Vol. 2-Dick's Picks

Editorial Reviews
Album Details
Officially Sanctioned by the Dead Themselves, as They Released It. This Concert Recording was Made on October 31, 1971. Tracks Are Dark Star / Sugar Magnolia / St. Stephen / Not Fade Away / Going Down the Road-feeling Bad / Not Fade Away.

Tracks:

Viola Lee Blues
It Hurts Me Too
Dark Star
China Cat Sunflower
Eleven
Turn on Your Love Light
Born Cross-Eyed
Spanish Jam

Tracks:

Morning Dew
Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
That's It for the Other One: Cryptical Envelopment/The Faster We ...
New Potato Caboose
Alligator
China Cat Sunflower
Eleven
Alligator
Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)
Feedback

Customer Reviews:

An excellent snapshot of the Dead's evolving sound!.......2007-01-09

This is the sound of the Dead about halfway between the recording of their first studio album and the release of Live/Dead. The songs are not quite as stretched out and dreamy as they would be a year later - this is especially noticeable on later concert staples like "Dark Star" and "China Cat Sunflower".

The expanded lineup, which now includes Tom Constanten on keyboards and Micky Hart on drums, is beginning to outgrow the old arrangements and textures. A lot of material from Anthem For The Sun is in this set. I have really enjoyed finding this lost jewel.

The sound quality is excellent. The mix leaves a TEENSY bit to be desired - the vocals are fairly buried most of the time - sometimes nearly inaudible. It sounds like the only vocals that made it onto the tape are what leaked into the instrument mics from the monitors. That being said, this is pretty much the mix you would have heard if you'd been standing right in front of the stage during the performance. Concert sound back in those days was such that if you wanted to hear both the instruments AND the vocals, you needed to sit about 30 rows back or more. Any closer than that and you were just going to hear one or the other.

Historically Relevant, but Musically Disappointing.......2006-11-10

For hard-core Dead fans, this Pick is a nice addition to your collection, showcasing the band's late 60's development. But newcomers should be warned that the sound is a tad raw, the arrangements a little scattered, and the vocals hit and miss. There is nothing about this collection that really makes my spirit soar like many of the later picks.

Recommended With Reservation.......2006-08-01

I don't like to knock any Dick's Picks from this early in the Dead's career, because I wish they'd release more. That having been said, this leaves a bit to be desired in terms of sound quality. The performances are great, especially the Phase I version of "Dark Star" (a mere year later it had morphed into a 20-minute free-jam, but it was still almost at the original tempo here). All too often, however, the vocals are all but inaudible. This isn't just one or two tracks; it's throughout. And it's a shame, because otherwise this is a heck of a show. For Deadheads it might still be worth it, just to hear the nice, early mix of psychedelia and blues crunch. Just be aware of what you're getting goin' in.

A laid-back but solid show.......2006-05-28

From the point of view of a relative newcomer, the plethora of official live recordings released by the Grateful Dead can be daunting, to say the very least. It's difficult to know where to begin, especially considering the fact that the band went through so many different musical phases during their long career. There is also a lot to choose from, so what you choose should depend entirely on which period in the band's career you prefer, simply because each phase in the Grateful Dead's musical evolution is quite different. I have always enjoyed the psychedelic material, which leads me to this review.

'Dick's Picks 22' is a fantastic entry in the series. It comes from quite early in the band's career, when The Dead still feels the need to acknowledge their roots, whilst also tentatively beginning to explore new territory with the epic jams that would soon become their trademark. At this point, improvisation and jamming has not yet reached the heights of excellence that it would reach in later years, but it is still wonderful to hear.

This particular show has a loose, relax feel. It is intense in places, but most of the time the band is content simply to meander along. This is not a bad thing, however. There's plenty of warmth, colour and melody, which gives the show its own special appeal. The music does not attempt to be confrontational. It's the subtlety and myriad of different shades in the music that makes it special. Just listen to the fantastic versions of 'Spanish Jam' and 'China Cat Sunflower'. In my opinion, the Grateful Dead's original material is what makes this album great; only the covers slightly let them down. Musically, it sounds incredibly natural and I think that's what the appeal of this album is.

One more thing, some other reviewers have complained about the roughness of the sound here. It is a little rough but it's not enough to worry about. The vocals are lost in places and the sound is probably not as clear as on other releases, but it has character. It's not crystal clear, but that's irrelevant. It doesn't make any difference to the listening experience. I wouldn't qualify it as 'bad', by any means.

In summary, 'Dick's Picks 22' is a really great quality show and a worthy addition to your collection.

Vol. 22.......2006-04-26

This is a spectacular representation of primal-dead. The Grateful Dead in 1968 were young and rebellious. Every show they played was played as if it were there last. Jerry, Pig, Phil,Billy, Mickey, and Bobby were all pushing the boundaries of music and their particular talents. It is in this era of Dead where Phil and Jerry truely found their voice. (Can you beleve that Phil was self consious about his playing style in 1966? It didn't show.)

Back to the CD... If you are a Deadhead, I don't know why you are reading this because you probably already have it. But if you are just a music fan who wants to be consumed by deep textures of psychadelic music, this is for you

Dick's Picks, Vol. 4: Fillmore East, New York, NY, 2/13-2/14/70

Average customer rating:

Almost ultimate Dark Star, flawed CD release
A Top Ten Dick's Pick
One of the top five Dick's Picks
The Most Popular Tape Among Many Heads for Many Years
2/13-14/70 Fillmore East -- from Owsley to us

Dick's Picks, Vol. 4: Fillmore East, New York, NY, 2/13-2/14/70
Grateful Dead
Manufacturer: Arista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dick's Picks, Vol. 8: Harpur College, Binghamton, NY, 5/2/70
Dick's Picks, Vol. 16: Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA, 11/8/69
Dick's Picks, Vol. 3: Sportatorium, Pembroke Pines, FL, 5/22/77
Dick's Picks, Vol. 2: Ohio Theatre, Columbus, OH, 10/31/71
Dick's Picks, Vol. 5: Oakland Auditorium, Oakland, CA, 12/26/79

ASIN: B00000DEZ0
Release Date: 1998-10-27

Tracks:

Intro By Zacherle
Casey Jones
Dancing In The Streets
China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider
High Time
Dire Wolf
Dark Star

Tracks:

That's It For The Other One
Lovelight

Tracks:

Alligator
Drums
Me & My Uncle
Not Fade Away
Mason's Children
Caution
Feedback
We Bid You Goodnight

Customer Reviews:

Almost ultimate Dark Star, flawed CD release.......2007-03-02

Probably in about 1989 or so, i heard a vinal bootleg called "Cryptic Envelopment" (yes, i know that's not the song's correct name, it was a boot). The Dark Star on that boot blew my mind and i have been looking for a copy of that LP and/or trying to find out what show it was ever since then; that is until sometime in January 2007 when i finally discovered that the show that was edited to fit on 2 lp's of the bootleg was from the very show(s) featured on DP4!! I was so happy.

This Dark Star is simply astonishing. It is so lumbering and otherworldly, i really can't describe it in terms that fit my feeling for it. It seems as if it is some rare beast from some alternate, dusty, psychedelic world parallel to our own. I havent heard more than about 20 or so Dark Star's but I would bet anything that even if i knew them all, this would be amoung the top 5, if not top 2.

UNFORTUNATELY, this is out of print. Used prices quite high. So... again, i am so happy when i discover that the Grateful Dead website has an electronic version (.mp3 or .flac format) of this Dick's Pick for sale. SWEET! ...spend my $20... download my files... burn my CD (and DVD backups!).. I'm all set right? WRONG!!

I AM glad i finally have a 'better' version of my long lost Dark Star, yes. HOWEVER... I will NEVER buy a Dick's Picks again. Why.. why? Because there are numerous dropouts on this recording. No warning, no label, no nothing. By dropout i mean that there are places where the music simply stops and there is dead air where music is missing from the recording. Would it really have been too much trouble for Dick's Picks producers to at least warn about this or better yet... fix the damn recording! Even traded shows on the internet get fixed. My Rhino Filmore East '69 is fixed. Why couldnt they fix this!?

There are no less than 4 dropouts: Disc 1, a) 6 minutes or so in on Dancin' In The Streets; b) Near the end of my lovely Dark Star; Disc 2, c) about 9 minutes or so into The Other One; Disc 3, d) at the very last second or two of Alligator going into Drums. Utter silence... = (

Could anyone confirm that the original DPv4 CD release has these nasty flaws as well? If not, i will be calling the Dead people (hehe) to raise... er, the dead, so to speak; and probably blowing $40 to get a sealed copy. I have to imagine they are on the original discs as well. Too bad. In the end, dropout or not i am very glad to have this.

DPv8 also has a dropout on the even better Dancin' on that release. Which is lame as that is a famous show and these two Dancin' are really the first i have heard that really float my boat.

Anyway, no more... uh.. Pick's, for me. But, i am still glad i have this, it's still worth it, flaws and all.

A Top Ten Dick's Pick.......2006-08-02

It's a shame this is out of print, because it's one of the better Dick's Picks. It's worth tracking down just for the mammoth jams on "That's It For the Other One" and "Turn On Your Lovelight" on disc 2, but it also contains some less typical numbers like "Dire Wolf," "High Time," and "Mason's Children." And, of course, there is the nearly 30-minute "Dark Star," which goes totally off the rails into psychedelia in the second half. Great stuff, worth finding at a record & tape exchange or via trade.

One of the top five Dick's Picks.......2005-12-04

This set is comprised of two shows held on an undoubtedly freezing New York February. And on those wintery nights the Dead played like a ray of Californian sunshine (and sometimes madness) beamed directly into the audiences back brain. Every song is strong starting with a muscular Casey Jones, following that is one of the best versions of Dancing in The Street available commercially. And then there's the Darkstar, holy crap. Incredibly convoluted and dynamic it's got to be heard to be believed. This may be the best version of Darkstar I've ever heard. It's certainly the most melodically adventurous. It segues into a grooving drums which slides right into a powerful careening and dynamic version of The Other One. There's a 30 minute version of Lovelight which is perhaps a bit overlong, but Pigpen is in top form and the jams and playing by the band are excellent. They bring it down, rev it up and bring it down again, improvising with dynamics as well as melody making for an exciting performance. CD3 beginning with Alligator>Drums is excellent as well. Once again Bill and Mickey outdo themselves in the groove department. The other songs are for the most part as powerfully played as on the previous CDs. The one exception is Mason's Children where the energy flags a bit. Most of the live versions of this song suffers the same malady which probably led to the song being excised from the Dead's set soon after. The CD ends with a superbly inventive Feedback followed by We Bid You Goodnight. And what do you know? the Dead almost nail the harmonies perfectly, not something they're know for.

Harmony singing aside, the playing on this CD is some of the best I've heard from the Dead in any year. Jerry Garcia is on fire throughout as is Bob Weir whose solo during China Cat is outstanding. Phil Lesh is an absolute monster as are Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann. Pigpen's vocals are strong and featured to good effect on Lovelight, Alligator and Caution although his organ only occasionaly breaks the surface on other material.

If you like primal Dead, tight playing and hugely inventive jams you owe it to yourself to get Dick's Picks Vol. 4. Phil Lesh has said that New York audiences seemed to expect a little more of the Dead and on these nights in February they got more than they bargained for.

The Most Popular Tape Among Many Heads for Many Years.......2005-10-07

This is sort of thing that created the phenomenon of tape trading among deadheads. I recall lovingly illustrating the case to this one when I was about 15 years old. The old tape that circulated had four songs - Dark Star, Other One, Lovelight, and Bid You Goodnight. There were times when really no other music would do. As I recall, there were some mild tape defects on all the copies of this I ever heard. They, of course, are absent on the cd release.
If it weren't for ipods and dc changers and all the other ways of getting around it, my biggest complaint with this cd release (in all other respects a godsend) is that a more perfect digital form of my old tape couldn't be produced for lack of time.
For those who didn't grow up on this stuff or are just exploring the dead this is the music that makes a deadhead. This tape was in every substantial bootleg Dead tape collection I ever encountered. Of course, the moment for the Dead (and for rock n' roll?) has passed, and things will never be the same without the anticipation of the next show, but still we have (fragments of) the past. And, anyway, no matter whatever else may come along someday, there will only ever be one Good Ole Grateful Dead. This is what they were about.

2/13-14/70 Fillmore East -- from Owsley to us .......2005-06-26

This is an another incredible show captured by the infamous Owsley Stanley. Three months after the amazing 11/8/69 Fillmore (West) show, the first set is more confident -- the WORKINGMAN'S DEAD songs had been played for many nights now. It's surprising how the Dead could turn anything into a cosmic jam -- here they do it with "Dancing in the Streets." The "China Cat/Rider" is not quite as fantastic as the one on DP 16 (see my review), but otherwise this opening is much better.

DISC ONE also includes a fabled 30' "Dark Star," the one with the "Feelin' Groovy" section (taken from the Simon & Garfunkel song). DISC TWO is split 50/50, with a 30' "Other One" and a 30' "Lovelight." This "Other One" is powerful stuff -- for me, the highlight of this pick. "Lovelight" is solid, but what a contrast! Thanks to CD technology, you don't have to listen to them back-to-back unless you really want to. DISC THREE includes a rarity -- a performance of "Mason's Children," a catchy tune that was left off of WORKINGMAN'S DEAD. (I wish I could understand all the lyrics...) Is this the earliest version of "Me & My Uncle"? I'm not sure, but it's interesting to compare to the more hard-hitting and more polished version from 1971 found on SKULL & ROSES. The jam on this disc, starting with "Not Fade Away," including "Mason's Children," and continuing into "Caution" hits another incredible peak -- that's three for this concert, one on each disc! DP 4 is not an entire show, because part of it had already been released by Warners as BEAR'S CHOICE. What a night!

See my reviews of other Picks -- DP16 (1969), DP8 (1970), DP23 (1972), DP19 (1973), and DP10 (1977). Also 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).

Dick's Picks, Vol. 2: Ohio Theatre, Columbus, OH, 10/31/71

Average customer rating:

My very first Dead Show!
A Top-Five Version of "Dark Star"
Brilliant Dark Star
Short disc, long on jams
Highly Underrated

Dick's Picks, Vol. 2: Ohio Theatre, Columbus, OH, 10/31/71
Grateful Dead
Manufacturer: Arista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Dick's Picks, Vol. 3: Sportatorium, Pembroke Pines, FL, 5/22/77
Dick's Picks, Vol. 1
Dick's Picks, Vol. 1: Tampa, FL, 12/19/73
Dick's Picks, Vol. 4: Fillmore East, New York, NY, 2/13-2/14/70
Dick's Picks, Vol. 5: Oakland Auditorium, Oakland, CA, 12/26/79

ASIN: B00000DEQ9
Release Date: 1998-10-27

Tracks:

Dark Star/Jam
Sugar Magnolia
St. Stephen
Not Fade Away
Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad
Not Fade Away

Customer Reviews:

My very first Dead Show!.......2007-02-13

The title tells it all! It was during my freshman year at a small college 45 minutes from Columbus, and some friends dragged me to the show with the well-known line "There is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert!" and guess what? They were right. I was converted into a Dead Head for life.

I can't honestly tell you that it's just like I remembered, but so what? The music on this CD shows the Dead at their powerful, spacy, magical finest. The fact that it brings back such special memories for me is a bonus, but it's great music by great musicians at their best.

A Top-Five Version of "Dark Star".......2006-08-16

Okay, there's not a lot here, but what IS here is a stellar version of "Dark Star." Clocking in at over 24 minutes, it bears a strong and spacy resemblance to other versions for the first half but then goes into an up-tempo, funky jam in the second half. I've long been a believer that no "Dark Star" beats the Live/Dead version, but this one comes mighty close. If you're a fan of this song (and what Dead fan isn't?), then track this down somewhere. Well worth finding.

Brilliant Dark Star.......2005-11-23

Many of the other reviews of this classic CD describe it quite well,
so I'll just add another 5-star rating.

Short disc, long on jams.......2005-10-28

This is one of my favorite dead shows, mostly for the Dark Star. It is both meandering and concise; it never disintegrates into a puddle of cymbal splashes and bass pops as it was wont to do. Instead it charges through, including a sneak preview of the "Eyes of the World" jam. The other material is also strong, but to my ears, the Dark Star alone is worth the price, even if you are a casual fan who already owns Live/Dead.

Highly Underrated.......2005-05-06

The [...] lambaste this show as "...not perhaps as impressive as The Grateful Dead album" and then continue to claim that "for non-Deadheads, all this will seem redundant."

I couldn't disagree more with either statement. While The Grateful Dead album is a fine collection of songs, it is a little lacking in improvisation.

As a deadhead who for years has been trying to justify my obsession to non-dead heads, I have to say that Dick's Picks Vol.2 has always been a dependable standby. First of all, the Dark Star does not have a slow moment. The extended feedback section
which turns many people away isn't here. Secondly, the NFA>Going Down the Road...>NFA is just pure rock and roll. I rank it among the top versions of either song.

While this collection is short and the presence of Pigpen and Mickey Hart is missed, I think the quintet format of the band gives them an intensity and focus that is sometimes missing from their shows.

A perfect gift for converting the non-believers.

Dick's Picks, Vol. 18: Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI, 2/3/78 & Uni Dome, Univeristy of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA, 2/5/78

Average customer rating:

Rowdy!
Disc Three changed my life forever.
Three very good performances
one of the best picks...
I can't stop listening to this!

Dick's Picks, Vol. 18: Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI, 2/3/78 & Uni Dome, Univeristy of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA, 2/5/78
Grateful Dead
Manufacturer: Arista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dick's Picks, Vol. 15: Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ, 9/3/77
Dick's Picks, Vol. 14: Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA, 11/30/73 & 12/2/73
Dick's Picks Vol. 12: Providence Civic Center, 6/26/74 & Boston Garden, 6/28/74
Dick's Picks, Vol. 10: Winterland, San Francisco, CA, 12/29/77
Dick's Picks, Vol. 16: Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA, 11/8/69

ASIN: B00005V8PR
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Tracks:

Bertha
Good Lovin'
Cold Rain And Snow
New Minglewood Blues
They Love Each Other
It's All Over Now
Dupree's Diamond Blues
Looks Like Rain
Brown-Eyed Woman
Passenger
Deal
The Music Never Stopped

Tracks:

Estimated Prophet
Eyes Of The World
Playing In The Band
The Wheel
Playing In The Band
Johnny B. Goode

Tracks:

Samson & Delilah
Scarlet Begonias
Fire On The Mountain
Truckin'
Drums
The Other One
Wharf Rat
Around And Around

Amazon.com

Volume 18 is the only one of the first 24 Dick's Picks to feature music from 1978, culling from two (maybe three) February dates in the Midwest. Following an artistic peak that lasted most of the 1970s, the band sounded more ragged and raucous in 1978 than they had during the previous few years, trading in some of their more textured, willowy tendencies for greater aggression and abandon. The centerpiece here is the half-hour "Scarlet"/"Fire" from the Cedar Falls, Iowa, show, which is followed soon after by an explosive "Other One" and emotional "Wharf Rat." Throughout, Garcia's guitar work is as adventurous and bold as ever, and though the band as a whole is beginning to fray a bit, it does serve to heighten the sense of adventure. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Rowdy! .......2007-02-10

Loud and festive! The boys came out smoking and wailed nicely. Good clean sound also.

Disc Three changed my life forever........2006-12-13

Bad News and Good News

First, the bad news: I'm not a huge fan of the setlist. The Wheel, All over now, Playin'? Eh. Really Bland songs. Also, Jerry forgets a lot of the words. I can't believe he left out the entire last stanza of "Scarlet Begonias", which concludes the whole story. I grudgingly sing it myself every time I listen to it.

Now the good news.
The Scarlet>Fire saved my soul. I kid you not. I was an atheist my entire life and listening to this album's Scarlet>Fire (along with a bunch of other stuff in my life) somehow proved to me God. There cannot be such musical beauty in existence without Love from On High. I listened to it nearly every single day of July 06 and August 06. Cures all ills, the jamming alone, no words needed. Jesus loves Jerry.

Additionally, Eyes and Prophet are hot. Bertha's jam is beautiful. Truckin is not as good as in DP1, but is good for running & such because it is a heavy hitter. Wharf Rat is also a sweet, sweet closer.

In short, this album's Scarlet > Fire obliterates all the album's other flaws. You will not find a more soulful, entire-human-experience-summarizing 29 minutes as the DP 18 Scarlet > Fire.

Signed, Charles Payson Frederick

Three very good performances.......2006-12-02

First of all, This release is NOT from two shows but rather three. The recording dates are 2/3,4&5/78. This is a pretty good collection of songs including most of the highlights from all three. Cold, Rain and Snow, Passenger, and Dupree's are standouts on the first disc. It's a shame they cut Ship Of Fools and the short drums segment off the second disc. Still, disc two is about as good as it gets. On disc three Scarlet -> Fire is one of the best ever and the Truckin' jam is just as great.

one of the best picks... .......2006-10-07

1978 wasn't the strongest year for the Dead. Sure, everyone's heard about May 77, Europe 72, and 73-74. There's plenty of DP from those tours.

This collection taken from a few nights, and is as exciting as it gets. The scarlet->fire is one of the best, easily among my 2-3 favorites. But, all the other music is great too. And, in this collection, the shorter tunes are nicely done as well. I love the Cold Rain and Snow, and the Trickin' jam is a blast.

One of my favorite Dick's Picks.

I can't stop listening to this!.......2006-05-20

Great collection. Personal faves (this week) are the solos on Bertha and, particularly, Brown Eyed Woman. Jerry's tone is stinging.

Superb 'Eyes' and Scarlet > Fire too.

This (along with Live Dead) is the one I play people who've never heard the band (i.e. 99% of the British public).

Dick's Picks, Vol. 14: Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA, 11/30/73 & 12/2/73

Average customer rating:

No MIDI, No Donna and two Dews, What's not to love?
Whelmed, Wildered, and Gruntled
a great collection from two nights
A good one.
Different, yet an absolute must-have for Nor'East heads

Dick's Picks, Vol. 14: Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA, 11/30/73 & 12/2/73
Grateful Dead
Manufacturer: Arista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dick's Picks, Vol. 11: Stanley Theatre, Jersey City, NJ, 9/27/72
Dick's Picks, Vol. 19: Oklahoma City, OK, 10/19/73
Dick's Picks, Vol. 18: Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI, 2/3/78 & Uni Dome, Univeristy of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA, 2/5/78
Dick's Picks, Vol. 16: Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA, 11/8/69
Dick's Picks, Vol. 13: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY, 5/6/81

ASIN: B00005V8PN
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Tracks:

Morning Dew
Mexicali Blues
Dire Wolf
Black-Throated Wind
Don't Ease Me In
Big River
They Love Each Other
Playing In The Band

Tracks:

Here Comes Sunshine
Weather Report Suite
Dark Star Jam
Eyes Of The World
Sugar Magnolia

Tracks:

Cold Rain & Snow
Beat It On Down The Line
Brown-Eyed Woman / The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down / Beer Barrel Polka
Jack Straw
Ramble On Rose
Weather Report Suite
Wharf Rat
Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo

Tracks:

Playing In The Band
Jam
He's Gone
Truckin'
Stella Blue
Morning Dew

Amazon.com

One of the odder collections in the Dick's Picks series, this four-disc set includes most of the music played on the first and last nights of a three-night run at Boston Music Hall in late fall 1973. With Donna Godchaux off the road to give birth, the band was back down to a quintet, and they're mostly found here in a mellow and airy vibe. Many of the tunes are taken at slower tempos than some fans may be used to--with the exception of "They Love Each Other," which is done here in a seldom-heard peppy style with additional verses that didn't make the final cut. There's some duplication of material as well, though you can't argue with any of the performances. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

No MIDI, No Donna and two Dews, What's not to love?.......2007-05-27

I don't get the bad reviews on this. Sure if you want quintessential 73 listen to disc three of Dick's Picks 19 but these are still good shows. Both of the closing sets are great and disc three which is the first set of the last night and the one I grab for the most often has great versions Cold Rain and Snow, Jack Straw and one of my favorite versions of Wharf Rat. There is a trippy version of Eyes on disc two and the gorgeous Jam (feedback into Mind Body Jam) into Stella Blue and Dew on disc four is worth the price of the set alone.

Whelmed, Wildered, and Gruntled.......2006-08-01

When picking a bootleg or dick's pick, it's usually the set list that gets me excited, motivates me, helps me pick what I want to listen to. But of course that's a little bit of a decoy. Any song the Dead play can be miraculous if it is one of those magical nights, and any song can be demoralizing on one of those other nights or an off set. The real sign of a good show is when I'm under-whelmed by the set list but find myself surprised at how absorbed I get in the show. Listening to the beginning of disc 2, from the November 30th, '73 night I assume, when I found myself really captivated by a Here Comes Sunshine into Weather Report Suite parts one and two (not among my top fifty favorite dead songs), I knew this was a special show. The Dark Star, Eyes, and Sugar Mag were icing. Disc 3 has another patch with a Weather Report Suite into Wharf Rat, from a few nights later, and it's not a problem. We also get a great Disc 4, with Playing in the Band dissolving into a particularly spacey jam, holding tension but staying afloat. That feeling again: Relax, I know it seems confusing, but the band is here absorb the confusion and spin some threads to the multi-pronged signposts of gratification, which doesn't mean anything in particular but they are still playing, so it must, don't worry, they've been here before, just keep listening and you'll emerge out the other side no worse for wear. Good stuff. These were mellow outings for the Dead, but it's a little bit of a lazy couple of shows, with chunky pauses and directionless noodling at times, but good music for getting lost and found.

Not the greatest, not the most exciting, but nice entrancing ambient Dead.

Also, Donna is not there for these shows, evidently on maternity leave. Besides the absence of her annoying wailing, perhaps her absence also freed up the band to broader the spacey jams into new places. I know I pick on Donna, but she deserves it, her singing is really, really bad, and it is very embarrassing that the Dead let her sing for as long as they did. Her voice mars the best years of the Dead's playing, so to have a live CD from the Donna years, minus Donna singing, is a treat. Deadheads should buy this CD just to support the release of more from this all too short Donna-less interval.

a great collection from two nights.......2004-04-08

Many are dismissive of this Pick and I suggest that they could not be more wrong. Yes, the music has an overall mellowness to it and is mostly laid back, but there is brilliance in the delivery at every turn.

First, the booklet notes explain that, incredibly, the band's itinerary was confused, causing the band to almost miss its Nov. 30 show. As it was they showed up late for it! Thus, the first song here, Morning Dew, was a sort of sound check for the band. The entire first cd has lots of between song chatter, which I like, and by the time of Dire Wolf and Black Throated Wind (BTW), the hour is late, the band has a "what the hell" attitude and the mellowness is contagious. I'm no fan of BTW and I think that this may be the best recording of it I've heard. The first set closes with PlayingITB and because Donna is on maternity leave, it is a very enjoyable ending to cd one.

CD two has the excellent Here Comes Sunshine and Eyes of the World, but here the songs, which at this time are very new, lack a certain focus that the band applied later, especially to Eyees. Both arre used as spacce out jam fests (especially Eyes) and they lose some of their energy, if not their beauty, presented on other DPs and live Dead. Generally, the less said about WRS, the better, but here the song is still fresh and new to the band and it shows. This cd ends with a very strong Sugar. While I like cd 2, it is my least favorite of this four cd set.

CD 3 is from the Dec. 2 show and, I suggest, is one of the best first sets in the entire DP collection. Brown Eyed Women and Ramble on Rose are great songs and are rarely found, especially together and without Donna.

CD 4 is awesome. The PlayingITB dissolves entirely into a spacey jam and out of it evolves a fantastic slide guitar solo by Jerry that sounds hauntingly familiar, but I cannot place the tune. Any way it's all fantastic. He's Gone especially and Truckin are both great. And then... when you look at the last two songs, Stella and Morning, you may think that this is a really boring way to end the concert. But remember, these cds have an over-all mellowness to them and this ending is in keeping perfectly with what has come before. And the best part is that the Morning builds ever slow slowly to a fantastic crescendo -- the result of a tension building march that is finally released by the band. Maybe the best Morning Dew that I've heard by the boys.

One nit to pick is that the booklet is sparse and not that well done for a four cd set. Throughout the musicianship is very good. Especailly of note are both Phil's bass and Keith's piano. And most importantly Jerry's voice sounds oh so sweet. He is in his prime here both in voice and on guitar. You will get a great feel for the band's progression in this era by listening to DP 14, DP 1 and then DP 7. By far this is one of my favorite live Dead collections.

A good one........2004-02-04

I can't say that I agree with the lukewarm reviews of this volume of the DICK'S PICKS series. In some places, yes, it's pro forma Live Dead, but it's certainly no worse pro forma than, say, the SKULL AND ROSES album. In other cases, though, it's darn near transcendent. There are two versions of "Weather Report Suite" on here and the first one is mind-bogglingly great! This seques into a jam based upon "Dark Star" and then into a fantastic version of "Eyes Of The World" with Garcia playing some of his best guitar ever. The version of "Wharf Rat" included here is also a stunner. Where things get a little flabby is on Disc 1; this is a pretty faithful representation of the Dead's tendency to use the first set as a "warm-up" for more exciting excursions later in the show, and "Dire Wolf," "Mexicali Blues" and "Don't Ease Me In" particularly sound pretty rote here. But don't be deterred, there's some great(ful) Dead on this set which you won't be sorry you heard if you pick this up.

Different, yet an absolute must-have for Nor'East heads.......2003-12-24

Wicked Good! During a weird transition for the band, some great music is preserved in this 4 CD set. PigPen has recently passed. You have the band (minus Mickey and Donna), the crew, and the audience all getting involved in this Beantown Barn Burner. Everyone is loose and having fun and it comes right through the speakers as if it were happening through the nearest wormhole or right around the corner. Imageries of ghosts of colonial patriots dressed as indians dancing to the beat of their own little tea-party, unbeknownst to some of the drunken crowd as the dead break into "Beer Barrel Polka"... Let it be said that deadheads are not usually known for booze. There must have been a bar in the back of the hall. Some cool moments are captured as Bobby tests the equipment, "whooping" up sound checks between songs as Phil cracks jokes and fools with the audience as the crew work with a scaled down version of "the wall of sound" to fit into the music hall. Rowdy crowd yet very intimate. Collected from 2 nights, I prefer to start with disc 3 and end with 2 (3->4->1->2). "Cold Rain and Snow" begins, turn it up, and 'Boogie'!! It sounds sooo good! Man, what fun!

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

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Use Sparingly
A turning point for the Dead
Two Great Shows in One
The Great 8
5/2/70 Harpur College -- more prime 1970 Dead

Dick's Picks, Vol. 8: Harpur College, Binghamton, NY, 5/2/70
Grateful Dead
Manufacturer: Arista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dick's Picks, Vol. 4: Fillmore East, New York, NY, 2/13-2/14/70
Dick's Picks, Vol. 10: Winterland, San Francisco, CA, 12/29/77
Dick's Picks, Vol. 3: Sportatorium, Pembroke Pines, FL, 5/22/77
Dick's Picks, Vol. 16: Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA, 11/8/69
Dick's Picks, Vol. 22: Lake Tahoe, CA, 2/23-24/68

ASIN: B00004TYB6
Release Date: 2000-07-11

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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Vol. 2-Dick's Picks
Grateful Dead
Manufacturer: Msi
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000005RIC
Release Date: 1971-10-31

Tracks:

Dark Star/Jam
Sugar Magnolia
St. Stephen
Not Fade Away
Going Down The Road Feeling Bad
Not Fade Away

Album Details

Officially Sanctioned by the Dead Themselves, as They Released It. This Concert Recording was Made on October 31, 1971. Tracks Are Dark Star / Sugar Magnolia / St. Stephen / Not Fade Away / Going Down the Road-feeling Bad / Not Fade Away.

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