Live/Dead,Axoxoxoma,Europe 72,Filmore West,Anthem of The Sun,Skulls and Roses are all good Dead Records. Would out everything else as secondary tbh. You mostly wanna make sure to hear the bigger gun acid/jam type tracks like New Potato Caboose,Warf Rat,Dark Star,St.Stephen (Live/Dead Version) etc. There's some other stuff that's good too but the true crux of the deads popularity from that area was such.
Someone should really make a chart for them, can't believe they're not talked about more on here, easily the best musical rabbit hole I've ever gone down.
Even though the live stuff is defo them at their best, I'd say starting with American Beauty and Workingman's Dead is still the best way to go. Both are great albums and each gives you familiarity with a key roster of songs. I feel like going straight into long jam shows like Filmore west ect. and experimental albums like Axoxoxoma might be a bit intimidating for a new listener, although jams are defo where the band shines.
The way I got into them and the way I'd recommend would be American Beauty + Workingman's Dead (these are almost one long album), and then Cornell 5/8/77. After that you'll be able to just explore yourself.
Europe '72 is the best general introduction methinks. If you already like folk rock Workingman's Dead should do it, that was the one that got me into them originally. Their debut is great too, pretty close to garage rock.
I'm gonna tell you what I tell anybody who starts GD threads with this question.....
Start with Greatest Hits albums >Skeletons From The Closet >What a Long Strange Trip It's Been >The Arista Years
This will take you through practically every era of The Grateful Dead.
After that, start with Skull and Roses. DON'T, I repeat DON'T listen to Europe 72 UNTIL you have absorbed Skull and Roses.
If you DO decide to listen to Europe 72 BEFORE Skull and Roses, TAKE A BREAK AFTER TENNESSEE JED! Listening to the whole album in one sitting can be a bit overwhelming for the newbie. After taking a break from listening after Tennessee Jed, you can finish the rest of the album.
DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT START OFF BY LISTENING TO WORKINGMAN'S DEAD OR AMERICAN BEAUTY! (Unless, of course you're really into stoner C&W, folk and Americana, in which case, you should be familiar with The Band, especially Music From Big Pink before attempting to listen to Workingman's Dead or American Beauty)
Also figure out what kind of music you really like and listening to on a regular basis. Chances are The Grateful Dead have at least ONE song in that genre
Other people are gonna post and give you recommendations, but that's my sage advice for you!
This might not be the right place to request this, but since this is a Grateful Dead thread, I thought I would ask for people's help.
I'm looking for a download of a compilation bootleg called The Birth of Grateful Dead. (NOT to be confused with the official release entitled Birth of The Dead)
This came out in the early 1990s on the "Unbelievable Music" label with the number UM 033.
It has early studio recordings from 1966, I believe. I don't know if they were The Grateful Dead yet, or still The Warlocks. Also on this bootleg is an outtake from AOXOMOXOA called "The Grateful Dead Meets The Mothers of Invention" (On other studio bootlegs, I've seen this piece under the title Barbed Wire Whipping Party. It's basically a recording of the band huffing nitrus oxide while a group of people in the background chant "Give me my meat") It also has Micky's "Rap" version of Fire On The Mountain, a rather nice studio version of Mason's Children, and one of the few and rare Lovelight performances where Janis Joplin joins Pig Pen.
Any help in finding a download would be appreciated.
I have a friend who think they don't like The Grateful Dead because they've met nothing but the stereotypical "Drop LSD and save the world" type of head, and thinks all Grateful Dead are Workingman's Dead and American Beauty, and I just KNOW that if they heard this bootleg, they would instantly change their mind.
Again, any help in tracking down a download would be appreciated.
This next video is for the one anon who inevitably shows up to these threads w/o fail and complains about Workingman's Dead, and American Beauty because he thinks they're boring, and won't give any outtakes or songs from that era a chance.
For whatever reason, Mason's Children did not make it on to Workingman's Dead, but the live Version they performed at The Hollywood International Speedway in Miami Fla. on 12/28/69 not only smokes, it mops the floor with the studio version, except that this closed minded nitwit is too chckenshit to give it a listen because they think that if it was from Workingman's Dead or American Beauty it must suck.
>Oh, well.. >Their loss
For the rest of you who are open minded, seasoned heads, or both I present this to you.
Don't, it's just generic glorified psych rock but excruciatingly long. Their fans are fans of the "jam culture" not the music itself. Not saying they're bad, just consistently 6/10.
Live/Dead,Axoxoxoma,Europe 72,Filmore West,Anthem of The Sun,Skulls and Roses are all good Dead Records. Would out everything else as secondary tbh. You mostly wanna make sure to hear the bigger gun acid/jam type tracks like New Potato Caboose,Warf Rat,Dark Star,St.Stephen (Live/Dead Version) etc. There's some other stuff that's good too but the true crux of the deads popularity from that area was such.
Someone should really make a chart for them, can't believe they're not talked about more on here, easily the best musical rabbit hole I've ever gone down.
Even though the live stuff is defo them at their best, I'd say starting with American Beauty and Workingman's Dead is still the best way to go. Both are great albums and each gives you familiarity with a key roster of songs. I feel like going straight into long jam shows like Filmore west ect. and experimental albums like Axoxoxoma might be a bit intimidating for a new listener, although jams are defo where the band shines.
The way I got into them and the way I'd recommend would be American Beauty + Workingman's Dead (these are almost one long album), and then Cornell 5/8/77. After that you'll be able to just explore yourself.
Cmon man, you're calling yourself a diehard deadhead and not even mentioning Live at the Mars Hotel and Blues for Allah. Shame
for me, it was europe 72
Europe '72 is the best general introduction methinks. If you already like folk rock Workingman's Dead should do it, that was the one that got me into them originally. Their debut is great too, pretty close to garage rock.
I'm gonna tell you what I tell anybody who starts GD threads with this question.....
Start with Greatest Hits albums
>Skeletons From The Closet
>What a Long Strange Trip It's Been
>The Arista Years
This will take you through practically every era of The Grateful Dead.
After that, start with Skull and Roses. DON'T, I repeat DON'T listen to Europe 72 UNTIL you have absorbed Skull and Roses.
If you DO decide to listen to Europe 72 BEFORE Skull and Roses, TAKE A BREAK AFTER TENNESSEE JED! Listening to the whole album in one sitting can be a bit overwhelming for the newbie. After taking a break from listening after Tennessee Jed, you can finish the rest of the album.
DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT START OFF BY LISTENING TO WORKINGMAN'S DEAD OR AMERICAN BEAUTY! (Unless, of course you're really into stoner C&W, folk and Americana, in which case, you should be familiar with The Band, especially Music From Big Pink before attempting to listen to Workingman's Dead or American Beauty)
Also figure out what kind of music you really like and listening to on a regular basis. Chances are The Grateful Dead have at least ONE song in that genre
Other people are gonna post and give you recommendations, but that's my sage advice for you!
Yep.
Still looking!
This might not be the right place to request this, but since this is a Grateful Dead thread, I thought I would ask for people's help.
I'm looking for a download of a compilation bootleg called The Birth of Grateful Dead. (NOT to be confused with the official release entitled Birth of The Dead)
This came out in the early 1990s on the "Unbelievable Music" label with the number UM 033.
It has early studio recordings from 1966, I believe. I don't know if they were The Grateful Dead yet, or still The Warlocks. Also on this bootleg is an outtake from AOXOMOXOA called "The Grateful Dead Meets The Mothers of Invention" (On other studio bootlegs, I've seen this piece under the title Barbed Wire Whipping Party. It's basically a recording of the band huffing nitrus oxide while a group of people in the background chant "Give me my meat") It also has Micky's "Rap" version of Fire On The Mountain, a rather nice studio version of Mason's Children, and one of the few and rare Lovelight performances where Janis Joplin joins Pig Pen.
Any help in finding a download would be appreciated.
I have a friend who think they don't like The Grateful Dead because they've met nothing but the stereotypical "Drop LSD and save the world" type of head, and thinks all Grateful Dead are Workingman's Dead and American Beauty, and I just KNOW that if they heard this bootleg, they would instantly change their mind.
Again, any help in tracking down a download would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
This next video is for the one anon who inevitably shows up to these threads w/o fail and complains about Workingman's Dead, and American Beauty because he thinks they're boring, and won't give any outtakes or songs from that era a chance.
For whatever reason, Mason's Children did not make it on to Workingman's Dead, but the live Version they performed at The Hollywood International Speedway in Miami Fla. on 12/28/69 not only smokes, it mops the floor with the studio version, except that this closed minded nitwit is too chckenshit to give it a listen because they think that if it was from Workingman's Dead or American Beauty it must suck.
>Oh, well..
>Their loss
For the rest of you who are open minded, seasoned heads, or both I present this to you.
Enjoy!
don't
Go straight to jail for drug possession.
You might be surprised at how many "Dead Heads" don't take drugs.
I've taken drugs. Smoked weed, spice, and did psych drugs at 15 years old. All of my high school plugs listened to Dead.
>i've taken drugs
homosexual
Go ahead, be jealous that I'm cool and you're not. I'm still smoking cigarettes to this day.
... and your point is...???
I guess you can call me one of the few exceptions. Take drugs, man
Yeah, whatever...
Get on my level. Haha
Why?
Why not?
There's no way anyone enjoys that garbage without being white girl wasted on something.
Well, I happen to like The Grateful Dead when I'm sober.
Don't, it's just generic glorified psych rock but excruciatingly long. Their fans are fans of the "jam culture" not the music itself. Not saying they're bad, just consistently 6/10.
Their live stuff.
5/8/77
3/24/90
10/8/89
10/9/89
4/16/78
June 1976
2/26/77
Dick's Picks Vol 4
Dick's Picks Vol 8
9/24/76
5/25/77
2/24/74
12/12/1969
Thanks Deadbro.
American beauty
Europe 72
From the Mars hotel
Those were the albums that did it for me after not liking them for the longest time
All of those are overrated af, except for maybe from the mars hotel