First, the rarities. You likely don't have this side-band version of Lazy Lightning > Supplication. You should, because it's interesting and well-recorded. Easy to Slip, Wrong Way Feelin' and Shades of Grey are songs heard by very few people, i.e., those who bought Bobby's solo albums. I Want To (Fly Away) deserves special mention: it is a GREAT track with many twists and turns (too hard for the GD to play).
Easy Answers, from Rob Wasserman's "Trios" album, is very strange. Neil Young assists on vocals and guitar; what a pairing! The track is a demanding piece of art that sounds unfinished, until you realize it's supposed to be that way - a mid-90s phase Bobby (and Neil) went through of distortion and jagged edges.
Wabash Cannonball is another highlight.
The live disc 2 is mainly Dead tracks, about half unreleased. The sound quality is A+, as most songs are mixed from 24-track masters. The Throwing Stones is A+. Still, I would have preferred some archival Weir & Wasserman tracks here. Disc 2 is a cop-out with respect to the concept of this collection, which was to highlight Bob's work without particular allegiance to the Dead.
The final song is "Masters of War" with Ratdog. AMAZING track. Bob sells this song 1000%. They should have filled Disc 2 with such revelations, as they no doubt exist in the vaults.
Bob's legacy as an artist is still up in the air. He has modestly gone through life as a GD member and little-appreciated cheesy songwriter on the side. This collection makes a worthwhile yet incomplete effort to establish Bob's artistic independence as the important avant-garde musician and songwriter that he has been for 30+ years.
