Ballad of a Thin Man | 2003-08-05 | The Dead

3:15:56

Taper:

Sean Madigan

Transferrer:

Sean Madigan

SHNID:

dead2003-08-05.akg393.smadigan.28907.sbeok.flac16

Source:

AKG 393 (DIN 90deg, 17cm, -10db) > Da-P1 (-20db)

Lineage:

Da-P1 > UA-5 > Sound Forge 6.0 > CDWave > FLAC (re-transfer done 07-19-2004)

Taper Notes:

View NotesComment: * with Dylan on keyboards & vocal. ^ Joan Osborne, lead vocals

Note(s):

1.) I cut approximately 30secs of tuning and snare drum hits from the beginning of set I so I could fit it all
    on one 80min CD. I felt this was inconsequential, but if you would like this material, email me and
    I'll hook you up with it.

2.) There are fireworks at numerous time points. I did not correct for any of these "pops".

3.) There was no optimal place to cut from disc 2 to disc 3. I liked the transition
    from Drumz > Terrapin, so I preserved that.

4.) This particular set of FLACs is a re-transfer of my original source which was done via
    an analog connection through a SBLive card. While I realize the UA-5 transfer is not bit-perfect,
    it is a huge step up from my original source. Enjoy!

Personal Note (s):

My brief impressions:

This was a great show to have attended and my favorite of the year. As for the first set, The Playin' > US Blues combo
was vibrant and alive as ever. Jimmy was on fire on this particular occasion. The Stagger Lee was fun, but Bobby forget
the words. I won't comment on the Dylan as I don't care too much for him, other than the Oh Boy was rockin'. Concerning
Dylan, future readers of this might want to know that taping Dylan during his own set on this tour was strictly prohibited.
His crew actually came back to the section to make sure our rigs were unplugged during his opening performances. He was
recorded every night regardless. The He's Gone was moving, and I felt that Bobby did the song justice.
The Unbroken Chain...well listen for yourself.

Set II was simply amazing! Of particular interest was the WRS. This song shined, even if the LIG was somewhat
lacking with a drawn out jam and a mediocre final chorus. Now, the Terrapin > Morning Dew > Terrapin is perhaps
some of the best "The Dead" I have ever heard. Even though Phil sang it (adding that familiar Frankenstein-like effect),
the Terrapin was powerful. The transition into Morning Dew was subtle and I was F**kin glued to the music at this point!
Joan's performance on this song was inspirational and touching. A lot of the old heads hated this, but I was
sincerely touched by this performance. The transition back into Terrapin was also subtle and not at all in your face.
To top it off, the Sugar Mag was fun and light-hearted, as needed after such a heavy run of jams.

Just my 2 Cents!

Sean Madigan - 07-19-2004