Rhino

The latest Road Trips offering is a three-CD set of an entire 1971 Austin concert (sadly sans PigPen). In the midst of a songwriting growth spurt and with new piano player Keith Godchaux in tow, the Grateful Dead nail the still-new “Bertha,” “Deal,” (with a fiery Jerry Garcia lead) “Loser” and “Playin in the Band.” More interesting is how the band moves through even newer tunes like “Jack Straw,” “Ramble On Rose,” “One More Saturday Night” and Hank Williams’ “You Win Again” – and that the Dead introduce its take on “El Paso” to Austin in the middle of short, sharp “Dark Star.” Jerry Garcia artfully references “China Cat Sunflower” before leading the band through charged improvisation coming out of “Not Fade Away,” and some delightful lead Phil Lesh is included on the bonus disc from the evening before.