Customer Reviews

Road Trips: Vol. 2, No. 3 - Wall of Sound (2 CD + Bonus Disc)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wow, I didn't really think it would ever happen, but here it is -- the June 16th, 1974 show at the Iowa County Fairgrounds in Des Moines. My girlfriend and I drove 8 hours from Chicago to be there. We had just graduated from high school. What an adventure! The speed limit was 55 MPH in response to the OPEC oil embargo, and there was a recession. But I was barreling along I-80 at 80, well above the previous limit of 70 so we wouldn't be late -- the Dead were waiting on the other end!

We sat about half-way up the stands facing the Wall of Sound. I remember that at points the music would drop off to ppp, but we could still hear the guitars -- Jerry, Bobby and Phil -- like they were close enough to touch. Interesting, despite the vast sound array the mix was off -- the vocals and drums were too low. But the guitars -- wow, incredible!

This Road Trips release is both exciting and annoying. Of course I would really like the entire Des Moines show, but this is only part of it. Disc 1 is from Des Moines, while Disc 2 is from Louisville two days later. And the *really* annoying part is that there is a bonus third disc that is now quite expensive to acquire. The 2-disc version can still be had cheaply directly from Deadnet, but for the 3-disc version we are now over a barrel. Given my personal experience, I had to locate a copy. Disc 3, the bonus disc, is nearly all Des Moines material, six more songs, including "Truckin'">Jam>"Wharf Rat" and "Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad." The Louisville disc features some nice jams leading into "The Other One" and then from it into a great closer, "Stella Blue."

Despite my affection for the recording of the show I attended, I can't say this is the best available 1974 show. That would be Dick's Picks 31, recorded August 4-6 in Philly and Jersey City. But this is quite good, it certainly captures the sound and some of the current material of the time, the songs from WAKE OF THE FLOOD and MARS HOTEL. To me at the time, it sounded like SKULL & ROSES with a jazzier edge provided by "Eyes of the World" and "Scarlet Begonias" especially.

And it brings back memories of the summer of '74!

If you like Dicks Picks 1 and Dicks Picks 12, you will probably really like this release. The jam from WRS through Stella Blue is fantastic and shows what the Dead were capable of. Plus you get two Eyes, 1974, great wall of sound, great everything. Epic Playin'. No "filler". Even if you don't have any Dead yet, this is a great purchase for twenty bucks. I don't know if I'd start here, but its definitely essential listening.

Now, personally, I'm starting to like this road trips series again. The format of this release reminds me very much of DP 1, with disc 2 being the disc that, to my ears, reaches much farther into outer space. Especially during this time period, and with the wall of sound (Keith on the keys is represented nicely in mix), the Dead really do sound like the soundtrack for space exploration. Hold on to the edge of your seat. I'm not sure when (or if) we'll make it back.

Both 6-16 and 6-18-74 are great shows so why isn't this getting five? Well, because 6-16 and 6-18-74 are great shows. The fact is both shows had so much great music that there's still a lot of hot music missing from this release even with the bonus disc. These shows were pretty long and you could have simply made a two cd set of each show and still have more than enough to fill up a bonus disc. Better yet, forget the bonus disc and just make it a four cd set!!! Even the more "traditional" styled songs stood out on this run like Beat It On Down The Line from 6-18 where Jerry throws in My Old Kentucky Home during the guitar solo. Still, what is here is top notch but I do wished that they had released more of it.

1974 is my favorite year likely, though only by a nose. There is some of that "Seastones" noise during the Playin' which is a shame, but the 2 cd's and Bonus disc are loads of great music, and good sound quality. Among the best releases.

No doubt about the quality of the music and performances -- probably my two favorite shows from 1974. In fact, 6-18-74 was the first 1974 show I heard, and 6-16-74 is one of my favorites from their entire career. Probably the best single release to introduce someone to the band: the songs are sweet, the jams are considerable, and the band is in peak form. Plus (thanks to the Wall of Sound) they could really hear each other.

These "Road Trips" seem to me to be really 3-disc releases, with the 'bonus disc' version a way of prompting sooner-rather-than-later purchase; missing the third disc would be a considerable loss.

Great disc...Playin could be better but great jams...and bonus disc is smokin. Go to dead.net and only pay [...]. from the source BRAND NEW.
Until the bonus discs run out they are included!

I ordered the CD on Friday and received it on Monday !!!! The CD was just as described. Will definitely order from Somtremka"s Music again.

If you can find it, get this version of the Road Trips. The bonus disc has more material from both the 6/16 and 6/18 shows, including the astounding Morning Dew from 6/18 that gets my vote for "best ever version" and the great Truckin'>Jam from 6/16 that goes though many phases, including Nobody's Fault But Mine and Mind Left Body Jams. But I still say its only worth 4 stars because its really hard to get now and you should really track down the complete concerts from both dates; they are some of the most inspired of the year, with 6/18 being my personal favorite of '74.

I personally do not own this road trips volume, and actually the only reason I'm only giving this 4 stars is because neither concert is complete. I have had both of these shows as a bootleg for sometime now, and personally I'm surprised neither complete show is presented; these are some of the best shows of 1974 Dead out there. In fact, I strongly disagree with R. Hutchinson that the 6/18 show is less inspired. Imho, it is the best show of the year. The Weather Report Suite>Jam>Other One>It's a Sin is one of the finest examples I can personally think of of this band's seemingly telepathic interplay. Not to mention this indescribably HOT and perhaps most unique ever version of The Other One (not the full That's it for the Other One suite of '68-71) is eclipsed only by 9/17/72 as "best of all time". The jam moves into the exceedingly rare I know It's a Sin that I wish was way longer, because its so damn good. Lots of great moments are left out of both shows though, like the Jam after Truckin' from 6/16 and the great versions of Tennessee Jed and Morning Dew that also get my vote for "best ever." What is here though, like the 2 great Eyes of the World, playing in the Band, and the aftormetioned WRS thur It's a Sin are certainly worth owning, but do yourself a favor and track down the complete shows; you can listen to them for free on [...].

Wow, I didn't really think it would ever happen, but here it is -- the June 16th, 1974 show at the Iowa County Fairgrounds in Des Moines. My girlfriend and I drove 8 hours from Chicago to be there. We had just graduated from high school. What an adventure! The speed limit was 55 MPH in response to the OPEC oil embargo, and there was a recession. But I was barreling along I-80 at 80, well above the previous limit of 70 so we wouldn't be late -- the Dead were waiting on the other end!

We sat about half-way up the stands facing the Wall of Sound. I remember that at points the music would drop off to ppp, but we could still hear the guitars -- Jerry, Bobby and Phil -- like they were close enough to touch. Interesting, despite the vast sound array the mix was off -- the vocals and drums were too low. But the guitars -- wow, incredible!

This Road Trips release is both exciting and annoying. Of course I would really like the entire Des Moines show, but this is only part of it. Disc 1 is from Des Moines, while Disc 2 is from Louisville two days later. And the *really* annoying part is that there is a bonus third disc that is now quite expensive to acquire. The 2-disc version can still be had cheaply directly from Deadnet, but for the 3-disc version we are now over a barrel. Given my personal experience, I had to locate a copy. Disc 3, the bonus disc, is nearly all Des Moines material, six more songs, including "Truckin'">Jam>"Wharf Rat" and "Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad." The Louisville disc features some nice jams leading into "The Other One" and then from it into a great closer, "Stella Blue."

Despite my affection for the recording of the show I attended, I can't say this is the best available 1974 show. That would be Dick's Picks 31, recorded August 4-6 in Philly and Jersey City. But this is quite good, it certainly captures the sound and some of the current material of the time, the songs from WAKE OF THE FLOOD and MARS HOTEL. To me at the time, it sounded like SKULL & ROSES with a jazzier edge provided by "Eyes of the World" and "Scarlet Begonias" especially.

And it brings back memories of the summer of '74!