(RockAndMetal.com) (04/01/04)

By Michael Bennett

LOS ANGELES, CA, USA - While most famous as the vocalist and lead guitarist for The Grateful Dead, JERRY GARCIA also had a long and successful solo career.

More than three decades after his critically acclaimed debut, Rhino Records is releasing "All Good Things: Jerry Garcia Studio Sessions" on April 20th, a boxed set retrospective that includes "Garcia," "Garcia (Compliments)," "Reflections," "Cats Under The Stars" and "Run For The Roses."

For the first time in 30 years, each of these albums has been remastered and expanded with rarities and unreleased material.

This comprehensive collection also includes "Outtakes, Jams & Alternates," a bonus disc of even more previously unreleased recordings (all told, the box includes more than four hours of previously unavailable music), as well as new artwork, rare photos and extensive liner notes.

The legendary guitarist truly went solo with 1972's "Garcia," handling the vocals as well as acoustic guitar, electric guitar, pedal steel guitar, bass, piano and organ duties.

The album was co-written by Grateful Dead percussionist Bill Kreutzmann (who plays drums on the record) and longtime Grateful Dead/Garcia lyricist Robert Hunter.

The remastered edition of Garcia features the album's original ten songs plus eight bonus tracks, including alternate takes of 'Sugaree' and 'Loser.'

For 1974's "Garcia (Compliments)," Jerry Garcia surrounded himself with top studio musicians and covered songs such as The Rolling Stones' 'Let's Spend The Night Together,' Van Morrison's 'He Ain't Give You None' and the Irving Berlin standard, 'Russian Lullaby.'

The remastered edition has ten extra cuts, including a rendition of the Motown classic '(I'm A) Road Runner' and Jimmy Reed's 'I Know It's A Sin.'

Though technically a Jerry Garcia album, 1976's "Reflections" features several tracks recorded by The Grateful Dead during the sessions for 1975's "Blues For Allah," as well as covers of Hank Ballard's 'Tore Up Over You' and Allen Toussaint's 'I'll Take A Melody.'

The reissue adds five previously unreleased outtakes from the original sessions, including a cover of Hank Williams' 'You Win Again.'

The first album released by The Jerry Garcia Band, 1978's "Cats Under The Stars" differed from its two predecessors by showcasing all-original material.

Up-tempo rockers, gospel interludes and a stunning duet with vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux on 'Palm Sunday' make this one a favorite among Garcia fans.

The remastered edition includes an alternate take of that track, along with six other bonus cuts.

The 1982 album "Run For The Roses" was the final solo studio release from Jerry Garcia and includes stunning covers of The Beatles' classic 'I Saw Her Standing There' and Bob Dylan's 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door.'

Two more Dylan covers ('Simple Twist Of Fate,' 'Tangled Up In Blue') appear as bonus tracks on the reissue, along with a rendition of another Beatles tune, 'Dear Prudence.'

The "Outtakes, Jams & Alternates" disc features 12 previously unreleased tracks, among them alternate versions of 'Let's Spend The Night Together' and 'Deal,' along with a studio jam rendition of The Dixie Cups' 'Iko Iko' and a cover of Warren Zevon's 'Accidentally Like A Martyr.'

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