Little Walter / The Best of Little Walter (1958)

Little Walter's amplified, overdriven, tough-as-nails harp is in full force on this best-of compilation. And for once, the "best of" label might actually apply to the music on the disc. Lyrically, songs like "Blue Lights," "Tell Me Mama," and "Watch Yourself" paint Walter as the hard character that he was, and showcase his innovative and distinctive harp style. There are also several previously unreleased outtakes that shed light on how the band worked, and provide additional illumination of the legend. In the years since his death, Walter's work has been packaged and repackaged a staggering number of times, making finding a truly representative set hard to find without breaking the bank. For listeners unfamiliar with most of his work who want to explore the back catalog, this is a great place to start.

The Grateful Dead / Workingman's Dead (1970)

The summer of 1970 was the summer of the Grateful Dead. Talk about a busy group -- a mammoth American tour with New Riders of the Purple Sage, nightly concerts lasting until dawn, two studio albums, writing new material, a change of format.... you can tell I'm impressed. Although released several months before American Beauty, the slab Workingman’s Dead is definitely in the same vein, stylistically, but the records aren’t interchangeable. Workingman’s Dead is darker than the successor, in both content and production. The albums also had different producers. But together, they are the fraternal twins of the Dead’s americana period. As with American Beauty, the two characteristics that stand out most are the lyrical contributions of Robert Hunter and the band’s rich vocal harmonies, the latter influenced by a friendship with Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Both are introduced on the side one opener, “Uncle John’s Band,” which is an archetypal acoustic singalong affair, marked by a lighter touch from all involved and some uncanny vocal harmonies. Garcia’s work throughout the record is considerably more diverse than it was later that year. He picks 5-string banjo for the careening “Cumberland Blues” and his gritty licks on the Stratocaster take center stage for “Easy Wind” and “New Speedway Boogie.” The country ballad “Dire Wolf” is propelled by Garcia's masterful work on the pedal steel, and along with Bob Weir, his acoustic guitar is everywhere. Pigpen does the tough album’s toughest number, “Easy Wind,” before everything is drawn to a close with the unforgettable “Casey Jones.” Damn! What a good record. As with other CD re-releases in the Dead's back catalog, it comes with bonus tracks that make entertaining filler, but are what I consider to be nonessential material that should have been placed on a second disc. Am I the only person who wants to preserve original continuity? When I hear that telltale sniff at the beginning of Casey, I want the record to end. It's the whole point, after all. But I don't let that bother me, and I listen anyway.

The Grateful Dead / Europe '72 Vol. 2 (2011)

This sequel to the Dead’s triple-live long player Europe ‘72 is another chapter in the GD saga, and another commercial release of treasured vault material from a band with enough vault material to keep the CDs rolling out for at least another 50 years. If you’re not a bootleg collector, then this release (especially when taken after digesting the aforementioned predecessor) is a good cross-section of the Dead’s set first overseas tour. While the sound quality is excellent and the sequencing is even good, I prefer to listen to the 'original' Europe '72 for reasons I feel hard pressed to explain. Admittedly, I once had an embarrassingly large collection of Dead tapes so none of this material is new on me. I guess over the years, so many vault releases down the road, I've moved on from the knee-jerk reaction of, "wow, this sounds great compared to my supposed 2nd gen copy!" When I turn on a CD like this, I just hear a good quality rip of some shows that I've long been familiar with on tapes. So please don't be put off by my lukewarm reception, because the Dead were always better in 1972 and this is no exception. In fact, if you're totally new to the Dead, then I recommend you start here because the tracks represent what they did best: country, blues, and mind bending instrumental psychedelia. You don’t have to be a Deadhead to enjoy the record, either, it should appeal to a wide audience, at least a wide audience of classic rock listeners. None of these tracks appear on the predecessor, and all of them are welcome additions to the document. Notably, a '72 “Dark Star” finally sees the light of day. Gems from the first the first disc showcase the band’s transition into the short-song format introduced in 1971, cuts that demonstrate the band’s willingness to shed the ‘inaccessible’ label while proving that they hadn’t lost their any of their improvisational prowess. Also included are two Pigpen tunes, “Chinatown Shuffle” and “Next Time You See Me,” as well as a handful of other live staples. Pig's numbers were always my favorites, and 1972 was his last tour. Before I get too nostalgic, take a look at that cover. See? Ice cream kid is back!