GRATEFUL DEAD

Long Strange Trip Rhino 8/10 the band’s 50-year history condensed into a mere four hours

Only a Deadhead would complain that a 238-minute documentary about the grateful Dead wasn’t comprehensive. But amir Bar-Lev’s Long Strange Trip goes wider than the rest of the 50thanniversary histories, spending quality time on their scampish crew, the revolutionary Wall Of Sound live rig, tape-trading culture, and the reluctant leadership of Jerry garcia. Most keenly, it unflinchingly captures the death and darkness that forever nipped at the grateful Dead’s heels, adding much-needed depth to the tie-dye surface. Extras: 7/10. Deluxe edition includes a previously unreleased concert from 1970.