Happy The Man - “Live” (unofficial)
Despite the official Live release, Death’s Crown and the two studio albums, I’m not sure it’s all that well known what an absolute monster this band was live, especially when Kit Watkins was on fire. This was the first live item I ever heard by Happy the Man and to this day I’m still not sure of the source, I thought it was a collection of recordings, but I don’t remember the quality varying that much. This presents the band in their finest form, playing great first album material (and more). Kit was a massive influence on my own playing, particularly after I bought my own mini-moog, one of the first things I did was check out the patch he uses with Happy the Man, the sound that accentuates his most incredible solowing prowess. On this tape is the best playing I’ve heard from him, taking some of the greatest synth solos ever laid down, lines that would make Jan Hammer look like a putz. This is basically my favorite HTM stuff ever and I may never know where it’s from.
Grateful Dead, Hollywood Palladium 9/9/72
I had an impression that this gig was probably going to be really great, almost two weeks since the classic Veneta show from August 27th and in the middle of the band’s incredible post-”Europe ‘72″ tour. No surprise with a lengthy Bird Song (which was really never better than this era), the set 2 openening China Cat>Rider, the monstrous 35 minute Other One that’s the end of an even longer suite with Truckin’,  and the like. I’m not sure the band was ever quite as powerful and as assured as this, maybe during May 77 or early 69, but every time I pull out a heretofore unplayed gig from this era, it feels special. Stella Blue after the suite is almost heartbreaking.