John A

Umm, by the very definition of their existence, Dark Star Orchestra engages in "interpretation and creativity of an intermediary". No matter whether they're playing some horrific '94 set list*, the set list from your favorite show, or an elective. *fortunately they do not do this

Are you asking about the relative merits of Joe Noel's matrix source? It's a perfectly fine listen, but Tom Darian's B&K recording is the stuff of legend. A rare tape where I think mixing in the soundboard can only hurt it. In fact, Tom's recordings of the entire run are jaw dropping. The union security guy tending to that FOB section at The Garden was a Head, and he was getting greased with cassette dubes of each night the subsequent evening. In return, not only did Tom have carte blance to put his stand nice and high on the aisle seat (the center line was the aisle), but the usher was actually making folks near the mics pipe down. Amazing, and to my knowledge unprecedented. So the bottom line is these B&K audience tapes (or somewhat interchangeably Rick Katzeff's Schoeps tapes which were made at the same seat) should be the go to for this run.

I had a session with the Schoeps 12-12-90 tonight. Dark Star>Terrapin, lights out concert level. Complete immersion. Really intense stuff. When Jerry drops into Dark Star from Iko it's game on.

Don't listen to the Sennheiser shotguns of 12-12-90! An FOB Schoeps spaced omni recording has been seeded to eTree recently. Phenomenal sound.

Help Slip Franklin's Estimated Dark Star is ho-hum?

Ha! Perhaps my post coupled with the newly unveiled Day Tripper? Although something tells me DSO mustered a little more than 3 minutes of the Playin' post reprise.