The Very Best of Grateful Dead

If a novice or a casual fan is seeking an introduction to—or a brief summary of—one of rock \'n\' roll\'s legendary bands, this 2003 Dead collection does a satisfactory job of going over the \"hits\" for a group not often overly concerned about its hitmaking potential. Throwing 1987\'s \"Touch of Grey\" into the second position refutes chronology in favor of a sequence that plays like a natural album. Five tracks here are from the excellent 1970 album *American Beauty*, with the remainder coming from across the band\'s career, regardless of the labels that first issued the material. Deadheads will insist that even a casual fan should own a half-dozen live albums to better understand the band\'s dynamic, and that\'s not a bad idea for someone wishing to better know the Dead. However, most people looking for familiar songs will be satisfied: \"Truckin\',\" \"Sugar Magnolia,\" \"Casey Jones,\" \"Uncle John\'s Band,\" and \"Friend of the Devil,\" for starters, are all classic rock \'n\' roll.