[silverfreepress (sdasher)]

The great thing with the Grateful Dead was they basically started the whole "lets invite our audience to tape our shows and share them with friends" way of life. From this you can find countless great shows online for free.
If yr looking for live albums to buy they're many. Dick's Picks volume 1-30something at this point is a great point of reference. Dick was their archivist and released shows he thought were important.
A real wild record of there's is Infared Roses which came out in the 90's. Very atmospheric album which takes instrumental sections from live shows and makes this new thing altogether.

 

p.s. from the Lollapalooza Tour Diaries Circa Aug 10 1995 from Mr. Lee Ranaldo


He's Gone, in August
A few words about Garcia here: Although I haven't followed the Dead's career much this last decade, I do admit to spending much time during the seventies immersed in their music/world view, with no regrets. I have always maintained that SY shared the common ground of true interest in musical extrapolation with them, and that is one of the facets of their trip that I admired most - the willingness to get into 'unexplored" territory of the music/sound realm on a nightly basis. Jerry was a key
instigator of this, of course, for the Dead, and I think it is one of the factors that most endeared him to legions of fans - his relishing the chance to get real, real gone into pure soundscapes at the shows, each member playing off the others, to see where it could take them.

I spent a lot of time listening to the Dead in my youth, saw countless shows, Jerry's various solo ensembles, etc. Some of those shows still stand out as among the best I've attended, anywhere, ever. No bullshitting at their shows, no platform heels or mega light shows to mask the fact that this was just a group of ordinary mortals up there doing the best they could. Many nights they took us far over the rainbow with them. Those guys (and gal) from The Haight covered a lot of musical turf,a lot of history - and left plenty of avenues yet to be mined.

It's a sad legacy that the man known as 'Captain Trips' was brought down by the very substances that he once reveled in, and exalted. One who meant so much to so many people as a 'spiritual guide', pointing signposts to new space, as it were, couldn't control his own appetite (in more ways than one) for those very substances that he proclaimed as sacraments. I take comfort in the fact that he passed on peacefully, and left a long rich legacy behind, but I would give anything to know what really was
going on in his life these last years, as one with an intimate knowledge of life on the road and the trips it puts ya thru. Was he happy with his position? Were drugs a way in, or a way out? Maybe they were just a too-comfortable old pillow, too much the public facade of the man, the 'Jerry' mask which the world associated with him, and which he could not remove.

In any case, I tip my hat to you tonight, Jerry - did you hear us deadicate 2 numbers to you last night, under the full Texas moon.? I couldn't believe that Melissa from Hole mentioned him too, from the stage,after Courtney went on about how Kurdt was up there in that moon, and Hendrix, etc. Melissa chimed in with "and Jerry Garcia too" and I was so pleased to hear her say it; thoughtful and centered amidst the chaos.

Fare thee well Garcia; fare the well, my only true one. Gone to leave this brokedown palace, on hands and knees, to roll on home. He's gone in August, and nothin's gonna bring him back.