Grateful Dead

Dick's Picks

Vol. 5: Oakland Auditorium Arena, Oakland

Dec 26, 1979

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Show Notes

Dick's Picks 05

12/26/79: Oakland Auditorium Arena, Oakland, CA

  • first Brokedown Palace since 10/14/77
  • first Uncle John's Band since 10/6/77


Dick's Picks, Volume 5 is a fine portrait of the band in this period. Significantly, it is the first release in the series that presents a complete show from start to finish, and so the first to show how a Dead show told the whole story - the nice gradual exposition, the plot getting more complex, the suspense building to a fever pitch, and the big, happy ending. As on all the Dick's Picks releases, you're hearing this stuff just as they played it, no overdubs, no cosmetic repairs, no studio trickery. There are, in other words, mistakes! But the Grateful Dead, on a good night, had a way of turning straw into gold, and what mistakes are here are indicative of the bracing recklessness that characterized the Dead at their best. There are times, especially in this show's amazing second set, when you get that scary/exhilarating feeling of being in a car with no brakes, careening down a preposterously twisty mountain road fraught with hairpin turns and no guard rail, clinging to the faith that you'll get to the bottom in one piece. There are times where the music seems destined to rip apart at the seams, only to coalesce into something utterly startling in its power and clarity. Take, for example, a sequence coming out of "Estimated Prophet," that you're sure is going to segué into "Terrapin Station," but instead turns into a completely over-the-top jam that sounds like a little like a bluegrass tune gone mad, with musical references to everything from John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" to Isaac Hayes' "Theme From Shaft". And if you're a lover of that quintessential Phil Lesh moment known to fans as "dropping The Bomb," you'll be pleased to know that this set features one of the more spectacular and surprising examples of the species.

Musicians

  • Jerry Garcia - lead guitar, vocals
  • Mickey Hart - drums
  • Bill Kreutzmann - drums
  • Phil Lesh - bass
  • Brent Mydland - keyboards, vocals
  • Bob Weir - guitar, vocals

Credits

  • Recorded by - Betty Cantor-Jackson
  • Tape Archivist - Dick Latvala
  • CD mastering - Jeffrey Norman
  • Photography - Jay Blakesberg

 

Reviews

Glenn 8/3/2022 7:15:48 AM

"Spectacular performance. From the opening notes to close of each set, there is a purpose, intensity, and at time searing quality to each song. Possibly the best Alabama Getaway ever, certainly that I had the pleasure to see in person. Second set is seamless, building into a wild pre drum’s crescendo. One of my all time favorites. First night of my first ever “run” of shows. "

Products

Setlist at Dick's Picks, Vol. 5: Oakland Auditorium Arena, Oakland, CA on Dec 26, 1979

Set One

Cold Rain & Snow 404

88263-TRACK

C.C. Rider 404

88264-TRACK

Dire Wolf 238

88265-TRACK

Me & My Uncle 179

88266-TRACK

Big River 359

88267-TRACK

Brown-Eyed Women 320

88268-TRACK

New Minglewood Blues 461

88269-TRACK

Friend Of The Devil 578

88270-TRACK

Looks Like Rain 494

88271-TRACK

Alabama Getaway 418

88272-TRACK

Promised Land 266

88273-TRACK

Set Two

Uncle John's Band 614

88274-TRACK

Estimated Prophet 851

88275-TRACK

Jam 1 362

88276-TRACK

He's Gone 603

88277-TRACK

The Other One 518

88278-TRACK

Drums 363

88279-TRACK

Drums 262

88280-TRACK

Jam 2 363

88281-TRACK

Not Fade Away 712

88282-TRACK

Brokedown Palace 289

88283-TRACK

Around and Around 237

88284-TRACK

Johnny B. Goode 268

88285-TRACK

Encore

Shakedown Street 832

88286-TRACK

Uncle John's Band 175

88287-TRACK

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