22. 1968-10-20

9071 (also on 30 Trips) UC Berkeley 10:17

Main theme at 1:41, and a variant thereof at 2:35.
First verse at 2:59.
Verse melody at 5:42.
Sputnik at 7:18.
Bright Star at 8:11.
Main theme at 8:37.
Second verse at 8:55.
Goes into St. Stephen.


The very beginning is cut. Pigpen is back, but he’s not too far forward on this one. This is the advent of the SG and Garcia’s tone really cuts here! He sounds particularly nimble and avid on the pre-verse stuff. Garcia throughout his career has had a truly distinctive tone on the bass notes, and see 4:09 here for a great early example (he managed a similar effect when he began to play Fenders and then his custom guitars, although of course it’s somewhat different—later on, his low notes at times remind me of a giant insect!). Here he switches pickups at times almost mid-phrase, for instance compare just before and after 5:20; the effect is almost as if he’s having a conversation with himself, as has been remarked several times here (but it always seems noteworthy). Check out the variant of the verse melody at 6:55; at this stage, he is very adept at threading hints and quotes of the song’s themes throughout his improvisations. The transition to the following Sputnik is seamlessly sudden. Light Into Ashes considers the Bright Star here an “Amazing Climax” (“Dark Star 1968”) but the band as a whole keeps a pretty even keel throughout this one, to my ears. Some versions are exploratory, and some are kind of tours de force (a preeminent example of the latter, I think, is 1969-02-27), and the difference by the two seems to me to be determined by what Garcia does. That’s not to say that he always leads the jams, although at this point that is the most common scenario. This one is a tour de force, and Garcia held my attention throughout; I had to listen to it again to pay closer attention to Lesh and Weir. The latter is a little quiet in this mix. Phil is fairly subtle for much of this one, gradually introducing variations and most often keeping to a pretty straightforward approach. In any case, this is a wonderful rendition, although we still seem to be in a consolidation phase rather than a period of revolution…


What was said:

21: 1968-10-13

 

115606 Avalon 13:08


Main theme at 1:28.
First verse at 2:12.
Verse theme at 6:45.
Bright Star at 8:25.
Falling Star at 9:12.
Sputnik at 9:45.
Main theme at 11:02.
Second verse at 11:42.
Goes into St. Stephen.

Pigpen is again missing. Very driving introduction up to where the main theme comes in, then it almost falls apart and comes back with a more laid-back mien. Weir is rather loud on this one, and you can hear how integral he is to the whole thing, playing triads in ascending bursts between 5 and 6, and when he finds himself alone right before Garcia’s statement of the verse melody at 6:45 he starts playing something that sounds a bit like Sputnik. The mix makes Garcia blend in a bit more on this one, but he is again brilliant, playing flowing, wide-ranging lines and employing an array of voices, and again some feedback. The run up to Bright Star is particularly thrilling, and Garcia comes out of this with some staccato bursts leading to a playful run at Falling Star. Lesh is almost constantly in motion here, and seems to be leading the way at times. Overall this is an energetic version, filled with ideas. They seem to be mostly consolidating their hold on the song at this point, although Sputnik has just been added, and this is a great expression of what they can do with it at this point.


What was said:

20: 1968-10-12

86759 Avalon 14:52

Main theme at 3:45.
First verse at 4:17.
Verse melody at 8:09.
Bright Star at 10:29.
Falling Star at 11:00.
Sputnik at 11:44.
Main theme at 12:43.
Second verse at 13:23.
Goes into St. Stephen.

No Pigpen this night. Jerry takes his time after the intro, playing moody, spooky lines and again varying his voice effectively. Lesh is fully unleashed here as well, with a seemingly endless supply of contrapuntal ideas. Garcia comes out of the first verse with the familiar pattern from earlier in the year, and launches into a remarkable series of melodies, double stops, bends, a little feedback, and repeated motifs with Lesh providing the perfect counterpoint at every step. Weir is less clearly audible much of the time but his presence is very much felt, and we know how crucial it is, especially after reviewing the Hartbeats versions. He’s more prominent when things quiet down between around 9:45 and when Bright Star begins at 10:29. During Bright Star you can hear him playing some melodic lines. We finally get an unmistakable Sputnik at 11:44. This is still relatively compact, and stays inside compared, of course, to what’s still to come, but it’s nevertheless a masterful version, and very satisfying.




What was said:

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:

Hartbeats A: 1968-10-08

HARTBEATS A: 1968-10-08 25757 

Sometime around this point Weir and Pigpen were supposedly fired from the band, although the exact dates, and how serious the firing was, are unclear (the Dead would play with Weir a few days after this, and although Pigpen was absent, this is said to be because his girlfriend was ill). At the time, this show seems to have been billed as both “Jerry Garrceeah and his Friends” and “The Grateful Dead with Elvin Bishop,” depending on the listing (1968-10-08 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA, USA - Jerry Garcia ). ). It seems that there are no shows that were billed as Mickey and The Hartbeats until the next year, although Garcia calls them that at one point during this set. In any case, the personnel on this Dark Star seems to be Garcia, Lesh, Kreutzmann, and Hart.




12:55 (track time on the above source; there’s space at the beginning, this really lasts about 12 minutes). No verses. Sputnik (maybe, there is some controversy still!) at 6:28. Main theme at 7:11. Verse melody at 9:59. Goes into Cosmic Charlie.




This starts with the familiar intro lick. It’s very laid-back and noodly, and lacks the drive of the Dead versions of the time. It’s striking, in fact, how little seems to be happening at times with just two non-drummers playing (and the drummers aren't doing much). Garcia fiddles around a bit and then at 2:39 he starts a chordal vamp much like Weir would have played; this briefly mutates into a three-chord figure that sounds a little different than the usual part, which Lesh only loosely follows. Garcia plays something like the main theme starting at 5:14. Beginning at 6:28 Garcia plays what I think we can maybe call the first Sputnik, although it will subsequently pick up a few more notes. At 7:11 Garcia briefly plays the main theme, and since there are no verses starts playing around with it a bit. Starting at 8:19 Garcia starts fooling around with a little rolling figure that starts to sound a little like Sputnik. Around 10:30 Garcia begins to whip up some excitement, but I find myself thinking of a Weir part building underneath it, and how much better it would be…at around 11:40 Garcia gets a sweet tone that sounds almost Fender-like, probably something that’s more noticeable without another guitar in the mix (this is near the end of the tenure of the black Les Paul, although it’s possible he played a different guitar for this gig…I can’t tell that just by listening, but I am pretty sure he is still playing a Gibson here, in any case). This lacks the usual ending, as Garcia plays a harsh swell in prelude to the intro to Cosmic Charlie, which does not yet have the Chuck Berry-like double stop intro, but starts with the main riff. Overall this is certainly of interest, but it’s not terribly exciting. Goes into the first known “Cosmic Charlie,” which lacks the chorus (“Say you’ll come back…”) lyrics at this point. I put on the last Dark Star to check @Mr. Rain 's timing corrections (thank you very much for that!) after listening to this. For all our lukewarm reaction to that one, it seemed absolutely sizzling with molten energy after listening to this one!




What was said:

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:

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:

10: 1968-03-16

 

7:25


Carousel Ballroom. First verse at 1:52. Note the figure Garcia plays right after the first verse, this seems to show up here a lot. Verse melody at 3:30, which goes to an Em as usual. At 4:35 Garcia more or less begins to play Bright Star, which becomes more distinct at 4:40. This time he plays it with dynamics, as he brings it down soft and then brings it up again. Falling Star at 5:16. Second verse at 6:02. Comes to a full stop before Morning Dew.


This opens the show (or at least the portion we have) and goes into China Cat Sunflower. At this point the introductory section has Garcia exploring a bit more. This is a very strong version, and seems to me to stand out in the era, although soon it will become longer and more exploratory.




What was said:

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:

8: 1968-02-22

6:22 Kings Beach Bowl, Lake Tahoe

This was posted at the Grateful Dead site in the "Taper's Section" feature in 2007. It does not seem to circulate not, and the only place to hear it is the Vimeo video linked above.



It cuts in some time after the introduction. First verse at 1:34. Verse melody at 2:47. Around 3:29 Garcia moves toward Bright Star theme. This continues to 3:49, then after a little playing around the verse melody he hits the Falling Star theme at 4:05. Main theme at 4:49, played staccato in the style of the time. Garcia plays some funky bass notes before hitting the second verse at 5:02.

The vocals on the recording are barely audible; basically, only audible enough that you know when they are happening. It is a brisk, energetic rendition. The recording is a little too hot, but everyone is audible, and it gives the impression of a rather vigorous conversation among the instruments. It is perhaps a little perkier and less hazy than 2-14 (according to my memory), although both are energetic readings. Nothing new happening here, like 02-14 it's a confident but slightly sloppy run through.




What was said:

7: 1968-02-14

6:15




Carousel Ballroom




This performance is really about 5:55, but here I follow the timings in the video linked above. A variation on Main Theme beginning at 1:27; first verse at 2:05 (so about 1:45 after start of song); Verse melody at 3:12; again (see 02-03) Jerry walks up to one iteration of Falling Star (3:49) before beginning a Bright Star section at 3:52; then Falling Star begins again at 4:13; staccato main theme at 4:31; this leads to the second verse at 4:55 (so about 4:35 after start). Goes into China Cat Sunflower.

This is an energetic version, quite compact with a kind of nervous energy throughout; Garcia comes out firing with a dirty sound, and while he doesn’t really introduce any new ideas, he seems ready to shoot from the hip. A vigorous and effective version, although it doesn’t push things any further along.




What was said:

6: 1968-02-03

5:23


Crystal Ballroom Portland, OR





Introduction theme still staggered. Garcia comes in on lead at :18. Staccato main theme at 1:15. First verse at 1:29. Verse melody at 2:47. From 3:10 to 3:16 Jerry ascends to a high A; at 3:21 one iteration of Falling Star. Then at 3:34 the Bright Star theme emerges. Second verse at 4:00, and out…goes into China Cat Sunflower. At 5:06 Jerry (or Phil?) says “Leave the lights on, would you?”






What was said:

5: 1968-02-02

6:36

Carousel Ballroom, San Francisco

This is part of the bonus material on Disc One of Road Trips 2.2.

Intro is still staggered. About a minute and a half of Garcia soloing before the verse, playing with the melody. First verse at 1:57. “Reason shatters,” “transitional nightfall…” Verse melody at 3:07. There seems to be a kick drum, and the music behind Garcia starts to get sort of aggressive around 3:18. Starting at 3:41, the first glimmering of what we are calling (after Light Into Ashes) the “Bright Star” theme. Around 3:50 full drums are evident. Falling Star at 4:14. Second verse at 4:52. Comes to a full stop.





What was said: