Mickey Hart and without much in the way of Pigpen's keyboard work. What stands out here, beyond the intense, emotionally charged yet somewhat playful performances, is the strength and diversity of the repertoire. In addition to the plethora of newer originals, we hear a number of Pigpen's beloved blues shouters: "Next Time You See Me," "Ain't It Crazy," "I'm a King Bee," "Turn on Your Love Light," "It Hurts Me Too," "Hard to Handle," and "In the Midnight Hour." Also of note are readings of lesser-played material such as "Second That Emotion," "Ripple," "Sing Me Back Home," and "Alligator." All in all, it's a worthy celebration of one of the Dead's most legendary venues, as well as a prime slice of vintage Dead music. --Marc Greilsamer  (less)

- 6)Lou Reed (Street Hassle) - 7)Ministry (Work For Love) - 8)Anderson,Bruford,Wakeman & Howe (Brother of Mine) - 9)The Jeff Healey Band (I Think I Love You Too Much) - 10)Patti Smith (People Have The Power) - 11)The Outlaws (Green Grass and High Tides) - 12)The Alan Parsons Project (I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You) - 13)Graham Parker (Local Girls) - 14)Thompson Twins (Hold Me Now) - 15)The Church (Under the Milky Way) - 16)Eurythmics (The King & Queen of America)  (less)

Through Country Numbers Like Marty Robbins' Big Iron, Rock and Roll Like Smiley Lewis' I Hear You Knockin' and Traditional Songs Like C.c. Rider and New Minglewood Blues with a Smattering of Songs Written by the Band. Kingfish were Formed by Blues Guitarist/Harpist Matthew Kelly, Grateful Dead Guitarist Bob Weir, New Riders of the Purple Sage Bassist Dave Torbert and Drummer Chris Herold and Released Four Albums Between 1975 and 1985.  (less)

version of "Slow Ride" by Foghat, Humble Pie's "30 Days in the Hole," Mountain's "Mississippi Queen," and Canned Heat's "Goin' Up the Country." The real highlights, though, come courtesy of new-school jam bands like the Disco Biscuits ("Home Again"), moe. ("Plane Crash"), String Cheese Incident ("San Jose"), and Galactic ("Villified"). All that's really missing here are appearances by Bob Marley, the Grateful Dead, and Phish. 1. Breathe - Keller Williams 2. Villified - Galactic 3. San Jose - The String Cheese Incident 4. AIDS & Armageddon - Fishbone 5. Goin' up the Country - Canned Heat 6. All Night Long - North Mississippi Allstars 7. One More Saturday Night - Kingfish 8. I Will Carry - Big Head Todd & The Monsters 9. Plane Cras...  (less)

to each album. The two are indeed bookends; this second release is by no means comprised of leftover tracks. Rather, so many of Woody's favorite players wanted to be involved that it led to the recording of enough material to fill two full-length CDs. As on Vol. 1 , the guest list includes notable players from different genres, such as Les Claypool (Primus), Billy Cox (Jimi Hendrix), Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson), Meshell N'degeocello, Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica), and Chris Squire (Yes), among others. The intent was to have each guest incorporate their own style into their selected track, while retaining the identifiable sound of the band, and again they have succeeded, especially on the Squire track, "Sun...  (less)

their indie-rock friends covering their own songs, and a home demo version of one song. That said, if you are the type to buy a record for just one song, the group's wonderfully produced cover of the controversial, spooky, and brilliant Phil Spector/Carole King 1962 number "He Hit Me (And it Felt Like a Kiss)" is certainly worth it. The rest is not bad by any means, and Grizzly Bear does its best to create radically different versions of older songs. In particular, the "choir" version of "Alligator" has the thing sounding like Low, the Grateful Dead, and Sonic Youth all at once--and in a good way. The only real drawback of Friend that it whets the appetite for a more substantial offering of all-new material from these talented, Brooklyn-based folkie experimen...  (less)

lyricist Robert Hunter to write an album's worth of songs, they emerge as a quintessential "cosmic cowboy" tag team. Loopy, narrative frolics like "Trashcan Tomcat" and "Crazy Peg and Darby Doyle" sound like the Beverly Hillbillies set to Zap Comics, while lovely ballads like "Tales From the Sad Hotel" and "Head for the Sun" wed earnest country melodies to goofy, inscrutable lyrics that make you want to weep and chuckle all in the same breath. --Bob Allen  (less)

of the American public's favor by the end of the decade, and it wasn't until the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart recorded with him in 1988 that the drummer was again in the spotlight. Recorded in 1992, before Olatunji began to lose his long fight with diabetes (he died in April 2003), Healing Session is a timeless and elegant exhibition of voice and drum's beauty. This traditional meditation music seeps into listener's subconscious and hypnotizes with its dancing poly-rhythms and stirring group chants. Ranging from the almost party-like "Emi Ka Sai D’arugbo" to the scary and stark "Mystery Of Love" to the downright stirring "Primitive Fire," a lot of emotional ground is covered, proving that this ancient music is far from primi...  (less)

their indie-rock friends covering their own songs, and a home demo version of one song. That said, if you are the type to buy a record for just one song, the group's wonderfully produced cover of the controversial, spooky, and brilliant Phil Spector/Carole King 1962 number "He Hit Me (And it Felt Like a Kiss)" is certainly worth it. The rest is not bad by any means, and Grizzly Bear does its best to create radically different versions of older songs. In particular, the "choir" version of "Alligator" has the thing sounding like Low, the Grateful Dead, and Sonic Youth all at once--and in a good way. The only real drawback of Friend that it whets the appetite for a more substantial offering of all-new material from these talented, Brooklyn-based folkie experimen...  (less)

Fruit - Billie Holiday 5. Caldonia - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five Little Joe From Chicago - Nat King Cole Trio The Blues - Illinois Jacquet 6. All Of Me - Frank Sinatra 7. This Land Is Your Land - Woody Guthrie Move It On Over - Hank Williams & The Drifting Cowboys 8. Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley 9. Extract From Poems From The Unpublished 'Book Of The Blues' - Jack Kerouac Let's Get Lost - Chet Baker 10. California Girls - Beach Boys 11. US Interview, August 27, 1964 - Beatles 12. Sugar Magnolia - Grateful Dead White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane 13. The Fish Cheer/I Feel Like I'm To Die Rag - Country Joe & The Fish 14. Fire - Jimi Hendrix Experience 15. Selassie Is The Chapel - Bob Marley & The Wailers 16. Respect Yourself - Staple Singers 17. What's Going On -...  (less)

What's Going On - Marvin Gaye 3:54 5. Wild World - Cat Stevens 3:21 6. Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers 2:07 7. Mr. Bojangles - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band 5:12 8. Woodstock - Matthews' Southern Comfort 4:28 9. Uncle John's Band - The Grateful Dead 4:45 10. Here Comes The Sun - Richie Havens 3:48 11. Love The One You're With - Stephen Stills 3:07 12. Only You Know And I Know - Dave Mason 4:06 Disc 2: 1. Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver 3:13 2. Fire And Rain - James Taylor 3:24 3. Gypsy Woman - Brian Hyland 2:35 4. Peace Train - Cat Stevens 4:05 5. He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother - The Hollies 4:16 6. That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be - Carly Simon 4:17 7. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) - Marvin Gaye 3:17 8. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - Jo...  (less)