An intimate very early Bird Song - Quartet-styled, which serves this song really well. Also: you can hear the thinking, especially between guitars.

Ho-Hum: Another outstanding 1972 TJ. This gem from the sorta overlooked summer tour. Garcia aces the break, natch. Band - unconscious. Whew! at end.

From Garcia's cheeky intro on, this graceful cabochon throws a faint, warm light. 1976 elegance w/a sick, raw spider web guitar break.

First show - I didn't know this gem very well & after this criss-crossy version, I was hooked. Dark & murky.

Download Series - An intimate, casual living room Loser. Garcia coming out of the guitar break is divine. Not the actor.

Garcia in high dudgeon. I don't even know what that means. I know who Gus Dudgeon was. + It's not just Garcia, although he's pushing the envelope filter to its breaking point - Lesh sounds great (his bass sound will go south quite soon) and everyone is super lively. Of course, Weir is at his 1978 percussive best. Kwality.

Not sure why this isn't a little more popular either. All I can think of is that it's preceded by scores of insanely perfect versions throughout April and May 1977. Sorta like two players from the same team often cancel each other out for MVP votes. All I can think of. Doesn't have a same ooomph of some May '77 versions, but a lot better than others higher up on the list.

What else would follow a classic Truckin'? [by the way, the 2:20 drums is dead on perfect] Godchaux was often the white knight in shining armor of the late-71/72 Other Ones and he gallantly dons the heavy gear here. "Hop on my steed!" he cries. The interplay between the entire band is electric and staggering. Everyone's enrobed. + I just realized that my comments on this page are a very poor man's Christgau. Uh! Going through a slight existential crisis here. Of course, this is when the song gets atonal and all Robert Wilson. What? Am I supposed to turn it off? That would create a whole new existential crisis! Things like this you gotta ride out. Fortunately, I packed for just such an adventure.

Ace Truckin' hits the ground in a full sprint. At about 5:45 Garcia sheds the booster and hits a swanky orbit. Summer '72 Truckin: a very high form of the art. The excursion at 8:30 onward is just liquid fucking gold. Having reviewed the list, a very underrated version of this fine American classic. Does this thing do footnotes? Cuz ...

A great, shining tower of a China>Rider -- especially the Gibsonian guitar battle of the titans that burns brightly throughout. Neither guitar player lets up and Weir is at times just ferocious. Of course, Garcia, on peanut guitar, crushes it completely. A souvenir for a lucky fan in the bleachers. But the whole group cooks -- especially a recently liberated Kreutzmann who can't quite believe the panoply of options he has now. Space! Glorious space!