favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite

Perhaps the solution is to build a nice big rip roaring fire on a 50 degree night down here in what passes for winter in Florida.Then get headphones and listen to this joint.Augh, yes that is the freakin' ticket.This is so fine, so fine,I am 3 songs in and I am as set as a man can be.I had been following the January 1978 tour thru California and that is good, real good! but this is just absolutely the kind.Jerry is perfect both in voice and guitar playing.Keith and Phil are right up alongside with him.This is so good. I can't help thinking a bear is going to get the drop on me or something.Oh, Donna and Bobby singing on B.I.O.D.T.L with the rest of the band (Phil and Jerry) in there as well. Donna gives a sweet thank you!This is getting a five and I am only up to 'Row Jimmy' I would be hard pressed to decide between 73 and 74. It would be tough.Phil just thundering and Keith very distinct as well. Absolutely no complaints about the drums. Billy much love!!! Jerry with that guitar.I hope my batteries are up for this. I built a huge fire. Wow Row Jimmy just went into a giant wind tunnel. Oh, back Thankfully!"That's the way , it's been in townEver since they tore the jukebox down"Me and Bobby-Great tune, Weir kills thisPhil is dropping bombs on this, Holy Cats!Garcia likes to shadow Weir with the vocals here!Like the way Bob sings, "Coal mines of Kentucky"Garcia right there with the backing vocals...Surprised they never brought this one back?Scarlet Begonias- Another plus for 74 are these stand alone Begonia's. Donna great here as well.The Rhythm section gets so busy on this tune.The jam just goes...Just looked up and the moon is headed towards it's peak probably by the end of the week I believe.A few planets up there as well, did you ever notice that planets kinda wobble around in the sky. I thought I was tripping when I made that observation back in the days but they still wander around.El Paso- For my money the band is so on they will crush whatever they play. Always interesting to find where Jerry is going to jump in and sing on this tune. Dang Phil!!!This was one of the first dead tunes I memorized!Tennessee Jed-This tune fell out of favor with me in the later years. I am not really sure exactly why? Just never seemed to come close to these versions. Dig Weir singing here and there with Jerry! Donna laying down some down low harmony.And ever song is in the Phil Zone.So i got these 100 foot trees on the side of my property. they are called Australian Pines which is technically misleading because they have zero sap and are a HARD WOOD. They burn really swell.Only problem is mostly don't need a fire in Florida 10 months out of the year.PLAYING!Anyway, I learned how to use a chainsaw and I have been cutting all of the junior trees. These things grow 12-20 feet a year, When they hit 100 feet they start getting thicker. The ones on the side of my house are 50 years old and mighty thick. You can't just whack a 100 foot tree, you have to get up high and bring it down bit by bit. When they fall they make the ground shake.I don't want yall thinking i am anti-tree. these things have been declared an invasive species and are not allowed to be planted in the State of Florida. They die in extreme cold so you won't see them in frost and snow regions. Funny thing is they also sucker underground so they throw down root lines and then spring up new shoots down the root line. They do have pine needles which is why they are called pines but the needles are deadly to other plants and trees once they take over a patch of ground they dominate and almost nothing else will grow anywhere near them. They are actually very beautiful and except when the dew point is extremely high (May-thru-September) it can be up to 10 degrees cooler in an Australian Pine Forest.So I am keeping two stands which keeps me in firewood but clearing away the trees by the house which would easily have crushed the house in a bad storm.(which we just had a twister in the county last week)Writing this during P.I.T.B. Phil leading the charge. Great to here him and Bill so dominate while Jerry just exploring the outer limits.Bill almost has a drum solo going here.Truthfully, this is some Jam inside the Playin.Could it be some folks just are not listening to the music? I find this all consuming!!!A strange thing has happened to my fire when i started this at 4:30pm the wind was pretty strong so I went through a ton of wood in no time. I dig these huge trenches fill them with wood and then flood the channel outside the barrier.Well about 8pm the wind just died which is good because high wind and fire is more like work then relaxation. Anyway about 9;30pm i got the headphones and started this show. Since then i have been able to kick back and just completely enjoy the flames.Sheeze they rode that jam into the Reprise like a knife thru butter,,, Wow, they are blazing!Temperature is also starting to drop. The next decision I have to make is do I go with Seastones?Negative on that. I could listen to the tapers talk perhaps. Nah this sounds like people clapping for a trained seal. Auggh...I vaguely remember PRIMUS doing something like PORK SODA? anyway I guess I am now in the one star zone for this stuff. hey, it had to be better than waiting in line for the bathroom.Hey, i actually am 10 minutes in so 3 more minutes couldn't hurt.B.E Woman will be so kind after this!!!I actually spent about an hour dosing the fire. i have to go back out again cause i don't want this sparking up tonight.What is wrong with the B.E. Woman??? Sounds fine to me??? This tune i loved every single time i heard it. just a classic. Even liked the way Phil arranged it for Furthur.I know Furthur closed Set One with this.I did not know the Grateful Dead ever opened a Second Set with this.Phil is Everywhere."Delilah Jones, went to meet her God, and the old man never was the same again"I was surprised that Me and My Uncle had been played so many times over the years.It is easily one of their better tragedy songs.In the later years they would double up on the cowboy tunes. i guess it made for less starts and stops.Oh, I have been hearing THE ROSES a lot on the California 1978 tour. Jerry's voice in so much better shape here in 74. (It blows my mind how many ballads Jerry had to choose from)In the 80s this tune got pretty scarce and when played usually was a sign of a good set list in progress. (Donna very sweet here)Jack Straw- One might argue that this tune actually improved over the years.In the sense that the vocals switching between Bobby and Jerry became so intense not too many songs where they trade off like that. in fact the only ones i can think of where covers like 'the Weight' and a few others i am blanking on right now.He's Gone- Oh so pretty to hear Jerry sing this. Strange how this tune could mean almost nothing to me except dancin my butt off but other times it got real personal at the loss of friends and family or something heavy in the Dead universe.After My Grandmother passed i cried like a baby at a show and i couldn't even stand hearing this after Brent die.I am amazed they could keep this energy level going. They haven't even got to the heart of the jams yet. If you loved the Dead's music these were such good years to listen to shows.Billy throws in that little marching step as they go into the harmonies. Sometimes when I am at church I get this vibe and i just love it.The connection to Christian gospel is very strong.I know the Dead were not exactly Sunday School material but they had so much soul.Anyway, I know they are going to go somewhere with this He's Gone but since I didn't pay a ton of attention to the set list i will just be enjoying the ride.I really would like to have some way to distinguish between my rating since i mostly rate everything between 4 and 5.I guess I will just say this is an over the top 5.They really nailed that He's Gone. o.k . now I remember U.S. Blues!!! Again another thing to favor 74' 'U.S. Blues' is a major improvement over 'Wave the Flag.'if they would have just given U.S. Blues some variety in set list placement. it is almost like the riff in U.S. Blues now sounds like in my head-----THE SHOW IS OVER , GRAB YOUR THINGS, GET TO THE PARKING LOT, SELL SOME STUFF, GET TO THE NEXT CITY/// Anyway just flashing back a littleglad they went for the Weather Report Suite. Always thought they missed out not playing this from start to finish. But Let It Grow was killer as a 1st set closer. (Again Furthur would play both the entire SUITE as well as Let It Grow.)Always felt they should connect this tune up with Here Comes Sunshine but only two shows that i know of where that went down. one i believe was in Boston . i forget where was the 2nd H.C.S>W.R.S and i am too lazy to investigate it now. 'Same old friends the wind and rain"Let it Grow is the strongest part of the Suite so I can see why that took priority.Listen to the thunder shout I Am , I AMwho shall I tell them has sent me?"I AM"Also just going to say it right here. i don't know why the hatred of Donna got started . She is freakin one of the band in my book . Always was and always will be.Weir did his share of screaming on those rock and roll numbers. The line is 'if a man among you has no sin upon his hand, let him cast a stone at me for playing in the band.This Let it grow has a crazy jam with who else but Phil again!!! i didn't look at the time but they are treating this like they did the 1st set P.I.T.B namely as a point of departure.Jerry space jam,,, Wow, this is great!If there is any redeeming value to SEASTONES it might be that the band seems so loose and out there. especially Phil. that atonal stuff is a real trip. This jam is basically the same idea as SEASTONES with the added benefit of Garcia headed out to the Stratosphere. Is it Spanish jam?i just recently listened to a show late 60's with a Spanish Jam to close the First Set.(It was the TDIH a couple of days ago for January)You know the chords are not far from White Rabbit.Jeff Mattson likes to pull out the White Rabbit.How cool would that be Spanish Jam >White Rabbit.Heck Phil could really crush a White Rabbit!!!Oh, how cool right into EYES. It is good to hear a different approach into EYES and that was a completely different approach.Probably EYES in 1973 is the Zenith of any Dead tune. They came close again with this song in 1977 but for my money the breakout year has the most intense versions of this song. And I don't even need all the extended jamming after the main chorus concludes. I just like the song itself.I memorized the chorus by going BHTand then SES if you understand those kinda lyric markers."Sometimes we ride on your horses"SAVE A HORSE, RIDE A COWBOY.Phil has a real nice groove going.EYES>CHINA DOLL-with something like a HarpsichordSat Night-Wind Tunnel sound , oh wellAnother song that when shuffled in the rotation could really be a blast.Thankful the whole show was not this murky.OUTSTANDING SHOW!!! The CHINA DOLL dislodged my face from my HEAD,,,