The Grateful Dead Dark Star

[Chalupa]

You should be able to listen to all three at archive.org

http://www.archive.org/audio/etreelisting-...0Dead%3A%201975

Edited November 1, 2004 by Chalupa

[jazzbo]

Thanks, but I'm challenged when it comes to "streaming" at the moment. . . and for the near future.

Thanks for the date of the one I'm missing, from June 1975.

[AmirBagachelles]

The Help On the Way suite disappeared from the live sets for about five years (78-83), and boy that was depressing. Be sure to hunt down some of the good versions from all those 77 boards that circulate, I like Buffalo from May, Springfield from April, there are many so ask a tape collector who knows the dates (you know these people, they never left their apartments in the 80s and early 90s for fear of missing a tape flip). I was blown away by the way the Dead played Help>Slip in 1983 (Hampton, Santa Fe), but I don't have a single tape of it. I may not have any of the later versions of it.

[GregK]

The Help On the Way suite disappeared from the live sets for about five years (78-83), and boy that was depressing. Be sure to hunt down some of the good versions from all those 77 boards that circulate, I like Buffalo from May, Springfield from April, there are many so ask a tape collector who knows the dates (you know these people, they never left their apartments in the 80s and early 90s for fear of missing a tape flip). I was blown away by the way the Dead played Help>Slip in 1983 (Hampton, Santa Fe), but I don't have a single tape of it. I may not have any of the later versions of it.

so are you saying I should get this Dicks Picks? Because if you are then I will just have to

Grateful Dead - Dick's Picks 29 CD

$33.00

6 CD set composed of two shows from 1977: 5/19/77 at the fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA, and 5/21/77 from the Lakeland Civic Arena in Lakeland, FL. HDCD.

GRATEFUL DEAD

Jerry Garcia - Lead Guitar, Vocals

Donna Jean Godchaux - Vocals

Keith Godchaux - Keyboards

Mickey Hart - Drums

Bill Kreutzmann - Drums

Phil Lesh - Bass, Vocals

Bob Weir - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals

Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA

Disc One

1 Promised Land 6:14 Berry

2 Sugaree 16:21 Garcia, Hunter

3 El Paso 5:04 Robbins

4 Peggy-O 8:34 Trad. Arr. By Grateful Dead

5 Looks Like Rain 8:59 Weir, Barlow

6 Row Jimmy 11:20 Garcia, Hunter

7 Passenger 3:59 Lesh, Monk

8 Loser 8:38 Garcia, Hunter

Disc Two

1 Dancing In The Streets 13:47 Stevenson, Gaye, Hunter

2 Samson and Delilah 8:00 Trad. Arr. By Bob Weir

3 Ramble On Rose 8:38 Garcia, Hunter

4 Estimated Prophet 10:09 Weir, Barlow

Disc Three

1 Terrapin Station 11:43 Garcia, Hunter

2 Playing In The Band 11:07 Weir, Hart, Hunter

3 Uncle John's Band 11:47 Garcia, Hunter

4 Drums 5:28 Hart, Kreutzmann

5 The Wheel 7:24 Garcia, Kreutzmann, Hunter

6 China Doll 7:50 Garcia, Hunter

7 Playing In The Band 10:33 Weir, Hart, Hunter

Lakeland Civic Center Arena, Lakeland, FL

Disc Four

1 Bertha 7:22 Garcia, Hunter

2 Me and My Uncle 3:52 Phillips

3 They Love Each Other 8:10 Garcia, Hunter

4 Cassidy 5:21 Weir, Barlow

5 Jack-A-Roe 7:00 Trad. Arr. By Grateful Dead

6 Jack Straw 6:13 Weir, Hunter

7 Tennessee Jed 9:41 Garcia, Hunter

8 New Minglewood Blues 5:38 Trad. Arr. By Bob Weir

9 Row Jimmy 11:28 Garcia, Hunter

Disc Five

1 Passenger 4:15 Lesh, Monk

2 Scarlet Begonias 11:44 Garcia, Hunter

3 Fire On The Mountain 12:53 Hart, Hunter

4 Samson and Delilah 7:45 Trad. Arr. By Bob Weir

5 Brown-Eyed Woman 5:32 Garcia, Hunter

Disc Six

1 Estimated Prophet 11:27 Weir, Barlow

2 He's Gone 15:36 Garcia, Hunter

3 Drums 4:09 Hart, Kreutzmann

4 The Other One 11:39 Weir, Kreutzmann

5 Comes A Time 11:52 Garcia, Hunter

6 St. Stephen 4:37 Garcia, Lesh, Hunter

7 Not Fade Away 11:15 Petty, Hardin

8 St. Stephen 1:46 Garcia, Lesh, Hunter

9 One More Saturday Night 5:01 Weir

Recorded by Betty Cantor-Jackson

CD Mastering Jeffrey Norman

Tape Archivist David Lemieux

Archival Research Eileen Law/Grateful Dead Archives

Cover Art & Package Design by Robert Minkin

Photography by Jim Anderson ©2003

Dick’s Picks may still be one edition shy of its thirtieth release and its tenth anniversary, but why not start the celebration early? Volume 29 in this acclaimed series of treasures from the Vault is the most generous helping of Dick’s Picks yet — a staggering six compact discs’ worth, delivering about seven hours of optimal Grateful Dead from what is widely regarded as one of the band’s all-time peak periods as a performing unit.

When the Dead embarked on their Spring tour in 1977, all traces of road rust from their mid-decade hiatus had vanished, and the band was playing with as much passion, energy and creativity as at any time in its long history. One factor that contributed greatly to the consistent excellence of the Dead’s live offerings during this period was the obvious pleasure and inspiration the band derived from exploring the batch of superb new material that had been created and developed in the preceding months for inclusion on the Terrapin Station album. This was especially true of two new original pieces: “Estimated Prophet,” Bob Weir and John Barlow’s sharply observant character study of an edge-dwelling soul walking that ever-blurry line between revelation and delusion — a song whose marriage of sinuous reggae groove and jazzish 7/4 time signature made it an ideal vehicle for extended improvisation (and which is heard in two different versions on DP29); and the “Terrapin Station” suite, an epic work quite unlike any other in the annals of the Jerry Garcia-Robert Hunter collaboration — an ambitious, sprawling meditation on themes of courage, inspiration and the art of the storyteller, set to music that escalates from a lilting folk ballad to a titanic instrumental theme built on a monster guitar hook.

Those newer songs, combined with great performances of the more familiar pieces in the band’s repertoire, almost invariably left listeners awestruck in the Spring of ‘77, and the audiences in Atlanta and Lakeland were no exception.

It’s all here, digitally mastered from the original two-track analog source tapes: two damn-near-complete shows — the lone exception being an encore from Lakeland that missed the cut — but you never know where you might find a bit of hidden treasure to compensate for that little omission (word to the wise: as is so often the case in the world of the Grateful Dead, there’s more here than meets the eye!)

[Chalupa]

BUY IT NOW!

[Chalupa]

I pulled this out today and gave it a spin. It might be my favorite official release. I can't be believe good ol' Lindsay only gave it 4 out 5 stars

[gdogus]

so are you saying I should get this Dicks Picks? Because if you are then I will just have to

Grateful Dead - Dick's Picks 29 CD

Greg - I think AmirBagachelles is saying that 1977 gave us a lot of great versions of "Help on the Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower," and that they can be found in many fine "unofficial" soundboard recordings, available for free online at places like the Internet Live Music Archive. The Dick's Picks you cite sounds terrific, and May 1977 was certainly a banner month for the band, but there's not a single tune from Blues for Allah on any of the six discs...

Actually, from that album, the only pieces performed live more than two or three times were "Help on the Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower," "The Music Never Stopped," and "Crazy Fingers."

Edited November 2, 2004 by gdogus

[GregK]

Greg - I think AmirBagachelles is saying that 1977 gave us a lot of great versions of "Help on the Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower," and that they can be found in many fine "unofficial" soundboard recordings, available for free online at places like the Internet Live Music Archive. The Dick's Picks you cite sounds terrific, and May 1977 was certainly a banner month for the band, but there's not a single tune from Blues for Allah on any of the six discs...

I know, I realize there's no Blues for Allah material, but after hearing some of the live '77 stuff in the new box, this may have to be my next purchase! But it's too bad that there aren't too many live versions of Help on the Way/Slipknot!. Some of their most fascinating playing ever is on that opening suite. This brings up another question-does Weir ever solo? He comes up with a lot of great, complex tunes (Weather Report, Throwing Stones just off the top of my head) but I guess with Garcia in the band you don't need anyone else to solo

[gdogus]

This brings up another question-does Weir ever solo? He comes up with a lot of great, complex tunes (Weather Report, Throwing Stones just off the top of my head) but I guess with Garcia in the band you don't need anyone else to solo

Well, there was that pretty horrifying period (during the early '80's, I think?) when Weir was essentially teaching himself to play slide guitar on stage. The results on any given night were...um..."mixed."

Edited November 2, 2004 by gdogus

[AmirBagachelles]

Dear dear dead Dick might agree that the best stuff from '77 may never get officially released because so much of it already circulates in great sound in the taper/CDR community. He said as much in a 1996 interview in Dupree's Diamond News. Englishtown 9/3/77 was an exception because they had a multitrack tape they wanted to put out. You can go out and get for free about 20 whole shows I believe in monster sound, that's right for free. Doesn't mean you won't want what the band is charging for, but I haven't seen my '77 favorites in the DP series, though that Fox show is fantastic, I had Lakeland 2nd set from the Deadhead Hour yrs ago, it's OK. The ones I am now most hopeful for are from November, especially Rochester, because there aren't many A+ board recordings around. I really think the best thing that has been released from the late 70s is either 12/29/77 Winterland or from May 1978, a combo of New Haven and Springfield. I think Jerry's playing is way more interesting than the yr before, and the band is just as hot. Really, check that one out!!! Dan

[Chalupa]

Weir use to take the first solo during the segue from China Cat> I Know You Rider but that stopped at some point in the 70's. I know it was the case up to the retirement.

[jazzbo]

I've been easing my way through this set, making sure I have fully absorbed one disk before moving on. . . .

I listened to the bonus disk first, then worked my way chronologically. I've made it up to Shakedown Street and it strikes me that despite what the booklet says about Lowell George's producership being sort of nonexistant, I can sort of feel his hand in the way the band sounds on this one. . . .

[Quincy]

Weir used to take the first solo during the segue from China Cat> I Know You Rider but that stopped at some point in the 70's. I know it was the case up to the retirement.

That's the first thing I thought of too. If you can clue into his strange little riff he does at the beginning of say a '74 China Cat (maybe '72 & '73 too), sometimes you (maybe I should be saying "I") can continue to follow it throughout the song. It's hard to concentrate on what Bob does once Jerry comes in, but Bob certainly adds something special (though not necessarily lead, other than the beginning.)

It's an important reminder to take him seriously, as it's so easy to make fun of the cheese he added in later years. Though I've always loved him all the same, despite his awful slide work and "ha's!" and all.

Oh yeah, if you have (or download) shows from May to June of '74, often the levels on the instruments are going up & down on the 1st few songs. So you'll hear "Promised Land" and so forth with just Jerry on vocals* and Billy's drums, then no vocals and just Bob's guitar, then Phil with some Bobby, etc. Although somewhat aggravating if you just want to hear the music, it can be fun to take a tour of what each guy (and gal Donna) is doing in the songs.

Louisville 6/18/74 is one example where the 1st few songs have fluctuating levels. Plus the rest of the show is "pretty good."

*Edited to note that Jerry doesn't actually sing lead on "Promised Land." A sloppy example of an example.

Edited November 2, 2004 by Quincy

[.:.impossible]

I love this thread. I had no idea there were so many deadicated deadheads here. You guys do know your shit. Reminds me of conversations I would sit back and listen to in rooms walled with DAT over at my cousin's and his friends' houses.

[GregK]

I love this thread. I had no idea there were so many deadicated deadheads here. You guys do know your shit. Reminds me of conversations I would sit back and listen to in rooms walled with DAT over at my cousin's and his friends' houses.

they were a fascinating band- just listen to some of the atonal, more dissonant sections in Dark Star, and then they slide (or maybe stumble) into a very melodic Eyes of the World- who else does that? not to mention how well they are documented. Every fan's dream- continuous releases of shows through Dicks Picks and the Vault series. Lots to consume!

[GregK]

I saw this on Steve Hoffman's site:

"In case you can't get enough new Grateful Dead music, Dicks Picks 33 will be available November 15. It's a 4 cd set featuring the complete shows from 10/9 and 10/10/76 at the Oakland Coliseum. They shared the bill with The 'OO.

I never heard 10/10/76 but 10/9 is fantastic! The first set has one of the greatest ever (IMHO) Scarlet Begonias, one of the last before it was joined up with Fire On The Mountain. The set closes with a beautifully played "Sugaree". Set 2 kicks off with St. Stephen>NFA before moving into a 45 minute suite featuring Help On The Way>Slipknot>Drums>Samson>Slipknot>Franklin's tower>One More Saturday Night. US Blues wraps things up. Jerry's voice is pretty shot by the end of the show but it doesn't matter. If you love the Dead, this one is not to be missed!"

Looks like just the show I was asking about earlier (with some of the Blues For Allah material)

[jazzbo]

Some of the bonus material on Shakedown Street makes me wonder: think Lowell George may have been an inspiration for Bob to start learning the slide?

[AfricaBrass]

Some of the bonus material on Shakedown Street makes me wonder: think Lowell George may have been an inspiration for Bob to start learning the slide?

I think I remember hearing that he was the one who "taught" Weir slide.

I put taught in quotes because it sure seemed to take forever for him to get it down.

[jazzbo]

Well, today the two dvd "Movie" is released, as well as the five cd version of the "soundtrack."

Yes, I invited fiscal peril again and ordered the combo pack on the website! Won't have the package til the weekend however if past instances are a guide. . . . I saw the movie probably nearly twenty years ago! It's fondly remembered. I'm more looking forward to the cds I think. I have more time to LISTEN than I do to watch.

[Tony Pusey]

Really curious about the soundtrack. Amir reminded me that it is based around Steal your Face, which I (fondly?)remember as the lowest point the Dead had reached on vinyl at that date. I will be getting it in due course though. Nostalgia is terrible for my finances

[Quincy]

Steal Your Face was proof that despite reels & reels of tremendous music, it is possible to find the few less exciting moments and put them on a record instead. It does have a great cover though.

The CD package they're putting together this time around has some wonderful stuff. I'm passing for now (I already have the shows) but as so many of the October '74 Winterland shows circulate as less than stellar soundboards it's a good service they're doing. That run seems to have 2 or 3 different versions of boards that circulate for each night, so trading for the good one was a trial & error chore. Maybe the downloading age has made that easier.

The dvd is on it's way. I'm really looking forward to the extra disc with the Spanish!

[jazzbo]

Well, Steal Your Face I enjoy. . . color me weird. It's not the best, but there's something to it that is cool. . . . I bought it when it first came out within my first few years of Dead record buying, and recently bought the cds (which don't sound that great). I'm looking forward to the new "soundtrack."

Edited November 9, 2004 by jazzbo

[AfricaBrass]

I want that movie so bad....

Looking forward to a review.

[AmirBagachelles]

My review of the movie: Stupendous, captures the Dead at the tail-end of the peak 68-74 period. Too much fun on screen all the time, the print looks great. I only have a lo-fi DVD rig (just a small tv hooked up), so others will have to fill you in on the sound goodies. I haven't checked out disc 2.

I can't find the darn audio soundtrack 5-CD set at retail. Has anybody seen it?

[AfricaBrass]

Thanks for the review!

I picked up my copy tonight.

My favorite period of the Dead was between '68 and '74, so I'm really excited about this. I used to work in a video store in the late '80s and I played the video of the "Grateful Dead Movie" usually every other day or so. I'm really excited about seeing a pristine print.

I also picked up another DVD tonight. I bought "Fly Jefferson Airplane". I was pleasantly surprised. It was cool seeing performances I hadn't seen before and the interviews were good too.