9-11-74: alexandra palace, london.

1974 was surely a high watermark year for the dead. for starters, the wall of sound introduced concert goers to the largest, technologically innovative public address system ever built. in addition to the force and extravagance of the PA, much of the tour added halftime entertainment in the form of ned lagin and phil lesh, and their experimental modular-synth seastones performances. like many ardent dead fans, i’m a real admirer of the collaborations between ned and the band, although the seastones outings surely aren’t everyone’s cup of ayahuasca.

the ’74 tour wasn’t all roses though. assembling, disassembling, and hauling around 75 tons of amps, speakers, subwoofers and tweeters was a lot of work, and it really took a toll on the grateful dead family. in addition, there was a general dissatisfaction with playing larger and more impersonal venues, ongoing squabbles and inflexibility among the band members, and a growing dependence on cocaine to keep the locomotive moving.

seven months and 24 shows after the touring debut of the completed wall of sound at the cow palace, the band embarked on a brief tour of europe. the first stop was the famed alexandra palace in london. the third ally pally show of the 3-night stopover is rife with compelling music, including more pure improvisational offerings than any singular dead performance. in a 2001 KPFA interview with david gans, lagin shared that the stress and burden of the ’74 tour came to a head on this evening in the united kingdom. according to various sources, the band huddled together and agreed to lay down their coke spoons and participate in a bit of lysergic purification to reset the levels. dick latvala was as much a fan of LSD as he was of listening to and archiving the dead’s music, so it’s surprising that his pick documenting this london run (vol. 7) completely ignored the towering highlight from the show’s second set. without question, it is hands down one of the most outside jamming adventures of the year.

the first frame begins with a well-played scarlet begonias to set the pace. the next standout is sugaree, filled with elegant contrasts that soar above the song’s trying narrative. the remainder of the set is loose and articulate, with a punchy mexicali blues, a sweet jack straw with jerry’s little daredevil fills under bob’s vocal lines, and a sweet row jimmy with some downright superb ensemble work. the playing in the band set closer is first rate; the group pushes and pulls the hunter-weir song, gradually building to a delicious apex before garcia deftly stages the reprise at the twenty-minute mark.

set 2 opens with seastones. the beginning music sounds like ned alone, liberally sending synth waves spiraling outward into the great hall. shortly afterward, billy, jerry, and finally bobby join ned and phil on stage and effortlessly begin to add to the lush mix. in due time, lagin abandons his synthesizers and moves to his rhodes piano. the group mind is at work now, and the resulting music is difficult to describe—tangibly psychedelic, with deep tribal grooves. in time, jerome picks up the pace and the jam moves in concentric arcs before dropping into a drumless space, followed by more annular jamming. eventually, eyes of the world appears on the sonic horizon; the transition to the song is slow, and it’s a real gas how it takes them a full 7-minutes to get their collaborative space together and begin the tune for real. the ensemble works through the eyes and all of its subtle changes, with ned adding some acrobatic keyboard lines alongside keith’s sterling piano work. and then, as they are often inclined to do, they find their way to another nameless jam for 10 more minutes, before winding down with wharf rat.

phil announces a short break to break down ned’s equipment, in anticipation of the band returning for a cursory final half hour of closing music. the first couple of numbers are fairly hot and spirited, but by the time they land on sugar magnolia, it’s very clear they’re completely spent. given the absolute leviathan and expansive performance on this evening, that should go without saying. https://archive.org/details/gd1974-09-11.132458.mtx.GEMS-BCE.flac16/gd74-09-11s2t04.flac

4-12-70: fillmore west, san francisco, CA.

the dead didn't play many shows in april 1970, and this run with the miles davis quintet serving as the opening act is clearly the highpoint. the downside of the 4-night stand is that, like many of the spring ’70 shows they taped, most of the reels were haphazardly lost or stolen. fortunately for us, a good deal of bear’s 7 inch half track reel master of the final night’s performance survived. harry ely’s fantastic stereo field recording fills in the gaps.

catching miles davis alongside the dead during this fillmore engagement must have been a total gas. davis’ appearance came close on the heels of the release of his groundbreaking double LP bitches brew, which represented another big artistic leap for the trumpeter. the band that he brought along comprising of chick corea on keys, bassist dave holland, soprano sax player steve grossman, drummer jack dejohnette, and percussionist airto moreira, was fully versed in this new music and stood the fillmore audiences on their ears. i’ve included youtube links of both the 4/11 and 4/12 performances here for evidence. trust me, they’ll blow your top.

the dead’s set opens with a lengthy and very laid-back version of good morning little schoolgirl, a tune they hadn’t dusted off since december of the previous year. after a bright and punchy casey jones, a slightly botched china > rider, and a rip roaring good lovin’, we’re treated to two mid set treats: the first electrified candyman, and a real slinky version of deep elem blues. two workingman cuts and the customary broken string announcement later, the band launches into the show’s centerpiece—dancin’ in the streets. the improvisational furry begins early; jerry and phil really play off of each other, hacking away at their strings with an energy that makes this excursion one of the more notable jams from 1970. without question, it rivals the tour de force they’ll lay down at harpur college a few weeks later.

the remainder of the evening is just as tasty. black peter and uncle john’s band are presented in fine form, with solid harmonies. it’s a man’s man’s man's world is also excellent; mckernan’s vocals are impassioned and garcia’s guitar work is slippery, and oh so funky. viola lee blues closes out the show, with pigpen back on organ. the sextet slides into the song with ease, their playing loose, but perfectly controlled. in due time the jamming is full-tilt, ablaze with what makes this tune so satisfying—a deliberate balance of rage and fervor. and like that, the retooled gus cannon jug band hit ends with a crash, followed by howls of gorgeous feedback.

miles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBlTjFf_eYE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4WXT_JgfTM&t=1637s

the dead end kids: https://archive.org/details/gd70-04-12.sbd.kaplan.3820.sbeok.shnf

12-29-68: miami pop festival, gulfstream park, hallandale, FL.

the last grateful dead performance of 1968 is a goddamn barnburner. they torch the place. the festival scene prevented the band from working through their usual trip, so everything is revved up to maximum speed, as you’ll hear immediately on the lovelight opener. pig is as riled up as a rabid hound and the septet storms through the first number like a band possessed. lesh introduces the next item on the bill “we once put this thing out as a single,” before the lads bore down into a shrieking 10-minute dark star that, unlike the lengthy jazzy peregrinations to come, is presented as a piece of slashing rock ‘n roll. from here, the mad unit skids into a rousing saint stephen, complete with the william tell bridge and a full-throttled bacchanalesque outro jam. the boys are warming up now and the eleven that follows hits you like a mattock in the skull. a drum solo airs things out for a moment, before an absolutely fervent other one > cryptical envelopment wells up and decimates everything in its path.

and then, a we bid you goodnight benediction because, unquestionably, it’s what’s needed. https://archive.org/details/gd1968-12-29.sbd.miller.80197.sbeok.flac16

5-10-72: het concertgebouw, amsterdam. 

11-8-69: fillmore auditorium, san francisco, CA.

much has been written about 1969 dead. it was a year packed with great performances, to say the least. discerning listeners point to a few essential tapes from the year, including the famed fillmore east dates w/janis joplin and her cosmic blues band, two remarkable evenings at the dream bowl, a number of fillmore west shows (highlighted by the late february and early march gigs that would grace the landmark double LP, live dead), three raging nights at the ark, two big rock pow wow shows at the seminole indian village in west hollywood FL, a handful of nights at the family dog and winterland arena and, of course, a much celebrated festival in bethel, NY. this list is far from being comprehensive.

a few years ago, i stumbled onto an essay by renowned taper jim wise about his relationship with dick latvala and a certain ’69 grateful dead recording. around the time the two met, latvala was pitching november 8, 1969 to john cutler and jeffery norman as the next dick’s picks release. the music was stunning, as was a flaw in the master recording—a continuous clicking sound throughout. dick left a 2-track recording he’d converted to DAT from bear’s 7-inch master reels with wise to see what he could do with the technical issues. wise went to work and was eventually able to remove the clicks from the right channel of the disc, resulting in the sound on the transfer you’ll hear on this archived recording. of course, the fidelity of the revamped sound was a hit with jeff norman too, as evidenced on dick’s 16.

the tape is an odyssey. it is considered by many dead historians as one of the finest early performances by the band. i heartily agree. the true journey of the show begins with an elegant dark star, masterfully played and underscored by deeply ruminative improvisations. after the first verse, the ensemble drifts off into space before garcia wanders into a fantastically potent jam. lesh, the consummate opportunist, intricately shapes the dark star jam into a new theme and soon begins to hint at the other one. the momentum is indomitable and the musical interplay sets the band at a tremendous energy level. the transition into the other one is sudden and arresting; several compelling jams occur before the first verse, adroitly led by phil’s maniacal bass and some absolutely sinister guitar work by jerome. in time lesh hints at a caution theme, but garcia has other plans and soars back into dark star. phil isn’t done though, and leads the group into a surprising instrumental take on uncle john’s band. the short jam is ineffably joyful, and the uptempo interpretation is a perfect bridge to the final verse of dark star.

the remainder of the set is equally as satisfying. the saint stephen that arises out of the dark star suite is played to perfection, with a particularly torrid final jam. the eleven is next, and it is one of the few times the band has played the dark star > saint stephen > eleven trilogy since the introduction of the new aoxomoxoa material into their repertoire that april. this evening’s take on the eleven is sterling, offering a swath of deep improvisational territories. in time, lesh again has his way and steers the outfit into caution. the playing soon becomes downright psychedelic—combined with an ideal portion of distortion—before mckernan brings the band back to earth with a long and detailed vocal discourse. and if there hasn’t been enough twists and surprises, a rare main ten jam is introduced, explored, and discarded for a scorching caution reprise. the evening concludes with an extended feedback and a bittersweet and slightly out of tune we bid you goodnight finale.

in a year of incredible peaks, this show is one of the exceptional outings. it embodies the essence of 1969 grateful dead—roaring, pulsing, nefarious, and sublime. it’s easy to see why mr. latvala was so in love with this tape. queue it up and see for yourself. my only counsel is that you dial the volume up to an unreasonable level to ensure maximum enjoyment. https://archive.org/details/gd1969-11-08.sbd.wise.17433.shnf/gd69-11-08d2t02.shn

5/3/69: winterland arena, san francisco, CA. the dead play a saturday night show with jefferson airplane and afro-cuban percussionist mongo santamaria.

bear recorded everything in 1969. there was always a tape being made. something that could be played back and critiqued. the music would run through the soundboard and into his trusty nagra reel-to-reel. not only that, but in '69 he frequently taped shows on reels and cassettes at the same time. for some odd reason though, a soundboard of this winterland date doesn’t seem to exist in the vault. fortunately for us, george jackson was perched on the lip of the stage near the keyboard position with a sony 770, 7 ½ ips quarter track and two condenser mics. the result won’t go down as the greatest 1969 show in history, but it surely can be counted as one of the best audience tapes ever.

the quality of this tape eclipses the performance. the opening he was a friend of mine is absolutely gorgeous, although somewhat uneven. the other one suite that follows is pure energy, and is not to be missed. san francisco’s samurai seven assault the crowd with a complexity of sound that is their gestalt—fluid meters, incessant innovation, and opulent noise. garcia’s endless inventive guitar drives the various themes; his playing is at once fiendish, manic, and furtive. the cryptical reprise is elegantly drawn out and striking. from here they drop seamlessly into a fine early take on doin’ that rag. the boys really nail it and, even with the tune's abrupt chord changes and pacing, sound like they’ve been playing the aoxomoxoa number for years.

there’s nothing to regret here aside from the fact that the tape runs out way too early in the show. despite its brevity, it is a must recording for any collection.

https://archive.org/details/gd1969-05-03.139575.pcm.miller.flac16

7/31/71: yale bowl, new haven, CT.

for years the only way to listen to this show was via a marty weinberg audience recording. weinberg showed up at yale with 6 hours' worth of 5-inch reels in his pack, and recorded the whole affair at 7 ½ speed on his trusty Uher 4000L portable. in 2008, a vault release (as part of the road trips series) featured outtakes from the performance. part of weinberg’s tape was used to patch a flip in the dark star, which sounded quite good in context. three years ago, as it often does in grateful dead land, the soundboard finally reared its head.

the concert opens with a standout version of truckin,’ deftly played and loaded with clout. next, the boys break out a pair of first-timers. the sugaree is perfectly succinct; garcia’s tone is bright, with just the right amount of distortion and sustain. mr charlie is at its filthy best. pig’s raucous vocals and jerry’s badass, gun slinging guitar take this one over the top. the set continues in standard ’71 fashion with a rollicking mama tried, an extended version of big railroad blues, and an early, heavier, jam-free version of playing in the band. surprisingly, the moment the weir-barlow number ends, the lads launch right into dark star. a first set rarity, this one is a real doozy.

the piece begins with the quintet immediately plunging into the depths of the music—in the first few minutes they flirt with several ideas without settling on anything. as they begin the verse riff, garcia changes his mind and they wander off again on a little side-trip into the void, suspending the momentum to hew something else. in time, lesh nudges the theme once more and they drop into the first verse at the 10 minute mark. from here the ensemble gathers steam, forcefully pushing their way into the abyss. the space is menacing, and the jam that ensues is turbulent, eerie and raging. at this juncture, jerry is so energized that he sounds as if he might burst, but the band manages to channel their focus into a new melodic jam that slowly settles down, out of which the dark star theme returns. the musicians groove on the theme, introduce another quieter jam, and then garcia decides to abort the second verse, signaling the others to stop, and they blast right into birdsong instead. this is the first time the hunter-garcia tune is connected to another song, and the only time they ever joined it to dark star. the arrangement on this day is delivered confidently with a real rocked-out feel throughout. the pairing is certainly the apogee of the show and, unquestionably, rates as one of the most interesting improvisational excursions of the year.

the second set of the dead's ivy league visit is packed with the same vitality and ragged festivity as their first 100 minutes on the bandstand. along with a hefty supply of stage banter, a few highlights include a solid bertha, a fantastically charged china cat > know you rider with a unique bridge jam, a restrained, lilting sing me back home, the customary not fade away > goin’ down the road > not fade away, replete with tight, zesty rhythms (and a short, final foray into the short-lived youngbloods inspired darkness jam), and a heartfelt uncle john’s band > johnny b. goode double encore.

recorded by rex jackson and digitally transferred by mr. charlie miller, this afternoon in new haven is worthy of repeated listenings. hitch your ears to it and see for yourself. https://archive.org/details/gd1971-07-31.132730.sbd.miller.flac16/gd71-07-31d2t10.flac