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    clayv
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    "Cause it's always like that with the Dead, you know - it's always the whole thing." - News Journal

    As we close out the 2019 Dave Pick's series, we deliver on our promise to give you the "whole thing" with the complete performance from The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 3/24/73 and what a show it was! An upstanding "musical eulogy" to the recently departed Pigpen, the Grateful Dead conducted a potent study in contrasts on this bittersweet night. They found easy balance between tidy jams like "They Love Each Other," "Wave That Flag," "Playing In The Band," and introspective moments on "Stella Blue," "Sing Me Back Home," and a poignant "He's Gone." It was all laid down with a discipline and a polish unheard of in any of the truly exceptional shows that had come before it. Yes, you might say, they cleaned up nice to carry on the legacy as Pig would have wanted.

    Limited to 20,000 numbered copies, DAVE’S PICKS VOLUME 32: THE SPECTRUM, PHILADELPHIA, PA 3/24/73 has been mastered to HDCD specs from the 7" and 10" reels by Jeffrey Norman.

    GET IT WHILE YOU CAN

    *Limited to 2 per order. Very limited quantity available.

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  • LedDed
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    Just beer me, dammit...

    I've actually largely given up beer, my preferred drink being fine whisky in the winter and vodka in the summer. However, certain situations still call for beer. Living in Colorado, the beer capital of the world, one has been overwhelmed with good fortune for decades now as the beer gods have been smiling down upon our plethora of outstanding craft breweries and their tasting rooms.

    I happened upon a media credential for the GABF (that's Great American Beer Festival, to the uninitiated) for the better part of ten years until 2018, which I took off, and 2019 which I attended as a civilian. We got into all the VIP events, tastings, after hours affairs, brunches and - most importantly - every session, four in all. Midway through day two, it took a little taste of the Peruvian just to keep powering through it all. Ah, those were heady times...

    There are so many beers in so many styles, the world of beer has become almost overwhelming. It's like wine now, where you have food pairings. After numerous sessions of focusing on fruit beers, or medal winners only, or regional favorites, I've come to the realization that my preferred beers are Short Line Lagers.

    That is, any big beer (8% or above only, please) that one can walk right up to and sample a pour. At the end of the day, those beers are as good as any. It's all subjective anyway.

    Cheers!

  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    Malts, liquors, malt liquors, avages and 1977 Grateful Dead

    I used to drink Micky's Big Mouth when I was 16, before I knew better. I woke up one morning and about six hours of the night before had been magically erased.. what a bad feeling. Back then.. Heineken, Becks and Bass Ale were as good as you could get where I lived. At any price. Good beer was simply not available, nor was good coffee, good weed.. well I digress.

    I drink less beer now because it adds lbs too easily, still.. it is lower alcohol so it's good when I don't want to wake up with a headache. More red wine (good red wine) and unfortunately I have acquired a taste for really good tequila (extra anejo) and on rare occasions really good bourbons and every now and again good scotch. I really try to steer clear of liquor, but hey.. I'm human.

    I wish I drank less.. so far this year I am doing amazing well with restraint. There are a couple alternative items which I dare not mention or they will delete my posts again that are safer, non addictive and a hell of a lot less damaging to your body and mind. Unfortunately I am often too busy to get zonked out so they are fewer and farther between. Geeze.. I am not a fan of censorship, you end up masking what you say and write.

    Over and out.. have a great weekend all. Dipping my big toe back into 1977.. halfway through the June Winterland run. Man, there has been a lot of 77 released. 77 used to be my favorite year. I don't know.. 1977 is sort of like dating a supermodel.. it's great for a while but eventually you crave something that's imperfectly brilliant in it's own way, the '85 discussion is a perfect example, I might substitute '74 or '68. I have a high opinion of 1985, my opinion mirrors Angry Jack and Oroborous'.

  • icecrmcnkd
    Joined:
    Malt Liquor

    Never drank OE800.
    But have had my share of Mickey’s Big Mouths.

    In 89 Schlitz (blue bull on label) came out with Red Bull (not the energy drink). Schlitz Red Bull was a higher alcohol version of the blue bull. You had to choke down about 1/3 of the bottle before the alcohol started to take effect and made you forget how bad it tasted.

    But then we found Midnight Dragon, $0.99/40 oz.....
    Wow, that stuff could take you places.

  • icecrmcnkd
    Joined:
    Beer talk

    Something to discuss during the lull in releases.
    A lot of us seem to like beer, and we are super lucky to have the huge variety of craft brews to enjoy. Funny that craft brew is only about 24% of the U.S. beer market. When I drink quality craft beer I pee out Miller Lite.

    Estimated-Eyes:
    Bell’s Bright White is just Winter White with a new name and label. That’s the wheat beer I drink when I can’t get Oberon.

    Slowdog Noodle:
    Drinking a 3 Floyd’s right now.
    When I was at Fare Thee Well I was at a beer store a few blocks west of Soldier Field. An employee was on the phone with someone who asked if they had any Zombie Dust and another employee said there was some in the back. I asked if I could have a 6-pack and they said yes. I didn’t drink alcohol during the show but as soon as I got back to McCormick Place I pulled one out of the fridge and it was awesome. Drank Zombie Dust and Oberon those nights after the shows.

    Sammy Smiths.
    Ice cold and $5 as you exited the venue. They were awesome then, but a few years ago I bought some and they pretty much sucked compared to what we are drinking now.

    Funny, I saw Jai Alai Fronton in Bolo’s message and knew it didn’t mean Happy New Years, and just figured he was being a prankster. Never clued in that it was a clue.

    Beer and small venues:
    Anyone remember the band Box Set in the 90’s? One of the members, Jeff Pehrson, later was a backup singer in Furthur.
    I saw Box Set play at Great Basin brewing in Sparks, NV in the late 90’s.

  • mhammond12
    Joined:
    Stoltzy

    Any Olde English 800 is an over do. Liquid seconal.

  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    Leboski

    Some story.. wow. Glad it all turned out ok. Were the rental units involved in the aftermath?

    Stoltzy.. ah, OE800 overdose. That could sour anyone. Honestly, I would probably be better off if the same happened to me..

    Aren't we due for the official DaP 33 roll-out complete w/ seaside chat, song listing and another episode of Distracted Dave, our beloved vested crusader.

  • daverock
    Joined:
    Monterey

    Great clip of the band at Monterey. Wonder where that's been all these years?

  • Lovemygirl
    Joined:
    *Re/ thanks & something new 🙏❤️😎

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0FsuN6sFPP5wnyG…

    🙏❤️😎 enjoy my brothers & sisters 💀🌹

  • lebowski99
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    Portland 85

    Angry Jack, you are right about that Portland show. It was a gorgeous sunny day and then it snowed during the show. I remember it well because it was also my first show.

    Walking around town with the gathering fleet of other dead heads made quite an impression on me at 19. It was like some stoner wonderland.

    The band opened with Music Never Stopped, a song I knew from Blues for Allah, but I was such a novice that I remember wondering where the girl singer was. (Also, where was the sax?) Ha! Garcia's clear tone hit me right away, though, just delicately plucking at my limbic system.

    Between sets, we moved from the floor to some seats off to the side to meet up with some other friends. My roommate decided to eat more paper. Later, when drums started, he began walking up and down the stairs, looking a little anxious.

    When Space hit, he started jumping two or three rows down into some empty seats below us. Head first. Fortunately, he was a former high school gymnast and was still slender and wiry. So he somehow avoided injury. He must have done this three times before we could grab him. But we couldn't hold him long. When Day Tripper started, he took off into the portal out by the refreshment stands. He must have decided he was hot, because he started stripping off his clothes. He got down to his skivvies before the cops saw him and gave chase.

    Panicked, he burst through an exit door and into the snow. A cop tackled him and held him down by his arms. ( I was right behind them. Fully clothed.) My buddy still squirmed in resistance so the cop wadded up some snow and pushed it into my friend's face. Being a naïve white suburban kid, I grabbed the cop's arm. Somehow he didn't punch me. I even managed to convince him that I could calm my buddy down and the cop eased up a bit. At this point, though, my buddy was nearly catatonic, so the cop put us both into the back of his car - gently- and drove us to the hospital.

    I was worried about what was going to happen, but the ER docs put my friend in a back room and gave him Thorazine. About 30 minutes later, he was back to normal, if a little slow. Somehow, our other friends found us at the hospital and we managed to drive back to school at about 30 miles an hour through the snow.

    My buddy never saw another show or ate any more paper, but he turned out quite well. About 30 years later, he managed to sell the company he founded for over 75 million and retired at 52.

    I've revisited the show on you tube and while it doesn't hold up that well - the china doll was a total train wreck- Garcia does a little post china doll jam that is very interesting. And it definitely brought me back for more.

    Pardon for the long post.

  • stoltzfus
    Joined:
    incredible but true

    I haven't had a beer since 1983

    a over-do with Old English 800 made beer (and alcohol in general) verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry unattractive.

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"Cause it's always like that with the Dead, you know - it's always the whole thing." - News Journal

As we close out the 2019 Dave Pick's series, we deliver on our promise to give you the "whole thing" with the complete performance from The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 3/24/73 and what a show it was! An upstanding "musical eulogy" to the recently departed Pigpen, the Grateful Dead conducted a potent study in contrasts on this bittersweet night. They found easy balance between tidy jams like "They Love Each Other," "Wave That Flag," "Playing In The Band," and introspective moments on "Stella Blue," "Sing Me Back Home," and a poignant "He's Gone." It was all laid down with a discipline and a polish unheard of in any of the truly exceptional shows that had come before it. Yes, you might say, they cleaned up nice to carry on the legacy as Pig would have wanted.

Limited to 20,000 numbered copies, DAVE’S PICKS VOLUME 32: THE SPECTRUM, PHILADELPHIA, PA 3/24/73 has been mastered to HDCD specs from the 7" and 10" reels by Jeffrey Norman.

GET IT WHILE YOU CAN

*Limited to 2 per order. Very limited quantity available.

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Just fyi friends...the "Warlocks 1989 Box" is available for only $19.99 via digital download here on site...One of my fav runs from fall 89--incredible buy....great version of "Death Don't Have No Mercy" --10/9/89

Merry Christmas!

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This book is an underrated, illuminating read. Like most of Crowley's output it can be rambling and inconsistent at times, however bookended by brilliance.

I gave it as a gift for the second time this Christmas, to another fiend - er, friend. Anyone interested check it out. Most aspects of the man's life have been stereotyped and sensationalized.

Merry Christmas everyone!

\m/

Nice to see old Edgar Rice Burroughs pop up on here earlier in the week. Our reach is wide indeed. You often read that although Burroughs wrote all those Tarzan books set in Africa, he never actually went to Africa himself. Although he also wrote many science fiction books too, no one ever says that he never actually went to Mars. Makes you think.

Happy Christmas one and all !

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Two great Christmas songs, Merry Christmas Baby by Charles Brown and Santa Claus by Sonny Boy Williamson. Right now listening to T Bone Walker 1940-1954 on Mosaic Records, great box set. T Bone Walker influenced B. B. King, Eric Claption, Jimi Hendrix and so many many more great guitar players. Merry Christmas folks,, have fun.

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My wife either really loves me or she secretly loves the GOGD despite her complaints. She got me the subwoofer that I wanted, and this thing is going to make the house shake...lots of Phil Bombs in my future!!!

Merry Christmas Dead People...Have a safe and happy holiday!!!

KCJ

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War is Over! if you want it
Happy Christmas from John & Yoko

Still has meaning 49 years later

“Merry merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, lets hope it’s a good one, without any fear” .
Thank you David Lemieux , Steve Vance, Ivette Ramos at Rhino. You helped me achieve one of my dreams. To the Grateful Dead, thank you for helping to create a better World.
To fellow Dead Heads. Don’t ever let anyone break your spirit. (Collective and individual) .

It snowed overnight here on the “old Pecos Trail”.

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Have a Grateful Christmas everyone!

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May the new year bring peace, prosperity and happiness.

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Going back a few threads here . Looks like the official unnofficial story on Townsend's Gretsch 6120 and its infrequent stage appearences is that it was too difficult to keep in tune:

http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/gear/guitar/gretsch.html

Which brings me to another thought that has frequently crossed my mind since I've gotten into the Grateful Dead hardcore. Why do they have so many problems keeping their instruments in tune? Is it because they never swap out instruments in the middle of a show? That would be my guess. You go to a concert nowadays and there's no time spent tuning instruments between every third song. But still there non swap instruments that much. Thinking back to Alex lifeson on the Hold Your Fire tour, and he used that white guitar with the little circular emblem on it the entire show pretty much. Or Trevor Rabin and and that funky customized strat (?) he used the majority of his days with Yes.

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Everyone here on this site makes my day more fun, happier, and often more informed. Thanks all for great ideas and comments throughout the year. May we all have a fun, prosperous, peaceful new year.

Listening to last year's stadium box (was it last year?) Sugaree is kicking off the second set. Gonna cook a Christmas day ommlete for family and open presents. Shake it, Sugaree.

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jerry xmas and a happy new weir to yall beautiful freaks

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To all you turkeys out there, happy holidays and a drunk new year's. Peace. P.S.- thanks to you know who on the Woodstock box. Right on.

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Hope all have a fantastic holiday and New Year!

Keithfan, the instruments largely go out of tune due to conditions such as weather like heat and humidity in outdoor shows and indoor shows as well. It could also be the instruments themselves. The Gretsch in this instance has a whammy bar, and whammy bars are notorious for sending guitars out of tune with usage. Also, Townshend is not exactly a light player on his strings, and he bends them quite a bit while playing, as well as attacking them with a windmill motion. There's many jokes about bass players not tuning up for years at a time, which is hyperbole, but basses usually stay in tune longer, despite longer necks, and longer strings, as long as they are set up correctly, so you'll likely see more guitars being tuned at a show than a bass. Technology has made the guitars sturdier and more stable, but those conditions can still send the guitars out of tune. Why the Dead took so incredibly long to tune up is another question. I would bet that they tuned so often between songs due to Jerry bending strings on solos, and Phil having perfect pitch. It probably drove him nuts hearing out of tune guitars. Just a supposition there. Hope that helps!

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… the new-ish pink Floyd box set - the later years. Big sticker proclaims "limited edition",,,, I can't find what the limit is?

Anyone?

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Hi folks...hope everyone had a swell Christmas...we had about four inches of snow fall here at the edge of the world which compared to the nearly two feet that fell for Thanksgiving was quite doable...anyway for my anniversary show today I will be listening to 12-26-70 El Monte Legion Stadium...the start of a three night run which I was lucky enough to attend...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2hmh579Cd8

a lot of changes going on as "Workingman's Dead" had been released the previous June and "American Beauty" had just been released in November...Happy New Year to all and rock on...

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Taking you up on your offer, however I'm opting for the Terrapin>Drums>Space>UJB segment. Thanks for the recommendation! :-)

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There's still a lot of tuning going on during shows, but everyone has pedals now and bypass the house while they're tuning, so you don't hear it.

Last 5:
Winterland '73: - 12-9-73
Giants Box: one of the 89 shows
Neil Young: Harvest
King Oliver
Charlie Parker

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In reply to by Slow Dog Noodle

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I can't get enough of the 5 Disc release of the Grateful Dead movie soundtrack. Multi Track Wall of Sound music. Is there anything better than this. Disc four has one of my all time favorite Uncle John's Band. The energy is unreal.
Recorded by Bill Wolf. Who was he? I don't remember that name.
I know it has been talked about for years, but these five nights with video would be a box dream come true. We know the tapes are there.

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Is a primo 1974 performance, every time I give it a listen I can’t help but smile smile smile! 🙏❤️😎🌹💀🌹💀

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aka Dick's Picks 5

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Anybody else excited about the Cream "Farewell Tour" 4-cd set coming in February? It should come soon after Dave's 33, so 2020 is all ready to get us started early.
Music is the best!!

Yes, I'm looking forward to this one, too. There have been a few dodgy Cream releases over the last year or so ( ie Detroit 1967-great playing - average sound), but this new one looks like the real deal.

I haven't played 26/12/79 this year yet, but that's a great second set. Rocking Alabama-Promised Land to close set 1, too. It dove tails nicely into 12/28/79-a Road Trips release as well. Good synth playing from Brent in both second sets, as I recall.

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I didn't realize they sound checked Black-Throated Wind at that show. Interesting bit of trivia...

Thanks for the link P Hill.

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smokey the tiger

https://archive.org/details/gd1981-12-27.143630.fob.beyer.m160.streeter…

Set I
New Minglewood Blues >
Sugaree
Cassidy
Deep Elem Blues >
C.C. Rider
Friend Of The Devil
Passenger
Althea >
Looks Like Rain >
Deal
Set II
Samson & Delilah
To Lay Me Down >
Playing In The Band >
Drums >
Space >
The Wheel >
Playing In The Band Reprise >
Wharf Rat >
Sugar Magnolia

Encore:
It's All Over Now Baby Blue

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Thanks for the thoughtful guitar tuning reply. You know what else just came to mind - I've read some stuff about how difficult it used to be to keep Keith's piano in tune (even the elecric stuff he was using by the late '70s; the Egypt run was notorious for it). Maybe he was the troublemaker.

I can imagine them carting around the grand piano by the time they hit the road for the wall of Sound tour, but I wonder if he was stuck playing some house piano at other places in '72 (in '71 he used a stand up, which you can prominently on a lot of those October recordings, like DaP 3).

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74 bermuda triangle
81 salt lake city
72 kansas city
69 electric factory

maybe gainsville

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Good call on the China Rider from the DaP 14 Bonus Disc. You made it a while ago but I'm listening to it now. It's actually a great self-contained one disc chunk of Dead. AOM March '72 for anyone with a head full of bong weed.

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thats right folks it is time for another game of guess that dead show

funiculi funicula
you can call me ray or you can call me jay or you can call me r j j or you can call me johnny or you can call me jaimey or you can juney but you doesnt have to call me johnson
when they come to take you down etc

first prize will be a funky winterbean golf ball and a handful of flinstones vitamins
two dinosaur and 3 bam bams

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In reply to by daverock

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Love that band.

But it looks to me like you are essentially getting four identical concerts. Mehhh.

At least throw in a Tales of Brave Ulysses or Badge in one of the shows.

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gimme blind faith or harmony row any day at that

ive worn out a few copies of ginger bakers stratovarious yet in my younger daze

gem of an album

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word on the street is the aniversary album will come with a bonus disc

that one is a good listen always has been always willbee

although i still wish they had stuck with calling it go to hell with the black suits and flames and what have you

dog gone arista

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You can't get four identical concerts with improvisational live bands. Even if the setlists are very similar. I was also disappointed to see the Cream set lists, but there must be something there worth releasing. I would hate to think that Clapton is allowing this to be put out just to help the Baker and Bruce families. He could do that himself, he's worth $300 million.

A case in point (beyond the obvious - GD) is that last Hendrix box. Many songs played multiple times, but each take quite different from the others, which allows each show to feel like a fresh listen even with songs being repeated.

Where I really learned to appreciate Cream was their initial box, Those Were The Days. Go buy it now and be blown away. The radio never plays anything beyond White Room and Sunshine, and there was so, so much more.

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I have to agree with ledded. Cream is similar to the dead and Hendrix when it comes to live shows. They may have the same songs but each is very different in a great way. Just dont listen to them in row. Give each live concert venue a day apart.

Even the four FW69 shows had more variety in the setlists. All I am saying.

It still remains one of their top two releases.

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Another point of view is that the more limited the set lists, the more expansive the playing. A bit of a generalisation,but sometimes, certainly with The Dead from 1968 to mid 1969, dedication to a relatively short amount of songs meant that they stretched and recreated those songs in ways they might not have done had they been played more sparingly. Sometimes, maybe the more extensive and varied the set lists are, the more trivial the playing of those songs becomes.
I don't agree with this all the time...its just another way of looking at things.

Having said that, those Cream set lists do look very samey ! The 4 cd Humble Pie Live at the Fillmore East 1971 features essentially the same set 4 times over...and although its a blinding set, and sounds fantastic ( much better than the single disc edition) I would be lying through my teeth if I told you I could tell the difference between one set and another. So fingers crossed with Cream - it has to be bought, no question.

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6/9/1977, what a show! Is there a better Franklin's Tower? I don't know. The whole box is just so damn good. So, we have DeKalb in about a month or so and the Dave's 34 announcement should be coming soon. Looking forward to more releases and another box set in 9 months.

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Is there a better Help-Slipknot-Franklins? If there is, I haven't heard it.

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Music - is it an addiction? Is addiction bad? Does addiction mean loss of control and will, or just total surrender to that which inspires one's muse? Can one be addicted to something good? Or must the line be drawn at being an "aficionado, enthusiast, or fan?"

It would indeed be good to have a Brave Ulysses or Badge on those Cream sets... but, alas, there isn't. Folks might be surprised to know that Clapton has dug deep into the bag over the years and pulled out stellar live renditions on the Crossroads I and II sets, as well as his Crossroads Guitar Festival lp's and assorted other live releases, paying homage to Cream.

God bless Eric Clapton. There have been uninspired releases over the years to be sure, but there's plenty of that from any artist of that era. McCartney, The Who and the Stones have put out their fair share of crap.

I got guitar playing buddies who are "bored" by Clapton. My theory is it's because he wrote the goddamn book on blues-rock soloing and the licks everyone has stolen came off of that tree.

Anyway, to each his own, but I love Eric Clapton. Going back and watching that Cream reunion from a few years ago it's striking that he is all that remains, but he is still strong and I hope he will remain on limited display for a while longer.

\m/

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