Dave's Picks Volume 1

$27.98
Dave's Picks Volume 1
May 25, 1977

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Dave's Picks Volume 1

Dave's Picks Archival Series Kicks Off With 5/25/77

You’ve all been so patient. It’s been a couple of months since the first mention of the new Dave’s Picks archival release series—created and curated by vaultmeister David Lemieux—and our initial offering, the killer May 25, 1977 Grateful Dead show from The Mosque in Richmond, Virginia. A lot of you have taken advantage of the subscription offer (the year’s four Dave’s Picks releases, plus a bonus disc and free shipping), but many of you preferred to wait and buy the first set individually. Well, your time has come: We are now accepting orders for Dave’s Picks, Volume One, set to ship early February.

Chances are if you’re a Dead Head you’re already well-versed in the glorious spring of 1977. Back a year since their mid-’70s performing hiatus, and fresh from recording their Terrapin Station album in L.A. with producer Keith Olsen, the Dead returned to the road invigorated and excited that spring. There were fantastic new songs (including the “Terrapin Station” suite, “Estimated Prophet” and “Fire on the Mountain”) and their older tunes seemed imbued with new vigor and vitality. Every stop of the tour, which stretched from the third week of April (beginning at the Spectrum in Philadelphia) through the first week in June (back at Winterland in San Francisco), presented some new wrinkle or interesting variation on the repertoire, as songs were moved around, unusual combinations were explored and the septet continue to solidify and mature. Which is a fancy way of saying the band was on fire—y’see, there’s a reason why this is the ninth show from that tour to be released!

The song list from 5/25/77 might not reveal much out of the ordinary (though it’s great selection of tunes), but the playing is definitely extraordinary. The first set contains outstanding versions of favorites such as “Mississippi Half-Step,” “Jack Straw,” “Cassidy” and “Lazy Lightning” > “Supplication.” And the second set is primo-grade ’77 from start to finish. The buoyant “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire on the Mountain” that kicks things off sets the tone, but then the rest of the set is a deftly played medley starting with “Estimated” and moving into “He’s Gone,” a primal drum workout from Mickey and Bill, a heart-pounding version of “The Other One” that’s split by “Wharf Rat” (the only time those songs were played in that sequence), a joyful “Wheel,” and then a double-dose of Chuck Berry to bring it all back to rock ’n’ roll basics. Talk about a thrill ride!

The three-disc Dave’s Picks, Volume One was mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman, includes a colorful booklet with photos and a lively historical essay, and comes in a digipak made of 100% recycled and PCW materials. This and future Dave's Picks releases will be limited to just 12,000 individually numbered copies, so if you don’t want to get gauged on eBay lookin’ for one of these babies in a couple of years, order your copy now! For the complete rundown of what songs appear on which disc, as well as ordering info, click here.

Needless to say, there are many more goodies to come!

— Blair Jackson

NEW INFO ON DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 2

Dave's Picks Volume 2 will feature the complete Grateful Dead performance from the Wall of Sound tour, recorded live on 7/31/74 at Dillon Stadium in Hartford, CT. This was one of the final East Coast appearances by the Grateful Dead for almost two years, and is one of the longest, most exceptionally well-played shows of the entire year. The big jams stand out, of course, including "Weather Report Suite," "Eyes Of The World>China Doll" and "Truckin>several thematic jams," but the smaller songs, like a rare show-opening "Scarlet Begonias," "Mississippi Half-Step," "Big River," "Greatest Story Ever Told," "Uncle John's Band" and countless others are also excellent at this A+ show.

In addition to all the great music, you can look forward to another digipak with trays made of 100% recycled and PCW materials (and of course a booklet featuring a historical essay and photos). Due to popular demand, we'll be using a heavier paper stock for Volume 2 and all the great Dave's Picks releases to come.