It's amazing how big they got despite almost no radio airplay (at least where I grew up), and I think only 1 music video ever.

Really?! I guess I would have to say is that they got their popularity from live gigs, they sure had a ton of them.

Haha, I'm experienced when it comes to records :D.
Either way, you live in the states. I live in the Netherlands.
You can get Dead records a lot easier than I do :D

I haven't really looked into getting any records, but I will start soon, most of my Dead stuff is Itunes albums. If you want a really good live jam, just check out Eyes of the World, 17 minutes of pure relaxation.

In fact the only period of their sound that I don`t like, is their late 70`s period..........even though I think the song "Estimated Prophet" is an absolute gem.

As said before constant touring, and on that subject, they were regarded as one of the best live bands in the history of rock.

Love GD. I've still got a huge soft spot for Aoxomoxoa. Not a track on that album I don't love.

I do like that album, but my major soft spot is definitely Wake of the Flood, the acoustic version of Weather Report Suite is just fantastic.

Just bought Europe 72, will check it out for sure, let everybody know what I think, maybe even a review on it.

Its one of the classic live albums of the early 70`s.

I am really enjoying it, man the magic of the Dead, I might be buying their Europe 72 box set, a whopping 450$ dollars, over 70 hours of music, wow.

bump.

I've been into Anthem of the Sun and Aoxomoxoa for a good while, but I only recently got hold of American Beauty. Apart from Truckin' (CANNOT stand that song) it's pretty flawless. Box of Rain in particular is wonderful.

i only have American Beauty and Workingman's Dead

both above average, I guess

IMHO, one of the most overrated bands in the history of music.

Do you guys think American Beauty or Europe 72 is worth getting for 3-4 bucks?

American Beauty is...

though don't go expecting a purist "country & western/bluegrass/rock" album, it's pretty much watered down from those genres

That`s because they`re a hard group to get into.

For that price yer.

the dead were probably the first band to play free shows. in their early days

American Beauty was pretty damn good. What do GD fans consider the best GD concert? Or is there no consensus?

i got their first album. very bluesy

There's really no consensus their. There's just so many. My favorite is One From the Vault the Help on the Way>Franklin's Tower is superb, but there are thousands of great shows circulating out there.

Dead fans are bootleg kings. My favorite of the bootlegs i've gotten in passing was The Nassau Coliseum show in 91. Branford Marsalis was guesting on that tour and sitting in with the Dead. Absolutely beautiful music.

ripple is a good song

:yikes:

Let's see... They were been around a long time. They were seriously rhythm challenged and they could not sing worth a hoot. Sorry, not really a good band but their fans loved them because they gave a great party. So they should have gone into the party business and left making music to those who actually could play and sing and those kinds of things. These guys could not hold a candle to Moby Grape.

False.

I dig Moby Grape, so that part's not so false. I'm just saying that from an improvisational standpoint in their time, GD were damn near untouchable. And not in the slightest rhythmically challenged. Not sure where that came from.

Vocals are subjective, so I'll leave that one be.

Not rhythm challenged and with poor vocals......what are you on about!

The vocals on most of the Grateful Dead albums are pretty impressive and on songs like "Sugar Magnolia" they`re so good that you can taste them!

I like Moby Grape but for all their talent, they only ever put out two good albums their debut album and "Wow"

Has anyone seen how ridiculous the discography of the Greatful Dead is?! Something like 130 albums or something

I`m surprised nobody has mentioned "Wake of the Flood" album another top notch album, which saw the band steer into a more jazz influenced direction, the album is full of slow burning classic songs. I`d say the album was a real issue amongst Dead fans as it seperates their earlier sound from their later one.

as i've mentioned before, i'll stick to Workingman's Dead and American Beauty

I've never listened to one of them! The Grateful Dead are one of those bands like Velvet Underground. Just not my cup of tea.

Do people actually drink tea in the USA?

Tea
 

Well Hell Yeah!

Green Tea, Sweet Tea..(not so much hot tea)

I personally..like hot tea with a little honey, its good for the vocals.

Nirvana even wrote a song titled Pennyroyal Tea. "Anemic Royalty"!:laughing:

Well according to Ginger Baker in this song you don`t.


‪Masters of Reality - T.U.S.A‬‏ - YouTube

Well..I will admit that certain song (wherever the hell you got it from) is about as musically "articulate" as Nirvana's Pennyroyal Tea!;)

I`ll admit they`re not up to the polished standard of say a Steely Dan record. BTW as this is a Grateful Dead thread, you may enjoy some of their mid 70`s jazz infused material which is not exactly a world away from Steely Dan.

That sounds interesting Soldier, 70s Jazz infused? Maybe I'll give it a trial run, so to speak. "Thanks"!;)

But it is nothing more than complete "Blasphemous"! To even mention.. the Grateful Dead in the same sentence with Steely Dan.

Maybe I should mention the Doobie Brothers then!

It has been known for years that Bob Wier was almost kicked out of the band several times because he could not stay on beat. However, they kept him on....

Look, these guys were always raw. You go listen to "Working Man's Dead? and tell me that the singing there is good. It's not. That is the case on many Dead songs. If you like raw sounding stuff, then fine but it is not in the same class as so many other bands who could sing and play to a click track.

Shall we talk about "Anthem Of The Sun"? What a rip off. Not one redeeming song on the whole piece of vinyl and yet people bought that. Hell, I bought that and frankly it was all trash.

I did actually like some of Europe 72 live but a lot of that also leaves a lot to be desired from the vocal and rhythm perspectives but one makes allowances for that because it's live. However, if most of your studio records sound like live records only worse, then the band sucks. Compare them to the Byrds? Buffalo Springfield? Moby Grape as I mentioned before? Look you can be a band or you can be an experience and the Dead were definitely the latter.

Really? Go listen to the harmonies on Gene Clark's "No Other" and tell me if the dead every approached that? Stack that up against "Working Man's Dead" or the truly execrable "Anthem Of The Sun".... "Alligator running round my door" indeed, and the kazoo what was up with the kazoo, is that supposed to be funny?!!! Hello, that is junk. If I want funny I'll put on a George Carlin record.

Never ever on their best day did they sing what could be called good, much less excellent. Passable at times but not in the league of good harmony groups. The Byrds had harmonies, the dead had people trying to sing. Jerry's voice was thin and reedy, just like his guitar tone. People rave about his guitar playing when all he did was wander around the fret board without much phrasing. He was terrible. But people love it because they got high and it sounded good to them.


As for Wow, it was a ruined album. Ruined as the original band was torn apart by drug abuse and mental illness, What a loss. BTW, I thought Moby Grape 69 was a pretty solid record.


My point wasn't that the Grape were a more long lived band than the dead but they were head and shoulders better musicians and every guy in the band could actually sing.

I already listen to The Fall, the last thing I want is a another band with even more live albums & bootlegs than them.
I think i'll pass on the Grateful Dead.