Time for the Night Show: Tonight is one of the best of 95. The end of Spring Tour 95.'- 4-7-95

Time for the Night Show: Tonight is one of the best of 95. The end of Spring Tour 95.'- 4-7-95  

This is one of the last good shows of 95 before the "Tour From Hell" started. Everyone had heard the rumor that once the band started playing "Unbroken Chain" then it was time to hang it up. Well, this "Unbroken Chain" is a pretty solid version. This was before we saw Jerry at the end of summer tour though. This show besides having, the Black Crowes opening, has possibly some of my favorite late-era songs in it. Besides the back to back Dylan combo of "Masterpiece" and one of Jerry's best readings of the classic, "Visions of Johanna" it also features "Days Between" and the aforementioned "Unbroken Chain". The "Peggy-O" is solid. Bobby and Phil were on point. This show hangs together well as a whole show. I couldn't post all these shows and leave out on one of the best "Unbroken Chain"'s along with the Memphis encore and the first version. So here's the link: settle back and turn it on and let the tears flow because this is a show that the Jerry we love was present and accounted for. He wasn't nodding, he was active and playing. The Spring Tour of 95 was one of the last good tours and this was the last show of that tour.

Written by:Greg Heffelfinger

Turn up Tampa 4-7-95 and if you can't listen to the whole thing, listen to the "Visions" and hear the spark Jerry still had.

"The harmonica plays skeleton keys in the rain and these Visions of Johanna are now all that remain"-Bob Dylan

Setlist

Tampa,FL

Set1
1. Jack Straw
2. Peggy-O
3. Little Red Rooster
4. Loose Lucy
5. Masterpiece
6. Visions of Johanna
7. Promised Land

Set 2
1. Eyes of the World >
2. Saint of Circumstance
3. Samba In the Rain 
4. Unbroken Chain
5. Corinna >
6. Drums >
1. Space >
2. Easy Answers >
3. Days Between >
4. Not Fade Away
5. Crowd

Encore:
6. U.S. Blues

© 2016 Grateful Music LLC

Today is Day 9 of the "Days Between" Musical Retrospective, the Penultimate Show of the series. Today's show is 12-19-94

Today is Day 9 of the "Days Between" Musical Retrospective, the Penultimate Show of the series. Today's show is 12-19-94  

This is the last show of our "Days Between" musical retrospective for 2016. Today is the 21st anniversary of the day Jerry left the world. He gave all he had to give, how much we'll never know. When I think about the last couple of years of Grateful Dead tour I think of some of the best times of my life. I was just old enough and hip enough to catch a couple 94 shows and a handful of 95 shows. I remember being online on AOL late one night and just as I started to go to bed, rumors of Jerry's death started pouring into the dead forum I was on from the western time zone.  I'd heard these rumors before and hoped they weren't true but I was woken up a few hours later by my girlfriend calling me in tears to tell me it was true, Jerry was gone. The news hit me in the chest like a sack of potatoes. I started crying like a little kid. I felt cheated that I only got to see him twelve times. In the intervening twenty years I realized that I was luckier than a lot of people. Some people saw him so much that they can't play shows from 94-95 because he sounds like a shadow of his former self. What I want to say to these people is the man went into a diabetic coma and almost died and had to COMPLETELY relearn how to play guitar. Most people can't learn to play guitar once much less twice in their lives. 

So I had certain criteria I placed on myself before i even started to pick through the years. It being the last show of the "official Days Between", like every Dead show, the masses have spoken and I'll keep posting shows. But my criteria were such

1. It had to have an incredible "Days Between" √

2. It had to have a "So Many Roads" √ (Jerry flubs the vocals at the beginning still a good version)

3. It had to have a "Brokedown Palace" encore √

4. I wanted it to have a "Ramble on Rose" for our fearless leader,Kevin √

5. It had to have a special something, an "it" factor √ 

(The first and only "New Speedway Boogie>Nobody's Fault but Mine)

6. It had to have a "Let Phil Sing" track √  The Band's "Broken Arrow" which is a great Phil cover.

7. It HAD to be a GOOD show, not a good show for 94 but a GOOD show √

Now that sounds like a lot of prerequisites but this show hit all the marks and has possibly the best "Days Between" ever played. (source: dead.net, archive.org, and a couple other forums I can't remember. I don't want to hear anyone say I pick these at random. Not that anyone has complained. Our Grateful Music blog fans and Facebook fans have been wonderful. Not just for the shows but for my articles about certain facets of the band and their history or certain aspects of the culture. So I thank you for all your kind words. But enough of that. So as someone once said "Let's get on with show, let's go!"

This is a great sounding show and met some pretty high marks, 12-19-94

Now I know 94 isn't everyone's cup of tea but this show is a gem and Jerry, despite losing his way in "So Many Roads, nails every vocal in "Days Between". Here is what Phil had to say about this masterpiece:

“Achingly nostalgic, ‘Days Between’ evokes the past. The music climbs laboriously out of shadows, growing and peaking with each verse, only to fall back each time in hopeless resignation. When Jerry sings the line ‘when all we ever wanted / was to learn and love and grow’ or ‘gave the best we had to give / how much we’ll never know,’ I am immediately transported decades back in time, to a beautiful spring morning with Jerry, Hunter, Barbara Meier, and Alan Trist—all of us goofing on the sheer exhilaration of being alive. I don’t know whether to weep with joy at the beauty of the vision or with sadness at the impassable chasm of time between the golden past and the often painful present.”-Phil Lesh 

Searching for the Sound

That about says it all don't you think?

Written By: Greg Heffelfinger

Setlist: (courtesy of deadlists.com)

La Coliseum

LA, CA

Set One:

Picasso Moon
Stagger Lee
Little Red Rooster
Ramble On Rose
Broken Arrow
When I Paint My Masterpiece
So Many Roads
Easy Answers
Deal

Set Two:

Saint Of Circumstance  New Speedway Boogie > Nobody's Fault But Mine  Man Smart (Woman Smarter) > Drums > Space > I Need A Miracle  Days Between  Turn On Your Love Light Encore: Brokedown Palace There will be an encore posted later tonight.

© 2016 Grateful Music LLC

"They aren't the best at what they do, they're the only ones who do what they do" This night, they were the best band playing. MSG 9-10-91

"They aren't the best at what they do, they're the only ones who do what they do" This night, they were the best band playing. 
MSG 9-10-91 

Today's show is by far the easiest choice of shows I've picked. It started in 90 and almost all of 91' were great tours. This is one of the best shows as an octet. The players all stay out of each other's way. There is plenty of room for everyone to solo and tastefully hold back and let each member step up and do their thing. Naturally, it's a famous show and I don't believe you're a deadhead if you've never heard it. Still, what better way to start the nineties than with a masterpiece because although there were quite a few bright spots most people agree they could tell Jerry was on his last legs. Hindsight is 20/20 though and that didn't stop you from buying tickets, did it? This show speaks for itself but the Branford and Jerry during "Standing on the Moon" along with the "Help>Slip>Frank" and of course, the "Dark Star" all make this a classic. Marsalis sits in the whole show.  There is some great work on keys by Hornsby, egging on Garcia, during,"It Takes a Train to Laugh". Add the always welcome addition of "Black Throated Wind" and it's a show where the music is better than the setlist, and the setlist is FANTASTIC!

Written by: Greg Heffelfinger

The Grateful Dead w/ B.Marsalis at MSG NY,NY 9-10-91

Setlist:

MSG NY,NY (courtesy of archive.org)

9-10-91

SET 1
Shakedown Street
C.C. Rider >
It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry
Black-Throated Wind
High Time
Cassidy
Deal

SET 2
Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Franklin's Tower
Estimated Prophet >
Dark Star >
Drums >
Space >
Dark Star Reprise >
I Need A Miracle >
Standing On The Moon >
Turn On Your Love Light

ENCORE
It's All Over Now Baby Blue

Source DSBD>DATs>CDRs>EAC>SHN
Lineage unknown
Transferred by Darrin Sacks and Bill Tetzeli

Notes

Entire show with Branford Marsalis

© 2016 Grateful Music LLC

Dylan and the Dead from 1987: video from 7-12-87 at Giants Stadium

 Dylan and the Dead from 1987: video from 7-12-87 at Giants Stadium

This is back from when VHS was still in competition with Betamax and Dylan was playing with the weirdest backing band ever. And I do believe that Bobby has a perm! It's not necessarily pretty but it's one of the groups that had the best potential. Dylan himself often claimed that Jerry was the best interpreter of his material. This is the first whole concert to surface on youtube, although many singular songs from the six concerts. The album, compiled and released later, Dylan and the Dead, was widely panned by critics. It still managed to hit #36 and go gold. This time wasn't a high point for Dylan and not even really a high point for the Dead. According to books by both camps, it worked better on paper as a concept than an actual show. The Dead say Dylan would practice a song in one key then play it in another, a common complaint from Dylan's backup bands. On the Dead's end, they came to the table with ideas about playing songs Dylan hadn't played since the early 60's and weren't anybody's first choice when you think of tight, sharp backing bands. The Dead and Dylan were both meandering so I think this show is a good document. You can also find two songs from this tour on View from the Vault vol. 4 from one of the other shows. If for nothing else, it makes you appreciate how far video recording technology has come in the last thirty years. Sound technology was Owsley's mission and the Dead were always at the forefront of live sound. Wall of Sound in 74' anyone? So I doubt you watch the whole show but appreciate that some experiments don't work. I'm sure the strictly Dylan fans, who are as rabid as Deadheads, stood out like uncomfortable, sober sore thumbs during the Dead's sets and I'm sure quite a few fans started heading for the door halfway through Dylan's closing sets.
Written by: Greg Heffelfinger

Setlist: 

Set 1
Loser

Tons Of Steel
Ramble On Rose
When I Paint My Masterpiece
When Push Comes To Shove
The Promised Land
Bertha 

Set 2
Morning Dew
Playing In The Band 
Drums
Space
The Other One
Stella Blue
Throwin' Stones
Not Fade Away

Set 3 (with Bob Dylan)

Slow Train Coming

Memphis Blues
Tomorrow is a Long Time
Highway 61
Baby Blue
Thin Man
John Brown
Wicked Messenger
Queen Jane
Chimes of Freedom
Joey
All Along the Watchtower
Times a Changing
E: Touch of Grey
Knockin' on Heaven's Door

Missing first three songs

© 2016 Grateful Music LLC

Day 7 of the "Days Between" musical retrospective: Trying to find a diamond in a mountain of pearls: Today's show: 8-19-89

Today's show is a smoking show from the Greek theater and the last show they ever played there. 8-19-1989

I have to admit that for this year particularly, my own self-imposed rules made my job much harder. My goal has been to put up shows that haven't been officially released or are "famous". So that meant the Hampton Warlocks show was out and the original show I had planned to post, I just remembered was released as "Nightfall of Diamonds" and don't forget "Downhill From Here" was also a 1989 composite. So, what to do? I had to go back and wade through the 570 recordings of 75 shows. So I decided to go with one of my personal favorites. It has been well-traded and isn't the most obscure. There are many other great nights this year. Since the overwhelming consensus has been to keep posting daily shows, I'll get back around to the Warlocks and the Frost and RFK and Oakland NYE and Miami, etc... but for now this is the one. More specifically, "The Other One" this may be the best "Other One" of the tour and it has Healy's magic on the vocals. You can hear them teasing it way back during "Space". It also happens to have a good and tight first set with a fantastic "Wharf Rat and one of  the best "Foolish Heart" renditions in 1989, in the ENCORE slot. So, let's get in the mood and let the good times roll. Happy Saturday Everyone.

Enjoy the last night of the Greek before they got too big to play there 8-19-89

Setlist (courtesy of Deadlists.com)

Greek Theater

Berkeley,CA

Set One:

Let the Good Times Roll 

Jack Straw 

We Can Run 

Tennessee Jed

It's All Over Now 

Loser

Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again 

Box Of Rain 

Second Set:

China Cat Sunflower >

I Know You Rider 
Playing In The Band >
Uncle John's Band  >
Drums >
Space >
The Other One >
Wharf Rat >
Not Fade Away 

Encore:

Foolish Heart

This is a matrix, done by hansokolow in ProTools, of the following sources: SBD: shnid=83775 SBD -> Cassette Master (TDK MA-XG90) Transfer Info: Cassette Master (Tascam 122mkII) -> Apogee MiniMe (24bit/48k) -> Samplitude Professional v8.01 -> FLAC/16 (2 Discs Audio / 2 Discs FLAC) All Transfers and Mastering By Charlie Miller charliemiller87@earthlink.net March 20, 2007 Notes: -- Disc change is seamless -- Two SBD Cassette Masters were used to make this show seamless -- Thanks to Paul Scotton and Joani Walker for the tapes ------------------------------- DAUD: shnid=13254 Taper: Jim Oade Source: Schoeps cmc42S ->M118 -> Oade Mod PCM-F1 Transfer: Tascam DA-20 (DAT)-> Tascam CDRW4U -> EAC (secure) -> CDWave (tracking) -> CDR -> SHN (MKWact)

 © 2016 Grateful Music LLC

Welcome to the EIghties! This is Day 6 of the "Days Between" musical retrospective. Today's show is one of the most unique setlists of the mid-80s.:6-24-85

Welcome to the EIghties! This is Day 6 of the "Days Between" musical retrospective. Today's show is one of the most unique setlists of the mid-80s.:6-24-85  

The eighties were a weird decade for the band. After sloughing off Keith and Donna, Brent Mydland was the shot in the arm( maybe that's a bad choice of words) that was just what the band needed. This is the year before "Touch of Grey" was all over the radio and MTV and you could still walk up to the box office and get a ticket. This show in particular though, is one of the best of the year. A lot can be said for the winter tour and other specific shows, like April 8th.

Here is the show. Since it's Saturday I suggest you turn it up LOUD!

According to our unofficial poll on Facebook yesterday, people voted 1985 as they're second favorite year. Now I think that is a little weird considering,89-91 and 68-69, not to mention the whole decade of the Seventies, minus 71 and 79 but hey, ask and ye shall receive. Take a look at this monster setlist.

(thanks to Deadlists.com for the setlist)

Riverbend Music Center

6-24-1985

Set One: 

Alabama Getaway > Greatest Story Ever Told They Love Each Other New Minglewood Blues Tennessee Jed My Brother Esau Loser Let It Grow Set Two: Iko Iko > Samson And Delilah > He's Gone > Smokestack Lightnin'> Cryptical Envelopment > Drums > Space > Comes A Time > The Other One > Cryptical Envelopment > Wharf Rat > Around And Around > Good Lovin' Encore: US Blues Now that is an amazing setlist for any year. Holy Smokestack Lighnin', Batman! There playing the whole "Cryptical  Envelopment"with "Comes a Time"! The boys came out ready to play this night and of course, Charlie Miller works his magic on this source. You can really hear Brent killing it on keys for "Smokestack Lightnin'". For those who are wondering, Charlie Miller used to,maybe still does, work with the Steve Kimock Band. I haven't talked to him in about six or seven years but he could shine almost any turd of a show until it sounds good. Sometimes that was a bad thing since some of these shows he's mastered have been clunkers but he has a good eye and ears for great Grateful Dead shows and if you're hearing a crystal clear show, it's probably from him. Even the famed"Betty Boards" sounded a little better after his loving touch. That's not saying I love a good AUD but the SBD/AUD Matrix is the gold ring. This is not really going anywhere except to say thanks to Charlie Miller and all he's done for the community. Hope you enjoy the show. Written by:Greg Heffelfinger

                           

                             

© 2016 Grateful Music LLC

Today on Day 5 of the "Days Between" Grateful Dead Musical Retrospective; 6-9-1977 one of the Dead's Greatest Years according to most fans

Today on Day 5 of the "Days Between" Grateful Dead Musical Retrospective; 6-9-1977 one of the Dead's Greatest Years according to most fans.

  

Everyone has their favorite year but most can agree that the band was in top form in the spring of 1977.  Barton Hall at Cornell consistently makes the number one or two spots of greatest dead shows ever. This is a little later than that but still a jawdroppingly amazing performance. They were on their home turf and this show is a gem from start to finish. I could've made this whole list just from 77 but since they've released the entire month of May (including my birthday, 5-11-77) I've dug around for more shows to represent this year. The December shows were well done by Dick with his "Just Exactly Perfect Brothers Band" show. So here is one just past May, June 9, 1977.

The GD at Winterland 6-9-77

It's hard to pick these shows since I only have nine "Days Between" and I could fill that with one run from this year alone. So, get ready, because the 80's are coming next. This is the pinnacle of the band in many people's eyes but folks said that when Pig died and they said it when Keith left, as well as when Brent passed away. The fact is there are good shows in every year and a bad day at a Grateful Dead show is better than a good day almost anywhere else.

Setlist

Winterland Arena

6,9,1977

Set One:

Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo Jack Straw They Love Each Other Cassidy Sunrise Deal Looks Like Rain Loser The Music Never Stopped

Set Two: Samson And Delilah Funiculi Funicula Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Franklin's Tower Estimated Prophet > Saint Stephen > Not Fade Away > Drums [4:38] > Saint Stephen > Terrapin Station > Sugar Magnolia Encore:U.S. Blues  One More Saturday Night  (thanks to deadlists.com for setlist) There is nothing really in the way of music criticism I can say about 77, these shows are all heaters. Hope you enjoy the Show! Written by: Greg Heffelfinger

© 2016 Grateful Music LLC