Grateful Dead* – Dave's Picks, Volume 24 (Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA • 08/25/72)

Dave's Picks Volume 24 is the epitome of everything that I believe both the Dick's Picks and Dave's Picks series seek to achieve. Namely, the release of classic (many times overlooked) shows which were often previously unavailable in their complete form (such as 8/25/72) or were not often traded in soundboard form. As with every release of the Dave's Pick's series, Volume 24 has been meticulously restored, remastered, and given wonderful packaging.
As for the show, certainly the three night run at Berkeley Community Theatre in Berkeley, CA on 8/22 & 8/24, and 8/25/1972 are familiar to hardcore tape traders and fans of the '72-'74 era in particular. These shows featured the Dead performing near their home and at level of intensity and quality that has made 1972 such a legendary year for the band. The performance on Vol. 24 (the last of the three nights: 8/25/1972) is the show which directly preceded the band's unforgettable, legendary benefit gig in Veneta, OR on 8/27/72 which many are familiar with due to the film documenting this historic event and performance, "Sunshine Daydream". So if you've heard the band's 8/27 Veneta, OR performance you should be able to imagine quite accurately what state the band was in just a few days prior on 8/25 in Berkeley.
The band slams through a very solid first set (including a rare little nugget of between song fun "Frozen Logger"). However, set one is highlighted by an excellent "Cold Rain And Snow" opener, a superb "Loser", fiery "Jack Straw", a beautiful '72 "Bird Song" and a wonderful 17 minute "Playing In The Band" which hints at things to come. In reality, there really isn't a weak performance in the first set and due to the fact that "He's Gone" is played third this set has a unique flow.
Set two begins with a rowdy "Bertha" followed by the show's main event: a behemoth "Truckin'" > "The Other One" > "Stella Blue" jam. "Truckin'" is kickass with a frenetic, smokin', climax of pure rock mayhem which descends into the dark, heavy realms of a massive and very exploratory version of "The Other One". The whole band is obviously having a ball, but Phil Lesh in particular lays down some serious power as the band wind and weave through a very acidic, excellent 28 minute "The Other One" which should leave most listeners drained and cosmically altered. This portion of the set is best enjoyed at high volume and in the right frame of mind...if you catch my drift! Coming out of the maelstrom of "The Other One" we get a nice, early rendition of "Stella Blue" sung with much ion by Garcia but not quite as developed as this amazing tune would become over the course of the decade. This is not to say this version of "Stella Blue" is by any means a let down, quite the opposite. It simply must be listened to in the context of the band's history. The band then proceed to rev up their rock 'n' roll engines on their way to Veneta, OR by closing the show with a one-two punch of "One More Saturday Night" and an energetic "Sugar Magnolia" finale. All in all a quintessential example of classic summer of '72 Grateful Dead recorded with much care by Owsley "Bear" Stanley"...
For persons like myself who previously only had 3/4 of this show (my old soundboard tape cuts near the end of "The Other One") I was very happy when I heard this gig had been chosen for release. While in all honesty I do believe the show the night before (8/24) is a bit better than 8/25 I am still glad Dave chose 8/25 as I have the complete 8/24 gig whereas I (and probably many others) was lacking a significant portion of 8/25. And in the end 8/25 is a highly enjoyable, amazing quality show in which the listener (especially during moments of "Playing In The Band" and "The Other One") can very easily hear the band taking the step to the next level which would result in the legendary performance two days later in Veneta, OR.
So if you are a geek for '72 this is a must have release! Even if you are not a mega-Dead historian, the performance featured on Dave's Picks Vol. 24 is strong enough to warrant checking out. It is easily one of the best sounding non-Europe '72 Tour Dead shows of the year and the restoration/remaster is simply stellar! The packaging is rad as usual and the liner notes are quite good as well. I still pray that some day 7/18/1972 in Jersey City, NJ is released as a part of the series, however if Dave continues to choose stuff like 8/25/72 I'm more than willing to be patient. Another killer addition to a wonderful series. Dave's Picks Vol. 24....a keeper, that's for sure!!!