Dick's Picks, Vol. 8: Harpur College, Binghamton, NY, 5/2/70 [Live]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
One of the best-known bootlegs in Dead history checks in as the eighth installment in the Dick's Picks series. In 1970, the band began to rein in their experimental tendencies and overtly acknowledge their debt to old-time blues and folk. Their two studio albums from that year reflected this new direction and they also started to open their shows with acoustic sets featuring Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir. This May 2 show from Binghamton, New York's Harpur College showcases both sides of the Dead. It's interesting how nicely acoustic Dead originals like "Dire Wolf," "Black Peter," "Cumberland Blues," and "Uncle John's Band" (all four from the soon-to-be-released Workingman's Dead) fit next to traditional blues tunes like "Deep Elem Blues," "I Know You Rider," and "Don't Ease Me In." The remainder of the set reverts to the frenetic, far-reaching electric Dead, highlighted by stirring readings of James Brown's "It's a Man's World" and the old jug tune "Viola Lee Blues"--both stretched to their gills and featuring Pigpen's coarse vocals and Garcia's bold guitar work. --Marc Greilsamer

Tracks:

Don't Ease Me In
I Know You Rider
Friend Of The Devil
Dire Wolf
Beat It On Down The Line
Black Peter
Candyman
Cumberland Blues
Deep Elem Blues
Cold Jordan
Uncle John's Band

Tracks:

St. Stephen
Cryptical Envelopment
Drums
The Other One
Cryptical Envelopment
Cosmic Charlie
Casey Jones
Good Lovin'

Tracks:

It's A Man's World
Dancing In The Streets
Morning Dew
Viola Lee Blues
We Bid You Goodnight

Amazon.com

One of the best-known bootlegs in Dead history checks in as the eighth installment in the Dick's Picks series. In 1970, the band began to rein in their experimental tendencies and overtly acknowledge their debt to old-time blues and folk. Their two studio albums from that year reflected this new direction and they also started to open their shows with acoustic sets featuring Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir. This May 2 show from Binghamton, New York's Harpur College showcases both sides of the Dead. It's interesting how nicely acoustic Dead originals like "Dire Wolf," "Black Peter," "Cumberland Blues," and "Uncle John's Band" (all four from the soon-to-be-released Workingman's Dead) fit next to traditional blues tunes like "Deep Elem Blues," "I Know You Rider," and "Don't Ease Me In." The remainder of the set reverts to the frenetic, far-reaching electric Dead, highlighted by stirring readings of James Brown's "It's a Man's World" and the old jug tune "Viola Lee Blues"--both stretched to their gills and featuring Pigpen's coarse vocals and Garcia's bold guitar work. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Use Sparingly.......2007-04-20

There are a handful of Dick's Picks I ration out to myself on a schedule. Volume 8 is so special, so fulfilling, I only let myself listen to it once every two years. Any more frequently than that and it would lose the element of surprise, that amazing feeling of discovery.

The first disc is an acoustic set. The band sounds great, even harmonizing like professionals. Following a nice "Friend of the Devil," the crowd shouts out their requests to the band. Jerry settles the crowd: "Relax, man. We've got you all night." And, just like that, we are all held. We can get into a comfortable space and just enjoy. We can enjoy the Dead hitting on all cylinders at a period of time when they were great at getting intense and spacey, but also starting to reign it in a little bit more and bring in a little more of the roots music sound that would characterize American Beauty and Workingman's Dead, their two best studio albums, which were just on the horizon at the time of these shows.

The first set is worth the price alone, but discs two and three are their electric set for the night, following the New Riders. I would have enjoyed having the New Riders material released with it for a more authentic feel of the night, but you can't have everything. But electric Jerry on the second and third disc is absolutely tremendous. Jerry's solos increase a couple notches in intensity during "The Other One," wrapped in a "St. Stephen," "Cryptical Envelope" (times two) followed by a "Cosmic Charley" that some rank as the best version ever. We also get to hear Pig doing his best James Brown, still with a spirited "Dancing In The Streets," the multiple climaxes of "Morning Dew" and "Viola Lee Blues," topped with the always cozy closer, "We Bid You Goodnight."

It is a feast for the autonomic system. The whole band is playing with a rough, raw intensity, which kicks up the listener's sympathetic tone. But Jerry, searing and soaring all the way, also manages to find those dreamy, cosmic places which, in turn, boosts the parasympathetics. So the whole package together increases your arousal and alertness while at the same time relaxing you. The only other things capable of doing that are yoga and nicotine. Nicotine's bad for you, at least in its more convenient delivery systems. And- yes, I know this goes against conventional wisdom- but I've always suspected yoga is bad for you too. Too gristly or something. I don't know, let me think about that one and get back to you.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: They weren't always good let alone great, but when they were great, nothing could be better. This Dick's Pick is everything that was right about the Dead when they were in their prime and having a solid night. Happy Birthday to me.

A turning point for the Dead.......2005-10-02

I was a freshman at Harpur College in the Spring of 1970, and I went to this show. It was my first Dead concert. The first set was all acoustic, and even though Working Man's Dead and American Beauty were out, many in the crowd seemed unprepared for the acoustic set. They kept yelling things like "Get it on, man!" and Jerry and the boys had to ask them to calm down and be patient---the electric stuff would come later. But on this CD you can hear some early first live performances of many songs that have long ago now become Dead standards. It's worth getting the CD for these tracks alone.

They also introduced a new group called "The New Riders of the Purple Sage," whose album would be released later that year, and whose personnel were still sketchy enough that Phil had to play bass, Garcia pedal steel, and Kreutzman drums. It was still magical stuff, and one of my disappointments about this CD is that none of those songs were included. Oh, well, not to worry.

Because still, it was a 6-hour concert of at least 3 sets, and this CD has given us a generous sampling of what went on that night. For years after, Garcia used to say this concert he remembered as at or near the top of his list for best Dead concerts ever. This CD is a must for the Dead collector just for the historical significance of the concert alone. But the music itself is a rare example of early Dead onstage genius in the still-young, still raw and vital days of the band's psychedelic heyday. Highly recommended.

Two Great Shows in One.......2005-09-30

I bought this Dick's Picks mainly for the acoustic set on CD1. The sound quality is quite good, and in addition to excellent early renditions of some favorites, I enjoy hearing the band chatter between numbers. I just finished Rock Scully's book on "Living with the Dead," which really made me want to revisit this earlier show. My favorites on CD1 are Don't Ease Me In, Dire Wolf, and Deep Elem Blues.

It took me awhile to get into the electric sets on CDs 2 and 3, as I've always tended to favor electric Dead from the mid-1970s and later. But reading Scully's book re-awakened me, and I thoroughly enjoy these sets. My absolute favorite is Viola Lee Blues, followed by Casey Jones and Cosmic Charlie.

This is a terrific show that features the Dead in transition. I highly recommend it.

The Great 8.......2005-07-26

I want to add my accolades to the already overwhelming
praise for Dick's Picks #8. It IS truly mind-blowing.
Even though I can take-or-leave the first (acoustic) CD,
Cd's 2 & 3 are the pinnacle of ecstatic music. I'm the sort
of Grateful Dead fan that seeks out Jerry's JAMS above all...
and Dick's Pick #8 delivers! The jams are SO GOOD, in fact,
that the little bit of vocals here & there don't hurt at all.
"The Other One": GREAT JAM
"Cryptical Envelopment": GREAT JAM, even with a little bit of vocals.
"VIOLA LEE BLUES": Even with a bit of vocals, the jams on this
track: at least three grand climactic crescendos...are
truly mind-blowing in the best sense of the term; and
THEN: some surprises......At first you might skip songs
like Good Lovin' & Dancing In the Streets because you think
there are too many vocals....but wait! In both these tracks,
Good Lovin' & Dancing In the Streets...once you get through
a little bit of vocals in the beginning...Jerry treats you to even
MORE extended mind-blowing JAMS!!!!!! Both GREAT.
And then you get an A+ Morning Dew...and the St. Stephen is
definitive...in my opinion, even better BECAUSE it's missing
the first few minustes of the song...you go right to that spacy
"Lady Fingers..." part, which I love.
All in all, Dick's Picks #8 is truly astounding and magical and
powerful and...well...what else can I say?
Just this: PHIL LESH: this may be the best PHIL LESH Dead album
out there...I mean his bass BOOMS! VERY sub-woofer friendly!

5/2/70 Harpur College -- more prime 1970 Dead.......2005-06-26

Despite a major technical glitch and another less-than-awesome first disc, I have to give DP 8 all the stars because of the unparalleled zeitgeist (spirit of the times) that it captures, both the spirit of the Dead's music at that moment, and the spirit of the hippie youth/peace movement. Personally I don't find a great difference in quality between DP 8 and DP 4 (2/13-14/70 see my review) -- they have different strengths and weaknesses, but on balance they're both fantastic.

DISC ONE) This entire disc is an acoustic set. I don't find it nearly as compelling as the one from February that was released long ago as BEAR'S CHOICE (from the same nights as DP 4). I'm not sure why. The crowd is very impatient -- what they want is the psychedelic electric Dead!

DISC TWO) This is fantastic stuff -- too bad that due to a technical glitch it's only in mono sound. Also, the beginning of "St. Stephen" was lost, so there are only about 3 minutes remaining. The "Cryptical Envelopment/Other One" jam is superb, and then following "Cosmic Charlie" and "Casey Jones," the band launches into another astoundingly good jam on "Good Lovin'." There is a riff in the middle of it that sounds really familiar to me -- it sounds like "One Fine Morning" by Lighthouse. That song didn't come out until the following year, so I'm not sure how to explain it, but it makes a great basis for jamming.

DISC THREE) Pigpen leads off with a rarity, the James Brown number "It's a Man's World," and Pig is in fine form. After a high-energy "Dancing in the Streets," (the crowd must have been more than satisfied by now!), the band plays a tremendous "Morning Dew." This leads into another high point of the show, a VERY strong jam on "Viola Lee Blues," which was on the first Warners record. They build to three deafening crescendos of white noise, and then each time drop back into the pocket of the groove, right on a dime.

See my reviews of other Picks -- DP16 (1969), DP4 (1970), DP23 (1972), DP19 (1973), and DP10 (1977). See my complete lists of Dead recordings on this site for 1968/9 (PRANKSTERS & OTHER ONES), 1970-1972 (COSMIC COWBOYS), 1973/4 (EYES OF THE WORLD) AND 1975-1977 (ESTIMATED PROPHETS).

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