This really should be considered the Dead's debut record, because quite honestly, it's the first document true to their values as a band. Love it or hate it, this was seminal because it was rock meeting improvisation without real compromise.

Despite the meaningless title, this was their first real attempt at putting together an album of strong stand-alone songs, and frankly, it fell short. There are some highlights – the opener "St. Stephen" is immediately identifiable – but from there, good luck. This was one San Fran/hippie-era record which really suffered from excess.

A lot of critics tend to dislike this album but I go a bit in the other direction. To sum it up, it's a fun, colorful, distracted, and distorted mess. More importantly, the first real indicators of Dead trademarks show up on this record, which makes it something you have to hear at least a couple of times.

The granddaddy jam band of them all got off to a rather innocuous start as far as studio records went. They blindly rip through a clutch of blues standards before you can blink, and only the ten-minute track which ends the record, "Viola Lee Blues", approaches the improvisational byzantine grooves which became their calling card. Not sure even blues purists can get into the "Pig Pen" heavy stuff like "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" or "New, New Minglewood Blues". What was so new about it, anyway? Remastered versions include a live version of "Viola Lee" at double the run time, so there's that.

It's OK, but there's nothing here the group themselves didn't do better on the previous record, and like a year later Nas and Mobb Deep would top this stuff with their debut platters. Out of all the singles "Electric Relaxation" is by far and away pick of the lot.