Wednesday, December 15, 1971

As I didn't make to a Dead concert until '76, my original perceptions of the years before came from their studio and live albums, and more recently from later released live records from their first decade. So for me, this recording represents a transition point between the hard-rocking Dead represented by Skull and Roses and the mellower and more deliberate band heard in the European tour shows.

If you like Keith prominent in the mix, this is your show. Right after the opening song someone yells something and Jerry responds, "What's that? You want the piano louder?" Thereafter, the piano is louder. The louder piano shows off Keith's prowess on the ivories. This reviewer would have liked the organ louder, too. The organ is relatively undetectable ~ would leave one to believe that Ron did not even play the organ that night.