The Grateful Dead Thread Band

Did you turn 21 in prison doing life without parole? Do you tend to look for neither fights or answers, cuz you know it'll come out right? Do you stop strangers just to shake their hand? What do you want....sky? Do you not know but you've been told, its hard to run with the weight of gold? But on the other hand, you've heard it said, it's just as hard with the weight of led? Do you like to drive trains, high on cocaine? Is your tongue twisted with words unspoken and thoughts unclear? Will a box of rain ease the pain, and love see you through? Are you Saturday's child, all alone, moving with a tinge of grace? Are you a clown in the burying ground? Or just another pretty face? Might you meet the fate of Ophelia, sleeping perchance to dream? Are you honest to the point of recklessness, self-centered in the extreme? Will you let the words be mine, you are done with yours? Is all you know that something like a bird within her sang?

Do you like to laugh in the sunshine, sing, cry in the dark, fly through the night?

What up y'all its ya resident deadhead here to post about the Grateful Dead until none of you like me anymore. I'm pumped for it lets go. See ya at SPAC and in Hartford this summer where I will be doing drugs and listening to John Mayer shred like hell with Bobby & the boys.

 

If you're reading this post, you probably are interested in the Grateful Dead. Where do you start? The below chart segments the band's history and releases so as to be easier to understand in the way a deadhead might than a giant wikipedia list of dozens of releases. I would say you shouldn't use this as a flowchart, its not necessarily the best order to listen to everything, its about eras or major shifts in sound. The first two tiers are a good starting point, but you could just as easily start with Cornell '77 or even Wake of the Flood if its to your taste. Jump around, and latch onto stuff you like.

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old version

RESOURCES:

MUSIC:
Grateful Dead : Free Music : Free Audio : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming : Internet Archive Streams of multiple sources of almost every Dead show ever. The best soundboards are usually Charlie Miller transfers and the best Matrices are usually Hunter Seamons.
Grateful Grabber Chrome extension for downloading Dead shows from the Archive, which you can no longer otherwise do.
The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics, by David Dodd Annotated Grateful Dead lyrics by David Dodd, Deadhead author
Vote on the best version of Grateful Dead songs | headyversion Find the best versions of songs
GD Recommended shows by year Spreadsheet with show recs
ShiningBest.com - Grateful Dead setlists and more. Grateful Dead stats & history
Grateful Dead Listening Guide Show review blog
Intro to Listening to the Dead on reddit
Dead & Company : Free Audio : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming : Internet Archive D&C on Archive

Musician websites:
Official Site Dead & Co Tour info
PHIL LESH
Bob Weir
Jerry Garcia
Mickey Hart - Grammy Winning Percussionist & Musicologist
Robert Hunter Archive

GD Family:
David Lemieux (@lemieuxdavid) | Twitter - Archivist
David Gans (@davidgans) | Twitter - GD hour host, author
Cloud Surfing GD hour site

MORE:
The Strangest of Places. • r/grateful_dead subreddit
https://old.reddit.com/r/gratefuldead/ bigger subreddit
Thoughts On The Dead silly blog by some boomer
Library Guides: The Grateful Dead Archive: Welcome!

 

I will never be their biggest fan, but I can vouch for how awesome American Beauty and Workingman's Dead are.

 

Yeah those are the cuts everyone should listen to no matter what, completely undeniable

 

Wow, my overwrought and ridiculously long guides about semi-niche subjects look slick on this site

 

Never stop doing them.

 

I'm gonna listen to more GD now

 

i need my damn dancing bear emoji @Jason Tate. How has no one made that yet. The entire internet and no Grateful Dead emoji. Maybe there's a steal your face emoji

 

I am listening to American Beauty right now and feeeeeeling it

 

It's beautiful. One of my favorites ever [124242353143]

 

I finally found our theme song @Jake Jenkins @schlotty @Ryan Dennehy @TheVandyMan @brandon_260

 

This whole album is incredible, honestly. Everyone should listen to this, very accessible. @cshadows2887 might even enjoy.

 

Leggo

 

The most played song around campfires by stoned 18-29 year olds all time tbh

 

Its a top 5 dead song. Bob sounds so great and they are so many good live versions, it's a great comedown rock out song after intense emotional jams

 

i like Bertha should i listen to the album it's on or just go w/ american beauty??

 

Both, tbh. It's only on the live album Skull and Roses, but its better than most of their studios and not a bad introduction at all. But definitely listen to American Beauty too I genuinely think everyone should it's just straight up great Americana folk/country rock stuff.

 

Actually put "Friend of the Devil" on a random playlist today

 

The week I eventually cave and do the Dead, I will need so much consulting with Ben. Haha

 

Oh man yes please

 

Haha it may take a bit before it's their turn, but I'm sure they will get a week

Random sidenote, but are you into Santana? His jazz leanings made me wonder

 

It was their highest charting song at 64 until 87 when "Touch of Gray" randomly hit #9. 17 years between their biggest hits haha

 

Not as much as I should be. A few months ago I listened to Caravanserai and a couple others from around the and really liked then but neglected to return. I definitely owe him more time

 

I haven't gotten to that one or his record with John McLaughlin when he got full on fusion, but fuck if their first 3 records are just ludicrously good