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AUSTRALIAN IMPORT
Condition: Brand New Factory Sealed
Winnowing down three decades' worth of material from this pioneering rock juggernaut into a single-disc retrospective would seem to be a daunting task -- particularly given the Dead's notorious propensity for jamming and stretching out. This challenge is answered by the decision to focus on studio material -- only a '72 version of "One More Saturday Night" nods to the Dead's live prowess. This wide-ranging disc does a fine job of capturing the band's often-overlooked ability to spin a musical yarn concisely without losing the magical "x-factor." While not organized chronologically, The Very Best reaches clear back to the Dead's first Warner Bros. single, "The Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion," and makes pit stops at every tune that would be recognizable even to non-Deadheads. That means "Truckin' " shows up, as does "Casey Jones" and the band's sole hit single, "Touch of Grey" -- making it an essential, portable encapsulation of a vastly influential band. Initial pressings of the disc include a replica pass from the band's final tour in 1995.
TRACK LISTINGS
1 Truckin'
2 Touch of Grey
3 Sugar Magnolia
4 Casey Jones
5 Uncle John's Band
6 Friend of the Devil
7 Franklin's Tower
8 Estimated Prophet
9 Eyes of the World
10 Box of Rain
11 U.S. Blues
12 The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)
13 One More Saturday Night Live
14 Fire on the Mountain
15 The Music Never Stopped
16 Hell in a Bucket
17 Ripple
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