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

I recently realized that my favorite Dead jams are from versions of Dark Star in which Keith is playing Fender Rhodes. To find every single one of these I listened to every Dark Star from the relevant time frame--basically 73-74 (turns out the group acquired the Rhodes in May of 73). The fruits of my OCD are below w/brief notes.

6/10/73
6/24/73 (can't hear Keith til almost 12 mins)
6/30/73
8/1/73 (my favorite version ever. pure kaleidoscopic sunshine from start to finish, plus searing slide from Jerry)
9/11/73 (probably my second fav. moodier. they almost sound like can on this one)
10/19/73 (Dick's Picks 19)
10/25/73 (Rhodes briefly in beginning, restarts 10 mins into post-Mind Left Body jam)
10/30/73 (post MLB Jam, also gets synthy)
11/11/73 (back and forth btwn Rhodes and piano throughout. epic and famous version)
12/6/73 (INCREDIBLE. arguably the spaciest ever. kreutzmann bends the fabric of time)

5/14/74 (Dave's Picks 9)
6/23/74 (no vocals, excerpt on So Many Roads box set)
7/25/74
9/10/74 (DP 7)
10/18/74 (Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack. Ned Lagin joins on second(!) Rhodes)

It should go without saying that every one of these is excellent, especially if you dig fusion Dead. And I find exploring adjacent Other Ones, Playin in the Bands, and Bird Songs to be just as rewarding.

9/10/74 from Dick's Picks 7, that is.

very cool! I always had a hard time connecting with dark stars beyond the classic 68-69 versions - e.g. live dead, two from the vault, august 68, which are some of my favorite dead music ever - so I will check those out. sometimes the later versions just seem so nebulous that I have hard time knowing what to look for. nice to have an "in" and who doesn't love fender rhodes??

Reminds me---yeah, Greyfolded is still here---might or might not turn out to be a bit of a buzzkill; I've never listened to the whole thing---but here 'tis for whoever wants it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl0-f1Vt6aE

Oh yeah, Greyfolded is one of my favorite things in the world. After my recent 73/74 "Dark Star" odyssey I revisited Greyfolded and, studying the chart in the liner notes, sadly realized my beloved 8/1/73 version wasn't used. Can't recommend it highly enough for maximum uplift.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QsoDMEXFXM

Spoiler Alert...Dr. Rhino unboxes the individually-numbered, limited-edition May 1977: Get Shown The Light Boxed Set. (there's also a non-ltd. ed, duh)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkS-R87kmkw&feature=youtu.be

HAT'S INSIDE (the non-limited All Music Edition):
Four Complete Shows on 11 discs
Four folios housed in a slipcase
5/5/77 Veterans Memorial Coliseum: New Haven, CT
5/7/77 Boston Garden: Boston, MA
5/8/77 Barton Hall, Cornell University: Ithaca, NY
5/9/77 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium: Buffalo, NY
Sourced from the Betty Cantor-Jackson soundboard recordings, transferred by Plangent Processes
Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
Artwork by Grammy-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike
Release Date: May 5, 2017

More info, audio:
http://www.dead.net/store/1970s/may-1977-get-shown-light-all-music-edition?cmpid=dn/2017April19/CornellCiceron_1977BoxedSet-LearnMore-main-more-2&eml=2017April19/3955503/6131962&etsubid=33554028

Well dang--- oh well, the box-strip video's on that linked page too.

Those four shows are peak Dead, obviously. Been successfully avoiding being gouged by the Dead this year (Dave's Picks subscription was my one allowance, and that was a xmas gift to myself) but this one is really tempting. Bastards

Other shows on their previous May '77 box http://www.dead.net/store/1970s/may-1977-box-digital

haha, that set does look pretty tempting, but i don't think i can justify the cost ...

Thanks J Sam for the Rhodes DS list upthread, I'm really enjoying those shows

there's a nice rhodes-y Bird Song from '73 here: https://soundcloud.com/hunters-trix/bird-song-6-22-73-p-n-e

Thanks J Sam for the Rhodes DS list upthread, I'm really enjoying those shows

― Brakhage, Thursday, April 20, 2017 1:02 PM (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

You're very welcome! I'm happy to help.

there's a nice rhodes-y Bird Song from '73 here: https://soundcloud.com/hunters-trix/bird-song-6-22-73-p-n-e

― tylerw, Thursday, April 20, 2017 1:09 PM (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Oh HELL yeah, I love that version. That whole show is fantastic, especially the He's Gone-> Truckin'-> Nobody's Fault But Mine-> The Other One-> Wharf Rat-> Sugar Magnolia in the second set.

going to see the GD movie screening tonight, heard mixed things, but eh, never seen it, why not

I haven't seen that in close to 25 years now but I still use the line "I'm just trying to get my space together before I go to the show" (as uttered by some super fried person in that film) from time to time when I'm trying to, you know, get my space together.

saw the movie when I was like 13 y.o. at the red vic in s.f. circa 1980 and got super emo about the beautifulness of it all

lol been there xp

excited

really gettin anxious for my cornell box btw

the movie rules, dunno what mixed things you've heard, every deadhead I know loves it!

make sure to get there early for the animation sequence

it was really fun. tinged with more menace than i thought (hells angels, dirtbag/obnxious hippies). i can see why people said 'the scene' got pretty ugly

current Dead listening - this great collection of 1975 rehearsal jams: http://saveyourface.posthaven.com/blues-for-allah-companion

i wrote a couple entries for this thing! it's good, though maybe nothing new to true heads: http://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/10078-the-grateful-dead-a-guide-to-their-essential-live-songs/

hashtag pitchfork is dumb (#34985859340293849494 in a series.)

looking forward to digging in. not super versed on pre-1969 dead, cream puff war mentioned here is sounding really good

That Rare Cuts and Oddities I got into upthread has some intriguing (and fun) early stuff.

Some interesting choices in the pfork thing. Also, surprised to learn James McNew is a Deadhead...was it obvious and I just missed it?

yeah, he's been into it for a little while -- there's a pretty amazing tape of him and bill frisell doing Dark Star > Comes A Time from a couple years back

here it is: https://doomandgloomfromthetomb.tumblr.com/post/99485861912/bill-frisell-james-mcnew-james-woodring-an

Well dang---Long Strange Trip is one night only----this Thursday, during the working week---most everywhere, except L.A. and Tri-State area Heads can also pick up tickets for the limited theatrical run, Thursday, May 25- Thursday, June 1st.. Complete list of theaters nationwide and link for tickets here:
http://view.em-dead.net/?qs=b0a1eb0ca5da8e29dc2dea204b91247c016af571c527bfb9abb5fdcabcf158a56f06e0412999e297bbce40a306e7dffa58661dffb9f0b1c09a72d3513161b029

Wow, cool! Thanks for posting that!

xp

Yeah, thanks! Also, that reminded me to check for this (Ornette w GD---he hasn't started playing yet, but so far so good) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRAlUJPv9io
And I guess this is the whole show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVPlVdH2R6k

Link to "Dark Star" on Long Strange Trip soundtrack, says the Amazon-exclusive version has 80 minutes more than other (incl. 20 min. "Eyes of the World"), and other stuff:

http://view.em-dead.net/?qs=10f839664e1d947b2f51799f5412bfd6ed4f7ca9184541f79bb0ee3e594492abf4298e5c6f8d8cb2b5e1ab5168059cb237e5e1aadc152d6566b3fd31a3bd59a8

Amazon-exclusive version of the soundtrack, that is.

the movie was amazing, i don't remember if i posted about it, but holy shit it's a masterpiece. easily the best music documentary i've ever seen. the quote that stuck with was Jerry responding to a journalist asking about Deadheads taping shows: "It's fine with me if people can find some use in music that's already happened."

Should be up on Prime vid tomorrow, stoked

What's a good entry point for the Brent era--specifically, highlighting what he brought to the band, rather than just how the Dead were in general during that time? I've never listened past the 1970s, since '80s Dead seemed to the genesis of many stereotypes that put me off from getting into them for years: the parking lot scene, bro-ish jam band fans, etc. Not to mention the general track of record of '60s artists in '80s.

Still, the documentary seemed to stress Brent was a godsend for the band, and I know a few heads who really dig that period, so figured I'd dip the toe in to see what I'm missing.

I got to that part in the doc and thought, hm, I should give the Brent era a chance. Then I heard him sing.

I listened to Go To Nassau from 1980 recently and was surprised at how strong it was -- Garcia sounds great at least.

Spring 1990 (the last tour with Brent), is considered by some to be the best point of that version of the band. There was a full box set out a year or two ago, but the 'Dozin' at the Knick' 3cd set is also pretty hot. I love Brent's singing.

"Dozin'" seconded. My gateway to what limited Dead fandom I possess.

Thanks, will check those out!

I listened to Go To Nassau from 1980 recently and was surprised at how strong it was -- Garcia sounds great at least.

Oh yeah. This is a go-to "show" when I want to hear early 80s Dead. The first set is remarkably strong and their take on Jack Straw here is probably my favourite ever. Love the energy as they return to the final verse.

Grateful Dead Fan Sends Women Unsolicited Dick’s Picks

heh

I'm (re)discovering "High Time" today via Go To Nassau, and then a few different versions on Archive. Haven't owned a copy of Workingman's Dead since high school, and they didn't play the song all that often past 1970, so I'd kinda forgotten how good it is.

I've been wondering - are there any "standard" dead songs, like ones they've played more than 10 times or so, where sometimes Jerry will sing, sometimes Bob will sing? I haven't listened to nearly enough shows to have any examples of this.

I never thought too hard about the "bob songs" vs. "jerry songs" thing until I watched the recent documentary and it mentioned the spinners who would sit down for Bob songs.

i don't think so -- only thing i can think of is "when i paint my masterpiece" which garcia sang with the JGB in the 70s but Weir sang with the Dead in the 80s. there are random exceptions -- weir initially sang "dire wolf" and garcia didn't chime in on "jack straw" at first.

Hah hah, did not realize I had something in common with the spinners.

Thought I'd pass this on, really enjoyable and led me to some great AUDs which ordinarily I wouldn't have sought out

Brent sang some soaring harmonies during the chorus of Touch of Grey in the early 80s (thinking specifically of Merriweather 6/21/83, he's pretty high in the mix). Such a drag they cut his harmonies on the studio version until the very last refrain, and even then it's absurdly low in the mix.