In a world increasingly spinning off its axis, one where innocents are murdered, brutalized, and desecrated for the alleged crime of attending a concert, it is comforting to know there are fresh reminders of a time when the worst thing that could happen at a show was dropping the wrong acid as opposed to dropping bloodied and lifeless on the ground. Not that drugs were not and are not dangerous, but when compared to terrorist attacks ... you get the idea.

In this spirit comes "Dave's Picks Vol. 48: Pauley Pavilion, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA (11/20/71)," the latest in a lengthy series of archival releases from the Grateful Dead's massive vault of recorded live performances during the band's thirty trips around the sun. The Dead was always a live-oriented band, viewing the recording studio as more of a necessary evil than something worth embracing. Throughout the band's existence, it was far more comfortable releasing live albums, using them for introducing new songs to non-attendees along with reminding the faithful of what they either just heard or might hear the next time Jerry Garcia and company came through town, accompanied by the traveling circus that was the Deadheads.

There were definite phases of the Dead's musical journey. Starting as a blues-infused dance band — yes, really — the ensemble quickly mushroomed (plus a deep dive alongside Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds) into the leader, if the not outright creator of the psychedelic jam band, songs more often than not thrown together for the sake of having something over which to noodle at maximum volume until either the amps or chemicals gave out. Then, in 1970, the band dramatically changed course, embracing Garcia's folk roots and Bob Weir's country leanings to focus on songwriting, leading the way to the Americana genre's creation with "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty."

The Dead spent the rest of the 1970s broadening its musical palette while remaining song-focused, this coming to full blossom in the 1980s when it had the one thing no one could have anticipated: a Top Ten hit.

Regrettably, the drugs that originally gave came back to take away. Keyboardist Brent Mydland, a crucial element of the band's latter-day success, died of an overdose in 1990. Five years later, the cumulative effect of decades of using the wrong additives caught up with Jerry Garcia, and the band's long, strange trip came to an abrupt end save for various touring ensembles featuring combinations of assorted members working the nostalgia circuit.

Enough sad history; let's focus on the living. This latest entry in the ever-growing series of releases overseen by band archivist David Lemieux finds the band during a transitional period personnel-wise, as original keyboardist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan's health was failing due to alcohol abuse and he was absent as often as present starting in 1971 through his final performance with the band in 1972; he passed away in 1973. In his place was Keith Godchaux, a far superior musician whose barrelhouse-flavored piano provided a perfect counterpart to Garcia's lead work. The two pushed each other hard during lengthy improvisations and shorter jams during songs, creating an electrified folk base perfectly suited to the Dead's still-fresh infatuation with songs over soloing for soloing's sake.

Not that there is no extended improvisation in this album; far from it. A 23-minute excursion into "The Other One" is replete with "let's see where this goes" moments. For the most part, though, the Dead play it fairly close to the vest, pumping out track after track where melody and, by Grateful Dead standards, brevity reign supreme. The performance, while not at the rarefied level of "Cornell 5/8/77," is more than satisfactory throughout. The recording itself is remarkably crisp and clean. The result is a recording that veteran fans and those fresh aboard the bus can unhesitatingly enjoy.

The Grateful Dead never was, nor ever will be, everyone's cup of tea. But for those so inclined, its easy jangle of relaxed blues and occasional trips into rock improvisational's stratosphere provide a welcome antidote to the madness threatening our world. "Dave's Picks Vol. 48: Pauley Pavilion, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA (11/20/71)" is a comforting reminder to us all that live music once brought joy instead of horror.