June 20 - June 26, 2011
Welcome back to the Tapers' Section, where this week we'll span 11 years of Grateful Dead history, 1978-1989.
Our first selection this week is from 2/4/78 in Milwaukee, where we have second set material made up of Dancing In The Street>Terrapin Station>Playing In The Band, with the end of the last track being where the master tape reel cuts. This was a show that was sandwiched between the concerts in Madison and Cedar Falls on 2/3 and 2/5 that were made into Dick's Picks 18 (a highly recommended Pick).
Next up is music from April Fool's 1980, the opening of the show featuring Promised Land, Promised Land, Candyman, Me and My Uncle>Big River performed in Passaic, NJ. The opening track, of course, was the April Fool's joke in which the band played each other's instruments to comic effect. You can look up who was playing what online, but we figured we'd leave some guess work and let you try to figure out who's playing what.
Lastly this week is music from the end of the first set of the last ever Grateful Dead concert at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center in beautiful Oakland, CA, on 2/7/89 consisting of Just A Little Light ; Standing On The Moon ; Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again ; Bird Song. This is the first-ever version of Just A Little Light, and the second-ever version of Standing On The Moon, debuted two nights earlier on 2/5/89.
Be sure to join us next week for more great music from deep within the vault. And always, feel free to write to us at the email address below.
David Lemieux
vault@dead.net
stoltzfus - to add to your list of out-of-this-world versions of Disco Dancin' - I'd add to your list 5/15/77 and 10/11/77 - Two outrageous, funky-as-hell jams there
"What we do is as American as lynch mobs." - Jerome Garcia
I had always heard about this show but for whatever reason never thought to listen to it when on archive. I wonder if that's how the Grateful Dead sounds to non-deadheads who think they suck.
Very laid back Little Light. God I loved that place!
in the "shows" section for 4/1/80. Especially the guy who wandered in a bit late and stoned and hadn't seen the stage yet and turns to his buddy to say "God they sound like sh*t tonight!" (Reply: "You idiot! Jerry's playing drums!")
Wish Phil had gotten more time to stretch out into a guitar solo.
I know that some disagree but I really like the 9-76 Dancin's on DP 20. Many call it disco but it sounds like shuffle to me (maybe because I more or less missed disco by living out of range of pop radio and at least some of its influence).
And I like a lot of 78 shows right through the year though there were more and more train wrecks as time went by. I saw a few very good shows that year.
But I know I am in a minority.
Add it to the long list of shows which do not circulate on SBD. I have this on AUD but haven't gotten around to it, mainly because it isn't supposed to be a great AUD. If you aren't going to release it yourself, please lend the master reel to Charlie Miller so people can enjoy this show. You might as well lend him 5/12/77 too.
I consider early 78 (the January California shows + the Oregon one-off + the 6 Jan/Feb midwest dates) to be just as good if not better than Fall 77. While I think that you can sense signs of trouble entering the music in Fall 77, to me it isn't until spring 78 where it becomes clear that there is a problem with a certain someone.
the jams they played with that arrangement are stratospheric.
5/8/77
4/10/78
4/14/78
10/10/76
5/19/77
others certainly exist. which would you list?
Mickey starts out on vocals but it is obvious to all that he doesn't know the words. Bobby basically helps him sing it.
What a hoot!
Bobby on keys, Phil on lead, Jerry & Brent on drums, Billy on bass, w Mickey on rhythm & vocals. The 2nd version is quite an improvement.
Thanks for the '78 Milwaukee tunes! Lots of snow and cold in WI that week.
Location
You know, that Promised Land is not all that bad really. Ive heard wors versions from decent bands. Just goes to show you how talented this band is.