If you are a fan then it is a no brainer to recommend this two-CD set to you. It is a must have in your Grateful Dead library. Despite the fact that there have been a couple of previous “Best Ofs” from the Grateful Dead this one is as close to perfect as you can get. Arranged in chronological order, it contains most of the Jerry Garcia stuff along with the progressive rock greatness that is Terrapin Station. Like the cherry on top of this musical sundae, the sound is crystalline clear which enhances the listener’s enjoyment.
If you are not a big fan of the band I still recommend this package to you. The Best of brings you on a wonder filled musical journey through the times and allows you a great picture of one of the more celebrated cult musical acts there has ever been. After listening to their material you begin to understand the influence they have had on a myriad of bands than came after them.
Finally, listening to this you really go on a trip through time. Counter-culture and folk music of the sixties unfolds before you, then it moves on to the seventies and how the medium (music) became the conveyer of the message (what the population was feeling) and finally it ends with commentary on Reganomics and Margaret Thatcher. Listen and learn.
