Disc 1
The first disc contains much of the show from November 2, 1969 at Family Dog in San Francisco, California, as well as the bulk of the acoustic set from December 26, 1969 at McFarlin Memorial Auditorium in Dallas, Texas. They kick off the November 2nd show with “Cold Rain And Snow,” always a good choice of openers. It has a somewhat mellow feel, but that great full 1960s sound. Tom Contanten was on keys at that time, and his distinctive playing is clear early on. Then we get the show’s first dose of Pigpen with “In The Midnight Hour,” and he is prepared to deliver, tearing right into this number, not waiting for any specific hour, or anything else, before taking control. He really made this song his own, just as he did with each song he chose to sing. Then Bob Weir gives us a rarity, a cover of “Seasons Of My Heart,” a country song the band covered only a handful of times. Some beautiful, striking harmonies make this track one to pay attention to. Bob keeps things in the country realm, following “Seasons Of My Heart” with Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried.” The band then switches to the blues with “Next Time You See Me,” a delicious, down and dirty rendition with a power at its core. And here Pigpen delivers some good work on harmonica. Pigpen is dominating this part of the set, following “Next Time You See Me” with a cover of “Good Lovin’” that includes a drum solo. The jam really starts to take off after the drums section. Then suddenly they are back into the main structure of the song, with Pigpen leading the celebration. There is some stage banter about an evening “fraught with difficulties.” And the band eases into “Big Boss Man,” delivering a somewhat low-key but very cool rendition. It picks up when Pigpen starts blowing on that harmonica and the drums come in. The energy then increases with “Casey Jones,” Jerry clearly having a good time with it. Just listen to his vocal delivery. This is an excellent version, though the ending isn’t stretched out at all. That’s followed by “Dancing In The Street.” The sound quality isn’t as good on this track, with a certain hiss present, because most of it comes from a backup cassette.
We then shift to the first set from December 26, 1969, the acoustic set, which occurs because Bill Kreutzmann hadn’t yet arrived. A late plane, you understand. They open the set with “The Monkey And The Engineer.” I love when the Dead played acoustic, one of the reasons I’m so fond of tapes from 1970. It’s a treat to have a good clean official release of this music. They follow “Monkey And The Engineer” with “Little Sadie,” a song Jerry Garcia would return to several more times throughout his career. This song is certainly a highlight of the disc, in large part because of his vocal performance. But this whole acoustic set is fantastic, and Bob gives us a sweet, passionate rendition of “Long Black Limousine.” Some stage banter follows, including interaction with someone in the audience, and then they go into “I’ve Been All Around This World.” Check out that guitar work. The disc concludes with another rarity, “Gathering Flowers For The Master.” “We’re gonna do a sacred number for you,” Bob Weir says as they start it, to keep with the spirit of the season.
Disc 2
The second disc returns us to the November show, for the rest of that set. The disc opens with “Dark Star.” All Dead fans appreciate those 1969 versions of “Dark Star,” with that cool percussion and Tom Constanten’s work on keys, and the way the band was in no hurry. And this particular version is phenomenal. Jerry’s guitar holds us by the hand and leads the jump into those unexplored regions of space, with a great sense of curiosity and peace. Whatever will be found out there will be okay, the guitar seems to tell us. And there is something pretty about the music. This version goes in some directions that most other versions do not. Ah, the band really didn’t know what they might find on each exploration. What a joy to be along for the ride, to be guided upon that road by that guitar. It’s just about ten minutes in before they deliver the song’s first verse, and it is delivered rather gently. I should say here that the sound is perfect on this recording. It’s remarkable just how good this sounds. Thanks, Bear! Following the first verse, things get much stranger and looser. We are no longer exploring space, but space seems to be exploring us, moving through our bodies, merging with us on some fundamental level. Altering us, our molecular structure, creating room for future messages, a place where they can be received. The band continues to surprise us throughout the track. This is one of the most interesting versions of “Dark Star” ever played. That guitar spirals up into infinity, and we can almost hear it as it continues on above the rest of the music, marveling at the way each note goes on indefinitely. And then we are back in the main section of the song, more insistent this time, stronger, more sure of itself. Ah, fantastic! And twenty-nine minutes in, we get the second verse. “Nightfall of diamonds,” indeed.
That lead straight into “St. Stephen.” And here they are in no hurry either. No need to rush, for everything is working so well. Things come thundering in, like lightning in a thick, armored shell, scattering rocks and breath, before gathering folks together again for the march, then pounding forward until, bam, we are in “The Eleven,” and there is a fiery energy that shows no signs of fatigue. Until suddenly things begin to turn darker and we find ourselves in the land of “Death Don’t Have No Mercy.” The music gets softer, drawing us closer, particularly toward Jerry’s voice. And what a captivating, soulful performance he gives, making this a phenomenal version. The way the guitar and keyboard work together, weaving two distinct thoughts, building toward something exceptional, is wonderful. And then the power behind Jerry’s voice toward the end is astounding. Is this the best version of this song the Dead ever did? Maybe it is. That’s how the November show ends.
The disc takes us again to the December 26th show for the last two songs of the acoustic set, both of which would end up on the studio album Workingman’s Dead, which would be released the next year. “Black Peter” includes a cool instrumental section. After that song, Bill Kreutzmann arrives, and it seems we can hear him setting up. They decide to do one more acoustic song, “Uncle John’s Band.” It has a somewhat hesitant beginning, but it is a beautiful rendition.
Disc 3
The third disc contains the second set from December 26, 1969. Or, at least most of it. This is the disc that is missing one song. Things start with “Casey Jones,” and it’s another good version, with plenty of energy, this one with the ending stretched out a bit more. That’s followed by “Hard To Handle,” with Pigpen on lead vocals. He comes in early at one point, and catches himself, howling. The jam drives forward, powered by Jerry’s guitar. After that is where “Cold Rain And Snow” should be. But the disc contains more than seventy-nine minutes of music, and there just wasn’t room for that one song. So the disc goes right to “China Cat Sunflower,” and a good version of that song too, with a strong force behind it at times. The jam has a pulse, and segues into “I Know You Rider,” which keeps the energy flowing. That moves straight into “High Time,” with everything mellowing out into a pretty space, easing in, before Jerry begins to sing the first verse. This is an arresting rendition, with passionate vocal work and a quiet finish. After a short pause, the band starts “Me And My Uncle,” which has a somewhat different feel with TC on the keys.
There is a bit of stage banter from Bobby breaking a string, and then we are in “Dark Star” territory again. This time the magic is swirling around Jerry’s guitar and its notes right away. Is it more mastery, or just a clearer path? Maybe neither, maybe just a different journey. One where the light has become solid, can be handled and made to produce sounds, striking the light against skin, against the ground, against the sky. And when the sky is struck, the angels are summoned, drawn to the proceedings, to the music. Just like the rest of us, eh? This time it is only six minutes before they deliver the song’s first verse. And then Phil Lesh’s bass leads the way, and we are drawn to a darker, bleaker place, where there is sorrow, though not enough to get in the way of further exploration. Soon things again change, creatures getting rowdy, and lights spilling at our feet until we can slide and glide across the bright landscape, and we are in a cheerful place. It is an unusually pleasant “Dark Star,” a spot we could dwell indefinitely. And then comes an equally strange variation on the song’s theme. Wow. This “Dark Star” is so different from the one at the November show, but equally compelling. And interestingly it leads straight into “New Speedway Boogie,” this version full of bite, a seriously cool early version. The show then wraps up with “Turn On Your Lovelight,” with Pigpen shining again in this energetic rendition. He does his “hands out of your pockets” bit in this version, and the song builds to a wild conclusion.
CD Track List
Disc 1
- Cold Rain And Snow
- In The Midnight Hour
- Seasons Of My Heart
- Mama Tried
- Next Time You See Me
- Good Lovin’
- Big Boss Man
- Casey Jones
- Dancing In The Street
- The Monkey And The Engineer
- Little Sadie
- Long Black Limousine
- I’ve Been All Around This World
- Gathering Flowers For The Master’s Bouquet
Disc 2
- Dark Star >
- St. Stephen >
- The Eleven >
- Death Don’t Have No Mercy
- Black Peter
- Uncle John’s Band
Disc 3
- Casey Jones
- China Cat Sunflower >
- I Know You Rider >
- High Time
- Me And My Uncle
- Dark Star >
- New Speedway Boogie
- Turn On Your Lovelight
Dave’s Picks Volume 43 was released in late July. My copy arrived on July 30, 2022. This release is limited to 25,000 copies. Mine is numbered 11,487.
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