**************************WEEKEND BONUS LISTENING*****************************

The 32nd installment in the Dick's Picks series serves up the first offering from 1982 -- August 7th at Alpine Valley Music Theater, to be exact. By some accounts, early-'80 shows could often be accurately classified as hit-or-miss affairs; on this evening the Grateful Dead are particularly inspired throughout. This is primarily evident in their musical interaction, yielding a few above-average renderings of repertoire staples such as the Bob Weir (guitar/vocals) led cowboy combination "Me and My Uncle" and "Big River," as well as the Jerry Garcia (guitar/vocals) ballads "It Must Have Been the Roses," "Althea," and "Ship of Fools." Additionally distinguished, but arguably indiscernible to all but the most avid Deadhead, is the unusual medley placing "Sugaree" sandwiched between a two-part "The Music Never Stopped" first set opener. Despite the ragged but right potential, the band would revive the pairing once again, on July 2, 1994. Another significant grouping places two tunes that actually pre-date the Grateful Dead side by side. The covers of Jesse "Lone Cat" Fuller's "Beat It on Down the Line," and the Memphis Jug Band's "On the Road Again" entered the combo's repertoire circa 1966, when they were known as The Warlocks. After developing their own original material, the latter title would be resurrected a smattering of times in the '80s, and can be heard in its acoustic form on Reckoning (1981). The version presented here is definitely electric and considerably playful. The same can also be said of the nascent, up-tempo "Man Smart, Woman Smarter." Despite having just entered the Grateful Dead's songbook the previous year, they energetically execute the number with all of the slithery syncopation of the original. The centerpiece of the second set is an incendiary suite that encompasses a stunning "Playing in the Band" that twists and turns at a frenetic pace. The ferocity remains intact, spilling into an aggressive "Drums"/"Space" segment before coming back full-circle with "The Wheel" and a reprise of "Playing in the Band." Even though this volume was mastered from a cassette tape, the powerful performance far outweighs any audible sonic anomalies.

Anybody check out the bonus set from Cleveland? As its an old favorite that I only have on cassette, I gave it a few spins.

The Music Never Stopped -> Sugaree... segue fail.

Yeah, I mean, we knew going in that A) it was from the 80s and B) the setlist, but the sound, especially at the beginning was pretty heinous. Me and My Uncle must have been RIGHTAFTERTHEYYANKEDOUTABOUTEIGHTLINESAPIECE.

I sort of picked this one to get it out of the way, as we have mostly 74/74/77 shows to go after this, and another 90s show.

The 17th entry in the Grateful Dead's Dick's Picks series of archival concert recordings comes from the latest point in their career yet chronicled. It marks the first release of a Dead concert from 1991 and is only the second album (the first was Dick's Picks, Vol. 9) to represent the period following the death of keyboard player Brent Mydland, when Vince Welnick replaced him and Bruce Hornsby frequently sat in with the group. Vol. 17, containing the complete show from the Boston Garden on September 25, 1991, plus the first half-hour of the second set from Greensboro, NC, on March 31, 1991, finds the Dead having integrated their two keyboard players more fully into their arrangements. In fact, the interplay between Welnick's organ and synthesizer and Hornsby's pianos, and their effect on the Dead's sound, are the headline stories of this release. This is especially true because of Welnick's interesting use of synthesized sounds, and because the slick, showy Hornsby keeps up his own musical commentary on piano (one that may not be to the taste of all Deadheads). It's more a representative concert than an outstanding one, but nevertheless, it can boast a few excellent performances and a couple of firsts -- the premiere Dead performance of Paul McCartney's "That Would Be Something," and the first time Bob Dylan's "The Mighty Quinn" has appeared on a Grateful Dead album. All of this is the work of a band that has learned to mesh its various elements without losing that improvisatory, thrown-together feel that could see miraculous when it came off. Here, it comes off much of the time, even if this isn't one of the band's really great shows.

You sure that ain't Tesh on keys?

This thing starts out like the intro to either a NBC Special Awards Show, or possibly an alternative dance showcase.

This thing starts out like the intro to either a NBC Special Awards Show, or possibly an alternative dance showcase.

Spot on. Also, Jerry's voice noticeably changes between 1990 and '91 (which I think is when he had that coma incident)

Dave was right, by the time they get to Frank's theyve kicked up the tempo enough that it really sounds quite good.

I'm dreading "Queen Jane" because I think Phil may be singing it.

ok, its Bobby and its pretty good.

Side note: I saw Bobby do a really sweet "Desolation Road" with Ratdog once. Its the only thing that really stands out from the show in fact.

Just wait until you get to Victim of the Crime (feat. Mannheim Steamroller)