Dancin' In The Streets-> Bird Song, Minglewood Blues, Cumberland Blues, My Brother Esau, Ramble On Rose, Hell In A Bucket Why Don't We Do It In The Road-> China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider-> Playin' In The Band-> Uncle John's Band-> Don't Need Love-> Drums-> China Doll-> Throwing Stones-> Not Fade Away, E: Brokedown Palace, E: Johnny B. Goode

flac16; Set 1: SBD -> PCM Master -> Dat/0 -> Samplitude Professional v8.0 -> FLAC



Set 2: SBD -> PCM Master -> Dat/0 -> Sonic Solutions -> CD -> EAC -> FLAC







Transferred and Edited By Charlie Miller

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Reviewer: Double Dose - - July 18, 2020

Subject: Jerry severely under mixed Can't listen to this at all. Not sure how anyone could love this recording with Jerry barely audible. But look at all the high ratings here. How can this be? yeah, ok...probably folks don't need to hear Jerry loud and clear, lol. - July 18, 2020Jerry severely under mixed

Reviewer: farm'r - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 16, 2015

Subject: Standing on a Tower Here's my experiences with The Greeks 84; first & foremost I love Darkstar & been wanting to hear it for years. I am from the Brent generation, first show was 11/5/79 ,can't help it ,just 15 ,so it was my generation. Would have loved to been on the scene in 69-74,regarded by many as the pinnacle ,PIGPEN was the man!!! But also being from the Brent era , I learned to love it all, shit I even like Vince, thought he was an acomplished musician,loved his carnivalesque keys.

Anyway back to Berkley in 84,went to Red Rocks ,back to east coast ,then drove West, got there with no tix, 1st night right before show time, a lady parked in the lot right next to the theater,connected somehow, but had an extra & I was in the door(thank you whoever you were), when Phil announced something special one night only, I Knew- DARKSTAR, I walked right right down the side to the stage,right in front of Phil,I was there in the zone! Everyone just made room & excepted me.

To be honest I hardly remember the second night,probably still reeling in the night before-Fri 13th Full Moon!!!!

3rd night didn't get in but between sets ,& I don't even remember ,someone I was acquainted with had hooked up with these guys who, knew this building on campus that had a view of the stage, so I followed & when we got done climbing this skinny little circular stairs, low & behold we were on top of a turret (tower)looking down into the Greek, sounded great & watched the second set from "standing on top a tower" "Playing in the Band" took on a special meaning that night. Anyone out there familiar with this building(view)????

But these are in my opinion some of the best shows of the Brent era & anyone that says the don't like these shows, don't like The Grateful Dead,great playing & great sound!!!!

85 wasn't a bad run either, hope one day the put all the years of the Greek shows out in a box set farm'r -- March 16, 2015Standing on a Tower

Reviewer: TheHag - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 10, 2012

Subject: Say what? Directed at cccclyde: the cumberland wasnt as good as it should be? Good god man what are you listening to? This show is fantastic, pure dead. - August 10, 2012Say what?

Reviewer: terp_john - favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 21, 2011

Subject: Bye Bye Sonny A little googling around, and I believe Bobby's referring to Sonny Heard, one of the GD road crew (at the beginning of Brokedown). I wish I could fill in more info, but I don't know any. - September 21, 2011Bye Bye Sonny

Reviewer: Texhead73 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 6, 2010

Subject: What a smoker! I just saw Dark Star Orchestra perform this show last night in Dallas so I went back and listened to the original. Amazingly tight for '84. I'm usually not enthusiastic about mid-80's shows, but this one is very cool! Killer first set with a beautiful Bird Song. It took me a while to warm up to the early Brent period, but he just kills it through this whole show! And Dark Star definitely did it justice, just as they normally do! - March 6, 2010What a smoker!

Reviewer: JoeShoe - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 18, 2009

Subject: Dancin' at the Greek This Dancin>Bird Song is one of my absolute favorite one/two openers. Right up there with the 6-11-93 Jack Straw>Foolish Heart(which I attended), and the Half Step-Jack Straw from 11-6-77. The Dancin is pure joy. Brent is sparkling and Jerry is buzzing, my favorite 80s Dancin for sure. (To the guy below who doesn't like Brent; I can see what your saying, Brents originals and some of his synth textures leave alot to be desired. But Brent and Jerry had an undeniable chemistry and when he's on, it's magic. Thats how I feel about all the keyboard players, when they're on, it's pure magic; when they're not, it's rough stuff. That goes for Keith, Brent, Bruce and Vince.) Dancin' drops right into a grate Bird Song with Phil bombs galore, they dont come any finer than this one. The rolling crash cymbals add to the crisp sound of this one-time-only combo. Dont pass this one up folks. A must have in any collection.

The rest of the show is very well played with a smokin' Cumberland. China>Rider and China Doll also shine brightly. Phil and Brent seem to be having fun with the Why Dont We Do It In the Road. "why dont we do it on the drums!" Very solid reading of the classic Playin>Uncle Johns combo.

The only low point for me is Dont Need Love, what that song was doing in the repertoire is a mystery to me. Jerry seems to agree cuz he walked out on this tune a couple times. Oh yeah, Jerry's voice has a little of that nasaly whine that plagues alot of mid-80s shows.

This show has a place in any serious GD collection.

5+ stars for PERFECT SBD!

5+ stars for Dancin>Bird Song.

4 stars for rest of show.

(I give a show 5 stars if I think it is one of the best of that year/era. Trying to compare shows from different eras is impossible, the sounds are so different it's like apples and oranges) - June 18, 2009Dancin' at the Greek

Reviewer: dr. flashback - favorite favorite favorite favorite - February 13, 2009

Subject: Top Ten for 1984 !! I think one of the gifts I've received from the years of listening to this music is how the Dead challenge you go beyond the boundaries of your familiar musical taste. No doubt thousands have been turned on to jazz, roots blues, or other genres that they might have shunned if were not for the Grateful Dead's influence.

And "further", within the canon of some 30 years of Dead shows, each period has it's own unique sound and style. Pigpen lovers and fans of 1968 have a hard time embracing the sound of 1990 shows. I too, tended to be a 1968-1974 only listener for many years.

But there's a real thrill awaiting those that dare peek over the fence of their musical backyards - into new uncharted Dead territory.

You discover there are gems waiting to be heard everywhere, like Easter eggs.



Such is the case with 1984, and so especially this show. The last of 3 nights at the magical Greek. And although many would expect me to pick the 7/13 show, with the Dark Star - the playing all throughout this show is really exceptional. Some go as far as calling this one of the best of the 80's period. Hard to argue too much on that. Listen and see!!

A Dancin opener is a nice surprise, and makes me immediately think of 1979, which featured Dancin as an opener many times. One of the reasons why I like this show so much is the somewhat unique song list. Bird Song as #2 ?? Wow.

And nicely jammed it is. Jerry is warmed up already. Minglewood gets things smoking. And Cumberland really shifts to an up tempo mode. The interplay between Jerry and Brent is exciting. Back to Jazz Dead with "Esau". Not my favorite song, but Jerry's leads make it a tasty diversion nonetheless.

Ramble on Rose and Bucket are delivered with conviction, and note that Jerry's voice is in pretty good shape here on Ramble. Just the right amount of rugged. His guitar work on Bucket is scorching - too bad he's a little low in the mix. Some things even Mr. Miller can't fix!

However, by Set Two, Jerry's mix problems seem to have vanished and he comes through loud and clear. Lucky you - his finger-twisting mind-bending noodling here sounds more like 1974 than 1984. Every note is HIT. Ditto his voice. And Phil fans - turn it up. He has a very active role in the post-verse jams in China Cat. Rider is taken at a breakneck pace, at least for the 80's. Has the effect of a strong pot of coffee.

Playin, although shorter than I like (less than 10 min.) really sets up the pinnacle of the show. After the verse, a meditative jam ensues with Garcia painting in short bursts of wah-wah, while Phil, Bobby and Brent create a poly-rhythmic background. This is the band that pulled Dark Star out of oblivion 2 nights before. They gradually bring the ship down to earth, and into the coda of the Playin theme (sans verse) and then Jerry proceeds to artfully juggle the theme into the opening of Uncle John's Band. Beautiful! And I imagine quite a thrill for those in attendance. They nail the vocals. Then proceed to give you a 10 minute version of a magically jammed out UJB that will make you lose time and space. Notes inside of notes, colors inside of sounds. Really shows that the Dead could still pull out a 1974 quality jam when they wanted to.

Space is mostly mellow, with a quiet jam that gets very bendy near the end. China Doll is heart stopping. Jerry really delivers the goods, both vocally and with passionate buzz-saw leads that turn into sweet soaring birds. The rest, as they say, is gravy. Brokedown is almost too much.

A real standout show for this period. And also a superb sounding SBD in a year not usually known for A+ quality audio. Thanks Charlie!!

Check this one out if you're not into 1984 yet. Hope it brings a smile.

cheers,

Dr. Flashback :-) - February 13, 2009Top Ten for 1984 !!

Reviewer: John Bouffard - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - January 8, 2009

Subject: Bye Bye Sunday Killer Dancin , Birdsong, China Cat-> Rider.

China Doll and Brokedown are spine tinglers. - January 8, 2009Bye Bye Sunday

Reviewer: Sarvesh - favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 5, 2008

Subject: Great show even better time was had... This was the solid show of the '84 Greeks. Dark Star was the highlight of the series but this one was the total show. I was front row Phil's side. Man was it hot! We were baking in more than one way.



Funny how folks who missed the bus view the scene. Oh well, Brent was one of the cogs in the machine, he lent a different feel. I'm glad that when I first entered the scene I met folks from all eras, and they all still dug what was happening, none of the "you missed the only good stuff" types or the "only this stuff is cool" types. I got great history lessons, I learned to appreciate all the styles that make up the GRATEFUL DEAD!



Great sounding recording except Jerry's guitar is a bit in the background when it should be in the very front. - September 5, 2008Great show even better time was had...

Reviewer: DarkStar1972 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 15, 2008

Subject: Brent is the SHIT Brent was the greatest keyboard player to ever play with the dead period, he knew how to push jerrys buttons and it is sick listening to it, - July 15, 2008Brent is the SHIT

Reviewer: MangoMaze - favorite - February 25, 2008

Subject: Im Confused about Brent! Just out of curiousity.....I noticed that there are alot of passionate Dead Heads that love Brent. I really can not stand his voice or that Horn style keyboard he was so fond of. Actually I hate most 80's shows just because of him. Does anyone else feel this way? - February 25, 2008Im Confused about Brent!

Reviewer: jack-a-roe-jimmy - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - January 29, 2008

Subject: Holy Birdsong, Batman!!! This show is RIPPIN'for two reasons:

1. Absolutely Fantastic Recording

2. The entire band (which is rare) is absolutely on fire!!! Brent and Jerry noodling togethere, Phil dropping bombs with the drummers, and bobby being bobby!



This is a must listen! - January 29, 2008Holy Birdsong, Batman!!!

Reviewer: WolfmansBrother - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - January 17, 2008

Subject: AH Ha! i used to have an abridged version on tape with the wrong date, to boot.



this is an excellent, excellent recording and the playing is just plain old hot, hot, hot.



brent is tearing things up and lesh is just thump, thump, thumpin' away.



don't you just love this internet thing? so much stuff at your fingertips. click and jam - i love it! - January 17, 2008AH Ha!

Reviewer: ccclyde - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - January 15, 2008

Subject: Great Show Excellent recording. That's what makes this show 5 stars for me. If it's not a stellar recording, it's hard for me to give it five stars. And this one is stellar.



The show is fine too. The Cumberland isn't as great as it good be. The whole first set is a little short. But the China>Rider is fantastic. The China Doll is maybe my favorite version ever, and that's not usually a favorite song of mine.



Fun sounding show. Why don't we do it in the road? You kidding me?



Get this...errr...listen to this one because you probably don't have much '84 stuff that stands on its own two legs. This one does. - January 15, 2008Great Show

Reviewer: DeadHeadDave90 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 26, 2007

Subject: Yah! Anybody Know where to get this show? - December 26, 2007Yah!

Reviewer: Alex, Geddy, Neil, Jerry, Bobby, Phil, Brent, Mickey, Billy - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 9, 2007

Subject: cleaner than a sheet 7/13-7/15/84 shows are the pinnacle... how about Cumberland on this one? flyin'.. these are the SBDs you need to get acquainted with.. a Dark Star encore is a tough act to follow but nights two and three the guys are in fine form throughout.. - November 9, 2007cleaner than a sheet

Reviewer: jakester76 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 1, 2007

Subject: "SMOKIN" I give this version of birdsong 5 stars, It's f-ing HOTT!!!! - November 1, 2007"SMOKIN"

Reviewer: Homer JAY Simpson - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 7, 2007

Subject: me, too... i wish to have SBs of all three of these Greek shows... i just love how china crash cymbal-happy the drummers are, outstanding shows, band is tight, probably their zenith. - August 7, 2007me, too...

Reviewer: Imlug55 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 3, 2007

Subject: Need this show

tgulmi@ Does anyone have this show they could give me, can not download from here.tgulmi@ gmail.com - August 3, 2007Need this show

Reviewer: gaZeebo - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 14, 2006

Subject: should be released officially best of the 80s all the way through.



insane energy predrums! they actually play the tail end of UJB like 5/19/77 before swinging into the front end of the song - December 14, 2006should be released officially

Reviewer: tommytomato - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 11, 2005

Subject: Incredible sound & performance This show NEEDS to be in your collection! A+ sound and a truly spirited performance. This show stands up with any incarnation or era of the band. Question: at the beginning of "Brokedown" after Jerry sings "fare you well my honey" it sounds like Bobby says "bye bye Sonny" Does anyone know what this might refer to? - November 11, 2005Incredible sound & performance

Reviewer: skb archives - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 6, 2005

Subject: Ramble On Rose I love the way Brent and Phil sound on this version. And yes, the Bird Song is killer!!!



cm - November 6, 2005Ramble On Rose