Bobby tears it up, not just vocally, but through brilliant guitar work

No doubt with a better source this would be high up on the list. Listen to Jerry's supersonic flyby as Bobby and Donna caress the out chorus.

Help us Charlie Miller, you're our only hope! Seriously though, this is a blisteringly hot version. Don't miss it.

Very cool studio rehearsals with new grooves and wildly flanged sound. Fall '76 versions are some of the best, and here they are still in the egg.

Jerry tears this one apart with a shredding solo. The link here is bass-heavy SBD with some decay, but just brilliant playing by all.

Gorgeous rising intensity. It's a bold move playing WR>CAT at the heart of the set. Both are slower, emotional ballads that can tip into funereal dirges if not fully charged up. They nail it here. The Rat is like seeing old friend, but the climax comes with the CAT. Dig it!

Keith and Jerry combined release a soft torrent of warm rain across the soundscape. The beauty of this often-underrated song shines across this version.

Great slide work, and a nice take-your-time elegance to the whole number. "Not too fast and not too slow", indeed. Brilliant run, this set of Boston shows.

Go one better than the Betty Board and listen to the brand new (Oct. 2017) Charlie Miller clean-up. He's done us another solid boys and girls, and this show has quickly become one of my favorites from the great June '76 era. This Stella shows all the creative re-thinking that the band did during their time off: They're trying out subtle changes on the old repertoire, and introducing brilliant new songs, making the month one of the great under-the-radar eras of the band. This Stella is slower, but more deliberate, almost Black Peter-paced, and full of strong playing, great thoughtful jams, and a beautiful sound.

"Intense mellow", "laid back intensity" or what I always refer to as "hot mellow" - that's what's on display here. (Actually "laid back intensity" is a better choice of words.) As a musician I think it comes from utter confidence in the communication that comes from deep musical connection when playing together often, and of course the collective consciousness developed over years of touring, and a not insignificant reference to acid's ability to break barriers between individual egos, exposing the collective identity, a.k.a. 'there's nothing like a Grateful Dead concert'.... In any case, this Sugar Mag is brilliant. That it forms a big part of the 2nd set and not a tack-on at the end before the encore is just brilliant. The Eyes sammy is a rare treat.