Grateful Dead
Dave's Picks Volume 21


4.5
superb

Review

by wham49 USER (8 Reviews)
February 3rd, 2017 | 47 replies


Release Date: 2017 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Dave's picks 21 is a great show from a peak time in the Dead's history. It is the Dead turning over a new leaf after 5 years of touring on great music. This show features many new songs that are starting to take their turn in key spots in the 3 set show

There are certain time periods in the annals of Grateful Dead music that is held in higher regards than others; 1973 fits the bill as one of the more innovative, progressive periods. Let me set the stage, the Grateful Dead has just had one of the best 5 years runs of any band ever, the mammoth 3 set live shows that already had the reputation as being the best in music, the critically acclaimed albums of folk rock, along with some of the wildest experimental music made at that time. The triumphant return home from a legendary tour of Europe in “72”, and a 3 disc release from the best of the tour. You would think that they would put their feet up for a while and bask in their own glory, but you would be Dead wrong. They sit down and work up many new songs that would soon become Wake of the Flood and launch into a spring tour that would become legend, with many new songs that will be concert staples for decades to come.

That is where we find them, smack dab in the middle of said tour. They have always been a spring band, a good chunk of their best shows have come in the spring. On this cold spring night we find them in the venerable old venue, a favorite for the band, the Boston Garden. Needless to say that the building has seen its share of impressive accomplishments, and this show will take a back seat to none of them. The show on April 2, 1973, which makes up the 21st volume of the spectacular series of archival shows dug up by the very knowledge Dave Lemieux, aptly titled Dave’s picks is a monster in every sense. First, the length at 34 songs, some clocking in at 11-12 minutes is astonishing, even for a band that routinely play for 3 hours plus. Next, the set list and lastly, and most importantly, the playing on said set list.

It seems to be a pretty typical first set from Jerry and the boys, 14 quicker rock songs and ballads meant to set the mood and get the band and audience loosened up for the jump into the stratosphere in sets 2 and 3. The difference tonight is the tight playing on everybody's part, from the first bars of Promised Land the show has a great energy, and it is evident that they are raring to go. The set ends with a newer Bobby Weir rythem guitar and songwriter's song Playing in the Band which gets the first extended treatment of the night at a neat 17 minutes. This year Bob Weir is getting much more time at the mic on tour, He has penned some great songs for the new album and released his first “solo” album in “72” which was basically a Dead album with Bobby singing all the songs. They cover many of them on this night. Sets 2 and 3 are spectacular in their delivery and the fact that you will not hear an Other One or Dark Star, probably the first shows since early “67” that that has happened. But what you do get is some early versions of future classics such as Here Comes Sunshine, Stella Blue, a very brief Weather Report Suite, and one of my personal faves Eyes of the World.

This is a different version of the Dead, they packed away the previous version on getting back from Europe, and it was needed, Part of it may be due to the fact that they lost a founding member of the band from liver failure, just a month prior. Ron "Pigpen" McKernan bluesman extraordinaire had been the reason they started playing rock music, and although his part had diminished as the years progressed, he still was one of the boys, and a crucial one at that. This show packed in most of the new songs from the last 2 years and retired some old for a little while anyway, but boy can they still jam.



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user ratings (3)
4.2
excellent

Comments:Add a Comment 
wham49
February 3rd 2017


6341 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

There is a version of the Grateful dead for everybody, whether you are into jazz, rock, folk, bluegrass, experimental, electronica, it is all there somewhere in the realm of the Dead

Titan
February 3rd 2017


24926 Comments


Wham bro always nice to see some Grateful Dead activity on the site. I've never heard this one but that setlist is amazing, will check. Enjoy a pos, but there are a few grammatical errors throughout, if you care. You may also want to be a little more specific (Bobby song, Pigpen) with this band being that the community here are casual fans, if that. That opening paragraph is a monster as well, will probably read a little easier if you break it up. If you are unaware, there is a proofreading thread in the forum.

Good stuff!

manosg
Emeritus
February 3rd 2017


12708 Comments


Always nice to see a Grateful Dead review, pos.

CaliggyJack
February 3rd 2017


10039 Comments


Wham the deadman

pos'd

MotokoKusanagi
February 4th 2017


4290 Comments


nice review wham, hope all is well. i haven't heard this one yet - i'll have to give it a d/l

wham49
February 4th 2017


6341 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Moto man, good to hear from you as well, the jam on Playin is pretty hot

wham49
April 30th 2017


6341 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

volume 22 is coming for me tommorrow, it is a show from 71 and with the bonus disk you get 2 full 3 set shows, cant beat the products that the Dead put out

Titan
April 30th 2017


24926 Comments


so you're 'Waiting for 22' hahaha

killer setlist on that one

wham49
April 30th 2017


6341 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

ya I have a way with words sometimes, not sure about the setlist, supposed to be alot of pigpen tunes, which should be cool

Titan
April 30th 2017


24926 Comments


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave%27s_Picks_Volume_22

wham49
April 30th 2017


6341 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

pig's version of smokestack will be worth the wait, e kills that song. Also the other recent release was their RSD release of a show from 66 in Canada, very good rep of what they were in the early years, amazing how good it was recorded, pigs swirling Hammond always lets you know it is an early release

wham49
June 2nd 2017


6341 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

yo bros the 6 part doc on GD is starting today on Amazon, know what I'm doing this weekend

MotokoKusanagi
June 3rd 2017


4290 Comments


i have the tab open! i heard it's good

Titan
June 3rd 2017


24926 Comments


never watched anything on amazon......need a membership or something?

MotokoKusanagi
June 3rd 2017


4290 Comments


i think prime

wham49
June 5th 2017


6341 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

watched all 6 episodes over the weekend, very good did skip some key members and periods, but it is already over 4 hours, had some retred interviews, but the thing that made this awesome is the footage, much of it never seen. As somebody who has seen everything that is made about the Dead, I knew most of the info , but have not seen half or more of the footage, the last episode, 6 it is is a great piece on Garcia, the weight he carried around as the reluctant leader, episodes 1 and 2 were fantastic. The worst episode is 5, which is mostly about deadheads, as stated in the first episode, "it is hard to be a fan of the dead unless you already are, you need to get past the fans, etc" which is how I think. Most people need to be turned on to the band by someone else. How I got into the band, thanks Chris Bouchards, I played summer baseball with him, he played at Kansas State, is now an agent, gave me my first tapes



titan, you can go to amazon and find it, you can rent it I think, you get it for 30 days, not sure how much they want for it though, as long as you have a amazon account, works just like netflix

wham49
November 7th 2017


6341 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Just signed the paperwork for the 2018 Dave's picks subscription.



nobody puts out better products to their fans then the dead. Everything is top quality, from the packaging, liner notes, and of course the quality of the recording.

MotokoKusanagi
November 11th 2017


4290 Comments


count me jelly

wham49
January 30th 2018


6341 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Happy Dave Day everybody!

got my copy of DAves Picks 25 today in the mail, the first installment of the year; and am listening to set 2 as we speak, awesome show from 11/06/77 Binghamton, the site of another killer show from "70" anyway 77 is a prime period for the dead, getting much more funky, and including a Sublime Scarlet=>Fire which is different from any I have ever heard, and that is a good thing

wham49
February 9th 2018


6341 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

RIP John Perry Barlow, childhood friend of Bob Weir and contributing luracist to the Dead for 20 years with such jems a Throwing stones, feel like a stranger, estimated prophet, hell ina bucket Mexicali Blues, Looks Like Rain, Cassidy, Black throated wind, 4 songs on their last album Built to last, and many others, super cool dude, in his later life was a activist in and around SF, dead at only "70"





Estimated Prophet





My time comin' any day -- don't worry 'bout me, no.

Been so long I felt this way -- I'm in no hurry, no.

Rainbow's end down that highway,

Where ocean breezes blow.

My time comin', the voices say.

They tell me where to go.



Don't worry 'bout me;

No, no, don't worry 'bout me, no.

And I'm in no hurry, no, no, no.

I know where to go.



California! Preaching on the burning shore.

California! I'll be knocking on the golden door.

Like an angel, standing in a shaft of light

Rising up to paradise,

I know I'm gonna shine.



My time comin' any day -- don't worry 'bout me, no. ...

It's goin' to be just like they say. Them voices tell me so.

Seems so long I felt this way, and time sure passes slow.

Still I know I'll lead the way. They tell me where to go.



California! A prophet on the burning shore.

California! I'll be knocking on the golden door.

Like an angel, standing in a shaft of light

Rising up to paradise, I know I'm gonna shine.







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