I was at the show at the Melkweg two nights earlier and the boys cooked at that show. At the Hippodrome Jerry and Brent were too baked to cook. Phil and Bobby pretty much carried this show, with Bobby taking over most of the solo runs in the songs. This show was pretty much the beginning of Jerry’s slip into a serious horse ride that lasted way too long.

1981 would not have been so very fine without it. That's why this years Morning Dew's are the most beautiful perhaps, staring with 9/11, 12/31, 8/12 first. Great year for touring! Show after show Jerry's singing and guitar playing at certain points seemed to be at their peak, not that you could say that about the band as a whole. There is a price for everything such as 12-13 years of lameness (Jerry) afterwards.
I liked this set the best for the European and UK tour. This Dew goes on my list, Jerry fans nicely (but not 10/3).

Yeah, of course Jerry & Brent were ridin' the dragon. They had just played a show in Amsterdam.

I have played jazz guitar for 35 years and seen 200+ Dead shows. I always thought my best solos were done when I was smacked out, but in the end it almost destroyed me, my family, and the band.

I am now straight for 7 years, but I have never again approached the "high" level of playing that smack brought me. Of course I would never do it again, but there certainly is something to that drug and creativity.

If Garcia broke a string we blame the drugs...lets cut him some slack. Most geniuses are tortured and Garcia's no exception. We cant pretend to know the burden he felt or the responsibilties to the organization and fans that wieghed on him. Addiction is a very personal thing to the user but unfortunatly it effects everyone around them. Its still effecting us fans even so many years after his passing and yes I understand the anger but lets move on and start focusing on the good that he left us.

but is it really? He is ultra smacked out in the beginning of the set 1, so is Brent. Some songs come off mediocre. Maybe they all are since they are all in this sound together. I'm sure they were up for sampling the French connection in '81. I read a post on here That claimed Jerry's heroin addiction aided his creativity in '77 since Heroin stimulates creativity in the beginning of the addiction. What? more like the smack may have not wore him out yet. He was an artist destined to have a peak and valley, but his was a sharp decline. I don't know why I am going on about all this, maybe I am mad he is not around anymore to give me my favorite fix.

Thanks for uploading this to the archive! - this is an awesome source and the playing is great! :-) God Bless The Good Ol' Grateful Dead!!