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Grateful Dead
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The Grateful Dead is an American psychedelia-influenced rock band. Formed in 1965 in San Francisco from the remnants of another band, “Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions,” the Grateful Dead were known for their unique and eclectic songwriting style which fused elements of rock, folk music, bluegrass, blues, country, and jazz, and also for live performances of long modal jams.
Some fans followed them from concert to concert for years. These “Deadheads” were renowned for their dedication to the band’s music. Many followers referred to the band simply as The Dead.
The Grateful Dead became the de facto resident band of Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters, with the early sound heavily influenced by Kesey’s LSD-soaked Acid Tests. Their musical influences varied widely with input from the psychedelic music of the era, combined with blues, jazz, rock and roll, and bluegrass. These various influences were distilled into a diverse and psychedelic whole that made the Grateful Dead “the pioneering Godfathers of the jam band world.”
One of the most notable things about the existence of the Grateful Dead is the extent to which they were together as a band. They were a complete band for thirty years only being stopped by the death of Jerry Garcia in 1995. Their recorded output, with the vast number of concerts available as downloads as well as CDs etc is unmatched by any other band.
Some fans followed them from concert to concert for years. These “Deadheads” were renowned for their dedication to the band’s music. Many followers referred to the band simply as The Dead.
The Grateful Dead became the de facto resident band of Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters, with the early sound heavily influenced by Kesey’s LSD-soaked Acid Tests. Their musical influences varied widely with input from the psychedelic music of the era, combined with blues, jazz, rock and roll, and bluegrass. These various influences were distilled into a diverse and psychedelic whole that made the Grateful Dead “the pioneering Godfathers of the jam band world.”
One of the most notable things about the existence of the Grateful Dead is the extent to which they were together as a band. They were a complete band for thirty years only being stopped by the death of Jerry Garcia in 1995. Their recorded output, with the vast number of concerts available as downloads as well as CDs etc is unmatched by any other band.
Videos
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Play
Grateful Dead - Desolation Row
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Play
Grateful Dead - That's It For The Other One
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Play
Grateful Dead - New Speedway Boogie
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Play
Grateful Dead - Birdsong
Top Albums
Shoutbox
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terriphin wrote:
for people who dig the band check out: 6-27-1985 Saratoga http://www.archive.org/details/gd85-06-27.sbd.miller.27863.sbeok.flacf
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DotsDisconnect wrote:
this band is not good.
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Necrological wrote:
If you're a fan of the herb, join this group. http://www.last.fm/group/Weed
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medicmd wrote:
<3weedums
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danthemusicman1 wrote:
Oh and Wake of the Flood and Workingman's Dead, maybe Built to Last too.
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danthemusicman1 wrote:
My first album by them was American Beauty, and I played it out I loved it so much. Then I bought their other albums, and I strongly disagree with ppl who say they didn't make great studio albums (Aoxomaoxoa, Mars Hotel, Blues for Allah are great fuckin albums) or who say the only way to hear them is live. Of course the live experience is amazing no doubt, but I heard those albums and loved them b4 seeing them live
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HardRokas wrote:
Underrated, seriously.
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phillip360 wrote:
Click on 'pataphysics to enhance your Last.fm user account and everything that goes with it.
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mylifeisought wrote:
In their first seven years, they released three of the best live albums ever: Live/Dead, Skullfuck (Grateful Dead), and Europe '72. You really can't go wrong with any of them.
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terriphin wrote:
i have to agree with europe 72' but i wouldn't forget about blues for allah...some great instrumentals that give you an idea of what they do best
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dscia wrote:
Europe 72' to start, get the live feel you'll appreciate it more.
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UmphreysHead wrote:
American Beauty
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TwoCBFly wrote:
Europe '72
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destard wrote:
best album to start with?
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dscia wrote:
@yamstick: that is one huge generalization you're tossing out there, and by no means are you entirely correct.
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WichitaQ wrote:
R.I.P. Merl Saunders :(
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terriphin wrote:
maybe the hippies are selfish but remember deadhead does not necessarily equal hippie and all the older heads i know on various sites are not selfish and actively upgrade / trade shows...and primal dead is great stuff, raw psychedelic rock at it's best
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coneill52 wrote:
To me, the 1960's dead is my personal favorite. They had way more explosive colorful energy! It seems like its a bit underrated but that is definitely not a bad thing. Every song from the 1960's dead seems more individual and unique as well. I definitely enjoy the later and more popular stuff, but the earlier stuff seems to have more of a mean to it, more of a beautiful art form, and more "in your face" intensity especially with the acid test shows. They just seemed more special at that time.
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munchkin_666 wrote:
The 60's wasn't all failure, the protests, activism, and ideals still influence many, and the main ideals, of sharing, bassically communist like ideals are awesome ideas. The one problem with the ideals that the hippies had is not everyone is willing to work together. The whole thing could of worked out but only if it where in small groups, like how height and ashbury was that was bassically one huge commune, but it collapsed because it pretty much just got over crowded, and people started to not want to work together. So yeah they did fail in a way, but good things did come out of it.
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Lord_Krichian wrote:
spot on
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