Hell In A Bucket-> Sugaree, It's All Over Now, Bird Song, El Paso, Don't Ease Me In Iko Iko, Looks Like Rain, He's Gone-> Spoonful*-> Drums-> The Wheel-> Black Peter-> Throwing Stones->
Reviewer:
Mind Wondrin
-
favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
July 4, 2017
Subject:
Middle day; grand beau temps
This was one of those absolute perfect shows in person: the crowd, the weather - and one that sounded different a few months later on tape, as usual. It was also the shortest 1st set I ever saw; but the brevity didn't keep it from being one of my most played 1st sets of '85-'89. I wore that freaking tape out. I think it was because I liked the center section, because it was one of the lowest gens I had (I had lucked into the sacks_28164 source close to the master), and because I wasn't the collector I became down the road. But by today's standards, the show hasn't really been done justice by sources. A matrix is needed and a Miller would be nice (nudge). These were 2pm shows, changed after locals in a nearby village had a council meeting trying to end the 4-day circus of the previous 3 years, conceding to an earlier showtime (tie-dyed nappers in yards, some sort of bizarre picketing for "miracles". Not in my backyard!). A skeleton crew readied the Boulder Events Center in case of rainout. What other touring band did this? Few-to-none that I've heard tell.
First Set. Helena warms up and gets better. Jer's funny, warning "Okay Bobby, not too fast now! Be very careful - watch out Bobby!" Bobby liked to punch his song and so did Billy - not so much Phil & Jer. Paybacks the next show. FWIW, this is a personal fave version of Sugaree, and the start of a great middle set sequence (my wife at the time named our puppy after this Sugaree). I love Bobby and Jer's choices here (a matrix would be nice - Bobby is more audible on the AUDs). Bobby's Slide Practice™ aside, it's a great version of It's All Over Now and a nicet Bird Song. Not true for the rough El Paso and average Dough Knees.
Second Set. The entire set is uptempo (if yr source is accurate). It was probably Healy that burped at the start of Iko, because it went over the PA. The set gets going in the last minute of Looks Like Rain and into a good He's Gone. The drummers are anxious and Jer leaves as Phil and Bobby go into Spoonful. It's the 6th of 8 in '85 but they're in and out pretty quick. Drums>Space were showpieces during the last few Red Rocks runs, with Mickey bringing and setting up many of his toys. This Wheel stuck out in person but on tape there are better '85s. Black Peter is the opposite. Gold.
Stones>NFA is above average but there's some drummer soup. US Blues is one of the best '85s.
1st Set: B-
2nd Set: B
Overall = 3½ stars
Highlights:
Sugaree - it's a grower
Black Peter - Jer was looking forward to this; drummers comply
U.S. Blues - uptempo rave up
SOURCES: There's only one SBD source (weiner_12181), and it has slow wow and pitch errors and needs EQ. Correct these and yr fine. The first set has a very slow wobble and needs -1% speed correction for All Over Now, Bird Song & El Paso. Conversely, the entire second set plays slow and needs +1%. The sacks_28164 is a great AUD. The mccue-ford AUD runs too slow.
Reviewer:
kbmill
-
-
March 28, 2017
Subject:
bread crumb
It is around this point that Looks Like Rain begins its migration from a first set song to a second setter.
Reviewer:
c-freedom
-
favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
September 10, 2016
Subject:
Please forget you knew my name...
Yes, the stars aligned the next night on 9/7
and 21 years later it is still that 3rd night
that gets all the traffic and press
but this show is not slack.
I'll go with 'Mind Wonderin' and his review.
I was at these shows!!!
Although truthfully all I can remember is the 3rd night, but that does not mean
there was not good music the first two shows.
Remember the expression ' if you can remember the sixties you weren't really there'.
Well the Dead carried the 60's with them on tour wherever they went.
As a head and addressing another review from 2007-the whole Jerry going down hill story line is old and tired and truthfully extremely disrespectful to his memory.
Should Jerry have taken better care of himself?
Should i? Should you? should everyone?
Should musicians not do and get hooked on smack?
Ever get high?
Should Jerry have
taken better care with the
type 2 adult onset Diabetes?
Hope you never have to find out.
Anyway, off the soap box and back to the show.
USED TO LOVE HER a great tune for the boys,
They played it somewhat regularly
during this time period.
I am wondering what I was doing during this show.
I vaguely remember a mosh pit
but no clue if that was an actual experience or not.
The Bird Song is really the cosmic departure point
for this first set.
You know listening to this and thinking about the beauty of Red Rocks. It is kinda overwhelming.
I was so young and headstrong and full of reckless abandon.I wanted to just tour full time, but i had school and a night job. I just got in shows wherever i could , whenever I could. Mostly East Coast but occasionally furthur...
I know folks were down on the TOUCH heads but aside from the frat boy scene , many of those college girls kept the tour rolling--- pouring in all kinds of disposable income for everything from hippie jewelry to stir fry, grill cheese,,,
Only thing i held against anyone is if they tried to talk over the music. Other than that- (well gate crashing, that sucked as well.)
"All i know , she sang a little while and then flew off"
Tight El Paso- Garcia throwing all kinds of lightning bolts. If you have ever been on the hills overlooking El Paso you know that like Red Rocks there is an amazing vibe to both places.
Don't Ease-Great for dancing, sometimes a bit of shock if you were thinking there might be a few more tunes coming. Oh, well say the old folks, it goes to show ,you never can tell...solution--Dance Harder!!!
Aiko- I have been listening to some of those Aiko's from late 70's with Donna and just loving them post drums. this is bee-bopping along , Jerry a little off on his lyrics, but guys jump in to keep it going.
My theory on this run is the weekend was so great as has been mentioned by many reviewers that by the time you get to Sunday there is such an air of expectation. If the Dark Star had been in rotation or the St. Stephen we would have gotten it that day.
Anyway, Looks Like Rain, pretty ironic because the sunshine was on everyone's mind. My thoughts on this tune were strictly 1st set. Perhaps Weir ought to play this in the closer ballad spot-- might go over?
The board messes with Weir's vocal levels on LLR.
"Sometimes the sky is blue, you never think , no rain could f@ck with you"
In the later years I couldn't hear He's Gone without thinking about loved ones lost. Be it family, friends and of course in the GD universe.
Here my only connection was to great version in my tape collection. I have actually gotten much more upbeat about this song over the years. They tended to jam in and out of it. The harmonies were great especially when phil was in the mix. plus I now focus on the NOTHING LEFT TO DO BUT SMILE SMILE SMILE...
Remember the time they opened the Second Set in RFK with He's Gone!
rather than the Good friends , we had, good friends we lost...Nothings gonna bring em back...
Spoonful sometimes after He's Gone and other times after Truckin' It seemed to me to be not very regularly played (ie-not in rotation) but did show up all the way into the 90's post Brent.
Drums>Space>Wheel--(heavy drums, light wheel)
Black Peter-kinda surprised this is right after the Wheel. Not a super dramatic version but good.
Stones>N.F.A- this got somewhat played. It was pretty right on for the time period. T Stones-- is now somewhat dated ,It worked live back then-- kinda like some of Brent's tunes now don't seem as weighty.
The N.F.A gets a pretty good treatment here.
Those Not Fade chants as a crowd were pretty special.
U.S. Blues-good tune for Red Rocks which makes all those symbols, rules and regulations seem rather useless.
Reviewer:
redsteal your face
-
favoritefavoritefavorite -
October 30, 2009
Subject:
Interesting '85 run
Reviewer:
Commissioner Gordon
-
favoritefavoritefavorite -
December 16, 2008
Subject:
Some Fun Moments
I don't think I've heard this since I was at the show. The recording's quite clean, and it sounds like they were having fun, even though both sets were short. I like El Paso's circus intro and the great Phil run after the guitar lead. The extra drums in Spoonful after Jerry left the stage were interesting, too. Does anyone out there know whose belch that was at the start of Iko-Iko?
Reviewer:
sandman74
-
favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
November 21, 2007
Subject:
Huh?
One of the most disappointing shows of all time? I'm listening now. Great energy, Brent is smokin', tight!Most Disappointing would be the '95 run. Sure beats Vince fartin' all over the place. 4 stars, just to spite the poster below me.
Reviewer:
buscameby
-
favorite -
March 14, 2007
Subject:
one of the most disappointing shows of all time
If it weren't for the next days awsome show I 'm not sure I would have ever forgiven the horrible performance this day!
Jerry left the stage to go do a "spoonful" and I will never forget turning my back on him because he was such a mess as was most of the music.
Reviewer:
Purple Gel
-
favoritefavoritefavorite -
September 3, 2005
Subject:
I Agree
While these shows are certainly very good for the time, I have to agree with Lesh69. There is a lot of love for post '85, more than the period merits. I find the rating system for this era to be out of whack, I hove found very few 5 star shows after 1985.The last 10 years, for me were dissapointing, and it was obvious that Jerry was declining and it was hard and sad to watch him deteriorate before our eyes. It does seem that most of the folks here are younger heads who love late Dead and appreciate the classics as well. While I certainly understand the propensity to prefer the shows you were at, I think there is far too much love for later shows here, compared to what IMHO is one of the best periods, Fall 1979-Fall 1982. .
Reviewer:
JRimLik
-
favoritefavoritefavorite -
July 8, 2005
Subject:
I can't believe this...
Someone actually thought this was the last night. Unbelieveable. 9.7 was one of the big nights of '85, after Phil singing on Tom Thumb's, the whole Day Tripper thing and of course the unbelieveable Greek shows. And every night of the summer tour after the Greek. (Those were some of the hottest of my 230-plus shows, especially Cinci 6.24). I mean come on man, everybody remembers them breaking out the Hey Jude coda at the last night at the Rocks. Unfortunately they kept doing it in the late '80's, to me it was very lame without the sponataneity of the debut. Just like Do it in the Road at Merriweather '84, should have left it at that. It seems like the more reviews I read, the more I feel like an old time Head, and my first show was not until '79! Did anyone who accesses this site actually see the Dead before the whole Touch of Gray / In the Dark era ruined everything?!?! If so I would love to hear from you!!
Reviewer:
jackstraw11
-
favoritefavoritefavorite -
March 27, 2005
Subject:
2nd Night
Definately the 2nd night of 3
Reviewer:
OldSpeck
-
favoritefavoritefavorite -
March 22, 2005
Subject:
Is It Just Me?
I could swear that the dates are mixed up for '85 Red Rocks. I remember this show as AFTER the night they played 'Hey Jude' and 'Dear Mr. Fantasy', but there are several copies of 9/7/85 with that show's setlist. Anyone else there who could corroborate?