Customer Reviews

Without a Net

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This CD (which was taken from shows during '89 to '90) is different than the other live Grateful Dead CD's. It is mellow and light without being boring like Reckoning. It is also rich and lush, with a light jazz influence. The sound is closest to Wake of the Flood, but the songs are all stretched out. It does have the famous Grateful Dead jamming, but with the harsh psychodelic/acid edge removed. It is sort of like something Sade would record if she were to take LSD. You can really get into this album, but at the same time it is one of the few Dead albums that could be used as background music for a Sunday brunch.

Eyes of the World is especially spectacular with the Brandon Marsalis sax solo. If you really like this, you might want to check out Marsalis's sax solo on Widespread Panic's "Light Fuse and Get Away"

Yes, yes, I know, that's a lot like picking the best James Bond movie. With an insane number to pick from, why choose one? Not to mention the fact that I hate live albums to begin with. So why do I buy them?

Because every now and then I come across one like this that makes it worth it. An album that sounds completely new even if I've heard every song before. No other "China -> Rider" I've ever heard can match this one. No "Eyes of the World" has this one's lulling beauty. No other "Cassidy" has the fire heard here. The first time I heard this "Help -> Franklin's Tower" I had to stop what I was doing just to listen to the playing. (Lucky I wasn't on the highway at the time.) This is the Dead in peak form: playing as if they're sharing one mind. Listen and be carried away...

To start off i am a huge grateful dead fan and i have prabably about 150 cd's that cover many years of there carrer. This release is very good and worth buying. it has some great music on it and the price of the album is worth the eyes of the world with Branford Marsalis on the sax alone. All and all this was among my first bunch of grateful dead cd's that i got and it got me hooked so do yourself a favor if you are thinking about listening to the grateful dead and you want to hear something from the 1990 era buy this cd. But i would also get something from the 77 era too.

In my opinion, of course. This CD is absolutely incredible. It's essential because of the following recordings: China Cat/I Know You Rider(Wow! A lot of fans consider this the best version ever), Bird Song, Looks Like Rain, and Althea. While Help on the Way/Franklin's and Eyes of the World might be the eye openers that sell the CD, there are better versions on "One From the Vault". Anyway, get this CD and One from the Vault and soon you'll be working your way up to the Dick's Picks CDs. Anyway, if you like the Dead or are interested in getting your first live Dead CD, you can't miss with this!

An excellent souvenir from the last of the Dead's stellar eras. A beautiful Casidy and great China / Rider but this Help On The Way/Slipknot!/Franklin's Tower always makes me want to run around in circles hollering!

This is by far the best dead album ever released, Althea is a song to live by. I went on a trip to Moab and we listened to this album over and over and it never got old. Definitely check this one out.

The period from Fall '89 to Spring '90 was really the band's strongest stretch since the '74 Wall of Sound. Everyone, the entire band, was in fine form, especially Jerry and Brent. This set highlights some of the best performances, including gems from Hampton, Nassau, and the Knick. On the first disc, the Cassidy, Bird Song, and Let It Grow are superb, and the second disc is mostly mind-blowing. Although Saturday Night and Mr. Fantasy are not a strong ending, the China>Rider and Help>Slip>Frank are excellent. The Looks Like Rain is extremely wistful when Bob sings "the landscape would be empty if you were gone." Looking back, it almost makes you cry. But above all, the Eyes of the World on Disc 2 is worth the price of admission alone. This 14 minute track, with occasional guest Branford Marsalis, is the best piece the Dead have ever recorded, period. I had the good fortune of being there, and this recording captures it magnificently.

Some music is so good and soulful that it brings tears. Several of these tracks do just that. You don't have to be a deadhead to love good music!

Not even sure where to begin. I got this album back in 1997 on a whim, and I think my CD player wore it out. From the opening riff of Feel Like A Stranger to the ending of Dear Mr. Fantasy, every song is incredible. China/Rider flows into a smooth jazz like ensemble, Looks like Rain has the patented Bobby Weir vocals on it. The best two songs on the album are Eyes featuring an incredible solo by Branford Marsalis. His saxophone playing just jams away with the sound of the band. One can not tell that he just showed up without any rehersal to play. Help-Slip-Franklin's Tower is the best version of the trio I have ever heard.

If you are new to listening to the dead, or have been a fan for years, there is no reason NOT to have this in your collection. One of the greatest albums of all time, and in my opinion, the greatest live album by any band. Enjoy!

this cd is unbelievable in its scope, and in its technical quality. it seems like this cd gets ignored by the dead community, and jam fans in general, because of its main-stream release. this is an egregious error to make, because this cd captures many of the dead's most beloved songs and turns it into one dream show. if you have any interest or respect in live music, this cd is spectacular.