I first saw the GD in 73' Spectrum
so I assume 'we' were already born.

in 73' I wasn't sure I fit in -because the GD had been around 8 yrs already and people looking at calanders were saying the 60s were over
a party is both stuck in time/ AND timeless

enjoy your time/and timelessness
party hardy every day
smile on a cloudy day :))

my mind ain't wondering because I know what I know



seriously





this show is a top 5 and it really doesn't matter what we say anyway because the music has been played longer than we've been alive

First Set: A+
Second Set: A+

It's always sporting to go to the show just before or after a classic and, in this case, the run before San Diego, Pauley & Denver. The first show (the 9th) is the one you want first, with this show comparable to the previous night (though still GOGD). This used to show up a lot on trading and best-of lists 20-30 years ago, but I think that was before many Heads were more familiar with October>December (and for awhile it was the only date from the period that was a common tape). Those attracted solely to length used to ticklist this Dark Star as a fave (it's not bad...). It's certainly odd that there was only one hometown run in '73. Of the 11 Cal shows in '73, only these 3 were at Winterland (considered the Dead's home base at the time) and only 5 were in the local/Bay Area - as opposed to 11 in '74 and 13 in '72. ALL of the sources for this run have pitch errors and a slow/long wow (the official release addressed this with mixed results).

First Set. Average '73 fare with a few exceptions, starting with a beautiful segue-drop into Bertha; and with no gaps into Greatest Story, it's obvious that they setlisted! The latter is rent with Donnaskreech™ and the next few are a bit rough, with Bobby hoarse (like the previous night) on Black-Throated. Ramble is even a bit sloppy, albeit with charms. It's at Bobby McGee that things swiftly improve, and it all comes together for a dynamic China>Rider. Now that Jer is fired, he just doesn't stop: all the way through Me & My Uncle. Loose Lucy is downtempo/funked. The better versions of Weather Report Suite come in the next weeks - but they're all fine as wine in '73.

Second Set. The reverse of the first set, with the best playing at the top. Sometimes you can't hear Bobby well, but here you can enjoy the wonderful and unusual rhythms he adds to Half Step Mississippi. Jer takes a long leash on Big River and everybody is right in Billy's shuffling pocket. Hot! This Dark Star is, at 35min, one of the longest ever; 4th or 6th, depending how you count (there's a much longer one a few weeks later in Cleveland). It has the "third stage", and a Mind Left Body jam. Bland and formless in places, but hotter than soup in others, it's 16½min to the 1st verse. The monster Phil section is kind of cool too, but I'm conflicted. I've been through this Dark Star several times over the years, but I'm left wanting to love it more than I do (especially coming right after 10/19/73). Not my absolute fave from '73, but in the top 10. The official splits some of the intro onto the previous disc, and it has been filtered or something during mastering, making the soundscape better/fuller on the Gardner SBD. Eyes is above average - the second solo is the money shot. The official release has a weird edit: @7:47 it replays the 4:36>5:04 section, then @8:15 theres a rough cut, jumping to 8: 28 (on the miller-sourced Eyes). The SBD loses the right channel in this section, but you can just switch to mono. China Doll is fine, and though Jer's great in this half of the set, by Sugar Magnolia & Uncle John's it's getting a bit off/sloppy. However the finish is a wonderful And We Bid You Good Night. This is one that Donna knew how to sing.

1st Set:  C+
2nd Set: C+
Overall = 3 stars

Highlights:
China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider - quite dynamic
Big River - Billy shuffling/Jer long-leashed
Dark Star - you should probably take this journey at least once
And We Bid You Good Night - jointly great

SOURCES: The gardner_12178 is the better SBD overall. It does run way fast in places. Promised Land needs -2.5% pitch correction at the start and -1.5% by the end. Bertha needs -1.5% > -1.25%. Greatest Story needs -1.25% > -1% by the end. Then it needs -1% from Sugaree until Eyes, which needs -1.25%. Sugar Mag & UJB need -1.5% and JBG needs -2%. The pitch-corrected_miller_88485 is ironically named, since it has full-on pitch errors. It needs -3.25% from Promised Land until Ramble on Rose, which needs -3%. So does Bobby McGee at first but it slows, needing -2% by the end, and through UJB. JBG needs -1.5%. The miller source has a smoothed/fixed Eyes. The slow wow was analyzed and addressed on the Winterland 1973 box, but somehow worked in a lesser way for the discs representing this show (most noticeably in Bertha). It was sampled for artifacts and cleaned, but the slightly-off mix means the SBD still sounds better in places. It's pitched fast, and needs -1.5% for Disc 7. Disc 8 needs -1.5% until Loose Lucy (which needs -1%). Disc 9 needs -1% until JBG, which needs -1.5%. Eyes has been edited.

Just another reason i dig this show
Go Donna Go..

Really could be one of their best shows! Check out the spacey Dark Star!

Dark Star 11/11/73

What's your email brother?

I've heard nothing but great things about this one...Alough, 'I've' never heard it :~(...I'm dyin' to hear this show, but got no dough...So can anyone throw me a bone, bro??!