Grateful Dead - Candy Man (2023)

Purely a touring ensemble by 1991 - their final studio album, 1989 s Built To Last was no classic - Grateful Dead were nevertheless as active as they d ever been, and indeed between 1990 and 1995 the band earned $285 million, second only to The Rolling Stones in tour revenue for the period. Their show at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, on 27th October 91, featuring both Carlos Santana and Gary Duncan on a brace of tracks, was, as-almost-ever, considered extraordinary by fans. Emotional is indeed the word here to describe this show; there is a voodoo to a great many of these songs in terms of their placement and interpretation - Sugar Magnolia to open, a just-ironic-enough Touch of Grey to close the first set. 2nd set is top notch; Gary Duncan's playing is much more prominent than Santana's in the extended Mona-jam, which evokes some great multi-dueling-guitar moments.