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.

Donna is awesome on this. Transitions right into Bertha so seamlessly. Great version.

Incredibly intense. Not your entry level Playin’. One of the most densely packed jams you’ll hear in a year of already great Playin’s. This one is powerful, spiritual, and takes you through space and the ever expanding cosmos. Cataclysmic and free. Erupting with energy and reaches the very edge of the universe. one of the best I’ve ever heard. A very unique standout version that quickly became a new favorite that I’m going to listen to over, and over again. One of my all time favorite shows.

Hidden gem for sure. During Jerry’s solo I think I hear Jerry quote the chorus of “Patches” by Clarence Carter. I know it’s a similar melody so if anyone else has heard it somewhere else please let me know! Really tight version that’s genuinely up there with the best of 72. Great show.

I think the whole band was shocked they ended up here lol. Once they find their footing, which doesn’t take long, they lift off into the cosmos, using the music to visit different dimensions and spaces while using their energy to keep it all going. Relentless jamming that’s too hot to put out. A fiery performance that cools down into a space that seems to hint at Dark Star, but Jerry decides he’s had enough of space and rightfully goes into Wharf Rat. Stellar version. What a sequence, don’t forget to start at Truckin’. Hell you can even start at Tennessee Jed it’s so darn good!

Can we just appreciate early Bobby for a second? His confident stage presence is so infectious and when he’s on, especially in the early 70s, he has some of the most creative ideas for the rest of the band to latch on to and bounce off of. A Truckin that reaches radioactive levels of warp speed jamming. Bluesy and funky, Jerry screams, cries, and lets it all out on this one. Especially during the space section Jerry pulls out some really unique lines to go along with Keith’s 8 bit brain melter in the background. Billy is also an unsung hero of this jam, swaying ever so perfectly along to the unpredictable waves and currents. Gets spacey and acidic and a high voltage jam ensues that leads right into Let it Grow. What a time to be alive.