The Grateful Dead

[NoJ]

ha. that's great - I was there too. In the wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back.

\

Hey, me too!

[mountain bed]

 

There's a topic on the Hoffman Music Forum recently started that may be particularly suited to your question.  It's a lot to read through, but a good place to start:

 

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/embarking-on-a-grateful-dead-journey-all-purpose-thread.339154/

 

In that topic, one writer did a nice synopsis of the DIck's Picks series, which I keep accessible on my phone when trolling the record store. 

 

This may be more info than you bargained for.

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 1: 12/19/73 Tampa: The first DP was greeted by fans with a collective "....huh?" when it came out. Lesh was very involved with the selection of the early DPs, and he's a finicky bastard, which led to a whole bunch of politics and necessary compromises and the ultimate selection of the cream of this show -- the last one of 1973 tour -- as a consensus choice. And it was a pretty meh debut for the series: the problem isn't that it's a 'highlights' set (I actually very much appreciate that approach, though other Deadheads squawk about it...I don't really need to hear yet another friggin' "Me & My Uncle" or "El Paso" or "Tennessee Jed"), the problem is that it's only an okay show. The centerpiece of the set was obviously meant to be the "He's Gone" > "Truckin'" > Jam on disc 2, but the real highlight IMO is the "Playing In The Band" found on disc 1. Still, put this one further down on your list of DPs. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 2: 10/31/71 Columbus: If Deadheads were put off by the partial show and curious selection of DP1, they were even more cheesed off when DP2 was announced. Only ONE CD? What kind of joke was this? Well everyone pretty much shut the hell up once it was released. This is the proverbial "one disc wonder": a partial SBD of the second set of the Dead's Halloween 1971 show in Columbus OH that features one of the few "Dark Star"s they played that year. And it's not just any "Dark Star" -- this is a MONSTER of a performance, on of their all-time greatest, and one of the last they did in their older, 1969-1970 melodic style before introducing the freakout meltdowns into the mix in 1972. The rest of the disc is pretty great as well, but it's an afterthought compared to the "Dark Star."  

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 4: 2/13-14/70 Fillmore East: A legendary series of shows, with good reason, but this is actually a somewhat flawed set. The Valentine's Day 1970 Dead shows in New York were legendary long before this release, having circulated in trading circles (and also having been used for the official History Of The Grateful Dead, Vol. 1 (Bear's Choice)release in 1973), but finally we got a perfectly patched and fixed-up release of the most vaunted material from this run. The centerpiece is of course "Dark Star" (from 2/13/70) and with good reason: here it is, the alpha-omega, the single greatest performance of the Grateful Dead's most important song. Every gushing word that has ever been written about it is fully justified. It occupies the second half of disc 1 of this 3CD set, and what comes before it is also superb -- A fine early "China" > "Rider" > "High Time" sequence, an epic "Dancing In The Streets," and one of the more rippin' performances of a song that most Deadheads are tired of in "Casey Jones." 

 

The problem, however, is with the rest of the set. Disc two is given entirely over to the rest of the 2/13/70 jam that follows out of "Dark Star," and it's actually fairly mediocre for the Dead from this era. "That's It For The Other One" is adequate (although saddled, as most performances from this era are, with a drum solo that's way too damn long), but "Lovelight" is a terribly difficult slog at 30 minutes: low energy, draggy, and a bit out of tune at times. The lengthy jam on Disc 3 comes from 2/14/70, and while it's nearly as famous among fans as the "Dark Star" from 2/13/70, I for one am not as enthusiastic. I love earlier "Alligator," but it's clear that the Dead were getting sick of the song at this point and it's dispatched with little commitment. Then we have to suffer through a truly interminable drum solo (12 & 1/2 minutes!) and our reward on the other end is..."Me & My Uncle." Ack! Thankfully things pick up after that with "Not Fade Away," which heads into one of the final "Mason's Children" and then a truly great "Caution," but all in all a significant amount of running time on this set is actually given over to material I don't care to listen to. Nevertheless, you need to at least own the first disc of this set - no Dead fan's collection is complete without it. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 7: 9/9-11/74 London: I'm actually not the biggest fan of '74-era Dead -- they were seriously beginning to flag by the second half of the year, which puts their 'retirement' after October '74 into proper context -- but even those who are were unimpressed by this release. Taken from a three-show run at Alexandra Palace in London during the Dead's second visit to Europe, this set features mediocre sound quality (in truth, the board tapes during the Wall Of Sound era always sounded inferior to those that came before and after due to the microphones used on stage) and unfocused performances. Others can disagree, but I think this is one of the least essential DPs of the entire pre-retirement era. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 8: 5/2/70 Harpur College: This, however, is not. This is one of the most beloved shows ever performed by the Dead, one which fans had cherished for decades before it finally saw official release. Mid-1970 Dead, during theirWorkingman's Dead/American Beauty heyday, playing to an extremely unruly college crowd (to get a sense of the atmosphere on college campuses at this time, note that Nixon's Cambodian bombings had just been revealed and Kent State was only two days away) and simply mastering them, first with a riveting acoustic set and then with an electric performance that rivals any they ever gave. There are no flaws on this show, no weak songs, no lesser renditions, no quibbles with setlists, NOTHING TO CRITICIZE. Would I have liked a "Dark Star?" Well, maybe, but then again maybe not given the fact that the "That's It For The Other One" featured here is arguably the most shit-hot run-through of the song EVER done. "Cosmic Charlie" is orgasmic. "Dancing In Streets" is the definitive rendition. Pigpen is commanding on a James Brown cover of "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World" that the band usually struggled through. And it all ends with a "Viola Lee Blues" that probably left the first few rows of audience members temporarily blind. (Not deaf...BLIND.) One of the most obligatory Dick's Picks in the entire series. Mug a grandma to get the money for this if you don't have it on hand. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 11: 9/27/72 Jersey City: A pick beloved by many others but not by me. I've said before that I consider the June-December 1972 era of live Dead to be a hangover from E'72 and the loss of Pigpen and his repertoire, and that applies here. The "China" > "Rider" is unbearable, due to the bum note Bobby keeps hitting as he plays his riff, and even the normally reliable "Playing In The Band" doesn't do much for me. The centerpiece here is "Dark Star" > "Cumberland Blues" (a sequence they never did before or after, IIRC), but I'm not captivated by this DS. Others here are welcome to offer their praise of this show as a counterbalance, but it ain't for me. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 12: 6/26/74 Providence & 6/28/74 Boston: If you want only one 1974 set, this is the one. A magnificently curated selection of highlights from these two summer '74 shows, this set is notable not only for the remarkable jams (about which more presently) but also the sound quality, which is easily the best of any '74 boards out there. Ah, but the jams! Herein ye shall find the longest, most jammed out, most delightful "China Cat" > "I Know You Rider" sequence the Dead ever played (it clocks in at TWENTY MINUTES!), a great "Truckin'" sequence that also takes in "The Other One" and "Spanish Jam," and disc-long 6/28/74 excursion that starts with one of the great "Weather Report Suite"s and heads quickly to parts unknown with a 28-minute free-form exploration that evolves into the rapturous "Mind Left Body Jam" so beloved by fans. Highly recommended for fans of '74 Dead.

 

Esoteric's Dick's Picks trawl (covering the years 1968-1974), Pt. 2! 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 14: 11/30/73 & 12/2/73 Boston: My understanding is that this Pick was actually greeted with rather mixed reactions when it was first released. I cannot for the life of me understand why that would be the case. This 4CD set selects highlights from the first and third shows of a three-show stand at the Boston Music Hall and it's a truly magnificent digest of the best of the Fall '73 tour (a tour which I consider to be the near-equal of E'72). The 1st and 3rd discs of this show have some shorter first set songs that are for the most part filler (not filler: a lovely "Brown-Eyed Woman" from 12/2/73 with Keith adding delicate color). But the rest of this set is packed to the gills with substantive, rewarding jams and surprising song-sequences. "Playing In The Band" was at its absolute peak during the Fall of 1973 -- it began to get a bit toogaseous and aimless in 1974 -- and this set gives us two examples why that's the case: the second PITB forms a central part of the 12/2/73 jam but it's actually the 11/30/73 standalone version that impresses mightily, walking a fine line between cosmic exploration and relentless rhythmic churn without ever misstepping. "Here Come Sunshine" is given one of its finest-ever performances. The "Weather Report" > "Dark Star Jam" > "Eyes Of The World" from 11/30/73 is one of my top 20 Dead jams, primarily because this is one of my favorite "Eyes." And the whole thing is bracketed by two monumental "Morning Dew"s. Highly recommended! 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 16: 11/8/69 Fillmore Auditorium: This 3CD complete show from the day Live/Dead was officially released is a remarkable study in contrasts. The first disc (representing the first set) is absolutely godawful. A near-coaster. The "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" is competent, "Good Lovin'" doesn't embarrass the band, but everything else is so bad it's damn near funny. The band plays a rough, early electric version of "Dire Wolf," but just as Jerry is about to finish his last verse he completely forgets his place in the song...leading them to play the whole thing through a second time over without stopping. (The sequence should be listed "Dire Wolf" > "Dire Wolf"). "Cumberland Blues" gets its world debut and it's a disaster, with nobody quite sure what to play. A terribly inauspicious beginning to the show. 

 

But it doesn't matter, because discs 2 and 3 represent the single finest, most impressive jam in the entire history of the Grateful Dead. I know I've used the terms "favorite" this and "top" that and "best" this a bit loosely so far, so please understand I'm not using hyperbole when I say that the 95 minutes of nonstop jamming beginning with "Dark Star" and ending with "And We Bid You Goodnight" is music that all Deadheads treasure, and that I honestly do believe has never been topped. The setlist alone says it all: Dark Star > The Other One > Dark Star > Uncle John's Band Jam > Dark Star > St. Stephen > The Eleven > Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) > The Main Ten > Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) > Feedback > And We Bid You Goodnight. Oh, and a 25 minute "Lovelight" from the night before is thrown in for good measure at the end of the last disc (and this isn't a random "Lovelight," either, but an exciting one that fully deserves its length). I can't emphasize enough how important is for any fan of live Dead to own, borrow, steal, whatever this set. Laugh at the first disc, build a shrine to the rest. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 19: 10/19/73 Oklahoma City: Yet another release from the Fall '73 tour and you could make an argument that this one, as a complete show with no real perceptible flaws, is even better than DP14. I waver on that question, but no question that this is one of the most emotionally and atmospherically consistent concerts they gave in 1973, and the setlist is unimpeachably selected and performed. Everything I would want in a '73 show is here and played brilliantly: the best of the first set songs ("They Love Each Other," "Sugaree," "Jack Straw"), the greatest "Playing In The Band" of 1973, a "China" > "Rider" that rivals the 6/26/74 one found on DP12, and a second set jam famous for the introduction of the "Mind Left Body Jam" (played as the tail end of a wonderful "Dark Star") for the first time. Also has one of the longest encores of the Dead's career: "Eyes Of The World" > "Stella Blue" and finally "Johnny B. Goode." A fantastic night for the band and arguably the best place to start if you want to hear what late 1973 sounded like. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 22: 2/23-24/68 Lake Tahoe, CA: Quite simply, my favorite Dick's Pick of all time. You've seen me praise other DPs so far as being obligatory, must-own, etc. I won't quite do that with this one, for the simple reason that Primal Dead -- this show hails from the November 1967-March 1968 run of shows the Dead taped for use on Anthem Of The Sun -- is not to everyone's tastes. But it sure as hell is to MY taste, and if you like early Dead even in the slightest (say, if you enjoy Two From The Vault) then you'd be insane not to own DP22, which is held in the highest of esteem by Deadheads for multiple reasons. Firstly, because it gave us a show that had never circulated (and in fact people didn't even think EXISTED on tape) prior to its being announced. Secondly because the setlists and song sequences are insane and rare, particularly the Alligator > China Cat Sunflower > The Eleven > Caution > Feedback run from 2/24/68. But finally, because the music is played with incredible verve, by a hungry band that was just beginning to feel its strength. Herein you will find the greatest-ever performance of "Turn On Your Lovelight," with Jerry tossing out acid-bop melodies with sweet abandon. Herein you will find an early "That's It For The Other One" with only one drummer (Billy was relaxing off to the side, tired from a day of skiing and tripping on acid) fading into a note-perfect "New Potato Caboose." Herein you see Pigpen tear the joint apart with great readings of "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" and "It Hurts Me Too." And the whole thing BEGINS with a classic "Viola Lee Blues" -- 20 minutes of sheer insanity. This one isn't for everyone, but if you like this era it's one of the most valuable and welcome releases in the entire official Grateful Dead canon. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 23: 9/17/72 Baltimore: I wish I could like this show more than I do, as it hails from my home state and was played on my birthday (wrong year, tho'). But as I've said before I'm not much of a fan of late '72 Dead and this does little to dissuade me. It is extremely competent, with no faults or groaners. There's a lengthy exploration of "The Other One" (40 minutes!) that takes you to some very interesting places. But the rest of the setlist is almost painfully generic for this period of the band ("Casey Jones," "Uncle John's Band," "Friend Of The Devil" -- which just doesn't work in this electric arrangement -- "El Paso," "Me & My Uncle," etc.) and I just can't get too excited about it. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 24: 3/23/74 Cow Palace: A very sub-standard release. The inescapable truth is that this one only came out because the occasion was historic: the debut of the Dead's "Wall Of Sound." But the music isn't very memorable at all -- "Cassidy" has a world debut (it would go back into the vaults for another two years before becoming a regular), there's a PITB > UJB > Morning Dew > UJB > PITB palindromic jam that some people praise but I find to be rather clumsily executed (Jerry's guitar on "Morning Dew" is pathetic), and the rest is neither here nor there. Avoid. 

 

(to be continued...) 

 

 

Esoteric's Dick's Picks trawl (covering the years 1968-1974), Pt. 3! 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 26: 4/26/69 Chicago & 4/27/69 Minneapolis: A fine release that's easy enough to summarize as being one step beyond Live/Dead in terms of setlist and approach. This set evidences the Dead's desire to re-expand their repertoire after contracting it in January-March '69 to focus on nailing the songs that would go onto Live/Dead. The first disc is mostly given over to 'highlights' from a well-known concert from 4/26/69 where the band played a ridiculously long single-set show at Chicago's Electric Theater. (The story goes that they were sharing a bill for two nights with the Velvet Underground, alternating opening slots, and the VU aced them out the night before on 4/25 by playing such a lengthy opening show that the Dead was left with only 50 minutes for their set. They returned the favor on 4/26 by playing for two hours in their opening set.) The reason I put "highlights" in scare quotes is because the best/rarest material from this show is sadly absent, having either been released elsewhere (the epic "Viola Lee Blues" found on Fallout From The Phil Zone) or left inexplicably in the can (a unique one-off 'performance' of "What's Become Of The Baby?" bracketed by massive "Feedback"s on either side). So what you're left with is the interesting opening medley tease, where the Dead threatens a standard "Dupree's" > "Mountains Of The Moon" transition into "Dark Star" but instead jumps into a newly-revived "China Cat Sunflower" and then ends  

with "Doin' That Rag." The "That's It For The Other One" medley rapidly runs off course with a purely instrumental diversion into "The Eleven" and, instead of the expected "Cryptical Envelopment" reprise, they conclude with an old blues number "I Know It's A Sin" sung by Jerry instead of Pig. Fun stuff and good music too, but it's more than a bit frustrating when you realize that the sole known performance of "What's Become Of The Baby" was left in the vaults and that the show's official release makes it now nearly-impossible to find anywhere (thankfully I have it!). 

 

The real meat of this show is the Minneapolis show, however. The band was late to the gig, so they don't mess around and get right down to it. They open with "Turn On Your Lovelight" (a sure sign of a special night in 1969), and medley it straight into the first-ever "Me & My Uncle" since 1967 and then into a great "Sitting On Top Of The World." Then a full-blown "Dark Star" > "St. Stephen" > "The Eleven" medley that is easily the equal of the one found on Live/Dead, all wrapping up with a REPRISE of "Lovelight." (That's 33 minutes' worth of "Lovelight" all told, and amazingly it doesn't drag at all!) An apologetic encore of "Morning Dew," and that's all folks. This is the only Dick's Pick to come from theLive/Dead era and is warmly recommended for fans of that album. Others can make it less of a priority. 

 

Dick's Pick, Vol, 28: 2/26/73 Lincoln, NE & 2/28/73 Salt Lake City: The true 'sleeper' pick in the entire DP series, I can't recommend this set enough. I bought this set very early on in my experience of learning the Dead's music, as my idea of an introduction to 1973's 'sound,' and it did the trick in spades. This set represents the February '73 period, when the Dead first opened a barrelful of new songs that would feature on both Wake Of The Flood and Mars Hotel. What's truly remarkable about this is that, while many of the Dead's big jamming numbers would take a lot of time to grow into their full-blown forms (e.g. "Truckin," "He's Gone," "Dark Star," "The Other One" etc.), the Dead's big vehicle from this era, "Eyes Of The World," was born fully realized. This set gives us two generous examples of how glorious the earliest versions of "Eyes Of The World" could be (this may in fact be the best era for the song!), each of them nearly twenty minutes long and bursting with improvisational ideas. 

 

That's not the only thing that recommends this release though, not by a longshot. DP28 is a 4CD set featuring two nearly complete shows played out in the Middle Of Nowhere, America (part of its charm, incidentally -- the Dead didn't save their best work for, say, New York or Boston or San Francisco...they were capable of bringing it in a major way to Lincoln Nebraska, Oklahoma City, Des Moines, or Salt Lake City too). What's truly remarkable about this release is how consistent each show is: normally with a DP (or a Dead show from 1972 onwards) there is a temptation to skip the shorter "first set" songs to get to the meat of the show, the second-set jams. You'd be making a huge mistake if you did that here: these shows have crisply perfect first-set songs, great renditions of "Loser," "Jack Straw," a rare standalone "He's Gone," maybe my favorite "Greatest Story Ever Told," the best "Box Of Rain" I've ever heard the band perform, and TWO lovely versions of "They Love Each Other." The "Playing In The Band" from 2/26/73 is one of my favorites from the song's "expanded era" (i.e. late '72 to 1974). And the jams! Oh lordy, the "Dark Star" > "Eyes" > "Mississippi Half-Step" on 2/26 is magnificent, and the "Truckin'" > "The Other One" > "Eyes" > "Morning Dew" from 2/28 is only slightly less perfect. To repeat what I said above, I cannot recommend this set highly enough as a perfect introduction to the Dead's 1973 sound. Own it, treasure it. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 30: 3/25, 27 & 28/72 - Academy of Music, New York City: Another DP release that caused a big hullabaloo when it was first announced, because the Academy of Music run of shows (basically an extended 'warm-up' for the band before their trip to Europe) had only ever circulated on truly bog-quality AUD tapes prior to this and the SBDs were believed lost from the vaults. Well, the band managed to recover them (how they managed to do it is quite the tale of skullduggery), and this is one of the results: a 4CD set, the first disc of which is given over to highlights of 3/25 and 3/27, and the next three of which are devoted to a complete show from 3/28. 

 

I wish I enjoyed this set more than I do. In theory it should be unimpeachable: this is, after all, basically Europe '72 by any other name. The problem is that I'm just not that in love with the 3/28/72 itself, though many others praise it. Furthermore, the 3/25/72 excerpts found on disc 1 are largely useless: most come from a set where the Dead played as the backing band for opening act Bo Diddley, so it's really a Bo Diddley set -- the music isn't all that great. The excerpts from the second set of 3/25 ARE excellent -- three mega-rarities in the one-off performances of "Are You Lonely For Me, Baby?," "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," and the final-ever "Smokestack Lightning" -- and the disc concludes with what I think may actually be the best performance of "Playing In The Band" ever given, from 3/27/72. But the actual show from 3/28/72 is, while competently performed, just not that exciting to me. The big jam is based around "The Other One" and I feel like it meanders too long before petering out into nothingness. The show is questionably paced. Again, other Deadheads swear by this release, but I'm not one of them. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 31: 8/4-5/74 Philadelphia & 8/6/74 Jersey City: A fine 4CD digest of three consecutive shows from the Dead's long hot stadium tour of summer 1974. This has never been my favorite era of pre-retirement band -- the liner notes talk about crippling heat, unruly crowds, and excessive cocaine use and that vibe comes through to me in the music -- but this set surely captures the best of this period. The first disc (composed of first set material from 8/4 & 8/5) is the most disposable, but the opening "Playing In The Band" from 8/4 is as good as the song -- which was fading by this time IMO -- got during this era. Discs 2 & 3 represent the second set jams from each show, and while they're not all-time highlights the music is never less than entertaining. The real treat for me at least is disc 4, which excerpts a beloved 8/6/74 show while somewhat perversely omitting the lengthy second set jam that most Deadheads treasure the show for. I however am just fine with this selection, beginning with a lovely, extended "Eyes Of The World" and continuing onward with a unique "Playing" > "Scarlet Begonias" (here in its original '74 arrangement, not the more familiar version from later years) > "Playing" sandwich. If you love '74 era Dead, this is one to prioritize. Me, I would recommend Dick's Picks 12 before any other '74. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 35: 8/7/71 San Diego, 8/24/71 Chicago, & 8/6/71 Hollywood: Another major DP release, this 4CD set brings us the bulk of two shows from the long-lost August 1971 SBDs with a bonus from 8/6/71. (The SBDs for these shows, the last the band played before Keith joined, had long been missing from the Vault and were only recovered after being found on Godchaux's houseboat decades later.) While the historical value of this set is beyond dispute (included here are an otherwise unreleased Pigpen original "Empty Pages" as well as a very embryonic version of "Brown-Eyed Woman"), the musical value has always been iffy for me, as I'm not really a fan of the "shoot 'em up bar band" version of the Dead that pre-Keith 1971 represented. Lots of shorter, first-set material, little-to-nothing in the way of extended jamming (for 8/7 and 8/24 the closest it gets is the standard NFA > GDTRFB > NFA sandwich, which is telling)...this may be your ideal Dead profile, but it's not mine. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 36: 9/21/72 Philadelphia: The DP series concludes by finally Giving The People What They Want, namely the full 9/21/72 show, a legendary performance from Philadelphia's barn of a venue, the Spectrum, where the Dead played one of their longest-ever shows (four hours!) and covered pretty much all the bases in doing so. As you have seen, I'm not much a fan of post-Europe 1972 Dead, but even I have to dock my reservations for this massive show, which features a unique 13 minute "Bird Song" (extended because Jerry broke a string and the rest of the band had to cover for him mid-song), great versions of "He's Gone" (I prefer this song so much more when it's done as a standalone number), "Playing In The Band," "Black Peter," and of course the epic "Dark Star" > "Morning Dew" climax. The remainder of the show after "Morning Dew" -- they played for 45 more minutes! -- is a bit anti-climactic, but this set redeems that by tacking on a fantastic "He's Gone" > "The Other One" > "Wharf Rat" jam from 9/3/72 to bring a sense of finality to the entire listening experience. A legendary show and great value-for-money: if it's a 1972 Dick's Pick you're looking for, this is the one you need.

 

Wow, and I thought I was picky! I've never heard of anyone who disses Fall '72 or Fall '74. To each his own, I guess.

[winterland121072]

I pretty much agree with his assessments. Fall 72 jam wise (e.g., Dark Star, Chider, PITB, Other One, Birdy, etc) was certainly a peak in my opinion, but song wise (e.g., Muncle, el paso, jed, sugaree, etc) is was average at best. I also think 1974 can be overrated as the band seemed tired and a bit too loose (especially august / september).  I actually think one of the most underrated shows by the band in 1974 was 6-20-1974 ---- it was a rarity, tight and speed-like Grateful Dead in 1974.

 

 

 

There's a topic on the Hoffman Music Forum recently started that may be particularly suited to your question.  It's a lot to read through, but a good place to start:

 

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/embarking-on-a-grateful-dead-journey-all-purpose-thread.339154/

 

In that topic, one writer did a nice synopsis of the DIck's Picks series, which I keep accessible on my phone when trolling the record store. 

 

This may be more info than you bargained for.

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 1: 12/19/73 Tampa: The first DP was greeted by fans with a collective "....huh?" when it came out. Lesh was very involved with the selection of the early DPs, and he's a finicky bastard, which led to a whole bunch of politics and necessary compromises and the ultimate selection of the cream of this show -- the last one of 1973 tour -- as a consensus choice. And it was a pretty meh debut for the series: the problem isn't that it's a 'highlights' set (I actually very much appreciate that approach, though other Deadheads squawk about it...I don't really need to hear yet another friggin' "Me & My Uncle" or "El Paso" or "Tennessee Jed"), the problem is that it's only an okay show. The centerpiece of the set was obviously meant to be the "He's Gone" > "Truckin'" > Jam on disc 2, but the real highlight IMO is the "Playing In The Band" found on disc 1. Still, put this one further down on your list of DPs. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 2: 10/31/71 Columbus: If Deadheads were put off by the partial show and curious selection of DP1, they were even more cheesed off when DP2 was announced. Only ONE CD? What kind of joke was this? Well everyone pretty much shut the hell up once it was released. This is the proverbial "one disc wonder": a partial SBD of the second set of the Dead's Halloween 1971 show in Columbus OH that features one of the few "Dark Star"s they played that year. And it's not just any "Dark Star" -- this is a MONSTER of a performance, on of their all-time greatest, and one of the last they did in their older, 1969-1970 melodic style before introducing the freakout meltdowns into the mix in 1972. The rest of the disc is pretty great as well, but it's an afterthought compared to the "Dark Star."  

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 4: 2/13-14/70 Fillmore East: A legendary series of shows, with good reason, but this is actually a somewhat flawed set. The Valentine's Day 1970 Dead shows in New York were legendary long before this release, having circulated in trading circles (and also having been used for the official History Of The Grateful Dead, Vol. 1 (Bear's Choice)release in 1973), but finally we got a perfectly patched and fixed-up release of the most vaunted material from this run. The centerpiece is of course "Dark Star" (from 2/13/70) and with good reason: here it is, the alpha-omega, the single greatest performance of the Grateful Dead's most important song. Every gushing word that has ever been written about it is fully justified. It occupies the second half of disc 1 of this 3CD set, and what comes before it is also superb -- A fine early "China" > "Rider" > "High Time" sequence, an epic "Dancing In The Streets," and one of the more rippin' performances of a song that most Deadheads are tired of in "Casey Jones." 

 

The problem, however, is with the rest of the set. Disc two is given entirely over to the rest of the 2/13/70 jam that follows out of "Dark Star," and it's actually fairly mediocre for the Dead from this era. "That's It For The Other One" is adequate (although saddled, as most performances from this era are, with a drum solo that's way too damn long), but "Lovelight" is a terribly difficult slog at 30 minutes: low energy, draggy, and a bit out of tune at times. The lengthy jam on Disc 3 comes from 2/14/70, and while it's nearly as famous among fans as the "Dark Star" from 2/13/70, I for one am not as enthusiastic. I love earlier "Alligator," but it's clear that the Dead were getting sick of the song at this point and it's dispatched with little commitment. Then we have to suffer through a truly interminable drum solo (12 & 1/2 minutes!) and our reward on the other end is..."Me & My Uncle." Ack! Thankfully things pick up after that with "Not Fade Away," which heads into one of the final "Mason's Children" and then a truly great "Caution," but all in all a significant amount of running time on this set is actually given over to material I don't care to listen to. Nevertheless, you need to at least own the first disc of this set - no Dead fan's collection is complete without it. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 7: 9/9-11/74 London: I'm actually not the biggest fan of '74-era Dead -- they were seriously beginning to flag by the second half of the year, which puts their 'retirement' after October '74 into proper context -- but even those who are were unimpressed by this release. Taken from a three-show run at Alexandra Palace in London during the Dead's second visit to Europe, this set features mediocre sound quality (in truth, the board tapes during the Wall Of Sound era always sounded inferior to those that came before and after due to the microphones used on stage) and unfocused performances. Others can disagree, but I think this is one of the least essential DPs of the entire pre-retirement era. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 8: 5/2/70 Harpur College: This, however, is not. This is one of the most beloved shows ever performed by the Dead, one which fans had cherished for decades before it finally saw official release. Mid-1970 Dead, during theirWorkingman's Dead/American Beauty heyday, playing to an extremely unruly college crowd (to get a sense of the atmosphere on college campuses at this time, note that Nixon's Cambodian bombings had just been revealed and Kent State was only two days away) and simply mastering them, first with a riveting acoustic set and then with an electric performance that rivals any they ever gave. There are no flaws on this show, no weak songs, no lesser renditions, no quibbles with setlists, NOTHING TO CRITICIZE. Would I have liked a "Dark Star?" Well, maybe, but then again maybe not given the fact that the "That's It For The Other One" featured here is arguably the most shit-hot run-through of the song EVER done. "Cosmic Charlie" is orgasmic. "Dancing In Streets" is the definitive rendition. Pigpen is commanding on a James Brown cover of "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World" that the band usually struggled through. And it all ends with a "Viola Lee Blues" that probably left the first few rows of audience members temporarily blind. (Not deaf...BLIND.) One of the most obligatory Dick's Picks in the entire series. Mug a grandma to get the money for this if you don't have it on hand. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 11: 9/27/72 Jersey City: A pick beloved by many others but not by me. I've said before that I consider the June-December 1972 era of live Dead to be a hangover from E'72 and the loss of Pigpen and his repertoire, and that applies here. The "China" > "Rider" is unbearable, due to the bum note Bobby keeps hitting as he plays his riff, and even the normally reliable "Playing In The Band" doesn't do much for me. The centerpiece here is "Dark Star" > "Cumberland Blues" (a sequence they never did before or after, IIRC), but I'm not captivated by this DS. Others here are welcome to offer their praise of this show as a counterbalance, but it ain't for me. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 12: 6/26/74 Providence & 6/28/74 Boston: If you want only one 1974 set, this is the one. A magnificently curated selection of highlights from these two summer '74 shows, this set is notable not only for the remarkable jams (about which more presently) but also the sound quality, which is easily the best of any '74 boards out there. Ah, but the jams! Herein ye shall find the longest, most jammed out, most delightful "China Cat" > "I Know You Rider" sequence the Dead ever played (it clocks in at TWENTY MINUTES!), a great "Truckin'" sequence that also takes in "The Other One" and "Spanish Jam," and disc-long 6/28/74 excursion that starts with one of the great "Weather Report Suite"s and heads quickly to parts unknown with a 28-minute free-form exploration that evolves into the rapturous "Mind Left Body Jam" so beloved by fans. Highly recommended for fans of '74 Dead.

 

Esoteric's Dick's Picks trawl (covering the years 1968-1974), Pt. 2! 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 14: 11/30/73 & 12/2/73 Boston: My understanding is that this Pick was actually greeted with rather mixed reactions when it was first released. I cannot for the life of me understand why that would be the case. This 4CD set selects highlights from the first and third shows of a three-show stand at the Boston Music Hall and it's a truly magnificent digest of the best of the Fall '73 tour (a tour which I consider to be the near-equal of E'72). The 1st and 3rd discs of this show have some shorter first set songs that are for the most part filler (not filler: a lovely "Brown-Eyed Woman" from 12/2/73 with Keith adding delicate color). But the rest of this set is packed to the gills with substantive, rewarding jams and surprising song-sequences. "Playing In The Band" was at its absolute peak during the Fall of 1973 -- it began to get a bit toogaseous and aimless in 1974 -- and this set gives us two examples why that's the case: the second PITB forms a central part of the 12/2/73 jam but it's actually the 11/30/73 standalone version that impresses mightily, walking a fine line between cosmic exploration and relentless rhythmic churn without ever misstepping. "Here Come Sunshine" is given one of its finest-ever performances. The "Weather Report" > "Dark Star Jam" > "Eyes Of The World" from 11/30/73 is one of my top 20 Dead jams, primarily because this is one of my favorite "Eyes." And the whole thing is bracketed by two monumental "Morning Dew"s. Highly recommended! 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 16: 11/8/69 Fillmore Auditorium: This 3CD complete show from the day Live/Dead was officially released is a remarkable study in contrasts. The first disc (representing the first set) is absolutely godawful. A near-coaster. The "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" is competent, "Good Lovin'" doesn't embarrass the band, but everything else is so bad it's damn near funny. The band plays a rough, early electric version of "Dire Wolf," but just as Jerry is about to finish his last verse he completely forgets his place in the song...leading them to play the whole thing through a second time over without stopping. (The sequence should be listed "Dire Wolf" > "Dire Wolf"). "Cumberland Blues" gets its world debut and it's a disaster, with nobody quite sure what to play. A terribly inauspicious beginning to the show. 

 

But it doesn't matter, because discs 2 and 3 represent the single finest, most impressive jam in the entire history of the Grateful Dead. I know I've used the terms "favorite" this and "top" that and "best" this a bit loosely so far, so please understand I'm not using hyperbole when I say that the 95 minutes of nonstop jamming beginning with "Dark Star" and ending with "And We Bid You Goodnight" is music that all Deadheads treasure, and that I honestly do believe has never been topped. The setlist alone says it all: Dark Star > The Other One > Dark Star > Uncle John's Band Jam > Dark Star > St. Stephen > The Eleven > Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) > The Main Ten > Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) > Feedback > And We Bid You Goodnight. Oh, and a 25 minute "Lovelight" from the night before is thrown in for good measure at the end of the last disc (and this isn't a random "Lovelight," either, but an exciting one that fully deserves its length). I can't emphasize enough how important is for any fan of live Dead to own, borrow, steal, whatever this set. Laugh at the first disc, build a shrine to the rest. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 19: 10/19/73 Oklahoma City: Yet another release from the Fall '73 tour and you could make an argument that this one, as a complete show with no real perceptible flaws, is even better than DP14. I waver on that question, but no question that this is one of the most emotionally and atmospherically consistent concerts they gave in 1973, and the setlist is unimpeachably selected and performed. Everything I would want in a '73 show is here and played brilliantly: the best of the first set songs ("They Love Each Other," "Sugaree," "Jack Straw"), the greatest "Playing In The Band" of 1973, a "China" > "Rider" that rivals the 6/26/74 one found on DP12, and a second set jam famous for the introduction of the "Mind Left Body Jam" (played as the tail end of a wonderful "Dark Star") for the first time. Also has one of the longest encores of the Dead's career: "Eyes Of The World" > "Stella Blue" and finally "Johnny B. Goode." A fantastic night for the band and arguably the best place to start if you want to hear what late 1973 sounded like. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 22: 2/23-24/68 Lake Tahoe, CA: Quite simply, my favorite Dick's Pick of all time. You've seen me praise other DPs so far as being obligatory, must-own, etc. I won't quite do that with this one, for the simple reason that Primal Dead -- this show hails from the November 1967-March 1968 run of shows the Dead taped for use on Anthem Of The Sun -- is not to everyone's tastes. But it sure as hell is to MY taste, and if you like early Dead even in the slightest (say, if you enjoy Two From The Vault) then you'd be insane not to own DP22, which is held in the highest of esteem by Deadheads for multiple reasons. Firstly, because it gave us a show that had never circulated (and in fact people didn't even think EXISTED on tape) prior to its being announced. Secondly because the setlists and song sequences are insane and rare, particularly the Alligator > China Cat Sunflower > The Eleven > Caution > Feedback run from 2/24/68. But finally, because the music is played with incredible verve, by a hungry band that was just beginning to feel its strength. Herein you will find the greatest-ever performance of "Turn On Your Lovelight," with Jerry tossing out acid-bop melodies with sweet abandon. Herein you will find an early "That's It For The Other One" with only one drummer (Billy was relaxing off to the side, tired from a day of skiing and tripping on acid) fading into a note-perfect "New Potato Caboose." Herein you see Pigpen tear the joint apart with great readings of "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" and "It Hurts Me Too." And the whole thing BEGINS with a classic "Viola Lee Blues" -- 20 minutes of sheer insanity. This one isn't for everyone, but if you like this era it's one of the most valuable and welcome releases in the entire official Grateful Dead canon. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 23: 9/17/72 Baltimore: I wish I could like this show more than I do, as it hails from my home state and was played on my birthday (wrong year, tho'). But as I've said before I'm not much of a fan of late '72 Dead and this does little to dissuade me. It is extremely competent, with no faults or groaners. There's a lengthy exploration of "The Other One" (40 minutes!) that takes you to some very interesting places. But the rest of the setlist is almost painfully generic for this period of the band ("Casey Jones," "Uncle John's Band," "Friend Of The Devil" -- which just doesn't work in this electric arrangement -- "El Paso," "Me & My Uncle," etc.) and I just can't get too excited about it. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 24: 3/23/74 Cow Palace: A very sub-standard release. The inescapable truth is that this one only came out because the occasion was historic: the debut of the Dead's "Wall Of Sound." But the music isn't very memorable at all -- "Cassidy" has a world debut (it would go back into the vaults for another two years before becoming a regular), there's a PITB > UJB > Morning Dew > UJB > PITB palindromic jam that some people praise but I find to be rather clumsily executed (Jerry's guitar on "Morning Dew" is pathetic), and the rest is neither here nor there. Avoid. 

 

(to be continued...) 

 

 

Esoteric's Dick's Picks trawl (covering the years 1968-1974), Pt. 3! 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 26: 4/26/69 Chicago & 4/27/69 Minneapolis: A fine release that's easy enough to summarize as being one step beyond Live/Dead in terms of setlist and approach. This set evidences the Dead's desire to re-expand their repertoire after contracting it in January-March '69 to focus on nailing the songs that would go onto Live/Dead. The first disc is mostly given over to 'highlights' from a well-known concert from 4/26/69 where the band played a ridiculously long single-set show at Chicago's Electric Theater. (The story goes that they were sharing a bill for two nights with the Velvet Underground, alternating opening slots, and the VU aced them out the night before on 4/25 by playing such a lengthy opening show that the Dead was left with only 50 minutes for their set. They returned the favor on 4/26 by playing for two hours in their opening set.) The reason I put "highlights" in scare quotes is because the best/rarest material from this show is sadly absent, having either been released elsewhere (the epic "Viola Lee Blues" found on Fallout From The Phil Zone) or left inexplicably in the can (a unique one-off 'performance' of "What's Become Of The Baby?" bracketed by massive "Feedback"s on either side). So what you're left with is the interesting opening medley tease, where the Dead threatens a standard "Dupree's" > "Mountains Of The Moon" transition into "Dark Star" but instead jumps into a newly-revived "China Cat Sunflower" and then ends  

with "Doin' That Rag." The "That's It For The Other One" medley rapidly runs off course with a purely instrumental diversion into "The Eleven" and, instead of the expected "Cryptical Envelopment" reprise, they conclude with an old blues number "I Know It's A Sin" sung by Jerry instead of Pig. Fun stuff and good music too, but it's more than a bit frustrating when you realize that the sole known performance of "What's Become Of The Baby" was left in the vaults and that the show's official release makes it now nearly-impossible to find anywhere (thankfully I have it!). 

 

The real meat of this show is the Minneapolis show, however. The band was late to the gig, so they don't mess around and get right down to it. They open with "Turn On Your Lovelight" (a sure sign of a special night in 1969), and medley it straight into the first-ever "Me & My Uncle" since 1967 and then into a great "Sitting On Top Of The World." Then a full-blown "Dark Star" > "St. Stephen" > "The Eleven" medley that is easily the equal of the one found on Live/Dead, all wrapping up with a REPRISE of "Lovelight." (That's 33 minutes' worth of "Lovelight" all told, and amazingly it doesn't drag at all!) An apologetic encore of "Morning Dew," and that's all folks. This is the only Dick's Pick to come from theLive/Dead era and is warmly recommended for fans of that album. Others can make it less of a priority. 

 

Dick's Pick, Vol, 28: 2/26/73 Lincoln, NE & 2/28/73 Salt Lake City: The true 'sleeper' pick in the entire DP series, I can't recommend this set enough. I bought this set very early on in my experience of learning the Dead's music, as my idea of an introduction to 1973's 'sound,' and it did the trick in spades. This set represents the February '73 period, when the Dead first opened a barrelful of new songs that would feature on both Wake Of The Flood and Mars Hotel. What's truly remarkable about this is that, while many of the Dead's big jamming numbers would take a lot of time to grow into their full-blown forms (e.g. "Truckin," "He's Gone," "Dark Star," "The Other One" etc.), the Dead's big vehicle from this era, "Eyes Of The World," was born fully realized. This set gives us two generous examples of how glorious the earliest versions of "Eyes Of The World" could be (this may in fact be the best era for the song!), each of them nearly twenty minutes long and bursting with improvisational ideas. 

 

That's not the only thing that recommends this release though, not by a longshot. DP28 is a 4CD set featuring two nearly complete shows played out in the Middle Of Nowhere, America (part of its charm, incidentally -- the Dead didn't save their best work for, say, New York or Boston or San Francisco...they were capable of bringing it in a major way to Lincoln Nebraska, Oklahoma City, Des Moines, or Salt Lake City too). What's truly remarkable about this release is how consistent each show is: normally with a DP (or a Dead show from 1972 onwards) there is a temptation to skip the shorter "first set" songs to get to the meat of the show, the second-set jams. You'd be making a huge mistake if you did that here: these shows have crisply perfect first-set songs, great renditions of "Loser," "Jack Straw," a rare standalone "He's Gone," maybe my favorite "Greatest Story Ever Told," the best "Box Of Rain" I've ever heard the band perform, and TWO lovely versions of "They Love Each Other." The "Playing In The Band" from 2/26/73 is one of my favorites from the song's "expanded era" (i.e. late '72 to 1974). And the jams! Oh lordy, the "Dark Star" > "Eyes" > "Mississippi Half-Step" on 2/26 is magnificent, and the "Truckin'" > "The Other One" > "Eyes" > "Morning Dew" from 2/28 is only slightly less perfect. To repeat what I said above, I cannot recommend this set highly enough as a perfect introduction to the Dead's 1973 sound. Own it, treasure it. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 30: 3/25, 27 & 28/72 - Academy of Music, New York City: Another DP release that caused a big hullabaloo when it was first announced, because the Academy of Music run of shows (basically an extended 'warm-up' for the band before their trip to Europe) had only ever circulated on truly bog-quality AUD tapes prior to this and the SBDs were believed lost from the vaults. Well, the band managed to recover them (how they managed to do it is quite the tale of skullduggery), and this is one of the results: a 4CD set, the first disc of which is given over to highlights of 3/25 and 3/27, and the next three of which are devoted to a complete show from 3/28. 

 

I wish I enjoyed this set more than I do. In theory it should be unimpeachable: this is, after all, basically Europe '72 by any other name. The problem is that I'm just not that in love with the 3/28/72 itself, though many others praise it. Furthermore, the 3/25/72 excerpts found on disc 1 are largely useless: most come from a set where the Dead played as the backing band for opening act Bo Diddley, so it's really a Bo Diddley set -- the music isn't all that great. The excerpts from the second set of 3/25 ARE excellent -- three mega-rarities in the one-off performances of "Are You Lonely For Me, Baby?," "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," and the final-ever "Smokestack Lightning" -- and the disc concludes with what I think may actually be the best performance of "Playing In The Band" ever given, from 3/27/72. But the actual show from 3/28/72 is, while competently performed, just not that exciting to me. The big jam is based around "The Other One" and I feel like it meanders too long before petering out into nothingness. The show is questionably paced. Again, other Deadheads swear by this release, but I'm not one of them. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 31: 8/4-5/74 Philadelphia & 8/6/74 Jersey City: A fine 4CD digest of three consecutive shows from the Dead's long hot stadium tour of summer 1974. This has never been my favorite era of pre-retirement band -- the liner notes talk about crippling heat, unruly crowds, and excessive cocaine use and that vibe comes through to me in the music -- but this set surely captures the best of this period. The first disc (composed of first set material from 8/4 & 8/5) is the most disposable, but the opening "Playing In The Band" from 8/4 is as good as the song -- which was fading by this time IMO -- got during this era. Discs 2 & 3 represent the second set jams from each show, and while they're not all-time highlights the music is never less than entertaining. The real treat for me at least is disc 4, which excerpts a beloved 8/6/74 show while somewhat perversely omitting the lengthy second set jam that most Deadheads treasure the show for. I however am just fine with this selection, beginning with a lovely, extended "Eyes Of The World" and continuing onward with a unique "Playing" > "Scarlet Begonias" (here in its original '74 arrangement, not the more familiar version from later years) > "Playing" sandwich. If you love '74 era Dead, this is one to prioritize. Me, I would recommend Dick's Picks 12 before any other '74. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 35: 8/7/71 San Diego, 8/24/71 Chicago, & 8/6/71 Hollywood: Another major DP release, this 4CD set brings us the bulk of two shows from the long-lost August 1971 SBDs with a bonus from 8/6/71. (The SBDs for these shows, the last the band played before Keith joined, had long been missing from the Vault and were only recovered after being found on Godchaux's houseboat decades later.) While the historical value of this set is beyond dispute (included here are an otherwise unreleased Pigpen original "Empty Pages" as well as a very embryonic version of "Brown-Eyed Woman"), the musical value has always been iffy for me, as I'm not really a fan of the "shoot 'em up bar band" version of the Dead that pre-Keith 1971 represented. Lots of shorter, first-set material, little-to-nothing in the way of extended jamming (for 8/7 and 8/24 the closest it gets is the standard NFA > GDTRFB > NFA sandwich, which is telling)...this may be your ideal Dead profile, but it's not mine. 

 

Dick's Picks, Vol. 36: 9/21/72 Philadelphia: The DP series concludes by finally Giving The People What They Want, namely the full 9/21/72 show, a legendary performance from Philadelphia's barn of a venue, the Spectrum, where the Dead played one of their longest-ever shows (four hours!) and covered pretty much all the bases in doing so. As you have seen, I'm not much a fan of post-Europe 1972 Dead, but even I have to dock my reservations for this massive show, which features a unique 13 minute "Bird Song" (extended because Jerry broke a string and the rest of the band had to cover for him mid-song), great versions of "He's Gone" (I prefer this song so much more when it's done as a standalone number), "Playing In The Band," "Black Peter," and of course the epic "Dark Star" > "Morning Dew" climax. The remainder of the show after "Morning Dew" -- they played for 45 more minutes! -- is a bit anti-climactic, but this set redeems that by tacking on a fantastic "He's Gone" > "The Other One" > "Wharf Rat" jam from 9/3/72 to bring a sense of finality to the entire listening experience. A legendary show and great value-for-money: if it's a 1972 Dick's Pick you're looking for, this is the one you need.

 

 

 

\

Hey, me too!

[Lammycat]

The guy certainly has opinions on DPs but using terms like "unbearable," and "useless," and " single finest, most impressive jam in the entire history of the Grateful Dead" make me take his opinions with a grain of salt.

[winterland121072]

Sounds like some of my compendium reviews!

 

The guy certainly has opinions on DPs but using terms like "unbearable," and "useless," and " single finest, most impressive jam in the entire history of the Grateful Dead" make me take his opinions with a grain of salt.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

The guy certainly has opinions on DPs but using terms like "unbearable," and "useless," and " single finest, most impressive jam in the entire history of the Grateful Dead" make me take his opinions with a grain of salt.

 

Yeah, some of that kind of strong language just sounds like the work of a typical opinionated Deadhead writer, i.e., someone who either writes for a living or would like to.

I use strong language myself, for a variety of reasons. I can see myself using a word like "execrable" or "unbearable" for a fair number of things I have heard on official releases...usually off-key vocals or songs where lyric flubs are more than just a minor mishap (check out the truly awful beginning to Alabama Getaway on Dick's Pick's Vol. 6 for an example of what I'm talking about). Of course, I expect my opinion to be taken with a grain of salt, because I have a strong preference for the most polished/competent versions of things. They are out there, but mostly scattered around or including overdubs.

[IRememberDBoon]

Winston that DP 26 looks like something you would be interested in

[Winston Legthigh]

Winston that DP 26 looks like something you would be interested in

Definitely. I think I'm just going to start working my way forward from the early days on...

[Lammycat]

Just remember: the first days are the hardest days,

[worldrecordplayer]

Sure, take it with a grain of salt, or many grains. I just love the passion. And wish I had the time to listen, let alone to listen, compare and compose.

 

Sent from my Windows Phone using Tapatalk

[Shug]

Definitely. I think I'm just going to start working my way forward from the early days on...

 As someone else pointed out, you don't have to just look at the Dicks Picks.  You can also look at the Vault series and other releases that were multi-track recordings and thus mixable.  All the Dick's Picks are just stereo or mono recordings, no mixing possible.  In general the sound quality on the multi tracks is gonna be better than the Dicks Picks and if sound quality was an obstacle to getting into the recordings your friends shared with you in the 80s, you might want to be careful what you pick up from the Dicks Picks, Dave's Picks and Road Trips series.  (many of those are excellent sound quality, I'd say, but it can vary)

 

There must be a good list of the multi-track releases since the Vault series started, but I don't know where one is. 

 

Here's a start at a list (of just the 70s ones, there are more from the 80s and 90s).  I think all these are multi-tracks, but I'm not completely sure

 

One From the Vault 1975

Two From the Vault 1968

Three From the Vault 1971

Hundred Year Hall 1972

Fillmore West 1969

Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack 1974

Ladies and Gentlemen.. 1971

Live At Fillmore East 2-11-69

Rockin' The Rhein 1972

Rockin' The Cradle Egypt 1978

Steppin Out Europe 1972

[Skian]

Why did the reviewer skip Vol.3 & Vol.25? 2 of my favorites. (Any feed back from you guys?) I picked up the Dick's Picks series has they came out but I stopped at Vol.25. My vault was spilling out. What did I miss after Vol.25

[worldrecordplayer]

Why did the reviewer skip Vol.3 & Vol.25? 2 of my favorites. (Any feed back from you guys?) I picked up the Dick's Picks series has they came out but I stopped at Vol.25. My vault was spilling out. What did I miss after Vol.25

Good question, I didn't include his intro to the series. He only reviewed the DP's up through and including 1974, which he wrote is the period that most interests him. So you don't see reference to any DP's from '76 on.

[IRememberDBoon]

I still love One From The Vault because it was the first time they played a bunch of those songs live and they flipping KILL

[Mr. Heartbreak]

I still love One From The Vault because it was the first time they played a bunch of those songs live and they flipping KILL

That is a great call. I totally forgot about this one. For me, it falls apart a little during the second half, because Crazy Fingers devolves into another Drums (always a guarantee that I will be looking for the Skip button), and I find the 20-minute Blues for Allah to be interminable. But just about all of the rest of this release is really, really enjoyable, especially the first few tracks.

[winterland121072]

My favorite show from 75 is the 28 September 1975 show...the truckin' jam is the finest jam of all time, and the GDTRFB has the finest second jam ever, and the Saturday Night has easily the best Weir vocal trashing of all time...at least on that particular night/afternoon....

[Lammycat]

I just can't bring myself to call most versions of any tune definitively "the finest" or likewise, as often what I'm in the mood to hear changes so much. One of my favorite GDTRFBs is from Fillmore 4.25.71. Bob's voice get's all hoarse at the end and it's sandwiched between a killer NFA. The whole set is top-notch, actually.

[jw harding]

My favorite show from 75 is the 28 September 1975 show...the truckin' jam is the finest jam of all time, and the GDTRFB has the finest second jam ever, and the Saturday Night has easily the best Weir vocal trashing of all time...at least on that particular night/afternoon....

 

I was born during that Truckin' jam, or around that time on that day. Pretty good b-day show.

[IRememberDBoon]

I actually think without a net is great place to start. to me some of the versions of those songs are as good as it gets. that album and that live JGB album from around that time are the tits

[John Smith]

After listening to another version of Dark Star on DP9 I have to say that I am 100% baffled as to why people love this song and get excited when it is included In a set. What's the appeal? What am I missing?

[Lammycat]

After listening to another version of Dark Star on DP9 I have to say that I am 100% baffled as to why people love this song and get excited when it is included In a set. What's the appeal? What am I missing?

At the risk of being laughed out of Dodge, I am not a huge Dark Star fan myself. While  I appreciate it's often intricate and free-form frame, it's not at the top of my favorite GD tunes "list". It's generally thought of as the quintessential "jam" springboard for the band, particularly in the early days of the band (late 60s/early 70s). 

[Mr. Heartbreak]

For me, Dark Star is a classic example of a "have to be in the mood for it" song. I actually like the under three minute version that was released on What A Long Strange Trip It's Been, complete with Robert Hunter reciting at the end. (According to The Annotated Dark Star, it's "spinning a set the stars through which the tattered tales of axis roll about the waxen wind of never set to motion in the unbecoming round about the reason hardly matters nor the wise through which the stars were set in spin." Yikes.)

 

Historically, it's of some interest, because it was the first song Hunter wrote with the band. Lyrically, it's interesting in that it references T. S. Eliot ("Let us go then, you and I..."). Musically, it's definitely thought of as the quintessential jam springboard, as Lammy says. But yeah, if you're not in the mood for it, it can just sound like pure drugged-out wankery. I only play one when I feel like hearing one, so I always enjoy it, but I would never try to turn someone on to the Dead with that song.

[calvino]

I enjoy the short 68/early 69 versions (shorter and more to the point) more than most longer versions.

[John Smith]

I'll try a shorter version, these longer ones just remind me of Spinal Tap MK II Jazz Odyssey.

[jw harding]

Deadheads are likely pretty split on their enjoyment of Dark Star, though I believe all appreciate the mythology as some have already described. Seeing as it is a song likely created during an alternate state of consciousness, it is best appreciated in a similar mindset. While some may see this as a criticism of the music - the idea that you have to be high to appreciate something - those people are fools. There is value in all states of consciousness, and the normal waking state, while it helps you get through your daily activities, is the least interesting. As I spend most of my life sober, when I do want to listen to Dark Star, I go for the plunderphonics version, which is a compilation of Dark Star fragments layered on top of each other and strung together. It's 2 full discs, but here's a snippet:

 

http://youtu.be/pgZ3gsC-aOg

 

I like the Closing of Winterland version of Dark Star a lot too. Cool video, that might give you a sense of why people love it.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATDHg8lGgng&list=PLE9733620D7835A3F&feature=share&index=17

 

Unfortunately that playlist doesn't have the songs in order, but the transition in and out of the the Other One is fantastic.