A quick and driven entrance into the Help featuring Brent and Phil filling elusively and Jerry nailing it; Very intricate Knot; Infectious Franklins.

A roaring Minglewood; Check Weir's good slide solo, Garcia's ripping solo; Some fat Phil and some Gospel Brent.

Poignant yet not somber, slow but not dragging; Mellow serene and emotive; Very strong full band interplay.

Headiness such as this excluded? THIS S>F is downright profound. Perhaps due to the passing of Parish's wife and daughter, Garcia adds some dark vibes

Saloon distant gambling vibe dark and killer

Freedom, glad your jumping on the 84' train, its a year which provides standout versions of many songs but especially to my ears: (Help>Slipknot>Franklin's, Wharf Rat, China>Rider, Shakedown Street and Morning Dew.) Theres a sort of somber undertone to most of the performances, as should be expected considering its a big persian year. A year, that is, quite uneven, yet incredibly rewarding when taken in individual concert performances. Indeed, I have been on a big 84' kick recently, got swept away by some October 84' (Something you should definitely check out 10/9, 10/12, and 10/20) a while back but didn't stick with the year too much. Decided to check back in and have been finding some really great stuff throughout the spring tour, (although it appears more of a miss and hit type tour), the highlights that I have found especially the Marin County Run (3/28-4-1) are excellent and throughout the entire year for that matter, especially Summer and Fall the band is on fire, you get what you come for in Mid-80s and it should be expected that Garcia's voice is not necessarily up to snuff, if your alright with some croak then this stuff will do the trick. Glad your catching on.

Love me some 72' and 73' Bird song just as much as the next guy. But all should be in tune to the fact that in the 80s this song made a big time comeback. 80' acoustic, 81', 83', and then in 84' it hit a whole new level. This version exemplifies that statement. 88' and 89' other great years for Bird Song. This 12/31/84 version is one of the best of the 80s. Should also note that Phil is ALL over this one.

Scrolled to find this lovely Peggy-O sitting lonely at the bottom of the chart. I've listened to enough versions to tell you first hand this is the real deal. Tempo is medium-quick but not sloppy, actually, nearly perfect, to my ears its one of the best renditions ever. Can hold its own in a debate with the already solidified heavy hitters.

Funk to the absolute max. Tightest Shakedown jamming ever I would venture to propose, but thats clearly open to debate. Finds itself spinning ever so vividly through the nebulas, take the journey, throw this one in. "So Many Roads" box set features it for a reason. Its a ripper. Like it more than Merriweather 85', as I believe that one is overrated, but regardless of reasoning, on its own this Shakedown holds down an infectious groove, dont walk around with this one on, you WILL not resist the temptation to get swept into the beat, you may fall, or look like a complete maniac. Has to be considered one of the greatest show openers of all time, a show stopper, and a show starter, what a beginning to a top 10 84' show (A year wrongly maligned by mis-informed heads) Give 84' a chance. I did and loved it, some very good performances would recommend (7/15, 10/9, 10/12, 10/20, 3/31/, 4/1, 6/27, 4/21, and 11/2) along with this NYE show. If you dig around, however, there are many more strong performances, mid-80s although Garcia's junkie years, were generally quite energetic, in 84 a combination of energy along with somber, dark, and mellow moments achieved a very listenable and enjoyable experience along while featuring some genuine X-factor moments. Obviously cant hold up to some of the big years in 70s and even early 80s but is underrated big time.

Quick and consisting of noticeably energetic leads and rhythm work from a group effort.