Road Trips Volume 2 Number 1
Shows
Madison Square Garden - September 14, 1990
Madison Square Garden - September 15, 1990
Madison Square Garden - September 16, 1990
Madison Square Garden - September 18, 1990
Madison Square Garden - September 19, 1990
Madison Square Garden - September 20, 1990
More Road Trips
Madison Square Garden: September '90
2 Disc Set + Bonus Disc
To kick off Volume 2 of our Road Trips series, we're making our first foray into the '90s-specifically, the extraordinary Madison Square Garden run from September of 1990!
You'll recall the unusual historical circumstances surrounding this famous series of shows: In July, Brent Mydland had died tragically after a glorious 11-year stint as the Dead's keyboardist. With both the band and Dead Heads in shock, a few planned summer shows were cancelled, and it looked as though the group's long-scheduled tour of Europe might be in jeopardy, as well. But then, two things happened: friend and fellow traveler Bruce Hornsby, already well-versed in the band's music, volunteered to venture into the breach temporarily once his summer tour was over; next, the group settled on former Tubes keys man Vince Welnick to step into Brent's big shoes on a permanent basis. Fortunately, he was a quick study! By early September, Vince had played his first shows with the Dead (in Cleveland and Philadelphia), and then the band moved on to Madison Square Garden -- always one of the most magical places the group played-- for a series of six shows spanning September 14-20, before jetting off for the big European tour.
Bruce joined the band beginning with the second concert in that series, and immediately the chemistry of this new septet was apparent. Bruce was a bold and assertive player who really pushed the band--and particularly Garcia--in some fascinating new directions, and the combination of his grand piano and Vince's electronic keyboard textures made for a big and dynamic sound. There were smiles all around as the new unit found its footing and with surprising confidence ushered in a new era of Grateful Dead music before roaring New York crowds!
Back in 1997, our late, great vaultmaster Dick Latvala pegged the September 16, 1990 Garden show to be Dick's Picks Vol. 9, but many fans of the run have long believed that the hottest shows from MSG that year were actually the two concluding concerts, September 19 and 20. So, for this Road Trips we offer some two-and-a-half hours of high energy rock 'n' roll and intense jamming from the second sets of 9/19-20 (as well as the moving "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" encore from 9/18). Included are spacey and beautifully developed journeys through "Dark Star" and "Playing in the Band"; a rare second set "Let It Grow" that rolls into a fantastic improvisation that really shows off the chops of the "new" band; a rousing "Uncle John's Band"; rockin' tunes like "Truckin'" and "Turn on Your Lovelight," and more. The spirit and life on these tracks is amazing! You can find the entire track listing below. As always, the discs have been expertly mastered to HDCD by our own Jeffrey Norman, and the package includes a 16-page booklet with lots o' groovy pix and an essay about the shows by Dan Levy.
OK, by now you probably know the drill: Order your copy today by going here!
Track List
Disc One - 9/20/90 and 9/19/90
Truckin'>
China Cat Sunflower>
I Know You Rider
Playing In The Band>
Ship of Fools>
Playing In The Band>
Uncle John's Band>
Let It Grow>
Jam>
Disc Two - 9/20/90
…Jam>
Dark Star>
Playing In The Band>
Dark Star>
Throwing Stones>
Touch Of Grey
Turn On Your Lovelight
Knockin' On Heaven's Door (encore 9/18/90)
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Comments
What? Stupid Pig Pen etc?
I am going to throw in my two cents and humbly. My name is Bob Mihm I live in Miami As a journalism major in 1972 I was a "stringer" meaning for a free ticket and 5 or ten bucks I would go to a concert and the press conference afterwards, write a quick piece phone it in to my editor and then it would place in Hit Parade, Rolling Stone The Zoo etc. I never saw the Dead live but probably saw and met about 40 other "name" bands. Later I played bass in several south Florida bands and watched some of my band mate's go onto fame and fortune. I still, as probably many people here, play and jam with my friends and consider myself a competent musician. Why would anybody trash Pig and especially Donna /Keith? Jerry and the boys would never allow anybody not tops in their field to be in the band.
A friend gave me a copy of May 77 Cornell show and I was shocked. First Keith's playing is finally mixed properly and it is lovely to hear. Phil's Bass playing is from another world in fact I hold up the Dancin>Scarlet >etc> Morning Dew as the finest rock bass guitar work ever. Donna's vocals are excellent. Even my two older sons who are heavy metal musicians on tour and were here for Thanksgiving were blown away.
I love the complete shows ! The audience talking, tuning, the miscues I close my eyes and I am there. I also love the Road Trips which are great ways to introduce people to the Dead. So powers that be --more complete show down loads and more DVDs.
And the road goes on forever....
BobbaLee
Rhino does it again.
Being the obsessive Dead Head that I am, I will get this new "release" to keep my collection of official releases complete, and I'll even listen to it from time to time as it rotates through my playlist.
But I already have all these shows complete. Pristine sound board recordings made from first gen master tapes and remastered by the super kind folks that make up the taper/trader community. Thank God for tapers. I love you all.
Rhino needs to listen to the folks that have been following the Grateful Dead for as long as some of us have. (12-29-1968) And really focus on releasing complete shows mastered off those multi track tapes sitting in the vault. The compilations are nice but there is nothing like a complete show from beginning to end, warts and all. It's what we crave, what we spend hours online serching for and downloading, lovingly cataloging each show, remembering the ones we were at, being grateful we can listen to the ones we missed. Hopefully the good people at Rhino that the guys have entrusted their legacy to will understand that and release more full shows in the future.
"When I die bury me deep, put two speakers at my feet, pair of ear phones on my head, and always play The Grateful Dead."
I'm gonna have to pass...
Ever since I got tapes of the 9-19 show years ago it has long been one of my favorite shows to listen to. I think it gets the short end of the stick on this release, and agree with other posts that to do this justice there should be full show releases. I love the first set stuff from 9-19, the Big River is one of the longest the Dead played, with Hornsby egging the band on, Bertha features very pointed "accents" during the solo, even and extra solo on Me And My Uncle, but none of this in on this release, so I think this release really misses the boat. I have bought a number of the recent releases, so, like others, while I appreciate the stuff coming out, just drop the Road Trips and give us full shows. Especially on shows like this where I can't imagine the excuse that there aren't complete shows in the Vault can possibly be true when I have an awesome and complete copy of the 9-19 show. Just my two cents...
HDCD finally appreciated
I have an all disc player that plays HDCD, SACD and DVD audio, so I now can really appreciate the HDCD, when it is encoded, it really makes everthing better
Jim
John 3:16
brent mydland
deserves as much homage as can be heaped upon an artist. the drunk womanizing blues stuff was not too good and always seemed out of character to me, but it was part of who brent was and what he brought ..... to the band. he was amazing. nobody, one more time, nobody, has ever made the B shimmer and honk and rock, fast and slow, as did brent. his analog synths, his ep playing, and here and now the fondest of memories are upon me, fall-eighty-radio-city, jerry with his martin bobby w his guild and brent ...... at the baby grand. he tickled it sweet as could be and then .... never returned to it for all his tenure in the band. brent was incredible. an incredible fantastic virtuoso musician. he was in the pocket from his first show. 4-22-79. and he sang like a bird. listen to a winter-seventy-nine st. circ's and pay close attention to the high harmonies on 'sure don't know what i'm going for but i'm gonna go for it for sure ...' chills. then fast forward to the first 'the weight,' 03-28-90, second verse. brent takes it, and he sings it so hauntingly, and so sweet, he says:
I picked up my bag, I went lookin' for a place to hide.
When I saw Carmen and the devil, they were walkin' side by side.
I said 'hey Carmen, c'mon let's go down town.'
She said I gotta go, but my friend can stick around.
shiver.
six months later the 'friend' got him. too much bad stuff in his arm. i never understood why he, and jerry, and others, needed, need, to get SOOOOOO HHHHHHIIIIIIIIGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!????
his shoes were unfillable, dare i say almost to the extent that jerry's were.
beenWAYtoolongatsea
*ack!*
Yes. yes... It sounds *great*. Back in "the day" we would have lost it to have audio of this quality. But, that's what makes it all the more frustrating.
WHY can't we have the complete show ???
WHAT is the reasoning behind this madness ??
whole gig notion, whole gig nation
yeah! love stuff from 80's / 90's...and I'd like to see THE VERY LAST GIG on cd no matter what quality...I'd also like to see whole gigs dix pix style..will this dream ever come true?
ordered my copy...can't wait to lay me hands on it!
Merry XMas everybody!
I'd Have To Give This One Thumbs Down
Like others have said these shows should be released in their entirety. I also have killer copy's of this show (A matrix so I can hear us hootin' and a hoolerin' thru every night) If there was a '90 Garden box set I'd buy it, but this I'll pass on. Check Out My Orignal Music at myspace.com/salaversano
roadtrips???????????
More like LIRR trips for these shows.
One good ride from start to end, I'd like to take that ride again.
beenwaytoolong..
I am so with you on the Brent appreciation. I miss him as much as Jerry, maybe more.