Grateful Dead – History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear’s Choice) (1973): A Deep Dive into the Band’s Live Roots
Released on March 23, 1973, History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear’s Choice) offers fans a curated glimpse into the Dead’s early live performances, expertly compiled by Owsley “Bear” Stanley, the band’s legendary sound engineer and archivist. Unlike studio albums, this release emphasizes raw energy, spontaneity, and the blues-tinged roots that defined the Dead’s formative years.
The album is notable not only for its music but also for the historical context it provides — capturing a period when the Dead were defining the American psychedelic live sound while still deeply rooted in folk, blues, and R&B traditions.
Album Overview
-
Artist: Grateful Dead
-
Album Title: History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear’s Choice)
-
Release Date: March 23, 1973
-
Recorded: 1969–1971 (various live performances)
-
Genre: Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Blues-Rock
-
Length: 39:35
-
Label: Grateful Dead Records / Warner Bros.
-
Producer: Grateful Dead
Bear’s meticulous curation ensures that the album highlights both the band’s improvisational strengths and its narrative songwriting, presenting a cohesive live experience despite drawing from multiple shows.
Tracklist – Bear’s Choice
Side One
-
Katie Mae – 2:39
-
Dark Star – 15:31
Side Two
3. Me and My Uncle – 3:06
4. Morning Dew – 7:41
5. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl – 10:45
The album balances extended psychedelic exploration (“Dark Star”) with blues and folk-based numbers, offering a snapshot of the Dead’s diverse musical influences.
Album Credits
Grateful Dead Lineup (1969–1971 recordings)
-
Jerry Garcia – Lead guitar, vocals
-
Bob Weir – Rhythm guitar, vocals
-
Phil Lesh – Bass, vocals
-
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan – Organ, harmonica, vocals
-
Bill Kreutzmann – Drums
-
Mickey Hart – Drums (on selected tracks)
Production & Curation
-
Owsley “Bear” Stanley – Recording, compilation, mastering
-
Grateful Dead – Producer
Bear’s influence ensures authenticity, with minimal studio overdubs — a rarity for live albums of the era.
Mini Review – Raw, Bluesy, and Hypnotic
Bear’s Choice is raw and soulful, capturing the Grateful Dead in their element — live and improvisational.
-
“Katie Mae” opens with playful blues energy, led by Pigpen’s expressive vocals and harmonica.
-
“Dark Star” is the highlight — an iconic 15-minute journey of free-form improvisation, combining spacey guitar, fluid rhythm, and ethereal vocal lines.
-
“Me and My Uncle” is concise, energetic, and showcases the band’s ability to interpret folk narratives dynamically.
-
“Morning Dew” builds emotional tension, highlighting Garcia’s guitar and the group’s collective interplay.
-
“Good Morning Little Schoolgirl” closes the album with raw blues intensity, reflecting the Dead’s roots in Chicago and Delta blues traditions.
The album is less polished than studio efforts but far more revealing of the Dead’s live identity and musical intuition.
Commercial Performance & Grossing
Though primarily a fan-focused archival release, Bear’s Choice performed respectably, proving there was a strong market for live Dead recordings.
Sales & Chart Performance
-
Reached #72 on the Billboard 200
-
Certified Gold in the United States
-
Helped expand interest in official live releases, setting a precedent for future archival projects like Dick’s Picks and Road Trips.
Its impact lies less in sales and more in documenting a formative period in the Grateful Dead’s history.
Fun Facts & Trivia
🔥 Bear’s Influence: Owsley Stanley’s recordings captured unprecedented sonic fidelity for live rock shows, giving the Dead a reputation for superior live sound.
🎶 Dark Star Highlight: “Dark Star” became a symbol of the Dead’s improvisational freedom, performed in evolving forms throughout their career.
🌿 Pigpen’s Legacy: Tracks like “Katie Mae” and “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl” highlight Pigpen’s blues mastery and charismatic presence.
📀 Historical Snapshot: Includes performances from 1969 Fillmore East shows and other key venues, preserving early Dead culture.
🥁 Dual Drummers: Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart’s interplay provides polyrhythmic depth, foreshadowing the band’s later live complexity.
Did You Know?
🖤 First Volume: This album is the first in what would become the Grateful Dead’s archival series, although later volumes were released decades afterward.
🎼 Authentic Live Sound: Minimal overdubbing means fans hear the band exactly as they performed.
🔥 Early Composition Debuts: Some tracks feature early versions of songs that later appeared in studio albums or live rotations.
🎧 Collector’s Item: Original vinyl copies of Bear’s Choice are highly prized by Deadheads.
📈 Influence on Live Albums: Paved the way for future live archival releases, influencing both rock and jam-band communities.
Cultural & Historical Impact
History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear’s Choice) serves as a time capsule of the Dead’s transition from psychedelic pioneers to roots-oriented improvisers. It captures the band’s early live identity — experimental, blues-infused, and adventurous — and highlights the importance of live performance in defining their career.
The album reinforced the Dead’s archival approach to music, showing fans that their concerts were living documents worth preserving, a philosophy that continues in the Dead’s extensive live catalog.
Final Verdict
Bear’s Choice is essential for Deadheads and historians. While it may not have the polish of studio releases or the expansive jams of Europe ’72, it offers an intimate, raw, and authentic glimpse into the band’s formative live years.
This is the Grateful Dead in their element — bluesy, improvisational, and unfiltered, laying the foundation for decades of live performance documentation.