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OrangeTangoJam

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1
Drums
Dec. 10, 1972
Winterland Arena

Supercharged Billy at the helm deconstructing and building layers of structure like a master architect. Some of his most inventive fills put to record
1
Me and My Uncle
July 16, 1972
Dillon Stadium

Notable for coming straight out of Cumberland and the alternate lyrics “And I Grabbed the Bottle, Grabbed Him in the Jaw” A cowboy classic.
1
Promised Land
Aug. 5, 1974
Philadelphia Civic Arena

Firing on all cylinders right out the gate. I'm certain Jerry's fretboard caught fire after that first solo. Impossible not to groove to.
1
El Paso
Dec. 4, 1971
Felt Forum, Madison Square Garden

Delicate. Like a last waltz of the cowboy and his love, with each lick from Jerry conveying the urgency of the story. Keith makes such an impact here.
1
Cumberland Blues
Dec. 4, 1971
Felt Forum, Madison Square Garden

Part of the beginning is cut off, but that doesn't stop this train from rolling on down the mines. Short and sweet.

Comments

Truckin'
Dec. 10, 1972
Winterland Arena

A spiraling staircase Truckin’ that has the band exploring spaces only they can create. You can feel the frosty air and the lyserhic atmosphere emitting from the sound waves of the recording. This Truckin’ is vessel of exploration into rainbow colored spirals, Jerry acting as a wizard using his guitar as a staff to open portals to these realms, and Bobby’s brewing up some alchemy with each strum of the string. I love how much you can hear his impact on this one.
Cumberland Blues
July 16, 1972
Dillon Stadium

Speaker breaker. A Cowboy deluxe package transitioning straight into Me and My Uncle. Turn this up loud and let Jerry shoot lightning bolts right through your skeleton and feel the jolts of electricity with each pluck of the string. Jerry’s tone is one of the best I’ve heard on a Cumberland, with the right amount of twang that has all the hairs on your body standing straight up. A severely underrated version, great vocals, and Keith’s saloon western piano work is just sublime. Also check out Billy just swinging away, the 5 minute mark he takes you away into an old dusty ballroom where you can dance for eternity.
Smokestack Lightnin'
Dec. 4, 1971
Felt Forum, Madison Square Garden

Shocked to see this so low. This is where Pigpen shined the most, a real goddamned bluesmen. With the boys following his lead into swampy marshlands under a harvest moon, Alligator, who is perfectly dialed in, swims in these waters, snapping his long jaw at any unsuspecting creature finding its way in this land. Pippen howls at the moon, asking why she doesn’t hear him crying. A real lament. Keith was the perfect addition for this band, and his lines in this tune are a perfect example as to why. A true saloon pianist. Jerry is also utterly electrifying, and his tone is a perfect peak into what 72 is all about. Sublime version that takes you right down the Mississippi delta.
Dire Wolf
Jan. 15, 1978
Selland Arena

A buddy of mine showed this to me after having an argument about which key this song is better in, and while I still prefer my Dire Wolves in the key of A, this scorcher had my ears perked up. As my friend said, “You can hear in the solo his anger from not being able to sing.” And sure enough the aggressive leads really make up for the rough vocals Jerry was having. Truly amazing. 78 is full attack mode.
The Other One
Feb. 13, 1970
Fillmore East

Coming out of one of the most definitive moments of the bands career, they keep the momentum going and awaken an ancient serpent like creature with seven heads, engaging in the battle of their lives, and ultimately, coming out victorious. The sequence of DS>TOO>Lovelight is a fable in itself, a tale of heroics passed through generations. It truly doesn't get better than this. Side note, I ate too many mushrooms a long time ago and after having an epiphany during Dark Star, listening to this was far too scary and bugged me out, imagine the ones in the crowd who took too much! Mind splitting for sure.