- PA #1 (montage) (1:04)
- Cold Rain and Snow (5:31)
- PA #2 (montage) (0:50)
- Sugaree (7:20)
- Stella Blue (8:12)
- PA #3 (0:18)
- Playin’ Jam (9:20)
- Dark Star > (12:17)
- Jam > (7:39)
- Space > (6:10)
- Space Jam > Dark Star > (4:40)
- Comes a Time (7:04)
- PA #4 (1:24)
The “Dark Star”/improvisation sequence is the big deal here.
The initial investigation of “Dark Star” is a fine one. It falls squarely into the center of the sleepy/aggressive spectrum, getting intense and wandering off course in nice ways.
The portions I have titled “Jam” and “Space Jam > Dark Star” are amazing. It’s because I feel so strongly about them that I have separated them from the intervening “Space,” which just isn’t in the same category. (My track separations let you skip across “Space” without much of a disruption, if you want.)
“Jam” is not entirely unknown territory for late 1972: Some bass & drums, Keith entering on piano to organize things into a trio, then the guitarists joining to take it into a feisty jam that resembles “The Eleven.” I’d give this the nod over a similar passage from 8-21-72 BCT.
However, the thing that the band suddenly, steadily builds out of unformed space, about six minutes after the jam described above, is a one-time-only event, as far as I know. It is as if The Iron Giant were reassembling himself, one disconnected gear and limb at a time, a chaotic rhythm of metallic interactions, steadily coordinating themselves, until, suddenly, the giant stands up and stretches, not as Superman but as the Dark Star Reprise. Amazing. Garcia isn’t ready to nail the second verse, but still.