September '72 is the only month, as a whole, that stands out the way May '77 does. This show is in between a stack of mind-blowers: Philadelphia, Boulder, the two trips to Jersey City, Palace Theater and a few others. In fact it's right after the Boston shows and right before the Roosevelt Stadium show; so, incredible month - specifically from Aug 27 (Veneta) to Sep 27 (maybe best show of all time), which is a span arguably better than May '77 or March '90. This was the 1st of 6 times at Royal Farms Arena.

First Set. Promised Land is an abbreviated warm-up and '72 is not the year for Sugaree but after that the set is fireworks. Jer doesn't usually give Bobby's stilted Black-throated Wind so many fills & runs. Friend of the Devil is better the next week but the '72 arrangement is gold. El Paso is a sparkling verison with Jer on back vox. Bird Song is near-perfect but Big River IS. It's George Thorogood-like, Jason & the Scorchers, Reverend Horton Heat, Jon Spencer. Every now and then you're reminded that no other band can so spontaneously make music this unique in the live setting. Mexicali sticks to the same style, even the same riff, cuz they're just on a roll. I dig Billy's extra beats in China Cat and the s-gnarly leads from Jer's Strat (not sure which; he had switched to his sunburst Strat in Aug and then back to his Alligator Strat sometime late in '72...) in Rider. Usually with Dead tapes (even SBDs and official releases), if they're playing this fast, it's just an off-pitch recording.

Second Set. Damn that Donnskreech™ in Playin'. Ouch! But the rest is money. The jam gets out there yet moves forward, becoming quite dynamic at the end. Casey is played well but sparingly. It takes a good Truckin' to not seem like an entry-song for the newbies. What a jam - Bobby and Jer improvising all over the place like burritos in shakedown. On this Loser you can hear that Billy is starting to drum like he would in '73. Half-Step Mississippi is lyrically lost but the '72 arrangement is played excitingly with a wild end-solo. It's the 10th one and is just beautiful playing. Jer then explodes into Me & My Uncle, which has remarkable minor notes and diminished intervals wedged inside the fills for a mini-blizzard (3 min and done!). He's Gone is punchy with slick fills and the solo is so well-slatted that the spaces between the notes have meaning (and you can hear those with the tape off!). Before it fades Phil rumbles not-the-usual notes and...this late in the show you wouldn't expect a 40min Other One. Vox not until 17min! Far from the best of the month however - mostly comping, and @37min Bobby gets tired and forces the coda. Sing Me Back Home is the show low point with off-key bleating and the fireworks are over. Billy tries for NFA but it's UJB and off. A brief rest brings back the machine for a hot Saturday Night.

1st Set:   A
2nd Set: A-
Overall = 5 Stars

Highlights:
Whole show from Black Throated Wind to He's Gone plus the encore with A+ versions of:
Tennessee Jed
Big River
Me & My Uncle

SOURCES: SBD and Dick's #23 have all but the encore, which is on the remarkable-for-the-era AUD.

This was an inspired choice by Dick.

I especially dig Bobby's bonus shrieks during the BTW outro.

Bought this dicks picks years ago. So glad i can stream it on here. Big River is on FIRE!!! This Loser is top 5. PITB is one of my favorite version. I could go on and on about this show. Its in my top 5.

A memorable night: My girlfriend and I moved in together that day and then went to the show (with a "Sunshine" assist). I had been raving about this band to my friends in Baltimore for over two years and finally dragged a bunch of them along. I stood on my chair thru the whole thing holding a microphone in the air. Thirty-three years later this one is a Dick's Picks and Nancy and I are still together!
This was like having the highlights of every 1972 show crammed into one. Tons of songs in the first set and then the amazing jams in Truckin' and The Other One.

I was lucky enough to get a great SHN copy long before this was released, and have been thrilled by it ever since. The Other One is the longest on record at over 40 minutes, and goes everywhere you can possibly imagine, and then new ones you haven't thought of. One of the finest examples of pure Jerry artistry I've ever heard. The rest of the show is also very strong. Go buy the show, it's worth it!
Dr. Flasback ;-)

This show is one of my favorite shows from one of my favorite years. The first set is pretty solid and all songs are given an extra little bump. I love the '72 Truckin' mini-jams in which Garcia charges out after the lyrics...this one is hot. He's Gone>Other 1>Sing Me Back Home is really incredible. The Other 1 lasts a little under an hour and is truely exquisite. The band is definately playing as a 1 unit and cover quite a lot of ground in this jam...must hear.