Focus - Philharmonic Hall, New York 3/23/73
I’m used to Focus shows (or maybe it’s just show) that are a little earlier than this one, so this rather good sounding Philharmonic Hall show was kind of a surprise, with a hefty portion hailing from Focus 3, what will probably always be my pick as the Dutch band’s finest. Anyone used to the Live at the Rainbow show will know this Focus rather well and there aren’t likely to be any surprises, except for Jan Akkerman who was really brilliant during this period, almost like progrock’s own Sonny Sharrock. This is the Focus flame at its brightest.
Grateful Dead - Strand Lyceum, London 5/26/72
Grateful Dead - Palais des Sports, Paris 9/20/74
Grateful Dead - Oakland Auditorium, Oakland 12/31/82 set 1 (video)
Lots of Grateful Dead action over the holidays, it’s generally one of my favorite musical activities to load a long show into a changer and just let it roll for an afternoon. There’s something about it even beyond the music that fits the lifestyle in that I often casually listen to first sets and end up in a totally different space by the time the longer jams roll around.
The 1972 Strand Lyceum show is really the Grateful Dead during one of their very strongest periods and definitely the last great period with Pigpen. Some facts: the Truckin’ and Morning Dew on Europe ‘72 hail from this show and as that album is the one that finally cracked the Dead for me (going from thinking dull country rock in the first listen to thinking the band was sheer genius by about the fifth), it’s hard not to be fond of this show. But where Steppin’ Out with the Grateful Dead hit heavily from this period (and remains one of the great live Dead collections released) only “Jack Straw” comes from this show, leaving (thanks to the excerpted “Truckin”) this show’s big Other One suite largely unreleased. Of course, I can’t disagree with the compilers to go with the earlier April 7th Other One suite, which is hands down one of the best the Dead ever spun out, but this one is no slouch either. The Grateful Dead are often pinned as sloppy and amateurish at times, here’s good evidence that they could be the complete opposite, an assured, professional unit.
Comparatively the Europe 1974 tour was shorter and less exciting, although the two nights in Paris, closing the tour (the 21st being the last date) certainly capped off everything nicely and I may even prefer these to the Dick Picked Alexandria Palace comp. While they’re not at the energy level they were just a month before and we’re in the middle of the Seastones era, it’s still prime era Dead…
Unlike, of course, the Oakland Auditorium 82 set 1. This set was mostly saved by the “Looks Like Rain” except this appears to be rock star era Bobby Weir with him changing the lyrics in the most corny of manners to, I dunno, get the crowd going? Hearing “Cumberland Blues” is always nice as well and honestly for an era I didn’t like, it’s not only a decent set 1 but a decent New Year’s Ever set 1 as well. “Keep Your Day Job,” however, didn’t make me feel like I missed out by not having the rest of the set.