3.8 - Unfortunately, I've never seen the Grateful Dead or any of its tribute acts live. I've also never listened to their music under the influence of any psychotropic/delic substances. So I still feel like an outsider to this colorful sub-culture. Having read Tom Wolfe's vivid accounts of the Dead's genesis in "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test", I'm intellectually invested in the lore surrounding this band. My mind remains a fertile ground to get swept up in this mania. I could imagine, for example, taking an extended road trip with some buddies and if, for some reason, this is the only CD in the car, it'd end up ruling my life for a solid 2 weeks. Having given this record 4+ listens this past weekend, I can point to a few moments of brilliance. First and foremost, "Feedback" makes me feel like an unborn baby in the womb, preparing for my journey of birth. Second, there is a certain hushed majesty to how "Dark Star" begins -- it almost sounds like a religious incantation the way the band improvises towards a vibration before locking into a collective energy. Third, Jerry Garcia's quiet, crystalline blues picking at the beginning of "Death Don't Have No Mercy" lay down wild textures I've never heard in rock music.