Aug 12, 2010
Dolorean’s Guide to The Dead
It seems that the Grateful Dead have been getting a lot of run these days. While underground music pushed hard against The Dead and their followers throughout much of the ’90s, their stock has been slowly rising over the last few years with lots of bands citing Jerry and Co. as a major influence. Heck, even Timberlake was spotted in a Dead shirt a few weeks back. A lot of cautious music fans flat out reject The Grateful Dead, unwilling to wade through the tie dye, dancing bears, and college keg parties to get to the music. I’m by no means an expert, but am happy to offer a short list of Dead albums to serve as a starting point for those that have tried to dodge these guys for the last four decades.
GRATEFUL DEAD – RECKONING (1981)
This Dead album easily gets the most plays at Chateau Unfazed. It’s a live, mostly acoustic, double LP of traditional tunes like “Deep Elem Blues” and “Jack-A-Roe” mixed with extremely laid back versions of classics like “Ripple,” “Dire Wolf,” and “China Doll.” Garcia sings the majority of these tunes pulled from performances in 1980 at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall and The Warfield Theater in San Francisco. It’s mellow and sprawling with just enough loose jamming to feel like they’ve set up on your front porch.
GRATEFUL DEAD – FROM THE MARS HOTEL (1974)
My favorite studio album by far. “Scarlet Begonias” and “U.S. Blues” are standout tracks, but the apex is the recently Animal Collective sampled, Phil Lesh penned “Unbroken Chain.” This track has to be heard to believed – an incredibly tight groove, beautiful piano chords, and a ring modulator that floats down from the heavens. Top to bottom this is a fantastic collection worth seeking out.
GRATEFUL DEAD – EUROPE ’72 (1972)
This is an iconic live 3X LP collection from The Dead’s first complete European Tour in 1972. It’s chock full of classic hits stretched to the point of nearly breaking. Fantastic versions of “Jackstraw,” “China Cat Sunflower,” “Truckin’,” and “Ramblin’ Rose” are all here – top rate material played with electricity and joy. While the band’s live shows would continue to get better, this may well be the definitive peak for Ron “Pigpen” McKernan who was starting to lose his grip. If you want to dip your toe into a quintessential live Dead album without diving into the massive ocean of archival tapes, this is the perfect trip.
Grateful Dead’s “Ripple” on “Freaks and Geeks” final episode
These are all great suggestions Coach. I want to also add that the rhino re-issues of the GD catalog on CD are all FANTASTIC! tons of extra liner notes, period live cuts, and great sound remasters. The rhino issues of terrapin station, in the wake of the flood, and blues for allah are outstanding.
Another can’t miss selection for the un-initiated, and one of the early recordings that hooked me into the phil-zone is the “one from the vault” its a late 70′s concert that pulls a lot off the blues for allah record, and has some really focused jamming- NOT hippy dippy at all.
Also, the rhino reissue of an early 80′s live record “dead set” is expanded with like an extra hour of jamz.
Love the Dead! Hey, make sure y’all get to the GD nitty gritty that is streaming for free at Archive.Org — http://www.archive.org/details/GratefulDead
Although your choices are solid and respectable, I can’t believe “Working Man’s Dead” is not on here. Their best studio album by far! Perhaps you had a bad experience with this album which has caused you to block it from your memory or regard it less highly or something.
Maxwell, as I composed this post I knew somehow you’d comment with your dad’s copy of “Workingman’s Dead” in your hand shaking it in my face… Yes, this is indeed, undeniably, a stone cold classic Dead album. I just figured that most readers have experienced the touchstones of this record via FM radio (“Uncle John’s Band” & “Casey Jones”). As far as “bad experiences,” we’ve all had bad trips with the Dead that we try to block out right? Thanks for the comment and much love from Portland to Boston – I hope you’re settling in to yer new spot… AJ
Hey Al,
So great to hear you come out and support the Dead! Europe 72 is truly incredible, especially listening to it on LP.You are right, the Dead are slowly creeping out of the shadows, but the bias against the Dead from serious music fans is a real shame. Regardless of what people may think of their endless “jamming” and the insularity of the Deadheads, the songwriting of the Dead is absolutely timeless. You probably already have, but check out archives.org where there is basically a Dead live show library to listen to.
Matthew
ps. Love the new tracks
a pal of mine is / was a huge fan (although I never “got” them myself. I’ll pass on the link and see what he thinks
Hey Al,
Fair enough, although High Times and Black Peter are probably my favorite tracks on the album. We are settling in just fine, due largely to good music playing the the background, such as Dolorean and Working Man’s Dead.
Love to Portland as well,
Max