THE "ACOUSTIC" SET

DICK'S PICKS VOL. 8

HARPUR COLLEGE
5/2/70


(By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6237237)

I KNOW, I KNOW. YOU'RE RIGHT. TECHNICALLY DP VOL. 8 is a 3 CD set. The first devoted to the acoustic portion of the concert followed by 2 electric sets. But I have always severed the acoustic program from the electric one, at least for this show. As did the tapers and traders before me.

It's just more fun that way, especially given the multi-faceted nature of the 1970 tour: marathon shows extending for four and five hours; an "Evening with the Grateful Dead & Friends" meaning that New Riders of the Purple Sage--their hippie spin-off country band--were the frequent opening act. With Weir pitching in on harmonies, Lesh bass and Garcia seemingly teaching himself pedal steel in front of a paying audience each night, they were fellow travellers both to the "Lost Highway" offered by Hank Williams and of Gram Parsons, another "long hair" who labelled his breed of country music as "American Cosmic." This was the beginnings of "alt-country" music and should never be forgotten.

'70 the Dead would play a very loose acoustic set following the Purple Sage, covering the same sonic terrain albeit with better original songs and far more verve and charisma. Some nights were shambolic. As if they had never even started out as jugband folkies. As if they had just discovered a Martin, or never practiced Everly Brothers harmonies.

But on nights like this one the alchemy turns into gold before your ears and you are transported into a realm they could never visit again. Exactly a decade later a similar parlor trick would be performed again in New York state, during their famous [[]]anniversary concert runs at Radio City Music Hall in the Big Apple. And while those shows have merits galore, none of those unplugged segments evoke the untamed skronk of 1970, which are devoid of any professional sheen. (By contrast the 1980 Grateful Dead might as well be quasi jazz musicians, their level of proficiency an universe away.)

Harpur '70 acoustic is a thoroughly enjoyable souvenir of a more primal if not primitive style. Wonderfully independent of what followed the rest of the night,, while remaining a dazzling warmup to those proceedings. The hippie banter between band and audience doesn't wear on you much even after repeated listening. Weir and Garcia were incapable of matching Crosby, Stills & Nash in or out of a recording studio(although all those layers and layers of vocal harmonies heard on Workingman's 

Dead and Ameirican Beauty ain't bad), but that night it was all "ragged but right." 

"Feel" is the key word here. The performance vibes with it from start to finish. You'll lament the cut version of "Canydman." Other acoustic versions from 1969-70 match or surpass the "Friend of the Devil," "Dire Wolf," "Uncle John's Band" and "Deep Elem Blues" offered here. But I can't recall a more cohesive set than this one, unified by the mystery of "feel." And the highlights are superlative. Rarely performed as a stand-alone number, "I Know You Rider" is such a convincing sensation that you wish that it could have been made into a staple. Meaning you won't miss "China Cat" at all.

Garcia sang a great "Black Peter" at every stage of his career. the 5/2/70 is so lyrical and so beautiful it has few rivals. It easily overtakes you. 

The "trickiness" of "Cumberland Blues" and my general unhappiness with the way they performed it  is a subject for another time. But the 5/2/70 has a satisfying bite and snarl, even before the unexpected intrusion of an electric guitar uplifts this rendition. Another all-time favorite.

And those and more are the reasons why the 5/2/70 acoustic hooks me so. And I hope you as well.