D.P. #30 : An appreciation (long winded)
Sneakerface
particularly the Sunday show - that "Hard to Handle" sounded straight
out of 1971 !!!) and my friends and I stopped by the vending stands
inside the show. I didn't realize they had the DP's series for sale,
and I thought it was pretty cool to be able to pick one up right there
without having to wait for the mailman (though I know that some of
them appear in the stores from time to time too) . Anyways, my buddy
picked up #31 or #32 - I forget, but it is the '82 Alpine Valley show
with the smokin' Music Never Stopped Opener... My buddy didn't read
the "caveat" until the ride home - this show is mastered to CD from
the original source: a soundboard CASSETTE !! This was a bit of a
shock, for a show this modern. Hey, it's a great show, and I guess it
is the best quality there is out there, but you just don't get the
dynamic range...
Anyways, sorry for the long preamble, but that's the context. I
looked through some of the DP's, and settled on #30. An old roomie
and I used to take turns buying the new DP releases when they first
came out, so at this point I actually have relatively few. (and I am
SO bummed to hear that 5/2/70 is apparently out of print). But having
a huge collection of my own tapes, I've become a bit cynical, and I
really want to hear something I havent' heard before. Not another
version of songs I've heard a billion times before, played the same
way. Something DIFFERENT. Well, with that criterion, DP #30 is
definitley different, and well worth the cost, which is not too much,
for a 4 CD set.
What's different : 1) Guest artist - Bo Diddley -from the 3/25/72
NYC show. I'd been looking for this show - they only time they ever
jammed with Mr. McDaniel. I love to hear the Dead (or any band) jam
with guest artists . It is such a great chance to see what each
brings to the table, and to see them play songs they don't usually (or
never) play live. Lots of times the boys bring their chops up a notch
as well. 2) Songs you don't get to hear that much - partly because
of the guest artist, but even without Bo, their a lot of pretty rare
tunes in this set. 3/25/72 continues with a set opening How Sweet It
Is, which is of course also the debut of Donna as a full time member.
The Dead didn't do this one much more after this, though we all know
it became a Jerry Band signature opener....Donna's debut was a bit
....rough....but, IMO she tightened things up in time, though it
didn't always stay that way. Are You Loenley for me comes next, and
it appears to be a "one time only" song. My Deadbase and/or
Compendium has this song listed as "Last Train to Jacksonville," so
it through me off for a minute, but Are You Lonely seems more apt.
(Hey, we don't want to get mixed up with the Monkees, now do we?)
Songs like Chinatown Shuffle, You Win Again, Mr. Charlie, The Stranger
(Two Souls In Communion), and Next Time You See Me were not so rare
for 1972, but in the grand scheme of things, we didn't hear them to
much after this, so it is fairly rare to me, Europe 1972
notwithstanding. I hadn't really processed "the Stranger" properly in
my limited listening of the recent release of it as an outtake in the
box set - the part from Europe 72 , and so this was my first time
hearin' it good. It struck me as kind of a nice song to play at one's
wedding, though Pig is not perfectly in tune. Still, I"m diggin'
it..."Sidewalks of New York" is a cool one-timer, though it is just a
brief jam...
3) The band line-up : 3/25-28/72 was in the midst of much
transition in Grateful Dead land, so this lineup is certainly one that
you don't get too much : Just Billy on drums, (which I actually
prefer - it gives the boys some space to turn the corner quickly )
with Phil, Bob, and Jer - Donna joining , still quite rusty, but
carving her niche; and a two keyboard set-up, at times. I'd forgetten
that Pig was still manning the organ while Keith tickles the ivories,
and I'd say that is the most unique thing, to me. Disc 2 opens with a
great Truckin' that really shows off Pig's organ playing, and there
are a few other tunes where it sounds really nice to have they
prolonged "whirrrrr" of the organ on just one chord while Keith fills,
even if what Pig is playing is nothin' fancy. But Pig doesn't stay
on organ all night - he helps Billy with a little percussion from time
to time (according to the liner notes) , adds some great harmonica
licks to "Smokestack Lightning" (and perhaps other tunes), and comes
out to front the band for his share of tunes as well.
4) Nice, long jams, though perhaps not as much in abundance as in
other shows. The only tune from 3/27/72, "Playin' " is a great
example of heading out into the lovely land of outer space.
Beautiful soloing from Jerry. So, this Dick's Picks gives us the best
parts of the show with Bo Diddley (and I think it is all the songs
they do with him, correct me if I'm wrong; I'd like to know) -
3/25/72, then we get a COMPLETE show from 3/28/72
5) Jerry on pedal steel ??? Sure sounds like it to me, though
again I don't see it credited in Deadbase or the Compendium. But
Disc 3 opens with a LOVELY "Looks Like Rain" and I am 99 and 9/10
sure Jer is playing pedal. Sometimes guitar players play slide on
their lap and try to mimick this sound, but my ears say he's got the
whole contraption set up and is wailing on it !
I could go on (as if I haven't gone on long enough!!) , but the
above are the highlights for me. And hey, no cassette source here -
we get this mastered from the original 2 track tapes, and it shows !!
ecocats
seeds!!!
"Sneakerface" <n9...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:341c19a6.04081...@posting.google.com...
Pat Buzby
> Anyways, my buddy
> picked up #31 or #32 - I forget, but it is the '82 Alpine Valley show
> with the smokin' Music Never Stopped Opener... My buddy didn't read
> the "caveat" until the ride home - this show is mastered to CD from
> the original source: a soundboard CASSETTE !!
That's all they have from many early 80's shows.
> So, this Dick's Picks gives us the best
> parts of the show with Bo Diddley (and I think it is all the songs
> they do with him, correct me if I'm wrong; I'd like to know)
Yes, that's the entire Bo set.
> I could go on (as if I haven't gone on long enough!!) , but the
> above are the highlights for me.
The 3/28/72 Other One is absolutely top-notch, perhaps the first
"mature" 72-74 vintage jam.
Pat Buzby
Chicago, IL
corey hubert
I had the pleasure of having this show be my 2nd GD experience. Before
i give my first hand account from a hazy SUNSHINE (orange) memory of
the shows, let me tell you a little about what led up to the show.
First off this was back before computers and mail order tixs. Hell if
i'm right I don't think we were suppose to tape back then. So anyway i
was at the Tichetron outlet at Macys sometime in Feb. 72 I was getting
tixs for The Byrds & Dave Mason at the Academy I go in the door and
there's about 10 to 15 HEADS arguing with the woman behind the
counter, I ask someone whats up they tell me the Dead are doing 6
shows in March at the Academy. Since there were no other shows
scheduled before Europe this did indeed seem ODD. Then I remember that
back in Jan, Jerry did 2 shows at the Academy with Howard Wales and a
bunch of assholes were yelling out Dead songs from what I was told he
was PISSED. He said he was going to come back and BLOW THE DOORS OFF
THE PLACE. Sorry for the ramblin. But after being in the middle of
this arguement at Ticketron finally its 9 AM she turns on her terminal
and up pops the Dead at the Academy for I think 6 nights. Well I was
lucky to get EXCELLENT seats for 2 nights ( all the money my poor 15
yo ass had on me at the time) the 25th wasn'nt scheduled at this time.
Later in the week it was added on as a Jerry & freinds benifit to get
Sonny Barger out of jail. I managed to scalp a tix at the show that
night. The night began at about 6 PM when about 50 Angels came riding
down 14th street on their bikes leading a Black Stagecoach it stops in
front of the Academy and out pops Jerry to walk in the front doors
like he Owned the place. At this point at the middle of the shows yes
he Did Own not only the Academy but also a lot of our Respect for how
Awesome these shows were. when I got in I think it was like 7:10 they
were already on stage with Bo. I thought I remember at least 2 more
sets after the 1 with him
more to come
brian todd
wrote:
Man, for us folks that were just too young to partake then, thanks for
taking the time to express your recollection!!!