Grateful Dead - 1971-12-07 - Felt Forum, NY (SBD)

Grateful Dead
1971-12-07
The Felt Forum
New York NY
Soundboard recording
224 kbps
Artwork Included

1st Set:
01. Cold Rain & Snow
02. Beat it on Down The Line (19 beats)
03. Mr Charlie
04. Sugaree
05. Jack Straw
06. Next Time You See Me
07. Tennessee Jed
08. El Paso
09. Brokedown Palace
10. Run Rudolph Run
11. You Win Again
12. Cumberland Blues
13. Casey Jones
14. Sugar Magnolia

2nd Set
01. Ramble On Rose
02. Big Boss Man
03. Mexicali Blues
04. Brown Eyed Women
05. Me & My Uncle 
06. Smokestack Lightning
07. Deal
08. Truckin'
09. Not Fade Away >
10. Going Down The Road feeling Bad >
11. Not Fade Away

Encore:
01. One More Saturday Night

Grateful Dead - 1971-12-07 - Felt Forum, NY (SBD)

Welcome to the 4th and final night of the Dead's 1971 run at the Felt Forum, a soundboard recording from December 7, 1971, 45 years ago today. As mentioned in earlier posts, the Grateful Dead were at a pivotal time in their career in late 1971.  The prior year, the band, who had been the leaders of the psychedelic rock movement, featuring live exploratory jams in concert  released 2 incredible studio albums. Working Man's Dead and American Beauty.  Both discs are filled with remarkable tunes such as Uncle John's Band, Sugar Magnolia, Casey Jones, Friend of The Devil, Box of Rain and Truckin to name a few, that fused rock, country, bluegrass and folk that truly represented American songcraft. In addition,  the band was in transition, with Mickey Hart having left in February 1971 (to return in 1974) and Pigpen playing less and less of a role in the band, as health issues and an inability to truly grasp the new material plagued him. In fact, he had just returned to touring with the band in December 1971 after an extended absence. The set lists reflected his lessened role,  as tunes such as Turn On Your Lovelight and Good Lovin, which had been showcases for Pigpen's bluesy style, rarely appeared. Moreover, Keith Godchaux joined the Dead on keyboards in the fall of 1971, playing is first show in Minneapolis on October 19 and adding a jazzy piano influence to the band's performances.. His wife Donna Jean, would sit in with the Dead on New Year's Eve 1971, then officially join the group in 1972.  This was a band poised to go beyond its San Francisco roots, ready to conquer all of the Us, and in 1972, Europe as well!