A reviewer below commented about "Dancin' In The Streets" being a little "loose" and it seeming like the band hadn't played it in a while. He is dead right, they had not played this tune since 12/10/79...ironically in Kansas City (Missouri not Kansas)

After 25 years of listening to the aud version with the dude getting busted during my most memorable Birdsong ever for me, a SBD! This was the show my jazz instructor in the early 80's got me to tie Garcia to Charlie Parker.. and got me to figure out how to improve. The Bird Song Solo that is. Complex Jam... I'll never forget seeing it live after 27 years. Hard to get 81 sbd's that sound this good. Wish the whole show was here.

I agree with the general consensus here. A solid show, but short on any truly memorable moments. The Estimated>Eyes and Truckin>GDTRFB are high points, but those were really the only standounts to me.

Even though it's a first gen recording, the sound on this show is fantastic, maybe even a bit better than your "typical" GD soundboard.

This is set 1, so this review sticks to it. This is a below average set with a few high spots. Bob’s vocals are weak and the playing is sloppy.

Dancing in the Streets is terrible. They hadn’t played it in a while, and it sounds like it. Bad vocals and instrumentals dropping out as if they forgot how to play it. Nothing like the tight and funky versions of ’77, ’78. They also seem to lose their way in El Paso.

The highlights are the Lazy lightning/Suplication jam, the Bird Song jam, which has some rising and falling of intensity. Deal heats up during the jam, and the set ends much better than it started.

For good shows from this period, try 5-15-81 and 5-16-81, and 7-4-81.

Update!
The complete show is now available, check it out here:
July 7, 1981 Kansas City Municipal Auditorium Arena

I suggest you all go there and get it. Let's see what the deadheads think of the entire show!
Original Revised Review
Looking at mid-maine and hazbeen's reviews, I gave this show another listen. I found that my review from November 23, 2004 was a bit harsh. I am giving this show an additional star. It really isn't a bad show. I'm glad to see that the membership responded to my negative review in such a manner. They defended the merits of this show without bashing the reviewer, which is the policy on this site.
Respectfully,
StrawRider

Original Review:
So Many Better Shows To Pick
Go ahead and skip this one.

I hate to be negative (here at the best site on the planet) but it's my duty as a responsible Deadhead to tell you all that this is one of the worst sets I have ever heard. The Dead were OFF on this day - especially the Bobby songs. Particularly disappointing is a disastrous and forgetable version of 'Dancin' in the Streets'.
If you want some filler,'To Lay Me Down' is a good grab but overall this is a less than average '81 performance.
Soundboard recording saves this reviewer from giving an uno star here in KC.

This is a great jammin' 1st set. The sound is fantastic too!!! A keeper from the last year of consistently high quality performances of the Dead.

I have had an aud copy of this first set ever since '82 or so and it was always a favorite of mine; the Minglewood>Bertha rocks, then the Dancin'. First one in over a year-and-a-half, last one for another three. I really liked the way Jerry sort of chops away at the melody in the beginning, very chunk-chunk-chunky. And at the end, you can clearly hear him about to go for the 70's-era minor-key jam that ended the tune, when Bob steps in and puts the kabosh on that with the vocal closing. And then his comment about "proving that their memories are better than they have any right to expect them to be, but, STILL not that good..." I love it! Always have! Then a raging Big Railroad; check out Brent's rolling Hammond fills, so sweet. And it's kind of short, not over-jammed like they could do sometimes.

I have always loved this set, and this recording does it a lot of justice to be sure. During the beginning of Minglewood it flutters a bit, but that clears up pretty quick; it's realy only noticable on headphones. I highly recommend this.

JRH

Bobby pulls Dancin out of a hat, and the band goes along. Jerry indicates on the hotel interview tape a couple days later that the band had no idea what song Bob was doing. Check out Jerry shredding on Supplication. Nice chops. One of my favorite first sets of the 80s.

i too was a bit surprised by the negative review. this is one of my favorite first sets from 1981. the jams are tight and jazzy at the same time, especially on dancin' in the streets and lazy lighnin'. great vocals on dancin'.

i love the early 80s. jerry and brent pushed the band toward a heavier blues rock sound. see long beach '81, first set.

i am a little surprised by the previous review, though not really. collector friends and i used to argue the merits of various eras, and i was always a long defender of the '80s. oddly, this was always one of my standby first sets.

of course, from '81, for first sets you've got russelheim, salt lake, u maryland, melk weg and others. however, this tape (i had a very hissy board acquired in '85) maintained steady rotation with me throughout the years. why? well, what stands as uninspired for others can be the "dreamy" factor for me. this is mellow, laid back, relaxed and on point. from the slinky minglewood opener through the tweaked dancin' (a unique one), the audience knows that this will be a full set.

the bigrailroad is INSPIRED and truly one of my favs. then we get song after song performed with a little professional distance: measured patience and carefully constructed performance. to lay me down is awesome (though russelheim is tops), looks like rain and deal are masters.

perhaps some of the magic is lost on me through this medium, though. this was once a tradition of "trading," sitting down in another's abode and sifting through hours with a six-pack, etc. now we can browse on to the next. however, while you can find more rocking sets from alaska the year before, or spacier shows from '74, this is one that remains in my rotation, speaks to my tastes.

X factor indeed.