Seriously I just don’t get it. This video is so great btw. Over 20 years ago when I first found it on YouTube or wherever I was blown away by the video quality. Then when it was put through modern video enhancement and it looks like it was filmed a month ago. The Althea is awesome. I love me some 80-84 Jerry!
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Yeah it sounds good but it’s not my preference. Nothing wrong with that.
True. Like I don’t like pre 69 shows or most of after 1990. But idk this show is fire. Jerry’s guitar to my ear just got better and better as years went on. I love his rocking style in the early 80’s. So much energy! I mean did you listen to the deal? The LL Rain? Show is so damn good.
80 and 81 had so many super energetic shows. I love the Shreddy Garcia period. I mean I also listen to the slower 70’s period but I guess to my ears it gets boring. I also love the song catalog that just grew and grew over time. Also adding in more Dylan songs. I just love Brent era. So good. But I still can enjoy a 1973 show.
We are opposite. I pretty much exclusively listen to pre 1970 dead. Everything else isn’t as interesting to me 🤭
For a band with a 30year run only listening to pre 1970’s stuff leaves like 99.6% of their output off limits to you.
It’s not like I’ve never heard another year. I just found my sweet spot
Yeah there’s deadheads like you too. That’s definitely not my butter zone. The period I listen to least is pre 69 or 70.
Okay, so I have to ask, what is "Shreddy Garcia" period? Watching this, I realize how little I've paid attention to this era. Pre 85 Brent is probably the era I know least.
Simple. Early 80’s Jerry shredded. Shreddy Garcia. I mean 87-90 is also pretty damn good. I mean I love that period as well. Brent era is my jam. But yeah listen to this show and tell me it’s not great music. Then maybe try 3/9/81. And I can give you more from there! Next thing you know you’ll be deep diving into 84! Did you listen to that new frost amphitheater Daves 49? Those 85 shows are fire. But maybe you did since it’s 85. If you like 85 you should like 83 and 84 for sure.
1981-03-09 New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Set 1: Feel Like A Stranger, Althea, C.C. Rider, Ramble On Rose > El Paso, Deep Elem Blues, Beat It On Down the Line, Bird Song, New Minglewood Blues
Set 2: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider > Samson And Delilah, Ship Of Fools, Estimated Prophet > Uncle John's Band > Drums > Space > The Other One > Stella Blue > Good Lovin'
Encore: U.S. Blues
archive.org
Hmm I wonder if the “shred” you’re referring to is the heavy distortion stuff he started using in the 80’s?
From a technical standpoint he was definitely playing faster and harder (ie: shredding) in 77
Edit - fwiw I like the distortion stuff just making conversation
Well, you got one answer.
79-84 has some gems, but drugs and dependency made it a little hit or miss… so the GD were still taking us on a rollercoaster ride every night, even if heroin is a really bad reason to be white-knuckling it… but it wasn’t so intense until 84.
80-84 has really become my favorite period. By 80 they’ve really gelled with Brent, Garcia and Brent have their chemistry, and the band had settled on the show format that would take them all the way to 1995 (and beyond).
Spring 82 is really a great place to start.
I think my hold up as a relatively new head is I’m just not as in to the song selection in the 80s
See that’s what I don’t get. They kept adding more and more songs. Terrapin station has so many great songs on it. Shakedown street. Those were right before rhe 80’s and then the actual 80’s albums. In the dark and Go to Heaven. They just kept adding more great music. I feel like they got better as musician and better at song writing. They all said that as well. Jerry was interviewed saying early on they didn’t really know how to write them and why they didn’t play a lot of early songs anymore. Bobby said similar things. I mean did you listen to the show in the link? Or have you ever? I mean listen to that show and tell me that’s not great stuff.
I’m one of those people but i stop at 1980 pretty much. Mainly keep it between 70 and 80 with obsessing over 73-74. I never saw the guys so I’m not really connected to a certain era. I’ll listen to certain songs from 80s and 90s but never really a full show.
Man that’s all I listen to is full shows from 80-90!
Did you try to listen to this Germany show? 3/28/81? Dude play it on some ok speakers and tell me it’s not fire. It’s so high energy and just awesome. And many shows from 81 - 84 sound like this. Yes there was a lot more hit or miss during that period than the 70’s. But the hits to me were much higher. 70’s (especially earlier) sounds too much like country to me. There’s so many songs that during that period just are too slow and the country western stuff is just not my thing at all. When they get into some rocking tripping jams I like it. But too much is slow sounding country stuff from that period.
Up to 82 is pretty solid for the most part. But honestly I’m not a huge fan of the stuff they put out and into rotation during the later years. Tend to skip over a lot. I also would rather listen to keiths grand piano.
I rarely listen past 82
1981-03-28 Essen, West Germany @ Grugahalle
Set 1: Alabama Getaway > Greatest Story Ever Told > Sugaree, Me and My Uncle > Mexicali Blues, Shakedown Street, Little Red Rooster, Althea > Looks Like Rain > Deal
Set 2: Samson And Delilah, Ship Of Fools, Estimated Prophet > He's Gone > The Other One > Space > Drums > Space > Not Fade Away > Wharf Rat > Around And Around > Good Lovin'
Encore: One More Saturday Night
archive.org
For me personally listening to anything after 1978 is rare simply because I don't like the song selections and jamming style and overall sound AS MUCH. I also find I have to seek out highly regarded shows whereas in say 1974 or '77 I can pick any random show and it's such consistently high quality.
There's so much amazing stuff from 1966-1978 that I still haven't heard and whenever I listen to a post '78 show it's kinda like when you're hungry and you really want a burger but the only places open are pizza and fried chicken. It's still good, it's still filling, but it's not really what you wanted.
I sort of agree, but there are lots of great shows after 78. They are harder to get into as a group, but they aren’t hard to appreciate in moderation.
The 81 show posted at the top of this thread is a great example.
I'm actually watching this right now and it's really doing it for me! (I never said I didn't like this era, just I had to seek out the best shows. I still prefer my favorite era, but that's not what's important here)
I actually lived in Germany for just under a year awhile back so seeing this German TV show performance is amusing.
Out of curiosity, can you recommend a top tier 90s show? I've tried to listen to this decade and I just can't seem to find a show that excites me, even with Dark Star coming back...
I think that looking for an example show isn’t the right approach. The Dead were a more nuanced animal than that and you need to give each version of the band a warm up period.
If you have been living in the 70’s version of the band and then suddenly turn on a late Brent era show for example then it is going to be very jarring to your sensibilities. It would be easy for you to simply say that Brent is TOO different and dismiss it as not your thing.
If you really want to give later Dead a fair shake I would commit to listening to full shows in order for a few weeks. Start in a Spring 90 show and “go on tour” with the band.
It will take you a show or two to adjust to where they were at the time, but you will get there. First you will probably love a performance for songs that didn’t exist in the 70’s. Maybe an Althea or a Throwing Stones will hit the right spot. Then you will hear a version of an old classic like Jack Straw or Scarlet Begonias and see those performances in a completely different light. You will realize that Brent played the instrument as a lead instrument compared to Keith and his interplay with Jerry was TOTALLY different. Get past the jarring sound choices and really listen to how he was a different and brilliant player.
At the end you may decide that the 70’s are superior overall, and I certainly agree, but if you listen to several full shows in a row in Spring 90 I’m confident that it will unlock the era for you and make you realize that they were still phenomenal at that time.
Once you break your cherry on that then you will be more forgiving of the era and can find more. The summer of 91 is great too. The summer and fall of 89 is all great.
You have to give your self time to get on the bus again for that version of the band, but it will happen. For me, the FIRST version of the band that got me really on the bus was Spring 1990. That’s what made me a deadhead. Then I branched out and explored the earlier years and found all the better years.
1981-03-28 Essen, West Germany @ Grugahalle
Set 1: Alabama Getaway > Greatest Story Ever Told > Sugaree, Me and My Uncle > Mexicali Blues, Shakedown Street, Little Red Rooster, Althea > Looks Like Rain > Deal
Set 2: Samson And Delilah, Ship Of Fools, Estimated Prophet > He's Gone > The Other One > Space > Drums > Space > Not Fade Away > Wharf Rat > Around And Around > Good Lovin'
Encore: One More Saturday Night
archive.org
The rockpalast show from this time was good.
Sounds great
That is some great video quality. Really fun to watch. Thanks for posting
If you don’t like that Shakedown you just don’t like Jerry.
Exactly!! How can people not like those later 70’s albums of funk and amazing music!!’
As others have pointed out, I think a lot of people are drawn away from their sound 79 and beyond because of the tonal evolution. The 80s brought in lots of new digital technology that make the instruments sound cheesy for lack of a better word. The drums sound more processed and less organic (especially the snares) and some of Brent’s keyboard tones can be questionable at times. This is especially true once Jerry started experimenting with MIDI, which can be great during Space segments but it usually brings me out of the immersion once a flute patch comes in during a song like Eyes. That being said I still do enjoy the 80s shows, but don’t ever really listen past ‘90. My top three years are ‘70, ‘72, and ‘77 so maybe I’m biased.
Questionable is putting it mildly tbh, sometimes his keyboard completely draws me out of the music. And don’t get me wrong he was a phenomenal vocalist, but it’s so jarring when he’s singing lead that I just can’t get into it.
Thanks for this. German video quality was amazing for 1981
Love this show, one of my all time favorite Alabama Getaways and I love that they just keep tuning after he introduces them. I hope this is a meet up at the movies show one of these years!
I’ve been addicted to Brent’s organ mash he does on Alabama Getaway lately. Cool they show him do it here.
If your only listen to 77 shows your missing out a ton. Even the pre 69 shows are cool.
Idk about pre 69 but yes only listening to 72-74 or 70-78 is crazy. I mean any period really. If you only listen to Brent era it’s crazy. 90% I do listen to like 80-90. Then 72-79 9%. 1% pre 68 or 91-95. So rarely do I listen to an entire pre 69 show. They were like a garage band in those early years. It’s fun to hear some of those songs sound so simple and primal. But the band got worlds better over time
Eh depends. One of my favorite shows is a 67 one. It's very primal, definitely the voodoo traveling band. I always enjoy the in-between years. 73,74 85,86,87 shows like that. 92-93 Bobby was ripping.
I googled this show and your post from a year ago about this show popped up. I have definitely grown to love all the years live up to 93 so far. Have not tried 94/95 yet.
Some of my favorite shows are 83-85
Great show but compared to the 70s, the vibe just isn’t there. Some good playing throughout, but it’s hard to see the band in the throes of full on drug addiction. The early 70s era just feels fun and you can tell the band is exploring their sound. At this point they’ve found themselves and are on their way to becoming juggernaut they were at the heyday. Idk. I’ll take 89-91 over the early 80s stuff. Just feels like the whole train is about to crash with what we know in hindsight, Jerry’s coma and all.
This is a very interesting phenomenon to me. I pretty much stop after 78 also. It’s hard to describe. The sound is a little TOO canned after that to my ears. Something about the audio technology being very digital sounding, Jerry’s playing being more technical, and I get the impression that’s the era where the legion of fans are there more for the scene than the music. I can’t quite put my finger on it but I just don’t find anything 80s or beyond as intriguing. Of course then I’m missing out on arguably their best keyboard player, so there’s that…
Honestly? I can’t do post-82. Even that 83 show in Hartford where Trey from Phish was allegedly at that made a Dick’s pick is not good.
Not good? Craziness. But it’s all subjective. What about 4/26/83? Listen to that “Let it Grow” and tell me it’s not fire!
1983-04-26 Philadelphia, PA @ The Spectrum
Set 1: Shakedown Street, New Minglewood Blues, They Love Each Other, Me and My Uncle > Mexicali Blues, Maybe You Know, West L.A. Fadeaway, My Brother Esau, It Must Have Been The Roses, Let It Grow
Set 2: Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Franklin's Tower > Man Smart (Woman Smarter) > Drums > Space > Truckin' > Morning Dew > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away
Encore: U.S. Blues
archive.org
Should have listened till at least 12/26/1979…
1979-12-26 Oakland, CA @ Oakland Auditorium
Set 1: Cold Rain and Snow, C.C. Rider, Dire Wolf, Me and My Uncle > Big River, Brown Eyed Women, New Minglewood Blues, Friend Of The Devil, Looks Like Rain, Alabama Getaway > The Promised Land
Set 2: Uncle John's Band > Estimated Prophet > He's Gone > The Other One > Drums > Space > Not Fade Away > Brokedown Palace > Around And Around > Johnny B. Goode
Encore: Shakedown Street > Uncle John's Band
archive.org | Spotify
Great show.
Fire show
That’s why I posted this! I’m trying to get those who don’t listen to shows after the 70’s to watch Jerry cook and open the doors to the 80’s! How can anyone listen to this show and like GD music and not enjoy?
Come on man, pick out a moment.
From this show? I said Althea for one.
Looks like rain. The deal is smoking hot. The other one. Wharf Rat.
Whole show is amazing
1981 Jerry is the sexiest of Jerry’s
A bunch of self appointed critics in here man
Love the early Brent years, love it all tbh. Thanks for posting. Can't wait to watch this in its entirety later. Would make a great meet up at the movies show
Give hazard his dues
The best part of this video is the 0:43 mark where a crowd member can be heard saying in a very ecstatic voice, “jeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyy”
All jokes aside tho, it’s mostly just the 80’s vibe that I don’t enjoy as much. I preferred the era where everyone was on clean acid and having a good time. Once things got more focused towards cocaine and heroin and less and less acid, I feel as tho it changed how they played immensely. Namely in their pacing of 80’s shows. That being said, I’m sure that if I grew up as a young head going to 80’s shows then I would be a fan of it. I’m 26 and have been a head for about 6 years now. I also paid more than I’d like to admit to see dead and company on their final tour and absolutely loved it, so take my opinion however you’d like 🤘🏼 much love y’all
I’ve never seen the GD. I was 15 when Jerry died and started being able to leave town to see shows in 96. So saw post GD projects starting in 96. So I didn’t grow up during any era. If any I guess it was the final group with Vince.
The band stopped doing “clean acid” in the 60’s. They weren’t some acid band going around tripping a ton in the 70’s. They all were on coke early In the 70’s. So not sure that argument of the 80’s was hard drugs works. Jerry was the only person with the heroin problem. And Brent towards the end of his life. Every rock band was doing coke in the 70’s and 80’s. I just don’t think coke affected the bands playing that much from the 70’s to 80’s. If anything some people in the band stopped doing it around then. Like Bobby.
But if you don’t like the 80’s sound than you don’t like it. It’s all good. Whatever you’re into that’s awesome.
Can't listen to post ‘77? Give me a break
Did you try watching this show some? Watch just the first set or half of it and tell me it wasn’t good enough to keep listening. If you like the Grateful Dead sound in 77 I don’t know how hearing this isn’t appealing as well
I really like the eighties up until 1985 but love some shows up until 1991!
Up until 85? Dude 87-90 is some of the best shit in the 30 years. But I’m sure you’ve listened to shows from those years. 89 and 90 are monster years. Spring 90 is incredible. Summer 89 and the whole year really is non stop.
I did the spring 1990 tour and it was epic there were some real turkey years though, I miss those days…..
Is this really a thing? I mean I guess I could understand if someone couldn’t listen to the stuff after Keith and Donna left, but no ‘78!? I don’t get that.
Yes there are a lot of deadheads who won’t even listen to after 74. Blows my mind too. Yesterday a post about it had lots of comments. It always blows my mind. I just don’t get it.
If Jerry is playing it’s worth listening to. Doesn’t matter what year or band. Of course there are bad shows occasionally but cutting it off at 77 is foolish
I mean I can kind of see no post-‘74 too. They were clearly a different band after the hiatus with the return of Mickey. But there’s so little difference in overalll sound between 77 and 78 that I don’t see why the distinction at 12/31/77. Seems arbitrary.
Yeah it’s more people who stopped around 77. Not specifically 77 ok and 78 not. Was just making a point of I don’t get fans who don’t listen to shows after a certain point in the 70’s. I mean I don’t listen to shows after 1990. Very rarely. But the band clearly was going downhill fast in that period. Yet I’ll still listen to shows from that period sometimes.
Okay gotcha. Yeah I mean I loved the Brent years but I can totally see not digging it. I mean I have a visceral negative reaction to hearing Michael McDonald that I can’t explain. lol. And there were definitely times where Brent’s keyboard sound was not to my liking. So I can see folks that just don’t care for it the way I don’t care for the post-Brent years. Sorry for the derail.
There are countless bands/artists out there, all making incredible music. Actually, i'd argue we're in another 'golden age' of music. Can't miss out on that.
I don't have all the time in the world and I've already explored their career thoroughly. 70-74 is where its at imo- less structured & more varied setlists, unplanned jams, 1-drummer, better sit-ins, the list goes on..
1977-12-31 San Francisco, CA @ Winterland Arena
Set 1: The Music Never Stopped, Tennessee Jed, Funiculi Funicula, Me and My Uncle, Loser, Jack Straw, Friend Of The Devil, Lazy Lightnin' > Supplication
Set 2: Sugar Magnolia > Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Truckin' > Wharf Rat > Drums > Not Fade Away > Around And Around
Encore: One More Saturday Night > Casey Jones
archive.org
Oh my! Yes! Fire! Every one is so on! Jerry and Phil are both so onto it and into it. Phil somehow sounds aggressive and happy simultaneously. Only into Greatest Story so far, but this is a new favorite. And this is from someone who tends to listen to 68-75.
Great to hear! Even if one person is turned onto this period from this I’ll be so happy I posted this! Listen to 3/9/81 after if you love it all! A super crisp rocking show. Also 5/15&16 1980. Which is the 44th anniversary today of is the “Go to Nassau” release. That shit is so good and is why John Mayer is a dead fan. He specially mentions that release. When I heard him cite that I had so much more respect for him! He knows his shit!
1981-03-09 New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Set 1: Feel Like A Stranger, Althea, C.C. Rider, Ramble On Rose > El Paso, Deep Elem Blues, Beat It On Down the Line, Bird Song, New Minglewood Blues
Set 2: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider > Samson And Delilah, Ship Of Fools, Estimated Prophet > Uncle John's Band > Drums > Space > The Other One > Stella Blue > Good Lovin'
Encore: U.S. Blues
archive.org
The thing is, 80s dead is only as hyped as it is because most heads that are still around got on the bus in the 80s. And for some reason they love Brent, i personally don't get it at all. I mean there where a lot of good shows in the 80s/90s, but it's just not my cup of tea. '66-'78 that is where it's at, a transcendetal period compared to the more polished, "mainstream approach" of the 80s. And again, Brent was a great musician, but i don't get the hype. I favor Pig, Keith and even Constante. A few days ago i listed to a 81 or 82 show(not positive about the date thou) and brent was playing synth over dark star, i couldn't stand it at all. Truly horrible. But definitly the main reason i'm not huge into post-77 dead is the lack of mystical psychedelic essence. For my personal taste it just hasn't got that mind altering appeal. The free form experimentation, the lysergic jamming style, the surrealistic yet musicially perfect changes and structures. 69-77 is THE DEAD!!!
https://youtu.be/SgqDzFxUKWM?si=VeOLAuPr9FS7kKbW
Brent brought the goods out of Jerry. You can literally see it when you watch 80’s shows. Jerry and Brent making eye contact so much and smiling listening to something each is doing. I just don’t know how you can’t like Brent for what he brought to the band. The energy. I think the band got so lucky with him. It’s possible many other players could’ve joined and the band would’ve just gone down hill in 79 and been done by 86. But who knows.
I mean if all that’s left is 80’s fans and Brent lovers why is this sub so 70’s heavy? I think there are still a ton of people who like that slower country Grateful Dead from 72-74.
I saw most of my shows around this time period. Brent was still new and I thought the band was tight. Jerry hadn't turn into a beer keg yet. Cleveland Music Hall (fantastic little venue) was one of my all timers.
1981/3/2 - Cleveland Music Hall
I think the weight thing was he still was doing more coke than heroin? Because he was straight up skinny in the mid 70’s before he got into heroin. The slowly got bigger and bigger and started to really gain weight in the mid 80’s.
But man am I jealous you got to see shows during this amazing period! I wasn’t even a year old when this show happened. I can only imagine how much energy was at a show like this hearing Jerry’s amazing guitar at concert volume filling the halls and arenas!
The energy was different back then. Shows were way more chill. They had this groove to them that was unique. It really was fun. That Cleveland show EVERYONE was dosed with liquid and the band knew it. They did a long space and generally fucked with the crowd. It was awesome.
3/2/81
1981-03-02 Cleveland, OH @ Cleveland Music Hall
Set 1: Shakedown Street, New Minglewood Blues, Dire Wolf, Cassidy, Althea, El Paso, Jack-A-Roe, Lazy Lightnin' > Supplication, Don't Ease Me In > The Promised Land
Set 2: Ramble On Rose, Playing in the Band > China Doll > Playing in the Band Jam > Drums > Space > Playing in the Band > The Wheel > Around And Around > Johnny B. Goode
Encore: U.S. Blues
archive.org