Grin
1972-04-05 ::: Lafayette, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, USA
University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL) ::: Blackham Coliseum
444 Cajundome Boulevard ::: M?-AUD

~*~ Mk2 version, carefully remastered fixing various issues, WITH EQ & lite NR ~*~

"They don't call me 'good for nothing', for nothing, baby!"

01. ==promoter intro, Nils talk&tuning/soundcheck==
02. Hi, Hello Home// (Nils solo acoustic guitar)
03. ==talk & tuning==
04. Love Or Else
05. ==talk & tuning==
06. Heavy Chevy
07. ==talk & tuning==
08. She Ain't Right
09 ==talk & tuning==
10. Sad Letter
11. ==talk & tuning==
12. Moon Tears
13. ==talk & tuning==
14. Slippery Fingers
15. ==talk & tuning==
16. Like Rain
17. End Unkind

Encore :::
18. ==talk & tuning==
19. Celebration
20. ==outro ("The Byrds will be out in a minute")==

Total Time ::: 46:30

::: Not too bad AUD at this point & WELL worth a spin for real Grin freaks. Check samples for nope, hope or "that's the dope I need".
::: Warts (yes): Repaired dullspots & dropouts but there are lots more, it got frustrating but the Mk2 is MUCH better). Occasional crackle/distortion/bass overload/etc. #16/17 sometimes very slight jitters. #17 1min slight mike overload distortion (reduced in Mk2), #17/19 clapping. #19 more distorted than rest (encore musta been loud!).
::: CONTRAST CLAUSE: This is the superior Mk2 with EQ&NR version. The Mk1 NO EQorNR version is available elsewhere.
::: NOTE: This Mk2 version EQ solved many issues with the recording & is remarkably better than the Mk1.
::: In Grin years, "Like Rain": A) like this version, sometimes had no intro (except Nils solo song beginning) // B) segued from a Nils solo electric rock guitar intro (sometimes VERY heavy) // C) segued from a classical piano piece // D) segued from a solo piano or electric guitar version of the song Nils wrote for his pre-Grin band, Paul Dowell&The Dolphin, "It's Better To Know You"(1969 Sire 45 A-side) // E) in the last year, sometimes segued from "Believe" - or even both C&D.
::: #19 unissued song sometimes titled "Thunderbird", but is likely "Celebration". Anyone know for sure?
::: Grin opened for the Byrds at this gig, which was also captured by this taper & I'll sort out before long.
::: Grin's first appearance in Louisiana. Full electric set but possibly missing other acoustic solo songs.
::: The University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL) was renamed "University of Louisiana at Lafayette"(UL Lafayette) in '99.
::: Crazy 2 FULL days of work to get this up&listenable, not even counting the transfer time!
::::Grin's most recent album, released as Nils Lofgren - Grin "1+1", was recorded in '71 & released Jan.'72.
::: "So long as Grin keeps recording, there will be reason to smile." (source unknown '71 1st LP review).
::: Astonishing/sadly, Grin still doesn't even have their own Wikipedia page, nor gets more than a single paragraph in Nils' entry. WTF?
::: WATCH THIS & GRIN - complete with trampoline flip! www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS26vzLjhrk

Recording Information ::: unknown mono tape recorder/(probably condenser) microphone -> 1st generation tape (probably cassette) -> 2nd generation Maxell XLII-90 cassette, Dolby B on.

Playback 2020-02-14 ::: 2nd generation Maxell XLII-90 cassette on Nakamichi 680ZX cassette deck, Dolby B on, azimuth adjusted for individual tape, heads cleaned & demagnetized -> Sony Linear PCM Recorder PCM-M10 (LPCM 44.10kHz/16bit WAV files) -> computer -> Audacity [normalisation to remove DC offset, channel/phase alignment, fades, manual one-at-a-time glitch, bump, pop, click, dropout & dullspot repairs, volume adjustments, since mono patches done from lesser quality channel & only better channel used for final, #01-08 -2.5% +09-20 -2.7% averaged pitch (speed) fixes with single pass per segment after frequency analysis & with pitchpipe verification, with MUCH-needed differential equalisation & a few hum notches & split second mike bump bass overload reduction, lite noise reduction to lessen hiss] -> CD Wave (track splits) -> flacs (Trader's Little Helper) -> yr ears. Freed 2021-12-xx.

Line-up ::: Nils Hilmer Lofgren - electric guitar, piano, vocals // Tommy Lofgren - electric guitar, vocals // Bob Gordon - electric bass, vocals // Bob Berberich - drums, vocals.

Nothing here ever commercially released to my knowledge. If I'm wrong, please advise & I'll take the offending trax offline.

DimeTravel 583 ::: Thanks to the original taper & traders! THANKS to DIMERS elegymart, Syrinx, AlexPhoenix, TheBigA for their GRIN input in various ways. Thanks to DIMER gv0000 for his ever-helpful research assistance. ::: Corrections welcome ::: LONG OPINIONATED RANT - avoid if not a GRIN head. Quite interesting show for many reasons. I do like that Nils just plays "Like Rain" as a unique song, no piano intro - solo electric guitar into guitar/vox, then band - very effective. Tho' other shows have Nils solo piano pieces to segue into "Like Rain", we don't have Grin shows where he plays solo acoustic guitar & it's possible he played more than one at this gig. He's introduced to open the set with a "solo performance" & starts playing "Hi, Hello Home", which then sadly cuts after a minute (tho' he's sung 1/2 the song). Pretty damn cool to hear a live version. Wonder if Nils was inspired by the Byrds who were playing short acoustic sets in the middle of their electric ones? Then, unless I'm mistaken, we have the only known live version of the Grin song (so far!) from the "All Out" album, "She Ain't Right" - a cool arrangement, too - not a typical Grin chorus break, two dueling lead guitars - excellent. More importantly - & don't get me wrong, I do like her in certain combos - Kathi McDonald ain't on it. Now I revisited everything Grin with a different perspective over the past 6(!) straight weeks & I have to say, Kathi brings down songs on "All Out" in a BIG way IMO. Probably would have gone over better live, or was exciting sitting in the studio, but it just doesn't work on the album; the main problem being that the songs don't sound like Grin anymore. I listened carefully to that album, read several reviews from around its release & tried to work out what happened when you have so many SUPERB songs, but the album always had issues. You had 4 guys who could sing in the band, sometimes with excellent 3 part harmonies. Nils could sing the highs, and sorry, but Kathi is only in the way. Both sides start with a couple of well-arranged songs & simply fall down when she comes on board & interrupts the flow. In fact, the "She Ain't Right" title pretty much sums up her participation. It's a much, MUCH groovier song in this live delivery with just Grin playing - & heavier - especially if heard with some kind of time capsule view - & that's what's really going on here anyway. If you can listen to this, 50 years later, regardless of it's serious sound quality limitations, you ARE time trippin', DIME travellin', GRINin' & you probably used to sport a Mr Natural t-shirt & get blotto on blotter, & that's a fact, isn't it? Anyway, you certainly don't have to read this rant, but do enjoy the music - glad some of my people are still out there. The tape gives you a feel for the situation - but not too often - like once, all of a sudden, sound quality change - maybe the taper had to pass something to his neighbor, or a security guard came by & the mike had to be lowered (or the entire deck if it was a built in condenser mike, which is what it sounds like). But in 1970/71 in most parts of the south, I don't think security was too worried about taping, but... doesn't mean the tapers weren't paranoid - not that there were many of them. I taped Tull in November 1971, just set the deck on the seat next to me & held it up in the air when the mood struck me - but my condenser mike couldn't handle the volume from the 8th row in front of the stacks - the opener, Freedom, just shredded the sound to bits. Speaking of opening, a VERY fine one to "Moon Tears" here, it captures you from the simple beginning chords, the it's incredibly short & fast with f'ing hip, rippin' guitar playing. Nils is really showing off on the fretboard - check about 4mins in. The version is so fast you wonder if they started it at the wrong tempo, were experimenting, or someone in the band was having some fun. They are really layin' it down in Slippery Fingers. A LOT to like here if yr into it - an real ear opener. Listen, enjoy, show appreciation, share, give, spread peace. Yrs truly, Knees

Support the artists! www.nilslofgren.com -- www.facebook.com/nilslofgrenfans -- https://twitter.com/nilslofgren -- www.facebook.com/BerberichHullandDaughter (Bob Berberich's Vinyl Acres record shop site)

Do whatever you want with it except sell it, 'cause that ain't cool!