Just posted on DeadNet: Winterland ’73: The Complete Recordings!
There’s a listening party of selected tracks from the set, and a viral video clip with an audio montage (created by yours truly) of bits from the set and visuals from the cover poster by Emek plus clips from The Grateful Dead Movie, which was shot at Winterland eleven months after this music was made.
I’ve had the nine discs for about a week now, and I am really impressed with the audio restoration and mastering – and of course with the music. This is a terrific run of shows, the groupmind in its prime and new songs happening all over the place.
Rare and different treasures here include the fast “They Love Each Other” and the slow “Loose Lucy,” both of which underwent significant changes before they were taken into the studio (on Jerry’s Reflections and Grateful Dead from the Mars Hotel, respectively). We also get two performances of “To Lay Me Down,” a song I would have been happy to hear many more times than I did.
“Looks Like Rain,” from the middle (Saturday 11/10) show, is just lovely: that classic warm Weir Gibson rhythm guitar tone and technique, and Jerry plays a mournful, straightforward solo that begins as a replica of the pedal steel part he played on the album Ace. The song has not a trace of the Wagnerian bombast that it verged on in later years.
It’s also interesting to note what songs the band didn’t play during this run: “Bird Song,” “The Other One,” and “He’s Gone” all spring immediately to mind. “Bird Song” had last been played on September 15, 1973, and wouldn’t be heard again until 1980. It would have been nice to hear what this focused, lyrical Grateful Dead did with that one in this run.
Not that I am complaining! I don’t have a problem with three complete “Weather Report Suite”s: all hands are on deck, fully engaged with the music they’re making, and you can feel the musical tree shooting new growth. “Big River” is a barn burner all three nights, too.
The centerpiece of the weekend is the epic musical layer cake of Saturday’s second set: “Playing in the-> Uncle John’s -> Morning Dew-> Band-> Band,” as I referred to it back in the day. I tend to prefer the one they played at the Cow Palace 19 weeks later (and released on Dick’s Picks vol. 24), which I heard in person. And we get a fine “Dark Star” on Sunday, with one of those “Mind Left Body Jam”s we love so much.
They’re offering a bonus disc of uncirculated music from Cincinnati 12/4/73, too. Get on over to DeadNet and see what’s shakin’!
(P.S. That’s my handwritten set list over there. Not sure when I wrote it out on one page like that – and since I only made it to the first and third shows of the run, I must have gotten my information on the 11/10 show from someone else.)
They don’t say wether this is another one of the 1 of 10,000 collectors’ packages or not! Will those RHINO beauracrats create another market for extra BOOTLEG copies? Some of us remember what happened the last time. Too many boxsets were purchased by non-Heads; who resold them on EBAY for $500.00 each.
Dunno if I will buy this package. Most of us cash our paychecks on the first of the month!!!
I see nothing about it being a limited edition, so should be available to everyone =-)!
That’s a really good review of that particular Looks Like Rain.
Hey Now DG
I put a link up about the Winterland release at the music blog I contribute too and in doing so, just found your great blog which I also linked back to.
Regards
Lori (aka IG which is my online poker handle and not anything deadish)
I’m so happy there are clouds to surf – thanks David Gans for the rockin’ review!
thanks for the great review. i cant wait to hear the bonus material. cheers to rhino for sharing the vault.
🙂
How would people rate the sound quality of the recordings? Is it comparable to Dicks Picks, Three From the Vault, or the Sound Track to the Grateful Dead Movie?
IN MY MIND THIS MUSIC FROM WINTERLAND 1973 IS TRULY WHAT THE GRATEFUL DEAD IS ALL ABOUT.PERIOD..IF YOU LISTEN REAL CLOSE YOU CAN TELL GARCIA DOES NOT HAVE HIS BEARD.
Ha! I love that, man.
I JUST FINISHED LISTENING TO THE WHOLE 3 NIGHTS AS WELL AS THE BONUS DISC,AND EVEN WITH THE REPEATS AS FAR AS THE WEATHER REPORTS AND THE EYES OF THE WORLD ETC. IT JUST GOES TO SHOW EACH NIGHT THEY PLAY THESE SONGS THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND REALLY IT IS THE VARIETY THAT KEPT ALL OF IT SOO HIP.ALSO WITH THE LITTLE BUTTON THAT CAME WITH THE DISC’S MAKES IT COMPLETE. ”THE GOOD OL’ GRATEFUL DEAD”. THAT IS THE ABSOLUTE COOLEST EMBLEM EVER.I HOPE THERE IS MORE RELEASES FROM THE 70’S IN THE FORM OF BOXED SETS.PLEASE JUST NO MUSIC FOM THE 90’S.
AFTER READING THAT THE WINTERLAND RECORDINGS TURNED OUT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR RELEASES EVER[ I AM NOT SURPRISED].CAN THE POWERS THAT BE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK? HOW ABOUT THE SHORT SEPTEMBER TOUR OF 1972?SPEAKING OF 1972 WHY NOT THE WHOLE EUROPE’72 BOXED UP?OR THE SUMMER OF ’74.THE SHOWS WITH DOUG SAHM AND THE HORNS WOOD BE KOOL. BUT PLEASE NOTHING FROM THE 90’S