Search - Grateful Dead :: Dick's Picks, Vol. 7: Alexandra Palace, London, England, 9/9-9/11/74

Culled from a three-night stand at London's Alexandra Palace in September 1974, Volume 7 gives a pretty accurate account of the breadth of the Grateful Dead's repertoire. In the early '70s, their playing had become more focused and succinct in some spots and more adventurous in others. Keyboardist Keith Godcheaux, who'd joined the band to augment an ailing Pigpen in 1972, was a fully integrated and important member at this point, using sophisticated jazz chords that added depth to the material. His acoustic piano work gave them an earthier sound on the rootsy material, and his electric sounds beefed up the more ambitious stuff. There's a preponderance of country-tinged material here: Bob Weir's "cosmic cowboy" persona trots out for readings of "Mexicali Blues," "Big River," and "Me and My Uncle," while lyricist Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia's fascination with Old West mythology reveals itself on "Mississippi Half-Step," "Tennessee Jed," and "Brown-Eyed Women." Fans of a more inquisitive spaced-out Dead will relish the 23-minute "Playin'" and the half-hour-long "Dark Star/Spam Jam," which eventually turns into a rather affecting, demonstrative "Morning Dew." --Marc Greilsamer