you'll get no argument from me on this.

the Dead pulled in so many elements of american culture and music to produce a very unique experience.

oh, and Blues For Allah kills!

Great essay, and I won't argue with the minor points I disagree with.

A related question: Will the Dead ever be recognized for the great country music they wrote? Listen to some of their songs and imagine Willie Nelson or even some of the nu-country guys singing them, you'll know what I mean.

I was just reading last night that Gregg Ginn loved the Dead and saw them 75+ times, and we all know Gregg Ginn rocks harder than everybody (except for you know who).

Can you recommend some releases as a good starting point for a novice? The amount of albums is a bit daunting. I have an old copy of Aoxamoxa (I think that's the spelling), and an old greatest hits on cassette, but I'd like to investigate some of their live stuff. Where to begin?

studio: Blues For Allah

early live: Ladies & Gentlemen, The Grateful Dead

middle years: i've always been partial to Dead Set

also like Hundred Year Hall

and then, for totally bizarro material: Grayfolded. it's a crazy edit using Dark Star as source material.

On New Years Eve 1982, Etta James and the Tower of Power sat in with the Dead for their third set and she proclaimed them to best the "best AMERICAN blues band" around, "except for the name" Now, Etta had had a couple of cocktails before hitting the stage, but the set rocked and she loved the Dead. I was a punk in High School, my favorite shirt was a Steal YOur face, with a bullet hole in it that read "I'll be grateful, when they're dead." Then I went to a show and my world turned on it's head. They were the first punk band, they never cared what people thought, they went out of their way to be shocking, yet the most shocking to society was them being themselves, if that ain't punk...
As for starter material, I would look into "Live/Dead," "Europe '72", "Amrican Beauty" for the early (and best) years and "Dozin' at the Knick" for the later sound.

and don't forget Skeletons From the Closet for a nice greatest hits package, or jus tgo with the newer Greatest Hits, which is pretty good

very nice job Mike, technically I agreed with you when I picked the Dead 4th (and first American) out of my ten greatest rock bands list, though I am not sure I would do the same if you asked me to name the greatest American rock band

Perhaps they were enthused by the fine cooking of their chef, Charlie Ayers, who now cooks for google

I don't think there ever could be any
one single greatest ever done was of all
time type American rock n'roll band.

Regarding british bands the choices are
fairly easy:"Stones,Beatles or The Who"
(add whoever else comes to mind).

I think that the USA's greatest strength
lies in single performers rather than in
bands.Otis Redding,Ray Charles,JB,Elvis,
Hank Williams,Little Richard,Bo Diddley,
Chuck Berry,Howlin' Wolf,Patsy Cline and
so many others.

FWIW: These are IMO the 10 best American
bands: The Doors,Beach Boys,The Velvets,
Stooges,Creedence Clearwater Revival,
N.Y Dolls,Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers,
Ramones,MC5 and Van Halen.

The Dead just don't figure in my book.

that surprises me to certain extent HW - I would think you would find their rootsiness and improv elements appealing.

The rest of your list is pretty great

Bricklayer, for a start try virtually any of the "Dick's Picks" volumes sold on Dead.net...no stinkers in the bunch

The Grateful Dead: The 3rd-best band that Warren Haynes is a member of. ;-)

The Dead are fanstastic, and I don't have a bad word to say about them! Nice piece, my friend. I have been saying for years, to anyone who would listen, that Garcia was one of the greatest (if not the greatest) rock guitarists of all time. Too bad dude will be remember for being a fat drug addict, because he was a musical genius. I saw the Dead about 15 times with Jerry, and a couple of times this last year without. In fact, my reviews of both the recent shows are buried here somewhere.

I too miss Jerry

In a word...er no. They were a great jam band, but Greatest American Rock Band: hardly.

yea...since everybody knows that the greatest american rock & roll band is the Rolling Stones.

;-)

Without question.
The Grateful Dead surpass all as the greatest American Rock and Roll Band.
God bless them.

How could they not be the greatest American Band? They do indeed embody all that is Americana. Gret essay.

Bricklayer, I would suggest that you begin with arguably the two most "listenable and approachable" of the band's studio albums, Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. As they were recorded and released at essentially the same time, they give an excellent perspective on two very different but concurrent sides of the Dead's psyche and sound.
While RPM in comment 6 and JerryG in #12 are certainly entitled to their opinion, I'd suggest you leave Live/Dead and Dick's Picks alone until such time as you become enthused about the band - I think they're more "GD201" than "GD101." Europe '72 as suggested in #6 might be the best place to begin the initiation to the band's live recordings.

From the original post - "utterly convinced that the Dead simply does not exist without Garcia"
Couldn't agree more. I wish they'd stuck with the name The Other Ones they started with after Jerry's passing. It meant something to those of us who've followed them over the years - precisely what, I can't say - but it somehow seemed logical - a faint, unexplained remembrance from my early drug-filled days of Deadheadedness. Can anyone please remind me of what that reference means? I've lost it in the fog.

It's the name of a song. Or a suite of songs. Kinda.

"That's it for the Other One" is the name of the suite of songs that starts the album Anthem of the Sun. It has four or five parts, including a Bob song (the one about "Cowboy Neal" that goes "Coming around again..")
This Bob tune is called "The Faster We Go, The Rounder we Get" on the album, but over the years it's been taken out of the suite of songs and played on its own, and it became known as "The Other One."
This is quite confusing, and yes, you are stoned.

And, in my opinion, the best way to get into the dead is to ask any deadhead friend to give you or make you a tape (always free) of a concert he or she likes. That deadhead will have dozens of these tapes or more. Get one with "Scarlet/Fire" or "Terrapin." If you like this, you will probably like live Dead.

Otherwise, whoever recommended Workingman's and American Beauty was totally right.

By the way, I don't like the Dead, but I used to help edit a Deadhead newsletter/anthology, and I am continually fascinated with the trappings -- the obsessive song tracking, the deification of Jerry, etc. the drug culture, everything.

I must again recommend the novel "Tiger in a Trance" by Max Ludington, from 2003. The book is all about the 80's Dead caravan scene, and is remarkable for its accuracy in portraying that.

it's too bad that Natalie is away right now - she does an exceptional job of explaining the Deadhead ethos from a drug-free perspective

I believe I've been insulted. Or at least my sobriety. Duuuude.

Quoth the bumper-sticker:

Reality is a crutch for people who can't handle drugs.

hmm, no: it was more in response to you saying you don't like them but are fascinated by them, whereas she REALLY likes them, and by way of interesting aside, is part of this drug-free Deadhead circle, which strikes me as uproariously funny, but was just a sidenote and not related to any canards being cast in the direction of anyone's sobriety

It's OK, Eric, I am actually quite stoned right now. That's interesting about Nat, and I'd love to hear more about this straight-edge Deadhead group. Actually, I'd be interested in her perspective on the new Dead on general. A lot of my friends sorta resent the whole thing, like a poster above seems to.

The funniest skewering of the Dead ethos takes about 3 minutes. It's called "We Saw Jerry's Daughter" on the 1988 Camper Van Beethoven self-titled album (which is aka "Pitch-a-Tent"). Funny.

it's quite easy to parody, but they seem to have come out on the other side of that: the road goes on forever

Actually, drug free Deadheads are usually referred to as Wharf Rats. There's always a Wharf Rat stand at any Dead-related type show to help those in need.

Yes, the Wharf Rats.Thanks! I forgot that. They used to have quaaludes (shhhh) to give folks who were bad-tripping.

I was right about "The Other One," right, Scarlet?

Scarlet Begonia, meet Sugar Magnolia

ClubhouseCancer -
Actually, the problem is, I'm NOT stoned, but was when I learned all my Dead trivia. That old state-dependent learning thing is a bitch.

I think the Dead were many great inspirations. To say that they were the greatest rock and roll band is incomplete because of the many styles and precedents created by them. Does anyone remember the film clip where they are all in one of the rooms in the house
at 710 and Jerry is explaining to the establishment exactly what to expect? What they were going to be about? Look at that sometime and take note of the expression on Jerry's face. There was never a doubt in his mind concerning what the band was going to do.

The one thing the Dead have is loyal fan(atics), devoid of any ability to discuss their actually merits in any meaningful way.

oh Natalie!!!! calling Natalie Davis!!!!

Sugar Mag, nice to meetcha!

Clubhouse:

Yeah, TOO is a five parter and Anthem is, without a doubt, one of my favorite Dead albums. Part I (Cryptical) of TOO has always remained in their lineup, which in itself is incredible. Crank it often and crank it loud!

When I posted about Wharf Rats, I was a bit in error. Wharf Rats are there to help anyone who wants to regain/retain sobriety, whether from alchohol or drugs. They do a wonderful service; you CAN enjoy the scene straight (although I do it a bit wavy).

I'd recommend "For the Faithful" to anyone interested in the Dead's acoustic offereings, it was probably the album that made me stop hating them and start really listening to them.

Well how bout this then, as you say "loyal fan(atics) devoid of any ability to discuss". Are you saying that deadheads do not have an ability to discuss topics in a meaningful way? What did you mean when you said that Andrew Ian Dodge? Why would you want to put down the thinking ability of a group of people? I do not think that it is right to think of anyone in that way. Your response is something that I am waiting for. Unreal.

Well I have many conversations with Deadheads over the years and while they may be intelligent people capable of meaningful discussion in all other topical areas; the band are a major blind spot.

I mean surely this post is a good example of that?

Someone rang?

yes, we seek your eloquent take on the Grateful Dead, particularly from a drug-free perspective

Well, it seems to me that Daley has done a good job, even if Mr. Dodge doesn't believe so. What would it take to satisfy him?

I never said the Dead are crap (because clearly they aren't) I just don't believe in the gist of this post.

OK. I do buy much of the gist. The Grateful Dead featured accomplished, adventuresome musicians who were not afraid to take musical risks. This led to some not-so-stellar moments (professionally and personally) to be sure; it also led to some moments of true genius and magic and wonder.

As for the drugs, I understand why some dug 'em. I also know -- from the stone-cold sober standpoint -- that when the Dead were at their best, the music alone was enough to transport a listener into realms unknown. The long, strange trip, for me, was often a fantastic voyage all on its own. Drugs were unnecessary.

Someone mentioned the musicians traveling around and calling themselves the Dead. Weir and Lesh and Kreutzmann and Hart's participation notwithstanding, they are The Other Ones. To be The Dead, you gotta have Garcia. I can't help feeling nostalgic -- and left wanting -- when confronted with the reassembled unit. Not to slag these guys (I adore them, after all), but in the back of my mind, I can hear the ca-chings. That rankles. I may as well just see the newest incarnation of the Beach Boys, you know? I'd much rather see them do their solo projects or tour as TOO. Seems more honest, more pure.

kind of like the Beatles without John, or the Stones without Keith - just too much gone to use a name that implies wholeness

So what if they're called "the Dead"? They're not calling themselves the Grateful Dead any more. Maybe without Jerry, they feel that the Grateful Dead is now "Dead". Sounds logical to me.

As for "the Other One's", it's logical that they dropped that name. They weren't other ones, they were part of the Grateful Dead man! There's no "other ones", except for maybe those wacky-trying-to-fit-the-mold Phish guys.

There is no band of strictly American musicians I can think of that comes close to the longevity, prowess, technical ability, roots-influenced, freedom/good time loving bunch of pioneers as the Grateful Dead. In many ways the Dead embody the American spirit. The band itself was a diverse bunch...one that has been analyzed many times for the various members own unique traits. The only other American band I can think of that has given us such a rich catalog of music
would be the Beach Boys, and they don't come close. Brian Wilson and Jerry Garcia are in the same league, although from a mainstream pop standpoint Wilson provided music with greater mass appeal. Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, John Coltrane, as individuals have been that which Americans can hold their heads high for having well represented their country. However the Grateful Dead, as a band with all members contributing to the end result for 30 years are from a mold that was broken when these guys got together, and will most certainly not ever be duplicated. All one would have to do is listen the box set "The Golden Road" and a handful of the Dick Picks cd's, or even go to
www.archive.org and download just about any show they ever played for free, and see what made this band so special. But like Jerry Garcia said "we're like licorice, and you either love licorice or you hate it."
Personally I love licorice.

To Al-e-en:
The band that last year toured the country as 'the Dead' is named such for the reason that, in respect to Jerry Garcia, they could never be the Grateful Dead without him. As the Other Ones they were not, or barely able, to sell out one night at Madison Square Garden in Nov. of 2002. As far as I know the Grateful Dead still hold the record for a string of dates, consecutively, played there. So from the standpoint of name recognition, that is a name that will draw attention and draw crowds in order to pay the costs of a tourning production. I think it was necessary for them to call themselves the Dead, which I have no problems with.

Good post. I find it interesting that the Dead is known more for their iconography than for their music. I've found that a lot of people think of the dead as cute dancing bears and drugs, or think that their music must be like death metal because of the name. To their detractors I would recomend archive.org as well. Download some live shows from the 70's to get a better feel for their music. Admittedly many of their studio albums are mediocre at best.

I find it distressing that they are known -- by some -- more for their iconography than their music. It was distressing, too, when I would meet folks who loved Bob Marley not because of his message but because he was "cool" and because the connection made them cool (and likely to score ganja). The whole thing leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Either people get it or they don't, but it's a "free" country; they can choose to dig the bears or the tunes. Whatever works for 'em. Still, I so wish people would give the music a fair try. I also would recommend live tapes over most of the LPs, though American Beauty and Workingman's Dead are sheer magic, IMO). Listen to the musicianship, the structure of the songs, the wonder of the interplay and improvisations. Take note of the songs themselves -- the themes, the lyrics, the spirit in which they are presented. That will tell anyone all they really need to know and show, whether or not you like them, why the Dead was a quintessentially American band (using American in its best sense here) and why so many of us revere them and their work.

Feel free to email me if you want suggestions of great tapes to sample. Deadheads are happy to share the good stuff.

Wow, I didn't picture Natalie as a Deadhead, and I am sure that my love for the Dead would surprise her.
The Dead are first and formeost a live band, and that is where you have to go to hear them at their best,(also at their most noodling and self-indulgent, but they were always experimenting). I agree that American Beauty and Workingman's Dead are 2 of their best, I'd also recommend Reckoning/For the Faithful, an all acoustic set that really shows another side of the Dead. I also love Robert HUnter's solo work, his lyrics really stand out there, and Amagamalin Street is a little rock opera.

Why would my Deadhead status surprise you, Mr. SFC SKI? And, no, it doesn't surprise me that you would like the Dead, not that the subject would cross my mind. I try to make no assumptions about humans I don't know. In any case, everybody who gets it is welcome on the bus.

Great points!

I'd add to the dual drummer point, the fact that the boys also employed multiple vocalists. At any given show, you could hear four of the band's six members sing. The only other group that comes to mind that had this ability was The Band.

SKI I also was unknowingly seduced into the long strange trip by listening to a tape a roommate had lying - For the Faithful. Must have listened to that 50 times before I figured out it was the Dead.

As far as the drug culture refernces, I personally think it's overblown. I've seen them blitzed and I've seen them stone cold sober - always sounded magical. The only difference was the colors coming out of the amps;)

I wouls like to make a comment about yor reason number three about Jerry. He was a banjo player, not just a " pretty good banjo player for a guitar player." But you have a lot of other good points. Thanks for putting this artical out there

no way is the dead the greatest american rock band or anywhere close to the top ten. the most revolutionary, and influential american rock bands were easily The Velvet Underground, The Byrds, The Stooges, The New York Dolls, MC5, Sly & the Family Stone, Parliament/Funkadelic, The Modern Lovers, etc.

the two best being the Byrds and Velvet Underground. no bands had a huger impact on music. The jangling, 12-string guitar sound of the Byrds' leader Roger McGuinn's Rickenbacker was permanently absorbed into the vocabulary of rock. The Byrds also played a vital role in pioneering psychedelic rock and country-rock, the unifying element being their angelic harmonies and restless eclecticism.
Don't forget, The Byrds' innovations have echoed nearly as strongly through subsequent generations, in the work of Tom Petty, Eagles, Grateful Dead, R.E.M., and innumerable alternative bands of the post-punk era that feature those jangling guitars and dense harmonies.

No band broke so much new territory, and maintain such consistent brilliance on record, as the Velvet Underground did. the Velvets' innovations -- which blended the energy of rock with the sonic adventurism of the avant-garde, and introduced a new degree of social realism and sexual kinkiness into rock lyrics -- were too abrasive for the mainstream to handle. Grateful Dead the greatest american rock band ever? that is laughable when you par them up to bands like the Dolls, Velvets, Byrds, and Stooges. these bands created genres, broke the rules, broke new grounds and influenced numerous and numerous of bands.

The freedom of expression shown at Dead shows by the fans is something that can never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever happen at any other show by any other band. If you saw the Grateful Dead in the 70's, you know what I mean.

The Dead are the most overrated band ever. Their musicianship doesn't even remotely compare to any of the British bands of the time and their attempts at singing are laughable. For addicts only. If you want a great album by an American band, try Love: Forever Changes.

Cheers,

Paul

The Grateful Dead is one of rocks most overrated bands! You deadheads should go listen to a little 'Eight Miles High' by The Byrds!

okay...jesus ive been waiting forever to get one a post like this...ive seen throughout the web too many stupid list of the greatest american rock bands who put Nirvana as number (kill me pls)....im so happy that somone actually took the time to appreciate the Dead, the Greatest American Rock Band of All Time, And IN my opinion the greatest BAND period.....the grateful is in no way an overrated...band i feel that it is probably one of the most underrated bands in rock and roll, and is over shadowed by bands such as Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, etc,(yes i know there not American) Though these bands maybe great they could never achieve or live up to what the the entity of THE GRATEFUL DEAD was. Largest following of fans, the most unique concert experiences, played more concerts than any other rock band 1965-1995. Anyway just pure greatness...People just dont know the Dead, they judge the band to quickly, you cant pick up American Beauty and then judge them, its hard to explain but once your in your in,

Also as far as American Bands,

Creedence Clearwater Revival
Allman Brothers Band



RIP JERRY

It doesn't matter if the Grateful Dead were the "greatest" American band--I'm not a big fan of lists--their legacy as a seminal influence on everything that has come since is undeniable.
Jerry Garcia will not be remembered "a a fat drug addict" ( as one commenter said), but rather as a creative force who exemplified the spirit of a new generation of Americans.
And that's not a bad legacy.

This is coming a little late, but I saw one poster mention the Velvet Underground as the best American rock band ever (along with the Byrds). Now I can understand the Byrds, but the Velvet Underground? Nowhere near the top in my opinion.

Greatest American Rock band? Maybe...but..greatest Americana/Jazz/Live Experience band? Hands down. You either experienced them live or don't have a right to an opinion, because second hand doesn't count in this instance. Judging them by recorded product? Then you still don't get it.