9: 1968-02-23

6:48




Kings Beach Bowl, Lake Tahoe (Dicks Picks 22)

The intro was cut on the last couple, but here the call-and-response delivery is gone. Main theme at 1:34, still played kind of staccato. First verse at 2:15. Verse melody at 3:25. Again Garcia plays an ascending passage before Bright Star, which he hints around at before playing at 4:25. Falling Star at 4:48. Variation on main theme at 5:12. Second verse at 5:26. Goes into China Cat Sunflower.



Calmer than the last couple versions. Garcia still seems like he’s holding back, or hasn’t fully found his way into the song yet, but he plays some nifty stuff here.







What was said:

At last, a proper intro! I wonder if the call & response intros earlier were done so Jerry & Phil could agree on the tempo, and by now they were familiar enough with Dark Star to start right out in unison. Or maybe they just got tired of doing it that way?
At any rate, they race right into it...each version still surprises me with its lickety-split pace. It sounds like they're teetering on the edge of its speed limit, but the rhythm stays solid.
I'm noticing that the most promising area of Dark Star for now, where it hints that it will soon EXPAND, is actually the intro solo before the verse. Jerry doesn't really have a specific theme in this part until he sets up the verse, it's just free-flowing, and here he goes on for a full two minutes....almost unheard-of in previous versions.
The main solo here is also interesting since Jerry's starting to play it more dramatically...like the way he rips into the verse melody, the way he ascends into an insistent Bright Star, then tapers off with a quiet little Falling Star...he's got a real structure mapped out. He noodles around for a bit after that like he's going to continue the jam...but not this time.




This one’s almost an instrumental as the vocals are barely heard. From what I can hear, it’s as though Jerry is singing from the bottom of a deep well! I agree, it’s a fairly well-paced, energetic version with a good groove, and I like the sound of the instrumentation.








Ok, this is the best one so far! Straight out the gate with the intro here, into a maelstrom of swirling organ, bubbling bass, intricate guitar and guiro/shaker. This one sounds a lot more settled than previous versions, with a nice, somewhat slower pace. There’s some real nice guitar playing by Jerry throughout, especially the Verse Melody at 3:25, which is clear and upfront; and I think the Bright Star sequence, which around the 4:25 mark, is beautiful and chimes; before a shimmering Falling Star around 4:45. I agree, Jerry seems to have discovered a basic structure and a route is starting to be mapped out here. Oh, it segues into a really raw, rippin’ China Cat Sunflower.




This one does seem mellower than other recent versions but not at the expense of the overall feeling it conveys. Jerry’s vocal delivery seems a little different to me; not the warbly aspect but some other quality. Maybe it’s a little courser in parts? It also could just be the recording. I agree about the intro solo leading into the first verse being one of the most interesting parts. That stood out to me on 2/22/68 and it’s the case here too.


Right off the bat, we've got the synced up intro, no longer playing off each other. The organ sounds just a bit different to me this time, but I'm having a hard time putting my finger on it - different setting? Just a difference in the recording? I like the little descending thing Jerry plays around 1:10 and again before he hits on the main theme - which, as noted is very staccato here. Even though they dove right in with the intro, there is something a little more laid back and, well not exactly tentative, but hesitant, like maybe the group is starting to feel how powerful the pull of this song will get and they aren't quite ready to let it take over. I saw lots of comments about the pre first verse solo, but for me the money is with the between verses solo just before Jerry gets to the Bright Star portion. I kinda like the really slow and thoughtful procession towards "China Cat". Jerry's voice feels lower and coarser here, which gets more noticeable into the "China Cat"