Reviewer:
Mind Wondrin
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favoritefavoritefavorite -
May 2, 2022
Subject:
Sahm horns
September '73 to me is not as great as Oct/Nov, but this gets rec'd to me – particularly for the Eyes and the China>Rider. Indeed they are both delicious. This show is a latecomer to trading: partial SBDs in '08, the rest on AUD (though in better qual than what circ'd earlier). The SBD mix is not great, so it's unlikely to be an OFF release soon. Martìn Fierro (sax) & Joe Ellis (trumpet) play in the end of the second set. They had just recorded horns on Wake of the Flood. Fierro had previously toured with Garcia/Saunders and Legion of Mary. On this tour the two played with openers Doug Sahm & Band (sadly both died in the same year; young). This night also has the return of vox to Nobody's Fault.
First Set. Promised Land can be counted as warm-up, though the Sugaree that loses tempo to a dirge might be as well. Jack Straw is the turnaround and then comes the wonderful They Love Each Other. It's easy to overlook Mexicali, I know, but this is excellent. The next few are a bit flat, though the second solo in Row Jimmy is redeeming. Big River throws sparks all the way through. After a Tico-Tico no Fubá comes a whopping China Cat>Rider. One of the many feature sections is an effortless Feelin' Groovy jam/seg. The MTX is much better here than the SBD.
Second Set. The SBD is sort of usable again but it has a bad mix and doesn't really improve until partway in GSET. The beginning of Ramble On Rose is cut on all sources but it's not the greatest anyway, and starts at a tempo not brisk but OK, then grinding down. The set picks up again with Mississippi Half-Step. So sweet, solid, satiating (albeit no great sources here). After a Merry-Go-Round Broke Down tuning, the Greatest Story Ever Told is good until the great solo – marred by Donna. China Doll is too dry/spare (it got better years later). The SBD is better for Truckin' and so is the tempo. Nobody's Fault had been played in '66 and probably '67/'68, but in the following years it became an instrumental jam sequence. This is the return to lyrics. Eyes of the World and Weather Report were played almost every night of the tour. Seems many don't like the "horn tour", but this night it really works for the bouncy Eyes. It's cooler than the other side of the pillow. Weather Report Suite not so much, though it's okay, and Bobby codas with the Prelude section. It must have been weird for people who had just ran out and bought (current album in stores) Europe '72 to hear them sound like this and with this material. Does Sugar Mag work in this format? I suspect somebody may think so. It was worth a try.
1st Set: B-
2nd Set: C+
Overall = 3¼ stars
Highlights:
They Love Each Other - so good in '73
Mexicali Blues - sometimes made of win
Big River - sparks all the way through
China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider - effortless jam sequence
Mississippi Half-Step - columnar
Eyes of the World - one of the year's best
SOURCES: The 150275_sbd is now the best source overall, but needs volume and balance intervention. In its worst sections (end of Set 1 and Set 2 as far as GSET) the matrix is preferable. The mtx_tobin_95744 also has a couple more complete tunings, but runs too fast, needing -1% pitch correction, except for speedy Ramble On Rose [-3%] and Truckin' [-2%]. The beginning of China Cat is clipped by 4-10secs on all sources (either at the beginning of several seconds in), but aud_cotsman_11620 is the most complete.