In article <5d7nof$43m$1@gail.ripco.com>, mikebvc@ripco.com (Mike
Stillman) wrote:

> Darren Mason (mason@aem.umn.edu) wrote:
> : If you don't alread have it...get 5/25/72 Strand Lyceum.  Easily
> : the best performance of this song I have ever heard.  Just perfect.
> : And yes, I suppose this opinion is tainted somewhat by my over
> : whelming fondness for 1972-1974.  Still, it is a winner!
>
> It's definitely one of the most imaginative Dark Stars, probably every bit
> as good as 2/27/69. But the tape is very rare, and seems to only circulate
> as an extremely high-gen "D" rated audience tape. Or have you found a copy
> that's closer to the source?

Darren got his tape from the same person I did. WOAH, it's one awful aud.
But well worth the headache, 'cause while I'm not sure that it's the best
(2/27/69 gives it a real run for the money), it certainly is right up
there amongst the greatest.

Other mindmelting Stars to look out for:

4/14/72 and 4/8/72. Yes, the Europe '72 tour produced three of greatest
Stars of all time.

4/24/70, 9/17/70 and 10/11/70 - Three raw, primal, feedback-drenched Stars
from Dario's Favorite Year.

4/27/69 - Very much in the musical spirit of 2/29/69, though not matching
its awe-inspiring tightness. This can be said for many of the Feb-April
1969 Stars, but 4/27 comes closest to embodying Star-ness.

9/24/72 - Another awesome '72 Star. Somebody on a private mailing list
recently described this as (I'm paraphrasing) "Dark Star as composed by
John Cage." Frenetic, discordant keyboard work, with Keith sounding like
he's just pounding his fist onto the highest keys.

10/18/72 and 10/28/72 - As is typical of late-'72 Stars, these two
half-hour-long Stars are punctuated by chord-heavy Lesh soloing.

       .tiedrich