The fall of 1968 through the spring of 1969 marks the Dead’s fiercest, most confident and accomplished psychedelic playing, reaching its apex around the time that Live Dead was recorded at the Avalon Ballroom and the Fillmore West. But changes were on the way. Perhaps the harbinger of the future direction was a song on Aoxomoxoa called “Dupree’s Diamond Blues,” Hunter and Garcia’s clever recasting of a popular story-song that originated in the early Twenties.

I also listened to Europe 72 Atmos. Fantastic. When I first heard E72 I said hey I may just buy the 50th Anniversary CD after all then I looked at my phone and realized I was listening to the Atmos version. The Atmos version E72 is just super cool and keith's piano sounds as clean as freshly shaved face at a barber shop. More than just remnants, The Angel’s Share documents a crucial moment in the Dead’s history — a moment of cohesion and creative respite in a band that had more than its share of turmoil and discord. “The magic and spirit of the band, and the music, were on a synchronous level,” says engineer Bob Matthews, a key part of the Dead team who worked on the original Workingman’s Dead. “It was rare and joyful to see. This was a happy time for the band, with the band members and their families, and you can hear it in the music.” And now, Garcia’s occasional exasperation aside, we can hear it at last.Grateful Dead Guide: The Mysterious Case of 12/17/70". Deadessays.blogspot.com. 2010-10-05 . Retrieved 2015-04-24. The noted San Francisco poster artist Stanley Mouse and his partner Alton Kelley conceived of the now-iconic front cover: the band and Hunter in workingman’s duds standing on a nondescript street corner. t Hunter. The material reflects clear country, blues and folk influences; the arrangements are sharp and concise; the performances lilting and subtle. Soon, though, Garcia reclaimed it, and on occasion in 1969 he would suggest that the crowd sing along on the chorus. “Casey Jones” was the next new tune to emerge from the Larkspur songwriting sessions, and though Garcia’s original acoustic guitar-voice demo from early June is strikingly similar to the way it ended up on Workingman’s Dead, the first several Grateful Dead versions in early summer ’69 have a different vibe. I found this mix way better than the American Beauty Atmos with Beauty's vocals being way too overwhelmingly up front.

Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012 . Retrieved September 10, 2019. Still, Warner Bros. was ready to promote the album. “An album of country-flavored tunes by the Grateful Dead — an album different from anything they ever did before,” went one of its radio ads, which cheekily added, “Steal it.” But at the time, no one worried about record-store theft. In spite of that ad and problems with radio play, Workingman’s Dead became the band’s most popular record to that point, breaking into the Top 30 on the Billboard album chart. To this day, Matthews says he still receives royalties for his work on it.

Grateful Dead: The Illustrated Trip. Jake Woodward, et al. Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2003, p. 119. Inclusive from the very first tune, "Uncle John's Band," the Dead offers music as a source of community. Adorned with the most mellifluous vocal harmonizing the group had committed to record at the time (including bassist Phil Lesh's alto voice), its predominantly acoustic textures also presented a marked departure from the electrified configurations of, for instance, Aoxomoxoa (Warner Bros., 1969). Upbeat as is this opener, however, "High Time" belies its title, its mournful air effectively balancing the gaiety and optimism of other Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter compositions that follow; heretofore somewhat on the periphery of the close-knit Grateful Dead aggregation, the latter lyricist was now, for all intents and purposes, a full-fledged member of the band.