Booche

Have fucking fun!

" Although I thought it was pretty incredible when they pulled it out finally in 95, at the same time I was disappointed because I've always felt that song would have been even better had it been played during it's prime - when it was fresh, Phil's voice was better, and Jerry was in better shape all round. " - we got to see the second one done live in Charolette. Just before we headed out on our drive I learned they did it in Philly and crunched some numbers "We might not get to see it" but luckily they did it two shows later the night Bruce Hornsby showed up unannounced. Walking in and seeing a piano onstage sent the place into pre-show mayhem. I always loved that energy swell but this was way different than anything I have come to see since. I experienced my one and only out of body experience at that show. It was the second night of a three night run and we blasted through our 'supplies' the previous night, just to stay awake following the 16 hour drive from Kingston. We were already running on fumes and low supplies for night two but hot-damn if I didnt have my most meaningful connection with everything during this show. It's not killer for any of you to listen to, I rarely have, but something happened to me that show that made me question because I realized I knew nothing. Laugh it up all you want Fuzzballz but I was floating in the rafters while swimming through colors that came from Jerry and Phil's instruments during Scarlet Begonias. That lasted an eternity. It ended when I looked at our row and saw us. I almost collapsed when my field of vision changed to 'reality' 03/23/95 (Thu) Charlotte Coliseum - Charlotte, NC Set 1: Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Wang Dang Doodle, Cold Rain & Snow, El Paso (1), Loser, Ain't No Easy Answers, So Many Roads Set 2: Unbroken Chain, Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain > Corrina > Mathilda > Jam (2) > Drums > Space > Days Between > Good Lovin', E: The Weight

You were right Esau, I was talking live versions but hotdamn if I dont positively love listening to Phil teach Unbroken Chain to the rest of the Good Ole Grateful Dead. Cant remember where/who I got this on as filler on a tape but bless their godamn hearts for eternity.

Fire up a cracker and watch that youtube of Unbroken Chain. Post a version you consider to be better. I cant wait to watch it because it will be awesome fun. That one is insanely good.

Yesterday Bouche streamed all the songs that are out there right now. I extremely enjoyed each version but my favorites were Sugaree and New Speedway Boogie.

I think edger just won the board.

Dont skimp on this one folks. Prep yo'zelves and saddle up. The transition section is ridiculous.

The moment Jim Boeheim realized his legacy was completely tarnished.

Hey bouche and DaveyBoy2.0 - 'member when we saw these guys?

" I saw one of these shows in Detroit last year and it was unfreakingbelievable. " - to be fair, you didnt see a Prince piano solo show - if this were of the same caliber in which we saw Prince from midnight until 4am then I would be considering it but at 400 bucks for a pair of tickets...........yes, it would be freaking amazing but I just dont have the budget myself.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy "If I Had the World to Give"

Oh yeah, I totally messed that one up Hamilton. I'm the weiner for making that mistake. Subtract 15 heady points from my score.

Thanks bud. If I am only writing for you then it's totally been worth it.

I cant wait to delve into those upcoming 1978 shows. I was about to post that until I read up above and noticed C-Towns jumped all over that grenade. That Red Rocks shows is the fucking tits. Everyone reading is going to want to hear that one. I first assumed it would be within this release. Seems to me like the organization is trying to get all the best stuff out there as fast as possible while their demographic are still willing to part with large sums of money. And why not? That's smart business. It's going to dry up soon and let this be a lesson to you Phish kids out there, that brand is doing the exact same thing. You cant play your hand right away. You need to save your cards for when they are going to do their most damage. HEY-OH! DEAD METAPHOR! ;-)

" Think you can rank the years better after listening to this collection Booche?" No. They do one show per year throughout this collection. I would have to re-read this entire thing to jog my memory as to which shows/years I really enjoyed, which I plan to do once I am done. I havent revisited anything yet. It's been a bunch of work just to get to this point even though I would have a show fucking CRANKED as I did normal household chores. In that scenario I would have to dry my hands in the middle of said chore so I could sit down and write something because the music was inspiring. Velvet has been the only person to ask me how I am doing these reviews and the best answer I can give is "focused background noise". There is typically music going on in my house as I am doing 'whatever' but when I put on one of these shows, which can run over a few days, I pay much closer attention to what is coming from my speakers. I can do a pretty good job of multi-tasking, believe it or not. If you are axin' me if I have preferred years based on my years of listening that would be a completely different question and one I am glad to answer at the moment seeing as I just posted my latest review. I cant rank them as a 1 through 30 but I can say that my favorite era is easily 1972-1974. I cant even imagine what it must have been like to see them in those days. I am also a massive fan of 1989-1990 but I am biased because that is when I joined the fray seeing my first Dead show and then collecting tapes but I would think any self-respecting Deadhead who has spent a ton of time listening to their career would agree that there was a massive resurgence during that time period. Jerry's fingers weren't as nimble as they had once been but the power that came from their stage was undeniable. I am also a big fan of 1968 Primal Dead and the small bits of 1978 that I know. 1983 was a year that contained some fantastic stuff. I had a bunch of second sets from that year on tape. It goes without saying that 1977 was one of their best years. To date, I still haven't been able to wrap my head around it because it was a perfect storm but I can say I have never heard a show from 1977 that I thought was lacking. It's almost too clean, if that makes sense, but they definitely hit a stride that was unmatched during their career. Fall Tour 1994 is actually far better than most realize. I saw 5 shows during that summer which were extremely hit and miss, inside each show in fact, but Garcia must have gotten cleaned up because there is some great stuff from Boston and MSG a few short weeks later. I wouldnt hold it up as their best stuff but I have used it as an argument when people suggested the Dead "sucked in 94" ::rambleover::

09-10-1991 MSG As I was typing that date in I thought “I recall this show for some reason” and then as the band were toying around I immediately knew why because I heard that distinctive sound. Branford Marsalis was the guest appearance for the entire show. These were heavily played tapes back at the old apartment with DaveyBoy 2.0 and one of the rare times out of the 500+ Maxell XL II’s in which I possessed an entire show. Why didn’t I ever cash in my points? What a fucking stupid dirty hippie. None the less I am going to settle in for what is an incredible ride while possibly experiencing a nostalgic feeling for those days of wondering merriment joyfulness sometimes coupled with crippling fear, paranoia and anxiety. This was night three of a nine night run at Madison Square Garden. Imagine. That’s ridiculous but also gives you a small indication of how popular the band had become by this point, in case those summer shows at football stadiums hadn’t already told you. Shakedown Street comes bombing out and I can only imagine how happy this crowd was feeling. It’s immediately a full out dance party, even moreso than normal as many of those in attendance must have been wondering what this night might have in store. The last time, and first, Branford showed up at MSG was without hyperbole, epic. Had I been in attendance I may have shit my pants before anything began, although that could have happened at any number of Dead shows for differing reasons and may in fact have. Branford is definitely in for the long haul on this one because this Shakedown proves to be way too much fun. Garcia had a new coupling tone with his sound on this song. CC Rider segues out and we are in the too much fun territory. I kinda think this cements it. If CC Rider is in a show then look the fuck out. This is such a wonderful version with a great Branford solo. Bobby seemed to be inspired by said solo when he took his. It’s as if Mr Marsalis always belonged and let’s not forget that Jerry and Hornsby are back there adding some fantastic color while everything seamlessly segues into Bob Dylan’s It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry before you know what’s even happening. It’s a dream and harkens back to the Good Lovin’ > La Bamba > Good Lovin’ from four years earlier at the same venue. Those lucky MSG motherfuckers. As an aside, later day West Coast Deadheads complained that the band did the best stuff on this side of the continent which is a valid complaint. Black Throated Wind came out next following a very short and soft reprieve from that solid three song opening. It’s completely solid. Bobby sounds like he is on his toes, literally, while being forcefully energized. Vince gave a hint to what sorts of sounds would be coming from him in the years to come. There’s a fantastic rhythmic crescendo to this one, complete with a minor fake ending. What a start to this show. What’s that I hear? Oh yeah! High Time!!!!!!! Totally forgot about this one. Fanfuckingtastic. Just brilliant stuff from a band that has lost all their piss and vinegar due to hitting middle age but along the way learned to somehow become the best garage band the world (the one I know of) has ever seen. Total sweetness. I always get a kick out of “Tomorrow come trouble, tomorrow come pain” line in this song in the context of seeing it live. He was warning all of us. He was warning all of us. I saw the song once and hot-damn if he wasn’t bang-on. Still, he did also say not to think too hard about having said that soooooo……who’s holding? Cassidy always suggested a sooner rather than later end to the first set so I was a bit set back when it started because at this point I had forgotten where the set had gone. Before I knew it I remembered what I had forgot because this version just sets off with Hornsby feeding empty spaces that everyone started to pick up upon. While Brent had a more powerful voice I certainly always enjoy Vince singing on this one. The inverted jam is initiated perfectly from Jerry, can you name another rock and or roll player who walked into solos better than Garcia, and the rest follow along with one big ear. It’s a stupendous build and possibly my favourite song of the set. Deal ball bustingly closes this set which is so sad because these guys were just slamming their instrument voices back and forth together. You just don’t want it to end and at under an hour you just deal with the reality that the Dead doing a short and sweet first set is indicative of everyone onstage having an open conversation amongst one another. At the very least you can walk away knowing that as long as everything is on the table then anything can be discussed. Help On The Way is a great start to the second set. Phil’s strings were absolutely buzzing and I always love hearing Bruce Hornsby play on this song. Everyone is completely dialled in when Slipknot rolls out, especially Vince, and Jerry just starts going off during the solo. He always sounded inspired to me when Branford Marsalis was on the stage. The two of them were just throwing it back at one another. Before you know it a really fun Franklin’s Tower came stomping over everyone’s heads with the crowd providing an appreciative howl when Branford took a solo. There is a lot of fun in here. Estimated was up next which provided Branford with one of the songs he had played on during his first onstage encounter with the band. I love the voice he adds to this song. It’s perfect. Bob sounded rather energized and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn he was doing his famous hops and head bobs during this one. Vince added his awesome synth during the “No no no no” part while Jerry, Branford and Hornsby offered a fantastic call and response. Branford sounds like he heads for his clarinet. The ending jam is slinky jazz with Phil providing a wonderful backbone. There is definitely an air of “we can go anywhere we want boys” because ideas are being thrown from every direction but the one they chose was also performed the first night Branford joined them at MSG on March 29th 1990 What else could they have done besides Dark Star? I am sure had I been in the house I would have been anticipating those opening notes. It’s the perfect vehicle if you have a musician of Branford’s calibre playing along. It certainly doesn’t come busting out of the gates but there was a soft introductory flow. This is a sticky yet unclamped version full of ideas that are forgiving. An incomplete instrumental second verse gave way to Drumz so you wouldnt be remise to wonder if they planned on finishing the song on this night. Space followed up while painting an audio canvass focussing on the sounds of zero gravity but the question remains. What’s become of the baby? Sure enough, it’s back thanks to Garcia and it floats in perfectly. The second verse almost immediately happens which must have had everyone thinking they were done but one shouldn’t be so quick to judge. Weirdness is just getting started. It’s almost a second Space and this entire segment must have completely crippled those in attendance. Heck, I almost ran out of my house to find the nearest pay phone so I could call my mom collect to tell here that the Good Ole Grateful Dead has just ended my life but don’t worry because it is beautiful here and your first born son couldn’t be happier. Much like another favourite MSG show from Bob Weir’s birthday in 1989, Dark Star perfectly slammed into I Need A Miracle. Who knew? A nostalgic band is offering nostalgia from the past two years at the same venue. I’ld venture to guess the crowd danced their asses off for this one. Standing On The Moon was the next call to arms and one I absolutely always love because it is one of my favourite Garcia ballads. If I had a complaint it would be that the ending jam of Miracle was cut short because it seemed like those guys could have gone off but who am I to say. I love those G-C-D turnaround chords and feel like I could listen to Jerry doing them for hours on end. Actually, I probably have. This was a song that really grew from its inception in 1989. The arrangement didn’t change so much as the powerfulness did. I’m pretty sure we are going to get one during the next instalment in the series ;-) Turn On Your Lovelight followed and brought the dance party back into full swing and I love the call thanks to the fact Jerry enjoyed employing a sax sound during this song once he started getting a solid understanding of his MIDI system. Branford is there and you are going to add another sax? Go for it Bubba because there is a good chance Marsalis is going to take off. Jerry thanks Branford for sitting in and then the band encores with one of my favourite encores (big fan of the ballad ones here) It’s All Over Now Baby Blue. Bruce brought out the accordion which thankfully garnered the fickle fucks with their complaint riding the subway to wherever they had to go. Another fantastic show. There are only 4 more shows to go and I have heard three of them before. Really looking forward to experiencing each thanks to the great sound this boxset has provided thus far.

.....catching the first train out of town.............................. Let's be honest. The odds of Velvet haphazardly waiting for a train while running into Steven Page doing a set at the station may have just increased.

"Ah, yes. I'll never forget the day he bagged his first hippie. That young man didn't think it was too 'groovy'."

10 – 27 – 1990 Oh to be young and free riding the rails seeing the Dead in Europe. I was kinda surprised they didn’t choose Buffalo or one of the other excellent shows from the previous summer since it was the last chance to showcase a band on fire with Brent Mydland still in tow but hopefully that means a couple of dvds are planned for the future. None the less, it must have been a trip inside (or outside) an already trip. Hell In A Bucket opens what must have felt like being at the zenith inside the Zenith. Jerry sounded ripped and ready for this one. A high energy Bucket indeed with the two newbies on board, Vince Welnick and Bruce Hornsby. Sugaree was up next and what a nice one-two punch to begin the two night stand in Paris. There are some nice swells inside this version with both drummers extremely engaged. A Perfect semblance of the Dead laying firing everything they had while also allowing other sections to lay right out with no one really taking command while they let the song speak for itself. New Minglewood Blues set the tribal stomp going forward. When Bob got to the “couple shots of whiskey” my first thought was that both he and Jerry better start gargling with that stuff because they sounded like a potential nasty cold was coming on. Let that be a lesson to you kids out there. Pound some whiskey when you feel something coming on. If that didn’t kill it nothing was gonna. I would also recommend staying away from the Parisian fillies but I am sure my words won’t stop you so take two and call me in the morning. If those words of wisdom weren’t enough of a warning then hopefully the always welcomed Jack Of Roe that followed helped spread some wiseness. Another great song choice in Black Throated wind greeted what sounds like an appreciatively boisterous audience. I often wondered what the percentage was of North American followers versus local onlookers was like for this tour. All I can say for sure is that I recall one night Dave Scully telling me he happened to be in Paris when these shows came to town. “The Dead are here????” – and off he was to buy tickets at the local offerings. Talk about being fucking lucky. If that isn’t plunging like stones from a slingshot on Mars then I don’t know what is. Ramble On Rose was a fantastic call here given how many different characters are offered during the song and gave an idea to my previous wonderment because when Jerry sang “just like New York City” a good contingent made it well known that was at least somewhere they had visited if not lived at one point if not currently. Masterpiece came out next and seemed like the right call here although this song was starting to get wildly complained about due to its frequency. A spirited version which led into Bird Song and here we go. Where might this one take us with these new voices offering their ideas? Vince was certainly laying low on the vocals compared to where we would find him a few short tours from now. That may have been what he signed up for, based on interviews given after he joined the band, but my mind wouldn’t know anything until we get to the open ended jamming portion of the band. Garcia certainly gave those newbies a chance to say whatever was on their mind. Hornsby sat back way more than I would have guessed but at the same time I had to strain to hear him. Anyone else here think of GD50 as you read that? Anyways, no one really ran with this one. It’s not a bad version because it stands on it’s own but when you compare it to what had been happening with Brent Mydland it’s hard not to notice the gapping hole he left with his sudden departure from this world. The Promised Land offered one more chance to get your dance on before set break but before that happened I couldn’t help but wonder how it is now that Bruce is making himself well known. Phil seemed more engaged thanks to this but then again Phil was always one of my favourite players on this song. He would provide Jerry with all the fanning opportunities his heart desired. Thankfully everyone was feeding off him during this one. A well spent break allowed the crowd to quickly realize that China Cat Sunflower was the call so they clapped it in for Jerry and he, as he always did, followed perfect suit. That guy could obviously jam with anybody. Before I knew it I was reminded of how much I love the Europe ’72 version even though this is such a grand departure. The entire segue into Rider and that song was just too much fun not to have thought of things you love. Saint Of Circumstance was Bob’s most excellent choice and made a welcomed first appearance with Vince in the band. He starts dropping a wicked deep drone during the all out jam which helps take this one next level. Absolutely a must-hear version as long as you put it on too loud. Jerry brings out Crazy Fingers and I am completely sunk into this set thanks to this song. It’s so welcomingly warm and golden. I won’t be surprised if it becomes my favourite song of the set. The perfect click. Playing In The Band makes her way into the fray and I shouldn’t feel surprised. This was a fantastic modular run. The only shame is that it didn’t keep going. Short and sweet works because according to Murphy’s Law this may have petered out and not been as great as it is. It’s so perfectly weird. Ever sat at a table or a campfire and listened/watched your friends have an insane number of conversations while talking over one everybody but to you it all makes perfect sense because somehow they are all clearly hearing one another? Imagine that leading to psychological fallout which is soothed by Drumz. The lead into Space is flawlessly fun between Bob and Mickey which eventually gets to more awesome weirdness that left me wondering why I don’t listen to this band 24 hours a day…..but maybe I am…............and before you know it Playing In The Band is making her foray. For my money this stuff is what the Good Ole Grateful Dead are all about. And then Stella Blue which was sultry. Thank you. Throwing Stones brought back some focus to all involved. This song is such a rallying cry, especially when Bob gets to the “We are on are own” cadence. Every time I hear it I get equally enraged and engaged about how I can do better in hopes of helping our world thanks to the message provided before but then it happens. Garcia takes a solo and I forget everything I just remembered for the thousandth time again. The game gets lost and no one has to take the blame but then I get to remember that we are trying to do something even though we have been put in a position in which our hands are tied behind one another yet the knots are loose. Apparently possibility is still a thing. The falling ashes are a warning to what may happen but as soon as you allow your love to Not Fade Away we might be able to fix things just yet. It’s all such a wonderful metaphor. Those two songs were meant to be together. The quick reminder that it was Saturday Night from Bob made me spit. “Dude, you guys have just started this song” – for everyone who needs to know why Bob has got a bum rap, and believe me I don’t think he deserves it, this is a perfect example. I guess it’s akin to the wide receiver who ran the wrong pattern on a pass play that was designed for him. None the less it was a fun version and I am going to let you guess what the encore was but here’s my hint. Bob Weir had given it away during the last song of the second set. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRzESWrdQC8 PS: I listened to quite a bit of 1990 thanks to my tape trading and then internet stuff so I was incredibly surprised by how great a show this is even though I shouldn’t have been.