In Defense of the Grateful Dead's Studio Albums

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Gammondorf, Jul 31, 2015.

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  1. Gammondorf

    Gammondorf Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    It is accepted conventional wisdom that the Grateful Dead were a tremendous live act but that their studio albums sucked. I've heard that rap ever since I first got on the bus and yet I never really believed it. I actually think that the Dead have an incredible discography. Sure, most songs got even better in a live setting, but I love (almost) all of their albums. My rankings:

    Tier 1: The Masterpieces (5/13 = 38%)
    Workingman's Dead
    American Beauty
    Wake of the Flood
    Blues for Allah
    In The Dark

    Tier 2: Great Albums (3/13 = 23%)
    Aoxomoxoa
    From the Mars Hotel
    Terrapin Station

    Tier 3: Good Albums (3/13 = 23%)
    Grateful Dead
    Anthem of the Sun
    Shakedown Street

    Tier 4: Clunkers (2/13 = 15%)
    Go To Heaven
    Built to Last

    Even on their worst albums there are still classic songs (Sailor-Saint, Built to Last, Standing on the Moon).

    I think the Dead were a great studio band!

    What's your opinion of the Dead's studio output? How do you rank their albums?
     
  2. Revolver

    Revolver Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    Their studio ouput until the early 70s was awesome. Anybody that says otherwise doesn't know them!

    I just got Shakedown Street on Audio Fidelity last weekend and even that later album has some amazing moments.
     
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  3. Seederman

    Seederman Forum Resident

    I like their studio albums through American Beauty. I like about half of Wake of the Flood, Mars Hotel, Blues for Allah, and Terrapin Station and dislike the other halves. I think part of their problem is the production and mixing, which always sounded a little murky and cramped to me and often featured really tacky-sounding production effects, especially on the mid-70's albums onward. I think the actual songwriting remained strong through Mars Hotel, and then began its slow-but-accelerating decline. I can enjoy a mix-CD best-of studio recordings no problem. However, the element the band could never quite capture on record was the one of surprise, which they could work into their shows, and it is one of their essential elements. They were more like a jazz band in that regard.

    Their two most consistent studio albums are probably Workingman's Dead and American Beauty, great albums but neither of which really capture the full essence of the band. And in no way, shape or form would I call In The Dark a masterpiece or even one of their better albums. It was an overproduced stab at the classic rock market that worked, despite containing songs that were shadows of what the band used to come up with.
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2015
  4. four sticks

    four sticks Senior Member

    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    American Beauty and Workingman's Dead are great albums. Wake Of The Flood, Blues For Allah and Aoxomoxoa are pretty solid as is From The Mars Hotel. Not too shabby.
     
  5. ducksdeluxe

    ducksdeluxe A voice in the wilderness.

    Location:
    PNW
    My tier 1 is WD, AB, and Terrapin.
    My tier 2 is Wake, Mars, and BFA.
    My tier 3 is the first 3 albums.
    My tier 4 is everything else.

    Aoxomoxoa is a fine album but I would rather hear a 69-70 show of that material. JMO.
     
  6. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    No need to defend the studio Lps. By the way I love their debut a lot. Ranks up there with the best of them.
     
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  7. Paper Wizard

    Paper Wizard Forum Resident

    Location:
    U.S.A.
    They made some really strong albums, and I especially like the first 3.
     
  8. Baba Oh Really

    Baba Oh Really Certified "Forum Favorite"

    Location:
    mid west, USA
    Let me stop you right there: I disagree with this premise vehemently.
     
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  9. PteroDon

    PteroDon Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent ,England
    Quite agree , much as i love some live Dead , i often play the studio LP's .

    Heres the order of preference for whats presently floating my boat;

    Wake
    Beauty
    Terrapin
    Allah
    Mars
    Workingmans
    Shakedown

    The remaining ones rarely get played.....

    Whilst , the ones the OP lists as "clunkers" I can totally agree . Cant listen to 'em.
     
  10. LandHorses

    LandHorses I contain multitudes

    Location:
    New Joisey
    I love all their Warner Brothers and GD Records studio albums. The Artistas a bit less so.
     
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  11. Joe N

    Joe N Forum Resident

    This about sums it up for me too. They did some fine work in the studio.
     
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  12. reb

    reb Money Beats Soul

    Location:
    Long Island
    I like every single one of them.
     
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  13. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    They were the best live act in the world for those that like their improvisational approach to performance. They had some very good studio albums. But 90% of their studio performances fell as far short of their live renditions as 90% of the Beatles live renditions fell short of their studio recordings of the same tunes.

    Often view the Beatles and the GD as flip sides of one another. My favorite live band and my favorite best studio band.

    I'd say their best studio albums were Workingman's Dead, American Beauty, Ace, (side 1 of) Blues for Allah and Terrapin Station.
     
  14. Bingo

    Bingo Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Bronx
    There are three albums I listen to from start to finish w/o skipping any songs. Blues For Allah, American Beauty and Anthem of the Sun.
    My 2nd tier would be Terrapin Station, Shakedown.
    Everything else is 3rd tier except for the clunkers.
    Clunkers---Built to Last is the only album that I say sucks!...... and an over produced In The Dark (I love the songs but not the album versions)
     
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  15. Andersoncouncil

    Andersoncouncil Forum Resident

    Location:
    upstate NY
    I've said it before and I'll say it again. As much as I admire Deadheads who vigorously obtain and listen to all the vault, road trips, DP series, big box sets etc..., if I personally were to be one of those Deadheads they would take up 90% of my listening time. As much as I love the Dead, I also am just as big of fan of The Beatles (and J, P & G solo), Floyd, Zeppelin, Rush, Yes, Queen and the Stones. In order to give those bands just as much listening time, I am happy listening to the Dead's regular studio output, along with the following live albums, which are essential:
    Live Dead
    Skull & roses
    Europe '72
    Steal Your Face (I know...everyone hates it, but I love the Stella, Cold Rain, Sugaree, US Blues, Casey Jones)
    Dead Set
    Reckoning
    Without A Net

    Throw in these GD related studio albums as well:
    Ace
    Garcia
    Compliments
    Reflections
    Cats Under the Stars
    Run for the Roses

    Unless you're a hardcore head, the studio output, aforementioned live albums, and solo albums will do ya fine.
     
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  16. Andersoncouncil

    Andersoncouncil Forum Resident

    Location:
    upstate NY
    You would put Workingman's Dead in the third tier? Different strokes I guess. I never skip anything on that album, although that said it is a short album.
     
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  17. Dennis Metz

    Dennis Metz Born In A Motor City south of Detroit

    Location:
    Fonthill, Ontario
    Accepted by who??? You can't make this stuff up
     
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  18. 905

    905 Senior Member

    Location:
    Midwest USA
    I love studio Dead myself.
    I'm in the very, very small minority, but prefer it. I guess that what makes me a slightly more than casual fan, but far from a Dead Head.
     
  19. Bingo

    Bingo Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Bronx
    Yeah, it's a little too slow for me with the exception of New Speedway Boogie. I wished they played that more often, it would've been good in the late 80's rotation.
     
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  20. Bingo

    Bingo Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Bronx
    4 out of 5 Dentists.
     
  21. bmoregnr

    bmoregnr Forum Rezident

    Location:
    1060 W. Addison
    This is how they shakedown for me, ordered within each category,

    Tier 1: The Masterpieces

    American Beauty
    Blues for Allah
    Wake of the Flood
    Workingman's Dead

    Tier 2: Great Albums
    From the Mars Hotel
    Anthem of the Sun

    Tier 3: Good Albums
    Aoxomoxoa
    Terrapin Station
    Grateful Dead
    In The Dark
    Shakedown Street

    Tier 4: Clunkers
    Built to Last
    Go To Heaven, although I have a soft spot in my heart for that clunker.
     
  22. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    Go To Heaven would have a better reputation if it had a different title and cover photo.
     
  23. krisjay

    krisjay Psychedelic Wave Rider

    Location:
    Maine
    I've always thought Go To Heaven was an underrated album. I enjoy most of the studio albums, Terrapin Station for me works best as an overall album. I can listen to them all and enjoy them. Obviously live is where The Dead were best, but overlooking the studio albums is silly.
     
  24. TonyR

    TonyR Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta GA
    Playing the debut as I type. Despite listening to Dead albums since I was a teenager in the 70s, I hadn't heard the first three studio albums until about 8 years ago, when I bought the CDs. I love 'em.
     
  25. Archtop

    Archtop Soft Dead Crimson Cow

    Location:
    Greater Boston, MA
    1. Blues for Allah
    2. Anthem of the Sun (technically a live/studio album, or something like that)
    3. American Beauty
    4. Mars Hotel
    5. Workingman’s Dead
    6. Wake of the Flood
    7. Aoxomoxoa
    8. All the rest
     
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