Still is. I've known many young hippies who are all like "yeah, I'm a deadhead. I mean, their music is kind of dad rock. but I like to go to shows to drop L and sway on dance floor." Sure, it melds at the edges with all the other jam-band fans, festies, old-school hippies, and the rest. But people still wear their steelie shirts out in public to pick each other out of crowds.
Not surebwhst you mean by were, the DH family is bigger than ever and growing.. Yes Jerry is gone.. and we miss him.. but I assure you my friend the culture is just fine🤗✌️
As music promoter, Bill Graham, once said: "They're not the best at what they do, they're the only ones who do what they do." They do Rock, they do Folk, they do Bluegrass, Jazz, Country, Blues...... They are kind of their own genre. Nice reaction.
My sister worked for Bill Graham and Avalon attractions back in the day. I remember working as a teenager in the concession stands at Ventura fairgrounds for a couple of Grateful Dead shows. They were not concerts they were definitely events major events. Awesome days.
Just a note. Robert Hunter wrote this piece while coming down from a night of good cocaine. Hunter wasn't real big on coke but someone gave him. Ended up being very good cocaine. As the first line says "must be getting early. Read about it. Great story. Or should I say Grate story
This was a fun video, I'm in the crowd.👌👌 Filmed at Laguna Seca Speedway in Monterey California 1987. They did the video after the Saturday concert. We were camping on the raceway and crew came and invited everyone back in to spend the evening participating!!! So incredibly fun!!!👍👍👌👌✌✌😁😁
I was working in a 2 man guitar factory when a Dead road man comes in (a little panicky)(one of their wherehuoses was in the neiborhood) and described the situation. At the last minute they realized The Boys guitars were too heavy and too valuable to be used by the maniquens. They needed us to drop everything and make replicas for the filming. Which we did.
You are so fortunate to hear the Dead for the first time :) That smile couldn’t be erased from your face, it’s obvious you get it. Welcome to the family.
Wow you are on the edge of the deepest modern music rabbit hole that there is. I have been enjoying the Dead for 50 years and there is so much to listen to that they never fail to make me smile. Do commit to do more and be prepared to be as surprised each time as surprised as this first time. They truly are unique
Rock, blues, jazz, folk, country, scat, etc. It would be easier to talk about what the Dead did not do. Because that list would be small to non existent. Heck, these guys worked African music, very melodicaloy, into some songs. They were an eclectic band unlike any other.
@@jamespriest9658 When Bob Dylan praises your songwriting skills - and wants to collaborate with you - I'd say you're doing all right. Hunter and Dylan are lyricists in a class all their own.
@@MarkAtkinson1968 Who cares? What GD did was far beyond mere vocals. It was the gestalt - the group mind - all charting new territory night in and night out. One of the best ways I have heard it described is by Rosie McGee, one-time girlfriend of bassist Phil Lesh: in her book "Dancing with the Dead", she remembered feeling a twinge of reluctant jealousy as she watched Phil onstage connecting with the band in a way he could never connect with her. If I wanted "perfect" vocals, I'd listen to some auto-tuned crap like Justin Bieber or something. I'll take The Grateful Dead any day, warts and all.
Grateful Dead are very much about the zen of it all. From the tribe-like connection of their fan base to the synchronization of their two-drummer rhythm section, the Grateful Dead aesthetic is one of shared experience and the journey. I was never a fan myself, but I had respect for their improvisational style and the dedication of their audience, many of whom would just drop everything and follow them across the country attending every one of the dates on a given tour. I enjoyed your first listen to them.
I went to a couple of their shows but never made it in to where they were playing. Stayed in the parking lot the whole time lol came home with goodies! 😉
Seeing the Grateful Dead was a great excuse to hit the road and see the country back in the day. I'm so glad I did it! I remember once the Dead added another show to their Spring Tour, and of course I had to go. I saw my boss in the crowded train station the morning after I found out about it, so I jogged up beside her and said, "Hey, ahhhh....I think I'm gonna, ahhh...take another day in March...." She laughed and said, "Oh yeah, I heard the Dead added another show. No problem." My reputation as a Deadhead preceded me wherever I went, it seems.
The Grateful Dead never fail to get me into a reaction video. No one is expecting them to be what they were. This song always makes me smile and lightens my heart. I still miss Jerry and I am happy others are still discovering the music never stopped. China Cat Sunflower, St. Stephen, Franklin’s Tower Ramble on Rose. You have a huge rabbit hole ahead and I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to seeing you dive in.
This is the song that brought in a large number of new fans in the early 90's. It was a bug deal at the time but has faded. Shen they released Touch of Grey they had already been touring almost 25 years. Now it is 34 years after 1990 and a version of the band is still playing at the Sphere in Las Vegas for a ten week stand this summer. They toured up until last year as Dead and Company. Not all the original guys on stage but there is continuity with the guitarist Bob Weir and one of the drummers Mickey Hart still playing. The other drummer and the original bass player are both still alive but choose not to play in the current project. John Mayer has taken up lead guitar and singing duties for the last decade.
Saw my first Grateful Dead concert in 1980 and my last in 1995, and in between, my life just got better and better. Because of them. The story of the name is that Lead Guitarist and Singer Jerry Garcia was looking for a new band name. Their old one, The Warlocks, was being used by a New York City band, who eventually became The Velvet Underground, and he looked in a Funk & Wagnalls Dictionary and opened to "Grateful Dead". A motif where a traveler comes upon a dead body by the side of the road, and he arranges for a proper burial. Later on the traveler runs into adversity, and the spirit of the man he buried helps him out of his problem. Good vibes. It is nice to watch someone new discover The Dead, their music and their whole subculture. It is all about fun and being good to each other. Welcome aboard the bus.
Great post, Bob. I know what you mean when you said your life just got better. So many good things in my life can be traced back to the Grateful Dead in some way or another (friends I made, memorable stories, seeing great places - heck, even meeting my wife). Definitely a lot to be Grateful for!
I was really mesmerized by Jerry's vocals to the lyrics in althea the other day all the different emotions and grit and attitude in is singing, makes a very captivating story teller for me.
My first live Grateful Dead show was in January, 1971. Saw them almost 70 times between then and 1995. The symbiosis between the Dead and the Deadheads must be experienced to trully understand what's going on. The band members use to say that it was controlled anarchy on stage. Just before they went on stage they would decide the first 2 songs of the nearly 3-hour show and then just wing it from there. Some shows melted the walls, and some were fairly forgettable. Luckily, we Deadheads still loved them all.
So glad you enjoyed an intro to the Dead! I love your smile, not just the big toothy one, but that more telling little smile that goes all the way to your forehead, and says, "I'm not just communicating, I am genuinely HAPPY!" So nice!
The old bumper stickers were true: "There is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert." Not only were they all incredible musicians - who managed to take just about every genre of American music and turn it into something completely original - they were also great songwriters who worked with top--notch lyricists in Robert Hunter, John Perry Barlow, and Bobby Peterson. Their touring scene was a society within a society. It promoted kindness, inclusion, and acceptance no matter who you were, three things the world badly needs today. Do yourself a favor and at least listen to the studio version of "Brokedown Palace." If that music and those words don't move you, I don't know what to say. It's a great testament to what a great band the Grateful Dead were.
You found the greatest band in history. In my humble opinion. I’ve been a Deadhead since 1972. There are literally over 100 songs to recommend. Anything from Europe’72 especially China Cat / I know you Rider and Brown Eyed Women. From Wake of the flood, Eyes of the World and Weather Report Suite. Here are a few off the top of my head, Sugaree, Cassidy, Standing on the Moon, Althea, Thtowing Stones, Scarlet Begonias, Unbroken Chain and Franklin’s Tower. I had to stop myself because I could have gone on for an hour just listing. Enjoy your journey!
Great great band. Jerry’s improvised melodic lead guitar and warm vocals with well written songs is just pure joy. Especially live this band comes alive and Jerry’s ballads are incredible
I was there watching while they filmed this video. It was after one of the shows at Laguna Seca in Monterey in 1987. They asked if anyone wanted to hang out to be part of the audience in the video. It took hours so I got bored after a while.
Great introduction to the Grateful Dead. They were a live touring band with a following like none other. Would highly suggest "Not Fade Away" (Orchard Park, NY 7/4/89) for a live performance reaction. It really showcases their chemistry on stage as well as connection with their followers/fans.
I was a Deadhead for a bit in the early 90's, traveled around and saw them play in several Midwestern states, great, fun times! This album was fresh when I was actively doing this... Fun fact: This song was the band's only top 10 hit song (which is amazing because they had dozens of songs that are as good as this one or better). Fingers crossed that you consider a couple other Dead tunes to review for us, including: "Ripple" "Friend of the Devil" and "Uncle John's Band"
@@cascadecommunitywatch5181 Lol, I thought the same thing but didn't reply because I didn't want it to sound hostile. But the question of "was" dogged me, too!
Their name comes from a common folklore theme- a ghost appears to someone, the person helps them out, the person is rewarded in return, thus 'grateful'. My favorite of theirs is 'St. Stephen'. "Can you answer? Yes I can But what would be the answer to the answer man?"
Hi, as you've just discovered, The Dead are different. I'm 5 hours late so I'm sure everyone has told you about how they're a live band. And yeah, a bunch of guys who you'd just hang out with and listen to. Just on a large scale! I don't qualify as a "real" Deadhead because I've only seen them a half dozen times, but I still have a Dead sticker on my car. This song was their only radio hit, but the have 100s of songs that millions of us can sing along with. Give some live songs a listen. A real good intro for you would be China Cat Sunflower/ I know You Rider from the Europe '72 album. Two songs that they always played together (aka China/Rider) and that version is my favorite. All of their shows were recorded, they let their fans tap into the soundboard and there's a whole world of traded tapes out there. I attended my first Dead show in April '73 at Boston Garden and when I looked a few years ago there it was online. Anyway, glad you enjoyed them, hope you listen to a lot more. Peace
Welcome to the world of the Grateful Dead, the ultimate jam band and the best community anywhere. Their catalog is deep and wide covering many genres. Robert Hunter was the lyricst and an official member of the band. Ripple would be a grate next song to check out. another must is Standing on the Moon. I can't express the many ways they impacted the music world. check out their wall of sound. Keep in mind they never played a song the same way twice which is why you will see requests for songs from a specific date.
Brightness. Exactly the right word. There’s such a happy optimism that is contagious and when you saw them in person, it was a huge dance party with the most colorful characters. Thanks for this…I needed a reminder, I will survive.
The Dead are a trip. Every song on their album American Beauty is a classic. Try Box of Rain, Sugar Magnolia, Ripple, or Truckin'. I guarantee that you will have fun with them. Great reaction as always Bethany😃
I think American Beauty is far and away their best studio album. My wife is partial to Workingman's Dead (also great), which leads to some interesting conversations and comparisons, let me tell you! On "Box of Rain" you get to hear a rare recorded instance of Jerry Garcia playing the piano. The lineup on the studio version is Dave Torbert from NRPS on bass, David Nelson (also from NRPS) on electric guitar, Phil Lesh on acoustic guitar and vocals, Jerry on piano, Billy Kreutzmann on drums and of course Bobby on harmony vocals. I believe the only song on American Beauty to feature both drummers is "Till the Morning Comes."
The Greatful Dead is referring to a Buddhist story about a traveller who arrived in a town, finding a man dead in the street. No one in the town would pay for his funeral, so he spent his last money to pay for the funeral and left town. On his subsequent adventures the reincarnated spirit of the dead man aids the traveller. 🙏
Great review! My favorite song is by them it's called Box of Rain. I look forward to you hopefully reacting to more of their music. My favorite vocalist is Rachel Price in a band called Lake Street Dive.
One of the hardest cries I had in my life was after I had lost a child to brain cancer back in 1996 and friend of mine was playing Box of Rain on the radio in his car. I was unaware of the story behind the song so when he told me,I lost it. One of my favorite songs by them.
They're a Jam band...folk. rock. psychedelic. blues...Jerry Garcia songwriter, guitar. Lead vocals died in 1995. They're following and concert tours were hugely popular!.
Besides his death, many of their keyboardists also died, which earned the Dead the dubious honor of having the "keyboard curse." The list of keyboardists with the Dead who have actually died included Ron "Pigpen" McKernan in 1973, Keith Godchaux in 1980, Brent Mydland in 1990, and most recently, Vince Welnick (ex-Tubes) in 2006.
I have never seen one of your videos before - but it was really fun to watch you be introduced to the Dead. Not sure if they give you much traffic but you should consider really exploring them - there is a lot there and i think you would enjoy it.
This reminds me of my mom when I played American Beauty for her. So many people just stick their heads in the sand and close their ears and minds because of the name.
As a Dead fan since the 70’s and fully earned my Touch Of Grey, I believe this to be one of the greatest songs of all time. Can’t wait to hear Jerry sing again one day in that big concert in the sky.
I discovered The Grateful Dead over 30 years ago, and I was very later to the party. My biggest musical regret is never getting the chance to see them live. Highly recommend “Eyes of the World” (Live with Bradford Marcellus), “Ripple”, “Brokedown Palace”, “Dire Wolf”, “Shakedown Street”, “bScarlett Begonias”, “Ship of Fools”, “Estimated Prophet”… I could go on and on. Such amazing music! 💀🌹
Greatest American band ever. So glad you decided to. They have the best songbook encompassing all genres, amazing lyrics, improvisation and a number of singers/keyboardists to delve into also. I believe they are still the biggest selling band in history in terms of concert tickets with a fan base that followed them wherever they went. The people's and the musicians' band. The music played the band :) 🌹💃🕺
There are a lot of bands that can lay a good claim to the term 'unique' - bands like System, or Rush, or Tool - but I'm not sure anyone can lay that claim with such certitude as the Dead. Their community of followers - the Dead Heads - a legit subculture unto itself, based on and living the values of peace and love - spent years and in many cases decades making this band the central organizing principle of their lives, as they followed them around the country over and over and over. Without it becoming cultish. This band represented an *ethos* that sustained multitudes, primarily due to their encouraging their fans to record their shows, each of which their intentional and inveterate improvisational skills rendered unique. So much more than a band. It wasn't so much their music - it was their congenial and bohemian attitude born from the 60s that persisted vibrant and unchanged into the 90s. Absolutely remarkable. Unique indeed.
Glad you've discovered the world's greatest band. As you noted, they're everything: funk, blues, disco, bluegrass, rock, pop, jazz, and even a bit of rap. Many live audience recordings are warts and all with less polished harmonies but the official live albums like Reckoning and Dead Set are monumental. And you can even catch Bobby still performing to this day, as well as Phil and Billy. We will survive.
Sometimes the "warts" are the best part. You know you have become a Deadhead when you are listening to live recordings and one of your favorite parts is listening to them find ( or sometimes limp) a way to the next song.
Fun fact: Jerry Garcia wrote the line, "light a candle, curse the glare." Robert Hunter wrote the rest after a night of indulging in something he hadn't indulged in for a long time.
They're the main reason I don't have a career...got hooked in college and when I got out I went to as many concerts as possible...it was too much fun, to say the least. It was fun watching you in this video too...
Im glad you like this song , i went to " dead" concerts at laguna seca in 1987 and 88 , i remember exactly when they played this song , and by the way you're so cute , i will check out your other vids ❤️ 💜 ♥️ 💙 😀 😊 ❤️ 💜 ♥️
I loved watching your smile during this video. It brought me a ton of joy. The Dead are my favorite band. The live shows are what any fan listens to, not the studio. There are a ton of live shows available on any streaming service. I recommend a 70's show for the vocals because Jerry Garcia's voice can get thin by the 80's due to his battle with health
I didn't really get into the Dead until a few years ago when they popped up on a play list, but glad I did. I found a lot of great music I had missed out. Also all of the band members solo or collaboration work as well. Jerry was good on a steel guitar and they did a lot of great covers as well. So versatile, and chill. Great music for a day on the boat or a lazy afternoon.
I was like you at first Bethany; had to do a double take. Second time through, just based on presentation, not lyrics; I saw the song as comic relief for our mortality. 👻 Indeed it’s a fun, bobbing the head to the rhythm song! 💃 Another enjoyable reaction from you, Bethany! 💜
This song was the bane of our existence on tour. Before they had this hit touring was so easy then all of a sudden thousands of people showed up without tickets and although the seen was fun it became difficult. When they played this in shows, as opposed to this video, Jerry would go off on a great guitar solo. But in order to reduce the time for an MTV video he didn’t play the solo. I had the privilege of seeing them perform over 300 times from 71-95.
You can’t see the Grateful Dead but you can see Dead & Co which has some original members and are incredible in their own way. And at the Sphere in Las Vegas which will be special. They are/were an incredible band with a rich history and never ending influence. I’m glad you discovered them. ❤
Its so funny because this band is known for their instrumental live jams. Jerry Garcia was addled with addiction and bad choices, but no one had a bad thing to say about him. He was joy and jubilee personified. Your reaction was that of a fan listening to a jam, except you picked up the vibes through the lyrics. This was fun to watch. This is a lesser liked song among fans. Except a large swath of fans dubbed TouchHeads because they started touring with the band after their MTV hit.
Phil Lesh, Bobby Weir, and Brent Mydland (RIP), did the harmony vocals. You definitely should check out "Easy Wind" from back in 1970. Pigpen was a great blues singer and an important force in the band during their early days.
I was lucky enough to to have attended both shows this was filmed at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey CA. The shows were daytime but of course the vid is after dark. I followed them around the country for years but, except for NYE shows, this was literally the best I had seen them. Dig deep. The 70s and early 80s were my favorite times. But I oved every show I was at.
I had the same reaction the first time I heard them. I was in high school in the 90’s and was in to jazz and blues. Kids were wearing Grateful Dead t-shirts and all the Dead’s skulls and roses imagery reminded me of bands like Guns n Roses or Iron Maiden. Then I heard the Dead on the radio one Saturday night, and it was nothing like I expected. Might even have been this song since it was their biggest radio hit. Anyway, I immediately started buying their albums - my first was a two album collection on cassette tape, American Beauty on side A and Workingmans’s Dead on side B and I listened to it so much the tape broke in my knockoff Walkman. Next was their first album - and lo and behold, it was basically blues record. I’ve been hooked for 30 years. Enjoy the ride!
To learn a lot more about the Dead, there's the book "The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics" . I never paid attention to the words that much until this song, There's a play on 3 sayings and a reference to the military alphabet. Wow!
Where to start? Your research of course then studio versions of Shakedown Street, Ripple, Dire Wolf, High Time, Attics Of My Life has vocal harmonies that are very sweet. As for "Live Dead", that is what Grateful Dead did. There are so many complete shows on RUclips you just do a search. Each concert was a recording session
The song was a surprise hit. The band had been around for over 20 years at that point, and was well known, but had never really broke the charts. This song was released at the right place and time and the younger generation (Gen X) took to it. It was the Dead's biggest hit long after they were 'relevant'. Great tune.
In the late eighties they were rocking and so good. Brent on the keyboard was so amazing and brought so much energy to the band. Drummers we do in synch . Look up some of those live shows in the late 80s they were great. GD timeless. There music will never fade away
Priceless your reaction to the dead is priceless, didn't see that coming did you? Now all you need is a collection of dancing bears and you will be ready to go. They were really something to see, a distant cousin only because we grew up so far away after years finally got ahold of each other and he invited me to come visit and go the the Dead, I'm on my way you know lol. We went to the show well he met this chick while we were there and at the end of it all I'm ready to go and finally found him again after disappearing with her, asked us he ready, he looks at me and says he ain't going, he's home. I was like okay well I'm 3 states from home so I'm going to hit the road and left. 2 years or so later he finally calls me up one day told me he has since I seen him gotten married and just became a father, cool cuz I went to visit again and to see the baby. I get there and the lady that opens the door is the same chick that he met that night at the show, the two of them had been following the dead around for like a year and a half, up until she got pregnant, then decided to go home, they got married been happy every since. Neither one of them had ever heard anything by Greatful Dead until we went to see them, I can remember once he invited me to show he was talking about if I hadn't accepted he wasn't going to go, wasn't sure if he would like their music, thought it might have been to heavy for him, her the same lol. The look in his face that night was similar to the look on yours. Priceless!
They have such a huge catalog of music from very different points in their career. This is very commercial for them and came very late. Radio friendly but still good. In the comments somebody suggested Ripple and I second that. That's a good place to start to get their complexity.
If you want a true experience, let Ripple segue (as it does on the album American Beauty) into Brokedown Palace - that whole side of the album is just gorgeous. You had it early when you said "profound" - Robert Hunter was one of the greatest American lyricists ever. I really think that the whole catalogue of their music will become a new set of "Standards" - the songs themselves are that timeless and strong. Listening to them *play* though is the gravy - mmmmm. My application for, and of, the interplay between Jerry's lead guitar, Bob's rhythm guitar (pianistic!), Phil's bass guitar, and Bill & Mickey on drums, plus the keyboards of Pig, Tom, Keith, Brent, Vince and Bruce (they went through a lot of keyboard players) is something that grows every time I listen to a show - one I have heard before or one I haven't (yeah, there are still some out of the 2000 or so I haven't heard). Happy to have you on the bus!
I'm glad you had an 'experience' For me, the ultimate was when I saw them live. I was instantly hooked and saw them countless times after, and it never got old. I miss them so much.❤
I am so envious to the people that listen to these groups for the first time ever so jealous I was 9 when I was introduced to the dead and fell in love with them back then. I am forty five now.
loved your reaction. been into the dead since '68. as someone below said they weren't just a "band" but a movement and there was nothing like a grateful dead concert. they didn't perform their "hits". every concert was different and the individual song performances differed from show to show. truly a melting pot of american music. i called them a jazz band in rock clothes. welcome!!!
Your smile is exactly how I still feel when I hear this song, decades later after first hearing the dead. I highly recommend live shows from the mid to late 70’s, of course the late 60’s more psychedelic stuff, and anything that was recording by Owsley with the wall of sound featured. Archive has tons of great stuff! The Eyes of the world from “without a net” is one of my favorites, as well as the entire “dead set” album
Good grief, Charlie Brown! … totally didn’t expect this … Yes, island time… I expected Bob Marley to pop-up! Too many preconceived notions on my part. This should prompt me to do some further investigation of GD. Great analysis as always, Bethany!
Well worth the investment of time…start with American Beauty album and then g0 backwards. Make sure to listen to full good quality whole concerts. 50 years for me… the music of my life.ENJOY!
Wonderful reaction! If you like the bright shiny side of the Grateful Dead, I bet you’d love their song “Ripple.” It’s very beautiful and very philosophical.
I love "Ripple." I was surprised to hear Jerry say once that he "felt like he was one step away from being a Presbyterian minister" whenever he sang it. He _liked_ the song, but I guess he felt the message in it may have been a bit too strong or direct, and Jerry was of course hyper-aware that many people hung on his every word. I think Ripple is very philosophical as well: "there is a fountain/that was not made by the hands of men".....chills-inducing writing by Hunter there. I often wonder whether Hunter drew inspiration for that line from an old gospel song called "Fifty Miles of Elbow Room." The line in that is, "its gem-set walls of jasper gleam/not made by human hands." Food for thought....
As someone who grew up after the 60s, this was the song that introduced me to the Grateful Dead; it was their first radio-friendly hit. I was equally surprised.
Great Band. I first heard them my freshman year in college in 1971. Some fraternity brothers convinced me to go to a concert. My first exposure was listening to them on tinny car speakers of the time that had no bass. I was dreading the concert; that changed when they started playing and I became a Deadhead. Back then, they used a truly awesome "wall of sound." You might want to check out Terrapin Station (it's long).
This video was my first intro, as well, to GD when i saw it on Mtv, just after my family🎉 FINALLY 🎉got cable. Fast forward a few years, after seeing the band pressed mirrors you could win at carnivals, presuming (~);} was some sort of cryptic metal band, a few songs into "One From The Vault" and i knew then, "oh, this isn't metal at all". Been on the bus since '94. ✌️
David Crosby gave the vocalists from the Dead some vocal lessons back when they occasionally collaborated as "David and the Dorks", "Jerry and the Jerks", and when they recorded some for Crosby's first solo record. Rumor is that they traded the studio time for the vocal lessons, but that isn't known for sure, I think.
I was never a Deadhead, though I was a fan and I did play in a GD cover band in High School. (The bandleader went onward and upward to become an Editor-in-Chief at Air America.) Love that you would do a video analysis of one of their songs. Jerry had this indescribable "creakiness" in his voice, which was odd yet pleasing - and totally unmistakable. Always thought Weir's voice sounded like a little like Yogi Bear - "Hey HEY, Boo BOO!" When he was a kid, my brother used to say that one of them - and I can't remember if it was Jerry or Bob - sounded like a "ghost." 😂 Was lucky enough to have seen them live numerous times with the amazing Brent Mydland on keyboards. Quite a collective they were. A "Rainbow Full of Sound" indeed. Thanks for this one.
Welcome to the family! Founding member Jerry Garcia was a bluegrass & country musician in his own right. Listen to more of the Dead then chackout their solo projects Garcia's Old & In the Way and García Grisman band for more folk & bluegrass.
as a deadhead i loved watching her experience this. she gets it. and if you were there for it you saw thousands of lovely faces like hers just beaming with joy. i miss the grateful dead. there was /is nothing else like it
grateful dead, in folktales of many cultures, the spirit of a deceased person who bestows benefits on the one responsible for his burial. In the prototypical story, the protagonist is a traveler who encounters the corpse of a debtor, to whom the honour of proper burial has been denied. Grate reaction Bethany
They were unique un many ways... musically, vocally, lyrically, and culturally. To really hear them harmonize at their best best, check out Attics of My Life. It's one of my favorite tunes from the Dead both lyrically and vocally. It's beautiful. Uncle John's Band is another great example to have a listen to.
Absolutely LOVE your genuine reaction to this. Listening to this band is a journey and you seemed to open up to catching the wave right away❤ There’s a groove channel and it takes a special ear to hear it 😊
The Dead were not just music or a group, they were a entire culture for decades
Still is. I've known many young hippies who are all like "yeah, I'm a deadhead. I mean, their music is kind of dad rock. but I like to go to shows to drop L and sway on dance floor."
Sure, it melds at the edges with all the other jam-band fans, festies, old-school hippies, and the rest. But people still wear their steelie shirts out in public to pick each other out of crowds.
Culture...way of life... religion... philosophy...cloud 😂
Welcome… enjoy the live stuff. ❤️🙇
Not surebwhst you mean by were, the DH family is bigger than ever and growing..
Yes Jerry is gone.. and we miss him.. but I assure you my friend the culture is just fine🤗✌️
@@jamespriest9658
Truth.
We are STILL everywhere¹
As music promoter, Bill Graham, once said: "They're not the best at what they do, they're the only ones who do what they do." They do Rock, they do Folk, they do Bluegrass, Jazz, Country, Blues...... They are kind of their own genre. Nice reaction.
My sister worked for Bill Graham and Avalon attractions back in the day. I remember working as a teenager in the concession stands at Ventura fairgrounds for a couple of Grateful Dead shows. They were not concerts they were definitely events major events. Awesome days.
Just a note. Robert Hunter wrote this piece while coming down from a night of good cocaine. Hunter wasn't real big on coke but someone gave him. Ended up being very good cocaine. As the first line says "must be getting early. Read about it. Great story. Or should I say Grate story
If they were the only ones who did what they did, then logic would dictate that they were the best at what they did, since they had no competition. 🙂
@@kevinmonceaux2101 what's your point
The grateful Dead is unique but there were plenty of jam bands
This was a fun video, I'm in the crowd.👌👌 Filmed at Laguna Seca Speedway in Monterey California 1987. They did the video after the Saturday concert. We were camping on the raceway and crew came and invited everyone back in to spend the evening participating!!! So incredibly fun!!!👍👍👌👌✌✌😁😁
Hey thats great. You are really lucky to have been able to experience it.
Me too Brian. One of the greatest experiences of my 3 years on dead tour. That whole Laguna seca scene was off the hook both years I went.
What a cool opportunity.
"Sit down, Wingnut!" Remember that?!?
I was working in a 2 man guitar factory when a Dead road man
comes in (a little panicky)(one of their wherehuoses was in the neiborhood) and described the situation. At the last minute they realized The Boys guitars were too heavy and too valuable to be used by the maniquens.
They needed us to drop everything and make replicas for the filming. Which we did.
You are so fortunate to hear the Dead for the first time :)
That smile couldn’t be erased from your face, it’s obvious you get it. Welcome to the family.
Video should be titled Birth of a Deadhead
Looks like someone might get on the bus
Wonder if the Vocalyst is still down the rabbit hole.
She needs to do Althea live.
Jerry said that the Grateful Dead are kinda like licorice. “Not everybody likes licorice, but people who like licorice, REALLY like licorice!”
I came for the Dead, stayed for Phil Lesh bass line.
@ I agree. The angels choir won’t know what hit them. RIP Phil 😇
I literally was eating licorice right before I read this comment…
Wow you are on the edge of the deepest modern music rabbit hole that there is. I have been enjoying the Dead for 50 years and there is so much to listen to that they never fail to make me smile. Do commit to do more and be prepared to be as surprised each time as surprised as this first time. They truly are unique
she has no idea how deep the rabbit hole goes
@@Supabasic13 It's going to be fun to watch her go down it.
Rock, blues, jazz, folk, country, scat, etc. It would be easier to talk about what the Dead did not do. Because that list would be small to non existent. Heck, these guys worked African music, very melodicaloy, into some songs. They were an eclectic band unlike any other.
@@Supabasic13how deep and through so many cracks and crevises.
@@tenjed4224you can’t leave out Hunters writing
"Uncle John's Band" is a masterpiece in songwriting. Every time I hear it it washes away all my worries.
Hunter was brilliant, over and over again
@@jamespriest9658 Great point... i'm also a huge fan of The Corries performance of Ye Jacobites by name.. coincidence??? I think not!
@@jamespriest9658 When Bob Dylan praises your songwriting skills - and wants to collaborate with you - I'd say you're doing all right. Hunter and Dylan are lyricists in a class all their own.
Probably one of their best songs and the singing is still out of tune.
@@MarkAtkinson1968 Who cares? What GD did was far beyond mere vocals. It was the gestalt - the group mind - all charting new territory night in and night out. One of the best ways I have heard it described is by Rosie McGee, one-time girlfriend of bassist Phil Lesh: in her book "Dancing with the Dead", she remembered feeling a twinge of reluctant jealousy as she watched Phil onstage connecting with the band in a way he could never connect with her. If I wanted "perfect" vocals, I'd listen to some auto-tuned crap like Justin Bieber or something. I'll take The Grateful Dead any day, warts and all.
A couple of friends went to every concert of theirs for 10,yrs straight, never missed a concert. Lots of people did the same across THE U.S. and Cda.
Grateful Dead are very much about the zen of it all. From the tribe-like connection of their fan base to the synchronization of their two-drummer rhythm section, the Grateful Dead aesthetic is one of shared experience and the journey. I was never a fan myself, but I had respect for their improvisational style and the dedication of their audience, many of whom would just drop everything and follow them across the country attending every one of the dates on a given tour. I enjoyed your first listen to them.
I went to a couple of their shows but never made it in to where they were playing. Stayed in the parking lot the whole time lol came home with goodies! 😉
@@clasmaster1471 shakedown street, DH 101
@@jamespriest9658 yes! Definitely some bartering going on.
Seeing the Grateful Dead was a great excuse to hit the road and see the country back in the day. I'm so glad I did it! I remember once the Dead added another show to their Spring Tour, and of course I had to go. I saw my boss in the crowded train station the morning after I found out about it, so I jogged up beside her and said, "Hey, ahhhh....I think I'm gonna, ahhh...take another day in March...." She laughed and said, "Oh yeah, I heard the Dead added another show. No problem." My reputation as a Deadhead preceded me wherever I went, it seems.
The Grateful Dead never fail to get me into a reaction video. No one is expecting them to be what they were. This song always makes me smile and lightens my heart. I still miss Jerry and I am happy others are still discovering the music never stopped. China Cat Sunflower, St. Stephen, Franklin’s Tower Ramble on Rose. You have a huge rabbit hole ahead and I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to seeing you dive in.
This is the song that brought in a large number of new fans in the early 90's. It was a bug deal at the time but has faded. Shen they released Touch of Grey they had already been touring almost 25 years. Now it is 34 years after 1990 and a version of the band is still playing at the Sphere in Las Vegas for a ten week stand this summer. They toured up until last year as Dead and Company. Not all the original guys on stage but there is continuity with the guitarist Bob Weir and one of the drummers Mickey Hart still playing. The other drummer and the original bass player are both still alive but choose not to play in the current project. John Mayer has taken up lead guitar and singing duties for the last decade.
Saw my first Grateful Dead concert in 1980 and my last in 1995, and in between, my life just got better and better. Because of them. The story of the name is that Lead Guitarist and Singer Jerry Garcia was looking for a new band name. Their old one, The Warlocks, was being used by a New York City band, who eventually became The Velvet Underground, and he looked in a Funk & Wagnalls Dictionary and opened to "Grateful Dead". A motif where a traveler comes upon a dead body by the side of the road, and he arranges for a proper burial. Later on the traveler runs into adversity, and the spirit of the man he buried helps him out of his problem. Good vibes. It is nice to watch someone new discover The Dead, their music and their whole subculture. It is all about fun and being good to each other. Welcome aboard the bus.
Great post, Bob. I know what you mean when you said your life just got better. So many good things in my life can be traced back to the Grateful Dead in some way or another (friends I made, memorable stories, seeing great places - heck, even meeting my wife). Definitely a lot to be Grateful for!
Right on, I agree!!!@@johnr.8275
I was really mesmerized by Jerry's vocals to the lyrics in althea the other day all the different emotions and grit and attitude in is singing, makes a very captivating story teller for me.
My first live Grateful Dead show was in January, 1971. Saw them almost 70 times between then and 1995. The symbiosis between the Dead and the Deadheads must be experienced to trully understand what's going on. The band members use to say that it was controlled anarchy on stage. Just before they went on stage they would decide the first 2 songs of the nearly 3-hour show and then just wing it from there. Some shows melted the walls, and some were fairly forgettable. Luckily, we Deadheads still loved them all.
Lemme know anytime. I got the email about having a discussion, but for some reason, it's not allowing me to see it here.
So glad you enjoyed an intro to the Dead! I love your smile, not just the big toothy one, but that more telling little smile that goes all the way to your forehead, and says, "I'm not just communicating, I am genuinely HAPPY!" So nice!
The old bumper stickers were true: "There is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert." Not only were they all incredible musicians - who managed to take just about every genre of American music and turn it into something completely original - they were also great songwriters who worked with top--notch lyricists in Robert Hunter, John Perry Barlow, and Bobby Peterson. Their touring scene was a society within a society. It promoted kindness, inclusion, and acceptance no matter who you were, three things the world badly needs today. Do yourself a favor and at least listen to the studio version of "Brokedown Palace." If that music and those words don't move you, I don't know what to say. It's a great testament to what a great band the Grateful Dead were.
Jerry made Live Recordings
@@anwsommer Yes, very good. Charles Dickens wrote books, too.
Even Don Henley mentions it in his "Boys of Summer" hit "I saw a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac"
You found the greatest band in history. In my humble opinion. I’ve been a Deadhead since 1972. There are literally over 100 songs to recommend. Anything from Europe’72 especially China Cat / I know you Rider and Brown Eyed Women. From Wake of the flood, Eyes of the World and Weather Report Suite. Here are a few off the top of my head, Sugaree, Cassidy, Standing on the Moon, Althea, Thtowing Stones, Scarlet Begonias, Unbroken Chain and Franklin’s Tower. I had to stop myself because I could have gone on for an hour just listing. Enjoy your journey!
Great great band. Jerry’s improvised melodic lead guitar and warm vocals with well written songs is just pure joy. Especially live this band comes alive and Jerry’s ballads are incredible
I was there watching while they filmed this video. It was after one of the shows at Laguna Seca in Monterey in 1987. They asked if anyone wanted to hang out to be part of the audience in the video. It took hours so I got bored after a while.
Great introduction to the Grateful Dead. They were a live touring band with a following like none other. Would highly suggest "Not Fade Away" (Orchard Park, NY 7/4/89) for a live performance reaction. It really showcases their chemistry on stage as well as connection with their followers/fans.
Great show - I was there! Two nights before from Foxboro, MA is fantastic also. Playin' > Crazy Fingers to open the first set? I'm in!
I was a Deadhead for a bit in the early 90's, traveled around and saw them play in several Midwestern states, great, fun times! This album was fresh when I was actively doing this... Fun fact: This song was the band's only top 10 hit song (which is amazing because they had dozens of songs that are as good as this one or better). Fingers crossed that you consider a couple other Dead tunes to review for us, including: "Ripple" "Friend of the Devil" and "Uncle John's Band"
“I was a Deadhead”….. what do you mean Was? Everyone knows You can’t quit the mob.😅
@@cascadecommunitywatch5181 Lol, I thought the same thing but didn't reply because I didn't want it to sound hostile. But the question of "was" dogged me, too!
@@raygunner2437 the greatest band that ever was. That’s the band that does that.
Their name comes from a common folklore theme- a ghost appears to someone, the person helps them out, the person is rewarded in return, thus 'grateful'.
My favorite of theirs is 'St. Stephen'.
"Can you answer? Yes I can
But what would be the answer
to the answer man?"
The version of St Stephen on Live Dead is so good!
when my son was little this would come on MTV and he would say Bones mama bones
Hi, as you've just discovered, The Dead are different. I'm 5 hours late so I'm sure everyone has told you about how they're a live band. And yeah, a bunch of guys who you'd just hang out with and listen to. Just on a large scale! I don't qualify as a "real" Deadhead because I've only seen them a half dozen times, but I still have a Dead sticker on my car. This song was their only radio hit, but the have 100s of songs that millions of us can sing along with. Give some live songs a listen. A real good intro for you would be China Cat Sunflower/ I know You Rider from the Europe '72 album. Two songs that they always played together (aka China/Rider) and that version is my favorite. All of their shows were recorded, they let their fans tap into the soundboard and there's a whole world of traded tapes out there. I attended my first Dead show in April '73 at Boston Garden and when I looked a few years ago there it was online. Anyway, glad you enjoyed them, hope you listen to a lot more. Peace
Honestly, I was never much of a Dead fan. But I love this song and I appreciate it the older I get. Glad you decided to cover it.
Welcome to the world of the Grateful Dead, the ultimate jam band and the best community anywhere. Their catalog is deep and wide covering many genres. Robert Hunter was the lyricst and an official member of the band. Ripple would be a grate next song to check out. another must is Standing on the Moon. I can't express the many ways they impacted the music world. check out their wall of sound. Keep in mind they never played a song the same way twice which is why you will see requests for songs from a specific date.
Brightness. Exactly the right word. There’s such a happy optimism that is contagious and when you saw them in person, it was a huge dance party with the most colorful characters. Thanks for this…I needed a reminder, I will survive.
with just a touch of grey and a box of rain....
She gets it. She has the Owsley hit smile.
Thank you for your beautiful reaction. Try some of their live stuff next. ❤
The Dead are a trip. Every song on their album American Beauty is a classic. Try Box of Rain, Sugar Magnolia, Ripple, or Truckin'. I guarantee that you will have fun with them. Great reaction as always Bethany😃
I think American Beauty is far and away their best studio album. My wife is partial to Workingman's Dead (also great), which leads to some interesting conversations and comparisons, let me tell you! On "Box of Rain" you get to hear a rare recorded instance of Jerry Garcia playing the piano. The lineup on the studio version is Dave Torbert from NRPS on bass, David Nelson (also from NRPS) on electric guitar, Phil Lesh on acoustic guitar and vocals, Jerry on piano, Billy Kreutzmann on drums and of course Bobby on harmony vocals. I believe the only song on American Beauty to feature both drummers is "Till the Morning Comes."
The Dead are most certainly a trip.
The Greatful Dead is referring to a Buddhist story about a traveller who arrived in a town, finding a man dead in the street. No one in the town would pay for his funeral, so he spent his last money to pay for the funeral and left town. On his subsequent adventures the reincarnated spirit of the dead man aids the traveller. 🙏
God bless you sweetheart 🎉 They are my hearts band. Their music is magic...their light is pure ❤
2 of my top concerts ever --- Red Rocks 77, & Watkins Glen
Oh lord kid. The Dead's rabbit hole is deep like a diamond mine.
or a silver mine
@@gregfgermano8743good one!
Your smile throughout the song made my heart soar 💗
You’ve fallen down an endless rabbithole of astounding music and culture now-good luck!💀🌹✌️💙💜💚
Great review! My favorite song is by them it's called Box of Rain. I look forward to you hopefully reacting to more of their music. My favorite vocalist is Rachel Price in a band called Lake Street Dive.
One of the hardest cries I had in my life was after I had lost a child to brain cancer back in 1996 and friend of mine was playing Box of Rain on the radio in his car. I was unaware of the story behind the song so when he told me,I lost it. One of my favorite songs by them.
They're a Jam band...folk. rock. psychedelic. blues...Jerry Garcia songwriter, guitar. Lead vocals died in 1995. They're following and concert tours were hugely popular!.
Besides his death, many of their keyboardists also died, which earned the Dead the dubious honor of having the "keyboard curse." The list of keyboardists with the Dead who have actually died included Ron "Pigpen" McKernan in 1973, Keith Godchaux in 1980, Brent Mydland in 1990, and most recently, Vince Welnick (ex-Tubes) in 2006.
@@ClassicTVMan1981Xdon’t forget Tim Constaten
@@jimgucciardo7643 Tom Constanten survived, along with Bruce Hornsby.
@@ClassicTVMan1981X ah I thought he passed awhile back
I have never seen one of your videos before - but it was really fun to watch you be introduced to the Dead. Not sure if they give you much traffic but you should consider really exploring them - there is a lot there and i think you would enjoy it.
This reminds me of my mom when I played American Beauty for her. So many people just stick their heads in the sand and close their ears and minds because of the name.
As a Dead fan since the 70’s and fully earned my Touch Of Grey, I believe this to be one of the greatest songs of all time. Can’t wait to hear Jerry sing again one day in that big concert in the sky.
I discovered The Grateful Dead over 30 years ago, and I was very later to the party. My biggest musical regret is never getting the chance to see them live. Highly recommend “Eyes of the World” (Live with Bradford Marcellus), “Ripple”, “Brokedown Palace”, “Dire Wolf”, “Shakedown Street”, “bScarlett Begonias”, “Ship of Fools”, “Estimated Prophet”… I could go on and on. Such amazing music! 💀🌹
Greatest American band ever. So glad you decided to. They have the best songbook encompassing all genres, amazing lyrics, improvisation and a number of singers/keyboardists to delve into also. I believe they are still the biggest selling band in history in terms of concert tickets with a fan base that followed them wherever they went. The people's and the musicians' band. The music played the band :) 🌹💃🕺
"Lord, they're settin' us on fire!"
When
How about blondie
@@timarney4195 Why did coffee just spray out of my nose?
There are a lot of bands that can lay a good claim to the term 'unique' - bands like System, or Rush, or Tool - but I'm not sure anyone can lay that claim with such certitude as the Dead. Their community of followers - the Dead Heads - a legit subculture unto itself, based on and living the values of peace and love - spent years and in many cases decades making this band the central organizing principle of their lives, as they followed them around the country over and over and over. Without it becoming cultish. This band represented an *ethos* that sustained multitudes, primarily due to their encouraging their fans to record their shows, each of which their intentional and inveterate improvisational skills rendered unique. So much more than a band. It wasn't so much their music - it was their congenial and bohemian attitude born from the 60s that persisted vibrant and unchanged into the 90s. Absolutely remarkable. Unique indeed.
Glad you've discovered the world's greatest band. As you noted, they're everything: funk, blues, disco, bluegrass, rock, pop, jazz, and even a bit of rap. Many live audience recordings are warts and all with less polished harmonies but the official live albums like Reckoning and Dead Set are monumental. And you can even catch Bobby still performing to this day, as well as Phil and Billy. We will survive.
".....and even a bit of rap." Let me guess: "Wrong way, Billy, whatcha standin' there for? Get up, get up, get outta the door! LOVE that version.
Yep, but the Throwin Stones bridge is pretty much spoken word poetry too, aka rap
Sometimes the "warts" are the best part. You know you have become a Deadhead when you are listening to live recordings and one of your favorite parts is listening to them find ( or sometimes limp) a way to the next song.
Amazing she hasn't heard them before. They have so many iconic songs.
All of their songs are older than she is, and this is literally the only song that ever broke the top 40, so it's not particularly surprising.
@@bagman817 Don't forget "Truckin'", which was numero uno.
One of the greatest, feel good rock songs EVER! What a superb jam! Great lyrics too!
Fun fact: Jerry Garcia wrote the line, "light a candle, curse the glare." Robert Hunter wrote the rest after a night of indulging in something he hadn't indulged in for a long time.
They're the main reason I don't have a career...got hooked in college and when I got out I went to as many concerts as possible...it was too much fun, to say the least. It was fun watching you in this video too...
I was comment 420, how ironic
Im glad you like this song , i went to " dead" concerts at laguna seca in 1987 and 88 , i remember exactly when they played this song , and by the way you're so cute , i will check out your other vids ❤️ 💜 ♥️ 💙 😀 😊 ❤️ 💜 ♥️
Glad you’re on the bus! For the next Grateful Dead reaction, I recommend something live and from 1977. Doesn’t matter what song.
Or anything from 1968-1974. Limiting yourself to 1977 is selling yourself short. '77 was a great year and all, but it's not the be-all end-all.
@@johnr.8275 Never said '77 was the be-all-end-all. Just a suggestion for a good place to start. Appreciate ya, brother! 💀🌹😎
Thanks!
I loved watching your smile during this video. It brought me a ton of joy. The Dead are my favorite band. The live shows are what any fan listens to, not the studio. There are a ton of live shows available on any streaming service. I recommend a 70's show for the vocals because Jerry Garcia's voice can get thin by the 80's due to his battle with health
I didn't really get into the Dead until a few years ago when they popped up on a play list, but glad I did. I found a lot of great music I had missed out. Also all of the band members solo or collaboration work as well. Jerry was good on a steel guitar and they did a lot of great covers as well. So versatile, and chill. Great music for a day on the boat or a lazy afternoon.
There's a gold mine ahead of you!
I was like you at first Bethany; had to do a double take. Second time through, just based on presentation, not lyrics; I saw the song as comic relief for our mortality. 👻
Indeed it’s a fun, bobbing the head to the rhythm song! 💃
Another enjoyable reaction from you, Bethany! 💜
This song was the bane of our existence on tour. Before they had this hit touring was so easy then all of a sudden thousands of people showed up without tickets and although the seen was fun it became difficult. When they played this in shows, as opposed to this video, Jerry would go off on a great guitar solo. But in order to reduce the time for an MTV video he didn’t play the solo. I had the privilege of seeing them perform over 300 times from 71-95.
‘78- 7/2/95
Aw come on they played Touch of Grey for years before it became a hit. Dont blame the song lol
Welcome to the club!
I joined up back in ‘87 (I think)
When this song hit the radio.
I enjoyed watching you watch this. You were INTO it. I've been listening since 1967
My favorite band of all time has many amazing songs worth a listen plus a history worth learning, thank you.
You can’t see the Grateful Dead but you can see Dead & Co which has some original members and are incredible in their own way. And at the Sphere in Las Vegas which will be special. They are/were an incredible band with a rich history and never ending influence. I’m glad you discovered them. ❤
I feel like I just watched the beginning stages of the creation of a Deadhead.
Its so funny because this band is known for their instrumental live jams. Jerry Garcia was addled with addiction and bad choices, but no one had a bad thing to say about him. He was joy and jubilee personified. Your reaction was that of a fan listening to a jam, except you picked up the vibes through the lyrics. This was fun to watch. This is a lesser liked song among fans. Except a large swath of fans dubbed TouchHeads because they started touring with the band after their MTV hit.
Phil Lesh, Bobby Weir, and Brent Mydland (RIP), did the harmony vocals. You definitely should check out "Easy Wind" from back in 1970. Pigpen was a great blues singer and an important force in the band during their early days.
“They aren’t the best at what they do, they are the only ones that do what they do” Bill Graham, legendary concert promoter
I was lucky enough to to have attended both shows this was filmed at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey CA.
The shows were daytime but of course the vid is after dark.
I followed them around the country for years but, except for NYE shows, this was literally the best I had seen them.
Dig deep.
The 70s and early 80s were my favorite times. But I oved every show I was at.
I had the same reaction the first time I heard them. I was in high school in the 90’s and was in to jazz and blues. Kids were wearing Grateful Dead t-shirts and all the Dead’s skulls and roses imagery reminded me of bands like Guns n Roses or Iron Maiden.
Then I heard the Dead on the radio one Saturday night, and it was nothing like I expected. Might even have been this song since it was their biggest radio hit.
Anyway, I immediately started buying their albums - my first was a two album collection on cassette tape, American Beauty on side A and Workingmans’s Dead on side B and I listened to it so much the tape broke in my knockoff Walkman.
Next was their first album - and lo and behold, it was basically blues record.
I’ve been hooked for 30 years. Enjoy the ride!
Your reaction is epic again!! I really love your videos!!!
You have SO MUCH to look forward to!
To learn a lot more about the Dead, there's the book "The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics" . I never paid attention to the words that much until this song, There's a play on 3 sayings and a reference to the military alphabet. Wow!
Where to start? Your research of course then studio versions of Shakedown Street, Ripple, Dire Wolf, High Time, Attics Of My Life has vocal harmonies that are very sweet. As for "Live Dead", that is what Grateful Dead did. There are so many complete shows on RUclips you just do a search. Each concert was a recording session
The song was a surprise hit.
The band had been around for over 20 years at that point, and was well known, but had never really broke the charts.
This song was released at the right place and time and the younger generation (Gen X) took to it.
It was the Dead's biggest hit long after they were 'relevant'.
Great tune.
The song had been out “on tour” for a while before they recorded it in studio.
Welcome to the family!! The well is deep! (~)};-》
In the late eighties they were rocking and so good. Brent on the keyboard was so amazing and brought so much energy to the band. Drummers we do in synch . Look up some of those live shows in the late 80s they were great. GD timeless. There music will never fade away
"It's a whole experience' --> yeap, that pretty much sums up The Dead 🧚♀️👍🧚♀️
Great choice! Was just jamming to the Dead this morning.
"Was just jamming to the Dead this morning."
A near-every day experience for me! The Dead is kinda like coffee; it really helps to wake me up.
Priceless your reaction to the dead is priceless, didn't see that coming did you? Now all you need is a collection of dancing bears and you will be ready to go. They were really something to see, a distant cousin only because we grew up so far away after years finally got ahold of each other and he invited me to come visit and go the the Dead, I'm on my way you know lol. We went to the show well he met this chick while we were there and at the end of it all I'm ready to go and finally found him again after disappearing with her, asked us he ready, he looks at me and says he ain't going, he's home. I was like okay well I'm 3 states from home so I'm going to hit the road and left. 2 years or so later he finally calls me up one day told me he has since I seen him gotten married and just became a father, cool cuz I went to visit again and to see the baby. I get there and the lady that opens the door is the same chick that he met that night at the show, the two of them had been following the dead around for like a year and a half, up until she got pregnant, then decided to go home, they got married been happy every since. Neither one of them had ever heard anything by Greatful Dead until we went to see them, I can remember once he invited me to show he was talking about if I hadn't accepted he wasn't going to go, wasn't sure if he would like their music, thought it might have been to heavy for him, her the same lol. The look in his face that night was similar to the look on yours. Priceless!
A dive into the Grateful Dead rabbit hole is a good thing. Be like Alice, and go deep!
They have such a huge catalog of music from very different points in their career. This is very commercial for them and came very late. Radio friendly but still good. In the comments somebody suggested Ripple and I second that. That's a good place to start to get their complexity.
If you want a true experience, let Ripple segue (as it does on the album American Beauty) into Brokedown Palace - that whole side of the album is just gorgeous. You had it early when you said "profound" - Robert Hunter was one of the greatest American lyricists ever. I really think that the whole catalogue of their music will become a new set of "Standards" - the songs themselves are that timeless and strong. Listening to them *play* though is the gravy - mmmmm. My application for, and of, the interplay between Jerry's lead guitar, Bob's rhythm guitar (pianistic!), Phil's bass guitar, and Bill & Mickey on drums, plus the keyboards of Pig, Tom, Keith, Brent, Vince and Bruce (they went through a lot of keyboard players) is something that grows every time I listen to a show - one I have heard before or one I haven't (yeah, there are still some out of the 2000 or so I haven't heard). Happy to have you on the bus!
oh, and forgive me for not giving John Perry Barlow and Bobby Peterson their due - great lyrics all around
I'm glad you had an 'experience' For me, the ultimate was when I saw them live. I was instantly hooked and saw them countless times after, and it never got old. I miss them so much.❤
Your smile at the end…you’re hooked. Happy Exploring. ❤
"I had something completely different in mind" is the nearly universal response.
I am so envious to the people that listen to these groups for the first time ever
so jealous I was 9 when I was introduced to the dead and fell in love with them back then.
I am forty five now.
It was a nice publication, I wish you success. I'm listening for the first time. I liked it
loved your reaction. been into the dead since '68. as someone below said they weren't just a "band" but a movement and there was nothing like a grateful dead concert. they didn't perform their "hits". every concert was different and the individual song performances differed from show to show. truly a melting pot of american music. i called them a jazz band in rock clothes. welcome!!!
Your smile is exactly how I still feel when I hear this song, decades later after first hearing the dead.
I highly recommend live shows from the mid to late 70’s, of course the late 60’s more psychedelic stuff, and anything that was recording by Owsley with the wall of sound featured. Archive has tons of great stuff!
The Eyes of the world from “without a net” is one of my favorites, as well as the entire “dead set” album
Good grief, Charlie Brown! … totally didn’t expect this … Yes, island time… I expected Bob Marley to pop-up! Too many preconceived notions on my part. This should prompt me to do some further investigation of GD. Great analysis as always, Bethany!
Well worth the investment of time…start with American Beauty album and then g0 backwards. Make sure to listen to full good quality whole concerts. 50 years for me… the music of my life.ENJOY!
The Grateful Dead have done stuff that can be described as 'completely different' so I believe that thought is fair.
Wonderful reaction! If you like the bright shiny side of the Grateful Dead, I bet you’d love their song “Ripple.” It’s very beautiful and very philosophical.
I love "Ripple." I was surprised to hear Jerry say once that he "felt like he was one step away from being a Presbyterian minister" whenever he sang it. He _liked_ the song, but I guess he felt the message in it may have been a bit too strong or direct, and Jerry was of course hyper-aware that many people hung on his every word. I think Ripple is very philosophical as well: "there is a fountain/that was not made by the hands of men".....chills-inducing writing by Hunter there. I often wonder whether Hunter drew inspiration for that line from an old gospel song called "Fifty Miles of Elbow Room." The line in that is, "its gem-set walls of jasper gleam/not made by human hands." Food for thought....
As someone who grew up after the 60s, this was the song that introduced me to the Grateful Dead; it was their first radio-friendly hit. I was equally surprised.
Great Band. I first heard them my freshman year in college in 1971. Some fraternity brothers convinced me to go to a concert. My first exposure was listening to them on tinny car speakers of the time that had no bass. I was dreading the concert; that changed when they started playing and I became a Deadhead. Back then, they used a truly awesome "wall of sound." You might want to check out Terrapin Station (it's long).
This video was my first intro, as well, to GD when i saw it on Mtv, just after my family🎉 FINALLY 🎉got cable. Fast forward a few years, after seeing the band pressed mirrors you could win at carnivals, presuming (~);} was some sort of cryptic metal band, a few songs into "One From The Vault" and i knew then, "oh, this isn't metal at all".
Been on the bus since '94.
✌️
David Crosby gave the vocalists from the Dead some vocal lessons back when they occasionally collaborated as "David and the Dorks", "Jerry and the Jerks", and when they recorded some for Crosby's first solo record. Rumor is that they traded the studio time for the vocal lessons, but that isn't known for sure, I think.
this is amazing content
been binging like it's a Netflix show for hours
I was never a Deadhead, though I was a fan and I did play in a GD cover band in High School. (The bandleader went onward and upward to become an Editor-in-Chief at Air America.) Love that you would do a video analysis of one of their songs. Jerry had this indescribable "creakiness" in his voice, which was odd yet pleasing - and totally unmistakable. Always thought Weir's voice sounded like a little like Yogi Bear - "Hey HEY, Boo BOO!" When he was a kid, my brother used to say that one of them - and I can't remember if it was Jerry or Bob - sounded like a "ghost." 😂
Was lucky enough to have seen them live numerous times with the amazing Brent Mydland on keyboards. Quite a collective they were. A "Rainbow Full of Sound" indeed. Thanks for this one.
Welcome to the family! Founding member Jerry Garcia was a bluegrass & country musician in his own right. Listen to more of the Dead then chackout their solo projects Garcia's Old & In the Way and García Grisman band for more folk & bluegrass.
as a deadhead i loved watching her experience this. she gets it. and if you were there for it you saw thousands of lovely faces like hers just beaming with joy. i miss the grateful dead. there was /is nothing else like it
grateful dead, in folktales of many cultures, the spirit of a deceased person who bestows benefits on the one responsible for his burial. In the prototypical story, the protagonist is a traveler who encounters the corpse of a debtor, to whom the honour of proper burial has been denied. Grate reaction Bethany
They were unique un many ways... musically, vocally, lyrically, and culturally. To really hear them harmonize at their best best, check out Attics of My Life. It's one of my favorite tunes from the Dead both lyrically and vocally. It's beautiful. Uncle John's Band is another great example to have a listen to.
Love your awe. I'm still in it after thirty years
Absolutely LOVE your genuine reaction to this. Listening to this band is a journey and you seemed to open up to catching the wave right away❤ There’s a groove channel and it takes a special ear to hear it 😊