Set one:
The Bertha is hot
sounds like Keith over the top on Piano
with Pigpen underneath on Organ
Ditto on Me & My Uncle
Any PIG tune! Mr. Charlie
Weir's banter
about 'a show of hands'
leads Garcia to play
'You Win Again'
Always liked the groove in BTW
but seemed a stretch
for keeping everyone all in
Weir brought it back
with some lyric changes
and frankly what was needed
was probably much less lyrics.
China Town Shuffle
It is a testament to PIG
that almost all his tunes were put to rest
LOSER- what a potent tune
"Got no chance of losing this time"
Deep Bitter and ironic
yet fun to dance to?
These are such supersized sets.
Me &Bobby-good cover for Weir
surprised they never brought this one back?
Jerry's backing vocals
remind me of Joplin's free spirit.
Cumberland- Would have loved to hear
them play this more regularly. It Rocked!
These mid set PITB are wonderful
The point/counter-point dynamic tension
and this is the peak of the 1st set
although we get 5 more ( a 15 tune set)
Jed, El Paso,Big Boss,BIODTL, Casey Jones

This Dark Star begins at a very quick pace and seemingly never lets up speed. Jerry repeats some piercing notes around 2:30 that beautifully transform into soulful lick after lick. I love Phil at 4:15 when he plays with that little riff for a while. They build to another nice peak a minute later. This opening section ebbs and flows so nicely. The music flows into peaks naturally and then they almost have to take a breather for a few seconds before starting another ascent. I love when Jerry hammers the chords around 7:45 before whipping out that awesome violin tone to bring it back around to the Dark Star theme. Jerry's repeated notes at 9:15 have a really funky rhythm, Bill helps along with the funky sound in a major way. I typically listen to the Dead during the years sans Mickey for some reason. But I think that Bill is one of the most underrated drummers. He is able to lay a perfect canvas for the guitarists to play over but he also plays well enough, and interestingly enough, that even if everyone drops out of the song he can still hold your attention. The band just seems so nimble without Mickey. Bill could whip up some beat in an instant instead of waiting around for Mickey to get it together. Phil hits the Feelin' Groovy notes at 10:45 to almost foreshadow what is coming. Shortly after, things slow down considerably. Keith is contributing immensely to this Dark Star and in particular this nice and spacey section. Then at 13 minutes Jerry hits that Dark Star theme once again but they remain sort of out in space for a bit. Jerry plays with his violin again at 13:45, I love that sound. He makes a very majestic proclamation at 14:45 and the jam starts to warm up a bit. Jerry had such an array of unique tones which all evoke a certain emotion. This array of sounds was so wide in 72 and becomes like a musical language. At 16:30 they hit the Dark Star theme and are sure about it this time; Jerry sings the first verse. I love these Stars with a lot of pre-verse jamming. One to think about is 5/25/72. That one goes on for like 20 minutes before the first verse is sung. Phil is very dominant at 19 minutes. Jerry joins in with the wah wah pedal and then they hit the accelerator. At 20 minutes you can hear Phil play the descending notes to Feelin' Groovy and they begin a very fast paced and inspired jam. Jerry's repeated notes just before and just after the 21 minute mark get me every time. And then at 21:30 they blend so well into the upcoming jam. Again it seems like someone else is behind the wheel and they just stomped on the accelerator. Weir is chopping at those chords like a mad man. I can only imagine as I type like a mad man while listening to this breathtaking segment. I can't understand why anyone would think that the Dark Star, or FG jam, from DP4 is better than this head banging version. Good grief you gotta hear the part before 24 minutes when Jerry is hitting the same note and they go one more time, full speed ahead. This repetition was really a theme throughout this Dark Star. Jerry would just hang on to a certain note before going off on a tear. They definitely needed a breather after that one and they drop back into a spacier jam. Things get a bit loud and scary. Some feedback that hurts your ears is added for the full effect. When it seems like everyone is just about tuckered out they spark up a Sugar Magnolia. This is a very unique transition with Jerry almost finishing up a Dark Star solo with the wah wah pedal as Weir and Phil are rocking to Sugar Mag. Then Jerry repeats a note again, what did I say, and ends up on Sugar Magnolia. Sugar Magnolia is good, as are pretty much all of them from this tour. I like the Dark Star>Sugar Magnolia sequence, hello 4/8/72 and 10/31/71.

Sugar Magnolia segues brilliantly into Good Lovin', could this Dark Star sequence get any better?? In fact, it can and it does. Pig Pen is in great form and this long Good Lovin' goes into a Caution and comes back to Good Lovin'. Jerry has a great solo during the 7th minute of the first section of Good Lovin'. Weir has some cool chords around 9 minutes too, he seems to be inspired by this rhythm for a little while. The sound is very driving around 10 and 11 minutes, you can practically smell the Caution around the corner. Caution starts out sounding a little like Cumberland Blues, it kind of always does but this one especially does. Jerry uses the wah wah for some really fast runs towards the beginning of Caution. I love when Bill taps on the cymbals quickly. It gives the music such a sense of urgency. It reminds me of a jazz drummer during a really fast paced song just trying to keep the steady pulse. Pig breaks into a bit of a "Who do you love?" jam. I love the guitar sound that sounds like a surf rock wipeout noise or something. Maybe that makes sense to you. Anyways they wrap up Good Lovin' and this hour plus long jam is finally over.

I hate it when they break the tracks up too. What a drag. What's even worse is when there are no more tracks. Grateful or Dead???

But let's take it one step further - why do any of the "suites" they play have to be cut into single tracks? If they played China Cat into Know You Rider it should be one track.

The Anthem and Live/Dead sets may be the most glaring examples, but EVERY time they played songs together they should be one track. This is the only way to hear it as they played it.

Even at it's best, this site (or a CD or MP3 player) cannot provide an uninterrupted transition between tracks.

Is there really a need to cut the tracks around the Chinacat Jam for 33 seconds. I would have rather heard the NFA>GDTRFB all on one seamless track.

This show works - cause this is a band playing. Right from the get go it's all there. Bobby setting off Jerry, Bill sounding like he's got four arms, Phil lays down thunder, and Pigpen creating an amazing shimmer behind it all. And you hear just why Keith was so welcome. Jerry liked a good keyboard to work with, and here there is real competition for him. Standout tunes? LLRain, as beautiful as it could be - why did Jerry give up the pedal steel? An incredible Truckin', really a long strange trip, great Dark Star though check out 4/17 at the same venue. All on fine form, even by the standard of E72. And Bob Weir is right in the thick of it. Fundamental to this band.

I don't know exactly what it is about Europe '72 that holds so much energy ("upbeat" Keith's full influx into the band, Pig's last stand with another amazing show stopper found here ((and much improved/impassioned organ work also)), Bobby hitting that next step in his development and further becoming the glue and counterpoint for Jerry and Phil, or the single drummer effect where Billy returned to playing around with the groove and wasn't as restricted from beat variation(as the 2 headed monster could sometime be.

Whatever it is, it works, and it works very well!

This is a great show from start to finish, a gem on a tour that you really have to nitpick to find problems with (and I mean for more than just off notes and 5 minute tune up, which as we all know is part of this band's charm). Any new heads unfamiliar with '72 should definitely start here (I know the playing may not be at the same level of the fall '72 run, but the band chemistry found here is way reduced by that time).

To further the comments on Jer's pedal steel playing on this tour, I have to say that the effect this (the pedal) has in combo with Pig's organ in the mix on LL Rain actually makes it a very decent song, and almost sounds like it has the effect the song is going for (which is painfully missing from the studio version and the seemingly never ending live versions down through the years) Long story short, it is a high water mark for that tune IMO

5 out of 5 for sound Q and performances all around!

it's really interesting to compare the brown eyed women here with the final mix that ended up on europe '72...clearly, the vocals were cleaned up A LOT (not that i find jerry's singing here bad at all, its actually quite good, just much different on the release; very studio-ish)but other than that the excellent performance stays intact - like phil's outstanding bass. one thing about E72 compared to this mix is that bobby is definitely higher here; there are some nice rhythm details that i did not notice before. but i digress...

rest of the show is just about perfect, especially that second set. great energetic truckin' to kick things off and then a soulful reading of hurts me too. the great aforementioned BE women, and then a looks like rain that will bring you to tears...i only wish jer had played pedal steel on more versions, really adds to the emotion. best is yest to come though.

the dark star in this show has some of the most upbeat and melodic jamming i've ever heard; brings to mind 11/2/69. the post verse jamming is truly awesome; the whole band is on fire during what has to be one of the best feeling groovy's EVER, but especially jerry. up until now my favorite DS of europe was 4/8, but me thinks this one just might have the edge here...

good lovin>caution>who do you love>caution>good lovin' appears on the E72 bonus track release and its great

and how 'bout that NFA! wow, phil has some REAL punchy riffs at the beginning! whooweee

OK, i rambled enough for today...

One of the best versions of Playing in the Band I've heard. Not the least bit mellow. It's like Jerry and Keith are dueling with flaming swords. The piano is absolutely phenomenal.

Dark Star has a nice edge to it, too. Starts out with sharp lead guitar, deconstructs into some quieter spacy parts, and then in the build to the chorus it gets sharp and punchy again. Very strong jam after the chorus. Again, that piano! Then Phil kicks it into that frolicking jam they often hit on Dark Stars from that time, but it's one of the nastiest, sharp-edged ones I've ever heard. Wicked good stuff!

Jerry's transition into Sugar Magnolia is so artful!

This one you gotta get. It is one of the hottest of the Europe '72, yet it plows some pretty independent furrows of its own. From the get-go it rocks, starting with a solid Bertha. Mr. Charlie is a fine rendition, as are Chinatown and BTW. Playin' is good if not great. This might be my favorite Looks Like Rain, with Garcia either playing the pedal steel, or using an effect that strongly suggests it. Dark Star is totally outstanding, and its melding point with Sugar Mags shows the genius of Mr. Garcia (you really need to listen to them both to get the context, otherwise you might think the transition is a little sour; you'll see what I mean.) I must say that this is one of the top Ramble on Rose outings, somewhat understated yet elegant. The China Cat tease brings a big smile to my face. Very, very cool.
This is a good show for the whole band, but Pig really outdoes himself here. If you love Pig, you'll love this show. If you don't love Pig, listen to this show and you will love him by the time the credits roll.
One exception to the "good show for all" comment above is Mrs. Godchaux. Her contributions this night ranged from so-so to totally diabolical. Bad Donna show. Prepare to plug your ears during the usual spots in Playin'. It's really bad.
Having said that, she is pretty low-key in much of the show, which is a positive thing. The sound quality, while not perfect in every respect, is still superb.
Yep, you really gotta get this show. It's a delight!

A rollicking, mindblowing show. The piano is outstanding. Pig just blows the place up at the end.

Someone is always better than you
Someone is always worse...

But gosh darn...this show holds its own against the flood...fo sure.

If there had to be a knock on this recording...it's that archive is only streamin it - hehe --- DANES...in the houz!

If you disbelieve the qualitaet - play your tape again! Download it here... or buy it (only from a Bobby and Phil sanctioned source, of course!) Dont care --- Just make sure you experience part or all of this show...before you call it quits...and judge fr yourself...

fun times

1st set
...especially good = Bertha, Charlie and Big Boss Man...

you can tell they're alitte (a little??) tired (aka worn out) by the end of 1st set...

FYI: the audio/ recording quality dramatically changes from Bobby > Cumberland and back again to the Playin)


2nd set

Truckin = not the bestist -- but way fun &&& crisp.

Always love a gr8 hurts me too

Brown Eyed is close to purrfect...How did Jerry sound so clear back then again??? MAGIC!

DANES!!!
and Keith...Phil..shoot..Bobby is on!

Bobby...LLR = drama...

DS = solid...nothing super but a
way dazzling end...worthy

LOVE the drop into Sugar Mags...

Pig rides the GLovin right on thru...Keith gives it back...JG's SHORT take on it all is good -- and Bobby plays...but at this point the crowd seems to be a third wheel...not helpin --- pig's not sweatin it --- Energyless crowd --- the boyz sure are tryin...

Caution > Whoo do you love > Caution > Good Lovin, short but goooooooood....Pig/ bobby's doin it - its a little (a lot??) antiseptic compared to something like Berkley in August, same year...anyway...very fun...

FYI2: the audio/ recording quality dramatically changes during Who do you love ---> Caution BRIEFLY...dont freak...

Ramble's solid...god, they played so well back then...

NFA - great blend...better are out there...but Jerry saves it...who rah!!


Love the China tease...

GDTRFB...happy

NFA reprise to end --->

Sat Night --- seals the deal on a wacky night in europe WELL!
---


Overall, anything less than a four is redickulous!!

Anyone in the crowd on this night care to share?
"Yea yea we know youre there.." - so says JG...
---
glad youre here, archive, many thanks
---
turn it up!

In 1985 I was a junior in high school and this is what we listened to. It's been in the top ten from the first time I ever heard it. The Dead manage to out-Stones the Stones at several moments, with Bobby and Jerry battling it out to see who can sound most like Keith Richards. I have listened to this version so many times I can name it blind after hearing any random ten seconds.

And yes the Dark Star is also one for the history books. Hall of Fame show. File next to Kresge Plaza.

5 star performance.
5 star mix
5 star recording

Thank you AI and The GRATEFUL DEAD.

Well you can't really tell someone what a GRATEFUL DEAD show is like but you can let them hear this show and they'll get the idea...

In 1972 I was a Junior in HS in Bklyn, NY, this is the music we listened to, The GRATEFUL DEAD.

Get it while you can, get while it's free. Get it now or you'll be sorry.

Eat, drink be merry and listen to the GRATEFUL DEAD.

Thanks for the love.

wowee, this is why keith was magical...what a lovely voice he brings from that ol' pianer.
is it just that he's so much more present in the mix for this show? i don't know, but this show is all keith all the time...and it's amazing!

I dig the overall clarity of the sound, the youthful force and passion of the performance, and Keith is an articulate monster throughout, just a whirlwind.
But let's get down to it--Pig induces a funky trance in himself, the band, and no doubt the audience when he hits his stride with Good Lovin'; he is just a force of nature and it's goddamn beautiful to hear.

Having climbed on the bus in '78, I never had the pleasure of seeing him perform, but this brings me closer than ever. It's inspiring.

I'm not sure if this is the best of the Europe 72 run, but it is certainly up there. It's a solid show from front to back with hardly a clunker in its midst. The Playin' is juicy and sweet and the Dark Star is...well another excellent 72 DARK STAR!!! Good Lovin', Caution, etc. are a wonderful reminder of the older days with plenty of juicy jamming and Pig raps. The second set here is absolutely fantastic - a must have for sure. The first set ain't bad either. 5 star sound, 4.5 star show. It loses a half a star because the first set has a few too many songs in it. It's fine if there's plenty of jamming but most of the first set is just pretty by the book (but still good! 4 star first set, 5 star second set).

Great Bertha opener, just pops with energy from the first notes. Before jumping into me and my uncle Phil and Bobby joke around saying, with playful southern accents, “We play all kind of music.” Pretty tight Mr Charlie keeps things moving nicely. You win again is played well, nothing special though. A strong Black Throated Wind comes next. For my ears this is one of Bobby’s best songs, and along with Lazy Lightnin>Supp ranks as his most underrated and undervalued tune. This one isn’t one of the best, but it is very well played by all. Standard Europe 72 versions of Chinatown Shuffle, Loser, and Bobby McGee. The sq fails a bit and Cumberland sounds very flat, it isn’t one of the better versions from this period, one of the few forgettable parts from this show. Playin’ is up next, still not fully developed at this time in 72, lets see what this one offers. Strong Playin’ they drive hard through a short jam, nothing like the versions to come over the next few years, but a nice listen. Tenn Jed, El Paso, Big Boss Man, BIODTL are all well played but standard for E72. All worth the listen though. They close up the first set with a nice Casey Jones.

The second set open with Truckin. This truckin has a balsy jam, very aggressive playing throughout. They pack a big wallop into just 10:40 here, def worth the listen for all. A very emotional performance from pigpen sparkles during It Hurts Me Too. A spectacular early version of Brown Eye Women comes next.(No surprise it was picked for the Europe 72 release.) The song suffered a bit imo in the next few years before evolving into the perfect Garcia song we know and love today. This is a standout early version though, really a joy to listen to. I love the pedal steel playing from Jerry on this Looks Like Rain. Jerry’s solo here is heartbreakingly beautiful. I should say, up to this point, this show has been great. The songs have been very well executed, and the LLRain, BE Women, and It Hurts Me Too are highlights. The Truckin is excellent and the playin is a nice warmup version. But you can basically throw all of that out the window once you get to the dark star. This show is a 5 star show if you start it at the dark star and end it there too.

Things start to take off just before the 4th minute. And by 4:40 they have already grabbed my attention, with Keith really clicking with Jerry and Billy. Keith is the leader at this point. Just before the 6 minute mark there is a very slight hint of an impending feeling groovy jam, but seconds later they have pulled back the reigns and are hanging on a repeated note from keith. They spend the next few minutes testing the waters in a few directions. After a brief moment when the only sound being made is a single note from Garcia they find their direction. At the 10:40 mark, Phil teases a Feeling Groovy jam. This time it is a much more direct allusion, he does so again a few seconds later. At 11:55 there is one second of silence, impeccably placed I might add. Thus far the real star of this Dark Star is definitely Keith. Some quiet moments and some frenetic moments highlight the next 5 minutes, including at least one more feeling groovy tease. The 17th-18th minute are primarily the first verse. Jerry rips some dynamic riffs in the following minutes. And by the end of the 19th minute they seem poised to drop into the aforementioned FG Jam, and by 20:20 Weir is dropping in partial chord progressions for it. At about 20:40 Jerry manages to play about 10 separate notes within a second. At 21:35 Jerry begins a build to the jam and at 21:58 Phil officially kicks into it full speed ahead, with weir and billy quickly following. Jerry and Keith drop in from the outer reaches thereafter. The jam is split into two nice sections, with the end finally coming around 24:35. A few teases are tossed in over the next 40 seconds before a total change of direction occurs. The last 4 minutes aren’t really describable, if you’ve made it that far, you can just listen for yourself.

They segue the apocalyptic ending into sugar magnolia highlighted by a very powerful bend and thrust from Garcia. Its really amazing to hear some of these shows from the 65-74 era. They are still playing at full capacity 21 songs deep, and one of those songs was 29 minutes and change, and they still have 11 more to go. So much energy is still pouring out during this sugar magnolia. They go strait into Good Lovin following the Sugar Magnolia. Don’t step on the tracks I guess. This is Pig’s time to shine. These Europe 72 Good Lovin’ are peak Grateful Dead on all fronts. Pig’s front man role shines, the improvisation going on behind his raps is one of a kind in the dead catalogue. Here, they have ripped this version apart within the first 8 minutes. Stellar playing and Pig is flying high. Then they go on for 10 more minutes of top shelf playing before melting down into a short but blistering Caution, which quickly drops into a 22 second Who Do You Love before going right back into Caution. That heads back into Good Lovin for a strong finish to the segment.

A very nice Ramble on Rose comes next. Deadbase doesn’t list Ramble on Rose for this show, but it is from this date, just overlooked by Deadbase. Setlist program shows it as well as the tapers compendium. Jerry is very into it, as the song is really starting to shine around this time, having only debuted 6 months earlier. A great NFA comes next, and at the end they do something you’d never expect. The setlist should really read NFA>China Cat Jam>GDTRFB>NFA. It is short, but distinct and clearly China Cat. Then onwards into GDTRFB. Oh Donna, her inclusion here is regrettable, but it doesn’t sour anything for me. If you want to know how Jerry is feeling late in the show, just listen to him sing the water tastes like wine verse. A nice cap to the set as they come back to NFA. Then the expected Saturday Night encore. A nice light ending to one of the heaviest shows the boys ever performed. Oh and for a sound review. With the exception of Cumberland coming off a bit flat, this sbd sparkles just right. I guess the pedal steel was a little low in LL Rain, but only while Bobby was singing, when its just instruments, its fine.

Sound: 4.5/5
Playing: 5/5
Show: 9.5/10

Was there ever a more consistantly hot tour in the Dead's 30 year career? Besides Spring '77, this is as good as the boys ever got and this show is just one of many Europe '72 that flat out kicks ass. The quality here is pristine. The Dark Star will take you on a serious journey. Wear your seatbelts for this show.

The music is all about keith tonight. And Keith is all about the music. The sound quality is great and the playing is so exceptional it is almost unreviewable. Let the music speak for itself.

Sounds Great...Listen for feelin groovy jam(in dark star)...insane, jerry is high out of this world. Who ever said Ramble on Rose is from a different show is incorrect they played it (The Deadhead's Taping Compendium, Volumn 1)

I can't understand why there seem to be so many official releases and Dick's Picks that simply don't sound anywhere close to this show...

Fantastic show from the unique European Tour of 72. Listen to the Looks Like Rain! Jerry's steel is beautiful and Phil contributes some really sweet harmony vocals, PigPen's organ adds some soulfulness, a truly magnificient version. Thanks to all who made these downloads on the Achive possible!!!

You need this one for a fantasic sample of Europe 1972! Brown-Eyed Women is on the band's Europe 72 release. Every song is played well. Ramble On Rose does not belong here however. It is from another show.

31 songs.
Probally worth the 5 dollar ticket price?
A little different than a 14 song'93 show.
Where is that time machine?
This is a peak for the band.

I am positive this is jerry on steel.....what quality...oh god these were some smokin shows over the sea anyone else notice when jerry disappears from the mix during cumberland {his guitar i mean}

Pig owns set II and makes this show - great sugar mag, saturday night as well... less trippy and more musical than some of the others from this tour.

With the audience leading the band!!!!

Steel on Looks like rain is gorgeous.

during LL Rain. It's much higher in the audience recording but the overall sound is so much better in this one. Are we sure it's Garcia and not one of the NRPS?

this is some sick euro 72', probably one of my favorite shows of 72! check out the spacey dark star, and the nfa>china cat tease>gdtrfb is pretty amazing!!! just solid all around and you can't ask for better sound quality. a lot of shows get 5 stars, but this is really one euro 72' that is deserving of a dicks pick.... god bless the grateful dead!!!!

I am sitting at my desk with this show playing through my pc enabling me to joyfully conduct business. This show; this set-list is Prime-Time. The boys were ON. Jerry and Dark Star were made for each other. Pigpen rose to the occasion on what would be his swan song tour. This show is a keeper!!

This is a kick-ass show. The Dark Star has one of the better Feelin' Groovy jams I've ever heard. Also, great Pigpen stuff on the Good Lovin's > Caution etc. extravaganza. One Warning though, this show is very psychedlic. Not for the faint of heart.

No reviews of this show? Well you can't pick 5 shows from 1972 without including 2 Europe shows. Although there are some strong new contenders from Europe like 5/25 Lyceum and the release Rhinehall 4/24, this remains my favorite. Maybe it's the rare Jerry pedal steel on LL Rain, or the great BE Women that appears on Europe 72, or the blazing Good Lovin>Caution? And then there's the long spacy Dark Star, one of the best from this tour. Good quality SBD as well.
A timeless show.
Dr. Flashback ;-)