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Grateful Dead
Dick's Picks Volume 30
(Grateful Dead)
First Appeared at The Music Box, March 2004, Volume 11, #3
Written by John Metzger
Over the course of its career, the Grateful Dead invited countless artists to
share its stage. Occasionally, there was pure magic such as its collaborations
with Branford Marsalis, Ken Nordine, and members of the Allman Brothers Band.
Sometimes — as in its 1971 appearance with The Beach Boys or its many pairings
with Bob Dylan in 1987 — the result was a train wreck. Most of the time,
however, the unions simply yielded solid performances that casually strolled
along some middle ground. Such was the case with the Grateful Dead’s blues
extravaganza with Bo Diddley that opens Dick’s Picks, Volume 30. Taken
from a March 25, 1972 concert at the Academy of Music in New York City, much of
the mini-set was ragged and rough, although the jam that sat between the soul
groove of I’ve Seen Them All and the harsher edge of Mona eluded
to what could have been, if only this artistic fusion had taken place later in
the show. For what it’s worth, guitarist Jerry Garcia’s mellow, Bay-area vibe
embraced the urban roar of Bo Diddley’s funk-blues while Keith Godchaux did his
best to interject a jazzy air to the proceedings. Still, the Grateful Dead and
Bo Diddley seemed somewhat out of synch, which undoubtedly was due to little or
no pre-show rehearsal.
As for the remainder of the four-disc Dick’s Picks, Volume 30, it
contains a typical, early 1972 concert, featuring one show in its entirety
(March 28) as well as selected segments from two others (March 25 and March 27).
Of interest to collectors is a pair of songs that became closely associated with
Garcia’s side projects (Are You Lonely for Me and How Sweet It Is),
both of which were given admirable treatment in their only incarnations as
Grateful Dead tunes. The more intriguing moments, however, came within the
band’s better known and more frequently performed material. Smokestack
Lightning was a potent distillation of the blues that was filtered through
the group’s surging psychedelic energy while containing hints of the full-force
rhythms commonly found in the ensemble’s excursions through Truckin’ and
The Other One. Each of the two renditions of Playing in the Band
swam away on cosmic currents of percolating rhythms, and Tennessee Jed
soared across the shimmering strains that flew from Garcia’s guitar.
Granted, the sparks didn’t fly at these New York City concerts quite like
they would over the coming months and years. After all, the Grateful Dead was in
period of transition, and the music captured on Dick’s Picks, Volume 30
was culled from what was largely a series of warm-up shows for the group’s
legendary European excursion. That’s not to say, however, that the collection is
entirely devoid of the band’s spacious explorations, but save for a particularly
chaotic rendition of The Other One — near its conclusion, listen for a
brief hint of Let It Grow, which didn’t debut for another 18 months — the
Grateful Dead opted to traverse slightly safer terrain while delivering its own
unique slice of Americana. Be it the gospel hue of Brokedown Palace, the
mournful blues of It Hurts Me Too, the west Texas whirlwind of El Paso,
or the tender balladry of Looks Like Rain, the group put an emphasis upon
its songs instead of its lengthy jams, although that’s still a mighty fine place
for it to focus. 
Dick's Picks Volume 30 is not currently available
from Amazon.com, Amazon-CA, or Amazon-UK. To order, visit the
Grateful Dead Merchandising Site or call 1-800-CAL-DEAD.
Please mention The Music Box when ordering!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2004
The Music Box
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