"Live/Dead" by THE GRATEFUL DEAD – November 1969 US 2LP Live Set on Warner Brothers Records (February 1970 in the UK) featuring Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Tom Constanten and Pigpen (March 2003 UK Warner Strategic Marketing/Rhino Reissue – 2LPs onto 1HDCD Plus Two Hidden Bonus Tracks - Joe Gastwirt Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Dark Star..."

Hidden flavours in a forgotten broth...

Even back in 1988 when I first started collecting CDs proper - I always loved Rhino reissues. They were just that bit above everyone else in terms of giving punters what they wanted – packaging, extras and fab sound (usually care of Dan Hersch and Bill Inglot). It helped of course that Rhino had the massive and ludicrously rich WEA catalogue at their fingertips - something they laid into on all genre fronts - especially Soul and Jazz. I've got almost 40 of the 60 three-inch CD singles they issued in 1988 and 1989 called "Lil' Bit Of Gold" – stunning four-track mini-hits sets in cute picture card sleeves and gold-coloured CD singles (remember those long blister packs they came in, pretty but wasteful - but man did they sound good).

So it's hardly surprising to find that once again come the Dead's 1969 fourth outing and their first official live release (an area everyone agrees they excel in) - Rhino have taken that now forgotten stew of a double-album and pumped it up with a remix and a remaster, even tagging on two cleverly chosen 'hidden tracks' in the close out of this RhinOphonic sounding reissue. And it's another winner. Here are the hairy men and their dark stars...

UK released 10 March 2003 - "Live/Dead" by THE GRATEFUL DEAD on Warner Strategic Marketing/Rhino 8122-74395-2 (Barcode 081227439521) offers the 1969 US 2LP set Remixed and Remastered onto 1 HDCD (High Density Compatible Digital) in a Card Digipak with Two Hidden Bonus Tracks. It plays out as follows (79:30 minutes):

1. Dark Star (23:19 minutes) [Side 1]

2. Saint Stephen (6:32 minutes) [Side 2]

3. The Eleven (9:19 minutes)

4. Turn On Your Love Light (15:05 minutes) [Side 3]

5. Death Don't Have No Mercy (10:28 minutes) [Side 4]

6. Feedback (7:49 minutes)

7. And We Bid You Goodnight (0:37 minutes)

Tracks 1 to 7 are their fourth album "Live/Dead" - US released 10 November 1969 as a 2LP set on Warner Brothers 2WS-1830 and February 1970 in the UK as a 2LP set on Warner Brothers WS 1830 (UK issues were pressed with Record featuring Sides 1 and Side 4, whilst Record 2 featured Sides 2 and 3).

NOTE:

Like the original vinyl double, this CD reissue lists Track 7 in the booklet as having a playing time of 37 seconds, but you quickly realise that it runs to a combined three track playing time of 3:13 minutes. This is because there are two hidden tracks - 8 is "Dark Star (Studio version)" at 2:45 minutes and 9 is a "Radio Advertisement" for the album at 1:01 minutes.

The gatefold card digipak allows the attached 15-page booklet to reproduce the gatefold artwork (outside and in) of the original American double-album on Warner Brothers - while the new LENNY KAYE liner notes waxes lyrical about the material's sources and the scene around their shows ("Aoxomoxoa" for "Saint Stephen" and "The Eleven" from "Anthem Of The Sun" while the cover of Bobby 'Blue' Bland's incendiary R&B screamer "Turn On Your Love Light" allowed to band to jump off into improv - stints into even Bluegrass amidst the trippy Rock).

Long-time associate and Audio Engineer for Rhino and WEA's Rock Catalogue JOE GASTWIRT did the Remaster and Remix at OceanView Digital in 2001 and 'bully beef' comes to mind (he has handled Zeppelin, Stephen Stills, Yes and more). This thing Rocks and Rolls bringing alive that instrument interplay their live shows were famous for. To the tunes...

Recorded 27 February 1969 at The Fillmore West in San Francisco - Side 1 is dominated by the huge "Dark Star" - a beast that slides in all casual like at first. Bass and Guitar play off each other before the vocals take over - before they just trip off on random guitar notes punctured by keyboard fills. Side 2's "St. Stephen" was new - wherever he goes, the people all complain - a Rock-funky set of duet vocals. The improv guitars continue apace with "The Eleven" - a meandering piece that will have you seeing hippies shaking their heads in a concert crowd - stoned and digging the freeform groove.

"Turn On Your Love Light" gets the crowd hollering - its sexy R&B lyrics fun and sassy - the percussion doing battle with the vocals (come on baby please) - fifteen minutes of white boys enjoying their inner funky selves. The suitably doomy Gary Davis cover "Death Don't Have No Mercy" gives the Dead a decent shot at the Blues - their slow, deliberately funeral-paced rendition feeling like Janis Joplin (somehow) getting in deep.  As "And We Bid You Goodnight" fades out, we get that Hidden Bonus Track following - the studio version of "Dark Star" - so trippy and cool.

For absolute sure, there are those that will take one listen to this set of live improvs from 1969 and say no thanks - and I can understand that. But longstanding fans will know no shame and 'hurry hurry' (as the radio advert asks) to this superb-sounding HDCD reissue and shed a wee hippy tear...