[tom_3_21]

I have heard alot of good things about the Grateful Dead, but I havent heard much of their music before. what is a good starting album I could pick up?

 

[linuxworks]

do you prefer: studio or live recordings?

more: rock or country/blues influence? long jams or shorter songs?

(trying to narrow things down)

 

[islewind]

Studio - Workingman's Dead
Live - Europe 72

There are many great "Dick's Picks," but you can't go wrong with the first two.

 

[tom_3_21]

I prefer studio recordings to live recordings generally, rock to country/blues and I dont mind weather theyre long jams or shorter songs (both are good).

 

[mgrewe]

That's good that you are open to varying song length. You will get a lot of that with the Grateful Dead. Although you will get a truer sense of who they are with live recordings, they have released some solid studio albums.

Do you have a Pandora Radio - Listen to Free Internet Radio, Find New Music? Cause I would start with making a pandora radio station with the Grateful Dead as your main band and thumbs down anything else that is not associate with them. This way you can get a feel of their sound and broad range of styles. Needless to say, you will not be disappointed.

 

[linuxworks]

american beauty, working man's dead, reckoning, mars hotel, wake of the flood. those are some classics to start with, perhaps.

also, might try some 'jerry garcia band' for an alternate sound (not dead; but still has the 'jerry element' (lol) in it).

 

[tom_3_21]

Thanks for the help, ill definitely try Pandora Radio, and then go onto the albums from there after.

 

[mgrewe]

Yup, you may want to check out some Phil Lesh and Friends. Phil Lesh is the bassist. He's done some great things post Jerry's death. I'm sure it'll show up on pandora.

 

[Lindy]

 

[priest]

Workingman's Dead

 

[grawk]

Wake of the Flood and Blues for Allah are to me the best dead albums. They capture some of the magic, but are still approachable. But really, the live shows are where it's at. The shows from summer 1990 were really good, 85 was pretty interesting, 74-76 were great. Avoid anything from 94 or later.

 

[rhythmdevils]

One of my favorite dead albums is "One from the Vault". It's really rhythmic and they are all just on. More of the rocking/rhythmic side of the dead since that sounds like what you're after. The jams are really tuneful, and don't get too cosmic so to speak. Best Franklin's tower ever?

Also, you can't got wrong with the studio album American Beauty

 

[cheemo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhythmdevils /img/forum/go_quote.gif One of my favorite dead albums is "One from the Vault". <snip>...you can't got wrong with the studio album American Beauty.

Good advice...

 

[grawk]

oddly enough, my favorite dead studio album is Ace, the Bob Weir solo album. I think having only one person making the decisions made it a better album.

 

[userlander]

I like Blues for Allah - Side 1 at least (and Crazy Fingers). American Beauty and Workingman's Dead are also great studio albums.

There is so much Grateful Dead music for free on the internet though, why just limit yourself to studio? None of the studio albums can match the best of their live shows, anyway.