Garcia

Garcia's 1972 debut was truly a labor of love for the Grateful Dead guitarist, an album on which he plays every instrument except drums--he leaves the traps to his Dead compatriot Bill Kreutzmann. Six wonderful Garcia originals (cowritten with lyricist Robert Hunter) appear on record for the first time, all of which would become staples of the Dead's repertoire. Garcia mixes in a few creepy sonic experiments for good measure, but the album truly revolves around particularly satisfying readings--especially vocally--of some of his most enduring songs. --Marc Greilsamer