Customer Reviews

Reckoning (Dig)

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... if it will be worth it to shell out the extra bucks for the new double cd version of Reckoning, allow me. I think that the second cd of bonus material is actually the BETTER of the two discs now! The first cd is and has always been a treasure -- songs from sets recorded in the fall of 1980 in NYC and SF. It's all played acoustically and easily one half of the songs are from the Dead's earliest influences (can you say "Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Band?"). The second set has just fantastic alternative live versions of nine of the 16 original songs and contains one studio rehearsal with a little bit of talking going on among the players -- working out their parts. The alt live versions have a little more audience interplay with the band and may be why they were ultimately rejected. On disc two, I think that Brett gets into the singing a little more and he sounds great. His piano playing really added a nice dimension to the Dead too. The new live songs that are on disc two but never were on disc one are iko, heaven help the fool, el paso, sage & spirit, little sadie, & tom dooley. If you liked the original "reckoning, the proceed and buy without hesitation.

This was the album that hooked me on the dead. Sadly, I lost the tape years ago and always put off replacing it. I am glad now, because the sound quality is much improved, and the second disc has some really nice additions. The alternate versions don't add greatly to the package, in my opinion, but the new songs are definately worth having. Nice to finally have oh babe it aint no lie included that was absent from the original CD. Far superior to the electric Dead Set recorded during the same shows. If you like any of their acoustic stuff, this is definately recommended.

The old bromide said it all...on a good night, there really was "nothing like a Grateful Dead concert," and that held true for both their acoustic and electric sets. RECKONING captures some of the best moments of their 1980 Radio City Music Hall and San Francisco acoustic sets, and they've put several winners on here. "China Doll," "To Lay Me Down," "Bird Song," "Cassidy" and "Ripple" are particularly outstanding, but except for a somewhat dirge-like "It Must Have Been The Roses" (c'mon, Jerry, pick up the tempo!), everything here shows these ol' reliables at their unplugged best.

What else is there to say? The Grateful Dead may be gone, but the music is as present---and as timeless---as ever. Some of the best of it can be found here.

A very different side to the Grateful Dead. Taken from their 1980 acoustic sets in NYC and SF, they show that they could play and sing with the best of them, and not only in their well known lengthy space jams. The set is a mix of GD originals and folk standards that show the depth of their musical traditions.

The truth was always that the GD were not a rock band, but a folk band with electric instruments. Jerry's musical curiosity and breath of knowledge of American musical traditions were what made the GD special.

Note: Like all GD new releases, this is encoded as a HDCD. If you don't have a HDCD compatible player, you have to get one! The sound just opens up incredibly!

This was my first Dead album (live or studio), and I still enjoy it. I love American folk/old country music, and the Dead were great practioners of this music (check out their studio work on American Beauty and Workingman's Dead). Their live stuff usually concentrated on long jams (some of which were wonderful, others not so good), but here (and on Dead Set, a companion piece to this album), they concentrated on great arrangements and singing with soul and depth. There are a lot of wonderful songs here, such as Dire Wolf (better than the studio version), George Jones's The Race Is On, Dark Hollow, the hilarious, wonderful Monkey and the Engineer, and a fine version of Ripple that concluded the original album. For those who don't really dig the Dead's long jamming (there are a lot of people who fall into this category), I suggest buying this album. I don't have the CD reissue, just the original LP, but the original LP is wonderful.

the guys really tapped into something special during these sets. The music comes alive and the sound quality is phenomenal.This is One album I return to again and again, and i always come away with a deeper appreciation of the talent and genius of all the guys in the band. Cassidy is one of the best, but then all the songs on here have a little something extra that makes it so listenable and truly enjoyable on many levels. One album I would have in my stranded on an island survival pack.

I had an album recording of this on cassette tape years ago. Then in the early nineties I bought a CD version, and was a little (just a little) dissapointed to discover that "oh, babe it ain't no lie" wasn't on it.
Not only does this double CD have it, but it also has an alternate take.
In addition to all that, I found the second disc a great addition, particulary tunes like "sage & spirit," and "heaven help the fool." This is a great buy!

In 1980, the band was celebrating it's 15th anniversary and what was a better way than revisiting the way they started out as an acoustic outfit. The band played a run of shows at The Warfield in San Francisco and Radio City Music Hall in New York in September and October 1980. The band also revived songs that hadn't been played in years in new arragements (Bird Song, To Lay Me Down, The Race Is On and so on) as well as songs that hadn't been played at all.

The album starts off with a cool Dire Wolf and is followed by a great The Race Is On. Oh Babe, It Ain't No Lie makes a wonderful Jerry ballad as does what was the side closing It Must Have Been The Roses. The Dark Hollow is pretty sweet dispite a slight vocal flub. China Doll is sweet with Brent playing a real harpsicord. I've Been All Around This World is a treat and Monkey And The Engineer is pure fun. Jack A Roe is a standout version and sets a standard for others. Deep Elem Blues is a good song but apprears in a somewhat avarage reading although I like this arrangement better than the earlier ones. Cassidy flies by at a short bisk pace as it was still a fairly short first set number at the time. To Lay Me Down is sweet with good vocals and nice playing. Rosa Lee McFall is wonderful and Jerry's voice always brings a smile while features Bob taking the vocal duties. Bird Song shows the band in acoustic jazz band mode while Ripple isn't quite as good as the studio version.

Although, most of the tapes ending up being recorded over, there was enough to put together a bonus disc. The bonus disc starts with a rehearsal of To Lay Me Down which isn't as good but it's nice to hear a rehearsal for these shows. Iko Iko is fun in it's early laid back arragement. I love the instrumental versions of Heaven Help The Fool that were played during these acoustic sets. El Paso fits the acoustic format very well not surprisingly. Sage And Spirit is another rarity turning up in it's second and last performance on Holloween. Little Sadie is nice but a little rough around the edges. It Must Have Been The Roses has a faster tempo than the original Reckoning version while Dark hollow has a bit more pep. Jack A Row and Oh Babe, It Ain''t No Lie aren't quite as good while Cassidy, China Doll and Ripple are a bit of a toss up. The show ends with a couple of songs recorded a couple of years earlier at a surprise gig at the Rambler Room in Chicago and are quite nice.

This is a wonderful album of live acoustic music. The bonus songs on the bonus disc add a nice feel and give a cool view as to what went on during the recording of this album.

Whenever you think of what your "favorite" album is, it's always a very tough, or basically impossible, decision. This album consistantly tops my list. Every track shows the Dead at their best; heartfelt vocals, beautiful solos and instrumental work, a set list that seamlessly blends original and traditional material.

Critics of the Dead will often complain of miscues due to the live performance, excessive "diddling", or sub-par recording quality. You'll have to stop complaining with this album. Was it edited? Who cares.

If you're a fan of acoustic, folk, country, or classic rock and roll, you owe it to yourself to pick up this phenomenal work.

I own over 20 Grateful Dead Albums and this one is my favorite!
-Also try "Europe 72" or "Hundred Year Hall" for some old GD classics.