Steel Cut Oats #7: A Mile High in ’73

Once you arrive to the first of two versions of Truckin’ included, the tunes elevate to a different level as the band shifts gears into classic 1973 improvisational output mode. Phil navigates Billy through some game-changing territory before ripping the intro to The Other One to which the rest of the band responds perfectly. There’s a ton of ‘moments’ here, and via the twists, Tiger jams, turns, and Mind Left Body jams, we eventually fall into a gorgeous and tender Stella Blue to close out an excellent suite of music from Fall ’73.

Deeper into the set, and following an apropos China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, one of the absolute finest and aggressive renditions of the Weather Report Suite is showcased. Although improvisationally tight, the band slips slightly down the stretch, and perhaps becomes a victim of their own group madness – nonetheless, it is a version that should be held in high regard as one on the best – possibly Tampa ’73, Boston ’74, and Fresno ’74 could be seen as its only creative peers.

Oats #7’s piece de résistance is clearly 11.21’s Set II opening jam segment – Mississippi ½ Step > Playin’ > El Paso > Playin’ > Dark Star Jam > Wharf Rat > Playin’ > Morning Dew – even the El Paso has never fit so well in the structure of a jam – really. If you are looking for a fantastic sample of the Dead’s ability to segue and unconsciously weave in and out of themes and songs – look no further, this is it. An adventurous non-stop hour of solid play leads to the second night’s bluesier Truckin’ jams which roll into a Nobody’s Fault > Goin’ Down The Road > Saturday Night combo – loose and fun until the last note! The entire 2nd Set is showcased here in its entirety – a ‘must have’ from a year that provided so many clutch closing frames of what I consider to be the Grateful Dead’s greatest performing year.

As usual, any further cuts, blips, or skips that reside on this collection remain ‘as is’ from the original sources found in the db.etree.org directory – surgery was performed only for the purpose of sequencing, and not on any portion of actual music. I did detect a tiny cut around the four minute mark of The Other One that did not seem to be noted elsewhere, the track doesn’t seem to be missing much at all, and does not affect the flow tremendously.

It was incredibly rewarding to go back and listen through several shows from 1973 to finally arrive at Denver as a more-than-appropriate example of the weird, jazzy, spaced-out, and sometimes frightening music this band was performing at the time. There’s a ton of group dynamics tucked inside Steel Cut Oats #7, and I feel these two shows celebrate and represent some of the best the era has to offer. Play it loud. Enjoy.

1. Ramble On Rose
2. Mexicali Blues
3. They Love Each Other (11.20)
4. Jack Straw
5. Sugaree
6. Big River
7. Here Comes Sunshine
8. Looks Like Rain (11.21)
9. Brown-Eyed Women
10. Black-Throated Wind
11. Tennessee Jed
12. Truckin’ –>
13. Phil / Billy –>
14. The Other One –>
15. Mind Left Body Jam –>
16. Stella Blue
17. Promised Land –>
18. Bertha –>
19. Greatest Story Ever Told
20. China Cat Sunflower –>
21. I Know You Rider
22. Weather Report Suite (11.20)
23. Mississippi 1/2 Step –>
24. Playin’ In The Band –>
25. El Paso –>
26. Playin’ In The Band –>
27. Dark Star Jam –>
28. Wharf Rat –>
29. Playin’ In The Band –>
30. Morning Dew
31. Truckin’ –>
32. Nobody’s Fault But Mine –>
33. Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad –>
34. One More Saturday Night (11.21)
35. To Lay Me Down
36. Sugar Magnolia (11.20)
37. Uncle John’s Band (11.21)

Jerry Garcia, lead guitar, vocals
Donna Jean Godchaux, vocals
Keith Godchaux, keyboards
Bill Kreutzmann, drums
Phil Lesh, bass, vocals
Bob Weir, rhythm guitar, vocals

January 19th, 2011

– Joe Kolbenschlag