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Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+48135


Submissions

2
Samson and Delilah
June 23, 1976
Tower Theatre

More and more I'm convinced that the earliest Samsons are the best. So confident, so full of strut and swagger. Any other era with such consist force?
2
Promised Land
June 23, 1976
Tower Theatre

Keith and Jerry are manic pinball flippers bouncing their solos off each other here. Fun set closer.
3
Brown Eyed Women
June 23, 1976
Tower Theatre

Smooth and satisfying, rouses the crowd right up too. What a sweet show this is.
2
Mama Tried
June 23, 1976
Tower Theatre

Fun, raucous, and rowdy, but full of tight ensemble jamming and a nice Bobby/Jerry balance, allowing you to hear Cowboy Bob's great backup work.
5
Sugaree
June 23, 1976
Tower Theatre

Jerry's voice is at his most elegant, showing some smoke. Keith is supremely intuitive and beautiful, the band goes higher and higher. Great version.
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Comments

Cryptical Envelopment
Jan. 26, 1969
Avalon Ballroom

All about the reprise. This one cooks.
Caution
Jan. 25, 1969
Avalon Ballroom

Powerful doesn't begin to describe it. This is the Dangerous Dead, though pretty short for the era. This is the era when the Avalon would hold them to one-hour sets and the night before they cut off the electricity, so perhaps they were reigning it in.
Alligator
Jan. 25, 1969
Avalon Ballroom

Starts a little unfocused, but comes out of the drum solo and transitions into Caution with blow-your-hair-back force.
Cosmic Charlie
Jan. 25, 1969
Avalon Ballroom

One of the best I know: They're having a blast. The growling grinding combination of Jerry and the keys (Pigpen? TC? both?) gives it an energetic tight swinging sound during the verses, and an unexpected almost punk-rock blown-amp sounding bridge to the "calling you" section. Cosmic Charlie is so legendary and mythic: People held banners at shows with the number of days past since it was last performed and annual set-lists would say Cosmic Charlie: 0 with a sad-face next to it. Hear it here in a uniquely tight and fun version.
Dark Star
Jan. 25, 1969
Avalon Ballroom

TC is too high in the mix, but so what? In most recordings of the era it's almost impossible to hear any indication of what he brought, so this is an interesting document if nothing else. It's also musically a whirligig of fun, even if a bit scattered in places. Deduct points for the mix if you must.
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