that "Phil Lesh said that they would have to play in Madison more often." He writes that the two drummers, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, "play together, and off one another, as if they were one." The author goes on to state that "This reciprocal action and reaction is characteristic of how the Dead play in general", and that when they played newer songs off their recent studio release, Terrapin Station, they substituted "intricate improvization" for "the orchestration" on the release. Michael ends his article by stating "Madison hopes that you remember us on your next tour, Phil." Fan letter The fan letter is hand-written, dated February 4, 1978, and signed by Paul, a 20-year-old guitarist who is "primarily a jazz fan of the Miles Davis school." Paul writes of how he was impressed by both Jerry's "long improvisations" and his "shorter breaks in the first set", and claims that "you are one of the great stylists of guitar." The letter-writer goes on to state that "What really impressed [me] last night was seeing an established player like yourself who is still practicing and growing - it's really an inspiration to me as [a] guitarist to keep me progressing." After mentioning how he enjoyed seeing Django Reinhardt's "influence in your playing", Jerry's fan closes by writing "Someday, if I get the opportunity, I'd like to meet you as you've been so important to me for so long from afar." Critical reception On AllMusic, William Ruhlmann said, "The jury-rigged first set is an interesting combination of old and recent material, but the meat of the album comes on the second and third discs, which feature long medleys full of exploratory instrumental passages.... And the performances are typical, with first-set songs like "Passenger" and "The Music Never Stopped" getting feisty treatment, while the second sets run on and on with the kind of unhurried improvising that delights Deadheads and bores people not attuned to the band's tendencies." In The Music Box, John Metzger wrote, "Each of the songs that appear on Dick's Picks 18 is exquisitely performed. Consequently, this is not just a collection for those most rabid of Grateful Dead fans with countless hours of bootleg tapes lying around their abode. Anyone who has wondered just what the big deal was with this band, just might find the answer lurking among the three hours and fifty minutes of music contained in