189. 1990-03-29

149396 Nassau 29:17 (Dark Star I: 18:19; Dark Star II: 2:58

First verse at 5:53.
Verse melody at II:52.
Second verse at II: 1:45.
Goes into The Wheel.


This is another one I attended. At this point, one could expect a significant amount of people in attendance had not yet seen Dark Star, and the reaction to the opening lick is duly rapturous. We have Branford Marsalis (on soprano sax) sitting in for the first time at this show; the Eyes of the World that led off the set was released on Without a Net. Marsalis dives right in, but he could be a louder here; it may be advisable, for this reason, to check other sources. The opening jam is a little chaotic, perhaps because of the extra musician, as everyone seems excited to have their say.


The intro jam is sonically chaotic, but it hews pretty closely to the two-chord template. At 5:33 Lesh kicks into what passes for the main theme these days, and the verse follows closely behind, with Garcia sounding particularly hoarse. The second line reversal of the chords has at this point mutated into a somewhat disordered uncertainty, and this seems to be the case pretty consistently now. Lesh performs the reversal, but I don’t think anyone else does.


They pop right back into the two-chord format after the repetition of the intro lick. Garcia is relatively circumspect with a guest taking up some of the space. As they approach the 8-minute mark he finally makes good on this circumspection, as the band starts to deviate from the song pattern. It quickly gets into a vigorous variant on Space, and Jerry starts in with some flute sounds. Marsalis seems at ease with all this, gamely chirruping along.


The intensity increases at around 9:50, and this sounds like nothing so much as the lead-up to a Tiger! Jerry puts on some distortion, but he’s also a lot quieter here, so the chaos is a group effort. Crossing the 11 minute mark, Jerry has a lower, brassier sound and he marches around on the bass strings, with a loping beat emanating from the drum section. At 12:20 he switches back to flute, then back to a more guitar-like timbre. Branford starts overblowing at around 13:10, which is fitting enough in the circumstances.


This section, which starts to fray around 13:50, is the most cohesive non-song jamming here, although it remains chaotic and overstuffed. By 14:30 we’re clearly in the “pre-Drums” phase, where last thoughts and desultory parting shots linger for a few minutes as the instrumentalists prepare to leave the stage. Here we can hear Marsalis better, and there’s a bit of call-and-response with bassoon Jerry before they cede the field to the drummers. There’s an amusing part where they lock together and come apart repeatedly, right before it all ends.


After Space Dark Star coalesces again for a coda, and a run through the second verse. As the timing indicates, this doesn’t add up to much; all the action is behind us at this point. At one point Garcia plays the verse melody, and as he reaches the end at 1:05 Weir suddenly remembers that this used to go to E minor! No one else pays it any mind, though. They go right into The Wheel when the verse ends.


I’m not sure this one entirely works. The band sounds overstuffed in a way I generally associate with the post-Brent era. Perhaps because of the guest musician, Garcia’s playing is rather indirect and ornamental. It’s not bad, but it’s not a latter-day classic, either.


What was said:

pbuzby:


Branford plays both tenor and soprano sax in this set (in "Star" he starts on tenor and switches to soprano around 4 minutes in).

Like the 10/9/89 Star, the Infrared Roses disc has a highlights edit of this Star ("Apollo at the Ritz") although in this case it includes all band members.

I haven't gone back to this one in a while but it's notable that it started an era of the Dead collaborating with jazz saxophonists that led to Ornette Coleman and David Murray appearing later in the 90's, although Ornette unfortunately never played "Dark Star" and as I remember the "Dark Star" with Murray was a relatively minor part of the set.


Mr. Rain:



Dark Star comes right out of Estimated Prophet as it winds down, maybe just a second's pause. One thing about these late-era Dark Stars, they can show up in unpredictable places. (And Eyes>Estimated>Dark Star is pretty jammy for the predrums section; Branford's presence was inspiring the Dead to keep things interesting.)

Anyway, Branford's quiet through the last four minutes of Estimated, letting the Dead play it out; but he pops up again right away once Dark Star begins. The playing in the opening jam is very busy & dense, especially with an extra voice in the mix. Phil is loud & bold; Brent is loud & obnoxious, with a synthy keyboard tone I hate; Bob has an odd processed sound to his guitar. Jerry & Branford are kind of overshadowed in Miller's ultramatrix mix! (The official release is a much clearer mix that's preferable to the Archive SBDs.) But it's interesting how J&B twine around each other, sharing the lead & picking up each other's lines. Branford doesn't play constantly, there's lots of space between his lines (though this isn't too noticeable since everyone else is so busy). Perhaps because of Branford, Jerry sticks mostly to his regular guitar tone through the opening jam, though he still has some MIDI lapses and adds some of that midi-halo effect.

Phil returns to the main theme at 5:32 to a cheer; Jerry croaks the verse at 5:52. The playing through the verse continues to be pretty cluttered, but it glides by quickly enough, and they jump right back to the jam afterward. Initially it sounds like they're giving Branford a "solo" space, but soon things start going sideways and a freaky feeling creeps in. A meltdown gets underway and Jerry starts switching to various MIDI tones, like the flute at 8:40. Everyone starts getting frantic, building up to a freakout, Branford blowing wildly with the others -- then Jerry starts trilling in a Tiger return at 9:50 (one motif I wasn't expecting to hear again after a 15-year absence!). At 11m they've passed the hump and they settle down again -- still random chaotic freestyling, but quieter.

Jerry keeps switching between different tones, which had been a big feature of his playing in the '89 versions, but here he's mostly played it straight til the second half, now the MIDI is used as a method of disorientation. Very weird jamming here, like demented lounge music in Satan's nightclub, a loping feel with Phil playing it straight upright-bass-style. But by 13:50 the chaos is mostly out of their systems and they return to a more mellow-style jam. At 14:40 the electro-drums start showing up, a sign that it's time for the drummers to take over. But not just yet: everyone keeps randomly noodling away, and Branford fits in well here with his own random noodles, like he does this all the time. After some plinky-keyboard stuff, Jerry turns to his bassoon tone after 16:10, and he & Branford really get off on the two-horn routine, even playing in unison for a while.

Finally the band leaves the stage to the drummers; Drums starts out conventionally and turns into spacey electronica, so the guitarists' return is a smooth transition. There's a spooky Halloween ambience to Space, with ghostly voices floating across the stage. Once again, Branford takes to this like a natural, horn wails blending into the general eeriness. (I'm assuming that's his horn and not someone on MIDI.) They sustain this horror-movie atmosphere for quite a few minutes, gradually getting noisier and busier, the ghosts roaring in stereo. I'd say this Space counts as part of Dark Star, especially since Jerry starts up the Dark Star theme in the midst of the madness: there's no separation here as Dark Star gradually forms itself from the swirling clouds. Not much jamming on the theme, but the unsettling creepiness of Space still hangs in the air. Second verse at 1:45, better-done than the first. Jerry turns to the Wheel as soon as the verse ends in an unexpected (and rather awkward) segue.

I didn't like this one too much, but it is different. The sax adds a new element, and Jerry's not leading so much as sharing space with the guest star. It's all very cluttered like bzfgt said, and not too attractive to the ear; they don't hesitate to throw in some wild MIDI weirdness. Due to the predrums placement it peaks in the middle then sort of slowly trickles out. Space was the part I liked the best, and the Space>Dark Star Reprise transition is a new & successful idea they'll return to. To Branford's credit, despite being new to the Dead he sounds like he's played with them quite a bit, fitting in like a regular member and adapting easily to the spacey freakouts.

The official release has a different mix (which can be heard here) -- it brings out Jerry & Branford more and lowers Brent, and I think it's a much better mix.
There must be ten audience tapes of this show on the Archive, which is intimidating! But Tobin's source is easily the best, crystal-clear and even a rival to the SBD. (Andrew F, Nawrocki, Fitzy & Litzenberger are also good; Berger was Tobin's source before being speed-corrected; Mattes has multiple copies but is not good.) Branford isn't especially loud in any of them, but I'd recommend checking out the Tobin AUD for a louder Jerry and a better sense of the band dynamics in this performance. I thought Dark Star was a lot more engaging on this audience tape.




JSegel:


Bobby starts the lick, people join in on the second round and they drop into the song. Yup, saxophone is in there as they play the theme, he’s riffing. It makes the lounge vibe, keys go with soft electric piano sound. Jerry finally comes in with the post-Prophet auto-wah for a minute, then back to regular guitar sound and rising scales. A nice little eddy with keys and guitar by 2 minutes, then keys start going outside a bit. Bobby’s got a super compressed tone so he really sticks in the mix. I think Jerry is switching to midi-controlled sounds off and on between long guitar runs? There’s a lot in this mix. Phil is staying pretty low, and plays with low note resonances. Keys and drums go on a workout in the 4th minute, and then Brent goes with sax for a bit. They’re all pretty rife with energy and ideas here, it’s kinda cool. They bring it up and land at 5:30 on the theme again. Verse at 5:50, Jerry sounds relatively good, though still raspy. The drums play through the lines, no fermata on line 2. Nobody really moving much on filigree except sax. Finally a long fermata and flubby entrance on the refrain. Bobby is hopped up moving into the outro, then he cools off.

It drops a bit and Jerry and Branford go all jazz mode, so Bobby plays with weird chords and whammy bar. It descends into atonality and short bursts and phrases. Rhythm falls apart, but the drummers start going wild on rolls and everybody makes sound, rolling into sustained atonal chords and fills, for a while! It even gets more frenetic in the 9th minutes, whirlybird keys and tremoloed guitars. Drums pushing it forwards into complete chaos, they hold it in the chaotic loud swirl for a long time, Jerry goes distorto. It finally ebbs at 11 minutes, though drums are holding an odd beat going on down low. They maintain the atonality and sound-making. Phil comes in with a walking bass for a sec, Bobby comes along, it almost takes and the drums start a swing. Oh no, Jerry is in on midi flute at 12 minutes. It’s hectic jazz flute and sax with digital piano, yay. A minute later the swing goes ragtime for a bit, then starts to go off the rails and the drums fade it a bit.

At 14 minutes they get very low, Jerry is sorta cool swing jazz, they keep working on descending patterns.

Some piano flourishes and then somebody is triggering random percussion sounds. In the 15th minute somebody has a horrid bright trumpet synth sound, maybe Bobby? Now Jerry goes back to midi-marimba and bassoon, it’s pretty frightening as a soundscape, super bright digital barroom piano and all. They settle into a horn piece with midi bassoon and sax, eventually finding some rhythms and then bringing it down before it cedes to “Drums” at 18:20

Drums is 10 minutes itself, with big drums for a while, a pulse eventually finding its way in while the filtered echoes and weirdness on the sound start. They build the bass end up a lot on the tympani, resonating. The echoes come in and out, the crowd gets moved by the low end, they cheer. They drop the level, keeping the roll going on til 4 minutes in, then breaks on a hand drum of some sort, punctuated by low tympani, which distorts the system.

Garage door spring at 5 minutes, with echo. (This was my favorite part of the one show I saw in latter ’89.) Odd little sounds in pulsed phrases. Severe flanging on the signal at 6:30. More weirdness with scrapes and echoes. The sound system seems like it’s just filled with flanged echoes and distant signal panning around, at a low volume. The bass resonance is looming, the flanged thing is still coming around off and on. Super trippy stuff, man! It fades in and out for a couple minutes before the Space track starts. People cheer at 10 minutes and the sound starts to come back with a synth tuned-percussion sound coming in.

Space has guitars, making low feedback and midi-controlled short riffs of synthy sounds. There’s an echoed thing in the background, the flanged drum thing still flies in and out off and on. A marimba starts plunking away. The flanged drum gets bigger. A distorto-sax-guitar and then a real sax come in, Bobby starts wringing his chords into submission, it’s all non-tonal still, short bits from different sounds. Sounds like a bell ringing from somewhere, guitar maybe? Everybody else fades down after a while and the bell keeps tolling, then it goes slightly awry. Keys tinkle. Sax sings around, things fade in and out, then extreme volume swells of the flanged echo thing again,. Bobby comes back in with evil little chords and then holds while the other things fly around. Phil is back plucking his bass for a sec, more midi-controlled guitar sounds and then finally a real guitar sound for a second and it fades out into band and Jerry picks up a little Dark Star lead which eventually leads them back though the flanged drums still threatens to blow reality away.

And 8 minutes later we’re back, another 3 minutes of Dark Star groove. Verse 2 at 1:50 into this track, adequately performed, Jerry sounds even better on this verse. They play it through and hit the refrain strongly, up and down each line, sung very nicely by Jerry alone, to the outro. They land on the A as if going to continue the groove but it falls apart nearly instantly and then they slowly pick the threads up to start The Wheel.


Well. That’s a lot of sounds. That drum flanged echo thing really blows away the reality of the arena and eventually brings it back, that was cool.


adamos:


As Estimated Prophet finishes winding down there's a brief pause and then the opening notes come forth gently and then more emphatically to crowd applause. Branford jumps right in and they head out on a thematic jaunt. Jerry briefly has a watery tone that is nice. There's a lot going in the mix but they settle in a little and continue forth. Jerry and Branford wind and weave with Phil working a line underneath. Bob has some kind of electronic effect going. Brent is very active and at times has a carnival-like sound that is detrimental. It's all a bit much really but it's still Dark Star which has its charms.

There's some ebb and flow and it seems like they are giving Branford some space to come forward but before long various players are jumping back in. They ease back again though and Branford works a line that is better accented by the ensemble. Then at 5:30 they come back to the theme (again to crowd applause) and slowly shift into the first verse. Jerry's voice seems a little less strained than other recent performances.

After the verse they reset and continue forth. The players seem to quiet and make room for Branford except for Brent who keeps at it. Although to be fair his prominence on the recording does not help in this matter. Things soon start taking a turn for the weird which is a positive development. It feels like they are spiraling downwards into freakiness. By 8:40 additional MIDI is afoot and things get more frantic. There's some collective intensity being conjured up.

Around 9:50 Jerry starts spinning up what sounds like a Tiger-ish ramp-up although it doesn't go quite that far. It does increase the intensity however and they all collectively freak out for a spell. By 11:00 this seems to crest and Jerry shifts into deeper electronic sounds. There's kind of a freaky marching vibe now driven by Jerry, Phil and Brent while Branford continues to work. Jerry switches to MIDI flute which briefly brings in a somewhat lighter feel. There's more ebb and flow and then it veers weirder again with Branford pushing harder.

By 13:50 it feels like things have run their course and they hover for a bit perhaps deciding if they want to explore more or give way to Drums. It feels like something is starting to spin up again particularly from Branford. Some spacey percussion starts creeping in but they opt to keep going for while longer. It's more subtle and open now with various players coming in and out. Jerry works some lower MIDI sounds and he and Branford intertwine nicely. Bob injects some somewhat abrasive accents intermittently. Things slowly wind down further and then it's time for Drums.

Drums goes for 10 minutes getting more spacey in the second half. Space is fairly subtle and somewhat ethereal in a floating through the cosmos kind of way. The intensity picks up a little in the last couple of minutes and then they gently find their way back to Dark Star.

They take their time reentering with swooshing spacey sounds washing over the proceedings. It almost sounds like a fade in as they rise up around the theme and then gently carry forth. There's a pretty feel now but rather than stretching it out they opt to move quickly into the second verse. The prettiness continues throughout the verse. Afterwards they reset again and then almost immediately shift into The Wheel.

It's a noteworthy performance but not a top-tier one even for its era. I like Branford's contributions but the overall mix is fairly cluttered particularly in the first half. There is some pretty good freakiness in the second half though and some beauty blended in with the madness as well. I also agree it's likely difficult to stuff all of this into a SBD recording; it would have had more room to breathe in the venue. And the Miller transfer of the ultramatrix isn't doing Brent any favors.