Description
The Grateful Dead – History Of The Grateful Dead, Vol. 1 (Bear’s Choice) (LP)
Label: Warner Bros. Records – BS 2721
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1973
Matrix / Runout (Side A label): S40,534
Matrix / Runout (Side B label): S40,535
Tracklist:
A1 Katie Mae 4:46
A2 Dark Hollow 3:30
A3 I’ve Been All Around This World 4:40
A4 Wake Up Little Susie 2:40
A5 Black Peter 7:20
B1 Smokestack Lightnin 18:00
B2 Hard To Handle 6:14
Credits:
Producer – Owsley Stanley
Recorded By – Bear
Notes:
Recorded live at Bill Graham’s Fillmore East February 13 and 14, 1970
Original U.S. pressing of this LP.
The phonographic copyright is shown only on the spine.
Vinyl and Cover in good condition. Cut-out. Address stamp and sello-tape inside the cover (non-visible). Addres stamp on one side of the label. See photo’s for details.
+++++++++A live album, compiled by Owsley Stanley who had taped everything on a small Nagra two-track portable, wired into the PA console, during two Valentine’s Day gigs at the Fillmore East in februari 1970, which was just one month after LIVE/DEAD was released, and the resulting sound quality is remarkably good… It’s a Pigpen memorial album, released in 1973. The last album the DeaD made for the Warner Br. label and a representive sample of acoustic tracks from the 70’s live shows. The “Bear” is Owlsley +++++++++
nr. 1 Oddly titled, may be most notable for the premiere of the lightning bolt/skeleton design. Excellent Pigpen vocals but the albums sound quality and weak first side mark it as the band weakest album up to that point in time. GOLDMINE, JULY 1987
nr. 2 Een vrij verrassend geheel. Prettige, relaxte muziek. Garcia’s zang komt in de zachte songs veel beter uit. Op kant twee is prachtig samenspel tussen Weir en Garcia. Een interessante plaat. Goede kwaliteit, erg sfeer rijk, maar niets nieuws biedend. OOR, SEPTEMBER 1973
nr. 3 The band’s last album before leaving Warner Bros was a fitting tribute to their fallen companion Pigpen, who died on March 8, 1973. It’s Pigpen at his best, growling out R’n’B classics like HARD TO HANDLE and SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING. The record also includes some oddities, considering how much archival material was available, like a rare and unlikely LITTLE SUSIE, a song the DeaD only ever played a dozen times. JAMIE JENSEN
nr. 4 Really a Pigpen Memorial album, although the DeaD would never be so mundane as to put it that way. Recorded Fillmore East, February 1970, and you had to be there. rating: C+ ROBERT CRISTGAU
nr. 5 A generally sloppy and uninspired live album culled from two nights at the Fillmore East in 1970. Side one is acoustic, they are not particularly good performances. The singing on DARK HOLLOW and LITTLE SUSIE is weak. BLACK PETER is more successful but adds little to the original recording. Side two is something of a Pigpen memorial featuring a fabulous run-through of HARD TO HANDLE and a slightly tedious version of Howlin’ Wolf’s great SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING. All in all, a disappointment. * * BLAIR JACKSON, THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED, PLEXUS UK 1983
nr. 6 A beautiful, honest and underrated album. The DeaD play very relaxed and with heart. Together with RECKONING their acoustic live high points. The BLACK PETER version might be the definite one, very simple and direct,shooting an arrow ful of redemption right to your heart. Side two is a fitting memorial to the Rhythm ‘n’ Blues power of the late great Pigpen. * * * * ERIK SCHOTHANS, july 1992
nr. 7 It’s unlike any other ‘live’ album they’ve put out. I wouldn’t say, as many have, that the album is exclusively a collector’s item, because it’s very pleasant to listen to, and when you know a little bit more about, it becomes particularly interesting. A good album and worth a lot more than just the curiosity value that a lot of people have labelled it with. ANDY CHILDS, ZIG ZAG Magazine
nr.8 BEAR’S CHOICE (1973)
Selected by Californian acid guru as a tribute to the late Pigpen, “Bear’ is probably best remembered as bi record that introduced tthe band’s lightning bolt/skeleton logo as it i music. Taped at twoFillmore -East 1970, the first sidé dtures the acoustic mode, but onlyWeir’s “Dark and the lengthy “Black Peter” are special mention. Even the Pigpen sh “Too Hard To Handle”, on the secon barely lukewarm.
from Record Collector
