December 1, 2023

The Origins of I Know You Rider 1930-1965


In the hot August days of 1933, John Lomax arrived at the sprawling camps of the notorious Mississippi prison Parchman Farm. He brought with him his 18-year-old son Alan and a new 315-pound battery-run acetate disc recorder in the trunk of his Ford. He was on a mission from the Library of Congress to record the folk songs of blacks in the south, and was touring the prison farms of several states, considering them an excellent place to find old songs that were “the least contaminated by white influence or by modern Negro jazz.”  

As Lomax put it, “Our purpose was to find the Negro who had had the least contact with jazz, the radio, and with the white man… In the prison farm camps, the conditions were practically ideal… The Negro prisoners were segregated…with no social or other contacts with the whites… They still sang the songs they had brought into confinement, and these songs had been entirely in the keeping of the black man,” without white influence. 

(You can also hear him explain his purpose in his own words in this 1933 interview – with some commentary on it here.)

Over the course of three days, the Lomaxes set to work recording a number of songs from the prisoners in Parchman. They weren’t looking for blues songs in particular; most of their attention was focused on the work songs, field hollers, badman ballads, and folk tunes sung by men with colorful nicknames like Bootmouth, Bowlegs, Double Head, Lifetime, Scrap Iron, Tappin’ Head, and Tight Eye. But on August 9, they ventured into the sewing room in the women’s camp and recorded a few of the religious songs sung by the group of women, and a couple of blues songs from individual singers. (None of the women were identified in their notes.)


One of the songs was called “Prison Rider Blues,” four verses long and ending with a familiar verse:

“Oh rider rider rider, rider where have you been so long?  x2
Yeah I ain't had no lovin' baby, rider since you been gone

I'm-a wake up in the mornin' baby 'n I ain't gon' say a word  x2
I'm-a eat my breakfast baby over in sweet ol' Hattiesburg 

Babe that big bell keeps a-ringin' and that little bell she sadly tone  x2
Yeah I'm-a lonely lonely lonely now, I'm a long way from home
 
I know you rider gon’ miss me when I’m gone  x2
You gon’ miss your little mama baby from rollin’ in your arms”
(Until recently this recording wasn't known to be related to "I Know You Rider," but it was identified by Eric Levy, Roger Phenix & Felicity Ford.)

Lomax later wrote that the singer was “an eighteen-year-old black girl in prison for murder.” The song seemed unique – was it an antique unrecorded folk blues kept alive in the prison walls? Or was the singer free-associating from familiar folk themes, making up her own lyrics? Or had she learned the song from someone else in prison who’d composed the song?

 None of these, as it turns out. She was simply singing the verses of a recent local hit record – “No Special Rider Blues,” by Little Brother Montgomery:


Montgomery’s lyrics (speculative in spots) -  
Now, rider, rider, rider, mama, where you been so long?
Now, rider, rider, brown, Lord, where you been so long?
I ain't had no lovin', mama, since you been gone
 
And I hate, hate to hear, hear the little Katy, when she blows
Lord, I hate to hear the little Katy when she blows
Puts me on a wonder, mama, makes me want to go
 
I can't see, see no train, can't hear no whistle blow
Lord, I can't see no train, neither hear no whistle blow
Now it keeps me wandering, from the wander to the door
 
Now, mama, I ain't got no plumb good rider now
Lord, I ain't got no plumb good rider now
Now, it seem like my rider, tryin' to quit me anyhow
 
Now, the big bell, the bell is ringin', and the little bell sadly tones
Lord, the big bell's ringin', the little bell, she sadly tones
Mama, and I'm lonely, lonely, lone, a long, long way from home
 
Goin' to get up, get up in the mornin', mama, and I ain't gon' say a word
Gonna get up in the mornin', Lord, I ain't gon' say a word
Gonna eat my breakfast and sling to Hattiesburg
 
Lord, I know you, gonna miss me when I'm gone
Lord, I know you, gonna miss me when I'm gone
Gonna miss your baby, from rollin' in your arms

Little Brother Montgomery was a young jazz & blues piano player based in Mississippi during the ‘30s. He later became well-regarded after moving to Chicago, but at the time he was probably little-known outside Mississippi. He primarily played in jazz bands and only had a couple of records out at that point, one of them the popular “Vicksburg Blues,” released by Paramount Records in 1930. On the other side was “No Special Rider Blues.” 

The unknown singer must have heard the record as a teenager and liked it enough to keep singing the song in prison. (The theme of loneliness and missing your lover would have carried extra weight in Parchman.) She sings four of the verses quite faithfully (the first one & last three), with just minor word changes, like adding an extra “rider” in the last verse. Ironically, Lomax probably had no idea he was recording not an ancient folk song, but a brand-new “modern Negro jazz” song. (He was sometimes blissfully unaware that the prisoners had learned some of their traditional “folk” tunes from popular records and the radio.) He was looking for “long-term prisoners who have been confined for years and who have not yet been influenced by jazz and the radio [and] still sing the distinctive old-time Negro melodies.” Yet here, by some fluke, he recorded a teenage girl singing a recent release by a jazz player that he probably could have found in the local record shops.

 “No Special Rider Blues” isn’t the most lyrically original song. The title isn’t specifically repeated in the record, though Montgomery sings it in later versions; but the phrase “I ain’t got no special rider here” is found in a couple other songs. (“Rider” in old blues songs always means “lover” or “partner,” usually of a fickle nature.) Like many blues records of the time, it was partly patched together from “floating verses” shared with other songs. For instance, the first verse comes from “Corrine, Corrina,” first recorded by Bo Carter & Charlie McCoy in 1928 (and much copied thereafter).
"Corrina Corrina, where you been so long 
There ain't been no lovin' since you been gone"
But it's also related to Frank Stokes' 1928 "How Long Blues": 
"How long, how long 
I ain't had no lovin' since my baby gone"

But the rest of the song strikes its own course, evoking other blues themes without quite quoting any recorded songs. In the last verse, “you’re gonna miss me when I’m gone” is a common enough theme in song; but the closest comparison I’ve found is in Big Bill Broonzy’s “Mistreatin’ Mamma” (1932), the second verse:
“You gonna call me some morning mama, lord and I’ll be gone
You’re gonna miss your baby from rolling in your arms”
Or there’s Frank Stokes’ “It Won’t Be Long Now” (1928), first & fourth verses:
“One of these mornings, mama and it won't be long 
'Fore you miss your good man rolling in your arms...

You’ll miss your babe from rolling in your arms
If you don’t come see me, count the days I’m gone”

Interestingly, despite the popular “Vicksburg Blues” being on the same record, “No Special Rider Blues” doesn’t seem to have inspired any covers by other blues artists. (Skip James’ 1931 “Special Rider Blues” is a totally different song.) So the song has more or less languished unnoticed in obscurity – although Chuck Leavell recorded a cover recently, he omitted the last verse! But the Lomax recording, meanwhile, was taking on a new life of its own.

Lomax didn’t release his field recordings at the time (this would remain impossible until the 1940s). Instead, he used them to compile a songbook, American Ballads & Folk Songs, printed in 1934. You might think he would simply transcribe the songs faithfully, to preserve the authentic folk traditions, but this was not his style. Instead he often reshaped them into fanciful creations of his own. As one scholar writes, “The Lomaxes were notorious for lumping fragments together and rewriting them to create unidiomatic messes.” The Jail House Bound CD liner notes admit, “As was often true of his songbooks, John Lomax altered the sequence of stanzas, changed words, or even compiled a version from several sources…[writing,] ‘We have brought together what seems the best stanzas, or even lines, from widely separated sources.’”

“Prison Rider Blues” was renamed “Woman Blue” in the book. (Not to be confused with “When a Woman Blue” in Carl Sandburg’s 1927 book American Songbag, a totally different song, though ironically a verse from that was also sung separately at Parchman.) Lomax provides a little introduction stating that he got “the tune and the first stanza of these blues” from the singer. But only the last verse she sang is actually included. It’s possible someone tipped off Lomax that her song was on a commercial record; or perhaps she sang other songs that weren’t recorded. In any case, the rest of “Woman Blue” is a lengthy farrago of random verses with no known source – some known from other blues songs, some not. 

Just as one example, this added verse –
“I knows my baby, he's boun' to love me some
He throws his arms aroun' me like a circle 'roun' de sun”
– isn’t too common, but is found in a few other songs, including Billiken Johnson’s obscure 1927 “Interurban Blues”:
“I know my baby is bound to love me some
She throws her arms around me like the circle round the sun”
One line may be most familiar from its use in the Memphis Jug Band's 1928 "Stealin'" (later covered by the Dead):
"Put your arms around me like a circle round the sun"

Bob Coltman writes: “Lomax's added-on verses seem mostly without antecedents I know of, except for "Sun's gonna shine" and a couple [others]… My guess is that the Lomaxes, who collected scads of blues verses and fragments in addition to distinct songs, put unusual or unique verses here that hadn't fit anywhere else. They commonly did this kind of assembly work in "floating verse" songs, which is how we get our canonical versions of…various field hollers and blues.”

You can find the full text of Lomax’s “Woman Blue” on the Grateful Dead Lyric & Song Finder (ten verses in all), but here I’ll just post the verses eventually picked up by the Dead: 

I know you, rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone
Gonna miss yo' li'l mama, baby, f'um rollin' in yo' arms
 
An' I laid right down and tried to take my res'
But my min' kep' ramblin' like the wil' geese in de Wes'
 
De sun gwine shine in my back do' some day
De win' gwine rise, baby, an' blow my blues away

The “sun’s gonna shine” verse can indeed be found in lots of other blues songs. That particular line seems to have floated around in various contexts - for instance, here in "Trouble in Mind," first recorded 1924: 
"Trouble in mind, I'm blue, but I won't be blue always 
The sun gonna shine in my back door someday"
Or in William Harris' 1928 "Bullfrog Blues," standing by itself in the last verse: 

But in more typical blues examples: Blind Lemon Jefferson’s 1927 “Deceitful Brownskin Blues,” fifth verse:
“Well the sun gonna shine in my back door someday
I’ll have one more drink, gonna blow these blues away”
Furry Lewis’ 1927 “Sweet Papa Moan,” third verse:
“Sun gon’ shine in my back door someday
Cause the wind gonna blow all my blues away”
Tommy Johnson’s 1928 “Maggie Campbell Blues,” second verse:
“Sun gon’ shine in my back door someday
And the wind gon’ change, gon’ blow my blues away”
Sleepy John Estes’ 1929 “Diving Duck Blues,” fifth verse:
“Now the sun’s gon’ shine in my back door someday
Now the wind gonna rise, gonna blow my blues away”
Scrapper Blackwell’s 1931 “Back Door Blues,” second verse:
“Now the sun’s gonna shine in my back door someday
I wish I had somebody to drive my blues away”
(And many more!)

The wild geese also fly through a number of blues songs – for instance, Texas Alexander’s 1928 “West Texas Blues,” third verse:
“I laid down last night, tried to take my rest
Then my mind kept ramblin’ like the wild geese in the west”
Ramblin’ Thomas’ 1928 “Ramblin’ Mind Blues”:
“Well I laid down last night, tried to take my rest
And my mind got to ramblin’ like the wild geese in the west”
The Mississippi Sheiks’ 1931 “Your Good Man Caught the Train And Gone,” fifth verse:
“I laid down last night, I tried to take my rest
My mind begin to ramble like wild geese in the west”
Skip James’ 1931 “Devil Got My Woman”:
“I laid down last night, tried to take my rest
My mind got to ramblin’ like a wild geese from the west”
(Etc, etc!) 

It was quite common for verses to float around from one blues song to another; but this usually doesn’t mean the songs are related. As Bob Coltman writes: “We ought to be wary of linking blues that are quite separate just because they happen to share a line or a verse. Just listen to…the prolific bluesmen of the 1920s and you will hear scads of verses shared and traded in and out of songs that are otherwise quite distinct -- not to mention the great blueswomen…who did the same. Blues verses were a vast pool from which singers recomposed to create individual songs… Antecedent versions of blues are not like antecedent versions of other kinds of songs. They're not like Barbara Allan or John Henry. [Most] blues were assembled on the spot out of often disconnected "floating verses" that may or may not fall into a coherent story.”

In a way, this is what Lomax did with “Woman Blue,” discarding the partial song he recorded in Parchman Farm and recasting it as more of a love song with compiled verses from here & there, toning down the existential despair. And so the song remained for over two decades, one of many lyrics in a book that was thought to document a dying tradition, the last gasp of black musical folklore. Little did Lomax guess that two decades later, young musicians in the ‘folk revival’ would be looking at his book with greater interest for obscure old songs they could sing.

Folksinger Bob Coltman remembers: "I got the song in the mid-1950s from the Lomaxes' 1934 American Ballads and Folk Songs… It's on p. 196. Apparently I was the first to pick it up and sing it, though it had lain around unnoticed in that well-known collection for twenty years… The Lomax headnote says "An eighteen-year-old black girl, in prison for murder, sang the tune and the first stanza of these blues." The Lomaxes added a number of "floating verses" from other, uncredited sources, and named it "Woman Blue."

So I resurrected and debuted the song. I followed the tune given in Lomax, roughly but not exactly, changed the song from a woman's to a man's viewpoint, dropped two verses, and was its first arranger, voice and guitar in a heavy drag downbeat, sort of an early folk-rock sound.

I sang it a lot in folk circles around Philadelphia, in concerts, around Boston…[and] around New York State and New England circa 1957-60. I also sang it in the west, in Wyoming…and on the West Coast, especially in San Francisco and Los Angeles, late summer-early fall '59. Then I went in the Army (sorta like prison) and everything went on hold.

Tossi Aaron learned the song from me in Philadelphia around 1959. She sang it on her Prestige LP. The song traveled around for years among a few East and West Coast folksingers but was not sung by very many people (most white kids took a while to crash the blues).”

Coltman never recorded his version, but you can find his lyrics here – he mostly left the Lomax song intact and unchanged, respecting the ‘folk tradition’ perhaps a bit more than Lomax did! But his account illustrates an integral part of the folk (and blues) process: rather than making a record, he instead traveled far and wide across the country, playing the song to scattered gatherings of folkies, some of whom picked up the song from him and started playing it on their own. To those unfamiliar with the Lomax book, the song would have appeared to come out of nowhere, an antique traditional.

The Mudcat thread has some lengthy discussion about who learned the song from Coltman and when; and Harry Tuft (a fellow folksinger) has a somewhat different account in which he’s the one who spread the song to various players, and John Phillips added a new chord arrangement. Rather than try to untangle all the threads here, I’ll just list the most well-known recorded versions up to the time the Grateful Dead started playing it:

Joan Baez, I Know You Rider 1960 (unreleased) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbVtL_SNLa4

Tossi Aaron, I Know You Rider 1961 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBiiH2fqE24 

Judy Henske, I Know You Rider 1963 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngfuZ7Lyid0

Kingston Trio, Rider 1963 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoM69rZEaIk

Big 3, Rider 1963 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7so5tECqKMY

Serendipity Singers, Rider 1964 - https://youtu.be/cEsX8krviM4?t=1481

Vince Martin & Fred Neil, I Know You Rider 1964 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUOwVmf65o8

Gale Garnett, I Know You Rider 1964 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5etHTC-3jo

Alice Stuart, Woman Blue 1964 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYlY4BFIkfI

Judy Roderick, Woman Blue 1965 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwIl-7KykuQ

Warlocks, I Know You Rider 1965 (demo) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-SEVBYNXak

Byrds, I Know My Rider 1966 (unreleased) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQFNLFnErFE

Janis Joplin & Big Brother, I Know You Rider 1966 (live) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUZrvG2X--M

“I Know You Rider” had a hesitant start on record – Joan Baez didn't release her 1960 recording, so Tossi Aaron was the first to release the song the next year. Many other folk artists like Bonnie Dobson & Judy Collins were evidently playing it at the time, but without making any recordings, though a couple of very obscure 1962 versions were released. Then the dam burst in 1963, as Judy Henske & then the Kingston Trio popularized the song on record, and a flood of folkie versions followed.

A couple things to note: the song was always shortened for records, with different artists picking different verses to sing out of the mass that Coltman handed down. (If he hadn’t spoken up, we might think that they’d all independently drawn the song from the Lomax book, so different are their selections.) Some of them also felt free to make up new verses of their own, for better or worse.

Judy Henske:
“It takes a red-headed man make a long-time woman feel bad
It makes me remember ‘bout that long slow rollin’ I had”

The Kingston Trio soften this to:
“It takes a hard-hearted woman make a long-time man feel bad
Cause it makes him remember the long hard road that he’s had”
And add:
“Well I ain’t got a nickel, no I ain’t got a lousy dime
But I got a long way to go ‘fore the end of my time”
 
The Big 3:
“Well dawn’s coming early, night’s gonna fade away
Ever see your rider coming baby, ‘bout the break of day”
But they also reinstate an otherwise never-played Lomax verse:
“Well did you ever wake up and find your rider gone?
Well put you on a wonder and wish you’d never been born”
 
Martin & Neil, in perhaps the bluesiest Sonny Terry-style version:
“Early one mornin’, rider and it won’t be long
You gonna call my name now baby, sweet lovin’ daddy gonna be long gone”
 
Garnett also includes that verse, and adds the unique:
“I’m going to the river, take ‘long my rocking chair
If the blues don’t overtake me, gonna rock away from here”
 
Half of Alice Stuart’s version is newly-written:
“If you’re ever gonna love me, daddy now’s the time to start
You ain’t done nothing yet babe, but just break a sweet woman’s heart
I’ve got good loving baby, you take it if you think you can
I tell you I’ve got the best baby, if you’ll just be my man” (etc.)
 
The Byrds, surprisingly, add an unrelated but authentic old ‘20s blues verse:
“When you see me coming, better hoist your window high
When you see me leaving, you better hang down your head and cry”
And they also include the almost-never played “circle round the sun” Lomax verse mentioned earlier (later picked up by James Taylor in his version) –
“Well I know my rider, she’s bound to love me some
She used to throw her arms around me like a circle around the sun”
 
Janis Joplin:
“Don’t the moon look lonesome when it’s shining down through the trees?
Don’t my man look fine when he’s running, running after me?”
(This was taken from Dylan, but he in turn based it on an authentic couplet found in numerous old blues songs: “Don’t the moon look pretty shining down through the trees / I can see my baby but she can’t see me.” Joplin also includes the “circle round the sun” verse, though it’s hard to understand with all her wailing.)

Stuart & Roderick, aware of Lomax’s book, went back to the “Woman Blue” title to fit their more melancholy versions. But you can tell who the hardcore folk collectors are when they add older verses from Lomax or from other ‘20s blues songs! (I've added an appendix listing the lyrics of various '60s versions here: I Know You Rider Lyric Variations)

It’s a surprise in general how different most of these versions are from each other in lyrics and style; they cover quite a wide range from tender sadness to rollicking boisterousness, from weeping women to hollering men, the song suiting any style well. And that was before the rock bands got hold of it! Lomax could hardly have imagined the eventual fate of his “Woman Blue,” but he might have appreciated its infiltration into a younger generation of modern white listeners.


When the Warlocks picked “I Know You Rider” as one of their first songs to adapt in 1965, they fit right into this progression. It was Jerry Garcia’s idea to cover the song, and he’d likely heard more versions of it in person than on record. (Weir, hearing Tossi Aaron for the first time 40 years later, commented: “I never heard these recordings, but they were typical of the current versions of these songs at the time… I heard folkies doing these songs this way back in the early ‘60s… Jerry could have picked up his versions from these or any of a number of other similar versions.”)

Eric Levy writes, "There were countless people performing the song, which spread like wildfire. So our attempts to isolate where Jerry may have learned it--a Joan Baez performance, Tossi Aaron's album--now seem misguided. Jody Stecher says the song was literally everywhere in the early-to-mid '60s. You were guaranteed to hear it any time you went to a folk club or coffee shop or even a party. In Stecher's words, asking where Jerry learned it is like asking where he learned 'Three Blind Mice.'"

Garcia himself said (in an interview for "The History of Rock 'n Roll"): "It's an old folk song. It used to be like a standby, really, in the coffeehouses and stuff like that. I never performed it as a bluegrass person...I never was a folkie very much, you know, I just wasn't that good, you know - I mostly played in bands with other people. But I always liked that song, no matter who did it, you know? And there was like all these folk versions of it...that were really modern versions of it. I always liked the song, so...of the ones that I could remember, the arrangements, the versions of it melodically, as far as the chord structure and so forth, that was the one that I sort of culled from my own memory. I don't remember where I learned it. I don't remember who taught it to me or why I even chose it, except it's just a nice song. And I thought it would be ideal to do with an electric band."

According to Phil Lesh, Garcia had played it before the Warlocks formed - at Phil's first practice with them, "I asked to start with 'I Know You Rider,' a traditional song I'd loved when I heard Jerry do it as a folkie."

Like the other artists who’d taken up “Rider,” Garcia trimmed it down to pop-song record length (the early studio demos toss out almost all the verses), and selected the verses he liked most, so the Dead’s version isn't an exact lyrical match to any earlier recording. Though Garcia may have heard some of the records, they weren’t a strong influence on him, except perhaps for the chords – the Warlocks were probably the first band to play an electric version. It’s also striking that in the verses Garcia picked, the romantic element of the song (emphasized in most of the earlier records) is almost completely excluded and it becomes more a portrait of a desperate soul, closer in spirit to the original desolate feel of “No Special Rider Blues.”

The Dead also continued the tradition of adding "floating verses" to the song. When the Dead played “Rider” in ’66 (and acoustically in 1970), they included an extra verse not found in earlier versions:
“I’d rather drink muddy water, sleep in a hollow log
Than stay here in Frisco, be treated like a dog.”

This shares a few words to a verse in the Lomax text (and Baez’s version), but it’s not really very close with a quite different meaning, so I don’t think that’s the source:
“I'm goin' to de river, set down on a log
If I can't be yo' woman, sho gonna be yo' dog”

It’s possible Garcia heard other folkies in San Francisco singing the “muddy water” verse in the song. It was a widespread verse in blues & folk songs, stretching back to the ‘20s – for instance, Freddie Spruell’s 1926 “Muddy Water Blues,” second verse:
“I’d rather drink muddy water, rather sleep in a real hollow log
Before I’d stay with you, let you treat me like your driving dog”
Or Jimmie Rodgers’ 1927 “T For Texas,” last verse:
“Rather drink muddy water, sleep in a hollow log
Than to be in Atlanta, treated like a dirty dog”
And countless songs thereafter.
Garcia may have been following the tradition of inserting suitable new verses into this song; but that isn’t something he often did with other folk songs (preferring to be lyrically faithful). My guess is he had heard someone do it this way.

Also, no other version of “I Know You Rider” before the Dead’s had the “I wish I was a headlight” verse, so Garcia (or his lost source) must have plucked this from some other song. It’s certainly an old blues verse; an early variation shows up in Blind Lemon Jefferson’s 1926 “Wartime Blues,” fourth verse:
“If I could shine my light like a headlight on some train…
I would shine my light in Colorado Springs”

The Lomaxes helpfully printed it in their American Ballads book version of “Easy Rider”:
“If I was a headlight on some western train, Lawd, Lawd,
I’d shine my light on cool Colorado Springs”

However I don’t know of any recordings of “Easy Rider” at the time that actually include this verse, or several other random verses they included, so this appears to be another of the Lomax mix-&-match patchwork songs. (Odetta sings “Easy Rider” on a 1956 album with the verses drawn straight from Lomax’s book – another example of a folk-song rendition taken from the page rather than from an actual musical tradition.)

The verse starts showing up separately in songs from other folk singers in the early ‘60s, closer to the Dead’s wording:
Kingston Trio, Chilly Winds 1961 (at 1:00) –
“Wish I was a headlight on a westbound train
I’d shine my light over cool Colorado rain”
Roger Abrahams, Cool Colorado 1962 (an alternate title for “Blues Jumped the Rabbit”) -
Karen Dalton, Blues Jumped the Rabbit 1963 (at :50) - 
Judy Henske, Blues Chase Up A Rabbit 1964 (at 1:20) - 
Henske’s version of this song was the one best-known and covered by folksingers later in the ‘60s.

Alex Allan covers these variations at the end of his “I Know You Rider” discussion. It seems there was probably some unknown folk singer who all but rewrote “Blues Jumped the Rabbit” (keeping only the first verse from Blind Lemon Jefferson’s 1926 “Rabbit Foot Blues” recording), and the new version then spread across the folk scene. But it’s still a mystery who or what inspired Jerry Garcia to grab this verse for the Dead’s “I Know You Rider.” Nonetheless, it’s an excellent fit – Lomax himself couldn’t have added a better verse to this song of loss and longing.

Ironically, one of the sad absences in early Dead history is their version of “Parchman Farm” (known to be played at the Matrix on 1/7/66). Most likely they covered Mose Allison’s popular 1958 version, however it’s possible they were doing Bukka White’s 1940 classic. In either case, it was one of the early covers they dropped as they found their own style.

Meanwhile, Little Brother Montgomery was still playing “No Special Rider Blues” in the ‘60s and later, never guessing that it had somehow inspired a whole new folk-rock song among the white kids, thanks to one lonely young girl stuck in Parchman Farm thirty years earlier, singing a blues from the life she missed.

 

*

 

Thanks to the earlier writers on this topic:
 
 
The Lomax collection of Parchman Farm recordings can be browsed here: 
Alex Allan's site has a more in-depth lyric comparison of different versions of "I Know You Rider."

For more on Parchman Farm, see David Oshinsky’s book Worse Than Slavery: Parchman Farm & the Ordeal of Jim Crow Justice (1996).
 
“I had to face that here were the people that everyone else regarded as the dregs of society, dangerous human beings, brutalized, and from them came the music which I thought was the finest thing I'd ever hear coming out of my country.” (Alan Lomax)


“When those jurors found me guilty, that ol’ mean clerk he wrote it down
I could tell by that, people, that I was Parchman bound.”

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August 18, 2022

Europe '72 Notebook (Guest Post)

EUROPE '72 NOTEBOOK 

by Cliff Hucker, 2010
 
[Note from LIA: This is posted as it was written 12 years ago, without updates except for some new links that I’ve added.]


I have always loved the music of the Europe '72 tour. Is there anyone here who doesn't? I will always remember living in Southern France during the spring of 1992. Every afternoon I had to drive two hours on the A9 highway, from a small fishing village near Montpellier to the French/Spanish border town of Port Vendres. I would make the best of the trip each day by rolling a joint of Amsterdam’s finest, and listening to the Europe '72 album during the long drive in my little Renault. Upon reaching the beautiful walled city of Perpignan I would insert disc two into my player, so that high as a kite, I could enjoy the Morning Dew Prelude while approaching the snow capped Pyrenees Mountains and shimmering Mediterranean Sea. It was a particularly happy and exciting time in my life, and I associate the music from the Europe '72 tour with that period.

The music from the Europe '72 tour is unmistakable. The gorgeous tone of Jerry's Nash Strat, Weir's Gibson ES-354 and Phil's "Big Brown" with Keith's Steinway and Pig's B-3 mark a unique and extraordinary moment in the band's history. There can be no disputing the consistently high quality of just about every performance from the tour. But what is it that makes the music from this period so special? How is it that virtually every show, with the exception of Bremen (4/21/72), was performed at such a consistently high level? Was it hypnocracy? The vibe of being in Europe?

I believe there are a panoply of reasons: Weir's emergence as a bona fide co-front man for the band, Keith becoming completely comfortable in his position and fully integrated into the group, and Kreutzmann's continued adjustment to performing without Mickey. I think all the new material introduced on the tour certainly added some freshness and may have piqued the interest of the band members. But certainly there was much more to it! Having finally achieved both critical and financial success, the band was in a good place and well rested. The tour was as much a vacation as a working tour. Most importantly, the band was really having fun on the European continent. The twenty-two performances being spread out over two full months allowed the band to really enjoy themselves and make the most of the culture of Europe, getting inspiration from visiting places like Stonehenge, Solsbury Hill, smoking grass in the Gardens of Kent, and playing baseball in Kensington Gardens, while performing in beautiful old theatres like Tivolis Gardens, Jahrhundert Halle and the Strand Lyceum. And of course enjoying all the libations Europe had to offer. Naturally the drugs might have had something to do with it too, along with the freshness of European beer on tap and first growth Bordeaux.

As much as I have appreciated this music, for some reason it's rather infrequently that I listen to the performances. And when I do, it's usually the same shows like Wembley, Tivolis and Rotterdam. In an effort to become reacquainted with the music from Europe '72, over the past two months I have fully immersed myself in the twenty-two performances of the tour, re-listening to each show in succession before going back and concentrating on the second set jam segments.

Of the many observations I made, one was the contribution of Pigpen. Although he was suffering from the liver disease that would take his life only one year later, his contribution at times is remarkable. And it's not just on songs like Chinatown Shuffle, Two Souls in Communion and his Good Lovin' raps, some of which would turn out to be his final performances. It's the twin keyboard sound of his organ along with Keith's piano that mark some extraordinary and breathtaking passages, particularly during some of the performances of Morning Dew. The finest example of this being the rendition of the song in Munich (5/18/72).

I was also impressed by the relatively high level of sound quality on most of the recordings, and particularly the FM broadcasts. The first show in Paris (5/3/72) and the Radio Luxembourg (5/16/72) performance both circulate in phenomenal sound quality. The clarity and brilliance of these two is extraordinary.

This was not an easy project to stick with. The material being somewhat limited and the set lists often repetitive. The first sets in particular are largely interchangeable. Although the sequences vary somewhat, there is little differentiating the performances of Jack Straw, Tennessee Jed, Black Throated Wind, etc, etc. from one show to another. The exceptions being Playin' in the Band and Good Lovin'. Though not nearly as stretched out as it would become in 1973, virtually every 12 minute performance of Playin' was excellent and very psychedelic. The first set rendition from Wembley (4/8/72) in particular is a stand out. Though the song opened the second set of a few shows, Good Lovin' was another first set highlight and the superb Wigan (5/7/72) performance is the high-point of that first set.

But the second set jams are all extremely rewarding! Each one is entirely unique and compelling. Several are extraordinary and among the finest music that the band has ever performed. Although the tour is known more for its Dark Stars, Wembley (4/8/72), Rotterdam (5/11/72) and Dusseldorf (4/24/72) being three of the all-time greatest performances of that song, I was struck by the intensity of many of the performances of The Other One. Each version being quite different from the next. The Paris (5/3/72) performance in particular features an extraordinary rendition of The Other One, and the Aarhus (4/16/72) version is rather unique.

The greatest joy, however, was in re-discovering some of the less well known or acclaimed performances from the tour. Shows like Newcastle (4/11/72), Lille (5/13/72), Radio Luxembourg (5/16/72), Munich (5/18/72) and London (5/25/72), not regarded as highly as Copenhagen (4/14/72), Frankfurt (4/26/72) and London (5/26/72), are still phenomenal performances. I came away with a renewed appreciation for both performances in Paris, 5/4/72 for its jazzy Dark Star, as well as the incredible show in Amsterdam (5/10/72). There were a few surprises too; hearing Jerry play the organ on the 5/25/72 Good Lovin' while Weir plays lead guitar was pretty cool. And I was amazed by a few incredibly jazzy jam passages that I hadn't paid close attention to before. The Truckin' from 4/11/72 in particular features a phenomenal bass driven jazz movement during the second instrumental break. I had always avoided listening to the Hamburg (4/29/72) performance because the soundboard was so muddy, only to discover that the Matt Vernon audience recording was actually superior and quite listenable. While 4/14/72 and 5/11/72 had always been my shows of preference, I now regard the extraordinary performance on 5/3/72 as my new favorite from the tour.

Because I generally concentrate on jam suites when I listen to the Grateful Dead, the repetitive nature of the first sets from this tour wasn't really that much of a factor for me. However, although I certainly appreciate the consistently high level of energy, creativity and focused musicianship of the performances from the Europe '72 tour, I found the lack of real extended thematic jamming, with the exception of the gorgeous Mind Left Body Jam from Wembley (4/8/72), to be detrimental. Missing for me also was the blistering primal bare wires intensity that I love from the earlier years. I understand why I don’t listen to the performances from this tour quite as much as shows from 1968 -1971 and 1973 -1974. Still it was an extremely enlightening and positive experience, focusing on these performances, and I came away with an increased regard for the music of Europe '72. But, I will continue to prefer the music from my beloved early era just bit more, as well as the extended jamming from '73 and '74. 

 *

I recently spent a week helicopter skiing in Alaska. Before I left New York I loaded my ipod with ONLY the twenty-two shows from the tour. I used some of the bad weather time when we couldn't fly to update my notes and revise my scores for these performances. Although it's still a work in progress (and probably always will be due to the magnitude of the material), I'm sharing my notebook now in the hopes it will initiate some discussion here on this important period in the Grateful Dead's history and the incredible music performed on what might be the band’s greatest tour ever.

Please feel free to correct any errors I have made (I'm sure there are plenty) and to disagree with my opinions. Perhaps you feel a particular transfer/source is superior to one I have chosen, or you prefer a show or song performance, etc. Perhaps any heads lucky enough to have attended will share their experiences? And of course the question remains: Why have we not seen more official releases from this tour and what does the future hold?

Peace...

 *

SHOW RATINGS
 
04/07/72 (93) 
04/08/72 (99)
04/11/72 (95)
04/14/72 (100)
04/16/72 (94)
04/17/72 (96)
04/21/72 (90)
04/24/72 (98)
04/26/72 (100)
04/29/72 (95)
05/03/72 (99)
05/04/72 (98)
05/07/72 (99)
05/10/72 (98)
05/11/72 (100)
05/13/72 (95)
05/16/72 (97)
05/18/72 (96)
05/23/72 (97)
05/24/72 (96)
05/25/72 (98)
05/26/72 (100)
 
Best Sound Quality: 5/3/72 & 5/16/72
Best Audience Recording: 4/29/72
Most Underrated Show: 5/3/72 & 5/10/72
Most Unique Show: 5/16/72
Best First Set: 5/26/72
Best Official Release: 4/24/72
Show I would most want as the next official release: 4/29/72 or 5/25/72
Best Performance By Pigpen: 5/7/72
Best China/Rider: 5/16/72
Best He's Gone: 5/10/72
Best Playin' in the Band: 4/8/72
Best Good Lovin': 5/25/72
Best Caution: 5/11/72
Best: Truckin': 4/11/72
Best Morning Dew: 5/18/72
Best Sugar Magnolia: 5/4/72
Best Uncle Johns Band: 5/25/72
Best NFA/GDTRFB: 5/23/72
Best Lovelight: 5/7/72
Best Other One: 5/3/72 & 5/10/72
Best Dark Star: 4/8/72 & 5/11/72
Best Thematic Jam: 4/8/72
Jazziest Dark Star: 5/4/72
Scariest Feedback: 4/26/72
 
*
 
 
BOX SET UPDATE, 2011
 
The sound quality of this boxed set is superb. Virtually every performance has been upgraded sonically. Several shows have additional songs included. At times I have been somewhat disappointed that the levels of both keyboards are mixed rather low. Keith gets buried in spots and the piano levels could have been a touch higher.

After listening to the entire boxed set, my opinion of these shows is unchanged for the most part. The performance in Paris on 5/3/72 is still my favorite show of the tour. Disk three of the 5/11/72 Rotterdam show is the best disk of the entire box. It just might be the greatest disc of music that the Grateful Dead have ever released.

However, after spending enough time with the Euro Box, I find that the "sonic ambiance" of each performance is virtually the same. Which of course is not the case with the circulating recordings in our collections. In particular I find that the unique vibe of both the Lille (5/13/72) and Radio Luxembourg (5/16/72) shows has been entirely lost in the vault remastering. 

I find the vault remaster of the Lille show (5/13/72) to be overproduced. The audio quality is perfect, but the remastering seems to have washed out some of the loose "Au naturel" outdoor vibe of this freebie show that was reflected more in both the Ladner and Miller transfers, which capture the vibe of this free outdoor show much better than the box.

Likewise, the vault remaster of the Radio Luxembourg (5/16/72) performance fails to capture the super high intensity of the extreme high wattage transmission, with much of the tremendous intensity of this performance lost in the vault remaster. The unknown.10353.sbeok.shnf soundboard is superior to the box as well.

I have not updated the notebook since receiving the box, however I have revised my scores for some of the shows...

 
* * * * *
 
SHOW NOTES
 
04/07/72 Wembley Empire Pool - London, GB
 
I ) Greatest Story Ever Told, Sugaree, Chinatown Shuffle, Me and My Uncle, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Big Boss Man, Black Throated Wind, Loser, Mr. Charlie, Beat It On Down The Line, Tennessee Jed, Playin' In The Band, Casey Jones
 
II ) Truckin'-> Drums-> The Other One-> El Paso-> The Other One-> Wharf Rat, Ramble On Rose, Sugar Magnolia//, Not Fade Away-> Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> Not Fade Away E: One More Saturday Night
 
Best Source: AUD sirmick.31329 flac / Steppin' Out
Sound Quality: D-/A+
Score: 92 pts*
 
(Both the SIRMick and Hanno/Uli audience transfers are horrendous in quality. The sirmick 31329, is a composite of two different AUD sources, both extremely over saturated among other problems. One source improves slightly during the second set. But it's still virtually unlistenable. These might be the worst sounding recordings circulating of any show from any era. Although the beginning of the first set is not intact in the vault, most of this performance is available on the Steppin' Out release or at the Taper's Section.)
 
Official Release: Truckin'> Drums> Other One> El Paso> Other One> Wharf Rat are on Steppin' Out.
 
Tapers Section: Chinatown Shuffle, Me and My Uncle (9/3/07), Greatest Story Ever Told, Sugaree (8/27/07), China/Rider (8/20/07), Loser (8/13/07), Mr. Charlie (7/30/07), Ramble On Rose, Sugar Magnolia (8/6/07), Playin', NFA> GDTRFB> NFA (4/2/07)
 
Remarks: Originally scheduled for the Rainbow Theatre. Soundcheck: Hey Bo Diddley.
 
Comments: Me and My Uncle was played but is missing. Sugar Magnolia is cut.
 
"THE DEAD STORM BRITAIN" Melody Maker Magazine
 

Notes:

This is a difficult show to score. Both audience sources archived here are extremely poor in sound quality, rendering both transfers virtually unlistenable. Perhaps due to Wembley being a "chilly, cavernous sports facility" this performance, the first show of the tour, is not of the same caliber as many of the subsequent performances. This show has always had a rather poor reputation, however the music available from vault reel sources is excellent, particularly the jam suite on disk three of the Steppin' Out release.

The first set is unremarkable, with the exception of a well played China/Rider. The second set kicks off with an excellent performance of Truckin' that includes a very nice Garcia solo. After a drum break, it segues into a superb Other One featuring a brief Me and My Uncle Jam and a very nice melodic space segment. The reprise gets quite jazzy and there is some marvelous interplay between Jerry and Keith before the second verse. Although quite a few of the following shows on the tour feature more spectacular performances of The Other One, this one is certainly worthy of its inclusion on the official release. (92 pts*)

*If this performance was released in its entirety from vault reel masters it would garner a score in the mid-nineties!
 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd72-04-07.aud.sirmick.31329.sbeok.flacf
http://www.dead.net/features/tapers-section/april-6-april-12-2009
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1512222623006138368
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/04/opener-4772-wembley-and-greatest.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/04/europe-72-jams-pt-1.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-prelude
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-empire-pool-city-hall
 
REVIEWS:
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2014/09/april-7-1972-wembley-empire-pool-london.html
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2022/04/april-7-1972-wembley-empire-pool.html
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2022/05/april-7-1972-empire-pool-wembley.html
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2022/05/april-1972-band-interview-empire-pool.html
 

 
* * * * *
 
04/08/72 Wembley Empire Pool - London, GB
 
I ) Bertha, Me & My Uncle, Mr. Charlie, Deal, Black Throated Wind, Next Time You See Me, Cumberland Blues, Brown Eyed Women, Beat It On Down The Line, Tennessee Jed, Playin' In The Band, Good Lovin', Looks Like Rain, Casey Jones
 
II ) Truckin', Big Railroad Blues, It Hurts Me Too, Dark Star-> Mind Left Body Jam -> Sugar Magnolia-> Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) E: One More Saturday Night
 
Best Source: SBD.miller.83714 flac16 / Steppin' Out
Sound Quality: A/A+
Score: 99+ pts
 
(The sound quality of the Rolfe sourced miller.83714 flac16 is excellent. Sadly it's no longer available here. It's a brilliant recording with a particularly lively mix.)
 
Official Release: Cumberland is on Europe '72; Looks Like Rain is a bonus track on the Europe '72 remaster; Big Railroad, It Hurts Me Too, Black Throated Wind, Saturday Night and Dark Star> Sugar Magnolia> Caution are on Steppin' Out.
 
Taper's Section: Dark Star> Sugar Magnolia> Caution (4/6/09)
 
Comments: Garcia plays pedal steel on Looks Like Rain. 12 count BIODTL. Dark Star is first verse only. Pig sings Who Do You Love during Caution.
 
"There's a sort of peak optimum, and right now we're at one of those peaks." Jerry Garcia - London 4/72
 
Notes:

Apparently the band was feeling a bit warmer on this night because the second show at Wembley is certainly among the finest performances of the tour as well as a top ten of 1972. Playin' in the Band is dynamite and possibly the best performance of this song on the tour. The interplay between Jerry and Phil on this one is mindboggling! Looks Like Rain is a remarkable rendition with Jerry on the pedal steel. Cumberland Blues (on Europe '72) and a terrific Good Lovin' round out a very well played first set.

The extraordinary Dark Star, with its beautiful Mind Left Body Jam, is among the very best ever performed from any era. Some of the Dark Stars performed on this tour are  celebrated for their pre-verse explorations. This one is special because of its post-verse thematic jamming. It's likely the most cohesive performance of the song on the entire tour, and rivaled only by the performance in Rotterdam. This one is compelling from start to finish and contains several breathtaking passages. The intro theme jam is lengthy and features some gorgeous chordwork by Weir before a brief, quiet transition that gets punctuated by an interesting repetitive theme initiated by Jerry. It moves quickly into a fantastic jazzy passage prior to the first verse. The post verse space segment drifts into another intense and extended jazzy movement which gets really interesting at 21:00, the band visiting several different themes before eventually going atonal. After another space segment the band locks into a phenomenal Mind Left Body Jam at 27:00. This sublime jam is one of the most beautiful pieces of music the band has ever performed, 4+ minutes of pure bliss before segueing into a dynamite Sugar Magnolia.

In spite of the extraordinary Dark Star, the high point of the show just might be the smoking version of Caution, featuring some blistering Garcia leads, and a bit of slide work as well. It’s amazing how quickly the band found its footing on the continent after just two performances, with a gorgeous sound and tone quite unique to this tour. (99+ pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-04-08.sbd.miller.83714.sbeok.flac16
http://tela.sugarmegs.org/_asxtela/gd1972-04-08.asx
http://www.dead.net/features/tapers-section/april-6-april-12-2009

See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1512601180467347465
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/04/4872-wembley-cumberland-coal-union.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/04/europe-72-jams-pt-1.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-empire-pool-city-hall
 
 
(For a sense of the scale, here are some shots from non-Dead concerts....)


* * * * *
 
04/11/72 Newcastle City Hall - Newcastle, GB
 
I ) Greatest Story Ever Told, Deal, Mr. Charlie, Black Throated Wind, Tennessee Jed, Big Boss Man, Beat It On Down The Line, Sugaree, Jack Straw, Chinatown Shuffle, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Playin' In The Band, Next Time You See Me, Brown Eyed Women, Looks Like Rain, Big Railroad Blues, Casey Jones
 
II ) Good Lovin', Ramble On Rose, Truckin'-> Jam-> Drums-> The Other One-> Comes A Time-> Sugar Magnolia, E: Brokedown Palace
 
Best Source: SBD jackson.smith.94377 flac16
Sound Quality: A- (hiss)
Score: 94 pts
 
(The sound quality of both the MR sourced Jackson/Smith and Giles transfers are not bad, the former being just a touch cleaner in my opinion. It's a bit muddy, with considerable hiss, and oversaturation at times, which is typical of a few of the degraded recordings from the tour. While the jackson.smith.94377 flac16 is not as brilliant as some of the better recordings from this European tour, there really is not much to complain about.)
 
Official Release: Sugaree, Deal and Brokedown Palace are on Steppin' Out.
 
Taper's Section: Good Lovin' (4/9/07)
 
Comments: Garcia pedal steel on Looks Like Rain. 14 beat false start on BIODTL.
 
Truckin' > Other One Timing: Truckin' (5:03)> Jam (2:46)> Truckin' Finale (0:45)> Jam (0:40)> Other One tease (0:15) > Dreamy Jam (4:05)> Unknown theme (1:00)> Take 5 Jam (3:36)> Drums (3:11)> Other One Jam (7:13)> First Verse (0:42)> Other One Jam (7:00)> Second Verse (0:48) > Comes A Time
 
"A municipal concrete dump, with a balcony all the way around and big, fucking, concrete pillars that interfere with sight lines. Still, the place is packed. Thousands and thousands and thousands. Perhaps we're finally catching on." Rock Scully
 
Notes:

Minor sound issues detract somewhat from what is otherwise another very compelling Europe '72 performance. In spite of GEMS efforts, this remains a bit hissy, though it is still by all means a very enjoyable recording. The centerpiece of this show is of course, the dynamite second set jam suite. The somewhat unspectacular first set features a great performance of Casey Jones, an excellent China/Rider, and a particularly hot Playin' in the Band. Other highlights of this fairly well played show include a terrific Good Lovin' and Sugar Magnolia.

But it's during the second set that this show really cranks up. The loose Truckin' is extremely well jammed and one of the very best performances of the song. Both instrumental breaks are outstanding, particularly the second one which features an extraordinary jazzy bass driven jam. The subsequent jam after Truckin' contains a gorgeous duet between Keith and Jerry before Phil takes over just a few minutes before the drums segment, providing a rather unique and jazzy bass themed movement almost initiating The Other One. This one is structured somewhat like the Dark Stars of the period; an exploratory pre-verse intro that covers quite a bit of ground, then explores multiple themes before melting down into space, finally revisiting the main theme prior to the second verse conclusion. It's a top notch effort that includes some brief Caution licks and a beautiful Feelin' Groovy Jam. A precursor to the amazing performances to come. (94 pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-04-11.sbd.jackson.smith.94377.sbeok.flac16
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1513696032936374274
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/04/41172-newcasle-mr-charlie.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/04/europe-72-jams-pt-1.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-empire-pool-city-hall
 
REVIEWS:
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2022/04/april-11-1972-newcastle-city-hall.html
 

 
* * * * *
 
04/14/72 Tivolis Koncertsal - København, DK
 
I ) Bertha, Me & My Uncle, Mr. Charlie, You Win Again, Black Throated Wind, Chinatown Shuffle, Loser, Me And Bobby McGee, Cumberland Blues, Playin' In The Band, Tennessee Jed, El Paso, Big Boss Man, Beat It On Down The Line, Casey Jones
 
II ) Truckin', It Hurts Me Too, Brown Eyed Women, Looks Like Rain, Dark Star-> Sugar Magnolia, Good Lovin'-> Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)-> Who Do You Love-> Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)-> Good Lovin', Ramble On Rose, Not Fade Away-> Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> Not Fade Away, E: One More Saturday Night
 
Best Source: FM/SBD ashley-field.34931 flac16
Sound Quality: A
Score: 100 pts
 
(Excellent soundboard, audience and FM sources circulate for this performance. Both the miller-repitched.76006.flac16 and the MR sourced Bertha/Ashley transfer are superb in quality.)
 
Official Release: Brown Eyed Women is on Europe '72. Good Lovin'> Caution> Who Do You Love> Caution> Good Lovin' is on the Europe '72 remaster.
 
Comments: Garcia pedal steel on Looks Like Rain.
 
Dark Star Timing: Theme (4:00) > Jam (2:00) > Space (1:30) > Jam on DS theme (3:00) > Space (4:00) > Jam on DS theme (2:00) > First Verse (2:00) > Space (0:30) > Jam (3:00) > Jam on Feeling Groovy theme (3:00) > Space with Sputnik hints (4:00) > Sugar Magnolia
 
Notes:

Walt Disney got his inspiration for Disneyland after visiting Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. Apparently the Grateful Dead were also inspired by the venue; this gold standard show is not only a contender for the best performance of the tour, it's likely among the best shows ever performed by the band. Both intense and energetic, the show is brilliant from start to finish. Virtually every song is a standout. Although less than 12 minutes in length, Playin' in the Band is a frenzied psychedelic effort and Brown Eyed Women, featured on Europe '72 is dynamite as well. Looks Like Rain is a remarkable rendition with Jerry on the pedal steel.

Naturally the highlight of this performance is the Dark Star, with a gorgeous Feelin' Groovy Jam. The pre-verse jamming is intensely beautiful. Things start to move quickly after the verse, with a rather jazzy segment before Jerry again taps the 57th Street Bridge theme. This time it's at a faster pace before it slows down and rumbles into space, finally breaking down before an abrupt transition into Sugar Magnolia with Garcia sustaining a note deep into the Sugar Mag intro.

Of course the Good Lovin'/Caution sandwich is also a treasure. It's very psychedelic and well jammed, the rap by Pig one of his finest moments on the tour. Although the Bertha-Ashley sound quality of this lively mixed performance is excellent, just a touch cleaner perhaps than the newer Miller remaster in my opinion, this incredible performance deserves to be an official release! (100 pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-04-14.sbd.ashley-field.34931.sbeok.flac16
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1514784037889474568
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/04/41472-tivoli-concert-hall-copenhagen.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/04/europe-72-jams-pt-2.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-denmark
 

 
* * * * *
 
04/16/72 Stakladen, Aarhus University - Aarhus, DK
 
I ) Greatest Story Ever Told, Sugaree, Chinatown Shuffle, Black Throated Wind, Tennessee Jed, Mr. Charlie, Beat It On Down The Line, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Mexicali Blues, Loser, Next Time You See Me, Playin' In The Band, Dire Wolf
 
II ) Good Lovin', Cumberland Blues, El Paso, Deal, Truckin'-> The Other One Jam-> Me and My Uncle-> The Other One-> Not Fade Away-> Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> Not Fade Away//
 
Best Source: SBD hanno.19861 shnf (1st set) / SBD miller.18103 shnf (complete)
Sound Quality: B/A-
Score: 94 pts
 
(The first set is only available in rather poor quality. The second set sounds better, though still suffers some oversaturation. Although the miller.18103 shnf is complete, the hanno.19861 shnf partial of the first set might be a touch better in sound quality for that portion of the performance.)
 
Taper's Section: Greatest Story, Sugaree, China/Rider (6/4/07), Truckin'> Jam> Me and My Uncle> Other One (4/16/07)
 
Comments: There are a number of cuts during the first set. Uncle John's Band and Caution were not played. The Other One is first verse only. Cut at the end of NFA.
 
Notes:

Although the first set suffers from several tragic cuts and is rather poor in sound quality, the band must have felt comfortable performing in the low ceilinged university cafeteria. The second set of this performance is another amazing gem. A well jammed Good Lovin' precedes a smokey performance of Truckin'. With some brilliant soloing, Jerry just rips through both instrumental breaks. It's certainly one of the best performances of Truckin' on the tour, in spite of a couple vocal miscues. There is a remarkable passage during the very last part of the segue into the very uniquely jammed Other One. Bobby and Phil briefly lock in on a rather fascinating theme which is later revisited several times during The Other One Jam. This is an atypically structured performance of The Other One. It contains several rather quiet passages and is played largely without any drums. One of the intense segments occurs during the early stage of the jam. First Jerry and Phil collaborate before Keith eventually chimes in. Deep into the jam, the Other One theme loosely resurfaces. Weir again slashes those similar leads, continuing to exploit the previous theme with Phil. Finally Billy returns to the stage and the band segues into a short but sweet Me and My Uncle before the band finally gets around to the first verse of The Other One. Two and a half minutes later it’s on to a short but sweet NFA> GDTRFB> NFA suite and this one is in the books. (The unique theme of the Aarhus Other One jam gets revisited a couple times over subsequent European performances of the song, most notably in Paris and Amsterdam.) (94 pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd72-04-16.sbd.pset1.hanno.19861.sbeok.shnf
http://www.archive.org/details/gd72-04-16.sbd.miller.18103.sbeok.shnf
http://www.dead.net/features/tapers-section/april-16-april-22-2007
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1515417110381576203
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/04/41672-aarhus-tennessee-jeds-beginner.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/04/europe-72-jams-pt-2.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-denmark
 
REVIEW:
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2022/04/april-16-1972-stakladen-aarhus.html
 
 

 
* * * * *
 
04/17/1972 Tivolis Koncertsal - København, DK
 
I ) Cold Rain & Snow, Me And Bobby McGee, Chinatown Shuffle, Sugaree, Black Throated Wind, Mr. Charlie, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Jack Straw, He's Gone, Next Time You See Me, Playin' In The Band
 
II ) Casey Jones One More Saturday Night, It Hurts Me Too, Ramble On Rose, El Paso, Big Railroad Blues, Truckin'
 
III ) Dark Star-> Sugar Magnolia-> Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)-> Johnny B. Goode
 
Best Source: Video/SBD ashley-field.34032 .sbeok.flac16
Sound Quality: A/A+
Score: 96 pts
 
(Despite some isolated digi-noise, the sound quality of the MR Bertha-Ashley remaster from the 16 track master reel source is superb!)
 
Comments: Excellent video of a portion of this performance circulates from a French/Danish television broadcast. Set list may be out of order. First He's Gone. Saturday Night is likely an encore.
 
Notes:

An outstanding performance, including some great playing by Weir, two sets of which are immortalized in an excellent video from a European television broadcast. It features superb sound quality and a gorgeous soaring Dark Star with a beautiful segue into Sugar Magnolia. Although the songs from the first two sets don't get stretched out much, perhaps due to the television broadcast, everything is particularly well played, particularly the China/Rider, an excellent Big Railroad Blues (the performance where the band wears the Bozo masks for this number), and a classic styled performance of Casey Jones.

While this 30+ minute Dark Star is not quite as brilliant as some of the monumental efforts that follow, it is still a stunning effort, largely due to some great work by Keith. The pre-verse intro is simply beautiful. Right from the opening notes there is some beautiful interplay between Jerry and Keith, though it eventually breaks down. After several attempts, Jerry re-establishes the theme and pulls it back together. Immediately after the verse there is a lilting duet between Jerry and Billy, though this too is unsustained. Following some rumbling from Phil, this one briefly gets quiet, and then the magic starts. At about 24:00, Weir steers the band into a gorgeous and jazzy jam similar to Weather Report Suite. It’s amazingly sublime, the entire ensemble locking in on the theme for several minutes before a thrilling segue into Sugar Magnolia. An excellent performance of Caution follows, the beginning of which is particularly jazzy. This is a gem of a show and the video is fun to watch! (96 pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-04-17.sbd.ashley-field.34032.sbeok.flac16
 
VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtsB3lgvN5w
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1515866532898918402
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/04/41772-copenhagen-part-ii-jack-straw.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/04/europe-72-jams-pt-2.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-denmark
 
REVIEW:
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2022/04/april-17-1972-tivolis-concertsal.html
 

 
* * * * *
 
04/21/72 Beat Club - Bremen, DE
 
Bertha, Playin' In The Band, Mr. Charlie, Sugaree, Truckin'-> The Other One, One More Saturday Night
 
Best source: FM/SBD vernon.9380.sbeok.shnf
Sound Quality: B+/A-
Score: 89 pts
 
(The degraded Vernon FM soundboard recording is rather poor. It suffers from oversaturation, distortion, hiss and pitch issues.)
 
Comments: Performance for German television. Loser and Black Throated Wind are from the soundcheck. Mr. Charlie, Sugaree and Saturday Night are missing.
 
The Other One Timing: transition (0:45) > Drums (1:27)> the Other One (5:16) > verse 1 (0:42) > the Other One (1:07)> Space (4:48) > Other One Jam (3:10)> verse 2 (0:47) > Space (2:43) > Jam (3:23)
 
"The Beat Club, a kind of disco joint managed by straightlaced, technical little German shits. 'You vill do it zis vay!' The Grateful Dead follow the rules? Good fucking luck, dudes!" Rock Scully
 
Notes:

Perhaps the weakest performance of the European tour. Not particularly well played and the sound quality is somewhat problematic. Still, the short Playin' in the Band is a decent performance while the 23 minute Other One has its moments and contains a couple of interesting passages, the most compelling of which are a brief melodic jam immediately after the intro and a particularly intense Garcia solo starting around the 13 minute mark. (89 pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd72-04-21.fm.vernon.9380.sbeok.shnf
 
VIDEO:
https://vimeo.com/101359380
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1517251928182431746
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/04/42172-beat-club-playin-baseball-drinkin.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/05/europe-72-jams-pt-3.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-west-germany
http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2014/07/42172-beat-club.html  
 

 
* * * * *
 
04/24/72 Rheinhalle - Duesseldorf, DE
 
I ) Truckin', Tennessee Jed, Chinatown Shuffle, Black Throated Wind, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Mr. Charlie, Beat It On Down The Line, Loser, Playin' In The Band, Next Time You See Me, Me And Bobby McGee, Good Lovin', Casey Jones
 
II ) He's Gone, It Hurts Me Too, El Paso, Dark Star-> Me & My Uncle-> Dark Star-> Wharf Rat-> Sugar Magnolia, Not Fade Away-> Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> Not Fade Away E: One More Saturday Night
 
Best Source: Rockin' the Rhein
Sound Quality: A/A+
Score: 99+ pts
 
(The complete performance is available in HD from 16 track on the Rockin' the Rhein official release. The sound quality is naturally superb, although it might fall just a bit short of other commercial releases.)
 
Comments: Dark Star is first verse only.
 
Official Release: The entire performance is on Rockin' the Rhein.
 
Notes:

The first of a triumvirate of exceptional performances in Germany. Prior to this show being officially released as Rockin’ the Rhein, it was not regarded as a particularly strong performance. We now know it to be one of the best of the tour. It's a superb performance from start to finish. The 17+ minute Good Lovin' is exceptionally well jammed. Other highlights include a well played (particularly by Weir) Tennessee Jed and a great He's Gone.

The 40 minute Dark Star, immortalized in dynamic vault remastered sound quality, is simply dynamite. It's arguably one of the finest performances of the song to be officially released by the band. The eleven minutes of pre-verse jamming is superb. A gorgeous intro theme featuring some stunning piano work by Keith prefaces a wild, spacey Garcia led passage. Immediately after the verse an orbital jam precedes another extraordinary space segment, with Garcia sustaining notes like Carlos Santana. Sixteen minutes in, Jerry and Keith again get together in a nice jazzy movement before things once more get wild and crazy. The following space jam segment might be the finest of the tour. Finally Weir slashes in. It's almost a surprise when the band slips into Me and My Uncle. Another lovely duet between Jerry and Keith develops after the cowboy song, Weir providing some interesting fills. Then an almost a MMU Jam develops, but again the music gets spacey. Seven minutes into the Dark Star reprise the main theme briefly emerges before Weir steers the band into a different theme. The following extended passage is extraordinary as Jerry takes over and the ensemble locks in before segueing seamlessly into an emotive rendition of Wharf Rat. Another short but well played NFA> GDTRFB> NFA suite is an excellent conclusion to this phenomenal performance. (99+ pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-04-24.aud.unknown.6956.sbeok.shnf
http://tela.sugarmegs.org/_asxtela/gd1972-04-24.asx
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1518297103331733504
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/04/42472-dusseldorf-china-rider-meet-up-at.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/05/europe-72-jams-pt-3.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-west-germany
 
 

(I couldn't find a picture from the '70s, so the interior would not have looked quite like this...)


* * * * *
 
04/26/72 Jahrhunderthalle - Frankfurt, DE
 
I ) Bertha, Me & My Uncle, Mr. Charlie, He's Gone, Black Throated Wind, Next Time You See Me, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Jack Straw, Big Railroad Blues, Playin' In The Band, Chinatown Shuffle, Loser, Beat It On Down The Line, You Win Again, Good Lovin', Dire Wolf
 
II ) Truckin'-> Drums-> The Other One-> Comes A Time-> Sugar Magnolia, El Paso, Tennessee Jed, Greatest Story Ever Told, Two Souls In Communion, Casey Jones, Turn On Your Love Light-> Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> One More Saturday Night
 
Best Source: Hundred Year Hall / SBD vernon.9197.sbeok.shnf (outtakes)
Sound Quality: A+/A
Score: 99 pts
 
(Much of this performance is available on the 16 track recorded Hundred Year Hall release. It's sonically perfect. The sound quality of the MR sourced Vernon partial soundboard is also excellent.)
 
Comments: sbd.vernon.9197 is the best source for the tracks not included on Hundred Year Hall.
 
Official Release: Bertha, Me & My Uncle, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Jack Straw, Big Railroad Blues, Playin' In The Band, Truckin'-> Drums-> The Other One-> Comes A Time-> Sugar Magnolia, Turn On Your Love Light-> Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> One More Saturday Night are on Hundred Year Hall
 
Notes:

Another extraordinary concert preserved in pristine vault remastered sound quality. Unfortunately the Hundred Year Hall release does not contain the entire performance. Even worse, the songs included are out of sequence. Still, the 16 track sound quality is phenomenal, with the balance of the show available on the excellent quality Matt Vernon remastered soundboard. Performed before a rather stoic German audience, it's still one of the strongest shows of the tour. This one rocks and features a phenomenal performance of the Other One. It's certainly the most up-beat if not the best performance of the song in Europe. Virtually every song in this show is extremely well played, particularly Bertha, Playin' in the Band, Good Lovin' and Dire Wolf. One More Saturday Night is possibly a best ever performance and Lovelight is exceptional as well. It's one of Pigpen's finest moments on this tour.

The second set jam suite kicks off the second set with a great version of Truckin', both instrumental breaks of which are very well jammed. The later features a nice jazzy drum segment before Billy hammers out the intro to The Other One which is a tour de force performance. Listen to this one at maximum volume to get the most out of it! The blistering introduction lasts a full eight minutes, the band completely locked in before moving on to a space segment. Twelve minutes in Phil initiates the Other One theme, continuing to drive the jam after the first verse and through another space jam that follows. At 18:30 Lesh directs the band into an interesting jazzy theme with Weir slashing along before yet another spacey jam. Things start to get scary when Phil starts dropping bombs behind screeching feedback from Jerry. At 26:40 Weir starts a Spanish Jam but Jerry is having none of that, continuing the long feedback runs. Gradually emerging out of the smoldering wreckage, Jerry briefly hints at Caution before initiating an amazing guitar passage at 30:40. This unique jam lasts about three minutes before Garcia rips back into the second verse theme. The balance of the set is packed with more great music, concluding with the Lovelight into GDTRFB sans NFA. (99 pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-04-26.sbd.vernon.9197.sbeok.shnf
http://tela.sugarmegs.org/_asxtela/gd1972-04-26.asx
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1519098881962827776
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/04/42672-frankfurt-loser-stranger-barleys.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/05/europe-72-jams-pt-3.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-west-germany
 
REVIEW:
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2014/09/april-26-1972-jahrhunderthalle-frankfurt.html
 

 
* * * * *
 
04/29/72 Musikhalle - Hamburg, DE
 
I ) Playin' In The Band, Sugaree, Mr. Charlie, Black Throated Wind, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Big Boss Man, Jack Straw, Loser, Chinatown Shuffle, Me & My Uncle, Big Railroad Blues, Good Lovin', Casey Jones
 
II ) Greatest Story Ever Told, He's Gone, Next Time You See Me, Dark Star-> Sugar Magnolia-> Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks), E: One More Saturday Night, E: Uncle John's Band
 
Best Source: SBD sirmick.32877.sbeok.flac16 / AUD vernon.5250.sbeok.shnf
Sound Quality: B+/A-
Score: 94 pts*
 
(The sirmick.32877.sbeok.flac16 is a muddy, dull and degraded soundboard recording suffering from hiss, pitch issues and oversaturation. The vernon.5250.sbeok.shnf is a decent quality audience recording. Among all the recordings and their matrices, the Matt Vernon AUD might be your best bet. Take your pick. Both recordings are rather challenging to enjoy. However, the more you put into listening to this performance, the more you will get out of it!)
 
Comments: Dark Star is first verse only. Who Do You Love was not played.
 
Taper's Section: Good Lovin' (12/3/07)
 
Dark Star Timing: Dark Star theme/jam (4:38) >spacey Jam (1:42) "happy" Jam (1:27) > spacey Jam (5:54) > Dark Star, first verse (1:54) > theme (1:05) > Space with drummers > Sugar Magnolia
 
Notes:

This rather interesting performance starts out quite a bit differently from the shows that precede it, with a nice jazzy and exploratory 9+ minute Playin' in the Band. However the balance of the first set is not noteworthy and with the exception of a dynamite rendition of Good Lovin' is somewhat less compelling. Sadly both the AUD and SBD sources, as well as the subsequent matrices are fair to poor in quality. Otherwise this show would certainly garner a higher score. This is unfortunate because the second set really heats up with another excellent Dark Star.

This 30 minute spacey performance, though not quite as exceptional as several of the masterpieces from earlier in the month, soars from the opening notes. This performance features some dynamite interplay during the extended pre-verse theme intro, with some rather cool percussion sounds. Though much of this version is atonal, there are a couple of dynamite jazzy passages, with a nice Feelin' Groovy Jam starting about 7:20. There is also a fantastic jazzy segment loosely based around a Caution theme that starts around 22:00. Keith in particular really shines on this performance, contributing some of his finest work on this tour. The segue out of Dark Star is atypically abrupt as the band leaves deep space for a particularly hot version of Sugar Magnolia, followed by another excellent performance of Caution. It's really a shame about the sound quality of this one. (94 pts*)

*An excellent performance that would garner a score in the upper 90's if only the sound quality was better!
 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-04-29.sbd.sirmick.32877.sbeok.flac16
http://www.archive.org/details/gd72-04-29.aud.vernon.5250.sbeok.shnf
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1520216126780751873
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/04/42972-hamburg-chinatown-shuffle-and.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/05/europe-72-jams-pt-3.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-west-germany
 
REVIEWS:
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2014/10/april-29-1972-musikhalle-hamburg-germany.html
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2015/06/april-29-1972-musikhalle-hamburg-west.html
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2022/04/april-29-1972-musikhalle-hamburg-west.html
 

 
* * * * *
 
05/03/72 Olympia Theater - Paris, FR
 
I ) Bertha, Me & My Uncle, Mr. Charlie, Sugaree, Black Throated Wind, Chinatown Shuffle, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Beat It On Down The Line, He's Gone, Next Time You See Me, Playin' In The Band, Tennessee Jed, Good Lovin', Sing Me Back Home, Casey Jones
 
II ) Greatest Story Ever Told, Ramble On Rose, It Hurts Me Too, Truckin'-> Space-> The Other One-> Drums-> The Other One-> Me And Bobby McGee-> The Other One-> Wharf Rat, Jack Straw, Sugar Magnolia, Not Fade Away-> Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> Not Fade Away, E: One More Saturday Night
 
Best Source: SBD masse.142.sbeok.shnf
Sound Quality: A/A+
Score: 99 pts
 
("Honeymoon theft" / master reel source = phenomenal sound quality! Thank you Dick R.I.P. The masse.142.sbeok.shnf is exceptional. Very quiet, with superb clarity and separation. This multi-sourced file showcases some of the very best sound quality of the E '72 tour!)
 
Comments: Could a boxed set of this and the following performance be the next official release from this tour?
 
Official Release: China/Rider, Tennessee Jed and Jack Straw are on Europe '72.
 
Taper's Section: Playin in the Band (4/28/08), Good Lovin' (4/30/07), Other One> Drums> Other One> Bobby McGee> Other One> Wharf Rat (5/4/09)
 
The Other One Schematic: The Other One Jam (9:22) > first verse (0:42) > transitional Jam (0:26) > Bobby McGee (5:31) > spacey Jam (1:52) > the Other One Jam (4:37) > The Other One Jam (1:47) > second verse (0:48) > Wharf Rat
 
"Olympia Theater in Paris just like the Fillmore East, if anything, a bit more funky. Tradition-riddled place. Everyone keeps saying how special it is because of who's played here: the Stones, the Who, Piaf, Aznavour... Hallowed ground, but with insufficient electricity." Rock Scully
 
Notes: c'est magnifique!

A stunningly beautiful performance, the band seems revitalized in Paris. And it doesn't hurt that this music is sourced from the "Honeymoon Theft" tapes! This high-energy show smokes from start to finish, each song exploratory yet flawlessly played. Bertha, China/Rider (on Europe '72), Sugaree and Sing Me Back Home are dynamite. Virtually every song played at this performance is a candidate for best of the tour, with One More Saturday Night and Jack Straw (on Europe '72) being possible best-ever renditions.

The second set jam suite is extraordinary; the amazing Other One rivaling the incredible performance in Frankfurt one week earlier. An intense Truckin' slips into an eerily quiet passage before Bobby and Phil again revisit the gorgeous theme they explored in Aarhus. This time Phil is a bit more persistent though, eventually leading the way into a more structured Other One Jam. It's all hands on deck before yet another quiet passage featuring some sublime chords by Bob Weir, punctuated by a second jazzy visit to The Other One theme. A drum break precedes an ultra-jazzy Phil solo accompanied by some snappy drums. This one sounds like Jimmy Blanton and Gene Krupa. The balance of the first reprise is a wonderfully jazzy combination of intense Jerry/Keith duets and more lovely Weir/Lesh interplay. Still not finished with the theme, the second verse/reprise follows a soulful Bobby McGee. NFA> GDTRFB> NFA is superb as well. Another amazing performance and one of the very best shows of the tour! (99 pts)

Although I don't score the show as high as the performances in Rotterdam and Copenhagen, 5/3/72 is my personal favorite of all the Europe '72 shows and its rendition of The Other One is definitely among the very best of the tour. I prefer these two Parisian performances to the preceding shows in Germany, their vibe being a bit different. The music may be more aesthetically pleasing than that of the laser focused Dusseldorf and Frankfurt performances, though I'm not convinced that the two shows in Paris are any better.

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd72-05-03.sbd.masse.142.sbeok.shnf
http://www.dead.net/features/tapers-section/may-04-may-10-2009
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1521617542795743236  
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/05/5372-paris-hes-gone-may-day-maibock.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/05/europe-72-jams-pt-4.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-france
 
REVIEWS:
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2022/06/may-3-4-1972-lolympia-paris.html
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2022/06/may-1972-jerry-garcia-interview-paris.html
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2012/09/may-1972-paris.html
 

 
* * * * *
 
05/04/72 Olympia Theater - Paris, FR
 
I ) Greatest Story Ever Told, Deal, Mr. Charlie, Beat It On Down The Line, Brown Eyed Women, Chinatown Shuffle, Playin' In The Band, You Win Again, It Hurts Me Too, He's Gone, El Paso, Big Railroad Blues, Two Souls In Communion, Casey Jones
 
II ) Good Lovin', Next Time You See Me, Ramble On Rose, Jack Straw, Dark Star-> Drums-> Dark Star-> Sugar Magnolia, Sing Me Back Home, Mexicali Blues, Big Boss Man, Uncle John's Band, Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> Not Fade Away, E: One More Saturday Night
 
Best Source: SBD miller.77294.sbeok.flac16
Sound Quality: A
Score: 98 pts
 
(Brilliant sound quality, possibly sourced from "Honeymoon" tapes? There are several cuts, but this Rolfe sourced Charlie Miller remaster is still among the very best in sound quality of what circulates from the tour.)
 
Official Release: Sugar Magnolia is on Europe '72.
 
Taper's Section: Good Lovin' (4/30/07), Dark Star (4/18/08)
 
Comments: Casey Jones and NFA are cut. Cut at the end of Dark Star. False start on Next Time You See Me.
 
Dark Star Timing: Dark Star theme/jam (2:19) > spacey Jam (8:58) > transitional Jam (0:23) > first verse (1:50) > Space with drummers (3:25) > 'happy' Jam (1:13) > spacey Dark Star Jam (3:21) > transitional Jam (0:14) > second verse (2:04) > Sugar Magnolia
 
Notes:

Another Parisian masterpiece, this time with an exceptional performance of Dark Star. While the first set is not quite as spectacular as that of the night before, although Mr. Charlie could be a best-ever performance of the song, the second set is another magical moment among many on this tour. Pig's 23 minute Good Lovin' set opener is a fantastic performance. But the high point of this show is of course the moody/exploratory two-part Dark Star split by a drum break, and what is possibly the best Sugar Magnolia of 1972 (on Europe '72).

This gorgeous Dark Star soars from the opening notes. It is brilliant and jazzy, sustaining momentum through the entire pre-verse segment. Jerry's playing is particularly inspired. At the 6:00 mark, Billy initiates a snappy jazz beat that drives the ensemble through an extended Coltranesque jam, with Weir slashing in some interesting fills before the verse. The post verse space segment is rather dark and atonal, with some eerie rumblings from Phil before the two and a half minute drum break. Post drums, Phil picks up where he had left off. Things remain spacey and quiet until 7:15 when Jerry initiates another movement and things get real jazzy again. This one moves quickly for a bit, Jerry blazing before things slow down into a gorgeous UJB type theme jam before the second verse conclusion to one of the jazziest performances of Dark Star on the tour. The following performance of Sugar Magnolia, used on the Europe '72 album is phenomenal. Sing Me Back Home, a lovely UJB, and a start-up GDTRFB round out an incredible set. Both of these treasures from France deserve to be boxed and released in their entirety. (98 pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-05-04.sbd.miller.77294.sbeok.flac16
http://www.dead.net/features/tapers-section/april-28-may-4-2008
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1522013781827670018
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/05/5472-paris-brown-eyed-women-beer-wars.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/05/europe-72-jams-pt-4.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-france
 
                                                                        (Not the Dead....)
 
* * * * *
 
05/07/72 Bickershaw Festival - Wigan, GB
 
I ) Truckin', Sugaree, Mr. Charlie, Deal, Beat It On Down The Line, He's Gone, Chinatown Shuffle, China Cat Sunflower> I Know You Rider, Black-Throated Wind, Next Time You See Me, Playing in the Band, Tennessee Jed, Good Lovin', Casey Jones
 
II ) Greatest Story Ever Told, Big Boss Man, Ramble On Rose, Jack Straw, Dark Star-> Drums-> The Other One-> Sing Me Back Home, Sugar Magnolia, Turn On Your Love Light-> Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> Not Fade Away E: One More Saturday Night
 
Best Source: AUD/SBD (composite).clugston.9193.sbeok.shnf
Sound Quality: B+/A
Score: 98+ pts
 
(Unfortunately no longer available here, the Clugston composite file of this performance consists of a fair to poor (hissy/noisy) audience recording of the majority of the show, and a very nice quality master reel sourced soundboard recording of the second set jam and the later portion of the set.)
 
Comments: Bill Kreutzmann's 26th birthday. False start on Lovelight. At least segments of this performance exist on film, rumors of an official/commercial release persist.
 
Official Release: Mr. Charlie, Playin', Good Lovin', Greatest Story, Big Boss Man, Ramble On, Lovelight> GDTRFB are on Steppin' Out.
 
Taper's Section: Dark Star> Drums> Other One> Sing Me Back Home (5/5/08), Good Lovin' (4/12/10)
 
Dark Star> Other One Timing: Dark Star theme (4:17) > spacey jam (2:22) > Dark Star theme jam (4:07) > spacey jam (4:05) > Dark Star theme (0:43) > first verse (1:16) > transition to spacey jam (1:04) > space (2:30) > Drums (2:32) > Other One intro (5:09) > Other One jam (2:31) > Other One recue (1:23) > first verse (0:40) > Other One (0:36) > space (14:18) > jam (2:02) > Other One (3:01) > second verse (0:41) > transition (0:10) > Sing Me Back Home
 
"The crowd had built bonfires around the perimeter of the field to keep warm, but now they piled on the fuel and Bickershaw became a pagan festival, dancers circling the flames, and, in the words of a local writer, the 'Dead had offered safe passage through the weird terrain.'" Dennis McNally
 
Notes:

A rain sodden and chilly weekend seems to have dampened this festival, though the weather appropriately cleared just before the Dead's show closing performance. Although the sound quality for most of the show renders it rather difficult to enjoy, it’s obvious why so many songs from this performance were included on the Steppin' Out release. This festival gig was, for the most part, very well played (particularly the second set) and at an extremely high energy level. It also represents Pigpen's finest performance on the tour, and what might be his last great show. The Truckin' opener cooks, while Playin' in the Band, Good Lovin' and the Lovelight> GDTRFB are all great performances.

The highlight though, is certainly the phenomenal second set jam suite preserved in master reel source sound quality, featuring both Dark Star AND the Other One. It's the only performance during 1972 to include both songs. Though somewhat abbreviated from other Dark Stars on the tour, clocking in at just over 16 minutes, this is a top notch effort nonetheless. The pre-verse theme intro is brilliant. Jerry is soaring! But what really stands out on this one is some rather fine playing by Bobby. His chord-work throughout is gorgeous. It might be his finest contribution to a performance of Dark Star on the entire tour.

After a post-verse Space/Drums segment, the band just explodes into The Other One. It's a raging monster performance of the song. Not as jazzy or sophisticated as some of the best versions from the tour, this performance is more primal in nature. At times sounding more like '69 or '70 with a fierce pre-verse attack by Garcia and some amazing swirling organ fills from Pig. After the first verse there is an awesome solo by Phil, perhaps his best of the tour. The space segment continues with Jerry and Weir eventually going atonal. Finally Weir drives the band back into the theme and it catches fire again prior to the second verse. The show concludes with a superb performance of Lovelight, featuring some great slidework by Jerry before another excellent GDTRFB/NFA. If the music of the first set was available in better sound quality, this amazing performance might garner a perfect score. (98+ pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd72-05-07.sbd-aud.clugston.9193.sbeok.shnf
http://tela.sugarmegs.org/_asxtela/gd1972-05-07nrps.asx 
http://www.dead.net/features/tapers-section/may-5-may-11-2008
 
VIDEO: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0vAqnq1vW0  
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1523043702838599681
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/05/5772-bickershaw-festival-good-lovin.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/05/europe-72-jams-pt-4.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-bickershaw
https://www.ukrockfestivals.com/dead.html
 
REVIEWS:
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2014/09/may-5-7-1972-bickershaw-festival.html
 

 
* * * * *
 
05/10/72 Concertgebouw - Amsterdam, NL
 
I ) Bertha, Me & My Uncle, Mr. Charlie, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Black Throated Wind, Loser, Next Time You See Me, El Paso, He's Gone, Chinatown Shuffle, Playing in the Band, Big Railroad Blues, Jack Straw, Tennessee Jed, Big Boss Man, Greatest Story Ever Told, Casey Jones
 
II ) Truckin'-> Drums-> The Other One-> Me And Bobby McGee-> The Other One-> Wharf Rat, Beat It On Down The Line, Two Souls In Communion, Ramble On Rose, Sing Me Back Home, Sugar Magnolia-> Not Fade Away-> Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> Not Fade Away
 
Best Source: SBD .kaplan.1582.sbeok.shnf
Sound Quality: A/A+
Score: 98 pts
 
(The MR sourced Greg Hamilton/Kaplan.1582.sbeok.shnf is virtually perfect. The sound quality of this recording is amazing. The mix/separation is particularly brilliant.)
 
Comments: Bertha fades in.
 
Official Release: He's Gone is on Europe '72.
 
"Amsterdam, where the Concertgebouw was a jewel of a theater, the cocaine was far too good..." Dennis McNally
 
Notes:

Perhaps overshadowed by the monumental performances preceding and following it, this treasure might be the most overlooked gem of the tour. This vastly underrated show is extremely well played from start to finish. Virtually every song is a standout performance. The sound quality is superb and the mix lively. The separation is excellent making it easy to hear how well both Keith and Bobby are playing. While the highlights include a terrific Bertha opener, an excellent Truckin' and what is possibly the best early performance of He's Gone, the centerpiece of the show is another jazzy and extraordinarily jammed out Other One.

This one is as fine as the performances of the song in Frankfurt and Paris. It's highly exploratory, visiting numerous themes over its more than 35 minutes. Erupting out of Drums, from the opening notes this performance of The Other One percolates like a pot of fine Blue Mountain. Extremely jazzy in nature, there are several extraordinary movements. A particularly brilliant passage starts at 4:45, after the jam slows down it gets real smoky with an almost Clementine type theme. Close your eyes and you can imagine being in a jazz club. Ten minutes in, the Other One theme emerges again. After the first verse, it gets spacey, eventually going atonal with some wild notes from Phil before another spectacular jazz segment commences at 20:00. Over the next fourteen minutes, this amazing music covers a ton of ground, never losing momentum. Several times the Other One theme re-emerges but somehow the band avoids the second verse. Instead Phil and Bobby initiate an amazing Dylanesque passage at 32:00. Garcia's playing becomes highly emotive, the music is both haunting and sublime. It's one of the most amazing pieces of music on the entire tour. As if the theme has reached its zenith, with nowhere left to go, they segue into Bobby McGee, before finally completing the journey into the reprise and second verse conclusion to what might be the finest performance of The Other One on the tour. Amazingly, there is another full hour of music left in the set including fantastic performances of Wharf Rat, Sugar Magnolia and a dynamite show closing NFA> GDTRFB> NFA. (98 pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd72-05-10.sbd.kaplan.1582.sbeok.shnf
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1524157163928797184
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/05/51072-amsterdam-casey-jones.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/08/europe-72-jams-pt-5.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-netherlands
 
REVIEWS:
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2022/05/may-10-1972-concertgebouw-amsterdam.html
 
 
* * * * *
 
05/11/72 De Doelen - Rotterdam, NL
 
I ) Playin' In The Band, Sugaree, Mr. Charlie, Black Throated Wind, Deal, Chinatown Shuffle, Mexicali Blues, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, It Hurts Me Too, Beat It On Down The Line, Brown Eyed Women, Jack Straw, Big Railroad Blues, Good Lovin', Casey Jones
 
II ) Morning Dew, Me & My Uncle, Two Souls In Communion, El Paso, Tennessee Jed, Next Time You See Me, Dark Star-> Drums-> Dark Star-> Sugar Magnolia-> Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)-> Who Do You Love-> Truckin'-> Uncle John's Band E: One More Saturday Night
 
Best Source: SBD ashley-bertha.7364.sbefail.shnf
Sound Quality: A
Score: 100 pts
 
(Though it gets just a bit oversaturated at the highest levels, and there is a minimal amount of hiss during the quietest parts, the sound quality of the MR sourced ashley-bertha.7364.sbefail.shnf is excellent and definitely superior to the Samaritano transfer.)
 
Comments: Final performance of Caution. 15 beats on BIODTL. Saturday Night encore is missing.
 
Official Release: Chinatown Shuffle is on So Many Roads Boxed Set.
 
Taper's Section: Caution> Who Do you Love> Truckin' (5/28/07)
 
Dark Star Timing: Dark Star theme (2:48) > Jam (10:47) > Drum Solo (4:03) > Bass and Drums (1:44) > Spacy Jam (3:13) > Dark Star theme/First Verse (2:30) > Jam (3:40) > Dissonant/Tiger Jam (7:15) > Uptempo Country Jam (1:40) > Uptempo Caution-like Jam (6:00) > Slow tease filled Jam (3:22) > Sugar Magnolia
 
Notes:

A monumental performance, this treasure might be the finest show of the entire tour, if not one of the greatest performances of all time. Every member of the band has brought their A game to Rotterdam, even Pigpen who shines every chance he gets. It's his last chance at Caution, and he makes the most of it, as well as giving a fine effort on Chinatown Shuffle.

From the opening moments of the show it becomes apparent that this is going to be special, as the band launches into a dynamite version of Playin' in the Band. Though it only clocks in at 10+ minutes, and it's not as exploratory as the song would get in 1973, it's still a brilliant jazzy rendition as the band twists through the Main Ten theme. Virtually every song is extremely well played. Sugaree, Morning Dew and Good Lovin' are all fabulous performances.

But certainly all are eclipsed by a 45+ minute Dark Star which has to be considered an opus. At times it's so beautifully played that you might find yourself forgetting to breathe. It's an ultra jazzy odyssey that you must listen to in a quiet environment with no distractions in order to fully appreciate. Singularly one of the finest moments in the band’s history, this one soars right from the opening notes of the theme. 4:30 in, the band briefly locks in on a choppy riff before breaking down into jazzy space. Eventually Jerry steers the band into a quiet passage which eventually takes on a loose Let It Grow theme, Weir slashing in fills. At the 10 minute mark Jerry begins playing a repetitive scale, initiating another extraordinary passage lasting until the drum break. Right out of the drums Phil and Billy collaborate on a sublime Bird Song themed jam that is all too brief before Jerry joins them and gradually guides the jam back to the Dark Star theme and into the first verse. The eleven minute post verse space jam begins with a brilliant duet between Jerry and Phil before things get atonal, gradually building in intensity. The segment turns incredibly wild as Phil detonates an awesome series of explosions, Jerry continuing his attack. The final 11+ minute movement starts out with a fast paced and ultra jazzy passage before briefly acquiring a Caution type theme, Phil returning with a second bombing run. This is followed by another extremely intense Caution themed passage and screaming guitars. By now I imagine the fire alarms had to be going off at the Civic Hall. The concluding passage is beautifully Dylanesque with Pig's swirling organ and some eerie notes from Jerry, finally segueing into Sugar Magnolia. Still there is more to come; a second jam suite featuring a blazing hot Caution> Who Do You Love> Truckin'> UJB. Is there a better performance on this tour? (100 pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd72-05-11.sbd.ashley-bertha.7364.sbefail.shnf
http://www.dead.net/features/tapers-section/may-28-june-3-2007-0
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1524550893135400961
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/05/51172-rotterdam-morning-dew-baseball.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/08/europe-72-jams-pt-5.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-netherlands
 


* * * * *
 
05/13/72 Esplanade de Lille - Lille, FR
 
I ) Bertha, Black Throated Wind, Chinatown Shuffle, Loser, Beat It On Down The Line, Mr. Charlie, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Me & My Uncle, Big Railroad Blues, Next Time You See Me, Playin' In The Band, Sugaree, Mexicali Blues, Casey Jones
 
II ) Truckin'-> Drums-> The Other One-> He's Gone, It Hurts Me Too, Sugar Magnolia, Not Fade Away-> Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> Not Fade Away E: One More Saturday Night
 
Best Source: SBD .ladner.3457.sbeok.shnf (complete?) / .miller.21725.sbeok.shnf (partial)
Sound Quality: A-/A+
Score: 95 pts
 
(The Ladner transfer consisting of the majority of the performance, though hissy, is still an enjoyable listen. The partial miller.21725.sbeok.shnf, consisting only of the second set jam, is superior, possibly sourced from the Taper's Section. It's particularly clear, with superb separation, however Phil is a bit low in the mix.)
 
Comments: Free concert. Big River may be missing. The conclusion of the second set is missing?
 
Tapers Section: Truckin'> Drums. Other One> He's Gone (5/7/07) Bertha, Black Throated Wind, Chinatown Shuffle, Loser (5/12/08)
 
"...Lille looked like an impressionist painting, cows in the distance, poplar trees in rows, with a little LSD, it wasn't hard to see why Monet and company liked the light in their native country. For Phil especially, it was one of the truly spectacular experiences of a lifetime, as though for an hour or two he lived inside a Seurat or a Cezanne." Dennis McNally
 
Notes:

Back in France for a make up date, the band pulls off another stellar performance. Interrupted by rain, it's not quite as superlative as some of the preceding shows, however the second set is dynamite. The set opening performance of Truckin' is excellent, featuring some some great licks by Jerry and slashing leads from Weir. Towards the end of the instrumental break you can hear a brief, but unmistakable shot at a Nobody's Jam.

The highlight of the free concert is an excellent 28+ minute, sometimes spacey performance of The Other One. The jamming on this one is not nearly as cohesive as the performance in Paris ten days earlier. Still there is some great playing; Weir in particular contributes his trademark slashing leads throughout, and Pigpen adds some eerie organ fills that add to the mood. Following the intense meltdown segment, at about 20:40, there is a compelling movement that contains some brief hints of a Spanish Jam. This is followed by an interesting jam with Billy hammering out a drumbeat and containing some great guitar work from Bobby who comes through the right channel crystal clear. The show ending NFA> GDTRFB, though cut, is terrific as well. Sound quality on the incomplete Ladner transfer is fine, but the partial Miller file is better, possibly sourced from the Taper's Section. It is likely that portions of this performance are missing. (95 pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd72-05-13.sbd.ladner.3457.sbeok.shnf
http://www.archive.org/details/gd72-05-13.psbd.miller.21725.sbeok.shnf
http://www.dead.net/features/tapers-section/may-7-may-13-2007
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1525151924324016128
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/05/51372-lille-truckin-mothers-day-for.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/08/europe-72-jams-pt-5.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-lille-luxembourg-munich
http://philippe.andrieu.free.fr/concerts/19720513/005-19720513-grateful-dead.php
 

 
* * * * *
 
05/16/72 Villa Louvigny, Luxembourg - LU "Radio Luxembourg"
 
I ) Bertha, Me & My Uncle, Mr. Charlie, Sugaree, Black Throated Wind, Chinatown Shuffle, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Beat It On Down The Line, It Hurts Me Too, Tennessee Jed, Playin' In The Band, Promised Land
 
II ) Truckin'-> Drums-> The Other One-> Sing Me Back Home, Sugar Magnolia, Not Fade Away-> Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> Not Fade Away E: One More Saturday Night
 
Best Source: FM/SBD.unknown.10353.sbeok.shnf
Sound Quality: A/A+
Score: 97 pts
 
(An extremely high quality European bootleg CD of this show called "Dead Deluxe" circulated during the mid-nineties. Regardless of which transfer, the sound quality of this performance is exceptional. In spite of minimal hiss during the quietest parts, this recording is brilliant and crystal clear, with an ultra lively mix and great separation. This is one of the very finest recordings of the tour.)
 
Comments: Performance for worldwide radio broadcast. Big River and Sugar Magnolia are soundchecked.
 
The Other One Timing: Other One Jam (5:06) > spacey Other one-ish Jam (1:15) > first verse (1:27) > Other One Jam (1:24) > spacey Jam (6:06) > spacey Other One-ish Jam (2:46) > second verse (0:46) > Sing Me Back Home
 
Notes:

Tight as a drum, with perhaps the most well played first set, this might be the most underrated performance of the tour. Though it's a bit shorter, perhaps to accommodate the radio broadcast, sonically it's superior to most shows from the tour excluding only the official releases. Crisp and clear, the live-wire mix is particularly lively and the separation remarkable. The musicianship too is laser focused and precise. Virtually all the songs are extremely well executed and played at a tempo just a bit faster than was normal for the tour, giving it a vibe somewhat unique to the other Europe shows. Highlights include great performances of Bertha, Me and My Uncle with a great solo by Jerry, a fantastic Sing Me Back Home and what might be the best China/Rider of the tour. Weir's leads blaze through the transition into IKYR. Pig's Chinatown Shuffle is likely his best performance of the song on the tour, and Playin' in the Band is also notable.

Though it's not quite jammed at the level of the monumental performances in Copenhagen and Rotterdam, the second set jam suite is excellent. Truckin' is exceptional and includes some incredible leads by Garcia. Although it only clocks in at just under twenty minutes, the Other One is an amazing performance. The intro in particular is unbelievable! It is one of the best Other One intros of all time! The intensity level of the first two and a half minutes is off the charts! This one moves rather quickly into the first verse, mainly sticking with the Other One theme and carrying the momentum well. There is a wild post verse passage starting at 11:00, eventually leading to an awesome explosive barrage from Phil, and ultimately some major lengthy sustained notes from Jerry. A jazzy movement follows, with some Spanish Jam hints before Phil drives things back into The Other One theme prior to the second verse climax. The balance of the set is also well played. This is a thrilling performance from start to finish. (97 pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd72-05-16.sbd.unknown.10353.sbeok.shnf
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1526352152943370241
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/05/51672-radio-luxembourg-other-one.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/08/europe-72-jams-pt-5.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-lille-luxembourg-munich
 
REVIEWS:
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2022/05/may-16-1972-radio-luxembourg.html
 


* * * * *
 
05/18/72 Kongress-Saal, Deutsches Museum - Munich, DE
 
I ) Truckin', Sugaree, Mr. Charlie, Jack Straw, Tennessee Jed, Chinatown Shuffle, Black Throated Wind, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, El Paso, It Hurts Me Too, You Win Again, Playin' In The Band, Good Lovin', Casey Jones
 
II ) Sitting On Top Of The World-> Me & My Uncle, Ramble On Rose, Beat It On Down The Line, Dark Star-> Morning Dew-> Drums-> Sugar Magnolia, E: Sing Me Back Home E: One More Saturday Night*
 
Best Source: SBD miller.79057sbeok.flac16
Sound Quality: A
Score: 96 pts
 
(A relatively recent and welcome upgrade for this performance, the MR sourced miller.79057sbeok.flac16 is excellent.)
 
Comments: 10 beats on BIODTL. First ever Dark Star> Morning Dew.
 
Dark Star Timing: Dark Star theme/jam (10:52) > Restate theme (1:56) > First Verse (1:28) > Spacy Jam (4:45) > Jerry, Phil and Bob (1:25) > Dissonant Scary Jam (5:35) > transition (1:37) > Morning Dew
 
Notes:

Another very strong performance, if somewhat less spectacular (with the exception of Morning Dew). Recent upgrades in sound quality have made this show more enjoyable. It's consistently well played. Stand outs include what might be the best ever performance of It Hurts Me Too and of course the superb performance of Dark Star> Morning Dew, the first time that this combination was played together.

The 26 minute Dark Star is superb. It's not as beautiful as the performance of the song at Wembley, or as jazzy as the Rotterdam version. Nor is it as cohesive as the rendition in Copenhagen. Still, it is an excellent and up beat performance of the song that carries its momentum entirely through its duration. The intro theme jam is gorgeous. Following a brief bass solo, there is a lovely duet between Garcia and Weir starting at 7:00 that turns nice and jazzy before soaring back into the pre-verse theme. A second bass solo follows the verse and things get atonal for a while, building in intensity before the first ever segue from Dark Star into Morning Dew.

This performance of Morning Dew is unique and extraordinarily beautiful. Although the rendition on 5/23 seems to garner more accolades, this one is just a bit better in my opinion. Jerry's voice is strong and his interpretation here is highly emotive. He really slows it down and turns reflective prior to the refrain. One of the elements that sets the music of the European tour apart is the dynamics of having two keyboard players. Nowhere is this more apparent than during this gorgeous performance of Morning Dew. Pigpen’s swirling organ fills really seem to complement Keith's piano work on the beautiful quiet parts. It's one of the high points of the tour. An interestingly placed drum break follows Morning Dew before the band launches into a great Sugar Magnolia. (96 pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-05-18.sbd.miller.79057.sbeok.flac16
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1527127069418786816
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/05/51872-munich-dark-star-living-with-dead.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/08/europe-72-jams-pt-5.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-lille-luxembourg-munich
 
REVIEW:
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2022/05/may-18-1972-kongress-saal-deutches.html
 

 
* * * * *
 
05/23/72 Lyceum Ballroom - London, GB
 
I ) Promised Land, Sugaree, Mr. Charlie, Black Throated Wind, Tennessee Jed, Next Time You See Me, Jack Straw, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Me And My Uncle, Chinatown Shuffle, Big Railroad Blues, Two Souls In Communion, Playing In The Band, Sittin' On Top Of The World, Rockin' Pneumonia & The Boogie Woogie Flu, Mexicali Blues, Good Lovin', Casey Jones
 
II ) Ramble On Rose, Dark Star-> Drums-> Dark Star-> Morning Dew, He's Gone, Sugar Magnolia, Comes A Time, Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> Not Fade Away-> Hey Bo Diddley-> Not Fade Away E: Uncle John's Band
 
Best Source: SBD unknown.16089.shnf (complete) / SBD cribbs.32863.sbeok.flac16 (partial)
Sound Quality: A-/A
Score: 97 pts
 
(The Rex Jackson/GEMS remaster might be the best quality complete transfer of this performance. However it's no longer available here. The unknown.16089.shnf is complete and still available here. It's a satisfactory recording, with perhaps some minimal hiss. The partial cribbs.32863.sbeok.flac16 of the second set jam might be just a touch better for that segment of the performance.)
 
Comments: NRPS opened. First Rockin' Pneumonia.
 
Officia Release: China/Rider, Sitting On Top of the World, Comes a Time, NFA> Hey Bo Diddley> NFA, UJB, Two Souls in Communion are on Steppin' Out.
 
Taper's Section: Good Lovin' (5/21/07)
 
Dark Star Timing: tuning (0:42) > spacey tuning (0:48) > Dark Star theme (1:42) > speedy Jam (4:15) > Slow Spacy Jam (4:40) > Bass and Drums (2:50) > Dark Star Jam (3:50) > Dark Star theme (0:33) > First Verse (1:27) > Spacey Jam (4:50) > Dissonant Tigerish Jam (2:30) > Jam (1:40) > transition (1:40) > Morning Dew
 
"The visine bottles came out, and the levels of LSD consumption went up..." Dennis McNally
 
Notes:

This might be the most overrated show of the tour. That said, it's still a phenomenal performance, much of it available in vault remastered sound quality. The number of songs included on Steppin' Out is a testament to how well played it is. (Although, one could also speculate that perhaps superior performances such as in Rotterdam, Copenhagen and Paris might be being reserved for future official release in their entirety?) Regardless, it's a very strong show, particularly for Pigpen who shines brightly on Two Souls in Communion. The set list is one of the most interesting of the tour, including a few rare numbers like Sitting On Top of the World, Rockin' Pneumonia and Hey Bo Diddley. Several songs such as Comes a Time and Uncle Johns Band are candidates for best of the tour.

Obviously cognizant of how powerful the combination was, the band reprises Dark Star> Morning Dew from the previous performance in Munich. In fact they almost can't wait, breaking it out early in the second set. This thirty minute Dark Star goes a bit further, though. And while it doesn’t quite reach the dizzying heights achieved on 4/8, 4/24 or 5/11, it is certainly an exceptional performance. Perhaps not quite as cohesive as those versions, but surely not lacking in intensity. Jazzy, almost from the opening notes, the initial intro theme jam is punchy and upbeat. Another interesting passage develops at 8:00, with Jerry bending and sustaining his notes with Phil rumbling. After a brief drum segment there is another jazzy segment, this time its Weir and Garcia getting together before the verse. A wild space follows before a sublime transition into Morning Dew. Again Morning Dew is an extremely powerful performance, superbly played, perhaps superior to the 5/26 version immortalized on Europe '72, and eclipsed only by the extraordinarily emotive rendition from Munich. The show closing GDTRFB> NFA including a rocking Hey Bo Diddley is likely the top performance of this suite on the tour. (97 pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-05-23.sbd.unknown.16089.shnf
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-05-23.sbd.cribbs.32863.sbeok.flac16
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1528939796978081792
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/05/52372-strand-lyceum-nfa-gdtrfb-nfa-nba.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/08/europe-72-jams-pt-6.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-lyceum-ballroom
 
REVIEWS:
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2014/09/may-23-1972-lyceum-london.html
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2022/05/may-23-1972-lyceum-theatre-london.html 
 

 
* * * * *
 
05/24/72 Lyceum Ballroom - London, GB
 
I ) Cold Rain & Snow, Beat It On Down The Line, Mr. Charlie, Deal, Me & My Uncle, It Hurts Me Too, Dire Wolf, Black Throated Wind, Chinatown Shuffle, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Playin' In The Band, You Win Again, Jack Straw, Casey Jones
 
II ) Rockin' Pneumonia, Mexicali Blues, Black Peter, Truckin'-> Drums-> The Other One-> Sing Me Back Home-> Sugar Magnolia, Turn On Your Love Light-> The Stranger (Two Souls In Communion) E: One More Saturday Night
 
Best Source: AUD pye-jones.harper-sirmick.87027.flac16 (incomplete) / SBD unknown.91509.flac16 (2nd set partial)
Sound Quality: B-/A
Score: 96 pts
 
(This entire performance may not circulate in its entirety. The incomplete audience recording sirmick.87027.flac16 is rather poor in sound quality and difficult to enjoy. The partial second set Andy Lemieux remastered soundboard recording unknown.91509.flac16 is quite good.)
 
Comments: NRPS opened. Final Pigpen Lovelight. Mexican Hat Dance tuning before Truckin'. There are a number of cuts in the first set. Sing Me Back Home Fades. Sugar Magnolia is cut. Lovelight> Two Souls and Saturday Night are missing.
 
Official Release: Hurts Me Too and You Win Again are on Europe '72. Cold Rain and Snow, Mexicali Blues, Black Peter, Chinatown Shuffle and Rockin' Pneumonia are on Steppin' Out. Lovelight> Two Souls in Communion in on the Rockin' the Rhein release.
 
Taper's Section: Truckin'> Drums> Other One> Sing Me Back Home (5/25/09) Rockin' Pneumonia (3/8/10)
 
Notes:

Another rather difficult performance to score. If the complete show was available in the sound quality of the Andy Lemieux remaster it would undoubtedly garner a score a couple of points higher. Although a number of songs from this performance have been included in official releases, the incomplete show is only available in poor audience recordings and unfortunately several songs are cut, and a significant portion of the second set is entirely missing. Luckily a partial recording including the compelling second set jam is available as a very good quality soundboard.

Following the neat Mexican Hat Dance tuning jam, Truckin' seems a bit rushed. But the thirty-minute performance of The Other One, though somewhat dissonant at times, is nicely jazzy and contains some brilliant passages. It's a rather edgy version, largely driven by Phil's bass lines. A gorgeous jazzy theme develops about three and a half minutes in, but unfortunately it breaks down prematurely. At 6:30, both guitars lock in on a great duet, Garcia and Weir sounding not unlike Duane and Betts during this extended passage prior to the first verse. An atonal space segment follows, but Phil pushes this into a nice jazzy groove starting at 17:30. A Caution-like theme develops before another spacey jam with sustained keyboard effects. Once again it's Phil’s bass driving the band back into The Other One theme prior to the second verse conclusion.

Pig's following performance of Lovelight> Two Souls is excellent. Unfortunately, most of the balance of the set is missing. Against the extraordinarily high level of the performances preceding this one, it pales somewhat in comparison. But in truth this is a dynamite show! The second set jam as well as the material included on the official releases is certainly quite compelling. (96 pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-05-24.pye-jones.harper-sirmick.87027.flac16 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-05-24.sbd-pset2.unknown.91509.flac16
http://www.dead.net/features/tapers-section/may-25-may-31-2009
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1529260189169422337
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/05/52472-strand-lyceum-sugar-magnolia-mlb.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/08/europe-72-jams-pt-6.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-lyceum-ballroom
 

 
* * * * *
 
05/25/72 Lyceum Ballroom - London, GB
 
I ) Promised Land , Brown Eyed Women, Big Boss Man, Black Throated Wind, Tennessee Jed, Mr. Charlie, Jack Straw, China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider, Me And Bobby McGee, Good Lovin', Playing In The Band, Brokedown Palace, Casey Jones
 
II ) Me And My Uncle, Big Railroad Blues, Chinatown Shuffle, Ramble On Rose, Uncle John's Band -> Jam -> Wharf Rat -> Dark Star -> Sugar Magnolia, Comes A Time, El Paso, Sittin' On Top Of The World, Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad-> One More Saturday Night
 
Best Source: SBD .miller.87682.sbeok.flac16 (incomplete)
Sound Quality: A-/A
Score: 98 pts*
 
(Although the relatively new but incomplete Eaton sourced miller.87682.sbeok.flac16 is rather hissy during the quiet portions, it's still highly enjoyable, and we are quite lucky to have it. The audience recordings that circulated prior to its availability were rather poor in quality.)
 
Comments: NRPS opened. Final Pigpen Good Lovin'. Garcia plays organ during intro of Good Lovin'. Tennessee Jed, Playin' in the Band and Sugar Magnolia are cut. Comes a Time, El Paso, Sitting On Top of the World, GDTRFB> One More Saturday Night are missing.
 
Tapers Section: Uncle John's Band> Wharf Rat> Dark Star> Sugar Magnolia (5/25/09)
 
Dark Star Timing: Opening theme/Jam (8:25) > Spacey and dissonant Jam (6:00) > Jazzy Jam (2:06) > Tiger Jam (7:32) > Sugar Magnolia transition (0:40) > Sugar Magnolia.
 
"Acid madness of epic proportions in full swing." Rock Scully
 
Notes:

Perhaps the last great performance by Pigpen. Only relatively recently has a more comprehensive, but still incomplete soundboard recording of this fantastic performance become available. Sadly, a good chunk of the second set of this excellent concert is still missing.

Although the show gets off to a bit of a slow start, by the middle of the first set things start to heat up. The 17 minute, last Pigpen performance of Good Lovin' is phenomenal. It features a nice smoky jam and some extraordinary lead guitar by Weir. Is that really Garcia playing organ during the intro? Playin' in the Band is typically psychedelic. It's one of the better performances of the song on the tour, the band starting to stretch it out a bit.

The highlight of the show of course, is the incredible second set jam sequence and another amazing performance of Dark Star. A great Uncle John's Band kicks off the suite, possibly the best of the tour. But it's during the jam prior to Wharf Rat where the music really takes off. It's an amazing rendition of the song, highly emotive, and perhaps the best performance of Wharf Rat on the tour. Once again we are treated to monumental performance of Dark Star. This exploratory performance covers a great deal of ground during the almost 17 minutes prior to the first verse, much of it is quite jazzy. The snappy opening theme jam in particular is dynamite, and an intense spacey jam punctuated by some wild bass chords precedes the first verse. After the verse, at about 18:30, a rather amazing bass driven jam develops with some very cool interplay between Billy, Keith and Phil. Eventually Weir leads the band into a beautiful Feelin' Groovy Jam that lasts several delightful minutes before things get rather wild, Phil producing some rather interesting sounds prior to things melting down into a dizzying space segment. Unfortunately, the conclusion of the performance is missing after Sugar Magnolia. You might think that after two months on the road, the band might show more evidence of fatigue or a lapse in creativity, however this is a tremendous show. Will we ever hear the complete performance? (98 pts*)

*If the new soundboard recording contained the complete show, this performance might garner a perfect score!

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-05-25.sbd.miller.87682.sbeok.flac16
http://www.dead.net/features/tapers-section/may-25-may-31-2009
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1529643756093333504
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/05/52572-strand-lyceum-comes-time-wharf.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/08/europe-72-jams-pt-6.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-lyceum-ballroom
 
REVIEWS:
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2022/05/may-25-1972-lyceum-theatre-london.html
 

 
* * * * *
 
05/26/72 Lyceum Ballroom - London, GB
 
I ) Promised Land, Sugaree, Mr. Charlie, Black Throated Wind, Loser, Next Time You See Me, El Paso, Dire Wolf, Two Souls In Communion, Playin' In The Band, He's Gone, Cumberland Blues, Jack Straw, Chinatown Shuffle, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Not Fade Away-> Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> Not Fade Away
 
II ) Truckin'-> Jam-> The Other One-> Drums-> The Other One-> Jam-> Morning Dew-> The Other One-> Sing Me Back Home, Me & My Uncle, Ramble On Rose, Sugar Magnolia, Casey Jones E: One More Saturday Night
 
Best Source: SBD waddell.89641.sbeok.flac16 (GEMS)
Sound Quality: A-/A
Score: 100 pts
 
(All four of the available MR sourced transfers here are more or less comparable in sound quality. There is just a minimal amount of hiss. More so on Matt Vernon's remaster, though it may also be just a touch more brilliant. I went with the Todd Evans sourced GEMS remaster, but the difference in quality is inconsequential.)
 
Comments: NRPS opened.
 
Official Release: Truckin' /Epilogue and Prelude/Morning Dew are on Europe '72. Jack Straw is on Steppin' Out.
 
The Other One Timing: Other one Hints (0:15) > Jam (3:55) > Other One (0:39) > Bass (0:57) > Other One (2:45) > Spacey Drum Jam (2:00) > Other One (4:40) > Drums (2:19) > Other One (0:46) > first verse (0:40) > Other One (0:52) > Prelude (10:02) > Morning Dew (9:37) > Other One (4:52 )> second verse (0:50) > Sing Me Back Home
 
"He's playing with his back to the audience, tears streaming down his face, the music playing the band...Ecstasy on every level." Dennis McNally on Jerry during Morning Dew
 
Notes:

A monumental performance, the band has pulled out all the stops for their last show of the tour. The nineteen song 2+ hour first set, perhaps the finest of the tour, is a monster, featuring fantastic performances of Cumberland Blues, Jack Straw, China/Rider, Playin' in the Band and a surprise Dire Wolf. Concluding with a jammed out NFA> GDTRFB> NFA, this set on its own would have been a great show.

But of course the band still has a bit of magic left in the tank, the second set commencing with a jam suite right off the bat. This one will sound very familiar with the incredible Truckin' and Morning Dew immortalized on Europe '72 split by an epic 35+ minute, largely percussion driven performance of The Other One which gets reprised twice. The post Truckin' "Epilogue" is phenomenal. Seamless, it's difficult to discern where Truckin' ends and The Other One begins, Jerry and Keith are locked in so tightly. A brief but intense bass solo preceeds the intro theme. After a great drum solo the theme fires up again. Keith’s playing is extraordinary here. During a brief segment just prior to the first verse he sounds like Steve Winwood. The following ten minute post-verse "Prelude" to Morning Dew is one of the most compelling passages that the band has ever played. After the phenomenal performance of Morning Dew the band finds their way back into The Other One. Three minutes into the second reprise there is some rather cool interplay between Weir and Garcia which is followed by a brief but sublime duet between Pigpen and Keith that must be heard to be believed. Simply beautiful, it's an amazing conclusion to this epic tour. (100 pts)

 
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-05-26.sbd.waddell.89641.sbeok.flac16
 
See also:
https://twitter.com/bourgwick/status/1530005422836416523
https://bozosandbolos.blogspot.com/2012/05/52672-strand-lyceum-saturday-night.html
https://deadthinking.blogspot.com/2022/08/europe-72-jams-pt-6.html
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/europe-72-lyceum-ballroom

                                                                        (Not the Dead....)


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I've also added more venue photos here: 
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