Europe 72 Revisited Part Nineteen

 

Opening night of the Dead’s immortal four-night Lyceum stand began fifty years ago today on May 23, 1972. Here’s an excerpt from Europe 72 Revisited:

            “Ramble on Rose” kickstarts the second set of this Garcia-dominated show. Starting with “Casey Jones,” seven of the next eight numbers are Jerry tunes. Following “Rose,” hypnotic tuning and noodling leads to “Dark Star.” Sprinkle the pixie dust! The jam arises smooth and dreamy. The jazzy improvisation ripples forth as Bobby and Keith add tasty brushstrokes. Around the seven-minute mark, the band reaches their destination on the outskirts of the universe. The band leaves the capsule and floats around. Garcia bends screeching single notes on his axe as Phil answers with sonic booms. Billy picks up on a stillness in the music and the band lightly accompanies him. Soon there’s sizzling improv better than before. Garcia’s restless pecking and poking leads back to the melody line and the verse serenade.

            Garcia locks into steady linear jamming. After several minutes of free-flowing instrumentation, a restless Kreutzmann accelerates the tempo with stunning drumming and the band burns—mind-melt mode. Phil leads a transition back to a swinging jam which flirts with a return to the “Dark Star” melody. As the jam noodles down, the band reaches the thirty-minute mark and Jerry calls the next song with a chord strike. The band clears the landscape for Garcia’s next strike, which leads them into “Morning Dew.”

            This is the second night in a row for the almighty Dark Star > Morning Dew combo. No Deadhead in their right mind, in any era, would begrudge seeing this combo two shows in a row. The “Dew” is making the transition from a beloved tune to a revered anthem that has a sacred, almost religious, vibe. The 5-23-72 Lyceum “Dew” would have been album-worthy if not for an early lyrical flub from Jerry. The final jam here blows away the one from Munich. The band comes out firing early as Garcia alternates searing and playful runs. Jerry manages to extend the jam by toying with the intensity of the sonic pressure cooker.

           

            “He’s Gone” is simply sublime, and unexpected in the footsteps of Dark Star > Dew. Garcia shreds two shrill solos during this engaging rendition. Weir interrupts Garcia Fest ’72 with a romping “Sugar Magnolia.” The Dead are bringing nothing but their best on opening night in the Lyceum. “Comes a Time” follows. Jerry’s in his happy, hypnotic zone, taking his time, singing and picking with the utmost feeling, which equals a “Comes a Time” for the ages. 

 

                                                     EUROPE 72 REVISITED 

 

Europe 72 Revisited Part Eighteen

 

The Grateful Dead played their last of five shows in West Germany fifty years ago today (5-18-72). Here’s an excerpt from Europe 72 Revisited:

It’s been a week since the last “Dark Star” in Amsterdam, and the Munich voyage to the stars ascends like royalty. Four minutes in, Jerry turns up the volume and heat. Along the way there’s a loud pop and crackle; a blown amp perhaps. The jam recovers as Phil, Bill, and Jerry bring the up-tempo jazz—it’s boogie time. The jam bubbles and flows deliberately to the melody line. When the time’s right, Jerry lets it fly, “Dark star crashes…”

On the outskirts of the Milky Way galaxy, the Dead set up an intergalactic lab. Phil’s bass bombs shake the universe as Jerry’s splitting atoms—auditory fissure and fusion. The jam hurtles and ricochet
s into the black hole of timeless space. Sounds inside the hole defy measurement; there’s no way to gauge the insanity. After the core melts down, the captain and his crew touch down on planet Earth. Nobody’s there. Garcia’s lone voice sighs, “Walk me out in the morning dew, my honey.”

Jerry’s poignant vocals combined with the delicate and attentive playing from the band make the second of four “Morning Dews” from this tour unique. This “Dew” is especially somber. Perhaps Munich, a city at the epicenter of World War II, and eventually demolished by the war, played into the gloomy vibe of the music. The instrumentals on this “Dew” hit the spot, but they’re not as bombastic as ensuing versions. However, this doesn’t detract from the enormity of the Munich Dark Star > Morning Dew.

A brief pause leads to a one-minute drum prelude for “Sugar Magnolia.” It’s time for Southern-style dance and romance. The band forms a protective pocket during the instrumental, and like an all-pro quarterback, Garcia steps into the pocket and delivers a surgical strike. As I was enjoying my audio research of this show driving down Route 9 in Poughkeepsie, I was amazed by the power of song that followed, “Sing Me Back Home.”

This Merle Haggard tune is dear to Jerry, and the band is all in as they slow down the pace and seemingly stop time in its tracks. This performance resonates and marinates. You can visualize the characters, the warden, the death row prisoner, and the inmates witnessing the scene. Jerry digs into the sadness of a prisoner facing his execution and at the same time, celebrates the power of song. “Sing me back home with a song I used to hear. Make my old memories come alive.”

A last request meal or cigarette can’t make your memories come alive. Music creates the escape from the here and now, even if you’re staring in the face of your executioner. It can instantly transform gloom to glory more efficiently than any drug. If I was on death row, I’d skip the lobster tails and request the 10-14-83 Scarlet > Fire from Hartford. My memories would come alive and I’d die a happy man. The 5-18-72 “Sing Me Back Home” touches the soul. Our guitar-playing friend Mr. Garcia is singing and picking from the heart, and Donna’s backing vocals are chilling. “One More Saturday Night” completes another stunning Dead show in West Germany. 

 

                                                       EUROPE 72 REVISITED