The Grateful Dead
Merramac Community College - Kirkwood, MO
 5/14/70 

Set 1: Don't Ease Me In, Friend Of The Devil, Deep Elem Blues, Silver Threads And Golden Needles, Candyman

Set 2: Electric: Casey Jones, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Mama Tried > High Time, Good Lovin', Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, Me & My Uncle, Dire Wolf, Cold Rain & Snow, Attics Of My Life, Cumberland Blues, New Speedway Boogie > Nobody's Jam > New Speedway Boogie > St. Stephen > Not Fade Away > Lovelight, E: Cold Jordan

Review
Sometimes an offhand comment is all you need -- in this case, a friend mentioned that this was one of his favorites. Since I remembered it being a little on the uneventful side, I skipped to disc two to see if that didn't change my perspective.

It did: we jump right into a band that's warmed up and ready to go. 'Schoolgirl' may not be the most intense ever, but this has plenty of life in it, no flagging in sight, and Pig's really got us hanging on his every word by the end. Great!

Next up is 'Me & My Uncle'. Now, before we all let out a collective groan, let's hear what's there to hear -- it doesn't sound like what we expect; the mood & feel is quite different, making for a nice, distinct performance.

OK, what else? 'Cold Rain'; good, good, one of my favorites, though nothing particularly remarkable about this one. How about the debut of 'Attics'? It goes about how you'd expect: rather shaky in both harmonies and chord sequence. More historical than sublime. Well, humble beginnings, y' know .... you like the Sonics or the Nets this year?

Enough chitchat -- it's time to boogie. There may be dull versions of 'Cumberland Blues', but this surely isn't one of them. This was one of their more consistently reliable rave-ups, letting all their jug-band heart show to best effect, and this version rides with the best (4-08-72?).

This is soon followed by the all-too-rare 'Speedway Boogie', and it's all uphill from there: through a Nobody's jam, a hot hot Stephen, a rockin' Not Fade Away, and culminating in what is now my very favorite 'Lovelight' -- not to short, not too long, with Pigpen riding it all the way down like Slim Pickens on that bomb in the Dr Strangelove movie. I'd be ashamed to say I didn't love it. :- 
Ramble On Joe ©