Sakalli

(Review from thebestofwebsite.com)

The material for this release is taken from Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston and it includes the complete show from June 20, 1991, and key second set excerpts from the evening before.

The first set is notable for Lesh’s agression. “Peggy-O” through “Maggie’s Farm” are accordian dominant. The set is fairly short, including a solid “Bird Song”.

The opener of second set, “Throwing Stones” to begin the set. It achieves its objective of setting the energy level to full blast to start the festivities. Garcia keeps the power on with a rendition of “Iko” that segues oh so smoothly from “Throwing Stones” that you’d think it was standard repertoire. Following are the next two curves, “All Along The Watchtower” > “Standing On The Moon”.

The post-drums material is very solid and generous in length. A melodic reading of “The Wheel” leads to a conflict of riffs between “I Need A Miracle” and ”The Other One” with “Miracle” winning out. The rendition of “Wharf Rat” has a solid instrumental. A nice transition to a “Throwing Stones Reprise” and a well played “Not Fade Away” are both super charged with electricity and is a perfect way to close the set.

There is a generous helping of excellent bonus material, which is from the evening before that includes most of its second set. Rounding out disc one is a fine “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire On The Mountain” that is preceded with the jam out of “Victim Or The Crime”. Then to round out disc three we are treated to the end of the second set from 6/19 with another curve, “Stella Blue” > “The Other One” rather than the reverse order. Both are good Hornsby era takes, but more thrilling is a well jammed out “Johnny B. Goode”.

The mix especially favors Lesh, he is thumping, leading, conversing, and walking with or through everything.

Line-up:
- Jerry Garcia / lead guitar, vocals
- Vince Welnick / keyboards, vocals
- Bruce Hornsby / piano, vocals
- Bill Kreutzmann / drums
- Phil Lesh / electric bass
- Bob Weir / rhythm guitar, vocals

Track List:
CD1
01. Touch Of Grey – 6:39
02. Greatest Story Ever Told – 4:44
03. Peggy-O – 7:47
04. Mexicali Blues – 5:51
05. Maggie’s Farm – 8:26
06. Birdsong – 14:26
CD2
01. Throwing Stones – 6:52
02. Iko Iko – 9:51
03. All Along The Watchtower – 7:40
04. Standing on the Moon – 10:36
05. He’s Gone – 10:07
06. Rhythm Devils – 20:30
07. Space – 9:37
CD3
01. The Wheel – 5:10
02. I Need A Miracle – 5:04
03. Wharf Rat – 10:40
04. Throwing Stones – 4:42
05. Not Fade Away – 11:02
06. Brokedown Palace – 5:13
07. Stella Blue – 10:08
08. The Other One – 7:51
09. Johnny B. Goode – 4:52

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(Review from dead.net)

This is a triple disc release which heads back to that most classic of Grateful Dead years, 1972. This concert, July 21, 1972, would mark the beginning of a virtually non-stop touring schedule that would take them to the end of the year.

The first set features many of the first set songs of the era played to perfection, including a monster “Playing In The Band”, the second set, as would be expected, was where the real fireworks would be found. A raucous “Truckin’” moves smoothly into “Drums”, followed by a melodic, exploratory rendition of “The Other One”, which drops into a perfect reading of “Comes A Time”. Ending the show is an intensely powerful “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad > Not Fade Away” combo (the first part of “Not Fade Away” is missing from the master tapes, as is the first song of the evening’s performance, “Promised Land”.

As a bonus, the best material from the next night’s concert (7/22/72) is here, including lengthy workouts on “Bird Song” and another stellar “Playing In The Band”.

Line-up:
- Jerry Garcia / lead guitar, vocals
- Keith Godchaux / piano
- Donna Jean Godchaux / vocals
- Bill Kreutzmann / drums
- Phil Lesh / electric bass
- Bob Weir / rhythm guitar, vocals

Track List:
CD1
01. Sugaree – 7:57
02. Black Throated Wind – 6:57
03. Cumberland Blues – 5:41
04. Me & Bobby McGee – 5:44
05. Loser – 6:50
06. Mexicali Blues – 3:36
07. China Cat Sunflower – 5:01
08. I Know You Rider – 6:56
09. Beat It On Down the Line – 3:28
10. Stella Blue – 7:43
11. Playing in the Band – 11:32
12. Tennessee Jed – 8:09
CD2
01. Casey Jones – 8:09
02. Me & My Uncle – 3:15
03. Deal – 5:27
04. Jack Straw – 5:15
05. He’s Gone – 9:16
06. Truckin’ – 10:31
07. Drums – 5:44
08. That’s It For The Other One – 22:23
09. Comes A Time – 7:28
CD3
01. Sugar Magnolia – 6:58
02. Ramble on Rose – 6:29
03. Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad – 5:21
04. Not Fade Away – 3:23
05. You Win Again – 4:10
06. Bird Song – 9:38
07. Playing in the Band – 13:50
08. Morning Dew – 12:04
09. Uncle John’s Band – 7:36
10. One More Saturday Night – 5:02

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(Review from thebestofwebsite.com)

This archival release brings a release from a fairly well represented year, 1989. It is comprised of two complete concerts on four discs. On a minor note, the order was arranged in a few cases to include the beginning of set two and/or encores at the end of set one.

The band is tight, in sync, and powerful, predictable, Lesh is aggressive, Garcia’s voice struggles frequently. The song lists are fairly standard and the renditions don’t offer any revelations.

The first show begins with a crowd pleaser, “Iko Iko”, a perfect way to get the crowds attention. Garcia’s other songs are slower in nature and he has no trouble leading the band through the musical passages. Weir offers strong readings of his four tracks including the infrequently performed “It’s All Over Now” and “The Music Never Stopped”. On the latter the closing instrumental allows the band to do their own thing, before Garcia leads them back to earth to end the set.

The second set begins with “Shakedown Street” and 1989 is an excellent year for it. Jerry fronts the band through two solid instrumentals. The goods continue to be served up with a more than satisfactory “Man Smart Woman Smarter”, where the band seems to be in no hurry, yet are concise in their statements, with brilliant passage handoffs, and an overall tightness to the delivery. “Foolish Heart” is still young in 1989. The post space stays away from the slow numbers and is very much in party mode with a large number of songs, even if none stretch out.

The third disc begins the April 3, 1989, show. The set is generally predicable in that it includes the standard blues number, a country cover, and a Dylan impersonation, not to mention a familiar closer. It begins on an upbeat tone with “Greatest Story Ever Told” > “Bertha”. A good opening no doubt, with Phil getting behind Jerry’s lines nicely on “Bertha.” What is not so typical is the material from 1989′s album “Built to Last” and Lesh singing the Dylan cover instead of Weir. How big of a fan of the “Built to Last” material will dictate how well you rank this set. This CD also does include the set two opener, “Blow Away”, as well as the two song encore. On “Johnny B. Goode”, Garcia’s solo is a bit electronic gadget heavy with Brent having the better musical statement to convey.

The second set is much more interesting than the first. A solid set list starting with a loose “Estimated Prophet” that merges into an always welcome duo of Jerry tunes, “Crazy Fingers” > “Uncle John’s Band”.

The “Space” segment offers a hint of “I Need a Miracle” but the band decides on “Gimme Some Lovin’” instead; always a crowd pleaser. Keeping the mood upbeat this transitions into the hinted at “Miracle”. The ending jam sounds a bit “Truckin’” like for a few bars before slipping nicely into “Stella Blue”.

Line-up:
- Jerry Garcia / lead guitar, vocals
- Brent Mydland / keyboards, vocals
- Mickey Hart / drums
- Bill Kreutzmann / drums
- Phil Lesh / electric bass, vocals
- Bob Weir / rhythm guitar, vocals

Track List:
CD1
01. Iko Iko – 5:57
02. Little Red Rooster – 9:26
03. Dire Wolf – 3:55
04. It’s All Over Now – 8:40
05. We Can Run – 5:11
06. Brown-Eyed Women – 5:17
07. Queen Jane Approximately – 6:48
08. Tennessee Jed – 7:39
09. The Music Never Stopped – 8:04
10. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue – 7:45
CD2
01. Shakedown Street – 12:05
02. Man Smart, Woman Smarter – 8:18
03. Foolish Heart – 7:51
04. Rhythm Devils – 10:53
05. Space – 8:58
06. The Wheel – 4:27
07. Dear Mr. Fantasy – 5:08
08. Hey Jude – 2:39
09. Around and Around – 3:50
10. Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad – 5:44
11. Turn On Your Love Light – 5:44
CD3
01. Greatest Story Ever Told – 4:13
02. Bertha – 7:18
03. Walkin’ Blues – 6:48
04. Jack-A-Roe – 5:43
05. El Paso – 5:31
06. Built To Last – 5:26
07. Victim Or The Crime – 7:38
08. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues – 5:06
09. Don’t Ease Me In – 3:26
10. Blow Away – 8:12
11. Johnny B. Goode – 4:30
12. Black Muddy River – 6:44
CD4
01. Estimated Prophet – 10:46
02. Crazy Fingers – 8:14
03. Uncle John’s Band – 11:56
04. Rhythm Devils – 7:24
05. Space – 9:37
06. Gimme Some Lovin’ – 5:11
07. I Need A Miracle – 4:15
08. Stella Blue – 8:02
09. Sugar Magnolia – 8:54

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(Review from thebestofwebsite.com)

This archival release features recordings from 12/10/1973 at the Charlotte Coliseum. This period is notable for Keith’s brilliance and Donna’s absence due to her pregnancy.

Most of the Grateful Dead’s performance from this evening is included, which makes this two-disc release a very short show for 1973. The release notes indicate that three songs from the first set were not included due to sub-par sonics. More than that, the sound quality overall is not spectacular. The low end doesn’t hold up too well and the fidelity bounce is just not present, but at moderate volumes it sounds fine.

The first disc’s first six songs are from the first set that ends with a solid “Playing in the Band”. After, there are five songs from the second set, which are set one oriented, but in this case, set two warm ups for the jams.

The second disc is a solid piece of music, basically broken into three parts rather one continuous piece of music, and is certainly worthwhile. “China Cat Sunflower” and “Eyes of the World” are relatively short for the period. Though “Eyes” segues sweetly into “Brokedown Palace”. While short, the jam between “China Cat” and “Rider” is very good, with Garcia and Keith conversing nicely with Weir. Lesh gets in on the action and Garcia takes the lead of the conversation.

The version of “Sugar Magnolia” is quite strong, and that’s before counting the “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad” sandwiched within. Keith is real solid, both in taking the lead and in joining Phil, Bobby, and Billy into pushing Jerry to the edge.

While Grateful Dead Download Series Volume 8 is far from perfect, it has plenty to enjoy.

Line-up:
- Jerry Garcia / lead guitar, vocals
- Keith Godchaux / piano
- Bill Kreutzmann / drums
- Phil Lesh / electric bass
- Bob Weir / rhythm guitar, vocals

Track List:
CD1
01. Bertha – 7:01
02. Mexicali Blues – 4:12
03. Deal – 4:50
04. Big River – 4:54
05. Don’t Ease Me In – 4:03
06. Playing in the Band – 20:56
07. Promised Land – 3:40
08. Peggy-O – 6:03
09. Row Jimmy – 9:49
10. Me & Bobby McGee – 5:59
11. Big Railroad Blues – 4:26
CD2
01. Truckin’ – 9:00
02. Nobody’s Fault But Mine – 5:07
03. Eyes of the World – 13:20
04. Brokedown Palace – 6:23
05. China Cat Sunflower – 5:16
06. I Know Your Rider – 8:41
07. Sugar Magnolia – 6:16
08. Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad – 8:46
09. Sunshine Daydream – 3:11
10. Casey Jones – 7:26

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(Review from thebestofwebsite.com)

This archival release features the show from September 3, 1980, in Springfield in its entirety on the first two discs. Also included is a third disc, which comprises most of the second set from the following evening.

The first set includes standard performances. The highlights include inspired performances of “Mama Tried” > “Mexicali Blues”. The transition to them from a solid “Franklin’s Tower” is well executed. Garcia’s solos during “Mexicali Blues” emphasize some excellent guitar runs. Following is an excellent rendition of “Althea” that features nice musical interplay as well as Jerry in fine vocal form. Weir pushed the band throughout the set. He is energized and seems to be in all the right places.

The second set begins with a strong showing of “Feels Like a Stranger”. The jam that follows “Saint of Circumstance” adds some interest.

After “Space” is “He’s Gone”, which was hinted at during the pre-drums “jam”. That is the beginning of a generous helping of music that is generally upbeat, with a sweet ballad, “Black Peter” in the middle. The Chuck Berry numbers to close the set are highly jubilant.

The third disc has music that was performed on the next day, at the Providence Civic Center and it is exceptional! A few “warm-up” songs are missing that start the set. The music begins with an electrifying “Supplication Jam” that melts into a great “Estimated Prophet”. The ending jam of it features Jerry peeling the most fluid notes one can imagine off of his guitar strings. The “Eyes of the World” is rapid, but good jams are abundant so whose to complain. Because of the missing songs, “Drums” arrive quicker than expected. Believe it or not, the post drums material is just as scrumptious as the music that precedes it. A tight performance by all accounts, with Jerry being particularly on fire. The jams in “Wharf Rat”, “GDTRFB” and “Good Lovin’” are all superb.

“Download Series 7″ sure packs a lot of music onto its three discs. The sound quality is nice and the fact that 1980 soundboards are not as abundant as other years further adds to its appeal.

Line-up:
- Jerry Garcia / lead guitar, vocals
- Brent Mydland / keyboards, vocals
- Mickey Hart / drums
- Bill Kreutzmann / drums
- Phil Lesh / electric bass
- Bob Weir / rhythm guitar, vocals

Track List:
CD1
01. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo – 8:26
02. Franklin’s Tower – 9:12
03. Mama Tried – 2:26
04. Mexicali Blues – 5:01
05. Althea – 7:59
06. Little Red Rooster – 7:45
07. Candyman – 7:33
08. Easy To Love You – 4:30
09. Let It Grow – 10:56
10. Deal – 4:32
CD2
01. High Time – 8:12
02. Lost Sailor – 7:10
03. Saint of Circumstance – 6:12
04. Jam – 2:48
05. Drums With Brent – 2:47
06. Rhythm Devils – 8:51
07. Space – 2:15
08. He’s Gone – 9:57
09. Truckin’ – 8:11
10. Black Peter – 9:08
11. Around and Around – 3:58
12. Johnny B. Goode – 4:40
13. Brokedown Palace – 5:22
CD3
01. Supplication Jam – 4:36
02. Estimated Prophet – 10:29
03. Eyes of the World – 8:09
04. Rhythm Devils – 11:11
05. Space – 6:46
06. The Other One – 8:00
07. Wharf Rat – 9:49
08. Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad – 6:49
09. Good Lovin’ – 8:04
10. U.S. Blues – 5:25

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(Review from dead.net)

This is a rare treasure from March 1968 at the Carousel Ballroom. This single disc release includes all of the second set and a “Lovelight” which was the only song salvageable from the first set.

The sound quality is remarkable for its age, with a nice full mix; it has a song list that is exceptional even for this era of preposterously stunning song lists; and the performances match up with, and at times surpass, the much-lauded Tahoe 1968 release.

The albums starts with the first-set-closing “Lovelight”. The rest of the first set was marred by technical problems wrought in part by sound experiments conducted on the master tapes during production of “Anthem of the Sun” late in 1968.

The second set is a 60+ minute non-stop jam, featuring all of the staples of the era (“That’s It For The Other One,” “New Potato Caboose,” “China Cat Sunflower,” and the “The Eleven”) culminating with a powerful, intense and dynamic “Caution” that will drop your jaw. To cap it all off, a way-out “Feedback” jam ends this outstanding one-disc wonder.

Line-up:
- Jerry Garcia / lead guitar, vocals
- Ron “Pigpen” McKernan / vocals, organ, harmonica
- Mickey Hart / drums
- Bill Kreutzmann / drums
- Phil Lesh / electric bass
- Bob Weir / rhythm guitar, vocals

Track List:
01. Turn on Your Lovelight – 16:16
02. That’s it for the Other One – 9:17
03. New Potato Caboose – 8:26
04. China Cat Sunflower – 4:41
05. The Eleven – 10:56
06. Caution (Do No Stop on Track) – 20:54
07. Feedback – 7:15

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