The Grateful Dead never were really about doing things small.
Whether it was multi-night stands at venues around the country while an active touring unit or releasing an obscene amount of authorized live recordings resulting in a catalog well into the hundreds, “going big” was the understood mantra for the Bay Area psychedelic jam outfit.
And let’s not even mention the copious number of illicit substances ingested by the band members throughout their career.
It’s no surprise then that to celebrate their 60th anniversary, it isn’t going to be with a single release or even a simple multi-disc box set.
No, they’ve decided to drop a sweeping 60-CD live collection that maps an epic cross-country road trip with stops at storied venues where the music, the moment, and the magic of the Dead converged.
Spanning 25 years of legendary live performances, “Enjoying the Ride” spotlights defining shows from 1969 to 1994 at 20 venues that consistently inspired the band to new heights.
Among them were Philly’s Spectrum, San Francisco’s Winterland, the Frost Amphitheatre at Stanford, Madison Square Garden, and Hampton Coliseum in Virginia.
Whether playing the intimate confines of Fillmore West or beneath the open skies at Red Rocks, the Grateful Dead never played the same show twice, with the new set a thrilling testament to that adventurous spirit.
Like the music itself, the band was never static, and that constant reinvention can be heard across “Enjoying the Ride,” which reflects the Dead’s evolution across multiple eras.
The performances include contributions from Jerry Garcia, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, MickeyHart, Keith Godchaux, Donna Jean Godchaux, Brent Mydland, Tom Constanten and Vince Welnick.
Except for a few songs from earlier releases, virtually all the music on “Enjoying the Ride” is previously unreleased, spanning more than 450 tracks and over 60 hours of music.
Seventeen of the 20 shows in the collection are presented in full, with some featuring additional material from the same venue.
The remaining three — Fillmore West, Fillmore East, and Boston Music Hall — are curated from multiple performances at each venue, capturing key moments on those legendary stages.
Grateful Dead archivist and legacy manager David Lemieux said in a statement that narrowing the list to 20 venues wasn’t easy, but the final selection represents places where the band always brought their A game, destinations that drew Dead Heads from far and wide, all hoping to witness something transcendent.
Beyond the extraordinary music, he says “Enjoying the Ride” is a celebration of the journey itself.
“On these 60 CDs, you’ll find music spanning more than 25 years, from 1969 to 1994, with the venues and the millions of journeys to get to them, making an essential part of the story,” Lemieux said. “Going to see the Grateful Dead, following them from city to city, was likened to the modern equivalent of running away and joining the circus. These 20 venues are where the circus took us, and the show was something we never wanted to miss.”
Certain venues weren’t just stops along the road, they were catalysts, places where the Dead discovered new heights of inspiration.
As the Godchaux era neared its end in May 1978, the Dead turned a Saturday night at The Spectrum into an unforgettable party.
The second set’s “Playing in the Band” built in intensity before giving way to “Drums,” where the full band joined in on Hart’s developing Rhythm Devils concept.
Even basketball great Bill Walton joined the percussive frenzy as the music spiraled into one of the Dead’s earliest “Space” segments.
“Enjoying the Ride” will be available exclusively from dead.net beginning May 30.
The 60-CD boxed set is limited to 6,000 individually numbered copies.
ALAC and high-res FLAC downloads will also be available on the same day.
For those seeking a more concise itinerary, the pared down “The Music Never Stopped” distills “Enjoying the Ride” into a shorter route through the band’s diamond anniversary celebration.
Featuring at least one song from every venue in the deluxe set, it offers a briefer but no less illuminating journey through themusic that shaped the Grateful Dead’s live legacy.
It, too, will be available on May 30 digitally and three-CD, six-LP sets.
Vinyl of the Week
Keep an eye on this spot as each week we’ll be looking at new or soon-to-be-released vinyl from a variety of artists. It might be a re-pressing of a landmark recording, special edition, or new collection from a legendary act.
This week, it’s a collection from a beloved Irish folk-punk act, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.
The Pogues: ‘The Rest of the Best’
Expect to encounter a sea of green if you’re headed out this weekend, as it’s the time of year when everyone professes to be just Irish enough to imbibe in too much green beer or, if you prefer something sweeter, the Shamrock Shake from McDonald’s.
It’s also the perfect opportunity to get down to some authentic tunes from the Emerald Isle.
This Friday sees the re-issue of The Pogues’ 1992 collection “The Rest of the Best,” which originally came out in 1992.
The LP appeared to be a way-too-soon follow-up to “The Best of The Pogues,” which came out just one year prior.
The reality was anything but, however. One look at the 14-track set and it’s clear the Celtic punk outfit had more than enough quality music for two records worth of music up until that juncture.
The new reissue comes on limited edition, transparent green vinyl and includes fan favorites “If I Should Fall from Grace with God,” “Boys from the County Hell,” “Dark Streets of London” and their cover of The Rolling Stones classic, “Honky Tonk Women.”
Though the lineup of The Pogues has been depleted in recent years with the passing of those in its ranks, most notably the death of frontman Shane MacGowan in 2023, its surviving members have decided to soldier on in a tribute capacity with a revolving door of guest singers.
In December, they headlined 3Arena in Dublin with a special anniversary show for the “Red Roses for Me” album.
Curated by Pogues co-founder Spider Stacy, the band invited a host of guests to join them on stage to perform the debut album in full, including personnel from Fontaines DC, Lankum, Nadine Shah and more.
Some of those same folks will be joining the group this May to mark the 40th anniversary of the “Rum Sodomy & The Lash” LP.
“The Rest of the Best” from The Pogues can be found online and from all respectable retailers who carry vinyl.
To contact music columnist Michael Christopher, send an email to rockmusicmenu@gmail.com. Also, check out his website at thechroniclesofmc.com.
Source: Berkshire mont