American Beauty

The album cover's rose of the same name ended up a perennial Dead trademark, but more to the point is how American Beauty's title sums up its ethos. After capturing its freewheeling impulses on the likes of Anthem of the Sun, and Live/Dead, the band reeled it all in for a controlled cohesion that allowed the players to nail down what might be their most gorgeous album. (Its acoustic instrumentation recalls nothing so much as the Band's then-recent self-titled set.) "Box of Rain" and "Ripple" were philosophical gems whose reassurances went far beyond hippie talk; the latter's play with blues and gospel iconography put the song at nice odds with theDead's outlaw mythos. Elsewhere, there's praise fora "Sugar Magnolia" who "pays my ticket when I speed," and the eternal "Truckin'," a strong bemused glance at the road life and its hazards. The remastered sound reveals one of the most crisply recorded outfits of its era.