Veteran’s Blues 04 – Paradise 05 – Blue Umbrella 06 – Aw Heck 07 – Illegal Smile 08 – Flashback Blues 09 – Frying Pan 10 – Sour Grapes 11 – A Star, a Jewel and a Hoax CD2: 01 – Flashback Blues 02 – Hello in There 03 – Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore 04 – The Great Compromise 05 – Blue Umbrella 06 – Illegal Smile 07 – Angel From Montgomery 08 – A Good Time 09 – Hey Good Lookin’Jambalaya (On the Bayou) 10 – Quiet Man 11 – Paradise 12 – Great Society Conflict Veteran’s Blues 13 – Spanish Pipedream http://bit.ly/tAwfDP

http://bit.ly/sCeeZn Pure Jerry 08 - Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium 2-28-86 The eighth in the Pure Jerry series offers the first official full release of acoustic music from Jerry Garcia and John Kahn. Soundboard copies of this show have not been in circulation, so it’s a special treat to hear the complete two-set show. Garcia and Kahn deliver a solid performance with a nice blend of old folk songs, a Dylan tune and Hunter-Garcia classics. This line from the back cover sums it all up nicely, “Aside from its main purpose - celebrating Jerry Garcia’s and John Kahn’s wonderfully sweet performance of February 28, 1986 - this recording clearly proves the value of vision, hard work and modern science. Enjoy it with our best wishes and in good health.†mp3@320 Track List 1. Deep Elem Blues 2. Little Sadie 3. Friend Of The Devil 4. When I Paint My Masterpiece 5. Spike Driver Blues 6. Run For The Roses 7. Dire Wolf 8. Jack-A-Roe 9. Oh Babe, It Ain’t No Lie 10. Bird Song > 11. Ripple > 12. Goodnight Irene http://bit.ly/sCeeZn

A little more CSN http://bit.ly/sqwuSp Crosby, Stills & Nash - The Acoustic Concert (1991) DVD AudioRip The soaring, unmistakable harmonies of Crosby, Stills & Nash bring to life one classic song after another in Acoustic, the unique concert DVD of their greatest hits. This footage was captured live at San Francisco’s Warfield Theater in November, 1991, and the intimate feeling of their pure acoustic music is simply magic. The New York Times music critic Robert Palmer once observed that CSN were “acoustic folkies at heart.†Entertainment as pure as this will always be in style. CSN - artists for whom the word supergroup was invented. They brought together strands of distinctly different pop groups - David Crosby from the Byrds, Steven Stills from Buffalo Springfield, and Graham Nash from the Hollies - and wove a completely original sound. Ever since Crosby, Stills & Nash were catapulted into the spotlight at Woodstock, they’ve continued to charm millions of fans. Through two decades of incredible changes, their appeal has endured. As Graham Nash explained, “One reason why people love this band is that there’s an emotional connection between us and our audience. We’ve just tried to be true to ourselves.†mp3@320 Track List: 01. Deja Vu 02. Helplessly Hoping 03. Just A Song Before I Go 04. Guinnevere 05. Marrakesh Express 06. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes 07. Long Time Gone 08. To The Last Whale A) Critical Mass Wind On The Water 09. Try to Find Me 10. 1000 Roads 11. For What It’s Worth 12. Taken At All 13. Wooden Ships 14. Our House 15. Daylight Again 16. Find The Cost of Freedom 17. Teach Your Children http://bit.ly/sqwuSp

http://bit.ly/tBm3xg An Evening With Crosby & Nash May 18, 2011 Wilbur Theatre Boston, MA Thanks DAVE mp3@320 Track List Eight Miles High I Used To Be A King Wasted On The Way Long Time Gone Lay Me Down Lee Shore Just A Song Don’t Dig Here Critical Mass/Wind On The Water Cowboy Movie Marakesh Express Deja Vu Cold Rain Guinnevere What Are Their Names In Your Name They Want It All Jesus of Rio Slice Of Time Camera Orleans/Cathedral Our House Military Madness Almost Cut My Hair Wooden Ships Teach Your Children http://bit.ly/tBm3xg

What an emotional show to be at. It was like being at a wake in some ways. We went down early and hung out in the parking lot just to hang with friends and Dead family. It was just over a week after Jer's death and everyone had heavy hearts. By the time Knockin' began there wasn't a dry eye in the house ... even the band. I remember Bobby just getting choked up and basically dropping his grey acoustic and leaving the stage just before the end of the song. Out in the lot after the show we got to shake his hand as he was getting on his bus. He was giving hugs and really taking in the love from the fans. I looked in the bus when I walked by and saw massive smoke clouds inside around Bob and his wife. It was really sad seeing how much Bobby was hurting. It must have been incredibly hard to play the Hampton Casino shows the day of Jer's death, and these first Ratdog shows so close as well. Thanks for posting this. I want to listen, but will do so when I've got a chance to really soak it in. :bonghit: Still missing you Jerry

that GWG was a beauty! ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole

:cheers: gotta love how it's ok for a goalie to hit a player in the head with his stick too. So sorry you didn't get win 100 Carey Might want to thank your cough-up d-man PK

Wow, great way to come back in the third from the shit that was the second period Damn, 9 points taken out of a possible 10 so far. Gotta love it. Let's see if Kessel can finally have his bust-out game against his former team. He's not shown up much for previous stints against the B's.

http://bit.ly/ocZrgW Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders - Live at Keystone, Encores This is the third of three CDs compiled from a two-night (July 10 and 11, 1973) stand at Keystone Korners in Berkeley. These recordings have likewise yielded a pair of additional volumes — all of which stem from the original Live at Keystone (1973) two-LP release. Merl Saunders (keyboards) and Jerry Garcia (guitar/vocals) lead a funky rhythm section — consisting of John Kahn (bass) and Bill Vitt (percussion) — through a variety of adeptly chosen R&B, Motown, and blues covers. Garcia and Saunders began performing sporadically throughout the end of 1970, reconvening in the Bay Area whenever the guitarist could find time away from his day gig with the Grateful Dead. Ultimately this loose aggregate became the prototype for a somewhat more formal Jerry Garcia Band, which continued until Garcia’s passing in 1995. By the time these recordings were made, this particular combo was holding court upwards of eight weeks a year and had developed a unique, laid-back persona, perfectly counterbalancing Garcia’s decidedly more aggressive contributions to the Dead. The musical centerpiece of this band is undoubtedly their uncanny ability to provide multiple layers of interpretation and variation on familiar themes. The combination of Saunders’ sweet and soulful organ leads and the pure tonality in Garcia’s solos is flawlessly supported by round upon round of Kahn’s assertively fluid interjections. The Motown cover of “How Sweet It Is†perhaps best-exemplifies this approach, as the bassist punctuates the established melody with his trademark second-nature harmonic counterpoint. Keen-eared Deadheads will undoubtedly be curious to hear the adaptations of “High Heel Sneakers,†“I Second That Emotion,†as well as the Chicago-style blues interpretation of Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “One Kind Favor†— which the Dead very occasionally worked into their earliest performances. The loose structure allows for extended soloing which rather inadvertently reveals a lighthearted and cherubic side to Garcia’s musical companionship. This is a recommended listen for potential fans as well as the seasoned enthusiast. - Lindsay Planer mp3@320 Track List 1. Hi-Heel Sneakers (Robert Higgenbotham) 2. It’s Too Late (She’s Gone) (Chuck Willis) 3. I Second That Emotion (William Robinson / Al Cleveland) 4. One Kind Favor (Traditional) 5. Money Honey (Jesse Stone) 6. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) (Holland / Dozier / Holland) http://bit.ly/ocZrgW

http://bit.ly/r4Nwpp Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders - Live at Keystone, Volume II The route that this material took from double-LP form to CD has been spread over a logic-defying series of releases — many of which (like this one) clock in at under an hour. In essence, these five numbers represent the second disc of the two-record set with the addition of a 1988 remix of “Mystery Train†— which was not on the LPs or the subsequent Keystone Encores titles. Confused yet? If so, let the music speak for itself as Live at the Keystone is chocked with unquestionably inspired covers that are each respectively extended and collectively improvised by co-instrumental leads Jerry Garcia (guitar/vocals) and Merl Saunders (organ) with Bill Vitt (drums) and John Kahn (bass). This was more or less an ad-hoc configuration, as opposed to the organized touring unit that Garcia developed as the Jerry Garcia Band. From December of 1970 through the spring of 1974 — prior to the combo evolving into the Legion of Mary — the guitarist could often be found performing sporadically in and around San Francisco between engagements with the Grateful Dead. The quartet ably fuse rock with jazz and spacey unfettered jams emerging from an eclectic composite from R&B and blues to seminal rock oldies and even popular standards. Compared to his contributions to the Grateful Dead, Garcia seems to invest the time to dig in and explore the melodies thoroughly. The supremely crafted “My Funny Valentine†is much more than a remake, as the entire familiar structure has been gutted and upgraded to a jazzy, intuitive groove. Similarly, “Like a Road Leading Home†goes to a new emotive strata when compared to Albert King’s original as the quartet develop an earthier, almost palpable feel that King merely hints at. Stylistically contrary is the frolicking optimistic “That’s Alright Mama†with Kahn playfully plunging below Garcia’s clear-toned strings. The ‘bonus’ “Mystery Train†arguably offers up the best example of what a strong sonic bond existed between not only Garcia and Saunders, but also Kahn — as the trio propel the rhythm into an open exchange of instantaneous ideas. It is no wonder they stayed together through the mid-’70s and then reunited in 1979 for the criminally short-lived outfit Reconstruction. However, these earlier and more intimate recordings from the Keystone provide a glimpse of Garcia’s enormously and oft overlooked range as a musician and arranger. - Lindsay Planer mp3@320 Track List 1. That’s Alright Mama (Arthur Crudup) 2. My Funny Valentine (Rodgers / Hart) 3. Someday Baby (Sam Hopkins) 4. Like A Road Leading Home (Nix / Penn) 5. Mystery Train (Junior Parker / Sam Philips) http://bit.ly/r4Nwpp

http://bit.ly/nf3wDL Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders - Live at Keystone, Volume I This 1973 release features what is essentially a Bay Area bar band led by Merl Saunders (keyboards) and Jerry Garcia (guitar) during the latter musician’s downtime from the Grateful Dead. Along with the two subsequent “encore†volumes, Live at Keystone includes performances drawn from the quartet’s July 10-11, 1973, run in the intimate confines of Keystone Korners in Berkeley. With the support of Bill Vitt(percussion) and John Kahn (bass), the pair jams their way through an eclectic assortment of covers and a few equally inspired original instrumentals. The clavinet and Hammond B-3-driven “Keepers†(aka “Finders Keepersâ€) is one such composition from the team of Saunders and Kahn. This funky rocker pulsates through some downright greasy interactions that recall a cross between Sly Stone and Billy Preston. Their interpretation of “Positively 4th Street†— the first of two Bob Dylan covers — is laid-back and bluesy, which allows Garcia to stretch out instrumentally between the verses. His impassioned vocals weave between Saunders’ alternating murky and billowing organ fills, adding new depths of empathetic noir. Notably, David Grisman’s mandolin runs were not part of the live recording, but overdubbed later. Conversely, Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come†bops with an infectiously syncopated shuffle that glides along Saunders’ ethereal, swirling keyboard accents mimicking the hurdy-gurdy of a calliope. “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry†is given a languid and slinky workout that is highlighted by some of Garcia’s most incendiary fretwork in this collection. Joined in progress is “Space†— a bit of jazzy free-form which was initially preceded by “Someday Baby†during the July 10 performance. John Kahn truly shines as he barrels in between Saunders’ scatological leads and Garcia’s trippy guitar runs. This distinct ensemble improvisation recalls some of the Grateful Dead’s further-out sonic explorations during seminal mid-’70s performances of “Playing in the Band†and “Eyes of the World.†It likewise foreshadows the direction that the Dead would follow on their highly sophisticated and fusion-influenced Blues for Allah (1975). The 1988 CD includes the previously unissued “Merle’s Tune†from the July 11 show. This extended instrumental features a more aggressive side of the band, who churns through the changes in a hybrid of R&B and jazz. Again, Garcia and Saunders feed off of each other as they bandy solos and trade funk-filled licks. - Lindsay Planer mp3@320 Track List 1. Keepers (Merl Saunders / John Kahn) 2. Positively 4th Street (Bob Dylan) 3. The Harder They Come (Jimmy Cliff) 4. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry (Bob Dylan) 5. Space (Merl Saunders / Jerry Garcia / John Kahn / Bill Vitt) 6. It’s No Use (Clark / McGuinn) 7. Merl’s Tune (Merl Saunders / White) http://bit.ly/nf3wDL

http://bit.ly/qpUCmI Road Trips Series Ends with Boston ’76 1976 was a pivotal year for the Grateful Dead. After an 18-month hiatus that saw just four Bay Area appearances by the band, but also a phenomenal studio album, Blues for Allah, and a slew of solo projects, the Dead returned to the road at the beginning of June ’76. Mickey Hart was officially back in the fold after a long absence, and the band came back with a batch of new songs and fresh approaches to playing their old ones. It was the summer of America’s much-ballyhooed bicentennial, the country was still going through Watergate withdrawal, and we needed our Grateful Dead back! During their time away, the Dead radically simplified their stage setup. They put their remarkable (but cumbersome) Wall of Sound P.A. out to pasture, in favor of a more conventional (but still great) system. And, as a treat to their fans, they booked their entire first post-hiatus tour into acoustically solid small theaters, eschewing the large arenas that their snowballing popularity and their massive sound system had forced them into. They hit the road well-rehearsed and refreshed; clearly thrilled to be out there playing Grateful Dead music onstage again. And we were, needless to say, psyched to be seeing them again! This latest—and last—edition of our Road Trips series (more on that in a moment), ingeniously labeled No. 4. Vol. 5, was drawn from two shows early on what was dubbed by many Heads at the time as the Dead’s “comeback†tour. It contains the truly awe-inspiring complete June 9, 1976 Boston Music Hall show (just the third of the tour, but you’d never guess that), and also a handful of hot tracks from the June 12 show at the same venue. The 6/9 show has long been a personal favorite, so I’m really delighted that it is finally being released! It’s definitely one of the strongest of ’76. The first set includes stand-out versions of then-new songs such as “Crazy Fingers†and “The Music Never Stopped,†just the third version of “Cassidy,†a neatly jammed “Scarlet Begonias†and a potent “Ship of Fools,†among other gems. The second set opens with a long, circuitous “St. Stephen†(the first in five years!), then goes into a tremendous “Eyes,†followed by “Let It Grow,†which was now independent of the first two parts of “Weather Report Suite.†“Samson and Delilah†and “Lazy Lightning†> “Supplication†were brand-new to the Dead repertoire, while the bevy of rearranged songs included “High Time†and the famous disco-influenced “Dancing in the Street.†The encore was another recent one: “Franklin’s Tower†(which would never be played in that slot again). For a band that hadn’t played together in eons, the Dead sound remarkably self-assured and on-the-ball throughout. The 6/12/76 songs include one of only five versions of “Mission in the Rain†the Dead played, “The Wheel†(a few years old, but new to the stage), the revived “Comes a Time†(last played in ’72) and a “Sugar Mag†sandwich with a great “U.S. Blues†as the meaty filling. As with all the previous Road Trips releases, this final entry comes with a colorful booklet containing an essay and period photos. And needless to say it has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman. You can find the complete song list for all three discs, as well as ordering information, by clicking here. So, what’s all this talk about the end of Road Trips? Well, we figured that four years and 17 releases was a pretty good run for that series, and now it’s time to try something new. Don’t worry, there is definitely going to be another release program dedicated to putting out the best material in the vault. We’ll be revealing details of the new series very soon, so stay tuned! — Blair Jackson mp3v0 TRACKLIST CD 1: 1. Cold Rain and Snow 2. Cassidy 3. Scarlet Begonias 4. The Music Never Stopped 5. Crazy Fingers 6. Big River 7. They Love Each Other 8. Looks Like Rain 9. Ship Of Fools 10. Promised Land CD 2 1. St. Stephen> 2. Eyes of the World> 3. Let It Grow 4. Brown-Eyed Women 5. Lazy Lightning> 6. Supplication 7. High Time 8. Samson and Delilah 9. It Must Have Been The Roses CD 3 1. Dancing In The Street> 2. Whard Rat> 3. Around and Around 4. Franklin's Tower Bonus tracks from 6/12/76 5. Mission In The Rain 6. The Wheel 7. Comes A Time 8. Sugar Magnolia> 9. U.S. Blues> 10. Sunshine Daydream http://bit.ly/qpUCmI

Fuck Yeah. Ain't pretty, but damn they got it done after getting down 2-0. Reimer and Kessel are on fire.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ How do you find that sounds? Curious. I read a bunch of posts that simply trashed the quality of the "remastering" and that this was a step backwards in sound.

New Black Keys album ... better call Saul:

http://bit.ly/obP0CI Jerry Garcia Band - Let It Rock: Keystone, Berkeley 1975 The latest release to come from the Garcia vault is Let It Rock: Jerry Garcia Band 1975 a 2-CD set recorded November 17 and 18, 1975 at the Keystone Berkeley, featuring the very first version of the Jerry Garcia Band, with the magnificent British pianist Nicky Hopkins, drummer Ron Tutt and ol’ reliable—bassist John Kahn. This marks the first-ever full release of material from the brief but fruitful Garcia-Hopkins union (August through December ’75), and it shows the group at its best, rolling though a broad range of styles, from the churning opener, “Let It Rock,†to Dead favorites like “Sugaree,†“They Love Each Other†and a lively “Friend of the Devil,†to boppin’ R&B—“Tore Up Over You,†“Roadrunnerâ€â€”a 19-minute workout (!) on the Stones’ “Let’s Spend the Night Together,†and Nicky’s exceptional instrumental track “Edward.†The sound on these discs is impeccable: They were mixed from 16-track master tapes by Jeffrey Norman, who has mixed and mastered countless Dead-related projects through the years. The clarity of the vocals and instruments is absolutely stunning—it’s practically like being at the legendary Keystone Berkeley, except without that distinctive smell of beer and popcorn, and the clacking of the foosball table in the back room. The icing on this particular slice of psychedelic cake is a fine essay by David Gans which probes the Jerry-Nicky dynamic and offers some needed historical context. In short, this one is a must for Jerry freaks (and doesn’t that include all of us?)! —Blair Jackson mp3@v0 Track List DISC 1: 01. Let It Rock 02. Tore Up Over You 03. Friend Of The Devil 04. They Love Each Other 05. It’s Too Late 06. Pig’s Boogie 07. Band Introductions 08. Sitting In Limbo 09. (I’m A) Road Runner DISC 2: 01. Sugaree 02. I’ll Take A Melody 03. That’s What Love Will Make You Do 04. Lady Sleeps 05. Ain’t No Use 06. Let’s Spend The Night Together 07. Edward, The Mad Shirt Grinder http://bit.ly/obP0CI

Very good news! Sidney Crosby cleared for practice contact

Enjoyed listening to this today. Too bad his son is such a douche. http://bit.ly/nE3HY3 The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams Created from writings left behind by country music’s “lovesick blues boy,†The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams premieres the first-ever performances of 12 previously unheard Hank Williams lyric compositions newly set to music by 13 artists whose own sensibilities have been profoundly shaped by Williams. The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams project began with the idea of finding a well-known artist, one who felt Hank’s inspiration and influence, to record an album’s worth of the unheard songs. After veteran music industry manager/A&R executive Mary Martin approached Bob Dylan, a natural first choice for the endeavor, the project evolved into a multi-artist tribute providing a variety of sympathetic approaches to this rich mysterious material. Other artists appearing on the album include Jack White, Norah Jones, Lucinda Williams, Alan Jackson and many more. mp3@320 Track List 01. You’ve Been Lonesome, Too - Alan Jackson 02. The Love That Faded - Bob Dylan 03. How Many Times Have You Broken My Heart? - Norah Jones 04. You Know That I Know - Jack White 05. I’m So Happy I Found You - Lucinda Williams 06. I Hope You Shed a Million Tears - Vince Gill and Rodney Crowell 07. You’re Through Fooling Me - Patty Loveless 08. You’ll Never Again Be Mine - Levon Helm 09. Blue Is My Heart - Holly Williams 10. Oh, Mama, Come Home - Jakob Dylan 11. Angel Mine - Sheryl Crow 12. The Sermon on the Mount - Merle Haggard http://bit.ly/nE3HY3

Niiiice!