This is The Dead at peak performance level. Cataclysmic version. Everyone is ON. Explorative and not a beat missed. Easily top 5 of 69.

Nice early electric version. Always preferred this key for Dire Wolf compared to when they changed it in the later years. Just right. Nice version.

Takes you right to Chicago. Jerry’s playing emulates the blues greats. Hard rocking version that reminds me of a Junior Wells cut. Highly recommend.

Haunting organ playing. Crystalline and psychedelic early version that feels very spacey. Great vocal delivery.

Very nice solo from Jerry. Phil is all over this as well, some great melodic bass playing that compliments the song very well.

Just plain fun. As a show opener, this sets the tone for the entire show quite nicely. Big River is one of my favorite tunes that they do and when they get it right, it's an utterly brilliant showcase of the bands musicianship. We also get THREE Jerry solo's that comes crashing in like a riptide. Jangly, rockin', and loose. Everything a Big River should be.

Gun slinging Jerry is my favorite Jerry. Phil also happens to be all over this one, adding the perfect backdrop for when they enter the barroom and order drinks for all. Jerry is a truly deadly picker on this one, with each lick you can hear gunshots ricochet past your head. Will never get enough of this version. Bright and full of pure energy.

Duane and the Dead. Cannot get better than this. Duane soars like an eagle, showing the true definition of a trailblazer. He plays through the changes with such vigor and confidence, especially when they hit the turnaround, Duane knew exactly where to take the music. Hadn’t listened to this one in a while and it really makes me happy hearing Duane so clearly on this. Awesome, awesome version with infectious energy.

Gets into some serious The Eleven territory but never quite reaching the actual melody, but it does leave a lot to the imagination. You can hear the hard hitting beat being laid down by the rhythm devils that make The Eleven so special. A post hiatus Eleven certainly could’ve been possible especially since St Stephen got repurposed. It would’ve gone cosmic and spacey, wouldn’t have happened often due to the intricacy of the tune, but that’s why we have Help>Slip. But enough of the “what ifs” it’s fun to theorize but at the end of the day, we have an absolutely transcendent Truckin jam that goes into a rhythmic frenzy. Awesome version with Jerry once again showing how incredible of a musician he is to play on top of and lead this swirling jam.

This is what I imagine entering through a black hole must feel/sound like. Soundwaves of pure destruction and a total annihilation of any and all senses. Very extraterrestrial in nature. Antimatter music. Jerry plays his own devil's trill sonata at the end, attempting to play what the devil showed him in his dream. The transition into Playin' is the stuff of LEGENDS.