Fillmore West '69 A Slice of Vintage Live Dead

In 1969 the Grateful Dead was at a pivotal juncture. The band was evolving from its jug band infancy into what was to become its full-blown psychedelic rock and roll persona. These live recordings from the Fillmore crackle with the vitality and collective talent that would lead to the band's status as one of the best live acts in rock history. 

Fusing classic selections from the folk and blues canon, such as "Good Mornin' Little School Girl," "Turn on Your Lovelight," and "Death Don't Have No Mercy," with the Dead's own mind-melting material, including longtime favories like "St. Stephen," "Dark Star," "The Eleven," "That's It For The Other One," and "Mountains of the Moon," the band's four-night run (February 27-March 2, 1969) at San Francisco's fabled Fillmore West caught the young, rambunctious and musically adventurous group at the top of its early game.

The three-disc set features a young and formidable Jerry Garcia, a vocally agile Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, the short-timing Tom Constanten on keyboards and of course the rest of the legendary band, all of whom were blossoming on their respective instruments. 

The inclusion of the wildly exploratory linkage of "Alligator" > "Drums" > "Jam" > "Caution (Do Not Step on Tracks)" > "Feeback" > "We Bid You Goodnight" contrasts nicely with full songs from the band's early catalogue including "Dupree's Diamond Blues," "Cosmic Charlie" and "Doin' That Rag."

The recordings on this set are mixed from the same 16-track master tapes that spawned the classic album Live/Dead. Onstage banter and introductions by late rock impresario Bill Graham add an intimate touch to these performances and take one back to the epicenter (San Francisco) of the late '60s acid-fueled hippie scene.