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Unsung Forum » The Grateful Dead: America's greatest ever band? |
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Fitter Stoke 2611 posts |
Edited Jun 09, 2007, 00:09
Jun 09, 2007, 00:07
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Discuss! For my own part, I think they've got a damn good case, encompassing as they do the full gamut of rock and roll from its country and blues origins, then forging through the extremities of psychedelia right through to better-than-CSNY country harmonics to state-of-the-art-better-than-anyone-else AOR. Okay, they never pinned you to the wall like prime Stooges or MC5, but overall which Yank band gave as much value for money and fun per cent as the Dead? |
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Five 960 posts |
Jun 09, 2007, 03:48
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Or kept it up for as long... I couldn't appreciate them (much) until recently, but I think I finally get it. Two-guitar rocknroll plus acid-mysticism and a sense of humor, not to mention the will to keep going in the face of whatever The understanding that they were all pretty much at odd about almost everything most of the time is key to seeing how the music fits together, and makes the telepathic moments all the more incredible - mutual agreement by default? A sense of purpose which is actually served by the ongoing ego battle? I saw one show, in Vermont, and it did very little for me... But I have a friend with a big collection, and she's been layin it on me bit by bit, being as it is one of the larger areas of rocknroll which I have til now not paid much attention to... The GRATEFUL DEAD MOVIE is amazing, BTW (now back to downloading obscure japanoise and afropop)
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machineryelf 3681 posts |
Jun 09, 2007, 06:22
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On a bit of a Dead kick myself at the mo [Rotterdam '72 is rocking my boat muchly at the mo, along with Cornell '77 and the superb and imho opinion the best of the bunch Live Dead] and as far as live goes i'd say you were spot on, but on the studio side of things i'd say they fail miserably, maybe because all the songs are generally available in better live versions. But anyone feeling bored on a saturday afternoon would be hard pressed to find a better bargain in Fopp or whatever than to part with a fiver for Live Dead,Europe 72, Bears Choice or American Beauty [probably their finest studio moment] Worth checking out the whats on Archive org, though much of the best stuff is streamed now http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=collection%3Aetree%20AND%20creator%3A%22Grateful%20Dead%22 They will always take second place to prime time Allman Bros imho, the expanded live at the Fillmore with Whipping Post/Mountain Jam has not only the finest moment in that jamband type thing but one of the finest live moments in R 'n' R fullstop. Unfortunately being the Top Gear theme and death fouled up the Allmans chances of lasting greatness.
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earthlingfred93 1115 posts |
Jun 09, 2007, 08:43
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Yes i agree, tho' until recently I found them messy, incoherant, tuneless at times, and about as psychedelic as my local chippy. Then one day it went Bam!!. I think aoxamoxoa, Live dead and Anthem of the sun are my fav's. I prefer the mystery to them and Robert Hunter's lyrics are superb. America's greatest band. It's a big accolade.....they fucking deserve it in everyway.
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red peony 645 posts |
Jun 09, 2007, 10:22
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I think you're probably right, as I can't think of any other American band as consistent as the Dead, although it's all subjective, isn't it? They were big over here in the states, but never were REALLY huge (except for Touch of Grey) and certainly didn't get regular radio play. Box of Rain I think is one of the best songs ever written, and I like all sorts of music. Indeed the whole album American Beauty is wonderful, and Workingman's Dead is just behind it, IMO. I think the one I play most though is Reckoning. I love the acoustic vibe and makes me think of sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows in my youth. x
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laresident 861 posts |
Jun 09, 2007, 10:53
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I caught what I think was the movie on PBS. I was quite blown away and finally got what many had raved about to me. Although I have known most the studio albums since my first youthful interest in psychedelia, I had never heard or seen them live. In old age, or when I get the time, I may quite possibly get my headphones out and listen to all the hours, days, of their concerts available on the internet.
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Carlos 3884 posts |
Jun 09, 2007, 10:56
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No, no, no, no, no... The greates America´s band is BLONDIE ;-)
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IanB 6761 posts |
Edited Jun 09, 2007, 11:48
Jun 09, 2007, 11:04
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When they go off into inner space they are out on their own as rock improvisers. You can hear in their jams where Duane Allman would have gone had he lived long enough to work in more of the Coltrane influences and ditch the more formal blues. When they play straight songs, or worse still Chuck Berry type material, they sound third rate at best - no rock dynamics, gutless singing etc. They could have been America's Can and gone straight to the top of the pile. As it is their legacy is kinda sullied by the sheer volume of bad party music they put out. I highly recommend Disc 2 of the Dead Movie Soundtrack and almost any Estimated Prophet > Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain suite from a 1977 show. As for America's Greatest Band? I think Television get that for Marquee Moon. Doesn't matter what they did after. Iconic from top to toe.
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Stevo 6664 posts |
Jun 09, 2007, 12:02
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There was a 2disc compi of all their tv/filmed appearances up to I think 71or up to & excluding the Tivoli DEnmark show that was treed elsewhere a couple of years back. Don't think I can duplicate right now but might offer later. Just got a 512 stick of RAM yesterday, not sure if that's going to allow my burner to configure enough power or if I still need an external burner . I also just got Sunshine Daydream the '72 Veneta film & one from Paris in 74. Haven't watched either yet. Don't have the visual for the Movie but did get the 5cd set which was really cheap on Blahdvd. Think I cut off major interest at the time of the first retirement in '74. There are some recordings I can really listen to after that, 81(?) in Amsterdam, another series from around that time in Alaska, The LOndon shows in 90 (saw 2 of them, though was very wasted at 2nd). There are also some shows from 77 & 78 I enjoy. These books were very useful the DEadhead Taping Compendium http://tinyurl.com/2lxlsa which was much cheaper at the time (just realised I got paperback) and another much less in depth taping guide which only gives a couple of shows per year. Can't fiund it on there though Stevo Np Danyel Warou, Pierre Ankengue etc
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keith a 9573 posts |
Edited Jun 09, 2007, 12:47
Jun 09, 2007, 12:04
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Do duo's count? If so, I'd probably go for Suicide. Gotta say the Dead have completely passed me by. Aren't there headbands involved?
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