top700.txt

02-10-80    D3  First set is a very high quality acoustic set, complete with band argument. Second set quality is a little
                ropey. Playin unusually fades and stops in third set. A little too low energy, the first set is terrific though.
12-05-74    D4  Below par for a 74 first set. Apparently it was super windy. Second set features a winding Other Jam but
                it ends on a Row Jimmy! Also a pretty short show for 1974. Classic year, but this is a little perfunctory.
21-12-68    C3  Insane setlist, starts with Lovelight and then jams from there. The jams are not as wild as you would expect
                of 68'; a mellow Caution > Feedback is the highlight. Unfortunatly, tape is very hissy in the quiet sections.
12-12-70    D3  First set is average 1970, albeit as a soundboard. The second set has a good setlist for the period, even if the actual
                songs in sequence are short. Pretty nice jamming at the end but lacks fire and exploration, and the jams are too short.
11-11-73    C2  What a magnificent setlist. Opens mellow but with purpose. Interesting show overall that does have some good moments.
                However, I'd say the energy level felt a little low and a more robust conclusion to the show would have been better.
25-11-79    C3  Solid if low-key first set. Second set really starts to open up with the Other One pre-drums. Decent show and energy
                levels good but not a stunner. Best part is clearly the spacey late section of the Other One. Also, Phil shows up.
17-10-70    D5- This is not a great sounding tape at all. The Star is definitly a decent one, but hard to peer through the murk.
                Rest of show has some decent stuff, but is cut up and again the SQ is not decent (you can't hear Bobby at all).
10-09-91    C3  Both Hornsy and Branford for the whole show. A bit busy at times because of this. First set is pretty good but no
                standouts. Second sets starts well, and a fair amount of jamming, although played a little safe. Tails off near the end.
22-06-74    B2  Really good Playin, though not into deep space territory. Set-list is decent and well constructed, although the second
                set jam is a little short. As 1974 goes, this is merely a very very good show, smooth, relaxed and confident throughout.
04-08-79    C2  First set very neat but needed more energy. Very slow Minglewood. Excellent Shakedown > Playin jam pre drums. Starts
                modestly and then starts to explode a little 15 mins into the Playin jam into almost feedback. Good Stella Blue as well.
29-04-71    C4  Hard To Handle may be the best ever. Most of the show is first set numbers, the main event being the last version of
                Alligator. Although of high quality, this jam is particularly short. As a first set though, this show works really well.
11-07-81    D4  Has a solid Truckin in the second set, unusual for this period. Rest of show (excepting the Sailor > Saint) is well done
                but lacks any real depth. Unfortunatly, majority of show is aud - luckily the best bits are sbd but the switch is annoying.
27-06-84    B4  Jerrys voice is not in great shape but that doesn't stop the show. Good first set throughout with a decent LIG to end.
                Second set starts with a decent Help > Slip. Decent Estimated solo. Pretty killer and rocking post drums, all of it.
26-10-72    C2  The Playin' wasn't as deep as I was expecting, although it is a very good one. Unfortunatly, the sound quality is a little
                dodgy, especially on Phil's bass, and there are a fair few cuts as well. If there was a decent SBD , it would be very good.
20-09-70    C3  Absolutly no messing around in this near perfect 70's acoustic set. It even has Jerry on piano for one song! Unfortunatly
                the tape starts going south as soon as we hit a Caution > Feedback jam. First half of second set is more average.
19-05-77    C4  Really solid throughout, it has that classic 1977 vibe but unfortunatly the main jamming consists of 4 10 minute songs.
                They are all decent individually but you'd ideally like one of them to come alive and go somwehere. No encore.
10-05-72    C2  Talking about the first set songs is superfluous on this tour. The meat is the Playing and Truckin > Other One jam.
                Could be seen as "classic E72" but the Other One is pretty special. Slightly ruined by the ugly "2nd set first set" end.
14-06-76    C4  Fundamentally feels like it's stuck in one vibe. Granted I like that vibe but some movement would be good. Pretty much
                all done decently except Around x 2. The standout by far is a 13 minute Slipknot - doesn't wander far but an unusual jam.
07-01-78    B4  Weirdly this is a solid show up until the long Dancin' jam, which kind of zones out for a long period. Same thing happens
                in pretty much both long jams. However, show as a whole is pretty decent. It's quite the rocker in parts.
09-10-89    A2  First set is merely decent, more of an apertif for the main second set. Unusual start to set 2. Energy level from Dark
                Star onwards is crazy. Fades a little post DDHNM. Hard pressed to find a more joyous second set. Best of the 80s?
09-05-79    D3  Crazy high energy Trucking for about 5 seconds that itself rides in from a He's Gone that improbably passes through
                a Masterpiece jam on it's way. Unfortunatly it's audience only but the tape is reasonable excepting some audience noise.
25-01-69    B2  Perhaps uniquely, TC is mixed quite loud in parts. Ihe mix is a little all over the place, but highlights the playing
                weirdly - it's more calm than most 69. The songs are a bit shorter but this helps the intensity. Short but very decent.
31-12-76    B3  Long, killer Playin' jam in the 77 style ends first set. Long 2nd set - the setlist ducks and swerves while still
                punching pretty hard for most songs. Dew is excellent. it just misses that touch of jamming depth lacking in 76 shows.
27-12-81    C4  Top notch 80s first set, even has a Christmas tuning. Killer Passenger. Energy wanes a little post drums but finishes on
                a good note. This show is what you expect for the period, excellent playing but lacking somewhat in adventure.
22-06-91    C3  This era is a little too busy for me, what with 2 keyboards and all the MIDI. Bruce keeps trying to insert Dark Star riffs,
                which is a little tiresome. decent Terrapin. Overall it's a pretty solid example of a decent show from the period.
16-11-70    D4  Great quality for the year and comes with decent quests as well. Echoing what would come next year, the show fails to have
                a go at a decent jam. You get 10 minutes of the Other One near the end. The show is a great example of typical 70 though.
09-07-89    C3  Great opening and decent energy level. Setlist is not the greatest. However it's all pretty well done - even the NFA at
                the end of the show is a real rager. Also features a decent-for-the-era version of Truckin' to head into drums with.
02-09-78    D3  Nice jam in second set starts with a 28 minute Scarlet > Fire. The former is a great version, but after that is all slowly
                descends to the typical late 70s heroin chic jam. Only one song after drums / space. Nice grooves but little exploration.
21-02-69    C2  Well jammed 69; not as furious as expected but still highly competent. The eleven might be the highlight, a 20 minute version
                that doesn't go into feedback when you might expect it to. Final song is a Dew that might be the best version of the 60's.
09-09-74    D3  This is a show that needs a decent upgrade. The patches are rough. For 74, this lacks any real out there jams, although
                the vibe is good and the playing largely on form. However it lacks space and constant to and fro audio changes aren't good.
21-04-78    B3  Heck of a setlist. Pretty good difference between the slow and fast songs. First set is fairly playful and has a really
                decent Funiculi tuning. Killer Music Never Stopped. 2nd set has a decent story to tell in the jamming. Jerry smokes too much!
31-03-87    D4  Crikes, the energy coming off this first set is pretty crazy, and the Estimated jam isn't bad. It however lacks a bit of
                flow between songs, as well as a bit of length. Excellent party tape maybe, this era really lacks in jamming and space.
15-04-70    D3  Pretty rocking Other One in the middle of a very decent 1970 show. I mean, the sound quality is pretty good, there are very
                few cuts and even the singing is largely decent.  Unfortunatly, it's merely "pretty good", and a little too short. 
28-12-90    D4  It's a good late 90's show but I didn't find it to be especially superior. It apparently has a mind left body jam but
                like a lot of later shows these thematic jams can be very hit and miss. Post drums lascked some excitement as well.
30-09-69    D3  Hot damn, it's an audience tape from 69, so we are already struggling. It's also only 35 minutes long. First China Cat
                Rider though. If this was a full show in good quality, it might have a been a ripper. Today, it is more of a "what if..."
19-06-91    E4  The post-drums song selection is quite a killer end to the show, but on it's own is not enough to raise this show to
                the heights you expect. At this late date, Jerry sounds strained and the music lacks some decent audio seperation.
18-09-70    B2  You can discount almost the whole first set (missing), and half the second (terrible aud). However, it still has a
                killer acoustic Truckin, and a magnificent Dancing / Stephen / NFA / Good Lovin' jam. If only we had the full show!
10-02-79    B4  Very professional late 70s GD. Second set starts witha mellow yet fairly tight Scarlet > Fire. The setlist is very
                good, and iconic of the time. Solid from start to finish, although no jam goes really deep, despite early space trying.
23-04-77    B3  Excellent quality audio. Very decent setlist that is both full of good songs and inventive. Jams are typical 77 but
                have an overall excellent groove to them. Reminds me a little of 76 with the mood and tempo but also has the 77 sound.
26-08-71    D2  For 71, this has a pretty incredible Other One. However, that's the only jam and there are about 20 other songs! Like
                many many 1971 shows this is more like an extended first set. So just go for the highlights on this tape, they're good.
05-11-70    C3  For an 1970 audience tape this is acceptable, but it is still an old audience tape. Ned Lagins first show - you can't
                hear him - has a pretty crazy setlist: Trucking > Other One > Star > Stephen. Would be an awesome show in decent quality.
08-05-81    C4  Nicely played show throughout where the standout is clearly the 30 minute Terrapin > Playin. Kesey on Harmonica adds
                excitement in drums space. Suffers a little from the show sounding largely the same pace wide from start to end.
11-09-73    C3  It's a horns show, but they mostly stay out of the way (when they do appear, it is mainly annoying). The show is pretty
                mellow, and that includes most of the Star excepting the ridiculous bass solo into Dew. Unfortunate cut to aud at end.
17-02-82    C4  This is a pretty solid show for the era, containg a decent setlist, a sprinkling of jamming and reasonable energy. It
                is blighted by that 80's "keep the same mode" feeling. Decent end to the second set keeps the fun going. Some mild cuts.
13-12-69    E3  A smidgen of hiss but the tape is decent. Very relaxed band here who aren't jamming. Some tuning issues at the start
                but it develops into what we would later call a good first set. Any jamming appears in the massive Lovelight.
22-03-73    B3  Well structured and played 73 show lacks a big jam and makes up for it with a slew of 15 minute ones. Pretty much
                everything is played well, as you expect, but it could with bringing a touch more to the table - non of the jams get deep.
09-11-73    C2  This show has some stunning moments but there is a lot of first set material to get through. It suffers a bit from
                start / stop paralysis. - it starts getting good and then is interrupted. Clearly the highlights are Playin' and Eyes.
27-08-72    A1  Kesey's Farm. Difficult to be objective. The video is the best GD video that exists, and I've held that opinion
                for the last 25 or so years. Pretty much everything is good, but I never listen to this as a show. Time to fix this?
07-10-77    D4  Great 77 show. Terrapin is slightly butchered and the whole first set is missing, but it's a decent passage from Playin'
                onwards. As expected from the period, there is no big jam - althougth Playin tries - but the energy and feel are good.
17-11-73    D3  The fame of this show sits on the PITB > UJB > Dew > UJB > PITB sandwich. However I have to say the first part was a jam
                that meandered a little too much and the UJB seemed to for want of a lack of imagination. Could have been so much more.
24-06-84    D5  Opening Dancin' is a little fun. Playing jam in set 2 is good for the year. However, Jerry's voice is totally shot and
                Bob's doesn't sound much better. When you add a few guitar flubs the package doesn't hold up with the other shows here.
28-06-76    D4  Show is not helped by a few lengthy aud cuts. It is has a slightly choppy setlist that teases potential jams. The Dancin'
                is decent and as a show it more or less works but overall lacks a bit of fizz and energy. Happiness is Drumming?
06-12-81    C4  Decent energy and really no duff versions at all. The space in particular is really good, but unfortunatly only lasts
                4 minutes. In earlier times a 10 minute jam could have been squeezed out of that. Slightly missed opportunity.
20-09-90    B2  This is pretty good. Jerry is all over the China > Rider. All the jamming is post drums across a split 30 minute Dark
                Star. The highlight is the second part of the Dark Star. Era is a bit busy but this is one of the last great Dead shows.
25-10-73    B2  This sure isn't messing around. Monster set list, and pretty much every song after Uncle in the secoind set is basically
                a jam. I don't quite feel like I went on the complete adventure though. On the other hand, everything was prefectly played.
17-10-94    D5  You can skip most of the starting 25 minute Eyes. After that it gets a bit more interesting. As ever for the era, Space
                is far too long ands the energy levels could be better, but overall it's not too bad. The encore is a glorious screw-up.
22-01-78    A2  The whole show is electric in the greatest sense. Even T.Jed and Row Jimmy in the first set are killer versions. Yet
                energy levels are raised for set 2. Best ever St Stephen? Only a 15 minutes NFA and a rocking duo to end the show. Phew!
25-10-79    B3  Second set opens with candidate for best Shakedown ever, surely. Estimated actually goes into space pre-drums. Short
                post drums is reasonable but fails to match the previous highlights. Unfortunatly first set is an aud only.
29-04-77    D3  Only the Moore aud is avaliable. The opening Help > Slip is of interesting and might be the best part of the show.
                Second set had some interesting seques but the sub-par quality of the tape and general lack of space are negatives.
10-09-72    C2  Crosby sits in at the end of the second set, including the whole 30 minute Dark Star! Sick Greatest Story. Surely
                the only Star > Jack Straw to exist? Not quite perfect with the flow but this show has more jamming than expected.
14-03-90    D3  Overall pretty decent 1990 show. First Loose Lucy for a while works the crowd. Main jam Playing > UJB > Playin gets a
                little spicy going into drums. Post drums the songs are a bit more choppy, but the energy level at least remains decent.
01-12-79    B4  Setlist really deceives, especially the CC Rider into drums. Whole is pretty good, the only obvious flaw is the Brent
                song. Rocking end as well. If there was a "typical" 1979 this might be it, Jamming and a decent first set? Not bad!
20-10-90    E4  Sounds like Bruce is trying to get Valley Road in after LIG. Decent first set overall. Second set isn't too bad and
                the Star is reasonable for such a late date. But it suffers from a lack of intention, and meanders a bit too much for me.
04-12-71    D3  Possibly has the best Smokestack ever done. Most of this is the usual "lets have a very long first set" of 1971, but
                it has a pretty decent Other One that spans 20 minutes and is entered into and left via 2 cowboy songs. Worth checking.
25-09-91    D4  That Would Be Something sure sounds like a MLB jam at the start. I might have preferred that. Another of those 90's
                shows where the songs in the 2nd set are all quite long. Jamming lacks a certain edge but still pretty good.
08-05-77    D2  Very smooth and professional throughout, although lacking anything like a space jam. Dancin', Scarlet and NFA are
                all fairly long but the clear highlight is the scorching Morning Dew that has one of the best peaks in GD history.
26-07-94    E4  This show is pretty late in the day and has a Samba In the Rain! I must admit this is tricky to listen to. The overall
                sound is a bit thin and Jerry is turned down. It does however have a really good Estimated. The rest you can skip.
05-02-70    D4  Aud for bad quality fist 4 songs, then switches to a decent SBD. This is weird tape that has cuts and a strange
                set-list. There is some nice playing but it's short, and considering the era could be a lot meatier. An outlier tape.
20-02-82    E4  Another "meh" show. Yes the Playin is decent, and maybe contains the best Brent solo just before drums, but it
                lacks in energy and once we are into post-drums the song selection becomes a little lazy. More of an average show.
16-05-72    B3  Not quite as epic as some of the other Europe 72 shows, this still manages to highly entertain with a good Truckin >
                Other One jam, but that and the playing are a bit more by the numbers. Tons of energy in the rest of the gig though.
04-04-69    D3  Almost killer setlist but with 2 clunkers to start wither set with (set 2 starts with Lovelight!). Of the rest, the
                jams a little too short and not quite furious enough to make up for it. Best part is the closing sequence after Star.
24-06-73    C3  Although not the longest show of 73, this does take some time to warm up. Like 20 songs or so. The jam when it arrives
                is similar - it takes too long to get anywhere interesting, and the overall effect is a lack of energy. Well played though.
31-03-80    C4- Audience only, although mostly acceptable. Sounds like the band really want to rock out. Unfortunatly the audience tape
                means you have to peer through a mild blur. Hard to rate, but would put this down as a decent 1980 show. Needs a SBD.
12-12-69    D2  Very long show. Cut to the last 50 minutes for the good stuff: a great Alligator > Caution that hits the heights of
                69 jaming as you would expect. There's nearly 2 hours of first set 69 which can be very hit and miss to start.
04-06-77    B3  Band sound a little far away with the AUD tape. In contrast, what a setlist! It's got almost every good song of the era.
                Adding to that, the jamming is mostly on point and it even contains a space. Could be show of the year as a SBD.

24-10-72    C2  Only part of the show is avaliable in decent quality, but it is the best part of the show. He's Gone jars slightly as
                it's wedged into a decent version of Other One. A decent Philo Stomp as well. Pity about the rest of the show.
07-12-79    B4  Good first set, great China Cat > Rider > Eyes, is then stopped dead in the water by Lost Sailor > Saint, the bane
                of so many decent second sets in the 80s. Aside from that mishap, this is a very solid show that has a rocking end to it.
05-08-74    B2  Dicks Picks 31, however the full show has some hiss. First set is super relaxed Dead at the top of their game. 2nd
                set has 45 minutes before hitting the jam. One of the few absolutly killer Truckin' jams of some length. Great show.
06-05-90    E5  Nothing really stands out in the 2nd set. First set had a decent Victim, which has a very tenuous link into Foolish
                Heart. Nothing inherently wrong with this show, it just doesn;t connect with me it must have done the first time round.
04-05-81    D4  Great pre-drums that all falls apart post drums as Bob tries to fit in a Lost Sailor > Saint. That's got to be the
                worst early 80s combo and first set-killer of the modern era. Still, the Playin' a the highlight and worth checking.
05-02-69    B3  Short set showing up the skills of Iron Butterfly. Although the show starts with an Cryptical > Star, it doesn't get
                really going until Eleven > Cryptical, which crackles with fizz and energy. A little hiss, but a shame about the cuts.
04-02-79    C4  Reasonable audience tape has great second set pre-drums. Iko Iko after space kills the mood a bit; otherwise this is
                a decent look at the tail end of the Keith and Donna band. A decent Shakedown and Playin are the starts here.
08-11-85    C4  A bit fast and furious with jams kept short all over the place but the energy level was fairly decent and the song
                selection strong. Some 85 songs - Revolution / Satisfaction / She Belongs To Me - kept the show fresher than I recalled.
08-06-74    B1  Merely a very good show until Playing hits and everything kicks off. Unfortunatly there seem to be some tuning issues
                that stop the jam a couple of times and the very end of the show is in audience only. Still, they certainly go for it.
13-07-76    B3  Except for a slight lack of energy, this is pretty jammed first set. The Crazy Fingers might be the best ever, and
                LiG is also very decent. Weird split Sugar Mag in 2nd set. I'd say first set was better and had drums and more jamming!
21-02-91    C4  A little bit too much "jamming in the songs, not between them" for my liking but this is for sure an above average show
                given the date. Vince could ease up on playing the melody lines so loud all of the time, but it's a minor quibble.
31-12-77    D4  Slightly messy but the band are still good enough to hold it together. It's one of those new years you can tell the
                boys have been partying a little too much. Despite that, it's an enjoyable show just lacking something standout.
06-07-90    C4  Decent He's Gone jam. Maybe the best since the Bobby Sands one. Heck, even the first set is pretty decent. Tails
                off a bit pre-drums. Why did they ever keep on playing Around & Around after 1980 or so? Never a good set 2 closer.
21-06-87    D5  Roaring with energy at the start, and mainly stays that way throughout the show. Playing pre drums is pretty short but
                quite respectable. Strangly placed speedy Masterpiece emerges after drums. Like a lot of the era, light on jams.
04-04-91    D4  Quite a decent first set. Second set isn't bad there are no jams between songs. Like other shows of the era, the
                keyboards are a bit over the top, both musically and in the mix, and I'm sure that leads to Jerry turning down sometimes.
14-02-69    D4  High intensity jamming from start to finish. I'll be honest it could with a rest at points because the whole thing
                practically shimmers with energy. If you know the era just looking at the setlist tells you all you need to know.
04-12-73    B2  Very short show for 73, especially the 2nd set. The Eyes jam has a stuning breakdown and feedback jam but because of
                time restrictions after starting very late, the band finish with a string of hgish-octane rockers. Still, worth checking.
08-06-90    D5  Contains a very nice and long Foolish Heart (in fact the whole of pre-drums is pretty decent). However it doesnt
                really hand too well as a show - a lot of the numbers stand alone and it's a bit uneven. Needed something joined-up.
24-09-72    B1  There are a few glitchy cuts here and there (the AUD patch is pretty rough) but this show manages to get over them.
                It gets started in Bird Song, raises the game in Playin' and then gets full meltdown in the Star. Really decent show.
20-03-91    C4  Set 2 really gets started well with a long and meaty Eyes to get us going. However, it dips a little after that and the
                next wave of excitement really comes in the classic Other One > Wharf Rat > Sugar Mags post drums. Pretty good for 91.
30-03-73    C2  Ignore the terrible quality first set AUD and get straight to the 2nd set. The meat of this show is the Truckin >
                Jam > Eyes. It is a solid jam of it's era - which means good - but it is a little short. Everything solidly played.
11-03-93    D4  The Ken Nordine word salad in space is great, although hard to say it's actually Grateful Dead on a pure level. As for
                the show, the first vset is better than you might imagine and Days Between is well done here. Overall, one for best of 93.
03-01-70    C4  Early and late show which I'll treat as 2 sets. The first is mellow and yet very well done. From the Dew opener to the
                Alligator end. Second set is not as good despite a 20 minute Other One. The sets should be swapped - listen to the first!
02-09-80    C4  Unfortunatly it's a not very good 80s board, and a few gens in as well I would imagine. Setlist is well done and although
                there are no major deep dives (hey, it's 1980!) this is a decent show with very good flow. Great end and rocking encore.
14-07-76    C3  This show has a strange setlist - or rather, a typical 76 setlist. It does suffer from some era issues where the songs
                are of similar length and the jamming is less wild, but overall is a very solid 76 show. Playing jam even goes spacey.
20-04-69    B2  Really exceptional Dark Star does most of the heavy lifting at this show. The rest of the show is more standard. Lovelight
                is the weakest link but for a change does not end the show. The sputnik jam from this show is one of the best I recall.
26-12-82    E5  Maybe I got excited about Phil's new bass sound because this show doesn't do a lot for me now. The pre-drums songs are
                fairly short and the Eyes actually has a screw-up at the start. First set is the highlight really but overall a bit so-so.
05-05-81    D3  For this period, the Truckin is really good at this show: over 10 minutes, has a Spanish jam hint and actually does some
                exploration.  Rocking end to the show as well as they belt out 3 rockers. Pre-drums wasn't too bad but not the highlight.
12-04-69    D3  Whilst nice to have another 69 Dark Star this show is a little too short for any real fun. Amazingly it is apparently 2
                shows - an early and a late - both of which have to end before midnight. Even the Lovelight is cut back on this one.    
11-01-78    B2  Really excellent Playing > Drums, even has a mini bass solo near the end. Whole show has that killer 77/78 vibe, but not
                as on autopilot as some shows. In fact the whole show doesn't really have a bad moment, the end NFA is a great little gem.
16-05-93    D4  I wouldn't say this is a killer show but for 1993 the second set is not too bad at all. Worst part is probably the way
                that Vince's volume seems to randomly dominate at times, and when it does he's just playing the melody. Good for 93.
07-11-71    D3  Dark Star is quite nice but very short. Phil attempts early on to go crazy but it never really heads in that direction.
                There is an Other One to follow, but it is unfortunatly cut short by a broken string. Rest of the show is far more normal.
29-06-73    C2  A good chuck of the show is missing, but we do get the heart - Truckin' > Other One > Dew. Typical for the era, the Truckin'
                lazily jam melts into Other One. The feedback meltdown that follows is pretty good. The Dew that follows is more subdued.
23-03-91    C4  The Playin' in this second set is really decent. Even better, the energy level continues for post drums, which is a little
                short but has most of everythinng you need. Vince is for sure a little loud in places, but this is otherwise a good show.
27-10-79    B3  I'm not always a fan of the lengthy 79 Franklins normally, but it fits here. Set 2 of this show does not contain any space,
                but the frentic energy and overall journey are very well done. Also Aroundx2 was still done properly in this time period.
31-08-81    C4  Source on this show is not that great and really needs an improvement. Very early froggy Jerry. The Scarlet > fire lingers
                a little too long but the following Playin' is decent. Unfortunatly a Brent song after drums and ends with 3 rockers. Not bad.
16-09-72    C1  Great Dark Star. Technically is jams into Brokedown Palace but I swear there is a minor cut in the tape. A good portion of
                the show is either missing or of bad sound quality unfortunatly, but we get the sweet goods. Decent Playin' and Dew as well.
08-06-77    B3  Top rocking show from start to finish, one of the very best of 1977. It certainly doesn't lack jamming, perhaps it lacks a
                little space, or maybe it just needs more differential. It's like it's stuck in the same gear for a lot of the show.
06-06-70    D3  Nice tight Alligator jam. That's the highlight, since the start of this show is essentially a first set, and the end is a
                Lovelight / NFA love-in of 45 minutes, so it suffers from the twin evils of 69 - ropey first sets and overlong Lovelights!
26-12-80    C3  Really decent Playing for this second set. It contains a very nice vibe throughout, and this early in the 80's Jerry's
                voice hasn't really changed much either. This has a 3 minute Around & Around - the earliest of all the short versions?
17-05-77    B3  It's May 1977, so what do you expect? A great setlist, with pretty much every song done well. The jams are not so fired
                up but they contain quite a bit of length. A fairly rare Sugar Magnolia for the encore, but only in audience quality.
27-09-80    D5  The first set has great quality but it goes awry for the rest of the show, which might be the worst SBD I've ever heard.
                It does have a most unusual break-down / space before drums (not that good though), but the rest of the show is fairly normal.
10-05-69    C4  This is not a great quality show. It has some weird digital artifacts. As far as the music goes, this is fairly standard
                fare for the period, although it lacks in pure crazy. The sound issues don't help, maming this hard to rate asd a show.
05-12-79    C3  An unusual jam in the long He's Gone > Other One, followed by some equally strange scat singing in the Black Peter post
                drums by Garcia. Can't say any of this was particularly hot, but it is a strange one from the era. Worth checking out.
12-10-84    D5  Very decent for 1984 - but I know that's maybe not words of praise. Still, the UJB is pretty decent and the setlist is
                encouraging. Songs a little rushed, and that includes the Morning Dew. Sound quality dips towards the end of the show.
17-01-70    C2  One of the last Elevens. This show starts with a normal 69 first set equivalent, nothing that special in there. The jam
                that follows is a normal Star > Stephen > Eleven > Lovelight, however the Lovelight is condensed and is actually a good one.
27-12-89    C3  Well played 89 show with a very decent setlist. Nice bit of Clarence Clemons as well, he knows when and when not to hold
                back (most of the time actually, he's quite subtle). This show is pretty good, mainly in pre-drums. Dew is a bit anti-climatic.
21-09-74    D2  SBD tape is almost entirely missing Weir. Makes is sound a lot more sparse. Typical 74 - laid back and spacey when they
                want to be. However the sets are uneven. Highlights at set ends: a jammy Eyes to end set one and a long Dew for set 2.
14-08-71    C4  Killer soundboard quality for 1971. there's even an extended jam sequence, although each of it's members are fairly short.
                Otherwise this is just classic 1971 with it's myriad of shorter tunes. Best of the era maybe, but then the era is lacking.
31-10-91    D3  Kesey's rap is the best spoken word piece of any Grateful Dead performance. Killer. The music around it of lesser quality,
                although it stil has the classic GD sound even this late in the game. Gary Duncan adds guitar, not a bad fit on stage.
02-05-69    A2  An absolute explosion of an 11, maybe one of the best ever? Most of the short show is just one explosive song after another.
                Perhaps opening for Iron Butterfly drove them to new heights of energy. I haven't even mentioned the Star or Other One!
30-04-77    B3  A high-energy show pretty much from start to finish. The Stella Blue > St Stephen transition is one of the best of this or
                any other era. You could say there wasn't much jamming, but it still manages to wander a lonely path in a way. Good show.
26-03-87    B4  I would describe this as typical 87, but very well done (at least it avoids the lowlights of the first few 87 shows). Pretty
                high energy from start to finish, a crowd loving the show and  a total lack of space jamming. This is a real party show.
01-07-78    C3  Show is very much like condensed 78 show, as it consists of only 1 set at Wille Nelsons party. It's unfortunatly only an
                audience tape as well, although one of the better late 70's ones. Overall a well done show with no clear highlights.
24-05-69    D3  Mostly pretty decent from start to finish, although it lacks some of the more mad frenzy of similar shows from the start of
                the year. There is inherently a difficulty with rating these shows from this era, since they can be so similar to each other.
21-01-71    D3  The sound quality of this show will unfortunatly mean it can't be included in the final top list, but it includes one of the
                longest songs in 71 - a 26 minute Other One that seques into Cosmic Charlie. Would really love to hear a SBD of this show.
26-02-77    B3  One of the best first sets ever. It has more jamming and better songs than the second! The side effect of this is that the
                second set suffers quite a lot by comparison - mainly, the setlist disjointed like 76. Possibly best ever first show of the year?
12-02-69    B2  What a skull-crushing epic this is. There are some issues, for sure. It cuts in at the end of Dark Star, and there is a patch
                in the Alligator > Caution that could be better, but the rest is a torrent of electric jamming that showcases the era perfectly.
15-05-77    C3  Another very decent 77 show. It has a split-set quality to the second set but the whole thing is generally of a high quality,
                much as you would expect from the era (being a high quality board helps). Hard to pinpoint any standout song though.
06-12-73    C3  Mainly an excellent show with that beutiful relaxed 73/74 vibe. It has a 45 minute Dark Star but this seemed to lack a
                little bit of action for me. It takes 25 minutes to even get going! Despite that though, every other song is done very well.
16-06-90    C5  Interesting show for it's differences. First set is great, but then opens with LTGTR > Truckin' and closes with Sat Night.
                Second set has Jerry sit in for all of drums and space (and dragging the jamming out). Despite that, it lacks a killer moment.
26-06-74    B2  Relaxed and well jammed at every step. The China Cat has claims to be the best ever. Even the tune-ups are fun. The setlist
                shows a 30 minute Truckin but this is split with a bass solo, Other One and Spanish jam. Lacks a really deeo jam somwhere.
06-02-69    D3  Fast, furious, full of energy (and a few out of tune guitars), this short beast smokes from start to finish. Bad parts are
                slightly lackluster sound quality and the shortnedd of some of the tracks. Overall, a good pictire of the band in early 69.
14-02-70    B2  The very first set is a Star > Stephen > 11 > Lovelight! This is a long show. Epic, even. What a crazy setlist for a show, which
                peaks at the very start and the very end. The feedback is one of the best done, very mellow and in fantastic quality. Killer.
25-04-77    B2  Improved version of what I heard the first time round, although still not that good. The second set jam doesn't look much on
                paper but it peaks in what has to be one of the best Wharf Rats ever. The second set is generally excellent throughout.
31-07-74    A3  Very long show where everything is hot. Even Jerry warns people about additional weirdness at the end of set 2. Everything is
                relaxed and played well, leading to a killer end sequence. Perhaps needed a little more manic energy at time. Great show.
10-05-78    C4  This is not a bad show with all the usual good qualities of a decent 1978 show. The jam stutters a bit coming out of drums,
                which is a little too long, but in general it ticks all the right boxes without ever actually excelling in any of them. 
11-04-72    B2  Typical Europe 72. Not exceptional, but typical from this tour is already better than most shows. Features an interesting
                Other One with a Feelin Groovy jam in it. Luckily, does not suffer from the 2nd set slowdown syndrome. Solid Euro 72 show.  
18-10-74    C2  There is a very long jam from the beginning of Seastones all the way to the end of Morning Dew that does some interesting
                things. The mini-set that follows feels more tagged on. The jam is unsual but lacks a bit of energy in places. Good though.
13-12-78    C4  Well-played but ultimatly a little dissapointing second set. It looks great on paper, but only the Playin sections really
                cut through. Sound source is a board, although one with a few splices and generations, it seems. Decent but not excellent.
31-08-80    D3  Decent show with a weird end. Unfortunatly only an audience for the 1st set, but excitement is in the 2nd anyway. Although
                no song is long, there is a decent flow to this. Ends with 2 crazy rockers, and then a fan pulls Jerrys cables in the encore.

01-03-69    C1  What a setlist! What a show! Am I allowed to say the first set is a bit too crushing, and needs to relax a little? This
                show is definitly a good representation of the year, it's just a little overbalanced. The slow songs are realy good!
14-06-91    D5  Second set starts well with a Help > Slipknot and the set that follows looks very decent on paper. Ultimatly though, it's
                a bit of a tease with the Start being so short and a tempo and energy that stays too consistent. Not bad for the era though.
14-07-70    D4  A decent acoustic set from the early years. Crosby sits in but to be honest I couldn't hear him at all. Unfortunatly the
                second set is a bit too cut up but the Other One jam is certainly enjoyable. Not as obviously manic as the previous year.
05-09-82    D5  9:30 start seems to make the band really full of energy to start with and then slowly wind down up to the end. Thus we start
                with a Playin jam! The first set is the best, rest of show is a lot more predictable. Sound mix is a bit strange in places.
30-11-79    C3  Greatest Story in the first set might be the best ever. Dancin' is also a hightlight, and the quality continues into the
                second set. A bit of a shock to the system to get Sailor > Saint post drums. Overall though a really decent set show.
28-12-78    B2  Jerry tells Keith to shut up, an amusing moment in a very decent set 2. With a great Sugaree, excellent Estimated > Eyes
                (played very quick) and a rocking end to it all, there's a lot to like in this show. One of the better pre-new years.
06-04-89    D5  A little ho-hum. The highlight of this show is the Believe It Or Not, which really sums up the show (although the transition
                from Playing is really good). There is a Playing sandwich but it's a little uninspired at the end and Jerry is mixed low.
23-03-75    A1  The GD come out for a 40 minute set with encore. There are almost no vocals, they are already jamming 5 minutes in and
                absolutly nothing lets up for the whole show. Certainly amongst the most unique shows, and one of the best ever. Killer!
03-05-69    C3  This is an audience - but aprt from the vocals being really low, it is outstanding quality for the time. We only have a portion
                of the show though. Overall it's not bad at all, it's just unfortunate that the clip we have is a little on the short side.
05-08-71    D3  Great Other One suite for 1971, about as jammed as they get in this era. Bit of a pity half the show is audience only, and
                that, as per usual in 1971, once the jam has been played they keep the songs simple. Good for 20 minutes or so only.
10-07-90    D5  A rare technical halt stops Promised Land. Very short pre-drums. Listed is a 21-minute Other One, but 10 minutes of that
                just seems to be space. A show that never seemed to break out, despite only having 5 songs in the entire second set.
23-01-70    B3  Start with high praise - this reminds me a little of the fabled 13th Feb show. The 18 minute Dark Star flew right by, it seems
                that it could have given a little bit more. In fact the whole show is like a warm-up for the above mentioned gig. Decent.
26-05-77    B3  Rocking from start to finish. It doesn't really stretch the boundaries of '77 but everything here seems to be a very robust
                version of what the band were capable of doing. Like a few other shows of the eras, the biggest jam here is in the NFA.
16-09-66    D3  Terrific quality for such an early show. Tracks are most certainly out of order. Jerry is pretty hot for such an early show.
                Sound of Pig's organ is dominating sometimes. Hard to rate as a show, really. Even the Pig raps sound modern.
17-05-74    B4  Solid show - for the era that's almost a given - but this one lacks on the jamming front. The Playin' is pretty decent but
                after that we have nothing except for a 13-min Eyes. On the other side, almosy every song is played very well indeed.
05-10-94    D3  For such a late era show this isn't too bad. Suffers from a lack of energy but the UJB band is maybe one of the best jammed
                versions out there. Not such a fan of the overall sound and Jerry's voice sounds wrecked - but what do you expect this late?
08-04-72    A1  Crikes, what a setlist! Look at that second set, Star > Sugar Mags > Caution > Sat Night, every minute as tight as you like.
                Transitions into and out of Sugar Magnolia are magnificent, some of the best ever. I need a lie down after that one.
18-03-77    C3  For my first review, I couldn't decide if this was low energy or laid back. I think I tend to the latter now. The Terrapin
                Flyer on this show is pretty reasonable for a first attempt. And that Around & Around is a real belter, one of the best.
28-07-82    D5  Unfortunatly all the sources have mixed audio quality. Seems like the songs are just long enough to start a jam but not
                long enough to contain one, a common 80s complaint. This is decent enough but could do with a cleaner board and more fire.
20-11-78    B3  Infamous show where Bobby is sick for much of the 2nd set, so it opens with jam > drums > jam! So the main event is a little
                short and has some source switching issues but is definitly worth checking out, also maybe the best IIHTWTG ever played.
14-09-74    C4  Terrible verbal fluff by Bobby in Truckin'. It's another one of those 74 shows where you kind of expect a massive blow-out
                but instead you get a little bit of it near the end. More a case of a mini-2nd set after the first, in change to the usual.
11-05-72    B1  You'd think a show with a 48 min Star would ease you in, but set one starts with a Playin' and within 5 minutes we are in
                space. Heck of a journey in the Star: the length is there for a reason. Last 15 minutes Of set 2 is not really needed.              
26-10-71    C4  Typical 71 gives us 17 songs before a jam. The jam that follows is actually pretty good for the era but there is definitly
                a sense of "we ran out of time, here's a quick rocker to end" as they stop the Other One just as it starts to get interesting.
13-05-73    B2  A good chunk of this show suffers from low quality audio, however the ending part is in high quality. Good, because the Other
                One > Eyes meeting is a proper meltdown. Just a pity that the bulk of the show is so rough, especially the 30 min Playin'
13-12-80    B3  Sound quality is a little up and down on this show but the quality still shines through. Scarlet > Fire hotter than average.
                Playin' is good as well, then Airto and Flora (best GD guests IMHO) appear to keep it spicy. Overall decent but no hyperspace.
30-03-89    C4  Some decent length to a few of these tracks. You can see the band are attempting to push it out compared to recent years.
                This show is well done but leaves a taste of "what could have been". Above average, just no real surprises to raise the game.
26-06-93    E3  Playing' jam into Truckin', and mostly through space, is actually really good - maybe very good for the Playin' jam. Rest
                of show is far more usual 93. Beware - Bruce is on accordian for this show, and it sometimes sounds very loud on the tapes.
06-11-77    B3  Everything is played well, the Truckin jam is great, the first set opening is pretty epic, Phil sings, and even Donna has a
                few words to encourage the boys. It lacks on space exploration, replaced with some awesome rocking, as per usual for 1977.
24-05-72    A1  This Playin' is really good... but then, we are back in Europe 72. . Christ on a bike, this Other One is a sonic freakout on
                speed. Another 60 minute epic journey into the void. What else is there to say? Lot's of songs here as well. What a show.
18-09-90    C4  Early in the 2 keyboards era, this show has some nice jams in the songs - there's a 17min Eyes, for example -  but not so
                much between the songs. Some of that length is wasted as well (check the Sugar Mags). Overall, decent but a bit up and down.
03-07-69    E4  Only about 40 mins and almost no jamming. Luckily the non-jammed songs are done fairly well, at least well above the normal
                69 standard. Unfortunatly, it lacks any sort of flow, even if viewed as a first set, thus the score. Worth hearing though.
22-06-76    D5  I understood 76 from this show. Jerry seems to be sometimes using 5ths or something high over the changes, and it doesn't
                sound good to me. Guitar tone is a bit too thin and the jams are not pushed enough. Good setlist and playing though.
24-08-72    B1  Has that annoying "mini-2nd set" problem - and really, how do you follow that Star > Dew - but otherwise this is a fine show.
                Some songs are a little too new for comfort (Sing Me Back Home, for example), but otherwise this is a great show.
21-10-83    C3  This is a staggeringly good SBD of the era, almost Betty-board like. I can even hear Phil easily! What's more, there's a
                very robust Scarlet > Fire > UJB > Playin for set 2 (although felt a little rushed sometimes). Best SBD of the early 80's?
04-12-79    D3  Actually a decent exit jam froim Franklins, the post drums is also decent with a fine Stella Blue. Despsite this, the show
                as a whole does not really push the boat out, being merely a decent 79 show. Energy level is pretty good throughout.
28-09-76    C3  Overall this is a good show, and even the energy level is above-average for a 76 show. It seems the main jam in Playin
                does not gel too much, but they pick up and it improves as the set continues. Good Mission In The Rain as well (the best?).
21-05-77    B3  Another very robust show. Sequence for the majority of the second set is well thought out and has some decent jamming.
                The songs around this section are typical May 77; that is, done very well and very very top-notch. Needs more space, as always.
12-01-79    D5  Surprising that such a super-long Dancin' (25 minutes!) that's followed up with a Billy + Jerry jam could fail to move me
                that much, but here we are. The setlist looks good on paper, but lacks a bit of spark. Hard to say what is missing though.
31-12-90    B4  Very busy stage sound with 8 players on stage. Jerry's voice is also shot. On the other hand, it has a great setlist, a
                real party mode throughout, played consistently well and they jam out. Couldn't really ask for more in the last good new years.
09-12-79    C3  Smoking Space is the clear highlight, but what to makle of the rest? 7 songs pre drums, Sailor Saint before drums,
                good long jam out of Saint. A lot to unpick from this show (always a goiod point). Comes with a killer Shakedown as well!
10-07-89    C5  This is one of those shows that by looking at single songs you lose the bigger picture. There's no real stand-out (except maybe
                the Dew), but this is infectious party music, although it does have a feeling of "you should have been there". High energy.
02-09-68    B2  Killer early show, certainly the best I know from 68. The tape is great quality and the Dead pour out consistently excellent
                versions of all their jamming numbers. Longest is 15m but when they are strung together like this, who cares? Thanks, Betty!
28-10-72    B1  Fairly rough board with Bill mixed right up. Whatever faults in the SQ that exist are blown out of the water by the stunning
                Dark Star at this show. And it's the penultimate song! Absolutly killer, it even seems they ran out of time at the end.
28-05-77    B4  Another May 77 in this list! On par for the period, the biggest jam is in the NFA coming just past the half-way point of the
                one-hour ish jam section to close the show. I'd say this is pedestrian, quality Dead. Like a wonderful quilt blanket in the cold.
04-02-69    C4  Partially degraded SBD (hissy with a gen or 2). It's a fairly solid walkthrough of all the hits. Jerry seems not happy at
                one point. It's good, but for the period I expected a little bit more. None of the jams were really long enough to go somewhere.
19-11-72    B4  Just as Dark Star seems to be going somewhere, Bobby slides in the WRS intro, which more or less crashes and dies, taking
                the Star with it to a large extent. Band wrap up with a few rockers but I think this show was a missed opportunity.
23-02-92    C3  Who knew that at such a late stage the Dead could serve uip a jam like this? The whole of pre-drums is very decent, lacks a
                little fire but is a bit more dreamy. Mainly Jerry-led as well. The mix lacks bass though. Post drums is a bit more tame though.
23-01-68    B4  Reviewed is Miller.97343, which sounds great for such an early year. Songs are all pretty short but the band are in tune and
                playing well. Unfortunate cut in Spanish jam brings things to an early end. Definitly worth a listen, just too short overall.
12-07-90    D3  I really wanted to like this more but the Star, whilst long, fails to really lift off, Jerry's voice is gone and the post
                drums is not very inspiring. On the flip side, it's a well constructed 2nd set with a great opening trio of songs. Almost.
31-10-85    C4  Certainly having a chance in the "wierdest openers" awards (Finiculi > Space > Werewolves), this rushed, energetic show has all
                the right moves despite a froggy Jerry. Pre-drums is the highlight. However the manic cocaine energy is just a little too much.
29-10-73    C2  Eyes in first set is really good, the jam is even more weird than a normal 73 Eyes. The jam is also particularly twisted in
                the Other One, almost as if they wish to escape the song. Highlights the band at the time when they could turn on a dime anytime.
15-09-90    D4  Not a bad show - actually has a very decent setlist, but just kinda lacks a little bit of excitement. It's a 2 keys show but
                doesn't seem burdened by it. Last Gimme Some Lovin is weird without Brent. As per usual, pre-drums is the highlight here.
12-04-70    E4  Slightly strange (well - it is 1970) show with no jam vehicles but managing to distinguish itself with a pair of decent, albeit
                standalone songs in Dancin' and Viola Lee - the latter has a very good ending. Only half of this show is in SBD (the best bits).
16-11-78    D3- This unfortunatly suffers from bad audio. Some snippets in SBD, the rest is a bad AUD for the time. The best part of this
                is the Truckin, so off the chain they almost lose it in the end jam. Pity that energy didn't arrive earlier: post drums is great.
02-11-69    C2  Very decent Star, what follows is not quite as good - maybe this show needs a shot more energy. Star itself is 30 minutes
                long and is one of the more exploratory versions from the era. Rest of show fails to live up to this, but is fairly decent.
31-03-89    B4  This has "quality show" written all over it, the vibe, the energy, the stories... if only it had a killer jam! Terrapin is 16
                minutes long but ignition has to wait until the killer Dew (perfection is missed at the end). Would have been great to go to.
24-06-76    D4  Quite a short show at 2hr 20m. Very typical 76, in that Jerry tends to dominate less, the energy level is slightly down, the
                setlist is all over the place and no big jams. Jerry's tone is too thin with the Travis Bean. Good quality sound though.
28-12-69    B3  Do I spot an enitre 69 set with no feedback or transitions? this is surprisingly crisp and well done show, although it is
                a lot different from earlier in the year. The conversations on stage paint a fantastic picture. Overall, a great show.
23-06-93    D2  Think I'll skip Way To Go Home > Wave To The Wind. You get a 25min Terrapin afterwards. Definitly one of the better jammed
                Terrapins avaliable. Drums > Space is too long in this era. Post-drums is certainly passable, though the Star is pretty lame.
28-03-69    B2  A very sound show. It's not very long but they pack in the quality. A full Other One suite for an encore? Bulk of the
                rest is Star > Stephen > 11 > Death > Lovelight. The Star has an early sputnik jam and is a quality Star for the period.
07-08-82    B3  I thought this was the dentists chair show, but it seems not to be. However, it is a very respectable early 80s show. Opens
                with a unique (?) MNS sandwich before settling down into an "it's all hot" mode that reminds me of 77. Worth checking out.
21-10-71    D3  One of the more infuriating elements of 1971 is the fact that the band are capable of putting out a solid jam and yet often
                hold back. Here a 16 minute Star has some serious promise but is cut short. Rest of show is a great first set that is too long.
24-03-87    D4  This is a decent show, slightly marred by the SBD mix (it has a lot of audience in it). High energy from the off that sustains
                and the band sound happy. There's not a lot of jamming, although disguised quite well by the excellent Terrapin pre-drums.
25-03-93    E4  Really suffers from contemporary songs, they crop up far too often and kill the pace a little. Ultimatly it means this show
                is best enjoyed when carved up. Mostly play the second set and skip the obvious mood-killers. Those are decent for 1993.
21-10-73    B2  Second set is one long flowing jam. Never really veers into space territory but the flow is impressive whilst retaining that
                early 70s relaxed vibe. If I was to nitpick, I might suggest that there could be a bit more fire in the equation somewhere.
29-10-77    B2  Yowee! Has to one of the best versions of Black Peter, that's for sure. But before you get there we have a very nice opener,
                A hot Eyes (with a space jam!), and even hotter St Stephen where I think the band surprised themselves saving the jam! Killer.
31-07-88    E3  Crikes! I Will Take You Home into drums, what were they thinking? This is a decent, albeit rather ordinary 88 show. It's
                saving grace is the Dew at the end of set 2 that has a short ending but a great section leading to it. Encore not bad either.
22-10-71    D3  What do we expect? A long, long first set of course. This show adds to that with a full 30 minute Other One. It's certainly
                a nice change compaared with the rest of the show, but it didn't particularly stand out for me, despite not being actually bad.
02-02-70    C2  It is a fragment of a show, but everything is done very well. Possibly the best Mason's Children? Unfortunatly the cut is
                very bad. Bulk of this is a 20-min Dark Star, a very well done one as well. We can only wish the rest of the show was avaliable.
01-04-90    D3  This show does onne thing very well - Jerry ballads. To Lay Me Down, Ship Of Fools and Stella Blue are the standouts. Rest of
                the show is more normal, and the setlist isn't really inspiring (Women Are Smarter > Drums?) but those Jerry numbers are great.
09-05-77    B3  Very well done show, but then again it is May 77. Could have done with more variety, most of the show is in that fantastic
                77 groove but a bit more contrast wouldn't have gone amiss. First set may be slighty better played; hard to seperate them.

21-08-69    C5  Short show, very mellow considering the time period. Suffers from a bit of tape hiss and the shortness of all the songs.
                6 minute Dark Star, I can't imagine there are any others shorter any time afterwards. Makes a nice change from the usual fare.
19-05-74    C3+ Excellent quality board. Setlist seemingly stretched on forever. A pity then, that the jamming is split in 2 in the 2nd
                set. Of those 2, Truckin' is by far the better of the jams but as soon as it gets somewhere it seems to tail off a little.
10-10-76    B2  This is not just a 76 show, it's a sonic journey of solid, energetic jamming from the minute set 2 starts. Set 1 is no
                slouch either, ending with a great Dancin' > Eyes > Dancin'. One of the highlights of 1976. No wonder Pete was impressed.
26-09-72    C2  Oh boy the Truckin' jam is pretty sublime and relaxed, almost like they are toying with us - "Look how easy this is!". Also
                the Baby Blue placement is great. Show lacks a little bit of journey though, reduces the grades. Still an overall decent.
23-06-90    B3  Very good set-list - maybe too many songs though. Space is a bit over-long but aprt from that the 2nd set holds up really
                well. It suffers a little from the curse of the 10 minute song but at least they flow. Morning Dew to finish is a highlight.
17-11-72    C2  The last hour of this show has some serious jamming and a really decent flow, although the majority of this is in the
                almighty Truckin > Other One. I'd nit-pick that this needs a touch more space, although it's not really a big issue.
26-05-93    D2  Decent set-list in the main, except for the Corrina post-drums and a late Around x 2. I think this second set contains a
                Playin' jam that the band never topped afterwards. No jam competes with this 18-minute monster, a real quality belter.
24-01-69    B3  Does this New Potato Caboose have the best Phil solo run ever? Great show up until the point that some asshole turns the
                power off. Pigpen rallies the drummers to continue but the band are cut off in their prime. Really fun and reliable show.
06-12-92    D4  For the time period this is not a bad show. Weir is mixed a little too high and Jerrys voice is a little shot but the jam into
                drums is a bona-fide exploration (and a decent Playin' Reprise). Unfortunatly, it still suffers from the drawbacks of the era.
30-10-91    D5  Decent set-list and performed ok, but this show didn't really excite me, despite a decent run of 40+ minutes pre-drums.
                The positive from the show is that the setlist is pretty decent, could almost be from 77 except for a bit of the first set.
30-09-72    C2  Weir is really up loud in the mix. Truckin- > Other jam is the very height of lazy relaxed jamming as Jerry and Phil meander
                around each other. Maybe a little bit more fire would be nice, and has a little 1st set again after the jams. Not bad.
06-04-82    D4  A Sailor-Saint fest pre-drums is dure to kill the action. Add that to whistle-started Truckin' and a dodgy Jerry voice and
                we are not looking good so far. Now the flip side: Other One > Dew > Sugar Mags is instant party mode. Highlight is the Dew.
08-04-78    B3  Very solid 78 show. There's nothing particularly explosive about this show, it just "works" - no major errors, no single
                stand-out, the whole thing is very solid. Ok, drums are a bit too long but that's a feature of the era. Rocking end as well.
21-10-72    D2  There's about 50 minutes of this, but it's the good stuff. It's very bass heavy, and in some sense this is the tapes defining
                quality and it's worse feature, since of course other instruments lose some volume and punch. Worth checking, lopsided though.
18-11-78    C3  It's late 78, and the boys manage to whip up a little freak out zone in Other One! Sugar Mag at end of 2nd set threatens to
                train wreck although it all ends well. Fairly solid show featuring an unexpected space section, very decent for the era.
04-05-80    C2- Aud only, unfortunatly. Despite that, it's not a terrible sound. Crowd seem to love clapping. Really nice and long Playin'
                that ultimatly arrives somewhere and tells a decent story along the way. Everything after that is pretty good as well.
05-11-77    B3  Balls to the wall 1977. The second set starts with "Phil Solo". Great first set, and the crowd sound crazy as hell. Decent
                stuff really occurs from Estimated onwards. Even Bobby keeps telling us how crazy it was in the Saturday Night encore. 
26-12-69    C4  Unusual show. 1st or 2nd acoustic (not badly done, and really it's just Jerry and Bobby). Second set is pretty good and has
                a nice hot Lovelight that follows shortly a long and decent Star. However, tape cuts abound (although not much is lost).
31-01-78    D3  Another very solid show, really more in the mold of 77 and not as loose or ragged as parts of 78 can seem. The Playin >
                Drums is particularly dreamy. An annoying whistle for Truckin' starts the start of post drums which was not as exciting.
16-07-70    E5  There is part of a Grateful Dead show here but really this is all about the Lovelight with Janis, a festival of sexual tension.
                Janis directs the band just about the same as Pig (who she calls Ron!). Quite fun to check out but not best show material.
10-01-79    B3  Really decent show with a strong Dark Star in the 2nd set, and one of the last 70s St. Stephens as well. Unfortunatly,
                we only have the aud - this would be a cracker with a decent SBD. As noted before, the Star is better than New Years 78'.
30-08-70    D4  I have 2 problems with this date: first it is not a show, and second it really only scores highly because it is early
                colour video of the band that is well done. Check this out for the Easy Wind intro, rest is a bit more average.
06-05-78    E4  Teddy Bear's Picnic starts off a long Terrapin > Playin jam. The jam is fairly long but it doesn't really go anywhere, in
                fact it mainly seems to wander a bit too much, even though it is played well. Suffers a little from the AUD quality as well.
16-05-81    D4  There's a Sailor / Saint combo before drums, but luckily the band are savvy enough to go from that straight into a jam.
                The 2 jams either side of drums are nice to hear (especially the Spanish Jam) but by themselves don't make a good show.
27-12-91    E5  Fairly anonymous pre-drums second set. LLR shouldn't really be in this area, although it's not rare during this era.
                There's a jam after Terrapin but it's a very lazy one. Quite a lazy show - I didn't hear any drive in the whole 2nd set.
03-03-71    E4  Sounds like there is a mic right next to Pig's keyboard amp at the start. Sound improves but it still wanders and has the
                occassional cut as well. As per the era, any jam over 10 minutes is gently brought to a close and they go back to a first set.
19-07-89    C5  This could be considered the height of polished, rocking Dead. The sound is good, the playing is hot and the song choices
                are sweet. Unfortunatly, despite a great first set, this runs out of steam and really lacks jamming. Good party tape though!
22-05-77    B2  4 - count em - Jerry songs in a row to end the 2nd set. Is there a single wrong note in this show? Everything is just
                exactly perfect. The only flaw really is the shortened version of Terrapin, and a lack of space; rest is glorious 77.
27-12-90    E4  Probably the highlight is the Comes A Time, which elicits a crazy cheer even through the soundboard. Suffers post drums
                from the "sneakers in a washing machine" and an overall lack of energy. Not really a top-tier show, wilts at the end.
12-09-87    D3  A fairly normal and largely unremarkable show of the period that suddenly wakes up right at the end in the Morning Dew.
                The final song and double encore afterwards seem to be elevated by mere association. Killer Dew, rest a bit middling.
28-08-81    E3  Check out the stop start setlist. It's a bit good cop / bad cop in execution. Stand-out is easily the best Wheel of at least
                the 80s, maybe ever (and pre-drums!). Unfortunatly that stop/start nature means the show never really takes off. Fustrating.
18-05-77    B4  Oh no! Another May 77. Great setlist and the usual decent quality of the era, doesn't have quite the sparkle of contemporary
                shows. Estimate > Eyes is the highlight, Stella Blue seems a little slow and draggy (and 15 mins long!). Good attempt though.
24-10-71    D3  A fairly typical show of the period, the whole show having a first set vibe with the songs needing a little more practice.
                The Dark Star here is one of the best of 71; exploratory and has length. Unfortunatly, it is not supported by other songs.
14-11-73    B4  This is a fairly bizarre show. The setlist is top notch and there's a whole lot of jamming in the second set. However, it
                sounds like Phil is not really there, or everything is led by Jerry. Something is slightly off and the band don't seem to gel.
28-12-88    D5  Nice high energy show that fails to really ignite in any special way. This reminded me quite a bit of 87 in some ways.
                Although enjoyable, here as I write this an hour after the show stopped playing, I recall almost nothing of interest.
18-03-71    C3  Unlike a lot of the time period, this one seems to have a proper second set. The new songs (like Wharf Rat and Playin')
                are probably the worst played but there is a lot to like here. The last Caution until 72 has an outstanding Pigpen rap.
15-06-90    D5  Contains a pretty boring song selection run into drums (at least for me). To balance that, the show starts with a great
                Help > Slip > Franklins. Overall a decent show but very typical of it's era and no surprises except the Aroundx2 length.
15-06-66    C4  The date is surely wrong. This is a Dead Hour broadcast, sometime early 66. A great look at the early band and also in
                such lovely quality! Unfortunatly, as a show it fails a little bit - get this for the insight, although they play quite well.
29-03-90    C2  I stand by my view that Branford - at least in this show - is a bit of a one-trick pony (check out the Eyes before this
                show). Notwithstanding this being overall a good show, I feel like Jerry is missing in action sometimes, or low in the mix.
28-02-69    A2  Good golly, this show has the greatest setlist ever, even with songs that don't exist (Drums > Power Jam > Caution)!
                One might consider that the Dead never live up to a killer setlist; this one just steamrollers all opposition. Crazy.
24-03-90    B3  First set is no slouch (and ends with Sat Night!) but the real good stuff all comes pre-drums with this show. Reminded
                me a little bit of the 9/10 Hampton show of the previous year. Post drums is a bit more of a wind-down; maybe it was needed!
14-01-78    B2  Board tape is a little hissy. That's really a minor niggle for the show as a whole, since this is decent quality. 78 may
                not be as good as 77 but it sure has more surprises. Here it's the last ever (?) tiger jam that comes out of Eyes. Killer!
12-11-71    B3  Surprisingly long Other One jam for 71 - 30+ minutes - is the highlight of this show, along with Keith's lovely piano work
                (although his tone needs some work). Well worth the price of entry unusually jammy for the year. Check this one out.
04-05-72    C2  Very long Dark star (40 mins) wanders around for quite a bit but doesn't really go anywhere specific (aslthough it is very
                nice to listen to). No need for the mini-set afterwards. Good - it's Europe 72 - but I think in the lower tier.
24-03-81    B3- Unfortunatly I have to mark this as "bad quality", because actually it's not that bad compared to the sub-par SBDs from
                this tour. Very solid second set and a moment of comedy as Jerry starts the encore in the wrong key and has to apologise.
30-10-73    D2  Really laid back show. Long-ish Star but it wanders a bit too long without much direction. On paper this is a great show
                but to be honest it sounds like a one-man show as Phil seems to be largely switched off. Dissapointing from this era.
21-04-69    C3  Great setlist on paper but a bit messy in places. First set is a little all over the place. Second set is much improved
                but seems to offer only a fairly "normal" Star > Stephen > 11 > Lovelight. Viola Lee encore is absolutly manic though.
07-03-81    C4  Unfortunatly this is only avaliable as a noisy aud. Luckily Jerry's tone really cuts through. First set is great and
                contains one of the longest Bird Song out there. Unfortunatly, all the energy and fizz disappears when set 2 starts up.
25-05-72    C2  Long first set has a great Good Lovin / Playin' combo near the end of the first set. Second set seems to just continue
                the first until a wild 35 min Star appears. The songs around the Star are a bit perfunctory, but the Star is worth it.
08-05-80    C4  SBD is really good for the era. Overall a really decent show of the era. Doesn't really flag at any point and even things
                like the pace in Eyes (problematic for early 80s) is decent. Can't say anything really shines but it's all decently done.
10-03-93    E4  Really a bit of a trainwreck setlist for the start of set 2. Despite this, a decent jam is unleashed in Corrina, at least
                when Bobby allows it. Surprisingly robust after drums as well, but only really for the era and not a top tier show really.
12-03-66    C2  Only 3 songs. But if anyone tells you the Dead didn't start jamming until late 67 or so, play the Viola Lee Blues from
                this show. It's an acid test and they doa 15 minute version! Even the SQ is decent. Pity we don't haver the whole show.
19-10-73    C2  One of those shows where the jamming starts way too late. Just look at the encode for evidence: Eyes > Stella! The show
                has a theme: well played, relaxed, and taking too long to arrive. Seems harsh to look at a Star > Dew that way! Decent.
19-07-94    D2  The reputation of this show rests soley on the Playin': one of the best since '74 and almost certainly the highlight of
                the year. It's an unusual one, being a more band led than almost any version I can think of. Great, but Jerry in decline.
27-02-69    B3  Live Dead Dark Star, I'm sure people will have their opinions. Most of the show is pretty top-notch, nothing really
                exceeds the Star but it's a well done show with a slice of weirdness and pretty much top quality audio and musicianship.
18-07-90    C3  Decent show with even more decent space and post drums section (only 2 songs but they are decent ones). The slight sense
                of madness is less apparent during this era and there's a hint of actual professionalism at this show (that is no complement).
06-09-79    C2  Slightly lacking in energy (although this could be described as dreamy in this particular case), everything from Terrapin
                onwards is well done - particularly the Playing jam. It's also got a very nice relaced vibe to it, and the setlist is fun.
23-11-79    D3  Good solid show that lacks a little bite in places. There's an unusual Music > Sugaree that starts set 2 but the join is
                rather forced and it sums up this show a little - the band seem to be trying a little too hard. Needed a little touch more.
21-08-68    C4  Cracking sound quality for the period. A hot mess of a setlist, with maybe the first ever Star > Stephen > 11 > Lovelight.
                Now the negative points - the jams are all quite short, and the energy is always constantly maxed. Did they ever breath?
12-12-78    D4  Perfectly enjoyable show that certainly didn't seem  to scale the heights I noted in my first review. It was smooth and
                controlled, with bursts of energy when required but didn;t excite anyway near as much this time around. Proper A&R though.
06-01-78    B3  No Jerry vocals in the second set? Who cares when he busts a nut playing guitar like this show? For a single set, only
                Bob songs works out just fine, and this has a really high energy, at least post drums. Another 78 balls to the wall rocker.
28-11-80    C4  Solid show for the era that has a great setlist. Worth checking out, there's nothing overtly surprising in either set but
                song selection is good, energy is kept up throughout and no mistakes. Just nothing in there to get me real excited.
10-06-73    B2  This show sure has a heck of a lot of long jams. Dew, Bird Song, Playin, Eyes and that's before we get to  the meat of the
                second set. Only real downside to this is that  the show is somewhat lopsided, none of those jams are joined up at all!
18-07-89    C4  Does this show have the smoothest transition ever in the Sugar Mag > Scarlet? Maybe. Pity it then jams into Women Smarter.
                Like a lot of the shows during this period, this is a good show but really lacks in jams. But the energy level is insane.
28-04-71    C2  Decent playing throughout. It's the 71 you know with it's typically short songs, but there is a real surprise in here: the
                Star onwards with TC joining in might be one of the best jams of the year. It's fairly short, but the Star is really nice.
29-12-69    D4  Boston Tea Party - this show has been around forever! Polar opposite of a year previous - no long joined up vamp jams, this
                one is full of new songs that they manage to jam out on. Best Mason's ever? Strange Good Lovin', dies a bit after Dancin'.
10-12-89    D4  There's an almost car crash in Hell In A Bucket - making it one of the best ever as they jam out of the hole! Spencer Davis
                puts in one of the better guest appearences, but after that the show reverts to type a little. Well played, lacking surprises.
23-06-74    C2  Another 74 show where the jam is held off until almost the very end of the show. Fantastic Star > Spanish Jam that features
                a key change at the end - very unusual. As always, played with that 74 flair. Needed more exploration and jamming.
22-10-67    D2  Powershow whilst being very tidy. All the songs sound fairly fresh and new. New Potato Caboose and the Other One (complete
                with new verse) and pretty good and firey. Very much  an  early version of the 68 monster that was to come. Worth checking.
10-11-85    E5  Don't see many 85 shows on this list and based on this one can see why. There's nothing specifically wrong with this show,
                it just lacks adventure and Jerry's voice is shot. Despite that, it's overall a perfectly listenable show in the main.
04-05-77    C3  Messy at the start (major tuning issues here for Jerry). Bulk of your listening pleasure is in the Terrapin > Playin'
                jam in the second set. Playin' jam is almost 20 minutes long but none of it is wasted. Sound quality not as good.
22-02-73    B2  Great show that has a fantastic Star > Eyes. Not quite perfect, it's early and Eyes probably needs a few more months to
                mature. Playin' was really good as well, some of the shorter songs didn't quite do it for me bu overall a really solid show.
24-04-78    B3  Very smooth Scarlet > Fire to start the second set, with Bobby really wigging out on slide. Drums is mad, animal noises
                and steel drums creates chaos. Really killer show  for 78, it's like 77 but more adventurous. Drums was really good!

07-11-69    B3  What a setlist! On paper looks like on of the best of 69 already, as well as almost offering a first / second set vibe.
                It's all about that Star > Other One > Lovelight; Other One is probably the best (and most manic), Star meanders a bit.
17-10-78    E4  Car crash in Around & Around shows band fragility. Same with the Estimated solo - something's not quite right, except
                maybe the IIHTWTG which could be the best version. The banjo lessons turn out to be false as well. Oh well, looked good.
31-10-79    C4  Unusual China > Rider to start the first set. Show suffers from a drop in sound quality post drums (around the start of
                Truckin'). Rest of show previous to this is very decent. despite that, a very energetic end to a decent show of the era.
17-01-78    C3  From Estimated onwards this is a pretty decent show, and it also contains a rare piano and drums jam with Keith. No real
                intense fireworks but the 4 songs in set 2 consume a full hour of happy, laid-back jamming that is worth a full listen.
06-08-71    C3  This is a great sounding show with a great feel. Even has the luxury of a 27 minute Lovelight to finish! The Other One here
                is really good but unfortunatly way too short. I'll congratulate the Lovelight as well, it's a pretty good version.
15-01-79    B3  Crikes this Terrapin > Playin' is hot stuff! And a total rocking end as well. In fact the whole show is pretty damn good,
                the only real negatives are with some of the singing. Both Bob and Jerry aren't on top of their game vocally in this show.
21-05-74    C2  Mostly famous for the 45-minute Playin', which starts well but weakens towards the end (at around 35 minutes in). The rest
                of the setlist is distorted by such a mammoth jam, good playing mainly but a lot less inventive. Still worth it though.
26-12-79    B3  Checkout this setlist! Is that a 13 minute Shakedown encore? A 5 minute Caution jam? Pre-drums Other One? Brokedown not as
                the encore? They certainly mix it up here - an added bonus is that it's done well. Encore is real icing on the cake stuff.
28-03-73    C2  26 songs before they rip out a jam, and then it's 3 songs in one hour! The Star is just a little too sleepy for me, although
                it's all well done. The following Eyes and Playin' are both good; pity a piece of both could not land previously in the set.
29-06-76    C4  I always wonder why Jerry has that slightly out of tune riff in 76 Playin's. Wheel sandwich reminds of 22/1/77. Show suffers
                from a "always the same energy" vibe that 76 often offers but the jam is pretty well constructed and worth checking out.
14-04-71    B3  This has a great - even modern - setlist for 71, and what's more it's well done and of decent sound quality, likely making
                almost by default one of the best shows of the year. The jams aren't too long, they also don't suffer from being too short.
02-03-69    B2  Hard to find a setlist like this. Might start with a Star but the the ending Alligator > Caution is almost an hour long and
                we still have Other One, Dew, Stephen > 11 etc etc to go. The jam that comes out of Alligator is like a freight train.
03-05-87    E5  Didn't really get a lot from this. The boards have Bobby higher in the mix than normal so the tape is definitly unique but
                the show didn't really stand out at any point. It doesn't feel like the songs want to go somewhere. Decent 87 energy though.
21-07-74    C3  Reviews state it's one of the best aud tapes of the period - in my opinion a SBD would be preferred. In this case the setlist
                is decent and the playing is average for the era (i.e., good). But a decent SBD would help, there's very little bass on this.
30-11-80    D3  After a lot of complaining, this is finally a really decent aud (Wagner transfer). It's a real game of 2 halves, with the
                Scarlet > Fire and Playin' pre drums being very decent, but post drums lacks the same panache. Playin' is the highlight.
02-08-69    E4  Short show, easily the best part is the decent Other One which is a good deal mellower than others of the period. Lovelight
                has one of the worst cut / battery runs low situtation ever. It's OK, but really no flow outside of the Other One jam.
14-12-90    C3  Really noticing Vince's repeated riffs right away. Still, not too busy sounding and the mix is great. Jam before drums
                and the (far too short - seriously, 8 minutes?) Dark Star that arises post drums are the best parts of an above-average show.
19-06-87    C4  Great LSD warning at start of thw show by BGP. Typical '87 is a tease for the most part, offering good energy, decent speed,
                a wide-awake Jerry, good band vibe - backed by minimal jamming! One of the better "background to a party" tapes out there.
30-08-81    D5  Looks half-decent on paper but didn't really spark for me. Jerry almost falls apart when singing Stella Blue! Although there
                was nothing particularly bad, there was a lack of ambition about this show and it shows. Needed some more spark and energy.
15-03-73    B2  Tapes of this seem all over the place, although it's good when the sound finally works. Although the Playin' Reprise is a
                mess. Cool jam in Truckin' > Other One. An absolute firecracker Other One, possibly one of the best, if a little short.
24-06-91    C4  Decent show. Has 2 keyboards but Bruce switches to accordian for parts of the second set. 3 tracks in pre-drums feature
                a 7/4 workout. Morning Dew post drums is a nive little epic. Not really greater then the sum of it's parts though, unfortunatly.
04-09-83    D4  I really wanted to like this but it's of the age where everything seems a little rushed and some of the attention to detail
                is lacking. There's a bit of length in places but it doesn't go far. Great outro out of Wharf Raf ruined by Around x 2.
30-05-71    D3  Missing a lot - maybe most - of the show? You want to listen to this because of the Truckin > Lovelight. For such an early
                version this is well done and the Lovelight that follows is half the usual length and an exceptional version as well.
19-03-77    B3  Best post-74 first set jam with Estimated > Terrapin > Playin > Samson > Playin? This is one mad show, except not quite as
                mad as it could be, as the 2nd set lacks either space or a linked jam. About as hot as it could be without either though.
30-05-69    C3  Great Star into Cosmic Charlie of all songs! Fun continues up until the Lovelight, then an awful lot of screaming kinda ruins
                the experience. When Bob screams in the early days, he has a 90% ochange of being out of key. Not as fierce as it could be.
13-08-75    A2  Is this the best first set post '74? It's absolutly killer, sound quality as well. Near as could be perfect, to be honest.
                Not so much lacking jams, as mini-jams all over the place. Beautiful BLues For Allah for the encore. What a stunning show.
16-06-74    C2  So let's start with the negatives. This show is too fragmented as a setlist, and the guitars are sometimes slightly out of
                tune. Despite this, Eyes, Playin and Truckin' are all standouts, each better than the last. Jam out of Truckin' is wild!
30-06-84    D3  Real issues with Jerry's voice. He sounds and looks totally gone. Still, a really good pre-drums. Sometimes, as in for
                example the Deal, Jerry goes for it and the band aren't really doing any listing for him. Hit and miss, but the jam is good.
17-02-79    C3  K+D's last show. Crikes, this one practically double dips with a great jam out of Shakedown post drums. Overall, a great
                second set once you get past From The Heart Of Me. Unfortunatly there's no Donna scream for Playin' this one last time.
22-06-73    C2  Awesome jam in the Other One following a very good Truckin, unfortunatly the best bits are an audience cut, although it's not
                too terrible. A real laid back show that takes a little to get going, but it's all done very well and worth checking out.
24-04-71    D4  Recording is really good, and Good Lovin' is a top-tier performance. Unfortunatly, that's really all the highlights, although
                nothing is played badly. This is more like a long 72 first set than a full show, so it does capture what 71 was all about!
12-09-90    C3  Playing > C.Fingers > UJB is decent but is tonally very "samey" until the UJB jam, which is long but doesn't go anywhere.
                Drums > Space is too long at 20+ minutes. Great Dew out of space though. Overall this is a very competent but lacks adventure.
27-09-81    D5  The Truckin' intros of the early 80s (and the cheesy Weir lyric changes) tend to devalue the song, this suffers from both
                but the resultant jam and post drums improves the mood. Decent, but lacks anything particularly musically deep to get into
23-10-73    B2  Luxurious, cruising jam dominates the second set before a fight stops everything in the encore (or start of set 3, if the
                stories are to believed). Could do with a bit more space but hard to argue with 73 Dead solidly jamming away for an hour.
17-04-72    A2  Very weird, not really spacey, Dark Star that seems almost off-kilter in it's exploration - and this is not a bad thing!
                Also of note here is the Playin and Truckin'. The Caution at the end continues the killer, relaxed vibe of this show.
21-11-70    D5  Ropey soundboard with a ton of hiss, and only about 20 minutes of music does not combine to make a great show. Too hard
                to listen to really, although it does show some minor jamming in a period where this was much restricted. Neds first show.
16-12-78    B3  Sound quality for an audience is really good, if a little unbalanced on the vocals. This is a very well structured show
                with some length pre-drums and a very good for the time Other One post drums. Overall a very nice show from a weird year!
27-10-91    C3  Has to be one of the best first sets of the 90s, a couple of days after Bill Grahams Death. The second set is also good,
                but a lot features Gary Duncan and Santana so there is a lot less Jerry. Get this show for the first set - it's killer.
17-01-68    C3  First recorded Star, about twice the normal speed and less than 5 minutes! Slighty dirty sounding tape, raw from start to
                finish. Overall sound lets it down but this is a good slice of active. powerful jamming from the very very early days.
23-08-71    D3  Decent show is kinda all over the place setlist wise but does delicer a powerful Other One that isn't all shouty and is
                a bit spacey at times, rare for the 4-piece Grateful Dead. 30 songs, it's a lot to get through before the highlights.
07-05-78    C3  Good 1st set ends with killer MNS. Some serious energy here! Second set is unfortunatly marred by some sound issues; there's
                a few mild cuts but the killer is the switch to audience at the end of a great Black Peter. Can't fault this one for trying.
21-06-71    D3  The single "Europe 71" show. Has a touch of that 71 roughness and the first set style stuff goes on too long, but this
                does have a second set of sorts with a decent Other One that hits the 15m minute mark. An excellent summer '71 show.
06-02-70    C4  Other One is the higlight of this show which doesn't really contain enough excitement to hold you throughout the entire
                show. Does show the period quite well though, with a decent mix of songs. Suffers from a few too many cuts in the tape.
20-01-79    C3  A killer aud, really. Even has an Other One > Dark Star, very unusual post '74. The energy on this show flags a bit and the
                Star lacks a little direction. Taken as a whole though, it's better than the sun of it's parts and is well worth a listen.
28-09-72    B2  Radiates with positivity. Surely the greatest Greatest Story? Very confidant jam in 2nd set leads to a 30 minute Other One,
                doesn't really reach meltdown mode but touches all the bases that get you there and is a decent journey. Even has a Phil solo.
18-06-83    C3  Totally killer setlist for the 2nd set. Only sources are audiences unfortunatly. Surprisingly deep and competent for the
                time period, even the Weir + drums segment didn't feel like dragging. Stop the tape after Dew though, nothing good happens.
03-09-77    B3  Raceway park always entertains, even if the second set feels like it is cut up somewhat. Terrapin as an encore? Biggest
                jam number is a 20 minute+ NFA? I think this is the first marching whistle for Truckin, a bad idea if there ever was one.
26-06-73    C2  Oh that this should be so cut up! There's a few aud patches and they are very jarring, since the sound quality difference
                is so much. The Truckin jam through Sugar Mag is top notch, especially the end of the Other One. Needs a better source.
01-04-91    C2  A very decent Dark Star in the 2nd set, maybe one of the best of the 90s Stars. Rest of the show surrounding this very nice
                slice of music is a little less polished, alhough the setlist is pretty good. Get this show for the pre-drums jamming.
14-03-71    C4  Killer sound, unfortunatly seems cut short. This is more of a first set than normal 1971 shows. The best parts are clearly
                the Pig numbers - Hard To Handle and Good Lovin'. The last 5 minutes of Good Lovin' is excellent. A nice slice of '71 Dead.
31-10-83    D3  Drums / Space is pretty decent here (with Airto, what did we expect?). Space is more like Jerry and drums, and really good.
                This is the last St Stephen, and it's a bit messy. A pity it was never played in 89/90. Outside this, it's a normal show.
22-08-72    C2  Full-bodied Other One with exceptional Phil solo in the middle is the treat on offer, and well worth accepting. Little bit
                of mini-first set afterwards but overall this is a good show in the middle of a killer run. Some aud patches, unfortunatly.
12-04-71    C3  Unlike a lot of 71, this show is not as segmented as most of this era and has a solid, flowing second set that is worth a
                listen. One of the greater 71 GDTRFB as well. Lacks a killer moment, but that generally is par for the course in this era.
22-02-69    C3  Another 69 that is all killer and no filler; what these kind of shows need usually is a little more introspection, rather
                than being a simple drill to the skull all of the time. On the other hand, that's likely what we came to hear anyway.
01-11-79    B3  Longest Scarlet Fire ever has a magnificently jammed Scarlet. What follows is a really well done Terrapin and an even better
                Playin'. Not quite as good in the short post-drums section, but overall this is a very good show. Very slight aud patches.
19-09-70    B2  2 decent jams, firstly in the Star and then in the NFA that follows shortly after. It's also really good quality, not just
                in general but for the period. Unfortunatly, it's not really that long, but then what we have is really well done.
30-08-69    C2  Possibly the best Star of 69. Jerry breaks a few strings at the end which means he is largly missing the Stephen > 11,
                and also they finish with High Time and not Lovelight (?), so it's not all perfect. Added bonus is the superior sound quality.
21-07-90    B3  Quite the Bird Song to end set 1 - most spacey ever? Could just be. Quality extends into the second set which although
                there is no major standout, everything is pretty high quality and retains energy. Playin' is brief but nice. Good throughout.
13-10-68    D3  A Dark Star, then the rest is just solid mad jamming. In fact my main complaint is that this is the Dead stuck in the same
                gear for practically the whole show; the lack of contrast is pretty jarring. It's a tidal wave of energy and testosterone.
05-12-71    C2  Playin' is short but is definitly a jam by this point. 32 songs over 2 sets and seem to have 2 long first sets in the same
                show. An especially deep dive in Dark Star (maybe the deepest jam of 71?) unfortunatly can't fix the short song monotony.
08-09-90    C3  This is a classy show that has a lot going for it, but doesn't really venture into unknown territory that much. Terrapin
                is the winner here, teased beforehand and with a great jam leading out. I didn't really feel surprised at any point though.
12-08-81    C3  What to make of this show? The execution, ideas and setlist are all good. The tape unfortunatly has a huge aud splice in
                the second set, enough to make the show feel incomplete and there are balance issues. Does the killer Dew make up for that?
01-12-73    D2  Surprisingly underjammed '73 still hits the mark with a wonderful dreamy, laid-back Playin > Uncle John's sequence in the
                second set. Rest of the show is a bit more muted, apparently surrounding nights are better. Strangly, I missed Donna!
30-12-77    D3  Estimated is done very well; leads to an Eyes that really meanders lazily into St. Stephen. It's different from the norm
                but really more due to lazy playing. Whole show is quite short - looks like they had half an eye on the date and time.
03-05-72    B2  An Other One that weaves all over the place, but that's not surprising from a Europe '72 tour. There is a hint of a
                reprised first set but it's pretty good actually. Ultimatly, this is "just" another killer show from the best tour ever.
28-12-91    C4  Unusual show tries it's best to be a Sat Night sandwich. Generally full of energy and having a decent song selection,
                I would consider this the last truly great show, in that they thought about the setlist and had fun playing it as well.
02-04-73    B1  So this show lacks a massive jam, it just seems to have a few shorter insane ones. The ultimate Here Comes Sunshine is the
                best, but the Playin' is also easily up there. And then there's 30 minutes of Eyes > China > Sugar Mag. I need a lie down!
12-08-79    C4  Good attempt at a second set jam; the Estimated is really good. The following Eyes is pretty long and extended but has to
                be one of the fastest versions ever (which is surely a downvote). First set is a bit mixed as well (worst Althea ever?).
14-09-90    C3  No denying that there's a fair amount of jamming in this one, however also fair to say it's mainly internalised in the
                individual songs. Could make a case that this is Vince's strongest show. Overall, well done but lacking some adventure.
28-03-72    B1  This early PITB is really good. And look at the setlist, last show before E72 is practically a show from the very tour!
                Other One is also a standout, in fact you could say everything is exactly perfect. Bonus points for first Donna screech.
31-12-84    E5  Near 18 minute Shakedown opener is long but a bit lazy - and that's probably the best part of the show. Jerry's voice is
                a little shot and he even messes up the Scarlet solo. Quite a lazy New Year show, starts hot but slowly winds down as it goes.
08-04-91    E4  Strange second set. The opening Eye has both quality and length; the Dew at the end is great, and there is a decent tempo
                JB Goode to encore after. However, the set between those 2 songs is practically sub-standard for the era. Very unusual.
23-05-72    B2  Sparkles from the get-go. Sublime touch of control in the Playin' jam. Dark Star winds it's way around for quite some time
                but doesn't really go dark: it does go into a decent Morning Dew though. He's Gone to follow? Not quite top-drawer E72.
16-12-94    D3  First set is a painful audience. Second set takes a little while to get going. It has the best (?) Samba in The Rain, but
                the reason this is in the list is the Estimted that follows, maybe the most jammed. Very good for 94 - but it is still 94.

15-10-76    C4  Nice show but lacks some punch. Flow is nice between the songs and the setlist is decent, but overall it lacks that certain
                something. Doesn't help that the tape has a bunch of audience patches that veer in and out. A nice board would improve things.
29-05-71    D4  The so called last acid test. First set is a terrible audience. Contains a continuous stream of music for 45 minutes, very
                uncommon for the era. Highlight is the Other One, but a respectable for the era Truckin' starts things off. Above average.
19-09-90    C2  Very rare Let It Grow in the second set. It's rare, but always seems to produce a decent show. This particular show is very
                heavy on the Bruce; I'm not really a fan of how busy the band sounds in this period, but it does have a masterclass of a jam.
05-07-69    D3  First half of show is typical 69 jamming, back half of show is more like a first set, all followed by an over-long Lovelight.
                This is "usual" 69 Dead, the board is ok excepting some hiss. It's good but doesn't really stand out compared to others.
20-06-74    C2  Fairly short show for the year. I'm hesitant to say there's no big jam on this one, but for June '74 this is almost subdued,
                with a crazy Truckin' jam into Eyes > Slipknot. The Eyes, like most (all?) from 74, is sublime. The Slipknot is disorganised.
25-06-78    B2  This must surely be one of the most rocked out second sets ever. It rages through Eyes, post drums space racks it up a notch
                and then it simply explodes in NFA. One wonders just exactly how much coke there was backstage. Certainly not lacking energy!
05-04-88    D4  Possibly the best Smokestack Lightning. Start of drums sounds like a rave track. The music around these parts seems average
                though and not particularly worthy of mention. Except maybe Louie Louie, rare song for the Dead they do nothing interesting with.
13-05-78    B3  Great setlist, solid playing. There's nothing especially notable about any one thing but it is just a joyous, happy second
                set with every tune given it's all. Not quite as rowdy as some other 78 shows but also not having any flubs or mistakes.
31-12-71    C4  This is a long show, a strange mix of '71 first set material yet already having some of the swagger of E72. Unusual also for
                a couple of new songs played slightly differently (Jerry singin the verse on Big River?). Enjoyable show, lacks a centre.
17-06-91    B3  First Eyes opener (in the first set!) since the mid-70's. This is one of those shows that feels like it's going to be epic from
                the off but is a bit of a tease. Dark Star snippets abound, but the main jam is a Uncle John's meltdown. Could have been more.
23-10-80    D5  One of the better Radio City shows since the energy is kepy up pretty much the entire show. However, no real inspiration and
                an audience tape for last two sets let the side down. Acoustic set is star of the show. Audience sing-along in Casey Jones.
25-10-85    E5  Some weird set openers (Deal and Dew). Very short show, barely much over 2 hours. Has that rushed, ragged mid-80s feel and
                there's an occasion or two where they let the song get away from them. I think this show has far too much rocket fuel!
19-04-82    C5  There are some funny / good parts here, quite clearly a show the band were having fun at. Mickey pokes fun at Weir's bad
                memory, Phil's shenanigans in Space (the Raven space) and best all, the Estimated loop back. Unfortunatly, the rest is average.
07-09-73    B2  An attack of jams for the bulk of the second set culimate in a stretched out Eyes. There's not really a lot of flow between
                the songs unfortunatly, a small attempt is made in a short Other One. First Let It Grow is too laid back. Killer Playin'.
28-04-80    C4  No matter the era, I always prefer a SBD, even at this point (you still can't hear much Phil even on this good aud tape).
                This show is decent enough though and has an unusual, nice setlist (Other One pre drums, GDTRFB encore!). Tight and fun.
16-04-83    D3  Stephen Stills is definitly an unusual guest at an unusual time! Decent for the time, and Stills is quite fun (even though
                the distortion he adds is quite at odds with the rest of the band). He even has a stab at Iko Iko. Unusually, no space here.
05-04-71    D3  Decent 71 show that has a reasonable jam for the era (although as always, a little short). However the maturity of later in
                the year is missing and there's a few points where new songs don't totally gel. Other than that, worthy of checking out.
16-09-90    B2  Really impressive pre-drums set that is both jammy and has high energy. Holy shit, it even double dips after the post-drums
                ballad! Surely these Spetember 90 shows are the best that Vince ever did, even if he is not the stand-player. Very solid.
11-09-74    C2  This must be the most jammy second set list of all time - but really only on paper. A 41 minute jam starting in Seastones
                is just too laid back and only picks up in Eyes. I like the band when they meander, but this is a little too much for me.
08-11-69    C3  In an era of silly setlists this one really stands out. Around 93 minutes for a continuous jam? It has a little less of the
                fury of earlier shows and is interwined with a few song snippets (Uncle Johns, Playin') which break the flow a little.
02-09-79    B2  Really good pre-drums that must surely be the best Let It Grow post '74, with an understated jam flowing nicely out and a
                great Brent solo as well. Really killer second set, the jamming is on point, drums is decent, what's not to like here?
26-05-73    B2  Excellent show that works as a whole, although the best jamming sequences are more relaxed, as if the whole thing is really
                too easy. Maybe it is in this era, but I wanted a little bit more on the edge exploration. Still, a very good show overall.
05-07-81    E4  Great opener and then goes all downhill from there. Mostly solid throughout in terms of musicianship but the setlist is all
                over the place and nothing particularly gels, even if it's hard to put a finger on exactly what is not there. An average show.
10-09-74    B1  A little uneven in application, this setlist is particularly strange. First set ends on Stella Blue? Oddities abound. Still,
                the climax, a slow, majestic tour through Star > Dew is fantastic. GD musically at the top of their game, setlist an afterthought.
15-03-69    D3  Yet another long jam in a year full of them. Nice in an overall decent Star, however the rest of the set was slightly less
                interesting (or too similar to others of the era). This was at a black tie event, can't imagine the Dead fitting in well there!
26-04-72    A2  The "Jahrhundert Halle" show. Has a cracking Other One on it that is mainly an extended jam, I think less than 10 minutes would
                be identifiable as the song. On top of that we have a decent Playin', all the Pig numbers are great and the Truckin' shines as well.
09-10-80    B3  One of the longer 80's show as we start with a simply excellent acoustic set. The sound qaulity is sparkling. The fun continues
                into the rest of the show as pretty much every song is played well. There's a nasty transition to aud for last few songs.
15-11-71    B1  Where did short Star come from? It's the jam of the year for me, although a bit too short. It also sounds so joyous. And in
                the first set as well. What's the second set got? Possibly the best Not Fade Away jam ... ever? Short again but absolutly killer.
27-03-95    C3  Well here we are in 95 and this is actually a good show! So Many Roads - you've never heard Jerry sing it like this. Is he
                crying? The Playin > Uncle John's is actually a deep dive freakout, probably the last ever. Even post-drums is decent on this one.
26-01-69    D5  Not the greatest sound - in fact it literally sounds like it was recorded outside the venue when the short aud patches kick in - 
                and this show, despite producting the Eleven and Lovelight for Live Dead - didn't really stand out from the crowd of 69 shows.
18-05-72    C3  Who could refuse a 1972 Star > Dew combo, especially if it approached 45 minutes. And yet this Euro 72 show seems a little
                lacking in energy and finesse compared to those around it. The Star doesn't really go that far and the Dew doesn't peak well.
05-06-80    E5  Nothing particularly special from this show. Jerry and Bob switch verses for the Rider, but that's the only unusual thing
                going on here. Chalk it up the the Lost Sailor > Saint, surely the first mis-cue of the 80's in terms of sonw-writing?
09-05-78    E4  Nice in parts but really lacks the vigour and spark of earlier in the year. Post drums is decent (and the short Other One pre-
                drums is a good energy change) but the second set is for the first half a bit stop-start and lacks sufficient depth for me.
16-03-73    C2  Dark Star and Morning Dew are a little too laid back, as shown in the not-very-high-energy ending to the Dew. Added to this,
                most of the second set is more like a first. On the flip side, this is '73, the band are tight and the Playin' is a blast.
30-08-80    D4  Can't tell if the first set has high energy, or it's slightly rushed. Suppose both are possible in this era. In either case, all
                the songs here are played well and there are no hiccups, however the show as a whole lacks a stand-out moment. A solid average.
07-04-72    B2  Killer everywhere. The Other One certainly does not flag for energy. There is however a completely wrong song - Ramble On Rose -
                that forceably breaks up the second set (and follows another Jerry ballad!). About as good as can be on the first night of a tour.
12-02-86    E5  Jerry shows up in small parts. Jam with the Nevilles is great, the highlight of the show and features (as far as I know) the
                only example of the Grateful Dead playing on stage with a different bass player (Alphonso Johnson). The rest is a bit boring.
27-06-69    D3  Single set largely consisting of shorter new numbers - which in this era is not usually a good sign, as new songs tend to take
                a while to bed down. True of this show, but you do get a very decent (and quite long) Dark Star in the middle for your troubles.
28-02-73    A2  Face melting second set with a fantastic setlist. What's not to like here? Truckin' > Other One > Eyes > Dew, and each one is
                a great jam, probably the climax coming in that fantastic Eyes. It flows together most beautifully. Minor complaint: no Playin'!
13-02-70    A1  Whatever music exists at this show is overshadowed by the final set. How did this get spun at an early 70s show? Clearly the best
                Star of the time period (and the best so far), followed by one of the best Other Ones, and the Lovelight more than holds its own.
18-10-72    A1  I've seen some setlists, but this one takes the cake. Almost sheer perfection, except maybe 1 or 2 too many rockers near the
                end of the show. The Dew > Playin reprise actually jams out the Dew, the Playin' is excellent and followed by 30 mins of Star!
08-11-79    C4  Pre-drums has the dreaded Sailor > Saint combo but from drums onward everything comes together very nicely, and ends with the
                only Morning Dew of the year, unusually Jerry hits the final vocal before the ascending jam. Solid show with little jamming.
02-05-70    B2  The second set has a near 30 minute Other One, as well as 3 other songs over 15 minutes afterwards. However none of them are
                placed together, it's more a succession of long songs than an actual jammed show. Very unusual, and really hard to give a rating.
26-10-80    C4  As is per usual in this run, the acoustic set is beautiful. And yet again, the sets after feel a little laboured. This is a
                decent one though; the tempo does not run fast but it still seems some energy there. The mix is poor though; Jerry is very quiet.
13-05-72    A2  The free show on the best tour ever. Excellent Other One, crushing second set overall, fantastic quality soundboard, a
                Playin' that goes places, what else needs to said? I suppose it is similar to other shows on this tour - they are all great!
18-03-91    D3  Not overally busy, a plus for this period. Pre-drums second set is pretty good, but the set-list fools, as it's more "a few
                songs that each have a jam" rather than flow between them. Nonetheless, the jam out of Terrapin is definitly worth checking out.
17-01-79    C4  Set has a decent length, if not a fairly predictable setlist. Overall it's not that bad, although Keith is mostly absent in
                the mix and Jerry's voice does get progressivily worse as the show continues. Worst part about this show is the lack of surprise.
01-04-80    C3  Contains the worst and funniest Grateful Dead song ever with the opening Promised. Excellent second set for the era, He's Gone >
                Other One pre-drums is a great highlight, surprisingly laid-back. Shakedown encore, so you know something was going on backstage.
24-03-73    B2  Instantly up there in the list of all-time great Truckin's, as 10 minutes in the jam relaxes and opens up. Doesn't go particularly
                wild but is still of a excellent quality. the whole last segment is an hour long but it seemed much shorter - a good sign.
30-12-91    D3  The night before new year can often herald a surprise, although they tend to be short. This one has a great set 2 setlist
                which includes a very rare Terrapin post drums. However not as quite as high energy as it could be and is often too busy for me.
22-10-78    C4  Well played pre-drums that is quite relaxed for the period. Main event comes after the drums with possibly the longest (21
                minutes) version of NFA ever (?), unfortunatly it has guests and is simply better in the parts where Jerry takes the lead.
22-03-90    D3  Good spring 90 tour, although the Believe It Or Not in the middle of pre-drums really dates the show. Really decent Other One
                post drums unfortunatly meets a Hey Jude > Fantasy that is far too slow and lethargic. Otherwise a fairly decent show overall.
19-12-69    E3  The first ever acoustic with just Bob and Jerry is a most excellent snapshot of an event, and a real sign of things to come.
                The rest of the show is a slightly underjammed 69 set sprinkled with a few new songs, nowhere near as good as the first part.
29-07-88    D2  This tape is very simple. You put on the Playing In The Band, which has to be one of the best meltdowns of the decade, a 12
                minute nuclear bomb that simply doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the show, a fairly solid but normal (i.e. a bit flat) '88.
24-02-73    E3  This could be an absolute killer. Unfortunatly, the majority of the show is a truly dreadful audience tape. The 2 snippets that
                we have - a small Phil led jam, and 4 songs from the first set - are well worth it, but hard to reccomend this as a show.
17-04-83    C4  This tape is a fairly hot sloppy mess. Surprisingly, the sloppiest is likely Stills as he sings through "Love The One You're With".
                It's fun but not exactly professional. Other than that, the 2 best bits are the Let It Grow and the Playin', which is a decent one.
22-09-93    D3  With Dave Murray for most of the show (he seems to have provided the SBD on archive as well). He is a good fit, but the Dead
                here are a little lacklustre, as show by the fact this show is best when he's doing his thing. Jerry seems subdued in contrast.
07-05-77    C4  I heard some argue this is a better show than the famed night after, but it isn't. It is however a good show. Suffers a little
                from slices of jamming occuring in snippets; the setlist could do with some re-arranging. Nice, but also a little by-the-numbers.
19-08-89    D4  Lacked a bit of excitement. The actual show is of decent quality and nothing is wrong, but like other Spring/Summer 89 shows
                you feel that they could easily had been a bit better - the jams are always about to arrive, but never do. Playin' is the highlight.
11-01-79    C4  A surprise find - a SBD of the last Keith and Donna tour, although this is one bad board. High energy and exciting, but slight
                obscured by the dodgy sound quality. The back straight past drums is the highlight here, although there is good stuff in the 1st set.
15-08-71    C3  Great quality sound for the era. All the songs are a bit short but the jam in the second set is of a decent quality. It lacks
                space, maybe because of the reliance on only 4 musicians, or maybe the era. But this stands out as a more modern show for the time.
12-12-73    B3  Generally excellent show with a good vibe that, on the whole, fails to live up to expectations. A few attempts at jams are made
                but nothing quite captures fire. Despite this, the mood throughout is great and the playing all over top-notch. Dew gets real quiet.
15-01-78    C2  Crikes, the last hour is real power-house 78, no need for an encore after the Sugar Magnolia. A long Playin' (really, it's almost
                30 minutes from start to finish) goes places (one of the best post 74) bookended with Terrapin and Wharf Rat; what a killer show.
18-09-83    C4  Pretty robust Other One springs from drums (almost 15 minutes of it!). The sequence is decent from the Samson onwards. Jerry
                doesn't sound too out of sorts either. Pity about the Around & Around but otherwise, for the year, this is a surprisingly good show.
30-12-90    B3  The setlist will raise your eyebrows, with a rare Terrapin out of drums. Jerry's voice is a little strained so a 20 minute Playin'
                ensues; it's a bit more rambling than I'd like, but the Drums > Space > Terrapin that follows has a high standard. Good show.
03-09-72    C2  Sound quality is off for the whole show, but fortunatly the SBD is listenable. There's a 3rd set which is just like a rocking first
                set. The 30 minute Other One hidden in this show is very fluent; an excellent version. Pity the show isn't a bit better structured.
15-07-89    D4  Very well Truckin' > Smokestack; like other shows of this era the quality is not sustained for a long enough period, although
                post drums isn't done too badly. Jerry sings Stella Blue quite flatly and with little emotion. Weird end to Sugar Magnolia as well.
27-01-68    E4  Fantastic quality for live 1968, but only 12 minutes long in total - just a Spanish jam. I'll repeat again though - the sound
                quality is superb and the seperation is quality. Overall it's unusual (and not quite as energetic as you might expect). Hard to rate.
29-06-80    C3  A good show. It's an unusual setlist in that Scarlet > Fire goes right into drums, but this is not your usual Fire and is
                unexpectedly hot. Lee Oskar adds some interest in drums but otherwise is ignored by the band. Good Black Peter as the ballad.
27-04-91    C3  Songs are a bit too busy (and have some cheesy accordian from Bruce) but this is solved when the jams are hit, especially in
                the quite fiery Playin'. Post drums is also good: the Black Peter here may be one of the best ever, with a great ending peak.
07-07-89    D4  As my first review states: No particular highlight as such, just a well played show overall. This another one of those great party
                tapes. ALmost all the songs are decent, the energy is pretty high; even the setlist appeals. It just lacks a sense of adventure.
21-03-94    C5  Good set list, and even some excitement with the split Lovelight to close the second set. The problem with shows this late is that
                Jerry is not directing the band and the jams can sound a bit listless. They seem to be having fun but it doesn't translate well.

30-11-73    D3  Good SQ, the setlist looks raging on paper, so what went wrong? A 9 minute Dark Star sort of sums up the show. There's the usual
                fantastic Eyes near the end of the 2nd set but it feels like the band rushed a jam out at the end. Should have been a killer show!
25-05-77    C3  Really good Other One in this show. The whole show seems well done, and of course the era is a hot one. At the end of the day though,
                this show lacks an "oh shit" moment, although never would say it was bad, or even average. But still enjoyable throughout the show.
28-06-83    E5  From the off we have a dodgy voice from Jerry and a show with no soundboard. There's some decent stuff in the second set opening
                Help > Slipknot, but from there onwards this seems like an entirely normal show of the era to me. Throwing Stones is messy as well.
24-05-70    C4  This is a well done show for the period, although there are some notable sound issues. the setlist is decent and contains a good
                selection of songs. The jamming is on point and even a danger song like Attics is more hit than miss. It lacks a standout tune.
08-12-73    B2  This gets very weird, and unfortunatly a little bit too slow. It gets to a real Seastones vibe near the end of the Other One
                meltdown. This then goes into Wharf Rat > Stella Blue, a really unusual pairing. whole show is pretty tight, if a bit up and down.
23-05-69    C4  Fairly decent, although standard setlist, of Star > Stephen > 11 > Lovelight. I tend to not be a fan of the long Lovelights;
                the precedding jam is decent, competent but failed to really get my attention, but it's not bad in any way, nmore slighty anonymous.
16-09-87    D3  Scarlet as the 2nd song in the first set sets up expectations that are unfortunatly not met. This show does have at least some decent
                energy throughout. Garcia solo in Wharf Rat is short but killer, as is most of post drums. Band goes into GDTRFB after NFA chant!
09-06-77    B3  This show is quality. Straight to the positives. Is this the best Slipknot ever? From then on it's a real smorgasbord of rocked
                out tunes in a tight flow. Energy wise, this is right up there and reminds of some of the even more wild 78 shows. Cruising.
19-10-71    D4  There's definitly a change in the air on Keith's first show, but it's more down to the new songs and decent second set setlist.
                The band are still learning through some of the songs. It's a fairly solid show for the year, but not a top-drawer concert really.
22-08-68    D3  Sound quality on this is great, except for the first couple of songs. This show is full of jams but they don't really go for length.
                They do certainly go for power though, almost everything here is mostly ripping compared to later Dead. Good representation of the era.
06-04-87    B4  This show might have the best Jack Straw ever; a bold claim I'm sure. The 2nd set is most weird; a very strange pre-drums and then
                it seems all of set 2 popped out post drums! Rare Terrapin out of drums starts the main sequence, which is well worth checking out.
14-12-71    C3  Fantastic, dreamy Other One. Sound is such a big change from 4-6 months previous; in fact the whole show is a more or less solid look
                into the future. What I like about this show is the introspective jamming; as per 71 there is of course too much first set for me.
18-10-78    B3  Very decent 78 show with a decent set-list and a lot more sparkle than the summer. Jerry completely forgets the lyrics to Terrapin
                and has to scramble to cover up; the resultant 2 or 3 minutes is excellent and pretty unique. Otherwise just the "normal" 78!
18-02-71    D2  The infamous "Beautiful jam", which *is* very nice but I don't really rate it needing a whole unique name. This is the highlight,
                although the closing St.Stephen onwards is also good. The rest is fairly standard 71, although the sound quality is fantastic.
28-06-74    B1  This is a contender for best jam ever. Astounding how the 45+ minute jam in the WRS can all be over so quick when you listen to it!
                This is one of those shows where I get a different taste every time I listen. Killer jam - rest of show is largely perfunctory.
12-12-90    C4  Good show from a good era. It's not as busy as the normal shows of the era and he jamming on display means that even a short Star
                does not really disappoint. Not as hot as the pre-Europe shows but that's a high standard to match. Finished well, which is a bonus. 
22-04-79    D5  Brent's first show. A rare show where the AUD is better than the the SBD, but neither of the tapes is particularly high quality.
                Lots of songs in this show but really nothing stood out. Setlist looks killer on paper but nothing really opens up at this show.
19-02-73    C2  Only a single set exists, but with a set like this, what more do you need? Well more, obviously, but this ticks all the right boxes.
                It has the 73 fluidity that you crave and flows from one song to the next, Eyes being the highlight. A little odd, but solid.
31-12-89    D2  The Victim > Dark Star pairing here is really good, and leads into a really good drums, which has some uncredited guest (unless that's
                Mickey scat singing). After drums though the energy flags somewhat. The first set is also good, albeit a bit short. Decent new years.
06-12-71    C3  Sound quality is decent. Setlist is more 72 than 71. Playing is largly excellent. Another show from late 71 that clearly shows the
                band improving with Keith - almost like a warmup for Europe 72. Like a lot of 71, the key jam here is the Other One - a great version.
02-12-73    B2  A multitide of highlights. The setlist, it's full of great songs and unique. Phil is all over the place. Epic meltdown in Playin'
                leads to feedback jam into Mind Left Body. Set can't quite sustain the energy, but no biggie. Encore is a nearly 15 minute Dew.
27-10-71    C4  Another decent early Keith show. Very much the core of Europe 72 can be heard here - minus, of course, most of the jamming. These
                shows are always enjoyable but lack space exploration (or much jamming of any sort really). Good but lacking surprises.
06-10-77    E3  Most sources are wrong, so we go with the King Biscuit Flour Hour broadcast. Wild, full of energy, yet also with compression, hiss
                and cuts; not really a contender for any top-10 lists but this is still a good slice of 77. Great NFA with crazy key change.
14-04-72    B2  Copenhagen. Some good video of this. The Dark Star just flew by - it didn't seem overly fast paced or anything, it was just really
                smooth from start to finish. Really great Pigpen on the Good Lovin' > Caution that follows. Wickedly solid, but not top shelf '72.
18-09-87    C4  This is a nice party tape - as is true of a lot of 71 shows - but lacks adventure. the Morning Dew at this show comes highly rated
                and indeed has a nice end but it's a bit too short. La Bamba adds to the party atmosphere. Fun but not showing all of the Deads facets.
20-11-71    D3  Decent Other One (and quite some length to it as well), but it's not as deep a dive as what would follow the next year. Also I will
                never get Ramble On Rose in the the post-jam spot, it doesn't work. Still, you can tell the band are working towards a new format.
11-12-72    C2  Really nice, long Dark Star that goes out there. Rest of the show is a bit more hit and miss; the Playin' could have been done a
                better and large parts of the show (including after the Star) are far more first-set in style, although He's Gone has a decent jam.
24-04-72    B2  Absolutly killer Playin' really kicks open the doors. The Dark Star in this show is technically longer than the Rotterdam show.
                There's a mini-set after the big jam, but it's mainly on the light rockers and actually it's a 3rd set. Very good jamming here.
08-07-78    B2  All killer, no filler; one of those 78 shows that seems lit from start to finish. The 2nd set doesn't really do space but it does
                pretty much everything else. There's a case to be made that this is also one of the greatest encores ever. Great show all round.
25-07-72    C4  A real mixed bag. Other One has a pretty unique jam before the first verse that is definitly worth a listen, however the rest of
                the song is a little lackluster. Rest of the show is a more normal '72 but it never really catches fire the way a good show ought.
18-12-93    E5  This Uncle Johns has some serious length (and after a 10+ Playin', as well), but it lacks any real energy or drive. It's an instant
                classic in this era but severely lacks when put up against other shows of this era, despite being possibly the best show of the year.
23-09-72    C3  Last of the 70's Crypticals, and it feels a bit clunky. Other One starts pretty normal but there is a really good breakdown for the
                second half the song as it really loses it's way. Rest of the show is a lot more normal (and yes, there is a mini first set there).
08-01-79    C4  Charlie Millers favourite 2nd set is an aud only affair. Donna really letting loose in Scarlet, a mini Yoko moment. It's overall
                not a bad show but the audience quality detracts quite a bit. Still, the Terrapin > Playin combo is good, with a lot of clapping.
15-09-87    D4  There's an Eyes in the second set which is well above average for the time period; the rest of the show is more as you would
                expect. It's got some decent energy throughout but is marred slightly by jams not spanning songs (or just not jamming at all).
02-11-77    C3  Show unexpectedly highlights 78: possibly one of the higher-energy 77 shows and yet it lacks that crazy unhinged energy that 78
                brings to the table. This is more professional but I'm not sure I was looking for that in a show. Still, overall pretty decent.
04-05-86    E4  Really short - less than 30 minutes - into drums. The Playin' jam is reasonable but reasonable isn't really good as a highlight.
                Have to say the fact that the show is so short really does count against it. Outside the Playin' jam, this is normal 1984.
19-02-91    C3  Best ever Crazy Fingers jam? Maybe not the best version of the song but once that's played we are off into jam territory for the
                next 15 minutes! Fades a little after drums. Notice Jerry is lower in volume at this show - I think it's a function of the era.
26-06-84    D3  He's Gone is a real solid version and winds down to an interesting jam. Ooh, the setlist after drums though - it's a pretty hot
                mess of dashed expectations. Can't take away from the start of the set though, pity the quality could not be sustained though.
30-06-74    C3  The Playin' > Uncle John's sandwich at the end of set 1 promises a lot to follow, although it never really does. The Eyes jam
                should be the highlight but it splutters out after 15 minutes and leads to a bit of a noodle. Felt like it should have been more.
02-07-71    B4  The previous review was on the nail. This is a good 71 show, and it has a pretty excellent Other One as the highlight - but it
                never really goes deep enough. First few songs are out of tune. Pigpen is pretty good on this show, there is a decent Good Lovin'.
07-07-69    B3  Overall an excellent show expressig al the good qualities of the era. Of course it has the classic Star > Stephen > 11 > Lovelight,
                but it starts with 4 songs (!) that stand alone and are played well. The Dark Star ventures. Lovelight a little over-long for me.
20-09-74    C2  WRS > Stella Blue > Around & Around to finish the first set? Second takes a while to take off but once Truckin' has settled down
                we are in the outer zones. What follows is a 58 minute jam, but the Truckin' that starts it all is fantastic and the real highlight.
24-03-93    C5  Reasonably energetic but tapes this late in their career lack a cutting sonic edge, although Jerry does try a bit in the NFA.
                Another jammed out Crazy Fingers in this fairly solid show but really a lack of surprise does this show in. Decent Spanish jam though.
19-12-73    B1  Classic 73 show. There's no real "one big jam" but the Truckin' > Nobodys Fault > Other One that leads to a feedback drenched
                meltdown fulfills the same role. Some people say this is the best Here Comes Sunshine (they're wrong). Also a killer Playin'!
11-08-87    C4  Good for 87, even though it doesn't have the turbo energy that some 87 shows. The selection of songs pre-drums is decent and
                avoids the usual set-list cliches (3 Jerry ballds before drums?); the rock and roll occurs after space, although losing something.
23-02-74    C2  Fancy a quick jam? How about another? And another? The most significant is the Other One, however WRS, Truckin' and Eyes
                all have an attempt. It could be said there are too many songs; bigger issue is that everything is a little too laid back.
20-05-73    B2  Killer run near the back-end of the show. Other One is short but ventures quickly into tiger territory. A fairly typical 73 show
                overall although of course that is a good thing! There's a bit more "4 songs all jammed" than "1 massive jam"; both are good.
23-10-89    C4  Nice show with some quality points in a few places. California Earthquake is rare but adds little; Stranger, Bertha, the run
                into drums from Crazy Fingers and the Lovelight (maybe one of the best since 72) are all good but not the best songs of the year.
04-02-78    B3  Stick to the really crisp board that only covers the second set. This is a really solid set, a great setlist and even what might
                the more normal songs have a surprise (how the heck does NFA gain an extra chord after the jam?). Another classic 78 show.
24-02-71    D5  There's some chops shown at this show but for the most part it's a bit too laid back, despite the bulk of the second set consisting
                mainly of rockers followed by a Truckin > NFA > GDTRFB > NFA. It is excellent SQ though. Probably the best part is the Lovelight.

01-10-76    C3  A well done show, in particular the Slipknot is an excellent jam. Rest of show has a solid structure and a decent setlist but it
                lacks the energy of the years before and the following year. I'm still convinced Jerry plays the wrong wrong notes this year.
04-07-81    D4  It's '81 - but I doubt you were expecting a Stranger > Bird Song > Playin'! Post drums has some weird mix issues, Weir's guitar
                is exceptionally loud in Sugar Mag. If that issue was fixed, this would be a fairly decent show. The setlist is really unique!
06-09-83    C4  Second set brings the excitement for a decent Help > Slip that finally meanders into a Playin' sandwich. Sounds good, but
                some parts are a little messy and show the time frame. Also, you can mostly switch off once the Playin' reprise is finished!
10-12-72    C2  Show is unfortunatly not complete. However, the bits that are missing are also the more low-key first set numbers. All the real
                good stuff is still here - mainly an excellent Playin' and a really decent (and a little unique) Other One. Excellent show.
19-04-86    D3  This is a very short show (Drums is over 32 minutes into the 2nd set!). the clear highlight is the Playin' jam. It's not especially
                robust, but Jerry is wide awake and giving us the goods. Post drums is not bad, although Jerry turns off by Sugar Mags.
11-09-90    C2  Best Spoonful ever, and it's honestly not even close. The way this builds up into a spidery explosion and then just drops straight
                to drums is incredible. Almost all the shows in September 90 are hot, it seems. Pity about the Around*2 to end the second set!
31-07-71    E3  The best of the pre-Keith Dark Stars from 71. This show has all the hits, but a lot of songs are not well developed due to the
                era. The setlist is weird: Star > Bird Song in 1st set? Historically notable for the first ever glowsticks. All over the place!
16-07-90    D4  Start of second set is a it weird; very very unusually Jerry seems to ripcord Scarlet Begonias. Things get better from there. It's
                not in the top tier of 90's jams but the Truckin is decent and long; rest of the show is a more normal. Split Sugar Mag is fun.
26-10-89    B2  This is a fine Star. Nowhere near as scary as it is made out to be in the reviews. Post drums even has a decent, energetic NFA,
                maybe the best of the 90's. Star itself is not the best but can't argue with the final 6/7 minutes. Bid you goodnight seals the deal.
13-06-80    D5  Aud only, though it is more or less acceptable. For the year, this has a very good setlist, the energy is there and a decent
                Terrapin attracts you to the 2nd set. On the other hand, it lacks a bit of spark, or even chaos. A bit too professional even.
26-03-72    B3  Jams in the first set! Longer ones in the 2nd! Pigpen tells the audience about the set break! The whole show seems like a rehearsal
                for the upcoming Euro tour; even the 30 min Other One sandwich in the second set reminds you of future shows. Lacks a killer moment.
25-07-74    C2  Not the longest of shows for the time. There's a 24 minute Star but it seems somewhat shoehorned into a second set of slow ballads
                and rockers. Ship of Fools as encore? Bit all over the place and the pace is maybe too sedate, but the playing is all well done
07-05-80    C4  "Playing in the Barn" show, 2nd time the Dead played Cornell. There's a Saint of Circumstance out of drums, otherwise the setlist
                is really solid for the era. The flow in this set is surprisingly solid and the band play well, even if the jamming is uneven.
12-10-68    B3  Opens with a short solid Star, which has the best guiro playing Hart ever did. Rest of show is just one energetic jam after the other.
                Nothing is particular long - or even spacy - but this is one of these "drill into the skull" rave-ups  - in excellent quality.
08-10-81    D3  Upside - the second set first 4 songs take an hour! Downside - this mix is all over the place.  Overall I'd say it's not bad, the
                jams never really go sideways in this era though. Despite that, may be the most jammed 81 show. Overall, worth checking out.
03-02-79    C3  About as classic a setlist as you'll see for the second set, and it is pretty nice, even if the band are running on fumes near
                the end though. A mixed bag to be sure, but the highs are worth and for the most part the energy level is decent. Unfortunatly AUD.
10-10-80    C3  Really good acoustic - near perfect on delivery and sound quality. The electric sets aren't bad either, and show some unusual
                features - Promised Land to end the last set? However the sound switches to a slighty dodgy aud post drums. Otherwise, not bad.
02-02-78    B3  There can be no arguing about this setlist. Folks, there is 35 minutes of Playing in this second set, and 15 minutes of Eyes as
                well. And it's a crystal clear Betty board! My only real issue is that the Playin' lacks any really intense standout moment.
19-02-71    C4  This show suffers from the usual 71 fluff - new songs are a bit shaky and jams lacking intensity - but is overall decent. Pigpen
                is the key driver, all his songs are pretty good. The set structure in the second set helps as well - it's like a complete show.
19-10-81    D3  Barcelona show. Long, decent versions of Let It Grow to end set 1 and Scarlet > Fire to open the second. Even the Sailor / Saint
                pairing isn't bad. Show tails a bit after drums, with more energy than composure - the Sugar Mag is ragged as hell. Pretty good.
24-11-78    C2  Pretty much the whole show is decent - with the excpetion of Jerry's voice, which is on the verge of death. The Shakedown Street
                has to be one of the best ever, with a crazy jam that dissolves into drums. End of show is rocking but can't quite match.
14-11-71    C3  With Keith in the band and a decent second set setlist, this feels a little like a mini-Euro 72 show. The Other One is pretty
                fast and furious but lacks more introspective passages. Newer songs are bedded down this late;  of the best shows of the year.
05-02-78    B3  Hell of a Scarlet > Fire to start the 2nd set. Maybe earliest use of the whistle to start Truckin'? The Scarlet Fire is so
                long that the rest of the classic set-list seems to be over quickly (reality, about 40 minutes). Another great early 78 show.
04-02-70    E4  There's only about 30 minutes of actual GD here, maybe more if you include the jam session with Santana et al (not really GD
                for me) and some lower quality bits. A bit of a mess (well, the NFA anyway), and not a full show. Midnight Hour the highlight.
22-02-74    D3  The longest song is in the first set, which says a lot for '74. Everything is played very well, however none of it manages to
                gel into something that can sustain a journey. there are sparks; the Eyes is better than almost all 80's versions, for example.
15-09-82    B3  Just look at that set-list, opening with Playin' > Crazy Fingers > Playin' jam! Unfortunatly the opening 2 songs are a fairly
                ropey aud, but it gets better. I'd say that this is the most jammed 1st set since 77 (?). Quality dips at end, unfortunatly.
09-10-72    C2  Stunning Playing to end the first set. Drunken antics with Grace Slick to start the second. Slightly messy show in parts, but
                the jam in Truckin' > Other One is very solid and decently energetic. Good, just slightly let down by the full show aspect.
16-03-88    D3  Actually has some jamming at this show. Overall it's pretty decent, although Jerry's voice is a little so-so. Post drums is
                a bit messy and hurried in places. Dew is decent at the end of the set although a bit short. A solid show froma so-so year.
05-12-81    C3  Double time CC Rider confuses half the band, but worth a listen. Another decent show from the early 80's slightly ruined
                by near 15 minutes of Sailor > Saint pre drums. Vocal mis-cue in Sugar Mags; despite the rockers, seems to lose energy at the end.
20-11-85    E4  Reasonable show, best part is the longish Terrapin and jam pre-drums. However, Brent manages to crowbar in "Don't Need Love"
                at the end, breaking up the jam. Jerry's voice is a bit all over the place, as per the era. A solid "not bad", but no excitement.
05-04-69    C3  Bit of a weird mix. The tape is very good sounding, and the band are fully in tune for the most part. However the jams don't
                seem to sparkle that much, although it is hard to exactly say why. Perhaps more scary space is needed - the best part was feedback.
17-11-71    C4  These shows are similar enough to Europe 72 that they actually suffer because of the obvious comparison. This, then, is a little
                bit of "Euro 72 lite". The jams are not as deep and the playing a little less ballsy. Still, it has a decent Other One for 71.
16-04-72    B3  For such a famous tour, this might be the least jammed show, although in this case we still get 30 minutes of Trucking > Other One
                (and in truth, 15 minutes of that is neither song). Also, the Playin' at this show is decent. But it lacks that certain something.
31-12-78    A3  Over-rated? Hardly. This is probably the last 3 set show where they can sustain the energy. Nothing is plated badly, and some
                songs are played excellently (Wharf Rat). We even have a fairly decent Dark Star and set 3 jam. All this and an excellent video!
26-12-81    B3  Crikes, there's an eleven jam in here! Doesn't last very long but coming after "A day at the dentist" simply adds to the
                weirdness. Overall a very solid show, however the overall tempo doesn't change much and it feels controlled in a few places.
26-02-73    B2  The first set Playin' is already decent, the Star is dominated by Lesh and feedback. Almost like the Eyes that follows is more
                of an afterthought. Minor quibble; songs either have a decent jamming or practically none at all. Still, this is a solid show.
23-04-83    D3  Almost regardless of the rest of the show, you'll be coming here for a nearly 20 minute Other One that arises out of drums.
                I'll admit it meanders for the first 5 minutes to merely arrive, but it's likely there is not better Other One after this date.
04-10-81    D4  Both of the chuckle brothers seem up for this one, although Weir keeps going through a part of drums as well. It's another show
                where 15 mins of Sailor > Saint poisons the well unfortunatly, although the Scarlet before is great. Back straight not too bad.
27-03-72    D2  This feels like more of a leftover from 71, as it largely seems to be 2 first sets. But the Playin' that ends set 1 is so
                crushing that it competes with the best, suffering only in length. Oh, there are some other songs, but you're not here for them.
02-11-85    D5  All round, quite a solid show; per the era, this cannot be assumed. The 80s style jamming is fairly decent and it's not until
                after the Dew that the energy flags. Unfortunatly Jerry's voice is pretty rough, otherwise this would be overall a decent show.
06-11-79    C4  The first set is one of those late 70s picture perfect setlists - a real gem. The second set has a great setlist that slightly
                runs out of energy towards the end, although no actual mistakes. Lacks a bit of excitement but a decent show from the era.
16-07-72    D4  A good chunk of this show is a pretty rough AUD, and the SBD sections aren't really the best either, but the latter does include
                the major jam of the night, a Truckin > Other One. Overall, this is a dissapointment for 72, both sonically and with the setlist.
04-07-89    C5  Heart sinks with "Just a little light" after drums, but this is one of those great Healy ultramixes, and the band sound in good
                form as well. Otherwise, it's all so professional, although the experimental nature of the music shines a little less than it ought.
01-08-73    B1  Fantastic Dark Star that seems all over far too fast - it's 25 minutes long! But fear not, the Eyes that follows a little after
                also tries to dive just as deep, setting up nicely for the Dew closer. The Dew closer is totally killer - this is an awesome show.
21-02-73    C2  A pretty tasty show that is not the best of 73 in any particular way, but it ticks all the right boxes, but in limited ways.
                The main jam seems short but is near 50 minutes with no drums. It just wanes compared to others of the era. Great sound as well.
29-12-68    B3  The more I listen to 68 the more I appreciate it to 69, really. The latter has more tapes, more songs and incendiary playing but
                late 68 just seems a bit more compact and fiery, especially with tapes like this. It's a crushing juggernaut of electric power.
27-07-73    D3  This shows gets a lot of praise but really the 20 minute jam is spacy for 10 minutes and then hits a Franklin's Tower groove.
                It's fun but a bit messy as a show. Although it might be said to be a uniqiue jam, 73 is not a year lacking those. Good SQ though.
25-10-89    C5  This show is a bit of tease. The setlist (at least for set 2) is great but pre drums has 3 jams that touch on the 12 minute
                mark and then switch to another song, it's very fustrating in some ways even if it's all well played overall. Frustrating!
21-06-80    B2  Starts with a killer Sugaree. There is a pretty furious Terrapin in the 2nd set that leads to an even more furious - outrageous
                for 1980, even - Playin'. It's not a long version but it has plenty of fire. Space is also pretty full on. Killer show!
15-07-84    E4  This is one of those "good for a bad era" shows. The setlist has some interest and there's some reasonable jamming at points
                (maybe the best part is space). However, it also suffers from Brent pre-drums, ropey Jerry vocals and a few screwups.
09-02-73    B2  Let's start by saying this is the best Big River ever! The whole show is decent, the new songs shine and the whole show has a
                "lazily perfect" vibe that permeates some of 72-74. This is a fun show, not a massive deep dive. In some ways a 77 show in 73.
18-06-67    E3   Whoever is playing harp at the start of Alligator manages to play the most out-of-tune I've ever heard at a Dead show. This
                is a strange tape. It's great quality, has decent playing - but then there's that harp, the songs are too new and it's too short.
16-07-76    E3  10 minute Spanish jam from a standing start - almost unique. The sections before and immediatly after are well done, but the
                show ends very lazily and the first set has a shocker aud for the first few songs. Inconsistent and needing a kick up the butt.
08-10-89    C4  Above average show that sits in the shadow of the next night. It's well done, the sound is excellent and Jerry appears really
                up for it. However it lacks a bit of magic and the back half feels rushed until you hit the Dew, then the show shines.
08-04-71    D2  Great version of Star that features a stand-out Bobby hard in the left channel. One the earliest shows where he's so loud and
                so clear. The rest of the show is average before the Star and largely decent afterwards, maybe a few too many short tunes.
04-05-91    C4  Really good tuning (!) to start the show. Victim is maybe one of the best, with a great, albeit short jam afterwards.
                Unfortunatly the set drifts downwards from this point; pre drums is good but it is more apparent in the very short post drums.
25-10-69    C3  A rarity as Stephen Stills steps up to guest on Lovelight. The Dark Star to start is good, and in really great quality as
                well. But the show lacks anything particularly standout that isn't present on many shows of the same time. Still good though.
16-10-74    D2  The sometimes-too-sparse 74 soundboards curse appears here. The set-list is a little all over the place. It's also jammed too
                much. At one point we have 3 songs in 2 hours! So overall a little sloppy and could have done with some tightening up.
21-10-78    B3  Lovely high-energy 78 show. The first solo in Estimated is off the hook, nearly matched by some powerful riffing at the close
                of the Other One. Decent quality, high energy action from late 78 - more coke than acid, but this is a decent example of it.
09-06-73    D2  What to make of this show? It's all usual 73 all the way up to Playin'. This is a decent version but a bit more wandering than
                I'd prefer. Phil tries to get to the hard stuff but they wind it down and then the fun quota drops. Shortest Eyes of 73?
09-03-81    B3  My first review said "mellow" but to be honest for 81 this is full of guts and ripping solos. Sure it's not got a 30 min Star
                or similar but the setlist is decent, the energy is sustained and I don't recall a fluffed note or lyric all night. Great!
09-10-76    B3  "Bill says we only have an hour to play". This being 76, they cram a very strange setlist into that hour. Like a lot of '76,
                they also stay in a largely similar vein for the whole set; luckily the band are playing pretty well for this. Rocking encores.
17-03-93    C5  This is actually a very reasonable and pleasant slice of 93. Unfortunatly, I really do mean "slice". Only about 33 minutes
                per-drums with 4 songs - and that's the main jam section! The Star is slightly superfluous really. Days Between is good.
09-06-84    D3  Not at all bad for 84. The jam is decent enough in Playin' > China Doll to make you appreciate drums when it arrives. Not
                normally the case in this era. Post drums is reasonable but not up to the same standards. Jerry's voice isn't too bad for '84.
25-09-80    C4  The rating for this show surely comes from the pristine, excellent acoustic set that opens the gig, as the subsequent sets are
                in a pretty murky AUD (bad enough to refuse a rating normally). No real surprises, except that this show has the first long Deal.
15-12-71    C2  It's not very long but the Star to begin the second set is relly decently done, also Keith is mixed pretty loud so the interplay
                is really on display. Slightly weird setlist for set 2, but the Lovelight, of all things, just might be the best version ever!
15-10-77    D4  One of the later shows with no drums (well ok, except maybe a minute at the start of NFA). It's a fun show but the SQ is below
                average for the period and there's a string of 10 minute songs. Truckin > Sat Night has to be one the higher energy encores.
27-07-82    C3  Solid show with an excellent set-list (especially the 2nd set) which has elements of 78/79 in the Playing sandwich. It also
                comes with some scat singing (thankfully, not much), avoids terrible song choices, flows and decent sound quality. Best of 82?
22-01-68    C4  This show has the weirdest set list of what were all pretty new songs at the time, big jamming numbers all of them but restricted
                to 5/6 minutes. It's crazy energy, wild, Grateful Dead. Like a DMT hit in music form, even down to the length of the songs.
04-08-74    C2  Show has some great moments but it feels like the second set has about 20 minutes of jamming when there should be 40 or so.
                Jerry cuts the WRS jam and forces it into Wharf Rat, an unusual thing for him to do. The jamming whn it is done is really good.
30-12-78    C3  Mainly a pretty decent show, except the energy dies off a little as maybe the band start to consider the following night. The
                pre-drums especially has a great quality about it, a decent setlist and some sparkling playing. But it lacks a bit of adventure.
24-02-92    E4  Crikes this is a bit of a dumpster fire of a setlist. Corrina, Way To Go Home and Wave To The Wind all in one set. I suppose
                the Other One pre-drums was fairly decent for the time (and they go for another 5 minutes after space). Perhaps this is good 92?
18-12-73    B1  Killer second set has all the jams and Dark Star goes to the right places. Really, everything is practically note perfect, the
                band sound like they are having fun and for a solid hour in the second set nothing lets up. The first set is pretty solid as well.
14-12-80    D4  Flora Purim and Airto are the best guests the band ever had, and being here means we get a killer drums / space. Unfortunatly
                it also means that drums and space are the only major highlights! Props to Flora though, this is the most sexual GD I ever heard.
13-04-69    C2  A solid 69 performance, although for a change Lovelight starts the show. Like others of the era, the second list is almost
                an afterthought as it's just a one jam after another. This show has a particularly good Star that has an excellent sputnik jam.
13-04-71    C4  Definitly a Pigpen show as he has all the best parts - the main one being a long Good Lovin'. The rest of the show is far
                more normal '71, i.e. quite a few short songs with the odd minor jam. On the plus side, the setlist is decent, as is the sound.
21-03-85    C4  Sure wish there was a better SBD source for this show (although we are lucky to have one at all, per the source). First set
                rocks right from the off. Second set mainly continues the fun especially in the Playin' jam but tails off after drums. Good '85.
19-03-73    B2  I don't think we have the whole show, but what we do have is stellar in the music department, even if the SBD has a touch of
                murkiness to it. Interesting to hear these Eyes jams at such an early date as well. A really killer, relaxed, enjoyable show.
15-03-90    D3  This has a nice long jam out of Terrapin and a pretty decent (although a bit too long) space. It lacks a little with the flow,
                none of the songs feel particularly connected to one another. Also it has I Will Take You Home after drums, never a favourite.
08-06-92    E4  Interesting post drums with a super short Dark Star that seems to add a slightly extra zip to proceedings. It's pretty good for
                92 but of course those are usually pretty damning words. Is it as good as almost any show pre, say 83? Hard to say, really.
26-02-90    D3  Long Scarlet > Fire at start of 2nd set as Jerry leaves the stage for a few minutes. I'll be honest, it's a long version but
                lacks energy. The Playin' > Terrapin that follows is better. Weirdly it seems that the 2nd set gets better the longer you listen.
17-07-89    C4  Good show, but suffers from a series of 10 minutes songs in set 2 that don't give enough time for exploring. If you can get past
                that this is a high energy show with nary a single flub in either set. Is this the best "Push Comes To Shove"? Bit of a tease.
30-10-77    B3  A wonderful 77 Playin' sandwich, the type that snakes around several songs, gets loud and quiet at various points before depositing
                the listener into a rocking ending to go home on. Takes a while in the first set to get there but it's well worth the wait.
20-03-92    D5  Not a bad show, which sounds like damning with faint praise. There's a general lack of energy, but in some ways that just makes
                the show feel more relaxed and less in your face. In that sense maybe a decent show but there's a touch of "by the nunbers" here.
17-10-74    B2  These shows are really laid back and you can start to see the journey to 76 a little. There's an Other One that seems to want
                to spend as little time as possible actually playing the tune. Really well, perhaps a touch more energy would have been good.
25-02-90    B4  Killer Wharf Rat post drums is the highlight in a show that entertains throughout without reaching any cosmic highs. Another
                show you could say that was professional Dead. Most songs aren't quite long enough to get terminal lift-off, but done very nicely.
20-02-91    C4  First take: Vince is too loud and repeats the melody a little too much. Other than that, show is pretty good with Other One
                being hinted at all over the 2nd set. Also features unusual (guests?) rap singing in drums / space. Whole 2nd set is very long.
13-01-80    C4  Short, rocking benefit show to start 1980. With added Cippolina and Santana, although the former adds little. It's like a Dead
                show in miniature and because of this retains high energy throughout. The exploring is minimal but this is still a fun show.
17-04-69    D3  "No introduction required" starts the long introduction. There's some variation to the usual 69 setlist but it doesn't really
                work for me. Show matures - after an enforced stop they come back all guns blazing for the end. Good sound qaulity also helps here.
26-09-73    E3  The only decent show with horns, and that's because they only join for the last 45 minutes or so, essentially ruining the show
                from that point on. Before that, we get a good Playin', He's Gone and Truckin'. When Eyes hits you may as well turn the tape off.
17-03-91    D5  Good China Doll starts a nice pre-drums section but unfortunatly the Truckin' in the middle should have been played with a little
                more gusto. Space is pretty decent here but otherwise nothing that is truly stand-out in any way. Could have a been a lot more.

30-03-90    D4  Starts well and the band seem happy, but this show is a little bit of a let-down. The setlist is decent, but the songs lack a bit
                of sparkle and are given no real time to relax. China Doll is decent but the end seems rushed; Terrapin gets a bit sloppy at times.
15-04-78    B3  An awesome first set, sounds like the band are about to go off the rails at any point (they practically do a couple of times).
                Calms down a little bit in the second set, but we still get the only Dew of 78, a crazy NFA and a typically rocking Around x 2.
25-08-72    B2  There's a lot to like about this show - in fact really this mid-late 72 vibe in general. Everything is played well, and yet the
                band are still tight as hell whilst staying relaxed all the way. I'd list the highlights, but that would be most of the show!
13-05-77    C3  This starts off as fairly normal - i.e. pretty decent - 77. and stays that way until a very short drums. The Other One > Stella
                Blue that comes after raises the temperature pretty well! Unfortunatly, all the songs after suffer a serious dip in sound quality.
30-10-80    C4  Best part of this long long show is drums, both slighty before and slightly after. Billy Cobham guests although to be honest it
                is hard to tell (other than the drums are very good). Rest of show is like the other Radio City Hall. Good but not exciting.
01-09-69    C4  If you squint at the set list, you'll be able to make out what looks like a first and second set. The second "set" is the meat of
                the performance and it's the usual Star > Stephen > 11 > Lovelight, a bit tighter than normal with a decent Lovelight. Average.
07-06-80    C3  Aud only, how will I survive? Actually a pretty hot jam that tumbles out of Saint of Cicrumstance, the definite highlight of
                the show. Post drums is a bit more normal. Unique (?) triple-song, rocked out encore to end the show, not as energetic as it looks.
07-07-78    E4  First Red Rocks show. On the whole fairly average for the time. Lacks the out-of-control spring feeling and the improved
                jamming from later on in the year. It's not terrible but definitly lacks some band dynamics that dissapeared over the summer.
12-12-92    D5  This feels a bit like the Dead in slow motion. There's actually a pretty decent jam in Dark Star, but 12 minutes is far far too
                short. China Doll and SOTM are both good attempts but the band seem to have forgotten the heroics of only a couple of years before.
06-08-74    A2  This first set is like a whole show by itself, with an 18m Eyes and a 30m Playin' sandwich; and the 2nd set is also like a whole
                show, starting with 8 single songs before an hour-long jam. A very unique show, a little all over the place but full of content.
10-06-90    C3  Overall a really solid show where all the songs are played well, but lacks a bit of danger or chaos. The setlist is also a decent
                choice, so there is little to complain about. I just felt a bit more adventure would have added a lot to the show - it lacks a moment.
21-03-73    B2  Let's talk about the Star. It's a fairly normal affair until about 10 minutes in, then breaks down into a lo-fi scratchy jam that
                almost goes full whale call territory. More spacy than crushing, it's the apex of a really well put together show with many highlights.
31-10-80    E4  Decent acoustic set despite missing Phil for the most part.The rest of the show is a bit unfortunate; it seems a lot of songs
                in the 3rd set are very much vamps over 1 or 2 chords (Franklins > D/S > Fire > NFA). A bit typical of the structure of these shows.
11-02-70    D4  The show where everybody was on stage. The Dark Star > Spanish jam is decent (if a little too short). The Lovelight is "fun" but
                there are really too many musicians on stage at the same time (even if they seem to be having fun). Not really a great show.
31-03-91    C4  Long Eyes jam (really too long since there is no 7/4 end section) into shorter Playin' with added Star tease at end. Drums is a
                really good one and floats into a decent space. Unfortunatly the band somewhat run out of steam post drums and there's an Aroundx2.
01-07-73    B1  A very good show from summer '73. Maybe it's a bit over-relaxed in parts but the Playin' and the fairly off-the-charts Other One
                add some serious improv chops. That combined with the totally stellar board mix make, overall a really good show. More please!
30-06-73    C2  There's a nice Star but it's a bit too short. Eyes > Stella is also well done, in particular Keiths contributions, he's on fire
                and sometime on the Rhodes as well. As a show it hangs together slightly less well, more like a long first set and then a jam.
27-04-69    C2  Great little show with decent length Star and a split Lovelight that for once is some good fun. Whatever you think of the jamming,
                having a typical Star > Stephen > 11 > Lovelight combo followed by a Dew is most definitly a good thing. Even the SQ is decent.
21-03-91    D3  No-nonsense Victim totally crushes the start of set 2 - possibly best ever version. Loses a bit of sparkle as the following
                Scarlet > Fire plays out, but unusually Fire jams into a Stir It Up jam before drums hit. Rather short and to the point post drums. 
12-09-81    C2  Definitly an AUD at the limit of acceptable. Despite this, the show has a very good jam out of Eyes into Drums that leaves Eyes
                well behind and has to put this into "show of the year territory". Slight reduction in score due to the sound quality unfortuntly.
21-04-72    C2  The only show in this list that is not really a show, worth including since it is avaliable as a very high quality video, one of
                the best ever IMHO. As a show, it is tricky to rate. I've given a score here but really, go and watch the video yourself.
20-08-72    B1  I was enjoying a nice 72 show and then all of sudden this crazy spaceship from the future crashed down in the middle of an Other
                One and proceeded to wreck brutal fury for 10 minutes. Luckily our heroes were able to escape with a great closing second set.
14-10-80    D4  Another long Radio City show. Follows the format of a lot of others, except the setlist is a bit better and has an unusual (at
                lest for the time) Playin' sandwich. Well that's a positive, it suffers from having the first set - the best - in AUD only.
11-07-69    C4  Very well rounded for the era, almost a first set / second set partition as well. Pick of the bunch is probably the Death Don't
                Have near the end (also the Alligator jam) . There are a few cuts and voyages into the AUD plane though, so it's not all perfect.
03-04-90    D4  Some attemped jams that don't quite work our. Scarlet > Crazy Fingers is a bit forced, and pre-drums suffers from a bunch of 10
                minute songs. Despite that it's a well played show. IWTYH crops up but doesn't ruin too much, as post-drums is a bit throw-away.
23-08-68    C3  White-hot jamming near the time of it's peak. Having a slow song in the mix (Death Don't) actually enables you take a breath.
                Overall the jams are shorter than you might expect but they all seemingly blur together. Sounf quality was decent as well.
24-07-87    D4  The Dead's set are both pretty reasonable. Can't really get on with Dylan's set either, it's like he doesn't understand how the
                Dead work and just does a chunk of 5 minute songs without giving anyone else the chance to sign. Also his singing is pretty ropey.
31-12-91    B3  The last new years is a far more contemplative show than it's predecessors, and actually a bit better for it. Added bonus - second
                set has Airto throughout. Show picks up in Estimated and more or less stays good until the end. Even the setlist is a lot of fun.
06-10-81    B3  Excellent show throughout. Excellent Estimated  / He's Gone jam. There are Blues for Allah riffs in space and post-drums even
                has a mini Sugar Mags sandwich. Decent last minute or so of Stella Blue as well. Possibly the best post-70's London show?
02-06-95    C4  Well... it is 95, so there are a few questionable things here, but let's dwell on the positives. This doesn't sound too lazy,
                has a few decent jams and the guyoto monks turn up for drums. Not in the top tier or shows but very worthwhile for 1995.
19-07-74    B2  Overall a great show - no douby about that. It's maybe another of those 74 shows where the jamming seems to start quite late
                and only then is the envelope fully pushed. On the other hand, set 1 contains a 30-minute playing, so perhaps I complain too much.
14-02-68    B3  Can't argue with the sound quality or the setlist. 2nd set is for the memory of Neal Cassidy. A powerhouse throughout, even if
                some of the songs are a little underdeveloped. Of note is that although we have a lot of jamming, nothing is over 10 minutes long.
02-11-79    C2  There's some serious length in the opening 2 tracks, but the stand-out here is the Saint Of Circumstance that evolves into a
                exploratory jam before hitting drums. Everything here is serious, wel played GD, maybe lacking a bit in surprises but a good effort.
20-10-89    B3  Very decent show that contains a true Truckin' > Other One meltdown pre-drums. There's even a real Other One after drums! IWTYH
                crops up after space and slightly ruins the mood but otherwise I'd this show is a real hidden gem, and much more jammed than summer.
31-12-81    C3  At times this sounds like the "sneakers in a washing machine" Dead, at others times it's almost about to fall apart like a fragile
                flower - but it keep the interest going from start to finish. Great new years, even though it is very up and down at points.
06-05-81    D2  You come to this show for the Bobby Sands He's Gone. Rare that they dedicate a version like this. You break up the jam into 2
                seperate parts, but it's only 16 or so minutes together. Very good, but the rest of the show pales in comparison and the SQ is dodgy.
23-03-72    B3  This show is a bit "Europe 72 light", which to be honest is a good thing. Has that most unusual beast, a jammed out Dark Star
                that is totally stand-alone. That and the Playin' contain all the jamming though, there's no long sequence that dominates.
13-04-88    B4  Crikes that's a pretty short second set, however the setlist is great. Slightly rushed element to the second set throughout,
                which pushes the Morning Dew into fairly hyper-energy mode. A real fun set, pity about the length but a good show from start to end.
21-11-78    C4  The sound quality is all over the place on this one. The SBD isn't too bad but keeps cutting. Luckily the major highlights are
                mostly ok, probably the best of which is the robust Truckin' near second set close. Still, hard to reccomend this chopped up.
11-02-69    A2  For 69, this is about as good at setlist as you could wish for. Possibly the best Star from 69? A full 30 minutes, well developed
                themes and a great sound quality. Also ends on a killer "Death Don't" instead of the usual monster Lovelight that was the norm.
24-10-79    C3  Generally a rock-solid performance from start to finish, with a very "late-70s" setlist. Jerry trips a little on the Playing
                reprise as he comes in a little out of tune. Overall no surprises, but done with a lot of gusto and absolutly no filler at all.
15-05-83    D4  Best guests Airto and Flora in space for this show. Aud only, although the best tape is one of the best AUD's I've ever heard.
                Unsurprisingly space is well done, and as a whole the show isn't bad, but it somewhat falters after the decent Help > Slip.
22-04-69    A2  Really up there for 1969. It has a decent setlist, a rip-roaring jam in the 30 minute Dark Star, it's furious when it needs to
                be and yet calm at times as well. Even the short songs are song and played well, which can be unusual for 69. Pity about the cut.
16-10-89    B4  This not a bad show but it for sure seems like a budget version of a far more famous show played a week earlier. Also both Weir
                and Brent have a stab at ruining the mood post drums. If you can get over that and a slightly botched UJB, this is enjoyable.
15-08-87    B3  Scarlet > Fire to start second set has a ton of energy. The whole set actually rocks with energy, it's a surprise they even got
                a Dew out near the end. There's nothing particularly special about any particular song, but great energy and decent playing.
22-04-77    D2  A pretty long (20 mins) and astonishing Playin' closes first set. Set 2 setlist looks like something got bent half-way through.
                Closing the set with a Terrapin? The setup is great, but although the quality is never in question it falters after Samson.
29-09-89    D4  Second set starts well but they make a bit of a mess of the Terrapin. Death Don't Have makes comeback after some 20 years, they
                do a good version however Jerry's solo nearly veers of the rails - the version 2 weeks later is superior. Overall a bit mixed.
21-11-85    C4  Decent setlist, although the final stretch is a little unusual. A decent Playin' sandwich with a very "of it's era" She Belongs
                To Me in the middle. The bad points are the band sound sloppy at times and Jerry has clearly smoked 200 Malbororos before the gig.
13-01-78    C3  For spring 78 the extended jam at this show - the Dancin' - is both fairly laid back and a decent vehicle used to explore.
                They could have done more with the Truckin', since the end feels a bit lazy with 3 rockers. 2nd set is almost all Bob songs.
23-08-69    B2  Very solid show, marked down a little bit because - for once! - TC's organ is really high in the mix and you can clearly hear
                what he's playing (enough to realise he shouldn't be this loud, unfortunatly). The Lovelight is one of Pig's more crazy adventures.
09-05-81    D4  A bit of a mixed bag. One Sailor > Saint has been disposed of, this is a pretty decent show blighted by hiccups - Eyes is a bit
                ropey, Truckin' cheesy start, short Around. However, a lot of the short post songs jams are pretty decent. Also, that encore!
31-10-71    B2  A set-list like a modern show. Decent Dark Star and matched to a rock-out ending (the usual NFA > GDTRFB > NFA is excellent).
                essentially a proto-Euro 72 in the early stages. The addition of Keith is a clear positive. One of the better late 71 shows.
15-09-85    E3  Even for the wildness that is 85, this is a really strange setlist. Around > Drums > Space > US Blues? Also almost all the music
                is pre-drums. Jerry's voice is a little shot and his best contributions are in the ballads. The rest of the show is a glorious mess.
30-08-78    C4  Only the second set is in decent quality, but it's a peach. There's a long series of songs in the 2nd set that really flow well,
                although very laidback for '78. Drums is far too long. IIHTWTG is great, but show loses energy quite considerably afterwards.
20-02-71    E4  These sets are wild, maybe not in a good way; Other One > Wharf Rat > Sugar Mag to end the 1st set - and then the second set is
                all short number until we get to a monster 30 minute Lovelight. Hard to reccomend, since the flow on set 2 is hardly there.
16-12-92    D5  This isn't too bad; the proviso is of course the date. This late in their career, the energy can't be sustained through the whole
                show and the highlights tend to be on the short side. There's a Dark Star post drums but the Playin' before beats it easily.
10-12-71    C2  Nice show. The final jam is a collection of seques around a major Other One. It's a weird mix of 70/71 but with a jammy twist
                that places it a lot higher than the rest of the normal shows from earlier in the year. The addition of Keith helps so much.
18-01-78    D3  Tape has signs of a few generations more than you'd like, and the second set is sometimes all over the place on the mix, but
                it's a good example of a great year. Weird (in a good way) setlist with long jams. Only Jerry's voice and the mix hold it back.
24-03-70    C5  This is a great setlist (and with a very good first / second set split): Star > Other One > Stephen. However, it all feels a
                bit rushed, the above jam is only 24 mins long. Perhaps they were a bit tired after writing Truckin' that very afternoon?
26-06-92    D5  Reasonable, which I suppose for thia late in the day is a decent review. I could not find the Wharf Rat "killer end" from my
                previous review. On the whole, this is solidly played, but lacking in experimentation and lacking energy. Set list not too bad.
21-09-72    B2  Really strong Star > Dew. Who had the idea to put FOTD after Sugar Mags? At least it's the fast one. Weird setlists aside,
                this is pretty much a corker from start to finish. Decent jams in Playin', He's Gone and Truckin'. Great show, wonky setlist.
09-09-91    C5  Well played, but annoyingly the tunes pre-drums are all about 8/9 minutes long; well done but not really long enough in the
                oven for me. Drums / Space is a little too long at 21 minutes. SQ is excellent. Dew is good, if done a little fast. Good for '91.
03-02-78    B2  First set ends in totally killer Music Never Stopped. Look at the final setlist, it's an absolute monster. I suppose this show
                is only really missing in some weirdness; after all, the Playin' jam alone has claims to be the best post retirement version.
07-05-72    A1  Bickershaw Festival. Hot from the off - best 1st set ever?. Look at the setlist, maybe the best of the tour. You think it's going
                to good as they wind through a Star, only for the Other One to totally trump it and collapse into a black hole. Totally killer.
23-03-74    B2  First wall Of sound. First Scarlet. First Cassidy. Last ever Playin > UJB > Dew > UJB > Playin'. What a stunner of a jam (even
                though - sadly - it lacks the Dew peak). Rest of show is not as searingly hot, a messy setlist to end set 2 in particular.
09-11-79    C4  High energy show where the highlight is actually in the slow He's Gone - a decent Gloria type jam emerges. Rest of show is pretty
                rocking, providing a nice contrast. Not quite as usually vampy as some of late 79 can be and a decent show. Also really nice SQ.
24-09-91    C4  Surprisingly good Star (a bit short though) before drums, maybe there is no better Star after this date. Post drums has 2 long
                Jerry tunes, unusual but makes the show better for it. Overall a decent show, and possibly very few better than this afterwards.
24-02-74    A2  A fairly typical '74; very long show with a stupid long jam in the middle - in this case the Star > Dew, well worth the price of
                entry. Everything is very laid back here, yet there can be significant bite as well. Near perfect, a touch more energy needed.
31-03-84    E4  Good Scarlet > Fire to start set 2. Gets better as it goes, with a rare breakdown on the middle. The jam out of He's Gone wasn't
                too bad either. The rest is a bit up and down. Throwing Stones is all over the place. New vocals effects decent. Jerry croaking.
29-04-72    B3  Strong contender for "most jammed opening number". Not normally one for complaining about 72 Stars, but this one seems just a
                little too drifty for my liking and there's a bit too much wandering. Mood continues to end of set - it's great, but lacks drive.
14-05-74    B2  Whole show is pretty much quality dead from start to finish, so here's why it didn't get a top score: too much Donna in the PITB,
                first half of Dark Star could have been more exciting; strange place for a Promised Land. I think we can all live with that though.

27-12-87    D3  UJB transition to Estimated is basically perfect, so obviously it was never done like this again. Most of show is fairly high
                energy 87, it falters a little towards the back-end but they perk up for the Quinn encore. Not innovative but a fun show nonetheless.
18-09-91    C4  Compentent and fun sounding show never really manages to bring anything unique to the table. Set list is nothing special but
                avoids the mines that show up in other shows of the era. Energy is decent - it's a show with nothing you haven't heard before.
01-12-71    D3   Ignore the start of the show (it's only avaliable in a dreadful aud anyway) and lose yourself in the half-hour Other One that
                dominates set 2. It's not as good as what was happening 5 months later, but for 71 it's right up there, if just a little disjointed.
30-08-83    C3  Unfortunatly the tape quality is not so great here. Also the show is not particularly special (and it seems space and drums are cut
                or missing). However, it does feature Kesey with a fun intro and the best (only?) Terrapin Station reprise from a jam. Quite fun.
02-01-70    C4  Technically this date is 2 shows, but here reviewed as one. Great quality with this show, except for an annoying Dark Start cut
                right at the end. The Star is pretty decent, although not quite the fun of 11 days later. Decent, but lacking the fizz you want.
31-03-73    B2  Really good jam in second set that wanders around through a field of mini-jams. It needs a tiger or some similar meltdown though.
                It also doesn't really change energy levels that much, although I admit we are nit-picking levels here - this is a very good show.
31-05-69    B2  Ken Babbs seems to sit in with the Dead for Dark Star onwards. Horrendous, horrible cut during Doing That Rag. On the flip side,
                there is a lot of good stuff here and some of it is real unique, especially the 15 min (!) He Was A Friend. Outrageous show!
22-10-89    C5  Decent first set ending with an unusually placed JB Goode. Main treat of set is another unusual pairing, Help > Slip > Franklins
                into drums. There's a space jam after Franklins but it's more 'lazy playing' than an actual jam between the band players. So-so.
01-11-77    C3  Smooth 77 as the band glide through any number of songs, from start to end. I sometimes find 77 a little too smooth sometimes, and
                here that is the case. The band start to get a little more wild in Truckin' - they actually miss the climax, forcing another round.
19-09-87    D3  Great Playing jam before drums. In fact most of pre-drums is good, but the Playin' is very good for the era. Do NOT, under any
                circumstances, go past space, nobody needs Weir explaining Farm Aid phone numbers at a GD show, and an 80's Around x 2 as well!
26-05-72    B2  Although there's a great jam sequence in the second set, I'm not sure it's the hottest of Europe. It's slightly split up as a
                Truckin' jam and a Dew (both great) split the flow a bit. Also another awkward mini-first set to close with. Still decent though.
21-04-84    E4  Second set starts with a nice HSF and transitions to a decent Playin'. However the China Doll that follows is a a bit of a mess
                and from there it slides to "Don't Need Love" pre-drums. Post drums doesn't really bring that much to the table either.
05-06-69    C2  Some killer jamming in this show; like a lot of 69, when the jamming starts you need to hold on. However here the mood seems a
                little more contemplative and a little less overbearing. For the era, this is almost a mellow show, and not as mad as others.
14-10-77    C3  This show has some excellent tune choices, and a slightly surprising encore. The highlight is the long Playin' jam in the second
                set. However, the '77 sheen is all over this one and it needs an injection somewhere along the line; a bit too professional for me.
18-07-72    B2  First 2 sets are excellent, and the Dark Start is a real thing of beauty. It's noted for the meltdown in the the 2nd half, but I
                felt the first half may actually have been better. There's no mini 2nd set here, it's a full 3rd one and is mostly superfluous.
29-04-80    D3  Audience tape and a Terrapin screwup - not a good start. Although the Terrapin failure is more Jerry stopping for a minute while
                he sorts something out. The Terrapin jam is very jammed out for the era. Post drums is all rockers and a bit of a dissapointment.
26-03-73    C2  Strange one. Has several decent jams, however they all cut short a little (except the Playin'), and what should be the best at the
                end, an Eyes > Dew, is weakened by a low energy Dew. Still, one cannot dispute the power of the playing. Slightly missed oppurtunity.
12-05-80    B3  He's Gone jam descends into whale calls - really surprised by this in 1980, it's stunning! Despite an appearence by the latter half
                of Sailor / Saint post drums, I still think this is an excellent show. Maybe a bit "party" but I like the energy they bring here.
27-09-72    B2  Very strange show, opens with a Dew!. You'd think there were 2 first sets with a quick glance, but there is a 30 minute Star right
                in the middle. It's a good one, but the rest of the set almost makes it feel a bit out of context. A good show despite this.
09-10-77    C2  This show maybe has the best Sugaree ever? Judge for yourself. The 2nd set however is a more typical 77. Every song is very
                robust, is well played, but lacks a certain chaos. Also full of 10 minute songs one after the other, a common complaint I know.
25-03-72    B4  There's a set with Bo Diddly, but it's not that special. What we essentially have is a short 2 set show. There's a particularly
                laid back vibe to this show that works really well. The band are confident but not too strutting; even Lovelight is relaxed.
02-07-89    C4  Like a lot of this year, the whole show is on the enjoyable side, but lacks a bit of bite. Good opener (Playin' > Crazy Fingers),
                He's Gone has a good jam and the post drums Fantasy > Jude is great. It just lacks a killer highlight, or something unusual.
01-11-73    B2  We only (!) have the bulk (all?) of the 2nd set. It starts with maybe the greatest seque of them all, Dew > Playin'! The jam that
                follows is great but moves quickly to a series of 10 minute songs. 10 minute songs from late '73, but still a missed chance here.
26-09-81    D3  Setlist is all over the place, but has a great end. The energy is flying in this one. Typical grinding, powerful Estimated vamp.
                Dew is fairly decent, anything after feels like a bit of an afterthought - it's just short rockers anyway. Needed more substance.
05-05-90    C4  Decent enough 90 show, although there's little of real substance going on; the second set is almost entirely 10 minute songs,
                although the song selection is solid. Having said that, most songs are solid, there is a lack of dirge and the energy is solid.
02-04-82    C4  Apparently the show Jerry switched sides onstage. It's got some interesting tracks, primarily the Truckin' pre-drums and the Other
                One afterwards. There's nothing very special outside that, except maybe a Sugar Magnolia that Bobby tries to drag out for too long.
28-12-79    C3  What a setlist - up until drums. Show starts with a near 18 minute Sugaree, for example. The jam in Playin' continues well into
                drums and is very good. Post drums lacks though - it's mainly a series of rockers (5!!) in a row. Worth it for the first half.
27-03-88    D5  Weird, at least for 88, start to the second set. It's really a fairly average 88 show for the most part; however there's an element
                of weirdness present in a few places. Split Sugar Mag and the weirdest end to Fantasy (almost fades out!). Not that great however.
16-09-78    D3  This is the best of Egypt, which unfortunatly is not saying is a lot, since they are likely the worst shows of 77/78. The muse
                does arrive at the start of Shakedown Street but it still lacks a certain something throughout. Maybe the most frustrating show.
15-02-69    C4  Cosmic Charlie with Pig on harp? This show is almost your typical early 69, jams galore. The Star is pretty decent. There's a few
                cuts, some out of tune guitars and the harmony singing can be a bit flat, but it's a terrific buffet even if the cooks are dosed.
18-11-72    C1  Tape has some issues. The first set is missing, not a lot of Bob, some distortion, and almost every song is set 2 is standalone.
                This is made up for by the totally cosmic Playin' in the middle of this, a whirling dervish of energy and maybe the best PITB jam.
05-05-77    D4  This is another spring 77 where everything is "just exactly perfect" and yet something is missing, at least for me. It's all a
                bit too smooth and polished for me, although I enjoy all the songs. Also the promised St Stephen jam was essentially just a NFA riff!
06-12-80    C4  This is a weird one to review. It's an AUD, but there's not many people! It's like all the other 1980's acoustic sets, although
                you could argue it's the best. It's not the best GD show ever, but it's one of the most unique. Tough to review, Bird song is best.
18-06-74    B2  Phew, that's certainly a setlist for the ages. Long Let It Grow jam meanders into a loose space, Other starts and is straight into
                the primal zone. Escape route via a blues jam and an excellent Stella. Setlist a bit messy in places but encore is a great Dew.
20-10-68    B1  This is really hot stuff, culminating in what is surely the best feedback drenched Caution ever. Pigpen plays his socks off,
                possibly his best ever show on keys? He even has a solo. The 40 minute sequence from Dark Star onwards is likey best of '68.
25-11-73    C2  Overall a very solid show. It's primary problem is a lack of space; what looks like a long Eyes > WRS actually stays fairly standard
                when it hits the WRS. Everything else is fairly standard for the era. Very well done but needs a better standout moment somewhere.
26-09-91    D3  Whole show has an extremely laid-back tempo. It's a great vibe but unfortunatly doesn't change. Dark Star looks set to be maybe the
                best post-80's version until Weir steps in with Saint Of Cicrumstance. Show needs a pep of energy at times. Some great jamming.
20-03-77    D4  It's well played but is really laid back, like a good chunk of '76. Decent Other One > Stella Blue is the highlight of the show,
                although end of first set also shines. St. Stephen sounds asleep. Slightly missed potential at this gig, not the best of '77.
13-07-84    D3  Just a normal 84 show in the main. There's a Scarlet > Touch > Fire but the transitions are almost as rough as Jerry's voice is.
                We are here really for the Star, very unusual for the period. It's actually not a bad jam, but very stange and lonely as the encore.