''Dave's Picks Volume 34'' is a three-CD live album by the rock band the

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...

. It contains the complete concert recorded on June 23, 1974, at the Jai-Alai Fronton in

Miami, Florida Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

. 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. The album features the first live performance of "

Seastones ''Seastones'' is an album by American composer and musician Ned Lagin. In 1975 Lagin released the quadraphonic sound, quadraphonic album of electronic music, (composed between 1970 and 1974), a small part of the complete ''Seastones'' composition ...

", an experimental electronic music composition by

Ned Lagin Ned Lagin (born March 17, 1948) is an American artist, photographer, scientist, composer, and keyboardist.Ned Lagin interview with David Gans, August 2001 in: Gans, David. Conversations with the Dead, The Grateful Dead Interview Book, Da Capo Pre ...

and

Phil Lesh Philip Chapman Lesh (March 15, 1940 – October 25, 2024) was an American musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he developed a unique style of improvised six-string bass guitar. He was their bassist throughout their 30 ...

. It also includes the Dead's only performance of the

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...

song " Let It Rock". Lagin also played for most of the second set; he did not perform on "Big River," "Uncle John's Band," "One More Saturday Night," or "Casey Jones." The album was originally suggested by former archivist

Dick Latvala Richard Allan Latvala (26 July 1943 – 6 August 1999) was an American tape archivist for the Grateful Dead. He started the CD series ''Dick's Picks'', a series that selects live music from Grateful Dead concerts. The first volume of ''Dick's ...

for inclusion in the "Dicks Picks" series.

Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, Timothy Monger wrote, "Although beset with technical issues and difficult to tour with, their gargantuan sound system on this tour brought a clarity that was unparalleled at the time. Captured from Kidd Candelario's tapes, this complete concert set from June 23, 1974 features highlights of the era..."

Track listing

Disc 1 :''First set:'' # "Ramble On Rose" (

Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician who was the lead guitarist and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence during the counterculture of the 196 ...

, Robert Hunter) – 7:30 # "Black-Throated Wind" (

Bob Weir Robert Hall Weir ( ; né Parber, born October 16, 1947) is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the group disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with the Other Ones, later known as the Dead ...

John Perry Barlow John Perry Barlow (October 3, 1947February 7, 2018) was an American poet, essayist, cattle rancher, and cyberlibertarian political activist who had been associated with both the Democratic and Republican parties. He was also a lyricist for th ...

) – 9:20 # "Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo" (Garcia, Hunter) – 7:49 # "Beat It On Down the Line" (

Jesse Fuller Jesse Fuller (March 12, 1896 – January 29, 1976) was an American one-man band musician, best known for his song "San Francisco Bay Blues". Early life Fuller was born in Jonesboro, Georgia, near Atlanta, United States. He was sent by his moth ...

) – 3:45 # "Row Jimmy" (Garcia, Hunter) – 8:03 # "

Jack Straw John Whitaker Straw (born 3 August 1946) is a British politician who served in the Cabinet from 1997 to 2010 under the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He held two of the traditional Great Offices of State, as Home Secretar ...

" (Weir, Hunter) – 5:53 # " Let It Rock" (

) – 3:39 # "Cumberland Blues" (Garcia,

, Hunter) – 6:49 # "

El Paso El Paso (; ; or ) is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States. The 2020 United States census, 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the List of ...

" (

Marty Robbins Martin David Robinson (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982), known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American country and western singer and songwriter. He was one of the most popular and successful singers of his genre for most o ...

) – 4:40 # "To Lay Me Down" (Garcia, Hunter) – 8:02 Disc 2 # "Weather Report Suite" (16:31) #* "Prelude" (Weir) #* "Part I" (Weir,

Eric Andersen Eric Andersen (born February 14, 1943) is an American folk music singer-songwriter, who has written songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Linda Ronstadt, the Grateful Dead, Rick Nelson, and many others. Early in his career, ...

) #* "Part II (Let It Grow)" (Weir, Hunter) # "China Doll" (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:43 :''Second set:'' #

" (

, Lesh) – 9:45 # "Jam" (Grateful Dead) – 4:04 # "Ship of Fools" (Garcia, Hunter) – 6:14 # " Big River" (

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

) – 5:19 # "Black Peter" (Garcia, Hunter) – 9:22 Disc 3 # "

Around and Around "Around and Around" is a 1958 rock song written and first recorded by Chuck Berry. It originally appeared under the name "Around & Around" as the B-side to the single "Johnny B. Goode". Cover versions The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stone ...

" (Berry) – 6:06 # "Dark Star Jam" (Garcia,

Mickey Hart Mickey Hart (born Michael Steven Hartman, September 11, 1943) is an American percussionist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 until February 19 ...

Bill Kreutzmann William Kreutzmann Jr. ( ; born May 7, 1946) is an American drummer and founding member of the rock band Grateful Dead. He played with the band for its entire thirty-year career, usually alongside fellow drummer Mickey Hart, and has continued to ...

, Lesh,

Ron "Pigpen" McKernan Ronald Charles McKernan (September 8, 1945 – March 8, 1973), known as Pigpen, was an American musician. He was a founding member of the San Francisco Sound, San Francisco band the Grateful Dead and played in the group from 1965 to 1972. ...

, Weir, Hunter) – 17:37 # "Spanish Jam" (Grateful Dead) – 4:22 # "U.S. Blues" (Garcia, Hunter) – 8:50 # "

Uncle John's Band "Uncle John's Band" is a song by the Grateful Dead that first appeared in their concert setlists in late 1969. The band recorded it for their 1970 album '' Workingman's Dead''. Written by guitarist Jerry Garcia and lyricist Robert Hunter, "Unc ...

" (Garcia, Hunter) – 7:53 # " One More Saturday Night" (Weir) – 6:00 :''Encore:'' #

Casey Jones John Luther "Casey" Jones (March 14, 1864 – April 30, 1900) was an American railroader who was killed when his passenger train collided with a stalled freight train in Vaughan, Mississippi. Jones was a locomotive engineer for the Illinois Cen ...

" (Garcia, Hunter) – 6:48 Dave's Picks 2020 Bonus Disc :''Jai-Alai Fronton, June 22, 1974 – selections:'' # "

Playing in the Band "Playing in the Band" is a song by the Grateful Dead. The lyrics were written by Robert Hunter and rhythm guitarist Bob Weir composed the music, with some assistance from percussionist Mickey Hart. The song first emerged in embryonic form on th ...

" (Weir, Hart, Hunter) – 28:56 # "

China Cat Sunflower "China Cat Sunflower" is a song by the Grateful Dead, which was first recorded for their 1969 studio album '' Aoxomoxoa''. The lyrics were written by Robert Hunter and the music composed by Jerry Garcia. The song was typically sung by Garcia. The ...

" (Garcia, Hunter) – 9:54 # "

I Know You Rider "I Know You Rider" (also "Woman Blues" and "I Know My Rider") is a traditional blues song that has been adapted by numerous artists. It has appeared in folk, country, and rock guises. Blues origins Modern versions can be traced back to Blind Lemo ...

" (traditional, arranged by Grateful Dead) – 5:41 # "Eyes of the World" (Garcia, Hunter) – 15:11 # "Wharf Rat" (Garcia, Hunter) – 10:10 # "

Sugar Magnolia "Sugar Magnolia" is a song by the Grateful Dead. Written by Robert Hunter and Bob Weir, it is one of the most well-known songs by the band, alongside such hits as " Truckin'", " Casey Jones", " Uncle John's Band", " Touch of Grey", and fellow su ...

" (Weir, Hunter) – 8:48 Notes * " Tico-Tico" tuning before "Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo" * The set list for the June 22, 1974 concert at the Jai-Alai Fronton was: :''First set:'' "

Promised Land In the Abrahamic religions, the "Promised Land" ( ) refers to a swath of territory in the Levant that was bestowed upon Abraham and his descendants by God in Abrahamic religions, God. In the context of the Bible, these descendants are originally ...

" · "Bertha" · "Greatest Story Ever Told" · "Deal" · "

Me and Bobby McGee "Me and Bobby McGee" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson and originally performed by Roger Miller. Fred Foster shares the writing credit, as Kristofferson wrote the song based on a suggestion from Foster. A posth ...

" · "

Scarlet Begonias "Scarlet Begonias" is a song by the Grateful Dead. The lyrics were written by Robert Hunter and the music by Jerry Garcia. Background The song begins in Grosvenor Square in London and also references " Tea for Two" from ''No, No, Nanette'' by ...

" · "Jack Straw" · "Loose Lucy" · "Mexicali Blues" · "Sugaree" · "

The Race Is On "The Race Is On" is a song written by Don Rollins (not to be confused with the Don Rollins who co-wrote "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" for Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett) and made a hit on the country music charts by George Jones and on the pop ...

" · "It Must Have Been the Roses" · "Playing in the Band" :''Second set:'' "China Cat Sunflower" · "I Know You Rider" · "

Me and My Uncle "Me and My Uncle", often also written as "Me & My Uncle," is a song composed by John Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas, and popularized in versions by Judy Collins and the Grateful Dead. It relates the journey of a narrator and his uncle from s ...

" · "Ship of Fools" · "El Paso" · "Eyes of the World" · "Wharf Rat" · "Sugar Magnolia" :''Encore:'' "

Johnny B. Goode "Johnny B. Goode" is a song by American musician Chuck Berry, written and sung by Berry in 1958. Released as a Single (music), single in 1958, it peaked at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot R&B Sides chart and number eight on its pre ...

" : Included in Dave's Picks 2020 Bonus Disc : Also on the 1999 album ''

So Many Roads (1965–1995) ''So Many Roads (1965–1995)'' is a five-disc box set by the Grateful Dead. Primarily consisting of concert recordings from different periods of the band's history, it also contains several songs recorded in the studio. All but one of the f ...

Personnel

Grateful Dead *

– guitar, vocals *

Donna Jean Godchaux Donna Jean Thatcher Godchaux-MacKay (born August 22, 1947) is an American singer best known as a member of the rock band the Grateful Dead from 1972 to 1979. In addition to the Dead, she performed with the Jerry Garcia Band and the short-lived ...

– vocals *

Keith Godchaux Keith Richard Godchaux (July 19, 1948 – July 23, 1980) was an American pianist best known for his tenure in the rock group the Grateful Dead from 1971 to 1979. Following their departure from the Dead, he and his wife Donna formed the H ...

– keyboards *

– drums *

– bass, vocals *

– guitar, vocals Additional musicians *

– keyboards on "Seastones" and during the second set Production * Produced by Grateful Dead * Produced for release by David Lemieux * Associate Producers: Ivette Ramos & Doran Tyson * Mastering: Jeffrey Norman * Recording: Kidd Candelario * Art direction, design: Steve Vance * Cover art: Dave Kloc * Photos: Forensicdoceleven * Liner notes essay: David Lemieux

Charts

References

{{Grateful Dead 34 Rhino Entertainment live albums 2020 live albums