Dick's Picks Volume 8 is the eighth live album in the Dick's Picks series of releases by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded on May 2, 1970, at Harpur College (now Binghamton University) in Binghamton, New York. It was released in mid-1997.
The album contains the entire concert, except for one song — "Cold Rain and Snow", which was played between "Good Lovin' " and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World". The first two verses of "St. Stephen" are also missing. The first set of the concert was acoustic, and was recorded in stereo. The second and third sets were electric, and were recorded in monaural.
In a 1993 poll of Grateful Dead tape traders, the 5/2/70 show was ranked #6 on the list of all-time favorite Dead concert tapes.Scott, John W; Dolgushkin, Mike; Nixon, Stu. DeadBase VIII: The Complete Guide to Grateful Dead Song Lists, 1994, DeadBase, , p. 356
Caveat emptor Each volume of Dick's Picks has its own "caveat emptor" label, advising the listener of the sound quality of the recording. The label for volume 8 reads:
Enclosure The release includes a single sheet folded in half yielding a four-page booklet. The first page repeats the cover art from the packaging. The second page provides the track list and credits. The third page reprints a stream-of-consciousness-style review of the show by Richard Walinsky originally published in the May 5, 1970, issue of the SUNY Binghamton Colonial News . The fourth page shows a small photo of the band.Enclosure included with Dick's Picks Volume 8, 1997. Quote from Walinsky’s review: "Viola Lee Blues with three buildups, the last ending with people screaming and shouting and Garcia pulling the most phenomenal notes out of one guitar. And We Bid You Goodnight, which they don't stop singing because no one will let them go. [¶] But they do and the concert ends. [¶] Five and one half hours. [¶] It's in the music."
Track listing
Disc one First set: "Don't Ease Me In" (traditional) – 4:38 "I Know You Rider" (traditional) – 7:51 "Friend of the Devil" (Jerry Garcia, John Dawson, Robert Hunter) – 5:57 "Dire Wolf" (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:56 "Beat It on Down the Line" (Jesse Fuller) – 3:13 → "Black Peter" (Garcia, Hunter) – 7:02 "Candyman" (Garcia, Hunter) – 1:43 → "Cumberland Blues" (Garcia, Hunter, Phil Lesh) – 5:47 "Deep Elem Blues" (traditional) – 7:30 "Cold Jordan" (traditional) – 2:35 "Uncle John's Band" (Garcia, Hunter) – 6:28
Disc two Second set: "St. Stephen" (Garcia, Hunter, Lesh) – 3:23 → "Cryptical Envelopment" (Garcia) – 1:54 → "Drums" (Hart, Bill Kreutzmann) – 3:28 → "The Other One" (Bob Weir, Kreutzmann) – 13:56 → "Cryptical Envelopment" (Garcia) – 8:59 → "Cosmic Charlie" (Garcia, Hunter) – 7:23 "Casey Jones" (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:45 "Good Lovin' " (Arthur Resnick, Rudy Clark) – 15:10
Disc three Second set, continued: "It's a Man's World" (James Brown, Betty Jean Newsome) – 10:04 "Dancing in the Streets" (William "Mickey" Stevenson, Marvin Gaye, Ivy Jo Hunter) – 15:42 Third set: "Morning Dew" (Bonnie Dobson, Tim Rose) – 12:40 "Viola Lee Blues" (Noah Lewis) – 16:35 → "We Bid You Goodnight" (traditional) – 4:59
Personnel
Grateful Dead Jerry Garcia – acoustic guitar (first set, except "Cumberland Blues"), lead electric guitar ("Cumberland Blues", second & third sets), vocals Mickey Hart – drums, percussion Bill Kreutzmann – drums, percussion Phil Lesh – electric bass, vocals Ron "Pigpen" McKernan – organ, harmonica, vocals Bob Weir – acoustic guitar (first set), rhythm electric guitar (second & third sets), vocals
Additional musicians John "Marmaduke" Dawson – vocals on "Cold Jordan" David Nelson – acoustic guitar on "Cumberland Blues", mandolin on "Cold Jordan"
Production Bob Matthews – recording Dick Latvala – tape archivist Jeffrey Norman – CD mastering John Cutler – Gecko Graphics – design Morris Zwerman – band photo Richard Walinsky – CD liner notes
Notes