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

GRATEFUL DEAD - Anthem of the Sun (1968-2003) RM / HDCD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As the second long-player by the Grateful Dead, Anthem of the Sun (1968) pushed the limits of both the music as well as the medium. General dissatisfaction with their self-titled debut necessitated the search for a methodology to seamlessly juxtapose the more inspired segments of their live performances with the necessary conventions of a single LP. Since issuing their first album, the Dead welcomed lyricist Robert Hunter into the fold -- freeing the performing members to focus on the execution and taking the music to the next level. Another addition was second percussionist Mickey Hart, whose methodical timekeeping would become a staple in the Dead's ability to stop on the proverbial rhythmic dime. Likewise, Tom Constanten (keyboards) added an avant-garde twist to the proceedings with various sonic enhancements that were more akin to John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen than anything else coming from the burgeoning Bay Area music scene. Their extended family also began to incorporate folks like Dan Healy -- whose non-musical contributions and innovations ranged from concert PA amplification to meeting the technical challenges that the band presented off the road as well. On this record Healy's involvement cannot be overstated, as the band were essentially given carte blanche and simultaneous on-the-job training with regards to the ins and outs of the still unfamiliar recording process. The idea to create an aural pastiche from numerous sources -- often running simultaneously -- was a radical concept that allowed consumers worldwide to experience a simulated Dead performance firsthand. One significant pattern which began developing saw the band continuing to refine the same material that they were concurrently playing live night after night prior to entering the studio. The extended "That's It for the Other One" suite is nothing short of a psychedelic roller coaster. The wild ride weaves what begins as a typical song into several divergent performances -- taken from tapes of live shows -- ultimately returning to the home base upon occasion, presumably as a built-in reality check. Lyrically, Bob Weir (guitar/vocals) includes references to their 1967 pot bust ("...the heat came 'round and busted me for smiling on a cloudy day") as well as the band's spiritual figurehead Neal Cassidy ("...there was Cowboy Neal at the wheel on a bus to never ever land"). Although this version smokes from tip to smouldering tail, the piece truly developed a persona all its own and became a rip-roaring monster in concert. The tracks "New Potato Caboose" and Weir's admittedly autobiographically titled "Born Cross-Eyed" are fascinatingly intricate side trips that had developed organically during the extended work's on-stage performance life. "Alligator" is a no-nonsense Ron "Pigpen" McKernan workout that motors the second extended sonic collage on Anthem of the Sun. His straight-ahead driving blues ethos careens headlong into the Dead's innate improvisational psychedelia. The results are uniformly brilliant as the band thrash and churn behind his rock-solid lead vocals. Musically, the Dead's instrumental excursions wind in and out of the primary theme, ultimately ending up in the equally frenetic "Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)." Although the uninitiated might find the album unnervingly difficult to follow, it obliterated the pretension of the post-Sgt. Pepper's "concept album" while reinventing the musical parameters of the 12" LP medium. [The expanded and remastered edition included in the Golden Road (1965-1973) (2001) box set contains a live performance from August 23, 1968, at the Shrine in Los Angeles. This miniset features an incendiary medley of "Alligator" and "Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)" concluding with over four minutes of electronic feedback.] by Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist :
1     That's It for the Other One 7:46
Grateful Dead
2     New Potato Caboose 8:18
Phil Lesh / Robert Peterson
3     Born Cross-Eyed 2:04
Bob Weir
4     Alligator 15:17
Robert Hunter / Phil Lesh / Ron "Pigpen" McKernan
5     Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks) 5:32
Jerry Garcia / Bill Kreutzmann / Phil Lesh / Ron "Pigpen" McKernan / Bob Weir
- Bonus Material -    
6    Alligator (Live) 18:43
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Written-By – Phil Lesh, Ron McKernan
7    Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) (Live) 11:38
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Ron McKernan
8    Feedback (Live) 4:01
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, Ron McKernan, Tom Constanten
Credits :
Arranged By – Grateful Dead
Bass, Trumpet, Harpsichord, Guiro, Kazoo, Piano, Timpani, Vocals – Phil Lesh
Drums, Bells [Orchestra], Gong, Chimes, Crotales, Piano [Prepared Piano], Finger Cymbals – Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart
Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Kazoo, Vibraslap, Vocals – Jerry Garcia
Organ, Celesta, Claves, Harmonica, Vocals – Ron McKernan
Piano, Piano [Prepared Piano], Tape [Electronic] – Tom Constanten
Rhythm Guitar, Twelve-String Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Kazoo, Vocals – Bob Weir

GRATEFUL DEAD - Aoxomoxoa (1969-2003) RM / HDCD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Nearly synonymous with the term "psychedelic," the Grateful Dead reached their true peak of psychedelia on their third album, 1969's Aoxomoxoa. The band had already begun work on an initial recording of the album when they gained access to the new technology of 16-track recording, doubling the number of individual tracks they'd used on their last album. Fueled by acid and keeping pace with the quickly changing hippie subculture of the late '60s, the band went wild with this newfound sonic freedom. The exploratory jamming and rough-edged blues-rock of their live shows were ornamented with overdubbed choirs, electronic sound effects, and layers of processed vocal harmonies. Rudimentary experimental production took the band's already-trippy approach and amplified it with generously applied effects and jarring edits. In their most straightforward songs, Aoxomoxoa's ambitious production isn't as noticeable. Gelatinous rockers like "Cosmic Charlie" and "St. Stephen" showcase Jerry Garcia's spindly guitar leads and the band's dusty vocal harmonies clearly before detouring into wild studio experiments. Though the studio mix of "China Cat Sunflower" sounds like the different instruments are floating in space, trying to connect from distant individual planets, the core of the song still comes through, and this number would become a live favorite for the rest of the band's lengthy run.
This was the first album where the band brought on lyricist Robert Hunter, who would go on to pen some of the band's best-loved lyrics. The early glimpses of the Hunter/Garcia partnership that come through on the bluegrass-inflected "Dupree's Diamond Blues" or the mellow ballad "Rosemary" foreshadowed the complete shift to gentle Americana the band would make on their next studio outing, 1970's masterful Workingman's Dead. The overly experimental production could sometimes obscure the musical ideas, as distorted vocals clashed with acoustic instruments or multiple drum tracks ping-ponged across the stereo field. The eight-minute epic "What's Become of the Baby" was the most glaring example of the album's ungrounded production aesthetic, reaching an almost musique concrète level of weirdness with random electronic sounds and choppy effects swarming on Garcia's isolated vocal tracks.
Aoxomoxoa was so out there that the band themselves had second thoughts, returning in 1971 to remix the album in full. The new mix dialed back some of the wilder moments and added clarity, but these eight songs would remain the most adventurous, confusing, and over-the-top productions the band would record. Aoxomoxoa is a prime example of the Grateful Dead's difficult relationship with the recording studio, which would take different forms throughout their long, strange trip. Even leaning wholeheartedly into all the available bells and whistles, the band couldn't quite capture with Aoxomoxoa the depths of cosmic wonder they tapped into organically every time they took the stage. Not without its excellent moments, the album is more a document of late-'60s studio experimentation than a huge step in any sustained path for the band. by Fred Thomas  
Tracklist :
1     St. Stephen 4:25
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter / Phil Lesh
2     Dupree's Diamond Blues 3:40
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
3     Rosemary 2:02
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
4     Doin' That Rag 5:15
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
5     Mountains of the Moon 4:15
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
6     China Cat Sunflower 4:15
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
7     What's Become of the Baby 8:30
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
8     Cosmic Charlie 5:45
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
- Bonus Material -   
9    Clementine Jam    10:51
10    Nobody's Spoonful Jam    10:10
11    The Eleven Jam    15:05
12    Cosmic Charlie (live)    6:48
Credits :
Bass, Vocals – Phil Lesh
Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia
Keyboards – Tom Constanten
Music By [The Tunes] – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh
Musician [Supporting Musician] – David Nelson, Debbie, Marmaduke (John Dawson), Mouse, Peter Grant, Wendy
Percussion – Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart
Words By [The Words] – Robert Hunter
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann (faixas: 9 to 11), Bob Weir (faixas: 9 to 11), Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart (faixas: 9 to 11), Phil Lesh (faixas: 9 to 11), Robert Hunter (faixas: 1 to 8, 12), Ron McKernan (faixas: 9 to 11)

GRATEFUL DEAD - Live / Dead (1969-2003) RM / HDCD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Grateful Dead's fourth title was likewise their first extended concert recording. Spread over two LPs, Live/Dead (1969) finally was able to relay the intrinsic sonic magnificence of a Dead show in real time. Additionally, it unleashed several key entries into their repertoire, including the sidelong epic and Deadhead anthem"Dark Star" as well as wailing and otherwise electrified acidic covers of the Rev. Gary Davis blues standard "Death Don't Have No Mercy" and the R&B rave-up "(Turn on Your) Lovelight." Finally, the conundrum of how to bring a lengthy performance experience to the listener has been solved. The album's four sides provided the palette from which to replicate the natural ebb and flow of a typical Dead set circa early 1969. Tomes have been written about the profound impact of "Dark Star" on the Dead and their audience. It also became a cultural touchstone signifying that rock music was becoming increasingly experimental by casting aside the once-accepted demands of the short, self-contained pop song. This version was recorded on February 27, 1969, at the Fillmore West and is presented pretty much the way it went down at the show. The same is true of the seven remaining titles on Live/Dead. The rousing rendition of "St. Stephen" reinvents the Aoxomoxoa (1968) prototype with rip-roaring thunder and an extended ending which slams into an instrumental rhythmic excursion titled "The Eleven" after the jam's tricky time signature. The second LP began with a marathon cover of "(Turn on Your) Lovelight," which had significant success for both Bobby "Blue" Bland and Gene Chandler earlier in the decade. With Ron "Pigpen" McKernan at the throttle, the Dead barrel their way through the work, reproportioning and appointing it with fiery solos from Garcia and lead vocal raps courtesy of McKernan. "Death Don't Have No Mercy" is a languid noir interpretation of Rev. Gary Davis' distinct Piedmont blues. Garcia's fretwork smolders as his solos sear through the melody. Likewise notable is the criminally underrated keyboard work of Tom Constanten, whose airy counterpoint rises like a departing spirit from within the soul of the song. The final pairing of "Feedback" -- which is what is sounds like it might be -- with the "lowering down" funeral dirge "And We Bid You Goodnight" is true to the way that the band concluded a majority of their performances circa 1968-1969. They all join in on an a cappella derivative of Joseph Spence and the Pinder Family's traditional Bahamian distillation. Few recordings have ever represented the essence of an artist in performance as faithfully as Live/Dead. It has become an aural snapshot of this zenith in the Grateful Dead's 30-year evolution and as such is highly recommended for all manner of enthusiasts. The 2001 remastered edition that was included in the Golden Road (1965-1973) (2001) box set tacks on the 45 rpm studio version of "Dark Star" as well as a vintage radio advert for the album. by Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist :
1    Dark Star 23:19
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter, Ron McKernan
2    St. Stephen 6:32
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
3    The Eleven 9:19
Written-By – Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
4    Turn On Your Love Light 15:05
Written-By – Deadric Malone, Joseph Scott
5    Death Don't Have No Mercy 10:28
Organ – Pigpen
Written-By – Gary Davis
6    Feedback 7:49
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, Ron McKernan, Tom Constanten
7.1    And We Bid You Goodnight 0:37
Arranged By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, Ron McKernan, Tom Constanten
Traditional
7.2    (no audio)    2:36
8    Dark Star 2:45
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
9    Live/Dead Radio Advertisement    1:01
Credits :
Bass Guitar [Bass], Vocals – Phil Lesh
Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia
Keyboards – Tom Constanten (T.C.)
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By [Tunes By] – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh
Percussion – Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart
Vocals, Congas – Pigpen

GRATEFUL DEAD - Workingman's Dead (1970-2003) RM / HDCD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As the '60s drew to a close, it was a heavy time for the quickly crumbling hippie movement that had reached its apex just a few years earlier in 1967’s Summer of Love. Death and violence were pervasive in the form of the Manson murders, fatalities at the Altamont concert, and the ongoing loss of young lives in Vietnam despite the best efforts of anti-war activists and peace-seeking protesters. Difficult times were also upon the Grateful Dead, unofficial house band of San Francisco’s Summer of Love festivities and outspoken advocates of psychedelic experimentation both musical and chemical. The excessive studio experimentation that resulted in their trippy but disorienting third album, Aoxomoxoa, had left the band in considerable debt to their record label, and their stress wasn't helped at all by a drug bust that had members of the band facing jail time. The rough road the Dead were traveling down seemed congruent with the hard changes faced by the youth counterculture that birthed them. Fourth studio album Workingman's Dead reflects both the looming darkness of its time, and the endless hope and openness to possibility that would become emblematic of the Dead as their legacy grew. For a group already established as exploratory free-form rockers of the highest acclaim, Workingman’s Dead's eight tunes threw off almost all improvisatory tendencies in favor of spare, thoughtful looks at folk, country, and American roots music with more subdued sounds than the band had managed up until then. The songs also focused more than ever before on singing and vocal harmonies, influenced in no small way by a growing friendship with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The band embraced complex vocal arrangements with campfire-suited folk on "Uncle John's Band" and the psychedelic cowboy blues of “High Time.”
Before they blasted off into hallucinatory rock as the Grateful Dead, several founding members had performed as Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions, a group that played traditional jug band music with earnest, heartfelt appreciation. Those early influences came into sharp focus on the bluegrass rhythms and hillbilly harmonies of "Cumberland Blues" and the glistening pedal steel and shuffling drums of "Dire Wolf." The more rocking songs add to the album's brooding feel with "New Speedway Boogie" directly addressing the violence at Altamont, and "Casey Jones," which appeared at first to be a lighthearted celebration of cocaine, but was really a lament for troubled times that felt like they were spinning off the rails.
The abrupt shift toward sublime acoustic sounds on Workingman's Dead completely changed what the Grateful Dead meant to their listeners at large. The enormous risk they took in changing their sound entirely resulted in a heartbreakingly beautiful, unquestionably pure statement and one of the more important documents of its time. They’d continue this trend on the even more roots-minded American Beauty, recorded later the same year, but the limitlessness, fearlessness, and true power of the band began here. by Fred Thomas
Tracklist :
1    Uncle John's Band 4:42
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
2    High Time 5:12
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
3    Dire Wolf 3:11
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
4    New Speedway Boogie 4:04
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
5    Cumberland Blues 3:14
Acoustic Guitar – David Nelson
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh
6    Black Peter 5:41
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
7    Easy Wind 4:57
Written-By – Robert Hunter
8    Casey Jones 4:24
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
- Bonus Material - 43:49
9    New Speedway Boogie (Alternate Mix) 4:06
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
10    Dire Wolf (Live) 2:32
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
11    Black Peter (Live) 9:07
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
12    Easy Wind (Live) 8:10
Written-By – Robert Hunter
13    Cumberland Blues (Live) 4:52
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh
14    Mason's Children (Live) 6:33
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh
15    Uncle John's Band (Live) 7:57
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
16    Workingman's Dead Radio Spot    0:31
Credits :
Bass, Vocals – Phil Lesh
Drums – Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart
Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar, Vocals – Jerry Garcia
Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir
Keyboards – Tom Constanten (faixas: 10 to 14)
Keyboards, Harmonica, Vocals – Pigpen

GRATEFUL DEAD - American Beauty (1970-2003) RM / HDCD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

With 1970's Workingman's Dead, the Grateful Dead went through an overnight metamorphosis, turning abruptly from tripped-out free-form rock toward sublime acoustic folk and Americana. Taking notes on vocal harmonies from friends Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the Dead used the softer statements of their fourth studio album as a subtle but moving reflection on the turmoil, heaviness, and hope America's youth was facing as the idealistic '60s ended. American Beauty was recorded just a few months after its predecessor, both expanding and improving on the bluegrass, folk, and psychedelic country explorations of Workingman's Dead with some of the band's most brilliant compositions. The songs here have a noticeably more relaxed and joyous feel. Having dived headfirst into this new sound with the previous album, the bandmembers found the summit of their collaborative powers here, with lyricist Robert Hunter penning some of his most poetic work, Jerry Garcia focusing more on gliding pedal steel than his regular electric lead guitar work, and standout lead vocal performances coming from Bob Weir (on the anthem to hippie love "Sugar Magnolia"), Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (on the husky blues of "Operator"), and Phil Lesh (on the near-perfect opening tune, "Box of Rain"). This album also marked the beginning of what would become a long musical friendship between Garcia and Dave Grisman, whose mandolin playing adds depth and flavor to tracks like the outlaw country-folk of "Friend of the Devil" and the gorgeously devotional "Ripple." American Beauty eventually spawned the band's highest charting single -- "Truckin'," the greasy blues-rock tribute to nomadic counterculture -- but it also contained some of their most spiritual and open-hearted sentiments ever, their newfound love of intricate vocal arrangements finding pristine expression on the lamenting "Brokedown Palace" and the heavenly nostalgia and gratitude of "Attics of My Life." While the Dead eventually amassed a following so devoted that following the band from city to city became the center of many people’s lives, the majority of the band's magic came in the boundless heights it reached in its live sets but rarely managed to capture in the studio setting. American Beauty is a categorical exception to this, offering a look at the Dead transcending even their own exploratory heights and making some of their most powerful music by examining their most gentle and restrained impulses. It’s easily the masterwork of their studio output, and a strong contender for the best music the band ever made, even including the countless hours of live shows captured on tape in the decades that followed. by Fred Thomas
Tracklist :
1    Box Of Rain 5:17
Written-By – Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
2    Friend Of The Devil 3:21
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, John Dawson, Robert Hunter
3    Sugar Magnolia 3:17
Written-By – Bob Weir, Robert Hunter
4    Operator 2:22
Written-By – Ron McKernan
5    Candyman 6:10
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
6    Ripple 4:10
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
7    Brokedown Palace 4:06
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
8    Till The Morning Comes 3:07
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
9    Attics Of My Life 5:10
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
10    Truckin' 5:03
Written-By – Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
- Bonus Material -    
11    Truckin' (Single Version) 3:14
Written-By – Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
12    Friend Of The Devil (Live) 4:21
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, John Dawson, Robert Hunter
13    Candyman (Live) 5:15
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
14    Till The Morning Comes (Live) 3:20
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
15    Attics Of My Life (Live) 6:28
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
16    Truckin' (Live) 9:03
Written-By – Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
17    Ripple (Alternate Take)    3:01
18    American Beauty Radio Spot    1:10
Credits :
Band [The Dead], Bass, Guitar, Piano, Vocals – Phil Lesh
Band [The Dead], Drums – Bill Kreutzmann
Band [The Dead], Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar, Piano, Vocals – Jerry Garcia
Band [The Dead], Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir
Band [The Dead], Harmonica, Vocals – Pig Pen (Ron McKernan)*
Band [The Dead], Percussion – Mickey Hart
Band [The Dead], Songwriter – Robert Hunter
Guest [With] – New Riders Of The Purple Sage
Guest [With], Bass – Dave Torbert (faixas: 1)
Guest [With], Electric Guitar – David Nelson (faixas: 1)
Guest [With], Mandolin – David Grisman (faixas: 2, 6)
Guest [With], Organ – Howard Wales (faixas: 5, 10)
Guest [With], Piano – Howard Wales (faixas: 7), Ned Lagin (faixas: 5)

GRATEFUL DEAD - Wake of the Flood (1973-2006) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After satisfying their nine-title/dozen-disc deal with Warner Brothers, the Dead began their own record labels: Grateful Dead Records (for group releases) and Round Records (for solo projects). Wake of the Flood was the first Dead disc issued entirely under the band's supervision -- which also included manufacturing and marketing. Additionally, the personnel had been altered as Ron "Pigpen" McKernan had passed away. The keyboard responsibilities were now in the capable hands of Keith Godchaux -- whose wife Donna Jean Godchaux also provided backing vocals. It had been nearly three years since American Beauty -- their previous and most successful studio album to date -- and, as always, the Dead had been honing the material in concert. A majority of the tracks had been incorporated into their live sets -- some for nearly six months -- prior to entering the recording studio. This gave the band a unique perspective on the material, much of which remained for the next 20-plus years as staples of their concert performances. However, the inspiration and magic of the Grateful Dead's music has always been a challenge to capture in the non-reciprocal confines of a studio. Therefore, while Wake of the Flood was certainly as good -- if not arguably better than -- most of their previous non-live efforts, it falls far short of the incendiary performances the band was giving during this era. There are a few tracks that do tap into some of the Dead's jazzier and exceedingly improvisational nature. "Eyes of the World" contains some brilliant ensemble playing -- although the time limitations inherent in the playback medium result in the track fading out just as the Dead start to really cook. Another highlight is Bob Weir's "Weather Report Suite," which foreshadows the epic proportions that the song would ultimately reach. In later years, the band dropped the opening instrumental "Prelude," as well as "Part One," choosing to pick it up for the extended "Let It Grow" section. The lilting Jerry Garcia ballad "Stella Blue" is another track that works well in this incarnation and remained in the Dead's rotating set list for the remainder of their touring careers. by Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist :
1     Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo 5:42
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
2     Let Me Sing Your Blues Away 3:15
Keith Godchaux / Robert Hunter
3     Row Jimmy 7:11
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
4     Stella Blue 6:26
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
5     Here Comes Sunshine 4:37
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
6     Eyes of the World 5:16
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
7     Weather Report Suite 12:43
Eric Anderson / John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
- Bonus Material -   
8    Eyes Of The World (Live)    17:02
9    Weather Report Suite (Studio Acoustic Demo)    12:36
10    China Doll (Studio Outtake) 4:02
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone [Guest] – Martin Fierro
Bass – Phil Lesh
Drums – Bill Kreutzmann
Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar, Vocals – Jerry Garcia
Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir
Harmonica [Guest] – Matthew Kelly
Keyboards, Vocals – Keith Godchaux
Tenor Saxophone [Guest] – Frank Morin
Timbales [Guest] – Benny Velarde
Trombone [Guest] – Pat O'Hara
Trumpet [Guest] – Bill Atwood, Joe Ellis
Twelve-String Guitar [Guest] – Doug Sahm
Violin [Guest] – Vassar Clements
Vocals – Donna Godchaux
Vocals [Guest] – Sarah Fulcher 

GRATEFUL DEAD - From The Mars Hotel (1974-1985) RM / APE (image+.cue), lossless

The Grateful Dead made their reputation on the road with their live shows, and they always struggled to capture that magic in the studio. From the Mars Hotel, while not a classic, represents one of their better studio albums. Jerry Garcia sounds engaged throughout and takes the vocal reigns for most of the songs on the album -- although he's not the most gifted vocalist, he proves himself able and versatile. He sings the rollicking opener, "U.S. Blues," with a tongue-in-cheek seriousness that gives the political song an edge, and he lends emotional sincerity to the atmospheric ballad "China Doll." Garcia shines on guitar during the funk workout "Scarlet Begonias," but the ensemble work is best displayed on the album's centerpiece, "Unbroken Chain." During this song, all the musicians are allowed to shine: Phil Lesh, the bassist and songwriter, provides tender vocals over a piano-based arrangement while the bridge allows the guitars and drums to stretch out in classic Grateful Dead style. This album is highly recommended for fans, but casual listeners should start with American Beauty or Workingman's Dead. by Vik Iyengar  
Tracklist :
1     U.S. Blues 4:42
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
2     China Doll 4:10
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
3     Unbroken Chain 6:46
Phil Lesh / Robert Peterson
4     Loose Lucy 3:22
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
5     Scarlet Begonias 4:19
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
6     Pride of Cucamonga 4:17
Phil Lesh / Robert Peterson
7     Money Money 4:23
John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
8     Ship of Fools 5:27
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
Credits :
Bill Atwood - Trumpet
Vassar Clements - Violin
Joe Ellis - Trumpet
Martin Fierro - Saxophone
Sarah Fulcher - Vocals
Jerry Garcia - Composer, Guitar, Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals
Donna Jean Godchaux - Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals (Background)
Keith Godchaux - Harpsichord, Keyboards, Member of Attributed Artist
Matthew Kelly - Harmonica
Bill Kreutzmann - Drums, Member of Attributed Artist
Ned Lagin - Additional Personnel, Guest Artist, Synthesizer
Phil Lesh - Bass, Bass Instrument, Composer, Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals
John McFee - Additional Personnel, Guest Artist, Pedal Steel Guitar
Frank Morin - Saxophone
Pat O'Hara - Trombone
Doug Sahm - Guitar
Benny Velarde - Percussion
Bob Weir - Composer, Guitar, Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals 

GRATEFUL DEAD - Blues for Allah (1975-2006) RM / HDCD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The Grateful Dead went into a state of latent activity in the fall of 1974 that lasted until the spring of the following year when the band reconvened at guitarist/vocalist Bob Weir's Ace Studios to record Blues for Allah. The disc was likewise the third to be issued on their own Grateful Dead Records label. When the LP hit shelves in September of 1975, the Dead were still not back on the road -- although they had played a few gigs throughout San Francisco. Obviously, the time off had done the band worlds of good, as Blues for Allah -- more than any past or future studio album -- captures the Dead at their most natural and inspired. The opening combo of "Help on the Way," "Slipknot!," and "Franklin's Tower" is a multifaceted suite, owing as much to Miles Davis circa the E.S.P. album as to anything the Grateful Dead had been associated with. "Slipknot!" contains chord changes, progressions, and time signatures which become musical riddles for the band to solve -- which they do in the form of "Franklin's Tower." Another highly evolved piece is the rarely performed "King Solomon's Marbles," an instrumental that spotlights, among other things, Keith Godchaux's tastefully unrestrained Fender Rhodes finger work displaying more than just a tinge of Herbie Hancock inspiration. These more aggressive works contrast the delicate musical and lyrical haiku on "Crazy Fingers" containing some of lyricist Robert Hunter's finest and most beautifully arranged verbal images for the band. Weir's guitar solo in "Sage & Spirit" is based on one of his warm-up fingering exercises. Without a doubt, this is one of Weir's finest moments. The light acoustic melody is tinged with an equally beautiful arrangement. While there is definite merit in Blues for Allah's title suite, the subdued chant-like vocals and meandering melody seems incongruous when compared to the remainder of this thoroughly solid effort. by Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist :
1     Help on the Way/Slipknot! 7:20
Jerry Garcia / Keith Godchaux / Robert Hunter / Bill Kreutzmann / Phil Lesh
2     Franklin's Tower 4:32
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter / Bill Kreutzmann
3     King Solomon's Marbles 5:16
Jerry Garcia / Mickey Hart / Robert Hunter / Bill Kreutzmann / Phil Lesh
4     The Music Never Stopped 4:34
John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
5     Crazy Fingers 6:42
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
6     Sage & Spirit 3:07
Bob Weir
7     Blues for Allah 12:33
Jerry Garcia / Donna Jean Godchaux / Keith Godchaux / Mickey Hart / Robert Hunter / Bill Kreutzmann / Phil Lesh / Bob Weir
- Bonus Material -    
8    Groove #1 (Instrumental Studio Outtake) 5:42
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Keith Godchaux, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh
9    Groove #2 (Instrumental Studio Outtake) 7:32
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Keith Godchaux, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh
10    Distorto (Instrumental Studio Outtake) 8:10
Written-By – Jerry Garcia
11    A To E Flat Jam (Instrumental Studio Outtake) 4:35
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Keith Godchaux, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh
12    Proto 18 Proper (Instrumental Studio Outtake) 4:16
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Keith Godchaux, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh
13    Hollywood Cantata (Studio Outtake) 4:14
Written-By – Bob Weir, Robert Hunter
Credits :
Bass – Phil Lesh
Drums, Percussion – Bill Kreutzmann
Keyboards, Vocals – Keith Godchaux
Lead Guitar, Vocals – Jerry Garcia
Percussion – Mickey Hart
Reeds, Flute – Steven Schuster    
Artwork By [Cover Paintings] – Philip Garris
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir
Vocals – Donna Godchaux

GRATEFUL DEAD - Go To Heaven (1980-2004) RM / HDCD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Time has somewhat mellowed the general disdain that critics and Deadheads alike leveled at Go to Heaven upon its release in May of 1980. Granted, none of these readings come close to their perfunctory live counterparts. However, that argument holds true for a vast majority of the Dead's studio catalog -- which had now grown to include 16 albums. Additionally, this disc marked the beginning of keyboardist Brent Mydland's tenure -- who had joined the band in the spring of the previous year and would remain for a decade. All eight of the songs -- not including "Antwerp's Placebo (The Plumber)," which is a 38-second instrumental percussion track -- had either already worked their way into the Dead's live performance repertoire, or would in due time. These include "Althea," "Feel Like a Stranger," and "Saint of Circumstance," as well as the raucous rock & roll opening cut, "Alabama Getaway" -- which was likewise often the band's opening number in concert during the early '80s. (In a somewhat Prankster-esque sense of irony, "Don't Ease Me In" -- the disc's final number -- also closed many a first set during this era; additionally notable about the track is that it was one of the first songs the band performed back in 1965 -- when they were known as the Warlocks.) In terms of the quality of material, Go to Heaven includes few gems. Primary among them are Bob Weir's "Lost Sailor" and "Saint of Circumstance" pairing. While obviously not as thoroughly developed as it would become in concert, the lilting melody and fluctuating tempos are reminiscent of his "Weather Report Suite" from the 1973 release Wake of the Flood. The groovin' Jerry Garcia-sung ballad "Althea" is yet another example of a tune that would take on bolder and brighter hues as a concert staple for the remainder of the Dead's performance life. by Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist :
1    Alabama Getaway 3:37
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
2    Far From Me 3:39
Written-By – Brent Mydland
3    Althea 6:52
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
4    Feel Like A Stranger 5:06
Written-By – Bob Weir, John Barlow
5    Lost Sailor 5:54
Written-By – Bob Weir, John Barlow
6    Saint Of Circumstance 5:40
Written-By – Bob Weir, John Barlow
7    Antwerp's Placebo (The Plumber) 0:39
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart
8    Easy To Love You 3:39
Written-By – Brent Mydland, John Barlow
9    Don't Ease Me In 3:13
Arranged By – The Grateful Dead
Traditional
- Bonus Material -    
10    Peggy-O [Studio Outtake] 5:49
Arranged By – The Grateful Dead
Traditional
11    What'll You Raise [Studio Outtake] 4:08
Written-By – Robert Hunter
12    Jack-A-Roe [Studio Outtake] 4:51
Arranged By – The Grateful Dead
Traditional
13    Althea [Live] 8:17
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
14    Lost Sailor [Live] 6:42
Written-By – Bob Weir, John Barlow
15    Saint Of Circumstance [Live] 6:35
Written-By – Bob Weir, John Barlow
Credits :
Bass, Vocals – Phil Lesh
Drums – Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart
Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia
Keyboards, Vocals – Brent Mydland

GRATEFUL DEAD - Reckoning (1980) Mp3

In the fall of 1980, the Grateful Dead played a series of shows at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco and Radio City Music Hall in New York City (venues considerably smaller than they had grown accustomed to) for the purpose of filming and recording. The group opened these special concerts with a special acoustic set at which Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir played acoustic guitars, Brent Mydland played piano, and drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart played reduced kits. (Phil Lesh stuck to his electric bass, but at a modest volume.) Also special was the set list, as demonstrated by the track list on this album drawn from the shows. A batch of old folk and country tunes never before included on a Grateful Dead album make up half of the 16 songs, mixed in with originals. (And actually, three of those originals, "Cassidy," "To Lay Me Down," and "Bird Song," only appeared previously on Garcia or Weir solo albums.) The music deliberately harks back to a period most Deadheads weren't around for, the band's origins in the folk, bluegrass, and country groups Garcia led in Palo Alto, CA, in the early '60s, culminating in Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions, the band that went electric and became the Warlocks, renamed the Grateful Dead. Garcia in particular seems comfortable with this material, and he takes two-thirds of the lead vocals, with Weir spelling him every couple of tracks, usually with a song at least slightly more uptempo (although, for example, his version of "The Race Is On" has none of the breakneck pace of George Jones' original). Of the bandmembers, Garcia is the one who has shown the most affection for the Grateful Dead's folk and country roots, continually reintroducing them either with the band or in his side projects, and his ease with such selections as "Jack-A-Roe" and "Deep Elem Blues" is apparent. At the same time, the juxtaposition of such traditional material with originals by Garcia and his lyric partner Robert Hunter, such as the lead-off song, "Dire Wolf," and the closer, "Ripple," emphasizes the songwriters' deliberate effort to evoke and reshape the folk idiom in their compositions. The Grateful Dead have released numerous live albums, but this one takes a different approach, and it will appeal especially to the many fans of Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. by William Ruhlmann  
Tracklist :
1     Dire Wolf 3:20
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
2     The Race Is On 2:58
Don Rollins
3     It Must Have Been the Roses 6:56
Robert Hunter
4     Dark Hollow 3:50
Bill Browning
5     China Doll 5:22
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
6     Been All Around This World 4:32
Traditional
7     Monkey and the Engineer 2:38
Jesse Fuller
8     Jack-A-Roe 4:06
Traditional
9     Deep Elem Blues 6:52
Traditional
10     Cassidy 4:35
John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
11     To Lay Me Down 8:59
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
12     Rosa Lee McFall 2:55
Charlie Monroe
13     On the Road Again 3:16
Traditional
14     Bird Song 7:35
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
15     Ripple 4:28
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
Credits :
Performer – Billy Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Brent Mydland, Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh 

GRATEFUL DEAD - Without A Net (1990) 2CD / Mp3

This two-CD/three-LP collection was the final live title to have been released by the Grateful Dead during their active performance life. The contents were compiled from a six-month window that included some of the Dead's most uniformly strong shows from the fall of 1989 and the spring of 1990. Without a Net -- the group's first live release in practically a decade -- was also the first to benefit from the additional playing time available on compact disc. More than most other touring bands, the Grateful Dead were able to take full advantage of the technological advancement, as their expanded instrumental jams and sinuously segued suites often lasted in excess of the standard 25 minutes available on a single side of a vinyl album. Without a doubt, this collection is the strongest and most accurate representation of how the concurrent Grateful Dead sounded since the epic Live/Dead album some two decades earlier. One major difference between the two is the lack of new or even recent material on Without a Net. "Victim or the Crime" -- Bob Weir's dark tale of survival -- is the most recent composition, having originally surfaced on the Dead's final studio album, Built to Last (1989). The two covers -- Robert Johnson's "Walkin' Blues" and Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy" -- were the only songs making their debut appearance on a Grateful Dead release. The remaining dozen performances are nuggets mined from the Dead's formidable catalog. There are a few definitive versions of Deadhead favorites, including "Althea," "Bird Song," and "Cassidy," as well as the "Help On the Way"/"Slipknot!"/"Franklin's Tower" medley. In addition to the standard double-disc package, Without a Net was available for a limited time in a "big top edition" that featured picture CDs, an exclusive fold-out poster, and additional circus-themed artwork from longtime Grateful Dead visual collaborator Rick Griffin. by Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist 1 :
1     Feel Like a Stranger 7:31
John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
2     Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo 8:00
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
3     Walkin' Blues 5:44
Robert Johnson
4     Althea 6:55
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
5     Cassidy 6:35
John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
6     Bird Song 12:57
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
7     Let It Grow 11:54
John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
Tracklist 2 :
1     China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider 10:24
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter / Traditional
2     Looks Like Rain 8:03
John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
3     Eyes of the World 16:14
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Branford Marsalis
4     Victim or the Crime 8:04
Gerrit Graham / Bob Weir
5     Help on the Way/Slipknot!/Franklin's Tower 18:57
Jerry Garcia / Keith Godchaux / Robert Hunter / Bill Kreutzmann / Phil Lesh / Bob Weir
6     One More Saturday Night 4:50
Bob Weir
7     Dear Mr. Fantasy 5:44
Jim Capaldi / Steve Winwood / Chris Wood
Credits :
Performer – Bill Kreutzman, Bob Weir, Brent Mydland, Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh 

GRATEFUL DEAD - Ramble on Rose (10 Select Cuts From The Dead's 70s Prime) (2015) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Included free with their September 2015 issue, British rock magazine Uncut offers this ten-song meditation on what the Grateful Dead might have included on a supposed successor to their landmark studio album American Beauty. A number of new songs were introduced into the Dead's live canon in the years following American Beauty's November 1970 release, yet they wouldn't produce a proper studio follow-up until 1973's Wake of the Flood, by which time much had changed for the band. The death of founding keyboardist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan and the subsequent addition of keyboardist Keith Godchaux and his wife, vocalist Donna Godchaux, had altered their sound significantly, as did the absence of percussionist Mickey Hart. Over the years, there has been plenty of speculation about a supposed "lost album" that would have completed a trilogy that began with Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. Uncut's take on this fabled follow-up is titled Ramble on Rose and its contents are taken from concert highlights of the band's legendary 1971-1973 era. Several of these songs, like Bob Weir's "Black-Throated Wind" and Jerry Garcia's "Loser," appeared in studio form on their respective 1972 solo albums and Uncut's omission of beloved non-album favorites of that era like "Tennessee Jed," "Bertha," and "Jack Straw" make for a somewhat puzzling playlist. Still, with a catalog and history like the Dead's, everything is up for debate and this is all merely the supposition of a rock magazine four decades after the fact. Even if Ramble on Rose doesn't quite have enough weight to complete what would have been one hell of a trilogy, it's still an entertaining venture full of great songs and performances. by Timothy Monger  
Tracklist :
1     Mr. Charlie 3:32
Robert Hunter
2     Brown-Eyed Women 3:46
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
3     Looks Like Rain 7:08
Bob Weir
4     He's Gone 8:10
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
5     Loser 6:38
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
6     Comes a Time 6:37
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
7     Ramble on Rose 6:13
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
8     Chinatown Shuffle 2:54
McKernan
9     Black-Throated Wind 6:29
Bob Weir
10     To Lay Me Down 5:40
Jerry Garcia