Grateful Dead - Dark Star ]] Wharf Rat ]] Dark Star (1971-02-18: Beautiful Jam) 

Listened to this Saturday night on acid and had the most spiritual moment of my life. The dark star reprise tire me to pieces. Conjured up years of pain and sorrow I'd forgotten about and it was like jerry was telling me it was all gonna be okay. Beautiful moment in my life

Wharf Rat is fully formed, even on it’s debut. Weir is playing some beautiful accents and flourishes.

I was there that night.... It was so mesmerizing... I was 13 years old with my brother's older friends.... I did not know what pot or acid was..... but I knew listening tot he music that it was magicalllllllll....... I stopped counting at 286 Dead shows..... I had the great fortune to work with Hal Kant who had been The Dead lawyer for many years.... before I was born I think.... Anyway... I always existed in wonderment at the jams and the transcendental highlights I experience with all of these shows.... The countless Saunders/Garcia and KingFish shows added to the wonderful foundation I have to understand and connect to the Universe... Thank you, all of you....you know who you are....:-)

the grateful dead saved my life again today

And finally, a discussion of the Beautiful Jam wouldn't be complete without Phil Lesh's reaction. David Gans played it for him when Lesh appeared on the "Dead to the World" radio show in 1997: Gans: Well, you asked me to turn you on to some Grateful Dead music, Phil, and that's about the prettiest passage I know. Lesh: Wow. Ah. Ah. When was that from? Gans: February 18, 1971, Capitol Theater, Port Chester, NY. It was coming out of the first "Wharf Rat" ever and back into "Dark Star." Lesh: Ohhhh.... Gans: Pretty stuff. Lesh: Oh, that's just gorgeous.... Aw, that, that -- I'm sorry, that just, that brought tears to my eyes. Gans: Well, good. I'm glad you liked it! Lesh: Yeah, that's gorgeous. Is it longer than that? I mean, is there more of it? Gans: No, that's pretty much it....

Wharf Rat debuted at this show. Bertha, Greatest Story Ever Told, Johnny B. Goode, Loser, and Playing in the Band were also played for the first time ever at this show.

We also have to Thank John Coltrane and Miles Davis- the East Coast inner city Philly Modal Jazz scene for its heavy influence on Jerry..whose 'change of pace' in his solos is a 'nod' to the great John Coltrane 'change' of elevation in his rendition of 'My Favorite Things'. They are like peanut butter and jelly. Trane. Garcia. American Music is without compare.

As great as this piece of music is, the measuring stick still appears to be the Live at the Fillmore West 02/28/1969 Dark Star Jam. That piece of heaven surely deserved to be on the Golden Disc that we sent out into space in 1977. The only American artists that made it to that disc were Chuck Berry, Louis Armstrong and Blind Willie Johnson - a shame the Dead weren't included.

My birthday, I was 17 years old. Just about to turn 60 now. Hasn't lost a bit.

"Beautiful Jam" takes my breath away everytime

Apparantly called Beautiful Day-Jam on the original tapes...I like to enjoy a Dark-Star in bed,lights off with a joint of good Hashish(homes made) and let the music take my mind to places beyond the cosmos... Thanks for the music guys.

I am so so incredibly grateful to the person that gave me the opportunity to rediscover this band and give them a proper listen.

just noticed its 330 am....is there a better time for this...not even sure how I got here. Much needed tonight though, going through rough patch with dark on horizon....maybe a good help>slip>frank after this. We'll see...gonna let go. Could use a good dose of healing and hope....

This soothed my soul after a rough few days. Grateful dead 4ever.

In Words? You need only a few to know what you are dealing with here. The first time you open the door for.. or sit down next to the 'right'..Californian -who just told you to come live with him ..'We have three houses.. we'll share everything. K?' You are experiencing what is contained in Dark Star or China Cat. You go straight to the heart of the Universe. You do not pass go. You lower your defenses and let the light in. You Love. You be loved.

This is the best one in my opinion. I've played this soooo many times. Absolutely love it

It really don't get better than this

Mi esposo amo esta canción 💖 siempre q la escuchaba podía ver cómo su alma danzaba ! El ahora danza en la galaxia ... Y su último suspiro fue con esta canción 💖🎉 así como lo dice la letra de la canción, en medio de rosas ...

We love you Robert Hunter. 6-23-41 9-23-19

It's like that moment when you feel connected to every living thing in the universe.

Music is what feelings sound like............

words cannot describe the beauty of this piece of music!!!

stunningly, timeslessly, amazingly, cosmically, jaw-droppingly beautiful.

ice petal flowers revolving

FOH with allowing commercials!!!!

The shrieks of joy by that girl at the beginning are so awesome...and wow was she there for a good one! 😯

They launched this from space station 71.

This music is a portal to another dimension

14:09 isn the most beautiful lick jerry garcia ever played

Jerry told me life is going.to be okay from now on. Its going to flow. And I won't have any more pain.

That was probably the best Dark Star I've heard.

I used to have this on cassette years ago...lend them out back in the day and they were goners,,,lol Just a beautiful thing...That's about all I can say about this magic,,

Always loved 'Beautiful Jam'...But to have this complete piece...thank you sir!!

This is my favorite Dark Star. The jam after Wharf Rat is top notch! I do not understand why the band went from this sound to phaser heavy guitars and ditched the piano in favor of synth-like keys.

Love that china cat tease at 14:28

this is like medicine for soul :)

thank you recommendation thing

And notice the fairly faint clavichord (harpsichord-like keyboard) playing in the background, That was courtesy of Ned Lagin. You can read about it on his website: www.spiritcats.com/nedbase.html

"Dark Star flashes...." lol

Mickey's last show until 10-20-74

I'm just saying wharf rat sounds like your on a ship, this is gold

After these things, surveying the entrances of the north, above the mountains, I perceived seven mountains replete with pure nard, odoriferous trees, cinnamon and papyrus.

Experienced the Dead first time 74 Fourteen years old on LSD That's when All began Still Dancing Thanks Jerry

Deservedly legendary. The transitions are beautiful.

If everybody could ride on the International Space Station for a week, come back to Earth and listen to Dark Star the world would be a much better world. No doubt in my mind.

Sounds like the voice of a benevolent space giant

ice petal flowers revolving.....

LOVE IT love it LOVE IT !

Mind leaves body inspo the way classical music makes you space out. Wharf rat with the nod to cornell the respector

So... Jerry played this on a Gibson double cut TV Special. He got a lot of delicious tones in 1971. However he was tweaking those Fender Twins and using Gibson SGs Les Pauls and the Special as well as Alligator it all sounded amazing. He's also seen playing this custom guitar around March and April. Some say it was an Alembic project but it wasn't. You can see the headstock that says Gibson. The neck looks fat enough to be a Gibson. Are there any knowledgeable gear heads that can enlighten me about this mystery guitar?

When the loneliness begins to creep in. Here I am

For the "Dark Star" fans -- here is a cool mash-up of "Dark Star" with Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" MASHUP: Grateful Dead "Dark Star" / Allen Ginsberg "Howl" --- 2/24/1974 -- MASHUP

This takes me back to a time 🤔 well...a time before I existed.

Thank you Jerry,Phil,Bill,Bob,Mickey, Pigpen, Robert Hunter, and Ned Lagin for this awesome piece of music you played back in 71. (Don't know how much Pigpen is adding to this, if at all but I know he was there and playing on songs that night)

Excellent Audio Top Shelf!

never has a song been so appropriately titled

Puts a smile on my face.

Tripping balls

Sweet and a bit bitter . I'm sure she's been true to me

recently went to the theater this was played in! beautiful song, perhaps best version out there along with the 2/13/70

mickey's last show til 75

So touching... Best music ever played!!!!

Xlnt to hear Bob Weir and to once again be reminded what a superb rhythm guitarist he is, and I'm hearing him more in different recordings coming out, whereas in the earlier days he was too often buried in the mix.

Nice Board Recording.....thanxxx....great mix...!!one of the best.....

WAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Floating on a pulse of light

I just had a catharsis :]

Wow what a transition!!

Great Version ,,,............RUGGED........!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The miracle band.

sorry you all don't have my memories of the GD. I met them live, followed to their next weekend's performance at the invitation of Weir and ended up staying with Bobby for two nights. the stage floor was mine. I danced along with two groupies. we never knew what hit us! psychedelia helped push us along..and their music. what an era!!

PURE magic

I'm not a violent person. But anyone saying anything bad about this gloriousness WILL be cut!

nothing beats wharf rat

Ralph B from Vt. Thank you for turning me onto the GD live stuff, back when I was like 15.. How that has changed my life for the better, I could never express here...

I believe this is the first ever Warf Rat

Simply beautiful...

It is quite clear from the beginning crowd screams that Dark Star changed their life.

Never will be anything better

This recording has been in my collection off and on for 25 years or maybe 30! Took this tape to a friend's house and we took acid and I danced my little heart out. very nice!!!the band are utterly poignant!✌😝

I was born 9 days before this show

Playing this and the cassette at not the same time is intense

full circle - i could never understand/believe what i heard at a grateful dead concert, i always need additional clarification

Lo mejor ❤️‍🩹

Timeless, my two year old loves it, thanks for sharing

A few of us trucked up to Port Chester, WOW !! Another wonderful trip indeed !

15:48 Beautiful Jam

Salut...'deadhead

Excellence in musical form

Where can I dowload this whole beautiful show from?

Grateful 😢

hey dark star

Fly away...!

Been here so many times for years now, brings me back to listening years ago haha good times

Inspiration, move me brightly light the song with sense and color, hold away despair More than this I will not ask faced with mysteries dark and vast statements just seem vain at last

Thanks for posting it to me and everybody....

Where ?

Homework Jam

Incredible recording! Where did it come from?