‘We’re Havin’ Fun” – Healthy, Happy Jerry at the Greek, July 10, 1988

LN jg1988-07-10.jgb.all.aud-reutelhuber.25416.shn2flac

God, this is such a fantastic fileset.

First, the legendary Bill Reutelhuber pulled a tape that just grabs you by the collar and forces you to listen. It is right in your face, in the best possible way.

Second –and I hope this isn’t just a tape artifact!– the show, too, brings tremendous power and energy. It ain’t perfect, and in fact there are lots of vocal flubs and occasional group stumbles. But the guitar work elicits notes like “sear” (Like A Road), “incendiary” and “MASSIVE SCRUB” (GOOMLW), “grunge” and “huge peaky notes” (Deal), “extremely hot, with some major fireworks” (Think). Interestingly, the DLG didn’t light me up, but I’d like to give it another listen. Garcia sings inventively and with gusto the whole afternoon.

After Forever Young, Jerry avers “We’re havin’ fun”, and it sure does sound like it. I consider this period a peak one for Garcia’s health and happiness. His band wasn’t playing a ton, but throughout the year, when it did, it and he sounded glad to be making music. 1988 featured a number of guest shots (Howard Wales a couple of times), some rare stage talk (this show), and a number of musically compelling one-offs (Blues for El Salvador on 1/23/88) and sit-ins (Zero in Golden Gate Park before the Dead’s Greek show six days after this gig, 7/16/88, a sit-in with Los Lobos at Laguna Seca on 7/31/88). I think we all agree that this probably indicates a Jerry who is relatively clean and loving life. Check it out, or play it for a Jerry-curious friend. You’ll be glad you did.

Jerry Garcia Band
Greek Theatre, University of California, Berkeley
2001 Gayley Road
Berkeley, CA 94720
July 10, 1988 (Sunday)
Reutelhuber-Miller shnid-25416 shn2flac

–set I (7 tracks, 52:43)–
s1t01. [0:10] How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) [6:12] [2:45]
s1t02. Mission In The Rain [8:44] [0:44]
s1t03. Like A Road Leading Home [8:00] [0:24]
s1t04. Get Out Of My Life, Woman [8:00] % (1) [0:24]
s1t05. Run For The Roses [4:48] [0:16]
s1t06. My Sisters And Brothers [4:24] ->
s1t07. Deal [7:38] (2) [0:13] %

–set II (7 tracks, 61:35)–
s2t01. Harder They Come [10:18] [0:39]
s2t02. Stop That Train [8:05] [0:24]
s2t03. Forever Young [8:28] (3) [0:47]
s2t04. Think [7:46] [0:22]
s2t05. Evangeline [3:23] [0:04]
s2t06. That Lucky Old Sun [8:58] ->
s2t07. Don’t Let Go [12:15] (3) [0:07]

! ACT1: Jerry Garcia Band #21b
! lineup: Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals;
! lineup: John Kahn – bass;
! lineup: Melvin Seals – keyboards;
! lineup: David Kemper – drums;
! lineup: Jacklyn LaBranch – backing vocals;
! lineup: Gloria Jones – backing vocals.

JGMF:

! Recording: symbols: % = recording discontinuity; / = clipped song; // = cut song; … = fade in/out; # = truncated timing; [ ] = recorded event time. The recorded event time immediately after the song or item name is an attempt at getting the “real” time of the event. So, a timing of [x:xx] right after a song title is an attempt to say how long the song really was, as represented on this recording.

! Jerrybase: https://jerrybase.com/events/19880710-01

! db: http://etreedb.org/shn/13988 (Dan Cole s2 MAC, shnf); http://etreedb.org/shn/17635 (John Corley MAC, shnf); http://etreedb.org/shn/25416 (this fileset).

! map: https://goo.gl/maps/WkbbdJBKCKJ2

! JGBP: http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2012/02/greek-theater-1815-4th-street-berkeley.html

! R: field recordist: Bill Reutelhuber

! R: field recording location: FOB

! R: field recording gear: 2x Nakamichi 700/CP701 > Reutelhuber power supply > Sony TCD5m

! R: transfer: Cassette Master (Nakamichi Deck/Azmituth Aligned) -> Mytek Digital ADC8X96 ->
Nuendo (24bit/44.1k) ->  Samplitude v7.02 Professional -> SHN (2 Discs Audio / 2 Discs SHN); transferred By Bill Reutelhuber, tracked and SHN’d Charlie Miller, [email protected], 8/5/04; ; jgmf shn2flac 4/18/2015.

! R: Right out of the gate, this tape is a force to be reckoned with. Vocals a little low, instrumentation just shapely. This is a great tape – I love Bill Reutelhuber’s work on every level – every tape of his sounds great. Nak 700s have a wonderful bassy fullness that really works when taper is in a great spot with the right angles, everything custom modified by Bill himself (in later years the DAT Brats and others would shorthand this his power supply as a Billbox).

! P: s1t01 HSII does Garcia start on the second verse? Does it go “needed the shelter” and then “opened my eyes at night”? So over 1, he realizes it, but he just decides to go with it. OK, 1:45 he completes the inversion of the first two verses, not in his head about it, sounds strong and focused. Then he does the second verse again, and all is well. (So he does it 2nd verse – 1st verse – 2nd verse.)

! P: s1t02 MITR sounds a little wonky out of the chute, but as they swing into the body of the song they have found each other and the groove.

! P: s1t03 LARLH I am hearing a lot of vocal flubs, which is not really that surprising – xxx JGB #21b dates in this period. Garcia sounds totally engaged, just a little rusty. Vocal inflection 3:22 is great, now his guitar solo late 3 is outstanding! The band swirling up scaffold and webbing, Garcia putting some sear on it.

! P: s1t04 GOOMLW Kemper doesn’t jump this as hard as he sometimes did, but he is just such a wonderful drummer. 3:20 Melvin brings in some really bright organ. In 5 Garcia’s guitar is as incendiary as 1984 – this is brilliantly urgent guitar playing, aggressive, expressive. @@ 5:57 does a MASSIVE SCRUB, but they lose the tempo for 15 seconds thereafter. I think the band was as stunned at what it was hearing as the crowd, which is gasping and hollering. They lose each other again a little bit. This show does feel like squeaking, rusty metal (which is a good thing) – tons of energy, but there’s some grit to oil out.

! s1t04 (1) someone hollers “turn up the bass!”, which is a good point. I think that awakens John a little bit, because on RFTR he is audible for the first time. (It’s possible I merely perceive it because it was primed by the request – that’d be interesting.)

! P: s1t05 RFTR same flavor as everything so far: a little sloppy, but great energy.

! P: s1t06 Sis and Bros he flubs the lyrics, again!

! P: s1t07 Deal again lots of great grunge, Garcia taking long runs up and down the fretboard through late 3, blended bend right over 4, terrific energy, stacking 4:15. This playing is easily the equal of anything in the first half of the 1980s. At 5:33 they hit a great little platform, and Garcia, in great form, decides not to drop back to the song, but to play his guitar, loudly, for awhile longer. 6:10 huge peaky notes, crowd reports pleasure.

! s1t07 (2) JG set break announcement

! P: s2t03 FY is rather a clusterfuck. He screams at 7:25 ish and it’s great, but things are just a little loosy-goosy. More yelling 7:56, screaming, very nice, long vocal sustain 8:08 on the word “stay” … very cool.

! s2t03 (3) @ 9:00 JG: “We’re havin’ fun.”

! P: s2t04 Think extremely hot, with some major fireworks late 5. Garcia sounds absolutely fantastic. Great feedback over extended notes 6. Man, this is great.

! s2t07 (3) JG: “Thanks a lot. We’ll see y’all later.”