Dave's Picks Volume 11 is a three-CD live album by the rock band the Grateful Dead. It contains the complete concert recorded on November 17, 1972 at the Century II Convention Center in Wichita, Kansas. It was produced as a limited edition of 14,000 numbered copies, and was released by Rhino Records on August 1, 2014.[1][2][3][4]
The album also includes five bonus tracks recorded two days earlier at a concert in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The liner notes were written by Gary Houston, the artist who drew the original handbill for the concert. Reflecting the Kansas venue, the album cover art, by Tony Millionaire, depicts characters from The Wizard of Oz, including a skeleton Scarecrow adorned with sunflowers.
Critical reception
On All About Jazz, Doug Collette said, "Arguments abound for the early to mid Seventies as the most fruitful creative period in Grateful Dead history and this title supports that point of view... Originally approved for release by Dick Latvala, the archivist who began the now famous Dick's Picks series of concert releases, this sole appearance of the band in this Midwestern stronghold—emblematized by Wizard of Oz iconography in the black and white cover art—captures the band at what might be described as their most versatile juncture of their career..."[5]
On Making a Scene, Robert Putignano wrote, "Recorded by the legendary Owsley "Bear" Stanley these original tapes have been remastered in HDCD, like many of these re-release series (Dave's Picks, Dick's Picks, Road Trips, and etcetera) the sound quality noticeably improves as the evening wears on, similarly the Dead become hotter as the evening progresses."[6]
Live for Live Music said, "Dave's Picks 11 captures the Dead in their prime, at the end of 1972. The band had established themselves as a musical force, touring routinely over the past few years. Their musical catalog reached a creative pinnacle, melding folk, blues, jazz, and psychedelic influences into a live concert experience like none other.... Picking tunes that span the length of their career, the band was able to deliver a masterpiece performance."[7]
