This is a very good selection of material from the earlier days (technically the later part of the earlt days when Pigpen was still alive but Workingman's Dead and American Beauty had been recorded).
The sound quality is good on Jerry's guitar, Bill's drums, and Phil's bass. On many cuts, Weir's guitar is nearly lost in the mix as is Pigpen's keyboard. And Weir and Pigpen's mics are rather fuzzy or faint sometimes. The sonic aspect is probably that the volume levels are erratic so you'll have to keep adjusting the sound level while listening, especialy if using earphones.
Aside from those techinical issues, these are some very good music performances, better I think than Live Dead -- certainly more comprehensive display of the material the band covered. Some of Jerry's finest work is on some of these cuts (and Phil is in his usual inventive if sometimes off-the-page form).
Basically, if you saw them in concert in the late 60s, early 70s, they sounded like this. If you liked that, you'll love this.
