28334 Great second set. I usually dislike Donna, love her on greatest story. The entire second set is some of my all time favorite. The DArk Star get out, and the move into ElPaso is fantastic. Everything else is very well done. This is the beginning of the post pigpen, one drummer, really loose jams that tended to define '73 and '74. I think this show gets overshadowed by 8-27, but this one is well worth the download. Get it. One of my first tapes meatpile 2005-01-06 09:52:57 2005-01-06 09:52:57 5 30782 what a recording is supposed to sound like! Absolutely great!!!! wow jimkrum 2005-02-02 17:01:59 2005-02-02 17:01:59 5 31549 This show is a favorite among older Deadheads and tape collectors, because it was widely available and also because it's really good! So good in fact, that this was one of the doctor's top shows for 1972 until I heard 8/24, and that one beat it out. Well, it's hard to top a Dark Star>Morning Dew combination (Jerry tries it on this night, but Phil and Billy have other ideas - see below). Nevertheless, this is a superb show in many ways and it's guaranteed to thrill. Set One looks a lot like Europe 72, with a stacked deck of great songs like Sugaree, Jack Straw, He's Gone, BE Women and the welcome return of FOTD on this run, not since Spring Tour 1971! Playin is now all grown up as a jam vehicle, well seasoned from the Europe tour (check out the 30 min. version from 5/26!) This one is shorter but leaves you wanting for nothing, featuring some lovely acoustic piano work from Keith along with Garcia's wah wah blazing above the mix. A very jazzy and up tempo version that serves as an appetizer for what's to come. The Dark Star is naturally the main course, and has been favorably compared to 4/8/72. For a good description, read Henry Kaiser's review in Deadbase. A very complex and explorative version, with many moods. They play around with the main A to G theme for a while on the mellow side. Then halfway through, Jerry revs it up for some very fast runs on the wah wah, and then the Star explodes in dissonant fury and fireworks - buckle up and hang onto your brain for this! Then Jerry decides he's ready to do Morning Dew, but Phil has other ideas, and he and Billy manage to turn the jam into a fast jazzy train ride before everyone drops out and lets Keith take over with some sparkling piano riffs. The short jam after El Paso is interesting as well. The surprises continue with the new addition of Half Step, and instead of the normal NFA to end, they pull out an Uncle John's Band. A great show to add to your 1972 collection, and one of the better Dark Stars of the year if you like em wild and weird! enjoy, Dr. Flashback ;-) Don't Miss This! dr. flashback 2005-02-10 03:18:48 2005-02-10 03:16:17 4 38563 top not shit hear, love the setlist for 72 whats missing..well.. not a damn thing ! great stuff bigboypeete 2005-04-14 02:27:28 2005-04-14 02:27:28 5 39400 This show just absolutely rocks! So many highlights, can't name them all. The Dark Star, as mentioned already, really is a 4-star restaurant unto itself. Get the whole show! Awesome summer Dead! markgugs 2005-04-22 18:01:03 2005-04-22 18:01:03 5 52277 Ohhhh man, if I had a dollar for everytime I put this one on after a bong rip or a tab drop in the last 15 years or so. While I had heard Veneta before this, this one absolutely KICKED MY ASS when I first heard it, and the quality was stunning. To say that this one gets OUT T H E R E is an understatement! there's something about this Dark Star that really puts it above most of the ones not just from 72 but 71-74. Phil shutting down jerry as he tries to play Dew is so awesome! he was not ready to end this one, and Jer ended up spinning a few more scorching licks before Bob fell in love with a Mexican girl. Dark Star for the ages birdsgosouth 2005-10-04 16:47:10 2005-10-04 16:47:10 5 Diana Hamilton 58844 This show has so many qualities about it that make it a top pick that I am surprised that it has not been appointed to the Dick's Pick's series. This particular recording has a nice listenable tone and the sets are as solid as they get. Check out China Cat and get back to me...:-P 5 Star Show Dub Irie 2005-12-30 00:37:42 2005-12-30 00:37:42 5 64858 This is probably the most evil dark* of its time. It is not the prettiest (see dane county '73), but it will twist your brain and make your dog start barking at you. I feel pity for the poor souls who were too high on LSD at this concert. May G.O.D. have mercy on their souls. Later with the use of midi and whatnot they could make 'em even more evil like florida '89... but I prefer the good ol' days when we didn't have midi and we liked it. This dark* is RAW dead with Jerry at his best. As the Dark* progresses out of chaos Jerry starts going into the "Morning Dew". That, according to Phil, was not what the Vibes needed. Phil needed to get things groovin' for another 10 minutes with a Booty-Smackin funk jam to show us where the music could go if he wanted it to go there. Just to let ya know, Yes, we really did just freak the "F" out like that on purpose. So who the hell else would jump into a giddy-up Western Swing classic like "El Paso" after a MASSIVE musical FReaKoUt? For that matter, what the hell kinda band goes back into space after playing "El Paso"? Only the best band ever would, that's who. Big Balls and No Fear. great sound for its time. I aint really rating the show just the Dark* > el paso about this dark* ghettobooster 2006-03-20 20:02:25 2006-03-20 19:27:18 5 65017 At least one of the best ever. Great sound, too Trippiest Dark Star Ever???? rootsman 2006-03-22 14:19:33 2006-03-22 14:19:33 4 59667 This one's special to me, the 27th is the most talked about and the 22-24th have their qualities too, but there is simply some fine points to be heard within this recording that lifts it, songs like el paso and deal find their way to the top of the setlist interest, on the back of some interesting transitions. I'd caution don't look for magic, just put it in the background and let it grab your attention. Tunes Like FOTD and Miss Half Step, echo the september to come and all those DP's. Maybe August got a bum rap. Email me at fieldhouse11277@hotmail.com Happy to share with responsible listeners. Great Great Stuff rollandfin 2006-03-22 20:43:48 2006-01-11 06:41:57 5 67956 Could be a top ten Dark Star. Dark Star Cliff Hucker 2006-05-05 18:41:18 2006-05-05 18:41:18 5 68153 This is great semi-early Dead at its best. The Black Throated is full of energy as is the majority of the first set. The China->Rider is amazing and exhibits a level of play that only the early 70's attianed. I need not talk about the second set or the Dark Star as the reviews below say all that needs to be said. Yeah, well that's like your opinion, man... USBlues1977 2006-05-09 10:46:47 2006-05-09 10:46:47 4 It is all true. Gett'n Down. Thank you Betty 5 Bird Creek, Alaska 2006-07-03 21:58:51 2006-07-03 21:58:51 Soooo much tastiness that it's hard to fathom the beauty. I feel I must pray - literally! Both Bob and Jerry's voices sound so great. Take special note of Jerry's in Stella Blue - an especially moving version, not just vocally - Garcia's leads are crisp, powerful, and authoritative. This show's version of Playing in the Band is also superlative. This show is Mighty. Full On 5 Wheatabix 2006-09-21 04:15:43 2006-09-21 04:15:43 One of the first songs I listen to for new shows is Playin' In The Band. Other people usually turn to Dark Star, maybe something else. But I like Playin' because it has a catchy, great tune and then an intense jam, followed by the remaining tune. Dark Star oppositely is just basically a jam. Anyway this Playin' is absolutely fantastic. First, Bob articulates every single word into the microphone. In later years he sometimes misses words here or there, or changes the cadence. The enunciation of Playin' here is as written - and that's why I like it. By the 80's and beyond the song changed too much for me to really like. The jam is also just utterly brillant. I've been listening to the jams around this time period, specifically 8/24/1972 and 8/27/1972 and they are all good, but this one sizes up the best. The jam gets really fast, but everyone is in sync. Sometimes jams have all band members playing kind of different rythyms, all coalescening together. But this one, they are synchronized to a blazing fast beat. It is primarily driven by Keith's piano playing. The piano sound and it's wicked thrust really drives Jerry, Phil and Bob into the song. There is a nice calm segue into the end of of Playin' too. Listen around the 8 minute mark. A few other comments - having one drummer makes a difference, I think. It allows me to concentrate on the other musical instruments. When there are two drummers, you get this syncopated, skippy beat. Also, the kind of piano Keith plays is so much better than the tinker-bell popsy piano used by Brent. It's real music, not one produced by a bunch of kids playing on a $200 electric piano. This concert gets 5 star in my book. I'm beginning to like 1972 as much as the may shows of 1977, when I consider the Dead at the professional musical peak (plus songs like The Wheel, Terrapin, Estimated, Scarlet > Fire all came out by that time.) Lastly, note that this recording has a slight hiss. It's not perfect, especially when you listen to it at high volumes. But can't downgrade because of that. Playin' In The Band Equisite 5 smgarcia 2006-10-31 21:34:48 2006-10-31 21:42:05 Didn't think the Dark Star would live up to the hype, it does, plus some, a mind bending monster not to be taken lightly. flashback 5 St. Vitus 2006-12-27 05:56:00 2006-12-27 05:56:00 How cool is this recording???? Yes, it is.... THIS is WHY! gruUbic 2007-05-14 02:17:31 2007-05-14 02:17:31 5 with coffee cup in hand and a little help from a friend my morning has started with a simile. what a delicious recording! jockeyhollow 2007-06-23 13:28:35 2007-06-23 13:28:35 5 The most noticable aspect for my listening is the clarity of the harmony that Phil provides. (Maybe I have this wrong since I've never seen footage to be sure). The one I'm speaking of can be heard most clearly when he outsings Weir and Garcia in Jack Straw. The strain is evident but the results are great. After listening to JS it's no wonder he stopped singing. One of the things that makes '72 distinct for me is the strength of this harmony that he provides. Harmonies batcaver 2007-07-30 22:39:18 2007-07-30 22:39:18 3 Sirius Satellite Radio played this concert tonight. I am happy I got to hear it, it's really really good. They feel full of energy and provide a superb performance. This is the night that they introduce Keith and Donna Godchaux were introduced into the family of the band this evening. The audio is right before Playin in the band... not sure if the stream captured it or not. I didn't listened to this streaming version. Brown Eyed Women is superb. It is right on, sounds like they are all connection in this one. It's got good energy and Bobby sounds great. Most of the songs in this concert are have these qualities... this is a great concert to own. The Dead seem to play individual songs rather than jam out a 15-20 minute versions of each song. It's an unusual quality for the Grateful Dead but it is a nice set of terrifically performed songs. Black Throated Wind is awesome. This is certainly my favorite version of this song. The opening guitar sounds a bit wavey and psychadelic; it sounds so darn good. Good rendition of Gratest Storey Ever Told, very high energy. Donna is showin why she should stay with the band. Her vocals are great and she's into it, full on. Full Concert sondlerd 2007-09-23 03:05:57 2007-09-23 03:05:57 5 defenitly a keeper, any fan of 72 must get this, great quality, great setlist, flat out sick show yup gdp88 2007-09-24 14:36:20 2007-09-24 14:36:20 5 The audio quality is top-notch. Great mix, album-quality. Keith's keyboards are a great new addition to the band at this point (plus, Donna's caterwauling hasn't reared its head yet!) Great selection of songs, amazing quality, definitely a show you should get to know. Great performance, great quality sky dog 2008-01-02 06:12:11 2008-01-02 06:12:11 5 Have to agree with Batcaver... Phil sounds great on Jack Straw. Brown Eyed Women is awesome and Dark Star is off the rails. Wish I could have been there... What a great year to see the them. What Great Show! thewhoquad 2008-05-05 03:54:03 2008-05-05 03:54:03 5 Jerry sings "can't keep from crying" instead of "gonna make'em shine" in the 3rd verse of Stella. Can't remember another show in which he's uses this line. (But there are manymany Stellas I have yet to hear.) The change parallels the other "cryings" in the standard lyrics, but I was wondering if anyone out there has other insights/information to shine on Jerry altering the line. As everyone else has said: this is a magnificent show. A very adventurous Dark Star. I love Jerry's vocals on He's Gone and Stella: he's really impassioned. change of lyrics on stella hambonetst 2008-07-23 19:44:17 2008-07-23 19:44:17 5 Fantastic show. The BTW is probably the best I've heard and the He's Gone is top shelf, not to mention the other gems on here. I really can't get over how great the intro sounds on that BTW. In my opinion, even though their library wasn't complete yet, they never sounded better than they did in 1972, especially from that New York run right before they left for Europe, through the end of the summer tour. Wow... TerpStn 2008-10-01 20:38:27 2008-10-01 20:38:27 5 i can't seem to figure it out How do i download these songs? Towelie 2008-10-02 18:13:55 2008-10-02 18:13:55 0 even the Me And My Uncle is hot. Yeah that's how good this one is/was/is again. There a willful attendee and the host of a martian tour group -- part of a wedding present for my best bud, John, and my best bud gal, Val. It was a celebration of their special day and it was also a celebration of our last night together since they were leaving after the show for Hood River. Since it was our last night together we decided to throw feelings and sentiment into the wind and turn it into a very special night and a special night it turned into. It was a magical night. It was unforgettable. It was willed into being. And the Dead? The Dead did not disappoint us, well... for a Monday, man, like, y'know? This was a sitdown affair. The Grateful Dead serenaded us true and factual and blue. After the initial musical chairs and nervous ushers demanding that concertgoers remove their leaping extremities out of the aisles, the band settled us in with remarkable renditions of all of our favorite hits. The sound in Berkeley Community Theater was immaculate and the GD figured that hall out quick. Of the four BCT shows that year, this one, as great as it is, placed fourth. This, and all the shows of this run, was a Betty Board with Bear mixing front of house. This show is a finely pure recording of an amazingly energized band. Yet, it does not outdo the next night(22nd) which is a better show. Then the Thursday show(24th) was better than the Tuesday. However, the Friday show(25th) was the king and queen of all the nights. And then, Two days later, they went, also, to Oregon, to Veneta. Spectacular regeneration! The band was in its champing at the bit best. They played all the songs that we wanted to hear. During Half Step we did a group hug and bid one another a tearful farewell. It was the end of an era for us. It was the end of a friendship never re-kindled. We sensed the reality of the moment merely from the overtone of finality inherent in the rhythm of this tune. It was finished. From that moment on, we thus admitted and notated, that the old gang started to deplete one by one and sink into the whylight of imagination. Shall we conjure them back into the whylight? Don't need to...the GD fill in all the blanks -- as if there is no tomorrow. How foolish we dreamed there is no tomorrow. Still, It lives. Uncle John's Band. Oregon. MAMU, Me and My Uncle Evan S. Hunt 2008-11-23 04:50:14 2008-11-23 04:50:14 5 First saw them at Winterland 5-71 but always remembered this particular show for 2 reasons: the intro of Donna & Keith (lotta rumors beforehand in the days of pre-internet) and the first version I heard of the extended PITB. The tempo was so up and jumpin. Sound quality that night was excellent and this recording is as good. I thought the name of the venue was Zellerbach Auditorium on the U of Berkeley campus which was often confused with the Community Theater at the High School. This was definitely at Zellerbach where I saw Van Morrison, Jethro Tull etc. 72 was a leap for the Dead, more polish and punch. So FANTASTIC to hear this show again! Jumpin! Immoweth 2009-04-12 22:28:20 2009-04-12 22:28:20 5 This show stands as proof of the power of the second half of 1972 for the Dead's progression and mission as a band of spiritual crusaders. Europe tour set up the Playing in the Band jam and in general standardized more variety in setlists, introduced the heads to keith and donna for better or worse, but this is all fun and games compared to summer and fall. This show is unbelievable. Before i discovered the power of this show, and shows like the Stanley Run in September, the Fox show in October, and so many others, i generally was under the impression that the development of the sound and jams was more of a 73' thang, but boy was i wrong. This show has the Greatest Greatest story ever told, hands down. Even with the Donna whaling, its well worth it. Keith and Jerry smoked hippie crack before the show and it almost seems like their in a contest of who can outplay one and other. And if you know 71-74' Keith, you know thats quite an amazing feet. The Dark Star>El Paso>Space>Morning Dew is primal Dead. absolutely nessesary!! I think Bobby goes "whew!!!" at the end of every verse he sings in every song at this show. Leave it to a good ole' California show for the boys to boast what they learned on the road in Europe, and where they planned to take it next. If the last night at the Strand Lyceum set them up, this knocked em' down baby! Five stars!! get it if you can! peace So on fire!!! Dylan M 2009-07-16 01:01:15 2009-07-16 01:01:15 5 Evan Hunt, thank you so much for writing that wonderful account of this show. more whylight please ! Evan Hunt tripper jon 2009-08-15 00:41:42 2009-08-15 00:41:42 5 ` ~^|\_@|@_/|^~ ~<->/<->\<->~ ~This Day in GRATEFUL DEAD History~ I highly recommend adding this show to your 1972 GRATEFUL DEAD collection. SUMMER OF 72' I couldn't be there in 72, but I am here today...where were you? I could go on and on about the show, but who cares? I do recommend using your EQ during playback of most of the shows on the IA, this one included. Windows Media Player has a 10 band EQ and SRS WOW effects that enhance the sound. Here's one way to stream/dowload this show: The IA recommends users of Windows XP view this web-page with RealPlayer. RealPlayer is a free media player you can download at www.realplayer.com. Using RealPlayer to view this webpage, click the VBR M3U link to open the songs in the Playlist. If your Playlist is not open, open it by clicking the Playlist icon at the lower right hand corner of RealPlayer. Once the songs are in the Playlist, double click the song to play it, then click the record button at the lower left hand corner of Realplayer to record it. When the red line reaches the other end click the stop button to download the song. Your song is in the RealPlayer Downloads folder. Repeat these steps for each song. OR Hook up audio cables (1/8th inch stereo male jack with two rca male jacks at the other end) from your headphone jack on your computer to your audio input on your Reel to Reel, Cassette,VHS, CD, DVD, MP3, recorder and record it in real time...duh? Eat, Drink, Be Merry and Listen to the GRATEFUL DEAD, for tomorrow we may die.... Thanks for the LOVE from 1972. The GRATEFUL DEAD "Live On Stage" August 21, 1972 at the Berkeley Community Theater, Berkeley, CA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ah_uh_oh_um 2009-08-21 21:10:21 2009-08-21 21:10:21 5 Amazing and wonderful are the words that come to mind. Every time I get lost in the old school Grateful Dead I feel happy. It's so nice to hear Jerry young and healthy. By the way this is a stellar recording. 8-21-72 BIG_R 2009-10-19 18:51:51 2009-10-19 18:51:51 5 Overall a pretty nice show. Jerry trying to play morning dew during the dark star is an interesting point. Makes you wonder about these weird moments during the shows. I remember hearing a story about a show in 86 where a stage guy brought out phil's mic as they were going to play gimme some lovin and then jerry persisted to play stella blue, everyone besides jerry was kinda like wtf? the ended up playing gimme some lovin the next night. Overall this show is good, but nothing amazing, Dark star is that stellar, nor did i find the playing jam to be that great, its all nice but not stand out. 4 stars overall (setlist, sound, playing) Good! not great chook-face 2009-10-24 22:10:03 2009-10-24 22:10:03 4 33 4.81