Grateful Dead

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Take some blood pressure meds.At least the 3 hour time difference allows you to drink a lot and still feel ok tomorrow at work. Of course, there are still 2 periods to go. Skull trip, my comments weren’t directed at you. Just making the point that GD was not a one-man show.

....like, 18.

They've never really done a complete seasonal run for a box. May '77 wasn't complete, Europe was a tour, not "spring," and so forth. So the two seasonals possible in the '70s commercial sweet spot are Summer '73 (yay!) and Dave has said that a "fall '72" box is inevitable "at some point." I don't think Summer '76 would sell like '72 or '73 and they keep to that 1972-78 sweet spot for sales. They've really played out '77 and '78 within the past 2-3 years, presumably because there were many tapes in the returned cache from those two years. Thus, it was easy to put out a couple killer late '70s boxes and not dent the stash of rarer stuff. Admittedly, once they do a Summer '73 box -- defined by June-Labor Day -- that's a chunk of the chronology they cannot revisit. But it would give them a chance to lump an iconic show(s) -- Watkins Glen (great soundcheck, not stellar noon performance next day) -- with the hotter shows in June and late July/early August. 'Course, there'll be some screamin' in certain quarters, but I'll just put on the headphones and turn it up............

Your season appears to have unraveled in the span of about 10 minutes.

We could just dose them all.. what could possibly go wrong? Weird.. as soon as I sent this there was a knock on the door. Who could it be at this late hour?

You guys are absolutely right about it not being the same without Jerome John G. But, shit, it wasn't the same WITH him since ________ (pick a year in the 1980's). The drugs killed him, man, the hardest of fucking drugs and he was the hardest of partiers. There were still brilliant moments, tours, shows, songs... I thought that recent RFK mini-box was absolutely kick-ass! But as a guitar player and lover of all things guitar, Jerry the gunslinger on the whole E72 tour was just it - the pinnacle. The dude tossed in country, jazz, rock and blues licks all night every night and just brought it. With the Graham Nash Strat and modded-out Fender amps, whew. Didn't hurt having Bobby playing that hulking 335 behind him. Too bad Bob couldn't hear himself cut through the band. I certainly can. For a brief time, Jerry was a black leather jacket wearing, handsome, guitar gunslinging badass. His improvisational flights on the Dark Stars were from another world. He was channeling something pretty goddamn grand. Maybe God herself. He shone like a comet in full flight. Then, he resolved to become something else, something a little more selfish and less giving. It was never the same since, really, on exactly that high level of brilliant, intuitive guitarsmanship and overall band dynamic. I love 1973 through 1976, 1978, 1979... but at some point Garcia got a little lost and sloppy before nearly dying. And then, rising from the Dead. Love the guy. He's the catalyst, the whole reason anyone is here. But, the "Grateful Dead" carried on for a hell of a long time with half a Jerry Garcia. What's happening today is fresh, healthy - and inspired. I'm sorry if that doesn't get it for lots of old schoolers, but it is what it is.

....the fat lady may be tuning up during this game. Time to rip off three straight. Lol.

....I would have felt blessed to have seen him once, but once wasn't enough. I would drop everything back in the day to go to a show. Can't say that about anyone since. Anyone.

icecrmcnkd: As has been discussed at length, FTW was a great romantic vision. But unrealistic to do 80 songs just one or two times with a guitarist who is new to the material - couldn't expect it to sound confident and sure. A series of linked recoveries and hold-your-breath transitions in key moments of most songs. Lot of it sounded like a rehearsal. It wasn't horrible, but far from "dialed in". And no I didn't go. And I don't hate Trey at all. I saw many a Phish/TAB show. Mad respect. FTW tour should have been called "Just the Tip". Just when it was getting interesting, it was over. The 4th or 8th version of all those songs would have had some AMAZING moments, but we can only imagine. LedDed: Well said! The decline was sad. I wish I could have seen him before my first show 6/17/1982 (JGB/Bobby & the News double bill) when he was LONG past "handsome leather jacket gunslinger" days. I was stunned at the person I saw onstage compared to every photo I had EVER seen.

I can't complain about the number of shows I saw.. except that I was not born earlier. I was persistent and perhaps a bit lucky - plus it was a bit more affordable back then and I could find a way to sleep anywhere for cheap or free. I am a bit soured by ticket prices since FTW.. and now I cannot sleep in the middle front seat of a standard transmission mini. Phil shows are still in the $75 range, which beats D&C. I boycotted the last tour because of $$$ but I am catching at least Blossom this go around. I am very happy they are still keeping on and I will still partake so long there is air flowing through my lungs and blood pumping in my brain (and apparently enough money in my wallet, not that I have forgotten how to be frugal). What's the alternative? Rap? I guess we could bring disco back.

....I would spend plenty a time not even facing the stage. My eyes would peruse the surrounding circus while auditorily enjoying the best background music ever made. That's me.

....I double post at times. Double taked a lot of visuals back then too. Did that really happen? Accept it Vince. It may or have not have. OK conscious. You are correct as always.

Sound like the ticket for your re-election, Senator. You are indeed correct.

Yes it was brief and unrehearsed, but a lot of fun. Good point LedDed. Good points all. Couple days to recover Vguy.....

I thoroughly enjoyed the poorly marketed, over-priced FTW CDs and DVDs. I even liked Phil's 1960's take at Santa Clara. I did enjoy it.. its a rare glimpse into The Trey - GD window. I did not go because I couldn't justify the expense compared to everything I had going on that year. Still glad they did it. Again, what was the alternative, do nothing? Naa…. Could they have done it better? Probably.. but that is personally true for me every day I have ever lived, except three.

Totally! Wish I coulda: great tunes, great friends, road trip, 50th anniversary nostalgia. Trey always finds some fun grooves.

....thin. Dude. That was hilarious, and not incorrect.

....the magic number. So happens, that's how many wins Vegas needs to raise The Cup. (ouch). My damn RFK Box is sneering at me. Screw you box! (best Man Smart, Women Smarter?). It's up there....

....posting Phish vids on dead.net? Bless you. I wasn't ready to stop touring in '95 either. Luckily, '96-'98 saved a bunch of souls. Prime Phish era. They responded to the fact that a ton of other people weren't ready to stop touring either. They probably had a meeting. Mike. "You know guys, a bunch of our fellow heads are gonna need a life preserver. This is big!" Fishman. "Yeah Mike. We gotta rise up! Lemme wash my mumu" Trey. "Time to practice like we've never practiced before. Put that joint down. Serious time!" Page. "I need a sammich." Truth....Trey started down the Jerry road in 2002-2003. Got pulled over by a cop. Game changer. I love that cop....

....Nicko: "We got to get through this tour yet. [Laughs] We got a lot of life left in us. We've not ever, that I can recall, unless anyone else in the band has without a band gathering, decided whether or not we want to carry on or not. We just carry on. I've always made it clear to Steve [Harris, bass] and the guys that if I can't drive the band physically, then I'd step down. Don't get me wrong, boys and girls — I'm not saying that I am. It's so important that the band carries on and plays as much as we want because we have the passion. Again, it's not financial, it's not anything to do with that, it's because we love it. If it came as a chore and I'll quote Jan [Gers, guitar], if we ever became a parody of ourselves, that would be the time to hang it up. The thing is, we're not. I'm the granddaddy in the band. I'm the oldest fellow in the band which is quite unusual because every band I was in before MAIDEN, I was always the youngest or the second youngest. Now, I'm the wise old man of the band! They won't agree with the 'wise,' just the 'old.' We'll carry on as long as our fans, which are the most loyal and I'm telling you right now, without a doubt, I compare it to 'Arnie's Army', the golfer Arnold Palmer. He started a fanbase back in the '60s. He had this massive following and they called it 'Arnie's Army'. They were the most loyal fans to a golfer. Every band says their fans are the best and I love that their bands do respect it, but I truly mean it and I know we have the best fans in the world. We do not make you guys happy, then what's the point? Although we do it for ourselves, but at the end of the day, we could go up there and think we're Jack The Lad and you could go, 'What was that all about?' Nick's playing in a different time. He's in a different song. Bruce is singing out of time!' When it's not that fantastic vibe that we get when we play together — we'll carry on as you want us to and the fans and as long as we have the heart to and believe me, there's actually more passion the more we get older than I think we had when we had when we were in the mid-'80s in the first heyday of MAIDEN."....passion, in a nutshell. Up The Irons!! Iron Maiden was my first blind date. Keep on trucking' on gents.

I'M Playing that particular show right now. 2010 is and adjustment but I get what they were going for: a recording that captures the live sound not a dry ice sbd. and yeah Mike was the most vocal about not wanting to quit phish. their shows in 95 they received some spillage from Deadheads after the Dead quit in 95. I heard phish first before the dead it was Hoist first then Rift second wasn't majorly into lawnboy. then it was livephish vol 1. and I traded the warner bros box set for Hampton Comes ALive box set. and I was a phish fan. I probly am more into phish than the dead truth be told.

....music is universal. (Except that computer/electronic stuff). That's not music. That's a beat. That's programs. I hold fast to that ideal. Someone prove me wrong.

Nicely said.

....gotcha.

I think this relates.. or at least points out that at some levels.. there is (can be) math behind some of the better compositions and arrangements.. I bet Phil would agree. Bill, we will have to ask him. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gödel,_Escher,_Bach

Agreed.

.... incredible take on Cities. https://youtu.be/bd0O_aVrG10 It's all good, but if you want to get to the hose, FF to the 17:20 mark. It's all gravy after that....the uploaders YouTube discription pretty much says it all. Do you trust me? If nothing else, the still on the video is badass.

Sure, let's say what ruined Garcia was heroin. But it was more complicated than that. I'll call it the "4-H's". History, Hedonism, Heroin, and Haagen Dazs.History- Many a celebrtity has been personally destroyed by said celebrity. It's something I certainly have no experience with but it's quite apparent it can crush certain souls literally to death. Seems he got exhausted being considered a god in a leather jacket (black t-shirt). Hedonism- Jerry did whatever the F he wanted, whenever the F he wanted. He ran away from the women in his life easier than I get rid of my old cars. Heroin- Yep. He did that, too. But didn't we all consider drugs part of the myth and magic ? It's killed a lot of great musicians. And a lucky few have survived it, although worse for wear. Haagen Dazs- Not a lot of fat junkies out there. Take away the H and by the 80's you still have an obese chain smoker with a terrible diet whose only real excercise was standing on a stage entertaining us a couple a hours a night a few nights a month. We even made jokes and bumper stickers about it. "The fat man rocks" etc. I guess my rambling point is: take away the Heroin and one way or another he was still going to leave way too early.

yo-yo'ing your weight isn't good either.

“That’s not music, that’s a beat”.Absolutely! The B-52’s have a song (and it is music) “Throw that beat in the garbage can” Phish did not fill a void for me in 95, went 2x in 95, and once each in 96-98, including Thomas and Mack in 97. Shoreline 98 was my last. Just wasn’t really doing it for me, didn’t seem the same as in 92-93. Instead, the void was filled in 95 by going full speed ahead with tape trading and getting as many GOGD SBDs that I could get my hands on. And I’m still in that frame of mind. Bring on the Full Normans!

I was under the impression that it was more diet, smoking, obesity and a range of health problems that eventually killed Jerry, rather than his heroin use. People seem to latch on to the fact the fact that because he took heroin, that must have been what killed him-but it doesn't look as though this was necessarily true. I would also say that having survived various health scares in the 1980s, it would have been fundamental to his own survival to change his lifestyle. He seemed to do the opposite, going right back to what he was doing when he developed all his problems- back on the road with The Dead. The unfortunate success of "Touch of Grey" made things even worse, thrusting him into the spotlight and the role of celebrity-something he always seemed to have difficulty coping with. So he went back to his old way of coping-all the various habits he had developed over the years-and this seems to be what killed him. Tragic.

daverock- I believe it is everything you mention that led to Jerry's demise. He bounced back very strongly in 87 and in many ways, I think he really enjoyed the success- he was leading three bands, playing on Broadway. This is simplistic, but I always used how much Jerry smiled as a barometer. Portland '83, he spent the entire show with his chin on his chest, seriously, he never looked up. Augusta '84, he looked like death while playing one of my favorite shows. I saw bunch of shows in 87 with all of his bands and he was having a blast, smiling, waving. He got cleaned up and energized big time in 89 and 90 and it shows in the music and the setlists. I think Brent's death was a huge blow to Jerry. The recent documentary painfully showed a trapped man, struggling and lonely. He aged 20 years in 5. If you have heard any of the soundchecks from 94 and 95, Jerry was grumpy and not exactly enjoying life. Dragging 75,000 people around the country would make any of us grumpy.

daverock - you wrote: "I was under the impression that it was more diet, smoking, obesity and a range of health problems that eventually killed Jerry, rather than his heroin use" Oh really??? What's your source on THAT datapoint? Lots of people have a poor diet and smoke and they don't wind up looking like Jerry did in the mid-80's. All his vices certainly played a role, but once someone is on heroin they just don't give a f___ about anything else, leading to a runaway train of smoking/poor diet/health neglect. To say "it wasn't the heroin but his diet" is like saying "alcohol didn't kill the drunk driver - it was the tree he hit!." Just say No to trees, kids! And as for Jer's smile being the barometer for "how happy he was", I agree. But I'd say it's more a of a reflection of whether he was using heroin. Chin down and uncommunicative was his tell for heroin usage. He was happy and gregarious when clean, "grumpy cat" when using.

...change people as nothing else can. Together? Whoa, potent. Since I now can't stomach much of any GD post-1980, I make the lazy, obnoxious, yet confident assumption that money and drugs tragically and eventually killed Jerry and gradually extinguished great Grateful Dead music along the way to 1995. Big scenes, stoned/buzzed band, Mickey's narcoleptic shuffle beat, witless new tunes (e.g. Standing On The Moon), rare rehearsals... these seem to add up to uninspiring arena rock-cheese that most definitely did not age well. Pre-1979? Almost all good: Vintage Dead

Show will be July 7, 1989. Already released as Crimson, White and Indigo but the MUATM version is going to be newly remastered? That was already high quality video and audio. I wonder what else they were able to pull out of it? Great show for sure but I wonder what if it's any indication that the new box will be a summer 89 showcase of some kind? I hope they aren't using the promise of new box info as means to sell tickets to something I can already watch at home and this presentation is truly an upgrade of some kind.

Well, I wasn't stating that it was exclusively his diet/smoking/lack of exercise that killed Jerry, just that this was a major contributory factor. The fact that he suffered from diabetes meant that he needed to take better care of his health-which of course he didn't do. If you have diabetes and smoke and over eat a lot of sugary food you are placing your life at risk-whether you take heroin or not. There are degrees of everything, too. Not everyone who takes heroin looks like Jerry. Not everyone who follows a poor diet and smokes looks like Jerry. We all look different! If someone takes heroin, every negative thing that happens to themselves, their families and their communities can be laid at their door. This is often the result of prejudice rather than knowledge.

Isn’t that an oxymoron? Haven’t spent any time with heroin addicts so what I see on tv is my only exposure. They generally look thin and scraggly. The fact that Jerry was fat confirms what others are saying about his other contributions to his poor health. But let’s not attack the fat man that we all love. He carried a heavy burden with all the expectations that the fans placed on him. And every 10 years or so a keyboardist dies. That can’t help.

Hard Working AmericansWe’re All In This Together A very fine live album. Haven’t seen HWA without Neil. Hopefully it’s just as good.

The new GD e-newsletter states that the Aug. 1 MUATM will "reveal an exclusive look at the Dead's soon-to-be-announced 2018 boxed set." This implies that the announcement will come before Aug. 1 and they'll just add a little video hype for MUATM-goers. I'm rootin' for Summer '73, as you know, but as always, I'm ready for anything. Not to mention being sooooo ready for the fall '67, 1st red'd Mickey show. That's when the six-headed beast really began to stir.

I have read that he witnessed his father drowning. maybe that somewhat influenced his later choices. well anyway, Jerry's been deceased for nigh on 23 years.

But it became lore. Like the story that aliens snatched off part of his finger... you heard that one, right? Jer wasn't intrinsically a tragic figure. As a rock star, he had access to things that weren't good for him. He got bored with the GD, tired of the iconic status he earned ("Playing like every night is New Years Eve gets to be a bit much," he once said after the GD became popular), and said he'd rather play with his own band. He actively disregarded his health and took the lazy path of feeling good through drugs alone, with the heaviness that heroin brings to one's existence, he dealt himself a very unhealthy hand. Add smoking, free-basing, coke/smack, a pitifully unhealthy diet, diabetes and constant touring with over-adulating fans and I can see that whole train wreck unfolding like the story of Casey Jones.

Ark 69Greek Capitol Theater November 70 (dreamin') 11/19/72 6/10/73

icecrmconkd: Why is it that whenever a conversation comes up about Jerry's bad habits there's a call to "not attack" or "make fun of" him?? It is what it is. We should be able to have a mature conversation about Jerry and the bad habits that eventually did him in. I'm not into whitewashing or revisionist history. Let us learn form it. Also daverock, point well taken, but you ascribed MORE blame to the other lifestyle choices than heroin, which I find puzzling. Yes it effects everyone differently, but for every functional heroin user there's a stone cold junkie train wreck. Also diabetes is a disease you can contract in mid-life DUE TO poor diet/lack of exercise/drug use. Heroin use can LEAD TO poor diet and lack of exercise, which can LEAD TO diabetes. And diabetes wreaks havoc on your organs and increases your overall health risk... it's a downward spiral - ya fly too close to the sun, your wings are GONNA melt. If Jerry never did heroin I bet he'd still be alive. A few years ago this topic came up and a few people here admitted that they are casual heroin users, which kinda freaked me out: "Hey it's not a big deal, i do it all the time." I hope my son never, ever, ever meets those people. Sure some people can handle it, but it's russian roulette to even try it, in my opinion. I pray to God my college bound son never meets anyone who says "Hey try this, it's heroin - it gets a bad rap but you'll LOVE it! .... Ahhh, your old man's a pussy...."

no, never heard that before

First off, aliens did snatch off his finger - you can see it clearly in the Close Encounters cameo he did. Second off, if I had his money, talent, and band, I would have died at least 5 years sooner - God Bless Garcia

Very fucking BORING & repetitive conversation.