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Submissions

7
Cryptical Envelopment
Oct. 13, 1968
Avalon Ballroom

From a painful whisper to pure lightening, an enveloping force of nature
6
Death Don't Have No Mercy
Oct. 13, 1968
Avalon Ballroom

Dark, moody, and soulful. A searing guitar solo, a purely haunted version. An evocation of the deep unharnessed power that controls the fatal cycle.
3
Turn On Your Love Light
Dec. 2, 1971
Boston Music Hall

Pulsing and free. Bill sounds like he has triple the arms. Pig sweats some blues, Garcia liquifies. Lock yourself in, strap up, and don't look back.
8
Dancin' in the Streets
June 3, 1976
Paramount Theatre

Churns, plays itself out, factor playing. Energetic, smooth as smooth.
4
Cryptical Envelopment
Dec. 29, 1968
Gulfstream Park Race Track

Peaks and melts in all kinds of directions

Comments

China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
June 22, 1973
Pacific Coliseum

Octane level transition jam, hooks left and right, Weir flying, Garcia dipping, Lesh interweaving. One of the greatest China>Riders to ever be recorded on tape--bar none-. The transition could be one of the finest ever.
Bird Song
Oct. 18, 1972
Fox Theater

An especially poignant. I too dug the lead out of the vocal reprise. Particularly jazzy, Billy is on, very strong interplay between all. Lucid and soaring, one of my top shows and versions of 72'. A very cosmic experience, from entrance to finale, the Dark Star>Dew from in the second set, is, let me tell you, one hell of a trip. If anything listen to that, but you'd be missing out on this Bird Song and a bunch of other noteworthy renditions of other classics, so just listen to the whole thing, not a disappointing moment throughout.
He's Gone
Oct. 9, 1984
The Centrum

Gospel Church style extended vocals and riffing. Crowd is all over it, you can hear them going wild. Very strong version and a bluesy segue into Smokestack, choice stuff.
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
May 20, 1973
U.C.

Something about this one, it just flows-thats it- flows. Peaks at an incendiary level leading into the Rider, something in which is always a good barometer-- especially when the 1st set is still going-- that the band is on. The transition- as Carrion aptly described- is perfect. The Rider is a-typical of the period and the year, very strong, with excellent Garcia leads. Vocals, cant blame Garcia he has a cold- but it still doesn't detract from the listening experience.
Hell in a Bucket
July 8, 1987
Roanoke Civic Center

Righteous and thundering. Weir gets into it and Garcia shreds.