Dead of the Day: 08-13-1975

Great American Music Hall

San Francisco, California

Today we have one of the best shows the boys ever played: August 13, 1975, from the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. After a fun introduction by Bill Graham, the Dead roll out just the second Help> Slip> Franklin ever. The entire suite is quite short, but there is no let up in it from the beginning of the Help On The Way straight on through, and the Slipknot!, in particular, is just off the hook. Next up, the boys bust out the first, and what some argue is still the best, Music Never Stopped; get ready to shake your bones. After a lovely Must Have Been The Roses, a truly epic musical exploration takes place in the form of Eyes Of The World. The entire thing is amazing, but at one point in the middle there is some sort of eruption of crunchy feedback that is just awesome. Eyes heads out into Drums, which Mickey – still in one of his first shows back after his hiatus – and Billy blast through, right into a mesmerizing Stronger Than Dirt. Words cannot do the tune justice, so just go, now, and give it a listen.

Recording info
Use alternative player
Identifier:
gd75-08-13.fm.vernon.23661.sbeok.shnf
Source:
Soundboard – FM
Notes:
Pitch corrected version of FM broadcast originally seeded by CousinIt by Matt Vernon
Description:
Help On The Way-> Slipknot!-> Franklin’s Tower-> The Music Never Stopped*, It Must Have Been The Roses, Eyes Of The World-> Drums-> Stronger Than Dirt Around & Around, Sugaree, Big River, Crazy Fingers-> Drums-> The Other One-> Sage And Spirit*-> Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad, U.S. Blues, Blues For Allah
Lineage:
Pitch corrected version of FM broadcast
Transferrer:
Play
Pause
Back
Forw.
Volume
00:00
1
Bill Graham Intro >
01:23
2
Help On The Way >
03:38
3
Slipknot >
04:11
4
Franklin’s Tower
07:15
5
The Music Never Stopped
05:33
6
It Must Have Been The Roses
17:19
7
Eyes Of The World >
02:20
8
Drums > Stronger Than Dirt
06:34
9
Around and Around
06:14
10
Sugaree
07:54
11
Big River
04:51
12
Crazy Fingers >
09:15
13
Drums >
03:55
14
Other One Jam >
05:30
15
Sage And Spirit >
03:21
16
GDTRFB
07:09
17
E: US Blues
05:10
18
E: Blues For Allah
20:29
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The second half opens with Around And Around, and then heads into a stellar – there are more than a few folks who claim this, too, is a best-ever version – Sugaree highlighted by Jerry’s crisp guitar interludes. Following up on that, the band provides a very fine opening to Big River before they keep up the brilliance in the rest of the song as Jerry streaks on through, the drummers provide the perfect backing, and Bobby nails the lyrics and puts in his own ruthless picking. Then the string of arguable greatest of all time versions continues with a well-orchestrated and super smooth Crazy Fingers. Afterwards Mickey and Billy treat us to another drum solo before a moody and sinister, incredibly tight Other One jam roars forth, heading into the first of only two Sage and Spirits the Dead ever did live. The song provides a ruminating little melody, which has Bobby and Jerry working together beautifully while Keith and Phil add a rich texture. Going Down The Road Feeling Bad, which is oh so hot, then sees out the set, followed up by not one, but two encores in US Blues and Blues For Allah.

An incredible show, the Dead wisely released this night as One From The Vault.

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Comments

One response to “08-13-1975”

  1. Joel Liebman Avatar
    Joel Liebman

    Best show ever played… This show is why I can say 75 is the best year..

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