Green Green Grass of Home, Saw Mill, Seasons Of My Heart, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, High Time, Big Boss Man, Me & My Uncle, Hard To Handle, Cold Rain & Snow, Uncle John's Band, Black Peter, Good Lovin'
Reviewer:
Jim Powell
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November 4, 2022
Subject:
what's here, what's missing
Thanks and kudos to Hanno and Uli for creating this exemplary composite of what tape we have for Fillmore West 2/7/70. This kind of careful curation is an honor to the Dead's music and also to the community of Dead tapers and collectors.
This tape times a good half hour short of the complete tapes for the 6th & 8th. There must be considerable music missing after Good Lovin breaks off, with Lovelight the most likely tune.
Uncle John makes unique listening, with Jerry just starting to investigate the possibilities of the solo. 1970 is a wonderful year for the Dead's music as they consolidate and extend the psychedelic repertoire built up in 68-69, add new tunes and expand the generic range of their cover tunes. It's also the year in which they played the most shows -- over 100. Workingmens Dead.
Reviewer:
Mind Wondrin
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favoritefavoritefavorite -
May 18, 2022
Subject:
Fill more runs
This may be best night overall of this run, but only if you appreciate the country. At least it's authentic country and not today's suburban twang rock that's called country. The next night has greater highlights but is less consistent. This is one long set, after bluesman Taj Mahal, but with a set break.
Playing Green Green Grass – surely there was a connotation? They played it 8 times in '69 plus this one. Though written by Putnam (the instigator for Sir Paul's Junior's Farm), it was associated with Porter Wagoner. The big hit, though, was for Tom Jones. The first few seconds are cut. Sawmill I knew growing up, from my mother's love of Mel Tillis (from '59, redone in '73; the original is rockabilly styled). This is the 2nd of 3, all in '70, before New Riders put it in their set instead. On the other extant version, in New Orleans, Jer's not on pedal steel. Seasons of My Heart was short-lived. A Jer pick, sure, but Bobby loved singing George Jones. The 3rd of 4, it too went off to NRPS, and this is likewise the only Dead version with pedal steel. Enough silliness and on to China Cat. Though not as good as the next night – or a dozen others from the year – it's still fine, even with some monitor issues. The Rider, though, is awesome. As is High Time, and they are playing without monitors! A brief set break occurs (a Merry Go Round Broke Down tuning is cut). Big Boss Man is solid but rote. It seems like there are a ton of these, but there are just 10 in '70. The rest is average for the era until Black Peter, though Uncle John's is a little unfocused (does the end jam sounds like the Doors in places?). Peter is buttery and tight. Good Lovin' is cut and there are probably a couple missing after that.
Overall = C+ 3 stars
Highlights:
China Cat>I Know You Rider - the latter is hotter than soup
Black Peter - buttery and tight
SOURCES: The hanno_10527 is the only complete source with AUD patches, though it has some balance problems. The bean_3912 is EQd to be brighter, but it's also noisier. China Cat>Rider & High Time are on the Fillmore West 1969 bonus.
Reviewer:
oh_uh_um_ah
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favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
December 28, 2008
Subject:
The GRATEFUL DEAD "Live" at the FIllmore West, San Francisco, California U.S.A.
5
4 <------------overall rating
3
2
1
<<<<<<< "Country & Western" GRATEFUL DEAD">>>>>>>
3 star mix
3 star recording
5 star performance
The sound guys get some of the show right, be patient and understanding, the sound does get better as the songs play.
If you like Country & Western music performed by the GRATEFUL DEAD the first three songs are a "Must Have" for you, and me.
The GRATEFUL DEAD were fans of Merle Haggard and George Jones. (George & Merle are two of the greatest C&W song writers of all time). I highly recommend you buy both of their CD Box-Sets and listen to them. It's good for your soul, brothers and sisters.
3 American Country and Western Classics performed by the GRATEFUL DEAD. Garcia's on pedal steel adding that authentic feel to the Country & Western sound of the GRATEFUL DEAD.
The first three songs improve in sound quality about 40 seconds into the performance.
The sound-guys must have been busy doing something more important....let's see, 1970 Fillmore West, San Francisco, California U.S.A. at a GRATEFUL DEAD concert...I wonder how much LSD these guys took this night? hmmm
I highly recommend adding this show to your 1970 GRATEFUL DEAD collection.
At the end of "SEASONS OF MY HEART" Bobby says "Anyway now we are going to check out these monitors and find them totally inadequate and unappropriate" then Garcia replies "it's unadequate and inappropriate" after a couple of more comments, Bobby says "so we're gonna hate it" then China Cat starts. I think I've heard this banter before on another show and it makes me question the validity of the venue and/or date of this show.
It's mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter, it's still good. I've down loaded over 236 shows and I might be confusing things...my first DEAD show was in 1971, I was 16.
Get it while you can, get it while it's free, get it now or you'll be sorry.
The Internet Archive recommends RealPlayer for streaming and DOWNLOADING for PC users with Windows XP.
By the time China Cat Sunflower is performed the audio is soundboard quality. Thank God.
The sound-guys really screw up this show, they don't switch from audience mics to the stage mics in time to get the begining of the songs. Bummer.
They really screwed up Hard to Handle. They never switch to the stage mics, and Phil's bass is too boomy.
They dont' switch to stage mics in Cold, Rain and Snow until about a minute into the song, then it's a soundboard mix. Freakin' hippies...!
A mellow electric Uncle John's Band performance with a pretty dynamic jazzy ending. A sound the DEAD would continue to explore for years to come.
Of course if your first GRATEFUL DEAD concert was in 1982 in "Palo Alto" you wouldnt' know it.
Electric "Black Peter" more dynamic than usual.
And by the time GOOD LOVIN' is performed the sound-guys have gotten the mix and levels correct, more or less. But then the songs abruptly ends at 5:56. Smooth move Exlax!
Seems the DEAD only Hired Professional soundmen...dedicated to their job, yeah sure...uh huh. ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz.....uh, wha?
Eat, drink be Merry and Listen to the GRATEFUL DEAD.
Thanks for the Love.
Reviewer:
mishap13
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favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
November 2, 2008
Subject:
Lovely
... how this show grows on me. Fine renditions of some workingman numbers plus H2H and Sawmill. The UJB has some great instrumental lines I haven't heard elsewhere. Well-patched with the AUD, plus it's somehow still downloadable. Do it!
Reviewer:
Little Nemo
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favoritefavoritefavorite -
December 23, 2006
Subject:
Saw Mill
Saw Mill is enormously fun. Jer on pedal steel is joyous. much of the rest is blah.
Reviewer:
geronimo1
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favoritefavorite -
August 30, 2005
Subject:
Dirty water
Another nice performance, but sound is quite muddy.