Grateful Dead - where next?

[Pat Helms]

Poor Vince!  He was trapped inside an R. Crumb comic for various personal reasons!  His was a deeply sad and disturbing story.  

JGB in the '90s could certainly be very pretty on a good night - but never mind blowing, like Legion of Mary or something like the Stone shows in SF, circa 1980.

I remember '87 as a happy time 'cause Jerry was....well...alive!  I did the entire Summer and Autumn tours that year, except the West Coast.  The Morning Dew at Madison Square that year gets a lot of hype, but the Wharf Rat on the 2nd night was truly epic - best post '78 Rat, no question!  Shared a rollercoaster ride with Brent Mydland in Toronto that summer - which gave us something to talk about while we drank together in a Transvestite C&W Bar in New Orleans a year later!  Otherwise, it was a big year for Bucket-Sugaree openers, as I remember!

[Jules Gray]

I am enjoying the general Dead yakkery, but any further nominations of essential live CDs beyond the two big boxed sets?  Especially from the 1970-2 era, and with the emphasis on songs over jamming.

Jules

[tullist/raymond]

Poor Vince!  He was trapped inside an R. Crumb comic for various personal reasons!  His was a deeply sad and disturbing story.  

JGB in the '90s could certainly be very pretty on a good night - but never mind blowing, like Legion of Mary or something like the Stone shows in SF, circa 1980.

I remember '87 as a happy time 'cause Jerry was....well...alive!  I did the entire Summer and Autumn tours that year, except the West Coast.  The Morning Dew at Madison Square that year gets a lot of hype, but the Wharf Rat on the 2nd night was truly epic - best post '78 Rat, no question!  Shared a rollercoaster ride with Brent Mydland in Toronto that summer - which gave us something to talk about while we drank together in a Transvestite C&W Bar in New Orleans a year later!  Otherwise, it was a big year for Bucket-Sugaree openers, as I remember!

To me thats a good thing Bucket was likely my favorite of the latter day pieces, yeah I know, overplayed, to the extent that anything by them was overplayed it was still only every 4 shows, and Sugaree was a constant winner to me, just a matter of how excellent. I seem to recall reading or hearing that Brent got pretty nuts in their first return trip to NO since the famous bust quoted in Truckin. I also want to give some ups to 90 either with Brent or the early shows without him, best Vince ever sounded, saw the first 2 of those in Cleveland, he was very warmly welcomed as u can imagine, and of course the spectre of Brent hung heavily over those shows, particularly during Drums which seemed very much like the Dead sending Brents spirit out on their own terms. Highly recommend 7/6/90 in Louisville, one of the last times I saw them when they were truly fantastic, massive China Rider bridge to open the second set, they just kept on goosin that sucker til it shot all over everybody, umm hmm.  

[davidmjs]

Highly recommend 7/6/90 in Louisville, one of the last times I saw them when they were truly fantastic, massive China Rider bridge to open the second set, they just kept on goosin that sucker til it shot all over everybody, umm hmm.  

Never heard it, but will have done soon...its nice to hear something personally recommended
http://www.archive.org/details/gd90-07-06.sbd.miller.12770.sbeok.shnf

[Goaty]

they just kept on goosin that sucker til it shot all over everybody, umm hmm.  

  Fantastic  I needed a chuckle, cheers!

[Jules Gray]

they just kept on goosin that sucker til it shot all over everybody, umm hmm.  

  Fantastic  I needed a chuckle, cheers!

That was indeed my favourite bit of rock n roll writing so far in 2010.  Nice one, Raymond!

Jules

[Pat Helms]

I am enjoying the general Dead yakkery, but any further nominations of essential live CDs beyond the two big boxed sets?  Especially from the 1970-2 era, and with the emphasis on songs over jamming.

Jules

Jules,

- Dick's Pick Baltimore '72
- Dick's Pick Philadelphia '72
- Winterland 12-73 Box Set (All 3 nights!)
- Dick's Picks Oklahoma City '73
- Dick's Picks Boston Garden / Providence '74
- Truckin' in England '72
- Hundred Year Hall, Germany '72
- Rockin' the Rhine, Germany '72

Those are my favorite legitimate releases, besides the GD Movie soundtrack mentioned above - you need to get that one!  

[quodlibet (Ian)]

I am enjoying the general Dead yakkery, but any further nominations of essential live CDs beyond the two big boxed sets?  Especially from the 1970-2 era, and with the emphasis on songs over jamming.

Jules

As it happens I'm just listening to "From The Vault 3" Capitol Theatre (Yes, UK spelling, on sleeve at least!), Portchester NY, 19th Feb '71. Whole show with a nice first set of songs with a little jamming & a strong 2nd set with some jamming (Cryptical / Other One), plus stand alone songs. Neat little Billy solo & a not too offensive Pig "Good Lovin'", finishing with a stirring "Casey Jones" "Drivin' that train".....etc. Also first outings for "Deal" & "Birdsong". Nice  

[Jules Gray]

As it happens I'm just listening to "From The Vault 3" Capitol Theatre (Yes, UK spelling, on sleeve at least!), Portchester NY, 19th Feb '71. Whole show with a nice first set of songs with a little jamming & a strong 2nd set with some jamming (Cryptical / Other One), plus stand alone songs. Neat little Billy solo & a not too offensive Pig "Good Lovin'", finishing with a stirring "Casey Jones" "Drivin' that train".....etc. Also first outings for "Deal" & "Birdsong". Nice  

Yes, I fancy this one.  Thanks.

Also will look into your suggestions, Pat.  Thanks.

Jules

[tullist/raymond]

Gee thanks folks, all of those are excellent choices, kind of hard to miss, but that Hundred Year Hall is a particularly delicious beastie.

[quodlibet (Ian)]

Gee thanks folks, all of those are excellent choices, kind of hard to miss, but that Hundred Year Hall is a particularly delicious beastie.

Also rather nice from the same tour is a 3 disc set called "Dutch Treat" from 11th May '72, Civic Hall, Rotterdam. Hmm, next up I think  

[davidmjs]

Highly recommend 7/6/90 in Louisville, one of the last times I saw them when they were truly fantastic, massive China Rider bridge to open the second set, they just kept on goosin that sucker til it shot all over everybody, umm hmm.  

Never heard it, but will have done soon...its nice to hear something personally recommended
http://www.archive.org/details/gd90-07-06.sbd.miller.12770.sbeok.shnf

Had a listen to those two tracks.  Nice last 2 minutes of China and a good solid Rider....

However in some ways it also illustrates what I don't like about later GD....that, sorry, plinky plonky 'piano' sound and the truly unpleasant sound effects at the start of China.  The drums are too cosy, too formulaically 'loose'.  It never quite breaks free like the decent stuff does.  I guess you had to be there.  And I wish I had been, of course....I'd probably feel very differently about it if I had been.

[Pat Helms]

Gee thanks folks, all of those are excellent choices, kind of hard to miss, but that Hundred Year Hall is a particularly delicious beastie.

Also rather nice from the same tour is a 3 disc set called "Dutch Treat" from 11th May '72, Civic Hall, Rotterdam. Hmm, next up I think  

The Rotterdam show has been released legit??!!  

[quodlibet (Ian)]

Gee thanks folks, all of those are excellent choices, kind of hard to miss, but that Hundred Year Hall is a particularly delicious beastie.

Also rather nice from the same tour is a 3 disc set called "Dutch Treat" from 11th May '72, Civic Hall, Rotterdam. Hmm, next up I think  

The Rotterdam show has been released legit??!!  

Oops. What Rotterdam show?!  

[Pat Helms]

The drums are too cosy, too formulaically 'loose'.  It never quite breaks free like the decent stuff does.  

Mind you, David, I've always said it very quietly, but.........I think they did a lot better with just one drummer.

[Bob Barrows]

Is this where we start talking about which version of Sloth we like best?  

[Pat Helms]

Is this where we start talking about which version of Sloth we like best?  

Well, everybody knows Sloth went down hill when...............HEY!  

[davidmjs]

The drums are too cosy, too formulaically 'loose'.  It never quite breaks free like the decent stuff does.  

Mind you, David, I've always said it very quietly, but.........I think they did a lot better with just one drummer.

I agree (and I said the same thing somewhere in this whole GD discussion fest too!)....

[tullist/raymond]

Highly recommend 7/6/90 in Louisville, one of the last times I saw them when they were truly fantastic, massive China Rider bridge to open the second set, they just kept on goosin that sucker til it shot all over everybody, umm hmm.  

Never heard it, but will have done soon...its nice to hear something personally recommended
http://www.archive.org/details/gd90-07-06.sbd.miller.12770.sbeok.shnf

Had a listen to those two tracks.  Nice last 2 minutes of China and a good solid Rider....

However in some ways it also illustrates what I don't like about later GD....that, sorry, plinky plonky 'piano' sound and the truly unpleasant sound effects at the start of China.  The drums are too cosy, too formulaically 'loose'.  It never quite breaks free like the decent stuff does.  I guess you had to be there.  And I wish I had been, of course....I'd probably feel very differently about it if I had been.

Well here's a fresh one to bore yourself with sometime in the next year David the very last time I saw them in full flower, (the last show that u mention which I was at was anything but happening in the venue, you may know that tour was labeled the tour from hell, with loads of problems, long term arrests, and deaths, gate crashers)on a Monday night in Cleveland, shortly after the removal of Dan Healy to a shaky Bob Bralove, and a literal convention of DEA agents outside looking precisely like Deadheads, even playing wooden flutes, took over an hour to get in, they even went thru your wallet. When and if you listen to it I recommend starting with the then recently re introduced Willie Dixon chestnut Same Thing, the point at which Bralove got the sound up to proper volume and the place went into full blown ritual formation, and the show never settled down from that point. Many people reviewing it mark the Stella as amongst the best ever. Never so sure about any or all of that but I do know it was one delicious evening after all the hassles.

http://www.archive.org/details/gd94-03-21.sbd.ladner.6258.sbeok.shnf

[Jules Gray]

Is this where we start talking about which version of Sloth we like best?  

It sure isn't the longest!  

Jules