Keith and Donna on this are just wonderful. Strong version all around, but Keith's fillis are just outta sight.

Intensity encapsulated in the middle of a TOO jam outta this world. Here's as good an example of the cowboy psychedelicore Winter '71 as you can find.

A bit faster and carried along with a strong backbeat from Mr. K. makes this one special. Perfect ensemble singing arrangement too.

Pigpen, Chuck Berry, Santa Claus, because fuck yeah, that's why.

Dec '71 NFA-GDTRFB-NFAs are all powerful statements of the band's essential unity. I love how China Cat peaks out atcha during the jams.

Starts with snarling opening lyrics, like and Bobby and Donna about to pounce out of their skins. This high energy gets tweaky with both the mentioned Keith weirdness and the two drummers in an outrageously perfect high-speed pocket behind Jerry playing the mad-scientist. His tone and mood are both hot and mellow. This is a sound I associate with an the best 'Playins' of '73, though Keith's effects and the melty-bits also evoke the much maligned Phil and Ned era of '74s. Maybe this is what others mentioned of having an "earlier Dead" feel to it. That said, this is no nostalgia piece and the outro is a hard-core crunching beast with a unique and hard rockin' sound .

Oh jeez, this is a pretty one. It rocks - not like rock-and-roll rocking, but like a sleeping baby in a cradle in a safe warm boat on a gentle lake with a soft breeze just ever-so-lightly scented with a whisper of indica flowers.

They hit this show opener with some gusto - one of the reasons why it was always my favorite when they opened with it. I'm not sure if it's tape speed wobble or some tuning issues at first, but they seem to sort out the sound by the end.

These early versions had the madness in them. Though short, this one conveys 'cracking up' in a heavy way.

Mid-tempo with a bounce and soft-shoe, but doesn't really lift off until the out-chorus. Clean and pristine... the '77 sound starts to really coalesce just about here.