Album of the Day

The Grateful Dead grew out of Bay Area folk, country and blues groups of the early 1960s, and those roots are apparent on RECKONING. Released 40 years ago this month, the double album draws from the acoustic sets that opened the sextet's fall 1980 shows at San Francisco's Warfield Theater and New York's Radio City Music Hall. The song line-up includes such Dead favorites as “Dire Wolf” and “Ripple” alongside covers from the likes of George Jones and bluesman Jesse Fuller, and the mix of original and traditional material is seamless. The set is all the more powerful for its understated performances; Jerry Garcia's finger picking is particularly deft, and it's clear this is music near to his heart. Much as the band reinvented their studio approach with WORKINGMAN'S DEAD and AMERICAN BEAUTY, this fresh take on live recording makes RECKONING a favorite of many Deadheads.