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.

Ghostly pirates traverse misty oceans and foggy nights, lost at sea, with only a single lantern to guide them through the lonely waters. 74’ specifically May-June have such a dream like quality, tip toeing through the sands of time. This one likes to stay in my head a lot, one of my favorite tunes from the Dead. I will listen to this again and again till the end of time.

Man I love that sound check jam so much, thank you for reminding me of it darkstar67. This has a very strong Allman Brothers feel to it, like a lost jam in Les Brers in A Minor, which is one of the best jams the ABB ever did. Crazy how their music can bloom out of a simple soundcheck and create this moment of pure music. No one’s watching, no expectations, just tuning everything just right until you’re shot into the cosmos with just the blink of the eye, and caught in the stream of infinite ideas. The flow state is strong on this one.

All I’m saying is that PITB isn’t the same without that iconic scream from Mrs.Godchaux herself. Donna hate is so outdated. Also this version is absolutely stellar and has one of the best Wah tones I’ve heard from Jerry, also Billy driving this one home really makes this for me. Check out 5/3/72 for peak Jerry Wah tones.

This is starting to grow on me more. The jam after the first verse is the real goods. I love Jerry’s lead on this one and their utter descent into chaos and disturbing hyperspace bug crawling music. Jerry plays some lines that are so virtuosic, like a trapeze artist displaying their acrobatics. Billy and Phil are earth shattering, very earthy and grounded and they descend further into the underworld. You cant rank the best Dark Star, it changes every day, but I wonder how many Dark Stars would get more praise if they also had videos. Imagine a video or 4/24/72 or an underdog like 11/13/72? Hell even a video from the 73 would be mind blowing, but that also adds to what makes this band so special, going through the loot box and finding your own treasure, because there’s so much mystery and adventure that goes along with it, so finding more underrated versions is like finding gold. I don’t think this deserves the hate it gets sometimes, it’s an amazing Dark Star that really crashes, and while even I agree it should’ve gone into Morning Dew, that’s also what makes it so special and one of the most encapsulating of the bands spirit, fuck it we’re doing El Paso now. Plus think about how grim it would’ve been going into Dew, because that Star really crashed, so who knows, maybe Bobby did make the right call, but it was a call that changed everything. Like a rose blooming out of the chaos and the destruction, theoretically it shouldn’t be possible, but it happened anyways, whether we wanted to or not, life goes on and I like that. Just my two cents.

Enter the hall of the Mountain King!! As epic as they come. I love how this one flows, doesn’t stay in one place for too long at all. Simply sublime. Dickey is quite tasteful on this one, allowing Jerry to traverse these mountain ranges with ease. It’s really THAT good. Highly recommend to anyone who hasn’t checked this out yet.