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Carrion_Crow
Stealth Head
+49687
Submissions
5
Mama Tried
May 15, 1970
Fillmore East (Late Show)
With the NRPS and ridiculously perfect. Perfect vocals and Jerry's '70 pedal steel sound. Amazing.
6
Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
May 14, 1970
Merramec Community College
Tight version, excellent Pig harp solo, then Jerry on bottle neck? Is that a slide? It's freakin' awesome, and the strong pulse makes it excellent.
4
Good Lovin'
May 14, 1970
Merramec Community College
Aight, we're going to just big up this whole show. This is delicious eat-me goo. Damn. May '70 is prime love. Dig the great recording too.
4
High Time
May 14, 1970
Merramec Community College
The vocals throughout this show are sublime. This is the era of three-part harmony. They were just so fresh, and every moment is a treat. Enjoy.
3
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
May 14, 1970
Merramec Community College
Crystal clear version, not sure why it's been overlooked. Beautiful vocals, great recording, indicative of the transition sound of the era.
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Comments
Dark Star
July 26, 1972
Paramount Theater
Sublime intro jam, that goes into a Bird Song-like jam around minute 8 just before the first verse. The Phil and Billy-driven transition jam then sets up some modal jazz that prefigures their '74 sound. It's deep, long, and cruising like a ship out of orbit and gearing up to Warp 10. We then re-enter with some beautiful melodicism for a bit just before the madness kicks in with what sounds like Phil or Bobby strumming their axes with a cello bow (weird space bugs and giant vibrating jellyfish). This turns into a white-knuckler not for the feint of heart. Don't let the sweetness of the first sections fool you: This isn't entry-level Dead. Moderate your dose according to need/experience. :^)
St. Stephen
Sept. 19, 1970
Fillmore East
Perfect description by the sleuth here. And if there's any doubt, just listen to the waves of happiness sweeping over the audience as they transition to it from that eternal Dark Star right before. There's just no way this was going to ever turn out wrong. This is the kind of Stephen-love that got me on the bus as a baby head back in the day.
Black Throated Wind
July 26, 1972
Paramount Theater
Great version with a soaring climax, but here's a slight correction on the first comment: Bobby threatens to kill Bear, and then offers the contract to the roadies. If you know anything about the Dead's crew, this was a much more credible threat! :^)
Bird Song
July 25, 1972
Paramount Theater
Good comment Grendel. I think the June-July '72 shows are all underrated here. There isn't a clunker amongst them, and they show one of the bands great transitions between the workshopped excellence of Europe (22 shows in a month and a half....) and the freeflowing insanity of the Berkeley and Venata epics just around the corner. They just aren't as well known, but they're every bit as wonderful. Also, can any of us really imagine what they were going through watching Pigpen fade out in such pain? And yet there they were playing music like this almost every day. What a legacy.
Morning Dew
July 22, 1972
Paramount Northwest Theatre
Jerry just keeps finding one more gear to kick it into. "Shredding" doesn't even begin to describe it.
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hot songs
Dark Star
Playin' In The Band
Eyes Of The World
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
new submissions
Wharf Rat, Winterland Arena, Dec. 31, 1977
Sugaree, Alexandra Palace, Sept. 11, 1974
Friend of the Devil, Oakland Auditorium, Dec. 27, 1981
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recent comments
Garcia has some pep ...
Garcia has some pep ...
Garcia has some pep ...
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