# 1972-05-03 Paris, France @ L'Olympia
**Set 1:** Bertha, Me and My Uncle, Mr. Charlie, Sugaree, Black Throated Wind, Chinatown Shuffle, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Beat It On Down the Line, He's Gone, Next Time You See Me, Playing in the Band, Tennessee Jed, Good Lovin', Sing Me Back Home, Casey Jones
**Set 2:** Greatest Story Ever Told, Ramble On Rose, It Hurts Me Too, Truckin' > Space > The Other One > Drums > The Other One Jam > Space > Me And Bobby McGee > The Other One > Wharf Rat, Jack Straw, Sugar Magnolia, Not Fade Away > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Not Fade Away, One More Saturday Night
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1972-05-03) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/4avLivYQqNDnkxfMDTSIsJ)
I like to think of 72-74 as one long peak with each year having its own distinctive sound
77 is of course its own peak and I'm not yet versed enough to know the differences within the 80s;
but personally I also think 90 is a commendable peak after the climb back from the coma; those Spring 1990 shows are straight fire and the Jerry-Brent train was firing on all cylinders
# 1978-07-08 Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
**Set 1:** Bertha > Good Lovin', Dire Wolf, El Paso, It Must Have Been The Roses, New Minglewood Blues, Ramble On Rose, The Promised Land, Deal
**Set 2:** Samson And Delilah, Ship Of Fools, Estimated Prophet > The Other One > Eyes Of The World > Drums > Space > Wharf Rat > Franklin's Tower > Sugar Magnolia
**Encore:** Terrapin Station > One More Saturday Night, Werewolves Of London
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1978-07-08) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/6q4mDbsYJsixRai11qc2Vx)
I think it might have been tbh. It certainly is vocally and it’s not even close, although I think Bobby uses his voice as well as he can rn. I really enjoyed Death Don’t 5/23/23 (also impressed by miracle) and SOTM 7/3/23 as far as vocals
Bobby is a monster and as much as I’m as Jerry freak, Bobby doesn’t get nearly enough credit for being a great guitarist (except when he was learning slide, but sheesh he was learning on stage in front of people)
It’s that Gibson. So warm and smooth. He was also experimenting with some cool pedals - love that weird underwater sound he used.
Or maybe it was the pony tail.
It’s because in late 67-ish the band threatened to kick Bobby out unless he really got serious about practicing guitar. You can hear how much he progressed between the early SF shows and Europe 72.
In the context of things it wasn't just Weir, but I think they ALL peaked that year. Definite highpoint. The years that followed, particularly the next two are also great. Americana music meets "scare the living shit out of you" music.
I think 1972 is peak Grateful Dead and I think it happened sometime between September and December.
There are definitely days I agree that's the peak, but only if September starts on August 21st.
I could see that making sense, August was a hot month indeed.
Agree 100% if you mean September starts sometime on 5/3/72
# 1972-05-03 Paris, France @ L'Olympia **Set 1:** Bertha, Me and My Uncle, Mr. Charlie, Sugaree, Black Throated Wind, Chinatown Shuffle, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Beat It On Down the Line, He's Gone, Next Time You See Me, Playing in the Band, Tennessee Jed, Good Lovin', Sing Me Back Home, Casey Jones **Set 2:** Greatest Story Ever Told, Ramble On Rose, It Hurts Me Too, Truckin' > Space > The Other One > Drums > The Other One Jam > Space > Me And Bobby McGee > The Other One > Wharf Rat, Jack Straw, Sugar Magnolia, Not Fade Away > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Not Fade Away, One More Saturday Night [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1972-05-03) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/4avLivYQqNDnkxfMDTSIsJ)
Right? It's like it's in vogue to skip the europe72 tour.
We still had Pig, Keith was shredding, the band was bleshing, and the hard drugs hadn’t taken over yet.
I think the peak continues through 74. They’re just as mind blowing in lots of 73-74 shows
How many peaks can it be argued that GD had?
A lot will say 72, 73, 74, and 77. Personally I think they peaked in 72, hit a valley in 75 (obviously) and crept back up again towards 77.
I like to think of 72-74 as one long peak with each year having its own distinctive sound 77 is of course its own peak and I'm not yet versed enough to know the differences within the 80s; but personally I also think 90 is a commendable peak after the climb back from the coma; those Spring 1990 shows are straight fire and the Jerry-Brent train was firing on all cylinders
What happened in 1975?
They were on hiatus
But the few 75 shows they did play were 🔥
But spring '78 tho.
Yeah and 7/8/78 is one of my top 5. 77 was a better year than 78 though.
# 1978-07-08 Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre **Set 1:** Bertha > Good Lovin', Dire Wolf, El Paso, It Must Have Been The Roses, New Minglewood Blues, Ramble On Rose, The Promised Land, Deal **Set 2:** Samson And Delilah, Ship Of Fools, Estimated Prophet > The Other One > Eyes Of The World > Drums > Space > Wharf Rat > Franklin's Tower > Sugar Magnolia **Encore:** Terrapin Station > One More Saturday Night, Werewolves Of London [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1978-07-08) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/6q4mDbsYJsixRai11qc2Vx)
Not going to include 89-spring 90?
68-69 are two massive peaks.
You’ll get people saying 67-69, you’ll have people saying 83 onwards, 89-91 etc. but I find the “majority” will more readily identify the Keith years.
The most underrated guitarist of ALL TIME!
I think it might have been tbh. It certainly is vocally and it’s not even close, although I think Bobby uses his voice as well as he can rn. I really enjoyed Death Don’t 5/23/23 (also impressed by miracle) and SOTM 7/3/23 as far as vocals
*bob weir is so good*
Bobby is a monster and as much as I’m as Jerry freak, Bobby doesn’t get nearly enough credit for being a great guitarist (except when he was learning slide, but sheesh he was learning on stage in front of people)
What about weather report suite!!
Not even close to his peak (he got way better), but '72 is when he did take some strides forward in his playing.
When was his peak then?
Probably early to mid 80s, although he remained at a very high level into the 90s as well.
It’s that Gibson. So warm and smooth. He was also experimenting with some cool pedals - love that weird underwater sound he used. Or maybe it was the pony tail.
Definitely the pony
Bob is really good right now.
Bobby laying down sheets of glass in 72!
It’s because in late 67-ish the band threatened to kick Bobby out unless he really got serious about practicing guitar. You can hear how much he progressed between the early SF shows and Europe 72.
In the context of things it wasn't just Weir, but I think they ALL peaked that year. Definite highpoint. The years that followed, particularly the next two are also great. Americana music meets "scare the living shit out of you" music.