The Board Dot Boot Exchange!

[monasterymonochrome]

Welcome to the Board Dot Boot Exchange! This is our official corner to talk Dead bootlegs outside of our Talkin’ Dead safezone.

For the threads inaugural week / pick, I’ll nominate 1/22/78 from McArthur Court at the University of Oregon. I’ll save my thoughts on the show itself for a later post, but I wanna add a few notes as to why I chose it for this round.  Here's a link to the show via Archive - and if you want to listen on your phone, download the Relisten App.  

1.) It’s one of my favorite Dead shows ever (from my fave Dead year), and is probably my favorite that isn’t up on an official streaming platform. Yes, it’s a Dave’s Picks, but unless you’ve been a subscriber for a few years (or you want to pitch me $150 for the CD on eBay), then you gotta go to the ol’ Relisten App for this bad boy.

2.) I was clued onto this show by the Mountain Goat himself, John Darnielle! So, by extension, we’ve all been personally recommended this show by him. Congrats!

3.) This show has a killer first set, like it’s insane. And since this is the first edition of this thread, I wanted to choose something that goes hard out the gate. Once you get to Cassidy and especially Peggy-O, this thing is all killer, no filler.

4.) And the second set lives up to the energy and ferocity of the first set, but I’ll leave it at that.

A little caveat emptor for the quality of the tape on RL... it’s mostly a SBD of good quality, but it is heavily patched with an AUD for the start of the second set. The SBD kicks back in for Terrapin, but - be advised - and don’t be alarmed. It’s a solid AUD and the Bertha is so great that you’ll barely notice it. Maybe.

So yea - have at it! I’m open to any and all suggestions for how this discussion / thread should proceed. Should it just be a discussion thread where we post reactions after we listen? Do we want to have rough formatting? We could all pull out like: highlights, bathroom break songs, immediate reactions, etc. I’ll also try and update with some background info on the show, venue, etc. when my schedule permits this week.

We should also figure out 1.) how long to allocate for each bootleg and 2.) the order of who picks next.

Otherwise, happy listening!

[chvrchbarrel]

love this and will be listening later this afternoon

[thebosma]

Is there any reason we went with the composite vs the Charlie Miller mastering? I’m ok with either, just thought I’d ask if you had any insight

[chvrchbarrel]

Jan 11, 2021 12:48:21 GMT -6 thebosma said:

Is there any reason we went with the composite vs the Charlie Miller mastering? I’m ok with either, just thought I’d ask if you had any insight

aw hell yeah im already in way over my head

[monasterymonochrome]

Jan 11, 2021 12:48:21 GMT -6 thebosma said:

Is there any reason we went with the composite vs the Charlie Miller mastering? I’m ok with either, just thought I’d ask if you had any insight

Ha! Holy shit I never realized there was a Charlie Miller master on Relisten for this. I just went with the first source, the composite, the first time I listened, then downloaded those tracks and have been listening to the downloads ever since. For sure do the CM version, I’m interested to check it out myself now.

Edit: also a quick guide to the above.
SBD = Soundboard, a recording taped directly to the band’s board. This is usually the best quality.
AUD = Audience, a recording taped by a member of the audience, with their own mikes, equipment, etc. Usually worse quality in terms of fidelity, crispness, but can add the crowd energy into the mix in a more encompassing way, if that’s your thing.
Composite = a soundboard tape that, for whatever reason, has sections missing or fucked up in playback. These are then patched with sections of AUD tapes or, sometimes, comparable sections from totally different shows.
Charlie Miller = an audio engineer and taper is basically the king of mastering Dead tapes. His SBD masters are usually the go-to version of any given Dead show.

[neader]

Appreciate you putting this together! Currently on El Paso and I don't think this is my thing lmao. I've never listened to the Dead before and thought they would be more kinda shoegazey and less southern twangy.

[brainloading]

I will tune in when each boot has a low DL (donna level)

[thebosma]

Jan 11, 2021 13:28:45 GMT -6 brainloading said:

I will tune in when each boot has a low DL (donna level)

In this house we respect Donna Jean

[krentist]

This has the makings of a classic board thread. People deliberating the minutiae of nerd shit and neader saying music isn't for him because he thought it would sound like a shitty kind of music but instead sounds like a good kind of music. I love it.

[borracho]

i'm all in for the 7/5/81 okc show because that's the one i went to. i'm not a deadhead by any stretch, but some of my friends say it's a good one!

i remember all the tie-dye and people walking around with snakes and people drinking some kind of kool-aid and almost immediately passing out and then this lady was sitting next to me and kept stroking my arm and totally hitting on me and i was kinda freaked out (i was only 13).

oh and i fell asleep during the drum solo.

[krentist]

the dead has been my top artist on spotify for most of the past 5 years and even I've nodded off during drums/space at a show. Just depends on your intake

[borracho]

it was a lot going on for me at that point in my young life!

[teekoh]

I suppose I might listen to this. Gonna have to learn what a Relisten app is, I guess.

[thebosma]

Jan 11, 2021 16:03:48 GMT -6 teekoh said:

I suppose I might listen to this. Gonna have to learn what a Relisten app is, I guess.

It’s fairly intuitive and I’m a big fan

[Tweet]

I'm just gonna tell y'all I cannot commit to anything let alone a regularly scheduled 3+ hour listening experience so I'll be popping in and out as this goes. But this is dope that this is happening. Eat shit, boarder who called me a bad word 10+ years ago.

[thebosma]

CHRIST this Peggy-O

[chvrchbarrel]

peggy-o was great. didn't know that one before listening to this boot. made it about halfway thru last night and finishing up this morning. i only had to check once to see if i was still listening to row jimmy.

franklins tower and good lovin were the first dead jamz i ever heard so i really like when either pop up in a show. good lovin' is pretty tight here! good show choice monastery.

[chvrchbarrel]

the other one (w/ close encounters jam) > st stephen....

my head is blown. the first set is good but this second set absolutely rips.

[monasterymonochrome]

Jan 12, 2021 8:49:13 GMT -6 chvrchbarrel said:

the other one (w/ close encounters jam) > st stephen....

my head is blown. the first set is good but this second set absolutely rips.

I'm gonna post my show write-up today or tomorrow, but that sequence is def the biggest "holy shit" moment.  They come out swinging w/ TOO and the St. Stephen is the best I've heard in its later incarnation.  

For those newer or new-ish to the Dead, St. Stephen was one of the band's earliest 'hits,' showing up in nearly every set they played in the 60s.  Those versions are charged and powerful, especially the 2/27/69 version used on Live/Dead.  But the band grew tired of performing it - some say b/c it was constantly requested - some say because it was a little too intricate w/ its interlocking sections.  Those 60s versions w/ the "William Tell" outro section sound especially of their time, i.e. 60s San Francisco psychedelia. 

So St. Stephen was gradually retired in the early 70s and only occasionally revived.  There are other versions in 1977 and 78 that are beloved, but this is my favorite - and the closest I think the song gets back to the electricity it had in the 60s.  The song was retired for good in 1983.  

[monasterymonochrome]

And now for some scene-setting! I've stolen these ideas from the 36 From The Vault podcast, but I decided to explore the history of the Dead's 1/22/78 venue, McArthur Court, a bit.



College basketball fans may be familiar with McArthur Court as the long-time home for the Oregon Ducks' basketball program. It was built in 1926 and hosted its first game in January 1927, a 38-10 win for the Ducks over Willamette University. It's capacity was a touch over 9,000 and it was regarded as "one of the most hostile arenas in the nation." Maybe this accounts for the heavy energy the Dead bring to this show? Who knows? Anyways, the Mac Court was replaced in 2011 by the Matthew Knight Arena. It still stands, but there have been rumors in recent years about tearing it down for next campus developments.

McArthur began hosting concerts as early as 1929, with a thrilling set by violinist Paul Kochanski. I've pulled some other notable, interesting shows over the years below:

-- 1937: Duke Ellington and his orchestra perform for the senior ball.
-- 1940: May 25 – Benny Goodman
-- 1956: Jazz a la Carte – Dave Brubeck, Sarah Vaughn, Red Norvo Trio, Buddy DeFranco quartet, and Dal Tjader’s Afro-Cuban combination
-- 1959: Ella Fitzgerald
-- 1961: Jimmy Rodgers
-- 1966: Beach Boys with the Critters
-- 1967: The Doors
-- 1968: Diana Ross and the Supremes
-- 1969-70 season: Temptations, Sly and the Family Stone, Chicago, Blood, Sweat, and Tears with a revolving stage!
-- 1970: Neil Young acoustic show
-- 1976: Waylon Jennings w/ Jessi Colter and two Elvis shows Bonnie

And actually, the Court's entire 1977-78 season of concerts was pretty fire. Here they are below:
-- George Benson w/ Minnie Riperton;
-- Doobie Brothers;
-- Jerry Jeff Walker w/ John Prine;
-- Randy Newman w/ Steve Goodman;
-- Beach Boys;
-- Grateful Dead;
-- Jimmy Buffett;
-- Bonnie Raitt

The 1978-79 season was slightly less exciting but did feature Samar Hagar w/ Boston, so it couldn't have been all that bad.

All in all, the Dead seemed to have played there three times, in 1969, 1978, and finally in 1981.

[teekoh]

I made it through most of this last night and will try to finish today. Got up to part way through "The Other One". Some stuff really worked for me, but others did not at all. Following up that great "Cassidy"->"Peggy-O" combo with "El Paso" and "Tennessee Jed" absolutely killed the momentum for me. Did not enjoy those two one bit.

The highlight overall so far has been "Jack Straw", and that version of "Good Lovin'" is really solid.

[chvrchbarrel]

Jan 12, 2021 11:16:34 GMT -6 teekoh said:

I made it through most of this last night and will try to finish today. Got up to part way through "The Other One". Some stuff really worked for me, but others did not at all. Following up that great "Cassidy"->"Peggy-O" combo with "El Paso" and "Tennessee Jed" absolutely killed the momentum for me. Did not enjoy those two one bit.

The highlight overall so far has been "Jack Straw", and that version of "Good Lovin'" is really solid.

do agree that el paso took some of the heat off the first set, but jack straw and the music never stopped restored my faith

[andrewvb]

listening to this one now.

the relisten site is really great on desktop too, btw. i like the way they organize shows and you can even see other bands that have bootlegs on there. here's the link to this show: relisten.net/grateful-dead/1978/01/22/peggy-o?source=91481

[chvrchbarrel]

Jan 12, 2021 10:31:34 GMT -6 monasterymonochrome said:

Jan 12, 2021 8:49:13 GMT -6 chvrchbarrel said:

the other one (w/ close encounters jam) > st stephen....

my head is blown. the first set is good but this second set absolutely rips.

For those newer or new-ish to the Dead, St. Stephen was one of the band's earliest 'hits,' showing up in nearly every set they played in the 60s.  Those versions are charged and powerful, especially the 2/27/69 version used on Live/Dead.  But the band grew tired of performing it - some say b/c it was constantly requested - some say because it was a little too intricate w/ its interlocking sections.  Those 60s versions w/ the "William Tell" outro section sound especially of their time, i.e. 60s San Francisco psychedelia. 

So St. Stephen was gradually retired in the early 70s and only occasionally revived.  There are other versions in 1977 and 78 that are beloved, but this is my favorite - and the closest I think the song gets back to the electricity it had in the 60s.  The song was retired for good in 1983.  

This is the shit I came for

[chvrchbarrel]

whats next? ive got one i could throw in here.

[thebosma]

I’d also be down to throw one in but I’m more than happy to go after you.

Giving a couple tracks of this weeks a few more listens before I comment on it but I’ll type something out eventually

[chvrchbarrel]

i guess that's a fair point, a more thorough review would be appropriate before moving right along

[chvrchbarrel]

by you, i mean. im not doing one.

[chvrchbarrel]

1/22/78

big fan of how the first set starts to ramp up with dire wolf > cassidy > peggy-o, but as stated, the 16 minute stretch of el paso and tennessee jed loses me. this is where i start to bounce around a little with the show, because jack straw and the music never stopped are real treats, but i do not get down so much with row jimmy.

however, i can't pick a weak spot of the second set. good lovin' is more contained than i've heard them do with it but its a really tight performance. biggest highlight is the aforementioned close encounters > st stephen jam.

in the very near future i hope to be able to comment more things about specific noodling, sick peaks, etc but right now i am just laying back and enjoying the ride. monasterymonochrome has done a great job with the writeups of this along the way and i look forward to reading any other thoughts he has about this show so i can steal his good ideas. i specifically appreciated the venue notes and the detailed st. stephen history!

i will close by saying that listening to this inspired me to do some of my own dead research and i am excited to keep participating in this thread. this week has also lasted 9 years for me so i did not realize we are still in the first week of this thread. i am in no hurry.

4.0/5

[monasterymonochrome]

Love hearing everyone's takes here! I promise I'll post a show write-up soon, maybe tonight? But in the meantime, it felt appropriate to post this here, since we were just talking about him.