Start at the Beginning - Skull and Roses
I wouldn’t be able to review albums that influence my musical tastes without starting with the Grateful Dead. My older brother Mike (R.I.P.) had them all from the very beginning. But it was their 1971 live record, most often called “Skull & Roses” that hooked me.
It’s an excellent example of them at their Garage Band best. Seven of the eleven tracks are covers ranging from Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode”, to Merle Haggards “Mama Tried”, to the Luther Dixon/Al Smith penned “Big Boss Man”, and Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away”. The sound is raw, live, and best played loud. If I only had a dollar for every time I listened to this record.
The album was also the first medium that called out to Dead Heads via these words in the liner notes; “Dead Freaks Unite: Who are you? Where are you? How are you? Send us your name and address and we'll keep you informed. Dead Heads, P.O. Box 1065, San Rafael, California 94901”. I can’t say that I sent them my name in ‘71, but at some point I did.
