Over the years a number of studio rarities have been appended to the deluxe or expanded versions of The Grateful Dead’s studio albums. In addition, two critically acclaimed career-retrospective box sets—2001’s The Golden Road and 2004’s Beyond Description—further increased the number of “alternate” studio recordings available in their best fidelity. This collection (like its companion Complete Live Rarities Collection) mops up the loose ends in one spellbinding place. These tracks are best understood in context with the new digital book The Golden Road and Beyond: A Grateful Dead Primer, which has two essays written for those aforementioned box sets by the band’s longtime publicist Dennis McNally. However, you only need ears to enjoy the Scorpio Sessions versions of “Don’t Ease Me In” and “I Know You Rider,” the under-three-minute take of “Dark Star,” and the studio outtakes of “Catfish John,” “Jack-a-Roe,” and “Peggy-O.” The b-side “My Brother Esau” is a great find, while the studio rehearsal of “Touch of Grey” should interest anyone who fell under the spell of the band’s biggest hit single.
Lacquers Cut from the Original Analog Masters and Pressed on 180g Vinyl at RTI
Features the Original Mixes for Anthem of the Sun and Aoxomoxoa for the First Time in Nearly 40 Years
Limited Edition Hard-Shell Box Contains 12" x 12" Book with New, Insightful Liner Notes
Commemorates 40th Anniversary of Song-Based, Era-Defining Roots Landmarks Workingman's Dead and American Beauty
At last. One of the most sorely neglected catalogs in music history has finally received the sonic upgrade it's long deserved, and the results are as heavenly as Jerry Garcia's mellifluous guitar tones. The analog refurbishment involves two of the most beloved rustic classics ever made, a high-flying debut, and a pair of experimental mind-benders.