Cycling through New Years runs and came to this; hadn't listen to first D Tripper in a while, fun!
RE the reviewer below "Teabag69" (old post) I think the first time I heard the word "sick" used as a positive adjective was in context of the Dead!

Not sure where that guys rant came from, but it seemed Everyone in that scene often used "sick" to denote the amazing, special, superlative and often indescribable occurrences we loved and experienced at Dead shows. Started in 79 and ended in 93. Also saw the second Touch played in Portland Me 82 and me and my buddies always used sick up to then and well there after!
Enjoy the Archive and Happy New Years reminiscing!

Wow what an excellent transfer! This is a really good sounding Aud.

We always used the word sick in reference to shows, for ever. Saw them 476 times myself and started in 79 ended in 89. Did not miss one show from 82 till 89 so I think you might of been confused teabag. Also I think Parish's wife was in the accident before these shows not during but maybe wrong on that one.

See my photos, most from the Photo Pit, here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/obnoid/sets/72157626235827943/

chee-eck the last 3 minutes of space and into the other one for the stunner moments at this one, and then go on to not miss the warf rat. gotta go to bed now I dont feel so good I think I might be sick

What are you talking about that is was a "touch head" term. That is totally BS> I am form New York and we were using that in the late 70'2. I saw 200+ shows from '78-->'95 and all of my friends called them "sick" if they were good. I don't know where you grew up but we used that tem at many of the fall '79 shows. And I can use it to describe shows without your approval! Rating is for the idiot who made the "sick" post (lowest rating).

Highlights are as mentioned elsewhere, especially the great ChinaRider. Very nice recording, too... this is better than the more recent flacs posted. Oh... and my East Coast friends were definitely using the adjective "sick" a long time before 1987 to describe a hot show.

That has become such a gay, over used term for shows it is riuiculous. I saw the Dead 92 times between '82 and '91, 90% pf my shows were from '83-'86 and trust me - NOBODY ever called shopws 'sick". That is a newbie term that started during the "Touch Head" era of 1987. To the last reviewer's comment - yes - the Dead were worlds better in the early/mid-'80's. Nu,ber one was Garcia's coma in the summer of '86. he made a remakrable comeback and re-taught himself how to play, bit he was never the same, # 2 was that as a reslt of the com he was ordered to play shoprter shopws, hence the reason there is almost zero jamming and improv from '87-'95 save for that breif little lovely window in the fall of '890 and spring of '90. but even then the improv was lame and tame and too midi-fied. The Dark tart I saw in Hampton '89 paled to the one I saw at the Greek in '84. Improv was the essence of th band an after the coma it was hardly there. #3, In the dark and the whole Touch thing. Garcia's coma was the early startof the end, Touch expeditied th process hugely. It wqs not a Dead show after Summer '87, it wa saconcert by anyone. Too many younk kids showing up just to see how f'd up they can get, to much nitrous, too many narc's, too much of everything. #4, tisthen forced the Dead to play sh*t venus and stadiums. And the few goo dplaves they copuld play were ruined - like Alpine. Alpine i '87 sucked compareed to '84 and '85. '86 was the first pretty crowded year at Alpine, after that it wasa mess. before then it ws a Dead Head mecca. I could go on, bototm linbe the scene died in late '86 / early-'87 and it is shame more people on this site did not get to experenc ethe true Dead environment pre-Touch. Some people I ow say their peak - or ast peak in my view, I think they had 4 or 5 - wer the Chinese New Years/mardi Garas/Valentines Day shows at the Kaiser in '86. I saw the firs 4 nights, missed Valentine's and thjose were just unbelieeable shows, and possibly the end of the Dead as we knew them. All Hail the Tapers!

This is a good solid show from a solid New Year's run.

& aint superstitious-hard core late 84 dead.
I started seeing the dead in 87 at Alpine untill the end but, I to this day feel I missed the eary and mid eighties in a huge way, must of been blast. The good side is im younger now but in hindsight I probably would take the trade off and have seen those shows in 83 and 84. I love that shit and what a place to have seen the Dead in the past 2 venues in cali, The Berkeley Community Theater and This show San Francisco Auditorium and Augusta back east how sick was that run. Both these places are gems and would of been the shit to see em' play there. Ive watched and listened to so much of the Dead and it's funny to read a review anything less than good on any given night from the 77-85 they were smokin. Can you a imagine seeing that kind of an act today. I would be blown out even on an off night. Ive always wished I hit the 83-84 tour. Well at least I have memories of a good amount of shows in '89. Alpine,Deer Creek and Mecca in Milwa(under radar killer shows 4-15-16).

}}}hApPy TrAilS{{{

As was previously noted, the death of Steve P.'s wife (and I think?) child after this show put a huge damper on the remaining nights, but here you see what 6 weeks off can do for a junkie and his guitar.

A Set 2 only review for now, but a monster China Cat leads off with some impassioned leads from Garcia. The IKYR just imposes itself on you, the 84 sound is thick and heavy, just demanding to be heard. I'm not a huge LLR fan (9/20/87 is the definitive version IMO) but what a He's Gone, long, loopy, soulful, great vocal jam and totally stretched out. A bluesy spoonful leads into a typically trippy 84 drums/space and the funkiness continues into The Other One (though Weir comes in a bit quick for my taste) that cuts somewhat short into a powerful Wharf Rat. Sugar Mags closes the set.

More important than the great playing is the great recording. I'm generally suspicious of AUDs but this combines in an almost reverse "Matrix" mix, the best parts of an SBD (nice separation, clear vocal/instrumenal pick up) and AUD (that thick air if you will the aural sense of a crowd's presence). It's a great recording that really gives you a you are there feeling, that thick air as I mentioned of being in the arena and hearing and sensing the music as it's being played. I'm a total whore for '84 shows, but I won't pick up some of the substandard AUD only versions of shows w/o SBDs, so this is high praise for me.

This is really a 4.5, but I can't round up in this case.

ENJOY

This was easily the best of the New Years run. I believe it was the fist time they opened with Touch of Grey. A new song in the 1st set with Phil singing on his new mike. Only the 2nd meet me at the bottom. A spoonful and the Daytripper encore.

Note:Steve Parrish's family was killed in a car wreck after this show so the rest of the New Years run was subdued at best. Baby Blue in the 3rd set of New Years seemed to be sung for Steve.

Jerry was in seriously sad shape for these shows. Pretty much at the bottom of the junkie heap. This one had a lot of rough energy going for it though.

My favorite memory: Some New Yorker yelled out "REVOLUTION JERRRRRYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!" right before Daytripper. He must have been blown by their choice.

You'll have to judge for yourself. I was at all these and I have had the tapes of most ever since but like I wrote about other shows, they're in storage, so I'm anxious to hear these again !
I know for sure New Year's itself, was starting to deteriorate, compared to a few years before, and generally speaking the shows before New Year's were better, however I can't say for certain, like I can for previous years, exactly which one was best !