Dick's Picks Volume Twenty-Two
Kings Beach Bowl
Kings Beach Lake Tahoe, CA
2/23-24/68
Far from the best sounding of releases in this series (i.e. raw, congested sounding and levels aren't balanced properly - hell, it was recorded in a bowling alley - what do you expect?).
I've had this for quite a while, but haven't listened to it for a very long time. A few things impressed me while spinning CD 1 and looking over the set lists for them:
Viola Lee Blues - how relaxed the extended accelerando is, the band is obviously pedal to the metal cranking it but nothing sounds strained. Bill and Mickey are on the tip of their toes nimble on the drums and Jerry's lines spin out over them with effortless fluidity. I listened to this twice, it's that good.
China Cat Sunflower>The Eleven - this unusual segue shows up both nights, it's there on both discs in this set.
Spanish Jam - Coming out of Born Cross-Eyed at the end of CD 1, the first thing I thought of was the extended jam Spare Chaynge from Jefferson Airplane's After Bathing At Baxter's album where Jack Casady's quasi-flamenco riffs on the bass drive much of the musical action. Given how close and fraternal the entire SF music scene was at the time, this shouldn't have been so surprising.
. Wow .. does it get any better than that? Incredible performance (except for a bit of feedback right at the first..)
