Can't enjoy listening to the Grateful Dead?

It can take time. You may or may not change your "directions in music" that way.
I walked out of my only Dead show in 1991. Now I need to hear every version of Sugaree they ever played.

 

You forgot one: Steely Dan, '80s Genesis, Dire Straits, et al. is for yuppies and their fancy Hifi systems

 

No, you definitely came to the right place. I think maybe if you had worded it differently you would have gotten a different reaction. You kind of came off insulting, and if that's not how you intended it, then I guess it's time to move on and get on with the recommendations!

 

Recommendation #1 - There are tons of threads about recommendations. I suggest you find the latest "Grateful Thread" where fans are talking about what they are listening to. That will help get you involved in a positive way.

 

I'm glad we got that out of the way. Posted it in a rush, didn't think too much about it. Had little time to make the post was just a quickey before I got back to work. Didn't think it would of turned into this when I returned. I would love to continue the discussion now that we all understand this wasn't a hate thread on the grateful dead. I'll go into more detail.

Please don't take the following as insults towards the band. I have great respect for all musicians:

I actually have not listened to any dead albums in their entirety. I was listening to snippets of some of their song on iTunes determining which album I should start out with. Dare I say it but all of the songs sounded bland to me at first. Sort of generic if I am using that term correctly. Of coarse I know some of their popular songs "Trukin" "Casey Jones" "St. Stephen". I was wondering if any of you guys had that experience the first time listening to the band as well. I think we all do when discovering new artists. Some of my favorite bands today took me so long to warm up to. I think if I take the time, find a nice place to sit in the meadow, get in the right state of mind, put on the album from start to finish I will possibly fall in love.

Wanted to keep it on this thread because was specifically wondering for listening for the first time what album or collection would be good. I say keep the live album suggestions coming. Of coarse we can always end it and continue on on an existing thread if anyone would like to post links to one. If the admins here feel it is necessary to close this thread as a repeat they obviously can.

 

I can tell you from experience that last year, the Grateful Dead clicked for me when I listened to To Terrapin: Hartford '77.

Listening to 30-second samples probably won't do it. But as they say, your mileage may vary.

 

I like red licorice, and appreciate their studio material. Coincidence?

 

Perhaps the title of the thread should of been "what album made you fall in love with the Grateful Dead?" what albums does it for you? This is good stuff! Maybe the admins could break the rules and change it to that?

 

Would you guys say for the most part all their songs on their studio albums are recorded straight from start to finish. They don't rely on overdubbing, really a raw band and I respect that.

 

I started listening to cassette tapes of shows in various dorm rooms, started collecting a few myself, and I would say I "got it" by then before hitting the albums. I was guided to how ’72 sounds different than ’74 than ’77 etc; first set differences than second sets, the key jam songs, how a second set starts then spaces out in the middle and how they end. Not important really, other than to say I got into them via the shows not the albums. Again this world is at your finger-tips by just streaming any show that was not officially released on the Archives here. I am uber picky about soundboards sq quality so curated a list of 73s-86s best sounding— keyword— shows [I am not dissing the other years, they are just my creme as far as soundboards]. I’m no expert, simply my pickiness, but I can PM you with some dates if you want to try out a few years.

I would add that after “getting” them, seeing my first few shows, I turned to the albums. I think the one that where the penny dropped album wise was Blues for Allah. That was made in Weir’s new home studio, and they really crafted that one. Get in a mellow contemplative mood, dim the lights and hit play. Skull and Roses the live album I hit hard for years, great open sound to it from some ’71 shows. Going back into some of the craziness Anthem of the Sun was mixed for the hallucinations and it shows. Some real studio wizardry melding studio and live cuts together. Wake of the Flood is the jazz album. Maybe because Go to Heaven was my first contemporary album, but I sure did play that one a lot more than I would care to say out loud now!

 

There's a "Grateful Dead" for all kinds of folks out there - not just the stoners. For example:

For the mainstream FM-radio rock listener (Fleetwood Mac, Doobie Bros., REO Speedwagon): try Go to Heaven or Dead Set. Your favorite song? "Alabama Getaway".



For the young punks who want to point a middle finger to the world: try Birth of the Dead or Rare Cut and Oddities 1966. Your favorite song? "Can't Come Down"



For the studious and brilliant young IT wiz or math genius that loves his music jazzy, complex and complicated: try From the Mars Hotel or Blues For Allah. Your favorite song? "King Solomon's Marbles"



For the non-conformist rebel that likes his women loose and his bikes stamped with "Harley", you can't beat Pigpen doin' his thang: Try Dave's Picks 10 or Bear's Choice. Your favorite song? "Turn on Your Lovelight"



For the "average Joe", middle class, nondescript Dad who likes his music a little "jammy" and also catchy and not too weird (DMB, Blues Traveler, Allman Bros.): Try In the Dark or Without a Net. Your favorite song? "Touch of Grey"

 

...and finally, for the intrepid explorer, who likes beat poetry, underground film and never says no when offered a strange new pill: try Anthem of the Sun or Fillmore West 1969. Your favorite song? "Feedback"

 

You aren't missing a damn thing...IMHO.

 

It's all about Scarlet>Fire.

 

I think people who like their music simply like the music- for example, there's no dead head atmosphere in my living room, but I like to listen to them sometimes.
As for what you call 'random', that's improvisation, it may not be your cup of tea, if that's the case then give up because this is music you'll probably never like.

 

Agreed! Track 1 is "Bertha". That song always gets me in a great mood. I'm a very laid-back guy, but when I hear that song I just start dancing around the room. Always makes my day. With this album you can also experience the psychedelic side of the Dead, with the trippy version of "The Other One". Also, you get some of Bobby's cowboy songs, some Pigpen blues, and one of the most trancelike, heartfelt vocals from Jerry on "Wharf Rat". A nice NFA/goin' down the road" wraps up the proceedings

 

Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong and more Wrong! And it's Grateful Dead, as in grateful for the tunes and good vibes.

 

A first generation Deadhead (RIP) introduced me to the group via a tape starting with "China Cat Sunflower" (Europe '72) and other songs live "Not Fade Away" , "Going Down The Road And Feeling Bad", "Big River", "Ripple", Box Of Rain" , "Truckin' " and few others. Great stuff!

 

No offense taken (by me, anyway). Music is subjective; some like vanilla, some like chocolate, some like Cherry Garcia.

 

The dude's probably got a ticket for July

 

That's interesting because the Moodies are my favorite band also. I think they are kind of an acquired taste to be honest. For years I never really liked them but then I would hear something I never heard before. For instance, I was flipping through the satellite radio and heard "It must have been the roses" and thought wow I really like that, then one day my Pandora shoots out "To lay me down" and wow same thing. Then I realized, I like Throwing Stones, Black Muddy River, Lost Sailor, I Need A Miracle and kept going. Before I knew it, I think I became a fan. No their albums aren't put together like Moodies albums. Remember, those are all basically album length rock symphonies. But when you start looking at everything they did, there was quite a bit of very good stuff there. I've always been more of a Bob Weir fan than a Jerry guy though. And yes American Beauty and Workingmans Dead are both excellent albums also, more accessible. So give it a little chance to kind of seep into your consciousness and you may find you start to like a lot of it. No need to bash the question. The best music always takes a little effort and repeated listening to really click. That is an axiom. The most disposable is the catchy stuff that after the second time you hear it, you've had enough. We don't want a world filled with Mambo #5.

 

Oh man that was awesome. Well done.

 

Pound for pound my #1 cut as well.