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Reviews: Grateful Dead Road Trips and other vault releases

Discussion in ' Music Corner ' started by MikeP5877 , Aug 17, 2010 .

MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII Thread Starter

This is a review of the Grateful Dead Road Trips series, as well as other GD Vault releases since 2006. You can read my review of the Dick’s Picks Series and other live releases up through early 2006 in these two threads: My review of the Dick's Picks series Grateful Dead - reviews of official live and Vault releases These reviews are just a quick synopsis of highlights (and some lowlights). For full tracklists of these and all official releases, refer to this site: Grateful Dead Family Discography To read more about these shows (and all GD and GD-related albums), check out this excellent thread: Grateful Dead album by album thread Now on to the reviews…. Road Trips RT 1.1 – Nov ’79 – 4.5 stars I can’t get enough of late ’79, and this is a wonderful kickoff to the series. Dancin>Franklin’s, Estimated>He’s Gone>Jam, and a very long Terrapin>Playin (almost as good as the one from 12/28). Note, this was mastered from a cassette tape running at a slightly slow speed. I didn’t notice it until someone else brought it up, but it doesn’t bother me. RT 1.2 – October 1977 – 3 stars Highlights: Let It Grow, Sugaree, and one of my all-time favorite versions of Wharf Rat Lowlights: Help>Slip>Franklin’s Tower (very sloppy), and a Scarlet>Fire that never achieves lift off. The rest of the set is ok, but I think there’s better to be had from late ’77. Major omission: St. Stephen from 10/15 – an all-time version for sure. RT 1.3 – 7/31/71, 8/23/71, 8/6/71 – 5 stars The band was ON FIRE in the summer of ’71, and this fine release is as good of an example as any. Compiled from the “Houseboat Tapes” (see DP 35), these soundboard recordings sat unheard for over 35 years. Disc 1 is from Yale Bowl 7/31 and Disc 2 from 8/23. The bonus disc is made up of highlights from 8/6 plus some from 8/4 and more from 7/31. Major highlights include Dark Star (with a Feelin’ Groovy jam), NFA>GDTRFB>NFA (with a Darkness Jam!), Hard To Handle (from 7/31 and the legendary one from 8/6), and the 40+ minute sequence of The Other One>Me and My Uncle>Other One>Wharf Rat. A must-have release! RT 1.4 – 10/21-10/22/78 – 5 stars Released at the same time as the Egypt ’78 package, it’s like hearing two different Grateful Deads. Whereas Egypt was lackluster, these Winterland shows sparkle with energy and focus. The real treat for me is the jam on disc 1 from 10/21. After some neat first set highlights we join "Got My Mojo Working" in progress, and their mojo was sure workin' that night. After a 10 minute workout they launch into a very intense "Other One" - one of the best of the era. The following "Stella Blue" is one of the most beautiful I've ever heard, maybe second only to the one on the So Many Roads box set (from 4/21/78). Thank goodness someone managed to tape this from the audience because the board tape cuts toward the end, so they were able to "patch" in the missing music from the AUD tape. "Sugar Magnolia" closes things out in rockin' fashion. Compare these two songs to the Egypt performances and it's like night and day. Disc 2 (from 10/22) doesn't top the previous night's performance but they still play very well, and with lots of energy. RT 2.1 – 9/19-9/20/90 – 4 stars The Sept 90 MSG run is one of the greats of the era, with 9/19-9/20 being my favorites. From 9/19 - Playin>UJB>Let It Grow. From 9/20 - Truckin>China Cat>Rider, Dark Star>Playin’ Reprise out of Space. Overall, a well-compiled set of highlights, though I wish they could have somehow worked in the Help>Slip>Frank from 9/19. RT 2.2 – 2/14/68 – 5 stars For the 32 glorious minutes of That’s It For The Other One through the end of the Spanish Jam, all is right with the universe. Other highlights include Alligator>Caution (large chunks of which were in the final mix for Anthem), plus some previously uncirculated goodies from January ’68. The more 1968, the better. Caveat emptor – there is a gap between the end of New Potato Caboose and Born Cross-eyed. Previously circulating tapes patched this but for this RT they faded it out and back in again. RT 2.3 – 6/16 and 6/18/74 – 5 stars Two great shows distilled down to two discs (three with the bonus). From 6/16 – a very exploratory Playin’, and a killer (I mean killer!) Eyes>Big River. From 6/18, a monumental jam of Let It Grow>Other One>It’s A Sin Jam>Stella Blue, and another great Eyes of the World. RT 2.4 – 5/26/93 – 4 stars I can still hear the collective groaning when this was announced (say what? 1993? WTF?) Well if they’re going to pick something from this era, 5/26/93 is a good choice. The Playing In the Band is one for the ages. It holds it’s own against any era, yet also serves as a sad reminder of what could have been had everyone in the band managed to keep firing on all cylinders. Other highlights include Picasso Moon>Fire On the Mountain, China Doll, and Shakedown Street. Unique sequence of Cassidy>UJB>Cassidy from 5/27 2nd set. RT 3.1 – 12/28/79 – 4.5 stars Highlights abound – Fantastic Terrapin>Playin, a very long Sugaree, a lovely High Time, a stormin’ Music Never Stopped, and a very good post-drums sequence of UJB>Miracle>Bertha>Good Lovin. The bonus disc from 12/30 features a very nice Scarlet>Fire>Let It Grow. RT 3.2 – 11/15/71 – 5 stars Another great show presented in its entirety. Dark Star>El Paso>Dark Star in the first set. Second set features an amazing NFA>Jam>GDTRFB>NFA. The bonus disc is stunning as well, with another great Other One split by Me & My Uncle as the main highlight. RT 3.3 – 5/15/70 – 4.5 stars The acoustic songs really shine here - highlights for me are Uncle John’s Band, Cold Jordan, The Ballad of Casey Jones, A Voice From On High, Long Black Limousine, I Know You Rider, plus Pigpen’s performances of She’s Mine and Katie Mae. The electric sets are typical excellent 1970 Dead. That’s it for the Other One and Dark Star are great as always, but by the end of the second electric set it sounds like the band is running out of steam. This is understandable after playing two shows (plus the New Riders), and all this after a gig the night before in Kirkwood MO. Speaking of the gig before, the bonus disc from this show (5/14) features one of my favorite jams, including a very fierce New Speedway Boogie, and a wild NFA>Lovelight. As Bob Weir would say, thank y’all. We’re gonna take a short break and we’ll be back in a few minutes….. …. Now on to the other vault releases: Live at the Cow Palace – 12/31/76 – 4.5 stars One of the best shows of 1976. Set 1 closes with a Playing in the Band that sounds more like 1974 than 1976. Second set highlights include Eyes>Wharf Rat>Good Lovin (with a short Here Comes Sunshine quote), Scarlet, Morning Dew, plus a killer Help>Slip (but no Franklin’s alas). The bonus disc is an excellent sampler from various 1976 shows, including another fine Scarlet Begonias, and Playing in the Band split by Supplication Three From the Vault – 2/19/71 – 4 stars There are a plethora of “new songs”, some of which sound like they are still being worked out at this stage. Highlights include Easy Wind (last time performed), Wharf Rat (2nd time performed), The Other One, and Bird Song (1st time performed). Probably the best show of this run from 2/18-2/24, though all are worth tracking down. Winterland 1973 – 11/9-11/11/73 – 5 stars 11/9 doesn’t have a “big jam” like the other two but there are still many highlights, including Eyes>China Doll, Playing in the Band, Here Comes Sunshine, Weather Report Suite, They Love Each Other, and a beautiful To Lay Me Down. 11/10 features an enormous Playin sandwich (Playin>UJB>Morning Dew>UJB>Playin) This is the first of three times they would serve up this sandwich, the others being 11/17/73 and 3/23/74 (which was released as DP24) 11/11 – Unbelievable Dark Star>Eyes (with a Mind Left Body jam thrown in). Grateful Dead music from this era doesn’t get much better than this. Rocking The Cradle: Egypt 1978 – 2 stars (one for the music, one for the footage) 1978 was a wildly erratic year – some shows were brilliant (2/5, 1/22, 10/21, 11/24), some were a bit sloppy yet fun to hear (4/12, 5/11), and some, like the Egypt shows, were terrible. There are few highlights - Ollin Arageed>Fire on the Mountain is interesting, and the footage on the DVD is nice to have, but the less said about this release the better. I know the Egypt trip was historic and all, but there’s a reason these shows sat unreleased for 30 years, and it should have stayed that way. YMMV of course. To Terrapin – Hartford ’77 – 5/28/77 - 3.5 stars The final show from one of the greatest tours in GD history. It doesn’t quite hit the highpoints from other shows on this tour, but still nice to have. Highlights include a 21-minute Sugaree, and a second set jam of Playin>Terrapin,>Drums>NFA>Wharf Rat>Playin. Winterland June 1977 – 6/7-6/9/77 – 5 stars Another box set of three Winterland shows. Set 1 from 6/7 includes beautiful versions of Peggy-O and LL Rain, and a smokin’ Music Never Stopped (1977 was a great year for this song). Set 2 has a great pairing of Terrapin>Morning Dew (see also DP 3 5/22/77). 6/8 is my favorite of the three shows, thanks to the stupendous 2nd set featuring Estimated>Eyes>Drums>The Other One>Wharf Rat>NFA>GDTRFB>JB Goode. Standouts from set 1 include Sugaree, Jackaroe, and Lazy Lightning>Supplication. 6/9 – amazing 2nd set featuring a titanic Help>Slip>Franklin’s Tower, plus Estimated Prophet>St. Stephen>NFA>Drums>St. Stephen>Terrapin Station>Sugar Magnolia. Whew! The bonus disc from 5/12 is amazing as well, particularly the 2nd set sequence of Terrapin>Playin>Drums>NFA>Comes a Time>Playin. Crimson, White, and Indigo – I have this, but haven’t watched or listened to it in its entirety yet, so no comment at this time. Download Series DL 1 – 4/30/77 – 4 stars Excellent Scarlet>Fire, unique sequence of St. Stephen>NFA>Stella Blue>St. Stephen. The extra material from 4/29 is great – Sugaree, Scarlet, and Goin Down the Road Feeling Bad. DL 2 – 1/18/70 – 3.5 stars Very good early 1970 show - Mason’s Children, Good Lovin, Dancin’, Lovelight DL 3 – 10/26/71 – 3 stars Shows from this tour are always welcome, though this one pales somewhat in comparison to others. The main highlight here is the Truckin>Drums>Other One DL 4 – 6/18/76 – 4 stars St. Stephen>NFA>St. Stephen>Eyes>Drums>Wheel, plus Sugaree, Crazy Fingers, Mission in the Rain. Also includes material from later that month – Scarlet, Playin>Wheel>Playin. We need more from June ’76! DL 5 – 3/27/88 – 4 stars The pre-drums of Sugar Mag>Scarlet>Fire>Estimated>Eyes is one of the best of the era. Other highlights include Dear Mr. Fantasy, To Lay Me Down, and Let it Grow. Dig the Miles Davis “So What” jam before Sugar Magnolia. DL 6 – 3/17/68 – 5 stars More primal Dead from early ’68 – killer That’s It For the Other One>New Potato Caboose, China Cat>Eleven>Caution. DL 7 – 9/3 – 9/4/80 – 3.5 stars From 9/3, Half-Step>Franklin’s, Sailor>Saint>Jam.. The second set from 9/4 smokes – Supplication Jam>Estimated>Eyes>Drums>Other One>Wharf Rat>GDTRFB>Good Lovin’ DL 8 – 12/10/73 – 3.5 stars Truckin>Nobody’s Fault>Eyes of the World, Sugar Magnolia split by GDTRFB. First Peggy-O. DL 9 – 4/2-4/3/89 – 3 stars These shows aren’t bad, but nothing earthshaking. Good Shakedown Street and Foolish Heart DL 10 – 7/21- 7/22/72 – 4 stars The centerpiece here is a great Truckin>Drums>Other One>Comes A Time. Other highlights include Bird Song (from 7/22) and two excellent versions of Playing in the Band (7/21 and 7/22). DL 11 – 6/20/91 – 3 stars Good Bird Song from 6/20. The bonus material from 6/19 is better – excellent Scarlet>Fire, Other One>Stella Blue DL 12 – 4/17/69 – 3.5 stars Dark Star>St. Stephen>It’s A Sin>St. Stephen>Lovelight, plus That’s it for the Other One. Caution starts out smokin’ but alas they stop playing after a minute due to curfew. A Night at the Family Dog – 2/4/70 – 2.5 stars Good setlist, but the overall performance sounds lackluster and unfocused. The bonus material from 10/5 and 12/31 isn’t much better. 11/5 and 11/6/79 – 3.5 stars The meat of 11/6 (Terrapin>Playin) was previously released on RT 1. 11/5 has an awesome second set with Eyes of the World >Estimated Prophet>Franklin’s Tower. Get the AUD recording for this show, which I think sounds much better than the SBD. That’s it for the other ones….. enjoy and discuss!  

rockclassics Senior Member

Cool. Thanks for pulling all of these links together. I have previously read your reviews of the Dick's Picks releases.  

drbob932 Member

Very helpful, thanks!  

noname74 Allegedly Canadian

wow....great work!  

Edgard Varese Royale with Cheese

Woo hoo, been waiting for this thread.  

jacksondownunda Forum Resident

Thanks Mike, I love the stars. I've missed a few (DP, DL, RT) along the way (particularly downloads due to bad net) but your combined threads make it clear that I still have some serious musical bizniz to catch up on. ("Honey, are we below our limit on the credit cards yet?")  

ZappaSG New Member

Thank you Mike! I have been enjoying your thoughts on GD releases for years and this was a highly anticipated list! RT 1 (Nov. '79) was the first one I bought and it has always left me a little cold. The Shakedown is pretty fantastic but the rest doesn't deliver what I thought it would. Perhaps I just wasn't ready for the sound of '79. I will have to go back and listen again as this is the least played of all the Dead I have. RT 1.2 Oct '77 - kind of a bummer to hear it's so lame, especially after such highs from May and June. RT 2.3 '74 is indeed KILLER material from start to finish. The sound EXPLODES and Bill sounds fantastic on drums. This release actually made me appreciate, and even love, DP31 and realize just how amazing the Summer '74 tour was. Cow Palace - the more I listen to this, the more fantastic it is. Great sound, great playing, just awesome! I've said plenty about the June 77 Winterland box but I want to mention again that the bonus disc on there is indeed fantastic and some of my favorite Dead of all time. Again, great list Mike....you need to write some kind of book with even more detailed reviews. Your thoughts on the music are always dead on.  

JimSmiley Team Blue Note

Nice work, Mike!!  

BNell Forum Resident

Thanks for the reviews, Mike - I've been hesitant to jump into the Road Trips series, but maybe I'll need to after reading your thoughts -  

rbbert Forum Resident

RT 1 (Fall '79) and the accompanying downloads (11/5,6/79) all run VERY slow (~2% or 35 cents), slow enough that not only is the pitch very flat but the tempo is noticeably slowed as well. It just can't help the musical enjoyment any. Fall '77 is less than great only because of what came before. It (the time period and the Road Trips) is still better than almost everything that comes after. Interestingly, the 12/28/79 show is one of the later shows which certainly stands out.  

pbuzby Senior Member

Three From the Vault – 2/19/71 – 4 stars Click to expand...

Barnabas Collins Senior Member

Thanks for your work! Your Dead reviews ought to be sticky threads here! I frequently revisit them when looking for shows to get.  

jdlaw Forum Resident

MikeP5877 said: ↑ RT 2.2 – 2/14/68 – 5 stars[/U] For the 32 glorious minutes of That’s It For The Other One through the end of the Spanish Jam, all is right with the universe. Other highlights include Alligator>Caution (large chunks of which were in the final mix for Anthem), plus some previously uncirculated goodies from January ’68. The more 1968, the better. Caveat emptor – there is a gap between the end of New Potato Caboose and Born Cross-eyed. Previously circulating tapes patched this but for this RT they faded it out and back in again. Click to expand...

mgb70 Senior Member

I had read all the reviews about Road Trips Vol. 1 No. 1 running slow so I never picked it up. While I was in NYC last week I popped into the Grateful Dead Archives exhibit at the NY Historical Society. They had all of the Road Trips for sale in the gift shop and so I said what the heck and picked it up. Even though it may run a little slow (cassette master) I can't really detect it and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it sounded after thinking it would be terrible. So glad I picked it up! BTW - great list Mike!!!  

mdekoning Senior Member

Great list, thanks a lot! It looks like I'm still missing a lot of great releases. Looking at your ratings, I think I'll have to give RT 3.1 – 12/28/79 and RT 2.3 – 6/16 - 6/18/74 another listen. I've never been a big fan of these, but haven't heard them in a while.  

Road Trips 2.3 Wall of Sound 1974 was a huge eye opener for me on just how fantastic 1974 Dead could be. It smokes from start to finish and the sound is fantastic. Highly, highly recommended. Now I need to figure out which releases I need next. How does RT 1.3 compare to DP 35? It looks like they may have some overlapping material...or at least overlapping dates. The only '71 I have is Ladies and Gentlemen and I sometimes think that's all the '71 I need.  

ZappaSG said: ↑ Now I need to figure out which releases I need next. How does RT 1.3 compare to DP 35? It looks like they may have some overlapping material...or at least overlapping dates. The only '71 I have is Ladies and Gentlemen and I sometimes think that's all the '71 I need. Click to expand...

mdekoning said: ↑ I think I'll have to give RT 3.1 – 12/28/79 and RT 2.3 – 6/16 - 6/18/74 another listen. Click to expand...

MikeP5877 said: ↑ Speaking of 8/6/71, find the AUD for that recording. While it's nice to have most of it now available as a SBD recording, the audience tape is just damn exciting to hear, and is still my preferred way to listen to this wonderful show (Probably a Top 10 show for me). Click to expand...

JimSmiley said: ↑ Is that the one with THE "Hard to Handle"? Click to expand...

THE audience recording of THE Hard To Handle was also officially released on Fallout From the Phil Zone which is a most excellent compilation. http://www.amazon.com/Fallout-Phil-...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1282786868&sr=8-1  

Can you almost assemble most of 8/6/71 through DP35 and the RT 1.3 bonus disc? I always thought it was weird that DP35 didn't contain the 8/6 Hard to Handle and that 8/6 was never released on it's own.  

crazylegs69 Forum Resident

MikeP5877 said: ↑ Ladies and Gentleman is fantastic, but you definitely need more 1971. Between RT 1.3 and DP 35, I think the RT is the stronger of the two. While DP 35 has most of the stunning second set from 8/6, the rest of the package, while very good, doesn't quite measure up to the best stuff on RT 1.3. The only show common to both releases is 8/6/71, and even then, for RT 1.3 it's only on the bonus disc. You really need both. Speaking of 8/6/71, find the AUD for that recording. While it's nice to have most of it now available as a SBD recording, the audience tape is just damn exciting to hear, and is still my preferred way to listen to this wonderful show (Probably a Top 10 show for me). While you're at it, track down 8/14-15 from the Berkeley Community Theatre. Like I said, they were ON FIRE in the Summer '71 (and the Spring, Fall, and Winter too) Click to expand...

ZappaSG said: ↑ Can you almost assemble most of 8/6/71 through DP35 and the RT 1.3 bonus disc? I always thought it was weird that DP35 didn't contain the 8/6 Hard to Handle and that 8/6 was never released on it's own. Click to expand...

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Best Grateful Dead Jams

For travel and road trips.

Updated on June 3, 2023

Road trips are excuses to listen to long, lazy Grateful Dead jams. I've compiled a list of the best Grateful Dead jams for road trips and travel.

T his has nothing to do with great songs (like Ripple or Box of Rain), or great versions of songs (like Ruben and Cherise at Folsom Prison). This list is about the Grateful Dead's most exquisite improvised jams; the ones that go along with open car windows, solitary hikes in foreign places, and doodling travel sketches in old cafes. Many of these segments are long enough that getting caught up in them is best practiced when you are away from home, where you have big, open spaces of time to dive in to the music.

Improvised music isn't necessarily better than great studio work, but for me, the sensibility of not knowing where the music is going lends itself well to travel, because it gets your synapses firing in all the right ways.

These picks are the result of listening to Grateful Dead tapes since the age of 15, and slowly building up a list of my best picks specifically for the road, which for me is exploratory improvisation, especially when it strays far from its basic form. It is important to note that the idea of picking best jams is really counterintuitive to listening to improvised music. Anybody who uses a list to find the best version of a song is missing the point. Listening to improvised music is to get to know the many versions. It is a lifelong pursuit. Use best-of lists only as a stepping-off point.

I am adding ink spatters to go along with different jams. I am a color-grapheme synesthete , and while that is not a form of synesthesia directly correlated to music or sound, I subconsciously associate colors with jam sequences, and will often remember a jam by its color. These ink spatters are my attempt to visualize the color combinations of these jams.

1977-05-22 Help on the Way -> Slipknot -> Franklin's Tower Sportatorium, Pembroke Pines, Florida

With Grateful Dead jams, choosing the best material is not just about the music, but the recording, and the sound of the hall. There is a lot going on in Grateful Dead music, and so it's easy for the sound to get muddy. This soundboard recording from the Grateful Dead's most celebrated month of music enscapsulates the two things that I look for the most in Grateful Dead: crispness and exploratory playing.

1973-12-19 Here Comes Sunshine Curtis Hixon Convention Hall, Tampa, Florida

This bright song about the days following a devastating flood in Portland, Oregon's Vanport area was always in short supply in the Grateful Dead's repertoire. It was only played 66 times. But 1973 is the year for Here Comes Sunshine , and there is little argument among Deadheads that this complex and varied version is the pinnacle. Tight, uptempo jamming. Garcia is all over the fretboard and Weir's rhythm is strangely submarine. This is another example of crisp playing and crisp recording. (Dick's Picks 1)

1974-08-06 Eyes of the World Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, New Jersey

During the Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound era, the band played this fast, crystalline version of Eyes , with bright, audible Phil Lesh solos, and tight, exploratory lead by Garcia.

1977-05-28 Sugaree Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut

A long time ago, I saw a graphic novel interpretation of Sugaree . The author depicted a world of lizard-riding townsmen, a heroine in a cloak, turning her back on the song's narrator, who is about to be hung. This Sugaree , which doesn't let up through its entire record-breaking 21:30 minute length, solo after scorching solo, reminds me of the intensity of that scene.

1976-06-09 Crazy Fingers, St. Stephen -> Eyes of the World -> Jam -> Let It Grow -> Drums -> Let It Grow, Franklin's Tower Boston Music Hall, Boston, Massachussetts

The centerpoint of this stunning segment is the transition from St. Stephen into Eyes of the World. St. Stephen itself starts to feel infused with Eyes notes, but when Eyes actually begins, it's pre-lyric introduction extends for eight glorious minutes. As a lifelong fan of Eyes , I have always paid particular attention to the intros. This Eyes intro passes the four-and-a-half minute mark, while most are less than a minute. Note that the intro for 1976-06-18 is nearly six-and-a-half minutes long.

1979-11-06 Terrapin Station -> Playin' in the Band The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennslyvania

While Terrapin's rarely depart from the composed themes of the song, this night, Jerry Garcia's lead lines were unlike any other night. The Playin' in this segment is not as well known as many other Playin' heavy-hitters, but it stands with the best, with rich, textured playing and a unique 1979 delivery, which includes a shining first-year Brent.

1974-05-19 Truckin' -> Not Fade Away -> Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad -> One More Saturday Night Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon

The Grateful Dead always sounded great in the Pacific Northwest, which was part of their northern backyard. The long jam that follows Truckin' in this segment of songs is beyond the pale, and Garcia's notes in Not Fade Away are impeccable.

1980-11-30 Scarlet Begonias -> Fire on the Mountain Fox Theatre, St. Louis, Missouri

Magnificent playing on this Scarlet Fire, particularly during the transition phase.

1976-07-16 The Music Never Stopped -> Scarlet Begonias, US Blues Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco, California

This is an early Scarlet Begonias , before it was regularly paired with Fire on the Mountain . It's youth as a song is really compelling here, as Garcia's notes are fresh and inventive, and like most Grateful Dead from 1976, more laid-back and lazy than 1977.

1974-06-26 Intro Jam -> China Cat -> Feelin' Groovy Jam -> I Know You Rider Providence Civic Center, Providence, Rhode Island

There are too many reasons why this China Rider is one of the greatest Grateful Dead jams of all time. It features a unique, spacey intro jam, a beautiful Feelin' Groovy jam to tie the two songs together, and fierce, tight jamming on both China Cat and Rider .

1974-06-20 Eyes of the World -> Slipknot -> China Doll Atlanta Municipal Auditorium, Atlanta, Georgia

This is the first time Slipknot was ever played by the Grateful Dead, but it wasn't yet fully formed, nor was it the slipknot that would form the nearly inseparable tryptich between Help on the Way and Franklin's Tower . Pairing Slipknot with Eyes of the World works really well, and I actually believe that Slipknot is an invention born out of 1973-1974 Eyes of the World outros.

The Dead spent most of 1971 perfecting their cowboy songs, and setlists were less exploratory during this year. But this November show is off-the-charts, and the jam inside this Not Fade Away sandwich has elements of 1960's primal Dead, China-cat Sunflower teases, and, deep spacey exploration.

1979-10-25 Shakedown Street Veteran's Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, Connecticut

If the Grateful Dead ever sounded like Phish, this is it. This is funky-jammy Grateful Dead, inspired by Brent Mydland's electronic piano synth sounds.

1976-07-17 Comes a Time -> Drums -> The Other One -> Space -> Eyes -> Jam -> The Other One -> Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad Orpheum Theater, San Francisco, California

This unusual setlist has that laid back 1976 quality to it, but the apex of this segment is the spectacular Comes a Time , the longest ever. It's jazzy, out there and easily some of the most inventive playing in the Dead's repertoire.

1972-08-27 Bird Song Old Renaissance Faire Grounds, Veneta, Oregon

This transcendent Bird Song is considered by some to be the high point of the show that is often tied for first place with the Cornell 1977 show. The weather at this venue was unrelenting hot, and that heat created a weird tone in Garcia's guitar. Those notes are flawless, psychedelic wizardry.

1972-09-21 Playing in the Band The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Unrelenting jamming from Garcia, improved by some of Keith Godchaux's most creative piano.

1976-06-14 Crazy Fingers, Cosmic Charlie, Help on the Way ->Slipnot -> Franklin's Tower Beacon Theatre, New York, New York

This is an unreal Crazy Fingers , with sublime exchanges between Garcia and Keith Godchaux. and it really describes 1976 Dead. Spanish-jam style exchanges appear. The thirteen-minute Slipknot is labrythine and exquisite.

1970-02-13 Dark Star -> The Other One -> Lovelight Fillmore East, New York, New York

This show is generally considered the Grateful Dead's third most celebrated, and this segment is the reason why. Garcia tears through Dark Star and The Other One with a vengeance. There are sections of deep, exploratory quiet, and sections of machine-gun guitarwork.

1977-05-09 Comes a Time Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York

Unlike the Comes a Time from 7-16-1976, this version, from the day after the Grateful Dead's most famous show, stays on track with a more traditional Comes a Time jam, leading towards a peak. But it is just as good, and that peak is handled incredibly delicately.

1977-05-22 Estimated Prophet ->Eyes of the World -> Wharf Rat->Terrapin Station , Morning Dew The Sportatorium, Pembroke Pines, Florida

This second set segment from one the Grateful Dead's best shows features strong playing throughout.

1973-12-02 Wharf Rat, Mississippi Half-Step, Playin' in the Band -> Mind Left Body Jam, He's Gone Boston Music Hall, Boston, Massachussetts

This psychedelic masterpiece builds and builds throughout the second set, and crescendoes at the Playin' in the Band .

1979-12-26 Uncle John's Band -> Estimated -> Jam Oakland Auditorium Arena, Oakland, California

This standalone Estimated Prophet , sandwiched between Uncle John's Band, features standout mutron from Garcia and great keys from Brent Mydland. There is no other Estimated outro jam like the one in this set, and it's a funky stunner.

1977-10-16 Sugaree Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

1977 yielded the longest and most creative Sugaree's . This one, which is nearly eighteen-minutes long, is one of my favorites.

1983-10-14 Scarlet Begonias -> Fire on the Mountain, Estimated Prophet -> Eyes of the World -> Drums-> Spanish Jam->Other One Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut

This is my favorite Scarlet Fire , and it may be the lazy, carefree effect that the marimbas and tropical beats have on this pairing. This was also Phish's Trey Anastasio's first Grateful Dead concert. At the time, Anastasio was 19 and heavily into metal. Seeing the Dead for the first time was, "like getting it in the head with a baseball bat." The set continues to deliver fire, and includes a rare Spanish Jam coming out of drums.

1973-07-27 Watkin Glens Soundcheck Jam Watkins Glen Grand Prix Raceway, Watkins Glen, ,New York

The Summer Jam festival at Watkin Glens on 7-28-1973 was the largest rock concert in history and the largest gathering of people in the history of the United States, bringing in over 600,000 to see The Allman Brothers, The Band and the Grateful Dead. But rock fans began showing up the day before. The Grateful Dead's soundcheck from the day before the big event is one of their most inventive and unique jams of their entire career. The way that the Grateful Dead shifts between different jam themes is a rare comparison to the Phish Type II jams .

1973-11-30 Here Comes Sunshine -> Weather Report Suite -> Dark Star Jam -> Eyes of the World -> Sugar Mag Boston Music Hall, Boston, Massachussetts

The high point of this beautiful second set jam segment is the Eyes-infused Dark Star Jam that veers effortlessly towards a jazzy Eyes of the World , dense with Phil Lesh bass notes and those lazy but precise Jerry Garcia solos unique to 1973.

1979-11-09 Dancing in the Streets -> Franklin's Tower Buffalo Auditorium, Buffalo, New York

Brent Mydland's funky keys, unique to 1979, help to propel Garcia and Weir in new directions. The rare transition into Franklin's Tower is flawless.

1977-05-17 Scarlet Begonias -> Fire on the Mountain, Estimated Prophet, Terrapin Station -> Playin' in the Band -> Drums -> Wharf Rat -> Playin' in the Band -> Sugar Magnolia Memorial Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The Scarlet Fire's of May 1977 are often compared, but this one has a buttery transcendence to it. The rest of the second set is sublime.

1972-09-21 Dark Star The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This 37-minute Dark Star masterpiece ends with a beautiful banjo-style Mind Left Body Jam .

1990-09-16 He's Gone->Jam Madison Square Garden, New York, New York

Jerry Garcia, Bruce Hornsby and Vince Welnick improvise beautifully out of this post-Brent Mydland He's Gone .

1978-02-05 Scarlet Begonias -> Fire on the Mountain Uni Dome, U of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa

Soaring guitarwork from Jerry Garcia and breathtaking keys by Keith Godchaux make this one of the best Scarlet Fire's . The transiton is especially sublime.

1972-09-21 Bird Song The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A jazzy Bird Song from the year that brought the best Bird Song's .

1972-08-27 Dark Star -> El Paso Old Renaissance Faire Grounds, Veneta, Oregon

Like almost any Dark Star , this one takes a while to grow on you. But patience rewards you. Something about this Dark Star from the Grateful Dead's second most famous show reminds me of a pod of space whales sailing through the galaxy. I have no idea why. The transition into the Marty Robbins cowboy song made it all that more weird, and Dead. A great jam segment for midnight drives in the desert.

1982-08-03 To Lay Me Down, Let It Grow -> Drums -> Space -> He's Gone -> The Other One-> Stella Blue -> Sugar Magnolia Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, Missouri

The guitar tones and vocals on this segment from a beautiful moonlit night in Kansas City are uniquely raw.

1977-10-11 Help on the Way -> Slipknot ->Franklin's Tower, Let It Grow Lloyd Noble Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma

Jerry Garcia plays lightning fast, exploratory leads on this first set opener triptych, and especially in the second set opener Let it Grow , one of the most fiery and exploratory versions around.

1973-11-14 China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider Winterland Arena San Francisco, California

The transition between China and Rider is long, melodic and has an underylying tenderness to it that is unique in all China Rider's . A classic all-windows-open jam.

1976-06-09 Lazy Lightning -> Supplication -> High Time Boston Music Hall Boston, Massachussetts

A summery second set segment with spidery and labrynthine playing by Garcia and Weir.

1981-05-01 Althea, Let It Grow, Deal, Feel Like a Stranger -> Franklin's Tower Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, Virginia

Of these spectacular first and second jams from spring 1981, the Stranger is the centerpiece. Garcia

1974-6-23 Jam->Ship of Fools Jai Alai Fronton, Miami, Florida

The second set of this very unusual show opened with a lengthy pre-Ship jam, mimicking the themes of Ship of Fools while still staying loose and deconstructed.

1981-03-07 Bird Song Cole Field House, College Park, Maryland

This longest of all Bird Songs is one of the most exquisite and unusual, with tight, consistent jamming from Jerry Garcia throughout.

1990-03-15 Terrapin Station Capitol Centre, Landover, Maryland

The 1990's would usher in an era of great outros, and this Terrapin Station, played on Phil Lesh's 50th birthday, is a beautiful example of those outros. This is also the show that brought some of the Without a Net material, and this Terrapin, full of midi and keys, also represents that short-lived creative rennaisance that occured in 1990.

1973-02-26 Dark Star -> Eyes of the World -> Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo Pershing Municipal Auditorium Lincoln, Nebraska

Dark Star is now a veteran jam vehicle, and Eyes of the World is fresh and still not fleshed out. The union of these two monsters is exquisite. The Dark Star has a beautiful, blissful segment that is unlike anything I've heard, and seems to tie the song to the Eyes of the World that will unravel out of this Dark Star. This is only the third time Eyes of the World has been played, and so it has an innocent quality It's 'Stronger than Dirt' outro jam is fluid and youthful, making this one of the best Eyes of all time.

1973-11-30 Playing in the Band Boston Music Hall, Boston, Massachussetts

This jazzy 73-era Playin ', which closes out the first set, goes far out there in the space of twenty-three minutes.

1971-10-31 Dark Star Ohio Theatre, Columbus, Ohio

This Dark Star, among my very favorites, is notable for its Tighten-up jam, the jamming theme that is considered the Proto-Eyes of the World. Uncharacteristic for most Grateful Dead jams, this Dark Star has a distinct peak. It's worth the entire journey.

1974-06-16 China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider Des Moines State Fair, Des Moines, Iowa

A sublime China Rider from a peak year for the Grateful Dead, with Keith's keyboards shining on the segue.

1974-08-04 Weather Report Suite->Jam Philadelphia Civic Arena, Philadephia, Pennsylvania

In the summer of 1974, the Grateful Dead were playing with their enormous 70-ton Wall of Sound speaker system behind them. This was the largest and most sophisticated speaker system ever assembled, and the idea was that the system could eliminate distortion and create crystalline, defined sound at thundrous sound levels. This Weather Report Suite, which warps into a long Mind Left Body Jam, always reminds me of that surreal PA system.

1977-05-28 Estimated Prophet -> Playin' in the Band -> Terrapin Station -> Drums ->Not Fade Away -> Wharf Rat -> Playin' in the Band Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut

A second set Playin' sandwich in the Dead's tightest month is filled with fast, otherworldly notes and space-voyage mutron.

1969-03-02 Doin that Rag, Cryptical Envelopment, Death Don't Have No Mercy-> Morning Dew -> Alligator -> Drums -> Primal Jam -> Caution->Feedback->Bid you Goodnight Fillmore West, San Francisco, California

One of the Grateful Dead's finest performances includes this early Mind Left Bodyesque jam - the Primal Jam - pure, raw, fiery Dead.

1974-06-16 Eyes of the World -> Big River Des Moines State Fair, Des Moines, Iowa

All of the summer 1974 Eyes of the World performances were among the very best. This Eyes is among the strongest, with a unique grasshopper cadence to it. The unexpected segue into Johnny Cash's Big River is perfect.

1977-05-08 Row Jimmy, Dancing in the Street-> Scarlet Begonias -> Fire on the Mountain -> Estimated Prophet -> St. Stephen -> Not Fade Away -> St. Stephen -> Morning Dew Barton Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Nobody seems able to eloquently describe why this is the most celebrated set in Grateful Dead history. It is smooth and tight and beautiful, but what makes this show better than other similar May 1977 shows? Many say it's the quality of the soundboard tape, which was widely distributed and which helped solidify this show as the de facto best show, an unoffensive common denominator liked by everybody. Listen closely, though, and the answer is out there. The Garcia leads on this night are singular, and never repeated or even suggested again.

1973-11-17 Playin' in the Band -> Uncle John's Band -> Morning Dew -> Uncle John's Band -> Playin' in the Band -> Stella Blue -> El Paso -> Eyes of the World Pauley Pavilion, UCLA, Los Angeles, California

By far one of the best sets of the superb 1973, this segment from the second set features a crisp Playin' sandwich and standup segues on the songs to follow. The Eyes of the World is one of the best.

1974-06-18 Weather Report Suite -> Jam -> The Other One -> It's a Sin Jam -> Stella Blue Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky

A long, jazzy Weather Report Suite is followed by a spacey jam. One of the great monsters of 1974 Grateful Dead.

1972-08-27 Playin' in the Band -> He's Gone -> Jack Straw Old Renaissance Faire Grounds, Veneta, Oregon

Some consider this the Grateful Dead's most intense, in-sync jam of all time. Right before Playin' starts, you can hear Bob say, "Every other time we’ve been in Oregon, it rained. Today, it’s too damn hot!" That heat kept the guitars out of tune, which you can hear in this blistering track.

1973-06-22 Bird Song P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia

This Bird Song is unique among all Bird Song's for it's dream-like voyaging tones. It's the only Bird Song that dips into territory normally pursued by Dark Star or Playin' in the Band. A remarkable must listen for twilight road trips.

1977-03-20 Row Jimmy Winterland Arena, San Francisco, California

The entire performance this night, including many of the first set songs, are well played throughout. For example, the Brown-eyed Women in the first set features really punchy lead. But this second set Row Jimmy is on fire, and probably the best version ever played.

1973-11-14 Here Comes Sunshine Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, California

This sloppy Here Comes Sunshine fires on all cylinders in between the composed sections, despite its miscues. Sharp, brilliant lead, a dreamy and intense quality, and heavy experimentation.

1972-04-14 Dark Star Tivoli Concert Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark

This Dark Star, over 29 minutes in length, explores the cosmos for seventeen minutes before hitting the first verse, and includes one of the happiest and most exploratory Feelin' Groovy jams in Grateful Dead history.

1978-04-24 Music Never Stopped, Scarlet Begonias ->Fire on the Mountain Horton Field House, Normal, Illinois

A spacey and intense Music Never Stopped is followed by one of the best Scarlet Fires of all time. Music Never Stopped has always been, to my ears, an unusual musical take on summer. This is the summer on fire version.

1973-11-14 Truckin-> Other One Jam -> The Other One -> Jam -> Big River -> The Other One -> Eyes of the World -> The Other One -> Wharf Rat, Me and My Uncle -> Going Down the Road Feelin' Bad San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California

Fascinating Weir rhythms, locked-in Phil, and pulsating Jerry make this a beautiful second-set segment from the jazzy late 1973 era. I have always been interested in songs that are flavored with Eyes of the World notes, and the Other Ones in this set are a great example that.

1972-04-08 Dark Star -> Sugar Magnolia -> Caution (Do Not Step on the Tracks) Wembley Empire Pool, London, England

A beautiful, melodic thirty-minute Dark Star that feels almost oceanic is followed by a lively Sugar Magnolia, and a vicious Caution.

1993-06-23 Terrapin Station -> Drums -> Space -> Dark Star -> Wheel Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, Indiana

One of the last great jam masterpieces of the Grateful Dead. Terrapin Station unravels into a Dark Star-ish pre-drums jam.

1977-06-08 Eyes of the World Winterland Arena, San Francisco, California

A nearly 20-minute Eyes of the World , at the height of The Grateful Dead's most coveted quarter. Exceptional, spot-on playing. Why haven't we heard this Eyes more? Likely because this show hides under the show of the much more famous show to follow the next day.

1976 was a heady year for the Dead, and this segment's unusual setlist shows how out-there a setlist could get this year. While the Franklin's Tower is top-notch, the double Slipknot, which often forays into Spanish Jam, is some of Jerry's best playing in the 70s.

1973-02-28 The Other One -> Eyes of the World -> Morning Dew Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah

The very earliest Eyes of the World 's had a weird sort of purity to them (the first debuted on February 9). The outro jams, heavy on Phil and proto-Slipknot segments, were extraordinary. But this second set segment contains an Eyes-infused The Other One that has includes an unusual jam known to appear only in 1973, which reminds me of the offspring of Spanish Jam and Brazilian bossa nova. Listen for it about four-and-a-half minutes in.

Listen for Bob on slide guitar during a stunning and altogether unique Scarlet Begonias . This second set segment includes a Scarlet Fire masterpiece that features a Jerry going full-throttle, restless and full of ideas, as well as notes.

During an inventive year of four-hour sets, some shows, particularly from summer, stand out above the rest. This second set contains Phil-heavy jamming throughout, with a unique pre-Eyes Jam and Spanish Jam .

1989-10-18 Birdsong > The Music Never Stopped The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Grateful Dead had a brilliant resurrection into a period of creative playing from 1989-1991. This end to the first set highlights this new sound, which often featured Jerry Garcia noodling through flute and trumpet MIDI sounds. While not all Deadheads enjoy the MIDI era, I have always welcomed it as a unique, jazzy and spacey era. This Birdsong , similar to the tracks recorded on the Without a Net double album, matches some of the greats from earlier eras - flute tones included.

1985-06-30 Shakedown Street -> Samson and Delilah Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland

Climactic and funky, this standout ending to a first set includes an impossibly good Shakedown Street. 1984 and 1985 were overall uneven years for the Dead, but there are many sleeper Shakedown's from this era, and further exploration is strongly recommended.

1977-06-09 Help on the Way -> Slipknot -> Franklin's Tower Winterland, San Francisco, California

In a life of listening to the Grateful Dead, the lengthier and more expansive Help->Slip->Frank's still feel foreign, fresh and mindbending. This is one of the very best, with an exceptional Slipknot . Listen for Phil Lesh's fills and the complexity of the transition between Help and Slip .

1974-08-04 Playin' in the Band -> Scarlet Begonias Philadelphia Civic Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The sprawling Playin' in this duo takes on a unique 1950's jazz era quality, as Jerry Garcia takes everything you know about this song beyond the pale.

1974-06-18 Eyes of the World -> China Doll Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky

This is Eyes of the World at its finest; with fast, fluid jamming interplay between Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh. The segue intwo China Doll is haunting.

1972-09-17 He's Gone -> The Other One -> Sing Me Back Home Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland

A forty-minute The Other One is the centerpiece of this voyage into the far reaches of the galaxy.

1977-10-14 Playin' in the Band Hofheinz Pavillion, Houston, Texas

This seventeen-minute Playin' has a roaming and wandering quality to it. While it never descends into space, it has a deconstructed, almost mellow quality to it.

1979-12-26 Friend of the Devil Oakland Auditorium Arena, Oakland, California

This ten-minute Friend of the Devil is relaxed and dynamic. Listen to each bandmember contributing in a dense and tight jam.

1974-10-17 He's Gone -> The Other One -> Spanish Jam -> Mind Left Body Jam -> The Other One -> Stella Blue Winterland Arena, San Francisco, California

The Grateful Dead's original Fare Thee Well tour was in October 1974. They played 5 nights at Winterland before taking an extended haitus. This segment, from the third set of third night, blisters with energy and psychedelic weirdness.

1973-06-10 Eyes of the World -> Stella Blue Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington D.C.

The overlooked Eyes of the World from this segment is one of the longest, and features proto-Slipknot jamming among lazy summer leads from Jerry Garcia.

1975-09-28 Jam out of Truckin -> Drums -> Stronger than Dirt or Milkin' the Turkey Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California

The unusual jam that comes out of Truckin' on this rare 1975 show, right in the middle of the Dead's haitus period, is played in the key of 11/8, but is not related to The Eleven, which the Grateful Dead had not played since the 60's. Rather, it's a standalone proto-Blues for Allah era jam that serves as an introduction to the rare Stronger than Dirt that comes after a drums segment. It is a short masterpiece and a must-hear.

1976-06-14 Crazy Fingers -> Dancing in the Street -> Cosmic Charlie -> Help on the Way -> Slipknot! -> Franklin's Tower Beacon Theatre, New York, New York

A spectacular 1976 fourth quarter features a sublime Crazy Fingers rare Cosmic Charlie and a lovely, lazy, free-form Slipknot! that clocks in at thirteen minutes.

1977-11-06 Eyes of the World Cotterrell Gym, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York

This is one of the fastest Eyes of the World ever performed, and so while the song clocks in at less than thirteen minutes, it's packed with tight, flawless playing, packing a punch missing in many other Eyes .

1978-04-24 The Music Never Stopped Horton Field House, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois

The Music Never Stopped evokes images of the Midwesterners lust for summertime. This Music is really different, because it takes it time, meanders like a slow-moving Midwestern river at the peak of summer.

1976-07-13 Crazy Fingers Orpheum Theater, San Francisco, California

This fourteen minute Crazy Fingers is like an envoy for the Grateful Dead in 1976; sincere and delicate. The final jam takes the summery notes and embeds them with psychedelic themes of The Other One and Playin' in the Band.

1973-06-22 Here Comes Sunshine P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia

This outstanding Here Comes Sunshine is notable for the flawless tight, transcendent jamming.

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Posted: April 17, 2024 | Last updated: April 17, 2024

Best Grateful Dead albums of all time

What a long, strange trip it's been for the Grateful Dead and its fans. It all began in 1960, when a discharged Army recruit named Jerry Garcia arrived in Palo Alto, California. Equipped with an acoustic guitar, banjo, and vast knowledge of traditional American music, Garcia immersed himself in the local neo-Beatnik scene. He formed Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions in 1965 with five other musicians, including guitarist Bob Weir and organist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan.

Deciding to go electric, they shifted personnel and became The Warlocks by the following year. When it turned out there was another act with the same name, the band hastily flipped through a dictionary and landed on a new moniker: Grateful Dead. Thanks to the band's wildly eclectic and improvisational live shows, the Dead soon became the proverbial house band for San Francisco's burgeoning psychedelic revolution.

When drummer Mickey Hart and lyricist Robert Hunter became full-time members in the late 1960s, the Dead's classic core lineup solidified. Over the years, the band developed two divergent aesthetics—studio and stage—as it also survived various personnel shifts and some devastating losses, including Pigpen playing his last show with the band in 1972 just months before succumbing to liver failure. Jerry Garcia famously departed for that great gig in the sky in 1995. Nevertheless, the band's legendary live shows continue to garner a massive and loyal following. Even today, the term Deadhead remains quintessential to the American lexicon.

Stacker created a ranking of the best Grateful Dead albums of all time based on data from Best Ever Albums (updated June 2019), where overall rank is determined by calculating the aggregate position of each album from more 38,000 different top album charts. The 38,000 charts referenced are a blend of publications' charts (e.g. Rolling Stone, New Music Express, Stereogum, The Quietus) and people's personal charts. In theory, the more charts that an album has appeared in and the higher its rank score, the better it will be.

Here are the Grateful Dead's best albums.

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#15. One From the Vault (1991)

- Overall album rank: #11,854 - Rank in decade: #2,339 - Rank in year: #185 - Appears in: 8 charts

The first installment in a series of live recordings, "One from the Vault" captures a historic 1975 concert at Great American Music Hall with superb fidelity. Various improvisational jams reach an extended climax with the 21-minute version of "Blues for Allah." Before its official release in 1991, lesser versions of this particular concert recording were passed around by way of assorted bootlegs.

#14. Two From the Vault (1992)

- Overall album rank: #11,457 - Rank in decade: #2,256 - Rank in year: #229 - Appears in: 9 charts

For the second release in the band's beloved "Vault" series, the Grateful Dead resurrected a 1968 performance at Los Angeles' Shrine Theater. Finding the original members (plus Mickey Hart) in peak form, it serves as a psychedelic snapshot of the band's late-1960s repertoire. The concert was initially recorded on state-of-the-art multi-track reels, which were digitally restored by sonic wizards Dan Healy and Jeffrey Norman.

#13. In the Dark (1987)

- Overall album rank: #10,466 - Rank in decade: #1,551 - Rank in year: #142 - Appears in: 33 charts

A year after Jerry Garcia emerged from a diabetic coma, the Dead released its first new album in six years. Other than keyboardist Brent Mydland—who joined in 1979—the album features the band's classic core lineup (minus Pigpen). It gave the band its biggest hit , "Touch of Grey," which famously includes the lines "I will get by, I will survive."

#12. Sunshine Daydream: Veneta, OR, August 27, 1972 (2013)

- Overall album rank: #10,296 - Rank in decade: #1,827 - Rank in year: #244 - Appears in: 9 charts

The Dead had just returned from a 1972 European tour when the members stopped over in a small Oregon town for a benefit concert. This concert would ultimately become the stuff of legend in its own right, running the full gamut between extended psychedelic jam sessions and tight bluegrass numbers. Culled from the original 16-track master tapes, "Sunshine Daydream" presents the legendary performance in its entire, three-hour glory.

#11. Terrapin Station (1977)

- Overall album rank: #6,185 - Rank in decade: #1,059 - Rank in year: #104 - Appears in: 26 charts

Widely considered a mixed bag, this late 1970s album was the first one recorded by the band for the Arista Label. In addition to the classic core lineup (sans Pigpen), it features Keith Richard Godchaux on piano and Donna Jean Godchaux on vocals. Highlights include a cover of "Samson & Delilah" as well as the 16-minute title track.

#10. Aoxomoxoa (1969)

- Overall album rank: #4,877 - Rank in decade: #353 - Rank in year: #88 - Appears in: 63 charts

50 years ago, the Grateful Dead self-produced and then released its most experimental studio album to date. It brought lyricist Robert Hunter into the fold as a full-time contributor and included keyboardist Tom Constanten as an official member for the only time. While the album doesn't entirely translate the band's live energy, it nevertheless remains a quintessential relic of the psychedelic era.

#9. Reckoning (1981)

- Overall album rank: #4,101 - Rank in decade: #645 - Rank in year: #78 - Appears in: 39 charts

Digging back to their personal roots and influences, the Dead's members recorded a series of primarily acoustic shows for this acclaimed double LP. The resulting tracklist combined original tunes with a range of folk and country covers, all delivered with bucolic precision. A companion live album called "Dead Set" was released later that same year.

#8. Blues for Allah (1975)

- Overall album rank: #4,009 - Rank in decade: #735 - Rank in year: #74 - Appears in: 55 charts

Drummer Mickey Hart returned from a four-year sabbatical to play on this mid-70s effort, which Jerry Garcia once called the "most adventurous album we've done in a pretty long time." Recorded in the midst of an extended touring hiatus, it blends various musical genres to natural effect. The 12-minute title track is either a stroke of experimental brilliance or a missed opportunity , depending on who's being asked.

#7. Wake of the Flood (1973)

- Overall album rank: #3,854 - Rank in decade: #711 - Rank in year: #80 - Appears in: 44 charts

The band's sixth studio album was the first release on its eponymous label. It was also the first to be recorded without original member Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, who'd recently died of internal hemorrhaging due to complications from alcoholism. Keith Godchaux was now on keyboards, with his wife Donna Jean providing occasional backing vocals.

#6. The Grateful Dead (1967)

- Overall album rank: #3,838 - Rank in decade: #289 - Rank in year: #49 - Appears in: 67 charts

The Grateful Dead was an accomplished concert act by the time the band recorded this debut album, which committed some (but not all) of that improvisational magic to wax. Drawing from various aspects of live shows, the work consists primarily of blues or folk covers and only two original tunes. Some might say this was a mere preview of better things to come.

#5. Anthem of the Sun (1968)

- Overall album rank: #2,255 - Rank in decade: #197 - Rank in year: #37 - Appears in: 112 charts

Introducing Mickey Hart as a second drummer, "Anthem of the Sun" found the Dead exploring a vast sonic terrain by way of numerous instruments and ideas. While technically a studio effort, it incorporated an assortment of live recordings into the mix. This was the first album to include lyrical contributions from Robert Hunter.

#4. Europe '72 (1972)

- Overall album rank: #1,531 - Rank in decade: #331 - Rank in year: #33 - Appears in: 78 charts

"I am convinced that God made the Grateful Dead so that they could be heard in concert," wrote Rolling Stone's Tom Dupree in his review for this triple LP set. Unleashing highlights from the band's 1972 tour of Western Europe, the album makes for quintessential listening among Deadheads and casual fans alike. It was the first official release to include Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux, and the last to feature Ron "Pigpen" McKernan.

#3. Live/Dead (1969)

- Overall album rank: #1,244 - Rank in decade: #119 - Rank in year: #35 - Appears in: 184 charts

According to Best Ever Albums, the Grateful Dead's first live release is also the band's best live release. It introduced listeners at home to the sprawling epic known as "Dark Star," which endures as an absolute cornerstone of the band's overall legacy. Rolling Stone ranked "Live/Dead" at #7 on its list of the 50 Greatest Live Albums of All Time .

#2. Workingman's Dead (1970)

- Overall album rank: #864 - Rank in decade: #208 - Rank in year: #30 - Appears in: 197 charts

Harkening back to the band's earliest musical influences, the Grateful Dead completely reinvented its studio aesthetic with this benchmark release. Songs like "Uncle John's Band" and "Casey Jones" continue to serve as compelling entry points for novice listeners, many of whom are discovering the Dead for the first time. Americana and stoner rock rarely make for fitting bedmates the way they do here.

#1. American Beauty (1970)

- Overall album rank: #259 - Rank in decade: #63 - Rank in year: #14 - Appears in: 457 charts

Featuring timeless tracks such as "Truckin'," "Ripple," "Sugar Magnolia," and "Friend of the Devil," 1970's "American Beauty" is practically a greatest hits compilation unto itself. Recorded just months after "Workingman's Dead," it finds the band once again eschewing experimentation in favor of tight songwriting and mellow harmonies. The people over at Best Ever Albums consider it to be the band's finest work, and most critics or fans would agree.

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