There are some albums that have a way of taking simple tunes and turning themselves into masterpieces with every listen. American Beauty is an album that grows on you. From the starting track, "Box of Rain", to the ending track, "Truckin'", everything is perfect. All the songs use acoustic guitars, and the focus is not on guitarist and reluctant leader Jerry Garcia, but on the keyboard mastery of former keyboardist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan. Even though Pigpen sings on only two of the songs, "Box of Rain" and "Operator", he was an irreplacable member, and the band was never the same after he passed away. The lead guitar playing that Garcia was known for is not exactly present on this album as his playing skills were not that defined yet. Even so, this is a great album that should take a spot on your iPod or CD collection.

The Grateful Dead is a band that always will be in American history as a band that took the main concept of what rock was supposed to be and molding other forms of music into it like jazz, blues, reggae, folk, bluegrass, and country. This album, Blues For Allah, is a wonderland of sound that will engross even a novice listener. The opening song, "Help On the Way/Slipknot!" combines a funky beat with a huge instrumental that shows off guitarist Jerry Garcia's awe-inspiring improv skills. It then transforms into the song "Franklin's Tower" which is another feel-good hippie tune. The instrumental "King Solomon's Marbles" is an acid-jazz freak-out, while another instrumental, "Sage and Spirit", is rhythm guitarist Bob Weir's melodic journey into other instruments. Another noteworthy song is "The Music Never Stopped" featuring a female vocalist and a great Garcia solo. It all ends with the stoner-like "Blues For Allah", a 12-minute sound exploration focusing more on effects and wierdness than musicianship and lyrics. Seeing as how this whole album was recorded without any preconcieved ideas on the fly, it shows that the Dead have an uncanny ability to make their ideas blend together into a stew of tasteful music.