2004 box set by Jerry Garcia
All Good Things: Jerry Garcia Studio Sessions is a six-CD box set by Jerry Garcia. It contains Garcia's five solo studio albums, and an additional disc with previously unreleased studio recordings. The albums are remastered for the box set, and include bonus tracks such as alternate versions and outtakes from the album recording sessions. The box set also includes a 128-page book. It was released by Rhino Records on April 20, 2004.[1][2][3] A bonus disc, All Good Things Redux, was also included with pre-orders from jerrygarcia.com.
The albums included in All Good Things are Garcia (1972), Compliments (1974), Reflections (1976), Cats Under the Stars (1978), and Run for the Roses (1982).[2]
Critical reception
On Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine said, "... All Good Things is for the diehards, the ones who enjoy hearing every scrap of tape that Garcia played, fully aware of the erratic nature of his solo career and willing to purchase an expensive box set with that in mind. They will certainly be pleased with this lovingly produced set, which boasts excellent HDCD remastering, individual digipaks, and a detailed 128-page book that contains an introduction by Robert Hunter, an overview of Garcia's solo career, and individual notes for each album. While it's unlikely that anybody outside of those dedicated fans will find this of interest — Jerry's albums, when taken together, confirm both your best and worst feelings about his music — the Dead have always been a band that treated their devoted very well, and this is a box targeted at those very fans. If you know what you're getting into, you will not be disappointed by the quality of All Good Things."[1]
In Rolling Stone, Vic Garbarini wrote, "The six-CD All Good Things contains five studio albums, plus hours of superior outtakes... As his friend and lyricist Robert Hunter candidly admits in the superb liner notes, these solo collections are decidedly 'a mixed lot'. Anyone expecting spacey improvs is in for a surprise. Garcia is attempting here to put aside what he termed the Dead's 'call of the Weird' and work on his songwriting, arranging and other skills while having just a whole lot of fun. Essentially, there's the first album, 1972's Garcia, and then there's everything else."[4]
On Jambands.com, John Patrick Gatta said, "This reintroduction to Jerry Garcia's solo work — four albums under his name and one as Jerry Garcia Band — offers a treasure for those who purchased the goods on vinyl or the original CD pressings. These revamped recordings shine like the first sunny day after a long hard winter. I tested my copy of Run for the Roses with the new version and there's a world of difference. The volume on the remixed and remastered HDCD disc brings the instruments up in order to add stronger support. At times, the clarity is amazing. In particular, I recall some of the bonus material on Garcia. You can hear Bill Kreutzmann's tapping of drumstick to cymbal or drumhead as if you're sitting next to him in the studio."[6]
