Bouncy as it is lysergic. Unique phrasing from Jerry. Everybody’s vocals are on. The Rider is some pure country fried jamming if I’ve ever heard it.

This is The Dead at peak performance level. Cataclysmic version. Everyone is ON. Explorative and not a beat missed. Easily top 5 of 69.

Nice early electric version. Always preferred this key for Dire Wolf compared to when they changed it in the later years. Just right. Nice version.

Takes you right to Chicago. Jerry’s playing emulates the blues greats. Hard rocking version that reminds me of a Junior Wells cut. Highly recommend.

Haunting organ playing. Crystalline and psychedelic early version that feels very spacey. Great vocal delivery.

Tranquility beyond description. I don’t listen to The Wheel often But when I do It transitions into Wharf Rat goddamnit. I keep finding myself coming back to this over and over again more so than even other jams I listen to. The outro is really where it’s at but the performance of the song itself is impeccable. Once Keith starts dancing around the key of A minor and the band starts to follow, the jam is just sublime. An absolute gem of pure self exploration and divine harmony, this dream like section really takes you through a journey. The band eases and volume and alone, Jerry starts a psychedelic sonata weaving together intricate geometrical patterns, taking us through the worm hole into Warf Rat. His name is August West, and he loves his Pearly Barker best, more than his wine.

I don’t listen to this one often. This version holds such spiritual meaning to me that I only play this and the 90 minute stretch very very rarely. It means so much to me. The first time I listened to this Dark Star I was on Mushrooms and decided to go on a little walk. I had decided to stop at my favorite secluded spot with trees all around and a river just to the right of the path. While sitting on a rock overlooking the terrain in front of me, a hawk came and landed right in front of me as Jerry was leading the way towards true musical bliss, reaching the climax of the song. Learned a lot from a Hawk that day, and learned a lot about myself, and the Dead. One of my favorite dead moments in history. Not overrated in the slightest and deserves its place in the history of music as a true milestone.

A definitive Dark Star. The band fades away into waves and becomes formless. A cacophony of electric notes all bounce in harmony with one another. So much expression. So much honesty. Definitive Dead.

A powerhouse. This version 100% gets deep and psychedelic. Jerry is really locking in with the rest of the band in the beginning which takes off into some polychromatic jamming that feels so incredibly out there. After the first verse things get slimly and very gooey. The bands goes into dark miles davisesque territory as Jerry explores the darkness of the inner subconscious. what emerges is a brilliant seance like jam which feels very witchy in nature. I love fall 72 for jams like these. Highly recommend starting from He's Gone to really feel the whole sequence, but you can really start at Truckin'.

Very raw version. Letting it all hang loose near the end of the jam and really allowing the music to take the lead. Super fun version where you can hear the band actively taking risks and hear it pay off in real time