"If you tell the Truth, you don't have to remember anything"
-Mark Twain
"You realize, of course, that everything I say is horseshit." -Kurt Vonnegut

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

WHATEVER BECAME OF SWEET JANE

25 years ago the Grateful Dead played two legendary shows at Telluride Park. The outstanding shows were only superseded by the iconic image of Bobby whispering to Jerry who is intently listening.
Robbi Cohn is the photographer who snapped this image. She is a transgender photograph who obviously was not offended by Bobby occasionally changing the line in "Truckin'" to "Since she went and got a sex change all her friends could say, ain't it a shame." She photographed the band from 1985-1995 and her images can be found at www.deadimages.com.
Audience tapes of the two nights can be downloaded from archive 8/15 and 8/16. The first night is the better of the two nights and is lucky the better quality tape. The show opens with the hot combo of "Stranger" "Franklins." In the "Franklin's" Jerry manages to mix up all the lyrics but yet he still sings all five verses. The highlight second set opens "Scarlet/Fire" "Eyes" is fine combo that DeadHeads wouldn't have minded seeing preformed more often. Post "Drums" there is another interesting segue, "Bertha" into "Morning Dew." After the "Saturday Night" set closer you'll hear an audience member comment on how that was the best "Fire" he's ever seen.
I: Stranger, Franklin's, Minglewood, Candyman, My Uncle, Big River, Jed, Desolation Row, Deal
II: Scarlet, Fire, Eyes, Drums, Space, Miracle, Bertha, Morning Dew, Saturday Night E: Baby Blue
The second night is a strange mix of songs. First set "Iko," opening the second set with "Push," and the double encore. If you listen close to the beginning of "Good Lovin'" you'll hear a little "La Bamba" tease. This is the germination of Fall '87's "Good Lovin'/La Bamba/Good Lovin'." Then after the "Touch," Garcia jumps right into "Brokedown" not realizing he is in the wrong key until he sings the first two lines. He stops the song, cracks a few one-liners, and says "Forget this all happened" as he picks up in the correct key.
I: Half Step, Rooster, Iko, Far From Me, West LA, Masterpiece, Big RxR, Promised
II: Push, Samson, He's Gone, Drums, Space, Other One, Truckin', Black Peter, Good Lovin' E: Touch, Brokedown

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