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What is so great about The Grateful Dead?

sj.brodiesj.brodie Posts: 468
edited February 2013 in Other Music
..well it's already been established that TGD is a great band by noticing the volume of bootlegs that circulate and their elite fanbase but I know none of their stuff! Is there a particular live recording I should listen to first :?:
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • restlesssoulrestlesssoul Posts: 6,951
    stick to Dick's Picks for live stuff and you can't go wrong.



    The Dead are just mellow as hell and feel good.
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  • LloydXmasLloydXmas Posts: 7,539
    Scarlet Begonias > fire on the mountain
  • THEKING3577THEKING3577 Posts: 9
    The dead are not for everyone. You either love them or hate them. By your submittal here you are on the fence about them. If you give them a chance , listening to music will never be the same. They are unlike anything you've ever heard. They are also pioneers. You would not have Dave Matthews and phish and countless other bands if not for the dead. They are the true masters of their sound. Nobody sounds like the dead. Nobody ever will.They are truly unique. They are magic!!!! They invented jam music!!! To start here what I suggest go to I-tunes and find the DEADPOD, This guy puts a different live show on each week. Some are hit or miss but when they are on they are on!!!!!!!! The live stuff is the best. I am partial to 1973 era stuff. cos they only had one drummer then. and didn't do the Drums/space thing. youll find out more about that as you discover them, I am listening to 11-17-73 these days which is phenomenal. 8-27-72 is also an old fave. The commercial releases are not the best for live dead, I also recommend daves picks and dicks picks ,both are a series. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!! PS: first step go to deadpod
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  • Arthur Digby SellersArthur Digby Sellers Posts: 259
    It's hard to know where to start. The Grateful Dead sounded different at different times. The early stuff with Pigpen was a bit bluesy and sixties psychrdelic style. Then Keith and Donna joined the band. They got more mellow and a bit more rootsy americana feel. Keith played mostly piano. The Keith and Donna were replaced with Brent Mydland. He played more organ and keyboards and had a real bluesy voice. Songs got a bit tighter and less jammy, but still a lot of jams. Then he died and they replaced him with Vince Welnick. There was some good shows when Bruce Hornsby played with them, but I wouldn't bother listening to that stuff. Jerry was in decline and Vince wasn't as good as Brent on keyboards and worse on vocals.

    I would start by listening to Skeletons In The Closet. It's a greatest hits record that will at least get you familiar with some songs before moving on to live recordings. You can stream live shows on www.archive.org . I would look for soundboard recordings since the generally sound better. I would try shows from different eras to see what you like. I think they were at their best from 72 to 74. But 77 was a great year too. Cornell 5/8/77 is a classic show. They played some shows in 1980 where they opened the show with an acoustic first set. They released a record called Reckoning that is a collection of the acoustic performances. My wife doesn't like the Dead, but she likes this.
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  • LloydXmasLloydXmas Posts: 7,539
    I like the mid to late 70s. Some people don't because they can't stand Donna.
  • curlygirly9curlygirly9 Vancouver, WA Posts: 1,872
    LloydXmas wrote:
    I like the mid to late 70s. Some people don't because they can't stand Donna.

    My mom is a huge deadhead, and this is the scenario exactly! Hates Donna.
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  • Of The AggieOf The Aggie The ATX Posts: 1,531
    This is probably sad but the only song I know from the Greatful Dead is that one hit they had in the 80s.
  • RobbyD462RobbyD462 Victoria BC Posts: 4,812
    I prefer Phish myself.
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  • LukinFanLukinFan Florida Posts: 29,050
    Checkout American Beauty
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  • dr122931dr122931 Posts: 461
    LukinFan wrote:
    Checkout American Beauty

    American Beauty is one of my all-time favorite albums. Start with it. Europe 72 is great to start with also.
    I love the Dick's picks series, Vol 33 is my favorite.
  • sj.brodiesj.brodie Posts: 468
    Really overwhelmed by the responses! I'm on The Traders Den so will look for cited shows/SBDs and check out those albums also. THANKS! :D
  • Better DanBetter Dan Posts: 5,684
    Of The Aggie wrote:
    This is probably sad but the only song I know from the Greatful Dead is that one hit they had in the 80s.


    Same here..Touch of gray or something? That's the only GD song I've heard..I like it though.
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  • red mosred mos Posts: 4,953
    get the skeleton's album. I enjoy it.

    Only other one I have is flashback- and yes, "touch of grey" is on that one.

    Other than that I have the song "Scarlet Begonias."

    I really have to be in a certain mood to listen to the Greatful dead, when it strikes I really enjoy their songs. Should probably look into getting myself a live recording or two.
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  • SatansFutonSatansFuton Posts: 5,399
    THEKING3577 wrote:
    The dead are not for everyone. You either love them or hate them.

    There is also the third option of just thinking they're OK ;)

    American Beauty and Europe '72 are the only albums I own, and really the only ones I ever listen to, even though I have many other recordings on my computer. I have to be in the right mood to listen to them, but I can listen to "Till The Morning Comes" any day of the week.
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