Grateful Dead All Time Great Shows Source Guide

Preamble.: As someone who got on the bus in 1988 I felt it was important to understand the history of what went on before.  Being slightly obsessive/compulsive  I wasn’t satisfied with finding an older show and then saying “dude check this one out it is one of the best shows from the era after only having listened to it or a few others…”   I wanted to be able to have really done the comparisons both between various shows and between the circulating sources of the same show prior to stating an opinion.  With that being said I have listened to every show that circulates from 66 through 10/30/1972 and most (but not all) of the various sources for each show at least once and many shows more than once. This process took a few years….  The Grateful Dead are one of the most documented bands in history and it is important that the documentation of recommendations are from the best most enjoyable sources possible, otherwise why bother.  I realize most would not want to embark on this kind of massive listening project of critical comparisons.  So the purpose of these source recommendations is to 1.) Identify the shows that are truly highlights of each year and 2) help those who just want to chill and hear a show in it’s best sounding glory and not worry about critical listening by identifying the recommended source.  I do welcome other opinions and disagreements with my analysis so feel free to provide in the comments section if so inclined.  Sometimes I will make comments on why a show is cool related to content or why some alternate sources still add value even if they are not the best sounding.  If an official release or other SHNID is not complete but significant for one reason or another I will list it as a sub bullet of the complete show.  Many times shows that have been officially released also have SHNIDs that are just as good or better sounding, possibly from a different source or a different mix.  I do not always list SHNIDs as the alternative to the official releases when the official releases are complete.  Mostly because I may not have listened to SHNIDs where there is a complete official release.  I do note the SHNIDS I feel are better than the official releases in cases where I have compared and the SHNIDS are better than the official releases.  So Below are what I consider to be the best shows and the source to hear them in the best sounding way possible.  To note if a show is not listed it doesn’t mean that show should necessarily be relegated to the outer darkness forever it just means the show didn’t make my list of what I consider the best shows of each year.  A Grateful Dead show is always interesting so even shows not listed may be interesting too and others may consider them to be better than I do.  The best shows from each year (imo) and what I believe to be the best sources through 11/12/1972 are outlined below.  God willing I will be able to continue this blog later into the rest of 1972 and beyond into the later years.  Happy listening.

Primal Year 1 1966

This is a year where the shows weren’t marked well leading to arguments and speculations as to what the dates of many of the tapes from this year really are.  All that being said almost every tape from this year sounds superb as they are mostly all Bear’s recordings.  In fact I don’t know of any audience source tapes from this year!  There are actually quite a few more recordings this year than in 1967.  Another thing about 1966 is many of the shows that circulate are fragments.  Most of the fragment tapes are very cool too so if you are so inclined seek those out as well.  As far as the more complete shows below are the ones I consider the best from 1966 along with source recommendations for each.  All official releases are also noted for these shows if there has been an official release:

3/12/1966 Danish Center  Los Angeles, CA Mixed Sources to put together full show Parts of this show circulated previously as part of 5/19/66 Avalon Ballroom (via GDH 1990s)  as well 2/25/66 Ivar Theater (via GDH 1990s).  Part of 5/19/66 and all of 2/25/1966 are now believed to be from 3/12/1966

3/12/1966 Recommended Sources:

  • SHNID 106828 Circulated as 5/19/1966
  • Tapers Section
  • Official Release: (1999) So Many Roads Boxset (On The Road Again only and Different mix)
  • Official Release: (2005) Rare Cuts and Oddities (4 tracks)

3/25/1966 Troupers Hall  Los Angeles, California, : This tape has circulated since the earliest days of tape trading.  Often labeled with other dates including 1/??/66 and 1/22/66.  3/25/1966 is currently believed to be the correct date for this setlist.  The Jam at this show is unlike anything on any other tape. 

3/25/1966 Recommended Source:

  • SHNID 38  Circulated 2000

5/19/1966 Avalon Ballroom San Francisco, California Started circulating in 1990s (via GDH)

5/19/1966 Recommended Sources:

  • SHNID 106828  Circulated 2010 or SHNID 136656 Circulated 2016.  I think 136656 sounds better but Cream Puff War is cut on 136656 and not cut on 106828

7/3/1966 Fillmore Auditorium San Francisco, California. Parts of this show have circulated for a long time, well before the digital era. Even so both the 2005 and the 2015 official releases had additional material on them that had never circulated before at the time they were released.

7/3/1966 Recommended Sources:

  • Official Release: (2015) 30 Trips Around The Sun (Complete Show)
    • Official Release: (2005) Rare Cuts and Oddities (2 tracks)

7/16/1966 Fillmore Auditorium San Francisco, California General circulation started via GDH in the 1990s

7/16/1966 Recommended Sources:

  • SHNID 89555 Circulated 2008
    • Official Release (2003) Birth Of The Dead (9 tracks)

7/17/1966 Fillmore Auditorium San Francisco, California General circulation started via GDH in the 1990s

7/17/1966 Recommended Source:

  • SHNID 21064 Circulated 2003

2 Night Run 7/29 and 7/30/1966 Garden Auditorium Vancouver, British Columbia Show came into general circulation in 2000 via David Gans Dead To The World Broadcast on KPFA. Bear was fired after the Vancouver shows so the recording of high quality tapes goes into a vacuum for the most part from this point until 1968.  Hard to say what was so wrong that he got fired.  Both of the Vancouver nights sound spectacular on tape

  • 7/29/1966 PNE Garden Coliseum Vancouver, BC Recommended Source:
    • Official Release (2017) Grateful Dead 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
  • 7/30/1966 PNE Garden Auditorium Vancouver, British Columbia Recommended Sources:
    • SHNID 94631Circulated 2008
      • Official Release (2017) Grateful Dead 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (4 tracks)

11/19/1966 Fillmore Auditorium San Francisco, California Recommended Source

  • SHNID 94106 Circulated 2008

12/23 or 24/1966 Avalon Ballroom San Francisco, California (Show has circulated as 9/16/1966 since at least 1970 because of the bootleg LPs Historic Dead and More Historic Dead.  Research has concluded these tracks are most likely from 12/23 or 12/24/1966 Avalon Ballroom and not 9/16/1966)

12/23 o12/24 Recommended Source

  • SHNID 95970 Circulated 2008 as 9/16/1966

There a few films of 1966 too.  Please see this link for films from 1966.  The 3/19/1966 film is great imo  http://danb.altervista.org/videovault.htm

Primal Year 2 1967

Unfortunately unlike 1966 there are very few 1967 shows where audio tapes survive in circulation.  14 shows total is all that survive on tape. 3 of the 14 shows are audience tapes and the rest are SBDs.  My recommendation is just listen to them all since there are so few total. . Many of the 1967 shows are also most likely incomplete.

1967 Complete Audio List

1/14/1967 Panhandle  Golden Gate Park San Francisco, California Recommended Source:

  • SHNID 9108

1/27/1967??  Avalon Ballroom San Francisco, California Recommended Source:(Aud source Date in question most likely from much later in year.  Also circulated as 1/22/67 and 1/28/67.)

  •  SHNID 16744

3/18/1767 Winterland San Francisco, California Recommended Source:

  • SHNID 10282

5/5/1967??  Fillmore Auditorium San Francisco, California Recommended Source (Aud Source Date in question.  Most likely actually an October 1967 show)

  • SHNID 126263
  • Notes  Despite being a hissy aud source this show is powerful and should not be missed

6/18/1967  Fairgrounds Monterey, California Recommended Sources:

  • SHNID 115858
    • Official release: (2017) Complete Monterey Blu Ray Box Set (1 Track Viola Lee Blues)
    • Official Release: on (2017) Iconic Performances From The Monterey International Pop Festival (1 Track Cold Rain and Snow)

7/23/1967 Straight Theater San Francisco, California Recommended Source:

  • SHNID 125462

8/4/1967 Okeefe Center Toronto, Ontario Recommended Source:

  • SHNID 10355

8/5/1967 Late Show  Okeefe Center Toronto, Ontario Recommended Source:

  • SHNID 10356

9/3/1967 Dance Hall Rio Nido, California Recommended Sources:

  • SHNID 17272
    • Official Release: (2003) Grateful Dead Expanded Edition (1 Track Viola Lee Blues)
    • Official Release: (1997) Fallout From The Philzone (1 Track Midnight Hour)

9/4/1967 Dance Hall Rio Nido, California Recommended Source:

  • SHNID 19526

9/15/1967 Hollywood Bowl  Hollywood, California (Aud source) Recommended Source:

  • SHNID 9192

10/22/1967 Winterland  San Francisco, California Recommended Source:

  • Official Release (2018) Anthem Of The Sun 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (This release also contains both the 1968 and 1971 mix of Anthem Of The Sun)

11/10/1967 Shrine Exhibition Hall Los Angeles, California Recommended Sources:

  • SHNID 116171
  • Official Release (2015) 30 Trips Around The Sun
  • Official Release (2016) Shrine Exhibition Hall Los Angeles, California 11/10/1967 (Vinyl)

Notes:  It is believed the Alligator > Caution on both 11/10 official releases are actually from 11/11 and the “true” 11/10 Alligator > Caution has only ever been played on 30 Days of the Dead in 2013.  The Alligator > Caution on the official 11/10 releases as well as SHNID 116171 are identical to all the Alligator > Cautions circulating on the 11/11 SHNIDs. In 2013 a unique Alligator > Caution was played on 30 Days of the Dead that had never circulated before that David Lemeiux said was from 11/10.  It is possible the reverse is true and that all the 11/10 Alligator> Cautions are actually from 11/10 and what was played on 30 Days of the Dead was mislabeled as 11/10 when it was actually the missing 11/11 version.

11/11/1967 Shrine Exhibition Hall Los Angeles, California Recommended Source

  • SHNID 116172

Notes:  It is believed the Alligator > Caution on both 11/10 official releases are actually from 11/11 and the “true” 11/10 Alligator > Caution has only ever been played on 30 Days of the Dead in 2013.  The Alligator > Caution on the official 11/10 releases as well as SHNID 116171 are identical to all the Alligator > Cautions circulating on the 11/11 SHNIDs. In 2013 a unique Alligator > Caution was played on 30 Days of the Dead that had never circulated before that David Lemeiux said was from 11/10.  It is possible the reverse is true and that all the 11/10 Alligator> Cautions are actually from 11/10 and what was played on 30 Days of the Dead was mislabeled as 11/10 when it was actually the missing 11/11 version.

Please also see this great site for a list of GD films (Many of the short 1967 clips aren’t available anywhere else and are in addition to the 1967 audio sources listed above)  http://danb.altervista.org/videovault.htm

Primal Year 3 1968

The good thing about 1968 is regular taping by Bear for the most part resumes from this point until summer 1970.  Unfortunately January and February shows prior to 2/14/1968 only exist in fragments because a lot of those shows were used for the collage that made up Anthem of The Sun.   The best 1968 shows imo are listed below.

While the Seattle and Portland shows had circulated prior to 2009 All of the specific SHNIDS below started circulating in 2009 at the same time as the essential official Road Trips Vol 2 No 2 was released and all of these sources are of the highest quality.  Official Release Road Trips Vol 2 No 2 and the bonus disc is an essential release for the Jan 68 through 2/14/68 period.  Many of the songs on the official release had never circulated at all prior to 2009 and it also includes the complete 2/14/68.

1/20/1968 Municipal Auditorium Eureka, California Combine all sources to get all the material that circulates

  • SHNID 11795 Circulated 2009
  • Official Release (2009) Road Trips Vol 2 No2 and Bonus Disc (Viola Lee Blues, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl)

1/26/1968  Eagles Auditorium Seattle, WA Recommended Sources:(incorrectly circulates as 1/22/1968)

  • SHNID 97342 Circulated 2009 as 1/22/1968

1/27/1968 Eagles Auditorium Seattle, WA(often incorrectly circulates as 1/23/1968) Combine all sources to get all the material that circulates

  • SHNID 97343 Circulated 2009 as 1/23/1968
  • SHNID 97344 Circulated 2009
  • Official Release (2009) Road Trips Vol 2 No2 and Bonus Disc (BIODTL, Hurts Me Too, Viola Lee Blues, Dark Star >China Cat > The Eleven)

1/30/1968 EMU Ballroom Eugene, Oregon Recommended Source:

  • Official Release (2009) Road Trips Vol 2 No2 Bonus Disc (New Potato Caboose)

2/2/1968 Crystal Ballroom Portland, Oregon Combine all sources to get all the material that circulates

  • SHNID 97345 Circulated 2009
  • Official Release (2009) Road Trips Vol 2 No2 (Dark Star)

2/3/1968 Crystal Ballroom Portland, Oregon Recommended Source

  • SHNID 97346 Circulated 2009

2/14/1968 Carousel Ballroom Recommended Source:

  • Official Release (2009) Road Trips Volume 2 No 2

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Post 2/14/68 Essential shows are below.  For whatever reason most of the May and June 1968 Carousel shows have never circulated and almost assuredly the Bear estate has a lot of these in their vault (unless they were lost when he went to jail) so hopefully those will come out as official releases at some point in the future from Owsley Foundation or others.

Kings Beach Bowl 3 night run Lake Tahoe California  2/22/1968 through 2/24/1968 Recommended Sources

  • 2/22/68 was circulated on one of the earliest taper sections (2006?) by David Lemeiux.   It currently does not have an SHNID.
  • 2/23/68 and 2/24/68 Official Release: (2001)  Dicks Picks 22

Carousel Ballroom 2 nights of the 3 night run 3/15/1968 through 3/17/1968.  These may be my favorite shows of all of 1968  (3/15 does not circulate) Recommended Sources for 3/16 and 3/17/1968

  • 3/16/1968  SHNID 109944  Circulated 2010
    • Official Release (1999) So Many Roads (Dark Star > China Cat > The Eleven)
  • 3/17/1968 Official Release (2005) Download Series Volume 6 2nd set only 1st set does not circulate

Carousel Ballroom 3 night run 3/29/1968 through 3/31/1968.  Recommended Sources:

  • 3/29/1968 SHNID 108993 Circulated 2010
  • 3/30/1968 SHNID 108994 Circulated 2010
  • 3/31/1968 SHNID 108995 Circulated 2010

Fillmore West 2 nights of the 3 night run 8/20/1968 through 8/22/1968. Recommended Sources for 8/21 and 8/22

  • 8/21/1968 SHNID 139746 Circulated 2017
  • 8/22/1968 SHNID 143144 Circulated 2018

Shrine Auditorium 2 night run 8/23 and 8/24/1968

Recommended Sources for 8/23/1968

  • SHNID 116193 Complete Show Circulated 2011,
    • Official Release (2003) Anthem Of The Sun Expanded Edition (Alligator thru We Bid You Goodnight)
    • Official Release (2007) Two From The Vault Bonus Disc (Alligator thru We Bid You Goodnight)
  • 8/24/1968 Shrine Auditorium Recommended Source
    • Official Release (1992, 2007) Two From The Vault.  Note: 1992 release does not contain the Bonus disc with the 8/23/1968 material like the 2007 rerelease does. 2007 release may also have been a remastering.

9/2/1968 Betty Nelsons Organic Raspberry Farm Recommended Source

  • SHNID 115592 Circulated 2011

Avalon Ballroom 2 nights of 3 night run 10/11/1968 through 10/13/1968 Recommended Sources for 10/12 and 10/13 1968

  • 10/12/1968 SHNID 139745 Circulated 2017
  • 10/13/1968 Avalon SHNID 115606 Circulated 2011.  This is the night Jimi showed up and was planning to jam with the Grateful Dead.  However, the dead kept playing through the curfew and did not invite Jimi onstage because according to Chet Helms they were pissed he was supposed to show up the night before and he had blown them off to be with a girl instead.  This is a true shame as because of this they never jammed together.  Considering Jimi himself had played 2 shows at Winterland the on 10/12 I am sure he wanted to wind down and maybe not jam after 2 complete shows with the Dead despite being invited.  I think the Dead overreacted to Jimi’s behavior on the 12th and considering Jimi had the 13th off completely this really might have been cool.  As it is the show is great even without Jimi.

??/??/1968 5 Mystery reels unlabeled

  • SHNID 9426 Circulated 2007 Some great stuff on here.  There is some talk that at least some of these reels may be from The Grande Ballroom in Detroit.  It’s also possible some of these may be from the missing May and June Carousel runs.

1969

Nearly every 1969 show was taped by Bear and there were a ton of shows played in 1969.  However, setlists did not vary as much at this time as they did in later years.  Tons of sets are with Dark Star > St. Stephen >The Eleven > Lovelight which have plenty of room for improv within the songs themselves.  There are a lot of great 69 shows.  The year started out with a show in Santa Barbara and then a 3 night run at the Avalon Ballroom. These are ok but don’t make my essential list.  This was followed by a Midwest tour they clearly did not want to go on.  At least 2 of the shows from February in the Midwest have Jerry insulting the audience and stating on mic they are playing to people who just don’t get it.  (Not cool Jerry to insult fans who paid to see you!).  There is one hidden gem from the Feb Midwest tour and it is the Kansas City show which no one ever seems to talk about and it is smokin’.  Below are what I think are the essential 1969 shows. 

2/5/1969 Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall Kansas City, Kansas

  • SHNID 8993 Circulated 2009

Fillmore West 4 Night Run 2/27/1969 thru 3/2/1969.  This whole run is great!  High quality versions of these shows have also circulated since the earliest days of tape trading.  Multiple sources exist including the Official Complete Box set.  Very hard to find the official box set now and when you do it is very pricey.  The initial Box set release also had a bonus disc on it which included material from 6/14/68 Fillmore East Late Show, 6/8/69 Fillmore West and 2/7/70 Fillmore West.  There is also an abbreviated Compilation release of Highlights of this run released at the same time as the full box set. (Not listed below)  Additionally parts of this run were on the first ever Live GD LP Live Dead.  Since Live Dead has been released on CD it has also had 2 significantly different mixes in 1988 and 2003. Beginning 2018 2/27, 2/28 and 3/1 have all been released on vinyl. These LPs are Plangent processed and stellar. By nature due to Plangent Processing they are also a bit different than the boxset. Fortunately if you can’t find the boxset or the vinyl prices you out there are some great SHNIDs out there too for these shows.  Most of the sources are very good as.  I have not compared them all but the ones I have listened to are great in their own right.  So choose the one you think looks best from the SHNID descriptions.  To note newer SHNIDs are not always better so be careful to read the descriptions as to what is different between the sources before deciding. Any way you look at it there are a ton of choices in how you can listen to this run and most if not all are great!

  • 2/27/1969 Official Release (2005) Fillmore East Complete Recordings Boxset                     
    • Official Release (2018) 2/27/1969 Vinyl
    • Official Release (1969) Live Dead Vinyl (Dark Star, St. Stephen)  CD Releases (1988, 2003)
    • Official Release (1999) So Many Roads (The Other One)
  • 2/28/1969 Official Release (2005) Fillmore East Complete Recordings Boxset
    • Official Release (2019) 2/28/1969 Vinyl
  • 3/1/1969 Official Release (2005) Fillmore East Complete Recordings Boxset
    • Official Release (2022) 3/1/1969 Vinyl
  • 3/2/1969 Official Release (2005) Fillmore East Complete Recordings Boxset
    • Official Release (1969) Live Dead Vinyl (Death Don’t Have No Mercy, Feedback, We Bid You Goodnight)  CD Releases (1988, 2003)

Avalon Ballroom 2 nights of the 3 night Run  4/4/1969 thru 4/6/1969.  This run circulated in the taping world since at least 1970 if not sooner.

  • 4/5/1969 SHNID 136650  Circulated 2016. This SHNID is by far the best source ever circulated don’t even bother with the others I have compared them all.
  • 4/6/1969  SHNID 135956 Circulated 2016.  There are newer and older SHNIDs available but I think this one which was transferred from a Betamax tape sounds great compared to SHNID 9492.  I haven’t checked out the newer SHNIDs out as I think 135956 sounds awesome already.  Newer SHNIDS are not always better.

The Ark 3 night run 4/21/1969 through 4/23/69.  This is a great run and all 3 shows are essential.  These have circulated among tapers for quite awhile.  I have noted what I believe are the best SHNID sources digitally.

  • 4/21/1969 SHNID 124439   Circulated 2007
  • 4/22/1969 SHNID 88466   Circulated 2007
  • 4/23/1969 SHNID 98968 Circulated 2009

Fillmore West 4 Night run 6/5/1969 thru 6/8/1969.  This is a great run highlighted by multiple guests and very loose jams.

  • 6/5/1969 SHNID 135483   Circulated 2016
  • 6/6/1969 SHNID 135518   Circulated 2016
  • 6/7/1969 SHNID 132685   Circulated 2015   With Janis Joplin. 
  • 6/8/1969 SHNID 123986 Circulated 2010    With Wayne Cabellos and Elvin Bishop.  Jerry absent on some tracks.  Very loose night.
    • Official Release Official Release (2005) Fillmore East Complete Recordings Boxset Bonus Disc (He Was A Friend Of Mine, China Cat, New Potato Caboose)

6/14/1969 Penisula College Monterey, California  Wayne Cabellos sits in again!

  • SHNID 5182 Circulated 2008

New York State Pavillion 2 night run 7/11 and 7/12/1969 SBDS first circulated in 1985

  • 7/11/1969 SHNID 123418 Circulated 2013,  SHNID 136663 Circulated 2015 and may be an upgrade I haven’t listened to it.
  • 7/12/1969 SHNID 123434 Circulated 2013,  SHNID 136664 Circulated 2015 is an upgrade but contains less of the show.    Pigpen gets Mickey to sing at this show!  Great Lovelight

Family Dog At The Great Highway 2 night run 8/2 and 8/3/1969

  • 8/2/1969 SHNID 30651 Circulated 2005
  • 8/3/1969 SHNID 30652 Circulated 2005 Cassette Master,  SHNID 137365 Reel Master with Cassette Patches Circulated 2016.  This show contains guests on violin and saxophone!

8/23/1969 Pelletier Farm St. Helens, Oregon

  • SHNID 2196  Circulated 2000

Family Dog At The Great Highway 2 night run 8/29 and 8/30/1969

  • 8/29/1969 SHNID 123101 Circulated 2012
  • 8/30/1969 SHNID 123076 Circulated 2012.  Part of this show circulated on tapes from the early days.

9/1/1969 Baton Rouge Speedway  Baton Rouge, Louisiana

  • SHNID 19963 Circulated 2010

9/6/1969 Family Dog At The Great Highway.  This show is significant as it was the Grateful Dead opening for Jefferson Airplane and there is a great jam involving both bands at the end.  The Airplane are awesome on this night as well and probably better than the Grateful Dead.  Jack Casady is on fire during some of the jams.   Just a great overall show.  Unfortunately it is a mess to get all of the contents for the show together in one place

  • SHNID 16608 Circulated 2003  Contains both Jefferson Airplane and GD sets along with the allstar Jam but not all of GDs set.  More of GDs set is available from Tapers Section Aug 4 2011. More previously missing GD material is available on SHNID 135153 Circulated 2016

10/25/1969  Winterland San Francisco, California

  • SHNID 81 Circulated 2000.  Great Dark Star and Stephen Stills sits in on Lovelight

Family Dog At The Great Highway 2 night Run 11/1 and 11/2/1969

  • 11/1/1969 SHNID 6298 Circulated 2001
  • 11/2/1969 SHNID 32350 Circulated 2006

Fillmore Auditorium 2 night run 11/7 and 11/8/1969

  • 11/7/1969 SHNID 119628 Circulated 2012
    •  Official Release (2000) Dicks Picks 16 (1 track Lovelight)
  • 11/8/1969 Official Release (2000) Dicks Picks 16

Thelma Theater 3 night run 12/10/1969 through 12/12/1969 Tapes have circulated since the 70s/80s.

  • 12/10/1969 SHNID 8897 Circulated 2008  Steven Stills sits in for most of the second half of the first set.  Also includes Black Queen.
  • 12/11/1969 SHNID 10987 Circulated 2008, Official Release (2010) Daves Picks 10 Bonus Disc.  Combining these 2 will give you the full show.  There are also some interesting AUD SHNIDs that came out after 2008 I have never listened to.
  • 12/12/1969 Official Release (2010) Daves Picks 10  This show circulated at least since the 80s.  The official release is a nice upgrade.

Boston Tea Party 3 night run 12/29/1969 thru 12/31/1969  Something about Boston some great shows when they play there.  Tapes for these shows were well circulated among traders since the 70s.

  • 12/29/1969 SHNID 96143 Circulated 2009
  • 12/30/1969 SHNID 28469 Circulated 2005
  • 12/31/1969 SHNID 95420 Circulated 2008

1970 

1970 was not the best year for taping as after February Bear no longer left California due to being on probation.  So that meant with a few exceptions outside of the California shows Feb through July we do not have SBDS.  Major exceptions are 5/1/70, 5/2/70, 5/14/70 and 5/15/70 recorded by Bob Matthews and a few others like the Sept Fillmore East Run and the October SUNY shows(the SUNY shows don’t make my list of all timers).  After July Bear went to prison so not even California shows got recorded by him.  Regular SBD taping did not resume until December 1970 when Bob Matthews and later Betty Cantor resumed recording high quality SBDs into the early 80s.  What this means is there are huge swaths of 1970 that are only represented via AUD recordings or in some cases not at all. Another thing about 1970 shows is starting in May 1970 the New Riders almost invariably either opened or played a middle set between the Dead’s 1st and 2nd sets.  Jerry was a proper band member of the New Riders and Bobby would often sit in as well.  Jerry was an actual band member of NRPS until 11/11/1971 when Buddy Cage replaced him.  The New Riders sets from May 70 through 11/11/71 are almost inseparable from the entirety of the Grateful Dead shows during that period and are also essential.  Jerry plays beautifully in some of these shows as part of NRPS for sure.  Buddy Cage was no slouch and great in his own right but NRPS with Jerry definitely has a special feel to it. Below are what I consider to be the essential 1970 shows.

1/2/1970 Fillmore East Early and Late Shows  There are reel SBD masters and cassette SBD masters.  What currently circulates for 1/2/70  is from the reel masters and has a couple of harsh cuts.  The official release will patch in the cassette masters so we will no longer have the harsh cuts…)

  • SHNID 13735 Circulated 2016 Show has circulated since early days of tape trading.  This is an awesome show that doesn’t seem to get the same attention as 2/11, 2/13 and 2/14 but it should! This source is the best source that circulates but still has a few cuts that were on Bear’s reel masters.  Great Dark Star and a unique Other One never heard before or since.  Also Band of Gypsys played 2 shows a night on 12/31 and 1/1 followed by the Dead playing 2 shows a night on 1/2/70 and 1/3/70.  Making 8 great shows in 4 days at the Fillmore East.  I don’t find the 1/3 shows to be quite to the level of 1/2 so not included in my best of list. 
  • Official Release (2019)  Daves Picks 30 Proper release and bonus disc also includes the highlights of 1/3 and is probably the best of 1/3.  Good news is while incomplete the 1/3 stuff sounds significantly better than any of the SHNIDs circulating to date. 1/2 on the other hand despite being plangent processed I think sound better on the circulating SHNID

Civic Auditorium Honolulu 2 Night Run 1/23 and 1/24/70

  • Official Release (2016) Daves Picks 19 All that is known to exist of both shows.  Mostly significant for The Other One on 1/24.

The Warehouse New Orleans 3 night Run 1/30 thru 2/1/70

  • 1/30/1970 SHINID 10546 Circulated 2002
  • 1/31/1970 SHNID 24028 Circulated 2002
  • 2/1/1970 SHNID 126275  Circulated 2013  This is a bottlehead tube transfer and is fantastic!  Unbelievable sound.

2/2/1970 Fox Theater St. Louis

  • Official Release (2013) Daves Picks 6  Part of this show has circulated since the 90s but the whole show did not circulate until the Daves Picks release in 2013

Fillmore East 2/11 , 2/13 and 2/14/70 2 shows each night.  What can you say about these shows?  Legendary among tape traders and for good reason.  All 3 of these nights (6 shows total) live up to the hype and are absolutely essential Dead shows for any year.  There have been official releases Bears Choice (1973), Dicks Picks 4 (1996) and some Bears Choice bonus tracks(2003) covering these shows but none of them are complete shows.  In the case of these shows I absolutely recommend the bottlehead tube and Charlie Miller transfers over the official releases (not something I regularly do).  The bottlehead tube transfers and the Charlie Miller transfers simply sound better than the official releases and they are for the most part complete. There are also interesting AUD sources available for these shows.  Best sources in my opinion below.

  • 2/11/1970 Early Show SHNID 126251 Circulated 2013 Bottlehead tube transfer! plus one track Black Peter which was only ever played on tapers section
  • 2/11/1970 Late Show SHNID 126251 Circulated 2013 Bottlehead Tube Transfer!  This is the legendary show with Peter Green, Greg Allman and Berry Oakley.  It has never sounded so good as it does on this source.  Phenomenal.
  • 2/13/1970  Early and Late Show SHNID 97639 Circulated 2009
    • Official Release (1973) Bears Choice (Katie Mae, Wake Up Little Susie, Black Peter,Smokestack Lightnin)
    • Official Release (1996) Dicks Picks 4 (Dark Star > Cryptical > Other One > Lovelight)
    • Official Release (2003) Bears Choice with Bonus Tracks (Good Lovin’)
  • 2/14/1970 Early and Late Show SHNID 97644 Circulated 2009  There is a new transfer which has been circulated in 2018 on SHNID 1441007 where they swapped channels to where the transferee thought the instruments would have been on stage but I don’t see how it can sound any better than 97644 and frankly I don’t trust that hocus pocus so I haven’t listened to the newer SHNID.
    • Official Release (1973) Bears Choice (Dark Hollow, I’ve Been All Around This World and Hard To Handle)
    • Official Release (1996) Dicks Picks 4 (14 Tracks)

2 Night Run Capitol Theater 3/20 and 3/21/1970 2 shows a night. The Early show from 3/20 does not circulate.  These are AUD recordings but very good ones and despite being AUDS I find these to be essential.

  • 3/20/1970 Late Show SHNID 14287 Circulated 2003
  • 3/21/1970 Early Show SHNID 20184 Circulated 2004
  •  3/21/1970 Late Show SHNDID 21779 Circulated 2004

5/1/1970 Alfred College Alfred, New York

  • SHNID 95683 Circulated 2008.  NRPS set does not circulate

5/2/1970 Harpur College Binghamton, New York

  • Official Release (1997)  Dicks Picks 8  is entire GD portion of show except Cold Rain (which was an out of tune mess anyway)  The Cold Rain and the NRPS set circulate via SHNID 138277 circulated 2017.  This is a great and legendary show with a great acoustic set and has circulated forever among tape traders (The complete NRPS set is new to circulation in 2017 and is awesome too).  A deserved legendary show.

5/14/1970 Meramac Community College Kirkwood, Missouri.  Great show sequence and the anger about Kent State is still in the air with Pigpen saying Fuck the pigs at the end of the show.  Unfortunately you kind of need to be a prospector to put the whole show together.  Part of this show originally circulated on GDH by David Gans in the 90s

  • SHNID 136645 Circulated 2016 Contains the Complete Electric Set plus  Cold Jordan.  It does not contain the Acoustic Dead set or the NRPS set
  • SHNID 28716 Circulated 2005 Contains Acoustic Dead set, NRPS set and the Electric Dead set but does not have the Cold Jordan Encore.
    • Official Release (2010) Road Trips Number 3 Volume 3 Bonus Disc Contains the best part of the show which is a great sequence of New Speedway > Nobody’s Fault > New Speedway>St. Stephen > Not Fade > Lovelight to end this spectacular show.

5/15/1970 Fillmore East Early and Late Show.  A couple more legendary shows that have circulated forever. These are super long shows as well and one of the longest nights they probably ever played between both shows.   There are also AUD SHNIDs that circulate for these shows.

  • SHNID 29743 Circulated 2005 Contains Both Early and Late shows complete and both NRPS sets complete.  Sound is great but I find the official release to be slightly better.
    • Official Release (2010) Road Trips Number 3 Volume 3 and the Bonus Disc contains most of both GD 5/15/70 shows but not complete along with a good chunk of 5/14/70.

6/24/1970 Capitol Theater Port Chester, New York Early and Late Show.  There are only AUD sources for these shows but there are multiple AUD sources .  Despite that these shows are so great they should not be missed.  Ken Lee’s AUD source is probably the most famous.   I haven’t listened to the other sources except to round Ken Lee’s source off so can’t comment on the other AUD sources 

  • SHNID 20362 Circulated 2004 and SHNID 124175 Circulated 2013 will give you the complete Early show and all of the Late Show except The Rub and Silver Threads which are missing on all sources.  The NRPS sets are also included on both SHNIDS.

7/14/1970 Euphoria Ballroom San Rafael, California This show along with 7/16/1970 are said to be Bear’s last recordings before going to jail.

  • SHNID 96628 Circulated 2009  Includes David Crosby as guest for the acoustic set.  NRPS set does not circulate

7/16/1970 Euphoria Ballroom San Rafael, California

  • SHNID 32251 Circulated 2006 and SHNID 32575 Circulated 2006 combined make up all that circulates for this show.  Janis Joplin sits in.  NRPS set does not circulate

4 Night Run at Fillmore East 9/17/1970 through 9/20/1970  These shows circulated either as AUDS or degraded SBDS for many years.  9/17/1970 still has no SBD source circulating. 9/18 and 9/19 only have partial SBD sources and 9/20 has a full SBD source that was finally just circulated from the Master (2018).  These shows are significant for acoustic sets, mix ins with NRPS and the rarely played (at least as far as on tapes that circulate) tunes Operator and Till The Morning Comes plus some other great jams.  Great run of shows.  Sound quality wise though only some of it is on par with the Feb  Fillmore East shows.  Unfortunately most of the shows have to be patched together from various sources currently.

  • 9/17/1970 SHNID 16090 Circulated 2003 contains the full show and NRPS set.  SHNID 33826 Circulated 2006 sounds better but it only contains Dark Star through Good Lovin’  Both sources are AUD.
  • 9/18/1970 SHNID 17893 Circulated 2003 Composite AUD/SBD source including NRPS set.  SHNID 30882 Circulated 2005 is the Electric Dead set only with improved sound for the AUD material.  This source does not contain the acoustic Dead or NRPS set.  SHNID 97525 Circulated 2009 has more SBD material and improved SBD sound from SHNID 17893 but does not contain the first Dead Electric set or the NRPS set.
  • 9/19/1970  SHNID 25743 Circulated 2004 Composite AUD/SBD Source  is the complete show including the NRPS set. SHNID 5217 Circulated 2001 SBD has by far the best sound of all but only has Sugar Mag through Lovelight.  The newer SHNID 97906 Circulated 2009 is not an improvement and should have never been circulated.  Steer clear of SHNID 97906!!!! SHNID 119722 circulated 2012 is another AUD source with better sound than 25743 AUD material but only contains Morning Dew through St. Stephen.
  • 9/20/1970 SHNID 140664 Circulated 2018.  Finally a great SBD source from the Master of this show is circulated.  However, it only contains 1 NRPS track.  SHNID 97364 Circulated 2009 can be used to get the NRPS set.  SHNID 81728 circulated 2007 is a nice partial AUD of this show.

4 Night Run at Capitol Theater 11/5 thru 11/8 1970.  These shows only exist in AUD but they are some monster shows and some of the AUDs sound great.  Most have multiple Aud sources.  Below are the recommended sources

  • 11/5/1970 SHNID 30115 Circulated 2005  Ken Lee AUD tape The NRPS portion of the show does not circulate
  • 11/6/1970 SHNID 17183 Circulated 2003 Complete Show and NRPS set.  This show is arguably the best of the run Alligator, Caution Etc.  Another super long show as well.   SHNID 19922 Circulated 2003 and SHNID 119818 Circulated 2012 offer improved sound from  alt AUD sources however, these are both partial AUD sources and not the complete show. 
  • 11/7/1970 SHNID 10306 Circulated 2002 Complete show and the NRPS set.  Several newer SHNIDs of partial AUDS have been circulated as well.  I haven’t listened to any of them except SHNID 134083 which is an improvement in sound to 10306.
  • 11/8/1970 SHNID 125659 Circulated 2013 Complete show and NRPS set

1971 

1971 has Betty Cantnor starting up her taping and despite a bit of a rocky start with the Feb Capitol Theater shows Betty later went on to make some of the finest tapes ever of the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia and others as time progressed.  A specific note about March and April 71 shows. For whatever reason a lot of the March shows don’t circulate or circulate in lesser quality to April.  Major exception is 3/18/71.  April 71 much like the Europe 72 tour is fantastic is in its own way. By the April 71 timeframe Bettys tapes are rolling too and most of them sound great. There were also multi track recordings of some of the April 71 shows. I had a hard time not including every single April 1971 show as essential shows.  Not a big fan of most of the initial shows with Keith in the fall but by the time they hit Texas they are doing some monster shows with Keith. Additionally NRPS still had Jerry in the band through 11/11/71 and even did the occasional show as headliners themselves.  Some shows I liked the NRPS set better than GD.  10/30/1971 Cincinnati is an example of that.  I don’t list 10/30/1971 as one of the best of 1971 because I don’t find GDs set to be that great but that night may be one of my favorite NRPS sets with Jerry in the band ever. It also sounds like Phil sits in at the end of the 10/30/1971 NRPS set but I can’t be certain about that.  Below in my opinion are the essential 1971 shows and best sources. 

6 Night Run at Capitol Theater 2/18/1971 through 2/24/1971.  The Betty tapes have circulated since the 80s.  This run is significant due to the debuts of a slew of new songs, Mickey leaving the band after the first night (and not returning until late 74!) along with fantastic playing over the entire run.  There are multiple Reel SBD sources and multiple AUD sources.  For this run Betty was just getting started taping and I think the non Betty Boards (circulated by Charlie Miller) are far superior to her tapes at this run of shows so you will see them as my recommendations.

  • 2/18/1971 Official Release (2020) American Beauty 5oth Anniversary Mickey’s last show until 74
    • SHNID 111793 Circulated 2011 NRPS set available separately on SHNID 123872 circulated 2013
    •  Official Release (1999) So Many Roads Box Set (1 track Beautiful Jam)
  • 2/19/1971 Official Release (2007) Three From The Vault   NRPS set does not circulate
  • 2/20/1971 SHNID 116617 Circulated 2011  NRPS set does not circulate
  • 2/21/1971 Official Release (2020) Working Mans Dead 5oth Anniversary. They knocked the sound on this release out of the park! So good
    • SHNID 116618 Circulated 2011  NRPS set available separately on SHNID 123760 circulated 2013. SHNIID 123760 has issues at the end of the show.  SHNID 96444 circulated 2008 can be used to get the end of the NRPS set in better quality.
  • 2/23/1971 SHNID 110353 Circulated 2010  NRPS set does not circulate
  • 2/24/1971 SHNID 121065 Circulated 2012  NRPS set does not circulate

1 of 2 nights at  Fox Theater St. Louis, Missouri  3/17/1971 and 3/18/1971. 3/18 is a great show with a fantastic Caution and great Pigpen in general.  The SHNIDs that circulated prior to the official release are great too.  The 17th does not circulate at all except a few tracks that were played on tapers section and they are not very noteworthy.

  • 3/18/1971 Official Release (2015)  30 Trips Around The Sun NRPS set does not circulate

1 of 2 nights at Boston Music Hall 4/7 and 4/8/1971.  The 2nd night of this run is when I believe the Dead embark on a remarkably consistent run of excellence throughout the rest of April.

  • 4/8/1971 SHNID 96627 Circulated 2008 FM source complete show.  SHNID 141099 Circulated 2018  2nd set only SBD source. NRPS set does not circulate

4/10/1971 East Hall Franklin and Mary College Lancaster, PA

  • SHNID 8674 Circulated 2002 NRPS set does not circulate

4/12/1971 Civic Arena Pittsburg, PA

  • SHNID 31960 Circulated 2005 NRPS set does not circulate

4/15/1971 Allegheny College Meadville, PA

  • SHNID 11652 Circulated 2002 NRPS set does not circulate

4/17/1971 Dillon Gym Princeton University   Perhaps the best Pigpen show ever and the rest is pretty great too!

  • SHNID 88760 Circulated 2007  NRPS set does not circulate

4/18/1971 Lusk Field House Cortland, NY

  • SHNID 130710 Circulated 2014  NRPS set does not circulate

4/21/1971 Rhode Island Auditorium

  • SHNID 141116 Circulated 2018 NRPS set does not circulate

4/22/1971 Municipal Auditorium Bangor, Maine

  • SHNID 2176 Circulated 2000 NRPS set available on SHNID 86730 Circulated 2007

4/24/1971 Wallace Wade Stadium Durham, NC

  • SHNID 143958 Circulated 2018  NRPS set does not circulate

5 Night Run Fillmore East 4/25/1971 through 4/29/1971.  These shows with the exception of 4/25 have circulated for what seems like forever.   There are multiple SBD sources for these shows and multi track SBD masters too. These shows feature great playing and guests on the various nights. There have been a few multitrack Official releases for this run too.  Official Release (2000) Ladies and Gentlemen The Grateful Dead is a highlights set of the entire run. The sound on the Ladies and Gentlemen release is really great and it contains a ton of 4/25 that did not circulate before its release along with the majority of the 4/28 and 4/29 shows and a brief sampling of 4/27. None of the shows are complete on the Ladies and Gentlemen release but it is a great release none the same. Official Release (1971) Skullfuck also contains tracks from these shows albeit edited and with Merle Saunders added in during the mixing of the LP on some of the tracks. The 50th Anniversary Skullfuck release sounds great but has a much deeper bass than any of the prior Skullfuck releases. Some may like that some may not. Below is how you could piece together all the shows combining unofficial material with Official material.  Not really a fan of the Skullfuck mixes or edits but it does sound pretty good on vinyl.  I actually like the unofficial sources better than the Skullfuck tracks.  To be clear most of the SHNID sources sound great too but all of the SBD SHNIDS except 1 SHNID for 4/29 (not listed below) are from the Fillmore East 2 track sources recording by the Fillmore East crew not the multitracks like the official releases are.  The 2 track sources and the official release multitracks are both great and somewhat different to listen to0.  2 of the nights also have Bottlehead tube transfers which I invariably find are the best of the best.

  • 4/25/1971 SHNID 95625 Circulated 2008 Complete GD Set and SHNID 95971 Circulated 2008 Complete NRPS set. 
    • Official release (2000) Ladies and Gentlemen The Grateful Dead (10 songs)  Most of these had never circulated before this release.
  • 4/26/1971 SHNID 126270 Circulated 2013 Bottlehead Tube transfer! Complete GD set and SHNID 18233 Circulated 2001 Complete NRPS set.   Duane Allman sits in at this show
    • Official release (1971 and many rereleases) Skullfuck (Mama Tried, Big Boss Man, Wharf Rat)
    • Official release (2013) Skydog:  The Duane Allman Retrospective (Sugar Magnolia)
  • 4/27/1971 SHNID 141129 Circulated 2018 Complete GD set and SHNID 21260 Circulated 2003 Complete NRPS Set.  The Beach Boys sit in.
    • Official release (2000) Ladies and Gentlemen The Grateful Dead (Uncle Johns Band, Lovelight, Casey Jones)
  • 4/28/1971 SHNID 126162 Circulated 2013 Bottlehead tube transfer!  Complete GD set and SHNID 112756 Circulated 2011 Complete NRPS set.  Tom Constanen sits in.  As nearly always despite the official release I am a fan of the Bottlehead tube transfer source
    • Official release (2000) Ladies and Gentlemen The Grateful Dead (14 songs)
    • Official release (1971 and many rereleases) Skullfuck (Other One)
  • 4/29/1971 SHNID 105926 Circulated 2010 complete GD set and SHNID 114146 Circulated 2011 complete NRPS set
    • Official release (2000) Ladies and Gentlemen The Grateful Dead (15 songs)
    • Official release (1971) Skullfuck (Me and My Uncle)

1 show of a 2 night run 5/29 and 5/30/1971 Winterland.  5/29 only circulates as a nearly unlistenable AUD source as does the first set for 5/30.  Nearly all of the 2nd set of 5/30/1971 was officially released (2012) as Winterland 30th May 1971 on Vinyl Only and it is one of the top 71 shows of all imo

  • 5/30/1971  SHNID 31968 Circulated 2005 is the complete show in horrible sound.  If you must hear the first set and the first song from the 2nd set you can combine this with SHNID 94119 Circulated 2008 which is all but the first song of the second set in excellent sound.  The Official Release (2012) Winterland 30th May 1971 (Vinyl)is all but the first 2 songs of the second set and is an absolutely a stunning double record.  NRPS set does not circulate. Overall this show is great playing all around and Lovelight is even more of a highlight than usual.  

1 show of a 2 night run that was 8/5 and 8/6/1971 Hollywood Palladium. 8/6/1971 has both a great AUD source (so good part of it was on an official release) as well as other AUD sources and an SBD source.  There have also been multiple partial official releases.  To me both the SBD and AUD are essential for this great show as they really provide different aspects of the same show.  The Other One > Me and My Uncle > Other One is off the hook and so is Hard To Handle

  • 8/6/1971 SHNID 96541 Circulated 2008 complete SBD of GD Set.  SHNID 127690 Circulated 2014 Complete AUD of GD set.  Bottlehead tube transfer!  SHNID 109340 is an AUD containing the entire NRPS set and the entire GD set except Me and Bobby McGee
    • Official Release (1997) Fallout From The Philzone (Hard To Handle AUD source)
    • Official Release (2005) Dicks Picks 35 (Other One > Me and My Uncle> Other One, Deal, Sugar Magnolia, Morning Dew, Lovelight SBD Source)
    • Official Release (2008) Roadtrips Vol 1 No 3 Bonus Disc (Bertha, Mr Charlie, Cumberland Blues, Brokedown Palace, Hard To Handle SBD source)

2 night Run 8/23 and 8/24/1971 Auditiorium Theater Chicago.  More great playing before Pigpen became too sick to play.  The last of the great Pigpen shows without Keith involved too imo.

  • 8/23/1971 SHNID 125886 Circulated 2013 Complete GD Set NRPS set does not circulate
    • Official Release (2008) Road Trips Vol 1 No 3 (11 songs)
  • 8/24/1971 Official Release (2005) Dicks Picks Volume 35

11/14/1971 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, Texas  Some absolutely stellar mind blowing stuff at this show.

  • SHNID 23568 Circulated 2004 complete show
    • Official Release (2010) Road Trips Vol 3 No 2 Bonus Disc (9 songs)

11/15/1971 Municipal Auditorium Austin, Texas

  • Official Release (2010) Road Trips Vol 3 No 2

11/17/1971 Civic Auditorium Albuquerque, New Mexico.  I have to admit this show only circulated in degraded SBD  prior to Daves Picks 26 and I mostly dismissed it due to sound quality.  The official release sounds so good it has become one of my favorites of all of 1971 and really any year.  The official release is that good and shows you what upgrades in sound quality can do to an opinion of a show.

  • Official Release (2018) Daves Picks 26

4 night run 12/4 thru 12/7/1971 Felt Forum Madison Square Garden.  Most of these shows circulated on tape from the early days of tape trading.  Pig and Keith really start to gel at these shows.  The Smokestack Lightnings played on 2 of these nights are super cool.  Great playing all around and great recordings.

  • 12/4/1971  SHNID 110186 Circulated 2010  Another Cowboy Other One sequence very cool.
  • 12/5/1971  SHNID 100316 Circulated 2009 FM Source.  I prefer this source over the Charlie Miller SBD Source SHNID circulated 2014.  Only Muddy Water ever played.  Fabulous playing with the Dark Star Jam > Me and My Uncle > Dark Star Jam > Sittin On Top Of The World
  • 12/6/1971 SHNID 108425 Circulated 2010 Complete Show
    • Official Release (2017) Daves Picks 22 and Bonus Disc (Complete Show except Run Rudolph Run, El Paso and Next Time You See Me)
  • 12/7/1971 Official Release (2017) Daves Picks 22

1 of 2 shows of a 2 night run 12/9 and 12/10/71 Fox Theater St. Louis, Missouri 12/9 is a bit of short show and really not very good but 12/10 is an all timer. Both shows are Plangent Processed and sound great. The NRPS sets also circulate for both nights. The NRPS set on 12/10 has good sound but is one of their poorer shows ever imo.

12/10/1971 Official Release (2021) Listen To The River Boxset

2 night run 12/14 and 12/15/1971 Hill Auditorium Ann Arbor

  • 12/14/1971 SHNID 140950 Circulated 2018 Betty Board
    • Official Release (2018) Daves Picks 26 and Bonus Disc (Complete show except Ramble On Rose)  Much like the full Albuquerque show that is also part of this release the official release is stellar.  One complaint on this one is on top of leaving out 1 track the running order on the official release for 12/14 is all over the place and not the actual song sequence from the show.  This was perhaps done due to CD space.
  • 12/15/1971 SHNID 97718 Circulated 2009 Great Pigpen at this show Run Rudolph Run, Lovelight, etc.  Pigpen is back!! 

1972 

What a year for shows and what a year for taping.  Betty continues to tape great 2 track recordings throughout the year.  The entire Europe tour and the show in Veneta are professionally taped with Multitrack recordings.  If that isn’t enough Bear gets out of Jail at the end of the summer and Bear resumes making great tapes too.  Nearly every date of 1972 has high quality SBDs available.  There are also AUD tapes to fill in the very few gaps or provide alternate views of the shows.  This was also the last year where Jerry didn’t do much solo work.   There are very few Jerry based solo shows in 72 so all his focus was on GD.  72 is also the year where Playin In The Band goes from just a standard song to a full blown epic.  One thing about 72 is the first sets do get kind of “samey” after a while.   They mixed up the order of songs consistently and Playin’ in the Band usually provides a great jam of some kind in the first set but a lot of songs are repeated night after night especially after Europe.   This is usually made up for big time in the second set which is where some truly monster jams lie.  In general the second set monster 72 jams are based off of Dark Star, The Other One and sometimes Truckin, Playin’ or the He’s Gone segues into something in the 2nd sets.  Prior to the summer there are also all of the Pigpen jams as well which are mighty fine.  Below is what I consider to be the best of 1972.

6 shows of a 7 night run 3/21/1972 thru 3/28/1972 at The Academy of Music New York, New York.   I don’t feel like they really hit on all cylinders the first night of this run but the rest of this run is stupendous.  This run features Pigpen doing Two Souls in Communion nearly every night and I find these versions to be over the top compared to the Europe versions and that is saying something.  Also this run features the first Look Like Rains that are much different than they later became with Phil sharing the vocals with Bobby instead of Donna.  Jerry’s slide guitar on these Look Like Rains is beautiful as well.  One night was billed as Jerry Garcia and Friends but that turned out to be the Grateful Dead with Bo Diddley!  For years these shows only circulated as AUDS and beginning in 2015 have most of these shows circulated as SBDs with fantastic sound.  This run is as essential as Europe 72.  Below are what I believe to be the most enjoyable sources. 

  • 3/22/1972 SHNID 132726  Circulated 2016
    • Official Release (2004) Rockin The Rhein Bonus CD (Playin’, Sugar Magnolia, Caution, Uncle John’s Band)
  • 3/23/1972 SHNID 10000 Circulated 2009
    • Official Release (2004) Rockin The Rhein Bonus CD (Dark Star)
    • Official Release (2004) Weir Here the best of Bob Weir (Me and Bobby McGee)
  • 3/25/1972 SHNID 136684 Circulated 2016
    • Official Release (2003) Dicks Picks Volume 30 (8 songs)
  • 3/26/1972 Official Release (2015)  Daves Picks Volume 14
  • 3/27/1972 SHNID 13279 Circulated 2015
    • Official Release (2003) Dicks Picks Volume 30 (Playin)
    • Official Release (2015)  Daves Picks Volume 14 Bonus CD (Bertha, Brown Eyed Women, China Cat > I Know You Rider, Cumberland Blues)
  • 3/28/1972  Official Release (2003) Dicks Picks Volume 30

The Complete Europe 72 tour 4/7/1972 thru 5/26/1972 22 EA total shows!  Yes that’s right the whole tour is really that good and there happens to be an Official Release of the complete Boxset of multitracks of every show from the tour.  Only Casey Jones from 4/7/1972 is missing from the Boxset.  The entire Europe 72 Boxset is not to be missed.  Night after night they go all out and soar to new heights throughout the tour.  My favorite show of the whole tour is 4/26/1972 Hundred Year Hall which was also released incomplete on an official release prior to the boxset with a different mix.   Others have done night by night reviews already so I don’t think a night by night review is necessary except to say the entire boxset is an opus of immense magnitude.  There also other official releases from the tour, Betty’s 2 track SBDs, AUDs and even some FM sources.  Most of these sound great as well so if for some reason you don’t like the mixes on the boxset (I think they are great!) and you absolutely must hear other sources/mixes they are available too.  I won’t list all the SHNIDS and there many great ones from the 2 track SBDs but I will summarize the official releases below.  Also to note The original Europe 72 released in 1972 included overdubs to make it sound “better”,

. 

  • Entire Europe 72 Tour Official Release (2011) Europe 72 The Complete Recordings Boxset.  To note there is one track missing from 4/7/1972 Empire Pool and that is Casey Jones.  SHNID 31329 circulated 2005 Combo of 2 AUD sources is the entire 4/7/1972 show including the missing Casey Jones from the boxset.  Be warned sound is not so great on this AUD source but if you must have the missing Casey Jones SHNID 31329 is where to get it.
    • One Stand Alone Official Release complete show was released prior to the complete Boxset
      • 4/24/1972 Official Release (2004) Rockin The Rhein Contained a bonus disc with 5 tracks from 3/22/1972 Academy of Music and 1 Track from 3/23/1972 Academy of Music.  The Download version also contained 2 songs from 5/24/1972
    • Other Incomplete Official Releases from Europe 72
      • Official Release (1972) Europe 72
      • 4/26/1972 Official Release (1995) Hundred Year Hall This is a different mix than the boxset.  I think both mixes are great.
      • Official Release (1999) So Many Roads Boxset (China Town Shuffle from 5/11/1972) 
      • Official Release (2003) Europe 72 Expanded (Vinyl Edition contains one more track (Good Lovin) than the CD version)
      • Official Release (2002) Steppin Out With The Grateful Dead: England 72
      • Official Release (2011) Europe 72 Volume 2
      • 5/4/1972 Official Release (2012) Dark Star single (Vinyl only Dark Star)

2 Night Run 7/25 and 7/26 Portland, Oregon  The band finds it feet in during this part of the run in the Northwest and pulls out all the stops in Portland.

  • 7/25/1972 SHNID 124017 Circulated 2013
  • 7/26/1972 SHNID 87034   Circulated 2007

8/12/1972 Memorial Auditorium Sacramento

  • SHNID 139783 Circulated 2017 From Jerry’s Reel

8/27/1972 Old Renaissance Fairground Veneta, Oregon.  This is the final Multitrack show recording from 1972 and what a doozie to go out with.  There have been official releases on vinyl, CD and Blu Ray.  Great film too.  There are also 2 and 4 track SHNIDs of this show but the official release Sunshine Daydream is all you need really.  Nice Official release that is Grateful Dead at it’s silky best.

  • Official Release (2013)  Sunshine Daydream (Vinyl, CD and Blu Ray)
    • Official Release (1999) So Many Roads Boxset (Sing Me Back Home)

1 night of a 2 night run 9/9 and 9/10/1972 Hollywood Palladium

  • 9/10/1972 SHNID 136690 Circulated 2015

9/17/1972 Baltimore Civic Center

  • Official Release (2001) Dicks Picks Volume 23

9/21/1972 Spectrum Philadelphia, PA

  • Official Release (2005) Dicks Picks Volume 36

2 Night Run 9/23 and 9/24/1972 Waterbury Connecticut

  • 9/23/1972 SHNID 132587 Circulated 2016
  • 9/24/1972 Official Release (2015) 30 Trips Around The Sun

3 Night Run 9/26 thru 9/28/1972 Stanley Theater Jersey City, New Jersey

  • 9/26/1972 SHNID 25281 Circulated 2004 has AUD patches in the missing parts of the SBD of Cumberland and The Other One.  SHNID 136691 Circulated 2016 sounds better but does not have the AUD patches in the missing sections
  • 9/27/1972 Official Release (1998) Dicks Picks Volume 11
  • 9/28/1972 SHNID 94268 Circulated 2008

10/2/1972 Civic Center Springfield, Massachusetts

  • SHNID 112864 Circulated 2011

3 Night Run 10/17 thru 10/19/1972 Fox Theater Finally received an official release in 2021. Plangent Processed and Beautiful.   10/17 doesn’t really have any of the normal second set long jams of the period but everything is very well played.  The 18th and the 19th both have incredible jam sequences in the 2nd set and while the 18th may look better on paper and it is excellent the second set on the 19th is “the set” in an already over the top great run of shows.

  • 10/17/1972 Official Release (2021) Listen To The River Boxset
  • 10/18/1972 Official Release (2021) Listen To The River Boxset
  • 10/19/1972 Official Release (2021) Listen To The River Boxset

10/30/1972  Ford Auditiorium Detroit

ShNID 10915  Circulated 2002 This is perhaps one of the best Aud Sources I have ever heard.  Note Bertha has major issues but after that the tape settles down and really sucks you in.  Possibly one of the best Sugar Magnolia’s of the era or ever for that matter and the GDTRFB> Not Fade is stellar too.  This is a great show and unlike sterile sbds you really get

November 72.  Most of this tour is great. The best of the best from this tour imo and sources below.

1 show of a 2 night run in Oklahoma City 11/14 and 11/15 72.  These shows have circulated among tapers for since at least the  90s if not earlier

11/15/1972 Music Hall Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 

  • SHNID 110631 Complete Show Circulated 2010
  • Official Release (2014) Daves Picks Volume 11 (5 songs Playin, Wharf Rat, NFA>GDTRFB >NFA)

11/17/1972 Century II Convention Hall Wichita, Kansas  This is truly a monster show with one of the best Other One’s ever.  Some unique and heady playing in it.  The official release substantially bests any SHNID I have heard.  I had a first gen cassette of this on that was also better than all the SHNIDs that are out there.

  • Official Release (2014) Daves Picks Volume 11

Both nights of a 2 night run in Houston 11/18 and 11/19. Only set 2 circulates for 11/18.  11/19 has circulated among tapers since at least the 80s if not since the 70s.

11/18/72 Hoffheinz Pavillion Houston, Texas

  • SHNID 123077 Complete 2nd set circulated 2012
  • Official Release (2014) Houston, Texas 11/18/72 Vinyl All but 2 songs of the second set

11/19/72 Hoffheinz Pavillion Houston, Texas

  • SHNID 142329 Complete show circulated 2018

11/22/72 Municipal Auditorium Austin, Texas 2 sources worth checking out.  A bit of a different feel from each

  • SHNID 115765 Complete Show circulated 2011
  • SHNID 141188 or 141189 Complete Show circulated 2018

1973

1973 is another great year with more and now jazzier 2nd set jams than 72.  Another slew of new songs are introduced in February.  To note the November tour is so strong I included every show as all timers.  There are some tours where they were just that consistently great. April 71, Europe 72, Nov 73 and Spring 90 come to mind where nearly every show played on the tour is essential.

The Feb 73  tour had some great early Eyes where it seem the format wasn’t really set yet and so the Eyes in Feb are great and unique.  Unlike a lot of new songs when GD debuts them and they feel still and take a while to grow into what they become it seems Eyes of The World just hit it out of the park from the debut performance on.  There are a couple of clunker Eyes later in the year but they are few and far between.  Eyes of The Was a magnificent centerpiece for most 73 shows.  Below are what I consider the best of the best of 73.

Two Night run at the Assembly Hall Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.  2/21 and 2/22/73

2/21/73 Assembly Hall Champaign-Urbana, Illinois

  • SHNID 111120 Complete Show Circulated 2010

2/22/73 Assembly Hall Champaign-Urbana, Illinois

  • SHNID 111169 Complete Show Circulated 2010

2/26/1973 Pershing Auditorium Lincoln, Nebraska

  • Official Release (2003) Dicks Picks Volume 28

Two Nights of a 3 night run at Nassau Coliseum 3/15, 3/16 and 3/19/73.  The first 2 nights are awesome but the 3rd slips a bit so not included here.

3/15/73 Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, New York

  • SHNID 136652 Complete Show circulated 2013

3/16/73 Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, New York

  • SHNID 79186 Complete Show Circulated 2006

November 72.  Most of this tour is great. The best of the best from this tour imo and sources below.

1 show of a 2 night run in Oklahoma City 11/14 and 11/15 72.  These shows have circulated among tapers for since at least the  90s if not earlier

11/15/1972 Music Hall Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 

·         SHNID 110631 Complete Show Circulated 2010

·         Official Release (2014) Daves Picks Volume 11 (5 songs Playin, Wharf Rat, NFA>GDTRFB >NFA)

11/17/1972 Century II Convention Hall Wichita, Kansas  This is truly a monster show with one of the best Other One’s ever.  Some unique and heady playing in it.  The official release substantially bests any SHNID I have heard.  I had a first gen cassette of this on that was also better than all the SHNIDs that are out there.

·         Official Release (2014) Daves Picks Volume 11

Both nights of a 2 night run in Houston 11/18 and 11/19. Only set 2 circulates for 11/18.  11/19 has circulated among tapers since at least the 80s if not since the 70s.

11/18/72 Hoffheinz Pavillion Houston, Texas

·         SHNID 123077 Complete 2nd set circulated 2012

·         Official Release (2014) Houston, Texas 11/18/72 Vinyl All but 2 songs of the second set

11/19/72 Hoffheinz Pavillion Houston, Texas

·         SHNID 142329 Complete show circulated 2018

11/22/72 Municipal Auditorium Austin, Texas 2 sources worth checking out.  A bit of a different feel from each

·         SHNID 115765 Complete Show circulated 2011

·         SHNID 141188 or 141189 Complete Show circulated 2018

 

1973

1973 is another great year with more and now jazzier 2nd set jams than 72.  Another slew of new songs are introduced in February.  To note the November tour is so strong I included every show as all timers.  There are some tours where they were just that consistently great. April 71, Europe 72, Nov 73 and Spring 90 come to mind where nearly every show played on the tour is essential.

The Feb 73  tour had some great early Eyes where it seem the format wasn’t really set yet and so the Eyes in Feb are great and unique.  Unlike a lot of new songs when GD debuts them and they feel still and take a while to grow into what they become it seems Eyes of The World just hit it out of the park from the debut performance on.  There are a couple of clunker Eyes later in the year but they are few and far between.  Eyes of The Was a magnificent centerpiece for most 73 shows.  Below are what I consider the best of the best of 73.

Two Night run at the Assembly Hall Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.  2/21 and 2/22/73

2/21/73 Assembly Hall Champaign-Urbana, Illinois

·         SHNID 111120 Complete Show Circulated 2010

2/22/73 Assembly Hall Champaign-Urbana, Illinois

·         SHNID 111169 Complete Show Circulated 2010

2/26/1973 Pershing Auditorium Lincoln, Nebraska

·         Official Release (2003) Dicks Picks Volume 28

Two Nights of a 3 night run at Nassau Coliseum 3/15, 3/16 and 3/19/73.  The first 2 nights are awesome but the 3rd slips a bit so not included here.

3/15/73 Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, New York

·         SHNID 136652 Complete Show circulated 2013

3/16/73 Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, New York

·         SHNID 79186 Complete Show Circulated 2006