Take the Road Before Us and Sing a Chorus or Two: Legion of Mary at Keystone, May 21, 1975

jg1975-05-21.lom.all.mtx-tobin-motb-0050.87219.flac1644

I recently gave 6/16/82 a listen to evaluate whether it merited its lofty reputation, or whether it might be exhibiting a case of the Cornells. I decided it was as good as its reputation.

Staying with that démarche, a week ago I spun 5/21/75, Legion of Mary at the Keystone, which has long circulated from low-gen soundboard reels the provenance of which I do not know. (These are not "Betty Boards".) I have been moving through the world for the last week with the feeling that this one, too, deserved the esteem in which it is held. But now, looking back at my notes, I can't really see the basis for that feeling. I spun a lovely matrix done by Matt Vernon of the soundboard tape (MSR > 1R) and the killer Menke-Falanga aud under the auspices of the Mouth of the Beast (MOTB) project. The tapes are awesome, the music comes through, the room is very present even on $10 ca. 2005 computer speakers, and one can hear the band relaxed, tuning, chatting, etc.

Figure xxx. Extract from contract, dated 5/19/75, for Legion of Mary engagement at Keystone Berkeley, May 21-22, 1975.

I only really noted one musical highlight in Garcia's work on "You Can Leave Your Hat On". He finds some chukka-chukkas that put me a little in mind of the Dead's "Caution", and It Is Good. I found two sort of problematic parts. First, "Finders Keepers" just didn't survive the transition to 1975 intact. It dragged in all of the Legion versions that come to mind, and it just sounds like the band lost interest in it, whereas a year earlier it crackled. Second, "Harder They Come" is done here more slowly than any other version I can recall, and not to good effect (IMO, YMMV). It lacks urgency.

So, where does that leave me? Sounds great. Certainly provides a great listen. But it didn't destroy me. So, I'd say the esteem in which it is held surpasses the esteem it deserves. Still lovely 1975 Jerry, just not the crème de la crème.

Oh yeah, the post title arises because, for reasons that aren't clear to me --maybe it was snowing in May in Berkeley, wink-wink?-- Jerry noodles "Sleigh Ride" at the start of set II.

Legion of Mary
Keystone
2119 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
May 21, 1975 (Wednesday)
MTX MOTB-0050 shnid-87219

--set I (6 tracks, 74:14)--
s1t01. That's A Touch I Like [10:12] (1) [2:22]
s1t02. I Feel Like Dynamite [12:29] (2)
s1t03. Last Train From Poor Valley [10:57] [0:14] % dead air [0:06] % [0:27]
s1t04. Finders Keepers [12:30] [0:48]
s1t05. Tough Mama [8:05] [1:41]
s1t06. That's What Love Will Make You Do [12:00] (3)

--set II (6 tracks, 81:11)--
s2t01. (4) [0:23] I'll Take A Melody [9:09] [0:54]
s2t02. You Can Leave Your Hat On [15:52] [1:17]
s2t03. Mississippi Moon [8:38] [0:53]
d3t01. Harder They Come [20:32] [1:04]
d3t02. Creepin' [13:36] [0:28]
d3t03. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) [8:12] (5) [0:12]

! ACT1: Legion of Mary
! lineup: Jerry Garcia - el-g, vocals;
! lineup: Merl Saunders - keyboards, vocals;
! lineup: John Kahn - el-b;
! lineup: Martin Fierro - saxophone, flute (s2t03);
! lineup: Ron Tutt - drums.

JGMF:

! Recording: symbols: % = recording discontinuity; / = clipped song; // = cut song; ... = fade in/out; # = truncated timing; [mm:ss] = 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/19750521-01

! JGC: https://jerrygarcia.com/show/1975-05-21

! db: https://etreedb.org/shn/4478 (sbd shnf); https://etreedb.org/shn/4479 (sbd shnf); https://etreedb.org/shn/87086 (Menke-Falanga MOTB0043 flac1644); https://etreedb.org/shn/87133 (Menke-Falanga MOTB0043 flac2496); https://etreedb.org/shn/87149 (sbd pitch-patch); https://etreedb.org/shn/87219 (this fileset); https://etreedb.org/shn/87526 (MOTB0050 DTS5.1); https://etreedb.org/shn/87573 (DVD-A); https://etreedb.org/shn/138651 (sbd); https://etreedb.org/shn/141905 (sbd).

! map: https://goo.gl/maps/LDc43

! JGBP: http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2012/02/keystone-2119-university-avenue.html

! venue: URL http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2010/12/2119-university-avenue-berkeley-ca.html

! venue: URL http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2011/01/jerry-garcia-and-keystone-shows.html

! official: More of the Best [3 track bonus CD that was distributed with pre-ordered copies of  The Very Best Of Jerry Garcia] (Rhino, 2006) (t01-TWLWMYD)

! ref: URL http://www. deaddisc.com/disc/More_Of_The_Best.htm

! listing: "Country Joe McDonald Back In Area," Indepdent-Journal [San Rafael, CA], May 16, 1975, p. 21

! mention: San Francisco Examiner, May 16, 1975, p. 39

! R: MOTB Release: 0050 16bit/44.1Khz; Release Date: 09/12/2007

! R: Matrix of 2 sources; 1--Lineage: SBD > 15ips reel > 15ips reel > DAT; Transfer 1: DAT > Sony R500 > Genesis Digital Lens > Fostex CR200 > CD; transfer 2: CD > EAC > WAV > SHN. 2--Audience FOB Recording; Media: Maxell UD90; Lineage: Sony ECM-270 and ECM-250 Blended [Positioned Onstage] > Sony TC-152 > MAC; Transfer: MAC > Nak Dragon > LynxTWO Model B > WaveLab 5.0 > HD 24/96 WAV; Taper: Bob Menke and Louis Falanga; Transfer: Bob Menke, Mastering: Jamie Waddell. Matrix Mastering: Kevin Tobin

! R: match and patch notes: I matched the speed of this recording to the MAC - it was slightly faster overall (about 1/2 a second per minute) and more consistent than the sbd recording. Audio Patches: 1) Between The Touch I Like I Like and I Feel Like Dynamite, 48.033 seconds were missing from the Audience recording and were filled in from the Soundboard recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 2) Aprox 4 minutes into I Feel Like Dynamite, 19.564 were missing from the Soundboard recording and were filled in from the Audience recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 3) Between I Feel Like Dynamite and Last Train From Poor Valley, 27.500 seconds were missing from the Audience recording and were filled in from the Soundboard recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 4) Between I Feel Like Dynamite and Last Train From Poor Valley, another 35.900 seconds were missing from the Audience recording and were filled in from the Soundboard recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. Note: This includes the first few notes of Last Train From Poor Valley. 5) Aprox 7 minutes into Last Train From Poor Vallery, 21.273 were missing from the Soundboard recording and were filled in from the Audience recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 6) Between Last Train From Poor Valley and Finders Keepers, 33.900 seconds were missing from the Audience recording and were filled in from the Soundboard recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 7) Between Finders Keepers and Tough Mama, 12.007 were missing from the Soundboard recording and were filled in from the Audience recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 8) Aprox 7 minutes into That's What Love Will Make You Do, 36.803 were missing from the Soundboard recording and were filled in from the Audience recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 9) At the end of That's What Love Will Make You Do, 11.116 were missing from the Soundboard recording and were filled in from the Audience recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 10) Before I'll Take A Melody, 17.000 seconds were missing from the Audience recording and were filled in from the Soundboard recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 11) Between I'll Take A Melody and You Can Leave Your Hat On, 21.423 were missing from the Soundboard recording and were filled in from the Audience recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 12) Aprox 4 minutes into You Can Leave Your Hat On, 22.372 were missing from the Soundboard recording and were filled in from the Audience recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 13) Between You Can Leave Your Hat On and Mississippi Moon, 18.883 seconds were missing from the Audience recording and were filled in from the Soundboard recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 14) Aprox 4 minutes into Mississippi Moon, 24.773 were missing from the Soundboard recording and were filled in from the Audience recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 15) Between Mississippi Moon and Harder They Come, 16.966 seconds were missing from the Soundboard recording and were filled in from the Audience recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 16) Between Mississippi Moon and Harder They Come, another 1.593 seconds were missing from the Soundboard recording and were filled in from the Audience recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 17) Aprox 8 minutes into Harder They Come, 02.139 were missing from the Soundboard recording and were filled in from the Audience recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 18) Aprox 11 minutes into Harder They Come, 20.807 were missing from the Soundboard recording and were filled in from the Audience recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 19) Between Harder They Come and Creepin', 18.339 seconds were missing from the Soundboard recording and were filled in from the Audience recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 20) Aprox 4 minutes into Creepin', 22.035 were missing from the Soundboard recording and were filled in from the Audience recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 21) Between Creepin' and How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), 15.893 seconds were missing from the Soundboard recording and were filled in from the Audience recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better. 22) Aprox 3 minutes into How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), 5 minutes and 36.666 were missing from the Soundboard recording and were filled in from the Audience recording. Missing audio was normalized to fit better.

! s1t01 (1) Several members of the band repeat Merl's request to have his vocal mic turned on.

! P: s1t02 IFLD "you might not agree with me .. betcha" repeatedly (4x) 11:20-11:40, then he messes up the feelin' hittin' him, back on track 11:48.

! s1t02 (2) Martin: "Hey, could you send some water up here?"

! P: s1t04 FK lost some zip as it aged - the 1974 versions bring tons more pop than the Legion ones do. This might be just about the last version?

! s1t06 (3) JG: "Thank you. We're gonna take a break for a little while. We'll be back a little bit later. Thank you."

! s2t01 (4) Garcia is noodling "Sleigh Ride" and someone, maybe John, says "Merry Christmas."

! P: s2t02 YCLYHO Garcia proliferates the notes in 9, and it is good. Around 12:40 and forward, he puts out some "Caution" style chukka-chukka, and it, too, is good.

! P: s2t04 HTC starts off normally paced, then drops into a very slow iteration, the slowest I can recall.

! s2t06 (5) JG: "Thanks a lot. We'll see y'all later on."