Jerry Garcia “Garcia” 1972. Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia’s first solo album, some record store or distributer put a hype sticker over the not-at-all offensive breast. I spent a full day in Madison this past weekend; my time at the university there in the late 80’s/early 90’s was heavily soundtracked by the Dead so today I’m taking an aural trip to those hazy college days. While Garcia sings and plays all the instruments – except drums played by the Dead’s Bill Kreutzmann – the LP is full of classic tracks that the full Grateful Dead band would go on to perform in their non-stop touring for the subsequent 20+ years including the single “Sugaree” which went to #94 on the US charts in April 1972; it was Garcia’s only chart single. He also released “The Wheel” as a single but I’m not sure that charted – it’s a really catchy folk/country track. Other Dead show classics include the Americana styled opener “Deal” (one of my old-time faves) and “Loser.” The country twinged lament “To Lay Me Down” shows off both Garcia’s steel guitar and piano talents; I think this one was played somewhat frequently on the road as well. Other tracks have a trippier, psychedelic bent to them like “Bird Song” which was a tribute to the recently-ish deceased Janis Joplin (and was another Dead show staple) and the cosmic freakout weird “Late for Supper,” “Spidergawd” and “Eep Hour” (like during “Space/Drums” I would be taking a bathroom break if they were played at a concert).