Grateful Dead Dave’s Picks 2019 Subscription

I really enjoyed 20. Just goes to show you how subjective these picks can be.

 

There are undoubtedly better shows in the group’s 30 year history that could have come out but if Dave’s top thirty unreleased shows all come out in the next five or six years, they’re going to be relying on selling lower quality shows after that. If I were in charge I’d just release shows from ‘68 to ‘74 then quit once the stocks were exhausted. I actually like that they have settled on a sustainable model that involves a range of material that prompts opinions and keeps the organisation fuelled.

It’s probably not a question of legacy anymore either as the group’s legacy seems to be assured and healthier than many other well known and deceased bands. Moreover these shows are released in relatively small numbers and and usually contain material that has been around for years in one form or another...

...but just on the issue of legacy, I think a release like DP31 serves a purpose - it offers another perspective as to how they were in late ‘79, doesn’t detract from their legacy, stimulates discussion about the era and hopefully invites people to give their opinions as to the quality of this show, other shows from the era that might be better, and and so on. It certainly does so in The Grateful Thread.

 

Well, I may finally get to hear this Pick and find out how good/bad/indifferent it really is for myself, as I've been in the European UPS/Rhino limbo for the last fortnight...

"Dear Chris,

Good day and thank you for your e-mail.

Upon checking, I can confirm that the Import Charges will be billed to your sender. We already have the reference number. I have forwarded it to the delivery depot. Please expect your parcel to be delivered tomorrow, 13/12/19, between 9:45 and 12:45.

Should you require additional assistance, please let us know.

Kind Regards,
Karen A.

UPS Customer Support"​

I haven't gone back and queried the date, preferring to rely on "tomorrow" as the delivery date, rather than the delivery date of "13/12/19" in European date format!

 

I don't consider that patch "significant." When they had to use an entire Morning Dew from another show, that was significant. To me, 10 seconds or so passes quickly. YMMV.

The "young" comment wasn't directed at you. That was a general statement for those who arrived on the scene when access to music was just a click away.

 

When did they use a Morning Dew from a different show?

 

All these shows are great but 9/7 & 9/8 are favs - densely packed with intricate playing and wonderous. Dick knew what he was talking about.

 

Still, despite all the posters trying really hard to find good things to say about this Pick, it is still obvious that it is a poor choice given what else is available. It isn’t hard to pick out at least 50 potentially better choices, some from the same time period. That’s at least 12 years before this show should have been considered for official release.

 

Agree. Love those shows and very underrated. Would love to see them released one day in a two show format similar to RFK 89.

 

Very good points. The subjectivity of it all is so important. Just because some of us love a show / tour and would love to see it released doesn’t mean DL does and vice versa. Luckily plenty to go around between all the releases and all that’s online.

 

For the 2/28/73 portion of Dicks Picks 28 they used a Morning Dew from June '73 for a patch. It was not the entire Morning Dew (as my previously comment may have inferred).

Dick's Picks v28 patches the cut in Eyes with the one from 2/22 (2:40 to 4:34); and patches Morning Dew with the Dew from 6/29 45 to 1:17).

 

Well, as someone who was unfamiliar with '79 and looking forward to this release, I'd say there are some solid moments, but that this is overall a bit of a letdown for me. Not sure I'd liken it to a turd, but it definitely won't get the continued spins that so many of my other GD releases do. Perhaps making my impression a bit worse is the fact that in spite of receiving delivery a few weeks ago, I just got an invoice from UPS for $90.99!

Following the 3 Dave's Picks and recent boxed set announcement, I'm hankering for some peak era Dead, and desperately hoping #32 will be from '72, '73, or '74. That would go a long way towards renewing my faith and enthusiasm, but time will tell.

 

Dave’s reply; “I’ve got your turd” and sent with his regards. . .

 

Just this AM I was listening to disc 1 from Road Trips 1.4 which is the curated “best of” 10/21/78 and it famously has 2 cuts with audience patches. First one at the end of Sugaree (thankfully NOT during the peak of Jerry’s second solo/improvisation - a peak which is as great as anything any guitarist other than Jerry ever played) - then a BRUTAL cut during the great out solo on Stella Blue. Still this CD is so worthwhile ~75 minutes that contains the Mojo>TOO that is unbearably great. Glad they didn’t get nervous about the patches and went ahead and released this music.

Disc 2 which is the same kind of curation from 10/22/78 is maybe equally great - all-time Scarlet>Fire then a 21 minute NFA that has all kinds of goodies hidden within.

 

This DaP has to be a favor for a friend. It's an OK show but def nothing spectacular and Garcia seems nice and junked out first half of set two.

82 Frost and 85 Hershey still rot away in the vaults. Oh Dave....

 

My biggest beef with 31 is Weir's guitar being very low in the mix.

 

Calling DaP 31 a "turd" is just flat wrong and a lame excuse for criticism. It's def not the worst show in the Dave's series.
If Dave L./GD.org released nothing but A+ shows, we wouldn't even have half of what has been.

 

If only they could mix his vocals as low.

 

Worst Dave’s Picks:

1) 27
2) 31
3) 22 - somewhat weak late 71 shows with crappy upright piano
4) 20 - better than I initially thought but still well below average
5) 24 - due to the overlaid added bass

Best Dave's Picks:

1) 13
2) 9
3) 23
4) 29
5) 21
6) 5
7) 2
8) 15
9) 11
10) 30
11) 14
12) 25
13) 16
14) 8
15) 17
16) 10
17) 6
18) 1
19) 12
20) 7
21) 18
22) 19
23) 28
24) 26

Never heard #3 or #4

The only ones I think any argument that could be made VS. either Dave’s 27 or 31 would be the 1981 show (Dave’s 20), the messed up sounding 8/25/72 show (Dave’s 24) either of the 4 CD late 71 shows (Dave’s 22 and/or 26) or maybe the average 6/17/76 show (Dave’s 28) and an outside shot would be the 1970 Hawaii show due to the lost team on the bonus material - but those last 2 are real stretches. No doubt to this listener that these 2 cassette based recordings are BY FAR the worst sounding of all of the Dave’s Picks (if we forget about Dave’s 24 - but that was a created problem) and neither are exciting performances to these ears.

Sloppy with minimal or even non-peaking improvising.

 

DaP 17 comes to mind. I love 74 but just can’t connect with that show at all

 

I hope 32 is a show everyone hails as brilliant. Can't see anyone, save the rare unsatisfiable grump, not loving a Full Norman of 6/23/74 or 3/31/73.
The negativity and pathos about 31 is a real bummer. Let's move on....

 

I'm flashing back to rec.music.gdead, where a couple of people would complain about conversations about Dick's Picks by number and not including dates. I know the 1st 15 Dick's by number (maybe) as it was all so new and so sporadic you had time to make the association, but I doubt I could get 3 Dave's right by number. I'd probably stand a better chance of looking at untitled artwork, but even with that I'd probably score under 70%.

 

Over 95% of the time that I’ve posted here, I mention the Pick # & the show date. For the above post I didn’t as I did it selfishly to assure myself of how many truly great releases there have been in this series. From 1 through 20 as far as my favorites, not much of a different to me except for style in the quality of those shows except that the ones at the very top for me (top 15) are simply great great shows to my ears.

The next five have all-time high points like the 2/2/70 portion of Dave's 6 or the long jams on Dave’s 10 & the fine bonus disc from 12/11/69, or are very very good shows that are a small notch below great to me (Dave’s 1 from 5/25/77, Dave’s 12 from 11/4/77 & Dave’s 7 from 4/24/78 are all terrific shows but personally they just haven’t connected to me as deeply as the ones above them on my list). After my top 20, all of the remaining shows have some issues - some much more obvious than the others - and I think maybe only Dave’s 18, 22 & 26 are really that much lower from my perspective than what seems to be the overall consensus of Dead listeners - around these parts at least.

 

I dont have to look hard at all. I find it enjoyable.

 

Both of those AUD patches courtesy of Bob Menke. The GDTRFB which follows that NFA is a classic, shaking Winterland down to the foundation stones.

 

Actually not. The soundboard is courtesy of Menke, the AUD patches are from a vault tape