Supercharged Billy at the helm deconstructing and building layers of structure like a master architect. Some of his most inventive fills put to record

Notable for coming straight out of Cumberland and the alternate lyrics “And I Grabbed the Bottle, Grabbed Him in the Jaw” A cowboy classic.

Firing on all cylinders right out the gate. I'm certain Jerry's fretboard caught fire after that first solo. Impossible not to groove to.

Delicate. Like a last waltz of the cowboy and his love, with each lick from Jerry conveying the urgency of the story. Keith makes such an impact here.

Part of the beginning is cut off, but that doesn't stop this train from rolling on down the mines. Short and sweet.

Holy shit. Carrion right again with the Miles influence on this one. This is one of the best jams they have ever put to tape. It's intense, full of life, a new species of animal could be born from this music it's that full of life. Total annihilation of the psyche that zaps you right in the brain and sends you down a whirlpool of magic through sound. Oh how I wish that The Dead continued to explore this side of their music. Drums/Space could be so limiting compared to the Avant Garde heights they reached in the 60s-75. I love 76 onwards but to me this is the Dead at their purest. Continuously inventive that transports you to different multiverses. This is it.

A deep atonal space that showcases how far the band was able to take this kind of music. True students of freeform jazz in which those abilities are put on full display. Hints of Sun Ra, Lonnie Liston Smith, incredible combination of sound and imagination. Personal favorite version.

Coming back again and again to this genuinely great version. Love the octave sound during the main China Cat riff. Such a shame they let Keith and Donna go. This is already a great look into where they could have gone if they had all stayed together. Methodical and wild playing from Jerry, a psychedelic circus where he can do whatever he likes. What a show.

A version that deserves so much more love. Much more mellow than other versions of the tour, which actually is a strength in this case because I think the band was really able to comfortably traverse different rhythmic spaces without losing any focus. Existential bluesy riffing, with Pigpen roaring and getting down to business. This one gets spacey but Pigpen really makes it work in his favor and doesn't get lost, but actually guides the band towards the light within the dark. This show is dripping in acid. One of the best of all time that explores really deep and almost heavy pockets of groove. Pigpen and the band are perfectly in sync. Gets out there to the very edges of the universe, but stays so consistent. Lots to love in this one.

Ferocious and funky. Light one up and let yourself get taken into a whole other world. some of my favorite phrasing from Jerry comes from Big River and his unrelenting licks and rhythmic interplay make for an incredible interpretation of this Johnny Cash tune. Keith is also catching a wave. Sick.