GRATEFUL DEAD - The Grateful Dead (1967-1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Grateful Dead's eponymously titled debut long-player was issued in mid-March of 1967. This gave rise to one immediate impediment -- the difficulty in attempting to encapsulate/recreate the Dead's often improvised musical magic onto a single LP. Unfortunately, the sterile environs of the recording studio disregards the subtle and often not-so-subtle ebbs and zeniths that are so evident within a live experience. So, while this studio recording ultimately fails in accurately exhibiting the Grateful Dead's tremendous range, it's a valiant attempt to corral the group's hydra-headed psychedelic jug-band music on vinyl. Under the technical direction of Dave Hassinger -- who had produced the Rolling Stones as well as the Jefferson Airplane -- the Dead recorded the album in Los Angeles during a Ritalin-fuelled "long weekend" in early 1967. Rather than prepare all new material for the recording sessions, a vast majority of the disc is comprised of titles that the band had worked into their concurrent performance repertoire. This accounts for the unusually high ratio (seven:two) of folk and blues standards to original compositions. The entire group took credit for the slightly saccharine "Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)," while Jerry Garcia (guitar/vocals) is credited for the noir garage-flavored raver "Cream Puff War." Interestingly, both tracks were featured as the respective A- and B-sides of the only 45 rpm single derived from this album. The curious aggregate of cover tunes featured on the Dead's initial outing also demonstrates the band's wide-ranging musical roots and influences. These include Pigpen's greasy harp-fuelled take on Sonny Boy Williamson's "Good Morning Little School Girl" and the minstrel one-man-band folk of Jessie "the Lone Cat" Fuller's "Beat It On Down the Line." The apocalyptic Cold War folk anthem "Morning Dew" (aka "[Walk Me Out in The] Morning Dew") is likewise given a full-bodied electric workout as is the obscure jug-band stomper "Viola Lee Blues." Fittingly, the Dead would continue to play well over half of these tracks in concert for the next 27 years. by Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist :
1    The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)    2:07
 Jerry Garcia
2    Beat It On Down The Line    2:27
  Jesse Fuller
3    Good Morning, Little School Girl    5:56
 Sonny Boy Williamson I
4    Cold Rain And Snow    2:25
Traditional
5    Sitting On Top Of The World    2:01
 Lonnie Chatmon / Walter Vinson
6    Cream Puff War    2:25
 Jerry Garcia
7    Morning Dew    5:00
 Bonnie Dobson / Tim Rose
8    New, New Minglewood Blues    2:31
Traditional
9    Viola Lee Blues    10:01
Noah Lewis
Credits :
Arranged By – The Grateful Dead
Bass, Vocals – Phil Lesh
Drums – Bill Kreutzmann
Guitar, Vocals – Jerry Garcia
Keyboards, Vocals – Ron "Pigpen" McKernan
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir