Grateful Dead: Jerry Garcia (vocals, guitar, pedal steel guitar, piano); Bob Weir (vocals, guitar); Ron Pig Pen McKernan (vocals, harmonica); Phil Lesh (vocals, guitar, piano, bass); Bill Kreutzmann (drums); Micky Hart (percussion). Additional personnel: Dave Nelson (electric guitar); David Grisman (mandolin); Howard Wales (piano, organ); Ned Lagin (piano); Dave Torbert (bass); New Riders Of The Purple Sage. Recorded at Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco, California. All tracks have been digitally remastered using HDCD technology. AMERICAN BEAUTY was an instant classic when it was first released November of 1970. It is among the most satisfying and enduring of the Grateful Dead's studio recordings, expanding as it does on the engaging mix of country, blues, and folk materials they first coined earlier in the year with WORKINGMAN'S DEAD. The musical vision of the Dead is more sharply focused on AMERICAN BEAUTY--from the serene reflection and compassion of the opening Box Of Rain and the earthy mysticism of Ripple, to the sensual rock of Sugar Magnolia and the anthemic proto-boogie of the closing Truckin'. But then, every tune on AMERICAN BEAUTY has attained a classic resonance, both from decades of steady airplay, and the way the Dead seemed to continually revive these popular standards for their concert repertoire.