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It only seems like there has been an endless stream of Grateful Dead compilations. In reality, there has only been a handful, and the most notable of those were released while the band was still an active recording and touring unit in the '70s -- and before they had belated chart success in the late '80s, 20 years after their debut album. So, Warner/Rhino's 2003 collection The Very Best of Grateful Dead marks the first attempt to do a thorough single-disc overview of the group's career, encompassing not just their classic Warner albums but also the records they cut for their own Grateful Dead/UA and Arista. As always with the Dead, it's hard to condense the band's free-ranging, freewheeling output onto one disc, and there are some big songs and concert staples missing here, including the perennial "Dark Star," "Jack Straw," "Black Peter," "Stella Blue," "Brokedown Palace," "Playing in the Band," "Wharf Rat," and "Terrapin Station." They are missed, some more than others, but the 17 tracks here do present nearly all sides of the Dead while hitting their biggest songs: "Truckin'," "Touch of Grey," "Sugar Magnolia," "Casey Jones," "Friend of the Devil," "Uncle John's Band," "Box of Rain," and "Ripple." As that list proves, this is a set that leans heavily on the twin peaks of Workingman's Dead and American Beauty, but there's a reason why those two are beloved of Deadheads and casual fans alike: the classic songs are there. Also present here are staples like "The Golden Road," "One More Saturday Night," "Estimated Prophet," "Eyes of the World," and "U.S. Blues," which may not be as well-known to the general populace but help fill in the picture and provide a good portrait of the band. The collection would have been better if sequenced a little more chronologically, but nevertheless it provides a first-class introduction to a band whose catalog can often seem a little unwieldy.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Robert Hunter, Producer, Writer - Phil Lesh, Producer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Writer - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - Mickey Hart, Producer, Percussion - Bob Weir, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, Writer - Jerry Garcia, Producer, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Writer, Pedal Steel Guitar - Bill Kreutzmann, Producer, Drums - dave collins, Assistant Mastering Engineer - Stephen Barncard, CoProducer - Howard Wales, Organ - Ron "Pigpen" Mckernan, Producer, Drums, Vocals, Harmonica
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1970 Warner Records Inc.
Robert Hunter, Writer - David Roberts, AdditionalEngineer - Phil Lesh, Bass Guitar - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - Mickey Hart, Drums, Percussion - Joe Gastwirt, AdditionalEngineer - Bob Weir, Guitar, Vocals - Jerry Garcia, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, Writer - Bill Kreutzmann, Drums - Brent Mydland, Keyboards, Vocals - Guy Charbonneau, Engineer - Dan Healy, AdditionalEngineer - Bob Bralove, Programmer - Robbie Taylor, Equipment Technician - Jeffrey Norman, AdditionalEngineer - John Cutler, Producer, Engineer - Jeff Sterling, AdditionalEngineer - Justin Kreutzmann, AdditionalEngineer - Laurence "Ram Rod" Shurtliff, Equipment Technician - John McIntire, Manager, Album Coordinator - Steve Parish, Equipment Technician - Bill Candelario, Equipment Technician - Harry Popick, Equipment Technician - Billy Grillo, Equipment Technician
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1987 Grateful Dead Productions
Robert Hunter, Producer, Writer - Phil Lesh, Producer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Writer - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - Mickey Hart, Producer, Percussion, Writer - Bob Weir, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, Writer - Jerry Garcia, Producer, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Pedal Steel Guitar - Bill Kreutzmann, Producer, Drums - dave collins, Assistant Mastering Engineer - Ron McKernan, Writer - Stephen Barncard, CoProducer - Ron "Pigpen" Mckernan, Producer, Drums, Vocals, Harmonica
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1970 Warner Records Inc.
Robert Hunter, Producer, Writer - Phil Lesh, Producer, Bass Guitar, Vocals - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - Mickey Hart, Producer, Drums, Percussion - Bob Weir, Producer, Guitar, Vocals - Jerry Garcia, Producer, Banjo, Lead Vocals, Writer, Pedal Steel Guitar, Lead Guitar - Bill Kreutzmann, Producer - Jimmy Edwards, Production - Tom Constanten, Producer - Betty Cantor, Producer - Bob Matthews, Producer - Ron "Pigpen" Mckernan, Producer, Keyboards, Vocals, Harmonica - Rex Jackson, Stage Technician - Ron Wickersham, Engineer - Laurence "Ram Rod" Shurtliff, Stage Technician - S. Heard, Stage Technician - Susan Wickersham, Engineer
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1970 Warner Records Inc.
Robert Hunter, Producer, Writer - Phil Lesh, Producer, Bass Guitar, Vocals - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - Mickey Hart, Producer, Drums, Percussion - Bob Weir, Producer, Guitar, Vocals - Jerry Garcia, Producer, Banjo, Lead Vocals, Writer, Pedal Steel Guitar, Lead Guitar - Bill Kreutzmann, Producer - Jimmy Edwards, Production - Tom Constanten, Producer - Betty Cantor, Producer - Bob Matthews, Producer - Ron "Pigpen" Mckernan, Producer, Keyboards, Vocals, Harmonica - Rex Jackson, Stage Technician - Ron Wickersham, Engineer - Laurence "Ram Rod" Shurtliff, Stage Technician - S. Heard, Stage Technician - Susan Wickersham, Engineer
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1970 Warner Records Inc.
Robert Hunter, Producer, Writer - Phil Lesh, Producer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Piano, Vocals - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - David Grisman, Mandolin - Mickey Hart, Producer, Percussion - Bob Weir, Producer, Guitar, Vocals - Jerry Garcia, Producer, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Writer, Pedal Steel Guitar - Bill Kreutzmann, Producer, Drums - dave collins, Assistant Mastering Engineer - John Dawson, Writer - Stephen Barncard, CoProducer - Ron "Pigpen" Mckernan, Producer, Drums, Vocals, Harmonica
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1970 Warner Records Inc.
Robert Hunter, Writer - Phil Lesh, Producer, Bass Guitar, Vocals - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - Mickey Hart, Producer, Drums, Percussion - Joe Gastwirt, Remastering Engineer - Bob Weir, Producer, Guitar, Vocals - Jerry Garcia, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, Writer - Bill Kreutzmann, Producer, Drums, Percussion, Writer - Brent Mydland, Producer, Keyboards, Vocals - Steve Brown, Assistant Production - Donna Godchaux, Producer, Vocals - Dan Healy, MixingEngineer - Keith Godchaux, Producer, Keyboards, Vocals - Betty Cantor, Assistant Production - Bob Matthews, Assistant Production - Robert Taylor, AssistantEngineer - Steven Schuster, Flute - Rob Taylor, AssistantEngineer - Brett Cohen, Assistant Production - Laurence "Ram Rod" Shurtliff, Assistant Production
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1975 Grateful Dead Productions
Robert Howes, Conductor - Phil Lesh, Producer, Arranger, Bass Guitar - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - Mickey Hart, Producer, Arranger, Drums, Percussion, Vibraphone - Martyn Ford, Conductor - Paul Buckmaster, Orchestral Arranger - Bob Weir, Producer, Arranger, Guitar, Vocals, Writer - JOHN BARLOW, Writer - Jerry Garcia, Producer, Arranger, Guitar, Vocals - Bill Kreutzmann, Producer, Arranger, Drums, Percussion - Tom Scott, Saxophone, Lyricon - Keith Olsen, Producer, Engineer - Donna Godchaux, Producer, Arranger, Vocals - Keith Godchaux, Producer, Arranger, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals, Synthesizer - Greg Fulginiti, MasteringEngineer - The Martyn Ford Orchestra, Orchestra - The English Chorale, Chorus - Rick Collins, MasteringEngineer
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1977 Grateful Dead Productions
Robert Hunter, Writer - Phil Lesh, Bass Guitar, Vocals - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - Doug Sahm, 12 String Guitar - Mickey Hart, Drums - Bob Weir, Vocals, Rhythm Guitar - Jerry Garcia, Vocals, Writer, Pedal Steel Guitar - Bill Kreutzmann, Drums - Brent Mydland, Keyboards, Vocals - Martin Fierro, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone - Joe Ellis, Trumpet - Vassar Clements, Violin - Donna Godchaux, Background Vocals - Matthew Kelly, Harmonica - Frank Morin, Tenor Saxophone - Keith Godchaux, Keyboards, Vocals - Benny Velarde, Timbales Drums - Bill Atwood, Trumpet - Pat O'Hara, Trombone - Sarah Fulcher, Vocals
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1973 Grateful Dead Productions
Robert Hunter, Producer, Writer - Phil Lesh, Producer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Writer - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - Mickey Hart, Producer, Percussion - David Nelson, Electric Guitar - Dave Torbert, Bass Guitar - Bob Weir, Producer, Guitar, Vocals - Jerry Garcia, Producer, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Pedal Steel Guitar - Bill Kreutzmann, Producer, Drums - dave collins, Assistant Mastering Engineer - Stephen Barncard, CoProducer - Ron "Pigpen" Mckernan, Producer, Drums, Vocals, Harmonica
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1970 Warner Records Inc.
Robert Hunter, Writer - Phil Lesh, Producer, Bass Guitar, Vocals - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - Mickey Hart, Producer, Drums - Phil Brown, MasteringEngineer - Bob Weir, Producer, Guitar, Vocals - Jerry Garcia, Producer, Vocals, Writer, Lead Guitar - Bill Kreutzmann, Producer, Drums - Brent Mydland, Keyboards, Vocals - John Mcfee, Pedal Steel Guitar - Donna Godchaux, Producer, Vocals - Keith Godchaux, Producer, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals - Ned Lagin, Synthesizer - George Horn, MasteringEngineer
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1974 Grateful Dead Productions
Phil Lesh, Producer, Arranger, Bass Guitar, Vocals, Writer - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - Mickey Hart, Drums, Percussion - Bob Weir, Producer, Arranger, Guitar, Vocals, Writer - Jerry Garcia, Producer, Arranger, Guitar, Vocals, Writer - Bill Kreutzmann, Producer, Arranger, Drums, Percussion, Writer - David Hassinger, Producer - Ron McKernan, Writer - Dick Bogert, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Ron "Pigpen" Mckernan, Producer, Arranger, Organ, Vocals, Harmonica - Betty Cantor-Jackson, Engineer - McGanahan Skjellyfetti, Writer - Bob Cassidy, Engineer
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1967 Warner Records Inc.
Phil Lesh, Producer, Arranger, Bass Guitar, Vocals - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - Mickey Hart, Producer, Arranger, Drums, Percussion - Bob Weir, Producer, Arranger, Guitar, Vocals, Writer - Jerry Garcia, Producer, Arranger, Guitar, Vocals - Bill Kreutzmann, Producer, Arranger, Drums, Percussion - Keith Godchaux, Producer, Arranger, Drums, Keyboards, Piano - Merle Saunders, Organ, FeaturedArtist - Donna jean Godchaux, Producer, Arranger, Vocals - Betty Cantor, Producer, Engineer - Bob Matthews, Producer, Engineer - Jeffrey Norman, Producer, MasteringEngineer - David Lemieux, Producer - Rex Jackson, Stage Technician - Owsley "Bear" Stanley, Producer, AdditionalEngineer - Steve Parish, Equipment Technician - Mark Raizene, Equipment Technician - Sonny Heard, Stage Technician - Barry Gutman, Equipment Technician - Joe Winslow, Equipment Technician
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1972 Warner Records Inc.
Robert Hunter, Writer - Phil Lesh, Bass Guitar - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - Mickey Hart, Drums, Percussion, Writer - Bob Weir, Guitar, Vocals - Jerry Garcia, Guitar, Vocals - Bill Kreutzmann, Drums, Percussion - Ted Jensen, MasteringEngineer - Donna Godchaux, Vocals - Matthew Kelly, Harmonica - Dan Healy, CoProducer - Keith Godchaux, Keyboards, Vocals - Jordan Amarantha, Percussion - Bob Matthews, Engineer - John Kahn, Horns Arranger, AssociateProducer - George Horn, MasteringEngineer - Brett Cohen, Engineer
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1978 Grateful Dead Productions
Phil Lesh, Producer, Bass Guitar, Vocals - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - Mickey Hart, Producer, Drums, Percussion - Joe Gastwirt, Remastering Engineer - Bob Weir, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, Writer - JOHN BARLOW, Writer - Jerry Garcia, Producer, Guitar, Vocals - Bill Kreutzmann, Producer, Drums, Percussion - Brent Mydland, Producer, Keyboards, Vocals - Steve Brown, Assistant Production - Donna Godchaux, Producer, Vocals - Dan Healy, MixingEngineer - Keith Godchaux, Producer, Keyboards, Vocals - Betty Cantor, Assistant Production - Bob Matthews, Assistant Production - Robert Taylor, AssistantEngineer - Steven Schuster, Flute - Rob Taylor, AssistantEngineer - Brett Cohen, Assistant Production - Laurence "Ram Rod" Shurtliff, Assistant Production
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1975 Grateful Dead Productions
David Roberts, AdditionalEngineer - Phil Lesh, Bass Guitar - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - Mickey Hart, Drums, Percussion - Joe Gastwirt, AdditionalEngineer - Bob Weir, Guitar, Vocals, Writer - JOHN BARLOW, Writer - Jerry Garcia, Producer, Guitar, Vocals - Bill Kreutzmann, Drums - Brent Mydland, Keyboards, Vocals - Guy Charbonneau, Engineer - Dan Healy, AdditionalEngineer - Bob Bralove, Programmer - Robbie Taylor, Equipment Technician - Jeffrey Norman, AdditionalEngineer - John Cutler, Producer, Engineer - Jeff Sterling, AdditionalEngineer - Justin Kreutzmann, AdditionalEngineer - Laurence "Ram Rod" Shurtliff, Equipment Technician - John McIntire, Manager, Album Coordinator - Steve Parish, Equipment Technician - Bill Candelario, Equipment Technician - Harry Popick, Equipment Technician - Billy Grillo, Equipment Technician
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1987 Grateful Dead Productions
Robert Hunter, Producer, Writer - Phil Lesh, Producer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Piano, Vocals - Grateful Dead, MainArtist - David Grisman, Mandolin - Mickey Hart, Producer, Percussion - Bob Weir, Producer, Guitar, Vocals - Jerry Garcia, Producer, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Writer, Pedal Steel Guitar - Bill Kreutzmann, Producer, Drums - dave collins, Assistant Mastering Engineer - Stephen Barncard, CoProducer - Ron "Pigpen" Mckernan, Producer, Drums, Vocals, Harmonica
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 1970 Warner Records Inc.
Album review
It only seems like there has been an endless stream of Grateful Dead compilations. In reality, there has only been a handful, and the most notable of those were released while the band was still an active recording and touring unit in the '70s -- and before they had belated chart success in the late '80s, 20 years after their debut album. So, Warner/Rhino's 2003 collection The Very Best of Grateful Dead marks the first attempt to do a thorough single-disc overview of the group's career, encompassing not just their classic Warner albums but also the records they cut for their own Grateful Dead/UA and Arista. As always with the Dead, it's hard to condense the band's free-ranging, freewheeling output onto one disc, and there are some big songs and concert staples missing here, including the perennial "Dark Star," "Jack Straw," "Black Peter," "Stella Blue," "Brokedown Palace," "Playing in the Band," "Wharf Rat," and "Terrapin Station." They are missed, some more than others, but the 17 tracks here do present nearly all sides of the Dead while hitting their biggest songs: "Truckin'," "Touch of Grey," "Sugar Magnolia," "Casey Jones," "Friend of the Devil," "Uncle John's Band," "Box of Rain," and "Ripple." As that list proves, this is a set that leans heavily on the twin peaks of Workingman's Dead and American Beauty, but there's a reason why those two are beloved of Deadheads and casual fans alike: the classic songs are there. Also present here are staples like "The Golden Road," "One More Saturday Night," "Estimated Prophet," "Eyes of the World," and "U.S. Blues," which may not be as well-known to the general populace but help fill in the picture and provide a good portrait of the band. The collection would have been better if sequenced a little more chronologically, but nevertheless it provides a first-class introduction to a band whose catalog can often seem a little unwieldy.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 17 track(s)
- Total length: 01:17:22
- Main artists: Grateful Dead
- Label: Grateful Dead - Rhino
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2003 Grateful Dead Productions ℗ 2003 Grateful Dead Productions. Marketed by Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company.
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