Traffic

11/23/70

Anderson Theatre

New York City NY

Set 1

Medicated Goo

Pearly Queen

Empty Pages

Heaven Is In Your Mind

Forty Thousand Head Men

John Barelycorn Must Die

Who Knows What Tomorrow Will Bring

No Time to live

Every Mother's Son

Freedom Rider

Shoot out at the Fantasy Factory *

Low Spark of the High Heeled Boys *

*from "On The Road" commercial release added as filler not from Anderson Theater performance see

Comment notes excerpted from info from -- http://www.azstarnet.com/~bobbieg/boot70.htm#woodwind

The first nine songs were recorded @ The Andersen Theater in NYC 11/23/70. Personnel includes SW, CW, JC, and Rick Grech. This disc is most notable for the inclusion of Rick Grech to the group near the latter part of their 70 tour. Along with playing bass, he also lends a hand with lead guitar. The disc finds a group which had been on the road for awhile bolstered by a new member to add new flavors to their arrangements. For fans of the 70 Tour this disc offers a rare glimpse of Traffic as a quartet, with the additional freedom offered by another member. The disc starts with an Intro by none other than Bill Graham. Medicated Goo is a bit disjointed although Winwood is in fine voice, and plays a lead somewhat reminiscent of Stranger to Himself from earlier in the tour. A nice version of Pearly Queen is next, with Grech on hand to lend support to the rhythm section, Chris's organ fills break loose a bit to add some color. For fans of the LP version of Empty Pages, this concert version is among the best I've heard. Steve's vocals and keyboard work (sounds like a Fender Rhodes or RMI electric piano) are top notch and the band seem to catch a good groove with this tune. An updated version of Heaven replete with a lovely jam with Chris on sax playing off a vamping Winwood organ to finish off the song, adds new insight to some older material. A change of pace highlights the next tunes. Forty Thousand Headmen offers some lovely flute work by Chris, and John Barleycorn is welcome for a version not marred by lyrical snafus as found in other versions from earlier in the tour. Who Knows finds Grech trying his hand at lead and rhythm guitar. The addition of guitar adds greatly to the feel of the tune, fleshing it out, adding more texture and spark. Steve's soloing is especially tasty and the song offers good ensemble playing. Every Mothers Son is a highlight. Other versions of this song lacked the lovely guitar riff that accompanies the opening keyboard parts. Although the addition of guitar to the song is welcome, Grech is unable to provide the caliber of playing that was on the studio version. One wonders if the reason the live 11/70 release was shelved because the band wasn't comfortable with Grech's guitar work. (That was one of the reasons given for the non-release of the material recorded just days before this gig. See The "Lost" Live Album.) Nevertheless this is a wonderful version of Every Mothers Son, with great tension built up by the dual piano, organ combo and not to be missed. The disc end uneventfully, with a version of "Freedom Rider" without "Glad" preceding. Shootout and Low Spark from On the Road are added as filler. The sound quality of this disc is excellent. These tapes may have been from a "Grateful Dead" soundboard of this show. At any rate well beyond typical bootleg sound!

Rating A

Review by GA 1/2/98

Winwood and possibly Capaldi joined the Grateful Dead onstage at the Anderson theater in New York City on November 23, 1970. On one tape of the show, Winwood's performance apparently begins during the song "Hard To Handle" (Pigpen vocals), where he plays Hammond organ, followed by "Railroad Blues" (Jerry Garcia vocals), then a medley of "Not Fade Away" / "Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad" / "Not Fade Away". Steve attempts the lead vocal on the first "Not Fade Away", but apparently only knows part of the first verse and chorus, which he mangles in a couple of tries. He seems embarrassed, and sings in an odd, low register. Finally, he says "OK, fade away, I sang something" and drops out vocally for the rest of the song. He makes up for it in his playing, which is supportive and fits nicely into the Dead's sound. Bob Weir handles the lead vocals for the rest of the song, with Steve adding some backing. In about the last three minutes of the tape, Bill Graham comes on and introduces Traffic, who kick into "Medicated Goo" just before the tape ends. The Grateful Dead taped all of their own shows, apparently including supporting acts such as Cream and Traffic.

See SP 07-04.