For this special set break episode, Jonathan Hart of Brokedown Podcast pops by to talk about three Dead-adjacent albums that helped shape the band’s creative evolution. Originally conceived as solo efforts, Jerry Garcia’s Garcia, Bob Weir’s Ace, and Mickey Hart’s Rolling Thunder each brought something special to the Deadiverse, including songs that would become staples of live sets for years to come. Jerry’s album gave us “Deal,” “Bird Song,” “Sugaree,” “Loser,” “To Lay Me Down,” and “The Wheel.” Ace delivered “Greatest Story Ever Told,” “Black-Throated Wind,” “Looks Like Rain,” “Mexicali Blues,” “One More Saturday Night,” “Cassidy,” and the ultimate jam warhorse, “Playing in the Band.” And speaking of “Playing,” Mickey’s Rolling Thunder also features an embryonic version of the tune, then known as “The Main Ten.” So why did the band choose to reveal studio versions of these classic numbers on non-Dead releases? Jonathan and Casey talk about the possible reasons while offering insights on several key cuts. It’s an Osiris Network crossover for the ages!

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This episode is dedicated to Neal Casal.

We honor the dead by living. Sometimes that’s not an easy thing to do. That’s why we’re grateful to have friends and music to get us through—it reaffirms our connection to what’s essential. American Beauty was written and recorded at a time when members of the Dead were bidding fare thee well to loved ones, and they channeled their grief on exquisitely sparse songs of heartbreak, hope, and resilience. From the high and lonesome to the rockin’ and rapturous, this record heralds the arrival of the Grateful Dead as songwriters who understood how to get their music across in the studio. This is a deeply human record that celebrates the joys and sorrows of being—there’s grace and grit in equal measures, with four-part harmonies to boot. You can put on at a backyard BBQ or become utterly enveloped in headphones. And crucially, American Beauty is good medicine. That’s something we all need from time to time.

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The Grateful Dead had a topsy-turvy 1969, the year the countercultural underground became a global youth phenomenon. There was the bum set at Woodstock. There was the nightmare of Altamont. And there was major financial stress, with large sums owed to Warner Brothers. Making matters worse, Mickey Hart’s father, Lenny—who the Dead brought on to manage their money—made off with all their cash, ultimately leading to Mickey’s self-imposed exile from the band. After two experimental albums and profound lysergic enmeshment, by 1970, the Dead were due for a refocus. Workingman’s Dead is the result of the blossoming songwriting partnership of Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia, which produced timeless tunes of ragged glory. Newfound attention was paid to the group’s vocal blend, in part inspired by the Boys’ friendship with Crosby, Stills and Nash. All of this came together in a collection of songs that helped shape what we now call Americana music. But as with all things Dead, words cannot capture the true essence, although it’s always fun to try. So hitch your ride and pull up a seat in the cosmic country saloon that is Workingman’s Dead.

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“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” Juliet said to her Romeo. Although there may be sweeter slices of psychedelic pop than Aoxomoxoa out there, none of them are by the Grateful Dead. And that’s what makes this record special—it captures the sound of a young band coming into their own as songwriters while furthering their freak agenda. In this episode, Casey, Eduardo, and Kevin delve into the Dead’s final album of the original acid era. Aoxomoxoa captures the band at a creative crossroads: up to this point, they traded in mind-melting instrumental freakouts, malformed blues, and the occasional baroque hallucination. Now, with Robert Hunter as their in-house lyricist and a newfound compositional confidence, the Dead were positioned to blow even more of Warner Brothers’ money on a triptastic album that contains several Dead warhorses. The band is nearly ready to burst out of lysergic chrysalis as a kind of cowboy Mothra. But until they do, let’s admire the unusual but captivating cocoon known as Aoxomoxoa.

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