The Grateful Dead Thread Band • Page 24

forcing it down your friends' throats is half the fun of being a fan

 

I listened to Workingmans Dead: it was not at all what I was expecting but I enjoyed the shit out of it

 

i'm gonna listen to that now. People like to say that one and American Beauty are the only good studio albums but that's not true, they're just the most accessible. Not that the rest are consistently great but they shouldn't be trashed. No studio album can completely prepare you for the live stuff though but that's what Europe '72 and Live/Dead are for

 

So the live material is the real essential stuff? Might put one of those on next once I get off work

 

Yeah, but don't neglect the studio stuff completely like some might tell you to do. Idunno, I feel like when I try to direct someone too specifically it doesn't work out as well lol.

But yeah it really can't be overstated how much the live stuff is the real essence of the band. The way to ease into the live stuff is probably through the contemporaneously released live albums, being Live/Dead, Skull & Roses, and Europe '72. There are more too but those are the best. E72 is probably the most accessible coming from Workingman's and American Beauty styles, but its long. S&R is similar and shorter, and more raw. Live/Dead is a different sound from before they recorded Workingman's and AB, much more psych and blues and less country. But, you could just as well go straight to something like Cornell '77, which is just a full live show during an era that saw them going a little disco and ripping tons of epic peaking pure rock solos every single night. Never know what's gonna be the cut that really grabs someone and pulls them in.

Definitely get to American Beauty eventually if you liked Workingman's that much though, they really are a pair.

 

last time i got too deep into trying to recommend specific shit somebody said "just listen to cornell '77" which is just as valid as my long ass post so idk you really can't go wrong unless you give up

 

There’s definitely a learning curve of becoming familiar enough with the songs to appreciate the nuances and change ups from the night to night live versions.

There were particular songs for me that grabbed me one by one, like “Morning Dew” or “China Cat/Rider”, and I tried to find versions I really liked. And that led me to listen to the whole show, then more from that era and so forth. I went through The Second Set “Big Jams” phase (The Other Ones, Help/Slip/Frank, Dark Star) before I got into the tighter First Set Staples (Deal, Tennessee Jed, Jack Straw, Ramble On Rose).

Once I first got hooked it was the only stuff I listened to for about 6 months straight. Insane instrumentation aside, so many of these songs have a timeless quality about them, you can’t help but fall in love.

 

Yeah I always just say Europe 72 or Cornell 77, those are the easiest ways in. I did it the dumbest way though and listened to each Europe 72 show individually before I knew that it was one record of the best stuff

 

Has Dead & Co always been on Spotify, or am I just finding that out now?

 

what's thee definitive help on the way -> slipknot -> franklin's tower out there?

 

one from the vault, 2/26/77, maybe Without a Net

 

5/26/72 is healing my soul on this distressing, rainy midwestern day

 

Has probably become my favorite show in the last year or two

 

dude's videos rule lol

 

Livestream happening now

 

Hell yeah Mickey

 

cool!

Grateful Dead Plot 'Workingman's Dead' 50th Anniversary Reissue

 

great show they're putting out with it too! 2/21/71 from the cap, lots of debuts in that run and really tight solid versions of a bunch of classics. band sounded incredible at that time too just in terms of tone too. Jerry's guitar Peanut features. doesn't sound much like the band did in 1970 when WMD actually came out but there's not all that many 1970 shows ine existence let alone with enough quality to put out for something like this, so I get them saving what they do have for other stuff

 

here's to hoping we get another reissue/show combo in the fall too for american beauty's 50th

 

I have no idea what he was talking about but that was awesome to watch.

 

I always forget just how hard the guitars on Cornell '77 absolutely RIP until I revisit that set