11:1968-03-29

7:28




Intro riff cut. First verse 2:14. Verse melody 3:55. Bright Star at 4:54. Main theme at 5:26. Second verse at 5:51. Comes to a full stop before Morning Dew.

This is an early Matrix, reportedly; the scratcher is very loud, it’s a really textural and graphic sound here, and the recording is in general quite three-dimensional. Garcia sounds amazing here (LIA points out that his guitar sounds like a horn on the Cotsman aud., and this version sounds quite similar to that). After Bright Star Garcia plays a repetitive roll through the last bit that’s quite effective. Right before the second verse, Jerry plays a rhythmic chunk on muted strings that sounds really vibrant, for lack of a better word; in general, the recording makes his guitar sound so present that it hits on a visceral level.


Nothing new happens here; note that there is no Falling Star, and this version seems to play it close to the vest in general. Nevertheless, the sound of the recording makes this one of the most affecting early versions. It gives one a better sense of what the Dead would have sounded like than any of the recordings we’ve considered so far.


What was said:

I'm tempted to say this is my favorite version so far; we don't hear anything we haven't heard yet, but what we hear just sounds so great!


If this is an early matrix, it's a very good one. Beautiful sound, and Phil's kind of hypnotic. As you say, Jerry doesn't expand things more here, but he's really flowing nonetheless...you feel like he could solo on for a few more minutes if he wanted to. The full stop is strange, since it's the middle of the show...so rare for Dark Star to not go into anything. I like the final chord they play to signal that it's finished, a cute touch. Adamos asked if the loud gong in the verses is new to these March versions. It isn't...you can hear it in the Jan/Feb versions too, but quieter, so I think it's just the mixes. (Or Mickey was banging the gong harder by March?) Listening back to those earlier versions now, the difference in just a couple months is staggering....the first few Dark Stars in Jan/Feb sound a lot more jittery and awkward than the ones in March '68. Dark Star has a much more meditative feel now.



The shaker is very prominent in the mix, here, but on the whole this one sounds great — excellent quality, very vivid and alive. A really sweet Verse Melody at 3:55, with Jerry’s guitar ringing out beautifully through the Bright Star from 4:55. Disappointingly no Falling Star and no segue into anything, it just ends. Solid version, but as stated elsewhere, nothing really new is heard.



I like this one too. Jerry’s tone and flow are really good, and I agree about the guiro being almost holographic in the mix. Phil is l

ess prominent than in some of the other recent recordings which is unfortunate but you can still feel the buoyancy he brings to the proceedings. It’s interesting to get a full stop version but a thundering opening cord to Morning Dew would have been a cool transition there.

The intro is cut off here, but we are immediately dropped right into the heart of the ballroom with this expansive, expressive recording. The scratcher/guiro is really upfront in the mix, which is a little distracting because it keeps pulling me away from what Jerry is doing (but this sounds so good overall that it feels nitpicky to get caught up about it). Phil is floating around more subtly in the background, but it kinda works here to anchor things while Jerry is playing. The stretch between the Verse Melody and the Bright Star is my favorite but of this version, just a lovely place in which to get lost. I do wish this one went new places, especially as killer as the recording and Jerry's tone both sound - just imagine a 20 minute version in this environment! The staccato striking of the scratcher just before the second verse is kinda cool. As noted, this one just... ends. Ah well. Sometimes it's nice to just get the tease.