19: 1968-09-02

14:06 115592


Sultan, WA


Main theme at 2:05, and again at 3:46. First verse at 4:49. Verse melody at 8:13. Sort of a flash of Bright Star>Falling Star beginning at 10:38; Main theme at 11:05, which mutates into Bright Star, and back into the main theme by 12:05, although at times the distinction between Bright Star and the main theme is blurred here. Second verse at 12:40.


Weir is rather loud on this source, and Garcia switches channels a lot early on. Garcia again plays the old lick out of the verse. Proto-Sputnik at 10:08. Garcia again is masterful here, and there is a lot of momentum to this and some dynamics, although it doesn’t seem to push things forward much. This is a solid version, but in the grand scheme of things not a particularly significant one.


Despite what Light Into Ashes says, we do not really get a Sputnik until 1968-10-08 (which is the next one we will consider).




What was said:

18: 1968-08-28

10:49 133762
Avalon Ballroom

Intro is very slightly cut. Main theme at 1:36. First verse at 2:03. Main theme, sort of hinted, at 4:59 before verse melody at 5:04. Main theme at 8:57. Second verse at 9:20. Goes into St. Stephen.


Even more compact than the last one, but this is full of riches for those willing to peer through the murk! LIA is fairly dismissive of this one, but I think that the poor sound quality is, as it must, influencing him; I wasn't that impressed with it either when I listened to it a few weeks ago making my way through 1968, but doing this project forces me to listen really closely every time, which if nothing else is ample justification for doing this! I wouldn't call this a standout version, but if we had a really clear recording I think we'd all agree it's worthy. Dark Star has come a long way since January, and even though this one isn't really a step forward, it's not a step back either--like 8-24, it's a somewhat compressed version (now that 8-21 and 8-23 have flashed what a little stretching can do) but it has some power.

LIA identifies an "early version [of Sputnik]" here, which is ambiguous, because by "early version" he could mean a proto-Sputnik, and that's indeed what I would call this (6:23).

Some nice soloing by Garcia prior to the verse, with a beautiful run beginning at around 1:20 that winds up alluding to both the Bright Star theme and the verse melody. After the verse, Garcia begins with the figure that was standard in early 1968 (I think @Mr. Rain pointed this out on the last one, too?). From around 4:40 listen to Phil ascend and slow his line down, which makes a very effective foil for the busier stuff Garcia is doing. Really elegant fast descending run by Garcia around 5:27. Proto-Sputnik at 6:23. At 7:38 Garcia starts playing some low, angry licks, and then he drags the tempo a little for emphasis; meanwhile, the band seems to darken and intensify the music. This effect could be heightened by the poor sound quality; on the other hand, AUDs can sometimes be revealing of effects that are more subtle on a SBD. The crowd whoops in appreciation at the end of this sequence, in any case, so it seems like a genuinely powerful moment.


What was said:

17: 1968-08-24

11:20

Shrine Auditorium (Two From the Vault)
This is a very energetic and tight version, and the band sounds really together. Note how quickly the first verse arrives this time. Garcia does not employ as many different voices this time, or wander as far as he did on the 23rd, although he throws in a major 7th a couple of times, which I’m not sure has been done before. Note when Jerry pedals beginning around 4:42, the band brings it up behind him; again at 6:50 Jerry hangs on one note and the others start to bring it up, this time in a kind of profusion of notes that sounds really distinctly Grateful Dead. A satisfying version overall, if not entirely remarkable.


What was said:

16: 1968-08-23

15:28 (116193)
Variant of Main Theme at 2:22. Main theme at 3:39. First verse at 5:37. Brief proto-Sputnik beginning around 7:27. Verse melody at 8:06. Bright Star feint at 9:41. Partial return to main theme at 10:11. Bright Star at 12:29. Falling Star at 12:50. Second verse at 13:59. Goes into St. Stephen.

This is an astounding version. This one shows that there is a way in which these early versions, in which Garcia is so dominant, and there isn’t a ton of variation in the other instruments yet, at least relative to later Dark Stars, can be a revealing showcase for his guitar playing. At 2:40 Garcia starts playing some brassy lines on the bass strings that will return in several future versions, always in the introduction (see 1972-11-26, 1973-11-11). It is more striking here than ever the way Garcia seems to play with several different personalities or voices that can seem to be in dialogue (this is a conscious strategy—see the quote under 1968-08-21), and how he employs dynamics and tonal shifts to great effect. Check out the breathtaking brief arpeggiated passage that begins at 4:18, the fluid phrases Garcia plays out of the verse melody section that begins at 8:06, the choking lines at 10:28, the volume swells at 11:12, and the rolling section that begins at 11:35, and then the answering barrage that begins quietly at 12:04 and gradually, subtly, crescendos, building the tension for the release that comes in the form of Bright Star at 12:29, and the angry emphasis of the Falling Star that follows. A Garcia tour de force that can almost make one forget how far Dark Star still has to go…




What was said:

15: 1968-08-22

12:10

143144

Main theme at 2:13.
First verse at 2:56.
Verse melody at 6:19.
Sputnik-like licks at 7:29.
Bright Star feint at 8:19.
Main theme at 9:20.
Second verse at 10:31.
Comes to a full stop at 11:58, when Garcia asks for the strobe light to be turned off because it’s making clicking sounds in the monitors, then they quickly go into Cryptical Envelopment.

Lexicon




This one is full of energy, particularly compared to the last few. Lesh is completely unleashed at this point, and his interplay with Garcia keeps the momentum going all the way through. There are less modular themes this time—no Bright Star or Falling Star—but Garcia plays with the melody in various ways, with Lesh providing a counterpoint.




What was said:

14: 1968-08-21

13:45

Intro cut. Main theme at 1:13, and again at 2:40. First verse at 3:03. Verse melody at 6:55. Second verse at 12:19. Goes into St. Stephen.


Garcia with some of his most horn-like lines, and he has become very adept at changing voices so that sometimes it’s almost as if another soloist comes in. (Garcia on John Coltrane: "I've been impressed with that thing of flow, and of making statements that to my ears sound like paragraphs - he'll play along stylistically with a certain kind of tone...for X amount of time - then he'll change the subject, then play along with this other personality coming out, which really impresses me. It's like...his attitude's changing, but it changes in a holistic way, where the tone of his axe and everything changes.").

Phil’s counterpoint seems to be becoming freer and more elaborate now, where he and Garcia wind around each other like two soloists, and the bass now claims more of the listener’s ear than ever before—note how much range Lesh covers, for instance, between 8:55 and 9:16!—such that the contrast with the ROR becomes more stark and jarring in this context, where it seems like the latter is justly heading for obsolescence (or at least the reduced role it will play during TC’s tenure). Weir on the other hand plays it pretty close to the vest, which is probably wise given what else is happening; the freedom he (and, eventually, the keys) will soon come to share is not easily arrived at in a context like this!

The song has become more stately, less jittery, and it has opened up into a venue for freer and more varied playing, particularly for Garcia and Lesh. It seems right on the cusp of something like the Dream Bowl in early 1969, but it stays around this level for a while; as for length, there are several 9-11 minute versions in our future. So it's probably more accurate to think that it has reached a new plateau, rather than begun a linear progression to the kind of thing that will happen in 1969. But that's getting ahead of myself a bit, and my view on this may change, or become more nuanced, as I revisit the rest of 1968 with you.



What was said: 

13. 1968-(6?)-xx (from reel 4 of the “mystery reels.”)

16:06 Main Theme 3:31.
First verse 4:52.
Verse theme at 9:09.
Bright Star at 10:40, into Falling Star at 11:02.
Main Theme at 14:01.
Second verse at 14:57.
Goes into St Stephen.


Lexicon

Garcia explores a lot before the first verse and between the verses, playing some killer runs and getting very quiet at times. His guitar seems to speak with multiple voices. Note his brass-like run beginning on a bass string at 6:42, and the screaming double stops at 8:00 and 9:47! At 11:23 it almost sounds like a Sputnik is in order, but that is not yet to be. Beginning at 12:03, Garcia plays a riff that we have not heard before, and I don’t know that we will again. Sort of Sputnik-y rolls from 13:14-13:50. The longest Dark Star to date; it feels a little subdued, but this may be partly due to the recording. In any case Garcia is very prominent in the mix, and this one is all about his playing, which is at times spectacular.


What was said:

12. 1968-03-30

8:59

Carousel Ballroom

First verse 2:47. Verse melody at 5:08. Bright Star at 6:13, again with dynamics, leads to Falling Star at 6:31. Second verse at 7:31.




This is the longest version yet. It’s labelled a soundboard, but the sound is very raw, and again this enhances the experience. Garcia encounters some static early on, but perseveres to play some beautiful leads. His guitar sounds incredible here, and he rips off some great licks. As always, his sound on the bass strings is fantastic. He seems a little more unfettered here, tossing out ideas, and throwing in the occasional blue note. Great rendition.

What was said: