Grateful Dead

Bearing in mind that when I saw the Doors at the Isle of Wight Festival was almost 50 years ago and at was considered to be one of the largest gatherings of humankind ever - and I was perched on a hillside so far away that I could listen but not see the bands (I would have needed the visual resolution of an eagle), I can honestly say I have absolutely no idea if their sound was thin. I do know that I was never particularly impressed by their mixture of sounds - both Krieger and Manzarek were idiosyncratic players and I considered Morrison to be an asshole. If my memory serves me well, not a word was spoken between songs during their set which did not help to endear me to them. Not a high point in my musical experiences.

That is so funny. Yes 50 years will minimize a memory along with the actual physical distance experienced at that time will, likewise, negatively affect the enjoyment of it all. It is funny that there was an absence of band to audience communication from the band during that performance because The Doors Absolutely Live is resplendent with Morrison's funny and provocative comments. Jim did get a bad reputation at that time for too many things. When I read about some of the things he did then I can see why he was thought of as an asshole. When you read about, say, The Who's performances at that time and then catch The Doors on a Jim is too drunk night it is easy to understand why they would be a big disappointment. I would want a refund.

As I said, it was a long time ago but I do seem to remember a total absence of stage banter. However, it seems that clarification is possible - Mr.Dc and jrf68 have both posted that the Isle of Wight performance is available to download. A quick listen should reveal the truth. As for drunken performances I have witnessed, The Kinks' shambolic, drunken "performance" at the Bickershaw Festival (Europe '72!) will forever top my list. "Banana boat song" anyone? Good to see a video of Captain Beefheart on here. His Bickershaw performance, unlike that of the Kinks, was one of the most amazing musical experiences it has been my good fortune to witness.

....shame that Jim was drunk off his ass most of the time. Still. Dude could sing. And yell. And screech with the best of them. Cutting edge for the time. As far as him being an asshole. Don't know. Never met him. The old get old and the young get stronger.... your ballroom days are over baby. Example of Jim's voice https://youtu.be/BRX5NGG8MBI One of my favorite Doors songs.... psychedelic lounge music

.... cranking some Doors as we speak. Just another lost angel in the city of lights. Imagine if Morrison....

I've been so blessed with friends and past girlfriends who have shaped so much of me and my life. One older friend was a fixture on the Hollywood scene in the mid-to-late 60s and swears Morrison was such an obnoxious prick in public most of the time, doing whatever it took to assure he was the center of attention whether it be good or bad. Upstaging other bands on stage from the first rows, drunk, etc. No matter. The guy was obviously one of those too bright fireballs streaking across the sky, gracing us with his presence and his art like a Scott Weiland, Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, etc. Some set of balls on that 27 club - whoa. \m/

I've never heard anything sloppy by them. The fact of the matter is they don't have many live albums, and the ones they do have don't sound thin. Curious what you heard MrDC? I woulld guess that the live Who everyone is touting here may include the following releases: Live At Leeds Live At Hull Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970 Live At The Young Vic The Kids Are Alright Movie Soundtrack A View From A Back Stage Pass And then there were some bonus tracks here and there. Most of the albums I mentioned were released way after their original breakup in '82. I wouldn't count anything they did without Moon in a discussion of the Who's renowned live repertoire. I suspect Mr DC, you may have heard Who's Last (this DOES sound thin, but it's post-Moon). Or any number of shows that were released long after Moon's passing.

I believe that when The Doors played Isle Wight Jim was facing prison time in the U.S. and wasn’t really in good spirits (according to a documentary whose name I don’t currently remember, but has been played a few times recently on MTV Live).

....but if some other wild child says they met such subject, and I haven't, I take it with a grain of salt. Call me strange, but I don't judge unless I've met the one being judged. People Are Strange indeed....edit. Morrison faced such accusations because he didn't pull punches. A person of his mentality would be slammed hard in this day and age. A Rider On The Storm..... Then again. Who's Next. Athena.

Of those I have only heard Leeds and the Isle of Wight, definitely going to check those others out. I'd agree that the who's live recordings don't sound thin (maybe some vocals do), but the few I have listened to did seem quite jarring/harsh on the ears. I guess my sloppy comment is subjective, one mans jarring slopfest is anothers high energy power spectacle. Another thing to consider is that I really enjoy alot of their studio recordings so hearing them try to just replicate those with more energy/distortion doesn't really do much for me. As I stated some may like that rawer punk sound for their Who music even more, and that's understandable. I'm not opposed to heavy music or even poor sounding recordings (of which there are many examples of both that I love), but I'll personally take this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah66Jji74Tk over this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHpdcMXJj7Q any day.

....Jerry

"Fiddle About" ewww...fucking gross man. also 4/9/91 Orlando Arena: really like phil's sound on this one. probly the most I like about early 90's is phil's bass sound. <3

Ray Charles version... If you can listen to this and not get teary eyed, there is something wrong with you. Has anybody here seen my old friend Abraham? Can you tell me where he's gone? He freed a lot of people, But the good they die young, 'Cause I looked around one day, and the man was gone, what a shame, he was gone. Listen...anybody here seen my old friend Martin? Can you tell me where the man gone? He freed a lot of people, But it seems the good die young, I turned my head one day and the man was gone, he was gone. Didn't you love the things that they stood for? Didn't they try to find some good for you and me? And we'll be free...someday soon, it's gonna be one day. Has anybody here seen my old friend John? Ooohh...can you tell me where he's gone? He freed a lot of people, But it seems the good die young, Cause I turned around one day and the man was gone, just like that, he was gone. Did you love the things they stood for. Did they try to find some good for you and me And we'll be free, someday soon, it's gonna be one day... Has anybody here seen my old friend Bobby? Can you tell me where he's gone? I thought I saw him walkin' Up over the hill, With ol' man Abraham, and I believe I saw Martin, and his brother John...

I prefer the Dion DiMucci recording. I get teary-eyed with just about anyone's recording/performance of this highly emotional song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDOmf5ER0-M "Abraham, Martin and John" is a 1968 song written by Dick Holler and first recorded by "Dion" DiMucci. It is a tribute to the memory of four assassinated Americans, all icons of social change, namely Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy. It was written in response to the assassinations of King and the younger Kennedy in April and June 1968. Dion's recording was released in August 1968 by Laurie Records. I think that this song would have worked very well for Jerry Garcia and almost as well for the Grateful Dead.

I'm partial to Ray Charles, but the sentiment remains the same... I guess I am a bit biased, because Ray decided to release this track, along with other relevant songs in light of the 9/11 attacks, on his "Ray Charles Sings For America" CD, which really hit home for me, as I was still breathing in the aftermath of that day for many months after, and Ray was telling me it was OK to be a NYer and stay...

Keep your California....it ain't got no Harlem Honky Tonk... 'Cause I been all these places, and I know ;)

Beautiful recordings by Ray Charles. As chance would have it, the last track I listened to last night-well-the early hours of the morning-was by Ray Charles. I had the television on with the sound down, listening to a cd, and he suddenly he appeared on the screen. I hastily turned the cd sound down and the tv sound up. It was a film called "Ballad in Blue" from 1964, and Ray was singing and playing Let The Good Times Roll. Great stuff.

I never saw The Doors live, but I used to love the first three albums when I was a teenager. They seemed to capture a mood that appealed to me, and I liked following up references that were made as supposed influences on Jims lyrics. Consequently, I started reading poems by William Blake, and dipped into Thus Spake Zarathustra by Nietzsche. I shamelessly over reached myself, I'll admit it. But The Doors seemed to go off after Waiting For The Sun. Apparently the first three were, in the main, composed during 1965, when Morrison was reportedly taking massive doses of acid on a regular basis. By the time the Doors became famous, he seems to have switched from acid to alcohol, and the well of inspiration seemed to have run dry. I get the impression that live, the main interest wasn't really musical, it was down to the charisma of Morrison. Which again, seemed to disappear in a puff of smoke quite early on.

Nice examples Mr DC, I get it now. That's cool, thanks for clarifying. The Who (to me) is one of the few bands who are an entirely different beast live than they are in the studio, and I like both. Usually with the bands I listen to, the live performances either sound the same or much better than the studio. I can't think of anyone else whose live sound is as much a departure from the studio as the Who, yet still every bit as good. Music is great. Maybe an announcement today.

Amen to that.

~ 4.21.78 ~ "The music never stopped" 4.9.70 4.9.83

LOVE IT! Finally away from the redundant and trite skeletons. Bright and colorful... upbeat.....

Albuquerque NM 11/17/71. Cool.

I like the Doors, but never took the deep dive. I think I put on The Soft Parade once and it didn't grab me. Beyond that I think Peace Frog / Blue Sunday and Hyacinth House are the only songs I know that aren't on the Doors Greatest Hits. I'll tell you what though, they were a lot of fun in college in the 90s, since the Oliver Stone movie came out. They had a huge resurgence in popularity, and the weed scene was nice in Maryland, so it was a great time. Lots of Doors covers bands hitting the local college bars. I remember being stoned and listening to this cover band play The End, and it was pure bliss. The Flying Club was the bar. heh. We lived in a house off campus, and one of the dudes living with me had Morrison Hotel, so Peace Frog kicked off a lot of drinking escapades. I can't say much about the quality of the older Doors records versus their later ones, except to say that L.A. Woman had some great songs that I consider among their best (Hyacinth House, L.A. Woman, Riders On The Storm, and Love Her Madly). Double Amen for an announcement today. Time it is.

I wonder if they'll do something similar with the upcoming box set. If it's a set they anticipate selling out within a day or two (like GSTL) I think it would be cool to give us a heads up of not so much what it is, but when it is so we don't have to refresh this site or our email every two min. Would be a shame to be on vacation or otherwise unplugged for a day or so and miss out! On another note, I love the new DaP cover art!

I wonder if they'll do something similar with the upcoming box set. If it's a set they anticipate selling out within a day or two (like GSTL) I think it would be cool to give us a heads up of not so much what it is, but when it is so we don't have to refresh this site or our email every two min. Would be a shame to be on vacation or otherwise unplugged for a day or so and miss out! On another note, I love the new DaP cover art!

Yes, I like this cover- a nice move away from the dying hues of Dap 25.

Seems like the best art lately has been on the singles series. Even though I don't have a turntable, I almost bought some singles just for the covers.

Regarding not being judgmental towards Morrison you have a point. For example if we saw some guy having an angry out burst moment which seemed inappropriate we might say "what an asshole." However, that same person might have been truly nice most of the other time -- so we should factor that in. They say in the news business "if it bleeds, it leads." There is no Good News Channel except for the prayer portion of The 700 club. With, say, a Morrison/Doors bio like No One Here Gets Out Alive we get a lot of the most sensational and outrageous moment in JimBos life which paints a picture as if that is the norm. Yet I have read stories of Jim being quite nice and kind to others too. He was offered big buck$$$ to leave The Doors and go solo, but, he did not want to dump and screw over his bandmates. Perhaps he knew better too that it would be laughable, probably, and the critics would destroy a solo attempt but he had loyalty too. That is a good thing. I do recommend The Doors Absolutely Live which also got re released with other live tracks as The Doors Live. Solid playing with Jim in fine, and, sober, form. He is quite witty at times in his stage banter -- a little self-deprecating sarcastic comments alluding to his trials and tribulations which were head line news at that time. I do recommend, likewise, delving deeper into their lesser known tracks because there are gems in there too. As already mentioned Peace Frog is a killer cut with a killer riff from Robbie and some self autobiographical lyrics from Jim referencing both his past and present. Val Kilmer did a great work in the Oliver Stone film. A late 71 Dave's which is an early Keith G show should be another stellar release. Thanks Dave! Now onto a new cool box.

I agree with your comments on Jim Morrison. Having spent most of my working life with people who had drug/alcohol problems, I would say that, on the whole, they were far nicer than those I have met without such problems. They were far better than they thought they were. And have become more missed than they expected to be.

This Is a good idea , now we know the exact time and date to be there at our computers,or have the cell phones on. I like the balloons on cover, but in a part of the cover are the exact same colors from the last Daves pick. I hope they have their computers and servers tuned up. I read that they were going to be releasing a couple thousand of xtra Daves picks for each release this year, Let's enjoy, Jim

"Finally away from the redundant and trite skeletons." Thin: How much do you want to bet that there is a bearded skeleton manning one of those balloons!

Good luck A la Cart-er's hope you get a copy on Monday.

Great art!I believe that the balloons represent the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta which started April 8, 1972. The event was probably in it's early planning stages as of November 1971. Yes, bearded skeletons are here, and Jerry Garcia, in miniature, is standing on your left shoulder as you read this.

I have not visited here in quite a while. Outside of dealing with this never ending winter I have done my best to revisit Spring 90 shows on their anniversary dates. I have now shifted to attempt to listen to every Europe 72 show on their respective anniversary dates. 4/7 is a great start to the tour but 4/8 is just ridiculous. That Dark Star.... Tracking back on the Doors comments. Thin? They were not exactly a jam band with only 3 members plus a vocalist. Perhaps today they kind of simply blend in cause we have 50 years of Rock to draw from. But they were truly revolutionary. The many live videos I have seen are incredible. They were Rock, avant garde, poetry, whatever you want to call it. I particularly like the sometimes eerie keyboard tones as well as the very jazz like drumming. Perhaps they could have used a rhythm guitarist or bass player but I think they provided the perfect backdrop for Morrison to blow away minds with some of the most clever rock lyrics ever sung or recited as poetry. I guess it's an acquired taste like the Velvet Underground or what not. All I know is my friends and I all discovered the Door's back in the early 80's when we were young teenagers. They seemed radical a good 10 years after Jim died. And we loved it to no end. As far as Morrison possibly being an a-hole, who cares?

1979 a very cool jam session. Also it's preorder day for volume 26 let the fun begin Deadland.

I see a couple of images of The 13th Floor Elevators on here. A truly amazing band, who burned all too briefly-but Psychedelic Sounds of.., Easter Everywhere and the few existing live tapes from 1966 show what an incredible band they were. Their first album pre dated Revolver, and stands as one of the first, if not the first, psychedelic rock album.

....is just exactly perfect. I've been to the balloon festival there and was blown away.(pun intended). edit. Just realized the date. 11.17.71. Third Dave's from 11.17. The other two are a couple of the best of the Picks so far imo....

Definitely worth a listen if you're in the mood for something psychedelic. Easter Everywhere and Psychedelic Sounds of ... are the ones that I end up playing most frequently.

I saw The Doors at my high school (!) in the fall of '67. Yes, you read that right. I have the download as proof. They were very good although no talking between tunes but this was pretty early in rock shows. Plus you can hear an announcement before the show by a teacher, saying that if you got up from your seat you would be tossed out! Shows have come quite aways. I love The Who but was always pissed off that most of the shows were the same every tour. They have so much great music to draw from, why would they do that? Pete always said he did not want to be a "greatest hits" kind of band but then he did it!. I saw Roger solo a few years ago and he commented on this, saying it was Pete who did not want to mix it up. Roger did play some deep tracks. The Stones were like this also but they have mixed it up some more as they got older. Look at a Springsteen set list. He will mix up 3 or 4 numbers each night but always in the same song slots and 90% of the show is the same. I guess the GOGD has us spoiled! The only other band who mixes it up consistently as well is Pearl Jam. Saw them two nights in a row. Roughly 65 songs with only 2 repeats, and those were off of the current album of that time. These guys can match the dead for giving you a different show each night. Rock on

love The Who/Doors dialog as we gear up for 26, we are SO lucky spoiled by having such a deep river of GOGD... Muddy said it (now the blues did birth jazz, right?) "The Blues Had A Baby And They Named It Rock And Roll" All you people, you know the blues got a soul Well this is a story, a story never been told Well you know the blues got pregnant And they named the baby Rock & Roll Muddy Waters said it, you know the blues got a soul James Brown said it, you know the blues got a soul Well the blues had a baby and they named the baby rock & roll Ray Charles said it, you know the blues got a soul John Lee Hooker said it, you know the blues got a soul Well the blues had a baby and they named the baby rock & roll Otis Redding said it, you know the blues got a soul Queen Victoria said it, you know the blues got a soul Well the blues had a baby and they named the baby Rock & Roll

I always think of Jim when we hit the Morrison Inn in tiny, picturesque Morrison, CO (home of Red Rocks). Great margaritas and good Mexican food. Just want to clarify, regarding the anecdote I shared, I am not shoveling shit on the guy. It was related to me by a person I trust, but, hey, you're right - it was his experience, not mine. I've heard enough stories about Axl Rose, including from his former personal assistant (as well as Scott Weiland) that these guys are all many different people under the hat. As are most of us I suspect. Love the Doors. Can't think of a more charismatic front man. For a while there, he was indeed the shaman. Doors fans, dig this... it's Krieger, Densmore and Manzarek with Flea on bass. They got John Lee Hooker to weave a vocal around Jim's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20fx3SiMIjI \m/

The cover of Dave's Pick's 26 surely does reference the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta but the mountains shown in the background do not resemble the Sandia Mountains, which have a very distinctive profile.

Looking forward to 26. the only sbd on the archive is of poor quality.

They should be announcing the dates and locations of their annual "Farewell Tour" soon.

My current favorite listen? Doc & Merle Watson The Boarding House~San Fran. The 1st of Bear's Sonic Journals... :0)