They worked forward with the more liberating Grateful Dead Records imprint that saw the release of Blues for Allah and Wake of the Flood amongst others yielding "US Blues" from Mars Hotel and "Eyes of the World" from Wake of the Flood. Completion came in the Arista years with a multitude of more accessible albums that were funkier and increasingly radio friendly like 1987's In the Dark charter, "Touch of Grey".

This set brings together 17 songs that are essential to any Grateful Dead compilation. Influences to other bands are heard here as you realize that 'wow..[insert band here] sounds like this band. Good reason. Grateful Dead guitar styles can be heard through the history of rock music. Listen to the incredible "Eyes of the World" from Wake of the Flood (an album that didn't come off my turntable for literally months and felt stuck in my 8 track player) and you can hear how Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler drew influence.

The Very Best of Grateful Dead is a wonderfully remastered collection that puts the best draw of The Dead's recorded output onto one HDCD encoded disc that comes with a great booklet insert to cap off the set. This 16 page booklet contains an essay on the band and their import to rock. It also contains cover shots from all of their years at the three labels. There is a set of great photos from various stages of their career including a great, defining shot of the band under the Haight-Ashbury street sign (I have a photo of myself under the signs because of this shot. See pic below.). Credits to every song complete this booklet.

Not only does this disc sound great, it is great. It's great because it serves to remind us just how incredible the Dead were...and how essential to rock n roll history they are. They took the art of jam to the next level by legitimizing it as a recordable art form and therefore, suitable for release. Although their stuff extends through the late 80s, they never diminshed as a band that could glorify the sound of rock music.

This release is accompanied by a theatre release in selected theatres of a concert film. With it's limited release, I'm sure that Rhino will see fit to release it as a DVD in time.

Here's to Pigpen and to Jerry Garcia...'we still get by'.