Grateful Dead Album: “Dozin' at the Knick”

Great album, especailly the wheel through we bid you good night on disc 3. Great crowd interaction that would bring a tear to any dead fan's eye and make you especially miss Jerry. Recorded in the 1990's the crowd could sense the end and gave back their years of love and appreciation. It is better then any live band and Dave Mathews fans especially should see how a real jam band does it.........

This is a very good live release although I think that there are better releases out there. This is a collection of a three night run at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany from 1990. Many people considered this run to have one great show 3/24 one ok show 3/25 and one below par show 3/26. I think that's a little harsh. An interesting thing is that 3/26 had the most unusual song selection. One of the biggest complaints against this album when it came out was not so much what was on it (although some did complain about the amount of Brent songs) but what was left off. This run of shows had what many people consider to be the all time best Loser. Also left off were Black-Throated Wind (with different lyrics), the last and one of the best Built To Last, a rare Big Railroad Blues among others. I like the release for what it is. It has a pretty good selection of songs which are rendered well for the most part. Although I have to agree with most of my friends about the over doing of the Brent songs. Standouts are Bucket, Dupree's, Just A Little Light and Row Jimmy on disc one. I tend to like all of discs 2 & 3 even though I really don't care for I Will Take You Home. A very good release but don't start here.

The Dead were on an upswing during the period 1989-1991, and many feel that the spring tour of 1990 was one of their best ever (and frankly, I wouldn't disagree). This 3 CD was pieced together from three nights at Albany's Knickerbocker Arena, and it's simply astonishing from go to whoah. The first set features three songs each from Weir, Garcia and Mydland; highlights include a rollicking Dupree's Diamond Blues (the only time they played it the entire year!), a soulful Blow Away and a gently rockin' Row Jimmy. (The performance of the latter in particular underlines just how strongly the band are playing; it could sometimes be a snoozefest, but here everybody's into it, everybody's pulling out little licks and phrases, lovingly shaping the whole.) Things get verrrry interesting in the second set, with HUGE performances of what Deadheads sometimes call 'the holy trinity': Playing In The Band > Uncle John's Band > Terrapin Station. What follows is the first Mind Left Body Jam in about a decade, then a wonderfully warped Drums with added bird noises (the whole set underlines the lift and inventiveness that MIDI and sampling had brought to the Dead sound; unlike some of their 1960s contemporaries, the band quickly embraced new technology). The third CD offers two alternate 'end of set two' scenarios. I'd give the nod to the first, with its very hot version of Not Fade Away, jammed out like it used to be. MVP awards to Jerry, Brent, Phil ... hell, let's just give everyone in the band an award, including MIDI mastermind Bob Bralove. Of the no less than *seven* live Dead albums that document 1990-1, I'd place Dozin' At The Knick right at the top with the (limited edition, not widely available) Terrapin Station Live release.

After listening to several Dick's Picks cds in search of live dead on CD that captures the power of the live shows with Brent Mydland I hit pay-dirt with Dozin' at the Knick! Unlike many straight soundboard recordings of dead shows that don't sound much like being there, this recording just sounds right. The band is tight, the mix is good, and the jams are magical. A must have for fans of Brent-era dead!

Playin' is great and Uncle John's has a really nice jam. A fantastic Terrapin, Jerry's guitar howls. It's a very epic rendition, the kind of treatment this song deserves. The MLB jam is sooo pretty... it's very delicate and it fades into a very freaky drums with lots of effects. This disc will stay in your player a LONG time!