So very easy to get spoiled by the night in and night out solid shows turned in by the band.
With this upgrade this is a prime recording
I find myself listening to these Europe 72's whenever I am able to do so.
I watched the video from Denmark, so many cool things. To see Phil singing his butt off.
Jerry just wailing on his guitar. Weir getting so into lyrics. Nice to see Pig on the organ,
I can hear him on the mix.
Keith is like having another lead
with Jerry and Phil.
They have such a full sound.
And of course Billy just solid
keeping it all tied in together.
Mask thing was a trip during RxR Blues.
It is a shame the TV folks and us
didn't get the 3rd set
because that would have
put it up there with Veneta-72
Meanwhile back at Hamburg.
Very good First Set right around Good Lovin' music was just pouring out my headphones.
Second Set opens with Donna Jean
getting bent with Greatest Story.
Another He's Gone now with bridge.
When they start to focus on call & response
"Nothing's gonna bring him back'
the song will really stretch
Pigpen right there with the organ!
Not a whole lot else to say about
Dark Star>Sugar Magnolia>Caution
sometimes with Comes A time
it has been that or The Other One
They are so loose by this time in the show.
Kinda something this deep into tour
before they breakout Uncle John's..

2 long sets at Hamburg's Laeisz Halle , a classic Euro symphony hall and a favored venue of Strauss and Prokofiev (and just a short walk from the famed St Pauli district and the Reeper Bahn).

First Set.Though Playin' is good (the whole set is above average as typical for E72), you can tell they aren't even warmed up yet. There's cool early jamming (near-tolerable Donnaskreech™ notwithstanding). Sugaree isn't quite formed yet but Pigpen charging everything on Mr. Charlie, pressures a groove and the set never looks back. China Cat>Rider is very similar to the next one (à Paris). With this band we note when songs DO come out the same! Big Boss Man is so spot-on it's sick! Jack Straw sounds different from the first three of the tour. Pig really does his thang on Good Lovin'. The rest is hot.

Second Set. An ace Greatest Story sets up for a hot set. This is the first "wind blows so strange" bridge for He's Gone. "Lost two rounds"! Next Time You See Me is in a slowwww tempo. Not bad but not the best of the tour's 14 versions either. Dark Star is very loose. In his book Billy said they wanted to avoid the Americana stuff and melt Eurominds. This is an example. They are one solid unit for Sugar Magnolia and a very slick version of Saturday Night. Not so for Uncle John's where they get a little lost a couple times.

1st Set:  B+
2nd Set: B+
Overall = 4½ stars

Highlights:
Mr. Charlie - great almost every night of the tour
China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider - fantastic if too close to the next night
Big Boss Man - one of the best-ever
Jack Straw - NOT the same as others on the tour
Me & My Uncle - perfect
Greatest Story Ever Told - jumpstart for 2nd set
He's Gone - first version with bridge
Sugar Magnolia - the machine
One More Saturday Night - perfect r-n-r

SOURCES: The official release or miller.125888 are significant upgrades.

Good show, not AS good as most of the rest of the tour.

There are a few flaws, but I can't really complain. This is great!

Thanks CM great great sound. The more you listen to the Europe 72 tour the harder to ever contemplate they could surpass it for overall quality. This show is truly astonishing with how linked the band was and how great everyone played. This is indeed a Pigpen highlight need. Not as raw as many early shows, but more a display of how good he actually was when at his best.
That said though, this was a total band highlight night. Pig was great, but not better than Bill, Jerry, Bobby Keith or Phil. Simply a huge whole band evening with no one needing to cover for anyone not carrying their weight. Just might have to add this to my collection from the Dead site. Thanks again Charlie.

Great to hear this show. Another spectacular show of a legendary tour. A fantastic mix and another wonderful transfer.

Thank you greatly

Great upgrade.

Sick high energy Pigpen show! Good Lovin' is one of the best. same with Big Boss Man.

Not sure if this was the Dark Star-> Sugar Mag -> Caution sequence that made the record, but its point and proof that it was a great decision to release this entire tour.

Thanks CM

None of the other sources come close. This is real nice. Especially if you do not have the massive box set.