Album Review: Grateful Dead - Dave's Pick #55 Le Zénith, Paris, France • 10/28/90

Grateful Dead

Dave's Pick #55 Le Zénith, Paris, France 10/28/90

**and1/2 out of *****

Standard disclaimer: When reviewing any Grateful Dead release at this point, it needs to be noted that a lot of the truly great shows from the band have already been professionally released. (If you are new to the band, check out RtBE's Beginners Guide to The Grateful Dead Part's one and two.) With their vast back catalog on archive.org and all of their previous releases, the band's selections are running thin when it comes to must own, professionally released concerts.

That said, the band still release shows because rabid fans (RtBE included) will listen to everything they put out. So let's dive in...

While the excellent previous Dave's selection came from a well represented year in Grateful Dead history, the most recent offering in the Dave's Pick's series is the first to arrive that showcases the band after the passing of Brent Mydland on July 26, 1990. 

Dave's Pick #55 Le Zénith, Paris, France 10/28/90 was just a few months after Mydland's passing when the group employed both Vince Welnick and Bruce Hornsby on the keys. This European tour was not held in super high regard (unlike the band's MSG Fall '90 shows with the same lineup), yet the songs presented here are solid.

As always the production on these releases is highest of quality with a bit extract oomph coming from the keyboardists and bassist Phil Lesh throughout. There is no doubt that post Mydland things were never the same with the band, but Hornsby in particular seemed to add a new special something and that is displayed with this release.

The opening "Touch of Gray" finds everyone loud and proud while "Walkin' Blues" gives each new keyboardist a chance to really shine via their own solo. "Box of Rain" is well delivered while all of the band take turns singing verses on "Maggie's Farm". A trio of the Dead's strongest first set songs, "Althea", "Cassidy" and "Tennessee Jed" are played well while "Strander on the Mountain" a Hornsby original, makes for a unique finish to the first set in France. 

The divisive "Victim or the Crime" starts the second set with harrowing sounds and Phil bombs as the keys work up into the frenzy in exciting fashion before Lesh's bass leads the way to a pretty ragged "Eyes of the World". "Estimated Prophet" is much better, grooving, freaky in a good way with Bob Weir yelping before "Uncle John's Band" is a bit sped up with an organ solo out front of the group. 

This "Drums > Space" segment is an odd one but worth checking out as frog sound effects, mooing and alien laser synths and midi effects are all presented. That freaky feeling works it's way into "The Other One" which is the highlight of the show with a galloping pace and more whacked out vocal effects. "Wharf Rat" is a bit rough from Jerry Garcia, who doesn't have his best show overall, however the drums from Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart pump up "Sugar Magnolia" and the encore of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" is also very powerful and well played.  

This release also features a lot of bonus material, the show from London on 10/30/90 gets a few songs on Dave's #55. The biggest difference is that it seems Garcia is more on point for these songs as "Let It Grow" is led by his creative guitar lines. Hornsby steps again into the spotlight with a solo that leads into "Valley Road" which seems a good fit for the band and another unique first set closer. 

Both "Picasso Moon" and "Foolish Heart" are pretty rocking, a touch sloppy and fun, while "Looks Like Rain" delivers thundering sound effects around Weir's passionate singing. The highlight of the bonus material is a big "Terrapin Station" that is worked through before a spacey ending to the tune. 

Overall Dave's Pick's #55 works as a proper showcase for Welnick and Hornsby's contributions to the band, putting their keyboard playing (and a couple of Hornsby tunes) front and center. While that era of the group may not be the strongest, having this pristine recording is a fun documentation of The Grateful Dead in Fall of 1990.      

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