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Grateful Dead Live at Hampton Coliseum on 1981-05-01

by Grateful Dead

Publication date: 1981-05-01 ( check for other copies)

Topics: Live concert

Collection: GratefulDead

Band/Artist: Grateful Dead

Resource: DeadLists Project

Alabama Getaway-> Promised Land, Friend Of The Devil-> Me & My Uncle-> Big River, Althea-> Little Red Rooster, Tennessee Jed-> Let It Grow-> Deal Feel Like A Stranger-> Franklin's Tower-> Lost Sailor-> Saint Of Circumstance-> He's Gone-> The Other One-> Drums-> The Wheel-> Wharf Rat-> Sugar Magnolia, E: U.S. Blues

Notes

Jim Wise's Master FOB Audience Cassette > Sennheiser 421 mics> Sony D5 cassette deck > DAT > CDR; via Scott Clugston

Addeddate: 2004-04-26 11:46:05

Discs: 0

Has_mp3: 1

Identifier: gd81-05-01.wise.clugston.2218.sbeok.shnf

Lineage: Master FOB Audience Cassette > Sennheiser 421 mics> Sony D5 cassette deck > DAT > CDR

Location: Hampton, VA

Shndiscs: 0

Source: Audience Recording: Sennheiser 421's

Taped by: Jim Wise

Type: sound

Venue: Hampton Coliseum

Year: 1981

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Reviews

Reviewer: Grateful Jeff1 - - October 22, 2022
Subject: WHAT MEMORIES

The night before this show I was getting ready to go to sleep. My phone rings and it's my dear friend Alan (R.I.P.) and he's telling me he has 2 chicks planning to drive down to Virginia to see the Grateful Dead and there are 2 seats available for us to ride down with them. Well, that sure changed my plans. What a perfect show to end up going to. We had floor seats and I remember distinctly how the boys came right out like they were shot out of a cannon. The sound was perfect and right away they were on fire with the opening ALABAMA > PROMISED LAND. It just got better and better with a first set for the ages. Everything was stellar and, IMHO, ROOSTER , LET IT GROW and DEAL were beyond stellar. The second set was only GREAT with a wonderful STRANGER > FRANKLIN'S opener. I will never forget this night. And yes, this recording captures the greatness very well.

Reviewer: Traction - - May 17, 2018
Subject: Beethoven's 6th

Love what was said about that. There is energy here. Love the aud sound. Even with old ears that don't love high pitched sounds and don't usually love 80's shows, it sounds great.

Reviewer: deadintx - - December 4, 2017
Subject: Oh what a night

Family print + Fast Eddie + carnival in the lot next door + an electric vibe not very felt in those days from the audience + Jerry really feeling it = great fucking show.

Reviewer: nigeldavahah - - February 11, 2017
Subject: Let it Grow

Best 80's version of Let it Grow

Reviewer: BuryinGroundClown - - December 23, 2015
Subject: Second Set Magic

This second set is magic. The sudden transition from He's Gone to The Other One is something out of Beethoven (think his 6th 'pastoral' symphony... the transition away from the "merry gathering of country folk" of the third movement into the sturm und drang of the fourth movement: literally the "Thunder Storm." The Grateful Dead of the first half of the second set are gone in a flash of guitars and drums and the other ones have arrived! Then, in true 6th Symphony fashion, there are "the happy and thankful feelings after the storm." A joyous Sugar Mag to cap off the symphonic second set.

I know I know... I may have taken this analogy a bit far but something about the way this second set played out has all the emotion and drama of that early 19th century Beethoven. Oh well.

Otherwise this is a great AUD with a fantastic mix. Play it loud.

Reviewer: chris phillips - - January 12, 2015
Subject: good Franklin's

The Wheel in 1981 is prime.

Reviewer: jjg4762 - - December 8, 2014
Subject: 1st set 5 stars

This is the first set of all 1st sets as far as ENERGY. Wow every comment is on mark too, the one about JGB band I can kind of see where he is coming from. Only I might be the opposite of what he is thinking dam does Jerry jam this first set. During Rooster he throws a little popping lead at 1:30 mark. As far as Let It Grow at the 4 minute mark Jerry is fanning the fire something intense.
Just starting 2nd set now, although have heard this 2nd set many times every times different.
For those of you/us who are sober here they say every time you read the Big Book something new jumps out at you. Same thing here with this show.

Reviewer: JD2512 - - May 4, 2014
Subject: Magic

You know how sometimes the band transcends the music and goes from music to magic ....... That's what this whole f'n show was.... If I were there and that was the first time I ever heard them I'd of spent the rest of my life just trying to get a ticket for every show....

Reviewer: CaptainToke - - June 7, 2012
Subject: mellow? huh?

This show is 'mellow'? Listen again to the "Let it Grow" and the "Deal". Garcia is wide awake and in full shred mode. Sound is absolutely fantastic.

The segment spanning "He's Gone" and "Other One" is surprisingly cursory. Like they finally ran out of steam. Great, great show though. I am back for repeat listens.

Reviewer: myhungryhippo - - December 2, 2010
Subject: althea

good mellow show

Reviewer: thebone - - October 24, 2008
Subject: A Great Hampton Show

This is a great one--Ol' Jer definitely brought his "A" game for this show.

Reviewer: skullsnroses - - October 23, 2008
Subject: next night might be better

The next night at the spectrum is pretty tasty too! Everything after space is great...O1 brings back the ultra heady mind altering classic dead vibe

Reviewer: laptaper - - July 7, 2006
Subject: Pre-FM doesn't necessarily mean SBD

You'd be surprised how many FMs were broadcast from Healy's mikes, not the board. 6/21/84 and 12/31/83 are just two examples.

Reviewer: smgarcia - - May 4, 2006
Subject: Seriously doubt this is an AUD

I think this is a Pre-FM recording. Even better! This is how you want all of the shows to sound like - you can hear the band perfectly, and also hear the crowd get up for songs.

Reviewer: MCMRULES - - May 1, 2006
Subject: Who needs SB's?

I guess my memory of AUD tapes was those that sounded like they were recorded from the fouth stall of the men's room. I became a SB snob. I finally installed a nice HI_FI system in my living room, and there is nothing like a sweet AUD to bring you back. There are nights when the Dead are in my living room. Get this show!

Reviewer: swinnies - - April 24, 2006
Subject: Good Sound, Great Energy

they come out busting like they had something to prove to the world. jerry's licks get oh so mellow in althea (how can this sound like a JGB show when JGB never played althea?).

highly rec'd on the sound (incredible FOB)and the 85'- like energy.

Reviewer: early 80's meltdown - - March 18, 2006
Subject: real nice 81 aud recording

very live sounding. very spatial.
I love the Me & uncle>Big River Althea and Stranger>Franklins>Lost>Saint. Brents doing some killer stuff on Stranger all over the place so sick Jerry leads im the jam are so insane. This is Prime Jerry Garcia and The Boys are smokin right along with him. This single night at Hampton was such a hot night of Dead history. Some of The Dead at their finest. i love how Jerry sounds singing in 1981. My favorite shows of '81 would be the Greek run. The epitomy of the Dead, I mean those recordings are something to be treasured in my book. Holy Grail level- this show rocks too and so does Long Beach.

Reviewer: Joe Shlobotnick - - March 6, 2006
Subject: Appreciation

I appreciate the discussion of trading and getting SBD's and all, but this discussion is supposed to be about an outstanding AUD recording.

I am going by the reviews and downloading it now. I will come back and revise my five-star review if there is anything disappointing about this... judging from the number of reviews, though, I doubt I will have to come back.

Reviewer: madhatter10why6 - - February 28, 2006
Subject: OMG did you forget this show?

One of the best shows I've ever seen, Rooster might be the best they ever did and the 1st set is outstanding. if you don't move to this you can't be Dead

Reviewer: Liamfinnegan - - January 23, 2006
Subject: Somebody forgot to tell Jerry this was not a JGB show

That is all I am thinking right now- tasty first set- and the tempos and Jerry's playing- like ALthea, sound like a JGB show.

ANyone else agree?

Reviewer: Dub Irie - - December 29, 2005
Subject: Nice recording

I agree that this is an excellent recording made on a D5, which is no surprise because many of the best audience tapes recorded were made on Sony D5s, the old gold standard for portable cassette decks. This tape is a great example of that quality, and the crowd factor that can't be heard on soundboards is nice to have. The overall balance of this recording is A+, however the vocals sounded slightly brassy and enhanced to my ears.

All that aside, a great show from 81 and a worthy recording to take the place of the SB download that isn't here...:-P

Reviewer: grendelschoice - - December 28, 2005
Subject: Outstanding AUD tape & show

This is a must DL for anyone bummed about the recent loss of SBD's...in many ways superior to the SBD that used to be available for DL...mostly b/c you need to hear the crowd reacting to Garcia's insane guitar licks on LET IT GROW>DEAL, BIG RIVER, and the killer push by Phil at the end of ALTHEA (one of the best ever), and just about anything in the First Set. Jerry just wails on every tune in Set 1 and 2 is no slouch either.

The Dead loved Hampton; you'll love this show.

Reviewer: acidtestalumni - - December 11, 2005
Subject: sndbrds as streams

streams are not any where near the fidelity of a downloaded shorten file.....it is essentially an mp3 file........if your goal in obtaining the soundboard is ultimate fidelity, taping a stream is a waste of time.......snail mail trading is the only way to access those sbds if you are like me and refuse to pay the exhorbitant prices for gd store downloads even if they happen to release the show you are interested in.......this however is an excellent show to download as the aud recording is excellent

Reviewer: gratefuly deadicated - - December 11, 2005
Subject: to get the soundboards

OK TO ALL !!! ALL YOU HAVE TO GET THESE SOUNDBOARDS IS HOOK UP YOUR RADIO/TAPE DECK TO YOUR COMPUTER AND RECORD THE SHOW WHILE ITS PLAYING !!ALL YOU NEED TO DO THIS IS A MIC TO AUDIO CABLE OR A HEADPHONE TO AUDIO CABLE. EASY AS CAN BE !! THEN YOU CAN GET A PROGRAM TO RECORD THE PLAYBACK OF THE TAPE THROUGH YOUR MIC INPUT ON YOUR COMPUTER AND THEN YOU CAN SPLIT THE SONGS YOURSELF AND THEN BURN THEM TO A CD!! HAHA I SUGGEST SOUND FORGE 7.0 OR LOWER TO DO THIS, IF YOU NEED THE PROGRAM CONTACT ME AND I'LL GET IT TO YOU !!!

GRATEFULDEAD2777@SBCGLOBAL.NET

THIS IS STILL BETTER THAN THE OLD DAYS WHEN YOU COULDN'T EVEN FIND TAPERS OR ANYONE WITH TAPES, SPREAD THE WORD !!! SEEMS TO ME THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING A LITTLE SPOILED AROUND HERE, FORGOTTON ABOUT THERE ROOTS !!!

Reviewer: hyperboy - - September 20, 2005
Subject: Great AUD!

This AUD is amazing...you really feel like you're there. And the boys showed up with their A game...playing is fantastic, full of energy. Very up tempo show...Jerry is on fire! Get it now!

Reviewer: stratocaster - - April 17, 2005
Subject: One of the best GD Aud Sources

Amazing audience source tapes. Thank God the performance measured up...very energetic readings of every tune.

4.5 really, 4 star performance, 5 star audience quality

Reviewer: boobychew - - April 6, 2005
Subject: Whoa!

lightening quick pace to this show....jerry is rockin for sure...good sound for that time period too. must download this one...you'll see why jerry loved that white stuff so much :)

Reviewer: nyc oldie - - January 17, 2005
Subject: Good Show

I attended this show. The fair or something was going on right next to the place. What a blast. We waited in line for 2 hours before being let in and walking to the stage wall.

This is the first time I have heard the Franklins, which I seem to remember freakin me out. Now I know why.

Other than the Lost Sailor>St of Circumstance beatdown(if you were seeing a lot of shows at this time, you know what I mean), a fine effort. Made all the better by festival seating, which we didnt see too often on the East Coast.

Quite frankly, we had to see a lot of shows to find the gems like this. Not that is wasnt fun, but these types of shows are what kept me going to so many shows.

Reviewer: blatto - - January 14, 2005
Subject: Good God!

First set is on fire. One of the best Let it Grows. Jerry can't stop flying. Get it.

Reviewer: JShields - - January 3, 2005
Subject: The first set is what the Dead is all about...IMO!

I can't explain it but there's something magical about the first set. Don't know what it is but I haven't heard a show as full of life as this one...a real rare gem...someone get this released on Dick's Picks before this archive disappears...this is Dead that needs to be heard.
BTW...Jerry's rippin' it up...my favs are Tennessee Jed and Let it Grow; one of the most organic versions this side of the Mississippi.
Download and share with your non-head friends.
"Deal" will suck them in...I swear it.

Reviewer: popskull - - November 12, 2004
Subject: Stranger>Franklins

This is the Enegizer Bunny of Franklins..........It just keeps goin and goin and goin

Reviewer: sunmonster - - September 16, 2004
Subject: Wow, indeed!

To say Jerry was "on" this night would be a very big understatement. He positively wails: listen to Althea, or Let it Grow-> Deal. An amazing audience recording and an amazing show. I too am particularly partial to the first set.

Reviewer: ivanw - - May 3, 2004
Subject: Wow!

I'm a bonafide "soundboard snob", but my, oh my, this is a FINE audience recoding... best I've heard. Well done!

Reviewer: sjl - - May 3, 2004
Subject: Got it? Get it.

First off, this recording is the best I've heard of a Dead show. Nice atmosphere, you can hear the crowd responses, and yet the music is right up front, crystal clear, well-balanced, and with a very full presence. This sounds like a matrix- it's that good. It's a more fun listen than the Betty Boards of the 70's or the later Matrix recordings from Healy.
The other thing about this show is that Jerry is torching the Hampton Coliseum on this particular night. It takes exceptional playing to get me to listen to a first set more than once, and I love this one. All around great show. If you are interested enough to be reading this review, then you need this show. Get it.

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