Set 1



Promised Land, Sugaree, Black Throated Wind, Tennessee Jed, Me & My Uncle, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Playin' In The Band, Loser, Beat It On Down The Line, Stella Blue, El Paso, Casey Jones



Set 2



Big Railroad Blues, Jack Straw, Cumberland Blues, Truckin'-> Drums-> The Other One-> Ramble On Rose, Rockin' Pneumonia, Sugar Magnolia, You Win Again, Not Fade Away-> Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> Not Fade Away



Pigpen's last show

Notes:



-- Tracked by set, not by disc



-- Recorded By Dave and Jim Melton in Box 52



-- This is the complete show with the correct setlist



-- The tape starts off with Pigpen talking to the crowd



-- There is some minor vocal distortion but nothing too bad



-- Patch in The Other One due to severe level drop on master



-- I have also transferred and circulated the opening NRPS set



-- Thanks to Joe B. Jones for his help with the pitch correction

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comment Reviews

Reviewer: Monkeypaws - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 15, 2020

Subject: Wow That Stella is beautiful.... - September 15, 2020Wow

Reviewer: bowlbox52 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 27, 2019

Subject: just another couiple of small footnotes Just because I still remember, here's a couple of minor details. In "I know you Rider when there was laughing in the audience and a slight delay of Garcia coming in singing it was because there were some children on stage playing with a beach ball. Sometime later during El Paso there is a part where Weir misses part of a verse, this was because his mic was knocked over. It was such a great party atmosphere, and the Dead were somewhat limited on time by the Bowl people but they did their best to ignore it and put on a great show in spite of needling from the Bowl people to wind it up.

Also, Pigpen and Kieth both played, one or the other prominent at different times. My personal favorite show of the Dead I ever saw. Mailed the Bowl ticket office and requested box 52, and to my amazement they gave it to me! 7.50 times 4, those were the days!

- May 27, 2019just another couiple of small footnotes

Reviewer: comeandplay - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 9, 2019

Subject: LOVE IT!!! I wonder if he was allowed to tape. Or is this a real "boot leg". Kinda hard to hide in the front row. - May 9, 2019LOVE IT!!!

Reviewer: !drewski1972 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 25, 2018

Subject: stella blue A broken Angel sings from an organ. Pigpens last concert. Stella blue sounds awesome with Pigpen on organ. This show is one day after my birthday. - July 25, 2018stella blue

Reviewer: Chris U. - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 21, 2015

Subject: "watch out for the wires!" This is a real nice vintage audio recording of a concert from the summer of 1972, shortly after the band's return to the states from Europe. Interestingly, there is also a fine audience recording of a great concert from 1974 at this same historic venue. Why did the Dead not play a gig at the Hollywood Bowl in 73, I wonder?



The recording is perfectly balanced between audience and music. Other than the goofball shouting "St. Stephen" over and over again between songs, the overall vibe is truly positive -- how lucky that audience was! It must have been a real nice day. There's plenty of ecstatic shouting and a minimum of "did you remember to feed the cat?" nonsense intruding onto the tape.



Highlights from the first set are the Playin, the Stella Blue and (I can't believe I'm saying this) the Casey Jones. The last two songs are greatly enhanced by Pig's excellent organ work (the Stella Blue, especially).



The second set is short but sweet, opening with a great version of Truckin' (that's where Weir warns someone to "watch out for the wires") which again features Pig's keyboard, nice and high in the mix. The Other One has some extended meltdown but also (as usual) some brief, beautiful ventures into Dark Star territory (always a good thing in 1972!). The version of Ramble On Rose is righteous.



During OMSN Weir tells security "hey, leave him alone" so there must have been some scuffling (probably folks rushing the stage). Maybe that's why the band decides to hang it up a bit early. Their call, after all. It's not as if they hadn't already delivered the goods. - September 21, 2015"watch out for the wires!"

Reviewer: sallymander57 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 25, 2015

Subject: I was there! Crappy $4 bench seats way at the top of the bowl for the NRPS. During the break walked down right inbetween the UCLA football team bouncers and sat down in an empty front row center box seat for the rest of the show.

Ir was like the sea had parted.

Great show, Pigpen played the entire time, Keith wasn't there at all.



Nice to hear a good edited recording, last time I listened it was horrible. - March 25, 2015I was there!

Reviewer: Hung, Wae-lo - - December 9, 2013

Subject: Phil, not Pigpen, at start That's Phil at the start saying, "Not anymore, man. You don't understand; bronchitis." It's my guess that somebody asked him why he didn't sing anymore, there wouldn't have been any reason for anyone to ask about Pigpen until after the show. - December 9, 2013Phil, not Pigpen, at start

Reviewer: dmelton1955 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 6, 2011

Subject: Thanks I wanted to publicly thank Charlie for doing such a fantastic job restoring this recording. Check out the splice he did at the dropout in the Other One at about 10:57. Getting front row seats I realized I had a chance to make a decent recording so with the equipment we had we did our best. I had always been looking for a SB of this show, but to no avail. Last year I found out that there was apparently no other complete version,so I decided it was time to share it. I'm really glad I did because now the recording is restored to sound as good as it was 39 years ago, and maybe even better. Didn't know it was Ron's last show until much later, so I was glad his organ playing was high in the mix. The sound of Garcia's guitar from his amp directly to your ears is what you are hearing, we were very close. I had never heard Stella Blue before, knew it was a new song but didn't know it was the first performance, and the only with Pigpen. This the only version I can listen to, it just doesn't sound right to me without the organ. Anyway enough rambling, and thanks again to Charley and for the nice words. This show, and 7-6-71 at the Hollywood Palladium are my favorites, both of which I was fortunate to attend.

As for the question about the group of people yelling to Weir about the hat, they had thrown a hat on stage, and it was lying a few feet away from him. It took 3 songs for them (a group in a box to my left) to get him to pick it up. He put it on for them for a minute, probably so they could take pictures and what not. Someone also threw a lit joint up there, and that's when you hear Garcia say "help prevent forest fires" as it was stepped on. I used to have pictures of all that but they were unfortunately lost. - November 6, 2011Thanks

Reviewer: thelegroom - favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 2, 2011

Subject: What a Treat Thanx Dave, Jim, and Charlie. Not a soundboard snob here, generally prefer the feel of the aud recordings more. Very nice job with this one esp. given the era. Front row recording! Not always the best for sound but this is great. Pig's organ is very clear. He is what perked my ear to the GD. Definitely a presence missed. What's up with the crowd yelling for Bob and the hat during set 2? I am opening my radio show (KHSU) this week with China>Rider and Truckin thru Ramble On. Peace - November 2, 2011What a Treat

Reviewer: Jim F - - October 15, 2011

Subject: Pig+Keith Pig plays organ on this show, and is really rather quite prominent in the "mix" from what I remember.



This is one helluva upgrade for this show. I really like the Other One. - October 15, 2011Pig+Keith

Reviewer: Pig Street ! - favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 14, 2011

Subject: worth waiting for This is another reason why I like this site, this is one of several AUDS that I have been waiting for an update of, THNX tapers and Charlie!



Yes Keith is playing, he started on their 71' fall tour which was broadcasted live on the radio. Pig was there I hear but did not play. - October 14, 2011worth waiting for

Reviewer: adks12020 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 14, 2011

Subject: I may be wrong but.... The keys sure sound a lot like Keith. Wasn't he playing in addition to Pigpen by this time?



And I may need to listen again but I hear Phil and Bob speaking in the beginning...no Pig though.



Beyond that. I've always loved this show and I'm starting to take a liking to the better audience recordings from teh 70s..they just give more of the feel of the show despite the sound not being quite as perfect. - October 14, 2011I may be wrong but....

Reviewer: Tidewater four ten O nine - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 10, 2011

Subject: We are blessed ............... the embers of the Euro '72 box set are still glowing and now we receive an upgrade of Pigpen's last 'appearance' with the Dead.



I'll put my cards on the table and admit that I'm an 'SBS' (sound-board snob) with only occasional leanings towards those 'matrix' things. I normally stay well away from the dark side of recordings coming solely out of the audience 'environment'. But I checked this out as a matter of respect to 'The Great Man' and I wasn't let down.



It's a very 'easy to listen to' show - no horrors lurking in the background. OK, you know the era and so you know the songs and the style so I won't bore you with my interpretations.



The only thing I will say is that the first ('live') "Stella Blue" has added poignancy coinciding with ( the keyboards - who said he couldn't play? and) Blue Ron's last appearance.



The end of an era.



Thanks to all concerned - the band and those who recorded the show for posterity.



The only issue is how to fit it onto 1/2/3/4 CDs - sorry, I'm a bit of a 'Luddite' - not into mp3 players, DVDs and 'jukebox' CDs, etc., The answer, I suppose, being do all 2/3/4 and see which you prefer ......



5 Stars out of respect and, after all, it's not bad to listen to ........ - October 10, 2011We are blessed ...............