Dick's Picks, Vol. 16: Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA, 11/8/69 [Live]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The people say that this one was one of the late Dick Latvala's favorite shows--and since the Dead's tape archivist was the fountainhead of the Dick's Picks series, you better believe it's a solid choice. The first of the series to feature a 1960s performance, Volume 16 catches the band on the cusp of a transitional period. The first part of this Fillmore Auditorium gem showcases five songs from Workingman's Dead, which wouldn't be released until spring of the following year. The band is feeling their way through these newer songs a bit--this may have been their first-ever live version of "Cumberland Blues" and it shows--but these songs (and their cover of Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried") foreshadow their evolution toward the simplicity and sincerity of country and folk music. By the second disc, however, the Dead are back in their familiar psychedelic playground, offering a long, winding, scintillating jam through, around, and between "Dark Star" and "Caution." Led by Jerry Garcia and bassist Phil Lesh, the boys are clicking on all cylinders, delivering some of their heaviest, most ruthless music on disc. Toss in the 25-minute "Lovelight" from the previous night's performance for good measure, and you have one of the standout selections from the series thus far. --Marc Greilsamer

Tracks:

Good Morning Little School Girl
Casey Jones
Dire Wolf
Easy Wind
China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider
High Time
Mama Tried
Good Lovin'
Cumberland Blues

Tracks:

Dark Star
The Other One
Dark Star
Uncle John's Band Jam
Dark Star
St. Stephen
The Eleven

Tracks:

Caution
The Main Ten
Caution
Feedback
We Bid You Goodnight
Turn On Your Lovelight

Amazon.com

The people say that this one was one of the late Dick Latvala's favorite shows--and since the Dead's tape archivist was the fountainhead of the Dick's Picks series, you better believe it's a solid choice. The first of the series to feature a 1960s performance, Volume 16 catches the band on the cusp of a transitional period. The first part of this Fillmore Auditorium gem showcases five songs from Workingman's Dead, which wouldn't be released until spring of the following year. The band is feeling their way through these newer songs a bit--this may have been their first-ever live version of "Cumberland Blues" and it shows--but these songs (and their cover of Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried") foreshadow their evolution toward the simplicity and sincerity of country and folk music. By the second disc, however, the Dead are back in their familiar psychedelic playground, offering a long, winding, scintillating jam through, around, and between "Dark Star" and "Caution." Led by Jerry Garcia and bassist Phil Lesh, the boys are clicking on all cylinders, delivering some of their heaviest, most ruthless music on disc. Toss in the 25-minute "Lovelight" from the previous night's performance for good measure, and you have one of the standout selections from the series thus far. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

One of the best............2007-02-21

Rumour has it that this show was Dick's favorite show and released shortly after he passed away, in his memory. As far as I am concerned disc two captures what the dead were about as far as taking music to the next level... and then some. The harmony, not just vocally but instrumentally stand in stone as some of the greatest music ever created. On a personal note... The Eleven coming out of ST. Stephen, was filled with such a passion that it could only fill your heart with the softness of a rose.

ONE THING WORTH MENTIONING.......2007-01-12

This volume includes one of the most beautiful "We Bid You Goodnight" ever recorded.

One of the best from 1969.......2006-12-02

A wonderful show that also contains early versions of songs that would become GD classics. Some of the all time best versions can be found on here. There are some sound quality problems and unfortunate cuts but this is a wonderful release.

worth it for disc 2.......2006-08-13

disc one contains the first preformance of several songs soon to be released on workingmans dead, the set is mostly sloppy but good morning little schoolgirl and good lovin are excellent, disc two makes the whole cd worth it, the continuing jam of dark star, the other one and uncle johns band jam is mindblowing, disc three has excellent preformances of caution and feedback but not as good as disc 2

Strong show of primal Dead that really takes off on disc 2 and 3.......2005-12-04

This is a very strong show with a few flaws that for me prevent it from being a five star release. Criticisms other reviewers gave of the first disc are valid. It's somewhat weak due to the fact that many of the songs from Working Man's Dead were played here for the first time and are unpolished, but it's by no means unlistenable. China Cat/Rider, Schoolgirl, Mama Tried and Good Lovin' are all very good if not great. But to tell the truth I won't be playing that first disc as much as the other two. The second and third discs are simply excellent and more than make up for the slightly shakey first one. Jerry and company are on fire for a wonderfully spacey Dark Star which flows into The Other One. The jams are incredibly psychedelic and an amazing exemplar of the Grateful Dead "group mind" at work. There's a high level of improvisation and musicianship displayed throughout: Tom Constanten's keys and Pigpen's performances on Caution and especially Lovelight really up the energy level. I'd say that DP Vol.16 is well worth picking up for the second and third discs alone. Until the Grateful Dead commercially release the four Fillmore East shows from 2/27/69 to 3/02/69 during which most of Live/Dead was recorded, this is the best Dead from 1969 you're going to hear. If you like primal Dead, you'll love this set.

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