Mud Love Buddy

25 Years Ago Tonight...

Grateful Dead -- December 30, 1983
Civic Auditorium, San Francisco

12-30-83 a.k.a. 12/30/83 a.k.a. 83-12-30

1st Set: Bertha-> Greatest Story Ever Told, Friend Of The Devil,
Me & My Uncle-> Big River, Ramble On Rose, Little Red Rooster,
Brown-Eyed Women-> Looks Like Rain-> Deal

Set 2: Shakedown Street, Man Smart (Woman Smarter,)
Terrapin Station-> Drums-> Space->
Mind Left Body Jam-> Truckin'-> Wharf Rat-> Good Lovin'

Encore: (Keep Your) Day Job

Today I've been groovin' to some good ol' Grateful Dead from 1983. Jim Tuedio from The Deadhead's Taping Compendium is pretty dismissive of the first set but I thought it was pretty great and overall, I thought that although the second set had some great moments, the first set had more energy and was better played.

In the first set, I especially liked Ramble On Rose. Jerry sang "The grass ain't greener, the wine ain't sweeter, either side of the hill" with so much passion, he nailed it. Red Rooster after that was pretty grate, too. Rooster is not really one of my favorite songs, there's nothing wrong with it, it just doesn't move me, but this was a really smokin' version. And yeah, Brown-Eyed Women>Looks Like Rain>Deal was really good. If I had been there I would have been pretty damn happy after that first set.

The second set was interesting and had moments of grateness, as well, starting with Shakedown. I love Phil in the beginning of Shakedown, you know how he always goes, "Bowm" really loud in the beginning of the song? Ok I'm not describing Phil's bass very well, LOL, but if you are reading this you probably know what I am referring to and if you don't, listen to it. Anyway...Women Are Smarter was ok but Terrapin was pretty lackluster. In contrast to Ramble on Rose in the first set, I felt like Jerry just kind of muddled through and I hate to say it, but his singing was cringeworthy at times. Drums and space were pretty standard, but what was really noteworthy was the Mind Left Body Jam out of space. That was pretty cool and not something they played very often. Truckin' after that was really good, I liked the whistle in the beginning. My guess is that was Billy but I could be wrong. Wharf Rat was really good, too, and I felt like Jerry redeemed himself after that lame Terrapin.

Earlier today I was listening to this show and I was wondering about Mind Left Body Jam and why it's called that. I asked a friend and he said that it is because of this:

Pretty cool image, huh? Yeah, I could spend a long time looking at it, too. It's from the University of Minnesota here, if you want to look at some other stuff. It turns out, though, that the real reason "Mind Left Body Jam" is called that is because it's a jam of the Paul Kanter song, "Your Mind Has Left Your Body" from Baron Von Tollbooth and the Chrome Nun by Grace Slick and Paul Kantner. Jerry and Mickey both play on that album, so it is no wonder they did a little riffing off of it. You can listen to "Your Mind Has Left Your Body" below, if you want.


"Your Mind Has Left Your Body"
from: Baron Von Tollbooth and the Chrome Nun

transcribed from: The Deadhead's Taping Compendium, Volume II: An In-Depth Guide To The Music of the Grateful Dead on Tape, 1975-1985 [out of print] The first set didn't really catch our attention until the closing spiral jam on "Deal," but after a "Brown-Eyed">"Looks Like Rain" to set the mood, the whole crowd was dancing smiles by set's end. The real show started with "Shakedown," with strong interplay between Phil and Jerry and solid support from Brent's piano. The jam stretches out nicely, then pulls up for a strong run to the finish. The "Terrapin" stretches out, too, but there isn't a lot of punch to the jam. But coming out of "Drums" into a nice ethereal "Space," we're treated to a rare taste of the "Mind Left Body Jam," followed by a deliberate, well-paced ignition jam into "Truckin'." Cowboy Bob slaps his forehead when he loses track of the lyrics, but the rest of the band rises up like a giant wave and carries the song along without missing a beat. The intensity builds, and the interplay between Jerry, Phil, and Brent reaches its peak on an overflowing version of "Wharf Rat." Jerry's voice us speaks to us with simple passion as Brent's voice hovers gently above. The bass and organ lines cradle the suspension of time, and a wonderful soaring jam rises up at the end to transform a soft, touching ballad into a powerful Dionysian overture to all the suspended lives lying draped over the park and subway benches of our towns and cities. Settling in for a set-closing run at "Good Lovin'," the band cranks up the energy one last time and lifts the crowd to another peak of dancing ecstasy. For those who make tapes for their own listening pleasure, "Shakedown" and "Space" through "Good Lovin'" fit on one side of a ninety-minute tape and should add a great run of tunes to your rotation. by JIM TUEDIO

Source: Soundboard> Cassette Master> FLAC Audio Quality:	12/30/83 San Fran @ Archive.org: two FOB AUD sources to download, the Soundboard for Listening Only
Download The Show Here 1st Set: GD 12/30/83 --- 12/30/83 SF: 2nd Set