Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead - England '72
Marking the 30th anniversary of the Grateful Dead's first full-fledged European tour, the four-discSteppin' Outwill delight collectors wishing to dig deeper than the terrific original three-LP (two-CD)Europe '72. Culling performances from seven English shows from the spring of 1972, this set has much more of a "live" feel than theEurope '72release, which had polished up the Dead's rougher edges, introduced a bunch of new songs to record, and in general been intended to serve as a "studio" record. Of particular interest here is a rippling, sprite reading of "Sitting on Top of the World" (sung byJerry Garcia), a couple of lesser-known Pigpen originals ("Chinatown Shuffle" and "The Stranger"), and versions of chestnuts "Hey Bo Diddley" (in a "Not Fade Away" sandwich) and "Rockin' Pneumonia" that most folks have not heard Deadified. There's also a wonderful and lengthy "Dark Star"/"Sugar Magnolia"/"Caution" combo from Wembley Empire Pool on disc 4. While this collection shouldn't replaceEurope '72in your stack, it's a worthy complement for fans of this era in Dead history.--Marc Greilsamer