The album contains the entire concert, except for one song — "Cold Rain and Snow", which was played between "Good Lovin'" and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World". The first two verses of "St. Stephen" are also missing. The first set of the concert was acoustic, and was recorded in stereo. The second and third sets were electric, and were recorded in monaural.
In a 1993 poll of Grateful Dead tape traders, the 5/2/70 show was ranked #6 on the list of all-time favorite Dead concert tapes.[5]
Caveat emptor
Each volume of Dick's Picks has its own "caveat emptor" label, advising the listener of the sound quality of the recording. The label for volume 8 reads:
These compact discs were mastered directly from the original half track 7+1⁄2 ips analog tapes recorded at this show. The acoustic set was recorded in stereo. The electric sets are monaural. While the reason for this remains a mystery, spurious electrical activity is suspected.
Enclosure
The release includes a single sheet folded in half yielding a four-page booklet. The first page repeats the cover art from the packaging. The second page provides the track list and credits. The third page reprints a stream-of-consciousness-style review of the show by Richard Walinsky originally published in the May 5, 1970, issue of the SUNY Binghamton Colonial News . The fourth page shows a small photo of the band.[6]
^Scott, John W; Dolgushkin, Mike; Nixon, Stu. DeadBase VIII: The Complete Guide to Grateful Dead Song Lists, 1994, DeadBase, ISBN1-877657-15-8, p. 356
^Enclosure included with Dick's Picks Volume 8, 1997. Quote from Walinsky’s review: "Viola Lee Blues with three buildups, the last ending with people screaming and shouting and Garcia pulling the most phenomenal notes out of one guitar. And We Bid You Goodnight, which they don't stop singing because no one will let them go. [¶] But they do and the concert ends. [¶] Five and one half hours. [¶] It's in the music."
