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ROCK AND ROLL! => All Them Other Guys => Topic started by: Vyn on October 01, 2026, 02:23:44 PM

Title: The Grateful Variety of the Dead
Post by: Vyn on October 01, 2026, 02:23:44 PM

I have a friend who is a massive Grateful Dead (GD hereafter) fan. He also is big into Phish. I have tried to get into GD at various times over the years, but just cannot do it. Garcia's voice makes me want to hit something, it annoys the hell out of me. Their technical acumen is (was) top notch, but their noodling never took me anywhere. Their first album is OK, I can listen to it and if the mood is right, enjoy it. Same goes for Anthem of the Sun and, oddly, Blues for Allah. Otherwise, nope. Not even their radio hits. Not even Touch of Grey. And any of their bootleg jam-o-ramas...oh hell no.

It isn't the spaced-out drug underpinnings that bother me...lots of bands rode that horse and I like their music. I think it's a combination of Garcia's voice and the way everything they do sounds to me as if the entire band is one joint away from passing out. No spark, no emotion, no energy. Tired. I imagine them all taking a nap after a performance.

Is this blasphemy? Am I not wired correctly? A LOT of people hold the GD in very high regard, but I can't see what I'm missing there.

 

Title: Re: The Grateful Variety of the Dead
Post by: Zzzptm on October 01, 2026, 03:12:14 PM

If Garcia's voice ain't the cut of your jib or the sound of your town, you're gonna have issues with The Dead. Myself, I can enjoy a live recording here and there and their pair of Bakersfield-flavored albums, American Beauty and Workingman's Dead are my faves of their collection. But the stuff they did with the Godcheauxs sends me up the ever lovin' wall.

I kinda like the timbre in Garcia's voice, so I'm good to go with them.

Title: Re: The Grateful Variety of the Dead
Post by: Charger on October 01, 2026, 03:23:54 PM

I have NEVER liked Greatful Dead...always considered them highly overrated.

But then again I don't do psychedelic drugs either...

Title: Re: The Grateful Variety of the Dead
Post by: Zzzptm on October 01, 2026, 04:03:45 PM

To be sure, not everything they did was hippy-trippy stuff. Their very experimental noodling around 1968-9 and 1973-9 is not to my liking. But when they do an album with tight song structures, they can do really well.

Title: Re: The Grateful Variety of the Dead
Post by: Thelemech on October 01, 2026, 09:16:23 PM

I am a GD fan but that being said I don't have very many of their albums
Their Greatest Hits is mainly what I listen to

Title: Re: The Grateful Variety of the Dead
Post by: Zzzptm on October 02, 2026, 10:02:27 AM

Quote from: Thelemech on October 01, 2026, 09:16:23 PM

I am a GD fan but that being said I don't have very many of their albums
Their Greatest Hits is mainly what I listen to

If you have American Beauty and Workingman's Dead, you've got their best, in my opinion.

Title: Re: The Grateful Variety of the Dead
Post by: Thelemech on October 02, 2026, 08:20:12 PM

I do have both of those albums along with the first three records

Title: Re: The Grateful Variety of the Dead
Post by: Zzzptm on October 03, 2026, 08:13:30 AM

Quote from: Thelemech on October 02, 2026, 08:20:12 PM

I do have both of those albums along with the first three records

You're all set, then, mate! :)