Road Trips 4 No. 3--denver '73

Denver was always one of the Dead’s favorite stops, and the pair of shows they played there on the hallowed Fall 1973 tour were a high time indeed. This 3-CD set—which has never before been released at retail—offers the complete November 21, 1973 show along with some choice excerpts from the night before, all beautifully recorded by Kidd Candelario and mastered by Jeffrey Norman in HDCD sound. Appropriately enough for the setting, the first set is laced with cowboy tunes like “Jack Straw,” “Mexicali Blues,” and “Big River” (a particularly good rendition), but the real revelation is the second set, which launches into an unprecedented and seamless 62-minute medley of “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo”/”Playing in the Band”/”El Paso”/”Playing in the Band”/”Wharf Rat”/”Playing in the Band” (three times!)/”Morning Dew.” Wow! The November 20 material at the end of disc three is quite worthy as well, highlighted by an adventurous “The Other One.” The 16-page full-color booklet features notes by Blair Jackson. A keeper!