Read more about Grateful Dead's Skull & Roses in our featured coverage from August 2021 on jambands.com.

Originally titled simply Grateful Dead but universally known as Skull & Roses after Rick Griffin's iconic cover art, this 1971 double album stands as one of the Dead's definitive live releases and their second self-titled album (the first being their 1967 debut). Pressed on black vinyl and remastered, this edition captures the band at a transitional moment: Pigpen was still healthy and commanding the blues, Mickey Hart had temporarily left (making this a five-piece recording), and the acoustic Workingman's Dead / American Beauty material was now being integrated into their electric sets.

Recorded primarily at the Fillmore East in February and March 1971, Skull & Roses balances two sides of the Dead: the raw blues power of Pigpen on "Not Fade Away" and "Good Lovin'" (which stretches to 23 minutes), and the cosmic Americana of "Bertha," "Playing in the Band," "Wharf Rat," and "Truckin'." The album opens with the one-two punch of "Bertha" and "Mama Tried," establishing the template for first-set openers that would define Dead shows for the next two decades. The performances are loose but never sloppy, exploratory but always purposeful.

What makes Skull & Roses essential is its perfect balance of accessibility and depth. "Truckin'" and "Not Fade Away" were radio-friendly enough to earn airplay, but extended jams like "The Other One" and the closing "Good Lovin'" proved the Dead could stretch out without losing the thread. Rick Griffin's skeleton-and-roses artwork became as iconic as the music itself, establishing imagery that would define the Dead's visual identity. This remastered pressing brings out the warmth of Garcia's guitar tone and the full frequency range of the Fillmore East recordings.

Remastered edition on black vinyl. Double LP. Recorded Fillmore East and Fillmore West, 1970-1971. Features Rick Griffin cover art.