Grateful Dead: "Dick's Picks Volume Twenty-One" (2001) CD Review

Dick's Picks Volume Twenty-One contains the entire concert the Grateful Dead performed at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia on November 1, 1985. It also contains some bonus material from September 2, 1980.

First Disc Is First Set

The first disc starts with a somewhat messy, but totally energetic version of "Dancing In The Streets," leading into "Cold Rain And Snow" - two songs from the band's early days. The crowd is clearly excited. This is a good version of "Cold Rain And Snow," with Jerry Garcia really belting it out. Often during those years, Jerry's voice sounded strained. Not on this song. He sounds great.

"Little Red Rooster" features some very cool keyboard work by Brent Mydland. The first disc also features a nice version of "Big River," with some really good guitar work and some strange stuff on the cymbals.

The version of "Brown-Eyed Women" on this CD has a really good groove. Jerry and Brent's voices together are awesome.

"Jack Straw" is almost always good, but this is a particularly wonderful version. The vocals are phenomenal, with so much raw emotion, so much power, so much beauty.

The first disc ends with a rocking "Don't Ease Me In." There is some great stuff on the keyboards by Brent, and Phil Lesh works his way up and down the bass, finding wonderful grooves. This version also features some excellent vocals.

Second Disc Features Incredible "Comes A Time"

The second disc starts with "Samson And Delilah." But right at the beginning someone says, "It's got to be funky." Who says it? It's totally weird. It sounds like a DJ speaking over the recording. There is no explanation in the liner notes. It's a good version of the song, with some serious energy.

Jerry Garcia's voice does strain a bit during "High Time," but it's such an emotional tune that he makes it work. It only adds to the feel of the song, like when he starts singing, "You told me goodbye/How was I to know/You didn't mean goodbye/You meant please don't let me go."

The band then goes into a wonderful version of "He's Gone." This is an incredibly emotionally charged rendition. "Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile." Oh yes. This version has a nice extended vocal riffing section near the end.

That leads right into "Spoonful." Bob Weir's vocals just explode at the beginning, from the mellow instrumental introduction. Just wonderful.

Jerry Garcia was clearly in a certain soulful mood this night, because after "High Time" and "He's Gone," he chooses another beautiful and moving tune: "Comes A Time." Wow, his guitar is crying out to the audience. This version is almost heartbreaking, and the crowd responds enthusiastically when Jerry repeats, "Only love can fill" with a raw edge near the end of the song. The song then starts to end (too soon), with the drummers seemingly ready to go into their solo, until Jerry brings it back.

This then leads into a really nice version of "Lost Sailor." Bob Weir's vocals sound sweet, especially at the end, as he sings, "drifting and dreaming." For a moment it sounds like the band might go into "Saint Of Circumstance," as expected, but instead this leads into "Drums." And it's a very cool, fun version.

Third Disc Features "She Belongs To Me" And "Gloria"

The third disc starts with "Space," leading finally into "Saint Of Circumstance." From there, the band goes into "Gimme Some Lovin.'" This version is initially messy, but it's full of energy and drive. Phil Lesh and Brent Mydland are singing their hearts out, and Brent also does some great stuff on the keyboards.

That leads into Bob Dylan's "She Belongs To Me." Jerry's voice sounds great on this one. It's a truly beautiful rendition of the song. This is a song that the Grateful Dead did only in 1985 (except for one time in 1966).

After "She Belongs To Me" the band jumps into a lively version of "Gloria" to end the second set. Bob Weir is clearly having a great time with this song, stopping it with, "Wait a minute," and then building it again. He also goofs around with references to the space shuttle and jokes about spelling. The energy in this song is incredible.

The encore is "Keep Your Day Job," and this is a lively version of it.

Bonus Tracks

The last four tracks on the third CD are bonus tracks. They come from the second set of the concert the Grateful Dead performed in Rochester, New York on September 2, 1980. According to the liner notes, this segment is all that exists of the show in the Grateful Dead's vault. These tracks include an oddly slow version of "Iko Iko" and a beautiful "Morning Dew."

CD Track List
CD One:

1. Dancing In The Streets >
2. Cold Rain And Snow
3. Little Red Rooster
4. Stagger Lee
5. Me And My Uncle >
6. Big River
7. Brown-Eyed Women
8. Jack Straw >
9. Don't Ease Me In
   

CD Two:

1. Samson And Delilah
2. High Time
3. He's Gone >
4. Spoonful >
5. Comes A Time >
6. Lost Sailor >
7. Drums
   

CD Three:

1. Space >
2. Saint Of Circumstance >
3. Gimme Some Lovin' >
4. She Belongs To Me
5. Gloria
6. Keep Your Day Job
7. Space
8. Iko Iko >
9. Morning Dew >
10. Sugar Magnolia
    

The Dick's Picks series was started in 1993 by official Grateful Dead tape archivist Dick Latvala. There were thirty-six volumes in all, released from 1993 through 2005. In more recent years, a new series of live recordings titled "Road Trips" has taken its place.

Grateful Dead: "Dick's Picks Volume Nineteen" CD Review

This three-disc CD, released in 2000, contains a great show from the Grateful Dead's best year, 1973.

This three-disc set contains the complete concert that the Grateful Dead performed at Fairgrounds Arena, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on October 19, 1973.

1973 Was Best Year For Grateful Dead Concerts
Most Grateful Dead fans (or Deadheads) will agree that 1973 was the best year for the band, as far as live performances are concerned. The jams were lively and numerous. The band was both tight enough to be completely comfortable with one another and loose enough to go off exploring new musical territory. Both individually, and as a unit.

At this point, they'd been together for eight years. They were confident enough in their playing, and yet still young enough to still be learning, to make mistakes. A lot of the material on this album was still relatively new at the time.

Wake Of The Flood

Several songs were from Wake Of The Flood, their 1973 studio release, and the first album to be released on their own label. Wake Of The Flood was released just four days before this concert. This 3-disc CD set includes a sticker of that album cover.

First CD Features Great Version Of "They Love Each Other"
The first CD opens with a rocking version of Chuck Berry's "Promised Land." In fact, this show opens and closes with Chuck Berry tunes. The first CD also features a really good "Sugaree" and a quiet, pretty "Looks Like Rain." "Mexicali Blues" is a bit messy. Forgotten lyrics were a minor problem throughout the band's career.

The first disc also features a really fun "They Love Each Other." Versions of the song from this period have a section that they later dropped during concert performances. The first disc ends with an excellent version of "Row Jimmy."

Incredible "Playing In The Band" Opens Second CD

The second CD starts with the last song of the first set, "Playing In The Band." It's an incredible version, with an amazing jam. Pretty much any "Playing In The Band" from this period is good, but this version is particularly wonderful. It's always so great to hear Donna Jean's near-scream bringing the band back into the song's chorus near the end.

The "China Cat" jam is really sweet too. And in "I Know You Rider," listen to Jerry's shredding vocals on "I wish I was a headlight on a northbound train." Ooo-wee.

"Dark Star" Opens Third CD

A really interesting, spacey "Dark Star" starts the third disc. It leads into "Mind Left Body Jam." This was the first ever performance of "Mind Left Body Jam" and it is certainly out there. Jerry goes off on his own for a while, and when he returns, the band goes into "Morning Dew," which is always moving.

The second set ends with "Sugar Magnolia." The last three songs on the third CD are the encores. The highlight is "Eyes Of The World," one of the Grateful Dead's best songs. And during this period when the song was new there was another musical section to it that the band later dropped. It happens approximately eleven minutes into this version, and is excellent.

Grateful Dead Members In 1973

The band at this time was as follows: Jerry Garcia on vocals and guitar, Bob Weir on rhythm guitar and vocals, Phil Lesh on bass and vocals, Bill Kreutzmann on drums, Keith Godchaux on piano and Donna Jean Godchaux on backing vocals.

Ron "Pigpen" McKernan had died earlier that year. Mickey Hart had left the band in 1971 and wouldn't return until late in 1974.

CD Track List

The track list for this CD is as follows:

CD One:

1. Promised Land
2. Sugaree
3. Mexicali Blues
4. Tennessee Jed
5. Looks Like Rain
6. Don't Ease Me In
7. Jack Straw
8. They Love Each Other
9. El Paso
10. Row Jimmy
    

CD Two:

1. Playing In The Band
2. China Cat Sunflower >
3. I Know You Rider
4. Me And My Uncle
5. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo
6. Big River
   

CD Three:

1. Dark Star >
2. Mind Left Body Jam >
3. Morning Dew
4. Sugar Magnolia
5. Eyes Of The World >
6. Stella Blue
7. Johnny B. Goode
   

Grateful Dead: "Dick's Picks Volume Seventeen" CD Review

This three-disc set has the complete concert from September 25, 1991 at the Boston Garden, and includes the band's first ever performance of Paul McCartney's "That Would Be Something."

This three-disc CD is a concert recording from the Boston Garden, in Boston Massachusetts, September 25, 1991. This show was the fifth in an amazing six-night run at the Boston Garden. All six shows were great. It seemed the band was getting better and better with each succeeding night.

First CD Starts With "Help On The Way"

The first CD opens with "Help On The Way" into "Slipknot!" into "Franklin's Tower." There is some interesting jamming on "Slipknot!" Earlier in the six-show run, the band had performed "Help On The Way" into "Slipknot!" into "Fire On The Mountain," which had confused and delighted everyone there. (Here's hoping the Dead will release that show on CD at some point.) But on the 25th, they did the usual "Franklin's Tower," and it's a good, lively version of it.

There are also nice lively versions of "Dire Wolf" and "Tennessee Jed" on the first disc. Also, a nice "The Music Never Stopped" as the first set closer ends the first CD.

Second CD Opens With "Victim Or The Crime"
The second disc opens with "Victim Or The Crime," a song that never truly won over the majority of Grateful Dead fans. It slides into "Crazy Fingers," and from there the band jumps into the first half of "Playing In The Band." And that's when the real jams begin.

The jam leads into the wonderful "Terrapin Station," one of the best songs the Grateful Dead ever performed. This is a pretty good version of it too. When Jerry cries, "Inspiration," everyone at the concert can't help but be moved.

The jam out of "Terrapin" is titled "Boston Clam Jam" for this CD release, but Deadbase doesn't list this as a separate song. Bruce Hornsby stays on stage longer than most of the other band members, and plays a bit of "Terrapin" just before leaving the stage to Bill and Mickey.

Drums/Space

For a short while the drummers used the audience as one of their instruments by signalling them to make a vocal response. This is a soundboard recording, so it's not as audible as it would be on an audience tape, but the audience is part of the band for the early part of "Drums." Mickey and Bill venture off into odd places, leading the way for the rest of the band to do the "Space" segment of the show.

Third Disc Opens With "That Would Be Something"

"Space" led into the first ever performance of Paul McCartney's "That Would Be Something." At the time, it seemed that Jerry just sort of stumbled into this song, but listening to it now, it seems the band might have rehearsed it at least once. But it quickly gives way to the second half of "Playing In The Band."

The last two songs on the third CD are from a different show, used here as filler. They're from the second set of the show performed on 3/31/91 at Greensboro Coliseum.

The Band

The band at the time of this recording was as follows: Jerry Garcia on vocals and guitar; Bob Weir on vocals and rhythm guitar; Phil Lesh on bass and vocals; Bill Kreutzmann on drums; Mickey Hart on drums; Vince Welnick on keyboards and vocals; and Bruce Hornsby on keyboards, accordion and vocals.

Vince Welnick had been with the band for about a year, as had Bruce Hornsby. They joined after keyboardist Brent Mydland died in July of 1990 (right after the summer tour).

CD Track List

The following is the track list for Grateful Dead's Dick's Picks Volume Seventeen:

CD One:

1. Help On The Way >
2. Slipknot! >
3. Franklin's Tower
4. Walkin' Blues
5. It Must Have Been The Roses
6. Dire Wolf
7. Queen Jane Approximately
8. Tennessee Jed >
9. The Music Never Stopped
   

CD Two:

1. Victim Or The Crime >
2. Crazy Fingers >
3. Playing In The Band >
4. Terrapin Station >
5. Boston Clam Jam >
6. Drums >
7. Space >
   

CD Three:

1. That Would Be Something >
2. Playing In The Band
3. China Doll >
4. Throwing Stones >
5. Not Fade Away
6. The Mighty Quinn
7. Samson And Delilah >
8. Eyes Of The World
   

Grateful Dead: "Dick's Picks Volume Sixteen" (2000) CD Review

Dick's Picks Volume Sixteen contains almost all of the concert the Grateful Dead performed on November 8, 1969 at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. The one song that's missing is "King Bee," which was played after "Easy Wind" and before "China Cat Sunflower."

"Good Morning Little School Girl"

In 1969 Ron "Pigpen" McKernan was still at the height of his power, a driving and vital force of the band. And this CD kicks off with one of his main tunes, "Good Morning Little School Girl." In addition to his great lead vocal part, he plays a pretty mean harmonica on this one.

Pigpen is the member who gave the band a bluesy edge, and as such kept the band somewhat grounded - or rather, gave them a place to land, a return from space. Pigpen could jam as well the rest of them, but it was vocally, riffing on a theme as he does in this song.

He ends the song with the line, "I don't care if you're only thirteen years of age." Often the age was seventeen - he paused before choosing thirteen that night.

"Casey Jones"

This CD has an early rendition of one of the band's most well known tunes, "Casey Jones." There is a lot of energy on this one. They were clearly having some fun. Listen to the way Jerry Garcia sings lines like, "You'd be better off dead" - there is distinct playfulness in his voice.

This song would be released the following year on Workingman's Dead. The Grateful Dead did several other songs from that record that night, including a pretty "Dire Wolf" (with repeated verses), Pigpen's vocal turn on "Easy Wind," an interesting and heartfelt "High Time," and a fun (though slightly messy) "Cumberland Blues." All of these are on the first disc.

"China Cat Sunflower"/"I Know You Rider"
The first disc also includes a really nice "China Cat Sunflower," benefiting from the presence of Tom Constanten on keyboards. He added a psychedelic element. That leads smoothly into "I Know You Rider," which was expected later on in the band's career, but was still a new combination this night in 1969.

"Good Lovin'"
"Good Lovin'" is another Pigpen showcase tune, though the highlight of this version is a tremendous jam that begins with a good drum solo by Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart.

"Dark Star"

The second disc begins with a nice loose jazzy version of "Dark Star." Tom Constanten's presence is again a wonderful addition. (He toured with the band for just over a year, from November 1968 to January 1970.)

The vocals start approximately five and a half minutes in, Jerry Garcia at some moments almost whispering the lyrics, at other times belting them out.

The year 1969 had some of the best versions of "Dark Star." The band seemed less locked into a structure for this song, more willing to let go of any semblance of form. It gets into spacey territory approximately eight minutes in. Listen to Tom Constanten during that section.

Toward the end, there are hints of "Uncle John's Band." But the song instead slides into a wild and almost scary rendition of "The Other One." (The acid freaks should be prepared for things to turn a little hairy for them.)

And then it's back into "Dark Star," but only for a minute, before becoming "Uncle John's Band Jam," with Jerry Garcia doing the vocal line on his guitar. Very weird. After a few minutes of that, it's back into "Dark Star" once again, for the song's second verse. Their voices blend so well - a beautiful end to the song.

"St. Stephen"
"Dark Star" leads almost tentatively into "St. Stephen," one of the band's most beloved songs. What a great monster of a song, driven at times by Phil Lesh's bass, at other times by the vocals. It's a wonderfully complex song, offered here in its entirety. (In later years, the second half of the song would be cut; and in still later years, the song would not be performed at all.)

It leads right into "The Eleven," a song written by Phil Lesh and Robert Hunter, and one that the band stopped playing in 1970 (though they did do a couple of "The Eleven Jams" afterward). The version on this CD is excellent - loud and vibrant.

"Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)"

The third disc contains a whole lot of Pigpen. It starts with "Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)," which begins with a great big jam before getting to Pigpen's vocals, which come in about five minutes in. This song finds Pigpen at his loosest. It provides him with the most room for improvisation, as it's a Grateful Dead original, not a cover, as are most of the songs that Pigpen sings. Listen to that wild call and response section approximately twelve minutes in.

"Caution" goes right into a jam titled "The Main Ten," which is a precursor to "Playing In The Band." Its inclusion is a treat for fans who like to see how songs evolve.

It leads back into "Caution," and this is where the jam gets incredible and intense. The band is going full throttle at this point - until the song breaks down for Pigpen's vocals once again, with some percussion backing him.

"Feedback"

"Caution" leads into "Feedback," which is a free-form jam section, essentially a destruction of everything that came before. At times it sounds harsh.

And then, so as not to leave everyone lost, isolated, in a strange, hard space, the band finishes with the soft and sweet "And We Bid You Goodnight," sung acappella.

Bonus Track
The CD ends with a bonus track from the previous night's concert, and it's another Pigpen showcase tune - "Turn On Your Lovelight." This is a nice, long version at twenty-five minutes. And it has Pigpen's famous advice to the men in the audience to take their hands out of their pockets.

CD Track List
CD One:

1. Good Morning Little School Girl
2. Casey Jones
3. Dire Wolf
4. Easy Wind
5. China Cat Sunflower >
6. I Know You Rider >
7. High Time
8. Mama Tried
9. Good Lovin'
10. Cumberland Blues
    

CD Two:

1. Dark Star >
2. The Other One >
3. Dark Star >
4. Uncle John's Band Jam >
5. Dark Star >
6. St. Stephen >
7. The Eleven >
   

CD Three:

1. Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) >
2. The Main Ten >
3. Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) >
4. Feedback >
5. We Bid You Goodnight
6. Turn On Your Lovelight
   

The Grateful Dead at the time of this recording were Jerry Garcia on guitar and vocals; Bob Weir on rhythm guitar and vocals; Phil Lesh on bass and vocals; Ron "Pigpen" McKernan on vocals, percussion and harmonica; Bill Kreutzmann on drums; Mickey Hart on drums; and Tom Constanten on keyboards.

Dick's Picks is a series of live Grateful Dead recordings started by tape archivist Dick Latvala. Dick's Picks Volume Fifteen contains the entire show the Grateful Dead performed at Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey on September 3, 1977. Dick's Picks Volume Seventeen has the complete concert from the Boston Garden on September 25, 1991, and includes the band's first ever performance of Paul McCartney's "That Would Be Something."

Grateful Dead: "Dick's Picks Volume Fifteen" CD Review

This three-disc CD set contains the entire show the Grateful Dead performed at Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey on September 3, 1977.

This is the fifteenth in the "Dick's Picks" series, named after Grateful Dead tape archivist Dick Latvala. This was the first CD in the series to be released after Dick's death (he died after a heart attack at the age of 56), and the liner notes contain a note written from the Great Beyond. Well, the recently deceased sure picked a good show to release: this is another show from that peak year, 1977.

First Set Opens With Chuck Berry's "Promised Land"

The first CD starts with the band being introduced. Then the band goes into Chuck Berry's "Promised Land." There is a bit of trouble remembering some of the lyrics, but then when they get it right, they actually say, "That's right," which is great.

They then do a really nice version of "They Love Each Other." The first disc also contains a good "Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo," which has some great jamming, and a pretty "Looks Like Rain," as well as a sweet "Peggy-O."

The first CD has the entire first set.

Second Set Opens With "Bertha"

The second disc opens with a fun "Bertha." So what if there was some trouble with remembering which verse they were on? That's all part of the concert experience, especially with a band that had so much material to choose from.

From "Bertha," they go right into an energetic (though very short by Dead standards) "Good Lovin.'"

There is quite a bit of fun stage banter, which the Dead all but stopped in later years.

"Estimated Prophet" Into "Eyes Of The World"

The second set features a really cool "Estimated Prophet" which of clourse slides into the always appreciated "Eyes Of The World." This pairing of "Estimated"/"Eyes" was done a lot throughout the band's career, but these songs provided the band with a good solid groove from which they could deviate into some interesting musical territory. Some fun, solid jamming. Plus, "Eyes" has a good positive feel to it that always brings a smile to the audience.

"Not Fade Away" By Buddy Holly
The third disc features a twenty-minute version of Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away" with a lot of great jamming and a nice scream from Donna Jean Godchaux. The third disc ends with the encore, "Terrapin Station," one of the Grateful Dead's best songs.

Grateful Dead Band Members
The band at the time of this recording was Jerry Garcia on vocals and guitar, Bob Weir on vocals and rhythm guitar, Phil Lesh on bass and vocals, Bill Kreutzmann on drums, Mickey Hart on drums, Keith Godchaux on keyboards and Donna Jean Godchaux on vocals.

CD Track List

The following is the track list for Grateful Dead's Dick's Picks Volume Fifteen:

CD One:

1. Introduction
2. Promised Land
3. They Love Each Other
4. Me & My Uncle
5. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo
6. Looks Like Rain
7. Peggy-O
8. New Minglewood Blues
9. Friend Of The Devil
10. The Music Never Stopped
    

CD Two:

1. Bertha >
2. Good Lovin' >
3. Loser
4. Estimated Prophet >
5. Eyes Of The World
6. Samson And Delilah
   

CD Three:

1. He's Gone >
2. Not Fade Away >
3. Truckin'
4. Terrapin Station
   

Grateful Dead: "Dick's Picks Volume Thirteen" CD Review

This three-disc set contains the entire live concert the Grateful Dead performed at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY on May 6, 1981.

The first CD kicks off with "Alabama Getaway." The mix is a little weird, with certain instruments much louder than others. Brent Mydland's keyboard continues to be louder than the other instruments during "Greatest Story Ever Told."

"They Love Each Other" has some forgotten lyrics, but Jerry Garcia's vocal is really sweet at times. Brent's keyboard is still louder than the other instruments.

"Cassidy" With Lyrics By John Barlow

By the time the band got to "Cassidy," the mix seems about right. "Cassidy" is one of the best songs the band ever did, with wonderful lyrics written by John Barlow. The lyrics start off with, "I have seen where the wolf has slept by the silver stream/I can tell by the mark he left you were in his dream/Ah, child of countless trees/Ah, child of boundless seas/What you are, what you're meant to be."

(While Robert Hunter wrote most of the lyrics to the songs that Jerry Garcia sang, John Barlow wrote the majority of lyrics for songs that Bob Weir sang lead on.)

The first CD also features an excellent rendition of "Jack A Roe," with playful guitar work by Jerry Garcia, and a really nice "Dire Wolf." There is also the always beautiful "Looks Like Rain." This version is somewhat relaxed, with an easy feel and flow.

"Let It Grow"

The highlight of the first CD is "Let It Grow." This is an excellent version. Bob Weir's vocals on this night were so clear and heartfelt, especially in the quieter moments. He's not straining at all. And Jerry's guitar work is incredible. The whole band kicks this song into high gear on the jams.

The first CD ends with a really good version of "Deal." This version has high energy, especially toward the end of the song, in the jam section.

The second CD opens with "New Minglewood Blues," and once again the mix seems a bit odd. Bob's vocals and Brent's keyboards are louder than everything else.

"High Time"

"High Time" is really nice, though creeping into Jerry's voice are hints of the strain that would be obvious a few years later. But it works for this song.

"Lost Sailor"/"Saint Of Circumstance"

The second disc also features a pair of tunes from the previous year's studio release, Go To Heaven. The first, "Lost Sailor," is a nice mellow song. This slides into "Saint Of Circumstance." "This must be heaven" is the first line of this song, and it's the way many fans felt at Dead concerts.

"Saint Of Circumstance" also has the wonderful line, "I'm still walking, so I'm sure that I can dance." This is an excellent version of the song, with a tremendous build, and that wonderful burst through onto a higher plateau.

Second Disc Has Hidden Bonus Material

"Saint Of Circumstance" is only 6:35 long, but there are thirty-six minutes left on the track when the song finishes. After a minute of silence, the hidden track starts. It's "Scarlet Begonias" with a fantastic jam leading of course into "Fire On The Mountain." The jam out of "Scarlet Begonias" might be the best thing on this entire album. It's incredible.

"He's Gone" Dedicated To Bobby Sands

The third disc starts with "He's Gone." Bob Weir introduces it by saying, "This one is for Bobby Sands." Bobby Sands died the day before this concert while on a hunger strike. Bobby Sands was the leader of that hunger strike, in which Irish prisoners protested against the removal of Special Category Status. They wanted to be classed as political prisoners and not as criminals.

This version is a bit messy at times, but the end of the song is excellent, when it's mostly the vocals. "Nothing's gonna bring him back."

The third disc also contains a wonderful lively version of "Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad" and a rousing rendition of "Good Lovin.'" The encore that night was "Don't Ease Me In." Brent's keyboard work on this song was always fun. This is a good, rockin' song to make everyone feel great - an excellent way to end the night.

Grateful Dead Band Members
The Grateful Dead at the time of this recording were Jerry Garcia on guitar and vocals, Bob Weir on guitar and vocals, Phil Lesh on bass, Bill Kreutzmann on drums, Mickey Hart on drums, and Brent Mydland on keyboards and vocals.

Brent Mydland had been with the band only two years at this point. Word has it that he would never stop feeling like the new guy, even though he played with the band longer than any other keyboardist.

CD Track List
The following is the track list for Grateful Dead's Dick's Picks Volume Thirteen:

CD One:

1. Alabama Getaway >
2. Greatest Story Ever Told
3. They Love Each Other
4. Cassidy
5. Jack A Roe
6. Little Red Rooster
7. Dire Wolf
8. Looks Like Rain
9. Big Railroad Blues
10. Let It Grow>
11. Deal
    

CD Two:

1. New Minglewood Blues
2. High Time >
3. Lost Sailor >
4. Saint Of Circumstance
   

CD Three:

1. He's Gone
2. Caution/Spanish Jam >
3. Drums >
4. Jam >
5. The Other One >
6. Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad >
7. Wharf Rat >
8. Good Lovin'
9. Don't Ease Me In
   

Dick's Picks is a series of live recordings started by the Grateful Dead's tape archivist, Dick Latvala. Many of them contain complete concerts. Volume Ten contains nearly the entire concert the Grateful Dead performed at The Winterland on December 29, 1977. Volume Fifteen contains the entire show the Grateful Dead performed at Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey on September 3, 1977.

Grateful Dead: "Dick's Picks Volume Twelve" (1998) CD Review

This three-disc set contains most of the second set from June 26, 1974, and the entire second set from June 28, 1974. It also contains "Seastones" (also called "Phil And Ned"), which was performed between the first and second sets on June 28th. These two concerts were right in the middle of the Wall Of Sound year.

The first disc contains most of the second set that the Grateful Dead performed at Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island on June 26, 1974.

Phil Lesh Featured On "China Cat Sunflower"

It starts with a mellow jam led by the guitars and bass, with bits of piano. There are almost no drums in this jam. That leads to a wonderful version of "China Cat Sunflower." It's a prime example of how Phil Lesh played his bass like another lead guitar. The bass is just excellent. Bill Kreutzmann's drumming is particularly good too. Jerry Garcia's vocals sound a bit strange. That was par for the course in 1974. Something about the Wall Of Sound speaker system made the vocals often sound a bit odd.

"Mind Left Body Jam"

On the liner notes, the third track is listed as "Mind Left Body Jam," but on the back of the CD it's listed as "Mud Love Buddy Jam." But as it goes right into "China Cat Sunflower," tapers didn't list this as a separate song at all. And what it really sounds like is an "Uncle John's Band Jam." Well, regardless of what it's called, it leads into a nice version of "China Cat Sunflower."

After that, the band does a little bit of the "Beer Barrel Polka." Yes, roll out the barrel, but it's an instrumental version - no lyrics. The Dead were clearly in a good, goofy mood.

"Truckin'"

They next played a nice, big, monstrous version of "Truckin'" with a great jam. That led into just a moment of "The Other One," and then into an excellent "Spanish Jam." This jam also has hints of "The Other One" a little way into it. This jam gets odd and spacey.

The first disc ends with good versions of "Wharf Rat" and "Sugar Magnolia."

Second Disc Starts With "Eyes Of The World"

The second disc starts with the encore from June 26, 1974. And that encore is an incredible version of "Eyes Of The World." Everything sounds perfect and clear. This is such a beautiful song. The jam is phenomenal, with Phil's bass once again taking another lead position. There is a section of the jam that is excellent, which they later stopped playing. But the version here is complete, and Bill's loose jazzy drum rolls during that part are incredible. Oddly, this version ends right after that section.

"Seastones"

"Seastones" is a strange instrumental improvisational piece that Phil Lesh and Ned Lagin performed between the first and second sets. On audience tapes it's generally referred to as "Phil & Ned." But they did release an album titled "Seastones," which is why it's labeled as such on this CD.

The piece is mostly feedback and odd sounds. It's not melodic at all. It is similar to the "Space" section of later concerts. It's only four and a half minutes long.

"Sugar Magnolia"

The second disc has another version of "Sugar Magnolia." Yes, they played it at two consecutive shows. But this version is different from that played on the 26th. This time they don't go right into the "Sunshine Daydream" section of the song, but rather go right into "Scarlet Begonias." "Scarlet Begonias" is a bit messy at the start, but the song was still relatively new. At this point, they were still singing, "Once in a while you can show 'em the light" rather than the later "Once in a while you can get shown the light." The jam is really nice.

The second disc also contains really pretty versions of "To Lay Me Down" and "Row Jimmy."

Third Disc Features Excellent "Weather Report Suite"

The third disc opens with "Weather Report Suite," a song that wasn't done all that much in its entirety. Later, only the third section, titled "Let It Grow," was performed in concert. But here is the full song, and it's a wonderful version. The jam is great.

Oddly, the second track is "Mind Left Body Jam," at least at the beginning, but it isn't labeled as such. This jam also contains hints of "Dark Star." This jam gets crazy and wonderful. It's almost twenty-eight minutes long.

The third disc also features a pretty fun version of "U.S. Blues" and a nice energetic wild version of "Sunshine Daydream," helped by Donna Jean Godchaux's vocals.

The third disc ends with the encore, a beautiful rendition of "Ship Of Fools." There is actually also some funny stage banter before the band launches into the song.

CD Track List

CD One:

1. Jam >
2. China Cat Sunflower >
3. Mud Love Buddy Jam >
4. I Know You Rider
5. Beer Barrel Polka
6. Truckin' >
7. Other One Jam >
8. Spanish Jam >
9. Wharf Rat >
10. Sugar Magnolia
    

CD Two:

1. Eyes Of The World
2. Seastones
3. Sugar Magnolia >
4. Scarlet Begonias
5. Big River
6. To Lay Me Down
7. Me & My Uncle
8. Row Jimmy
   

CD Three:

1. Weather Report Suite >
2. Jam
3. U.S. Blues
4. Promised Land >
5. Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad >
6. Sunshine Daydream
7. Ship Of Fools
   

The "Dick's Picks" series was started in 1993 by official tape archivist Dick Latvala. Dick's Picks Volume Thirteen contains the entire concert from May 6, 1981. There were thirty-six volumes in all, released from 1993 through 2005. In more recent years, a new series of live recordings titled "Road Trips" has taken its place.