China Doll
April 28, 1985
Frost Amphitheatre
Not sure if the jam that comes out of the Playin' reprise (that comes out of China Doll itself) would count as China Doll proper, but that's how it's been cut and tagged on the new Dave's Pick's release (Vol. 49), so I'll leave my thoughts here. The actual China Doll is about as perfect as a mid-80s one can get, with Jerry's well-strained voice. The vocal harmonies are on point, but what makes this version special is that jam following the Playin' reprise. Super heady stuff, very "type II" for the Dead as it doesn't really fall in to either song that precedes it....is Phil teasing something there immediately after the Playin' reprise???
