― Alex in NYC, Thursday, 25 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Chris, Friday, 26 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Lord Custos III, Friday, 26 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Dustin Cohen, Sunday, 15 September 2002 15:07 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 15 September 2002 15:18 (twenty-one years ago) link
― simon trife (simon_tr), Monday, 16 September 2002 08:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tad (llamasfur), Monday, 9 December 2002 10:56 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Roger Fascist (Roger Fascist), Monday, 9 December 2002 11:21 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tad (llamasfur), Monday, 9 December 2002 11:30 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Monday, 9 December 2002 11:32 (twenty-one years ago) link
i'd also throw in Zappa and the Mothers, but they weren't really hippies
― Tad (llamasfur), Monday, 9 December 2002 11:40 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tad (llamasfur), Monday, 9 December 2002 11:42 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Roger Fascist (Roger Fascist), Monday, 9 December 2002 11:50 (twenty-one years ago) link
The jams. Yes, you often have to wade through a fair bit of aimless noodling (which still sounds OK, even if the attention does wander a bit). But that's the price you pay for when they're really ON, when the band really kick off, find a great groove or head off in some unexpected direction. It's because they take the risks that they're capable of producing such great stuff when it comes off.
The synthesis they reach of all strands of Amercian music. In a similar way to The Band, but if anything broader, they bring together blues, bluegrass, rock 'n' roll, r&b, country, jazz, folk and avant garde experimentation. They're the closest anyone's come to achieving Gram Parsons' concept of 'cosmic American music'.
The songs. As with the music, they've made a conscious attempt to create/embellish mythic American tales. Whether it's from their own history ('Truckin', 'The Other one'), classic myths ('Casey Jones', 'Staggerlee'), new tales ('Friend of the Devil') or well-chosen covers ('Mama tried').
And yes, they do sound good on drugs as well.
If anyone's not been put off by the 90% slagging they get above, then apart from the recent box set you'd get a good range of what they're about by getting 'Workingman's Dead', 'Live Dead', 'Hundred Year Hall' and the 'Grayfolded' collaboration with John Oswald as mentioned by Chris above.
― James Ball (James Ball), Monday, 9 December 2002 12:44 (twenty-one years ago) link
(i'm usually not this irrational and flat-out dismissive, but if you can't already tell i see no redeeming qualities to the Grateful Dead's music whatsoever)
― Tad (llamasfur), Monday, 9 December 2002 12:51 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Broheems (diamond), Sunday, 18 January 2004 09:13 (twenty years ago) link
― HRH Queen Kate (kate), Sunday, 18 January 2004 12:59 (twenty years ago) link
― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Sunday, 18 January 2004 13:46 (twenty years ago) link
― eman (eman), Friday, 4 March 2005 05:38 (nineteen years ago) link
now you must die, then! ;-)
― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 4 March 2005 06:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― Bimble... (Bimble...), Friday, 4 March 2005 06:31 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 4 March 2005 06:35 (nineteen years ago) link
― Heidy- Ho, Friday, 4 March 2005 06:41 (nineteen years ago) link
(me, I've been on a slow conversion for several years from antipathy to grudging appreciation to modest admiration. which I admit started with a crush on a hippy chick.)
― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Friday, 4 March 2005 07:04 (nineteen years ago) link
― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Friday, 4 March 2005 07:05 (nineteen years ago) link
― eman (eman), Friday, 4 March 2005 07:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― Stormy Davis (diamond), Friday, 4 March 2005 07:13 (nineteen years ago) link
― eman (eman), Friday, 4 March 2005 07:20 (nineteen years ago) link
― Stormy Davis (diamond), Friday, 4 March 2005 07:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― jack cole (jackcole), Friday, 4 March 2005 07:36 (nineteen years ago) link
― RS_LaRue (RSLaRue), Saturday, 30 April 2005 21:31 (nineteen years ago) link
biggest change in my life since I stopped posting to ILM regularly = FINALLY getting into the Dead in a BIG way (nothing past 77 tho') - and so I wish to disown/delete my lame post waaay upthread - thee Dead really are THE great kosmic American guitar band, wonky vox and all
― Andrew J L, Saturday, 30 April 2005 21:47 (nineteen years ago) link
― RS_LaRue (RSLaRue), Saturday, 30 April 2005 21:52 (nineteen years ago) link
just saying.
― candylad, Saturday, 30 April 2005 21:53 (nineteen years ago) link
― Cunga (Cunga), Sunday, 1 May 2005 03:54 (nineteen years ago) link
― Amon (eman), Sunday, 1 May 2005 04:22 (nineteen years ago) link
― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Sunday, 1 May 2005 04:25 (nineteen years ago) link
― Amon (eman), Sunday, 1 May 2005 04:29 (nineteen years ago) link
it's unfortunate that I've not had the chance to explore more of their music since 'live/dead'. in fact the only dead-related thing I've heard was Garcia's playing in ornette's 'virgin beauty'.
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 1 May 2005 08:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― steve ketchup, Sunday, 1 May 2005 14:42 (nineteen years ago) link
― Masked Gazza, Sunday, 1 May 2005 14:49 (nineteen years ago) link
― Amon (eman), Sunday, 1 May 2005 14:55 (nineteen years ago) link
― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Sunday, 1 May 2005 16:51 (nineteen years ago) link
hehe....British sigular/plural band-verb agreement issues amuse me.
― PB, Sunday, 1 May 2005 17:01 (nineteen years ago) link
― Øystein (Øystein), Sunday, 1 May 2005 17:04 (nineteen years ago) link
― Keith C (kcraw916), Sunday, 1 May 2005 17:16 (nineteen years ago) link
― Eisbär (llamasfur), Sunday, 1 May 2005 17:31 (nineteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Sunday, 1 May 2005 22:08 (nineteen years ago) link
― Amon (eman), Sunday, 1 May 2005 22:17 (nineteen years ago) link
The Dead are pleasant enough. They don't require - or particularly reward - deep thinking to listen to them. Certainly they don't deserve the amount of vitriole they get, but I don't understand how they (their music?) could change anyone's life.
― stephen morris (stephen morris), Monday, 2 May 2005 01:12 (nineteen years ago) link