Critical reception
Professional ratings| Review scores |
|---|
| Source | Rating |
|---|
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| The Music Box | [3] |
On Allmusic, Lindsay Planer said, "Incrementally, this [lineup of the Grateful Dead] began distancing the band's sound from the R&B-meets-psychedelia of the Ron "Pigpen" McKernan years, as well as the more recent rural twang heard on Workingman's Dead (1970) and American Beauty (1970). Instead, their collective fusion-based explorations continually challenge the musicians, while simultaneously providing fresh extensions and visages on familiar favorites. Nowhere is this more evident than on "Playing in the Band". After introducing the number in their repertoire (circa February of 1971), they cultivated it from a fairly rote and otherwise typical rendering into an unexpurgated show-stopping centerpiece — as shown by the pair of 20-plus minute excursions on Dick's Picks Volume 31. They not only clock in at nearly half an hour apiece, but each is distinctive and examines the Grateful Dead's ability to end up at different places, despite the similarities in the point(s) of departure." [2]
In The Music Box, John Metzger wrote, "Just days before Richard Nixon resigned his position as President of the United States to avoid impeachment, the Grateful Dead unleashed a trio of exhilarating performances in the mid-Atlantic. For certain, 1974 was a magnificent year for the band — even if it was the end of a rather disgraceful era for the country at large — for its mad-scientist amalgamation of country, rock, jazz, and blues blossomed beautifully, and although it soon would take a 20-month sabbatical from touring, its energy remained remarkably high. Indeed, the 31st edition of the esteemed Dick's Picks series culls material from the early August conclusion of the Grateful Dead's summer tour, and although it mixes and matches among the concerts to form what is essentially two shows, it does so in a seamless fashion, providing an intriguing and frequently mind-bending blast through the group's much treasured canon." [3]
Dick's Picks Volume 7 is the seventh live album in the Dick's Picks series of releases by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded on September 9, 10, and 11, 1974 at Alexandra Palace in London, England. It was released in March 1997.
Dick's Picks Volume 1 is the first album in the Dick's Picks series of live releases by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded on December 19, 1973, at Curtis Hixon Hall in Tampa, Florida, and contains a rare recording of the band playing the blues standard "Nobody's Fault but Mine".
Dick's Picks Volume 12 is the 12th live album in the Dick's Picks series of releases by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded on June 26, 1974, at the Providence Civic Center in Rhode Island and on June 28 at the Boston Garden.
The Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack is a five-CD live album by the rock band the Grateful Dead. It was recorded on October 16–20, 1974, and was released on March 15, 2005. The album was remixed from the original 16-track concert soundboard tapes.
Dick's Picks Volume 34 is the 34th installment of the Dick's Pick's series of Grateful Dead concert recordings. It is a three CD set that contains the complete show recorded on November 5, 1977, at the Community War Memorial in Rochester, New York. It also includes additional material recorded on November 2, 1977, at the Seneca College Field House in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Road Trips Volume 1 Number 4 is a two-CD live album by the American rock band the Grateful Dead. The fourth in their "Road Trips" series of albums, it was released on September 30, 2008. It was recorded at the Winterland Arena in San Francisco, California, on October 21 and 22, 1978.
Road Trips Volume 2 Number 1 is two-CD live album by the American rock band the Grateful Dead. The fifth in their "Road Trips" series of albums, it was recorded at Madison Square Garden in New York City on September 18, 19, and 20, 1990. It was released on December 10, 2008.
Road Trips Volume 2 Number 3 is a two-CD live album by the American rock band the Grateful Dead. The seventh in their "Road Trips" series of albums, it was recorded on June 16, 1974, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, and on June 18, 1974, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. A third, bonus disc included with some copies of the album was recorded at the same two concerts. The album was released on June 18, 2009.
Road Trips Volume 3 Number 1 is a two-CD live album by the American rock band the Grateful Dead. The ninth in their "Road Trips" series of albums, it was recorded on December 28, 1979, at the Oakland Auditorium in Oakland, California, and contains the complete show from that date. A third, bonus disc included with some copies of the album was recorded two nights later, December 30, 1979, at the same venue. The album was released on November 10, 2009.
Road Trips Volume 3 Number 2 is two-CD live album by the American rock band the Grateful Dead. The tenth in their "Road Trips" series of albums, it was released on February 24, 2010. It contains the complete concert recorded on November 15, 1971, at Austin Memorial Auditorium in Austin, Texas. This concert was the 16th concert after Keith Godchaux joined the Grateful Dead on piano. Ron "Pigpen" McKernan did not perform at this or any of the October and November, 1971 concerts due to poor health.
Road Trips Volume 4 Number 3 is a live album by the rock band the Grateful Dead. Subtitled Denver '73, it contains the complete concert recorded on November 21, 1973, at Denver Coliseum in Denver, Colorado. It also includes three songs recorded the previous night at the same venue. The 15th of the Road Trips series of archival albums, it was released as a three-disc CD on April 26, 2011.
Dave's Picks Volume 1 is a three-CD live album by the band the Grateful Dead. It was recorded on May 25, 1977, at the Mosque in Richmond, Virginia, and contains the complete concert from that date. It was released on February 1, 2012.
Dave's Picks Volume 2 is a three-CD live album by the band the Grateful Dead. It was recorded on July 31, 1974, at Dillon Stadium in Hartford, Connecticut. It was released on May 1, 2012.
Dave's Picks Volume 12 is a three-CD live album by the rock band the Grateful Dead. It contains the complete concert recorded on November 4, 1977 at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. It was produced as a limited edition of 14,000 numbered copies, and was released by Rhino Records on November 1, 2014. The album also includes over 75 minutes of bonus tracks recorded on November 2, 1977 at a concert at Seneca College in Toronto.
30 Trips Around the Sun is an 80-CD live album, packaged as a box set, by the rock band the Grateful Dead. Announced for the celebration of their 50th anniversary, it consists of 30 complete, previously unreleased concerts, with one show per year from 1966 through 1995. Comprising 73 hours of music, the box set is individually numbered and limited to 6,500 copies. It was released on October 7, 2015.
Dave's Picks Volume 17 is a three-CD live album by the rock band the Grateful Dead. It contains the complete concert recorded on July 19, 1974 at Selland Arena in Fresno, California. It was produced in a limited edition of 16,500 numbered copies, and released on February 1, 2016.
Dave's Picks Volume 25 is a three-CD live album by the rock band the Grateful Dead. It contains the complete concert recorded on November 6, 1977, at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton, New York. It was produced as a limited edition of 18,000 copies, and was released on January 26, 2018.
Pacific Northwest '73–'74: The Complete Recordings is a live album by the rock band the Grateful Dead. It contains six complete concerts recorded in the Pacific Northwest in 1973 and 1974, on 19 CDs. It was released, in a limited edition of 15,000 copies, on September 7, 2018.
Dave's Picks Volume 34 is a three-CD live album by the rock band the Grateful Dead. It contains the complete concert recorded on June 23, 1974, at the Jai-Alai Fronton in Miami, Florida. It also includes a fourth, bonus disc recorded at the same venue the previous night. It was released on May 1, 2020, in a limited edition of 22,000 copies.
In and Out of the Garden: Madison Square Garden '81, '82, '83 is a live album by the rock band the Grateful Dead. Packaged as a box set, it contains six complete concerts on 17 CDs. It was recorded at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1981, 1982, and 1983. It was released on September 23, 2022, in a limited edition of 12,500 numbered copies.
