For deadheads, it’s a near-universal experience to go through the motions of compiling a playlist in the hopes of turning a new listener on to some semblance of the sound. The entry isn’t always easy, with a songbook filled with the lines of more than 450 numbers, which makes the potential to cause a spark feel limitless and also daunting. Now, Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux has considered the band’s musical entry points for new listeners and shared a five-track live playlist, dubbed A Beginner’s Guide. This is the first in a new audio series that will continue with others sharing their magnum opus, cropped into a top-five format. 

Outlining the intent of the series, Lemieux penned an introduction: “Start ’em young, start ’em old. Don’t know where to start ’em? We’ve got a brand new episodic series featuring some of your favorite Dead Heads and key members of the community who will help guide the way. Each will offer five live takes that they would recommend for new fans and the reasons why. Journey along through many different eras, many years, and soon you’ll find you’ve found the moments that make you dance, make you cry, make you smile, smile, smile.”

The following list presents Lemieux’s picks, shared in order and paired with his reasoning. 

1. “Morning Dew” (Live at Barton Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 5/8/77)

“Widely considered one of the best of the best, this ‘Morning Dew’ is live Dead perfection. The dynamic performance has the Dead playing so quietly you could hear a pin drop, later in the song very nearly blowing the roof off Barton Hall.”

2. “Dark Star” (Live at the Fillmore West, San Francisco, Calif. 2/27/69)

“For many Dead Heads, this is where the live Grateful Dead journey began, with what is widely considered one of the greatest live performances the Dead ever played, and thankfully recorded. From 1969, this is the epitome of live Grateful Dead music.”

3. “Viola Lee Blues” (Live at Harpur College, Binghamton, N.Y. 5/2/70)

“From May 2, 1970, at Harpur College, this tape was a cornerstone of many people’s early tape collections. After a beautiful, delicate acoustic set to open the show, the Dead later that night went on to play one of their most perfect, intense live performances.”

4. “Eyes Of The World” (Live at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, N.Y. 3/29/90)

“A later-era gem, with special guest Branford Marsalis sitting in, this ‘Eyes Of The World’ is one of the Dead’s most spectacular live performances from the second half of their performing career. The pure jazz bliss that emanates from the stage demonstrates the Dead’s ability to master any genre.”

5. “Bird Song” (Live at Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, Calif. 10/14/80)

“From the Dead’s live acoustic album recorded in the Fall of 1980, this ‘Bird Song’ shows how the most powerful live band in the land could also play spectacular acoustic music on the same night they’d later play full electric shows. This ‘Bird Song’ also gets way out there, not an easy task in an acoustic setting.”