Yes, CliveB, I have been on and off the Forum for many years now. My pattern has been to sometimes go away for a while and then return to read voraciously when I was considering an upgrade to my system. I have been quite active in terms of reading the Forum (but mostly never commenting) the last couple of years as I have make quite a few changes in my hifi. I have caught some Dead references before, and I think I had sussed out that you had some connection with the Dead from some previous posts but it is good to have started this thread (my first ever) and starting to see folks coming on. I appreciate the Dead connection whenever and wherever it shows up.
You are most welcome CliveB. Thanks for coming on the thread. I am hoping it is the start of something awesome. And yes, I live in the States, in the Pacific Northwest so I have always had access to Dead shows. They played in the town I went to college in in upstate NY two months after I began as freshman and then I got to see them every semester I was at college as they would often come and play in the NorthEast. Then later I started arranging vacations with friends and did a bit of touring. What an amazing experience and time it was to travel around and see shows.
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Interesting to see this thread started on here. I have been a fan since 1968 or so I think first hearing them on Top Gear - John Peel, but I could be wrong. I still buy the odd “new” release but get more cynical of the surviving members motives in releasing some of the later stuff, the mid 80’s to 1995 recordings, as they were not up to much in my opinion, exception being the spring 1990 tour. For me the killer years are 1969 to 1976, I try to get hold of what I can from this period but not though the current box set.
I couldn’t get to the 1970 and 1972 concerts but went to the Tuesday of Ally Pally in 1974 (Seastones played by Phil Lesh and Ned Lagin at the break), 5 0f the 8 gigs at the Rainbow in 1981 and the first and last nights at Wembley in 1990, so I have seen them 8 times all together.
The pity though was Wembley in 1976 which also have included the New Riders, my memory is that I also had tickets till it was cancelled.
I have never seen any of the Bob Weir bands as I think solo he is an acquired taste, but there we go. On the other hand I can’t get enough of Garcia and his band, in fact I will play him more than the Dead these days.
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Hey Todd, good to see you on the thread man.
I also listen to a ton of Jazz these days (as well as lots of other kinds of music) especially fun with all the new releases coming out of Blue Note with the Tone Poet and Classics series.
I, too, collect all the live releases I can. I did not get in on subscribing to the "Dave’s Pick’s series until the beginning of the 3rd year with volume #9. I have only #5 and #7 from the first 8. I don’t know what I was thinking… lol. Since #9 I have subscribed every year. And, I was thrilled (and felt rewarded) when at the beginning of 2018, with “Dave’s Picks #25” they put out my very first Dead show from the Broome County Arena in Binghamton, NY from 11/6/77. Since this past weekend was my 44th anniversary of my first show I listened to that entire disc set to celebrate.
I have a bunch of the “D**k’s Picks” (***Wow, I was just informed when I went to post my reply that the name of the man who’s series I mentioned here is a word that can not be said on this Forum… I feel bad for anybody who that’s their name… lol) series as well but not all of them. I also missed out on the Pacific Northwest box set that they released a couple of years ago. That was a mistake. I have the 3 cd set they released of the box set but I kept holding off and then when I recently went to purchase it it was sold out.
I decided not to let that happen with the recent St. Louis box set. I am awaiting it now. According to the tracking information I should be receiving it on Friday. Glad to see you got yours already.
Yes, my Dead show attendance was from 1977 - 1995 and I saw 115 shows. When I meet others who have seen a lot of shows it is always interesting to talk about where and when… I can’t tell you how many times I have met new people, talked with them about their show experience and started finding shows we had seen in common.
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Hey Charles,
Wow, cool that you have been a fan since 1968. That was just a bit before my time. I went to college in NY at the site of the “Harpur College” 5/2/70 show but it was 7+ years before I went to college. That was a major show from all reports. One of my patients saw his first Dead show the night before, 5/1/70, also in upstate NY. I hear you, I love the old Dead as well. I have really been spending a lot of time of later listening to '73 and '74 stuff as I really love that one drummer, super jazzy/jammy time period. So much good music on disc from that time.
As for the Spring 1990 tour, yes indeed. In fact, I would say, that the Summer of '89 - the Summer of '90 was incredibly strong playing, a “rejuvenation” if you will. I saw a bunch of show during that time and they were energetic as all get out, playing like they were on fire, and Garcia was feeling really good after his diabetic coma and other health issues of a few years ago. It was so good to go to shows were Jerry was continually smiling, bouncing around and obviously feeling good.
steviebee,
Yes, to any and all commenting about other projects from Dead members… I don’t listen to them that much, although I did go through a recent period of listening to some early Mickey albums (like the Diga Rhythm Band and the Rolling Thunder albums) and I do listen to a fair bit of Garcia band stuff both on album and cd. I don’t routinely listen to Kingfish, Bobby and the Midnights, etc.
Ah, interesting, I don’t usually think about the original vs. revised mix of “Aoxomoxoa.” I have the same one I have had since the 70’s. I know that with their second album, “Anthem of the Sun,” there was a purple cover (more common mix) and a white cover (less common mix). I have the purple one. Was the “other” mix of “Aoxomoxoa” from long ago as well or is that something of a more recent thing?
Looking forward to following this thread. Thank you.
For solo projects really enjoy Garcia/Grusman.
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Welcome R.K. Good to have you join us.
Yes indeed, Garcia/Grisman. Love their stuff. “Shady Grove” is one of the discs I often put on when my hifi system had undergone an upgrade. It is a great disc to listen to. Also, the “Pizza Tapes” cd is a real gem that we put on from time to time. My wife, who is not a Deadhead, but has spent 20 years with me so, you know, she hears a lot of Grateful Dead in the house, really loves the “Pizza Tapes” disc.
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I saw about a dozen shows from the mid 80s to early 90s in my teens and twenties. They’re probably the best live act in the history of music. They were known for putting significant funds into their live sound/productions. I’ve seen a lot of live shows and there’s nothing quite like a live dead show. And I partook in the extracurricular activities that really made it special. Great memories. I don’t listen to them too much these days but Bill (of RP) seems to like them as he plays them with some regularity. I have most of their retail CDs and even got one of their first CD box sets from the late 90s or early 00s I can’t recall. I’m sure there are better remasters out now. The bootlegs were the better music imo but it was hard to find good SQ samples.
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The purple cover was the original mix. Garcia and Lesh remixed both Anthem and Aox sometime later. I have all mixes on vinyl (all bought immediately they were issued) and prefer the both of the originals for what it’s worth.
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Ah, good to know. I had not thought about the remixes of those albums for quite some time. With all the amazing live material available all these years I don’t often listen to my Dead albums but every once in a while… of course they all bring back lots of memories from the time when they were the only source of Dead music… before I was even introduced to the world of live tapes.
Hey ElMarko, good to have you here. Yes indeed, live Grateful Dead shows were a thing unlike any other. Traveling around to shows in distant parts of the country and running into “others” who were into the band was always such a feeling of community. I was fortunate in that all of my clan of friends from college were all into the Dead so it was a good “excuse” for many years afterwards for us to get together, meet up in places, etc. and see Dead shows. There was a cool time in the mid to late '80’s where they let you “camp out” in the parking lots of the shows and a few times my friends and I would go on a “mini tour” and drive from place to place and hang out, and sleep, in the parking lots in a van. It was some great community as we started to see the same folks from show to show and got to know people.
I moved out to the West Coast of the U.S. in 1989 and my brother moved out to the West Coast in 1990. He was in the Bay Area and worked for a while for a company that did licensed Grateful Dead merchandise and things like that so he eventually wound up having the surrealistic experience one year of being at the Grateful Dead Christmas party and other cool things like that.
And, yes, the “extracurricular” activities were a significant part of the scene for me as well. Life in the “carnival” or “traveling circus” as it was sometimes referred to. An amazing experience to have had.
Just wondering, for those of you who listen to podcasts, if you’ve been keeping up with the (relatively) new “Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast…” They began in 2020 with short series for the 50th anniversary of the release of “Workingman’s Dead” and then “American Beauty.” They continued on with the 50th anniversary of the “Skull and Roses” album and now just did 4 episodes on “Listen to the River” the new box set from three years of shows in St. Louis. There have also been interesting “bonus” episodes thrown in. They are very well done and of high interest to anyone who loves the Dead’s music. If you haven’t checked them out I recommend them.
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Another huge fan – ever since I saw them at Wembley on Hallowee’en night 1990. Much prefer the live stuff to the studio albums (though I do love Workingman’s, Anthem and Blues for Allah).
Favourite period is probably 1973–76, when they started really stretching out and getting a bit spacey/jazzy.
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Hey Kevster, welcome. Thanks for dropping in. Agreed on your points… the live stuff really expanded what they were able to do on their albums and went into many interesting spaces. Always great to listen to a band that is willing to approach songs differently every night.
In many ways the Dead were a band that was more like a jazz band then a rock band. I’m saying that, but hey, Miles Davis also said that one night after opening for the Dead.
I had also stated above about my love for the '73 and '74 stuff for those same reasons you mentioned… “really stretching out and getting a bit spacey/jazzy.”
With each incoming post I am more glad that I took the initiative to start this thread. It is great to see all the posts with other’s experience and relationship to the Dead, their music and the live concert experience.
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Wot, not Aoxomoxoa!
Aw, Kev…
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Apart from the usual studio albums, I think their 72’ European tour, yes - triple vinyl, is my favourite Dead live album. The camaraderie and musicianship is palpable.
Have a soft spot for Blues for Allah as well must say.
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Europe 72 is one of my favs too. I just checked and I have some albums I didn’t realize I have.
Had to fix one of the album’s jpg file. Can you tell which one?
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Do I get a prize?
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The American Beauty cover appears incorrectly on at least three more occasions!
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