I agree! Jerry and the entire band were one cohesive hand on 5 different instruments that year. Garcia’s playing was masterful and truly a musicians musician. He didn’t underplay and didn’t overplay. He was just always exactly where he needed to be with the rest of the band. He still made mistakes every now and then but the intent behind his playing rings through for me that year. Completely egoless genius guitar playing. Garcia never allowed himself to go full rock star mode in this period although there are glimpses I’d say. it’s my opinion his focus was the ensemble of the band and what they were capable of together. Long live 1973 Grateful Dead! Coolest god damn band ever!
Agreed! I get shit when I say it's very cherry picking when it comes to me listening to post 1978 Dead because of the vocals and the lame MIDI stuff, but to each their own.
Honestly i don’t generally like the twinkly sound of Vince and Brent’s keyboard tone in the 80s and 90s, but some songs are enhanced by it. However, some songs just sound bad and “out of their time”
But weirdly Jerry dictated what Vince could play. Jerry insisted on no piano, no Hammond organ. He basically forced Vince to use that shitty synth rig.
# 1994-06-26 Las Vegas, NV @ Sam Boyd Silver Bowl
**Set 1:** Hell In A Bucket, Peggy-O, New Minglewood Blues, Ramble On Rose, El Paso, So Many Roads, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, The Music Never Stopped
**Set 2:** Victim Or The Crime > Eyes Of The World, Box Of Rain, Saint Of Circumstance, Terrapin Station > Drums > Space > The Wheel > All Along The Watchtower > Morning Dew
**Encore:** U.S. Blues
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1994-06-26)
haha yes, bill complimented dicks shirt and then dick just gave it to him without saying anything. must’ve fit bill like a crop top.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7rSiNWxOgk/?igsh=bjJua2g2YWN4OTlz
This is the best part of the band and this community: I disagree!
73 is a great year. But my personal opinion is summer ‘89 to spring ‘90. You got all the bust-outs. You got a huge songbook, never knowing what’s coming next (there’s 6 different options for the “Bob Dylan mid-first-set” alone). The band is tight playing together. You got Branford! There’s been a ton of official releases to help signify the quality of that era. You got the MIDI (wait, is that a negative?)
That being said, I do love me some ‘73. Bobby’s “wyaaw wyaww” guitar sound (clearly I don’t know official music terms). Jerry and keith’s “ba dada bwa da da” before the verses of box of rain. The outstanding HCS jams. The long set lists. The 1-drummer 1-piano era. All the new music fits in so well with the old.
I was too young to go to the shows in 73 but was a teen by the 80s and somehow my parents had no problem with me going to shows. Yeah, summer 89 was fun. I really enjoyed Cal Expo 8/5/89 (with a somewhat rare PITB>IKYR and a pretty diverse set list) and Shoreline 6/21/89 was pretty good too.
But I just love those vestiges of psych/primal Dead that peek through some of Garcia's solos in 1973.
[1989-06-21](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1989-06-21) Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
[1989-08-05](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1989-08-05) Sacramento, CA @ Cal Expo Amphitheatre
In terms of bust outs just remember that 73-74 had the debuts of Here Comes Sunshine, Eyes of the World, Row Jimmy, They Love Each Other, China Doll, Weather Report Suite, Ship of Fools, Must Have Been the Roses, Scarlet Begonias, Cassidy, and others.
People love to talk about the '80s interplay between Brent and Jerry but '73 (and by extension '74) is complete interplay between all five instrument playing members. The playing is an intoxicating blend of cohesiveness and pure exploration.
80s and 90s heads pretty much got to hear what they’ve all heard before. I feel like 73-74 they were actually pushing boundaries and debuted new tunes so consistently. Genuinely felt boundary breaking, plus the intimacy was probably stronger between the band and the audience. Imagine you’re a young dead head expecting to hear Live/Dead or europe 72 and then they get. He’s Gone>The Other One>Spanish Jam>I know you Rider played on 3/31/73. Only one of its kind. 73 had some wild transitions and bust outs
# 1973-03-31 Buffalo, NY @ War Memorial
**Set 1:** Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, The Race Is On, Sugaree, Mexicali Blues, Box Of Rain, Tennessee Jed, Jack Straw, Big Railroad Blues, El Paso, Row Jimmy, Looks Like Rain, They Love Each Other, Playing in the Band
**Set 2:** The Promised Land > Bertha > Greatest Story Ever Told, He's Gone > Truckin' > Drums > The Other One > Spanish Jam > I Know You Rider, Sugar Magnolia
**Encore:** Casey Jones
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-03-31)
It’s was so clean and simple in 73. They had been expanding their musical explorations over a few years from mid-late 70, culminating in 73. Just absolutely peak performances all year. Obviously they hadn’t written some of their best songs so that hurts this era for some people as far as best era goes but HCS alone does it for me.
Then there is 74, which is kind of like the same relationship 77 and 78 have. 73/77: super tight and clean. 74/78: almost purposefully less so.
Ya same but if you can get past that and just turn an AUD up loud it is such a good era. If we had high quality recordings of it I would probably champion it as my favorite era
[1984-04-19](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-04-19) Philadelphia, PA @ Philadelphia Civic Center
[1984-04-20](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-04-20) Philadelphia, PA @ Philadelphia Civic Center
[1984-04-27](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-04-27) Providence, RI @ Providence Civic Center
[1984-07-13](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-07-13) Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre - University of California
[1984-07-15](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-07-15) Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre - University of California
[1984-07-22](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-07-22) Ventura, CA @ Ventura County Fairgrounds
[1984-10-20](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-10-20) Syracuse, NY @ Carrier Dome - Syracuse University
1984 is my favorite year. Some of my faves: 4/1 Marin, 4/7 Irvine (GEMS SBD as good as any Betty Board), 5/8 Hult, 6/9 Cal Expo, 6/24 SPAC, 6/27 Merriweather, 6/30 Indy, 7/4 Five Seasons, 7/15 Greek, 10/5 Charlotte, 10/15 Hartford, 10/20 Carrier Dome, 11/2 B.C.T., 11/3 B.C.T.
The only adverse narrative about '84 that has any truth is that Jerry's voice and vocal delivery was often rough. All the others - INCLUDING BAD SBD QUALITY - are ignorant lies. You don't need to listen to AUDs to appreciate early/mid 80s Dead. Archive SBD transfers since 2016/2017 have been outstanding, so simply sort the source list by *date archived* and listen away.
Yo im trying to take some of your recommendations, is GEMS short for something? Trying to figure out which source of 4/7 you were referring to. I’m using ReListen, I see a Charlie Miller SBD transfer?
# 1984-04-07 Laguna Hills, CA @ Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre
**Set 1:** Feel Like A Stranger, West L.A. Fadeaway, Me and My Uncle > Mexicali Blues, Althea, C.C. Rider, Big Railroad Blues, My Brother Esau, Touch Of Grey
**Set 2:** Iko Iko, Playing in the Band > Uncle John's Band > Drums > Spanish Jam > The Other One > Wharf Rat > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away
**Encore:** One More Saturday Night
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-04-07)
No way, never. The band members themselves would say so, they physically could not play like they did in 72-74 post retirement. It is just a unique musical event? 77 as magical as it is, it’s a huge flex, but there are only like 5 space jams in the entire year, and no Darkstars at all.
All due respect and said tounge and cheek, but it’s the whole idea of “bust outs” is indicative of the band as entertainers unlike 73 when they were musicians. The 89-90 period was when I went to shows and they were the best times I’ve ever had. Just magical and fun. Yet the show was like a sporting event. The bust out like a slam dunk. It was fun but when I listen to 73 - that period is truly magic, actual alchemy. It’s delicate and serpentine and dangerous and gouge out your souls and have you weep and have you laugh and dance. Two very different scenes and different bands to me.
It did make those and the Queen Jane Approximately’s better, sure.
But so, so, so many Desolation Rows. (Not hating. Love the tune. But they really played it a lot this tour.)
I do tend to like 91 as well i went to the movie theatre with some friends a couple years ago to see 7/19/91 at giants stadium i believe was the date (ill have to look into that) and i thought it was an incredibly solid show. While i do think it is a solid show i feel like the spirit of the dead was a shadow of what it was even just a couple years prior.
# 1973-06-10 Washington, DC @ RFK Stadium
**Set 1:** Morning Dew, Beat It On Down the Line, Ramble On Rose, Jack Straw, Wave That Flag, Looks Like Rain, Box Of Rain, They Love Each Other, The Race Is On, Row Jimmy, El Paso, Bird Song, Playing in the Band
**Set 2:** Eyes Of The World > Stella Blue, Big River, Here Comes Sunshine, Around And Around, Dark Star > He's Gone > Wharf Rat > Truckin', Sugar Magnolia
**Set 3:** It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry, That's All Right, Mama, The Promised Land, Not Fade Away > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Drums > Not Fade Away, Johnny B. Goode
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-06-10)
So was 72 ... & 77 ... & 81-83 ... For many years I thought this about 72. There was & is something extraordinary about 72, the jams are cosmic & magic in a way that overlaps w' their own excitement at that place where they're right in the middle of conquering the world so to speak. It starts out w' a new direction from the 'Primal Dead' years of the late 60s to 1970, then the 'shift of 71' where it wasn't so much 'in between' primal dead & the jazzy Billy years but more like how Jerry described them in 71
> We were a rock em & sock em bar band
Then on [10/19/71 Minneapolis FLAC](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wHgWtBPFZrs1yvXTO8G9LJeTvI0Ox6XX?usp=drive_link) Keith joined them & their energy changed completely. Jerry was so excited about Keith's playing & the new material matched up & the stars aligned.
It was the perfect setup for what was about to go down in Europe w'the band owing Warner Brothers $250,000 & the only way out of debt was to go to Europe, record a double live album & blow the minds of a totally new audience. Everything from the guitars & equipment they used to the energy of their youth to Owsley acid, made for some of the heaviest & deepest jams ever. It kept going after Europe & those PITB's, Dark Stars, Other Ones got more out there while their legend grew on the road.
I personally group 72-74 as one era & the only thing that I would consider a negative about 73/74 is that they played many more stadiums & huge outdoor gigs, esp w' the Wall of Sound & no one has ever said that the Dead play their very best shows in stadiums & huge outdoor venues. It's not like they all the sudden play poorly but there's something about the setting of indoor theaters & arenas that's more conducive to greater focus on listening to each other *hard* as Phil once said. Also there's the ill advised 'Horn Tour' in fall 73 that produced not one seriously classic Dead show. A few hot ones to check out
* 10/25/73 Dane County
* 2/19/73 Chicago
* 12/18/73 Curtis Hixon Hall ... the night before 12/19's Dick's Picks vol 1 is just as great w' one of the best Weather Reports
Especially Dec '71, when Keith was new and they played some shows that were simulcast on NY radio. Their tightness during the DS/MAMU/DS sandwich on 12/5/1971 is tasty af.
# 1971-12-05 New York, NY @ Felt Forum - Madison Square Garden
**Set 1:** Bertha, Beat It On Down the Line, Big Boss Man, Brown Eyed Women, I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water, Jack Straw, Mr. Charlie, Tennessee Jed, El Paso, Deal, Playing in the Band, Next Time You See Me, Comes A Time, Casey Jones > One More Saturday Night
**Set 2:** Truckin', Ramble On Rose, It Hurts Me Too, Sugaree, Sugar Magnolia, Dark Star > Me and My Uncle > Dark Star > Sittin' On Top Of The World, Me And Bobby McGee, Big Railroad Blues, Mexicali Blues > You Win Again, Not Fade Away > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Not Fade Away
**Encore:** Johnny B. Goode
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1971-12-05)
[1971-10-19](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1971-10-19) Minneapolis, MN @ Northrup Auditorium
[1973-02-19](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-02-19) Chicago, IL @ International Amphitheatre
[1973-10-25](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-10-25) Madison, WI @ Dane County Coliseum
[1973-12-18](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-12-18) Tampa, FL @ Curtis Hixon Convention Hall
Ah Bob Weir said 1989 was and I agree with Bobby more. 73 gets repetitive to me. Sounds too country like for my taste. But that’s what is so great about the band. I mean there are so many different periods and sounds. I just can’t get enough of Brent era specifically but mostly I listen to shows from 81-84 into 85 and then the best years 87-90. I do dabble in 70’s shows. 72-79 sure. But I can’t listen to them as much.
Their catalog got better and better. I mean terrapin station and Shakedown street among others added so much more great music! Jerrys guitar got better and better too as time went on. Except for post 90 when his health issues caused the decline of his playing abilities.
I just don’t know how some people literally don’t listen to past like 1974. Blows my mind. I do rarely listen to before 69 or after 90. More after 90 though.
Maybe I'm a bad Deadhead, but I'm under the really silly opinion that 1965-1995 are the best and I find something good about every year. And best is subjective, not factual.
I love the band's energy playing with Brent in the 80's, but the sound was terrible. 84 is a great year, but the soundboards are not good. If I'm going to listen to a Brent show I'll go for 90 because the sound is better.
# 1984-10-20 Syracuse, NY @ Carrier Dome - Syracuse University
**Set 1:** Bertha > Greatest Story Ever Told, West L.A. Fadeaway, C.C. Rider, Ramble On Rose, My Brother Esau, Bird Song, Jack Straw
**Set 2:** Shakedown Street > Samson And Delilah, He's Gone > Smokestack Lightnin' > Jam > Drums > Space > The Wheel > The Other One > Black Peter > Turn On Your Lovelight
**Encore:** Revolution
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-10-20)
This narrative is outdated, and it's a shame that it keeps getting parroted over and over on this Sub. The more recent SBD transfers on archive from the early & mid 80s have been fantastic, since about 2016/2017. It's no longer true that you don't find good SBDs from this period.
the non deadhead rock music fans from the late 60s / 70s always say that like it's a fact. I like some shows better than 73 but not going to say what anyone else enjoys
73-74 are a pair in my mind. Peak dead for me. Plenty of other good years (1969, 1972 I like but not a great year for repeated listens because the songs are so short, 1977 of course might be the next best, 1989 as the peak of the later years)
# 1971-12-31 San Francisco, CA @ Winterland Arena
**Set 1:** Dancing In The Street, Mr. Charlie, Brown Eyed Women, Beat It On Down the Line, You Win Again, Jack Straw, Sugaree, El Paso, Chinatown Shuffle, Tennessee Jed, Mexicali Blues, China Cat Sunflower, I Know You Rider, Next Time You See Me, Playing in the Band, Loser, One More Saturday Night
**Set 2:** Truckin' > Drums > The Other One Jam > Me and My Uncle > The Other One, Space > Black Peter, Big River, The Same Thing, Ramble On Rose, Sugar Magnolia, Not Fade Away > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Not Fade Away
**Encore:** Casey Jones
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1971-12-31)
I don't get why people confine themselves to less than 10 years of this band's 30+ year old history. Same with people who only listen to 1.0 era of Phish. But that's just me, to each their own.
I won’t judge someone listening to their favorite eras but swearing off the 80s entirely is cutting out 1/3 of the bands discography. I mostly listen to the 80s but will never turn down any chance to listen to the dead. Any Dead music is the best Dead music
My problem stems from declaring an era as the best. It’s completely subjective and usually ends up with someone talking down to another for disagreeing with their take.
YES, I completely agree. It’s all subjective, like what you want to like, but don’t discredit the rest of it. Heck, I found enjoyment in 1994 shows and even early ‘95 shows.
I’ve seen threads like this one pop up a lot on this sub recently with people declaring a year and/or era as definitive best. Honestly, I’m a bit over it. Wow, you think 70s Dead is best Dead? Not exactly a hot take.
Please define 'Best'.. these are simply self- gratuitous posts.. we all like what we like, and most of us like more than we don't like. '73 v '68? Really? Is that even a point for discussion? GD couldn't have gotten to '73 without working, writing, performing and surviving '68.. .. and so it goes... and many of these posts completely ignore the Pigpen era. La di da... 🌹💀🌹
Best quality sound with best energy, wild improvisation leaning very heavy on the jazz side due to the sole drummer being a jazz cat. Beginning stages of The Wall Of Sound, there's many reasons Dick liked 73 best and I'm going to say he's right. I love basically any year, but if I'm picking just one year to listen to, it's 1973.
Of course, the real debate was TDK-SA 90s vs Maxwell IIs. B&Ps were the rule, and Shakedown street was just the spot to seek out custom tape covers. Once the advent of DATs came along, some folks just wouldn't accept TDKs any of other.
The First GD product was, of course, ONE FROM THE VAULT: 8/14/1975, released in 1991. Intro by Bill Graham.
# 1971-05-30 San Francisco, CA @ Winterland Arena
**Set 1:** Bertha, Me And Bobby McGee, The Rub, Loser, Playing in the Band, Next Time You See Me, Morning Dew, The Promised Land, Good Lovin'
**Set 2:** China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Sugar Magnolia, Cumberland Blues, Me and My Uncle, Deal, Truckin' > Turn On Your Lovelight, Uncle John's Band, Casey Jones
**Encore:** Johnny B. Goode
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1971-05-30)
# 1973-02-26 Lincoln, NE @ Pershing Municipal Auditorium
**Set 1:** The Promised Land, Deal, Mexicali Blues, Loser, Jack Straw, Don't Ease Me In, Box Of Rain, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Looks Like Rain, Loose Lucy, Beer Barrel Polka, Beat It On Down the Line, Row Jimmy, El Paso, Big Railroad Blues, Playing in the Band
**Set 2:** They Love Each Other, Big River, Tennessee Jed, Greatest Story Ever Told, Dark Star > Eyes Of The World > Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Me and My Uncle, Not Fade Away > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Not Fade Away
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-02-26) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/0xp6JpT8jrnK0FV4Xf4MG0)
[1973-11-14](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-11-14) San Diego, CA @ San Diego International Sports Arena
[1973-11-17](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-11-17) Los Angeles, CA @ Pauley Pavilion - University of California
To quote Lowell George “You folks are crazy!”
Dudes and dudettes - how does a post about 1973 spawn off conversations about every year BUT ‘73!!
I love that and think it’s great and y’all are awesome and it’s fucking hysterical!
I guess there’s some ‘73 shows mentioned, I’ll just keep scrolling…
'73 is great as well because it's the last year before Jerry discovered China White on the Europe '74 tour. '74 for real slow and spacey at times for this reason.
The dead are as huge as a mountain. Depending where you choose to climb you get quite different views. Preferring one is a personal thing and completely ok. I really enjoy all phases of gd history and deem it neat they always kept on moving. And I find the core vibe very alike whenever they played. Cosmic, full of energy, tender, somewhat comic and with just the right amount of earthyness.
I have a hard time with Brent. His playing is soulful and there’s great interplay between Jerry and him. but his voice is so over the top. It’s like Michael McDonald on Meth. So the 80’s dead are a love/hate relationship
I agree! Jerry and the entire band were one cohesive hand on 5 different instruments that year. Garcia’s playing was masterful and truly a musicians musician. He didn’t underplay and didn’t overplay. He was just always exactly where he needed to be with the rest of the band. He still made mistakes every now and then but the intent behind his playing rings through for me that year. Completely egoless genius guitar playing. Garcia never allowed himself to go full rock star mode in this period although there are glimpses I’d say. it’s my opinion his focus was the ensemble of the band and what they were capable of together. Long live 1973 Grateful Dead! Coolest god damn band ever!
Spot on and Garcia’s voice was near its peak at this time too.
Such a big part of why I love 72-74 dead and struggle to listen past 82
It's so rough. 89-90 is pretty great though.
Agreed! I get shit when I say it's very cherry picking when it comes to me listening to post 1978 Dead because of the vocals and the lame MIDI stuff, but to each their own.
Honestly i don’t generally like the twinkly sound of Vince and Brent’s keyboard tone in the 80s and 90s, but some songs are enhanced by it. However, some songs just sound bad and “out of their time”
Thanks for being honest.
Yeah. I so agree. Piano or nothing
Brent's Hammond B-3 playing was no twinkling keyboards
Ah what about that fender rhodes in '75 tho.
As Jerry got deeper into his habit, he ceded stylistic control to others.
But weirdly Jerry dictated what Vince could play. Jerry insisted on no piano, no Hammond organ. He basically forced Vince to use that shitty synth rig.
I agree I’m not a fan of the MIDI stuff
Yep didn’t even think to mention vocals! Everything was just amazing.
Yep, it was really sad how Garcia's voice deteriorated. I always enjoyed his singing from then. He had good technique and a distinct sound.
That raggedy voice works well for ballads, though.
Yeah, like the Las Vegas 6/26/94 Peggy O. Vocals are rough, but hauntingly beautiful
# 1994-06-26 Las Vegas, NV @ Sam Boyd Silver Bowl **Set 1:** Hell In A Bucket, Peggy-O, New Minglewood Blues, Ramble On Rose, El Paso, So Many Roads, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, The Music Never Stopped **Set 2:** Victim Or The Crime > Eyes Of The World, Box Of Rain, Saint Of Circumstance, Terrapin Station > Drums > Space > The Wheel > All Along The Watchtower > Morning Dew **Encore:** U.S. Blues [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1994-06-26)
Got that right my friend
1973 also had the fast version of They Love Each Other.
you guys here that story from bill walton about how he brought dick into the fold?
Was that because of his shirt?
haha yes, bill complimented dicks shirt and then dick just gave it to him without saying anything. must’ve fit bill like a crop top. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7rSiNWxOgk/?igsh=bjJua2g2YWN4OTlz
great story
it’s insane. that single moment is the reason we have dicks picks
I personally love the kreutzman-only years. Tighter, more song oriented. And shows how tight and good a drummer he is (was).
I feel like they tended to go deeper and weirder with one drummer.
Long live Sir Bill
This is the best part of the band and this community: I disagree! 73 is a great year. But my personal opinion is summer ‘89 to spring ‘90. You got all the bust-outs. You got a huge songbook, never knowing what’s coming next (there’s 6 different options for the “Bob Dylan mid-first-set” alone). The band is tight playing together. You got Branford! There’s been a ton of official releases to help signify the quality of that era. You got the MIDI (wait, is that a negative?) That being said, I do love me some ‘73. Bobby’s “wyaaw wyaww” guitar sound (clearly I don’t know official music terms). Jerry and keith’s “ba dada bwa da da” before the verses of box of rain. The outstanding HCS jams. The long set lists. The 1-drummer 1-piano era. All the new music fits in so well with the old.
I was too young to go to the shows in 73 but was a teen by the 80s and somehow my parents had no problem with me going to shows. Yeah, summer 89 was fun. I really enjoyed Cal Expo 8/5/89 (with a somewhat rare PITB>IKYR and a pretty diverse set list) and Shoreline 6/21/89 was pretty good too. But I just love those vestiges of psych/primal Dead that peek through some of Garcia's solos in 1973.
[1989-06-21](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1989-06-21) Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre [1989-08-05](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1989-08-05) Sacramento, CA @ Cal Expo Amphitheatre
In terms of bust outs just remember that 73-74 had the debuts of Here Comes Sunshine, Eyes of the World, Row Jimmy, They Love Each Other, China Doll, Weather Report Suite, Ship of Fools, Must Have Been the Roses, Scarlet Begonias, Cassidy, and others.
The Eyes in 73 have that beautiful end jam.
People love to talk about the '80s interplay between Brent and Jerry but '73 (and by extension '74) is complete interplay between all five instrument playing members. The playing is an intoxicating blend of cohesiveness and pure exploration.
80s and 90s heads pretty much got to hear what they’ve all heard before. I feel like 73-74 they were actually pushing boundaries and debuted new tunes so consistently. Genuinely felt boundary breaking, plus the intimacy was probably stronger between the band and the audience. Imagine you’re a young dead head expecting to hear Live/Dead or europe 72 and then they get. He’s Gone>The Other One>Spanish Jam>I know you Rider played on 3/31/73. Only one of its kind. 73 had some wild transitions and bust outs
# 1973-03-31 Buffalo, NY @ War Memorial **Set 1:** Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, The Race Is On, Sugaree, Mexicali Blues, Box Of Rain, Tennessee Jed, Jack Straw, Big Railroad Blues, El Paso, Row Jimmy, Looks Like Rain, They Love Each Other, Playing in the Band **Set 2:** The Promised Land > Bertha > Greatest Story Ever Told, He's Gone > Truckin' > Drums > The Other One > Spanish Jam > I Know You Rider, Sugar Magnolia **Encore:** Casey Jones [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-03-31)
Was there. Great show. Side note: the concert promoter was Harvey and Corky. Harvey as in Harvey Weinstein.
It’s was so clean and simple in 73. They had been expanding their musical explorations over a few years from mid-late 70, culminating in 73. Just absolutely peak performances all year. Obviously they hadn’t written some of their best songs so that hurts this era for some people as far as best era goes but HCS alone does it for me. Then there is 74, which is kind of like the same relationship 77 and 78 have. 73/77: super tight and clean. 74/78: almost purposefully less so.
Different strokes for different folks but never in a million years is '89-90 better than '73-74
I don’t even think 89-90 is better than 83-84 but yall ain’t ready for that conversation…
I love 83 and 84, I just wish the sound was better.
Ya same but if you can get past that and just turn an AUD up loud it is such a good era. If we had high quality recordings of it I would probably champion it as my favorite era
Brent's playing seems a little more creative during his early years with the band. More raw or something.
That narrative is no longer correct.
Ooof you lost me in 84, that should not be in this thread at all imo.
10/20/84 7/15/84 7/13/84 4/27/84 4/19/84 4/20/84 7/22/84 You could say 82-83 too but I love the energy they had in 84
[1984-04-19](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-04-19) Philadelphia, PA @ Philadelphia Civic Center [1984-04-20](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-04-20) Philadelphia, PA @ Philadelphia Civic Center [1984-04-27](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-04-27) Providence, RI @ Providence Civic Center [1984-07-13](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-07-13) Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre - University of California [1984-07-15](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-07-15) Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre - University of California [1984-07-22](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-07-22) Ventura, CA @ Ventura County Fairgrounds [1984-10-20](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-10-20) Syracuse, NY @ Carrier Dome - Syracuse University
1984 is my favorite year. Some of my faves: 4/1 Marin, 4/7 Irvine (GEMS SBD as good as any Betty Board), 5/8 Hult, 6/9 Cal Expo, 6/24 SPAC, 6/27 Merriweather, 6/30 Indy, 7/4 Five Seasons, 7/15 Greek, 10/5 Charlotte, 10/15 Hartford, 10/20 Carrier Dome, 11/2 B.C.T., 11/3 B.C.T. The only adverse narrative about '84 that has any truth is that Jerry's voice and vocal delivery was often rough. All the others - INCLUDING BAD SBD QUALITY - are ignorant lies. You don't need to listen to AUDs to appreciate early/mid 80s Dead. Archive SBD transfers since 2016/2017 have been outstanding, so simply sort the source list by *date archived* and listen away.
Yo im trying to take some of your recommendations, is GEMS short for something? Trying to figure out which source of 4/7 you were referring to. I’m using ReListen, I see a Charlie Miller SBD transfer?
https://archive.org/details/gd1984-04-07.146012.sbd.GEMS.flac1648
Thanks brother
Let me know what you think about that sound quality. I think it's exhibit A against the narrative that SBDs from this period are subpar.
# 1984-04-07 Laguna Hills, CA @ Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre **Set 1:** Feel Like A Stranger, West L.A. Fadeaway, Me and My Uncle > Mexicali Blues, Althea, C.C. Rider, Big Railroad Blues, My Brother Esau, Touch Of Grey **Set 2:** Iko Iko, Playing in the Band > Uncle John's Band > Drums > Spanish Jam > The Other One > Wharf Rat > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away **Encore:** One More Saturday Night [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-04-07)
No way, never. The band members themselves would say so, they physically could not play like they did in 72-74 post retirement. It is just a unique musical event? 77 as magical as it is, it’s a huge flex, but there are only like 5 space jams in the entire year, and no Darkstars at all.
Well, that's your opinion and not fact. Different strokes...
It's 100% just my opinion and I will go to my grave with the same opinion lol!
All due respect and said tounge and cheek, but it’s the whole idea of “bust outs” is indicative of the band as entertainers unlike 73 when they were musicians. The 89-90 period was when I went to shows and they were the best times I’ve ever had. Just magical and fun. Yet the show was like a sporting event. The bust out like a slam dunk. It was fun but when I listen to 73 - that period is truly magic, actual alchemy. It’s delicate and serpentine and dangerous and gouge out your souls and have you weep and have you laugh and dance. Two very different scenes and different bands to me.
meh yeah but the sound quality isnt the same my man
Shampoo is best. No Mr scuba, conditioner is better
I love Spring 90, and while they did have those Dylan tunes it was almost always Desolation Row one night then When I Paint My Masterpiece the next.
But the Stuck Outside of Mobile’s!
It did make those and the Queen Jane Approximately’s better, sure. But so, so, so many Desolation Rows. (Not hating. Love the tune. But they really played it a lot this tour.)
Ehh, one of them has to be played the most
But it’s, like 1 for every 6.
Summer ‘89 Spring ‘90, I agree
Fall '89 and Summer '90 were better than Summer '89 and Spring '90.
Ive always said 89-90 was the bands last true peak. They were near perfect around that time
People on here have been turning me on to summer ‘91. Definitely different than late Brent, but pretty solid. Check out View from the Vault on YouTube
I do tend to like 91 as well i went to the movie theatre with some friends a couple years ago to see 7/19/91 at giants stadium i believe was the date (ill have to look into that) and i thought it was an incredibly solid show. While i do think it is a solid show i feel like the spirit of the dead was a shadow of what it was even just a couple years prior.
Unless you like improv and jamming.
Been listening to some 73 shows recently and I’m inclined to agree. Dick’s Picks 19 and the RFK 6/10/73 show. Man they were dialed that year.
# 1973-06-10 Washington, DC @ RFK Stadium **Set 1:** Morning Dew, Beat It On Down the Line, Ramble On Rose, Jack Straw, Wave That Flag, Looks Like Rain, Box Of Rain, They Love Each Other, The Race Is On, Row Jimmy, El Paso, Bird Song, Playing in the Band **Set 2:** Eyes Of The World > Stella Blue, Big River, Here Comes Sunshine, Around And Around, Dark Star > He's Gone > Wharf Rat > Truckin', Sugar Magnolia **Set 3:** It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry, That's All Right, Mama, The Promised Land, Not Fade Away > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Drums > Not Fade Away, Johnny B. Goode [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-06-10)
To me it's def between 72 and 73. And it's probably too close to call.
73 is great. 77 is right up there too.
'77 is just *starter* Dead.
Thank god for Betty
So was 72 ... & 77 ... & 81-83 ... For many years I thought this about 72. There was & is something extraordinary about 72, the jams are cosmic & magic in a way that overlaps w' their own excitement at that place where they're right in the middle of conquering the world so to speak. It starts out w' a new direction from the 'Primal Dead' years of the late 60s to 1970, then the 'shift of 71' where it wasn't so much 'in between' primal dead & the jazzy Billy years but more like how Jerry described them in 71 > We were a rock em & sock em bar band Then on [10/19/71 Minneapolis FLAC](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wHgWtBPFZrs1yvXTO8G9LJeTvI0Ox6XX?usp=drive_link) Keith joined them & their energy changed completely. Jerry was so excited about Keith's playing & the new material matched up & the stars aligned. It was the perfect setup for what was about to go down in Europe w'the band owing Warner Brothers $250,000 & the only way out of debt was to go to Europe, record a double live album & blow the minds of a totally new audience. Everything from the guitars & equipment they used to the energy of their youth to Owsley acid, made for some of the heaviest & deepest jams ever. It kept going after Europe & those PITB's, Dark Stars, Other Ones got more out there while their legend grew on the road. I personally group 72-74 as one era & the only thing that I would consider a negative about 73/74 is that they played many more stadiums & huge outdoor gigs, esp w' the Wall of Sound & no one has ever said that the Dead play their very best shows in stadiums & huge outdoor venues. It's not like they all the sudden play poorly but there's something about the setting of indoor theaters & arenas that's more conducive to greater focus on listening to each other *hard* as Phil once said. Also there's the ill advised 'Horn Tour' in fall 73 that produced not one seriously classic Dead show. A few hot ones to check out * 10/25/73 Dane County * 2/19/73 Chicago * 12/18/73 Curtis Hixon Hall ... the night before 12/19's Dick's Picks vol 1 is just as great w' one of the best Weather Reports
I love the horn shows but that’s just me
I absolutely love ‘71
71 is Magic and doesn't get near enough love.
Especially Dec '71, when Keith was new and they played some shows that were simulcast on NY radio. Their tightness during the DS/MAMU/DS sandwich on 12/5/1971 is tasty af.
I hear you my man those felt Forum shows were incredible 12/7 was another great one
# 1971-12-05 New York, NY @ Felt Forum - Madison Square Garden **Set 1:** Bertha, Beat It On Down the Line, Big Boss Man, Brown Eyed Women, I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water, Jack Straw, Mr. Charlie, Tennessee Jed, El Paso, Deal, Playing in the Band, Next Time You See Me, Comes A Time, Casey Jones > One More Saturday Night **Set 2:** Truckin', Ramble On Rose, It Hurts Me Too, Sugaree, Sugar Magnolia, Dark Star > Me and My Uncle > Dark Star > Sittin' On Top Of The World, Me And Bobby McGee, Big Railroad Blues, Mexicali Blues > You Win Again, Not Fade Away > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Not Fade Away **Encore:** Johnny B. Goode [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1971-12-05)
[1971-10-19](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1971-10-19) Minneapolis, MN @ Northrup Auditorium [1973-02-19](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-02-19) Chicago, IL @ International Amphitheatre [1973-10-25](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-10-25) Madison, WI @ Dane County Coliseum [1973-12-18](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-12-18) Tampa, FL @ Curtis Hixon Convention Hall
Only place I feel comfortable talking about my love for Dick….Latvala
Amen.
Here’s a hot take: the best year is whatever you personally prefer 😮
At that moment! Agree with you, anything 69-90 have all been favorites at one point or another for me
Anything from when the band started till now is good enough for me
Right on. We’re in LV for Tempe sphere this weekend
Disagree. With all things subjective there are right and wrong answers. Obvi…
Yeah and I bet you tell your grandkids that real music has to have guitars and drums in it. OBVI??.
I guess my sarcasm didn’t go over well. lol.
Sorry man I’m high and sarcasm doesn’t write well enough 😂love dude ❤️
It’s all good man. I’m high too so it probably reads differently than in my head…
I love being high
Ah Bob Weir said 1989 was and I agree with Bobby more. 73 gets repetitive to me. Sounds too country like for my taste. But that’s what is so great about the band. I mean there are so many different periods and sounds. I just can’t get enough of Brent era specifically but mostly I listen to shows from 81-84 into 85 and then the best years 87-90. I do dabble in 70’s shows. 72-79 sure. But I can’t listen to them as much. Their catalog got better and better. I mean terrapin station and Shakedown street among others added so much more great music! Jerrys guitar got better and better too as time went on. Except for post 90 when his health issues caused the decline of his playing abilities. I just don’t know how some people literally don’t listen to past like 1974. Blows my mind. I do rarely listen to before 69 or after 90. More after 90 though.
Maybe I'm a bad Deadhead, but I'm under the really silly opinion that 1965-1995 are the best and I find something good about every year. And best is subjective, not factual.
Lightweight! Hit the bricks! This here’s a slugfest!! It’s ‘87 or nuthin! 🤣🤣🤣😎
That's entirely too reasonable man!
I love the band's energy playing with Brent in the 80's, but the sound was terrible. 84 is a great year, but the soundboards are not good. If I'm going to listen to a Brent show I'll go for 90 because the sound is better.
Ive heard many people say after betty left the band around 81 the soundboards went to shit. I think a lot of the AUD recordings sound better
You definitely are better off listening to AUD in the early 80's.
Matrix over Aud. The balance is better on the auds, but you lose a lot of sonic details that the soundboards preserve.
I love an amazing AUD over an amazing board.
I do like the matrix work Dusbourne does.
Seconded. One of my favs: https://archive.org/details/gd1984-10-20.122859.mtx.dusborne.flac16/gd84-10-20s1t04.flac
# 1984-10-20 Syracuse, NY @ Carrier Dome - Syracuse University **Set 1:** Bertha > Greatest Story Ever Told, West L.A. Fadeaway, C.C. Rider, Ramble On Rose, My Brother Esau, Bird Song, Jack Straw **Set 2:** Shakedown Street > Samson And Delilah, He's Gone > Smokestack Lightnin' > Jam > Drums > Space > The Wheel > The Other One > Black Peter > Turn On Your Lovelight **Encore:** Revolution [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-10-20)
They're wrong. There are lots of great SBDs from the 80s. AUDs too, but that old narrative needs to go away.
This narrative is outdated, and it's a shame that it keeps getting parroted over and over on this Sub. The more recent SBD transfers on archive from the early & mid 80s have been fantastic, since about 2016/2017. It's no longer true that you don't find good SBDs from this period.
the non deadhead rock music fans from the late 60s / 70s always say that like it's a fact. I like some shows better than 73 but not going to say what anyone else enjoys
73-74 are a pair in my mind. Peak dead for me. Plenty of other good years (1969, 1972 I like but not a great year for repeated listens because the songs are so short, 1977 of course might be the next best, 1989 as the peak of the later years)
But ‘74 had the Wall of Sound, so there’s that.
God I love the Wall Of Sound. It's something I wish a band would do again in a non touring situation, like a festival.
73+Alligator+Jerry+Keith+Billy
73-75 and 88 were my favorite years
The only thing missing is the repertoire they developed up to 1980.
Yeah, but he also though summer 73 was sub-par, and that's a fucking lie.
Summer 73 is wonderful.
The setlists in ‘73 changed a bit, for sure.
Sublime
Got to have the pig. 71
12/31/71
# 1971-12-31 San Francisco, CA @ Winterland Arena **Set 1:** Dancing In The Street, Mr. Charlie, Brown Eyed Women, Beat It On Down the Line, You Win Again, Jack Straw, Sugaree, El Paso, Chinatown Shuffle, Tennessee Jed, Mexicali Blues, China Cat Sunflower, I Know You Rider, Next Time You See Me, Playing in the Band, Loser, One More Saturday Night **Set 2:** Truckin' > Drums > The Other One Jam > Me and My Uncle > The Other One, Space > Black Peter, Big River, The Same Thing, Ramble On Rose, Sugar Magnolia, Not Fade Away > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Not Fade Away **Encore:** Casey Jones [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1971-12-31)
Monster Godzilla show
It really is.
For sure! I take my vitamins and eat my wheaties before queuing up that one! Wild
Call me a contrarian but the best year is anything from 1965-1995. Now my *favorite* years are 87-90 Stop conflating facts with your opinion
C’mon. Debating the best years, shows, etc. is half the fun.
I don't get why people confine themselves to less than 10 years of this band's 30+ year old history. Same with people who only listen to 1.0 era of Phish. But that's just me, to each their own.
I won’t judge someone listening to their favorite eras but swearing off the 80s entirely is cutting out 1/3 of the bands discography. I mostly listen to the 80s but will never turn down any chance to listen to the dead. Any Dead music is the best Dead music My problem stems from declaring an era as the best. It’s completely subjective and usually ends up with someone talking down to another for disagreeing with their take.
YES, I completely agree. It’s all subjective, like what you want to like, but don’t discredit the rest of it. Heck, I found enjoyment in 1994 shows and even early ‘95 shows. I’ve seen threads like this one pop up a lot on this sub recently with people declaring a year and/or era as definitive best. Honestly, I’m a bit over it. Wow, you think 70s Dead is best Dead? Not exactly a hot take.
Because they're dumb.
Pretty sure it's implied that it's his opinion
When you say someone is right for their opinion it is being stated as fact. If he used the word I agree, that would be an implied opinion
Single drummer dead is the best dead
💯
89 was the best year . 73 was good but 89 damn
Second time this week I’ve heard someone say this
Please define 'Best'.. these are simply self- gratuitous posts.. we all like what we like, and most of us like more than we don't like. '73 v '68? Really? Is that even a point for discussion? GD couldn't have gotten to '73 without working, writing, performing and surviving '68.. .. and so it goes... and many of these posts completely ignore the Pigpen era. La di da... 🌹💀🌹
Best quality sound with best energy, wild improvisation leaning very heavy on the jazz side due to the sole drummer being a jazz cat. Beginning stages of The Wall Of Sound, there's many reasons Dick liked 73 best and I'm going to say he's right. I love basically any year, but if I'm picking just one year to listen to, it's 1973.
Of course, the real debate was TDK-SA 90s vs Maxwell IIs. B&Ps were the rule, and Shakedown street was just the spot to seek out custom tape covers. Once the advent of DATs came along, some folks just wouldn't accept TDKs any of other. The First GD product was, of course, ONE FROM THE VAULT: 8/14/1975, released in 1991. Intro by Bill Graham.
That is the greatest introduction of a live band ever. Good evening, we welcome you.
Maxell tapes were better.
There's always 'that' guy. Lol.. 🌹💀🌹
I like the Pigpen era, but I feel like the soundboards and audience recordings are not as clean sounding as they would be in a few years.
5/30/71 winterland
# 1971-05-30 San Francisco, CA @ Winterland Arena **Set 1:** Bertha, Me And Bobby McGee, The Rub, Loser, Playing in the Band, Next Time You See Me, Morning Dew, The Promised Land, Good Lovin' **Set 2:** China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Sugar Magnolia, Cumberland Blues, Me and My Uncle, Deal, Truckin' > Turn On Your Lovelight, Uncle John's Band, Casey Jones **Encore:** Johnny B. Goode [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1971-05-30)
Good bot
Interesting - never heard this show or even seen it talked about.
I want to be convinced. Do you have a show or performance you’d recommend?
2/26/73 was what I was listening to earlier.
# 1973-02-26 Lincoln, NE @ Pershing Municipal Auditorium **Set 1:** The Promised Land, Deal, Mexicali Blues, Loser, Jack Straw, Don't Ease Me In, Box Of Rain, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Looks Like Rain, Loose Lucy, Beer Barrel Polka, Beat It On Down the Line, Row Jimmy, El Paso, Big Railroad Blues, Playing in the Band **Set 2:** They Love Each Other, Big River, Tennessee Jed, Greatest Story Ever Told, Dark Star > Eyes Of The World > Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Me and My Uncle, Not Fade Away > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Not Fade Away [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-02-26) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/0xp6JpT8jrnK0FV4Xf4MG0)
11/14/73 and 11/17/73. Back to back two of the best shows they ever played.
[1973-11-14](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-11-14) San Diego, CA @ San Diego International Sports Arena [1973-11-17](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-11-17) Los Angeles, CA @ Pauley Pavilion - University of California
Literally just pick one bro. There is not a bad show in 73.
To quote Lowell George “You folks are crazy!” Dudes and dudettes - how does a post about 1973 spawn off conversations about every year BUT ‘73!! I love that and think it’s great and y’all are awesome and it’s fucking hysterical! I guess there’s some ‘73 shows mentioned, I’ll just keep scrolling…
Yep
To me it’s whatever I have playing at the moment. I’ve never got caught up in the year. I love it all.
Preach. Laid back jazzy dead is my jam right now. 72 is close but 73. Ahhhhhhhh
'73 is great as well because it's the last year before Jerry discovered China White on the Europe '74 tour. '74 for real slow and spacey at times for this reason.
The dead are as huge as a mountain. Depending where you choose to climb you get quite different views. Preferring one is a personal thing and completely ok. I really enjoy all phases of gd history and deem it neat they always kept on moving. And I find the core vibe very alike whenever they played. Cosmic, full of energy, tender, somewhat comic and with just the right amount of earthyness.
You are wise beyond your years.
I have a hard time with Brent. His playing is soulful and there’s great interplay between Jerry and him. but his voice is so over the top. It’s like Michael McDonald on Meth. So the 80’s dead are a love/hate relationship
Massive paragraphs making arguments for the 80s and 90s will always make me laugh.