Grateful Dead live, Dick's Picks etc

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With the odd notable exception like 'American Beauty', 'Anthem of the Sun' and a few other studio albums, the Grateful Dead have always been about live performance. It's when you see/hear them live that it all makes sense. And their live albums contain some extraordinary music (as well as some dodgier moments).

But there's just so much of it out there. By my reckoning they released eight regular live albums during the life of the band, but since then the floodgates have opened. There are now 29 Dick's Picks releases, most of them triple CDs, and about a dozen other albums like One/Two From The Vaults, Ladies & Gentlemen, Hundred Year Hall, The Phil Zone etc.

So, what have you heard and what do you like? Are there particular periods (the 80s?) that are no-go areas? Is it only worth bothering with stuff from 68-71?

― James Ball (James Ball), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 16:00 (9 years ago) Permalink

You've obviously got to start with 'Live Dead'. I listened to it again over the weekend, and it still sounds extraordinary. There may be better versions of 'Dark Star' out there, but as the first one I heard it'll always be the definitive one for me.

― James Ball (James Ball), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 16:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

yes can we have some ans here. I need to know what to look out for!

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 16:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

I've been piling through a lot of my Dead live Cds/box sets over the last couple of weeks, but I still feel like I'm only scratching the surface. I've got several thoughts about it, but for the moment I'll just say:
1) I've not heard a version of 'Dark Star' that isn't awesome.
2) The quality of the version of a song bears no relation to how good the jamming is going to be after it (i.e. ignore the ropey vocals, there's some good stuff coming along in a minute).
3) Brent Mydland. Oh dear.
4) Donna Godchaux. Oh dear, oh dear.
5) They were something fucking special around 68-71. I feel like trying to pick up every single thing that's been released from this period.

― James Ball (James Ball), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 16:14 (9 years ago) Permalink

Julio, from the other GD threads you say you really like 'Live Dead'. From that era I'd definitely recommend Dick's Picks 4 (recorded at the Fillmore East in Feb 1970) and Two From The Vaults (from 1968).

― James Ball (James Ball), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 16:23 (9 years ago) Permalink

search: the dead from 1973-74. totally at the top of their game during this period.

― chaki (chaki), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 17:20 (9 years ago) Permalink

Reckoning -- The traditional "Live" album for LP release. Quiet, crisp performances. No flubs, all first rate versions, and a pleasure to listen to throughout. 9.6

Dick's Picks #4 -- Fillmore East, February 13-14, 1970 -- Better than Live Dead, but do have a chance of finding it? 9.4

Nightfall of Diamonds -- Winterland, 10/10/89 -- Great sound; a bit noodley in places, but right nice. 8.6

Dick's Picks #8 -- Harpur College, 5/02/70 -- Three-Quarters of this is impeccable; good form, nice song selection - one disc acoustic, one disc electric, and one disc rave-ups (i don't much care for their R&B covers like "Dancing in the Streets" and "It's A Man's Man's Man's World"). 8.5

Ladies & Gentleman... The Grateful Dead -- Filmore East, April 1971 -- A good listen, but it delves a bit too much into the Helter Skelter for strict listening. Works better as background -- but is noteworthy for the block of Pigpen's blues numbers. 7.8

― christoff (christoff), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 17:46 (9 years ago) Permalink

Harpur College

my alma mater! (aka "the liberal arts college of SUNY Binghamton")

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 18:04 (9 years ago) Permalink

I've heard a good bit of Dead over the years, and own a fair amount of albums. I second Dick's Pick's Four... the best album I've heard from them. Live/Dead is of course essential, and I think Europe '72 is as well. It was the first Dead record I bought. It's from a bunch of shows from their Europe '72 tour which is among their very best tours (many would say there best. It's there last tour with Pigpen and their first with Keith). It contains little jamming (disk two has some) and was mainly released because the songs on there had yet to be put to vinyl. It was also a bit touched up in the studio, I believe. I know they recently released another cd from that tour, as well as an expanded Europe '72, though I don't think I've heard either, I believe they're quite good as well.

One From the Vault is strong, too. It's from '75, and was from one of two shows celebrating the release of Blues for Allah. It contains every song from that album (in a better version)--including the title track which is, unfortunately, a total dud, IMO (though I'm hardly alone). The Dead didn't tour in '75 or '76, but this is a strong performance though not essential.

I agree on 68-71 being strong. But so is the Europe '72 tour - 74.Dick's Pick's 12 features the quite famous "Mind Left Body" jam as well as the glorious return of "China Cat Sunflower" to their catalogue.

Pretty much all of '77 is great. 5-8-77 Cornell is their most frequently bootlegged show, and thus essential, though not their best performance. It shouldn't be hard to find. '78 is good too, and then they hit a lull.

I believe it's '83 that I've heard good things about, but I've never taken the time to investigate. '78 was the last time they released a studio album until '87, so I kind of avoid it. In '87 bounced back from a heroin-induced coma, and the band was strong again so I'd seek out some stuff from this era too.

Hope this helped a little. I also have to highly recommend the Jerry Garcia Band (which is mostly just a cover band) release Don't Let Go from '75 with Keith on acoustic piano. It's a very tight, mellow session. With only one guitar in there, you can really hear how good of a guitarist Jerry was when he was on.

― Aaron M., Tuesday, 1 July 2003 18:45 (9 years ago) Permalink

The other thing about '77 is that it's when they became really, really funky. That's why it's so popular. And as usual, when they were on--which was often that year--they were really on. Many would say it's their best year, and I agree it's definitely one of them.

― Aaron M., Tuesday, 1 July 2003 18:48 (9 years ago) Permalink

''Julio, from the other GD threads you say you really like 'Live Dead'. From that era I'd definitely recommend Dick's Picks 4 (recorded at the Fillmore East in Feb 1970) and Two From The Vaults (from 1968).''

will do

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 18:52 (9 years ago) Permalink

apologies for the faulty spacing there...

― Aaron M., Tuesday, 1 July 2003 19:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

Dick's Picks #4 -- Fillmore East, February 13-14, 1970 -- Better than Live Dead, but do have a chance of finding it?

You can still get any of the Dick's Picks from the Dead's own site (gdstore.com). DP4 is $21 plus postage.

― James Ball (James Ball), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 15:13 (9 years ago) Permalink

No shit? I've been looking for a "gift" copy for years -- Thanks, JB.

― christoff (christoff), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 17:16 (9 years ago) Permalink

The new Dick's Picks 39 is a six-disc set of two 1977 shows.

― Sam J. (samjeff), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 17:45 (9 years ago) Permalink

Whoops, that's 29.

― Sam J. (samjeff), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 17:46 (9 years ago) Permalink

The thing with a lot of live Dead stuff is that even the better gigs have a lot of average stuff on them, but they're worth hearing for the moments where the inspiration hits and they really take off.

So I don't know why they don't release more albums that take stuff from a variety of performances (and eras), cherry-picking the really juicy tracks. 'The Phil Zone' is a good example of this - it's got a great range of stuff, even some not-bad performances from the late 80s. And it's got an absolutely monster version of 'Hard to Handle', which not only rocks like a bastard, it's from an audience tape so you can hear everybody going mental as they crank it up.

(I also wish you could hear more audience on a lot of the Dick's Picks. They capture the music well, but not always the whole occasion. OK, I know they're mostly taken from the mixing desk so maybe that's not possible.)

Aaron or chaki - could you recommend any good Dick's Picks from 73-4 or 77?

― James Ball (James Ball), Friday, 4 July 2003 15:39 (9 years ago) Permalink

I've been meaning to contribute to this thread, but I wanted to wait for a free moment to audition a bunch of my stuff again. One good thing this thread has done is get me to finally listen to the package of Dick's Picks I got a couple months ago but hadn't listened to yet (well, I threw them when I got them but wasn't able to listen as closely as I'd like): 22 and 26. So far, 26 sounds great! A bunch of rare live Aoxomoxoa songs!!

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 4 July 2003 15:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

#4 and #8 are my favorites (though i kinda stopped paying attention after 16 or so - not for lack of interest but lack of cash)

search GRAYFOLDED - Oswald's "plundering" of over 100 versions of Dark Star from 69-95. Essential drone

Anthem of the Sun and Live/Dead are pretty much perfect legit albums btw

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Saturday, 5 July 2003 06:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

I was thinking of getting 26, Mr D. The track listing looks very promising, but I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

And I've just looked at the tracks for 22, that also looks tempting. I listened to Two From The Vaults over the weekend, from the same year (and with a similar set). There's something about the sound of the band/Garcia's guitar from that time (68/69). I can only describe it as having a lot more bite.

Completely agree with you roger about Live/Dead - that's the benchmark for me, both the version of Dark Star and the album as a whole.

I was surprised the first time I heard Grayfolded how 'ordinary' a lot of it sounded i.e. not ordinary as such but just like a great extended version of Dark Star, the first CD at least. The vocal 'swooshes' and 'folds' sound good though.

― James Ball (James Ball), Monday, 7 July 2003 13:54 (9 years ago) Permalink

bump

― James Ball (James Ball), Thursday, 10 July 2003 19:43 (9 years ago) Permalink

― James Ball (James Ball), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 11:51 (9 years ago) Permalink

10 months pass...

Revive, please.

Just listening to vol 12's lovely version of China Cat Sunflower, as mentioned above by Aaron M.

Any new opinions?

― frankE (frankE), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 13:45 (9 years ago) Permalink

I really like #16. I feel like the only Dead I ever buy is stuff from 68-70. I just saw #4 at a store and it looks great, after reading this I've decided I need it. Hundred Year Hall is a great set and I enjoy a lot more than the Europe 72 album, which I think sounds kind of neutered. There is a lot of inspired jamming and an absolutely beautiful Pigpen vocal on "Two Souls in Communion." I haven't listened to it in years, though, since my copy was stolen. I have a hard time buying Grateful Dead discs sometimes, although I have no problem listening to them.

― Sean Witzman (trip maker), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 13:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

Closing of Winterland looks promising.

― christoff (christoff), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:25 (9 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

the dvd? it's fucking awesome! Possibly my favorite music DVD ever!

i'm too tired to elaborate, but if you consider that Neil Young has Candian citizenship, and if you exclude the American contingent of Fleetwood Mac at their absolute peak, The Dead are the greatest American rock and roll band of all time.

Trux and the Drive By Truckers are tied for me personally, but we're looking through history's lens here, people. The Dead. the fucking DEAD!!!!

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Saturday, 24 July 2004 06:16 (8 years ago) Permalink

I spent last weekend listening to Ladies and Gentlemen... the Grateful Dead, that 4cd set that Arista put out a couple years back. Fucking PRIME '71 era shit. Absolutely G=god-like. Rog, you gotta get that one if ya don't have it...

― Monetizing Eyeballs (diamond), Saturday, 24 July 2004 06:23 (8 years ago) Permalink

Also, I really want to see this..

http://usa.festivalexpress.com/

I do have to admit, I didn't get that excited about Closing of Winterland though. THen again, I watched it at like 3 in the morning a couple months ago when I was pretty wiped out. I'll give it another go.

― Monetizing Eyeballs (diamond), Saturday, 24 July 2004 06:28 (8 years ago) Permalink

I'm a ridiculous Godchaux apologist, FWIW.

haven't tracked down that Arista set - 71, eh? I'm more a 72-77 kinda guy, but will check it out - thanks!

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Saturday, 24 July 2004 06:35 (8 years ago) Permalink

Wow, a 72-77 guy! I'm impressed. I'm still trying to get with the Godchaux era. I think it will come to me in due time. Do you have that One From the Vault? That one's pretty good, as I recall.

Yeah, the Ladies and Gentlemen thing is '71 but it's pretty song-oriented. Sort of midway between the psychedelic blow-outs and the Europe '72 stuff. It's a nice, pleasant listen. GREAT version of "Bird Song".

― Monetizing Eyeballs (diamond), Saturday, 24 July 2004 06:42 (8 years ago) Permalink

im a 73 guy and yah the new dvd is great!!

― Sir Chaki McBeer III (chaki), Sunday, 25 July 2004 06:23 (8 years ago) Permalink

ok, fuck it, Chaki I trust you.. I will watch it again!! It just kind of seemed goofy to me. With the whole dude riding in on a joint at the beginning of the concert. Like, you almost want to shake Bill Graham and the Dead and say, "the 60's are OVER!! Didn't you guys watch 'gimme shelter'??" Plus, the Godchaux. And "Fire on the Mountain" goes on entirely too long. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Dead, don't get me wrong, but that 'FOTM' just goes on too long, sorry. But I will check it out again, as I said...

― Monetizing Eyeballs (diamond), Sunday, 25 July 2004 07:20 (8 years ago) Permalink

Hmm.. I just started watching it again, midway through the set. You know what? This version of "Friend of the Devil" is really kind of beautiful! Even Donna is kind of endearing right here! Mea culpa.

― Monetizing Eyeballs (diamond), Sunday, 25 July 2004 07:45 (8 years ago) Permalink

"Even Donna" - wtf?

Donna was probably just as proficient a musician as Phil Lesh (making her twice as proficient as Bob Weir) and an all around great, great vocalist. Her live performances were hit and miss due to lack of proper monitor support, everyone knows that.

She never gets a fair shake. It's not like she was Linda McCartney fer chrissakes.

The Godchauxes broght so much life (not to mention a a very vital jazz-informed musical eloquence) to The Dead. I love Pigpen and Mydland as much as the nxt guy, but the 70s are where it's AT because of Keith and Donna!

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Sunday, 25 July 2004 17:54 (8 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

Disk one of Vol. 23 rules. I have to admit, though, that the "China Cat Sunflower" / "I Know You Rider" medley gets sooo tiresome after listening to Dick's Picks.

Rocking the Rhein is good stuff as well.

― frankE (frankE), Wednesday, 29 September 2004 18:48 (8 years ago) Permalink

the "Dark Star" on Rockin' the Rhein is eyeball-melting

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Wednesday, 29 September 2004 18:54 (8 years ago) Permalink

I bought Dick's Picks 22 on a fleeting whim a few days ago.
I'm a little regretful of it now.
Feb '68 show at a Lake Tahoe bowling alley. Vocals are rarely audible (which I guess isn't always a bad thing, har har).
Now I'm wanting Rockin the Rhein.
I think I need a break from the Dead.

― Sean Witzman (trip maker), Wednesday, 29 September 2004 19:11 (8 years ago) Permalink

I just listened to Reckoning this past Friday night. Always a treat to pull that one out.

― Roy Williams Highlight (diamond), Wednesday, 29 September 2004 19:27 (8 years ago) Permalink

'Two From the Vault' is v.good...it's mastered or mixed really well for headphones. And at the end of 'Morning Dew' the house pulls the electricity from them, great moment.

― 57 7th (calstars), Wednesday, 29 September 2004 20:26 (8 years ago) Permalink

"It's when you see/hear them live that it all makes sense."

Au contraire. Au contraire.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 29 September 2004 21:42 (8 years ago) Permalink

"The Dead are the greatest American rock and roll band of all time."

i take umbrage with this comment.
and so would CCR.

me rawk.
you snow.

― eedd, Wednesday, 29 September 2004 23:18 (8 years ago) Permalink

Regarding my last post, in case it's not clear, I mean to say that they SUCK LIVE. I don't get it.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 29 September 2004 23:20 (8 years ago) Permalink

Blues for Allah is the best thing they ever did, according to me

Help/Slip/Frank rules

― Jackson, Wednesday, 29 September 2004 23:22 (8 years ago) Permalink

Donna's "soulful" scream at the end of "Scarlet Begonias" on Dick's Picks 7 is the most out-of-key singing I've heard on an officially released record.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 30 September 2004 03:11 (8 years ago) Permalink

apparently there's a letter to the editor in the new Arthur from me regarding The Dead, but i haven't seen it. i can't get it here

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 30 September 2004 04:49 (8 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

HELP - I'm visiting a well-stocked Deadhead (over 300 shows) who has kindly offered to let me borrow whatever I want from his stash - any suggestions as to what I shld look out for - keep in mind that I generally prefer Dead Stuff w/ LOTS of guitar solos, the freakier the better, and am less concerned abt 'songs' per se

Thank You

― Uncle John, Saturday, 27 November 2004 21:20 (8 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

I just got this Jerry Garcia Band 3-CD Kean College set from 1980 that Rhino put out last fall. S'good! I'm just a dabbler in the Dead, but this is close to perfect -- nice sparse 4-piece, warmly recorded, the grooves don't overwhelm the songs and vice-versa -- I mean, the grooves are songlike, and the songs are groovelike. And maybe because he doesn't have to work to make himself heard, Jerry's playing is even more loose and gentle than usual. The solos are like barstool conversations. I think I'm going to be listening to this a lot.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Sunday, 9 January 2005 08:49 (8 years ago) Permalink

yah that shit kicks ass

― chaki in charge (chaki), Sunday, 9 January 2005 09:05 (8 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

May check out that Jerry band thing. Has anyone heard the No. 29 6CD thing from '77? Curious about that as well.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 31 March 2005 18:07 (8 years ago) Permalink

One more chance at an answer re No. 29. I orderd the Jerry Band thing yesterday.

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 1 April 2005 14:01 (8 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 322 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

otmfm

― too many encores (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Tuesday, 20 November 2012 00:28 (6 months ago) Permalink

i liked the nyer piece but i'm so sick of people picking on the studio albums. very few memorable studio albums my eye! but i've always kinda listened to the studio albums more than live stuff so i guess i'm the oddball.

I agree, I think Aoxomoxoa especially has some really wild recording techniques to be appreciated, and of course Workingman's Dead and American Beauty are stone cold classics. Also the studio version of Terrapin Station is so well constructed.

― Andrew W, Tuesday, 20 November 2012 03:37 (6 months ago) Permalink

Would it kill the dudes over at dead.net to slap some metadata on those songs though?

― HAPPY BDAY TOOTS (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 20 November 2012 03:40 (6 months ago) Permalink

i just feel like so many people - even desdheads like the new yorker writer - downplay how amazing the songs are. he wonders what to shoot into space? how about really faithful renditions of great songs? i realize that the live thing is its own world but it still bugs me. lesh has the right attitude. people singing the songs a hundred years from now on their porch. they are great modern folk/americana songs! (the paragraph where he plays devil's advocate and lists all the negatives like the "fruity" lyrics, etc...)

― scott seward, Tuesday, 20 November 2012 03:50 (6 months ago) Permalink

Listening to Dusseldorf '72 today, "Loser" and "Deal" stuck out for me, in a good way, in the "how amazing the songs are" way.

― 5-Hour Enmity (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 20 November 2012 04:43 (6 months ago) Permalink

listening to the Ace album last week, man, what a great record. maybe the studio naysayers just need better pressings or something. i have this beautiful german copy of jerry's reflections album and it makes me want to weep it sounds so beautiful. two unforgettable records right there. though not strictly speaking dead records.

― scott seward, Tuesday, 20 November 2012 05:23 (6 months ago) Permalink

I think the "studio/radio" Dead kind of hijacked their own career the way they got out of Warner Brothers with those final two live records and how those early solo records happened, which contained some of the best material they ever had. They had kind of built up a following and got radio play on Workingman's Dead/American Beauty and didn't really follow up on them for a few years. The live record Grateful Dead (aka Skullfxxk or Skull & Roses) seems to have been received as a let down going by a couple of reviews at the time. Then they did Europe 72 and Bear's Choice and then some of their most long standing tunes came out on Ace and the first Garcia album. I don't know if they would have had a bigger hit LP if the best tunes would have been done as a Grateful Dead album with high quality studio recordings, but you never know, timing is everything.

― earlnash, Tuesday, 20 November 2012 07:31 (6 months ago) Permalink

i just feel like so many people - even desdheads like the new yorker writer - downplay how amazing the songs are. he wonders what to shoot into space? how about really faithful renditions of great songs? i realize that the live thing is its own world but it still bugs me. lesh has the right attitude. people singing the songs a hundred years from now on their porch. they are great modern folk/americana songs! (the paragraph where he plays devil's advocate and lists all the negatives like the "fruity" lyrics, etc...)

Definitely true. Hunter was a genius lyricist and every album has at least a couple really great songs. I mean even to the end, a song like "So Many Roads" stands up with the best of them, and not because of what they were doing with it in the live setting (although there are definitely some inspired Jerry solos on a few versions) but because it's lyrically gorgeous and musically interesting.

― Andrew W, Tuesday, 20 November 2012 07:35 (6 months ago) Permalink

Would it kill the dudes over at dead.net to slap some metadata on those songs though?

― HAPPY BDAY TOOTS (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, November 19, 2012 10:40 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^^^ otmfm

― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Tuesday, 20 November 2012 21:59 (6 months ago) Permalink

It's been taking me a long time to get through that article. Despite the Deadhead deep in my heart, I just haven't been in a Dead mood lately. But I just got up to the part where Lesh listens to Brad Paisley these days.

― how's life, Tuesday, 20 November 2012 23:14 (6 months ago) Permalink

ha, yeah, hmmm.
the author of the nyer piece picks some of his fave recordings here: www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2012/11/nicks-picks-paumgarten-picks-his-thirteen-favorite-live-grateful-dead-recordings.html

― tylerw, Tuesday, 20 November 2012 23:19 (6 months ago) Permalink

Ward Fowler's above recommendation of Road Trips Vol. 2 No. 2 much appreciated! Finally got around to it today. Pretty sure it's only a matter of time now before I completely submerge myself in this band. Will probably do Two From The Vault next.

― xanthanguar (cwkiii), Wednesday, 21 November 2012 18:46 (6 months ago) Permalink

Well, this is one testifyin' pilgrim, not the last word. he aptly quotes Lesh on all these versions of the songs:"like fairy tales, they're all true." So yeah, I'd like him to feel the albums more, and the acoustic sets. Also, while Weir has his quirks, he could belt out the ol' roadhouse covers effectively enough; he's no Pigpen, but he sure fills some of the 'pen gap. Also, leave us not forget the Ace album, or some Other Ones songs he and Hart came up with (his suaver side, not so far from the "Weather Report Suite". which Paumgarten does favorably mention here). Phil Lesh and Friends (when they include Warren Haynes) and 7 Walkers, Kreutzmann and Papa Mali's band, are also robust, spacey and adventurous enough for me. But this is the single best Dead road trip map I've seen in quite a while.

― dow, Wednesday, 21 November 2012 18:49 (6 months ago) Permalink

conversations with the dead by david gans (the oral history book) is really interesting for audio/tech stuff. mostly cuz he interviewed people like bear who don't get interviewed a lot.

― scott seward, Wednesday, 21 November 2012 19:08 (6 months ago) Permalink

The Lesh part where he has no idea what the author is talking about when he mentions "Scar->Fire" is priceless

― One Way Ticket on the 1277 Express (Bill Magill), Wednesday, 21 November 2012 19:50 (6 months ago) Permalink

“Scar-Fire?” he repeated, unfamiliar with the shorthand.

Oh yeah. "The shorthand." As if anyone other than Paumgarten had ever abbreviated Scarlet Begonias > Fire on the Mountain that way.

― how's life, Wednesday, 21 November 2012 19:57 (6 months ago) Permalink

ive heard it referred to "Scarlet>Fire" quite a bit

― One Way Ticket on the 1277 Express (Bill Magill), Wednesday, 21 November 2012 20:07 (6 months ago) Permalink

Yes! That! But not the other one.

― how's life, Wednesday, 21 November 2012 20:16 (6 months ago) Permalink

ScarFire kind of sounds like the name of a lady you might meet in a Grateful Dead parking lot.

― tylerw, Wednesday, 21 November 2012 20:18 (6 months ago) Permalink

sorry. just makes me think of an angry dom passantino. doesn't do it for me.

― how's life, Wednesday, 21 November 2012 20:25 (6 months ago) Permalink

30 days of free Dead downloads, starting today:
http://www.dead.net/30daysofdead/

― dow, Friday, 23 November 2012 00:59 (6 months ago) Permalink

^yes

― Chris S, Friday, 23 November 2012 01:22 (6 months ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

This is weirdly hilarious: a seamless 90 minute edit of the Dead tuning up between songs, from 1977:

hxxp://archive.org/details/gd1977-12-31_505

― 誤訳侮辱, Tuesday, 18 December 2012 16:51 (6 months ago) Permalink

I'm so far gone that I find that a really pleasant listen

― too many encores (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Tuesday, 18 December 2012 16:57 (6 months ago) Permalink

I've actually been kind of enjoying it myself - it's like a super mellow counterpart to Neil Young's Arc.

― 誤訳侮辱, Tuesday, 18 December 2012 17:07 (6 months ago) Permalink

haha, nice!

― tylerw, Tuesday, 18 December 2012 17:45 (6 months ago) Permalink

not quite tuning up, but archive.org also has the longest ever dark star here: http://archive.org/download/DarkStar-/1972-05-11DarkstarComplete.mp3
47 minutes!

― tylerw, Tuesday, 18 December 2012 17:47 (6 months ago) Permalink

things get nuts around 34 minutes.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 18 December 2012 17:47 (6 months ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

This morning I was thinking I would really like to listen to a '73 show (haven't heard any from that year yet) and figured I'd come here for a recommendation and looking back through the thread there are plenty from that year. So now I'm kinda overwhelmed and don't know where to start!

― xanthanguar (cwkiii), Thursday, 3 January 2013 16:16 (5 months ago) Permalink

The Denver Road Trips set is pretty good-to-great. The only one I've heard on Archive is Evanston, IL 11/1/73, which has its moments (particularly "Morning Dew").

― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Thursday, 3 January 2013 16:31 (5 months ago) Permalink

i can recommend this one - Grateful Dead - Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA, June 30, 1973 - http://archive.org/details/gd1973-06-30.aud.weiner.100346.flac16

― tylerw, Thursday, 3 January 2013 16:33 (5 months ago) Permalink

Thanks! I'll start with those and see where I end up...probably gonna check out those '75 shows soon, too. I've been listening mostly to '68 and '72 so far, so it's time to branch out a bit.

― xanthanguar (cwkiii), Thursday, 3 January 2013 16:50 (5 months ago) Permalink

i was listening to dick's picks vol. 2 from 1971 last night. with the dark star/tighten up jam. god help me, i think i'm a deadhead.

― tylerw, Thursday, 3 January 2013 17:12 (5 months ago) Permalink

I saw the Dick's Picks vol1 vinyl box in a record shop this afternoon. Looked great, but soooo expensive.

― Duke, Thursday, 3 January 2013 17:25 (5 months ago) Permalink

how much are they going for? $50? more?

― tylerw, Thursday, 3 January 2013 17:27 (5 months ago) Permalink

My favorite thing about Spotify is their Dead selection. Between that and archive.org, I don't think I'll need to spend money on this band for a long, long time. Thank God, because otherwise I would be the one buying Dick's Picks on vinyl, which is sadly still tempting in spite of everything I just said.

― xanthanguar (cwkiii), Thursday, 3 January 2013 17:31 (5 months ago) Permalink

I've only seen them for $75 and up.

― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Thursday, 3 January 2013 17:31 (5 months ago) Permalink

Tyler, they were going for 90 euros. Might be a little cheaper in the US, but prob still over 70 dollars.

― Duke, Thursday, 3 January 2013 17:36 (5 months ago) Permalink

Interview with Dick Latvala (from 1996, but just posted)

― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Thursday, 3 January 2013 17:37 (5 months ago) Permalink

Those prices are outrageous.

― Trip Maker, Thursday, 3 January 2013 17:39 (5 months ago) Permalink

― xanthanguar (cwkiii), Thursday, January 3, 2013 11:16 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

FWIW if I had to pick just one GD year to keep / throw out everything else, '73 would probably be my keep year-- non-jam songs sound tight, jam songs vary a ton from performance to performance. The jam stuff is especially good if you like that "Huh wtf song did they start this with?" feeling; the '73 Playing in the Bands are just about my favorite GD things from any era.

Think you can pick any of the '73 Dick's Picks at random and you're bound to find a great show. You could do worse than DP Volume 14, Boston Music Hall Dec. '73 (haven't checked to see how many of these are on Spotify).

― ヽ（´ー｀）┌ (CompuPost), Thursday, 3 January 2013 18:14 (5 months ago) Permalink

>lonngggggg nyer dead article: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/11/26/121126fa_fact_paumgarten?currentPage=all

Not a deadhead at all, and never really listened to them recorded or live, but read this great article last week. Anyway, I sought out the live recording the author was talking about, and listened to the mythical "transition" that the author and his high school buddies worshiped. I wasn't impressed by it (like most Grateful Dead fans, according to the author)-- but loved the idea that I was somehow listening to a 'sacred moment' that had been listened to millions of times and obsessed over by this guy and his high school. Really fun.

― Poliopolice, Thursday, 3 January 2013 19:19 (5 months ago) Permalink

hadn't really been in the mood for these guys for months but had "bird song" going in my car yesterday and now i'm all in the mood.
ordered dead set this morning which though maybe not quite as great as reckoning is ten times better than without a net

― making plans for nyquil (outdoor_miner), Thursday, 3 January 2013 20:11 (5 months ago) Permalink

these are great:

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2012/12/28/moog-intros-grateful-dead-expansion-pack-for-animoog/

― Milton Parker, Thursday, 3 January 2013 20:42 (5 months ago) Permalink

The Denver Road Trips set
Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA, June 30, 1973
DP Volume 14, Boston Music Hall Dec. '73

Really dug all three of these! Thanks again, everyone, for the recommendations! I think I'm gonna get lost in archive.org this weekend...

― cwkiii, Friday, 11 January 2013 17:55 (5 months ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

http://www.dead.net/may1977

― tylerw, Monday, 6 May 2013 20:00 (1 month ago) Permalink

Saw this link posted on another thread - good stuff.

https://listentothedead.com/

― bodacious ignoramus, Monday, 6 May 2013 20:14 (1 month ago) Permalink

xpost Nice! I just heard 5/8/77 for the first time last week (actually the first '77 show I've heard so far) and really enjoyed it; it has an absolutely transcendent version of "Morning Dew", the best I've heard, which was not played at any of the shows in that box, unfortunately.

― cwkiii, Monday, 6 May 2013 20:29 (1 month ago) Permalink

spring 77 is slightly overrated, maybe, but it's still a pretty awesome period for the band.

― tylerw, Monday, 6 May 2013 20:43 (1 month ago) Permalink

I was pretty much about art rock and new wave in '77, never saw the Dead during this period (or at all until way after Jerry died,) but seeing Dark Star Orchestra replicate the St. Paul May '77 show turned me around on the Dead a bit.

― New Authentic Everybootsy Collins (Dan Peterson), Monday, 6 May 2013 20:56 (1 month ago) Permalink

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Grateful Dead live, Dick's Picks etc - S&D