As their 1972 European tour continued, The Grateful Dead’s set lists threw in more chances and the shows got longer. By the time of this Newcastle show, Garcia and Co. were edging closer to three and a half hours. From this set, only “Deal,” “Sugaree,” and “Brokedown Palace” were previously released on Steppin’ Out With the Grateful Dead: England ’72. The remaining performances had never been officially released. As per usual, songs such as “Tennessee Jed,” “Big Boss Man,” and “Beat It on Down the Line” were relatively concise and got the concert off in the right direction. Ron “Pigpen” McHernan’s “Chinatown Shuffle,” “China Cat Sunflower,” the traditional “I Know You Rider,” and “Playing in the Band” take things to a higher improvisational level, and the first set ends with “Casey Jones.” The second set, as expected, takes things further out. A 15-minute “Good Lovin’” eventually brings things to a 48-minute free-for-all of “Truckin’,” Kreutzmann’s “Drums,” and “The Other One.” The nearly 12-minute encore, which features “Brokedown Palace” and “One More Saturday Night,” feels quick and light by comparison.

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