The Grateful Dead Dark Star

[Guest]

How 'bout an "Are You Experienced diaper cover"

Hmm--perhaps for my good friend above?

[AmirBagachelles]

Having just finished ordering a GD bumper sticker, I thought I would copy the nice PM I got from orchi-douche, mr. original dead head (Dick L. never liked this guy):

I'm sorry--I didn't mean to offend you. Just expressing my opinion about how a "hippie" group became superstars and have placed their name on everthing from t-shirts to golf balls. I just find that a little sad.

As to your abusive language--what's the need for that? Yes, I am an original dead head. And, yes, I think they went downhill after the last blast of 77-78. Just my opinion--nothing rammed down your throat. If you like the dead of the eighties, good for you--I have no issue with you. But even the dead said that the parking lot scene was screwqing up the tours. I guess you must be someone with at least five hundred tapes in your possession. Quick--name five tunes from any one of them.

Sorry your penis is so small that you can no longer jack it off, little man.

I think the people looking at your post will see it for what it is: a juvenile ant by a hothead with nothing to say. Note that I didn't think it worth a public response.

I can't wait for your clever reply.

Orchidouche: take your ten posts and your worldly view and beat it.

[Guest]

Meanwhile, back to the topic at hand . . . .

just enjoy the music

[Tony Pusey]

orchidoctor seems to have shouted C-NT in St Patricks cathedral! as my old friend Ted Jones would say.

Personanlly ,Amir having read his posts I cant see what you are uppset about, an opinion, as subjective as any other, and I dont see that the abuse you complain about arrives till you took the bait. I dont think competitions to see who can piss highest are very productive, and as for the size of his or anybody elses Dick....

( Oh, Dick.L didnt like the guy, so thats all right then.)

Edited November 6, 2005 by Tony Pusey

[Chalupa]

Amir(Dan, I think?) Do you know OD from somewhere else?? It seems that I'm missing part of your exchange w/ him. Also, how do you know how Latvala felt about him? Just curious.

[Guest]

Amir(Dan, I think?) Do you know OD from somewhere else?? It seems that I'm missing part of your exchange w/ him. Also, how do you know how Latvala felt about him? Just curious.

←

I'm kind of missing the whole point of that exchange. I'd love to know it so that I don't tick anyone else off. Nope, never met Dick L.--wish I had. I doubt highly that he ever heard of me. What a great job, being paid to listen to your favorite music, archiving it for all concerned--saving some of it from oxidation--and getting to select shows for release. And what these guys have done to clean them up and energize the sound is astonishing. Remember that the last Dick's Pick were lost on a houseboat for almost 35 years! What I find interesting is that the band has allowed such a huge portion of it's music to be shared for free (what an amazing site Etree is) and can still come up with gems for release--or more pristine copies which most serious deadheads will buy. Even with this new box from the Fillmore West, the concerts were available for years, but in less than pristine quality with cuts in the tapes, and so on. Now it's nearly perfect (or will be--haven't received mine yet). I look forward to hearing it--and I look forward to subsequent nuggets from the Vaults. The newest DP from Philadelphia is a gem of a show. The Dark Star--Mornig Dew will steal your face.

And even though I feel that the golf ball thing is silly--it's like anything else. Nobody has to buy them. Oh--I do have deadhead sticker on my bumper. Have for years. And for whatever reason (I'll probably never know) I got Amir mad--let me apologize in public as I have in private.

[jazzbo]

Listening to Dick's Picks Vol.16. . . another Fillmore set warmup attempt!

Guess we may have another week or two to wait. . . I haven't seen a definitive date for release anywhere yet.

Just read a nice page about Jerry's guitars. . . . Man, those Wolf, Wolf 2, Tiger, Rosebud, Lightnin' Bolt, etc. are fantastic beautiful guitars, I'd love to strap one on for even a few minutes.

Also, from aural evidence, I really like Jerry's playing on the Travis Bean guitars. Those got a really nice sound from his touch!

Edited November 7, 2005 by jazzbo

[mr jazz]

speaking of DPs-..how is 31 as far as SQ? Is it one of those flat soundboards or nice and dynamic?

[jazzbo]

Hmmmm. . . haven't heard Vol. 31 yet myself! It's on my list to get.

[WD45]

The last four Fillmore sets on eBay have closed at $405+.

[WD45]

Have any of them even shipped yet?

[alankin]

I wish I had heard about the Fillmore set before it sold out!!

[jazzbo]

Well, I did splurge for express mail. . . haven't seen my set yet!

[AmirBagachelles]

I don't want to bury this lead: I was rude, sorry to OD for ill-tempered response.

Here's the quote I take offense to:

"I quite agree with the disdain many people have for the hordes of "deadheads," most of whom got into the band well after their prime. It became a scene for scene's sake and the venues just got larger and larger until the intimacy disappeared and the band appeared to play for pay."

This is a condescension and prejudice, plain and simple. This reflects a proprietary or entitled attitude about the GD scene, which was always both a music and social scene. The venues got larger and the money got better for the band, good for them! And let's not get into arguments about the band's prime, many of us were very pleased about how the music's color evolved and matured post '78. Try set 2 from Dick's Picks 6... As for hordes, you are probably referencing the violence toward the end, but if you weren't around to distinguish the 99% true fans from the 1% of rioters post '93, from where does your misinformed point of view come?

As for Jerry puking over GD golf balls, I doubt it. Jerry and the entire band struggled and worked hard to enjoy upper middle class life, including traveling with their own chefs at times. I believe fans who love that band and their music begrudge them nothing. So they can't play for pay? I guess if the "fans" feel so entitled...

I was there A LOT from '77 to '95. The scene and the music: up/down, mostly splendid, peaked for me in 1990 at the Garden, still amazing shows seen/heard thru '93.

Sorry for the confusing reference to Dick L., all in jest. And the ugly words to OD. I am sorry for the hair trigger. Dan

[Guest]

Dan: I'm glad no one is mad any longer. I didn't mean to disparage the serious deadheads or to hold myself out as superior because I knew them when or to claim my favorite period should be anyone else's. They always had their moments--even when Jerry was on his "Persian" holidays. Some of those nights with Branford Marsalis, David Murray, Ornete Coleman--great stuff. And I liked the material from 89-90 and a fair amount with Bruce Hornsby. I was "spoiled" I suppose by being lucky enough to be born at the right time and to live in the right place (New York) to catch the band when they were young (1967) and to watch them mature. my problem--and it is mine--is that I prefer the intimacy that was provided by the smaller venues and I preferred the style of music from the earlier days. That's just me--that was the Dead I grew up with.

And yes, I went to see them at the Omni and the Fox in Atlanta (where I live now) and had a good time. Again--this is just my reaction--and remember, I'm not 18 and free as a bird, I'm 53--the large crowds tended to overwhelm the music--to me. Was everyone there having a great time? You bet. Was it a scene that still connected to the "hippie" roots and values? Yep. But was it also too big in a lot of ways--ways that often interfered with the music and the ambience? Did the party outshout the music? I felt so--to a degree. Would it have been great if they continued to play small gigs? Absolutely. Possible? Dream on.

Two things: Play 3,000 concerts, age--not completely gracefully, and see if you are still a young lion roaring to get out of his cage. That's hard to maintain. I think Jerry and the boys had every right to earn every dollar they could. The golf ball crack comes from the notion that no one in the band plays golf--I mean, there is no connection to the band or the music, and some of the stuff on Dead.net is just wierd if not silly. But to each his own, and I don't begrudge the dead for merchandising--that equipment, set up--the cost of touring and feeding all their faithfull employees was high.

In short, I admire them for their music--throughout their career--for their stamina and longevity, and for the fact that they can still sell 10,000 10 cd sets just like that. I admire their fans. And I fully support and respect your personal opinions and preferencess as to which "Dead" you like the most. And just because I saw them when you could talk to Jerry on the street after a late night gig doesn't make me better than anyone else. Just damn lucky to have been there (which is why I can wholeheartedly recommend the new Dick's Picks from Philly).

Keep on Truckin'. Bill

[Spontooneous]

Thanks, guys. I feel better now.

I'd like to recommend 6-16-74 to any and all. Don't be put off by the iffy sound in the first set. This was one of the great jamming nights.

[md655321]

Been listening to 4/5/69 and 3/23/75.

69 is probably the first set ive heard with an acoustic guitar. Great stuff. And the 75 one is almost all instrumental. GREAT STUFF.

Gotta love the archive.org

[vajerzy]

Well I hope some kind soul will have an extra set to sell to me- either to make a little money or they decide that the set is not to their liking and will sell it to me.

One can only hope!!

I *have* to get someone to burn me some shows from archive.org!!

[Quincy]

Thanks, guys. I feel better now.

I'd like to recommend 6-16-74 to any and all. Don't be put off by the iffy sound in the first set. This was one of the great jamming nights.

←

I like that one and 6/18 Louisville too.

←

<insert picture of Homer drooling>

Rather than get upset at how the 1st 4 songs at Louisville have sound problems treat it as educational. There's a moment where all you can hear is Bob's guitar and Billy's drums as they constantly search for the right mix (or just flat out having problems.) It's fascinating (ok, maybe a bit frustrating ) to hear the different instruments & vocals in isolation.

Most of June '74 feels like floating in a warm ocean. Great place to be!

[Guest]

when they "retired" in 1974, they were at the top of their game. Every song was treated with care and enthusiasm, and the jams were as "jazzy" as they could be, as Keith had really asserted himself within the band. The changes when they returned in 1976 are very clear: more tunesmithing, less jamming (for a while). 1974 is that perfect midpoint between the rollicking bar band of 1971 and the smoooooth mellow band of 1977. Check out some of the Winterland tapes from early in the year--oh, hell, check them all out. Of course, you might want to fast forward through the seastones unless that sort of thing moves you (seemed like everyone went to the bathroom when Ned and Phil did their thing); sometimes the space that came out of there was pretty thrilling.

[Guest]

when they "retired" in 1974, they were at the top of their game. Every song was treated with care and enthusiasm, and the jams were as "jazzy" as they could be, as Keith had really asserted himself within the band. The changes when they returned in 1976 are very clear: more tunesmithing, less jamming (for a while). 1974 is that perfect midpoint between the rollicking bar band of 1971 and the smoooooth mellow band of 1977. Check out some of the Winterland tapes from early in the year--oh, hell, check them all out. Of course, you might want to fast forward through the seastones unless that sort of thing moves you (seemed like everyone went to the bathroom when Ned and Phil did their thing); sometimes the space that came out of there was pretty thrilling.

[WD45]

Another eBay update -- The last two Complete 1969 Fillmore boxes went for $610.00 and $735.10.

That is, how shall I say it, out of my price range.

[md655321]

That would be right in my sell range however. I dont care how good the music is.

[Tony Pusey]

So, anybody on the other side of the pond received their fillmore set yet?

[Sundog]

Not yet. I was cleaning off my desk the other day and noticed a post-it note which said "GD Fillmore set 11/15". I must have jotted this down when I placed my order. I opted for the expedited shipping so I would be guaranteed having the set on the date of release. So apparently (keep your fingers crossed) 11/15 is the day.