Set Lists

June 16, 1990

Shoreline, Mountain View, CA 

View from the Vault III review

The third installment of the View from the Vault series finds the Grateful Dead in a particularly rewarding musical space and time. This Saturday night in June at the Shoreline Amphitheater must have been quite a place to be and this release gives us all a chance to be there. And while vault releases can’t measure up to the actual experience of a Dead show, they certainly let us in on some of the magic generated by the band.

The first disc of the three disc soundtrack set is a high energy affair from the start as the boys roll out an inspired trifecta of “Let the Good Times Roll" > "Truckin’" > "Touch of Grey.”  Bob Weir’s rousing cowboy medley of “Mama Tried" > "Big River” keeps the energy going while Garcia follows with a somewhat lackluster “Friend of the Devil.” After a good reading of “Cassidy,” Jerry Garcia pulls out a real treat and rarity out of his endless bag of tricks, “Big Boss Man.” This is one of only two performances of this song in the 90’s. Not to be outdone, Weir answers with a great “One More Saturday Night,” complete with an awesome MIDI sax accompaniment by Garcia.

Disc two begins with second-set opener “China Cat Sunflower" > "I Know You Rider.” This is a finely-jammed version with Jerry Garcia using more of his MIDI technology to create the illusion of a good horn player. Following Brent Mydland’s environmental anthem, “We Can Run,” the band launches into a great “Estimated Prophet.” Bob Weir makes use of heavy reverb and delay for a wonderfully atmospheric vocal improvisation near the close of this song. What follows is undoubtedly the crown jewel of this set, a monumental “Terrapin Station.” The song provides a launching pad into the unknown and once the train leaves the station we are treated to soundscapes reminiscent of North Africa, Eastern Europe, as well as the furthest reaches of both inner and outer space. The rhythm devils provide a steady tribal backdrop to the first half of this jam while Bob and Jerry toy around with various themes, including a gorgeous Nutcracker-esque piece.

Disc three finds Mickey Hart unleashing The Beam, seemingly ripping through the fabric of time. An eerily beautiful “China Doll” weaves it way out of the drum segment and a very strong “Sugar Magnolia” caps off an incredibly powerful second set.

As if this fine show wasn’t enough, View from the Vault III includes six songs of filler from the first set of October 3, 1987, also at the Shoreline Amphitheater. All six songs are strong with the most noteworthy being “Candyman,” “West L.A. Fadeaway,” and the first-ever vault release of Bob Weir’s too-little played “My Brother Esau.”

Overall, this is a great collection and is certainly a great addition to the View from the Vault series.  By: Kevin Hartman
Grade  B + 

View From the Vault III  is available in the following formats: CD, DVD, and VHS, however, the VHS does not have the filler from 1987.