The Grateful Dead
Oakland Auditorium Arena - Oakland, CA
12/31/82

Set 1: Cold Rain & Snow, CC Rider***, Cumberland Blues, Far From Me > Cassidy, Ramble On Rose, Looks Like Rain, Day Job

Set 2: Sugar Magnolia > Sugaree > Women Are Smarter, Ship of Fools, Playing In The Band > Drums > Not Fade Away** > Deal** > Sunshine Daydream**

Set 3: Lovelight* > Tell Mama*, Baby What You Want Me To Do*, Hard To Handle*, Midnight Hour*, E: Brokedown Palace

Comment: *w/ Matt Kelly **w/ John Cippolina. Etta James and Tower of Power Horns played third set

Review
 O Exalted Emperor -

We, the Imperial Archeologists, were honored by your interest in ancient 20th-century music for the Imperial Library. As you know, our tunnel to the ancient city known as "San Rafael" has yielded a treasure-trove of artifacts related to the varying assemblage called "The Grateful Dead" -- evidently the 20th century's most popular practitioners of that art form, if the quantity uncovered is any indication. So it would seem we would be well-prepared to meet your request.

Though I fear to say it, I must reveal to Your Most Grisly Eminence that I am a little troubled by this request; the ravages of time & revolution have not been kind to these artifacts -- indeed, only one remains in truly listenable condition.

It is labeled "12/31/82" and appears to be a document of some special celebration. Sadly, O Awesome Eardrum, their standards of quality entertainment seem to be far below our own; of four vocalists heard, one sounds no better than an average imbiber of poppyseed extract, and his singing rarely rises above a strangled croak. The other vocalists do better, though the best appears only on the third reel.

The first reel has little to commend it except as historical document. Stringed instruments of some kind are copiously heard, but to little interest. Vocalists come and go, giving performances that are promising without being definitive.

Things improve a bit on disc two: after a song about 'playing in the band', the participants almost manage to make some real music before cutting to a percussion break. This percussion break shows some promise but is then savagely cut, losing an unknown portion of quality music; when sound returns, we clearly hear a tar has been in use for some time.

The third portion shows the most promise, though little of that is realized, Your Great Fastidiousness. The third vocalist moans & exhorts with great effort, and the band appears to be augmented with some wind instruments. While not of great interest, it does more closely approximate our expectations of what 'music' might be. This portion might be worthy of your Favorable Ear, were you to be unfortunately stricken with the wakka-wakka, and so confined to bed, but certainly not worth digging through three millenia of dust and ashes.

In short, Your Excitability, it appears from this sole surviving example that the music of the 20th-century was not nearly what we had hoped. But be of good cheer -- we have on hand an excellent recording of equatorial monkey farts that will surely reward your listening.

My most humble and subservient regards,

Your Servant in the Imperial Archeology Society