Road Trips Vol. 1 No. 1-fall '79 on CD

Two CDs. You live life long enough, you learn that the only thing that doesn't change is that things change, and of all the bands in the rock and roll pantheon, the one that embraced change the most-even welcomed it-is indisputably The Grateful Dead. No other group experienced the same personnel turnover or carved out such a wide stylistic swath of repertoire in the course of it's 30-year career. And on Road Trips Vol. 1 No. 1-Fall '79, the Dead once again employs it's unique brand of musical jiu-jitsu to emerge stronger than ever. The five shows excerpted here display the band fully hitting it's stride with new member Brent Mydland, offering fresh takes on some of the oldest songs in it's library, including a boogie-fied "Dancing in the Street" (leading into "Franklin's Tower" for one of just three times ever), a briefly reggae-fied "Morning Dew" (the only performance in a two-year span), and "Good Lovin'" winding up a medley that features a most satisfying "Wharf Rat." And if it's new stuff you're after, this Trip features the fourth performance ever of "Alabama Getaway" (the Dead was busy recording Go to Heaven during this tour).