Grateful Dead Road Trips Vol. 1 No. 2--October '77 CD

Two CDs. Slipcase sleeve. Spring '77 shows get the ink, but the Dead's Fall '77 tour through some of the lesser-traveled byways of America goes toe to toe with that deservedly legendary series of performances. And by cherry-picking from three October '77 gigs (10/11/77 in Norman, Oklahoma; 10/14/77 in Houston; 10/16 in Baton Rouge), this Road Trip offers the greatest show that never was. A great, 10-minute rendition of "Let It Grow" from Norman kicks the whole thing off, followed by a 17-minute "Sugaree" from Baton Rouge... and how about that epic, 13-minute version of "Black Peter," also hailing from the Baton Rouge show (which contributes the lion's share of the songs here). And for you obsessive Dead Head collectors, the Houston excerpt also captures the last time the "Help on the Way"/"Slipknot!"/"Franklin's Tower" medley was played for six years. A 16-page booklet featuring notes by Steve Silberman accompanies this "Betty Board" recording, mastered by Jeffrey Norman and presented in HDCD sound. Great performances lifted from superior shows from one of the Dead's best tours... hard to beat that combo!

1. Let It Grow 2. Sugaree 3. The Music Never Stopped 4. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo 5. El Paso 6. Help on the Way 7. Slipknot! 8. FranklinÆs Tower 9. Playing in the Band 10. Drums 11. The Other One 12. Good LovinÆ 13. Terrapin Station 14. Black Peter 15. Around and Around 16. Brokedown Palace 17. Playing in the Band