Beyond Description (1973–1989)

Beyond Description (1973–1989) is the second twelve-CD box set retrospective of the Grateful Dead's studio and live albums. A companion to The Golden Road (1965–1973) box set, it covers their time on the Grateful Dead Records and Arista Records labels, from 1973 to 1989.

Beyond Description (1973–1989)
Box set by
ReleasedOctober 26, 2004
RecordedAugust 7, 1973 – October 20, 1989
GenreCountry rock, folk rock, rock
LabelRhino Records
ProducerJames Austin, David Lemieux
Grateful Dead chronology
Dick's Picks Volume 32
(2004)
Beyond Description (1973–1989)
(2004)
Dick's Picks Volume 33
(2004)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Music Box[2]
Classic Rock[3]

The set contains expanded and remastered versions of all the albums during the brief period with their own label (except Steal Your Face), and during their time on Arista (except Without a Net and later box set So Many Roads). Included are numerous previously unreleased studio outtakes and live tracks. The ten albums in the set are Wake of the Flood, From the Mars Hotel, Blues for Allah, Terrapin Station, Shakedown Street, Go to Heaven, In the Dark, Built to Last, and the two live albums Reckoning and Dead Set (both expanded to two-CD sets).

Pre-ordered copies included a bonus disc with five live tracks and a studio rehearsal. The albums, with the bonus tracks, were given individual release in 2006. Previous box set Dead Zone, released in 1987, contains six of the same albums.

Track listing

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See individual album pages for more information

Disc One: Wake of the Flood

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo"5:43
2."Let Me Sing Your Blues Away"3:19
3."Row Jimmy"
  • Hunter
  • Garcia
7:15
4."Stella Blue"
  • Hunter
  • Garcia
6:27
5."Here Comes Sunshine"
  • Hunter
  • Garcia
4:40
6."Eyes of the World"
  • Hunter
  • Garcia
5:16
7."Weather Report Suite"  12:41
Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
8."Eyes of the World" (live at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY; September 7, 1973)
  • Hunter
  • Garcia
17:02
9."Weather Report Suite"
  • Weir
  • Andersen
  • Barlow
  • 12:36
    10."China Doll" (studio outtake; August 8, 1973)
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    4:02

    Disc Two: From the Mars Hotel

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    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    1."U.S. Blues"
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    4:42
    2."China Doll"
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    4:11
    3."Unbroken Chain"
    6:47
    4."Loose Lucy"
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    3:22
    5."Scarlet Begonias"
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    4:19
    6."Pride of Cucamonga"
    • Lesh
    • Petersen
    4:18
    7."Money Money"4:23
    8."Ship of Fools"
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    5:28
    Bonus tracks
    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    9."Loose Lucy" (studio outtake; August 7, 1973)
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    4:41
    10."Scarlet Begonias" (live at Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA; October 16, 1974)
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    9:09
    11."Money Money" (live at PNE Coliseum, Vancouver, BC; May 17, 1974)
    • Weir
    • Barlow
    4:20
    12."Wave That Flag" (live at Springfield Civic Center, Springfield, MA; March 28, 1973)
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    5:34
    13."Let It Rock" (live at Jai-Alai Fronton, Miami, FL; June 23, 1974)Chuck Berry3:19
    14."Pride of Cucamonga" (studio acoustic demo; August 4, 1973)
    • Lesh
    • Petersen
    4:24
    15."Unbroken Chain" (studio acoustic demo; August 11, 1973)
    • Lesh
    • Petersen
    6:21

    Disc Three: Blues for Allah

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    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    1."Help on the Way"
    "Slipknot!"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
      Garcia
    • K. Godchaux
    • Kreutzmann
    • Lesh
    • Weir
    3:15
    4:03
    2."Franklin's Tower"
    4:32
    3."King Solomon's Marbles"
    • "Part I. Stronger Than Dirt"
    • "Part II. Milkin' the Turkey"

  • Lesh
    Mickey Hart
  • Kreutzmann
  • Lesh

  • 1:55
    3:25
    4."The Music Never Stopped"
    • Weir
    • Barlow
    4:35
    5."Crazy Fingers"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    6:41
    6."Sage & Spirit"Weir3:07
    7."Blues for Allah"
    "Sand Castles & Glass Camels"
    "Unusual Occurrences in the Desert"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
      Garcia
    • D. Godchaux
    • K. Godchaux
    • Hart
    • Kreutzmann
    • Lesh
    • Weir
      Garcia
    • Hunter
    3:21
    5:24
    3:48
    Bonus tracks
    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    8."Groove #1" (instrumental studio outtake; February 27, 1975)
    • Garcia
    • K. Godchaux
    • Hart
    • Kreutzmann
    • Lesh
    • Weir
    5:42
    9."Groove #2" (instrumental studio outtake; February 27, 1975)
    • Garcia
    • K. Godchaux
    • Hart
    • Kreutzmann
    • Lesh
    • Weir
    7:32
    10."Distorto" (instrumental studio outtake; February 28, 1975)Garcia8:10
    11."A to E Flat Jam" (instrumental studio outtake; February 27, 1975)
    • Garcia
    • K. Godchaux
    • Hart
    • Kreutzmann
    • Lesh
    • Weir
    4:35
    12."Proto 18 Proper" (instrumental studio outtake; February 27, 1975)
    • Garcia
    • K. Godchaux
    • Hart
    • Kreutzmann
    • Lesh
    • Weir
    4:16
    13."Hollywood Cantata" (studio outtake; May 7, 1975)
    • Hunter
    • Weir
    4:14

    Disc Four: Terrapin Station

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    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    1."Estimated Prophet"5:37
    2."Dancin' in the Streets"3:17
    3."Passenger"
    2:48
    4."Samson & Delilah"Trad., arranged by Weir3:39
    5."Sunrise"Donna Godchaux4:04
    6."Terrapin Part 1"
    • "Lady with a Fan" (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:38
    • "Terrapin Station" (Garcia, Hunter) - 1:55
    • "Terrapin" (Garcia, Hunter) - 2:14
    • "Terrapin Transit" (Hart, Kreutzmann) - 1:17
    • "At a Siding" (Hart, Hunter) - 1:01
    • "Terrapin Flyer" (Hart, Kreutzmann) - 2:55
    • "Refrain" (Garcia) - 2:19"
     16:23
    Bonus tracks on 2004/2006 reissue
    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    7."Peggy-O" (instrumental studio outtake; November 2, 1976)trad., arr. Grateful Dead4:42
    8."The Ascent" (instrumental studio outtake; November 2, 1976)Grateful Dead1:58
    9."Catfish John" (studio outtake; Fall 1976)4:43
    10."Equinox" (studio outtake; February 17, 1977)Lesh5:15
    11."Fire on the Mountain" (studio outtake; February, 1977)
    • Hart
    • Hunter
    6:25
    12."Dancin' in the Streets" (live at Barton Hall, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY; May 8, 1977)
    • Stevenson
    • Gaye
    • Hunter
    16:17

    Disc Five: Shakedown Street

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    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    1."Good Lovin'"
    4:51
    2."France"4:03
    3."Shakedown Street"
    4:59
    4."Serengetti"1:59
    5."Fire on the Mountain"
    • Hart
    • Hunter
    3:46
    6."I Need a Miracle"3:36
    7."From the Heart of Me"Donna Godchaux3:23
    8."Stagger Lee"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    3:25
    9."All New Minglewood Blues"Noah Lewis4:12
    10."If I Had the World to Give"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    4:50
    Bonus tracks
    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    11."Good Lovin'" (studio outtake; July 28, 1978)
    • Clark
    • Resnick
    4:56
    12."Ollin Arageed" (live, Giza, Egypt; September 16, 1978)Hamza El Din6:30
    13."Fire on the Mountain" (live, Giza, Egypt; September 16, 1978)
    • Hart
    • Hunter
    13:43
    14."Stagger Lee" (live, Giza, Egypt; September 15, 1978)
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    6:39
    15."All New Minglewood Blues" (live at Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ; November 24, 1978)trad., arr. Weir4:34

    Disc Six: Go to Heaven

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    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    1."Alabama Getaway"3:36
    2."Far From Me"Mydland3:41
    3."Althea"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    6:54
    4."Feel Like a Stranger"5:10
    5."Lost Sailor"
    • Weir
    • Barlow
    5:54
    6."Saint of Circumstance"
    • Weir
    • Barlow
    5:39
    7."Antwerp's Placebo (The Plumber)"0:40
    8."Easy to Love You"
    • Mydland
    • Barlow
    3:41
    9."Don't Ease Me In"trad.; arr. by Grateful Dead3:16
    Bonus tracks
    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    10."Peggy-O" (studio outtake; July 16, 1979)trad.; arr. by Grateful Dead5:51
    11."What'll You Raise" (studio outtake; July 16, 1979)
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    4:08
    12."Jack-A-Roe" (studio outtake; July 14, 1979)trad.; arr. by Grateful Dead4:55
    13."Althea" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY; October 23, 1980)
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    8:17
    14."Lost Sailor" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City; October 25, 1980)
    • Weir
    • Barlow
    6:42
    15."Saint of Circumstance" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY; October 25, 1980)
    • Weir
    • Barlow
    6:35

    Disc Seven: Reckoning, disc 1

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    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    1."Dire Wolf"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    3:20
    2."The Race Is On"Don Rollins2:58
    3."Oh Babe, It Ain't No Lie"Elizabeth Cotten6:28
    4."It Must Have Been The Roses"Hunter6:56
    5."Dark Hollow"William "Bill" Browning3:49
    6."China Doll"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    5:22
    7."Been All Around This World"Traditional4:31
    8."Monkey And The Engineer"Jesse Fuller2:37
    9."Jack-A-Roe"Traditional4:05
    10."Deep Elem Blues"Traditional4:51
    11."Cassidy"4:38
    12."To Lay Me Down"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    8:59
    13."Rosalie McFall"Charlie Monroe2:54
    14."On The Road Again"Traditional3:15
    15."Bird Song"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    7:34
    16."Ripple"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    4:38
    • All tracks live at Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA (September 25, 1980 – October 14, 1980) & Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY (October 22, 1980 – October 31, 1980)

    Disc Eight: Reckoning, disc 2

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    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    1."To Lay Me Down" (studio rehearsal; September 14, 1980)
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    9:12
    2."Iko Iko" (live at the Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA; October 7, 1980)Traditional/Crawford4:23
    3."Heaven Help The Fool" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY; October 25, 1980)
    • Weir
    • Barlow
    6:18
    4."El Paso" (live at the Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA; October 13, 1980)Robbins4:41
    5."Sage & Spirit" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY; October 31, 1980)Weir3:14
    6."Little Sadie" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY; October 31, 1980)trad., arr. Grateful Dead2:45
    7."It Must Have Been The Roses" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY; October 23, 1980)Hunter7:01
    8."Dark Hollow" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY; October 23, 1980)trad., arr. Grateful Dead4:30
    9."Jack-A-Roe" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY; October 23, 1980)trad., arr. Grateful Dead5:08
    10."Cassidy" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY; October 23, 1980)
    • Weir
    • Barlow
    5:06
    11."China Doll" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY; October 23, 1980)
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    5:52
    12."Monkey And The Engineer" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY; October 23, 1980)Fuller2:37
    13."Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY; October 23, 1980)Cotten7:13
    14."Ripple" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY; October 23, 1980)
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    4:37
    15."Tom Dooley" (live at Rambler Room, Loyola Univ., Chicago, IL; November 17, 1978)trad., arr. Grateful Dead3:33
    16."Deep Elem Blues" (live at Rambler Room, Loyola Univ., Chicago, IL; November 17, 1978)trad., arr. Grateful Dead3:42

    Disc Nine: Dead Set, disc 1

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    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    1."Samson and Delilah"trad., arr. Weir5:02
    2."Friend of the Devil"
    7:28
    3."New Minglewood Blues"trad., arr. Weir4:41
    4."Deal"
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    4:36
    5."Candyman"
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    7:15
    6."Little Red Rooster"Willie Dixon4:31
    7."Loser"
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    5:45
    8."Passenger"
    • Peter Monk
    • Lesh
    3:21
    9."Feel Like a Stranger"
    • Barlow
    • Weir
    5:41
    10."Franklin's Tower"
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    • Kreutzmann
    5:22
    11."Rhythm Devils"
    • Hart
    • Kreutzmann
    4:02
    12."Space"
    2:29
    13."Fire on the Mountain"
    • Hunter
    • Hart
    6:30
    14."Greatest Story Ever Told"
    • Hunter
    • Hart
    • Weir
    4:04
    15."Brokedown Palace"
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    5:42
    • All tracks live at Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA (September 25, 1980 – October 14, 1980) & Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY (October 22, 1980 – October 31, 1980)

    Disc Ten: Dead Set, disc 2

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    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    1."Let It Grow" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY; October 26, 1980)
    • Barlow
    • Weir
    9:38
    2."Sugaree" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY; October 26, 1980)
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    9:51
    3."C.C. Rider" (live at the Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA; October 13, 1980)trad., arr. Weir7:17
    4."Row Jimmy" (live at the Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA; October 10, 1980)
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    10:14
    5."Lazy Lightnin'" (live at the Warfield Theatre, San Francisco; October 13, 1980)
    • Barlow
    • Weir
    2:53
    6."Supplication" (live at Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA; October 13, 1980)
    • Barlow
    • Weir
    5:50
    7."High Time" (live at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY; October 25, 1980)
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    8:40
    8."Jack Straw" (live at the Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA; October 10, 1980)
    • Hunter
    • Weir
    6:17
    9."Shakedown Street" (live at the Warfield Theatre, San Francisco; October 7, 1980)
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    10:42
    10."Not Fade Away" (live at the Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA; October 4, 1980)4:50

    Disc Eleven: In the Dark

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    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    1."Touch of Grey"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    5:47
    2."Hell in a Bucket"
    • Barlow
    • Weir
    • Mydland
    5:35
    3."When Push Comes to Shove"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    4:05
    4."West L.A. Fadeaway"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    6:39
    5."Tons of Steel"Mydland5:15
    6."Throwing Stones"
    • Barlow
    • Weir
    7:18
    7."Black Muddy River"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    5:58
    Bonus tracks
    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    8."My Brother Esau" (single B-side)
    • Barlow
    • Weir
    4:17
    9."West L.A. Fadeaway" (alternate studio version; March, 1984)
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    7:08
    10."Black Muddy River" (studio rehearsal; December 5, 1986)
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    5:41
    11."When Push Comes to Shove" (studio rehearsal; December 5, 1986)
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    4:22
    12."Touch of Grey" (studio rehearsal; August, 1982)
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    5:47
    13."Throwing Stones" (live at Sullivan Stadium, Foxboro, MA; July 4, 1987)
    • Barlow
    • Weir
    9:36

    Disc Twelve: Built to Last

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    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    1."Foolish Heart"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    5:10
    2."Just a Little Light"
    • Barlow
    • Mydland
    4:43
    3."Built to Last"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    5:04
    4."Blow Away"
    • Barlow
    • Mydland
    6:11
    5."Victim or the Crime"7:35
    6."We Can Run"
    • Barlow
    • Mydland
    5:32
    7."Standing on the Moon"
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    5:20
    8."Picasso Moon"
    6:42
    9."I Will Take You Home"
    • Barlow
    • Mydland
    3:45
    Bonus tracks
    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    10."Foolish Heart" (live at Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI; July 19, 1989)
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    11:31
    11."Blow Away" (live at JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, PA; July 7, 1989)
    • Barlow
    • Mydland
    12:02
    12."California Earthquake (Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On)" (live at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA; October 20, 1989)Rodney Crowell5:59

    Bonus Disc

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    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    1."Weather Report Suite"
    "Prelude"
    "Part I"
    "Part II: Let it Grow" (live at Winterland, San Francisco, CA; October 17, 1974[a])
    • Weir
    • Andersen
    • Barlow
    16:57
    2."Blues for Allah" →
    "Stronger than Dirt or Milkin' the Turkey" →
    "Drums" →
    "Stronger than Dirt or Milkin' the Turkey" →
    "Blues for Allah" (live at Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA; March 23, 1975)
    • Garcia
    • Hunter
    • D. Godchaux
    • K. Godchaux
    • Hart
    • Kreutzmann
    • Lesh
    • Weir / Lesh
    • Hart
    • Kreutzmann / Hart
    • Kreutzmann
    31:45
    3."Showboat" (band rehearsal; August 12, 1975)
    • K. Godchaux
    • D. Godchaux
    • Brian Godchaux
    2:41
    4."Shakedown Street" (live at McNichols Arena, Denver, CO; August 13, 1979)
    • Hunter
    • Garcia
    11:53
    5."Far From Me" (live at Capital Centre, Landover, MD; August 31, 1980)Mydland3:57
    6."Estimated Prophet" (live at Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA; October 10, 1980[b])
    • Weir
    • Barlow
    10:46

    Notes

    1. ^ See The Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack for more from this concert
    2. ^ See Dead Set for more from this concert

    Personnel

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    Grateful Dead

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    Additional performers

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    • for a comprehensive listing, see individual album pages

    Production

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    • James Austin, David Lemieux – producers
    • Cameron Sears – executive producer
    • Jimmy Edwards – associate producer
    • Robin Hurley – associate producer
    • Hale Milgrim – associate producer
    • Scott Pascucci – associate producer
    • Eileen Law – archival research
    • Joe Gastwirt – mastering
    • Tom Flye – additional mixing
    • Robert Gatley – mixing assistant
    • Reggie Collines – discography annotation
    • Hugh Brown – reissue art direction
    • Steve Vance – design, reissue art direction

    References

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    1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Beyond Description (1973-1989)". AllMusic. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
    2. ^ Metzger, John (November 2004). "Grateful Dead - Beyond Description (1973–1989)". The Music Box. 11 (11). Retrieved 2011-12-12.
    3. ^ Fielder, Hugh (February 2005). "The Dead Zone". Classic Rock. Vol. 76. London, UK: Future Publishing Ltd. p. 103.