Here is another beauty by Jerry Moore. Would he have ever dreamed that we could click on a link and have an entire show in our hands in minutes? For all of the technology we have today, we would have none of this music without the devotion of intrepid souls like Jerry.

Listen well my friends. This is beautiful music and it goes right to the heart of what the Dead were all about. 1976 is THE most under appreciated year of them all. Nothing else in the Dead's long history sounds like this year. You can hear inklings of the fury to come in the following year but here the Dead are at their most relaxed. That laid back feeling pervades all of the music from this year. It is truly something to treasure.

Listening experiment: Check out a show from late in '76: 09/28 or 10/03. Then listen to the first show from '77: 02/26 Swing Auditorium. Note the differences. BTW, Swing boasts the first Estimated and Terrapin with the latter opening the show. Put yourself in those seats. Smiles all around.

Cheers and thank you Jerry Moore. 4 stars only because this is just a warm-up. The 06/14 Beacon Theatre show is divine and in 4 days you can already hear the progression of the band. Remember that Mickey is like a new member here. The band is still feeling each other out. The shows from the fall tour are even more spectacular. Happy Listening!

Best AUD of the three here on The Archive. Much deeper, fuller sound than the others. Great set list too: Mission In The Rain, Lazy Lightning>Supplication, Might As Well, H>S>F... The more I listen to '76, the more I like.