|
| |
Grateful Dead
Dick's Picks Volume 3
First Appeared in The Music Box,
May 1996, Volume 3, #3
Written by John Metzger
Here's another masterpiece from the vaults. While not a full show, this one, recorded at the
Sportatorium in Pembroke Pines, Florida, comes close. The 1977 period is one of my favorites -- each
show, while containing similar set lists, explodes into the unknown reaches of the Grateful Dead's
musical jams.
The disc opens with a rather short Music Never Stopped that still manages to contain a
tasty jam, while foregoing the space. It's enough to get the band warmed up though, as they launch
into a classic 1977 Sugaree that manages to stretch out to nearly sixteen minutes of
beautiful, lofty, Garcia solos.
Lazy Lightning sets the stage for the later performed Estimated Prophet and then
veers off into a sweet, space-filled jam before concluding with Supplication. A fifteen
minute version of Dancin' in the Street closes out the set, but not the CD. Tacked on the end
is a superbly played trilogy of Help on the Way/Slipknot!/Franklin's Tower that
picks up where the intensely funky jamming of Dancin' leaves off. Phil Lesh leads the way
with a powerful bass line as Garcia's solos power the song into the heavens. Wow!
The second disc begins with the drummers driving Samson and Delilah and Donna taking
control of an extremely pretty Sunrise. Then the highlight of the show begins with
Estimated Prophet. This song clicked for the band right from the beginning, and in the span of
three months blossomed into the masterpiece performed here. Garcia's guitar sets the tone with a
drifting, reggae solo that pushes the boundaries of the song's structure. He floats the song right
into Eyes of the World, picking up the pace a bit for a bouncing bit of lounge jazz,
Garcia-style. Weir provides excellent rhythm guitar work that fits perfectly with Garcia's cheerful
playing. This slowly meanders away before quietly drifting into a magnificently played Wharf Rat.
Garcia drives this one with his inspirational playing and singing. What makes this version even more
unique is the way it takes an extreme left turn into the middle section of Terrapin Station.
This is the only time the Dead pulled this one off, starting the song from the Inspiration
verse. At first, I thought this was a weird tape splice, but it flows too tightly, and archivist
Dick Latvala has stated that this is the way it was performed. As if this isn't enough, the final
Terrapin jam trails into a powerful Morning Dew that is certain to top your list of
favorites. Garcia takes this one from monumental peaks down to a whisper and back for a blistering
ending. 
½
This disc is available from Amazon.com.
To order,
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
This disc is available from Grateful Dead Merchandising!
To order,
Click Here or call 1-800-CAL-DEAD!
Please tell them we sent you.
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 1996
The Music Box
|
