''Dick's Picks Volume 25'' is a four-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 was recorded on May 10, 1978 at Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...

and on May 11, 1978 at the

Springfield Civic Center Arena The MassMutual Center (formerly Springfield Civic Center) is a multi-purpose arena and convention center complex located in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, in the city's Metro Center. The arena opened in 1972 and the conventio ...

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is the most populous city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, and its county seat. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ea ...

. It was released on July 20, 2002. ''Dick's Picks Volume 25'' was the first Grateful Dead album to include a cover version of the

Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer and songwriter. His most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", "Lawyers, Guns and Money" and "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner". All t ...

song "

Werewolves of London "Werewolves of London" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon, written by Zevon, LeRoy Marinell and Waddy Wachtel. It first appeared on '' Excitable Boy'' (1978), Zevon's third studio album, then it was released as a s ...

Enclosure

The album includes an eight-page booklet. The first two pages on the inside feature a collage of three images: a large black-and-white photograph of Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, a small photograph of some sound equipment, and a small, colorful drawing of a three-dimensional checkerboard motif with stars on top and musical notes at the bottom surrounding a red and blue heart with a white lightning bolt in the center. The middle two pages contain a color photograph by Jim Anderson of the entire band on stage, and the last two pages list the contents of and credits for the release, along with a large black-and-white photo of the band on stage.

Caveat emptor

Each volume of ''Dick's Picks'' has its own "

caveat emptor ''Caveat emptor'' (; from ''caveat'', "may he/she beware", a subjunctive form of ''cavēre'', "to beware" + ''ēmptor'', "buyer") is Latin for "Let the buyer beware". It has become a proverb in English. Generally, ''caveat emptor'' is the contra ...

" label, advising the listener of the sound quality of the recording. The one for ''Volume 25'' reads: "''Dick's Picks 25'' was mastered from the original analog 2-track tapes, recorded live at 7.5 ips and 15 ips, and may exhibit some minor effects of the ravages of time. However, the music contained on these four discs is quite remarkable, and by far makes up for any slight anomalies in the recording. Enjoy."

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 ...

, Lindsay Planer said, "Luckily, tape archivist David Lemieux chose not only two of the better shows from 978 but also a pair that had not fallen prey to international CD bootleggers or otherwise been widely liberated into tapers' circles.... Easily discernible are the jazz-influenced elements that musically motivated and seamlessly pair older tunes such as "Scarlet Begonias" and "Eyes of the World" with more recent material such as "Fire on the Mountain" or "Estimated Prophet", respectively." In ''The Music Box'', John Metzger wrote, "There must have been something funny in the air – or perhaps the backstage punch bowl – for the Grateful Dead's performances on May 10–11, 1978. The band members were all a little more playful than usual on each of these consecutive nights in New England, and the music – most of which is contained on the 25th edition of the ''Dick's Picks'' series – ran the gamut from strangely sloppy to fiercely fervent.... In other words, ''Dick's Picks, Volume 25'' showcases the fine line between chaos and structure that the Grateful Dead so often tread."

Track listing

''Dick's Picks Volume 25'' contains most of both concerts. Not included from the May 10 show at the New Haven Coliseum are "It Must Have Been the Roses" and "U.S. Blues". Omitted from the May 11 show at the Springfield Civic Center are "Mexicali Blues", "Mama Tried", and "Peggy-O". Disc one :''May 10, 1978 – first set:'' #"

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 ...

" (

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 ...

, Robert Hunter) – 6:51 #"They Love Each Other" (

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 ...

, Hunter) – 7:45 #" Cassidy" (Weir,

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 ...

) – 5:22 #"Ramble on Rose" (Garcia, Hunter) – 7:00 #"

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 ...

" ( John Phillips) – 3:00 > #" 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. ...

) – 6:56 #"

Peggy-O The Bonnie Lass o' Fyvie (Roud # 545) is a Scottish folk song about a thwarted romance between a soldier and a woman. Like many folk songs, the authorship is unattributed, there is no strict version of the lyrics, and it is often referred to by it ...

" (traditional, arranged by Grateful Dead) – 7:52 #"Let It Grow" (Weir, Barlow) – 9:40 > #"Deal" (Garcia, Hunter) – 7:05 :''May 10, 1978 – second set:'' #

"Bertha" (Garcia, Hunter) – 8:07 > #"

Good Lovin' "Good Lovin" is a song written by Rudy Clark and Arthur Resnick that was a #1 hit single for the Young Rascals in 1966. Original version The song was first recorded by Lemme B. Good (stage name of singer Limmie Snell) in March 1965 and writ ...

" (

Rudy Clark Rudolph Clark (October 29, 1935 – September 3, 2020) was an American songwriter credited with hit songs such as " If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody", " Got My Mind Set on You", "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)", and "Good Lovin' " ( ...

Artie Resnick Arthur Resnick (born 1937) is an American songwriter, record producer and musician. His most successful songs as a writer include "Under the Boardwalk" (co-written with Kenny Young), "Good Lovin'" (co-written with Rudy Clark), and " Yummy Yummy ...

) – 6:20 Disc two #"Estimated Prophet" (Weir, Barlow) – 12:04 > #"Eyes of the World" (Garcia, Hunter) – 12:18 > #"Drums" (

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 ...

) – 18:00 > #"The Other One" (Weir, Kreutzmann) – 16:31 > #"Wharf Rat" (Garcia, Hunter) – 10:14 > #"

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) – 9:33 Disc three :''May 11, 1978 – first set:'' #" Cold Rain and Snow" (traditional, arranged by Grateful Dead) – 7:03 #"

Beat It On Down the Line "Beat It Down the Line" is a country-blues song written by Jesse Fuller and first recorded in 1961. The lyrics mention "Joe Brown's Coal Mine", which refer to Joseph E. Brown, four times governor of Georgia and president of the Dade Coal Company wh ...

" (

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 ...

) – 3:31 #"

Friend of the Devil "Friend of the Devil" is a song recorded by the Grateful Dead. The music was written by Jerry Garcia and John Dawson and the lyrics are by Robert Hunter. It is the second track of the Dead's 1970 album '' American Beauty''. Like most of ''Amer ...

" (Garcia, John Dawson, Hunter) – 8:36 #"Looks Like Rain" (Weir, Barlow) – 9:13 #"Loser" (Garcia, Hunter) – 7:48 #"New Minglewood Blues" (traditional, arranged by Weir) – 5:47 #"Tennessee Jed" (Garcia, Hunter) – 8:47 #"Lazy Lightnin'" (Weir, Barlow) – 3:21 > #"Supplication" (Weir, Barlow) – 6:31 :''May 11, 1978 – second set:'' #

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 ...

" (Garcia, Hunter) – 9:41 > #" Fire on the Mountain" (Hart, Hunter) – 8:35 Disc four #"

Dancing in the Street "Dancing in the Street" is a song written by Marvin Gaye, William Stevenson, and Ivy Jo Hunter. It first became popular in 1964 when recorded by Martha and the Vandellas whose version reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart for two ...

s" (

William "Mickey" Stevenson William "Mickey" Stevenson (born January 4, 1937) is an American former songwriter and record producer for the Motown group of labels from the early days of Berry Gordy's company until 1967. Life and career He was born William Stevenson and, a ...

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...

Ivy Jo Hunter George Ivy Hunter (August 28, 1940 – October 6, 2022), known as Ivy Jo Hunter, was an American R&B songwriter, record producer and singer, most associated with his work for Motown in the 1960s. Life and career Raised in Detroit, Michigan ...

) – 15:12 > #"Drums" (Hart, Kreutzmann) – 19:53 > #" Not Fade Away" (

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...

Norman Petty Norman Petty (May 25, 1927 – August 15, 1984) was an American musician, record producer, publisher, and radio station owner. He is considered to be one of the founding fathers of early rock & roll. With Vi Ann Petty—his wife and vocalist—he ...

) – 10:21 > #"Stella Blue" (Garcia, Hunter) – 8:56 > #"

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 ...

" (

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 ...

) – 9:15 :''May 11, 1978 – encore:'' #

" (LeRoy Marinell,

Waddy Wachtel Robert "Waddy" Wachtel (born May 24, 1947) is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work. Wachtel has worked as session musician for other artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Beth Hart, Stevie Nicks, Miranda ...

) – 8:30 #"

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 ...

" (Berry) – 4:15

Personnel

Grateful Dead *

–

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

–

rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a guitar technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse (music), pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., d ...

, vocals *

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 ...

–

electric bass The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an electric but with a longer neck and scale leng ...

, 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 ...

–

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

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 *

–

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

– drums Production *

Owsley Stanley Augustus Owsley Stanley III (January 19, 1935 – March 12, 2011) was an American-Australian audio engineer and clandestine chemist. He was a key figure in the San Francisco Bay Area hippie movement during the 1960s and played a pivotal role ...

– recording (New Haven) *

Betty Cantor-Jackson Betty Cantor-Jackson (born September 18, 1948) is an American audio engineer and producer. She is best known for her work recording live concerts for the Grateful Dead from the late 1960s to the early 1980s, including live album '' Cornell 5/8/77' ...

– recording (Springfield) *Jeffrey Norman – mastering *

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 ...

– tape archivist * David Lemieux – tape archivist *Eileen Law – archival research *Jim Anderson – photography *Robert Minkin – package design, photography

Notes

{{Authority control 25 2002 live albums