Dick's Picks, Vol. 20: Landover, Maryland and Syracuse, New York, 9/25/76, 9/28/76 [Live]

Track Listings
Disc: 1

1. Bertha

2. New Minglewood Blues

3. Ramble on Rose

4. Cassidy

5. Brown-Eyed Woman

See all 12 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2

1. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo

2. Dancing in the Streets

3. Cosmic Charlie

4. Scarlet Begonias

5. St. Stephen

See all 10 tracks on this disc
Disc: 3

1. Cold Rain and Snow

2. Big River

3. Cassidy

4. Tennessee Jed

5. New Minglewood Blues

See all 10 tracks on this disc
Disc: 4

1. Playing in the Band

2. Wheel

3. Samson and Delilah

4. Jam

5. Comes a Time

See all 11 tracks on this disc

Tracks:

Bertha
New Minglewood Blues
Ramble on Rose
Cassidy
Brown-Eyed Woman
Mama Tried
Peggy-O
Loser
Let It Grow
Sugaree
Lazy Lightnin'
Supplication

Tracks:

Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo
Dancing in the Streets
Cosmic Charlie
Scarlet Begonias
St. Stephen
Not Fade Away
Drums
Jam
St. Stephen
Sugar Magnolia

Tracks:

Cold Rain and Snow
Big River
Cassidy
Tennessee Jed
New Minglewood Blues
Candy Man
It's All Over Now
Friend of the Devil
Let It Grow
Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad

Tracks:

Playing in the Band
Wheel
Samson and Delilah
Jam
Comes a Time
Drums
Eyes of the World
Orange Tango Jam
Dancing in the Streets
Playing in the Band
Johnny B. Goode

Customer Reviews:

Syracuse defeats Landover.......2007-07-03

I like this Pick. But. I do not believe that the Landover show is anything special and I agree with another reviewer that the recording is sightly muffled, depressed or otherwise muted. This is too bad because there are some great songs in the Landover section. Ramble on Rose, Cassidy, Brown Eyed Women, Loser, Sugaree, Mississippi, Scarlet. Wow! Unfortunately, it is a pedestrian performance. The Scarlet Begonias section through St Steph, NFA and a brief following jam is the highlight of the Landover show. Also, songs like Piggy-o and Cosmic Chuck show up at the most inopportune times and will bum-out your trip considerably.

Having said the foregoing, allow me to state the following. The Syracuse show is awesome. Is it just me, or have you noticed that shows that start with Cold Rain and Snow seem to be among the Dead's greatest shows?

Highlights on disc three, the first set of the Syracuse show, include great versions of Cassidy, Candyman, Friend of the Dee-vil and GDTRFB.

Now, the BEST is CD 4. It is simply awesome. The Comes A Time is great. Eyes is played very fast, which I don't love, but it is kinda' fun to hear the guys mix it up. All of CD 4 is well played.

Other than the slightly depressed sound recording, discs three and four are simply great. Syracuse defeats Landover 2-0.

Maybe 4 and a 1/2.......2006-12-02

On of the the personal pet peeves of mine involves some of the altering that has been happening with Grateful Dead shows as they transfer them from tape to cd. Take, for example this performance of Friend Of The Devil, on all the old soundboard tapes from this era FOTD features backing vocals by Bob and Donna. On all the cd releases from this era Bob's voice is erased on FOTD. There are other times to where voices or keyboard parts are erased and this is happening on releases from throughout their career. As for these two shows themselves, they're very good. One the first disc Bertha, Let It Grow, Sugaree and the second set opener of Lazy Lightnin' -> Supplication rocks. On the second disc, the Scarlet Begonias and the Saint Stephen jam are great. Disc three starts with the last Cold, Rain and Snow for over a year. Disc four is a five from beginning to end.

Excellent Pick - Prelude to all the great shows of 1977.......2006-05-11

I was late in buying this pick; the playlist seemed a little dull compared to other DPs out there. All in all DP 20 seemed a bit of a sour pick. When I finally did pick this up I was very surprised. The list may be on the 'standard' side, but the playing is incredible. Both first sets are strong, the perfect set ups for the second set. Highlights include the opener Bertha and Sugaree on Disc one. Both second sets are stellar. Disc 2's (9/25/76 show 2nd set) highlights include one of the best Scarlet Begonias you will ever hear without Fire on the Mountain attached, the last (I think) performance of Cosmic Charlie, and a perfect St. Steve > NFA > St. Steve. The band is having a blast and after the line "One man gathers what another man spills" you can hear Garcia say "Yes he goes..." one second before the rhythm section kicks into NFA. Awesome.

Disc four is everything you could ever want from a second set at a Dead show. It starts with PITB with the mystique of '74 but with Hart and Kreutzman togeher again behind the drums. Plus, Phil is bouncing all over the place in the into. It segues into Wheel with a great outro jam that segues perfectly into Sam and Delilah (never heard this transition before) then into the ballad Comes a Time, then Drums > a short/ fast 8 minute Eyes of the World > before jamming and closing PITB.

Though it does not have that unique sound of 1977, it is a great intro to the Dead and a nice prelude to '77. And with two shows on one DP, with only a song edited (I think) from each show to get it to fit on 4 discs, this set is a bargain. Don't hesitate picking this up like I did. Well worth it.

Curiously Lackluster.......2005-07-11

I don't know, man. It's Dick's Picks like #20 that make
you appreciate how GREAT Dick's Picks 15, 12 and 1 are.
This is OK, but the band, to my ears, seems a bit lackluster...
Also there are two versions of several songs between CDs 1-2
and 3-4. It's not bad, mind you, but compared to picks 15, 12 and
1...well...it's curiously lackluster.

Outstanding Compilation Priced Well.......2005-03-31

I am fairly new to the Grateful Dead, this being the first compilation by them that I have purchased. That being said, I am overly satisfied at my purchase as this 4 Disc set offers some classic live performances of hit songs as well as others, at a low, affordable price. Probably the best feature to this compilation is that you get over 3 hours of extraordinary Grateful Dead music which all newcomers and Dead Heads can appreciate. We get nearly all the classics with some exceptional performances, especially on Discs 1 and 3. Also, we hear some wonderful impromptu Jams by the crew as well as a few drum solos.

I definitely found this to be the perfect buy for me, as someone looking into the music of the Grateful Dead. At the time of my purchase, I was only familiar a few of their most well known tracks, and now I adore numerous tracks.
I found the only low point of the compilation in its entirety was Disc 4, seemingly slower paced and less lyrically driven as the others. I find a few tracks on that Disc tend to drag on. Other than that small flaw that some will not even be bothered by, this is an excellent live set of discs from a great band, featuring some superb performances.
Song Highlights:

Bertha: A wonderful opening to the 1st disc, featuring some fantastic piano work by Keith Kreutzmann. Unfamiliar with this track, I immediately caught on to it, loving the sensational flow and lyrical delivery.

New Minglewood Blues: A great track, and I found it to be the superior of the other version found on Disc 3. A very fun song.

Dancing in the streets(Disc 2): A great track, with a beautiful flow to it and a great musical harmony. One of the highlights on Disc 2.

Sugar Magnolia: A classic Grateful Dead track, and a perfect way to end the disc. This is a very well orchestrated, extended version of the song.

It's all over now: A great performance by the crew, and a sensational song.

Friend of the devil: Possibly the most popular song on this compilation, we get a great performance once again, and Jerry Garcia does a great job with the lyrics.

Johnny B. Goode: A beloved song among Dead Heads, the Grateful Dead have a wonderful interpretation of Chuck Berry's hit song. Another great performance by the crew too.

So in conclusion, I don't see how you can go wrong with this compilation, as it displays the live talent of Grateful Dead, as well as giving us over 3 hours of sensational music at a low price. You won't regret purchasing this 4 Disc Set if you are a Dead Head fan, or are interested in their music.

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review

1. Bertha
2. New Minglewood Blues
3. Ramble on Rose
4. Cassidy
5. Brown-Eyed Woman

1. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo
2. Dancing in the Streets
3. Cosmic Charlie
4. Scarlet Begonias
5. St. Stephen

1. Cold Rain and Snow
2. Big River
3. Cassidy
4. Tennessee Jed
5. New Minglewood Blues

1. Playing in the Band
2. Wheel
3. Samson and Delilah
4. Jam
5. Comes a Time