I listen to the Grateful Dead every night for over an hour while I am on the treadmill. During January I was listening to Fillmore and Winterland concerts from 1970 (the era of Workingman’s Dead). The Dead were experimenting with a warm intimate sound during 1970. Many shows featured a mix of acoustical sets (the NRPS were often in attendance). This was the year I first saw the Dead live. Clearly, however, there were issues. The sound worked best in small halls, like the two Fillmores and just as clearly Bear’s abilities as a sound man had just about reached his (and the band’s) limit. Although the funk of Dancing In The Streets and Turn on Your Love light still worked, you can hear both Bob and Jerry breaking out on some songs (China Cat) to a stronger more pure ROCK approach. Johnny B. Goode and Not Fade Away both make tentative appearances during the year.
In 1971 the Band moved into a new and improved model, a new sound crew and new sound system were developed and the ability of the band to effectively play larger halls was perfected. This is the year which moved towards the Skulls and Roses release (recorded in March and April). The guitar sound is crisper (and louder). In addition to Johnny B. Goode (which would find it truest form in 1972), often moves into the closing spot, replacing TOYLL). Jerry is adding new songs (Wharf Rat, Loser, Bertha). Both Bob and Pig are adding stronger, more focused, vocals. This year’s version of the band snaps with energy.
This is a year which has been heavily documented with the live recording series from Dead.Net and include:
The Internet Archive has always been a great source for free concerts recordings of the Grateful Dead. The year 1971 is no exception. Probably no single individual has done more quality sound processing of concert tapes posted to the Internet Net then a the great Charlie Miller and 1971 is not exception. In this year alone, Charlie contributed 26 soundboard recording which he processed. No single contributor has better sound processing skills or better musical taste than Charlie. And we thank him for his contribution. You can find my blogs on the Grateful Dead recordings on the Internet Archive here, here, here and here.
The February run at the Capital Theater is outstanding. The performance is great and the sound system (and sound processing are terrific). Among these dates the February 18th date is freely available and features some breakout performances, including Bertha, Loser, It Hurts Me Too and Truckin’. Pride of place is the great sequence:
Mama Tried
Hard to Handle
Dark Star
Wharf Rat
Dark Star
Me And My Uncle
This is a nice long two set concert. The first set begins with Bertha and Truckin and ends with Casey Jones. The second set, not as strong as the first set, opens with a early short version of Playin’ In the Band and an eraly version of Sugar Magnolia (with Wah Wah). The second set concludes with a nice sequence of:
Not Fade Away
Goin’ Down The Road, Feeling Bad
Not Fade Away
Uncle John’s Band
Wow. Nice. Here is a link list into the set. Click on the date to jump to the Internet Archive’s player to hear the whole concert. Individual songs can be heard in modern browsers by clicking on the track title (free a track with a right click).
This is the third of three blog posts on the Grateful Dead at the Fillmore West, 1969, 1970 and 1971.
During the last year the Dead were busy reinventing themselves again. On May 05 and May 04, the Dead had a very successful run at the Winterland, then a quick visit to France for an aborted music festival and a filmed concert. Finally the Dead return to The Fillmore West on July 07, 1971. Bookings for both the Fillmore West and the Winterland were controlled by Bill Graham (Bob Weir called him ‘the protagonist’), so perhaps Graham was involved in setting up the May Winterland run and pushing the Fillmore gig to July 07. The Dead worked the East coast extensively in April of 1971. The five night run a the Fillmore East has been released as an official Dead.Net recording (which in MHO suffers from being a compilation drawn from all five shows which diminished the impact of hearing single shows develop end to end, but does benefit from the high quality of the sound processing technology deployed to release this box set). During May there was a three night run at the Manhattan Center, two nights at the Boston Music Hall, five nights at the Fillmore East as well as 10 other east coast gigs. Here are the links to the shows available on the Internet Archive for April, 1971:
1971-04-24 – Wallace Wade Stadium, Duke University Listen
This intense schedule is followed by a month off and then the two night run at the Winterland on May 29 and may 30. The Winterland run shows the band playing in a much larger hall for a much larger audience (The Winterland’s seating capacity was 5,400 and the Fillmore West holds just over 1,000 souls). I highly recommend the May 29 Winterland show with the high level of musicianship and the vastly improved sound system of the Winterland (compared to the Fillmore East or West). Unlike the Fillmore West show which ran for almost three hours, the Winterland shows are single sets which do not break 60 minuets on either night. In the less intimate surrounds of the Winterland the turn out a very tight, well played, just the hits concert both nights. What is most notable, compared to show of just a year ago is how much more of a ROCK band the Dead have become. Bob Weir’s guitar playing is much improved and the ‘lock’ between bass and rhythm guitar is much tighter. Jerry’s solo are also better framed and more precise. On 05-29 the opening run of: Truckin’ –> Drums –> The Other One –> Wharf Rat –>Sugar Magnolia –> Deal pumps along and then ends with Bo Diddily influenced coda of NFA –> GDTRFB –> NFA. A short but effective set. Great presentation of of the band as it will become for 1972 through 1974. In short, fade down Pig Pen and cross fade to Bobby Weir. Turn down the psychedelic R&B and turn on the R&B. As Jerry says, introducing Johnny B. Goode as the closer to the Fillmore West show: “Here it is folks, what it’s all about.”
The second nights set list is more Workingman’s Dead oriented. The second night reprises the newer children from the night before: Truckin, Sugar Magnolia and Deal and closes with a very nice: Uncle John’s Band –> Casey Jones. The standout song of the second night is the amazing version of Big Boss Man. Pig Pen pulls out all the stops in emulating the great R&B singers of times past and the band acts as a well rehearsed R&B back up band is tight. This song, at least, is not Rock and Roll but classic R&B with Jerry playing a constrained but perfect R&B solo to go with Pig Pens mighty singing effort. Great effort but one which points to the past and not the future.
Before the Fillmore West show, The band made a road trip for a music festival in France. Rain prevented the festival from being held but the bands stayed while in France at the Chateau d’Herouville whose owner was a deadhead and film score composer and the Chateau included a 16 track recording set. The lack of the festival gig was then replaced by the dead setting up in back of the Chateau performing a 50 minute concert which was recorded on film and audio tape. This film was originally broadcast on French TV but is now available on both YouTube and the full concert audio is available on the Internet Archive.
Returning to the more intimate surround of the Fillmore West for a July 02 radio broadcast the Grateful Dead put out a three hour ROCK show which does not include Truckin (or Wharf Rat ), does include some fantastic jams (Good Lovin’), some trucker’s favorites (Mama Tried, Sing Me Back Home as well as Joplin’s Me And Bobby McGee), some R&B (Big Boss Man and less so, Good Lovin’) and lots of R&R (Bertha, Sugar Magnolia, Casey Jones, NFA, GDTRFB and the aforementioned Johnny B. Goode). Five stars to this July 02 Fillmore West concert. As Judy Garland famously said once, “Let’s stay up all night and sing them all.”
Jerry Garcia once said that he didn’t care what venue he played at but that what he liked was to play the same venue on successive days. These three nights in June, 1990 are nice sound board recordings of Jerry and the Grateful Dead on what was, for many, the last great tour. Throughout the Dead’s career, the keyboard player was integral to the Dead’s sound. Amazingly the three great Dead key board players brought remarkably different talents to the band and indeed, the band (and Jerry) sounds very different depending if its Pig Pen or Godchaux or Mydland. These shows of course are part of the Mydland era (his last show would be 23 July 1990 and he died on the 26th) . The recordings on these three nights are available in full on the Internet Archive, are very good. These are NOT modern, cold, digital recordings. The crowd can often be heard in the background. Bob’s supporting guitar work is excellent and easy to hear on these tapes. Jerry and Brent are pretty subdued, and soulful. Of the three shows 06/08 is my favorite the run from Bird Song through Foolish Heart are particularly sweet. The second night, for me, suffers from a set list not to my tastes(although Lucy Loose and All Along the Watchtower are unforgettable.). The last night has some great runs including Playin’ in the Band –> Crazy Fingers -> Playing In The Band Jam as well as the closing of Standing On the Moon through ‘Last Time. All of Jerry’s ‘first set classics’ like Jack-A-Roe, Jack Straw and Row Jimmy are great examples of the types of sweet solos Jerry developed late in his career. If you are looking for the classic, happy hippy ‘Keep On Truckin’ Grateful Dead, you will not find them here. This is the mature Jerry Garcia (he was 48 and in poor health) with thirty years and thousands of shows on the road. Death did stalk the halls on these nights and Jerry plays against the devil. And the music plays the band.
Here are some cuts from the Internet Archive Grateful Dead Collection which you might miss because the dates are non-sense and there for hard to search for. I have included selected reviewer comments from the original postings.
Reviewer’s Comment: Possibly 2/12/66 Longshoreman’s Hall 1st Nigh Longshoreman’s Hall 3rd Night Pauley Ballroom #2 (no date). I can’t believe I am hearing this for the first time today. It is incredible. The quality for the time period is just unreal. Talk about hearing these guys in the raw, primal form. This is it.
1967-00-00 – Studio Sessions for Anthem of the Sun Listen
Reviewer’s Comment: The Taping Compendium Volume One lists the tape as “11/19/67, Unknown Studio
Location Rehearsal”. Deadlists calls it “11/1?/67, Rehearsal Studio Session”.
The Deaddisc discography page lists the following Anthem studio sessions:
- Sept 1967, RCA Studio A, Hollywood;
- Oct 1967, American Studios, North Hollywood;
- Dec 1967, Century Sound, New York; Olmstead Studios, New York.
To add to the confusion, db.etree lists the following studio tape dates:
“10-20-67, American Studios”, “11-19-67 Unknown location”, and “12-02-67,
Studio“. Obviously, this material fits somewhere within this time period.
Reviewer’s Comment: This is definitely sweet music to my ears, Pig slowing the show done at will, working the crowd, and leading the band through the song. Pig’s groove didn’t always work, sometimes it failed miserably, but when it did work, Pig was that little bit extra that put this band on another level they were never able to reach again after his retirement/death.
Reviewer’s Comments: Where or whenever this was, it’s a perfect little slice of mid-’68 Dead. Pigpen’s organ really stands out here given the sound an added dimension not always heard. Stunning New Potato and an adrenaline-rush of a Caution.
Lemieux explained that this music came off a vault reel marked “early-1968 Carousel” and it certainly is not a studio session. Seeing as the first St. Stephen was performed sometime in May ’68, it makes sense that this could be from the May 30 – June 1 stand.
Still, it sounds fantastic and you have to dig Pig’s ska organ. (97 pts)
Reviewer’s Comments: this is great. have only heard the first few so far but seems to be jerry playing around on an acoustic working on the arrangements for the tunes to be on workingmans. the sound is great for what it is, feels like he’s sitting on a stool right there next to my desk.
Reviewer’s Comments: As far as who is actually present playing, it’s hard to tell. Delaney and Bonnie are audible singing in the background of GDTRFB. Delaney is singing the lead vocal on track 2, a blues that I’m sure someone out there must know the name of. Jerry comes in playing a standard electric guitar at the end of Jam 4 and plays a brief little solo at 14:16. Delaney is probably playing the guitar throughout as well. Leslie West is audible playing on Sugar Mag/Cotton Jam.
Reviewer’s Comment: Mickey and Jerry make a public apology for having to cancel the December 18, 1970 show that was to take place in Port Chester. This however is no ordinary “I’m sorry” statement
Reviewer’s Comments: This is from a “liberated” Italian bootleg CD. From the Taping Compendium, I would guess these are culled from various studio sessions for the Blues For Allah LP and that they are from the March, 1975 time period. All tracks are of outstanding sonic quality (except for Music which suffers from a horrible cut at the end).
1979-00-00 – Go to Heaven Sessions – Betty Cantor’s Rough Mixes Listen
Reviewer’s Comment: This track is really good. Better than the released version, in my opinion. Who said the Dead could not be a studio band? Lost Sailor is quite good. Part of the KPFA Marathon broadcast on 2/22/2003
Reviewer’s Comments: Los Angeles and San Francisco. Interview with Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia
Part 1 Discussion of the Grateful Dead’s Acoustic Music. Part 2 Discussion of the Grateful Dead’s Electric Music. Cool to hear that 15 year prospective on how Bob and Jerr feel about their music and all that comes with.
Reviewer’s Comments: I watched the Twilight Zone looking for the music credits and never found them, so even tho I knew the GD recorded music for the newer 80′s version of the teevee show I don’t know if I ever actually heard the music.
The Internet Archive’s Grateful Dead is a great collection of concert tapes. There are over 2,000 unique concerts. There are multiple recordings of most concerts. This series attempts to provide a simple interface to this collection by selecting one recording for each concert on a given date. Preference is given to tapes processed by the great Charlie Miller and sound board tapes. Not all shows are well recorded but the there are great moments here. Dig in and enjoy! You didn’t have to be there. Good Luck.
The Grateful Dead Valentines of Flesh and Blood (1990 –1995)
After a very successful spring/summer 1990 tour Brent Mydland, the Dead’s long time keyboard player Brent Mydland died of a drug overdose. His last show with The Grateful Dead was on 23 July 1990. Vince Welnick (formerly of The Tubes) joined on key boards. From time to time between September 1990 and March 1992, Bruce Hornsby also played with the band on his grand piano. There are some great shows after July 1990, especially when Bruce was present. Jerry’s continued health problems (and drug addiction) crippled his singing and sometimes the Drums –> Space portion of the concerts could last for up to an hour. Jerry did deliver some of his finest (blues oriented) solos during this period (listen to such songs as Days Betweenand Standing On the Moon). Robert Greenfields excellent Dark Star: An Oral Biography of Jerry Garcia provides important contributions to understanding what was happening to Jerry (and the band) during these ‘final days’. Jerry Garcia died August 9, 1995. RIP
After a Brent’s Death in 1990 and a some what confused fall tour (aka The Tour From Hell) the shows of March and April 1991 were often terrific. This April 04 concert is phenomenal. Phil is in great form and Vince and Jerry are jellying well. In the first set Jerry pulls out an interesting midi “trumpet” solo. The second set is very smooth and innovative:
Help On The Way –> Slipnot! –> Franklin’s Tower –> Estimated Prophet –> He’s Gone
wOw! Then a closer of Standing on the Moon –> Good Lovin’ and U.S. Blues as the ‘encore’. A great group effort where everything moves smoothly and in great synchrony. Help On The Way & Slipnot sound almost Zappa’ish in form and the great disciple.
The Internet Archive’s Grateful Dead is a great collection of concert tapes. There are over 2,000 unique concerts. There are multiple recordings of most concerts. This series attempts to provide a simple interface to this collection by selecting one recording for each concert on a given date. Preference is given to tapes processed by the great Charlie Miller and sound board tapes. Not all shows are well recorded but the there are great moments here. Dig in and enjoy! You didn’t have to be there. Good Luck.
The Grateful Dead Valentines of Flesh and Blood (1990 –1995)
After a very successful spring/summer 1990 tour Brent Mydland, the Dead’s long time keyboard player Brent Mydland died of a drug overdose. His last show with The Grateful Dead was on 23 July 1990. Vince Welnick (formerly of The Tubes) joined on key boards. From time to time between September 1990 and March 1992, Bruce Hornsby also played with the band on his grand piano. There are some great shows after July 1990, especially when Bruce was present. Jerry’s continued health problems (and drug addiction) crippled his singing and sometimes the Drums –> Space portion of the concerts could last for up to an hour. Jerry did deliver some of his finest (blues oriented) solos during this period (listen to such songs as Days Between and Standing On the Moon). Robert Greenfields excellent Dark Star: An Oral Biography of Jerry Garcia provides important contributions to understanding what was happening to Jerry (and the band) during these ‘final days’. Jerry Garcia died August 9, 1995. RIP
The Internet Archive’s Grateful Dead is a great collection of concert tapes. There are over 2,000 unique concerts. There are multiple recordings of most concerts. This series attempts to provide a simple interface to this collection by selecting one recording for each concert on a given date. Preference is given to tapes processed by the great Charlie Miller and sound board tapes. Not all shows are well recorded but the there are great moments here. Dig in and enjoy! You didn’t have to be there. Good Luck.
The Grateful Dead Valentines of Flesh and Blood (1990 –1995)
After a very successful spring/summer 1990 tour Brent Mydland, the Dead’s long time keyboard player Brent Mydland died of a drug overdose. His last show with The Grateful Dead was on 23 July 1990. Vince Welnick (formerly of The Tubes) joined on key boards. From time to time between September 1990 and March 1992, Bruce Randall Hornsby also played with the band on his grand piano. There are some great shows after July 1990, especially when Bruce was present. Jerry’s continued health problems (and drug addiction) crippled his singing and sometimes the Drums –> Space portion of the concerts could last for up to an hour. Jerry did deliver some of his finest (blues oriented) solos during this period (listen to such songs as Days Between and Standing On the Moon). Robert Greenfields excellent Dark Star: An Oral Biography of Jerry Garcia provides important contributions to understanding what was happening to Jerry (and the band) during these ‘final days’. Jerry Garcia died August 9, 1995. RIP
Among Deadheads 1978 and (April, 1978) is a much loved period for the Grateful Dead. The band is tight and there are a plethora of quality sound board recordings. This Monday night concert was the first of a two night stand at the Fox. Donna and Bob are in good voice (Jerry less so). The first set opens with a strange sound check of Salt Lake City and ends with a sweet version of The Music Never Stopped. Along the way Jerry delivers the goods with unbelievable guitar work on It’s All Over Now, Peggy-O,El Paso and Row Jimmy. The core of the second set if a twelve minute version of controversial ‘disco’ version of Dancin’ In the Street. This is, in general, not my favorite Grateful Dead song from this period because, (0) the original Motown Pigpen version is much loved, and (1) the band rarely stays in full vocal tune throughout the new version (Donna & Jerry I am talking about you). On this night everything jells, the vocals and instrumentation are spot on and the jam at the end is quite good. Franklin’s Tower misses the mark (and has an audience patch to boot) but the closer is awesome:
The Internet Archive’s Grateful Dead is a great collection of concert tapes. There are over 2,000 unique concerts. There are multiple recordings of most concerts. This series attempts to provide a simple interface to this collection by selecting one recording for each concert on a given date. Preference is given to tapes processed by the great Charlie Miller and sound board tapes. Not all shows are well recorded but the there are great moments here. Dig in and enjoy! You didn’t have to be there. Good Luck.
The Grateful Dead Valentines of Flesh and Blood (1990 –1995)
After a very successful spring/summer 1990 tour Brent Mydland, the Dead’s long time keyboard player Brent Mydland died of a drug overdose. His last show with The Grateful Dead was on 23 July 1990. Vince Welnick (formerly of The Tubes) joined on key boards. From time to time between September 1990 and March 1992, Bruce Randall Hornsby also played with the band on his grand piano. There are some great shows after July 1990, especially when Bruce was present. Jerry’s continued health problems (and drug addiction) crippled his singing and sometimes the Drums –> Space portion of the concerts could last for up to an hour. Jerry did deliver some of his finest (blues oriented) solos during this period (listen to such songs as Days Between and Standing On the Moon). Robert Greenfields excellent Dark Star: An Oral Biography of Jerry Garcia provides important contributions to understanding what was happening to Jerry (and the band) during these ‘final days’. Jerry Garcia died August 9, 1995. RIP
For additional details of the Internet Archive Collection and how these lists were generated see my blog post here. For my blogs on individual Grateful Dead show see here.
For my blogs on individual Grateful Dead show see here.
The 1990 Grateful Dead Tapes
Film Editor: cloud2013
1990-02-25 – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena Listen
1990-02-26 – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena Listen
1990-02-27 – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena Listen
care what venue he played at but that what he liked was to play the same venue on successive days. These three nights in June, 1990 are nice sound board recordings of Jerry and the Grateful Dead on what was, for many, the last great tour. Throughout the Dead’s career, the keyboard player was integral to the Dead’s sound. Amazingly the three great Dead key board players brought remarkably different talents to the band and indeed, the band (and Jerry) sounds very different depending if its Pig Pen or Godchaux or Mydland. These shows of course are
part of the Mydland era (his last show would be 23 July 1990 and he died on the 26th) . The recordings on these three nights are available in full on the 
on these tapes. Jerry and Brent are pretty subdued, and soulful. Of the three shows 06/08 is my favorite the run from Bird Song through Foolish Heart are particularly sweet. The second night, for me, suffers from a set list not to my tastes(although Lucy Loose and All Along the Watchtower are unforgettable.). The last night has some great runs including Playin’ in the Band –> Crazy Fingers -> Playing In The Band Jam as well as the closing of Standing On the Moon through ‘Last Time. All of Jerry’s ‘first set classics’ like Jack-A-Roe, Jack Straw and Row Jimmy are great examples of the types of sweet solos Jerry developed late in his career. If you are looking for the classic, happy hippy ‘Keep On Truckin’ Grateful Dead, you will not find them here. This is the mature Jerry Garcia (he was 48 and in poor health) with thirty years and thousands of shows on the road. Death did stalk the halls on these nights and Jerry plays against the devil. And the music plays the band.
