| Road Trips Volume 4 Number 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Live album by | ||||
| Released | November 16, 2010 | |||
| Recorded | May 23–24, 1969 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 184:53 | |||
| Label | Grateful Dead | |||
| Producer | Owsley Stanley David Lemieux Blair Jackson | |||
| Grateful Dead chronology | ||||
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Road Trips Volume 4 Number 1 is a live album by the rock band theGrateful Dead. The 13th of theRoad Trips series of archival releases, it contains two complete performances by the band, recorded on May 23 and 24, 1969.[1][2] It was released as a three-disc CD on November 16, 2010.
Road Trips Volume 4 Number 1 is subtitledBig Rock Pow-Wow '69. It was recorded at a rock festival called the Big Rock Pow-Wow, which took place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 23, 24, and 25, 1969, at theHollywood Seminole Indian Reservation inWest Hollywood, Florida. Other artists who performed at the festival includedJohnny Winter,Sweetwater,Joe South,Aum,NRBQ,Rhinoceros,Muddy Waters, andthe Youngbloods.[3] At the end of the Saturday night concert,Timothy Leary spoke from the stage.[4]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Music Box |   [5] |
Writing inAll About Jazz, Doug Collette said, "Recorded in May, 1969 at a Seminole Reservation in Florida,Road Trips Vol. 4 No. 1 hearkens back to the first golden age of the Grateful Dead. The previous twelve months found the group solidify its personnel lineup with the addition of drummerMickey Hart, nurture a prolific songwriting relationship with lyricistRobert Hunter and hone a collective and individual improvisational sense, the chemistry of which allowed for what was to be the comparatively short-lived, but nonetheless significant inclusion of keyboardistTom Constanten.... As presented on these vintage recordings, the Grateful Dead was well on its way to an all-around mastery of concert dynamics. It's not quite entirely accurate to say performances like this one merely sowed the seeds for the continuing evolution of the Grateful Dead; it's more accurate to state the sound and overall approach of the group is in its first full flowering, as the 1960s it epitomized drew to a close."[6]
In The Music Box, John Metzger wrote, "Considering that the performances highlighted onRoad Trips, Vol. 4, No. 1 were recorded at a two-night festival engagement, it isn't surprising that the collection lacks the depth of some of the Grateful Dead's full-length concerts from the era. The time constraints placed upon the band undoubtedly caused it to alter its plan of attack. The result is something considerably less epic than its shows at either theFillmore East or theFillmore West. Regardless,Road Trips, Vol. 4, No. 1 is a delightful romp through the Grateful Dead's early songbook. After all, even when the outfit was forced to work within a schedule that was tighter than usual, it still found ways of showcasing its immense range."[5]
Following are the full set lists for the Big Rock Pow Wow concerts:[3]
May 23, 1969
"Hard to Handle", "Morning Dew", "Me and My Uncle", "Dark Star" > "St. Stephen" > "The Eleven" > "Turn On Your Lovelight"
May 24, 1969
"Turn On Your Lovelight", "Doin' That Rag" > "He Was a Friend of Mine" > "China Cat Sunflower" > "The Eleven" > "Death Don't Have No Mercy", "Alligator" > "Drums" > "St. Stephen" > "Feedback" > "We Bid You Goodnight"
