Underrated Show

Grateful Dead, April 14, 1985

Underrated Show

From The Los Angeles Times, April 14, 1985, Calendar page 66. If I were a teenager in 1985, I probably would have skipped this Dead show and would have gone for the Venom / Slayer show instead. Of course, in hindsight the correct choice would have probably been Madonna — though 1985 era St. Vitus was also quite good.

If you only go by The Deadhead’s Taping Compendium, you’ll think this show isn’t worth your time.

It’s actually much better than the review in that book says.

Now, I should set the expectations correctly. This isn’t one of those “best of all time” shows that you instantly tell your friends and spouse to listen to.

It is good, however. In fact, I honestly can’t think of any major weak points. The Touch Of Grey > Hell In A Bucket opening is good, and it’s followed by a strong Sugaree, which itself is followed by the rare Down In The Bottom > I Ain’t Superstitious combination. Five tunes in, and you’ve already got a winner.

There are a few little things to quibble about. The transition from I Need A Miracle to China Cat Sunflower isn’t the greatest in the world. Dear Mr. Fantasy really wants to go into Hey Jude, but the band overrides Brent and pushes towards The Other One instead. And the Gloria encore isn’t the best version of all time, though I do think it’s better than the Compendium review claims.

SHNID 166959 seems to be the best version of the soundboard. However, it’s a 1985 soundboard, which means it sounds a bit flat and has some issues.

My recommendation is to go for SHNID 97220, an excellent audience tape that is underloved. You want to hit up the audience tapes for most of these mid-1980s shows because the mix is better, and because the audience sound really adds something to the show in general.

Anyway, don’t believe what the naysayers have to say. This is a very good show from a year that sometimes featured some less than great playing.