Search - Grateful Dead :: Dick's Picks, Vol. 19: Oklahoma City, OK, 10/19/73

A near-obligatory Pick: the essence of late 1973's glory

Jeffrey Blehar | Potomac, MD | 03/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"By any measure you care to use, 1973 was a banner year for the Grateful Dead in terms of live performance. It came right in the middle of their so-called "Golden Age" of 1972-1974, and caught them at a point where they had begun to expand not only their repertoire (most of the songs from Wake Of The Flood would, once introduced, never leave their setlists), but also their musical palette as well. Many have labelled the Dead's music from late '73 and '74 as "jazz-rock," and while the term is somewhat inapt (it doesn't capture the "Promised Land"/"Sugaree" side of the band, for one thing) it does help to approximate the laid-back vibe of classics like "Eyes Of The World" as well as suggest the purely free-form improvisational cast of many of their jams. Without a doubt the Dead were developing a lighter touch: Kreutzmann had redefined the band's rhythmic approach over the last year in adjusting to his role as sole drummer, and his quickness, natural sense of restraint, and timing enabled the Dead to evolve a much more agile, ethereal sound.



Dick's Picks 19 captures every aspect of that "sound," which made the Dead mesmerizing in this era, in one near-perfect concert. This show is a very special one indeed, kicking off an immortal Fall '73 tour where the band managed to capture lightning in a bottle night after night, pushing out into new improvisational territory and juggling setlists and song-sequences with devil-may-care abandon. (There are many - I'm one of them - who would argue that Fall '73 is every bit the equal of Europe '72; there's a reason that THREE Dick's Picks have been released from this two-month span.)



Just about the only complaint one might make is about the first disc. It represents the bulk of the first set, which means it's full of shorter songs. There are many fans who express impatience with this side of the Dead, but when the band's hearts are into the music I'm not one of them. 10/19/73 was one of those nights: it's surely not the BEST first set they ever gave, but the performances of "Sugaree," "Jack Straw" and especially "They Love Each Other" are all spot-on, and I even find myself enjoying songs which normally irk me like "Tennessee Jed" and "Don't Ease Me In." Near the end of the disc (i.e. the last four songs) the band begins to settle into the gentle, joyful, peaceable mood which will define the particular magic of this night.



And from disc 2 onwards this show simply vaults into that icy-blue sky so beautifully depicted on the back cover. Set 1 ends with a gorgeous, ghostly "Playing In The Band" (this song peaked in late '73 - buy this album and listen to one example of why), and then Set 2 begins with one of the defining "China Cat Sunflower" > "I Know You Rider" sequences of the year. "Mississippi Half-Step" continues this mood, flowing majestically all the way across the Rio Grand-i-o into a (thematically united) "Big River" which choogles as Garcia's electric-bluegrass guitar busily burbles and hums like water rushing downstream.



The show could have ended right there and still have been noteworthy. But what comes next guarantees its immortality: Disc 3 is one of the best single discs of Grateful Dead music available for purchase. It begins with an unearthly "Dark Star," one which eschews the "full freak-out" atonal jamming often employed in this era's performances for a much sweeter, gently inquisitive attitude. The emphasis on melody (and on sustaining the delicate, wistful mood which has been built throughout the previous two hours) becomes all that more apparent when they move into a rapturous jam based on a descending chord sequence popularly referred to as the "Mind Left Body Jam" - I believe the first time it was ever played in this context. Then, a quiet "Morning Dew" which builds to an anguished demonstrative climax. We're not done yet! After a concluding "Sugar Magnolia" the Dead, clearly thrilled by how well they're playing tonight, come back for one of the longest encores of their career: a 15-minute "Eyes Of The World" that slides imperceptibly into a crystal-clear, dead-calm "Stella Blue." One more blast of rock 'n' roll to send the kids home on an up note with "Johnny B. Goode," and the Dead finally leave the stage for good: after delivering one of their most consistent shows, one which has an emotional and musical UNITY that few others can boast...one for the ages.



Some have complained in their reviews about the sound quality of this Pick (rather, the sound MIX - the fidelity itself is sterling, far better than any '74 shows). Admittedly such things are subjective and a matter of taste, but I find the mix to be utterly unproblematic after the first few songs. (The "Caveat Emptor" included on this Pick notes this, warning of a "rather skeevy ouverture.") If anything, the mix heightens the thoughtful, introspective sensibility of this show.



If you enjoy '73 Dead then I would argue it's inconceivable not to own this Pick. If you're unfamiliar with the year and are looking to test the waters, then this is still a great place to begin - an unrepresentative night in that it captures them in an unusually pacific mood (one which, incidentally, is also conveyed by the stunning artwork on this release, easily the best of any Pick), but also a representative one in that it shows off so many aspects of their greatness at once.



Further recommendations from this era (...):



- Dick's Picks 28: February 26th-28th, 1973 (one the top 5 Picks in the series, no less)

- Dick's Picks 14: November 30 & December 1st, 1973

- Dick's Picks 1: December 19th, 1973"

10/19/73. Fairgrounds Arena. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Pharoah S. Wail | Inner Space | 08/31/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Disc One:

Promised Land (3:44), Sugaree (8:18), Mexicali Blues (3:58), Tennessee Jed (8:00), Looks Like Rain (8:05), Don't Ease Me In (4:24), Jack Straw (5:32), They Love Each Other (5:44), El Paso (4:51), Row Jimmy (9:23)



Disc Two:

Playing In The Band (18:23), China Cat Sunflower (9:11), I Know You Rider (5:18),

Me and My Uncle (3:34), Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo (7:30), Big River (4:52)



Disc Three:

Dark Star (15:45), Mind Left Body Jam (10:41), Morning Dew (13:55), Sugar Magnolia (10:10), Eyes of the World (14:31), Stella Blue (7:57), Johnny B. Goode (4:08)



If you're wondering which of this new batch of Dick's Picks are the couple best ones, you're in luck. You just found one of the best ones. This is a really lovely Pick and it has a gentle beauty to it. It doesn't have the throbbing, mind-crushing energy of 10/25/73, but it has plenty of gorgeous playing and open improvisations.



I don't consider the Playing in the Band to be all that special, but disc 3 from Dark Star through Eyes does not disappoint. Eyes has what I'd term some "inspired sloppiness"... they sorta lose their way in the darker ending jam I love so much, but still manage to pull out some noteworthy nuggets that make it happen, even though it won't be the most together version you've ever heard.



Also, the sound on this one is really good. Some Grateful Dead releases seem to have neutered Phil's tone so he is more difficult to hear, or some of his midrange tone seems to be lighter. I hate that. On this Pick though, all is as it should be. The muscle of his tone is here.



Of these new six Dick's Picks that were just released to retail outlets, pick up this one, #22 (2/23 & 2/24/68) and #23 (9/17/72). These are the 3 essential Picks of this batch.



"

Riding a smoky groove

R. Hutchinson | a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds | 02/13/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This Pick from October 1973 in Oklahoma City captures the band in a laid-back groove beginning to move in the jazzier direction of the new material from WAKE OF THE FLOOD, which had just been released. I know "laid-back" is a cliche when it comes to the Dead, but I use the term advisedly. Compared, for instance, to DP 23 from a year earlier or DP 31 from a year later, the music here is definitely more laid-back, riding a smoky groove rather than pushing in any direction energetically. More instrospective, more wistful (especially the great "Stella Blue"), more ethereal. This is a very good thing-- not better than more energetic, but different and valid in its own right.



The segue from "China Cat" to "Rider" includes an interesting moment when the band begins to play the chords to "Uncle John's Band." Just when you think they're going to start, though, they pivot back to "Rider." (I wonder if they ever did actually make the substitute, and play a "China Cat/UJB"? They were still playing the UJB chords during this segue a year later as captured on DP 31.) The highlight, though, is the third disc, which opens with a wonderful "Dark Star" and "Mind Left Body Jam." "Morning Dew" is strong, featuring Jerry on guitar and vocals, and he clearly hasn't grown tired of singing it, though it had at this point been a live staple since 1967. "Sugar Magnolia" is also strong, leading into a great "Eyes of the World." The jam between "Eyes" and "Stella Blue" features another interesting segment -- a distinctive composition emerges that would later turn up on BLUES FOR ALLAH as "Slipknot," the instrumental bridge between "Help On the Way" and "Franklin's Tower."



I wouldn't advise putting DP 19 at the top of the list given all the great live shows available, (exercise caution -- don't just fall for an enthusiastic review because you WANT it to be so), but it's definitely a good one, a keeper, and I've certainly heard some that aren't. This is the first 1973 Pick that I've heard [the others so far are DP28 (2/73), DP14 (11/73) and DP1 (12/73)], so I can't offer that comparison, but it sounds great and goes nicely between the great '72 and '74 shows on either end.



See my reviews of DP16 (1969), DP4 & DP8 (1970), DP23 (1972), and DP10 (1977). See also my complete lists of Dead recordings on this site for 1968>1969 (PRANKSTERS & OTHER ONES), 1970>1972 (COSMIC COWBOYS), 1973>1974 (EYES OF THE WORLD), and 1975>1977 (ESTIMATED PROPHETS)."