Disc 1
The first disc contains the entire first set, and you can feel the excitement in the air even as the band tunes before the first song. They kick things off with “Alabama Getaway.” I love it when they rip into a set with this kind of energy. Just listen to the roar in Jerry Garcia’s voice at one point. And then Brent Mydland’s lead on keys keeps things at a good, high level. “Alabama Getaway” leads straight into “Greatest Story Ever Told,” as it often did in those days, keeping things moving forward with a rock energy, Brent’s backing vocals having that great raw quality. There is a brief pause before Jerry leads the band into “Dire Wolf.” This version has a delicious, bouncy vibe. Jerry’s vocals are strong, fueling this version and pushing it into gear. It’s a pretty fantastic version for that reason, one to get your body shaking.
Bob Weir then leads the band into “Hell In A Bucket.” Its opening moments have a somewhat different feel from later versions. The song was only a few months old at this point. And it feels fresh here. There is a certain excitement in its delivery. “There may come a day I will dance on your grave/If unable to dance, I will crawl across it.” There is a loose energy to the song, but that’s all right. After a bit of tuning, Jerry chooses “West L.A. Fadeaway,” that song approximately a year old at that point. Both “Bucket” and “West L.A. Fadeaway” would find places on In The Dark four years later. At this point, “West L.A. Fadeaway” has a great, cool, mean vibe. “I saw an old mistake walking down the street today/I didn’t feel that good about it/I didn’t have one good word to say.” This is a great version, one of the highlights of the first set. Jerry delivers something special here, and the band jams on the song a bit.
“Me And My Uncle” follows. It might not be the best version I’ve heard, but I really get into Phil Lesh’s bass line here, focusing on that for a while and digging the groove. That leads straight into “Mexicali Blues,” a song that is always fun. “Thinking and drinking are all I have today.” I love Jerry’s guitar work during that lead. That jam in the middle is what makes this version stand out. There is something light and cheerful about it, and they ride that vibe for a while. They follow that with a really good rendition of “Althea.” Man, Jerry was on at this show. He delivers another excellent vocal performance here, with some great phrasing, and a playfulness heard on certain lines. Everything seems to be working perfectly The band then eases into “C.C. Rider,” which quickly develops a good groove. “Everything’ll be all right,” Bob sings, and how could it be otherwise? Especially when they start jamming. They take this song to some unexpected heights, while maintaining that groove. This track is a total delight. They then wrap up the first set with an energetic “Might As Well.” What a fun way to send folks into the set break. “Never had such a good time in my life before!” Fantastic. “We’re gonna take a short break and watch the clouds roll by,” Bob tells the crowd.
Disc 2
The second disc contains a good chunk of the second set. The band kicks things off with “Help On The Way,” coming at us at a good clip. The set break did not mellow the band out, clearly. The chains are breaking, and the beast is coming loose. “Help” leads naturally into “Slipknot!,” this version with heat and power, little explosions popping off on the asteroid we’re riding on some delirious collision course with whatever deities are bent on thwarting the intentions of mortals. Ah yes, the band has something to say about that, and will almost certainly have its way. This is no path to defeat. The gods give way, perhaps even dance out of the way. Why not? Look around, all the elements are in motion, dancing, shaking, smiling, even if on the edge of oblivion. Look oblivion straight in the eyes and smile. Then turn away and dance in another direction, toward where things are brighter, welcoming. The land now becomes familiar. And as everyone gathers for a celebration, the band goes into “Franklin’s Tower.” There is such joy here. “Listen to the music play.” They jam on this song, and then give it a gentle ending.
The band then eases into “Let It Grow.” This is a really interesting rendition, finding a great rhythm, and building powerfully so that we wish this could burst through into some other dimension, taking us right along with it. And we, along with the thunder, shout “I am!” Feeling like we could enter battle with the thunder and emerge victorious, the lights bursting behind the clouds, we ride atop chariots driven by wild wolves. And they lead us into stranger territory, fearless and eager. The drums somehow activate the heart of the beast, something that may swallow us all, but we welcome the challenge. And then suddenly a light breeze comes through, calming the universe. Soon we’re back inside the fray, inside the storm, ready to get atop it again. And when it’s over, we take a moment to breathe, to gather ourselves together.
Then we’re off in another direction, with “He’s Gone,” and things are gentler, soothing. “Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile.” This is a seriously cool “He’s Gone,” with a nice vocal jam toward the end. It begins to drift off, yet holds within it the promise of some new excitement. And soon “Drums” emerges, with a beat at the beginning that might make you think of “Samson And Delilah,” but just for a moment. Things soon go in a different direction, and we’re dancing before the volcano. Coaxing the monster awake, or petitioning it to be still? Whichever, things slip to the side, change patterns, goals, and for a time everyone is together, traveling a fun course. The thunder now rumbles up below us, we can feel the vibrations, ride them, though at times feeling small amid its power. “Space” seems to come from the darker side of “Let It Grow.” A twisted, devious variation, with curved talons beckoning us to step into its realm, while chunks of ice are broken apart to open up a course. Little fiery creatures light a path forward, daring us to follow them. And when we accept their challenge, they begin to meander, perhaps losing a bit of the thrill of the game, though only for a moment. For then they draw a door through which to pass into the great beyond.
Disc 3
The third disc contains the rest of the second set, beginning as the band starts to emerge from “Space,” dancing at the edge of the doorway before gathering up the necessary force and bursting through into “Truckin’.” This one comes rolling at us with a great mass, and it’s not long before we’re a part of it. The line “Get back truckin’ on” goes from intention to advice to mantra. And then things really begin to gain power and drive, and suddenly we find ourselves moving into “Wang Dang Doodle.” Bob starts the lyrics, but something is up and the band jams instead for a bit. It’s an interesting version, the band taking the opportunity to explore the groove, take it for a ride into unusual areas, the blues spreading out across the skies. Then we are into the lyrics. Are there two different sources here, for the sound suddenly changes at one point. There is an undeniable power here too. “We’re gonna have a real swell time.” No question.
Jerry leads the band into “Morning Dew,” and now we hear that ache in his voice, which comes at just the right time, helping to make this rendition gorgeous, moving, frightening. It could be that we are close to our destruction once again. “Where have all the people gone today?” There is both power and beauty to this rendition. “I guess it doesn’t matter anyway.” And then his guitar sounds so lonely, tentatively calling out into an empty universe. Is it too much to hope for a response? But no, there is an answer, through perhaps it comes from within, from that hope we just can’t divest ourselves of, no matter how grim the circumstances. That builds to something pulsing with a life of its own. This is incredible. It feels like the climax of the set, but Bob decides it’s time to dance again, and the band goes into Chuck Berry’s “Around And Around.” Somehow there is still energy, and on a dime, the band shifts into “Sugar Magnolia” to wrap up the second set with a great joy. The encore is “U.S. Blues.” Ah, who doesn’t have them ol’ U.S. blues now that the country has decided to embrace fascism? What went wrong, America? Well, fuck ‘em, I’m going to dance through this too. This is a fun rendition of “U.S. Blues,” and it does feel like we’re dancing on the rim of oblivion. “Summertime done come and gone, my oh my.”
This disc contains some filler from the second set of the previous night’s show, beginning with a delicious rendition of “Cumberland Blues” that’ll keep you bouncing and bopping and grooving. The band then goes into “Playing In The Band,” and it’s a party at first, one that covers much ground, that of all of humanity in fact, if they desire it. Once everyone is there, we can begin to explore new territory. Sentient lights of green and blue pop at our periphery, and ropes of flowers wrap around our limbs, pulling us into new dances. Things are moving quickly, a frantic vibe that makes me think we are approaching an end of some sort. But we pass through that end into something else. Parts of us remain intact, while other parts are altered, with new forms emerging, shards and fragments and limbs and hazy memories, and these begin to swirl, to coalesce, to take on new meaning. And the band settles into a moving, haunting “China Doll” that puts us on uncertain ground until the beauty of the song’s title line, and then somehow everything is okay. That leads into an interesting jam, and as that in turn begins to go into “Drums,” the disc comes to an end.
CD Track List
Disc 1
- Alabama Getaway >
- Greatest Story Ever Told
- Dire Wolf
- Hell In A Bucket
- West L.A. Fadeaway
- Me And My Uncle >
- Mexicali Blues
- Althea
- C.C. Rider
- Might As Well
Disc 2
- Help On The Way >
- Slipknot! >
- Franklin’s Tower
- Let It Grow
- He’s Gone >
- Drums >
- Space
Disc 3
- Truckin’ >
- Wang Dang Doodle >
- Morning Dew >
- Around And Around >
- Sugar Magnolia
- U.S. Blues
- Cumberland Blues
- Playing In The Band >
- China Doll
Dave’s Picks Volume
52 was released in late October. My copy arrived sometimes while I was in
Massachusetts, and so I didn’t get it until November 13th. This release is
limited to 25,000 copies. Mine is number 13722.
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