Grateful Dead fans - I do get it

[ckissick]

The Bob Dylan thread inspired me to start this thread.

I saw the Dead at the closing of Winterland on new years '78/'79. An instant Dead Head, I saw them over 200 times after that. I still listen to them all the time and never get bored. When all the instruments get in perfect sinc in an improvised jam, there's nothing like it.

Yet, I meet people often who can't stand them. They think Dead Heads are just drug-addled hippie dolts. My theory is that their brains are not wired to process the complexity of the sound and it makes them uncomfortable. Kind of analogous to people who are prone to seizures from flashing lights.

Why do you love or hate the GD?

[911boost]

Saw my first show at 15, in 1990. Have seen a lot of original GD and a lot of all the iterations, including the Fare The Well SF shows.

Still listen often and like you have never gotten bored. I’ve seen way more Phish lately (saw my first Phish in ‘93), but when the GD were on it was magical.

[Seahawk]

These are great threads because, well, just because.

My oldest Sister, now a retired medical professional, was GDH. I missed the boat until:



I just saw them in a different light after listening to the covers and went back and listened anew.

[herr_oberst]

I like 'em for the universal reminder that when life looks like easy street there is danger at your door.
Thanks you Robert Hunter for keeping me grounded

[jamesnmlaw]

A great cover and interpretation band.





Performed some pretty good original songs, too!

Yeah, I like the acoustic stuff. Enough twirling in my younger days.

[jamesnmlaw]

OK, one more. I got to get back to work.

[Racerbvd]

Yes, I am a fan.
Of course one of my favorites songs is Touch of Grey.

[pwd72s]

Had to have a doobie to like the Dead.

Didn't need one to understand Dylan's lyrics.

[Tobra]

I am as indifferent to them as I am to Bob Zimmerman. Saw the GD a few times. They filled my heart with meh

[LWJ]

I really enjoyed them. And then, Jerry died. Sort of stopped any fandom after that. Not sure why. Only saw them live twice.

[ramonesfreak]

Good old Grateful Dead are #1

[id10t]

Garcia and Hunter were a great combo for music and lyrics. Studio stuff is a mix of blues, jazz, Americana, folk, bluegrass, country, psychedelic rock, etc. and the live stuff just takes all that and adds a ton of jam and transition to it as well as covers of many songs that became near standards for them.

The live performances when they were On were just amazing - look at the interaction between Jerry and Brent -



Or just general Lets Party jam -





Watch a mid-40s black man who was raised in Compton discover the Dead and Get On The Bus with this epic Scarlet Begonias with a transition to Fire on the Mountain (transition starts a few minutes before you really can hear it, very cool)

[ckissick]

Great stuff, id10t. Check out this amazing China Cat - Rider from 1974 with the Wall of Sound.

[Otter74]

I was going to post one of those myself - China/Rider from the '70s are some of my favorite Dead recordings.

[gr8fl4porsche]

My 1st shows were Alpine '89. Went to see the boys about 35 times before Jerry died.

I can't believe that he has been gone for almost 27 years.

[juanbenae]

don't let Phil sing!

been a fan since the early 80's. was fortunate to live near the shoreline amphitheater in the bay area and they did strings of shows there a couple times a year. even if we did not have tickets we would ride our bikes over to the venue and hang out in the parking lot. good times.

[daepp]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

These are great threads because, well, just because.

My oldest Sister, now a retired medical professional, was GDH. I missed the boat until:



I just saw them in a different light after listening to the covers and went back and listened anew.

Deadictaed is one my all-time favorite albums! And don't even get me stated on Elvi Costello's version of Ship Of Fools!

[berettafan]

I like Fire on the Mountain and Touch of Gray.

The rest...meh. Much, much prefer getting my chill vibes from the Dan.

[upsscott]

Scarlet Begonias/Fire On The Mountain is by far my favorite jam. Saw them a few times in the late ‘80s. Those were happy times.

[herr_oberst]

This video and this song always makes me smile. (It's too short, but it's really good.)