Whether you know it as a self-titled album or Skull & Roses, after the iconic cover art, the Grateful Dead's 1972 double live album was a landmark release for the psychedelic icons. This summer, it's coming back to CD and vinyl with a bonus, never-before-released live show.
The Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses) will be reissued for its 50th anniversary on June 25. It includes the remastered original album along with 10 previously unreleased recordings from the group's July 2, 1971 set at the Fillmore West in San Francisco - their final appearance at that legendary venue. You can hear a 15-minute version of "The Other One" from that set below. A repressing of the original double LP, available in standard black or black and white "propeller" vinyl through the band's official store, will also be available.
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Skull & Roses was a watershed example of the Dead's unmatched live energy, taken from various New York City-based shows in the spring of 1971. Though it wasn't their first live album, it was one of their best-known, becoming the band's first-ever release to earn a gold record from the Recording Industry Association of America. It was also the first Dead record to directly reach out to "Dead Heads" by way of a mailing list. "Who are you? Where are you? How are you?" the message inside the liner notes asked. "Send us your name and address and we'll keep you informed."
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