Customer Reviews

Dozin at the Knick

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I recently made one of those listmania lists, my favorite live Dead, and I found myself listening to these CDs for the first time in awhile. I had forgotten how good they are.

My favorite era for live Dead, if I had to pick one, would be the mid to late 70's, when it seemed all the different threads that formed their music were at their best. The music was folksy, bluesy, jazzy, and psychedelic. I could do without Donna's wailing, but that's out of my control, best to tune it out. I think '76 and '77 may have been the years when they were at their most consistent, if you were going to hear a show selected randomly from those years you had a good chance of hearing great music. Contrast that to the end of the Brent era, a time when Jerry himself said they just running on inertia (though worse was yet to come), when the Dead were fully in the "one in three" mode. It always angered me that they didn't feel more obligated to perform well on all nights given the prices for tickets. I know the point of the show was hanging out in the lot, indulging in the things heads indulge in, and dancing ecstatically with your bothers and sisters. I certainly get that and had plenty of good times based on that alone. But there was nothing like those nights when they turned on, when whatever they were doing was working, when it seemed Jerry was playing just to you.

These shows are evidence that, even during their deflated era, they still had those moments. And when they were on, when they were brilliant, they were astonishing and there was still nothing better. This set, compiled from three consecutive shows, shows the late Brent-era Dead at their best, from the songs selected, the group interactions, the solos, the timing, and the overall arc.

I wish I was there. I wish I could be at any show again for that matter, even one of their more disappointing shows was still way more fun than anything else you can do with your clothes on.

Disc 2 may be the single best CD of live Dead I own. Playing in the band --> Uncle John's Band --> Lady with a Fan --> Terrapin --> Mud Love Buddy Jam --> Drums --> Space. Nothing is rushed, but it doesn't take long to build. And then the transcendent moments keep coming, each one seeming more glorious than the last. If you are Phil fan, you'll get great Phil bombs from the bass, and Jerry's solos are soaring and buoyant, peak after peak after peak.

Great album, especailly the wheel through we bid you good night on disc 3. Great crowd interaction that would bring a tear to any dead fan's eye and make you especially miss Jerry. Recorded in the 1990's the crowd could sense the end and gave back their years of love and appreciation. It is better then any live band and Dave Mathews fans especially should see how a real jam band does it.........

Having been to over a hundred shows and owning five times as many shows on tape, I've got to say that this disk brings me as close as possible to actually 'being' at a show as I've ever heard. This is one of those rare times when the Dead are at their peak musically and techincally (with respect to the recording equipment). I highly reccomend this to anyone who wants to know what it was like to go to a show. If I could only have 5 Dead disks, I would choose this one, Dick's Picks #1, Dick's Picks #3 (truely amazing), For the Faithful (also called Reckoning), and American Beauty (not a live show, but a classic). Definately a *MUST HAVE* for any deadhead!

The Dead were on an upswing during the period 1989-1991, and many feel that the spring tour of 1990 was one of their best ever (and frankly, I wouldn't disagree). This 3 CD was pieced together from three nights at Albany's Knickerbocker Arena, and it's simply astonishing from go to whoah. The first set features three songs each from Weir, Garcia and Mydland; highlights include a rollicking Dupree's Diamond Blues (the only time they played it the entire year!), a soulful Blow Away and a gently rockin' Row Jimmy. (The performance of the latter in particular underlines just how strongly the band are playing; it could sometimes be a snoozefest, but here everybody's into it, everybody's pulling out little licks and phrases, lovingly shaping the whole.) Things get verrrry interesting in the second set, with HUGE performances of what Deadheads sometimes call 'the holy trinity': Playing In The Band > Uncle John's Band > Terrapin Station. What follows is the first Mind Left Body Jam in about a decade, then a wonderfully warped Drums with added bird noises (the whole set underlines the lift and inventiveness that MIDI and sampling had brought to the Dead sound; unlike some of their 1960s contemporaries, the band quickly embraced new technology). The third CD offers two alternate 'end of set two' scenarios. I'd give the nod to the first, with its very hot version of Not Fade Away, jammed out like it used to be. MVP awards to Jerry, Brent, Phil ... hell, let's just give everyone in the band an award, including MIDI mastermind Bob Bralove. Of the no less than *seven* live Dead albums that document 1990-1, I'd place Dozin' At The Knick right at the top with the (limited edition, not widely available) Terrapin Station Live release.

This is a very good live release although I think that there are better releases out there. This is a collection of a three night run at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany. Many people considered this run to have one great show 3/24 one ok show 3/25 and one below par show 3/26. I think that's a little harsh. An interesting thing is that 3/26 had the most unusual song selection. One of the biggest complaints against this album when it came out was not so much what was on it(although some did complain about the amount of Brent songs) but what was left off. This run of shows had what many people consider to be the all time best Loser. also left off were Black Throated Wind(with different lyrics), the last and one of the best Built To Last, a rare Big Railroad Blues among others. I like the release for what it is. It has a pretty good selection of songs which are rendered well for the most part. Although I have to agree with most of my friends about the over doing of the Brent songs. Stadouts are Bucket, Dupree's, Little Light and Row Jimmy on disc one. I tend to like all of discs 2 & 3 even though I really don't care for I Will Take You Home. A very good release but don't start here.

A great record of the Dead at their musical peak in the early 90's; it's amazing how good Jerry sounds when he stays away from the heroin. The "show" opens with a rocking Hell In A Bucket, but after knocking of Duprees Blues, Just A Little Light, and Jack A Roe, the first disk drags to a mellow halt. That's okay though, because the real action is on disk 2, with a mind blowing Playing>Uncle Johns Band>Lady W/ a Fan>Terrapin sequence. Disk 3 finds the band in a more playful mood, using the Wheel and Watchtower to get off on some old fashioned guitar heroics from Garcia *and* Weir. Morning Dew would have made this a five star album, but still get it.

After listening to several Dick's Picks cds in search of live dead on CD that captures the power of the live shows with Brent Mydland I hit pay-dirt with Dozin' at the Knick! Unlike many straight soundboard recordings of dead shows that don't sound much like being there, this recording just sounds right. The band is tight, the mix is good, and the jams are magical. A must have for fans of Brent-era dead!

Mud Love Buddy Jam. That says it all. I love it, love it! I'm not a big fan of the way out extended jams and Space stuff, but disc two of this set is incredible! Mix this with tracks from 'Without A Net' and you can't go wrong.

Playin' is great and Uncle John's has a really nice jam. A fantastic Terrapin, Jerry's guitar howls. It's a very epic rendition, the kind of treatment this song deserves. The MLB jam is sooo pretty... it's very delicate and it fades into a very freaky drums with lots of effects. This disc will stay in your player a LONG time!

This being the first live cd I was on, (you can hear me if you listen), my only complaint are the omissions. The first night's LTGTR> Help> Slipknot> Franklin's; the second night's Eyes> Samson> Crazy Fingers> Truckin> Spoonful, and the third night's Miracle> Mr. Fantasy> Gimme Some Lovin> Morning Dew. But I just doubled the length of the the package. Who the heck cares. I would buy it