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Poster: Cliff Hucker Date: Feb 9, 2009 6:03am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: 2/11/70 - Fire Breathing Dragon at the Taper's Section

Lemieux has out-done himself yet again! This weeks Taper's Section is another cornucopia of treats, not the least of which is the truly epic Dark Star> Spanish Jam> Lovelight from 2/11/70 with the Allman Brothers Band and Fleetwood Mac sitting in...

"During our set, we're tiptoeing through a quiet part of "Dark Star" when Duane Allman comes onstage and plugs in. I'm fixated on the fingers of my left hand, so I dont see him at first. Jerry plays a minimal version of the melody in place of a sung verse, and the first notes of Duane's slide guitar creep out of his speakers. I look over, startled: Jerry, that prankster, hadn't told me that he'd invited anybody to sit in. Duane a lanky towhead with a walrus mustache, is a little tentative at first, but soon gains confidence and begins adding thoughts to the flow. The music grows - and falls back into a very sparce, quiet space. Jerry takes the music into the minor tonic, and the thread becomes more and more tenuous as the dynamic remains quiet. Peter Green from the Mac plugs in just as I'm pulling the music into the dominant minor, both he and Duane seem to feel more comfortable in this space. Peter even starts to take the music into a "Smokestack Lightnin'" groove. Jerry, as deferential as ever to honored guests, steps back into a rhythm role and lets the newcomers wail. Duane steps up with some tonally ambiguous slide, while Peter and Bobby crunch away at the rhythm, aided by Jerry. The drummers and I pump up the groove a little higher, and Jerry and Duane trade a few rippin' licks. The dynamic is still fairly quiet.

Bob, meanwhile, has been hinting at a different direction - simply by playing one extra chord, he takes us into a full-blown "Spanish Jam," a four-bar pattern we'd borrowed from Miles Davis/Gil Evans album Sketches of Spain, while Jerry and Duane continue to converse. Gregg Allman slides onto the organ bench and lays down some sustained notes, and then some rapid figurations. The dynamic builds, then quiets; Duane and Gregg trade some figures. Butch Trucks joins on drums, as Mickey attacks his giant gong, unleashing waves of colored noise. Duane leaps in with a slashing, brassy figure that evokes the blues. Gregg answers, and the dynamic grows louder. Bob is thrashing away for all he's worth. By this time we have a hybrid meta-band onstage, lacking only one element - Pigpen.

Peter plays a huge climactic passage, and underneath the ending of his phrase, Bob and I slyly insert the opening riff of "Lovelight." Mick Fleetwood and Danny Kirwan, the other Mac guitarist, find room to join in the festivities. We sail into the vocal at a steaming tempo. From here on out it's a coherent free-for-all, with five guitarists, four drummers, organ, and - Pigpen roaring over it all. We go through the two verses of the song itself at least three times. Gregg takes a verse, sounding like a fifty-year-old black man even then. The band breaks down, and it's Peter and the drums, with interjections from everyone. The chord pattern changes slightly; Pig and Gregg trade vocal licks, while the guitars lament behind them. Pig takes it out and back, calling for the band to "wait a minute!" and telling his story. His lover got "boxback nitties and great big noble thighs" and "wriggles like pigs fightin' in a sack."

Berry Oakley, from the brothers, takes over on bass about halfway through. I just want to listen to this for a while, I tell him, as he plugs into my amp. The "Smokestack Lightnin'" theme returns, and the band amalgamates it into the "Lovelight" pattern. My mind starts to stretch out of shape. Everyone on stage is flat-out wailing. Danny, Duane, and Gregg take it into the closing fanfare, but Pig isn't quite done yet, exhorting everyone to "take yo' hands outa yo' pockets." The music builds to a crashing finish, and Bobby jumps to the mike and rounds it off: "From all of us to all of you, thanks and good night."

The audience slowly files out as the musicians gather behind the amp line, congratulating one another and reveling in the glory of it all. Someone opens the loading dock door behind the stage. I walk outside - it's daylight, and snow is falling gently on the streets of New York. The other musicians straggle out. We stand there, our breath steaming, and look east down the crosstown side street. A distended orange sun is rising between the buildings, casting lurid shadows in the fresh snow. I grab Bob and Jerry in a group embrace; This is what it's all about."
Phil Lesh - Searching for the Sound

Thank you David Lemieux for the yummy ear candy this week. I will be enjoying this vault reel stream...

http://www.dead.net/features/february-9-february-15-2009

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Poster: SkyDawg Date: Feb 10, 2009 3:16am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: 2/11/70 - Fire Breathing Dragon at the Taper's Section

Thanks for pointing this out. I will check this out later today. Does this have the cut in Dark Star? This show was truly a meeting for the ages. Imagine if Fleetwood Mac had also been on this show rather than Love? The word "epic" can not do these Fillmore shows justice. I have the Allman's first set from 2/11/70 and the compilation Owsley released of Allman performances from this run, and when you combine the sets these shows are even more mind-bending than ever. These shows have circulated for so long I think Dead Heads tend to take them for granted and not revisit these February 1970 Fillmore East shows enough for their own good. They remain some of the most cherished shows in my collection. If you don't have these shows, be they Dick's Picks 4, Bear's Choice, or especially the uncut shows of 2/11, 2/13 and 2/14/70 then make every effort to get them! If by some weird chance you have never heard these shows I think the expression on Billy and Phil's faces in the picture below should tell you all you need to know about whether or not these shows deserve your attention! Fillmore East 2/14/70 Grateful Dead @ Fillmore East February 14, 1970
This post was modified by SkyDawg on 2009-02-09 22:24:40
This post was modified by SkyDawg on 2009-02-10 11:16:04

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Poster: Arbuthnot Date: Feb 9, 2009 3:55pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: 2/11/70 - Fire Breathing Dragon at the Taper's Section

amazing, the taper section should focus on these early years every week!

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Poster: daliguana Date: Feb 9, 2009 7:01am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: 2/11/70 - Fire Breathing Dragon at the Taper's Section

Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
This post was modified by daliguana on 2009-02-09 14:57:47
This post was modified by daliguana on 2009-02-09 14:58:08
This post was modified by daliguana on 2009-02-09 15:01:41

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Poster: fireeagle Date: Feb 9, 2009 11:25am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: 2/11/70 - Fire Breathing Dragon at the Taper's Section

grate jam. 2 bad vault has the version w/ the cut in dark star, as well (or better the cut between ds and sj). this spanish jam has always sounded more like a quicksilver tune 2 me; exact 68 qms sound

my fav lovelight. pig and gregg sharing vocals, all guitars blazing, organ making surrealistic patterns, bass and drums pounding like theres no tomorrow

glorious stuff indeed

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Poster: jglynn1.2 Date: Feb 10, 2009 11:11am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: 2/11/70 - Fire Breathing Dragon at the Taper's Section

Thanks Dennis, some truly sweet jammin' here.

How's the Squid biting?

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Poster: Cliff Hucker Date: Feb 11, 2009 3:32pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: 2/11/70 - Fire Breathing Dragon at the Taper's Section

We have been enjoying a great Sailfish bite off Key Largo this winter, and Ive heard there are plenty of Cod now south of Block Island!

Saw this little pup Grey Seal hauled out just west of Shinnecock Inlet yesterday. He's probably only one month old...

http://picasaweb.google.com/Swampcat13/SealPup?feat=directlink