Pickin' on Dave

    In 2012 the Grateful Dead’s Archivist, David Lemieux, kicked off the follow-up to the acclaimed Dick’s Picks Series: Dave’s Picks.  I’m writing this now because the 18th volume of the series, from 1976-07-17 (with bonus disc from the previous night), should be arriving today and I figured this was as good a time as any to take a look at the rest of the series.  I actually started a review of DaP 10 (handy abbreviation) before I took my own little hiatus from blogging, which I wisely discarded because it was looking way too long-winded (this one got away from me too).  So here I’ll just go over some of the background info, and then just point out some of the more notable parts of the series.

    While this is the successor the the Dick’s Picks series, between the final one of those and the first Dave’s Picks, there was the Road Trips series.  While Dick’s Picks did not always release entire shows, it typically would release the majority of a couple shows.  Road Trips, however, would focus on a period of time, like Winter of ‘68 or November of ‘79, and release some choice selections from a few shows.  Some of the Road Trips really are spectacular, but Dave Lemieux, when given his big chance, decided he wanted to only release full shows, which I have to agree with.  I’m far from the first Dead Head to say that each show has its own unique contours and timeline, and the setlist develops organically.  So while you most certainly can skip ahead to “Weather Report Suite > Dark Star . China Doll” (Dap 9), it’s much better to see how they arrived at that conclusion and what other musical events shaped the setlist up to this point.

    All (most?) of these release have been mixed by Jeffrey Norman, who at this point is probably the most knowledgeable person when it comes to the sounds the Dead can make.  He really has a masterful touch, and is one of the main reasons this series has been so successful.  DiP and the Road Trips both varied in sound quality, sometimes rather noticeably, but DaP has been consistently incredible.  Unfortunately we did not benefit from this with the first four releases, because we didn’t buy any of those.  Three of the four are available as soundboards from the Archive, but the fourth only has a single audience recording. After missing four stellar shows at the highest possible quality, we sign up for the yearly subscription every year now, which also means we get a bonus disc with the second one of each year!

    So let’s take this from the top and work our way down.  Like I said, I’ll only go over the notable parts of the releases, but for a lot of these that might mean talking about just about every song!

Dave’s Picks 1 (1977-05-25)

• One of the best shows of May ‘77 if you ask me, and a great start to the series.
• Pretty standard first set for the era, meaning all great performances.
• Second set for the ages; we should send this into space.
• Not the longest “Scarlet > Fire,” but definitely one of the best.  I love this era because the transition into “Fire” was still so new, and you know that almost no one in the crowd even knew there was such a thing as “Fire on the Mountain.”
• If the closing jam on “Fire” doesn’t melt your face, your sound system isn’t on.
• By the books “Estimated,” with a great transition into “He’s Gone.”
• My version has a sudden cut between “He’s Gone” and “Drums,” I wonder what I’m missing…
• You all know how much I love “The Other One,” and this is the perfect example of why.
• The only thing I love more than “The Other One” is “The Other One > Wharf Rat,” and boy do they do that.
• The only thing I love more than “The Other One > Wharf Rat” is “The Other One > Wharf Rat > The Other One,” and holy crap do they do that one too!

Dave’s Picks 2 (1974-07-31)

• ‘74 is sometimes my favorite year, especially these big summer shows.
• This is maximum Phil, the Phillest “Eyes of the World” there has ever been.
• Seriously, this “Eyes” is lethal if you’re unprepared for it.  Phil will mess you up.
• The rest of the band is also on fire, especially Keith and Jerry.
• This era is may be the best for Keith.
• Not sure how many times we they played “Spanish Jam” and “Mind Left Body Jam” in the same show, but it should have been more often than it was either way.
• This one came with a bonus disc from 1974-07-29, which is maybe a better show?  Discuss amongst yourselves.
• My dad was there and they did an epic “Spanish Jam > Wharf Rat” that was also released on the 2011 30 Days of Dead on Dead.net.
• The show also (not on the disc) features the best “El Paso” the Dead ever did.

Dave’s Picks 3 (1971-10-22 & 21)

• From Keith’s first tour with the band.
• They added the excerpt from the previous night because Dave felt bad about it only being two discs.
• This means we get “That’s It For The Other One” AND “Dark Star,” which is a good thing.
• Keith must’ve had a different piano at this point, because it sounds...chunkier than the one he brought to Europe.  But still beautiful!
• Keith should not be allowed to use the organ, it is not his forte, though I can see why they thought it was a good idea with Pig Pen gone for the tour.
• Everything’s good, but not as good as it would be in a few months.
• Keith is responsible for “Playing in the Band” turning into a psychedelic monster.
• “Dark Star > Sittin’ On Top of the World > Dark Star” is one of my favorite “Dark Star” sandwiches.
• Rare “St. Stephen” with Keith, pre-hiatus.

Dave’s Picks 4 (1976-09-24)

• This one only has an audience recording (6/10-ish quality for an aud), so if anyone has the official one let me know and maybe we can work something out?
• I really like a lot of ‘76 and pretty much anything from September on is great stuff, this included.
• Really cool “Playing in the Band > Supplication > Playing in the Band”!
• There aren’t enough “Might as Well”s in the world.
• Great “Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Drums > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower > Music Never Stopped” transition!
• “Help > Slip!”is pretty standard (really good, really weird), but it gets even weirder when they come back into “Slip!”; they take it at its normal speed, but then do the “Slip!” riff more times than normal and at double speed!
• Rare second set “Music,” but ‘76 versions are always too short.

Dave’s Picks 5 (1973-11-17)

• Fall of ‘73 is one of the best periods of Dead music there ever was.
• Pretty famous show, one I had in my collection already, but this is much better sound quality.
• Great “Here Comes Sunshine” and “China > Rider,” both at their ‘73 best.
• I wish the Dead did “The Race is On” more often than they did; great song!
• Probably the best version of “Playing in the Band > Uncle John’s Band > Morning Dew > Uncle John’s Band > Playing in the Band” that there is.
• Not as good as DaP 2, but this one still has a solid “Eyes” with a nice transition into “Sugar Magnolia.”

Dave’s Picks 6 (1969-12-20 / 1970-02-02) plus Bonus Disc (1969-12-21)

• Strange collection of dates, but all really good shows!
• Three versions of “Mason’s Children,” which not everyone appreciated.
• But I did!  Especially the “St. Stephen > Mason’s Children” transition from the ‘70 show.
• Whole lot of Pig Pen!  Some real monster “Lovelight”s, including one where Pig Pen imparted some wisdom to us for what to do when a woman who won’t leave you alone: “You get her in the bed and you fuck her ‘til her legs turn red!”  What a poet.
• Really everything here is as good as it gets for this era, with some early versions of soon-to-be-classics and really evolved versions of the psychedelic monsters from the previous years.
• “Good Lovin’ > Drums > The Other One > Cumberland Blues” is not to be missed, gotta love that bonus disc!
• TC really shines in late ‘69, makes me think he could have become even better if he didn’t want to do his artsy things and not do acid.

Dave’s Picks 7 (1978-04-24)

• I think this show is great, but is not as great as some of the the others in the series.
• Sound quality on this one and the next ‘78 release are both 10/10, you can hear the fabric of their pants rustle as they scratch their asses between songs.
• Whole first set is really hot.
• “Ramble on Rose” is really big.
• “Staying Alive” teases in “Me and My Uncle,” pretty fun.
• One of the best “Music Never Stopped”s; some “soulful asides” from Bobby and Donna (they were on cocaine and had a lot to say).
• EPIC “Scarlet > Fire,” put this on your Must Listen List.
• Third disc kind of lets down the album.  Not bad by any stretch, they just sound like they left a lot of energy behind in the first two discs.
• “Drums” in ‘78 involved everyone in the band and its extended family banging pots and pans together while making gorilla noises, which is fun for a bit, but a little much for 15-ish minutes.

Dave’s Picks 8 (1980-11-30)

• The only 80’s release, and it’s barely in the 80’s.
• When this came out I wasn’t big on 1980 as a year for the Dead, but have since found a lot of other great shows, which gives this one more perspective.
• Relatively famous show in some circles, for good reason.
• Matrix recording instead of pure soundboard, met with varying levels of approval; sounds different in different contexts (ear buds, headphones, stereo, etc.)
• Another great “Scarlet > Fire” to prove that Dave is really obsessed with that pairing (3 out of 8 Picks so far).
• Synth intro to “The Wheel” is divisive among the Heads, but I like it.

Dave’s Picks 9 (1974-05-14)

• Only Dead show from Montana, but not sure what that means.
• Also, over 20% of Dave’s Picks are from ‘74.  Dave’s a great guy.
• “Scarlet Begonias > It Must Have Been the Roses” is good, but not as good as “Scarlet > Fire.”
• Really big “Playing in the Band,” exactly what you sign up for with the Wall of Sound.
• They kind of flub the reprise, but what can you do, right?
• “Weather Report Suite > Dark Star > China Doll” is obviously the meat of the show.  You can only imagine what it must have been like in the Field House with the Wall in such a small place.
• I love that they turned “WRS” into such a launching pad for these big jams from late ’73 - ‘74.  So many good ones: this, Dick’s Picks 14, maybe another Dave’s Picks….
• They somehow manage to play regular rock and roll after shattering the universe, just like the Dead are supposed to.

Dave’s Picks 10 (1969-12-12) plus Bonus Disc (1969-12-11)

• Very similar to DaP 6, maybe better?
• TC is once again killing it in late ‘69.
• I now wish I had kept the notes I had already made on this show.
• MONSTER of a “Lovelight,” all hail Pig Pen.
• The whole show really is fantastic, especially the early versions of what soon became staple in the repertoire, but the feature of the show is the “Alligator > Caution > Feedback > We Bid You Goodnight.”
• I always had a recording of just this progression on some strange CD, but I’m not sure if everyone is as familiar with it.
• If you are not familiar with it, you have to listen to it because it will make your life objectively better.
• Bonus Disc is also very good, but I hate how the list the tracks for “St. Stephen > The Eleven,” they mark the change way too late.

Dave’s Picks 11 (1972-11-17 & 15)

• I’d like to note that Dick’s Picks 11 was also from the fall of ‘72.  This is either intentional and clever, or coincidental and confusing.
• When ‘74 and ‘73 aren’t my favorite Dead eras, it’s usually fall of ‘72, and this is one of the many reasons why.
• The show was from Kansas, and the cover art is Wizard of Oz-esque.  When it finally arrived, the cover was in black and white and the inside was in color!
• Some people didn’t get it…
• Once again Dave felt bad that not all discs were filled up, so he added a 30-minute “Playing in the Band” to the third disc...God bless you, Dave.
• The whole show is really excellent, so it’s hard to pick out just a few stand-out performances.
• Let’s leave it at “Bird Song,” “Box of Rain,” “China > Rider,” and the entirety of the second and third discs.
• Maybe the best “He’s Gone” of ‘72?  Definitely way more expansive than any of the Europe versions, and seems more mature from even the two months prior to this show.
• “The Other One” isn’t as good as 1972-09-15 (swoon), but it’s not fooling around either.
• More jazzy and spacey than primal and ferocious.
• In my opinion maybe they should play “Dark Star” if that’s how they feel, but I literally can’t complain.

Dave’s Picks 12 (1977-11-04 & 2)

• I love this one, definitely one of my favorite Dave’s Picks.  Some people, including me, do point out, however, that Keith is not at his best in this show.  The rest of the band, though…
• Also, maybe the best Dave’s Picks cover art?  I got my friend a shirt of it, but I wish I had kept it myself.
• This time Dave filled two discs, but felt guilty that it wasn’t three, so he added an entire third disc!  What a guy!
• Gotta love “Dupree’s Diamond Blues,” especially the later versions.  Sure the acoustic ones from ‘69 are fun and cute, but the later ones are funky!
• ‘77 and ‘78 “Let it Grow”s were pretty awesome too, especially this one.
• Phil is moved to give the band goofy introductions at the start of the second set.
• The whole second disc.
• This “Playing in the Band > Eyes of the World” is one of the Grateful Deadest things there is, I mean just listen to Jerry!!
• “Eyes > Estimated” is always a fun subversion of expectations.
• This “The Other One” is going to beat you up and steal your lunch money.  It’s only a little over four minutes, which is appallingly short, but it kicks ass!
• As I may have mentioned, I’m not wild about “Stella Blue,” but this one is so beautiful, and anything that goes back into “Playing” gets pretty wild.
• The stuff from the Seneca show isn’t as good, in my opinion, but is still definitely worth listening to.

Dave’s Picks 13 (1974-02-24)

• I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY FINALLY RELEASED THIS!
• Seriously, if you don’t have this show in your collection I don’t know what you’re doing.
• They started ‘74 with three shows at Winterland, this being the third.  The second night is really good too, but this is clearly the best of the three.
• Best of the year?  I don’t know, but it’s up there.
• Honestly, listen to the whole show, it’s all the best.  The highlights are obvious and really everything is a highlight.
• It’s pointless to debate the best “Dark Star,” and it’s pointless to debate the best “Morning Dew,” but this is the best “Dark Star > Morning Dew.”
• “Spanish jam” tease in “Dark Star.”
• The night before’s “The Other One” also has a “Slipknot!” tease from Jerry, but that’s not on this release...
• I repeat, listen to this show!

Dave’s Picks 14 (1972-03-26) and Bonus Disc (1972-03-27 & 21)

• Right before the band went to Europe, they stopped at the American Academy of Music just to show everyone that they were about to blow all those European minds.
• Again, Keith is responsible for making “Playing in the Band” a psychedelic beast.
• Bless his heart.
• First disc is excellent, second disc should be classified as a drug.
• One of those discs that you can listen to on its own on repeat and never get tired of.
• Allegedly the first real post “Truckin’” jam that goes way out there and doesn’t return to the “Truckin’” theme.
• ‘72 “The Other One”s are probably the best ones.
• When they came back from Europe I think they got even tighter, though.
• I want to be upset that they separate “The Other One” and “Wharf Rat” on discs 2 and 3, but it’s all so good I can’t hold it against Dave.
• I bet it hurt him to do it too.
• If only Pig had stuck around long enough to give us more of “The Stranger (Two Souls in Communion).”  It’s such a beautiful song and I bet it only would have matured into something even better.
• Bonus Disc is great, with a much more straight-forward “Truckin’ > Drums > The Other One > Wharf Rat,” that sounds like it almost goes into “Me & My Uncle” too.

Dave’s Picks 15 (1978-04-22)

• From the show before DaP 18, which is an interesting choice.
• I like this one better.
• The sound quality on this one might be the best of all the Picks.
• I dare you to find a single mistake in this whole show, I DARE YOU.
• Seriously, every song on here is a contender for best version of that particular song.
• “Looks Like Rain,” “Tennessee Jed,” and “Jack Straw,” might actually be the best versions.
• Maybe my favorite “Estimated > Eyes,” depending on the day.  I truly love the “Estimated” outro though, Jerry is some kind of monster.
• “Not Fade Away > Wharf Rat > Sugar Magnolia”  will drop your jaw.

Dave’s Picks 16 (1973-03-28)

• Spring of ‘73 is an incredibly interesting period for the Dead, growing from the late ‘72 sound towards what would become ‘74 with the Wall of Sound.
• A sad time too, with Pig Pen’s death.
• I don’t know how they played all these songs in one show, but it must have been a loooong night!
• I like the later, more fleshed-out versions of “Here Comes Sunshine” better, but this one is fun.
• Donna sings “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” which is also fun!
• Epic “China > Rider.”
• While the first two discs are filled to the brim with greatness, the third disc is another in the category of “practically a drug.”
• They only play the instrumental intro to “Weather Report,” and it’s cool to see how that Bobby-tuning-ditty turned into a real song.
• One of the darkest of the “Dark Stars,” and also one of the Phillest.  Has anyone checked to make sure Springfield wasn’t actually leveled in ‘73??
• A great early “Eyes” out of “Dark Star” isn’t too surprising, but to close the show by going into “Playing”??  Incredible.  They just didn’t want to stop playing (ha)!

Dave’s Picks 17 (1974-07-19)

• Much harder to compare to its contemporary (DaP 2) than the ‘78 shows were.
• I had this in my collection already, so I personally like it better, but cannot be objective.
• Keith’s birthday, and he’s playing like it too!
• It’s really everything good about summer with the Wall of Sound, everything sounds so big and it’s all so goddam good!
• Only mistake I can find is in “He’s Gone,” but the rest is so good you quickly forget it happened.
• Yes, they include “Seastones,” and I know why that’s a problem for some of you.  This is really the most listenable version there is, though (damning with faint praise or praising with hints of damnation?), and I listen to it each time I play the record.
• If Dave includes it, it’s worth checking out.
• Another sonic journey with its roots in “Weather Report Suite,” definitely one of the best.
• In fact, “Weather Report Suite > Jam > Eyes of the World > China Doll” is as ‘74 as it gets in the Dead world, and I could listen to it forever.  If you don't love '74 "Eyes," I don't know what to do with you.
• Could probably be called "Weather Report Suite > Jam > Spanish Jam > Eyes of the World," what do you think?  Seems like a little much, but I think you all should know about "Spanish Jam."
• After a typo, I now think "Sane-ish Jam" would be a fun name, but I'm getting pretty slap-happy here.

    Alright, that was a lot longer than I envisioned, but I’m not going back!  I was going to include a snippet about DaP 18, but then I wrote a stand-alone review for it, which is really what I should have done for these, but there’s just no time now.  My plan is stay on top of the new releases as they come out, so hopefully I’ll never have to do this again!  That means you should keep your eye out for July ‘78’s review!

    As always, let me know what you think!  Did I miss something about one of these?  Are they not all great?  What should the next one be??  Also, follow the blog on Facebook and Twitter if you want to know what’s coming out when, or if you want to hassle me outside the blog!