Disc 1
The first disc contains the entire first set, which the band kicks off with “Alabama Getaway,” still a new song at the time, having been introduced only a month earlier. And the energy is there. Brent Mydland delivers some good stuff on keys, his fingers at time dancing along the keyboard. This is a cheerful rendition, and I love Jerry Garcia’s guitar work near the end. Everything is sounding good, and the band goes straight into “Promised Land.” Yes, a good rock and roll start to the show, Jerry and Bob Weir trading rock numbers. They need a few moments to collect themselves after that energetic opening, and then ease into “Brown-Eyed Women.” Jerry’s vocal approach has a wonderfully relaxed tone as this one begins, giving the song a more intimate feel. Yet the rhythm has a bit of a bounce to it, particularly during that good jam. And it ends up being one hell of a good rendition, with a sweet yet fun vibe. Bob then chooses one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs, “Cassidy.” The band doesn’t get too wild here, as with some versions, but there is still a bit of good jamming, and it seems like perhaps a portion of the band wants to keep going, but the song soon comes to an end. The playing is pretty at times. And, perhaps picking up on that aspect of it, Jerry decides to follow Cassidy with “Row Jimmy,” delivering a beautiful rendition, a song that can cradle us in its arms. Jerry’s guitar is like an undersea angel, gently guiding us when we need guidance, and just smiling when we don’t. And Phil Lesh’s bass lets us know we have energy of our own to propel us. This is a gorgeous rendition, for me a highlight of the set.
Bob then leads the band into “New Minglewood Blues,” with some delicious bluesy guitar. Interestingly, Bob gives a sort of matter-of-fact delivery when he tells us the preacher called him a sinner while his little girl called him a saint. No boasting here, so it feels true. “Well, a couple shots of whiskey, St. Louis girls start looking good.” And during the jam, the song takes on more energy. Also interesting is that he then sings, “Yes, and it’s T for New York City where the little girls know what to do.” Did he momentarily forget where he was? Usually he’d sing, “T right here in (insert name of town where they were playing).” The band gently eases into “Candyman.” This is a seriously moving rendition, particularly Jerry’s guitar work. Everything the band chooses seems to work. The magic is certainly there this night. The band then raises the energy again with “Lazy Lightning.” Do Bob’s vocals disappear there for a moment? And check out the backing vocal work: “My lightning too!” Very cool. That leads naturally to “Supplication,” and everything is moving now, so fluid, so true. The band then wraps up the first set with “Deal,” ending the set as they started it, with some good, solid rock and roll. And the energy really builds toward the end, and that final section is fantastic.
Disc 2
The second disc contains the first seventy-four minutes of the second set. The band kicks off the set with “Shakedown Street” to welcome everyone back from the break and get everyone dancing again. “Whoo!” Oh yes, here we get some great jamming, with Phil taking control. “Don’t tell me this town ain’t got no heart/You just gotta poke around.” Indeed! The vocal jam is excellent, with a smooth motion. And then the groove on that jam is pure fun, a delight, the Grateful Dead hosting the best dance club this side of Saturn, all creatures welcome, just pull on your dancing feet or paws or flippers or stardust tendrils. The floor bursts into light under our steps, the dance floor itself moving, breathing, and grooving. And the guitar and keyboard engage in a little back-and-forth, call-and-response dance, before the band returns to the song’s main theme at the end. And then suddenly we’re into “Samson And Delilah,” to keep those feet and hearts thumping, Bob with a forceful delivery, pushing everything onward. Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart are the engine’s fuel and fire altogether. “If I had my way, if I had my way.” There is a short pause while the band decides which direction to go next, and then Jerry helps ease everyone into “High Time.” And, wow, what a pretty instrumental beginning to this song. It’s absolutely beautiful, making Jerry’s first line, “You told me goodbye,” all the more heartbreaking. Ah, if only he knew then what that goodbye meant. And here it should be obvious, after that extraordinary opening, that everyone is having a high time. There are no goodbyes here. There is a warm center that we can all move to if need be, and such a heartfelt and passionate delivery from Jerry. “Nothing’s for certain/It can always go wrong,” he tells us, and that is certainly true. Except here within this music it seems to be going right. This song has a sweet ending.
After a short pause, the band then goes into “Easy To Love You,” a song that was only a few months old, and would end up on the following year’s studio release, Go To Heaven. That short jam in the middle is so cheerful. The band then takes things into more interesting territory with “Terrapin Station.” Both space and time shift to accompany and accommodate the song. The song is crisp, clear, knowing, and it slides down the curved strands of DNA, gathering answers, experience, wisdom, age. And yet also somehow a youth, sliding down the stem of a flower into a subterranean space where starlight illuminates the feet of giants. And it is like different planes meet, various stories collide, each one emerging the better for it. “Inspiration, move me brightly.” And counting stars is now an easy feat from our position. The band then takes us into “Los Sailor,” with Bob soon asking, “Where’s the moon?” Ah, so busy counting stars that we lost track of the moon. But we are able to follow the flashes of light on the water, “Drifting and dreaming.” The energy then rises with “Saint Of Circumstance.” “This must be heaven,” Bob sings. Yes, or at least as close as we may get during this life. And when he sings of the “rain falling down,” we can feel that rain, in bright sharp shapes flashing past us. As the song seems to end, the band leads us intro stranger territory, pushing until everyone is together, and then letting things get wild for a moment before moving past some chaos. The drums are just itching to emerge, you can feel it. The trick, when approaching madness, is to know just when to pull back. And out here communication seems to have begun between worlds, in two separate languages at first, but drawing closer. And from some corner of these forests, “Drums” does emerge, at first a calling, maybe a summoning, for those who can hear. Creatures combining to create a larger monster, and nothing can stop it once this beast is in motion. And as they move into “Space,” the disc comes to a close.
Disc 3
The third disc contains the rest of the second set, as well as a few songs from December 4th. The disc picks up as “Drums” leads into “Space.” And it does feel we are in the process of sending or receiving, or perhaps being, otherworldly messages. Older voices sound in this realm, a message from long ago, eyes then fluttering open to receive it. Outer space porters flicker, take tips, disappear with eggs to some extinct memory, then return to take us to the top floor, where some other reality is being welcomed, wearing chaos like a coat. Then “Black Peter” comes from that. And no, no one is dying this time around, though yes, the friends do come around. There is something soothing about this rendition, the way it calls to us, but softly, so we know they are near. The guitar will see us through tonight, no question. Yet, is there just a hint of yearning that he’ll be gone tomorrow? The jam is good, and then it turns slightly, and then, bam, “I Need A Miracle,” pulling everything together to deliver a solid number, Bob belting out the lines. It’s interesting that the lighter “Bertha” bursts out of the end of “Miracle,” a renewed energy in the playing. This one quickly picks up steam, sprints forward. The band is cooking. You know it’s a great version by the number of times Jerry shouts “Anymore!” The band keeps everything moving and rocking with “Good Lovin’,” which seems to have a strong force of its own, as well as a joy, particularly as it progresses, like in the jam, and then in that vocal section. It’s an excellent finish to the set. The encore is “Don’t Ease Me In,” leaving the audience dancing.
The rest of the disc, the “filler,” comes from the December 4th show at Uptown Theatre in Chicago. As you might recall, Dave’s Picks Volume 31 featured the entire show the band played at that venue on December 3, 1979, and included a bit of filler from the December 4th concert as well. On that release, the two songs before “Drums” were included. On this release, we get everything from “Space” on to the end of the show, including the encore. So after just a bit of silence to mark the shift to a different show, we are in “Space,” and here an alien is conversing with a small electric gadget, which itself begins to pulse and grow, soon showing who is really in control. But it’s all play, so no worries. Even the machine looks benign, even friendly. But he who dabbles with dials may find himself on the other side of the mirror, though not alone. A groove soon comes to life, and the band goes into “Not Fade Away,” telling us just how it’s going to be. This is a wild and interesting and completely enjoyable rendition, with a solid groove. And at one point we gallop off to some space rodeo where we are sure to win in all categories. Then somehow we are dropped gently into “Stella Blue,” another of my personal favorite Grateful Dead songs. And here Jerry is almost delicate at the start, delivering a moving vocal performance. Vulnerable here, a voice at the edge, but also somehow pulling us back from that very same edge, and doing so with beauty. I love when Jerry’s guitar notes land on us like water driven by light. And the way he delivers the line “It seems like all this life/Was just a dream,” we hear the realization as it hits him. There is pain and understanding in that moment. Beautiful. The band then wraps up the second set of this show with a high-energy version of “Sugar Magnolia.” The encore is “U.S. Blues,” always appreciated, a seriously good rendition.
CD Track List
Disc 1
- Alabama Getaway >
- Promised Land
- Brown-Eyed Women
- Cassidy
- Row Jimmy
- New Minglewood Blues
- Candyman
- Lazy Lightning >
- Supplication
- Deal
Disc 2
- Shakedown Street >
- Samson And Delilah
- High Time
- Easy To Love You
- Terrapin Station >
- Lost Sailor >
- Saint Of Circumstance >
- Jam >
- Drums
Disc 3
- Space >
- Black Peter >
- I Need A Miracle >
- Bertha >
- Good Lovin’
- Don’t Ease Me In
- Space >
- Not Fade Away >
- Stella Blue >
- Sugar Magnolia
- U.S. Blues
Dave’s Picks Volume 47 was released on July 28, 2023. My copy arrived on August 2, 2023. This is a limited edition of 25,000 copies. Mine is number 5942.
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