Their partnership lasted about four years and 250 shows but a new archival record suggests that it was some of the best music either Merl Saunders or Jerry Garcia made at the time. And just who is that mystery trumpeter?
The '90s may not have marked the Grateful Dead's creative peak, but these two DVDs, from 1990 and 1991, show that the group's continued popularity was justified.
With improved sound and a clearer image in Blu-Ray format, the viewer gets a stronger sense of the full majesty of musicians staring into the face of fear in an hour of darkness.
Jefferson Airplane is a lot like Woodstock itself: rightfully iconic, yet slightly overrated. Fittingly, their live performance at the festival is forever enshrined on this two disc set.
Ultimately, what I am trying to say is this: The Dead can be appreciated -- indeed, probably must be appreciated -- as a kind of continuing, evolving, shifty performance of “The Grateful Dead”.
The fickle line that divides 'Essential Document' from 'Opportunistic Filler Release' is only a shade lighter than that which separates 'True Fan' from 'Layman'. Or in this case, Deadhead from dilettante.
