Dick's Picks Vol. 12

Description

When the most welcome opportunity arose to choose another "blank" volume (that is, never released on vinyl before) from the Dick's Picks catalog, we did our Dead diligence, scouring the many online discussion forums to see which one fans really wanted to see released on LP. It’s not surprising that opinions were varied and vehement... but a consensus emerged that Dick's Picks Vol. 12 – Providence Civic Center 6/26/74 & Boston Garden 6/28/74 was the right choice. This is interesting because this Pick is a bit different, combining the second sets from two different nights instead of offering a single show. But it’s the exception that proves the rule: the playing is so extraordinary and the repertoire so unusual that one can understand why Dick Latvala played here more as a curator than as an archivist. Side A picks up the second set from Providence after three songs, with a short jam leading to what many have called the most extraordinary live version of "China Cat Sunflower" ever recorded, with a sublime transition ("Mud Love Buddy Jam" aka "Mind Left Body Jam") into "I Know You Rider." The revelatory moments continue throughout the Providence set, highlighted by a dazzling 15-minute "Spanish Jam." But the second set of the Boston show – which appears here in full, following a stunning encore performance of "Eyes of the World" from Providence – is the one that has entered legend among Dead fans (a performance of the electronic piece "Seastones" by Phil Lesh and Ned Lagin provides a fitting adventurous interlude). The set features one of the most renowned live jams of the band's career, a 14-minute "Weather Report Suite: Prelude/Pt. 1/Pt. 2-Let It Grow" leading into a 27-minute "Jam" that is simply one of the most ambitious telepathic improvisations ever played by, well, anyone. The fact that this set also includes a separation of the "Sunshine Daydream" section of "Sugar Magnolia" for only the second time is just icing on the cake. This is, of course, a "Wall of Sound" concert, so we are working with a special audio source to start. We therefore enlisted Jeffrey Norman to master the vinyl release from the original tapes (photo on the attached insert), and we brought in Clint Holley and Dave Polster at Well Made Music to cut the lacquers.