Grateful Dead - Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses) [Bonus Tracks] (CD)

All Music Guide

The Grateful Dead's second live release was an eponymously titled double LP whose cover bears the striking skullandroses visual motif that would become instantly recognizable and an indelibly linked trademark of the band. As opposed to their debut concert recording, Live/Dead (1969), this hourandten minutes concentrates on newer material, which consists of shorter, selfcontained originals and covers. Coming off of the quantumleap success of their studio countryrock efforts, Workingman's Dead (1969) and American Beauty, The Grateful Dead offers up a pair of new Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter compositions "Bertha" and "Wharf Rat" both of which garnered a permanent place within the band's live catalog. However, "The Other One" joined in progress just as Bill Kreutzmann fires up a blazing percussion solo sprawls as the album's centerpiece. The Dead also begin incorporating several traditional folk, blues, and RB cover tunes, such as Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried," and Kris Kristofferson's "M...e Bobby McGee," as well as a few that had been in their songbook for several years, including John Phillips' "Me My Uncle" and "Big Boss Man," a blues standard popularized by Jimmy Reed. Their formidable improvisational chops have begun to take on new facets of lean intricacy as Mickey Hart (percussion) and Tom Constanten (keyboards) were no longer in the band. Additionally, the arrival of Keith Godchaux (organ) and his wife, Donna Godchaux (vocals), had yet to occur. As such, The Grateful Dead spent the spring and summer of 1971 in their original fivepiece configuration which is when these recordings were documented. The 2003 remastered version of The Grateful Dead includes two additional covers Buddy Holly's "Oh, Boy" as well as Leiber Stoller's "(I'm A) Hog for You" plus an unmarked vintage radio spot for the album. Enthusiasts should note that this era is likewise represented on the fourCD Ladies and Gentlemen...The Grateful Dead (2000) archival release. - Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide Read more Less