3/25/72: jerry garcia & friends, academy of music, new york, NY.

recently, i revisited the seven-night spring of 1972 run at the academy of music. the tapes—a mix of betty cantor-jackson soundboards and varying quality audience recordings—offer the listener a wealth of great performances, including a number of significant jams that demonstrate the band’s progression toward their europe ’72 style.

the most unusual and famous of the academy shows is the hell’s angels benefit gig on the 25th, where the dead backed bo diddley for the first set. the show kicks off with seventy-five minutes of blues tunes, medleys, and jams, highlighted by diddley’s syncopated guitar licks and signature vocals. garcia plays backseat to mr. diddley for a spell, but eventually joins in and ushers the band into some jamming that is crackling with energy. it’s clear, listening to this portion of the recording, that the dead were having a mighty fun time playing with the blues legend. pig graciously sat the first set out.

jerry opened the dead portion of the evening with "this is dedicated to the hell's angels and the united states of america.” the set started with two one-time-only jerry garcia band covers—how sweet it is, and are you lonely for me—that he’d been doing with merl saunders, before reverting to standard grateful dead fare. the early formative version of how sweet it is is something else. the second offering, the freddie scott 1967 r&b chartbuster, is even more of a treat. what a gas it is to hear jerry and donna belting out the chorus, not to mention garcia’s masterful soloing. next, pigpen returns us to the good old grateful dead with a rollicking next time you see me. the vibe is energetic throughout, highlighted by some fine solo work from jerome. after a fabulous country-picked brown-eyed women, the band launches into smokestack lightening. the last smokestack performed with mr. ron mckernan at the helm is excellent, and surely one of the finest versions committed to tape; it’s long, bluesy, and contains an amazing lead by garcia toward the end. a few other highlights of the set include: a sizzling sitting on top of the world, with jerry’s bakersfield-style guitar licks tearing up everything in sight; a beautiful looks like rain with pedal steel; particularly upbeat versions of bertha and mr. charlie; a powerful early take on black-throated wind; a deliberate and nuanced deal; and a fearlessly improvisational playing in the band, offering a few hints of what lay in store for the hunter-weir tune in the fall of the year. the band follows their beautiful take on playing in the band with a brief (22-minute) foray into turn on your lovelight, with sir pig’s exquisite rap leading the way. the show closes out with casey jones. phil introduces the tune with a nod to the angels “i think we’re gonna finish off with this one folks…this one is dedicated to all of us who are in jail.”

listening to the tapes of these march gigs one can’t fail to appreciate the new expansive direction that has taken hold of the band. on a bittersweet note, the academy shows and the upcoming european tour will become pigpen’s swansong, as he was dead within a year of the tour’s end. somehow, though, the combination of the old giving its final heave and the new looking ahead to fresh musical frontiers gave many of the ’72 shows an added spark. this night at the cozy run-down academy of music is no exception.

https://archive.org/details/gd1972-03-25.133592.sbd.miller.flac1644/gd72-03-25d3t05.flac

8/23/69: pelletier farm, st. helens, OR.

this fabulous soundboard recording captures the dead a week removed from their woodstock performance, doing what they most likely intended to do in bethel. bullfrog 2 was advertised as a three day affair featuring a swell line-up which included the dead, taj mahal, mixed blood, portland zoo, sabatic goat, bill feldman, and a pre-celebrity NRPS. the advertising also promoted petite mall lites, space balloons, rides, and fireworks. all this for $6 bucks in advance.

from the opening bars of hard to handle, it’s very clear that the boys have brought their A-game on this evening; the version is long, raunchy, and played with plenty of swagger. following this, we’re treated to the workingman’s portion of the show: a sweet countrified mama tried > high time combo, a fine casey jones with some funky swamp-blues guitar from mr. garcia, and a red-hot easy wind with pig’s keys taking center stage. the show really turns at the dark star which is, from the very beginning, a goddamn sonic satori. it’s a version that makes you very thankful that recordings of this band were made in such abundance. the tune covers relatively standard territory through the first seven minutes or so—a melody is established, and garcia states a few thematic ideas. the playing is flawless. next, the band—led by jerry & TC—starts to explore a few riffs that advance into a daring, intrepid jam that the ensemble kicks around and develops further in a 4/4 time signature, before dropping effortlessly into a delightfully weird metaphysical space that they mine for a lengthy exploration. in time, garcia deftly returns the unit to the main theme and the second verse. out of this, st. stephen bursts forth in full fury and rages into the 11, which is equally as charged and wonderful. in true good ol’ grateful dead fashion, the set continues with a hefty 30-minute lovelight, marshaled by pig’s bawdy rapping, TC’s peppery, calliope organ, and a ton of relentless jamming. after a few relatively coy comments from a festival stage manager, the crowd is sent home with a stirring take on we bid you goodnight.

the following day, the local papers reported that there were no problems or fallout from the festival. in a press briefing, columbia county DA, lou williams, was quoted as saying “if you call the open use of narcotics and drugs 'no problem,' then i guess there was no problem." another article noted that many of the st. helens’ merchants were delighted with the abundance of sales over the course of the event. the streets were packed, and business had never been so good. one store owner did complain though. he stated that “…if he played music like that, he'd be arrested.” https://archive.org/details/gd1969-08-23.sbd.2196.sbeok.shnf

12/15/72: long beach arena

the final month of a historic year filled with unbelievable tours featured five performances, four of which were played at winterland. on the whole, december of ’72 is a bit of a dark horse; the shows are loaded with technical issues, dodgy sound, and bad cuts in the tapes. even so, for those who venture within, many surprises await.

the last stand-alone grateful dead performance of 1972 in long beach, CA, finds the band playing with the same ragged intensity they brought to the fall tour. the first set is typical ’72 fare. highlights include: a country-tinged sugaree, a smoking tennessee jed with a passionate outro lead by jerry, a slow and heartfelt candyman, a few weir-led cowboy numbers, a whopping playing in the band, and a punchy casey jones. the crowning jewel of the ninety-minute first set though is the playing in the band, which rivals many of the more renowned versions on the archive. to begin with, keith is loud in the mix and this is one of those rare playing in the bands that begins with a prominent piano drone. the jam is ominous and heavy, with jerry hanging in the background releasing guitar licks from behind the fray. the result is a menacing, relentless feeling, fueled by garcia’s inspired and tortured licks arising spontaneously from the soundscape to a point where it seems that he is musically fighting the rest of the group. to make matters all the more beautiful, lesh maintains a consistent open-ended structure that appears to be facilitating the rambunctious spirit that has possessed the lead guitarist. the result is a playing in the band similar to the big ’72 november versions—it never calms down for long before a storm boils up again.

set two opens with a scathing greatest story ever told—with just the right amount of wah-wah pedal—and it’s clear the band is fully warmed up. a few numbers later, they head into an extended he’s gone; their take this evening is nearly identical in structure and intensity to the version they laid down four nights earlier at winterland. next up, we’re treated to a suite of music that, like many of the second set jams of this period, begs your full aural attention. an energized truckin’ is followed by a long improvisational jam, loaded with complex themes and varying meter signatures that slowly drifts into one of the most distinctive dark star passages committed to tape. the former vault keeper, dick latvala, once commented on his fondness for this dark star based on the unique and inventive style of playing that bookends the verses of the song and the complexity of melodies and phrasings that arise throughout the piece. garcia’s guitar work is beautiful and sinister, lesh’s bass playing is uncanny, weir’s licks are at once divergent and complimentary, kreuztmann’s polyrhythmic jazz/rock groove is unrelenting, and godchaux provides a haunting keyboard effect throughout. the last dark star of 1972 drops elegantly (and appropriately) into a poignant and inspiring morning dew. at this point in the band’s career, they could do no wrong when traversing any type of improvisational jam. this night is no exception.

https://archive.org/details/gd1972-12-15.sbd.yerys.2329.sbeok.shnf/gd72-12-15d3t03.shn

6/17/75: bob fried memorial boogie, winterland arena.

here’s another gem from the oft-misunderstood and disregarded retirement period when the dead were on a year-and-a-half hiatus from touring. this winterland gig is the second of the four bay area shows that reunited the band during the recording and release of blues for allah. i’ve written about the first and final shows of this storied year (the SNACK benefit at kezar stadium, and the exquisite bob menke field recording at golden gate park) in earlier blog entries, both of which are essential listening for anyone interested in this period. of course, the unveiling of blues for allah came on 8/13/75 at the great american music hall, and was celebrated in the first official vault release in 1991.

the second show of the year—billed as jerry garcia and friends—was a benefit gig at winterland in june. bobby’s side project kingfish and the newly formed keith & donna band also played a set before the full grateful dead ensemble hit the stage. unlike the more polished sound of the great american music hall, this performance is for people who like their jams dangerous and unpredictable; it’s the reason that dead scholars often make the claim that 1975 remains the most intriguing year in the band’s ever-intriguing history, filled with creative chances and decisions that would define the band’s next two decades.

similar to the lindley performance, this bob menke field recording places the listener directly in the shoes and experience of the audience members, a perfect balance between the band and the crowd. the show opens with the debut of crazy fingers, with garcia taking two choruses before they head back into the verses. the playing and phrasing is near perfect and it's hard to believe that this is the first time they ever performed this tune in a live setting. after a few quick numbers—including a heartbreaking peggy-o—the band launches into their first try at help on the way > slipknot > franklins tower; the resulting set closing music is beautiful, especially the only instrumental version of help on the way they would ever play.the second set of the evening is all about the b-side of blues for allah. although they encore with a few classics, it’s the blues for allah > king solomon's marbles/stronger than dirt/milkin' the turkey > blues for allah reprise that leaves my mind in stitches. the 25-minute exploration is stunning; the jamming and interplay between the musicians is magical, otherworldly, and sublimely maniacal.

listening to this tape, i’m reminded why 1975 was such an inspired and metamorphosing year for the grateful dead. it was—and always will be—simultaneously an ending, a beginning, and something completely unknown.

https://archive.org/details/gd1975-06-17.fob.menke.motb.97078.flac24

9/9/72: hollywood palladium, hollywood, CA.

the fall of 1972 is loaded with great performances, and this night is no exception. the first set is a nice mix of ballads, rockers, and some extended jams. a few highlights include a sweet and poignant sugaree, a fine black throated wind with some lovely picking and subtle wa-wa action from garcia, a rollicking deal highlighted by keith’s saloon style keyboards, and a bird song and playing in the band in their full ’72 glory. the second set is also ripe with great stuff. after a few snappy opening cuts, the band rolls out a 70-minute sequence that really smokes. he’s gone and truckin’ are played with real gusto, but it’s the other one that extends the outer limits of the cosmos. the interplay between the musicians on the weir-kreutzmann penned number is a real pleasure to witness, resulting in one of the most satisfying extended explorations of the year.

after the encore the boys squeeze out a funky little stars and stripes forever jam, which concludes with some fun stage banter from jerry: “we’d like to play some more, but some of the boys are already in tijuana…you know how it is.” we certainly do.

https://archive.org/details/gd1972-09-09.sbd.miller.105458.flac16

8/3/69: family dog on the great highway, san francisco, CA.

here's a very unusual gig worth checking out from chet helms' short-lived rock dance club. part of what makes this night atypical, is the addition of a few jazz players: electric violinist michael white and saxophonist/flutist charles lloyd, who bring a distinct vibe to the mix. the intro stuff is solid (including a rare high-heeled sneakers with garcia and mckernan singing alternate verses), but it’s the final 70 minutes that makes this performance so special. both the dark star—with lloyd’s sax work and white’s improvisational touches—and the set-ending alligator > other one > caution > we bid you goodnight is, without a doubt, some of the most interesting 1969 grateful dead committed to tape. recorded by bear, with a swell digital transfer by charlie miller, this night at the family dog is one i'm happy to queue up at any moment's notice.

https://archive.org/details/gd1969-08-03.sbd.miller.30652.sbeok.flac16/gd69-08-03d2t03.flac

7/7/69: piedmont park, atlanta, GA, with spirit, chicago, the allman brothers, delaney & bonnie, and hampton grease band.

the fact that the dead played a free show that had them flying to atlanta for the gig is a bit strange, given that their financial resources were quite tight at that juncture. i can only imagine that this was a publicity thing, as the dead had no real following in the southeast at that time.

the performance is a real barn burner and it's not to be missed. from the opening morning dew, you can tell the lads came to play. some other highlights include a sublimely poignant take on high time, a funky early version of casey jones with a very groovy intro, and a colossal dark star suite that'll leave your brain in ashes. and if that wasn't enough mojo, they still have room in the tank for a 37-minute lovelight finale with gregg allman on keys, probably duane on guitar, and perhaps the chicago horns. recorded by the esteemed augustus owsley stanley, with a masterful transfer from mr. charlie miller, this one is as fine an example of good ol' 1969 dead as you'll ever hear. plug in some headphones and queue this baby up.

https://archive.org/details/gd1969-07-07.123468.sbd.miller.flac16/gd69-07-07d1t05.flac