Promised Land
Aug. 27, 1972
Old Renaissance Faire Grounds
I'm a big fan of 9-18-90, and The Promised Land is one of the best, but there's no way it's better than Veneta. There are many great '72 versions of Promised Land better than 9/18/90, including DP 36, DP 23, Europe '72 5/23/72 & 5/16/72, as well as 11/11/73. Promised Land IS one of the reasons Veneta is reknowned: the loud fuzzy opening lick, Keith's piano chops, Bobby's unfaltering young, strong, clear voice, Jerry's smooth transitions from lead to rhythm, and the perfect harmony vocals on the concluding "poor boys on the line" verse (where Jerry sounds strong and melodic, jot raspy and strained like 9-18-90). I would say the only reason 9-18-90 is so high on the list is because it is so damn good a post-Godchaux version that it stands out amongst 80s/90s enthusiests. But it's all good.