The Grateful Dead Dark Star

[jazzbo]

Some nice covers for those few Pigpen fans. . . .

http://www.wulfware.de/covers/Index3/GD690613.htm

http://www.wulfware.de/covers/Index3/GD690614.htm

Nice shows too. 6/13 Fresno has some electric piano from Pig! 6/14 is like a triple decker Turn on your Love Light sammich!

What PigPen fans? This is a Vince board. Go on home, your mama's calling you.

Okay Mom, I'm coming. I was just hanging out with the Welnick boys. You know they never get into trouble. . . .

[jazzbo]

12-31-76 looks a good release, easily programmed to include (for starters) about 85+ minutes of Bertha, They Love Each Other, Playing in the Band, Wharf Rat, Scarlet Bs, Help-Slip, and the Dew. We all gotta buy it, to keep 'em coming. '76 releases can pretty much only surprise on the upside. Check out the feedback on the Oakland shows from October. Regarding '76, I offer this snotty opinion: Reflections may be the only studio record after Mars Hotel that I would recommend. I love it, among our all-time favorite getaway tapes to play in the car driving long hours after a screaming show.

Snotty opinion seconded. "Mission in the Rain"?

I like it. I like "Cats Under the Stars" a LOT too.

[orchiddoctor]

Reuben and Cherise!!!!

[jazzbo]

Yes, and one of my favorite seventies Garcia tunes, "Gomorrah." You can take the Bible out of the Belt, but you can't take memories of the Bible belt out of this boy. . . .

[orchiddoctor]

Yes, and one of my favorite seventies Garcia tunes, "Gomorrah." You can take the Bible out of the Belt, but you can't take memories of the Bible belt out of this boy. . . .

Palm Sunday

[jazzbo]

Oh yes. . . so beautiful. . . and I don't just mean Donna!

[jazzbo]

Apparently Jerry just put so much into that album and I think was mystified it got so little talk and play. I doubt he ever put as much into an album again!

[orchiddoctor]

Apparently Jerry just put so much into that album and I think was mystified it got so little talk and play. I doubt he ever put as much into an album again!

Yes. he felt that it was the best thing he had done as a solo artist. Certainly better than Run for the Money--I mean Roses.

It brings out the sweet side of Jerry. 1978--probably keith's last studio stand as well.

[jazzbo]

This thread has been dormant too long!

I've been listening to a lot of Pigpen-fronted material lately as I go through 1969 (and also compilation cdrs from Orchid Doctor Records)

This is just the medicine for me. I realy love the material and how the band prodded and poked and just boogied along with it. I'm hoping for more official material of this nature!

[John L]

Which 69 shows have especially grabbed you, Lon?

[jazzbo]

Alright here's a short list. . . .

January shows at the Avalon

That whacky Hilton benefit gig on March 15

The April shows at the Ark in Boston

The June 14 Monterey

The great July 7 Atlanta show

Yes, I like the August 16 Woodstock. . . it was a thrill to finally hear it and I dig it

The two Family Dog nights of November 1 and 2

[John L]

Thanks, Lon. All those shows at the Zephyr site stare at me like a poverty of riches. There are so many, and I only have time to try to digest a small subset (in addition to the Dick's Picks which I am accumulating one by one). I have downloaded the Ark shows, but haven't heard any of those others. I will give them a listen.

[jazzbo]

That's understandable about the overwhelming. I got over the overwhelming burning all the audience shows on archive of the years up through 1975, and then all the shows on gdlive of the same time frame. So I'm over it, and tackling speedingarrow year by year. . . in a few days I'll be done with 1969.

Check out the Mickey and the Hartbeats shows too of 1969. Interesting stuff. . . different from the regular Dead of the time.

[AmirBagachelles]

You go Lon. Be sure to check out the DS>Dew on DP 36.

I have been coming back to 1980-81 for a week or two, I like the Sept 80 download series, excellent, emotive JG vocals throughout. I need to find that Nassau '80 release on arista. The Spring and Sept tours in 1980 were both really strong, and a brief, red hot 4 show tour of the Southeast around Thanksgiving remains below everybody's radar. Great playing on the Gainesville and Atlanta shows, don't miss.

If anybody can recommend a good alternative to Media Player, I would be grateful. I can't figure out how to burn tracks (*.wav to CD) without the annoying two seconds in between. Free suggestions are preferred. Thanks, Dan

[orchiddoctor]

Alright here's a short list. . . .

January shows at the Avalon

That whacky Hilton benefit gig on March 15

The April shows at the Ark in Boston

The June 14 Monterey

The great July 7 Atlanta show

Yes, I like the August 16 Woodstock. . . it was a thrill to finally hear it and I dig it

The two Family Dog nights of November 1 and 2

Yeah, man!!!!! Add the Chicago show from which the Phil Zone Viola Lee comes--the one where Owsley plays "What's Become of the Baby" over the feedback (4-26--I think it still streams on SugarMegs?--4-25 is on Zephyr). And the April Avalons . . . . . . and the . . . . . . . . . .

[orchiddoctor]

You go Lon. Be sure to check out the DS>Dew on DP 36.

I have been coming back to 1980-81 for a week or two, I like the Sept 80 download series, excellent, emotive JG vocals throughout. I need to find that Nassau '80 release on arista. The Spring and Sept tours in 1980 were both really strong, and a brief, red hot 4 show tour of the Southeast around Thanksgiving remains below everybody's radar. Great playing on the Gainesville and Atlanta shows, don't miss.

If anybody can recommend a good alternative to Media Player, I would be grateful. I can't figure out how to burn tracks (*.wav to CD) without the annoying two seconds in between. Free suggestions are preferred. Thanks, Dan

Dan:

Download RealPlayer and choose the option to avoid the gap. On MP3, you will always have a split second gap--but that ain't bad.

That Atlanta show you refer to--the last one I went to. It was at the fabulous Fox--Atlanta's premier place for music. Initimate, beautiful, great sound.

[Chalupa]

You go Lon. Be sure to check out the DS>Dew on DP 36.

I have been coming back to 1980-81 for a week or two, I like the Sept 80 download series, excellent, emotive JG vocals throughout. I need to find that Nassau '80 release on arista. The Spring and Sept tours in 1980 were both really strong, and a brief, red hot 4 show tour of the Southeast around Thanksgiving remains below everybody's radar. Great playing on the Gainesville and Atlanta shows, don't miss.

If anybody can recommend a good alternative to Media Player, I would be grateful. I can't figure out how to burn tracks (*.wav to CD) without the annoying two seconds in between. Free suggestions are preferred. Thanks, Dan

Dan:

Download RealPlayer and choose the option to avoid the gap. On MP3, you will always have a split second gap--but that ain't bad.

That Atlanta show you refer to--the last one I went to. It was at the fabulous Fox--Atlanta's premier place for music. Initimate, beautiful, great sound.

Will you always have the gap w/MP3s?? I thought Apple just released a new version of Itunes that addressed that problem.

Dan are you burning TAO or DAO??? If you are burning cds TAO will cause those two second gaps.

[AmirBagachelles]

11-30-80, a smoker. I was down in the "front row" (the orch pit was empty) across from Brent, he was dishing some swirl that evening, try that SB > FOTM, a killer.

[jazzbo]

Yes, DP 36. . . great stuff.

But . . . I stop at '78. I have tried and tried and tried. .. I just don't get into Brent, either his playing or singing. Maybe one day. . . not bloody likely.

Edited November 13, 2006 by jazzbo

[orchiddoctor]

11-30-80, a smoker. I was down in the "front row" (the orch pit was empty) across from Brent, he was dishing some swirl that evening, try that SB > FOTM, a killer.

Yeah, I remember seeing you there.

Isn't the Fox a great place for music? I never did care for the Omni.

[John L]

Yes, DP 36. . . great stuff.

But . . . I stop at '78. I have tried and tried and tried. .. I just don't get into Brent, either his playing or singing. Maybe one day. . . not bloody likely.

I would probably be a lot more interested in the Brent years if there weren't so many great Keith shows available.

[orchiddoctor]

Yes, DP 36. . . great stuff.

But . . . I stop at '78. I have tried and tried and tried. .. I just don't get into Brent, either his playing or singing. Maybe one day. . . not bloody likely.

I would probably be a lot more interested in the Brent years if there weren't so many great Keith shows available.

I think that one of the most overlooked element in analyzing the Dead by period or style is the keyboardists. The proto-dead (65-68) is fueled by Pig's often minimalist organ work, a style that often lent itself more to psychedelia than blues. Constanten's work was definately trippy--kind of a churchlike sound that helped float the guitarists along; not a lead so much as a color fill. Still, nice, and it fit the early Dark Star format. Keith--well, now you're into a major change. Obviously jazzier, and the switch is from organ to acoustic piano. The man could play several styles, which was perfect, as the Dead were playing all sorts of stuff. His only negative side was, of course, Donna. The 72-74 Keith-dead and the 76-78 Keith-dead are also different as he changed his textures to meet the new format. Brent--well, Brent seemed to me to be more pop oriented, more into the melody than the previous keyboardists. Like Lon, I just don't like that sound. Sorry!

Bruce added a beauty and texture to the melodics of the tunes and jams. Vince---beats me.

But if you slice up their career, it seems to fall into segments which are governed by the given keyboardists.

[Chalupa]

I think that one of the most overlooked element in analyzing the Dead by period or style is the keyboardists. The proto-dead (65-68) is fueled by Pig's often minimalist organ work, a style that often lent itself more to psychedelia than blues. Constanten's work was definately trippy--kind of a churchlike sound that helped float the guitarists along; not a lead so much as a color fill. Still, nice, and it fit the early Dark Star format. Keith--well, now you're into a major change. Obviously jazzier, and the switch is from organ to acoustic piano. The man could play several styles, which was perfect, as the Dead were playing all sorts of stuff. His only negative side was, of course, Donna. The 72-74 Keith-dead and the 76-78 Keith-dead are also different as he changed his textures to meet the new format. Brent--well, Brent seemed to me to be more pop oriented, more into the melody than the previous keyboardists. Like Lon, I just don't like that sound. Sorry!

Bruce added a beauty and texture to the melodics of the tunes and jams. Vince---beats me.

But if you slice up their career, it seems to fall into segments which are governed by the given keyboardists.

I agree w/ most of what you wrote. However, I think Pig's keyboard style was better suited for the blues and not psychedelic explorations. He would just play that little riff on Dark Star over and over and over( and....) TC opened them up to the true possiblities of lengthly, improvised jams. I loved Keith the best but he had a more serious failing than his wife - his heroin addiction. The last 12 months he was w/ the band were brutal for the most part. I basically stopped collecting shows after '77 in large part to the Keith's nodding off behind the keyboard. But in 72 - 74 he was just playing pure gold.

[orchiddoctor]

Agreed.

What I meant by Pig's psychedelia can be heard on songs like Viola Lee Blues--the really early workouts aroud 1966. That wild 60's organ riffing. And it is very pronouced on the early stuff. If you listen to old psychedellic bands like Country Joe and the Fish (listen to David Cohen on "Section 43", "Bass Strings"), you'll get that same sort of mysterious sound on their longer tunes. I guess that why they called it the San Francisco Sound. Of course on songs like "Empty Pages," you just want to cry with him. Either waya, that "Dark Star" riff was just plain annoying.

Yes, Keith's downfall was heroin--that and his insecurities (like Brent). By mid 78, he was a stone around the band's neck.

Edited November 14, 2006 by orchiddoctor

[Matthew]

Are there any good Dylan/Dead shows? The ones I've heard are not too good. Any recommendations of what I should try?