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Grateful Dead Live at San Francisco Civic Auditorium on 1984-12-31

by Grateful Dead

Publication date: 1984-12-31 ( check for other copies)

Topics: Live concert

Collection: GratefulDead

Band/Artist: Grateful Dead

Resource: DeadLists Project

Shakedown Street, Minglewood Blues, Peggy-O, Jack Straw-> Bird Song-> Hell In A Bucket-> Don't Ease Me In Sugar Magnolia-> Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain-> Women Are Smarter-> Drums-> Spanish Jam-> The Wheel-> Throwing Stones-> Turn On Your Love Light Gimme Some Lovin'-> Uncle John's Band-> Around & Around-> It's All Over Now Baby Blue,

Notes

SB > MR > ?? [apparently FM] > DAT > CDR > EAC> SHN; EAC, SHN, etreed by G.Gorinsky; with thanks to Bill Golden

Addeddate: 2004-07-08 15:00:00

Has_mp3: 1

Identifier: gd84-12-31.sbd.gorinsky.6395.sbeok.shnf

Location: San Francisco, CA

Numeric_id: 16061

Source: SB > MR > ?? [apparently FM] > DAT > CDR > EAC> SHN

Type: sound

Venue: San Francisco Civic Auditorium

Year: 1984

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Reviews

Reviewer: patnem2003 - - September 4, 2017
Subject: Agree profeg........ reviewer

My favorite Shakedown St. It really goes to lot's of realms. Was definitely an ode to Parish's loss. Damn Jerry could get way down like no one else!

Reviewer: ProfIguanaDeadZoneDJ - - December 21, 2009
Subject: Is there a better New Year's opening?

No better than the Shakedown on 12/31/84. Hands down the best first song of any Dec. 31 performance by the GD. And that's not a difficult empirical test to take. So go for it and find a better one!
As for the quality, not much difference, as almost all are from the national FM broadcast that most of us were dancing to that night!

Reviewer: BIG_R - - December 15, 2009
Subject: 12-31-84

Get the Charlie Miller version. The sound quality is way better.

Reviewer: Augy - - September 28, 2009
Subject: The last really good New Year's show!

I hate to be negative but I saw almost all the New Yer's shows after the closing of Winterland (and that one on T.v. live) so I believe I know what I'm talking about! With a cople of minor exceptions each New Year's show after '81-'82 got progressively weaker!

Reviewer: abilene22 - - March 18, 2009
Subject: shoulda kept the tix

I was moseying outside the auditorium and some suit (lawyer/doctor type) made me an offer for my two New Year's tix that I couldn't refuse. I sat in the park across the street with the other heads and listened a bit to the radio broadcast. We sometimes heard the audience roar with appreciation, and over the years I often wondered what I missed. Well, here it is in its entirety and I missed a helluva show!

Reviewer: jbirdme - - January 1, 2009
Subject: I love that last note

...of Peggy-o. Very Beatlesque, very cool

Reviewer: Zaorish - - June 4, 2008
Subject: WWWWWOWWWW!!!!

Discovered this one about 2 years after Ir eally got into the dead...but this thing is pure cheese! It's furious playing. A scorching scarlet fire, blistering Shakedown, ferocious birdsong, space>spanish>wheel, jackstraw, adn one of the best Minglewood Blues you'll ever hear. Download this now....there is not a single weak spot anywhere! (except that Lovelight reminds you that Pig is gone...but as Bobby lovelights go, it's wonderful.)

Reviewer: jjg4762 - - April 16, 2006
Subject: good time good show

I too was at this show however i was one of the lucky ones who got in for free. I was told to be at certain door rite before midnight. We were there and the door opened just we were told. As far the show goes yes good show however a little short for new years. They played fast and mean and the night was over as fast it started.

Reviewer: gruUbic - - March 22, 2006
Subject: Tunes beat Tapes

Agreed the audio is kinda big, a little hollow. And whomever recorded it off the radio needed a better rabbit ears for sure. But the tunes kick...and jerr's licks always trump tape qual -- there are some rec bumps thruout but they really aint dat bad...

Oh, BTW: thank you, Jonathan Aizen!

Reviewer: jhender501 - - October 26, 2005
Subject: Gotta make room for another favorite

This one just worked it's way into my top 10..very nice..Phil sounds great in seveal spots, particularly Around and Around...Great show.

Jim

Reviewer: Tampa Red - - October 23, 2005
Subject: One of my first Dead tapes too

It's weird that this was one of my first tapes too; it was recorded live by WMNF in Tampa then rebroadcast the next night at 9:00 (at least you didn't have to stay up all night taping it!) The entire show is played at a fast, aggresive tempo that just kind of sucks you into it. Great fun to hear this again after 20+ years!

Reviewer: Tom Kenney - - October 8, 2005
Subject: Aaaahhhhhhh.....

Thanks, Jonathan, for posting this wonderful show!

This was my first Dead boot tape, and I've cherished it ever since. Wonderful to find a digital hi-fi version here.

BTW, might I suggest a better split for the D2 contents? The Women->Drumz->Space->Spanish->Wheel is, IMO, inseparable. It's one of the most seamless and beautiful seques I've ever heard them do. It may be a little tricky for standard CD format, but for 100min tapes it's easier, and for newer digital formats it's moot.

Reviewer: Trannyman - - September 5, 2005
Subject: A good start to a good year

It's too bad the sound on this recording seems to be the same as I remembered it. The radio broadcast was in NYC this year too, as we had a great New Years party. The radio sound is here too, and is fairly marginal.

Good show though, although not better than much to come in 85. The Shakedown is awesome. 4 stars for the show, 3 for the mono compressed sound.

Reviewer: zuman! - - August 18, 2005
Subject: baby blue

don't forget the baby blue . . . Garcia plays some incredibley graceful, weird virtuosic things in there. Best one i ever heard.

Reviewer: capn doubledose - - July 14, 2005
Subject: Unbelievably Hot+++

Start to finish this is a scorcher. Going to listen to this all over again. Scarlet>Fire and UJB are legendary and it's all true what the folks below are saying definately one of the best- A new favorite here. Most importantly this show bodes really well for the new year 1985 which as it turns out was one of the best they ever had...

Reviewer: Lestafari - - March 18, 2005
Subject: Take It Down!

They say Barton Hall 5-8-77 is the all-time best show, and I agree it has it's merits, but for my money - this show contains the best Scarlet-Fire you'll find. An incredible bridge - well done lads! I still get goose-bumps listinging to it, and I'm mighty happy I can fianally retire that old cassette tape with more miles on it than Jerry's picking hand. Magnifico!!!

Reviewer: phil r monic - - February 22, 2005
Subject: whoopeee!

missed the 1st 15 mins of shakedown looking for a ticket (only show i ever paid more than face for), but that scarlet>fire made it worth it.

Reviewer: r.meme - - February 14, 2005
Subject: It Was Viceral

The opening notes of Shakedown rocked the S.F. Civic, I remember feeling it as much as hearing it. I remember Jerry was chucka chucka the chords right before they started and I was thinking, WOOOOHOOOO my first live Shakedown, but when they started it up the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. It was viceral. It was awesome, Everybody hit it loud, and it was a tight groovefest to open a killer show.

For somewhat obvious reasons I don't really remember the rest of the show until after Lovelight, the crowd thinned out and me and my friend moved up to the rail right below Jerry for what was a killer 3rd set. The It's All Over Now Baby Blue is one for the ages, the rest of the third set while a bit sloppy, was and still is a huge gas.

For the mid 80's you can't go wrong with this one.

Reviewer: ToneDaCrone - - November 9, 2004
Subject: SHAKEDOWN!!!!

MONSTER version of Shakedown. Aside from the 10-25-79 this is my favorite version. A GREAT show with a KILLER Scarlet> Fire as well. One of the better New Years in my opinion. Well worth the download. A+!!!!!

Reviewer: Steinbergerman - - August 31, 2004
Subject: 2nd best Shakedown

Right behind 6/30/85. Much higher energy than the previous two nights, but everyone reeling from Steve's tragedy. A party in the Bay nonetheless.

Reviewer: Shiva Ho - - August 31, 2004
Subject: My 1st New Years Show

I finally made it to a new years show...Yeah. I missed last years baby sitting for friends in SF & taping it off the radio. This was my dream for years to be in SF seeing the dead at new years. This one was the highlight of my 84 tours. Everything about it was just exactly perfect.

Reviewer: gonearethedays - - August 23, 2004
Subject: Listen to Baby Blue

I was at this show. After Parrish's loss the show was played with a huge wreath by the stage. The 3rd set and particularly this version of Baby Blue are excellent.

Jerry's normally emotional voice took on added feeling in some of the lines from Baby Blue. I thought at the time he was singing it for Steve.

"The empty handed army is all going home"
"Your lover who just walked out the door"
"The sky too is falling over you"
"Leave all your stepping stones behind there's something calls for you
"Forget about the dead you left, they will not follow you"
"Strike another match, go start anew"
"It's all over now . . Baby Blue"

Reviewer: China_Rider - - August 20, 2004
Subject: Shakin Firey Wheel of Life

I heard this show via simulcast on MMR ibn Philly. Great show - we heard about the Parrish family loss and then the lads open up with the most amazing, anguished, rebellious, no quarter, we will survive Shakedown to that date. Others have written about the Scarlet Fire, rightfully so. Luminous jewels in addition: Peggy-O, Jack Straw, very tender Wheel. A must have show start to finish.

Reviewer: 80's head - - July 16, 2004
Subject: Best Scarlet===>Fire of the 80's

Hands down!! The transition jam between the 2 is spookey and dark. The shows were over shadowed by the saddness of big Steves wife and daughter tragically passing in an auto accident in Marin.

In Parrish's book he says all Jerry could say to him was "Do some of my heroin, It will kill the pain" : (

And you really hear Garcia's pain in the jam between Scarlet and Fire. The tone of the guitar is amazing going thru many differnt sounds from scarey, angry, sad, happy, high and the emotion in Jer's vocals still give me chills.

I have listened to over 100+ versions of Scarlet==> Fire. This along with 5-8-77 and 5-17-77 are my favorites.

The entire 2'nd set is very tight and contains great versions of Sugar Mags==>SSDD. Hell the entire 2'nd set is great!

The first set opener Shakedown made it to the box set the boys released a few years back. The mid set Jack Straw is a nice version as well.

This show is a MUST HAVE!!!! Peace.

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