Feel Like A Stranger, They Love Each Other-> El Paso, Jack A Roe-> Beat It On Down The Line, It Must Have Been The Roses-> CC Rider, Althea-> Looks Like Rain-> Deal Women Are Smarter-> Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain-> Estimated Prophet-> Terrapin Station-> Drums-> Not Fade Away-> Black Peter-> Sugar Magnolia, E: Satisfaction

SBD; via Mike Lai

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Reviewer: Double Dose - - May 24, 2020

Subject: Not pitch corrected, speed is fast This is a fine second set, but this recording has not had the speed corrected and thus the pitch is high and speed not accurate ie way fast...way fast!. I will seek another recording. Probably an audience recording for this show is best as the band really seemed to be " playing the room" in terms of the reverb in the facility itself. The Scarlet fire represents this very well with Phil really working the sonic dynamics of the Colosseum with EPIC results. BUT...not this recording. Someone please correct the pitch. - May 24, 2020Not pitch corrected, speed is fast

Reviewer: oldfarter - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 21, 2017

Subject: Unreal I was at this show - 16 years old. flew out to see my bro at CU - he scored us 2nd row seats. Arrived at the venue tripping widely - each of us with a full dearing of blow in our back pockets... band came out and was just so powerful.. way intense. Had issues dancing.. the security couldn't handle us... finally had to go to the arena seats to dance.



This recording conveys how good it was...Stranger / Jack-a-roe / High Time the following evening... a dream come true for this young kid...



I returned to Boulder two weeks ago with my kid to see Dead and Co at Folsom Field... wow!!



Boulder will always hold dear memories for me !! - June 21, 2017Unreal

Reviewer: tanman82 - favorite favorite favorite - December 8, 2015

Subject: estimated/ terp nice sounding SBD, especially for 81. fat bass, good drums, ride cymbals etc vocals not too up front



phil mysteriously falls out of the mix at estimated/ terp similar to other SBD's of the period - December 8, 2015estimated/ terp

Reviewer: kbmill - - August 13, 2015

Subject: bread crumb Are there two more oddly juxtaposed songs than Feel Like a Stranger and They Love Each Other?

What a weird combination. - August 13, 2015bread crumb

Reviewer: njpg - favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 5, 2014

Subject: - Good. - August 5, 2014

Reviewer: kee-zee - favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 21, 2013

Subject: There's nothing wrong with the look that's in her eyes Good sound.. A little trebly and high ends up..get's distorted when you turn it up..which I always like to do! The boys were having at a mile "HIGH" Nice set list with solid playing through out..so please..GIVE IT A WHIRL>Forever Grateful>Forever Dead!!!! 3.5er - August 21, 2013There's nothing wrong with the look that's in her eyes

Reviewer: dustbowltom - favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 13, 2011

Subject: TLEO Wow...killer TLEO..mellow keyboards..Jerry scorching at 5:00 - July 13, 2011TLEO

Reviewer: utopian - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 31, 2010

Subject: Excellent sbd Great setlist

inspired playing

good fidelity for 81



check out 7-4-81 - March 31, 2010Excellent sbd

Reviewer: spacecowboy - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 8, 2008

Subject: Must be the altitude! I am listening to the first set and had to get up and dance around my computer room. This first set is crackling with energy. I lived in Boulder in the early 90's (great period to be there)and heard this show was hot from some old timers but I had no idea how hot. The Stranger is funky with Phil finding his chops right away and Brent adding an other-worldliness to the jam. The sound is nice not flat like most 81 boards. You can actually hear Bobby and Phil!Jack a Roe and BIODTL are also tight and Roses has a nice dynamic. - March 8, 2008Must be the altitude!

Reviewer: L. Rosley - favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 25, 2007

Subject: Sound is fine compared to many others The first set goes well until the disco Jack-a-Row (similar to the disco Berthas of 1977), but there’s a good recovery with a lively, quick-paced Beat It Down the Line. Roses is lovely. And there’s a sweet jam at the end of Scarlet.



A lot of the tempos are fast (maybe too fast some people’s taste), including Deal, Fire, Estimated and others. Jerry does a nice job on all.

Well, almost all. Jerry flubs the lyrics on Terrapin throughout, not just a word here and there, but with long stretches of silence. The band seems to lose its place a few times as well. The jam after Terrapin gets going after a while and is pretty compelling. Also a nice jam out of drums into NFA, where Jerry goes to town.



Jerry makes up for Terrapin with an expressive vocal on Black Peter, which has good performances from the whole band. A show highlight. - June 25, 2007Sound is fine compared to many others

Reviewer: beantown_adc - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 18, 2007

Subject: Not that hard to sweeten up the mix w/an EQ Reading the reviews, I just want to comment that if you listen to it using WMP, iTunes or one of the other players and set the EQ w/a low mid-range dip/high mid-range swale (the standard pop/rock sine wave) it cleans right up. There's still a bit of rip in the high end -- you can't get rid of that, as it's an artifact of oversaturation on the source or one of the subsequent generations -- but it's definitely worth it.



I agree w/all about the performance & energy...great '81 show -- tight, on, excellent selection and Phil sounds particularly crunchy. Excellent! - April 18, 2007Not that hard to sweeten up the mix w/an EQ

Reviewer: gummybear - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 14, 2006

Subject: One of my favorite Althea's. I agree with capn doubledose. Jer just lets loose some great raunchy riffs at the end making this one of my fav versions. 5 Stars. - August 14, 2006One of my favorite Althea's.

Reviewer: Lenny Bloch - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 17, 2006

Subject: Help me Kids. Believe I made this show....BIG rainbow stretched acroos the Colorado sky just before curtain time? Anbody? Oh, and what a spectacular Rocky Mountian Highpoint show....from dawn 'til dusk. - May 17, 2006Help me

Reviewer: Paul Chadwick - favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 22, 2006

Subject: Comin To Get 'Ya great energy, hot, shot show...what a Sugar Mags as well... - April 22, 2006Comin To Get 'Ya

Reviewer: BigShotLawyer - favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 5, 2006

Subject: Sounds mucky in spots I find myself agreeing with brendanmcauley on the sound quality issue. It's a good show, but doesn't sound as consistently good as other SBDs. Five for the music, two for the inconsistent sound earns it a 3.5, which I'll round up to a four. - April 5, 2006Sounds mucky in spots

Reviewer: StrawRider - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 23, 2005

Subject: Sweet Mother of God I had to come in here and post a review after I was perusing my 1981 collection, trying to find the gems I am fortunate enough to have now, just so I could tell you all how hot the Deal from this show is. Capn Doubledose has already beat me to it with his review but that wasn't going to stop me from giving a big fat endorsement for this show. Yeah, the sound is not stellar...but it's pretty close...but the show is a ten. Get it if you haven't yet. This is an outstanding representation of what the Dead were doing in '81.

My rating is for the performance, the mix is only a halfstar below that. - April 23, 2005Sweet Mother of God

Reviewer: capn doubledose - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - February 24, 2005

Subject: Sizzling Let me start out by saying that the sound quality is not that great however this is a wonderful show. Jack A Roe, CC Rider (***), Althea (listen to Jer rip this one up), LL Rain (one of the best ever if not the best) - Then have a good listen to that Deal and I invite others to see if they can find a better one, I am sure one is out there but man does that smoke++ then an absolutely ripping Scarlet>Fire. I am having trouble giving this anything but what it deserves.



As an aside, I was in Denver for this and we planned to hitch in from Pitkin County for this show. 1981 does not get alot of love but some of my favorite shows happened around this time Dayton, Lehigh, New Years Eve, Melkweg, and now hearing this for the first time will have to add this to the list. Some of you may not agree with a 5 for this but listen to this carefully this is a very hot show. - February 24, 2005Sizzling