Totally overlooked. One of the prettiest mid-sections I know of, even if there isn't much of a jam section to it.

Imagine how blown away the freaks were, expecting 'Alligator' and getting this stunning intro into the country Dead.

Really boys? Take the red pill and go back in time to this rowdy show. 2nd ever and Jer nails it after telling the crowd to "shut the fuck up".

Plugged in and slashingly ("thwok! thwok! thwok! thwok")! energetic opener for a rowdy crowd.

Deep sounds from a pivotal moment in Dead History. A treat for AUD lovers.

Geez, I just can't get into this at all. It feels like soft-rock and smooth jazz with that dated keyboard sound and limp sax playing (I dig the midi flute believe it or not) - and I like a lot of Branford's straight ahead work and the cool stuff he did with Buckshot lefonque around this time. Sure Phil is - as always - a genius, but the solos themselves, including Branford's are just so many noodles. Does it showcase one of the last great creative eras for the band? Perhaps, but I can't compare it favorably to the coherent, driven, musically purposefully soloing of sooooo many of the great '74s and 73s, and the great '77s, and the great 80s versions with their (frankly) superior transitions into Estimated. Finally, I just think it's loose to the point of sounding unrehearsed at times. Jer's vocals come in right when Branford is stepping up to solo, twice, and the band is a bit sprawling when, once more, you compare it to almost any of the '73 and '74s. (Plus without the outro or at least a real transition to Estimated, it just isn't as good....) Hate to be an iconoclast, but them's my 00.02.

I don't think you can top the emotional power and personal strength behind the Sept. 17, 1970 acoustic version. Sure, it sounds like it was recorded from the bottom of a swimming pool, but even that adds to the intimacy and sadness at the heart of the song. As for other studio versions rivaling live performances, I'd nominate the 1972 Jerry Garcia studio version of "The Wheel", which is pretty goddamned amazing, and totally different than the GD's live versions. That said, I also loved seeing it live too, so maybe there's no comparison.

Starts off just a bit standard, but gets heady and heavy, then transitions into a monster OO. Fun stuff.

Nice mid-tempo version, neither the shit-kickin' bluegrass tempo nor the narcotic ballad of later years. If you squint your ears a bit, it almost sounds like a Mexican paso double, which works just fine. Plus it has that "let's do it differently and see if it works" feel that showcases everyone going a bit bananas all at once. Cool find.

Long, interesting transition jam. Sleuth gets it right again. In the ocean of China>Riders, this is one of the sweet spots.