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GRATEFUL DEAD
Dick's Picks 30 (Grateful Dead Records)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
The Dick's Picks series is ten years old, and they've picked a dandy to celebrate the occasion. In March of 1972 the Dead played a seven day run at New York's Academy Of Music by way of warm up for their European tour. It was a historic run for a couple of reasons beyond the music, being the first appearance of Donna Jean Godchaux as a member of the band, and the last east coast appearance of Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan.
It's also the first time music from the shows has been circulated in soundboard quality, and the audience tapes of the performances that have made the rounds are generally sub-par, so the chance to get a complete show from the original two track masters is special in itself, and a complete show is what the last three discs of this four disc set offer, presenting 3/28/72 in all its glory.
The first disc can't be overlooked though. Most of it is devoted to the night of 3/25, when the band was joined onstage by the immortal Bo Diddley, who led them through some of his classic songs and an impressive jam, culminating in "Mona." There are also a pair of songs, "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" and "Are You Lonely For Me," that were played that night and never again by the Grateful Dead (although "How Sweet..." would become a Jerry Garcia Band standard). Those tracks give way to Pigpen's last recorded performance of "Smokestack Lightnin'" and a version of "Playing In The Band" from 3/27 that has assumed a legendary spot in the annals of the tune.
That's followed by 27 songs spread over three discs that show off just about every positive quality of the band during one of the peak periods of its lengthy career. Whether Dick's Picks 1-29 are already on your shelves, or you've cherry picked the best of the run, or your collection hasn't been started yet, this is one to get and one to keep.
Disc One: Hey Bo Diddley>I'm A Man>I've Seen Them All>Jam * Mona * How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) * Are You Lonely For Me * Smokestack Lightnin' * Playing In The Band
Disc Two: Truckin' * Tennessee Jed * Chinatown Shuffle * Black-Throated Wind * You Win Again * Mr. Charlie * Mexicali Blues * Brokedown Palace * Next Time You See Me * Cumberland Blues
Disc Three: Looks Like Rain * Big Railroad Blues * El Paso * China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider * Casey Jones * Playing In The Band * Sugaree * The Stranger (Two Souls In Communion)
Disc Four: Sugar Magnolia>The Other One * Hurts Me Too * Not Fade Away>Going Down The Road Feeling Bad>Not Fade Away * Sidewalks Of New York * One More Saturday Night
[Pick this up at http://gdstore.com.]
© 2004 - Shaun Dale