Steppin' Out With the Grateful Dead: England '72 [Live]

Track Listings
Disc: 1

1. Cold Rain and Snow

2. Greatest Story Everr Told

3. Mr. Charlie

4. Sugaree

5. Mexicali Blues

See all 13 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2

1. Good Lovin'

2. Ramble on Rose

3. Black-Throated Wind [Live]

4. Sitting on Top of the World

5. Comes a Time

See all 10 tracks on this disc
Disc: 3

1. Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu

2. Black Peter

3. Chinatown Shuffle

4. Truckin' [Live]

5. Drums [Live]

See all 10 tracks on this disc
Disc: 4

1. Uncle John's Band

2. Stranger (Two Souls in Communion)

3. Dark Star [Live]

4. Sugar Magnolia [Live]

5. Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks) [Live]

See all 6 tracks on this disc

Tracks:

Cold Rain and Snow
Greatest Story Everr Told
Mr. Charlie
Sugaree
Mexicali Blues
Big Boss Man
Deal
Jack Straw
Big Railroad Blues [Live]
It Hurts Me Too [Live]
China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider/Happy Birthday to You
Playing in the Band

Tracks:

Good Lovin'
Ramble on Rose
Black-Throated Wind [Live]
Sitting on Top of the World
Comes a Time
Turn on Your Love Light
Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad
Not Fade Away
Hey Bo Diddley
Not Fade Away

Tracks:

Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu
Black Peter
Chinatown Shuffle
Truckin' [Live]
Drums [Live]
Other One [Live]
Paso [Live]
Other One [Live]
Wharf Rat [Live]
One More Saturday Night [Live]

Tracks:

Uncle John's Band
Stranger (Two Souls in Communion)
Dark Star [Live]
Sugar Magnolia [Live]
Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks) [Live]
Brokendown Palace

Customer Reviews:

Another Great Live Document.......2007-04-24

This 4 cd set is superbly recorded and the band is fearless. It is also poignant, as this was the last overseas tour that Pigpen played. Listen to him perform here, and you'd never know.

Oh yes, some great jams too.

"Some Folks Look For Answers, Others Look For Fights...".......2006-03-25

Steppin' Out (along with Hundred Year Hall) is probably the greatest example of how powerful the Dead were in 1972. This set contains, in my opinion, the greatest Dead lineup, minus Mickey Hart.

What is actually great about this set is that fans of the early Live/Dead era stuff or fans of the Post-Pigpen years will get the best of both worlds, here. You get Pigpen's B3 organ, Soulful Voice and astounding harp blowing wrapped up with Keith Godcheaux's stinging grand piano (he used the Helpinstill piano pickup system, that's why the piano always had somewhat of an electric feel to it, which you couldn't get with microphones; piano players and/or Helpinstill enthusiasts, take note).

Steppin' Out contains so many definitive Dead moments that were never released. Disc 1 and 2 contain superb performances of the shorter songs, especially "Greatest Story Ever Told", "Deal", "Black-Throated Wind", and "Playing In The Band". Speaking of "Playing In The Band", I really think that this is the best version that the Dead had ever done of the song. I really don't think that any hour-long jams that this song bookended after 1974 really captured the essence of the song, as well as this version does.

Speaking of hour-long jams, the "Truckin'-Drums-The Other One-El Paso-The Other One-Wharf Rat" jam on Disc 3 is the true defining moment of this set. However, "Dark Star-Sugar Magnolia-Caution (Don't Stop On The Tracks)" on disc 4 is just as deserving of the same title. But the only problem I have with it is that Donna Jean Godcheaux doesn't get up and harmonize on the "Sunshine Daydream" section with Bob Weir. She did that so well when you heard it on "Europe '72" (although I read that Donna's part was later added during studio overbuds for "Europe '72", so that answers my question). After mayhem of "Caution", Disc 4 and the entire experience in general, ends with the best closing song ever imaginable, "Brokedown Palace". It just sums up everything that has been experienced throughout the duration of the set.

Getting down to the musicians, Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh's lead guitar-bass guitar interplay has never been performed so well, especially in the cerebral modal crosstalk throughout "The Other One" and "Dark Star". Whenever Jerry plays low notes on guitar or Phil plays high notes on bass, they sound so similar, it's almost impossible to tell them apart. Bob Weir's solid rhythm guitar has never sounded so rich and full and hasn't since (during the tune up between "Ramble On Rose" and "Black-Throated Wind", he plays the opening guitar lick from "Weather Report Prelude", which makes you wonder what other things they may have needed these tapes for). Billy Kreutzmann's drumming is just so solid , especially on "Drums" where he rings in "The Other One" in true rhythmic splendor. Along with Kreutzmann, McKernan's random moments of backup percussion (tambourine [audible on "Deal", "Jack Straw", "Wharf Rat", and "Black Throated Wind"] maracas/shakers ["Sugar Magnolia", and "Playing In The Band"], guiro ["Uncle John's Band"]) really does at least make up for parts that were originally played by Mickey Hart in the studio. Still the double drumset crosstalk is sadly absent, and in a way was never the same again after Hart's departure and return, being that both Hart and Kruetzmann changed their drum sounds and styles radically after 1972.

Basically to summarize, any body who even likes the Dead a little bit, should get this set just to here really good live versions of their short songs, but any devoted Dead fanatic who followed the band in it's later years, but couldn't get over to England in time for the recordings of these shows (or you weren't born yet), should get this for the metaphysical/psychological rush of musical mayhem that is the jams, that encapsulate the ends of discs 2, 3, and 4.

The Dead sound very powerful, yet very natural. In later years, they would expand their stage setup with so much percussion equipment and amplifiers that the music seemed to become less original and astounding. This is why, in many respects, this was The Dead at their pinnacle, with Pigpen on his way out and Keith and Donna on their way in. Pretty much the only thing that could've made this better would've been a surprise appearance by Mickey Hart, but unfortunately that was never to be (at least with Pigpen still in the group).

So please, do yourself a favor and buy the album. I promise that a fan of The Dead on any level will love it.

Greatness.......2005-08-10

Judging solely on the basis of DARK STAR, Steppin' Out
is a no-brainer 5 stars. If you program for Dark Star plus
the two OTHER ONE tracks, you have a full hour of brilliant
jamming with a bare minimum of vocals. Now you may wonder,
the Rockin' The Rhein release, ALSO from 1972, ALSO has a
long DARK STAR that is over-the-top fantastic; so the question
becomes: is the 1972 Steppin' Out DARK STAR different enough from the 1972 Rockin' The Rhein DARK STAR to justify purchase?
Hell yes!!! In fact, it's COMPLETELY different! To my ears,
Jerry's guitar tone throughout Steppin' Out has a much sharper tone to it...I'm guessing it's because he was using a Stratocaster
guitar? Anyway, the long DARK STAR tracks on Steppin' Out and
Rockin' The Rhein are very different jams...both GREAT.
Also, if you search around, Steppin' Out has some definitive
vocal tracks as well...Sugaree, Deal, Ramble On Rose, Comes A Time, Brokedown Palace, etc., and after all, I believe it's best to buy Grateful Dead CDs for favored "definitive" tracks you program for, rather than playing the CDs from start to finish. Incidentally, Steppin' Out has some cool pictures in the little book. No "touch of gray" in Jerry's hair here!

Good set... but certainly not perfect. .......2005-03-28

I bought this 4 CD set because I was curious about the early 1972 era of the dead and Europe '72 didn't quite satisfy me. While many people give it loads of praise and it was a fairly good album considering the time it was made (hour-long jams just don't fit onto vinyl), current stereo technology has progressed to the point where a set like this is probably a better buy.

I must say that there is truly something for every kind of Dead fan on here. Fans of "good old rock 'n roll" will find plenty of what they want on here, as will people who like long, spaced-out jams and casual listeners who want to hear popular songs such as "Uncle John's Band" and "Sugar Magnolia." As a general rule, this CD's get more interesting as they increase in number; disc 1 is mostly short rock songs, while disc 4 is a transcendant voyage through one's inner psyche that is up there with Live/Dead and Anthem of the Sun as my favorite disc of Grateful Dead material in my collection.

Probably the most interesting musical ideas on this set are presented by the two keyboardists: Keith and Pigpen. By this time, Keith is fully integrated into the band's sound; sometimes, he can sound so dominant that I wonder why Pigpen isn't back home, nursing his health. Then the band launches into one of Mr. McKerman's songs or the organ kicks in with a funky groove and I realize just how important he is to the group. His finest moments appear on disc 4. "The Stranger" is arguably the finest song he ever sang, featuring some incredible lyrics and a great solo from Jerry. It would have been a great substitution for the somewhat lackluster "You Win Again" and "Ramble on Rose" on Europe '72. The "Caution" on here is probably the strongest jam I've herd from the Dead at this point, perhaps excepting the "Dark Star" on Live/Dead. Every band member gets a chance to shine and contribute to the sinister brew that follows an extremely high-energy "Sunshine Daydream," with screams from Bob Weir and Pigpen to drive up the intensity. At one point, the dying maniac in the cowboy hat sings a line as he plays the same melody on the organ... which is probably the highlight of the entire jam. Just as the song fades out, angry and distorted guitar breaks the silence, prompting two more minutes of additional jamming. THIS is what chaos sounds like. THIS is the sound of war, of panic and confusion, of lost souls heading to their doom and screaming in pain.

Needless to say, the entire set isn't nearly as intense or even as interesting. Quite frankly, some songs ("Sugaree," "Mexicali Blues," "Deal") sound quite boring to these ears. Perhaps that's why I'm giving this four stars; although there are some great recordings on here, a three disc set would serve the same purpose only without the occational track you have to skip. Were I reviewing the downloadable version of this on the iTunes music store, which is about ten dollars cheaper, I might decide to go for the full five stars.... however, this is the physical copy and is thus priced differently (although you do get a nice color booklet with an essay and pictures of the band). I reccomend this for people who already like the Dead and are interested in what REALLY went on in Europe in 1972. As I mentioned earlier, any kind of Dead listener will find something to like about this, although probably not the whole thing.

Very Good Recording.......2005-03-05

This is a great era in the Dead's music as we all know. If your a fan of the Godchaux's then get this now if you dont have it already! I personally like the dead before Keith and (mainly) Donna came on board, but this 4-disc release is generally pretty damn good. Most of their poppy short songs are on discs 1 and 2 (the Playing in the Band is only 10 minutes but we have to remember this is when PITB was still relatively new/young) You will find most (notice I said most) of their jamming on discs 3 and 4. The sound quality on this release is excellent.

I won't go on picking apart each and every song, so go out and buy it and find out for yourself how good this release is. I definately would recommend this over Europe '72 because A. You get twice as much music, B. You get way better songs included on this release, and C. this IS europe (well, england) in the year 1972! You will pretty much find the same quality in this 4-disc set and much more than in Europe '72.

Don't even hesitate, this is definately a worthy collection to be put in your collection.

Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead - England '72

Average customer rating:

shaking head
One of the best official live Dead releases
Superb!!
Best representation of the Dead's European tour '72
A Stellar Show

Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead - England '72
Grateful Dead
Manufacturer: Arista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rockin' the Rhein with the Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack
Fillmore East: April 1971
Dick's Picks, Vol. 11: Stanley Theatre, Jersey City, NJ, 9/27/72
Dick's Picks, Vol. 16: Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA, 11/8/69

ASIN: B000069KH5
Release Date: 2002-07-09

Tracks:

Cold Rain and Snow
Greatest Story Ever Told
Mr. Charlie
Sugaree
Mexicali Blues
Big Boss Man
Deal
Jack Straw
Big Railroad Blues
Hurts Me Too
China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider
Playing In The Band

Tracks:

Good Lovin'
Ramble On Rose
Black-Throated Wind
Sitting On Top Of The World
Comes A Time
Turn On Your Lovelight
Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad
Not Fade Away
Hey Bo Diddley
Not Fade Away

Tracks:

Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu
Black Peter
Chinatown Shuffle
Truckin'
Drums
The Other One
El Paso
The Other One
Wharf Rat
One More Saturday Night

Tracks:

Uncle John's Band
The Stranger (Two Souls In Communion)
Dark Star
Sugar Magnolia
Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)
Brokedown Palace

Amazon.com

Marking the 30th anniversary of the Grateful Dead's first full-fledged European tour, the four-disc Steppin' Out will delight collectors wishing to dig deeper than the terrific original three-LP (two-CD) Europe '72. Culling performances from seven English shows from the spring of 1972, this set has much more of a "live" feel than the Europe '72 release, which had polished up the Dead's rougher edges, introduced a bunch of new songs to record, and in general been intended to serve as a "studio" record. Of particular interest here is a rippling, sprite reading of "Sitting on Top of the World" (sung by Jerry Garcia), a couple of lesser-known Pigpen originals ("Chinatown Shuffle" and "The Stranger"), and versions of chestnuts "Hey Bo Diddley" (in a "Not Fade Away" sandwich) and "Rockin' Pneumonia" that most folks have not heard Deadified. There's also a wonderful and lengthy "Dark Star"/"Sugar Magnolia"/"Caution" combo from Wembley Empire Pool on disc 4. While this collection shouldn't replace Europe '72 in your stack, it's a worthy complement for fans of this era in Dead history. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

shaking head.......2007-03-29

High Tech copy guard on a Dead album?
Jerry is rolling over in his grave as I type this

One of the best official live Dead releases.......2007-02-24

Whereas I recommend Europe '72 as a first purchase for newcomers, those who already appreciate the Dead and are disappointed by Europe '72's lack of extended improv. will no doubt find this set superior. It covers a much broader selection of tunes, all cherry-picked from the same tour, and in sad contrast to so much of the official live material released by the band, the performances consistently marry inspiration (emotion) and tight, in-tune musicianship. I have nothing personal against Dick Latvala, but can't help but wonder sometimes what might have been had someone else-- someone who was not so deeply invested in the "ragged-but-right" (read: "sloppy-and-out-of-tune-is-right") ethic-- had been in charge of choosing shows for release. IMO, when the 60's/70's Dead were playing at their best, few could touch them, and yet, to these ears, much of the live material that's been released so far is sub-par. Oh well. In any event, this delightful exception to the rule is to be cherished.

Superb!!.......2005-02-02

The album exemplifies the Grateful Dead at one of the high points in their time together. This is a great collection of their best known concert songs (China Cat > I Know you Rider, Playing in the Band, Jack Straw...) and what is undoubtable the BEST quality recording outside of their originally released live albums (Europe 72, Skull & Roses...).

The venue that they are playing in is a smaller club and it is fun listening to the band (ok - Bobby) interact with the crowd. Also, this was recorded during the brief interlude where Micky Hart had left the band leaving the Dead with only Bill as drummer. I have to tell you how impressed I am with his performance during the entire show. This recording highlights just how great a drummer Bill really is - outstanding.

Take note... if you are a new listener to the Dead, this album will get you hooked into being a fan of their live albums. If you are a long time listener, this is an album that needs to be in your collection. It is far superior to many of the newly released live recordings (example: "Dick's Picks"). It is right up there with "Europe 72" and in fact (IMHO) is even better because it is the entire concert. On average, there are about 75 minutes on each disc (4 in all) - WOW!

Positives:
Crystal clear recording.
Great collection of songs.
Entire concert on recording.
Flawless performance.
A few "rare" songs on it (ie: "Hey, Bo Didley").

Negatives:
Only one... why did they take soooooooo long to release this!??!

Best representation of the Dead's European tour '72.......2004-12-11

4 DISCS!!! 4 discs of purely awesome Grateful Dead, the greatest band ever and the greatest there ever will be. There's a whole lotta Pigpen, the most talanted vocalist of the group, Jerry Garcia, my hero and idol, and the crew. This is the best intro to the Dead and if it dissappoints than you must be deaf.

A Stellar Show .......2004-09-21

As a typical deadhead, I can well appreciate the concept of attending a concert or listening to one on disc where everything culminates in a single pure moment. For me, that moment occurs on this disc during the seque from Dark Star into Sugar Magnolia. That 60 second interval of music alone makes this disc a must have for anyone who really appreciates what the Dead where all about.

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review

1. Cold Rain and Snow
2. Greatest Story Everr Told
3. Mr. Charlie
4. Sugaree
5. Mexicali Blues

1. Good Lovin'
2. Ramble on Rose
3. Black-Throated Wind [Live]
4. Sitting on Top of the World
5. Comes a Time

1. Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu
2. Black Peter
3. Chinatown Shuffle
4. Truckin' [Live]
5. Drums [Live]

1. Uncle John's Band
2. Stranger (Two Souls in Communion)
3. Dark Star [Live]
4. Sugar Magnolia [Live]
5. Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks) [Live]