favorite favorite favorite



This was the first Brent show at Red Rocks and in Colorado. Red Rocks was such a blast for Dead shows (not always great for other bands, though), but overall this is on the bottom tier of the 20 shows there (it ain't 8/12/87, 7/27/82, 7/7/78, 9/7/83 or 9/5/85). Bottom tier at Red Rocks, as it turns out, is still an average, solid show - not that there's no highlights, it's just quite uneven. Brent does sound more comfortable than the Oakland shows the week before. This was supposed to be a 3-day run at the beloved venue, but with a storm the 2nd day the backup crew set up at McNichols Arena, 16mi downtown, for the next two days. Each day of the three has fine standouts, but with a flubby second set on the second day and a sometimes lackluster third day, this is probably the best of the run overall. If you take the 1st set the second day and the 2nd set on the third, you have a great show.



First Set. The 1st Set winner is a very uptempo Brown Eyed, but the SBD has a cut (I patched it with the AUD with fine results). Althea is the 3rd one - and they bail; no solo. Passenger used to be good; this was around the time they couldn't get it back, eventually dropping it. The rest is yr average '79.



Second Set. A little rough until partway though Rider. I dig Lost Sailor from this era, but this one's not memorable (it's also the 3rd one). Estimated, however is great (it's in the SMR Box)! It's 13 minutes of very 79-stylee, with a long middle groove, and then into an equally nice Eyes, which may be the most uptempo of the year? Even after the necessary pitch correction it's a roadrunner. The only thing keeping it from A+ territory is that Bobby's flat. A decent enough Not Fade, with a sideways start, has a unique stop-start jam. Around & Around improves in the second half. The stumbly encore is cut on the SBD.



1st Set : C+

2nd Set : C

Overall = 3 stars



Highlights:

Brown-Eyed Women - top 5 of '79

Estimated Prophet - maybe top 3 of '79

Eyes of the World - for uptempo fans; delicious



SOURCES: The clugston_tetzeli_fix-9288 has the best image and clarity but it runs more than a halftone too fast (needs -3% pitch correction) , making Bobby sound like Minnie Mouse. There is also some buzzing from harmonic or RF interference. There are cuts on the SBD on BEW and USB. The 130347_MrBill corrects the SBD pitch error and roughly patches the cuts with an AUD. The Cousin It is the best AUD, though the AUDs are a tad fast. Estimated is on So Many Roads.

- August 1, 2017Beloved venue & pitch issue