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Grateful DeadGrateful Dead Live at Barton Hall, Cornell U on 1981-05-16 (May 16, 1981)

Collection: : GratefulDead
Band/Artist: Grateful Dead
Date: May 16, 1981 (check for other copies)
Venue: Barton Hall, Cornell U
Location: Ithaca, NY

Source: Audience Recording: 2 Nak 300 shotguns > Sony TC-D5M > Maxell XLIIS tape;
Taped by: Doug Mow
Transferred by: Doug Mow, Alex Ford
Keywords: Live concert

Description

Feel Like A Stranger-> Friend Of The Devil-> Me & My Uncle-> Big River, Althea-> CC Rider, Brown Eyed Women, Passenger, High Time-> Let It Grow-> Don't Ease Me In Shakedown Street-> Bertha-> Lost Sailor-> Saint Of Circumstance-> Spanish Jam-> Drums-> Truckin'-> Nobody's Fault But Mine-> Stella Blue-> Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> One More Saturday Night, E: Uncle John's Band

Individual Files

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Downloaded 55,648 timesReviews
Average Rating:

Reviewer: Albix - - October 18, 2007
Subject: 2nd time around
After going back and listening to this source again, the sound itself is sweet. The only issue I find is that "rolling" sound from left to right. Probably from the cassette transfer.

Reviewer: laptaper - - April 21, 2007
Subject: Sorry, can't agree about the sound quality
This one isn't bad, but IMHO the Senn recording is MUCH better. This one has a tinnier, slightly echoey quality, the other is much cleaner and fuller.

Reviewer: L. Rosley - - April 6, 2007
Subject: Good, but previous night is better
The Dead hit some sweet spots in this pair of shows, 5-15-81 and 5-16-81. In both shows, the vocals are good and playing is tight. Both are good quality audience recordings. The previous night (5-15), however, is the better of the two, a more consistently good performance and slightly better set list. This show is nothing to sneeze at, though.

Overall, a good first set. A nice groove on parts of Feel Like a Stranger. Sweet guitar work in Friend of the Devil. Despite Brent's cheesy keyboard setting, Big River has some of the old sparkle of the pre-1975 break. Althea always a pleasure from this era. Passenger is another highlight of the first set. Let it Grow cooks.

Shakedown Street breaks the momentum with repetition that gets tiresome at times, and runs out of ideas long before it ends. A little later, Spanish jam (from circa 1968) makes an unexpected appearance to spice things up. There's also an interesting jam out of space and a solid Truckin' with a smooth transition in to Nobody's Fault But Mine, which is instrumental-only but a nice jam. Jerry then delivers an expressive Stella Blue, both vocally and instrumentally—one of the highlights of the show. Clean, rockin', dancing, Going Down the Road and Saturday round out the second set.

Reviewer: Danbury Dave - - March 30, 2007
Subject: Shakedown at is finest
I always thought this was the best recording of shakedown. The middle to end has some vocal improv which i love and thought it should've been the one to put on that 30 yrs gd compilation they made some years back. I remember they asked the deadheads which years for feedback and this was always the one for me. It never made it on there.

Reviewer: Tribix - - March 9, 2007
Subject: Lost My Mind
Well this show was my coming of age show with the Dead - began to lose my mind during the break, chasing it around the cinder track at Barton Hall and then the 2nd set started with a thunderous 1st chord of Shakedown Street, I felt the Barton Hall rafters vibrating - my appreciation totally changed and I will never forget that moment - this will be my most closely guarded archive. Enjoy it and crank it up for that 1st chord second set!!

Reviewer: dyermaker81 - - November 15, 2006
Subject: Truckin'
The sex change lyric is worth a 5 straight up!

Reviewer: bamage - - July 16, 2006
Subject: Blast from the Past
I listened to this show every day for at least a decade - starting from the day after the show, when my roomate at Cornell handed me the boot. I always swore it was one of the best shows I'd heard. Still do. Freaky vibe, well deserved. Thanks.

Reviewer: hotshakedown - - January 15, 2006
Subject: a very hot shakedown indeed!!
amazing sound quality

Reviewer: the_fenman - - August 5, 2005
Subject: more than words can tell...
seriously, this show has revitalized my obsession(which was already raging strong!)...the Let It Grow is blazing! the Althea is sublime! the Shakedown jam is hot, the Sailor> Saint is powerful, the Stella sent chills up my spine..just a great, great show...I'm not a fan of AUD's but this one sounds great, good levels, low crowd noise...worth the download for sure! enjoy! thanks LMA!

Reviewer: jhender501 - - June 21, 2005
Subject: Wow!
Listening to this one now..finished the first set, into Shakedown now..never been a big "Shakedown" fan but it's growing on me..this show helps! Loved the first set..great recording and energy as mentioned before..Let it Grow is a killer..Stranger is a killer..great Althea..slow and sweet..

Reviewer: Brother Luck - - June 21, 2005
Subject: Thanks for the heads up...
I found some killer artwork for this show at
gdcdcovers.com Tons of great artwork to match the 5 star shows on this site.

Reviewer: tivo - - June 20, 2005
Subject: Rockin!!!
A superb recording of an outstanding show!!! Lots of energy and tight playing!

Reviewer: Albix714 - - June 18, 2005
Subject: Definate Upgrade
This source is a definate upgrade from the pre- existing FOB source. If you don't have this one, get it. You'll thank me later.

Reviewer: Matty Kid - - June 16, 2005
Subject: Cornell in May
Just something about Barton Hall during the month of may. The jam session at the end Shakedown leading into Bertha is absolutely superb and worthy of 5 stars in of itself.

Notes

flac16; 2 Nak 300 shotguns > Sony TC-D5M > Maxell XLIIS tape; Taped, Transferred Nak ZX7> CDR by Doug Mow; CDR> FLAC16, minor editing by Alex Ford