HARTBEATS B: 1968-10-10

Matrix 4513




15:29

There’s some tuning, accompanied by a chiming bell, at the beginning. Intro starts at 2:18, so this is really about 13:10 in length. No verses. Main theme at 7:22. Main theme at 10:02. Goes into 11 jam. Very relaxed version, dancing around some of the themes without really stating them for the most part. Garcia seems to be playing more double stops and partial chords than usual. Gets Sputnik-y around 5:46 for a brief spell; interesting oblique initial pass at the main theme, including a (possibly intentional?) wrong note, around 7:05. Sort of a mini-Sputnik at 7:58, and again around 8:27. A feint at the main theme at 9:48 leads to an interesting run from Garcia, then the main theme comes in at 10:02. At 11:36 Phil briefly plays something that sounds like some of the stuff he’d play in the “Philo Stomp” in 1972. He gets some similar stuff going again toward the end, which makes for an interesting way for this to wind up, and there finally seems to be a bit of energy (although again I can’t help but imagine Weir playing along).







What was said:

This Dark Star jam is better than 10/8 although it still feels more like a workshop than an actual version, which I suppose is exactly what it is. I enjoyed it though and Phil is more present in the recording than the previous one which makes for an interesting listen. When it gets going towards the end it reminds me of stripped down version of a jam you might hear in ‘74, at least in terms of overall vibe.




Nice clam at 7:06, Jerry!




Very nice, engaging rehearsal-type version, almost nothing like the way the full Dead played it. With a couple players absent, Jerry and Phil are able to roam far and wide. There's a lot more energy here than the Hartbeats show a couple nights earlier. But there's also not a lot in the way of standout moments since it's more of an unstructured freeform jam with a Dark Star theme here and there. Mostly the drummers keep up the pattern of one on drums, one on maracas (right?), but in the last few minutes, both of them are drumming away as usual, and not surprisingly the jam heats up and sounds less like Dark Star, until they veer off into the Eleven. (How many Grateful Dead Dark Star>Elevens are there? None, right? But it would have been cool.)