Customer Reviews

Road Trips: Vol. 3, No. 1 - Oakland 12/28/79

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

1979 was another year of transition in the ever evolving story of the Good Ol' Grateful Dead. Keith and Donna Godchaux, were terminated in February, and along comes Brent Mydland, a more well-rounded player than Keith, due to his colors and tones with the Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes piano and a growing stack of synthesizers, that Keith was shy to use as he prefered grand piano and ONLY grand piano.

After a tenuous start in the spring, Brent began to feel more comfortable as a member of the band and find his place within the scope of the group's musical soundscapes. The word was out, a new fire had been lit within The Grateful Dead, and Brent was the spark.

The end-of-the-year run at the Oakland Auditorium in a legendary run of shows that has already seen a few Offical releases on CD, and here is another not to be missed. "Sugaree" sets the tone of what is to follow, 16 minutes of guitar fun from Jerry & Bobby, and about the best vocal performance from Jerry that you are ever gonna hear. "Mama Tried>Mexical Blues" is pure Bobby with it's brassy tone and high energy. "It's All Over Now" a Bobby Womack tune made popular by The Rolling Stones, get's the "Dead Treatment" and it's more good rockin' fun. A nice "High Time" takes us into: "The Music Never Stopped" to close out the first set and disc one.

"Alabama Getaway" is about the best version that I have heard and soon we are smack in the middle of a perfect rendition of: "Terrapin Station" that again features Jerry in his best vocal light, this music is beautiful, it is long and jamming. "Terrapin" towards the end, was all but impossible for the band to play. Here on this disc, it is stellar. Just as "Terrapin" leads you to believe it's all downhill from here on, up comes a killer version of "Playing In The Band" and now it sinks in, the quality of this show isn't going to let you down, the ride is still climbing the hill.

After the normal "Drums>Space" comes a nice laid-back: "Uncle John's Band" but it ain't over, as "I Need a Miracle>Bertha) Good Lovin" pack a one, two, three punch to rap things up in the highest fashion. "Casey Jones" and "One More Saturday Night" are not going to let up and cool down this blazing attack of music, these are fitting encores to finalize this great night of music.

After two discs of "Blazing Dead" the bonus disc is taken from the very next performance on the 30th of December of this Oakland stand. This night isn't as strong as what happened on the night that proceeded it, but I'm glad to have it included herein as part of the package. The highlights on this bonus CD are the: "Lazy Lightnin'>Supplication, that brings back more smoke and flames of the show of the 28th. "Truckin'>Wharf Rat" is another great pairing that make this bonus disc, a great extra present.

The "Road Trips" series, is a great addition to live Grateful Dead releases. And, this edition is one of the very best ever, to add onto an ever growing pile of Grateful Dead music.
Four Stars!

I still have five distinctive memories of this show: Sugaree, It's All Over Now, High Time and Terrapin Station->Playing In The Band. This show didn't have the unusual jamming or the breakouts that the first night did Dick's Picks, Vol. 5: Oakland Auditorium, Oakland, CA, 12/26/79 but it does have some fantastic playing. The show opens with a strong Sugaree before giving way to the country pairing of Mama Tried->Mexicali Blues. Row Jimmy is one of those songs that I always love hearing and this version doesn't disappoint. While I can can never pick out a single version of a song for best ever, the next two tunes, It's All Over Now and High Time, are about as good as it gets. The Music Never Stopped ends the show in a winning fashion. The first disc ends with the smoking second set opener of Alabama Getaway->Greatest Story Ever Told.

The second disc opens with a Terrapin Station->Playing In The Band that has some great jamming. The Rhythm Devils->Space is pretty good before giving way to a sweet Uncle John's Band. The I Need A Miracle->Bertha->Good Lovin' was a pretty common event at the time but is well played here. The first encore is a good Casey Jones followed by a nice One More Saturday Night. The bo0nus disc features some nice stuff from the next night.

The liner notes in this particular installment of Grateful Dead shows is filled with hyperbole, but the sound quality speaks for itself. If you look at some of my other recent reviews of recently remastered Grateful shows, you'll see comments like "best sound quality I've ever heard". That is not hyperbole or exaggeration, folks. I've spoken with other Deadheads who are also just plain blown away by the incredible clarity and depth that has been coaxed from these recordings.

Deadheads disagree on which setlists are better than others. While there are a few songs here that I could do without, these CDs will be spending a lot of time in my CD players.

It might be a cliche to say you'll hear things you hadn't heard before, but on this and several other recently resurrected in all their splendor CDs, you really will hear nuances and details you've never heard before.

Amazing that after decades of listening to this and other shows, one can get the sensation of discovering The Dead all over again from these CDs.

As a bonus, Bob Weir and Phil Lesh are on tour for the next few months with what is probably the best post Jerry iteration of the band. Not to be missed.

Excellent complete show + Bonus disc from same run. Bonus includes excellent Scarlet>Fire among others. 2nd set of main show is remarkable: cd#2:

Terrapin> Playin'> Drums/Space> Uncle John's> Miracle> Bertha> Good Lovin'> Casey Jones.

First cd Sugaree, Mama Tried> Mexicali; Row Jimmy; It's All Over Now; High Time; Music Never Stopped; (2nd Set) Alabama Getaway> Greatest Story.

Bonus cd: New Miglewood; Candyman; Ramble On Rose; Lazy Lightning> Supplication; Scarlet Fire> Let It Grow;
Truckin'> Wharf Rat.

Hurry to dead.net for $[...]. including Bpnus Disc. Dick's Picks 5 from same run is even better with Shakedown, stellar UJB.