Jump to content

4/29/71 Hard To Handle, friendly debate


Recommended Posts

  • Forum MVP

4-29-71 Hard To Handle, Filmore East. So after listening to this version of HTH for the umptenth time, I am professing this is some of Jerry’s best work. Still get chills all the way. He slays every nuance of this song. Pig is spot on. The band is in sync. I’d really love some honest feedback on this and songs/versions you think are better AND WHY? I wanna learn, but can’t get past how fucking good that is. (Ed is gonna bust my balls about his fav but I leave it to the experts…., you fine folks, ha!) please, you have to listen before responding, it’s on archive or ladies and gentlemen the Grateful Dead release. You won’t regret the time spent, lol.

  • Like (+1) 1
  • Thanks (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Forum MVP

4/29/71 - height of their powers ?  Really close.  That whole Fillmore run was a masterpiece or a masterclass - same difference.  HTH epitomized that in spades - no denyin.

 

If we just talkin about HTH, then you gotta put 8/6/71 in the final.  Do not pass go.  The 2 Heavyweights.

 

One aspect I will concede would be Pigs delivery.  He was not well at the time - and while 8/6 is still wild and wolly, I’ll give 4/29 the nod there.

 

Jerrys licks?  You take those 2 shows and you got some of his best stuff encapsulated.  A literal push in my eyes.  
 

The difference that puts 8/6 over the top?  Atmosphere.  That recording with the crowd reacting and then playin the band? It’s a fucking Time Machine and It’s some of the best vibes ever put out with crowd reacting in time!

 

That aspect is the veritable royal flush that trumps your 4 aces

 

 

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Forum MVP

 Pass the whiskey round. Like serious. You drunk mother fuckers ate hogging it all. 
 

4/29/71 is just too short. Sorry. 9 minutes isn’t enough to tell a tale. For non heads 9 minutes is extremism but it leaves too much on the table for me. 
 

on the 8/6/71 I have 4 sources from the John A mega drive but only 3 have the hard to handle as dicks picks volume 35 excludes it so I need to listen to all 3 but not sure 7:48 will do it either. 
 

Did the dead not play a 15 min hard to handle? Has Dso played an expanded one? I’m sorta confused. I thought there were many really long ones but I can’t seem to find any. I guess I never really think about the length of a few songs. Good lord I need to listen to more shows again but I get “no dance daddy. No dance”. We aren’t dancing. I’m playing music. “No dance daddy!!!!!!”  Peace. Bed calls 

  • Like (+1) 1
  • Haha (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Forum MVP

Encouraged and somewhat challenged, I started with the 5:10 min from 3/15/69 and the last 7:32 from 8/26/71 and listened going back and and forth from these bookends quickly realizing that you two have found the most enjoyable H2H's. (I'm open to any others from the mega drive search)Thanks for the lead though because I got to see how quickly Keith came in to play and understand the introduction of the 5 new songs in consideration of Pigpen's lost material. The five new ones became as paramount from 71-79 as pigpen's were from 65-71 and then similarly with Brent's new material from 79-90. Not so with Vince's 90-95.

 

  • Like (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Forum MVP

Small sample-size gra8fulpair, but the debate may not be a debate for much longer 😁  I listened to 4/29 again last night and it sounded technically perfect and still blistering.  In it's totality as a show, I think 4/29 edges 8/6 based on quality of play and breadth of song selections.  But the rawness and rowdiness of the 8/6 HTH wins by a nose in a photo finish. 

 

While all of 8/6 is worthy of mention, The Cumberland, HTH, and most importantly: The ~28M segment featuring Truckin > Drums > Other One > Me & My Uncle > Other One is simply lights out.  Right there with anything they ever did up to that point.

 

My honorable mention HTH is 6/21/71 while the grateful dead were on holiday in France (an obvious harbinger of E72).  This version is fantastic in it's own right.  Here's an video excerpt of the show that's pretty cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWbzmRBU6Lg  All hail Voodoonola 🫡 unless he's a jerk in real life

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Forum MVP
11 hours ago, bs69 said:

8-6-71 Rob Berenstein (probably have his name wrong someone please correct me) version

His name is Rob Bertrando.  Here's who you were thinking of: 

Fan Casting Tom Hanks as Papa Bear in The Berenstain Bears on myCast

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Forum MVP
10 hours ago, Tea said:

Small sample-size gra8fulpair, but the debate may not be a debate for much longer 😁  I listened to 4/29 again last night and it sounded technically perfect and still blistering.  In it's totality as a show, I think 4/29 edges 8/6 based on quality of play and breadth of song selections.  But the rawness and rowdiness of the 8/6 HTH wins by a nose in a photo finish. 

 

While all of 8/6 is worthy of mention, The Cumberland, HTH, and most importantly: The ~28M segment featuring Truckin > Drums > Other One > Me & My Uncle > Other One is simply lights out.  Right there with anything they ever did up to that point.

 

My honorable mention HTH is 6/21/71 while the grateful dead were on holiday in France (an obvious harbinger of E72).  This version is fantastic in it's own right.  Here's an video excerpt of the show that's pretty cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWbzmRBU6Lg  All hail Voodoonola 🫡 unless he's a jerk in real life

 

 

Ed, stop fucking up my fantasies with your interesting facts and expert analysis. Wouldn’t it just be easier to agree with me and I’d just crawl back under my rock with my soundboard of 4/29/71. 😎😅😳

  • Haha (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Forum MVP

I’d throw the bass tracks Phil so heftily lay down in counterpoint to Jerry’s dirty licks after a hungry full on Pig rap on 4/18:71 into the ring.  What a jam. I’d scramble some eggs on that dance floor. 
 

Nonetheless  the only thing so terrible about 4/29 is when it’s over. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Favorite Grateful Dead Hard to Handle:

8/6/1971: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1971/08/06?source=335844

2/13/1970: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1970/02/13?source=88525

12/31/1982: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1982/12/31?source=339414

 

Favorite non DSO post Grateful Dead Hard to Handles:

 

Phil Lesh Quintet: 12/31/2001: https://relisten.net/phil-lesh/2001/12/31?source=63070

Midnight Hour*>
Hard to Handle* w/Susan Tedeschi
 

Furthur: 3/12/2010: https://relisten.net/furthur/2010/03/12?source=12144
Viola Lee Blues>

High Time>

Caution jam>

Viola Lee Blues>

Hard to Handle*> w/Chris Robinson

Viola Lee Blues


 

  • Like (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Forum MVP
6 hours ago, LangeradoSoul said:

Favorite Grateful Dead Hard to Handle:

8/6/1971: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1971/08/06?source=335844

2/13/1970: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1970/02/13?source=88525

12/31/1982: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1982/12/31?source=339414

 

Favorite non DSO post Grateful Dead Hard to Handles:

 

Phil Lesh Quintet: 12/31/2001: https://relisten.net/phil-lesh/2001/12/31?source=63070

Midnight Hour*>
Hard to Handle* w/Susan Tedeschi
 

Furthur: 3/12/2010: https://relisten.net/furthur/2010/03/12?source=12144
Viola Lee Blues>

High Time>

Caution jam>

Viola Lee Blues>

Hard to Handle*> w/Chris Robinson

Viola Lee Blues


 

Non-Pig HTHs do not qualify, haha. With all due respect in that 82 version Etta James sounds terrible. I don’t hate the Tower of Power horns in there, but don’t love them either. Both of those elements are totally incongruous to the character of the song. 
 

it does however appear I’m fighting a losing battle against 8-6-71 so I’ll concede the debate but won’t change my opinion. Maybe I could arm wrestle Ed into submission and get him to sell everybody on 4-29-71, yeah that’s the ticket! 😂🤣😅

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Forum MVP
On 4/9/2024 at 10:27 AM, Tea said:

His name is Rob Bertrando.  Here's who you were thinking of: 

Fan Casting Tom Hanks as Papa Bear in The Berenstain Bears on myCast

You are correct sir and the sequence you mention is stellar. I actually listen to that show often as my Friday morning finish off the week show at work,  great Dew also. After this a discussion of best Sugaree is in order

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...