Grateful Dead - Dick's Picks Vol. 12: Providence Civic Center 6/26/74 & Boston Garden 6/28/74 [6LP] (180 Gram, 2 piece hardshell box, insert, 1 side stenciled, hand-numbered/limited)

When Real Gone Music were offered the most welcome opportunity of choosing another "virgin" (as in never released on vinyl before) volume from the Dick's Picks catalog, they did their Dead diligence, combing through the many chat rooms online to see which one the fans really wanted to see come out on LP. It will come as no surprise that opinions were varied and vehement…but a consensus emerged that Dick's Picks Vol. 12—Providence Civic Center 6/26/74 & Boston Garden 6/28/74 was the one. Which is interesting, because that Pick is a little different, combining the second sets of two different nights instead of offering a single show. But it's the exception that proves the rule—the playing is so extraordinary, and the repertoire so unusual, that one can understand why Dick Latvala played more curator than archivist here.

Side A picks up the second set from Providence three songs in, featuring a short jam that leads into what many have labeled the most extraordinary live version of "China Cat Sunflower" ever recorded, complete with a sublime transition ("Mud Love Buddy Jam" a.k.a. "Mind Left Body Jam") into "I Know You Rider." The revelatory moments continue throughout the Providence set, highlighted by a dazzling, 15-minute "Spanish Jam." But the second set of the Boston show—which appears here complete, after a superb encore performance of "Eyes of the World" from Providence—is the one that has passed into legend among Dead fans (a performance of Phil Lesh and Ned Lagin's electronic music piece "Seastones" provides an appropriately adventurous interlude). The set boasts one of the most renowned live jams of the band's career, a flawless, 14-minute "Weather Report Suite: Prelude/Pt. 1/Pt. 2-Let It Grow" leading into a 27-minute "Jam" that is simply one of the most far-ranging, telepathic improvisations ever played by, well, anybody. That this set also includes a separation of the "Sunshine Daydream" section from "Sugar Magnolia" for only the second time ever is just gravy.

This is, of course, a "Wall of Sound" concert, so they're working with something of a special audio source to begin with. So, they enlisted Jeffrey Norman to master the release for vinyl from the original tapes (pictured on the enclosed insert), and enlisted Clint Holley and Dave Polster over at Well Made Music to cut the lacquers. Gotta Groove Records, their manufacturer of choice, has pressed the 6 LPs on to 180-gram black vinyl housed inside a two-piece hardshell box, and they have a little stencil surprise for ya on Side L. Limited edition of 3,000 hand-numbered copies. And you won't be disappointed…this is one beautiful-sounding box set, full of Wall of Sound wonders.