No Highlights

This is a really fine, poignant, beautifully understated Birdsong.

This show provides for very pleasant listening.

Thanks for keeping Good Lovin' intact!

Great job!

I'm listening to Jerry sing "I wish I was a headlight on a north-bound train", and all I can think is "You were, and always will be, a headlight for us all." I miss you.

I love Jack Straw and Brown-Eyed women, and can't imagine either one without a piano, but you know what? I prefer their original five-man lineup. (Mickey left five nights ago.)

You want another reason why '71 was their peak? It was the last year that Phil was a full-time singer.

Evan S. Hunt: I love your reviews of the boys in their hometown. But they always played their hearts out in my hometown, NYC.

Not one of my favorites.

If anyone has heard a hotter "Johnny Be Good" give me the date.

Sound: Near CD quality.
Performance: Real Good.
Set 1 highlights: Uncle John's, Bobby McGee, Bertha (always a highlight of '71 for me) and Morning Dew.
Set 2 highlights: Bird Song, The Other One> Wharf Rat! (Wharf Rat the other song that is always so go in '71). Truckin' and Greatest Story are not what they will become in '72. Rest real good.
In general a good night for Phil and Bill. Some nice/subtle organ from Pig.

It's interesting how the newer sources for these Port Chester shows sound so much better than the Betty Boards, so long regarded as the best available. This is a fine recording with a lively mix featuring punchy drums and thumping bass.

Another fine performance, the band has turned up the intensity a notch, but I don't think it's as tight as the first three performances of the run. Some of the songs start out a bit scratchy, but they all finish strong. As with the other '71 Capitol shows, there seems to be some difficulty keeping the guitars in tune.

Uncle John's Band gets a bit of a rough start, but they pull it together, Phil thumping some nice bass lines towards the conclusion. It's followed by another solid performance of Loser, again Pigpen adding some cool organ fills. The brief segue between China/Rider is well played by Weir.

Several of the first sets during this run are excellent. This one as well. The 11+ minute performance of Morning Dew will be one of the last performed during a first set. This one starts out a bit subdued, but it really catches fire midway through. Phil's punchy bass driving the rendition, the outro segment is dynamite.

Bird Song is another fine early rendition, the jangly guitar tones are lovely. The highlight of the second set is of course the Truckin'> Drums> Other One> Wharf Rat suite. The first time this sequence was performed. Truckin' gets off to a sketchy start, but the outro is very well played by Jerry.

The 12 minute performance of the Other One is pretty good, perhaps the second best rendition of the song during the run. The intro segment is gorgeous with some staccato notes from Jerry and Phil's pounding bass. Following the first verse is a brief but rather cool passage starting at about 7:50 with Jerry sustaining his notes and the performance again lights up before segueing into Wharf Rat. I rather like the conclusions of the early renditions of this song.

Good Lovin' is solid. The instrumental break is punchy, but this performance lacks both a rap and a jam. Unfortunately, jamming is really done at a premium during this run. The set concluding NFA> GDTRFB suite rocks out but it's rather unexciting. At least they figure out a better slot to position Johnny B. Goode. (95 pts)

I love this show. The sound is excellent. I like the setlist. Right now this is a "go-to" show for me. Give it a listen, it sounds great. Thanks Charlie

Jerry on his sunburst Les Paul, Bobby on his 335, Phil on the SG, Billy all by himself and Blue Ron on the Hammond B-3: The Boys.

No knock on T.C. here so intended. Starting in 68 he became the principle keyboardist until early 70 because the band had tired of Ron's tedious lapses at the organ. But it seems the roadies preferred Blue Ron. Hence, you get the conflict.

'Tis true, T.C. definitely was the better keys player for the GD, but, on this tape, it's Blue Ron playing the B-3 and sounding pretty good to me.

The guy was dying, and here, giving us everything he had.