[Hantra]

Okay guys and gals. . .I have to rave about this one.  I've had it for almost a week and have been too busy listening to it to post a blurb.  But here goes:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002XEDOE/qid=1112068100/sr=8-2/ref=pd_csp_2/103-3692948-9132617?v=glance&s=music&n=507846

Pick this up.  I am not a huge fan of the Jerry Garcia Band.  I love the Grateful Dead, and Jerry is the best part of the Dead, but I haven't liked a lot of his solo stuff.  There have been a few songs here and there that grab me, but never a complete show that I just can't stop playing.  This is that show.  

There's one off a pre-FM recording in 72 in San Fran that's damned good too, but this show is amazing.  And ANYTHING that I have heard mastered by Rhino is just absolutely fantastic.  I have no idea how they squeezed this much quality from this recording.  They blew out all the noise too.  The guys are GOOD.

Anyhow this one has so many highlights.  The After Midnight (JJ Cale style) > Elanor Rigby > After Midnight is smoking, and there is a BLEEDING rendition of Dylan's Simple Twist of Fate.  It's mezmerizing. . .

Much respect to Robert Hunter and all. . . He's one of the best songwriters to ever live.  But I am not sure he needs to be on stage.  He sings lead for two songs.  Promontory Rider is irritating but a bit fun b/c he sounds almost like Mark Knopfler when he sings.  The Tiger Rose I could do without, but seriously there isn't a real dud on this album.  

3 Discs and a cool booklet that tells a bit about this iteration of the JGB, which some will argue is the best.  

Pick it up.

[DeadFish]

Hey Hantra!
Glad you are grooving on the album, but if you get the urge for any more of the Pure Jerry series from www.jerrygarcia.com,
definitely buy it there.
I got this back in september and they give you a 4th cd from the next couple of nites:
read about it here:
http://stores.musictoday.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=3474&band%5Fid=707&sfid=2
This one has 1)Dear Prudence, 2) When I paint My Masterpiece, 3) Russian Lullaby, 4) That's Alright Mama, and 5) Deal.
This stuff really cooks!
Got 5 more cuts that are from the same era when Jerry's band was peaking in potential.
Lovely stuff.  
There are about 4 or so concerts out in the series, and all pretty good, but you might have already bought the best.
Enjoy 'em up!

Regards,
DeadFish

[JackStraw]

Sounds great, guys. I'll definitely have to check that out. I remember treasuring a JGB tape with a Rigby jam -- I think that it was 3/8/80. Of course, it's been a while since I even had a tape deck set up, and I stopped trading CDRs a while back.

[DeadFish]

Yah, Jack, if'n you were seeing Jerry-bands thru the years, you know there were some ON nights as well as off.
This stuff they've been putting out under their "Pure Jerry" series is pretty righteous, and far better than a lot of boots that floated thru here.
Except for the album we are talking about, my dear, sweet wife filled me up with the rest of the catalogue for Xmas.
After 37 years, of listening mostly to the Dead, I've been pretty burnt and lacking in playing them.  Some of these Jerry concerts reminded me what it was like when the dope and wear weren't bad yet, Jerry might look up from a great riff and look you *right* in the eye and grin, and we all had music in our souls for a night.

Happy Trails!

Regards,
DeadFish

[Hantra]

Some of these Jerry concerts reminded me what it was like when the dope and wear weren't bad yet, Jerry might look up from a great riff and look you *right* in the eye and grin, and we all had music in our souls for a night.

That pisses me off every time I think about it.  Nothing we can do, but it still sucks.

[JackStraw]

My wife got me Festival Express and The Grateful Dead Movie for my Bday recently. Amazing '70 and '74 Dead bonus material if you haven't seen it. That kicked me into revisiting etree.org. You can download lots of shows in lossless .SHN format there these days. I've been sort of getting my groove back the last couple of months with this.

Lastly, they set up the Dick's Picks series for lossless .FLAC download at dead.net and itunes recently. I've never gotten into that series much because I have heard so much of it already through my various phases of collecting, but I thought that it might be worth pointing out here.

[zybar]

Hey Hantra!
Glad you are grooving on the album, but if you get the urge for any more of the Pure Jerry series from www.jerrygarcia.com,
definitely buy it there.
I got this back in september and they give you a 4th cd from the next couple of nites:
read about it here:
http://stores.musictoday.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=3474&band%5Fid=707&sfid=2
This one has 1)Dear Prudence, 2) When I paint My Masterpiece, 3) Russian Lullaby, 4) That's Alright Mama, and 5) Deal.
This stuff really cooks!
Got 5 more  ...

I have the Pure Jerry from July 29th/30th 1977 and I was a little disappointed   in the overall quality (both sound and music).  I enjoyed the "Don't Let Go" double cd more.

Are the other Pure Jerry shows better than the one above?  

George

[Hantra]

I have the Pure Jerry from July 29th/30th 1977 and I was a little disappointed   in the overall quality (both sound and music).  I enjoyed the "Don't Let Go" double cd more.

Are the other Pure Jerry shows better than the one above?  

George

See I didn't like Don't Let Go. . .     That's the cool thing about this.  There's something for everyone.  Especially when you have 37+ years to choose from.  

[zybar]

I have the Pure Jerry from July 29th/30th 1977 and I was a little disappointed   in the overall quality (both sound and music).  I enjoyed the "Don't Let Go" double cd more.

Are the other Pure Jerry shows better than the one above?  

George

See I didn't like Don't Let Go. . .     That's the cool thing about this.  There's something for everyone.  Especially when you have 37+ years to choose from.  

B,

I couldn't agree more...

Hell, I liked it so much that I used "They Love Each Other" as music on my wedding videography!!  

George

[Hantra]

I have a soft spot for all Garcia renditions of Dylan songs.  If it has a Dylan song or two, I usually pick it up.  I have this super smooth Visions Of Johanna from. . . believe it or not. . . Dark Star Orchestra   . . .

I don't like them a lot, but this night Steve Kimock was with them playing Garcia's parts.     And I haven't heard a better Visions from the Dead.  But I'd love to hear a better one. . .   I'm constantly searching the archive for all Dylan covers.

[DeadFish]

Hey there, folk.

George, I know 'zactly what you mean about that particular recording.
Some of this stuff sounds a bit tired.  I liked 'Don't let go' as well.
All of the live stuff is a crapshoot, to be sure, and a lot depended on which nights the recordings were made, and era.  For my opinion, you cited about the worst of the whole "Pure Jerry' series, but there are some I listen to more than others.  I'm real partial to the 60's and 70's stuff (early 70s, more) and it takes an inspired performance to get me worked up for 80s stuff, let alone the 90's.  The one @ Berkley with Saunders is peppy for me, though a bit coarse, but there is still that youth and sense of discovery in the performances, which is what I always lived for; that sense of being there for a 'creation', even if you heard the songs before.
Hantra's right, there's plenty to choose from if one goes 'south'!
Gawd, there are SO many tracks of Garcia floating around, even with a great batting average, they cannot all be good.
But that don't stop GratefulDead.com, JG.com, 17unannounced illegitimate twins and 3 art galleries from capitalizing and bleeding us raw.
(That's one of the reason I abandoned the Dick's Pix series, as it seemed mostly about the money, and I had better music playing in my head!)
Hell, for my money, I *still* have the biggest mushy spot in my heart for the first Live Dead album for being 'right on', but then again, I've played that for myself literally by the thousands, when there was nothing else, way back when, so that I can whistle the first 3 unending sides of that album without missing a beat.  Ah, the joys of programing....
And hey Jack!  Did you get the DVD of the Dead movie, or the newly (?) released 5! cd set from that thing?  I haven't seen the movie in a long time, and cannot remember that much music, but I scoped it at Best Buy last week.  Heard good things about Festival Express from a bud; guess I'll have to give that a whirl, since it recaptures my favorite era.
Well, seems like I had more to say when I set down to type, but I've either had a flashback or I'm getting a migraine, so I guess it will wait 'till next time.
AH! Yes, before I forgot,
www.archives.org
has a great lot of Dead concerts and some righteous bandwidth, if yer looking for something you are not finding.  I just stumbled into it a couple of months ago and went scraping all the St. Louis, DesMoines and Denver shows I could that I attended.
That was a new source for me, and they have .shn.

Okay, I'm peaking....

Regards,
DeadFish

[Hantra]

I've played that for myself literally by the thousands, when there was nothing else, way back when, so that I can whistle the first 3 unending sides of that album without missing a beat. Ah, the joys of programing.......

Man I am the same way with One From The Vault.  That was my first taste back in the day and it was recorded the evening I was born.  It's unmistakable.  Another amazing one is Without a Net disc 2 and Disc 3 from Dozin at the Knick.  Even though Dozin is a conglomerate of a few shows, it's my dream show almost.

[JackStraw]

And hey Jack! Did you get the DVD of the Dead movie, or the newly (?) released 5! cd set from that thing? I haven't seen the movie in a long time, and cannot remember that much music, but I scoped it at Best Buy last week. Heard good things about Festival Express from a bud; guess I'll have to give that a whirl, since it recaptures my favorite era.

The DVD, and maybe I said this before but in my opinion the bonus material steals the show. Fortunately, unlike the feature and most other GD video releases, they just let the footage roll rather than trying to add in extremely lame trippy effects during jams. Watching Weir do his thing on the China > Rider transition is a real treat.

[Jumpin]

Great recommendations.  I was at a Jerry show front row at Rutgers in 79-80.  Got some great pictures and memories from that one.  Remember sleeping out the night before tix went on sale.  Kean was the same era and close by, so I will have to pick it up.

Second the Festival Express recommendation.  To see Pig singing is a real treat, even though even then he seemed a bit feeble.  I never saw him in real life.  Janis is unbelievable, mostly on the song Cry Baby - I had tears in my eyes.  Buddy Guy cuts were also fantastic. Much more...

Jumpin

[Hantra]

2/6/72 is the pre-FM one from KSFO.  It's an amazing show.  I was hooked from the first track.  If you are out there Torrenting around, pick it up.  It may be on Archive.  Not sure. . .

B

[DeadFish]

Hey Jack!
Thanks for the suggestions on the videos!
I have an old VHS Dead movie, so was loathe to replace it, but on your encouragement, sought it out.
Hope to witness it later.
As to 'The Festival Express', woohoo!
Man, don't 'The Boys' look like KIDS there! Man!
I haven't to watch IT all yet, but so far, so fun!
It sure does bring me back, thinking about hopping the fence for a concert that 'shoulda been FREE', and the like.
Am amazed more of 'Us' weren't shot like at Kent State, given the sense of 'entitlement' a lot in my generation seemed to exhibit.
What a different era, but such a lot of fun to watch and listen, when so much more often it was merely 'about the music.'
Thanks again, as I prepare more time for watching with the hifi involved with the teevee, a situation I usually drag my heels about. (yah, I gotta drag a tv into the music room.)
Happy listening to you all!

Regards,
DeadFish

[JackStraw]

Man, don't 'The Boys' look like KIDS there! Man!

Yeah, especially Bobby. I guess that he was 22 during the filming, but I swear he looks like he's 17. His moment of lucidity regarding the merits of the cops that he had met really struck a chord with me. Great stuff.

Ok, for that matter Phil pretty much looks like Napoleon Dynamite. In a good way I suppose, as he's certainly a funky dude.

And, do not miss the bonus material. You've got to love Easy Wind -- pure mojo. Have a good weekend, I'm glad that you like the videos.

I have the CDs that were the subject of the post on order along with the bonus disk, by the way.

[DeadFish]

Hope you have as much fun listening to the cd's as I had watching Festival Express yesterday Jack!
Nobody else in the house wanted to take the time to sit down with me, but their loss, as I had enough good time for everybody.
The 'unscripted' bits showing Janis and Jerry and others jamming, showing those people having a good time on the train...priceless!
The sociological history of 'the time' is outstandingly precious for this big fan of the era. All the discussion footage from the promoters and performers make this a lot more 'fulfilling' documentary than Woodstock offered.  
I just had big fun!

Much obliged!
DF

[JackStraw]

I just got the new JGB DVD, 9/1/90 Shoreline. Ugh. The sound is absolutely terrible, I didn't even make it through the first song. I'm going to call them to complain... I can't believe they even released it. Bear in mind, I've listened to quite a number of AUDs in my time. I recommend skipping this DVD.

[DeadFish]

Thanks for the tip, Jack.
I saw that that was out, but hadn't talked myself into 'biting' on it.
Sorry to hear that it was not 'up to snuff'.
I have a bit of a 'jaundiced ear' regarding 90's recordings anyway, as I considered the band more 'Grateful Monster' than anything, pluggin away at tunes with a serious lack of youthful exuberance.  No serious blame there, as no one gets to play young forever, but I'll keep listening to my 60's to early 80s stuff, when I get the chance.
Maybe this greatens the likelihood that your next gamble will be a keeper!

Best Regards,
DeadFish