1972

Next stop on our Europe ’72 listening tour brings us to Rheinhalle, Düsseldorf, in West Germany on April 24, 1972. Not only was this show released in full with the rest of of the shows on the Europe ’72 complete recordings, but the show had also been released prior to this back in 2004, labeled as Rockin’ the Rhein with the Grateful Dead. This is quite the stellar show so lets get right into it!

The set list for the Dead rockin’ at Rheinhalle in Düsseldorf tonight is as follows:

Set 1: Truckin’, Tennessee Jed, Chinatown Shuffle, Black-Throated Wind, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Mr. Charlie, Beat It On Down The Line, Loser, Playin’ In The Band, Next Time You See Me, Me And Bobby McGee, Good Lovin’, Casey Jones

Set 2: Dark Star > Me & My Uncle > Dark Star > Wharf Rat > Sugar Magnolia

Set 3: He’s Gone, It Hurts Me Too, El Paso, Not Fade Away > Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad > Not Fade Away, E: One More Saturday Night

The Dead kick off this show with Truckin’, nothing mind-blowing going on in this one, but it is still nonetheless an exciting pick to open the show. Black-Throated Wind and the China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider are some real standout tunes in the beginning of the first set. first off Kieth’s work on Black-Throated Wind is phenomenal and really compliments what the rest of the band has going on. China Cat > Rider is exceptional too, showcasing some flavor of what to expect in later versions. The other songs that deserve some attention in the first set would be Playing In The Band and Good Lovin’, with an honorable mention to Next Time You See Me. This Playin’ is dizzy and spaced out, it not only opens up the door for the guitars to wander but it also leaves the rest of the band to branch out and explore too. Good Lovin’ in this set is further another fine selection too, it rolls in smooth and thick with Phil’s excellent bass work right into the enthralling as always Pigpen vocals, the backing vocals from Phil for this one however can sound bit strained at times. Despite this very minor nitpicking I think this is a real strong version, Pigpen’s on fire, the rest of the band is on fire, and the jams are tight and energetic.

For the second set the Dead begin a journey with Dark Star, two parts to this one it is most certainly a trip. The first part is slow, airy, and loose for the first little bit, however it speeds up as the song goes on, gradually getting faster, still resonating with that same aimless fluidity until it melds into Me and My Uncle. After Me and My Uncle the Dead take it back to Dark Star to take it even further than before, the wandering of guitars leaves Keith to experiment and make his presence known, he sounds great and really delivers on this second part and Me and My Uncle. After this the Dead take to finish off this set with Wharf Rat and Sugar Magnolia.

The third set opens with He’s Gone, it’s apparent that the Dead are still working on the arrangement of this song but they still do get along alright for this song. On El Paso Bob sounds a bit rough with the vocals, but can you blame him after he belts out a show-stopping Sunshine Daydream? The last few songs, NFA > GDTRFB > NFA are of course show highlights as well, it can be easy to forget about this one after the magnificent second set, but this selection is still nonetheless a good one, strong and tight, it more often than not delivers!

Make sure to listen to the Grateful Dead rockin’ at the Rhein on April 24, 1972 here: https://archive.org/details/gd72-04-24.sbd-aud.cotsman.16332.sbeok.shnf

Grateful Dead Listening Tour Europe ’72, Vol. 7: Beat Club, Bremen, West Germany on 04/21/1972

Stop seven on our Grateful Dead listening tour of Europe ’72 takes us to a really interesting show, not only is this show the shortest on the whole tour, it is also all recorded in amazing video quality to enjoy! This show was recorded during a week long break between live shows on the Europe ’72 tour, where the Dead find themselves in Germany. This performance was recorded for the German rock n’ roll TV show Beat Club. This 90 minute show was not performed for an audience and was instead recorded for a TV broadcast, it would be up to the producers of the show on how much of the actual performance would be aired, with the only song from this show to be aired being One More Saturday Night. The rest of this captivating footage would remain unseen by the public for several decades and the actual full recording of the show wouldn’t be heard either until release of the complete Europe ’72 box set recordings. The full show is up on YouTube to watch so check it out here.

Here’s the set list for this short but sweet Grateful Dead performance at the Beat Club:

Bertha, Playing In The Band, Mr. Charlie, Sugaree, One More Saturday Night, Playing In The Band, Beat It On Down The Line, Truckin’ > Drums > The Other One

This show places emphasis on Bob’s songs, he sings the majority of the set leaving only two for Jerry and one for Pigpen to both sing. For this short 90 minute show the Dead roll in with Bertha, it is most certainly rockin’ and rollin’ and has a good sound, Phil’s bass sound is also quite prominent on this one too. After this they’re joined by Donna as Bob suggests for Playing In The Band, there is no lack of enthusiasm and everyone brings their A-game on this tune. Post Playing the Dead bring out Mr. Charlie and Pigpen unleashes some vocals for this song, then comes Sugaree. Sugaree is one of several moments in this performance the Dead take advantage of the no crowd/TV studio setting and restart the song after a minor mistake, Jerry chimes in and suggests they start over after a wrong chord change from Pigpen on the organ. Next up is One More Saturday Night, a good performance and unfortunately the only song to be broadcast from this excellent performance. The Dead decide to do a Playing In The Band reprise after Saturday Night, this is another example of a slight mistake, this time Bob accidentally sings the wrong line at the beginning of the first verse. The last few songs from the set is a solid sequence of tunes, Truckin’ is up first then into some short pounding Drums and fished off with a 20 minute The Other One, by this time the cameras had been switched off due to the band going over the allotted time, this being the reason why the film abruptly cuts off at the 19 minute mark of The Other One.

This is quite an interesting show and starts the Grateful Dead’s run of shows in Germany, there’s an insightful essay that covers this show more deeply that you can find here, definitely worth a read! For an accessible archive version of the show there is one available, however, it is missing several songs from the actual performance but it does make for it with some interesting soundcheck cuts, such as Loser and Black-Throated Wind. Make sure to listen to the whole show on a streaming service or listen on the archive: https://archive.org/details/gd72-04-21.fm.vernon.9380.sbeok.shnf

Grateful Dead Listening Tour Europe ’72, Vol. 6: Tivoli Concert Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark on 04/17/1972

Stop six on our Grateful Dead listening tour of Europe ’72 brings us back to the Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark; this show taking place on April 17, 1972. Not only was by all accounts a fantastic Grateful Dead show, it was also recorded for a Danish TV broadcast that aired on separate occasions. For one part of the show they broadcast live and two other parts of the show was aired sometime in August that year. The show was split into three sets to accommodate for the TV broadcast, the first set was what they aired live and the other set for subsequent airings. You can watch the broadcast of most of the songs from the first and second set here.

Lets look at what the Dead have in store for show six in Copenhagen, Denmark:

Set 1: Cold Rain & Snow, Me And Bobby McGee, Chinatown Shuffle, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Jack Straw, He’s Gone, Next Time You See Me, Black Throated-Wind

Set 2: Casey Jones, Mr. Charlie, Playing In The Band, Sugaree, One More Saturday Night, It Hurts Me Too, Ramble On Rose, El Paso, Big Railroad Blues, Truckin’

Set 3: Dark Star > Sugar Magnolia > Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks) > Johnny B. Goode

Due to the TV broadcast of the show it’s evident much of the first set songs are played with something of a slower tempo, don’t let that put you off though, the Dead really do make the best of these songs and deliver an exceptional performance even though some songs can sound a bit slower at times! First set the Dead start the show off with Cold Rain & Snow, this being the debut of the song on the tour thus far, and the band introduce it well as the show opener. China Cat Sunflower and I Know You Rider offer some really stellar jams so make sure to keep an ear out for those two. Jack Straw is up after those two songs and delivers some nice harmonies too. Talk about a show of firsts this is also the first time the Grateful Dead played He’s Gone in concert, on live TV too! The Dead don’t let this stop them and they go to crush it, this however wouldn’t be the final arrangement of the song, but it still is quite something. They close the first set off with Black Throated-Wind and I feel like this song really fits in this particular set, everything else in the first set is slow and calm and this song is too.

Second set comes in with Casey Jones, odd placement of this song right in the middle of the show, but that’s not much of a big deal. This version starts off slow much like the songs in the first set but it gradually picks up and the set soars from there. Playing In The Band comes soon after and this tune, much like Sugaree too, is quite solid, the band all seems to be on the same page. I’d also like to say this version of Playin’ is most certainly airy and carefree, Jerry’s solo has a strong clam sense about with hints of wild guitar. Another interesting tune in this set is the One More Saturday Night selection, not normally a song we’d encounter halfway through a set on this tour, but it is still a fun song. To end the second set and right before Big Railroad Blues and Truckin’ the Dead put on some goofy get ups, Bob dresses up with some Groucho Marx glasses and Phil, Bill, Pigpen and Keith put on some bald-and-rainbow haired hats that add a fun and silly circus vibe to the show.

The third set emerges with Dark Star, this version much like the Playin’ from this show, has a strong sense of fluidity, there are constant flirtations with the main lick of the song and it really is beautiful! This version really blends well into Sugar Magnolia too, then into a just as phenomenal Caution (Do Not Step On Tracks). The last song the Dead finish with is Johnny B. Goode, this is also the first and last time this tune would make an appearance on the Europe ’72 tour.

Overall I’d say you could definitely call this show an entertaining one, the Dead really manage to bring the heat for this one so make sure you don’t miss it! Check it out here:
https://archive.org/details/gd1972-04-17.sbd.ashley-field.34032.sbeok.flac16

Grateful Dead Listening Tour Europe ’72, Vol. 5: Stakladen, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark on 04/16/1972

Stop number five on our Grateful Dead listening tour of Europe ’72 takes us to Stakladen, Aarhus University, in Aarhus, Denmark on April 16, 1972. This is quite the show from the Dead, this one takes place in the university cafeteria of all places! Also peculiar enough an example of a Donna-less Grateful Dead show during her and Keith’s tenure with the band. Rumor for this one is that she was lying under the piano for this show as a result of LSD indulgence.

If you’re interested in listening to more shows from the Keith-Donna era of the Grateful Dead where Donna isn’t performing you can check out the shows from 11/30/73 and 12/19/73. During this time she took a twenty one day maternity leave from the band. These shows would be as follows:
Boston Music Mall, Boston, MA (11/30/73); Boston Music Mall, Boston, MA (12/1/73); Boston Music Mall, Boston, MA (12/2/73); Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, OH (12/4/73); Convention Center, Cleveland, OH (12/6/73); Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke U, Durham, NC (12/8/73); Coliseum, Charlotte, NC (12/10/73); The Omni, Atlanta, GA (12/12/73); Curtis Hixon Convention Hall, Tampa, FL (12/18/73); Curtis Hixon Convention Hall, Tampa, FL (12/19/73).

With that here’s a look at the set list for this show in Aarhus, Denmark:

Set 1: Greatest Story Ever Told, Sugaree, Chinatown Shuffle, Black Throated Wind, Tennessee Jed, Mr. Charlie, Beat It On Down The Line, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Mexicali Blues, Loser, Next Time You See Me, Playin’ In The Band, Dire Wolf

Set 2: Good Lovin’, Cumberland Blues, El Paso, Deal, Truckin’ > Jam > The Other One > Me and My Uncle > The Other One > Not Fade Away > Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad > Not Fade Away

Set 1 kicks in with Greatest Story Ever Told, I really enjoy versions like this that have a really jumpy intro, Phil’s bass on versions such as this sounds so clean and crisp. Sugaree follows the same pattern as Greatest Story, less jumpy and more relaxing though, but still very warm and welcoming! China Cat Sunflower is exceptional too, right near the end Keith’s piano rises in the background and adds to the serenity of the song, this transitions into I Know You Rider quite well too. Playing In The Band is the second last song of the set and is one of the strongest from the tour, every thing that you would want in this song the Dead bring out and still manage to space it out even more! The Dead then go to finish the first set with Dire Wolf, this song deserves some attention I think, this would also be the first show on the tour that the Dead decided to play this one.

Set 2 gets right into it with nothing held back starting this set with a twenty minute Good Lovin’. As always this one really jives, Pigpen delivers his classic lyrical improvisations for this song that creates a magnificent groove with help from the rest of the band. I can never get over the riff for this one song either, always sounds phenomenal and full! A short time after the Dead come in with the obligatory Truckin’, this one is fine enough, but what is really stunning is the jam that follows this one. For sixteen minutes the Dead break free and unleash a monster jam, I will say Phil has a very prominent part in the Jam and his bass is consistently loud and clear, he definitely made his presence known and showed how strong of a player he is alongside the other guys. It starts off wild and chaotic but slowly the band groups together and rolls into a short The Other One jam after hinting to it several times throughout. After a relatively short The Other One jam the Dead smoothly go into Me and My Uncle, immediately taking us back The Other One right there after with some drums into Not Fade Away. This show doesn’t appear to feature an encore from the Dead either but I wouldn’t hold it against them, especially after delivering that other worldly jam sequence in the second set.

This is an interesting and fun Grateful Dead show that creates a good picture of what the band’s all about, tune in and give it a listen here: https://archive.org/details/gd72-04-16.sbd.miller.18103.sbeok.shnf/gd72-04-16d1t01.shn

Grateful Dead Listening Tour Europe ’72, Vol. 4: Tivoli Concert Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark on 04/14/1972

Stop number four on our Grateful Dead listening tour of Europe ’72 changes up the scenery a bit, for this one the Dead head off to Denmark, playing the first show outside of England at the Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark. This show takes place on April 14, 1972 that being 47 years ago today. There’s some good points in this show, especially in the second set, that doesn’t mean the first set is not good though. As like all other Grateful Dead shows this one’s got it’s own thing going on and the Dead spice it up in all kinds of different ways.

Here’s a look at the set list for this show at the Tivolo Concert Hall:

Set 1: Bertha, Me & My Uncle, Mr. Charlie, You Win Again, Black Throated Wind, Chinatown Shuffle, Loser, Me And Bobby McGee, Cumberland Blues, Playin’ In The Band, Tennessee Jed, El Paso, Big Boss Man, Beat It On Down The Line, Casey Jones

Set 2: Truckin’, It Hurts Me Too, Brown Eyed Women, Looks Like Rain, Dark Star > Sugar Magnolia, Good Lovin’ > Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks) > Good Lovin’, Ramble On Rose, Not Fade Away > Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad > Not Fade Away, E: One More Saturday Night

For the first set the Dead kick it off with Bertha, this gets right into it and is a clean version as the Dead always do, I really found myself zoning in on Keith’s piano parts for this song so that’s definitely something to watch out for! After Me & My Uncle the Dead come in Mr. Charlie, this is probably my favorite version the Dead have played of this song so far for this tour, it feels so natural but unhinged in a controlled chaotic kind of way. Right after this song is You Win Again, a song written by Hank Williams, this is the first time the Dead played this song on the Europe ’72 tour and the Dead put a good touch to this one. Speaking of first of songs on this tour, a bit later in the set the Dead also roll out Me and Bobby McGee, the first time for this song was also played on the tour. I’ve always loved this song ever since hearing it on Skull and Roses, I always enjoy listening to this song! The last song I want to draw attention to in this set is of course Playin’ In The Band as per usual, the band always finds ways to spice up this song with jams and the like for sure. This one is no different in the fact that its uniquely distinct from any other Playin’ In The Band the Grateful Dead have ever done. For this one it sounds slow, Jerry doesn’t take it too fast for the most part, he takes his time and lets the notes ring out and only really goes for it when he needs too, a little past half way through there’s also a fun solo type thing from Phil on the bass that’s worth noting.

The second set starts off with Truckin’, this one’s only about eleven minutes, but those eleven minutes sure aren’t a waste. It’s definitely a lively version that really gets you into it and leaves you wanting more! After this the Dead slow it down a couples notches with tunes such as Hurts Me Too and Looks Like Rain, right before ramping it back up with Dark Star. When the first couple notes of Dark Star emanate from Phil’s bass you know the Dead are about to take you for a fun ride, and that’s exactly what this Dark Star is! This version is quite spaced out, the band jams for over fifteen minutes before the first verse and is really something spectacular, the last ten minutes being particularly groovy too. I’d say this is probably my favorite song of the whole show, a tough call for sure, but I think it just might be. The switch from Dark Star to Sugar Magnolia is flawless too, Jerry does a little solo at the end of Dark Star that leads into the beginning of Sugar Magnolia, a good way to bridge the two songs that sounds fantastic. Talk about thick bass sounds from Phil in the second half, him and Bill on drums really pound it out for the intro to Good Lovin’ that gets the thunder going for the rest of the song. As much as a good job the whole band does it can sometimes be easy to forget about the amazing work Bill does on the drums, which I think this song is a good reflection of, definitely pay attention to him for this one! Among the last few stellar performances in the second set, if your looking for some more Bill highlights from this show Not Fade Away parts one and two are essential listening!

I’d say this is most certainly an above average show, some fine selections and even better execution, the lights are all shinin’ bright on the Grateful Dead in Copenhagen, Denmark tonight: https://archive.org/details/gd72-04-14.aud.vernon.23662.sbeok.shnf

Grateful Dead Listening Tour Europe ’72, Vol. 3: Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle, England on 04/11/1972

Third stop on our Grateful Dead listening tour of Europe ’72 lands at the Newcastle City Hall in Newcastle, England. The first two shows the Dead did at the Wembly Empire Pool were a real treat, some good tunes and even better jams. Compared to the first couple of shows this one might seem, how should I say a little boring, if you take it at face value that is. For this show there aren’t any songs that necessarily stand out just by looking at the set list, this one takes some digging, and that’s just what we’re here to do. There’s definitely some fun points here and there through this show so kick back and let the music take you away!

Here’s what the set list gonna look like at Newcastle City Hall for this show:

Set 1: Greatest Story Ever Told, Deal, Mr. Charlie, Black Throated Wind, Tennessee Jed, Big Boss Man, Beat It On Down The Line, Sugaree, Jack Straw, Chinatown Shuffle, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Playin’ In The Band, Next Time You See Me, Brown Eyed Women, Looks Like Rain, Big Railroad Blues, Casey Jones

Set 2: Good Lovin’, Ramble On Rose, Truckin’ > Drums > The Other One > Comes A Time > Sugar Magnolia, E: Brokedown Palace, E: One More Saturday Night

Set 1 opens with Greatest Story Ever Told, which is decent, however, I feel like this one lacks a certain something-something that we’ve come to expect from this song, this version isn’t bad by any means, I just feel like there’s a vibe that this song usually has that isn’t here tonight. Deal is up next, this one is quite better, it is a superb version and showcases a tasty solo too. Right after this is Mr. Charlie, now this is a splendid version, there’s something that sounds smooth and makes it perfect. This song and Chinatown Shuffle are probably the highlight Pigpen tunes for this set in my opinion. A bit after this is Jack Straw, the first appearance of this song on the tour, and it really is an interesting version. Much like other versions of this song from ’71 and ’72 Bob Weir does all the vocals for the song, we’ll see this is quite unlike later versions where Jerry sings as well. Later on this tour is when Bob and Jerry begin to switch up their vocal performances for this song starting at 05/03/1972 at the Olympia Theater. China Cat Sunflower into I Know You Rider is up soon after and is really slick, Phil is especially in contorl for this one, his parts are particularly prominent and he really tears it up, most obvious in a wild tremolo groove he does near the end of China Cat Sunflower. I’d have to say the highlight of the first set would be Playin’ In The Band, its not the most mind-blowing version the Dead have ever done, but that doesn’t make it any less good. Overall though I will say the first set was pretty average, not much to necessarily rave about in this one, still there are some top notch and well put together tunes.

Set 2 gets on way better than the first, it opens up with a 15 minute Good Lovin’ and like other versions of this song from the early 70’s with Pigpen it really heats things up. There’s an amazing dynamic between Pigpen and the band for this song and Jerry absolutely shreds for the first solo in particular too. The whole song is especially groovy and funky in a different sort of way, Phil definitely helps with that on the bass. Like the other shows so far from this tour the Dead bust on through with a Truckin’ in the second set, however, this one is a little different from what we’ve seen from the Dead on this song. Different in so far as that this show’s Truckin’ is just shy of 20 minutes, it really highlights the strong points from everyone in the band and creates this aura of a monumental jam. Much like the studio version of the song this version comes in peaks, there’s loud parts and quiet parts and they all blend together really well. Near the end of Truckin’ the Dead start teasing us with some hints of what to expect soon, right after a section of Drums of course, the Dead soar in with that thick and energetic riff that is The Other One. This Other One takes it one step further than Truckin’, kicking it up to 25 minute song to jam out over, and spacey/psychedelic jams it brings. After this the Dead slow it down with Comes A Time, although they’re quick to ramp it back up with Sugar Magnolia and then a double whammy of an encore with Brokedown Palace and One More Saturday Night.

This is a decent show from the Grateful Dead, clean and shiny there’s no glaring mechanical flaws, however, the monotony of some songs can drag the show down, but don’t let that stop you from giving this one a listen because like a lot of other shows from ’72 it is a trip!

This audio archive of the show is actually pretty good, a fine substitute if necessary, but for the best I still recommend listening to this show on a streaming service if possible: https://archive.org/details/gd72-04-11.sbd.giles.12186.sbeok.shnf/gd72-04-11d1t01.shn

Grateful Dead Listening Tour Europe ’72, Vol. 2: Wembley Empire Pool, London, England on 04/08/1972

The second date on our Grateful Dead listening tour of Europe ’72 again takes place at the Wembley Empire Pool in London, England on April 8 back in 1972. Welcome back! Yesterday we listened to a fantastic tour opening show from the Dead and here they are back again the following night for a second show in London. Is this show going to be better than yesterday’s? I guess we’ll just have to give this one a listen to find out!

Here’s what the set list for this show is gonna look like:

Set 1: Bertha, Me & My Uncle, Mr. Charlie, Deal, Black Throated Wind, Next Time You See Me, Cumberland Blues, Yellow Dog Story, Brown Eyed Women, Beat It On Down The Line, Tennessee Jed, Playin’ In The Band, Good Lovin’, Looks Like Rain, Casey Jones

Set 2: Truckin’, Big Railroad Blues, It Hurts Me Too, Dark Star > Sugar Magnolia > Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks); E: One More Saturday Night

The Dead roll in set 1 with Bertha, a standard choice for many Grateful Dead shows, a real bonus that this is a pretty good version too! Not the most complex Grateful Dead song by any means, but still a fun and energetic pick to start the show off on the right track. After a decent Me & My Uncle is Mr. Charlie, one of several Dead songs that Pigpen has writing credits for and its always a good one. Mr. Charlie was one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs when I was first getting into the band, I would listen to all the different versions from the Europe ’72 shows, the way that Pigpen sang it and the guitar parts especially just really make for such a groovy song, very fond memories indeed. Later on is Cumberland Blues, this version really is spectacular, it is also the version that you can find on the original Europe ’72 released in November 1972 as a triple live album by the band. After Cumberland Blues is the Yellow Dog Story, an amusing, albeit long winded joke, from Bob Weir to tide the crowd over while there’s a quick string change, this one always gets a chuckle out of me. In this set we also see get a couple good jam songs from the Dead, Playin’ In The Band and Good Lovin’ are where the Dead take us for a ride and they are both stunning in their own ways. Playin’ In The Band is as what you’d expect and just as always there’s some decent noodling and soloing that creates some pretty out there music. Good Lovin’ is right after this, it’s pure Pigpen blues, raunchy and overall a classic performance of the tune. I’m a firm believer that this song was never be the same after Pigpen had passed away, the Dead still managed to do just fine performances after, but in my opinion Pigpen really brought this song to a whole different level.

Set 2 starts off with Truckin’ and as Bob Weir mentions this is the same way the Dead started off last nights second set at the same venue. Which of the two is better you might ask? I honestly think this one is better, but just by a hair, they’re both so good its hard to pick! Jerry really brings it for this one, not to say he didn’t bring it yesterday either, but on this one he sounds in control the whole time, its less wild and as if more methodically approached, for this one it feels as if Jerry is the conductor and the Dead are the orchestra. The real treat of this set however comes after Truckin’, for this show the Dead bust out a lengthy and monster of a Dark Star, coming in at 32 minutes. The whole song sounds like it builds, at the beginning its very soft and quiet but it gradually gets louder and more explosive the longer the Dead run with it. It really is difficult to describe a whole 32 minute song in just a few sentences, and do it justice nonetheless, I will say it’s absolutely splendid and I particularly enjoyed the easy and seamless transition into Sugar Magnolia, a show highlight for sure! What else could the Dead bring to this show to make it better? well I’m glad you asked, because the last song before the encore is another catastrophic jam in the form of Caution (Do Not Step On Tracks), if you somehow thought that Dark Star wasn’t good enough and are left feeling like the Dead cheated you, just let this song take you away. Pigpen really turns up the heat for this one and steals the song with a fantastic vocal, organ, and harmonica performance, the rest of the Dead follow suit with a just as awesome performance behind Pigpen in this in your face, kickin’ song. This show is mind blowing to say the least, better than last nights show, I think it is, do yourself a favor and give this whole show a listen.

I opted for the spotify version of this show again, but here’s an actually decent archive version of this show: https://archive.org/details/gd72-04-08.sbd.giles-jeffm.2534.sbeok.shnf

Grateful Dead Listening Tour Europe ’72, Vol.1: Wembley Empire Pool, London, England on 04/07/1972

This is going to be the first show on our Grateful Dead listening tour of the landmark tour through Europe the Dead undertook back in April-May 1972. The first show the Grateful Dead did on this tour took place 47 years ago today at the Wembly Empire Pool in London, England on April 7, 1972. For these shows, much like the other shows I’ve wrote about, I’ll mainly be looking to give some notes, thoughts, and my opinions on the great music the Dead played on this tour!

Without further adieu lets get right into the set list for today’s show at Wembley Empire Pool:

Set 1: Greatest Story Ever Told, Sugaree, Chinatown Shuffle, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Big Boss Man, Black Throated Wind, Loser, Mr. Charlie, Beat It On Down The Line, Tennessee Jed, Playin’ In The Band

Set 2: Truckin’ > Drums > The Other One > El Paso > The Other One > Wharf Rat, Ramble On Rose, Sugar Magnolia, Not Fade Away > Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad > Not Fade Away, E: One More Saturday Night

Set 1 rocks in with Greatest Story Ever Told, a very clean and tight version, quite the solid and coherent show opener from the Dead. Sugaree is up next and much like Greatest Story the band all sounds well composed, I’d like to point attention to Pigpen’s organ on this song which is surprisingly clear on the audio, it really pulled me in and just sounded so good! This set also has a delightful China Cat Sunflower into I Know You Rider, the switch between isn’t too bad, it’s clean and low-key I think, China Cat builds and builds and then falls into a small lull where I Know You Rider kicks in full force. Near the end of Rider that lull comes back, the instruments fade out and we’re left with the drums pounding in the background, then the drums stop, the tension builds with only the band’s vocals ringing out and the Dead finish the song off on an energetic high note will a full barrage of instruments and drums. After this is Big Boss Man, and Pigpen takes lead vocals and treats us with an excellent vocal and harmonica performance that gets a nice blues shuffle going. The Dead close off the first set with Playin’ In The Band, not the most catastrophic version compared to what we may be used to, but still nonetheless an enjoyable tune with some high quality jams.

Set 2 opens with Truckin’, and I must say this really is a stellar version, halfway through the song the whole band breaks loose, everyone is following the rhythm to jam and space out with a wall of instruments and sound. Just when you think the band had divulged into an all out pleasurable chaos of music Jerry takes the lead and corrals together the whole band with a magnificent solo. Post Truckin’ the Dead release an otherworldly The Other One, it’s thick and heavy at times but also slow and soft at others, either way it’s always highly entrancing. There’s two parts to this Other One and El Paso is between them, after El Paso ends the Dead jump right back into The Other One almost as if they were picking up right where they left off. After The Other One comes Wharf Rat, its cryptic and chilling, very much you’d expect from this song, but that doesn’t make it any less amazing! The last few songs includes another ‘jam sandwich’ where we find Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad in between Not Fade Away part 1 and 2. These songs together sound really good, definitely ends the show on a high note that makes good way for a One More Saturday Night Encore. Another bonus note is that I always find it really interesting to compare Dead songs, such as Not Fade Away, from the Dead’s earlier career shows to that of later ones. Take for example this version from 1972 compared to the Not Fade Away from 07/04/1989 (probably my favorite version of the song), really cool stuff I think!

Unfortunately the audio I have been listening to this show was the one on Spotify and one of the only versions on the archive I could find is quite harsh to listen to, if at all possible I’d urge you to seek this magnificent concert for its availability on a streaming service accessible to you. In the meantime here’s a version of the show that’s available on the archive: https://archive.org/details/gd72-04-07.aud.sirmick.31329.sbeok.flacf/gd72-04-07d1t01.flac

Grateful Dead Live at Avalon Ballroom on 04/04/1969

On April 4, 1969 the Grateful Dead opened up a three night run at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco, California, this run of shows would be the last ones the Dead would perform at the Avalon. This is quite the performance, it’s shows like this that really help to define the early years of the Grateful Dead, proving how raw and psychedelic the band really was in their formative years. This show is a real treat and gives us some good selections, Turn On Your Lovelight comes in at 22 minutes and Dark Star at 20, just from these two songs we get over 40 minutes of pure, primitive, and psychedelic Grateful Dead!

With that lets jump into the set list:

Set 1: Good Morning Little School Girl, Doin’ That Rag, Cryptical Envelopement > Drums > The Other One > Cryptical Envelopement > Death Don’t Have No Mercy

Set 2: Turn On Your Lovelight, Dark Star > Saint Stephen > The Eleven > Feedback

Set 1 starts of phenomenal with Good Morning Little School Girl, a fine tune sung by none other than Pigpen, it most certainly packs a punch and has that blues feel that Pigpen does excellently. Around the 8 minute mark of the song it slows down and fills in with an infectious guitar groove that i thought was a nice touch. Doin’ That Rag comes up next and isn’t too bad either, however the first set gets even better with Cryptical Envelopment/The Other One. On this night the Dead break out the first part of “That’s It For The Other One” with Cryptical Envelopment, a section of the song the Dead would drop from their live repertoire after 1971 give for the odd appearance here or there in their later years. Throughout their career the song known as “The Other One”, as seen as the case for this show, would be the part called The Faster We Go, The Rounder We Get from “That’s It For The Other One”. After these songs the Dead close the first set with Dead Don’t Have No Mercy, the vocals on this one sound a little drowned out but other than that it sounds fine and brings a really eerie and chilling vibe, everything you’d want in this song!

Set 2 is up next and the Dead waste no time getting back into it, Turn On Your Lovelight is up first and is really exciting, Pigpen takes lead vocals for this one again and kills it, Bob also takes to do some vocals a little bit in too which makes the song even more fun. Overall the whole atmosphere of this song is really upbeat and the jams that go along with it are just as good! After this song comes Dark Star, just absolutely mesmerizing and definitely not a song you’d want to skip. After this is is St. Stephen in The Eleven and these two songs are never a let down, great stuff all around!

Give this show a listen here: https://archive.org/details/gd69-04-04.sbd.sacks.1314.sbefail.shnf/gd69-04-04d1t01.shn

Grateful Dead Live at Boston Garden on 04/02/1973

On April 2, 1973 the Grateful Dead played at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Minor audio difficulties at the beginning of the show is present but other than this small hiccup the audio for this show is pristine! Like many other shows from ’73 the set list is just under three dozen songs long, all work and no fooling around the Dead come to deliver a thick, clear, and immaculate performance. As like other fantastic Grateful Dead shows might go on to be this one was released commercially as volume 21 in the Dave’s Picks series released in February 2017. This show was also the Grateful Dead’s first appearance at the Boston Garden of which they would play twenty-four more shows at over their touring career.

Here’s a look at the set list for this show:

Set 1: Promised Land, Deal, Mexicali Blues, Brown Eyed Women, Beat It On Down The Line, Row Jimmy, Looks Like Rain, Wave That Flag, Box Of Rain, Big River, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, You Ain’t Woman Enough, Jack Straw, Don’t Ease Me In, Playin’ In The Band

Set 2: Ramble On Rose, Me & My Uncle, Mississippi Half Step Uptown Toodeloo, Greatest Story Ever Told, Loose Lucy, El Paso, Stella Blue, Around And Around, Here Comes Sunshine > Jam > Space > Me And Bobby McGee, Weather Report Suite Prelude > Eyes Of The World > China Doll, Sugar Magnolia, Casey Jones, Johnny B. Goode, E: We Bid You Good Night

A mammoth of a show that really showcases some high points of the Grateful Dead in 1973, although its a long one you’re not gonna want to gloss over any parts of this one! This show is fairly interesting due to its uniqueness, for one it lacks the monumental jam songs such as Dark Star or The Other One that the Dead were so familiar with at this time, however it makes up for this with some other interesting song picks in the first and second sets such as Playing In The Band, Here Comes Sunshine, and Eyes Of The World. For this show the Dead also bust out a song called Wave That Flag, this is an early version of the song that would later become US Blues for their 7th studio album “From the Mars Hotel”. The Dead would play this version 15 times throughout shows in 1973.

Set 1 opens with Promised Land, this here is where the Dead encounter some technical difficulties as Bob Weir’s vocals are cut off and hard to hear for a large part of the song. Luckily things get better and Deal sounds a whole lot better as far as the vocals go, the rest of the show has pristine audio from here on out. This first set includes some 1973 favorites that are performed and sound spectacular, such as Big River, Promised Land, and Mexicali Blues really make for some enjoyable highlights in the first half. Looks Like Rain is also quite clear and is a very passionate performance by the whole band. Some other interesting song picks from the first set are also the Box Of Rain sung by bassist Phil Lesh and You Ain’t Woman Enough by Donna Jean Godchaux, both exceptional and really add to this set I think. The first half of the show peaks with Playing In The Band, just over 17 minutes it is a strong choice, this is one of the big jam songs for this show and it does not disappoint.

Set 2 is up next and the Dead turn up the heat with the songs for this set. It starts off pretty standard with some fun and groovy short songs to get the second set rolling, but then they break out into a beautiful Stella Blue and the whole set launches to new levels after this. From Here Comes Sunshine all the way to China Doll every song in between this is just mind blowing, especially Here Comes Sunshine and Eyes Of The World which act as the two big jam songs for this set. These two picks really show the bands enthusiasm to change the set list up a bit I think. This set also includes a special treat, in this set the Dead break out a Weather Report Suite Prelude, a well done one too at that. As we know the whole Weather Report Suite is made up of 3 parts found on the bands 6th studio album “Wake Of the Flood” released in October 1973: the Prelude, Part 1 (the slow section with lyrics), and Part 2 (Let It Grow). The Dead debuted the Prelude in November 1972, and played it off and on throughout ’73 until they decide to debut the whole suite in September 1973. This nights performance of the Prelude is a taste that would indicate at what we could expect from September later that year.

As evident this is a colossal show, some amazing high points and really prove the Dead’s willingness to shake things up a bit that makes the show just that much better!

Take a listen to the Grateful Dead’s first time at the Boston Garden for one hell of a show here: https://archive.org/details/gd73-04-02.sbd.miller.17346.sbeok.shnf/gd73-04-02d1t12.shn