Dick's Picks, Vol. 11: Stanley Theatre, Jersey City, NJ, 9/27/72 [Live]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Out on the road without Pigpen, their original spiritual leader who was well on his way to death by drink, the Dead moved into a new phase in the fall of 1972. Piano player Keith Godcheaux gave them a more melodic, grounded sound, which was especially beneficial on the newer Amerciana-type material they'd unveil, but also gave them a jazzier feel on their freer explorations as well. This tight New Jersey concert treads similar ground to the Europe '72 collection (minus the Pigpen tunes), an "official" album that had been recorded earlier that year but hadn't yet been released. A few oddities distinguish this show. The dramatic ballad "Morning Dew," usually a second-set climax, starts the proceedings here, followed soon after by an electric reading of "Friend of the Devil" that's taken at the faster "acoustic" pace. What's more, they open the second set with "He's Gone," another particularly mellow set opener. There are also a number of tunes from the solo albums released earlier that year (a ripping "Deal" and a probing "Bird Song" from Garcia, plus more than half of the songs on Bob Weir's Ace, which was really a Dead album anyway). The second set in particular offers a number of highlights, peaking in the last hour with a snaking, sparkling, ebbing-and-flowing 30-minute "Dark Star," which magically morphs into an explosive "Cumberland Blues." They then move through a pretty, poignant "Attics of My Life," and end with a pair of roaring Chuck Berry tunes sandwiching a pair of beloved Dead classics, including a steamrolling "Casey Jones." A worthy alternative to Europe '72 and even stronger at times. --Marc Greilsamer

Tracks:

Morning Dew (12:38)
Beat It on Down the Line (3:35)
Friend of the Devil (4:06)
Black-Throated Wind (6:53)
Tennessee Jed (8:09)
Mexicali Blues (3:39)
Bird Song (11:47)
Big River (4:52)
Brokedown Palace (5:59)
El Paso (4:42)

Tracks:

China Cat Sunflower (7:25)
I Know You Rider (5:26)
Playing in the Band (16:14)
He's Gone (13:31)
Me and My Uncle (3:39)
Deal (4:52)
Greatest Story Ever Told (5:29)
Ramble on Rose (6:28)

Tracks:

Dark Star (30:50)
Cumberland Blues (6:56)
Attics of my Life (5:11)
Promised Land (3:04)
Uncle John's Band (8:44)
Casey Jones (7:29)
Around and Around (5:18)

Amazon.com

Out on the road without Pigpen, their original spiritual leader who was well on his way to death by drink, the Dead moved into a new phase in the fall of 1972. Piano player Keith Godcheaux gave them a more melodic, grounded sound, which was especially beneficial on the newer Amerciana-type material they'd unveil, but also gave them a jazzier feel on their freer explorations as well. This tight New Jersey concert treads similar ground to the Europe '72 collection (minus the Pigpen tunes), an "official" album that had been recorded earlier that year but hadn't yet been released. A few oddities distinguish this show. The dramatic ballad "Morning Dew," usually a second-set climax, starts the proceedings here, followed soon after by an electric reading of "Friend of the Devil" that's taken at the faster "acoustic" pace. What's more, they open the second set with "He's Gone," another particularly mellow set opener. There are also a number of tunes from the solo albums released earlier that year (a ripping "Deal" and a probing "Bird Song" from Garcia, plus more than half of the songs on Bob Weir's Ace, which was really a Dead album anyway). The second set in particular offers a number of highlights, peaking in the last hour with a snaking, sparkling, ebbing-and-flowing 30-minute "Dark Star," which magically morphs into an explosive "Cumberland Blues." They then move through a pretty, poignant "Attics of My Life," and end with a pair of roaring Chuck Berry tunes sandwiching a pair of beloved Dead classics, including a steamrolling "Casey Jones." A worthy alternative to Europe '72 and even stronger at times. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

one of my favorite Dick's Picks.......2006-10-07

I'd give this 4.5 star, but I had to round up....

This was a great period for Dead shows, and this is no exception. The Bird Song is one of my 2-3 favorites ever, and the Dark Star is superlative. Interesting set list too...

The next night (same venue) was a superb show also. It's a popular show among traders.

Nothing Left To Do But Smile, Smile, Smile........2005-12-30

My musical tastes continue to expand and broaden. I constantly search for new music, new genres, new approaches. But, then, there is my Comfort Music. Like a bowl of matzo ball soup when I've got a cold, there are some things that will always need to be there for me. The Grateful Dead is my Comfort Music, mother's milk for my ears (if that isn't too disturbing of an analogy).

When I'm on call, lying in the call room trying to get to sleep, I have the sounds of the cardiac ICU, with all the bells and beeps, in the not so distant background. I have my pagers lying next to me, and the constant fear that comes with them, the knowledge that they can go off at any second and ruin my night. And ruin my next day. A rough call can throw me off for several days actually, and it is difficult to describe the angst that goes along with that, even on a quiet night.

But there's always Jerry and the rest of the boys. Putting on a bootleg and letting myself get lost in a good spacey jam is the perfect antidote. I can clear my mind and try to follow nothing but the music.

I'm not a snob about sound quality. Better quality beats bad quality, but short of that I don't worry about it too much. I have plenty of distant generation bootleg tapes complete with hisses, clicks, static, and feedback (not too mention Donna's wailing). But, like listening to the snaps and pops of an old Bessie Smith blues recording, sometimes the poor sound quality can become part of the musical ambience. Don't try to listen around it, just listen through and within it.

The Dick's Picks series has been great for me. I don't have time anymore to trade tapes or to figure out all this online MP3 stuff. Dick had a good ear for shows, and I'm always happy to put on a Dick's Pick, listen to that first wall of crowd noise as the band tunes up, and get that contact tingle. I may change from day to day but volume 11 always stays at the top of my list. 1972 was a great period for the Dead, musically at least if not personally, with the sound moving into a jazzier direction. The show opens with Morning Dew, which already tells you that something special is going to happen. There's a Mexicali Blues, Tennessee Jed, Bird Song, and strong Friend of the Devil as well, all good solid Set One tunes. CD 2 has a great China > Rider, Playing in the Band, and He's Gone, back when Jerry could still sing "nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile" in one breath. The Dark Star on CD 3 is magical, into a Cumberland Blues. We also get a Casey Jones, and Uncle John's Band. There's a nice Attics as well (a special song for me, I was at the Shoreline show when they revived Attics in the Vince era).

Reading other reviews just goes to show how subjective this stuff is. It could have to do with where I was and what I was doing, what the music initially did for me when I first heard, but for me, Dick's Picks 11, 10, 3, 8, 12 are my favorites, and I haven't even heard any since the mid-twenties. But I enjoy them all, good, bad, or mediocre, full shows or composites, just let me close my eyes and lose myself in the hum of the crowd.

Nothing left to do...

This was the weakest night of the run.......2005-07-27

I can't for the life of me understand why Dick chose this night over the practically impeccable Thursday 9-28 show, or the Tuesday 9-26. Both were FAR better.

This show has several highlights. Uncle John's Band is fine. The Attics was a REAL treat. Beyond that..? The Dark Star goes NOWHERE. Compared to the fantastic Other One jam from Thursday... what was Dick thinking?

The Tuesday night had several stellar highlights: A *wonderful* Baby Blue (it is a crime that the Stanley's were picked and this Baby Blue -- possibly the best they ever played -- doesn't appear); a beautiful and precise reading of Tomorrow is Forever, and a wonderful bass solo that bridged Truckin' jam into Other One, which apparently may have been lost due to a reel-changing.

This was a great run of shows, but after all these years, I was very disappointed, and quite frankly confused, by Dick's choice for this middle night over the clearly superior other nights.

off nites.......2003-07-23

I'm somewhat baffled by the high ratings this set has received because it's just not that good. Weir's playing on China Cat is plain wrong, the vocals overall tend to be ragged, and Garcia is too low in the mix. Yes, there are moments ("Dark Star" among them), but I've never understood how this one got released. For all its slickness, "Europe '72," especially the recent reissue, blows this away, as do other Dick's Picks (like #1 & #16, just to name two). There are some real clunkers in this series and this is one of them.

FIVE STARS FOR DARK STAR VERSION ON THIS ALONE!f.......2002-02-16

WOW! The DARK STAR version (30 minutes!) is THE reason to buy this CD although there are some other great moments on here too. I particularly like the sweet BROKEDOWN PALACE on the first CD and then REALLY like the awesome version of PLAYING IN THE BAND; yeah there are some better versions out there, but this is a good one. Finally, to the heart of this CD: CD # 3- SWEET! DARK STAR is the first song and for a few months it seemed like the first CD I would play when in any doubt about what I wanted to hear. IT IS THE BEST VERSION! (Again there may be some bettter ones- but where?) The music is relaxing and takes me into another world when I listen to it, making me forget this was done live because it seems so calculated and rehearsed to create the wonderful sounds! CUMBERLAND BLUES is interesting, but there has been more than one occasion when I have shed a tear over ATTICS OF MY LIFE with the heartfelt efforts of the band. UNCLE JOHN'S BAND is the last highlight and (again) maybe not the finest version out there but a fine tune nonetheless. This rocks!

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