The night before was the best night of the run, followed by the two shoulder shows. This show has the 2+ hour second set/triple encore.
Me & My Uncle was used for the
Skull Fuck album, and most of the show is on
Ladies & Gentlemen, though it misses a few of the best ones due to prevention of repetition. Keeping in tune was a challenge this night.
First Set. Starts strong with a good
Truckin' - the jam surpassing the verses (even though Bobby gets 'em right).
Bertha isn't the best of the week but the snarly tone Jer had - apparently playing his first Alembic custom for these shows - is cool as shit.
It Hurts Me has great Pig, and check how Bobby plays off of Jer. This is the
Cumberland (4th day in a row) that should've been on
Ladies.
Bird Song is in its '71 config (w/out the ending); a very dynamic version with full band vox. There's a cut on the 16-bit Miller soundboard (oddly, not cut on the 24-bit) and you don't hear the person shout "Paint it Black you Devils" after
Playin. (The very non-lysergic Get Yer Ya-Yas had just come out and this was years before 'Freeebirrrd!').
Dark Hollow is one of only two electric versions in '70/'71 and the last until '80! The better one, however, is on
Three from the Vault. Is Jer sitting on steel here for one song? Sounds like it.
Hard to Handle is the best version evah! Even amongst all the great '71s. Yes sir am!!
Ripple has TC and is for those that like it shaky.
Second Set. The great
Dew may not match the night before, but it's different.
Minglewood is one of only two in '71 and the last until '76! (though Portchester is the better one). In
Sugar Mag, the Willys hits boulders and Phil wants it in Cumberland.
BoDtL-25 (that's right, 25!) is a unique version not on
Ladies, but the better ones are the 25th and 28th.
Second that Emotion is the last one ever (of 7) but the 25th is better.
Alligator is also the last one ever (and it's clear why...). The jam between
Drums and
GDtRFB is ahead of its time - sounding more like '73 - and becomes Stephen for a moment. The rest of the set is very strong. Either there was a party or a cool-off because the same isn't said for the shaky and flat encores, though they gamely try a second time on
Bid You Goodnight (one of two in '71).
1st Set: B-
2nd Set: C+ (but that's including the encore; Drums through JBG is B+)
Overall = 3¼ Stars (slightly above-average show for the era)
Highlights:
Me & My Uncle - the excellent Skull Fuck version we all know
Hard to Handle - absolutely perfect
Morning Dew - second great one of the week
Sources: Though you can't actually render the difference between 24-bit and 16, the pitch-accurate
Miller.105925 source is great-sounding and the most complete. Fifteen tracks are on
Ladies, M&MU is on
Skull, and Truckin' is also on
Weir Here, where it's pitched 1% too slow.