Set Lists

2/3/78 Madison, WI 

2/5/78 Cedar Falls, IA 

Dick's Picks 18 review

Dick's Picks Volume 18 is a compilation of live Grateful Dead music from February 3 – 5, 1978. The label states the music is from only two dates, and that is where the majority of the release is from.  However, there are two songs from the February 4 show on disc one.  The February 3, 1978, concert was at the Dane County Coliseum in Madison, WI and the February 5, 1978, concert was at the Uni-Dome in Cedar Falls, IA. 

The first disc is a sampling of set one material from all three dates. It begins and with a few rock ‘n’ roll songs with a mix of styles in between. Particularly noteworthy are: "Bertha” > “Good Lovin'," "All Over Now," and "Looks Like Rain."  Donna gets her turn on "Passenger," a song that features good slide guitar playing by Jerry Garcia. The best part of the first disc is Bob Weir’s "The Music Never Stops."   

Disc 2 Dick's Picks Volume 18 contains a significant portion of the second set from the February 3 concert.  It is missing the first two songs, "Good Lovin’" and "Ship of Fools." However, a great version of "Good Lovin'" is on disc one from the February 5 show.  It is well known what to expect from an "Estimated Prophet” > “Eyes of the World" and this one doesn't disappoint.  It is followed by the most exploratory portion of the release, "Playing in the Band."  This version sandwiches a splendid version of "The Wheel" to add a dynamic dimension to the song. 

The third disc is the complete second set of the February 5 concert.  The "Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire on the Mountain," a standard set opener, is rock solid. Even more impressive is the "Truckin'”  > “The Other One."  They really build the latter song up to a climatic peak and explosion, no wonder we like their music so much! As for the "Around and Around," I do not like how they change tempos at the end. Sure the blistering fast guitar leads are good, but the song flow doesn't work well.  

Dick's Picks 18 is the first live release from 1978. It showcases an awesome representation of the Grateful Dead’s music in that year. However, a few staples of the era such as "Shakedown Street" and "Terrapin Station" are not present.   My opinion is that Grateful Dead Merchandise did a fantastic job selecting the songs to include on this compilation, it's hard not be impressed with Dick’s Picks 18. by Barry Small © 
Grade  A 

Disc 1
  1. Bertha (Garcia / Hunter) - 6:42
 2. Good Lovin' (Clark / Resnick) - 6:14
 3. Cold Rain and Snow (Grateful Dead) - 6:17
 4. New Minglewood Blues (Traditional) - 5:41
 5. They Love Each Other (Garcia / Hunter) - 7:42
 6. It's All Over Now (Womack / Womack) - 7:39
 7. Dupree's Diamond Blues (Garcia / Hunter) - 4:37
 8. Looks Like Rain (Barlow / Weir) - 7:59
 9. Brown Eyed Woman (Garcia / Hunter) - 5:34
10. Passenger (Lesh / Monk) - 5:40
11. Deal (Garcia / Hunter) - 6:34
12. The Music Never Stopped (Barlow / Weir) - 8:06

Disc 2
 1. Estimated Prophet (Barlow / Weir) - 12:16
 2. Eyes of the World (Garcia / Hunter) - 14:37
 3. Playing in the Band (Hart / Hunter / Weir) - 24:356. 
 4. The Wheel (Garcia / Hunter / Kreutzmann) - 5:43
 5. Playing in the Band (Hart / Hunter / Weir) - 9:02
 6. Johnny B. Goode (Berry) - 4:38

Disc 3
 1. Samson and Delilah (Traditional) - 11:21
 2. Scarlet Begonias (Garcia / Hunter) - 12:45
 3. Fire on the Mountain (Hart / Hunter) - 17:03
 4. Truckin' (Garcia /Hunter / Lesh / Weir) - 9:17
 5. Drums (Hart / Kreutzmann) - 1:56
 6. The Other One (Hunter / Weir) - 9:02
 7. Wharf Rat (Garcia / Hunter) - 8:58
 8. Around and Around (Berry) - 8:34

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