The Grateful Dead

Unknown Soldier · 07-27-2011, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dessalines

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 think you`ve missed the point about the Grateful Dead, They were basically a happy-go-lucky hippy band who concocted up a hodge-podge of musical sounds (blues, folk, psychedelia, country and later jazz) and just churned them out in they`re own hippy style. They were competent players and adequate singers that specialized in improvisation and they were made even more interesting due to the stark contrast at times between their studio material and live sets. Also their loyal and fanatical fanbase and their large amount of drug and booze related deaths of band members made them interesting as well.

They`re is no point comparing them to say Moby Grape as top notch musicians (even though I think the style of Jerry Garcia is very good) and there is also no point comparing them to the Byrds either, for me the Byrds were in the same league as the Beatles as song writers. I just look at the Grateful Dead as a fun group to listen to with some really great songs and albums to boot.

Howard the Duck · 07-27-2011, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

I think you`ve missed the point about the Grateful Dead, They were basically a happy-go-lucky hippy band who concocted up a hodge-podge of musical sounds (blues, folk, psychedelia, country and later jazz) and just churned them out in they`re own hippy style. They were competent players and adequate singers that specialized in improvisation and they were made even more interesting due to the stark contrast at times between their studio material and live sets. Also their loyal and fanatical fanbase and their large amount of drug and booze related deaths of band members made them interesting as well.

They`re is no point comparing them to say Moby Grape as top notch musicians (even though I think the style of Jerry Garcia is very good) and there is also no point comparing them to the Byrds either, for me the Byrds were in the same league as the Beatles as song writers. I just look at the Grateful Dead as a fun group to listen to with some really great songs and albums to boot.

meh

i love The Byrds but their best songs were covers

Engine · 07-28-2011, 02:34 AM

I don't much care about the Grateful Dead much but this is a great song.
Fuck You if you think otherwise.

Nosferatu Man · 07-28-2011, 03:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger

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.

I get where you are coming from Urban I really do. How and ever you simply have to listen to 'American Beauty' by the Dead. Just one album, not even an hour, I promise it will be worth it. Seriously! You won't regret it, it's too good an album to miss for the above reasoning!

Unknown Soldier · 07-28-2011, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Il Duce

meh

i love The Byrds but their best songs were covers

Most of their covers were in the Gene Clark and when he left David Crosby, Jim McGuinn and Chris Hillmen stepped into the void and produced two of the greatest albums of the 60s in Fifth Dimension and Younger Than Yesterday, two albums to rival the best of the Beatles.

Howard the Duck · 07-28-2011, 07:20 AM

^^they were only awright to me

my fave album is Sweetheart of the Rodeo, an album of mostly covers

Plankton · 01-08-2020, 10:44 AM

Gonna spin some Dead

Psy-Fi · 01-08-2020, 12:43 PM

It still seems a bit eerie to me when someone necro-bumps an old thread and I see a post from the late, great, Howard the Duck.

Plankton · 01-08-2020, 12:48 PM

Kinda why I went through with it.

Neapolitan · 01-08-2020, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plankton

Gonna spin some Dead

I clicked on them but nothing happened. The link might be broken or something. You should check to see why it doesn't work.

Spoiler Alert:

Spoiler for Bob Weir answer key:

07-28-2011, 02:34 AM	#83 (permalink)
Engine air quote Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: pollen & mold Posts: 3,108	I don't much care about the Grateful Dead much but this is a great song. Fuck You if you think otherwise. __________________ Like an arrow, I was only passing through.

01-08-2020, 10:44 AM	#87 (permalink)
Plankton Just Keep Swimming... Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: See signature... Posts: 7,765	Gonna spin some Dead __________________ See location...

01-08-2020, 12:48 PM	#89 (permalink)
Plankton Just Keep Swimming... Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: See signature... Posts: 7,765	Kinda why I went through with it. __________________ See location...