Dave’s Picks is a series of official live releases from the Grateful Dead archives. The 12th volume in this series is the release of a very highly regarded concert, 1977/11/04 at Colgate University, as well as selections from 1977/11/02. This show absolutely shows why ’77 is such a highly regarded year for Dead shows, and is a joy to listen to.

The band opens hot with a quick-paced “Bertha > Good Lovin'” that had Bob Weir sounding happy and vibrant on the vocals. Jerry Garcia counts off, and a snappy “Brown-Eyed Women” kicks off, with great twang. Jerry’s soloing is clean and exuberant, and reaches for the ceiling right off the bat, his singing expressive and strong.

“Cassidy” shows off Bob and Donna Jean Godchaux‘s vocal harmonies, and Jerry’s strong guitar playing, and is absolutely spot on. “It Must Have Been The Roses” sees Garcia’s crooner side, with longing vocals and more solid, emotional soloing. A song that can all too often slow a set down absolutely nails things down here, absolutely holding things down. “Sunrise” is a bit of a curve-ball, showcasing Donna’s vocals which are sometimes shaky live, but she’s vibrant and fairly solid here, and the band is fantastic behind her, reaching for some thrilling highs.

A fiery “New Minglewood Blues” follows, with Bobby growling and some serious jamming. a somewhat placid “Dupree’s Diamond Blues” cools things down. The set-closing “Let It Grow” is an absolute barn-burner, sending wave after wave of rapturous jamming over the crowd. This is a top shelf, all time bests rendition of the tune.

The second set is a masterpiece, showcasing the band firing on all cylinders, in a no break set for the books. A tight “Playing In The Band” immediately moves into deep jam territory, punctuated with phenomenal percussion work from Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann. Garcia shines, riffing quickly and cleverly, throughout the expanded jam.

The group segue flawlessly into “Eyes Of The World,” an explosive, guitar forward run through, reaching for the clouds, and finding them. A slick, dark “Estimated Prophet” slows things down, but keeps the room electric, with Garcia’s guitar singing with his wah pedal. “The Other One” is fiery, but over far too fast.

“Drums” turns into an easy-going “Iko Iko,” into an emotionally charged “Stella Blue” which in turn becomes the “Playing In The Band” reprise, a perfect way to seal up an incredible set. The Dead return to encore with a stomping “Johnny B. Goode.”

The supplemental material, included on the third disk in the set, is taken from the previous show (11/02/77), and is made up primarily from the first set, with the “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire On The Mountain” coming from late in the second set, and “Terrapin Station” as the encore.

“Promised Land” is its usual quick paced self in the opening slot. “They Love Each Other” has a great, slow R&B stomp to it, and you can’t help but to bob your head along. “Me And My Uncle” continues the theme of quick paced, upbeat tunes. A very danceable show, with strong rhythm from Hart and Kreutzmann.

“Candyman” is a break from the high energy, and a welcome chance to drift away. “Looks Like Rain” is solid, if uninspiring, but shows off Keith Godcheaux on the keys. “Ramble On Rose” is again well played, but felt a bit like filler.

The “Scarlet Begonias” from late in the second set is noticeably more energetic than the tunes from the first set, with Jerry sounding much more into the music and the song, singing from the heart. A groovy jam slowly swirls and floats until it gels into “Fire On The Mountain.” Keith Godchaux’s heavy piano riffing lends a latin flare to the tune that’s not always present, and the wah heavy guitar work adds to the effect. This is a funky, unusual “Fire” that’s compelling and interesting to listen to.

The encore, “Terrapin Station,” has the whole group working perfectly together, weaving through the complex melodies and harmonies, leaving the listener thoroughly satisfied at the end.

This is another classic installment to the Picks family of releases, an absolute pleasure to listen to from beginning to end. While the limited release is sold out through official channels, it can be found (albeit for a pretty penny above the release price) on Amazon, and similar secondary market sources.

Setlist: Wesley M. Cotterell Court, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY (11/4/77)

Disc 1 
1. Bertha> [7:50] 
2. Good Lovin’ [6:26] 
3. Brown-Eyed Women [5:56]
4. Cassidy [5:02]
5. It Must Have Been The Roses [7:42] 
6. Sunrise [4:19] 
7. New Minglewood Blues [5:38]
8. Dupree’s Diamond Blues [6:45] 
9. Let It Grow [13:43] 
10. Jones Gang Introduction [1:40] 
11. Samson And Delilah> [7:21] 
12. Cold Rain And Snow [6:03] 

Disc 2 
1. Playing In The Band> [13:03]
2. Eyes Of The World> [13:11]
3. Estimated Prophet> [11:18]
4. The Other One> [4:25]
5. Drums> [3:35]
6. Iko Iko> [10:47]
7. Stella Blue> [11:45]
8. Playing In The Band [7:01]
9. Johnny B. Goode [4:44] 

Disc 3 – Seneca College Field House, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (11/2/77)
1. Promised Land [4:54]
2. They Love Each Other [7:28]
3. Me And My Uncle> [3:05]
4. Big River [6:22]
5. Candyman [7:10]
6. Looks Like Rain [8:30]
7. Ramble On Rose [8:41]
8. Scarlet Begonias> [10:28]
9. Fire On The Mountain [7:33]
10. Terrapin Station [10:14]