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FreedomHaul

Grateful Novice

+17689


Submissions

10
Row Jimmy
March 14, 1990
Capital Centre

Very nice vibe on this. Brent's keys.
15
Feel Like A Stranger
March 14, 1990
Capital Centre

The "Strangers" from this whole run seem uniformly hot, and this doesn't disappoint.
11
Cold Rain and Snow
March 14, 1990
Capital Centre

Digging some 1990s spring tour lately. The LIG from this show is obviously magical, but there's great stuff throughout.
7
Lost Sailor
Aug. 4, 1979
Oakland Auditorium

Wish they would have nailed the back-to-back premieres, but
4
Althea
Aug. 4, 1979
Oakland Auditorium

Worth a listen to the first Althea on the historic night of Tiger's premiere.

Comments

Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Dec. 3, 1981
Dane County Coliseum

Nice mellow opening as the band coalesces around the intro material. Brent is playing quite well (don't you wish he could have been a stronger lead voice sometimes?), but the whole recording (even the Miller version) seems muddy and undefined to me. That said, there are some nice ideas in "Scarlet," but it sounds like Jerry is struggling to find his way into new places on the fretboard. For me, this version took off during the outro material, as Jerry patiently introduces an idea before exploring the high register. The transition into "Fire" is truly lovely and absolutely worth a listen, and is worth an up vote for that alone. I love Garcia's tone here, and dig the way he changes direction by riffing on a high note and eventually shifting into that register before coming back down. Nice pairing here!
Sugaree
May 11, 1977
St. Paul Civic Center Arena

I actually think this whole show is at best a 5/10, but this is one of the highlights. It's a bit faster than some of the earlier classics, and you can hear the changes get away from Jerry some during the first solo (it's a mark of how well they're all playing that it sounds as good as it does). But the second solo is really as good and well paced as mentioned. Garcia builds with a long string of triplets and then cuts loose, building to a climax on some syncopated chords as the band grows around him, and the band peaks hard with both Bobby and Jerry strumming furiously. One of the only problems I've heard throughout this whole run is with tempos. It seems that the band is chomping so hard at the bit that things get away from them. Same issue here before the last verse, but the deceleration is really musical (listen for the drummers start it, and Phil play a string of steady notes to slow everyone down). I gave it a vote because it really is a solid version, but I feel that by the end of this month, everyone has the new tempo down and Jerry is moving much more fluidly over the chord changes.
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
July 1, 1985
Merriweather Post Pavilion

I was actually pretty indifferent during the "Scarlet." I know this is a personal preference, but I hate the sound of the drums (although the SBD is of crystalline quality), and while Jerry played quite a few choruses, I wasn't that interested in many of them. The move after that last verse, though, and the stellar transition, and Jerry kicking in his distortion for the first major "Fire" solo? Worth a listen.
Eyes Of The World
June 10, 1990
Cal Expo

Tasty version, well worth the listen!
Throwing Stones
Aug. 5, 1989
Cal Expo

And does Jerry play some lines reminiscent of "Samson" (around the 5:00 mark)?