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Grateful Dead
Dick's Picks 36
September 21, 1972 - Philadelphia, PA
September 3, 1972 - Boulder, CO
(Grateful Dead)
The Music Box's #6 specialty package for 2005
First Appeared in The Music Box, December 2005, Volume 12, #12
Written by John Metzger
In the 3½ years that separated its phenomenal string of shows at the Fillmore
West in February 1969 and its Fall tour in September 1972, the Grateful Dead
underwent an enormous period of transition that found it building upon, rather
than sacrificing, its artistic credibility. In that time, the group not only had
crafted its two undisputed classic albums Workingman’s Dead and
American Beauty, but as was evidenced by the music performed during its
jaunt to Europe in Spring 1972, the ensemble also successfully had combined the
various strands of its explorations and had seamlessly blended its newfound
emphasis upon songwriting into its mind-bending sojourns. Indeed, the Grateful
Dead was an unstoppable force, and even the declining health of keyboard player
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan did little to slow its momentum. In September 1971, the
ensemble had added pianist Keith Godchaux to its line-up, and by the time that
McKernan retired the following June, Godchaux already was leaving his own mark
on the band’s material.
The latest installment of the ever-expanding Dick’s Picks collection
of two-track, live recordings captures the Grateful Dead in all its glory at a
concert held at Philadelphia’s Spectrum on September 21, 1972. Forever a
favorite within the tape trading community, the show had been earmarked for
release by series’ founder Dick Latvala prior to his passing. Its centerpiece —
a gorgeous, 37-minute Dark Star that turned playfully jazzy before
tumbling through the farthest reaches of space, free-falling into a lovely
melodic jam, and settling into the haunted, anguished strains of Morning Dew
— is likely the primary reason, though the rest of the four-disc set — which
also includes nearly an hour’s worth of material from the band’s
weather-altering performance in Boulder, Colorado on September 3, 1972 — is
stuffed to the brim with equally worthy fare. Indeed, the ensemble not only gave
its country cover tunes a thorough workout, whipping the chugging rhythmic
groove of Johnny Cash’s Big River into a delectable slice of cowboy funk
and transforming Marty Robbins’ El Paso into a whirlwind tour of the open
range, but it also placed a jaunty spin upon Ramble on Rose and twisted
Cumberland Blues, its own ditty for the workingman, into a frenzied
tangle of twirling guitars.
Much of the concert featured on Dick’s Picks, Volume 36, however,
focused upon the Grateful Dead’s unparalleled ability to push rock music to its
absolute limit, and the band wasted little time in pursuing its ambitious
objectives. Although it was only the second tune to be performed at the show,
Bird Song provided a glimpse at the vast terrain that the ensemble would
traverse over the course of the evening, and while Bob Weir’s angular riffs
relentlessly teased and taunted the melody, Jerry Garcia’s serpentine lead
darted through the center of Phil Lesh’s coiling bass lines. Elsewhere, a sturdy
rendition of He’s Gone drifted deliberately through a gospel-blues jam
before diving into the rambunctious refrains of Truckin’; Playing in
the Band, which was colored as much by Godchaux’s stylish piano
accompaniment as it was by Garcia’s probing and puissant soloing, mutated into a
burbling jazz-fusion epic; and despite its relaxed and easy-going gait, China
Cat Sunflower also packed quite a punch as Weir and Garcia allowed their
contrapuntal melodies to tug and pull on one another as the song seamlessly slid
into the rolling locomotion of I Know You Rider.
Given the well-warranted buzz that has surrounded the Grateful Dead’s
issuance of the 10-disc box set Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings
as well as its accompanying three-CD distillation Fillmore West 1969,
it’s likely that Dick’s Picks, Volume 36 will become lost in the shuffle
of the band’s 40th anniversary celebration. Nevertheless, it’s a
remarkable endeavor that certainly ranks alongside this year’s gem from 1989
Truckin’ Up to Buffalo, if not the superlative 1977 show featured on
Dick’s Picks, Volume 34, or the extraordinary highlights featured on The
Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack. Indeed, it’s been a terrific year to be a
Deadhead.  ½
Dick's Picks 36 is not currently available from standard retail outlets.
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 © 2005
The Music Box
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