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Larree 
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 Posted: April 27 2013 at 15:01 |
 Finnforest wrote:
Larree, 74-77 were probably the peak of the live shows, don't you think? They seemed a bit tighter and the material more challenging.
American Beauty remains my favorite album and I think one of the greatest Americana albums of all time. I can't take a road trip without having that one with me
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I definitely agree. I would even extend that live concert run into 1978. After Keith and Donna had their fight on stage and were thrown out of the band and Brent joined they seemed to get a little bit loose but still had some great shows. Nothing like 1977, though. That year was the high point, for sure.
American Beauty is one of my favorite's, too. Box of Rain is my favorite song most days of the week. And I love Workingman's Dead as much as American Beauty. American Beauty/Workingman's is the Dead's equivalent to the Beatles Rubber Soul/Revolver.
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Finnforest
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Posted: April 27 2013 at 15:09 |
I'll have to listen to Workingmans again, it's been too long. But yes those two are a combo package and showed the band in one amazing songwriting stretch. Wish I could have seen them in the 70s. My only concert was '86 on the Haagen Daaz coma tour with Dylan....not a great show. But hey, at least I have the Grateful Dead movie to enjoy! 
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Larree
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Posted: April 27 2013 at 15:32 |
Finnforest wrote:
I'll have to listen to Workingmans again, it's been too long. But yes those two are a combo package and showed the band in one amazing songwriting stretch.
Wish I could have seen them in the 70s. My only concert was '86 on the Haagen Daaz coma tour with Dylan....not a great show. But hey, at least I have the Grateful Dead movie to enjoy!
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I saw them with Dylan at Anaheim Stadium. It was fair. I love the Dead movie, too! And there are a lot of cool videos on youtube.
And yes! The songwriting. The Dead wrote so many amazing songs. I think a lot of Dead haters would probably love to hear Dead songs if the songs were cut by other artists. They are kind of like Dylan in that way.
Edited by Larree - April 27 2013 at 15:33
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HolyMoly
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Posted: April 27 2013 at 17:20 |
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I love the '74 - '77 period shows.
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.
-Kehlog Albran
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Finnforest
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Posted: April 27 2013 at 17:39 |
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There's a few really choice Dick's Picks from that era.....thank God for that series. I never would have appreciated the Dead to the degree I do without those shows.
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Tom Ozric
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Posted: April 27 2013 at 18:08 |
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Anthem, AoxomoxoA and Live Dead are my Dead. Blues For Allah is also amazing...........hmmm, even Wake Of The Flood with its rustic feel. American Beauty has some terrific toons as well. Can't go around amassing any more Dead albums coz life's too short...........
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Tom Ozric
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Posted: April 30 2013 at 01:04 |
Lesh's 'Unbroken Chain' (from the Mars Hotel album) is fantastic. Almost a Prog track.
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Svetonio
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Posted: April 30 2013 at 01:42 |
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My 3 fav albums from them are The Grateful Dead from The Mars Hotel, Live / Dead and Blues for Allah
Of course they ought to have their place in PA, but ...
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Tom Ozric
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Posted: May 11 2013 at 02:56 |
Just keeping this Dead-thread alive  .
Any folks have a favourite GD keyboardist ??
Let's see : Pigpen (Ron McKernan) - blues styled
T.C. (Tom Constanten) - avant-garde
Keith Godchaux - more jazz oriented than anything
Brent Mydland - straight ahead 'Rock' styling
Then I guess they had Vince Welnick helping out but I haven't heard any post-Mydland recordings. Actually, the last album I have of theirs is the triple Live album 'Without A Net'. Brent's rather 'plasticky' piano sound grates on me after a while and kills every intention of me listening to the entire thing in one fell swoop, but the other members are sounding great.
Loving Quicksilver Messenger Service a bit lately as well.
Edited by Tom Ozric - May 11 2013 at 19:30
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HolyMoly
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Posted: May 11 2013 at 07:16 |
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I've been thinking about my answer for a long time, and I still don't have a good answer. I feel like I should have an opinion on this, but I just don't. Keyboards have always kind of been a background thing for the Dead. Each of them made their subtle but substantial contributions to the group while they were there, and pretty much helped define the various eras the band went through.
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.
-Kehlog Albran
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dr wu23
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Posted: May 11 2013 at 13:43 |
Tom Ozric wrote:
Anthem, AoxomoxoA and Live Dead are my Dead. Blues For Allah is also amazing...........hmmm, even Wake Of The Flood with its rustic feel. American Beauty has some terrific toons as well. Can't go around amassing any more Dead albums coz life's too short........... |
That works for me.....but I usually will play Aoxomoxoa the most , but I have to be in a 'certain mood'.
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin
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Tom Ozric
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Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
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Posted: May 11 2013 at 19:04 |
dr wu23 wrote:
Tom Ozric wrote:
Anthem, AoxomoxoA and Live Dead are my Dead. Blues For Allah is also amazing...........hmmm, even Wake Of The Flood with its rustic feel. American Beauty has some terrific toons as well. Can't go around amassing any more Dead albums coz life's too short........... |
That works for me.....but I usually will play Aoxomoxoa the most , but I have to be in a 'certain mood'. |
AoxomoxoA - there are 2 versions of this album - original mix, and a 1971 re-mix. They both have their pros and cons. A story here : I originally had purchased the 1971 re-mix album back in the late 80's and, to cut a long story short, after a few years, I accidentally dropped a 'Boss' bass-pedal right on the album (butter-fingers.....) and it virtually cracked in half (the record, not the pedal)  . It took me several years to come across another copy, this time, lo and behold, a French pressing with the GD writing in white (not the black heading) and the original mix - for a measley 7 bucks. Really, a treasure to enjoy. 'What's Become Of The Baby' is so way different and superior to the re-mix. I do recall on the later version, Lesh's bass was more up-front, but the original is superb. And I am always in that 'certain mood' these days - permanently.................(no quite a Barrett case luckily.........).......
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Tom Ozric
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Posted: May 11 2013 at 19:26 |
HolyMoly wrote:
I've been thinking about my answer for a long time, and I still don't have a good answer. I feel like I should have an opinion on this, but I just don't. Keyboards have always kind of been a background thing for the Dead. Each of them made their subtle but substantial contributions to the group while they were there, and pretty much helped define the various eras the band went through. |
Yes, well, they each had stamped their own personality on the music. Pigpen played well (despite his anything-but-a-keyboard-player image ), T.C. was a serious experimentalist who worked wonders on the 'Anthem....' album. I guess the most technically proficient player was Keith - he had such a varied rig, adding lots of textures to the band's sound. Brent was better in the earlier days ('Dead Set' is a good example) but eventually just stuck to piano and Hammond. Actually, I recall reading something from an interview where Brent said something like this - The music of Grateful Dead is so spontaneous and spur-of-the-moment that by the time he programmed suitable sounds on his keyboards (he did have a mini-moog and some polysynths) the band had moved into another territory.......... I can agree with him 110 %.
Welnick was in 'The Tubes' and guested with Todd Rundgren - I never liked his approach, nor do I think anything of Bruce Hornsby (bland city for me). Anyway, it is difficult to single out any of their keyboardists - perhaps Keith was the one who was into the keyboards most.......?
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dr wu23
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Joined: August 22 2010
Location: Indiana
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Posted: May 13 2013 at 15:21 |
Tom Ozric wrote:
dr wu23 wrote:
Tom Ozric wrote:
Anthem, AoxomoxoA and Live Dead are my Dead. Blues For Allah is also amazing...........hmmm, even Wake Of The Flood with its rustic feel. American Beauty has some terrific toons as well. Can't go around amassing any more Dead albums coz life's too short........... |
That works for me.....but I usually will play Aoxomoxoa the most , but I have to be in a 'certain mood'. |
AoxomoxoA - there are 2 versions of this album - original mix, and a 1971 re-mix. They both have their pros and cons. A story here : I originally had purchased the 1971 re-mix album back in the late 80's and, to cut a long story short, after a few years, I accidentally dropped a 'Boss' bass-pedal right on the album (butter-fingers.....) and it virtually cracked in half (the record, not the pedal) . It took me several years to come across another copy, this time, lo and behold, a French pressing with the GD writing in white (not the black heading) and the original mix - for a measley 7 bucks. Really, a treasure to enjoy. 'What's Become Of The Baby' is so way different and superior to the re-mix. I do recall on the later version, Lesh's bass was more up-front, but the original is superb. And I am always in that 'certain mood' these days - permanently.................(no quite a Barrett case luckily.........)....... |
My vinyl copy is an original purchased about 6 months after it came out so I assume it's the orignal mix..?
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin
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Tom Ozric
Prog Reviewer
Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15916
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Posted: May 14 2013 at 03:29 |
dr wu23 wrote:
Tom Ozric wrote:
dr wu23 wrote:
Tom Ozric wrote:
Anthem, AoxomoxoA and Live Dead are my Dead. Blues For Allah is also amazing...........hmmm, even Wake Of The Flood with its rustic feel. American Beauty has some terrific toons as well. Can't go around amassing any more Dead albums coz life's too short........... |
That works for me.....but I usually will play Aoxomoxoa the most , but I have to be in a 'certain mood'. |
AoxomoxoA - there are 2 versions of this album - original mix, and a 1971 re-mix. They both have their pros and cons. A story here : I originally had purchased the 1971 re-mix album back in the late 80's and, to cut a long story short, after a few years, I accidentally dropped a 'Boss' bass-pedal right on the album (butter-fingers.....) and it virtually cracked in half (the record, not the pedal) . It took me several years to come across another copy, this time, lo and behold, a French pressing with the GD writing in white (not the black heading) and the original mix - for a measley 7 bucks. Really, a treasure to enjoy. 'What's Become Of The Baby' is so way different and superior to the re-mix. I do recall on the later version, Lesh's bass was more up-front, but the original is superb. And I am always in that 'certain mood' these days - permanently.................(no quite a Barrett case luckily.........)....... |
My vinyl copy is an original purchased about 6 months after it came out so I assume it's the orignal mix..?
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Must be !! If it has Lesh's bass chords and the A-Cappella bit at the end of 'Doin' That Rag' then for sure it's the original (they left that completely off the re-mix). Far more spontaneous and psychedelic overall. And you're so lucky to have been around for its release. I wasn't even thought of then. I absolutely love that album - kicks the ass off a lot of Prog really. The Airplane's 'After Bathing At Baxter's' is easily as good, and Quicksilver's debut. I wish I lived in the States................
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dr wu23
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Location: Indiana
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Posted: May 14 2013 at 10:15 |
Tom Ozric wrote:
dr wu23 wrote:
Tom Ozric wrote:
dr wu23 wrote:
Tom Ozric wrote:
Anthem, AoxomoxoA and Live Dead are my Dead. Blues For Allah is also amazing...........hmmm, even Wake Of The Flood with its rustic feel. American Beauty has some terrific toons as well. Can't go around amassing any more Dead albums coz life's too short........... |
That works for me.....but I usually will play Aoxomoxoa the most , but I have to be in a 'certain mood'. |
AoxomoxoA - there are 2 versions of this album - original mix, and a 1971 re-mix. They both have their pros and cons. A story here : I originally had purchased the 1971 re-mix album back in the late 80's and, to cut a long story short, after a few years, I accidentally dropped a 'Boss' bass-pedal right on the album (butter-fingers.....) and it virtually cracked in half (the record, not the pedal) . It took me several years to come across another copy, this time, lo and behold, a French pressing with the GD writing in white (not the black heading) and the original mix - for a measley 7 bucks. Really, a treasure to enjoy. 'What's Become Of The Baby' is so way different and superior to the re-mix. I do recall on the later version, Lesh's bass was more up-front, but the original is superb. And I am always in that 'certain mood' these days - permanently.................(no quite a Barrett case luckily.........)....... |
My vinyl copy is an original purchased about 6 months after it came out so I assume it's the orignal mix..?
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Must be !! If it has Lesh's bass chords and the A-Cappella bit at the end of 'Doin' That Rag' then for sure it's the original (they left that completely off the re-mix). Far more spontaneous and psychedelic overall. And you're so lucky to have been around for its release. I wasn't even thought of then. I absolutely love that album - kicks the ass off a lot of Prog really. The Airplane's 'After Bathing At Baxter's' is easily as good, and Quicksilver's debut. I wish I lived in the States................ |
I was born in '51 so I was lucky enough to be around when all the great classic stuff began and developed. I like the early Dead stuff but after Blues for Allah I kinda gave up on them.... I really like the Airplane much better...all of the early ones up to and including Blows Against The Empire.After that I kinda gave up on them too. Saw the original Jefferson Airplane at IU college in 1972 (outdoor event) along with the Byrds (minus Crosby) and Richie Havens, and BB King. Saw some decent bands at school in those days. One of my most memorable was The James Gang with Joe Walsh.
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin
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Tom Ozric
Prog Reviewer
Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15916
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Posted: May 15 2013 at 13:15 |
dr wu23 wrote:
Tom Ozric wrote:
dr wu23 wrote:
Tom Ozric wrote:
dr wu23 wrote:
Tom Ozric wrote:
Anthem, AoxomoxoA and Live Dead are my Dead. Blues For Allah is also amazing...........hmmm, even Wake Of The Flood with its rustic feel. American Beauty has some terrific toons as well. Can't go around amassing any more Dead albums coz life's too short........... |
That works for me.....but I usually will play Aoxomoxoa the most , but I have to be in a 'certain mood'. |
AoxomoxoA - there are 2 versions of this album - original mix, and a 1971 re-mix. They both have their pros and cons. A story here : I originally had purchased the 1971 re-mix album back in the late 80's and, to cut a long story short, after a few years, I accidentally dropped a 'Boss' bass-pedal right on the album (butter-fingers.....) and it virtually cracked in half (the record, not the pedal) . It took me several years to come across another copy, this time, lo and behold, a French pressing with the GD writing in white (not the black heading) and the original mix - for a measley 7 bucks. Really, a treasure to enjoy. 'What's Become Of The Baby' is so way different and superior to the re-mix. I do recall on the later version, Lesh's bass was more up-front, but the original is superb. And I am always in that 'certain mood' these days - permanently.................(no quite a Barrett case luckily.........)....... |
My vinyl copy is an original purchased about 6 months after it came out so I assume it's the orignal mix..?
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Must be !! If it has Lesh's bass chords and the A-Cappella bit at the end of 'Doin' That Rag' then for sure it's the original (they left that completely off the re-mix). Far more spontaneous and psychedelic overall. And you're so lucky to have been around for its release. I wasn't even thought of then. I absolutely love that album - kicks the ass off a lot of Prog really. The Airplane's 'After Bathing At Baxter's' is easily as good, and Quicksilver's debut. I wish I lived in the States................ |
I was born in '51 so I was lucky enough to be around when all the great classic stuff began and developed.
I like the early Dead stuff but after Blues for Allah I kinda gave up on them....
I really like the Airplane much better...all of the early ones up to and including Blows Against The Empire.After that I kinda gave up on them too. Saw the original Jefferson Airplane at IU college in 1972 (outdoor event) along with the Byrds (minus Crosby) and Richie Havens, and BB King.
Saw some decent bands at school in those days. One of my most memorable was The James Gang with Joe Walsh. |
That's so cool !! me, I'm a product of '72, making me unlucky to be around for hideous things such as Starship ( ), Spandau Ballet and Culture Club - but I've caught up over the years.
Blows Against The Empire is a really good album - I still love Long John Silver and Baron Von Tollbooth a lot. I've gone all the way with the Jefferson albums, they were still half-decent whilst Kantner was there. Grace Slick was so hot back in the day  . I know what you mean regarding the Dead after Blues For Allah - I thought their choice for songs like 'Dancin' In The Streets' was a bit dubious. I ditched a lot of post-Allah albums from my collection ages ago.
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smartpatrol
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Posted: June 27 2013 at 18:51 |
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k so I want some album suggestions
So far I've heard everything from Anthem of the Sun to American Beauty, Blues for Allah, and Skeletons from the Closet, and my favorites from those have been Blues for Allah, Live/Dead, and American Beauty.
Try to recommend me something based on that, or anything you think is really exceptional.
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dr wu23
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Location: Indiana
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Posted: June 27 2013 at 22:17 |
smartpatrol wrote:
k so I want some album suggestions
So far I've heard everything from Anthem of the Sun to American Beauty, Blues for Allah, and Skeletons from the Closet, and my favorites from those have been Blues for Allah, Live/Dead, and American Beauty.
Try to recommend me something based on that, or anything you think is really exceptional.
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That's their best period imo..up to Blues For Allah.........I personally like Aoxomoxoa and Mars Hotel.
Edited by dr wu23 - June 27 2013 at 22:24
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin
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Atavachron
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Posted: June 27 2013 at 22:23 |
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Wake? Workingman's? Terrapin?
for live, Dead Set and Reckoning, or maybe Europe '72
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The Grateful Dead??
