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Grateful Dead


Styrbjorn

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Seeing as they appear to have a back catalogue larger than Frank Zappa and J S Bach combined, could any kind soul give me a starting point?

That's a hard question to answer because to me, their albums fall into a couple of different categories - studio, experimental and live and I like all three for various reasons. They were more known for their live recordings but if you're not familiar with them at all, I'd suggest American Beauty and Workingman's Dead. Not my favorites but just to give you an introduction. I tend to listen to their live albums which I would highly recommend Europe 72, Live Dead and One From The Vault and Two From the Vault.

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American Beauty is their most popular and easiest to listen to on first glance..

I prefer Workingman's Dead.

Anthem of the Sun

Aoxomoxoa

Blues For Allah

Shakedown Street

and of course, Europe 72.

But their catalogue is vast and great explore. I have every album released before 1988 and still prefer the "Pigpen" years over any. Easy Wind (Live) is just killer with him on vocals and harp.

As for Live Dead, there are more boots available for them then Zeppelin.

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Workingmans Dead was one of my very first album purchases back in the early to mid 70s and it's because of that album that I probably always favored their studio material. Or maybe it was because I never saw 'em live until '89. At any rate, a couple of years ago I caved and purchased both box sets. It was then that I finally heard studio versions of songs I'd previously only heard live. That's when I began to take on a whole new appreciation of live Dead.

That said, it seems Workingmans Dead and American Beauty are the most highly recommended albums for folks just lookin' to dig into the Dead. Since they haven't been mentioned yet I'll also throw in suggestions for the double live all acoustic Reckoning (recently expanded for the Beyond Description box) and From the Mars Hotel (also expanded).

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I don't normally recommend greatest hits albums for starters but in the case of the Dead their back catalog is so expansive it's a good way to get a well rounded overview of their work. For years Skeletons From the Closet has been the go-to album in this regard but in recent a years a more comprehensive collection was released called The Very Best of the Grateful Dead (tracklist below).

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1. Truckin'

2. Touch Of Grey

3. Sugar Magnolia

4. Casey Jones

5. Uncle John's Band

6. Friend Of The Devil

7. Franklin's Tower

8. Estimated Prophet

9. Eyes Of The World

10. Box Of Rain

11. U.S. Blues

12. The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)

13. One More Saturday Night

14. Fire On The Mountain

15. The Music Never Stopped

16. Hell In A Bucket

17. Ripple

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Yes, great suggestions!

Thanks, but there's really need to quote the entire post just to say that, especially since it's the post just prior to yours. I don't mean to offend but that's one of my top pet peeves when it comes to messageboards. I really do appreciate your input.

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'Twas about psychedelic tyme someone started a thread on this HUGE band........"THE BAND THE SQUARES LOVE TO HATE.." :) :) :) :)

"once a deadhead always a deadhead"

LOVE JERRY AND THE BOYS FOREVER!!

My fave song by the Dead is "Good morning little schoolgirl" ....NO-ONE covers that classic like the Dead!!

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FLASHINGSKULLANDBONES.gif

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Checking the Dead's website I see they have halted the Dick's Picks series (all of which will remain available) and have started up a new one called Road Trips. So far two installments are available.

RoadTrips1_cover.jpg5f9ccd5e-f4d7-4103-ba2e-e70805f93e99.jpg

They also started up a vinyl section although only two titles are available so far (Live/Dead and American Beauty):

http://www.deadnetstore.com/Commerce/Produ...22-7fef9a78cc43

Edited by Jahfin
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Checking the Dead's website I see they have halted the Dick's Picks series (all of which will remain available) and have started up a new one called Road Trips. So far two installments are available.

RoadTrips1_cover.jpg5f9ccd5e-f4d7-4103-ba2e-e70805f93e99.jpg

They also started up a vinyl section although only two titles are available so far (Live/Dead and American Beauty):

http://www.deadnetstore.com/Commerce/Produ...22-7fef9a78cc43

Yeah man, I was seriously thinking of getting those!! :). Are you on the dead.org forum?! Lovely place to be!! :)

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As mentioned, a collection would be good to start with. I have -the arista years, a double cd, very good collection. As for live cds, imo, go with something like a whole show, dozin at the knick or one of the dicks picks instead of -without a net.

If you like the stuff zeppelin did, like -achilles, stairway, then check out the song -terrapin station.

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The only time I saw the Dead, they did the entire Terrapin Station and alot of drumming, it seemed. It was very different than all the live recordings I had heard, previously. I really like Cold Rain and Snow, Fire on the Mountain, Me and My Uncle - stuff like that. It's a shame that the radio only plays Casey Jones - that's a poor example of what's great about the Dead.

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The only time I saw the Dead, they did the entire Terrapin Station and alot of drumming, it seemed. It was very different than all the live recordings I had heard, previously. I really like Cold Rain and Snow, Fire on the Mountain, Me and My Uncle - stuff like that. It's a shame that the radio only plays Casey Jones - that's a poor example of what's great about the Dead.

:unsure::blink: Go figure the radio!

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Checking the Dead's website I see they have halted the Dick's Picks series (all of which will remain available) and have started up a new one called Road Trips. So far two installments are available.

Interesting. My brother has I think the first 27 Dick's Picks and he stopped collecting them. Found they seemed to be too similar in set list, which for the Dead is not a common thing. I'll have to mention this new series to him.

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I've had my days where listening to the Dead seemed like the right thing to do. My sister donated to my LP collection Workingmans Dead, American Beauty and Mars Hotel. I enjoy them all. I've never bought any Dead material with my own funds although I've been contemplating a Best of CD. I'm not adverse to buying a Best of CD of certain artists.

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  • 3 months later...

Donna Jean Godchaux grateful to sing again

dd-donnajean03_horiph_498338334.jpg

Donna Jean Godchaux-Mackay, who spent seven years with the Grateful Dead, is touring. "I've never been happier," says the Alabama native, who moved back to her native state 27 years ago.

Chronicle photo by Deanne Fitzmaurice

Joel Selvin, Chronicle Senior Pop Music Critic

She barely escaped with her life - her husband didn't - but the only woman to ever belong to the Grateful Dead doesn't want to think about the dark times before she left the band after seven years in 1979.

"I don't like to talk about it because the memories I have of being in that band are the best of my life," says Donna Jean Godchaux-Mackay, 60, on a rare visit to Marin County since moving back to her native Alabama 27 years ago.

You can read the rest of the article here

Edited by Jahfin
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Donna Jean Godchaux grateful to sing again

"I don't like to talk about it because the memories I have of being in that band are the best of my life," says Donna Jean Godchaux-Mackay, 60, on a rare visit to Marin County since moving back to her native Alabama 27 years ago.

I remember her! What an interesting article - although the line I put in bold made me rather sad. I've always tried to live my life in such a way that the best memories of my life were the most recent ones - for some people, though, that's impossible to do.

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Grace Slick said she won't perform anymore, because "no one wants to see some old woman on the stage", many years ago. That's sad she has to think that way, even if it's true in a way. If a performer's voice or musicianship is still intact, there's no reason to have to feel that way. Plenty of performers I still see that are over 60 are actually better now - they're off drugs and more serious than back then. Although older men like Mick Jagger are spoofed on occasionally for still doing what made them famous, woman are particularly picked apart for their looks. I've never put anything into that, it's not a supermodel runway - it's music.

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  • 2 weeks later...

RIP Jerry Garcia

Peaches in the summer time apples in the fall

if I can't have the girl I love I don't want none at all

shady grove my little love shady grove I know

shady grove my little love I'm bound for shady grove

I wish I had a banjo string made of golden twine

every tune I play on it I wish that girl was mine

shady grove my little love shady grove I know

shady grove my little love I'm bound for shady grove

I wish I had a needle and thread as fine as I could sew

sew that pretty gal to my side and down the road I'd go

shady grove my little love shady grove I know

shady grove my little love I'm bound for shady grove

some come here to fiddle and dance some come here to tarry

some come here to fiddle and dance I come here to marry

shady grove my little love shady grove I know

shady grove my little love I'm bound for shady grove

every night when I go home wife I try to please her

the more I try the worse she gets

damned if I don't leave her

shady grove my little love shady grove I know

shady grove my little love I'm bound for shady grove

shady grove my little love shady grove my darling

shady grove my little love I'm going back to Harlan

shady grove my little love shady grove I know

shady grove my little love I'm bound for shady grove

Doc Watson

Edited by eternal light
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