Dick's Picks Vol. 3 - Pembroke Pines, Florida 5/22/77 (Hand-Numbered)＜限定盤＞

This sublime set from the vaults first saw the light in 1995 as Vol. 3 of the Grateful Dead's archived Dick's Picks series. Recorded during what would later be considered one of the finest seasons of their career, this May 1977 show in Pembroke Pines, Florida boasted a wealth of new songs that would soon become hardcore staples of future sets. Two newly introduced Bob Weir songs, "Samson and Delilah" and "Estimated Prophet," grace this set with the latter being one of its brightest highlights. The hours spent in the studio perfecting their forthcoming Arista debut, Terrapin Station, had paid off and the band sounded tighter and more focused than they had in years. A wonderful trilogy of "Help on the Way," "Slipknot!," and "Franklin's Tower" close out the show's first set, occupying nearly 30 minutes and displaying as much muscle as delicacy. Backup singer Donna Godchaux takes a rare lead vocal turn on the astral "Sunrise," while later, the Dead continue to stretch out and develop another cornerstone in the making, "Terrapin Station," the heart of their proggy ninth studio album. Jerry Garcia's "Wharf Rat" flows dreamily down its path and they close out the show with a sprawling, 14-minute "Morning Dew," ebbing and flowing like a hive mind and supporting some truly heroic guitar work. Mixing their creative whimsy with a newfound polish, this is the Dead at one of their career peaks and is not to be missed. ~ Timothy Monger

The third installment in the Grateful Deads Dicks Picks series captures the combo during a mid-70s peak. In fact, for many Deadheads 1977 is considered one of their (if not the) prime years in terms of consistency, stylistic range of material, and available tapes to support these claims. And there is evidence thanks to this double-disc entry featuring excerpts from the bands May 22, 1977, show at the Sportatorium in Pembroke Pines, FL. The lineup that was resurrected post-sabbatical included co-founders Jerry Garcia (lead guitar/vocals), Phil Lesh (bass/vocals), Bob Weir (guitar/vocals), and Bill Kreutzmann (percussion). Plus, Mickey Hart (percussion) is back in the fold and staying for good. Also at the top of their game is the husband-and-wife team of Keith Godchaux (keyboards) and Donna Jean Godchaux (vocals). Although the entire concert is not presented, Dick Latvala -- Dicks Picks namesake and the Grateful Deads tape archivist -- made some choice selections throughout. Even as the set list may seem typical for 1977, each song is performed with the trademark greasy grooves and that almost sacred and unspoken ability for the players to unite and lift well-worn entries such as Sugaree or the driving and admittedly disco-fied revival of Martha & the Vandellas Dancin in the Streets that stretches a quarter-hour. Weirs coupling of Lazy Lightning and Supplication is energetic and adeptly executed. All the more powerful is the Help on the Way>Slipknot!>Franklins Tower trifecta. Garcias excursions during the instrumental Slipknot! are hands-down among the best moments on Dicks Picks, Vol. 3 (1995). The serene Donna Jean Godchaux-penned ballad Sunrise has long been considered one of her finest offerings. The songs haunting subject matter deals metaphorically and indirectly with the loss of Rex Jackson, a Grateful Dead staff member who passed the previous year. His wife, Betty Cantor-Jackson, also deserves props. Her efforts of perpetually perfecting the art of recording the Grateful Dead won her a place in the bands folklore as her reels of oxide-adhered documentation became nicknamed Betty Boards -- which loosely translates as ultra-high-fidelity soundboard recordings. The concluding combination is interesting. It links Estimated Prophet, Eyes of the World, and Wharf Rat to an odd Terrapin Station that omits the usual Lady with a Fan introductory section and concludes with (Walk Me Out in The) Morning Dew. All told, this is nearly an hour of nonstop musical manna for inclined minds. Very keen-eared listeners might detect some slight audio anomalies in the form of fluctuating frequency loss at various points. Those are remnants of the baking procedure that the master tapes had to undergo. Over time the oxide surface that stores the information had become separated from the plastic/Mylar backing. In order to bond the two together, the physical tapes had to be placed in a special kiln-type oven and slowly baked at a very low temperature for an extended period of time. The process success speaks for itself. ~ Lindsay Planer