Purrs along like a smooth stretch of highway. The whole first set has understated beauty. A gem.

Pigpen's voice is deep, SC-soaked and clear. The jam is ballsy and pushing out against the seams.

Blasting '68 psyhedelia - A bit wilder than the legendary night before's version. Goes into one of the all-time great 11s after, too.

Great early version, Donna and Jer are on. Sorry my version sounds like they played in a tin can, though.

Builds and builds from subtle spaceyness to a burning jam. Whole show seems overlooked but well worth it.

Love how they go in and out of TOO. Sounds like Phil really wanted to play it, introducing it a the beginning and again about 7 minutes in. Very nice, very '74 out-there space jazz.

Etmlbristol, you are now officially my favorite deadhead. All love for that, and tutti fratelli!

Who doesn't love 69 anyway, even if it does smell like a turd now and then, heh, heh heh.

Troll alert here, but anyone who would describe this world-class masterpiece as a "smoldering turd" is quite special indeed. Now I'm a pretty tolerant guy, and love how folks appreciate certain years over others (here's a totally non-sequitur shout out to the under-appreciated '76!), and of course we can all stand to leave the comfort zone and learn something new about a different part of the Dead's vast oeuvre, but really man, I'd make that trade you're offering if it even made a little bit of sense to conceive of trading one year for another. Life's long and there's plenty of time to get into '69 if you're not so into it yet. I'm sure I'll get around to listening to all the '94s some day. In the meantime de gustibus non est disputandum, y'knows?

Blissful shredding and a continuous fountain of spontaneous group-mind. Jerry just soars. A perfect example of that magical '73 energy.