Jerry’s solo is off the walls crazy. A train going top speed and I promise that train won’t slow down! Great energy here overall.

As Jerry shouts, “You know he had to die.” BANG! A massive gunshot right on rhythm. Great reprise with great drum work from Billy and Mickey.

Jerry takes off and soars. Gets really heavy, and out there FAST. Experimental passages and new themes explored. This is what the Dead do best.

Billy and Mickey flowing in and out of the main TOO rhythms. They’re both putting each other to the test as they really get deep in this one.

“At this risk of being repetitious we’re going to do another song in the key of G.”-Bob Weir. This version is quite sweet. Patchy audio, great version

A spiraling staircase Truckin’ that has the band exploring spaces only they can create. You can feel the frosty air and the lyserhic atmosphere emitting from the sound waves of the recording. This Truckin’ is vessel of exploration into rainbow colored spirals, Jerry acting as a wizard using his guitar as a staff to open portals to these realms, and Bobby’s brewing up some alchemy with each strum of the string. I love how much you can hear his impact on this one.

Speaker breaker. A Cowboy deluxe package transitioning straight into Me and My Uncle. Turn this up loud and let Jerry shoot lightning bolts right through your skeleton and feel the jolts of electricity with each pluck of the string. Jerry’s tone is one of the best I’ve heard on a Cumberland, with the right amount of twang that has all the hairs on your body standing straight up. A severely underrated version, great vocals, and Keith’s saloon western piano work is just sublime. Also check out Billy just swinging away, the 5 minute mark he takes you away into an old dusty ballroom where you can dance for eternity.

Shocked to see this so low. This is where Pigpen shined the most, a real goddamned bluesmen. With the boys following his lead into swampy marshlands under a harvest moon, Alligator, who is perfectly dialed in, swims in these waters, snapping his long jaw at any unsuspecting creature finding its way in this land. Pippen howls at the moon, asking why she doesn’t hear him crying. A real lament. Keith was the perfect addition for this band, and his lines in this tune are a perfect example as to why. A true saloon pianist. Jerry is also utterly electrifying, and his tone is a perfect peak into what 72 is all about. Sublime version that takes you right down the Mississippi delta.

A buddy of mine showed this to me after having an argument about which key this song is better in, and while I still prefer my Dire Wolves in the key of A, this scorcher had my ears perked up. As my friend said, “You can hear in the solo his anger from not being able to sing.” And sure enough the aggressive leads really make up for the rough vocals Jerry was having. Truly amazing. 78 is full attack mode.

Coming out of one of the most definitive moments of the bands career, they keep the momentum going and awaken an ancient serpent like creature with seven heads, engaging in the battle of their lives, and ultimately, coming out victorious. The sequence of DS>TOO>Lovelight is a fable in itself, a tale of heroics passed through generations. It truly doesn't get better than this. Side note, I ate too many mushrooms a long time ago and after having an epiphany during Dark Star, listening to this was far too scary and bugged me out, imagine the ones in the crowd who took too much! Mind splitting for sure.