Dave's Picks Volume 5

On All About Jazz, Doug Collette wrote, "Recorded at UCLA in November 1973, the Dead plays with uncommon poise and good humor, whether skipping lightly through succinct performances such as "Me and My Uncle" or allowing itself to flow in and out of an extremely elongated circular passage including segues in and out of "Playing in the Band", "Uncle John's Band" and "Morning Dew". Indicative of sharp collective instincts, there's a light touch in the musicianship that guides the sextet through transitions like those in "Here Comes Sunshine" with nary a stumble. Meanwhile, the overall dynamics here are exquisite."[5]

On Allmusic, Fred Thomas said, "[Dave's Picks Volume 5] comes from a particularly strong period in the band's touring career, and this show itself is already legendary in certain Deadhead circles. While in their later days it would become increasingly rare for the Dead to tour in support of a new studio album, this show came not long after the release of Wake of the Flood, and saw the group going through extended versions of material from that album like "Here Comes Sunshine" and "Eyes of the World", the latter of which would grow to become a staple of the band's shows. Also included in the massive set list are spirited versions of classic Dead tracks like "Stella Blue" and "Uncle John's Band"."[6]