You know the drill. Personal fav - “Ripple.” What’s yours?
Lots of choices, but “Box of Rain” stands out as my favorite.
“Operator” is the hardest to come by, I’ll go with that. Excepting that and maybe “Till the Morning Comes,” I could hear all these songs often enough without ever putting this record on.
hartdest of these polls yet. I chose Brokedown Palace, but could have just as easily chosen Friend of the Devil, Sugar Magnolia, Box of Rain, Till the Morning Comes, or Ripple. Hell, Operator is the only song on this album I’m not wild about about and it’s still ok. What a hell of an outing.
“Truckin’”
Love “Box of Rain” and “Friend of the Devil,” but “Candyman” has always been my favorite from this disc, which is also the first Dead album I ever bought. I was just listening to disc one of the new Formerly the Warlocks set this morning (ultra-cool wooden box!) and Jerry really makes a hash out of “Candyman.” 
Somebody get that man a lyric sheet!
Went with “Box of Rain”, with “Brokedown Palace” a very close second.
“Box of Rain” has been my very favorite song period, ever since I first bought the album back in 10th grade.
But I love the entire disc–still have it on vinyl, and still have a turntable.
Special affection for “Attics of My Life,” too.
all the tunes on this album are good (maybe Operator doesn’t do as well, sorry Pig).
there are some really beautiful tunes and some rockers done in low gear (live long versions done later are more danceable and well you just had to be there).
Box is a pretty song. Ripple is pretty and philosophical. Attics is pretty and poetic.
since you are forcing a single best then i vote Attic.
I’m not a big Dead fan, but have the first two tunes on my everyday playlist. I’ll go with Box of Rain.
/I flip the channel if *Truckin’ *comes on. Most overplayed Dead song short of Touch of Gray (which also gets switched)
I never listen to Grateful Dead studio stuff, but the harmonies on the live versions of “Attics Of My Life” after it was dusted off in Oct. 1989 (Jerry, Bob, Phil & Brent) were as sublime and haunting as anything in all the Dead’s entire catalog.
Garcia could also dig down deep on live versions of “Candyman” when he was feeling the music. (“Hand me my old guitar, pass the whiskey 'round”)
“Box Of Rain” and “Brokedown Palace” are also beautiful, heartfelt pieces, true poetry of the soul…
I picked Box of Rain but this might be one of the greatest albums ever.
It’ll change your life, man.
I went with Sugar Mag, but it’s a close call, yeah.
Ripple
Box of Rain
Brokedown Palace
Sugar Magnolia
in that order.
The only order I’d ever listen to it in is from beginning to end. The transitions from song to song are great.
It’s the order from 1 to 4 of how much I like the best 4 songs on the album.
I was just quoting you because the phrase, “in that order,” made me post. 