I have in hand a 3-CD set of Hartford 7/31/74. This is MSR > R > D > CD and
it sounds just great. I listened through it last night & unless I missed
something it has no cuts whatsoever except for two:
1) the beginning of Scarlet Begonias is missing with the tape starting a
minute or so into the song.
2) Seastones is missing.
I have A minus quality AUD of the Seastones, which times fully 20 minutes
and is one of the more ferocious versions performed. Throughout there are a
couple people in the audience (not too close to the mics) yelling 'get off
the stage', 'bring on the Dead!' etc., but also a woman who shouts 'behave
yourself. Shut up and listen to the fucking music.' You get the distinct
impression that the resistance expressed is leading Phil & Ned to turn it up
& stretch it out. If you like Seastones, it's definitely one to have.
I have so far not been able to locate an AUD of the Scarlet Begonias. I
recently obtained a 3-CD set of an AUD of this show but it only starts with
the Halfstep and so is no help for the Scarlet Begonias.
I'd like to find a good AUD to patch the Scarlet Begonias and then tree the
result. A better master AUD of the Seastones would also be nice although
the version I have is acceptable.
e-mail please.
Incidentally, I had occasion to listen to the Fresno 7/19/74 AUD Seastones
after checking out the Hartford 7/31/74 one. The difference in the
audicneces is remarkable. Fresno is usually accounted sort of a cow-town by
people who don't know better, although it actually has a culture of its own
of long-standing & quite a few cool musicians locally. Back in '74, to
judge by audience reactions to this most challenging of musics, it was also
markedly hipper than Hartford, and more polite, too. Interesting.
