My review of the Dick's Picks series - Grateful Dead

Well, they were releasing it in lieu of a studio album, with a lot of new material... probably something they should have tried more often, in retrospect. If I remember correctly, they rented a theater and set their gear up as it had been on the tour whilst overdubbing.

 

On the subject of "Viola Lee", I was stunned at the quality of the live stuff on _Birth of the Dead_. Different group, obviously, but pretty damn cool nonetheless. Owsley's home recordings sound better than most "professional" live stuff from that era. Maybe there's something to that lysergic di-whatchmacallit stuff...

 

If you like "Birth of the Dead" check out their "Rare Cuts and Oddities 1966" disc that came out last year

I'm threatening to start a thread similar to this one dedicated to their other vault releases (ie: non-Dick's Picks) Maybe in a week or so...

 

Whats happening to me? I cant get Hundred Year Hall out of my car! That jam on Lovelight is just too sick!

 

You're in the Dead Zone. Go with the flow. I just spent two evenings with Ladies and Gentlemen, pronounced it better than Skull and Roses.

 

That set intrigues me....but I'm still trying to pull the trigger on DP 36!

What's Ladies and Gents like?

 

It's great too, of course. This set draws from their final run at the Fillmore East 4/26-4/29/71. I think it's a very good representation of the band's shows around this time. More straight-ahead rock (and country/rock) and a focus on songs as opposed to the jazzy explorations that you hear on Hundred Years Hall from a year later or the freak-out psychedelia from prior years. There's still plenty of jamming - the great peformance from 4/28 of Dark Star>St. Stephen>NFA>GDTRFB or (even better) the post-Alligator jam from 4/29. The Hard To Handle (also 4/29) is not to be missed - it's second only to the 8/6/71 performance, in my book. Pigpen sounds like he's in much better form here than he ever would be going forward - long workouts of Good Lovin and Turn On Your Lovelight. You need this set

 

There are a few phases a year for me when nothing but a Dead show will do the trick!

I agree that HYH is a wonderful vault release!

 

Dammit Mike Perko!

Stop filling my head with potential Dead buys!

Are they a little tighter than on DP 4? That DP really bothers me....

 

Oh yeah, a lot tighter than DP 4.


ps- don't forget DP 36

 

Fortunately for my bank account, I became a fan before we had all of these DP and Vault releases so I didn't have to play catch-up too badly. I did fall behind at one point but now I'm on track

Except for that darned Download Series... I only have one of those, need more ASAP...

 

Damn Jerry!!!!!

And I'm having trouble bringing myself to buy ONE Dick's Picks!!

You are to GD what I am to FZ! (you too Perko!)

 

I'll also, unfortunately, put in a plug for "Ladies and Gents...." There are some out of tune doldrums here and there on the first disk, but the long jams that come later are as good as any live Dead you're likely to find.

L.

 

Deader than DP 36?

 

It's $25 for 4cds of one of the Dead's greatest shows ever. Why are you waiting? Plus you get a great bonus jam from Boulder Field. Why are you waiting? Buy it now!

 

Hi Anthony,

Where you at these two shows? I suspect not because you would probably have a different opinion if you had been. The most important issue (for me at least) was that this was not a "bloated coke/heroin Jerry".... Jerry was cleaning up and acting like it. He was more animated, lively, and venturous with songlists than he had been the previous two years. I completely agree that the first set first night was excellent. Where we differ is that i think the second set first night was even better. I loved the way they split the Lost/Saint with the space/drumz/space and i loved many of the less played tunes from the second set such as High Time, Comes a Time, She Belongs to Me, and Gloria. Add some more Jerry tunes from the first set, such as Cold Rain & Stagger Lee, and you had an excellent dose of Jerry played at, IMO, a much better level than he had been playing the previous two years.

I was told by a dependable source that the boyz were well aware of what was occurring outside the first night and tried to compensate for it. If so, they did!

Take care,
Jeffrey

 

Jeffrey,

I share your opinion that this show, and the second set in particular is outstanding!
One context to remember about this show is it followed the previous nights flop.

For me the Comes a Time, with it's outerworldly-out of time jam is delicious.
Paul

 

Thats some sound advice!

Actually I'm just trying to decide between that and Ladies and Gents (to start)


Last night my wife and I were listening to Hundred Year Hall in the car and Playing in the Band was on.

Wife: "man this is awesome!"

Me: "Yeah, its a great jam. I don't know why but I can't get enough Dead this week!"

Wife: "This was always one of my favorite jams! You cant get enough because its spring!"

Me: "I've been thinking of getting DP 36....."

Wife: "What are you waiting for?! Get us some more Dead! Go!!"

 

Get Steppin' Out (4CD Set from Europe '72) if you don't already. Blows 100 Year Hall out of the water. Get DP36 too. You might as well get the Grateful Dead Movie 5cd Soundtrack... might as well add Ladies and Gentlemen too...... the Fillmore West '69 set as well..... Sorry I better stop.

If you like 100 Year Hall. Get Steppin Out and DP36. I wish my wife liked The Dead. You are a lucky man.

 

Hi Paul,

I think it was one of Jerry's best nights that year!

Excluding the breakout of Werewolves, i didn't think much of the previous show. IMO, the reason for the very strong performance was what occurred outside before the 1st Richmond show. The boyz never had much appreciation for being setup like bowling pins!

Delicious and hell on Bobby!

 

Jeffrey,

You're right I didn't give 10-31-85 it's due. I'd actuall give it 1.5 songs as the "Music" starts out promisingly then...

I think that's one of the factors that keeps the music so interesting. A particular show can hit a person like, WHAM, ZANG!! Whereas to another it is no big deal.

Paul

 

What happened outside?