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Poster:
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clementinescaboose |
Date:
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Feb 15, 2011 12:41am |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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TDIH 1973: Heat Wave In The Frozen Tundra |
This one’s defiantly near and dear to my heart. Not only is it one of the first shows I ever heard, it is also the first one I ever downloaded, though not from the archive, since it was a bit late for that by the time I arrived here. More objectively speaking, this essential show is simply one of the best of 1973 and possibly even one of the best Grateful Dead performances of all time.
One thing that amazes me about this show is how potent all the little “first set” type tunes are. The band is just brimming with energy. Brown Eyed Women, Tennessee Jed, Big River, even potential throwaways like Me and My Uncle and Promised Land are played with a ton of conviction. One listen to this breakneck version of Bertha and you’ll hear what I mean!
The Wake of the Flood material even gets some particularly strong treatments. Row Jimmy is beautiful, TLEO will get your butt shaking, and Here Comes Sunshine is especially great – Garcia’s solo is second to none. It is hard to believe that many of these performances are only the second ever!
While penultimate Playing in the Band in set one is a masterpiece, the best part of this show is the legendary second set jam of Dark Star>Eyes>China Doll. Though there many have been better Dark Stars in ’73, I can’t think of one with a more compelling pre-verse segment than the hyper-drive jazz jam contained in this one; the first four minutes are just incredible! They are locked in a way I have rarely ever heard elsewhere. Around the five minute mark, things quiet down for a bit into some haunting and introspective space, but pick up again around 9 minutes, Garcia driving another beautiful, jazzy jam and teasing the Dark Star theme for a while before they come back to earth.
Following the 1st verses, Phil takes a long, great bass solo (one of just many to come in ’73), and during the transition into Eyes of the World Garcia joins in – if you’ve never heard this before, get ready. The two of them briefly and brilliantly intertwine for a stunningly melodic passage that while painfully ephemeral, may just be the most beautiful in the band’s history.
The Eyes that follows is epically jammed. The minor key segments are a bit tentative, but the Stronger than Dirt-like theme that ends most pre-hiatus versions is now beginning to surface. Phil explores it first, and then jerry picks up on it, and the jamming gets pretty intense just before the landing into a heartbreaking China Doll.
The band still isn’t out of gas, giving us a great Uncle John’s Band, Sugar Magnolia and One more Saturday Night to close out the set.
The old copy of this show with the 150+ review page has sadly disappeared, and we are now left with this Mike Hall version, which I believe is a bit cleaned up? Can anyone confirm if this sounds better than the old version?
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1973-02-15.sbd.hall.1580.shnf
Anyways, hope you all get a chance to enjoy this later today…Happy listening!
This post was modified by clementinescaboose on 2011-02-15 08:41:32
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Poster:
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light into ashes |
Date:
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Feb 15, 2011 11:26pm |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: TDIH 1973: Heat Wave In The Frozen Tundra |
As a sidenote, the band would return to the Dane County Coliseum 8 months later for another great show, 10/25/73. That's another Dark Star where Phil takes over - but not like this happy, friendly Star from 2/15 - on 10/25 it's all feedback bellows & tearing the roof off the place!
As one reviewer put it, "It's one of those Stars that start off pretty nice but gradually become more and more chaotic till it hurts your ears."
And, as another sidenote - the band did Dark Star>Eyes>China Doll only four times - and here's a post about them:
http://www.archive.org/post/221145/metaphysical-poets-dark-star-and-gteyes-of-the-world-and-gtchina-doll
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Poster:
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johnnyonthespot |
Date:
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Feb 15, 2011 9:06am |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: TDIH 1973: Heat Wave In The Frozen Tundra |
absolutely! The Dark Star is one of my favs and I think one you could play for most people without making them run. Love the Dark Star>Eyes>China Doll a trifecta masterpeice
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Poster:
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light into ashes |
Date:
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Feb 15, 2011 3:32am |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: TDIH 1973: Heat Wave In The Frozen Tundra |
The little Phil/Jerry space before they go into Eyes reminds me of that brief passage in the middle of the 7/25/72 Other One when it's also just Phil & Jerry, making music of the spheres. (Except that the 7/25/72 passage goes for a lot longer.) One of those "inspiration, move me brightly" moments...Jerry just places a few offhand notes at the end of Phil's solo, but they open up wide vistas.
This old thread came to mind:
http://www.archive.org/post/236287/dark-star-inquiry
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Poster:
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sugareesalibi |
Date:
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Feb 15, 2011 5:48am |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: TDIH 1973: Heat Wave In The Frozen Tundra |
I'm glad you brought up this show. i had downloaded it a couple years back (don't remember which source was available then) and then somehow forgot about it.
This last Fall i took a trip to California to visit some relatives in the far reaches of the Lost Coast. I had a two day stopover in San Francisco. This was my first time visiting San Francisco and as a Head i was utterly ecstatic.
The first night in town I found a hostel in the Mission District. I dropped off my belongings, bought a bottle of wine and started walking. I walked for miles until finally i found myself standing in front of 710 Ashbury St.
Next morning i woke and walked to Golden Gate Park. While walking around the park i listened to the Dane County mentioned here. It was a beautiful mid Fall day and this show made a fantastic soundtrack to my Golden Gate wanderings.
I'd like to second the "Playin'" you pointed out as a masterpiece. This "Playin'" is played with such conviction and a tone that almost comes off as serious. Like the whole crew had some deep psychedelic voyage to embark upon and this song was the ship they choose to set sail upon.
yes, this is a beautiful, creative show. I would love, be absolutely enthralled, to see a source of this show re-mastered by Mr. Charlie Miller and uploaded onto the archive.
You out there Charlie?
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Poster:
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Finster! |
Date:
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Feb 15, 2011 6:27am |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: TDIH 1973: Heat Wave In The Frozen Tundra |
Good call on this one.
Interesting thing, that there is only one source on the archive for this show.
Only 5 reviews and all from within the last year.
Something seems odd about this. Were there other sources that are now missing, or did reviews of this source disappear. This is a pretty well known show. Seems to me there should / would be alot more review traffic than there is.
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Poster:
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deyzof49 |
Date:
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Feb 15, 2011 7:16am |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: TDIH 1973: Heat Wave In The Frozen Tundra |
Finster it was good to see yer picture the other day along with the other folks. This is a mighty performance which had me up till 3 this morning. It's now afternoon and I'm back on it. I showed the photo of Mando with his friend's daughter to mine. She said, "I know how she feels."
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Poster:
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zsmith0307 |
Date:
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Feb 15, 2011 7:25am |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: TDIH 1973: Heat Wave In The Frozen Tundra |
I actually don't like 16-song sets in 1973 as I feel like most of these songs were tighter and rocked harder in 1972. I like this concert slightly less than 2/9.
That being said, Playin' and Dark Star->Eyes are both keepers for sure.
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Poster:
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fenario80 |
Date:
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Feb 15, 2011 10:22am |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: TDIH 1973: Heat Wave In The Frozen Tundra |
1973 was the first thing I obsessively collected when I discovered this place about 6 years ago, but I do not have a copy of this show - so I believe that it appeared in the last year or so. The first reviewer says something similar about it being "brand new."
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Poster:
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light into ashes |
Date:
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Feb 15, 2011 12:52pm |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: TDIH 1973: Heat Wave In The Frozen Tundra |
As clementinescaboose mentioned in his post, there was another version of this show here a few years ago - it was actually one of the top downloaded shows, with tons of reviews - but it disappeared at some point before 2007.
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Poster:
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fenario80 |
Date:
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Feb 15, 2011 3:32pm |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: TDIH 1973: Heat Wave In The Frozen Tundra |
weird .. ty
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Poster:
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clementinescaboose |
Date:
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Feb 15, 2011 9:39pm |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: TDIH 1973: Heat Wave In The Frozen Tundra |
You said it perfectly, those few notes are so small yet so big!
a while back i read your review of 7/25/72 and immediately listened to that performance, the mere suggestion that there was anything as beautiful as this passage had me amazed. i was certainly not disappointed, that jam is probably even more beautiful than this. i just love discovering these unique moments...
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Poster:
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light into ashes |
Date:
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Feb 15, 2011 10:50pm |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: TDIH 1973: Heat Wave In The Frozen Tundra |
Glad to hear!
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Poster:
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duckpond74 |
Date:
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Feb 15, 2011 11:40am |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: TDIH 1973: Heat Wave In The Frozen Tundra |
cc, thanks for bringing this one up. I love this show, always have. A few of us drove up from Illinois and were glad we did. Madison was such a friendly and inviting town at the time (still is), and such a different vibe and a nice counterpoint to the Chicago Stockyards show a few days later. I second all of your comments on the energy and clarity of this performance in the Heartland.
I have one minor complaint though. I've had a cassette copy of this soundboard since the early eighties. And even though this is clearly an upgrade in sound - most noticeably, less generational tape hiss, I must complain about the unfortunate - and really unnecessary tape splice in this source's Looks Like Rain . . . aaarrrgh. Jerry was having some serious amp or cord issues as you can hear briefly. As the crackle and buzz started to overtake his solo, he whacked his amp a couple of times and then it went completely dead - no sounds at all - and Keith stepped in, without missing a beat, and played a gorgeous heartfelt piano solo to fill the void. The old 'sow's ear into a silk purse' trick. I have no Idea why Dick Latvala or Mike Hall would bother to take the time to edit and splice out a truly serendipitous moment, as my old cassette source has the complete performance - warts and all. In my opinion, the edit has made this 'archival' recording of such a classic show a little less 'real' by removing these few minutes of band synergy. Nonetheless, please don't let my little expose' of this oddity turn any new listeners away from this otherwise fine recording and superb little Springtime show.
cc, your post subject line is so perfect, as this Madison show and the 2/22 Champaign-Urbana show from a week later have long been audio harbingers of Spring to me - so fresh, light and breezy - tunes well played to blow the cold Winter away. In fact, these two shows, along with Chicago 2/19 and St. Paul 2/17 make for a wonderful eight day touring sequence. In the spirit and excitement of the recent Europe '72 Box buzz, I just made a four-pack of highlights of these four nights to pass on to a friend.
This post was modified by duckpond74 on 2011-02-15 19:40:45
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Poster:
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clementinescaboose |
Date:
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Feb 15, 2011 10:02pm |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: TDIH 1973: Heat Wave In The Frozen Tundra |
that splice is a shame, it's not often that keith solos like that...reminds me of the 9/21/72 Bird Song when he steps up beautifully while Gracia changes a broken string.
i must say sir, you a lucky "duck" to have attended this legendary performance!
and i totally agree, feb. 73 is just an amazing run of shows. along with feb. 69, it is probably one of my favorite months of music in the band's history!
though this one is my favorite, i love the others you mentioned as well. the 2/26 and 2/28 shows featured on Dicks Picks, #28 also has some incredible music, and the short snippet from 2/24 is a must hear.
This post was modified by clementinescaboose on 2011-02-16 05:58:33
This post was modified by clementinescaboose on 2011-02-16 06:02:31
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