Grateful Dead General Thread

[futureman 22411]

good buddy of mine is a musician and put this out today. I know it won’t get too many eyes here but give it a like if you enjoy it.

 

[Hate 20102]

That was great.  It's one of my favorite songs.  He did it proud. 

[Hate 20102]

Sometimes after everyone else in the house is asleep, you really need  16 minute Dancin in the Streets!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV16Ysr03Vw

[Hate 20102]

The dreaded Surly dp.

[Hate 20102]

A great song from a great show. 

 

[Hate 20102]

And a beautiful song played beautifully.

 

[Hate 20102]

And another great song.  This came up on my shuffle tonight.

 

[Guest Lobo]

I forget when your first Dead shows were.  Mine was in 1991, I just realized looking at this thread this morning that 30th anniversary is coming up in a few months.  I don't get nearly enough time to listen to more live stuff these days, but I'm gonna try maybe once a week to follow their 1991 tour between Oakland and Chicago (February-June) and listen to at least one full set from a show that took place that week, 30 years ago until I get to the Soldier Field one.  

You youngins wouldn't understand.  But you couldn't go online in those days and look up what songs that had been playing leading up to the show you were going to see.  Best estimate was chatting with a person who obviously had been touring with them for at least a few cities and ask what they'd been playing lately, how it sounded, and what you thought they'd play that night.  The parking lot was like a surly message board in that it also featured tits---often the kind you didn't really wanna see while on acid.

[Hate 20102]

My first Grateful Dead show was 6/13/93.  My second and third were 3/16/94 and 3/17/94.  I listen to my shows on their anniversary every year.

Tonight is 10/29/77 from Chick Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University - DeKalb, IL.

 

[Guest Lobo]

^

that's good sound quality.  Listening to the 'Estimated Prophet' right now (which i'm just now realizing was brand new at the time of this show).  

interesting sidenote.....a portion of "Caddyshack" is based on the Chick Evans caddies scholarship program.  My buddy (not named Danny Noonan) received one to Northwestern.  And he did drugs almost everyday.  

[alincoln 2364]

Love 10/29/77.  I was listening to 1/22/78 a few days ago and that show always surprises me how consistently good it is.

[Hate 20102]

I really enjoyed the hell out of that show.  That is one fantastic set list as well.  There isn't one "I'll go get a beer" song there at all.  It is definitely going into my rotation of shows.  That may be a top ten show for me. 

I may check out the show you posted @alincoln.  I'm kind of looking for a show right now and '78 isn't a year I've listened to a whole lot. 

[Guest Lobo]

try their Houston show in '78.  I've never found a good copy of it but I don't look nearly as hard as others.  Supposedly has a kick-ass full Terrain Station Suite in the second set.  setlist looks good on paper anyway:  https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mleone/gdead/dead-sets/78/12-21-78.txt

[WhatTheBuck 28700]

On 1/29/2021 at 2:40 PM, stc said:

dead fans seem to be the only people who hate that album. i never gave it a listen based on all the badmouthing by dead fans...picked it up on vinyl a few years ago for cheap and it's actually not bad at all. 

I’ve got it. It’s fine. It’s not earth-shattering or anything. Accounts from the Dead camp sound like the rehearsals were more rewarding than the performances where Dylan became unpredictable and didn’t stick to what they’d rehearsed. But nobody’s better prepared to handle the unexpected in a live setting than the Dead.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[WhatTheBuck 28700]

I don’t know how to respond to someone who is just now coming to appreciate Fire on the Mountain or the perfection of the segue into it from Scarlet Begonias on 5/8/77. That’s as seamless as it ever got. Just listen to Keith. You can hear the moment of the transition. I’m not educated enough to say whether that’s a chord change or a key change but I can hear it when it happens. That show was the first in my tape collection back in late ‘88 or early ‘89.

It’s Mickey’s song. From ‘73/‘74:

If you don’t own Mickey’s Diga Rhythm Band album, you should. It’s awesome. This was recorded in ‘76, a year before the Dead first performed Fire and two years before they recorded it in the studio.

After Jerry died, The Other Ones went back to performing Fire with Mickey rapping the lyrics but I can’t find a sample on YouTube. (Get the album, titled The Strange Remain, a song that was also a Hart-Hunter collaboration.) But I did find this from the Mickey Hart Band featuring Steve Kimock and George Porter Jr. And that’s Jen Durkin from Deep Banana Blackout on vocals who you’d know if you followed the jam band scene in the 90’s 

 

[WhatTheBuck 28700]

https://www.jambase.com/article/bill-walton-shares-volcano-fire-on-the-mountain-story
 

Quote

Bill Walton Shares Volcano Fire On The Mountain Story

On June 12, 1980 the Grateful Dead performed at Portland Memorial Coliseum in Oregon just weeks after nearby Mount St. Helens erupted leading to the most deadly and economically destructive volcanic eruption in the history of the United States. According to legend, just as the Dead lit into “Fire On The Mountain” in Portland, Mount St. Helens exploded once again. Basketball legend Bill Walton told the story of that night from his perspective during a Reddit Ask Me Anything session. 

Walton recalled the events of that night after he was asked “Have you ever been to a volcano when it’s erupting.” Bill responded, “We were on tour with the Grateful Dead in Oregon. They were playing the show and they start playing Fire on the Mountain. The volcano next door, Mt. Helens, blows up. When the show was over a bunch of us raced to the airport and boarded a plane. We told people at the airport we were scientists studying atmospheric conditions and the effect of smoke and volcanic explosions on the human spirit, so the pilot was terrified, but we convinced him to fly right into the smoking crater with fire and lava everywhere. He wanted to go home but we were on a scientific mission and we kept getting closer and closer. As we were flying around inside the erupting volcano, the military jets scrambled from the local base and come up there to get us out of there. It was a real dogfight but we had the spirit Cortez on our side. We eventually left and when we landed at the airport the pilot was most relieved as we quickly fled and went back to the rest of the tour.”

 

[Hate 20102]

I'm just saying that FOTM has never been one of my favorites.  I liked it alright, but it was a listen in the background song. When I would listen to 5/8/77, I wouldn't always listen to FOTM because it wasn't a favorite.  Be as dumbfounded as you want to be, I really don't care.  It was only within the last few months that I began listening to the transition to FOTM that it blew my goddamn mind.  I've probably listened to that more than any other song since I first had that realization.  It's just fucking perfect.  Everything about it is perfect.  I've listened to others since then and they are good....some even great.  I've heard it live myself. But none that I've ever heard can touch that 5/8/77.  That is indeed perfection.  In fact, I'm going to listen to it right now. 

[WhatTheBuck 28700]

Oh btw, the keyboardist in that Mickey Hart Band version of Fire was Kyle Hollingsworth from The String Cheese Incident. 

[WhatTheBuck 28700]

On 2/3/2021 at 11:25 PM, Hate said:

A great song from a great show. 

 

The best thing about that show was the Dark Star. As the sun went down, the band heated up. One of the best Phil jams ever. You can hear Jerry suggest Wharf Rat right before Bobby leads them into El Paso.

 

[WhatTheBuck 28700]

On 2/4/2021 at 6:53 AM, Lobo said:

You youngins wouldn't understand.  But you couldn't go online in those days and look up what songs that had been playing leading up to the show you were going to see.

Sure you couid. You could go to The Well or to rec.music.gdead on Usenet. You could get a free Dupree’s Diamond News handout in the lot that listed recent setlists or you could dial 1-900-RUN-DEAD. This is a pic of my refrigerator magnet (coincidentally set on the case of the 8/27/82 Veneta, OR show.) If memory serves, you used to be able to call 1-800-USA-DEAD for setlists, concert dates, and ticket info before they moved to the 900 number  

[Guest Lobo]

That take me back.  I had a fridge magnet of that I got in ‘93

[WhatTheBuck 28700]

3 minutes ago, Lobo said:

That take me back.  I had a fridge magnet of that I got in ‘93

Mine still hangs on my refrigerator. 

[Hate 20102]

With the weather coming up this weekend there won’t be much else to do but drink bourbon, take one hits, and listen to the Grateful Dead. I’m looking forward to finishing up tomorrow afternoon and getting the weekend started. I need to line up some show last for the weekend. I may do a little pre-weekend planning tonight.

[WhatTheBuck 28700]

21 hours ago, Hate said:

With the weather coming up this weekend there won’t be much else to do but drink bourbon, take one hits, and listen to the Grateful Dead. I’m looking forward to finishing up tomorrow afternoon and getting the weekend started. I need to line up some show last for the weekend. I may do a little pre-weekend planning tonight.

Maybe choose a Chinese New Year show.

[Hate 20102]

I ended up going with one of my favorites.  The sound from this show rivals 5/8/77.  The mix is damn near perfect and the set list is stellar. I've posted this show before, so I hope all of you took the time to listen to it.  It's outstanding!

 

[Guest Lobo]

That is good sound quality.  I'm gonna give that second set/encore a listen sometime this weekend.  

[Hate 20102]

For all of you Surly Deadheads, here is the greatest Valentine's Day song ever for you and your SO.

 

[Guest Lobo]

You know how I know you're gay?  

[Hate 20102]

How?

[Hate 20102]

There is something kind of cool about the whole house being asleep during a snowstorm with the power out but you’re still up drinking and listening to the greatest goddamn band that ever was.

[WhatTheBuck 28700]

On 2/13/2021 at 12:54 AM, Hate said:

I ended up going with one of my favorites.  The sound from this show rivals 5/8/77.  The mix is damn near perfect and the set list is stellar. I've posted this show before, so I hope all of you took the time to listen to it.  It's outstanding!

 

What are your thoughts about that Not Fade Away?

[WhatTheBuck 28700]

Holy shit! There’s some video from my first show out there. It’s only part of the second set. It’s missing a killer Shakedown opener and Space > Knockin’ but includes the Neville Brothers joining in for Iko Iko > Day-O > Man Smart (Woman Smarter).

Happy Mardi Gras!

 

[WhatTheBuck 28700]

Here’s that Shakedown. Goddamn. It’s been awhile since I listened to this show. This right here is why Shakedown Street was the first Dead album I bought. (Along with Go To Heaven which was also well represented at that show.) Jerry’s on fire. 

 

[alincoln 2364]

Coincidentally, the new Dave's Picks includes bonus material from 4.18.78 played at . . . The Civic Arena in Pittsburgh.

[WhatTheBuck 28700]

I posted to the Covers Good and Bad thread a cover by the Charlie Hunter Trio of Nirvana’s Come As You Are. It’s a good cover.

The other two members of the trio were Jay Lane on drums and Dave Ellis on sax. They were a San Francisco band. After Charlie moved to NYC, both Jay and Dave joined the Dead family. Jay Lane was an original member of Ratdog.

Dave Ellis played with The Other Ones.

I’d have to double check on how long Jay Lane played in Phil’s band but he was the drummer on some of the most important jam band shows ever performed back in April of ‘99.

 

[WhatTheBuck 28700]

The first album by the Charlie Hunter Trio was produced by Les Claypool who joined the jam band world himself with Frog Brigade and Oysterhead, the latter a collaboration with Trey Anastasio from Phish and Stewart Copeland from The Police. I saw Oysterhead live four times and Frog Brigade at least three times, the best of which was at the Fillmore on New Year’s Eve 2000 with Banyan opening which was as good a concert as I’ve ever seen. (Afterward we went and bribed our way into the Warfield to catch the end of the Galactic show.)

[Hate 20102]

On 2/15/2021 at 4:41 AM, WhatTheBuck said:

What are your thoughts about that Not Fade Away?

I love NFA...who doesn't?  I love it across all 30 years no matter who was playing keys.  My favorite is 7/4/89 because of Brent & Jerry.  They were having a great time going back and forth.

 

[WhatTheBuck 28700]

5 hours ago, Hate said:

I love NFA...who doesn't?  I love it across all 30 years no matter who was playing keys.  My favorite is 7/4/89 because of Brent & Jerry.  They were having a great time going back and forth.

 

I wasn’t asking you about your thoughts on the song. I was asking you about your thoughts on the performance of that particular version of Not Fade Away on 5/26/77.

[Hate 20102]

It was ok I thought.  It was a little slow for me, but I did like the transition to "I know you Rider".  Now, ask me about the LL Rain from that show and I would tell you it's my favorite bar none....and LL Rain is in my top 2 or 3 of favorite songs. 

[Hate 20102]

What are your thoughts about the NFS from 5/26/77, @WhatTheBuck?

[Druggist 303]

Listening to 2/24/74 tonight.  I caught the Dark Star> Dew on TIGDH on my way home from work and had to put it on.   Just a fantastic show.  It is one of my favorite shows from one of my favorite years. 
 

Bill Graham gives a great introduction right before they kick into US Blues:

”Whatever is going on in the rest of the world, if it’s wars, or kidnappings, or crimes, this is a peaceful Sunday night with the Grateful Dead”

This show does make for a peaceful night.

[Hate 20102]

I'm all over the place tonight.  I was listening to 10/29/77, 5/26/77, 3/29/90 earlier.  I've just chose my show mix and hit shuffle.  It's a little but of everything so I'll continue to be all over the place tonight. 

Edited February 25, 2021 by Hate

[Hate 20102]

Forty nine years ago tonight Terrapin Station and Estimated Prophet were debuted.  I've posted this show before.  It's a a great show that was the beginning of what is arguably the best year ever for the Grateful Dead.

 

[WhatTheBuck 28700]

On 2/18/2021 at 12:58 AM, Hate said:

It was ok I thought.  It was a little slow for me, but I did like the transition to "I know you Rider".  Now, ask me about the LL Rain from that show and I would tell you it's my favorite bar none....and LL Rain is in my top 2 or 3 of favorite songs. 

It’s ironic because I’ve considered recommending 5/26/77 to you in the past because I think it’s the least jammy Dead show I’ve ever heard and I know you’re not really into the jams. Not Fade Away is the most interesting song in the show because of the jam between Jerry and Bob when Phil and Keith lay out. 

[Guest Lobo]

1977 was 49 years ago, eh Hate?  I'm sure you weren't drinking while posting that. 

I've been listening to some shows y'all posted and a couple others right after Terrapin Station (the album) came out.  Really digging it.  I'm way behind on late 70's/early 80's shows.  I was trying to do one set a week of their '91 tour (30 years ago) leading up to my first show of theirs in Chicago of that summer.  Hope to get back to that next week as time allows.  my 5Yo and I try to look at the stars each night, if the weather allows, before bedtime.  Whenever we see Venus, she knows Daddy's gonna say the same thing he does every time,

Counting stars by candlelight
all are dim but one is bright
The spiral light of Venus
rising first and shining best
 

[Hate 20102]

2 hours ago, Lobo said:

1977 was 49 years ago, eh Hate?  I'm sure you weren't drinking while posting that. 

Damn, I guess I really was drunk.

2 hours ago, Lobo said:

6 hours ago, WhatTheBuck said:

It’s ironic because I’ve considered recommending 5/26/77 to you in the past because I think it’s the least jammy Dead show I’ve ever heard and I know you’re not really into the jams. Not Fade Away is the most interesting song in the show because of the jam between Jerry and Bob when Phil and Keith lay out. 

 

Don't like the jams?  I love the jams.  What I've never been a huge fan of is the psychedelic jamming.  That's probably because I never tripped at a show or while listening to them.  You can't be a fan of the Grateful Dead and listen to them as much as I do and not like jamming.  If I didn't like jamming, I would listen to the studio albums.  The 5/26/77 shows is one of my favorites because of the sound and the set list, not because they don't jam.  I've said it before but one of my favorite things to do while listening is to just pick one of the guys and listen try to listen to just them for an entire song.  Shows with great soundboards like that one make it really easy to do. 

[WhatTheBuck 28700]

1 hour ago, Hate said:

Don't like the jams?  I love the jams.

If you loved the jams then you wouldn’t hate Dark Star and 5/26/77 wouldn’t be your favorite L.L. Rain.

And you’d appreciate the jam in Not Fade Away that was the best thing that happened in Baltimore on 5/26/77. 

Edited February 27, 2021 by WhatTheBuck

[Hate 20102]

Jesus fucking christ you're a beating.  I never said I hate Dark Star.  And I can choose to like any goddamned LL Rain I want to.  I'll continue listening to my favorite band of all time the way that I have been listening to them for 30 years now. 

[Hate 20102]

I had to end my round today at 9 holes as it started to rain.  Ended up with a few friends back at the house for some drink and snacks. They've finally all gone home so I'm up listening to some Grateful Dead shows...but I'm making sure to skip all of the jams. 

[Hate 20102]

A great version from a great show!