Monday, May 2, 2022

Europe 72 Revisited April Awards

 


For those of us enjoying the virtual Europe 72 tour on its’s 50th anniversary, we’ve reached the month of May which means were almost halfway home. The Dead played ten shows in April, three in England, three in Denmark, and four in West Germany. These shows were remarkable, yet improbably, the band soared to new musical peaks in May. In no particular order, my favorite May shows are, 5-7 Bickershaw, 5-11 Rotterdam, and 5-23 + 26 London.

The Grateful Dead would perform the following songs for the first time on this tour in May: Morning Dew (four heroic versions), Sing Me Back Home (eight performances), Promised Land, Sitting on Top of the World, Rockin’ Pneumonia (debut), Hey Bo Diddley, and Black Peter.

`           Here’s an interesting stat: The band didn’t play Ramble on Rose or Brown-Eyed Women during their April shows in West Germany, but they played Loser on all four nights (Loser was sound checked at the Beat-Club).

            Before moving on to the awesome opening night in Paris tomorrow, let’s hand out the awards for the best of April 1972.

Most Brilliant Transition: 4-8-72 Dark Star > Sugar Magnolia 4-8-72

Best improvisational negotiation: 4-26-72 Turn on Your Love Light > GDTRFB

Patient Exploration Award: 4-11-72 Truckin’ > The Other One

Most Improved Jam: 4-26-72 Greatest Story Ever Told

Extreme Disorientation Award: 4-24-72 Dark Star > Me and My Uncle > Dark Star > Wharf Rat

Best Surprise Opener: 4-17-72 Cold Rain and Snow

Hottest Video Jam: 4-21 The Other One

Best Pigpen Performance: 4-8 Caution

Hottest jam in cramped space: 4-16 Playin’ in the Band

Hottest Masked Jam: 4-17 Big Railroad Blues

Best El Paso Sandwich: 4-7 Other One > El Paso > Other One

Old Weird America Award: 4-24 first set

The Perfect Set: 4-8 set two

Best show: tie 4-26 Frankfurt and 4-8 Empire Pool

                                            

                                                   EUROPE 72 REVISITED

 

Check out Howard’s new novel, COVID BLUES, about a band on the run pursing their muse in the thick of a global pandemic.



No comments:

6-16-82 MUSIC MOUNTAIN: THE GRATEFUL PILGRIMAGE

  In honor of the anniversary of Music Mountain, here’s chapter two from my latest work, The Grateful Pilgrimage: Time Travel with the Dea...