Mason's Children, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, High Time, Me & My Uncle, Hard To Handle, Cumberland Blues, Black Peter Dark Star-> Saint Stephen-> The Eleven-> New Speedway Boogie->

This is not the complete show, and is missing Me & My Uncle, Hard To Handle, Cumberland Blues, Black Peter, and Dark Star>St. Stephen in the span between High Time and The Eleven. The missing songs are quite possibly missing from



the vault reels as well. This is the first known version of New Speedway, which has some very off-key harmonies, ----that sound as if they are almost intentional and sarcastic ????.

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Reviewer: Mind Wondrin - favorite favorite favorite - July 27, 2020

Subject: Lost & Found Drawer

With the official release, this show went from half lost to mostly found. The set list is as noted above (plus the Lovelight finish), and all now circulate except the Black Peter and the complete Eleven. DaP6 added the complete Mason's, Me & My Uncle, Hard to Handle, Cumberland, Dark Star, St. Stephen, and the complete Lovelight (the official is out of order, to save space; the liner notes are by TC). The SBD was redlined, so there's not a lot of dynamics. This was the middle of a 3-show run, the final run at the original Fillmore (under new management and now marketed as "The New Old Fillmore"). There were several opening bands, so it's just a 45min first set, and a 90min second. Ultimately it's not quite as good as the next night, and not as interesting as the night before, except for the historical angle of having the first Speedway.



First Set. Mason's is just the 2nd one, and still improving. China Cat>Rider, which is solid, was played seven shows in a row at this time - standard in '69, I know. Being a workhorse band is how they got so damned good in the '70s. After a decent M&MU there's a lyrics bungle in High Time, Hard to Handle isn't one of the great, lively versions, and Cumberland is average, if lackluster. Set closer Black Peter DNC or is lost.



Second Set. Dark Star is quickly ethereal. After 9mins it gets interesting. There's a Sputnik jam @10:30, and Phil starts a Feelin' Groovy jam @12:35. But it doesn't take until Bobby joins half a minute later, then struggles while dissolving for a minute. The descent back to the main theme after 17min is delicious. More than a must-hear-once, because it gets better a couple times through. Saint Stephen is just smooth enough to be noted, ticking all the boxes. The first 15 secs or so of The Eleven are lost to a reel flip. The first 35sec on the official are from 12/11, wed to 0: 46 on the SBD (thus missing those 46secs). Ah well, it's the last 2 minutes that are interesting. This is the first New Speedway Boogie, and note that it's only two weeks since the event (Altamont) happened. That's fast service! But then, this is the earliest arrangement, they had just learned it, and it's MHO only for those interested in that historical genesis. Maybe they were going to premiere it the night before, but didn't when Phil was late. Either way it's back to the woodshed for this one. For Lovelight you had to be there. It's very masturbatory, with little actual playing, and Pig's rap would make national social media problems today - I'm not sure most thought it was OK even then.



1st Set : C

2nd Set : C

Overall = 2½ stars



Highlights:

Saint Stephen - enough to be noted [and probably the lead-in Dark Star]



SOURCES: This source plus Dave's 6 (which has all but Black Peter and a complete Eleven). - July 27, 2020Lost & Found Drawer

Reviewer: fncaesar - - September 26, 2018

Subject: This may be THIS (?) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grQ8f5oOcY4&feature=youtu.be - September 26, 2018This may be THIS (?)

Reviewer: njpg - favorite favorite favorite - May 11, 2015

Subject: - - - May 11, 2015

Reviewer: doug_the_dude - favorite favorite favorite - December 20, 2013

Subject: -- "for profit exploitation copies"? Yeah, fight the power, dude.



Actually, the only beef I have with that Dave's Picks release is that with the availability of so many shows online official releases have been released just because lost reels are found. I don't think this show is really all that great. It sounds OK on the release, but until the DS > SS > 11 thing it's just shrug-your-shoulders average. The full, 35-minute Lovelight really is the only reason to go there. I think this early New Speedway, with those "harmonies" from Bobby and Phil, sounds absolutely ridiculous. - December 20, 2013--

Reviewer: RikWrecking - favorite favorite favorite - April 12, 2013

Subject: Free the Dead Thanks to the Internet Archive we have free and open Dead concerts as they intended. Others (see below) use this site to promote for-profit exploitation copies limited to ONLY the FIRST 13,000 buyers. - April 12, 2013Free the Dead

Reviewer: Tony Brooke - - April 12, 2013

Subject: missing reels were found



http://www.dead.net/store/daves-picks-store/daves-picks-volume-6-san-francisco-122069-cd-st-louis-2270 The missing reels were found and this whole show has been released: - April 12, 2013missing reels were found

Reviewer: Satori70 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 20, 2012

Subject: What you figure your gonna' do ? Epic Lovelight !! Only worthy of 5***** !! Breakout NSB, also the China/Rider & Eleven jams are on fire :)



[One way or another, this darkness got to give] - December 20, 2012What you figure your gonna' do ?

Reviewer: Junior Whitefish - favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 20, 2010

Subject: Where's the end of Lovelight!!?? Pigpen is on one of his most classic rants when the tape cuts. Anyone have the full version? I'm very interested in the rest of his relationship advice. The other guys in the band must have thought he was hilarious. - December 20, 2010Where's the end of Lovelight!!??

Reviewer: cloudsplitter - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 4, 2010

Subject: New Speedway An interesting New Speedway Boogie, being the first performance you can tell it's still coming together, but they'd soon get a good hold on the song during the summer of 1970. Always love The Eleven, it's too bad Dark Star and Saint Stephen are cut out though, but I can't complain it's still an excellent recording. - May 4, 2010New Speedway

Reviewer: 31rhodium - favorite favorite favorite - October 20, 2009

Subject: New Speedway Boogie I think New Speedway Boogie is written in relation to the events of Altamont earlier in the month, not Kent State. Good show but would be good to have entire show. - October 20, 2009New Speedway Boogie

Reviewer: whitefluff - favorite favorite - November 25, 2007

Subject: Understanding Sure the sound is bad but its a miracle that we even get to hear these shows considering how old they are. We can't complain about how bad the sound quality is. If the Dead sucked cuz they were tripping too hard thats one thing but to complain because the music is skipping or popping is unreasonable.



Lets keep it real and remark on the music.... not the sound quality of 40+ year old reels.



peace brothers!! Not the best performance @ Fillmore 69... - November 25, 2007Understanding

Reviewer: Little Nemo - favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 28, 2006

Subject: worth a listen fun show, lots of energy (for the time) on China > Rider, great job on the first NSB, just a little rough around the edges. Lovelight is above average and has a unique rap with some shocking elements! - May 28, 2006worth a listen

Reviewer: bigboypeete - favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 24, 2005

Subject: check it out good show good sound not an extreme stand out show but its 69 and it sounds good so that will do for me ,early china>rider combo is nice to hear - May 24, 2005check it out

Reviewer: earwig - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 9, 2005

Subject: Need a vintage recording guru's help... ... to understand. First, download this show as well as the Fillmore show (29th). They both purport to be the first acoustic show, because of Bill being late. Im very interested in the band's transistion from the machine-eating psychedlic monster of the late 60's to the sweet/sad acoustic combo of the early 70's. Any ideas? For instance, was Bill actually late to both shows, leading to the same type of acoustic set as a result? And was it actually only serendipidy that led to the acoustic stuff. Naturally it became a mjor part of the trip during 1970 (with the NRPS shows). Also, has anyone else notoced how often NSB is described as a reaction to Kent State? The timeline seems to blow that analysis away...

At any rate, this is WONDERFUL music. Do yourself a favor and git it, right this very second. - May 9, 2005Need a vintage recording guru's help...