Grateful Dead

Oh, the wait is over!And a very pleasant surprise, too, I think. Yes? Keith's keys suffered in the mix on some previous '71 releases, (yes, I'm looking at you Dick's Picks 2) so this is a vital reason for release. Thanks Dave and co.

I am thankful for any release from any era...HOWEVER I would only spend $$$ for stuff from '80 - '81 or '92 - '95.

With the pending release of Dave's Pick #3, being relatively soon. That leaves only one more release from Dave's Picks, for this year. Thats alot of time............. If your not to busy, perhaps 6 releases, at which, every era can be reached each year. It comes up Golden Yummies for everyone, once a year. David....Thanks for any and all releases. Jay Doublu

Who would spend $$$ for shows from '92-'95? These shows from '71, etc., are liquid gold and far more difficult to get in hi-qual. Then there's the integrity of the musicianship, energy of the newly refurbished band, and great new songs as well.

Nottwo - I've always wondered what the hell was up with the mix on Dix pix 2. It's a great disc (the long solo on Sugar Mag is one of my all time fave Jerry moments) but you can't hear Keith at all. 71 is a sacred year - always cause for celebration when something is released from that time. Keep em coming, Dave and co!

Or at least this segment from the show impressed me. I never had this show before, so I'm glad 10/22/71 has been released. I'm sure I'll enjoy the full release.Thank you very much. Actually I was thinking Dave's Picks Vol 3 would be from 1968 or 1969 or even 1970, I'll gladly take this one plus the 10/21/71 performances.

The listening party includes a hidden gem of Black Peter if you keep listening after Comes a Time. Sounds great too, Jerry's really pushing his voice during the verses of Comes A Time, it sounds great to my ears, although some will surely squabble.

nice! always love '71 releases. there are a few already (DP2 and 35, Road Trips 1.3 and 3.2, Download Series 3, Three from the Vault, and Ladies and Gentlemen...) but this is such a great era that there's no such thing as too much. and when talking about versions of the other one the fellas really 'attacked,' one need look no further than Berkeley 8/14/71. check out that version, it explodes then steamrolls through the aural cosmos...

Comes a time is one of my favorites! I much prefer the slower songs and will really tune in to listen to jerry's voice and soul.-From listening to it somewhat before I go to work, there is enough in the first 2 min's of come/time for me to get excited about hearing the rest when I get home! The band was young and fruitful :) ~Cheers and have a grateful day avalon

Who would waste money on the old slow sound of the dead, it sounds like there is not much behind it , it would put you to sleep !!!!!!!! I think it was the 80s is when they sounded their best !!!!!! I think the first volume of Daves picks had a lot more energy then the last two, put out more recordings of the later years much better sound !!!!!!!!

My opinion on the releasing of three '70s DP is heavily influenced by two things and I think many will agree with my sentiments: One: '68-'78 covers so many unique versions of the band, as well as having a magically new sound with each year, they just played so much amazing music. Two: These years are also more challenging and vital to restore and present in these beautiful packages, most of the archival stuff from '79-'80 onwards was fairly clean and tidy given the transition to digital, so they are safer and more freely available. I am so relieved this Pick is another early gem. I hope the next is '68. Bless.

We all have our favorite years and periods, no doubt. And all years have their choice offerings. But for me personally, the tightness and energy of the earlier years float my boat. Though my touring years started in 1979, and I saw some truly epic shows along my journey, the Grateful Dead I fell in love with came earlier. Post '79, I was witness, as so many of us were, to the slow decline of the Grateful Dead as a "tight" band. They became increasingly more "sloppy", less focused. They could still pull out all the stops and blow the roof off the place, but something essential had been lost. Jerry's voice started to go, he had both health and drug problems that were starting to take a serious toll (as did other members of the band). Don't misunderstand me, I love so many shows from those eras, too. And I buy them all as well since there is still so much to love there. But many of those shows also remind me of the forward momentum that was lost as the 70's gave way to the 80's and into the 90's. What if this band had maintained its tightness? I'm surprised to read folks complaining about 70's releases. It was the band's peak before health and substance abuse put so many bumps in the road of their incredibly long, strange trip. The beauty of Garcia's voice, the delicacy of Keith's playing (a level of delicacy they never recaptured in the post-Keith eras). It doesn't have to be your favorite, but slow and lacking in energy? Nothing could be farther from the truth. This music is vibrant, soulful, exploratory, daring and oh-so-heartfelt. It's the Grateful Dead. Doing what they do best. At their best. I'll buy those 80's and 90's releases when they're offered, but I celebrate these 70's releases with sweet relish and delight. Few things in life make me happier. Thanks, Dave, for making these shows available. My life is that much richer for it. :)

Thanks Dave for Vol#03, a '71 show sounding clear as a bell with spot on crisp playin'. Listened to 10/21/71 set#2 last night as a pre-primer, a great Dark Star is coming our way ! (~):E

...it's just that I have amassed such an abundance of it, that I'm looking forward to less-than or unrepresented years. We have five '71 releases, but zero '65 - '67, '84, '86 and '94 - '95 releases. The more I contemplate this release from 10/22/71, the more eager I am to hear it when it arrives in my mailbox, even if this is the 28th of the last 28 releases to be from the '71 - '76 era.

This sounds good to me! I've never heard that 4th forgotten verse of Comes A Time. So excited to hear the rest of the release. Very thoughtful post below, Hal M. I concur with your points :)

Hal_M -- I always enjoy your posts, and I mostly agree with them. Just one tiny quibble. We certainly agree on the best music of the Dead, but you always describe the best years as "tight" and the lesser years as "less tight". Just a matter of semantics, but I would describe the "tightest" playing beginning with 1977. From then on, they stay pretty dang tight through the end, to my ears, and the music suffers accordingly. True enough, the 70-76 years are filled with nights that seem to just crystallize into a perfection that sounds "tight", but it seems to me that was never the Dead's intention. The best years are where they play "loose"! Take 2/14/68 or the Fillmore West '69 shows- it almost sounds like they are playing deliberately, aggressively sloppy!- but it's also some of their greatest and most inspired music. Most of 1970 and fall '73 scream "looseness"! Sorry, I'm just rambling, cuz I'm excited about the new DaP3! Anyways, we love the same stuff!

My favorite aspect of the Grateful Dead and how it relates to their approach to music, is that everybody who ever performed onstage with them at any given time throughout the bands 30 year career had the freedom to translate their parts to the songs in their own unique way. For instance, the original core of Jerry, Bob, Phil, Pigpen and Bill will always be "The" Grateful Dead. Whether these 5 members in specific performed together during '65-'67 and the brief stint after Mickey's departure in '71, they always stayed true to their roots in this incarnation. Beyond that, the subsequent variety of musicians who played with the band, pre-hiatus, whether they were full time members, or the wide variety of guests who recorded, toured or even just sat in for a few shows, consequentially added to the inevitable refinement in the overall sound. Bringing Mickey and Tom Constanten into the mix enhanced the bands sound, for better or worse, depending how picky you might be and your own personal taste, added the experimental nature that stayed with them to the end. The various personnel changes starting with Keith's enterance in October '71 was a necessary evil, if you are of the view that the Dead were terrible after that time in history. For me, I chalk it up to the natural process of evolution, on a musical level. We should feel fortunate that the band lasted as long as they did. Many of their contemporaries from the '60s died young afetr very brief careers, and we'll never know what they would have sounded like 25, 30 years later, let alone until now, nearly 50 years out from 1965. Thats why I love all era's of the Dead. ................................................................... I have to come clean and admit though, that I can't say the same for too many other bands from that era who are still around and have always toured at some capacity. The Stones lost me after Exile On Main Street. Pink Floyd lost me after Roger Waters left. Jefferson Airplane/Starship lost me after Papa John Creach's tenure, in fact, I could have gouged my own ears out everytime "We Built This City" came on the radio every single morning on the way to school in the morning in 11th and 12th grade. Deep Purple on the other hand, they are a band from that era that always, and even still rock, with the exception of that one bad Joe Lynn Turner era album in 1991. The tour was ok, but, he could be the Vince Welnick of Deep Purple....I kid I kid... lol. ;) .................................................................................. I'm now officially and eagerly looking forward to this release from 10/21-22/71 Chicago Theatre, even if I have to wait a little bit longer for the 180 disc Fall '89-Spring '90 super-mega-ultra box set. Just don't limit it's release is all that I ask. ................................................................................... carry on...

Good to see you have cheered up a little I hope your dream comes true. But after all your passionate campaigning, when that 80's and 90's box set eventually emerges, you may be held responsible (for better or worse!) ;-)

Hey all, I signed up for Dave's Picks last November, paid the subscription fee, but have only received Dave's Picks Vol 1. Anyone else have a similar experience? I never got Dave's Picks Vol 2 or the bonus disc for subscribers. Through close to two months, a dozen emails and several phone calls, I haven't been able to get any satisfactory answer to "where is my order", until today, when I was told Dave's Picks Vol 2 is on back order. So I'm a little bit frustrated, and I've asked for a refund. Honestly, I mainly signed up to be a supporter of the larger, ongoing Dead operation. Putting my money where my mouth is, so to speak. It's not like I have any shortage of quality shows to listen to, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on a whole lot by not getting volumes 2, 3, and 4 or the bonus disc. But I am surprised by how shabbily I was treated as a customer. Probably the worst customer service experience I've had, well, ever. Comcast is more responsive. I was told I should get at least a partial refund. So that's something. But I don't think I'll be ordering anything else from Dead.Net in the future... Excited to see Phil, Bobby, and Mickey at All Good, though!

nice, open sound, capturing the cowboy spirit of the breathtakingly brilliant studio gems, American Beauty and Workingman's Dead. Plus...it was recorded on my 4th birthday. 16 mile run on Saturday so I hope this comes before then so I can toss it on my ipod for accompaniment? Sorry to hear about your problems w/ the service Mike V. That sucks.

Love them