Second hot night in a row to start the tour (and they only get better). A tight and sparkly show that BITD was known only for the Dark Star. But both sets are consistently good, and about a dozen songs are Grade A for the era. The tour is hot enough that it takes a lot for one show to stand out. Nonetheless, of the 22 shows, this is top 8. The venue was called Empire Pool; is now called Wembley Arena.

First Set. The Bertha opener gives you the theme of the set: sparks. The OFF is clearer, and mixed from multitrack, but Keith is faint or missing. Choose between hearing Keith [SBD] or louder Bobby's guitar (I find piano important to this set). Uncle & Charlie are both tops, and Black-Throated is a rare version that feels effortless, not forced, with Keith the magic ingredient – even if it's not quite as good as the night before. This Cumberland is the best-known of all, but entirely worthy of the attention [there's piano on the SBD; the original E72 version is a varispeed master, sped by +3.5%]. Though not sour, Brown Eyed Women isn't the best of the tour. Played with alacrity, Beat it On Down the Line-12 is a shot of juice before an ace Tennessee Jed. This Playing in the Band is the one you want; it keeps delivering like UPS in a pandemic. Good Lovin' is crazy good, and check out Keith. Looks Like Rain is good, but almost a respite. Casey Jones can be rote, but not here, where it's just great [piano mix now crucial].

Second Set. Truckin' is solid, but it's not going to compare to some of the others on the tour. Big Railroad, though, is hotter than soup. Steppin' Out has the superior mix for that as well as the Pig-tour-de-force version of Hurts Me Too. Bobby jokes that the feedback is an "Olympic Solo" (the Empire Pool was used for the '48 Olympics). Dark Star was released just months after it was performed, and then on two further albums. On Glastonbury Fayre it's called "Dark Star....bury" (a common trade BITD of B&P, it fades in at the 5: 26 mark; and fades out after 24mins). Dark Star is a must-hear-once, but really it's not, say, 5/18, and the cool sections come ten minutes in between. The last 4mins are best. The (sort of) Mind Left Body jam is the second of just three in '72 – though here in the key of A, and with a different cadence than '73 in A (the first '72 is in C; 9/21 is in D). Bobby only has to play the riff twice for Jer to pick it up, but he does not play the MLB descending half-step sequence, instead playing a similar riff of whole steps in A major (so, you can see why one argument is that this isn't a MLB). This does set up perfectly for Sugar Mag (an A major song). This Dark Star, though, flounders a lot without setting on a point. See what you think (Steppin' Out mix is better). However there are a couple (brief) cool sections in Caution. Steppin' Out & SBDs have a 33sec cut @1:19 (restored in box set OFF), and all copies have another cut 6: 16 later, of perhaps similar length. The Dark Star>Caution jam seq is 39min. One More Saturday has okay verses, a great solo, and a rough finish from Bobby.

1st Set:  A
2nd Set: B-
Overall = 4½ stars

Highlights:
Me & My Uncle - sparks emerge
Mr. Charlie - Pig at peak
Black-Throated Wind - effortless
Cumberland Blues - too familiar but too good
Beat it on Down the Line - a shot
Tennessee Jed - that E72 sound
Playing in the Band - tour best, overall
Good Lovin'- crazy good
Casey Jones - Keith great, for one
Big Railroad Blues - hotter
Hurts Me Too - Pig tour de force

SOURCES: The miller_83714 has the best sound, but is missing the intro/announcements, Yellow Dog Story is misplaced, Caution is edited, the beginning is clipped on Bertha & LLR, and a few tunings/patter are missing. Older circulating copies usually run too slow and are missing Cumberland. An excerpted Dark Star is on Glastonbury Fayre. Cumberland is on the original Europe '72 and Looks Like Rain is on CD versions. Steppin' Out has most of six songs. Europe Complete (and a vinyl breakout of 4/8) has the whole show, but the mix is inferior to the SBD and Steppin', and the first disc runs a bit fast, needing -1% pitch correction.

have you thanked a taper today?

Led Zeppelin had nothing on these guys in 1972.

The Dark Star embodies every style and genre of modern and/or pop music. Out-Frigging-Rageous!

A lot of this I never heard before. What I did hear from Europe '72 already I haven't heard in 20 years or more. Jerry's guitar work in Mr Charlie is very likely to put a shit eating grin on your face. I know it did mine! I'm not even halfway thru yet but wanted to go ahead & start on my review. I'm amazed this show has only gotten 7 reviews. Mine makes 8! When the boys showed up in Europe they were ready to show people what they have. I've only heard half so far & I am amazed. I haven't made it to this 30 min Dark Star or the 17 minute Do Not Stop on the Tracks. If you've never heard this, you should cuz it never got much better than this!

I have been listening to shows for a long time but never really, fully gave Europe 72 shows enough of my time. Listening to Dark Star -> on now and part of me is ashamed to have waited so long and part of me is happy I get to really, really enjoy it for the first time. Sound is phenomenal and playing, of course, is top notch.

Definitely one of the best, especially in 72. Just astonishingly powerful, varied, and moving.

Wembley Empire Pool.

Thanks to Mind Wondrin'
for the reviews
between you
and Light into Ashes
I have gained some cool insights into the music.

i became enchanted from truckin' on... love the dark star... show a full-on jerry, bob, phil full band tour de force

This show is with out a doubt one of the hottest shows of the Europe 72' tour. The sound is fantastic. And the Dead are definitely on fire early in the tour. I love the distortion they used on their guitars back then. I'd say they proved themselves to the relatively untapped European audiences. Funny banter between songs too. Great energy, jammin' show, check it out.

"There's a sort of peak optimum, and right now we're at one of those peaks." Jerry Garcia - London 4/72

Apparently the band was feeling a bit warmer on this night because the second show at Wembley is certainly among the hottest 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 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 are celebrated for their pre-verse explorations. This one is special because of its post-verse thematic jamming. The segue into the gorgeous Sugar Magnolia is beautiful and sublime. 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.

Its amazing how quickly the band found its footing on the continent just into their second performance, with a gorgeous sound and tone quite unique to this tour. (99+ pts)