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Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+49677


Submissions

4
Mister Charlie
March 21, 1972
Academy of Music

Part of a great first set, the band is on fire, and Pigpen in great form. Tight rocker.
4
Loser
March 21, 1972
Academy of Music

Cracklin' and snappy version. The band is über tight and having fun.
3
Greatest Story Ever Told
March 21, 1972
Academy of Music

Bobby blows a gasket on this one. Raw and powerful, showing exactly where they were headed before Europe. High energy rocker.
4
Playin' In The Band
March 21, 1972
Academy of Music

I'd argue this was the first Playin' as we came to know it after the end of the "Main Ten" and "country warbler" versions from '71.
2
Casey Jones
March 5, 1972
Winterland Arena

After a pretty sloppy 1st set, they charge up and nail this one. Phil goes bananas on the out chorus.
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Comments

Playin' In The Band
Aug. 20, 1972
San Jose Civic Auditorium

Merryjerry is spot-on right. Musically, this show is the goods: And given it's place in the timeline, how could it be otherwise? Thanks now and forever go to Charlie Miller (WE ARE NOT WORTHY!!!) for giving us as good as we've got, but yeah... this show begins "completist only" but only for a song or two. Sometimes an unbalanced mix leads to fun results: check out Jerry's clear-as-a-bell harmonic accent at 2:15. Cool stuff.
The Wheel
Dec. 5, 1981
Market Square Arena

Forgotten just how insane the space is before this and how perfect The Wheel could be. For all my love of the early '70s, the '80s was in fact my era for going to shows and hitting the west coast tours - and when they were on, man, they were sooooooo on. Dreamish intro... yeah sure, but it's more like a dreamish re-entry from spacetime dilation and heavy heavy work. This is one of those times where it felt like the band didn't want to drop off too many heads in deep space without a gentle ride back into this sphere.
The Other One
Aug. 12, 1972
Sacramento Memorial Auditorium

Very creative and semi-melted down jam into Peter. Nice rare sandwich. A bit dark, and, I imagine with Pigpen out, quite an emotional time for the band.
Stella Blue
Aug. 12, 1972
Sacramento Memorial Auditorium

Agreed. One of the hidden gems of the year for this song.
Playin' In The Band
Aug. 12, 1972
Sacramento Memorial Auditorium

Keith is a little too high in the mix, over-saturating at points, but the overall effect is just fine. A great jam, and particularly interesting as it marks (to my ears) the first real indication of some new sounds and ideas that inform the Playin's of the era. This one just doesn't sound like Europe anymore, and it's on its way to the outrageousness we know and love from the 2nd half of '72. For those who think that Veneta is the apotheosis of Playin', (I don't, but it's pretty goddamned good, obviously) check this one out as one of its immediate predecessors.
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