Originally released in March of 1967 on Warner Bros. Records courtesy of a line-up of Jerry Garcia (guitar, vocals), Bob Weir (guitar, vocals), Phil Lesh (bass, vocals), Ron “Pigpen” McKernan (organ, vocals) and Bill Kreutzmann (drums, percussion), the Grateful Dead’s self-titled debut album features seven folk/blues standards from the likes of Sonny Boy Williamson and Jessie Fuller along with a pair of originals in “The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)” and “Cream Puff War.” 

It captures the group’s early sound with a mix of electrified jug band stomps (“Sitting On Top of the World”), Chicago blues (“Good Morning Little School Girl”), crazed modal improv (“Viola Lee Blues”), and Dylan-y put-downs (“Cream Puff War”). The set unabashedly flaunts the Dead’s musical roots and influences while simultaneously showcasing the promising songwriting that would subsequently help define an entire genre.