re: Is there a more disappointing first listen than the Grateful Dead?

just curious, name the song(s) you listened to ? Was it from a studio album or live recorded concert. I can only think of 4 songs that got radio air-play and would be considered "commercial". Touch of Grey, Truckin, Sugar Magnolia, and Casey Jones. Personally, those are some of the last songs that I'd like to hear played at a show.

I've been a fan or their music long enough (since 1982) to understand the Grateful Dead is not for everybody. People either love their music, or they immediately turn the channel. I feel the exact same way about certain artists and genres of music. Long-time fans of their music will agree that 60's live dead is different from the 70's live dead which is different from the 80's live dead which is different from the 90's live dead. Each decade had it's own distinctive sound and presentation.

The GD was more about musical experimentation, and improvisational 9-minute jams amongst the 6 band members. They were definitely anti-corporate music industry bullschit. The GD never wanted to sign contracts with record executives demanding a series of studio albums. They strictly wanted to tour playing 50+ live shows a year for their fans.

Some songs are meh, some songs are good, and some songs are emotionally moving when experienced live. IMO, their most remarkable feat was playing over 2,300 concerts in thirty years and every concert had a different set-list. Artists today will go on tour promoting a new album. They play the same 15+ songs in the exact same order as every city. Doesn't matter if you see them in NOLA, Dallas, ATL, Detroit, Phoenix, Bozeman, Peoria, or NYC .... it's the exact same regurgitated show.

I would rather listen to 12 hours straight of GD than 1 minute of gangsta rap.

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but then out of the blue, a moment in one of their songs will click and the whole thing will make sense...

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if you read Robert Hunter's lyrics, life makes even more sense from a whole new perspective. He wrote over 600 songs for many artists including Bob Dylan. Arguably Hunter is one of the greatest lyricists during the GD's 30-year run.

American Beauty, Terrapin Station, and Workingman's Dead are littered with masterpieces. If Hunter is 1A, John Perry Barlow would be 1B

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The show itself just confirmed my bias going in - sour sounding off key noodling

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Give it another shot

from near the same time, but better played. They were very very flawed and human and had off nights, but when they were on, it was undeniable. had the pleasure of seeing Garcia over 100 times, and it was hit or miss a lot. That was part of the appeal, really. This is from me to you- you saw the dead in 82- I am jealous!!!!

I felt the same way when I first heard them too. It was back in 1990/1991 and I had a bunch of friends from college who were into them big time. I tried to get into them and although there was stuff like Sugar Magnolia and the In the Dark album that I liked, I never understood the level of fanaticism they had for them. Then around 2007 or 2008 I was noodling around in a used CD store and came across a 4 CD set of various stuff from the London concerts in their 1972 European tour for twelve dollars and took a flyer on it out of what the frick why notness. I now have over a hundred CDs of theirs the vast majority either bootlegs or stuff released from their vault like the Dick's Picks, Road Trips, and Dave's Picks sets. That is where the legendary stuff is. Using their studio albums to introduce someone to their music is like using a McRib to introduce someone to barbecue.

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Using their studio albums to introduce someone to their music is like using a McRib to introduce someone to barbecue.

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that's pretty good

Nebraska is damn good. I think springsteen live is very similar to the dead though, yes.

Nebraska is to Bruce what Workingman's/American beauty is to the Dead

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but art is a personal preference and to those we shall not disagree

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that is such a level headed post, it shouldn't even be allowed on a message board!

so agree with it though- I don't understand people hating on art. there is usually about a 99% chance they are not trying to create any themselves.

How could anyone listen to this and not want to hear more of Jerry's "noodling" or Robert Hunter lyrics?

Jack Straw Live

from 1:29 to 1:53 is some of the most quintessential 70s stuff that could ever be captured on film. (Real film)

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Using their studio albums to introduce someone to their music is like using a McRib to introduce someone to barbecue.

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This is terrible.