Grateful Dead releasing 80-disc Box set of previously unreleased live shows

[Booche]

Biasedly speaking, the 1974 show is my favorite thus far. So many highlights for these ears but we had some hearty laughs while listening to Ned and Phil do Seastones last night. Weirdness all over the place. I seeked out tapes containing that track way back in the day but they never came across particularily well. Great move on Lemieux's part to ensure one made it onto this box set and it sounds great but you need to have a particular mindset if you want to get through without either skipping ahead to the next track or cutting off your ears. I plan to sneak it at some unsuspecting folks in the years to come and will partake in full mind left body versions on my main stereo sooner than later. Again, its fucking weird. My favorite analogy was Nigel Tufnel leaving Spinal Tap which forced the other 2 members to perform an experimental jazz show. We were expecting a friend to show up and I was really hoping he would enter my house with the four of us silently staring at a blank NHL Game Center screen (waiting for the next period to start) while we were hanging onto dear life listening. "WTF did I just walk into? Are these guys trippingballz? I sure hope they saved some" Cant recall an early version of PeggyO, doubt I ever had it on tape prior to 1977 and was shocked to hear it! - Solid fucking show.

 

Never been a big fan of One More Saturday Night but I loved the dirty gritty sound Jerry employed during the 1975 show which fit perfectly with a high-energy version of said song. Not much for David Lemieux to chose from considering they did 3, perhaps 4, shows the entire year and one had already been used as a release being the infamous Bill Graham introduction at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Seriously, has there ever been a better band introduction? If so, I implore someone to point me in that direction. Having said that, the Dead were certainly rusty but since these were times in which everyone was still playing their instruments all the time it led to some interesting directions while they tried to remember their parts to their 'older' material like Truckin' - cd 2 was a unique ride. Onto 1976!!!!!

[Esau.]

 Cant recall an early version of PeggyO, doubt I ever had it on tape prior to 1977

 

Not being picky here, but I believe the first time was in 73. I have a version on cassette 12/10/73 Charlottetown. A quick scan of my collection (on my pc anyhow) shows the same show was released as part of GD's Download Series (#8).

 

Sounds like I may have to mail of a HDD to someone and get a copy of this. Been enjoying reading your reviews. Cheers.

[Booche]

If anything My BrotherE, this is where corrections can be made without egos being involved. Facts are facts but I swear I have never heard a PeggyO prior to 1977.......that I can remember ;-)

 

One cover snuck its way into this box set that I wouldnt have guessed. I think it's the 1973 show but it might be the 1972 show, 50-50 guess. Tomorrow Is Forever is the song. Best Garcia-Donna ballad ever. I now know two. The one from the Grateful Dead Movie 5cd set and this one. It's such a phenomenal cover for them and a shame they didnt do it more often.

[Esau.]

If anything My BrotherE, this is where corrections can be made without egos being involved. Facts are facts but I swear I have never heard a PeggyO prior to 1977.......that I can remember ;-)

 

One cover snuck its way into this box set that I wouldnt have guessed. I think it's the 1973 show but it might be the 1972 show, 50-50 guess. Tomorrow Is Forever is the song. Best Garcia-Donna ballad ever. I now know two. The one from the Grateful Dead Movie 5cd set and this one. It's such a phenomenal cover for them and a shame they didnt do it more often.

 

Glad to see Tomorrow is Forever made it into the mix. I have a few different versions, but I'm partial to 09/26/72, though many argue the best version is from the movie soundtrack (10/19/74). I personally like the former much more for a few reasons, pure live vs produced live and I think Donna's vocals are stronger on the 72 version. I find that folks who know or have listened to the original version tend to appreciate Donna's vocals a bit better in regards to that one.

One things for sure, Dolly/Porter sure could pen a strong song.

 

I've read that the Grateful Dead played the tune as early as 69, though I can't claim to have heard or know which show. I'm not sure if I'd like it any better without Donna though, seems to require a female vocal to be truly effective in my opinion. If Deadbase online worked for me I'd check, but alas it doesn't.

[Booche]

Deadbase VIII is telling me that Tomorrow Is Forever was performed a total of 10 times.

 

9 in 1972 and the one in 1974. In 1972 the song showed up 3 times in September, 3 in October, 3 in November and once in December.

[Esau.]

Deadbase VIII is telling me that Tomorrow Is Forever was performed a total of 10 times.

 

9 in 1972 and the one in 1974. In 1972 the song showed up 3 times in September, 3 in October, 3 in November and once in December.

 

 

Cool. I suspected that for the most part, nothing before 72 tour. I read a user review who made the claim about seeing them preform it in 69, so it was a grain of salt thing anyhow. Thanks for the info.

[Booche]

1976 is not a year I am overly familiar with. When making trades I used to simply go after ones that were highly regarding for playing/sound. I had the Beacon show from the summer and..........I cant really remember which other ones but I may have had three at most, so this was not a year I could actively engage in conversation about. It was a year in which the band returned to regular touring while also trying to figure out where their sound was heading thanks to the return of Mickey Hart. By 1977 they had that shit down and pulled off one of their greatest years they ever shared with their music so I would go after those tapes more often.

 

This is a show that makes me wonder what I may have missed out on. There is some seeking complemented with patience going on because this is a dramatic change from where the band was at in 1974. Phil Lesh in particular is much more restrained, for Phil of course. CD 2 is particularily wonderful with Samson having recently been introduced to live shows followed by the always welcomed and highly underated It Must Have Been The Roses and then an exploratory Playin' but the meat of this show has to be the Dancing In The Streets > Not Fade Away > Dancing In The Streets. NFA gives a great example of how the Dead were trying to figure out what they were going to do with what they had and oh boy, is it ever great. It may seem slow to those of you who loved their early 70's NFA's but it's definitely something you can delve into. I got a huge smile on my face as Weir tried to introduce China Cat Sunflower. His line was perfectly executed and fit like a glove inside the jam and had Keith playing along but one of the pitchers shook off that call and they eased back to Dancin'.

 

Oh man..........and HERE WE GO...............onto Lemeiux's 1977 choice. I have tried to not pay attention to the dates of these shows so much, although a few of the later-day shows totally jumped out at me (especially the one I was at, as were a number of current and noncurrent members of this board).........anyways, I am not sure of the date so I dont know if I have ever heard it. Here's hoping its a brand new one!

[c-towns]

I am enjoying this thread, and slowly following along with the shows with '75 in cue

 

Thought I would add this here seeing as I have never seen it until today.

 

http://headyversion.com/

[Booche]

 

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD ON THIS ONE

 

The first set is a fun ride with the early highlight being a wonderful one-two punch of Looks Like Rain (honestly, I could hear that song in every first set on this box set…..such an underrated song amongst the Heads I know – I always loved how it evolved throughout their career from the first moments it was introduced with Jerry on a pedal steel) and Peggy-O.

 

Lazy Lightning > Supplication follows which is something I have never cared for. I tried telling myself for years I loved these two numbers but in the end I just didn’t. Not bad, not great. Look no further at how rare they appeared in all the post-Dead bands who loved to bring back older material. I collected a number of tapes from 1977 – 1984, which was the last year anyone witnessed the Dead throw them out there, in which they appeared and particularly in the 80’s simply because they appear. “Maybe they will finally bust one out!”

 

You know how some Phish fans chased all kinds of songs and how the band started tossing them out left and right during the early tours of 3.0? . It was one of those things when we started delving deep into the Dead tapes we wanted which turned into "Let's get to see this song that others dont" - how fucking weird is that? Why should that define a person? All it should be able to do is tell a story and if you arent going to be able to tell a story aside from "First one they played since......" then what is the point? Maybe I would have loved it had I saw it. At least there is something to look forward to.

 

Ship Of Fools floated across a crystal ball and softened a future in how some ballads were going to be done thanks to having 2 drummers fully back in the mix. There are things I like about it but at the same time I missed the empty space that Ship Of Fools had contained being slowed down. And then Estimated, one of the first versions. I often wonder what fans thought back in those days being inundated with a song that was going to become a perfect staple in the years to come. At the very least Mutron Jerry must have seriously blown some fucking minds. I don’t even think this version was 10 songs old and it was already a monster. Just imagine. Terrapin Station (opened the show) and Estimated Prophet (4^th song of the show) were introduced on February 26, 1977

 

 this one’s for BradM because its an audience capture mixed with a Betty Board

 

It's now April 25, 1977 - early into a major tour after having done 5 shows on the West Coast to warm up. The set ends with another ‘somewhat’ new song that would eventually become a showstopper, The Music Never Stopped. If someone were to ask me to make them one cd in hopes of explaining the Grateful Dead, as seemingly impossible a task as that seems, I figure this song is on there 9 times out of 10. 

 

They won me right off the bat at the start of set 2. Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain to open things off and I don’t know anyone who could possibly complain about 1977 versions. Jerry had developed such a wonderful solo upon the creation of this song that I often wonder if he wrote a better one for him to work around. Sure, he could fly off inside a Morning Dew or (name almost anything) but at the moment I can’t think of one that he nailed right off the bat more than this song. To me it represented him. This transition was another newly added cannon to the repertoire. In fact, it was so new that this was only the fourth time they had ever done it because this was the 4th Fire On The Mountain.

 

They were made for one another.

 

Following up with a smoking Samson, which was the same 3 song second set intro as my first show in Hamilton on 03-22-1990, the aforementioned Terrapin Station intro chords came fluttering down after the boys finally caught their breath. This song was so well perfected prior to being introduced to their sets but considering it was an epic I suppose it had to be. Playing In The Band followed and showed how different the Dead’s sound had become. This seems like one of those songs that was both benefitted and hurt by the readdition of the second drummer. The open-ended jam gets confused at times which might also explain why Dark Star was eventually dropped from regular rotation. It’s hard to say and something I would love to ask Phil Lesh about some day. Drumz came out from Playin’ and here we are witnessing the early foundations of a formula the Dead would stick with until the end. An always welcomed Wharf Rat, loved Donna's voice on this, came out of Drums and brought a sweet extended Playin’ Reprise intro along with hinting how strong it was going to become. A rocking US Blues closed out the show. Many ’77 shows had already been scavenged in previous releases, with more to come I am sure but this was a solid year

 

If you still have a baseball mindset thanks to the Blue Jays runs then look at things this way. We are fully in the middle of the lineup of this box set. I am expecting big things to come with the 1978 show, a year that was highly overlooked............

[edger]

Nice read Booche!  In their expansive catalogue there are little to no songs that I do not like.  Lazy Lightning>Supplication are definite exceptions.   

[Booche]

Thanks for inspiring me to keep going Esau, Ctowns and Edgar. I really fucking appreciate it because I am having fun. I just kept delving deeper into my thoughts as I have been listening and then realized three other people have been interested in my opinions so I am going to keep going until things run their course. As a long time seeker of Grateful Dead music in all forms this box set is absolutely wonderful and I am really looking forward to what is coming up.

 

I am just writing and not editting. What you are reading is me putting down thoughts as they hit me. I am sure there are some pretty horrific errors here and there but I am doing my best to not re-read anything until its all done. I now wish I did it as I started because this looks like something I will be able to go back over later if I want to make playlists or mix cds (for the old folks like me). I should also add that there has been only a couple of shows I have been able to listen to straight through. I usually just save a file where I stop the show so if some of the above opinions seem to dart about the reason is that there was an extended break between songs/listens as well as the possibility of an altered mindset. Plus, if you know me, I am fucking weird and my mind extensively wanders. Essays are not my forte.

 

God bless and take care. I look forward to another long day and night in your company.

[Booche]

Right off the bat, I absolutely loved the sound of this 1978 show. Wonderful separation, clear instrumentation and a touch of the crowd showing their pre-first note appreciation. You are probably in for a good one if they are opening with Mississippi Half Step. Back when I was collecting tapes there was a common understanding that if the Dead opened with Jack Straw you were in for a great show but what my experience taught me, while that wasn’t an untrue statement, Half-Step was another one of those openers. Saddle up because here we go!

 

Jerry and Bob traded fantastic first set choices. Cassidy was the second song, TLEO made a sneaky appearance. Looks Like Rain had the crowd offering some cheers back and It Must Have Been The Roses came out, I would have been losing at those back to back choices, before Bob delivered an always welcomed cowboy combo. For a guy who didn’t concentrate on country songs, Garcia should be considered up there with some of the best pickers out there like ………Brown Eyed Women was an unsurprising follow up and then a stunning version of Let It Grow that soared beyond my expectations. It just fucking smokes and seemingly never gives up. Garcia was fanning at points, offering some great chordal options, spotting perfect nots while Phil and the drummers plowed it home. Bob and Keith found wonderful spaces inside of them and no one wanted to be the first to give (although Bob was the first to try and luckily no one gave in). One of the best versions I have ever heard. By the time they get to the finish line they nail it and Jerry sets them all off. This is a cant miss version that all you Heads and Headettes are gonna want to have the sex to. One of the premier moments on the box set thus far.

 

Another ripping Samson to open set 2 with that perfectly dirty/gritty tone we have all come to love from Jerry on this song while the drummers and Phil are slamming this one home. I’ve been listening to these shows on my pc speakers, which aren’t bad speakers whatsoever but once I get this stuff on my big ole home stereo I suspect songs like this will take on a new meaning. A gorgeous Ship Of Fools slowed everything down and allowed Garcia to growl some of his lines. He was clearly having a great time. This is the one I would play for Elvis Costello if he ever came over to hang out.

 

And just like that we find ourselves within the perfect combination of Estimated > Eyes Of The World. By May of 1978 Estimated has a foothold and I have always giggled in my brain because there was probably a pile of entitled Deadheads complaining that they do it all the time but I gotta say, if you heard this version and walked out bitching then I have to wonder. Were you really there at all? Jerry’s lines sound like he is dancing on that stage and it all just somehow rolls into a fun paced Eyes Of The World with hardly stepping on anyone’s toes…..which……is all a must hear. There is some major traversing of mazes which will definitely put any Head’s face to a smile. To this point, this is my favourite show of the box set. Hey. Wait. Am I saying that every time I write? It’s been in my head each time I start typing but this is good. Real fucking good.

 

The  Drumz after Eyes is rather engaging and tribally slithers into a long introduction to Not Fade Away. I could have listened to this for an entire set but once Bobby started learning how to play the slide onstage during it you knew things were drawing to a close which brought on GDTRFB. How different this combo had become since it was first introduced in 1970? They didn’t change the key but it sure didn’t sound nearly like it used to and I am sure some older Heads complained, naturally of course which I am also not going to begrudge an opinion such as that, but I am not one of them.

 

Bob sounded like he was ready to finally put the slide away and our favourite freaks brought Around and Around down, which reminded me of Buffalo in 1990. One should never create expectations or ideas in your head because until you experience something you just don’t know and Around*2 was that song for me. I was absolutely flattened by how much I enjoyed it in concert when it used to feel like something I would lose interest in if I heard it on tape. Since then I always draw back to those emotions that fateful night, which I am so happy for because this is a great version.

 

US Blues closed the show with some more growling Garcia which reminded me of another theory I developed back in my tape trading days. If the Dead played US Blues, or Johnny B Goode, to close a show it was their way of showing you they felt like they had a great night. Another one of those “Ask Phil” questions in my head but I know I won’t ever get an answer that suits my theory so I would probably let it slide aside from the inevitable “uuuugh, uuuuugh” I would experience if I had the chance to talk for a moment.

 

At this point I figure if you are looking for one show to download this would be a great start but let’s remember that the 1979 show is up next. That was one of the shows/dates that completely jumped out at me when they announced the box set. I had the second set on Maxell XL II’s and they were in heavy rotation. Jesusfuck, the pre-Drumz…..just you wait………

 

[Booche]

Regarding Northern Wishes question about 1971

 

"Jerry forgets a bunch of lyrics in the first set. What kind of drugs were they doing that year?"

 

From what I have read? Which is extensive but I know nobody so please keep that in mind as I answer.

 

Everything that was available at the time.

 

I suspect they had heavily slowed down from psychedelics. Around that time, Bob Weir was apparently on some microbiotic diet and not taking drugs at all because they were evil in his mind. He was proud of it. If you put that simple math together they were doing whatever they could to stay awake. They were on the road all the time back the and it was their heaviest touring period. They were young, dumb and full of cum. I am sure they met the whitenose early and it was REALLY good stuff.  

 

[Booche]

And there you have it folks, a Jack Straw opener. Should be a hot show ;-)

 

As I had stated earlier I had this wonderful second set which I can’t wait to hear in all this glory because of how incredible it is, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise the Straw started the night off. Brent is now in the band and clearly added a new dimension along with his inspiration. Over the years he became a focal point who could throw Garcia into wonderful moments of clarity, which also coincided with the sound Jerry would continue to seek. He was one who loved to turn the bass down and the treble up on his guitar, doing his best to make it as much as an acoustic instrument as possible. His love of that high lonesome sound never let up and with the years ahead we would hear more and more of that develop, especially during the mid-80’s. But man, what a departure already within this Jack Straw and we are getting some nice Phil bombs.

 

Candyman was another hark back to the early days but this time Jerry is starting to sound like that grizzled old bear who would continue on. Brent was already providing the perfect accompaniment he so desperately needed on that side of the stage. I shudder at how much things may have drastically changed had the Dead made a different call on the keyboards.

 

Cowboy combos reared their perfectly timed heads with Me And My Uncle segueing into Big River and we hear how Brent was going to help provide a new voice. If you listen closely you get a glimpse into the future. Things have seemingly slowed down just a touch, probably to help the new guy get assimilated and Uno but the band has already started to catch a smoove groove they are going to end up feeling comfortable with.

 

Brown Eyed Women reared her ugly head in this set but this time I felt more of a connection to her than I normally do. It’s not a song I connect to but it’s versions like this that I get why people do. We also get to hear Brent providing the high harmonies he will become known for.

 

And then there we go. We get a fucking Brent Mydland song and one of my favorites of the few he offered over the years. Easy To Love You, you’reg-damn right it is buddy. The band already sounded like they had been playing it for years. Jerry and Phil clearly loved Brent songs and it’s a shame there weren’t more of them offered and that he left us in 1990 shortly after following their summer tour. The band was on such a high at that time but we’ll get to that story another day. I’m almost in tears listening to this one.

 

Luckily the tribal stomp of Minglewood Blues took away my Brent blues. I’m a big fan of this number and this is when the song started to take on a whole new meaning. Great solos in this one. The underrated and too rarely performed Stagger Lee followed. I am loving this first set. It’s beyond anything I expect from the Dead, let alone adding a new member once Keith and Donna have left. Brent immediately puts his stamp on ‘BAND MEMBER’

 

I was absolutely blown away when Lost Sailor came out. This had to be an early one so I sat back and sure enough it perfectly walked into Saint Of Circumstance which ended up being the epic shit that combo is. Wow. Thank you Grateful Dead. The fluttering lines from Jerry during Deal afterwards almost felt like an afterthought even though it smoked but what is coming to start out the second set has made this set feel impatient (my problem, not yours) because I was dying to hear what was in such heavy rotation back on my tape deck in the 90’s…………………..

 

DANCING IN THE STREETS > FRANKLIN’S TOWER! ! GDAMN! ! !

 

This is prime Disco Dead with some exquisite sounds coming out from inside Brent and Jerry. One can almost immediately feel the strong connection these two were going to display in the coming decade plus and if you pay close enough attention you can notice an unmistakable odour that ownership has been trying to excavate since October 27th, 1979. I’m willing to bet that if you were to walk into the Cape Code Coliseum tomorrow it still smells like Bill Walton hadn’t showered during the entire post-season following his playoff MVP performance in 1977 because the segue into Franklin’s is that slinky. By the time it all wears down I have no idea who might be more tired, the band or the crowd. Jerry does add some light fanning at the end of this combo to help finally bring things to a close so that everyone can catch their breath. In order to track this stuff onto three cds they had top stop there which signals to me we are in for a nonstop finish until the encore. I don’t remember it being like that on tape but the 90’s were a long time ago.

 

He’s Gone was an absolutely perfect call after that and the crowd voiced their approval. Brent’s vocals slipped in perfectly on the harmonies and that there should have been his selling point to everyone wondering back then if he was the right man for the job, especially following the 30 minutes of madness to start the set off. A great version that hints at a Caution Jam but eventually leads to Phil dropping a major bomb for The Other One. He is all over this and sending Jerry all over the place while Bobby is doing what Bobby does best, finding those spaces in between the two of them. Both drummers were working their collective bags off and if I had one complaint it’s that this was not a longer version. Things keep pointing their way to Drumz but Phil remained steadfast and dropped another massive run of clusters that explodes into an atom bomb. We eventually get treated to that second verse which felt like it might not get there, during which it sounds like they had to go to an audience reel because they must have not noticed the sbd tapes had stopped. Phil stuck with the drummers for a tiny bit while suggesting a couple of slap notes, his one major weak link, before he left them on their own. He was clearly feeling it for this show.

 

Again, another engaging Drumz which I hope is going to remain a theme going forward because that segment on tape can lose the best of us. Not Fade Away comes out once Jerry, Phil, Bobby and Brent get back on the stage and I cant help but wonder why this didn’t happen way later into their career coming out of space, not that I am complaining. I positively love these groovy NFA’s but once they got locked into something they were comfortable with they stuck with it. I suppose Brent providing strong B3 chords changed that dynamic.

 

The Jerry ballad slot was starting to take hold and Black Peter provided that nights entertainment. I really don’t think there is a ballad I didn’t care for but it’s almost impossible to rate my favourite because it always seemed to be that whatever he decided to throw at us was my favourite that night. I never felt like he was wrong in that slot and this version is further proof. Jerry’s voice was half kid, half grizzled. Really fantastically weird for that song for these ears since I was such a fan of the older and fatter version of that man telling us this story. It meant more to him as time went on but it obviously was already speaking heavily to him. It’s always been a spiritually philosophical song to me and further proves that everyone needs to continue to learn in order to grow. Every aspect of life lessons can teach us, including dying. It’s a fucking brilliant song and one of Robert Hunter's best piece of lyrics while also being heavily underated. Around Squared ended the set and they encored with One More Saturday Night which pretty much tells me they performed Samson & Delilah the following evening.  

 

One final point, Jerry seemed to have a lot more sounds and command of said sounds during this show so I am guessing that Tiger has made her way into his hands for this show.

 

 

[Northern Wish]

Thank you for this thread. I'm listening as you post.

[bouche]

why can't all threads be as great as this?   impressive detail on the listening experience! fuuuuck.

[Booche]

I just realized I haven’t been including the dates/venues of these shows. Stupid fucking digital computer shit.

 

11-28-1980

 

 

Are you kidding me? Jack Straw opens this show? Hello my friend, here we go again.

 

The vocals are really out in front and Brent is starting to sound like he knows the score but Phil is either currently lost a bit in the mix as the song starts or he isn’t playing. Heck, even Jerry’s guitar is going out of tune. Something is definitely off but they are plowing ahead as if nothing is wrong and the drummers are driving this bus which finally lends to some nice squealing when our boy from Wichita cut his buddy down. PeggyO was a surprising second song and we are starting to get there. I just love Jerry’s take on this song and I am recently learning I loved an earlier era more than the later ones, I simply wasn’t familiar with those versions but these are what speak from deep within.

 

Of all my favourite blues covers the Grateful Dead ever played on a regular basis, Little Red Rooster was one of my favourites. That may have only been due to Garcia on the slide guitar and this version showcases how well he can make a guitar screech with sheer pain. Mydland’s solo proved this was going to be a staple for years to come.  

 

I’m no big fan of Tennessee Jed but this is a pulsating version which was followed up by one of the best Passengers that I have heard this band do. They killed it and I have no idea why it disappeared from setlists until the PLQ lovingly brought it back with Warren Haynes and Jimmy Herring going all nuts up inside of it. Hopefully there is another one coming in the next show because I don’t think the Dead ever did one past 1981. The song of the set thus far even though Deep Elem Blues followed up. It had to be fun to be in that building. I’m starting to understand why people followed them ;-)

 

Looks Like Rain is absolutely powerful here and shows that some songs are going to improve as they age. As stated earlier, I will always take a Looks Like Rain in any show. A spirited Deal ended the set which probably left a number of folks confused, moreso than they probably already were with regards to space/time, because this clocks in under one hour. I only feel this way because I had to take a look myself “That felt quick” but the band definitely put in a pile in that hour. Phil deserved his glasses of red wine during the break.

 

Stranger was introduced in 1980 and was always a great call to open any set. This one has a nice bounce to it and then our heart strings are completely pulled out with To Lay Me Down which was a wonderful addition during the fall of 1980 with the acoustic sets. Having been shelved since October of 1974, Garcia’s first foray into this version’s solo is surprisingly rough considering how often it had been played upon its reintroduction but things were well under control again once his fluttering notes at the beginning of Let It Grow rained down on our heads. I have never met someone who didn’t like the jam in this song and I am sure this one wouldn’t create a nonfan. It’s a great representation of everyone being inside of one another but much sloppier than the days of the tight 1974 ensemble. I wonder if anyone made connection between these back to back songs that night. It’s easier for me to see right now since I just wrote “1974” twice within this paragraph yet I had no intention of making any causal connection. For the record, just to be sure.  

 

Terrapin Station was the pre-Drumz call and who can deny that always was a wonderfully placed call? Sure, you can complain if you want but if you are it’s time to move on. Some nice little delay sounds from Jerry emanated from his guitar as they came back to join the stage while Space was beginning to take on the form of formlessness that would forever become something I enjoyed in my life. Not Fade Away came out of that formula once again, clearly a favourite of the band and one I am starting to think I would have really enjoyed witnessing live. I just loved how this one starts out. The only shame is that it wasn’t longer because they cut to the chase way quicker than I would have preferred having enjoyed the previous 2 shows introductions but they still can pack quite the punch here. I definitely learned that I fucking love the styled arrangements of this era of NFA.

 

Black Peter was again the ballad slot song and believe me, aint no time to hate or complain about repeating this combo in the ’79-’80 shows. All you need to do is compare both versions of Drumz>NFA>Black Peter to see/hear how no two Dead shows were alike. If you can’t hear the difference then once again, it’s time to move on. This band is clearly not for you. Once I get through these shows I think I am going to do these 2 runs of songs from these 2 shows just for shits and giggles. I’m guessing I will prefer the 1979 but this set sounds sonically impeccable and I think this Black Peter supersedes the other version. Keep in mind I have had a shit-ton going on while I go through these and that the best part is that my 6 year old son hasn’t complained once about listening to the Dead every time music is on (yes, I am sure you are all completely shocked!). I haven’t given him a single song choice in a while so perhaps that is all I would have ever needed to write in any of these reviews. "80 cds approved by Nate"

 

Sugar Magnolia and US Blues closed out a really enjoyable show. I am willing to bet many Heads and Headettes in attendance really loved that first set which is primarily why I think they decided to release a show that didn’t feature any of the acoustic shows. I hope I meet David Lemieux some day because I have a real question now. Perhaps he didn’t feel any of those shows deserved to be featured here due to their quality of sound/performance, perhaps they felt it was already done on dvd, perhaps they feel they would rather release one in the future (that’s my hope and my bet) but there are no complaints with this show. Seems to me one of those 15^th Anniversary shows would have made sense for 1980 but this is solid as fuck and sits well within this 30 show release. 

 

Watch this just for Garcia interjecting as the interviewer states she covered a couple of their live shows in New York and where she covered them from - hahhahahahaa, fucking amazing

 

 

[c-towns]

Ha, chicken!

[Booche]

For once I wasnt the spoiler.

[c-towns]

There are only 4 of us in here.

[hamilton]

 

 

I am willing to bet many Heads and Headettes in attendance really loved that first set which is primarily why I think they decided to release a show that didn’t feature any of the acoustic shows. I hope I meet David Lemieux some day because I have a real question now. Perhaps he didn’t feel any of those shows deserved to be featured here due to their quality of sound/performance, perhaps they felt it was already done on dvd, perhaps they feel they would rather release one in the future (that’s my hope and my bet) but there are no complaints with this show.

 

It's been a long time since I heard any of the Warfield/RCMH shows, but I know the band itself was never too happy with the performance on a lot of those shows. I think they felt that they played too 'safe' because they knew they were recording for an album, if I remember correctly.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

I heard Weir wore a condom throughout those shows

[Booche]

FuckU Hamilton. I'm still going to axe Lemieux if I ever get the chance

[hamilton]

Oh, I have *all kinds of things* I would ask Lemieux if I ever got the chance!

[Booche]