Best Dead albums?

bummrush · « **Reply #20 on:** 18 Mar 2016, 08:39 pm »

My opin on Donna is,i wouldnt have missed her one bit on Euro 72.

bentconvert · « **Reply #21 on:** 19 Mar 2016, 02:05 am »

Quote from: pconley2 on 18 Mar 2016, 06:34 pm

The San Francisco Bay Area Audio Society had a great meeting a month or so ago, where we listened to MoFi's 45 RPM versions of Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. The stereo systems was amazing and the sonic qualities of the two albums, which I know quite well, was simply outstanding. it is always interesting when you hear new stuff on an album that you know quite well. David Gans, of the Grateful Radio Hour, was there and he read from his most recent book "This is all a dream we dreamed: an aural history of the Grateful Dead". He seemed delighted to hear these two albums reproduced so well. I am halfway thru his book and very much enjoying it--especially good on the early years.

I have a number of Concert CD's, I prefer the single drummer years (72-74) and from those years two Concerts stand out for me, Steppin' out with the Grateful Dead, recorded in UK on the '72 tour, and Ladies and Gentlemen: The Grateful Dead, recorded, I think, in New York. It has a stellar Dark Star with Tom Constanten sitting in/returning. I know everyone will have their favorites, and I would love to hear suggestions, but of my 12 or so "official" concert CDs, these are my two favorites and provide a great deal of the content for my ever evolving Best Dead Concert Ever compilation that I have been working on for months.

Phil

Great thread! Just ordered Steppin' out with the Grateful Dead

jriggy · « **Reply #22 on:** 19 Mar 2016, 10:47 pm »

Quote from: bummrush on 18 Mar 2016, 08:39 pm

My opin on Donna is,i wouldnt have missed her one bit on Euro 72.

LOL! Yeah, she was brand new to the band then. I don't even think she joined for the first couple or few shows that tour... ??

bummrush · « **Reply #23 on:** 19 Mar 2016, 11:07 pm »

Ill peek later on a couple discs.

rbbert · « **Reply #24 on:** 20 Mar 2016, 12:17 am »

She sang a little at the Academy of Music shows in March, and I think her first vocal appearance with the Dead was 12/31/71

bummrush · « **Reply #25 on:** 20 Mar 2016, 12:40 am »

She's given credit on all European 72 discs. I didn't go through every disc . The ones i looked at she's listed same as everyone.

santacore · « **Reply #26 on:** 20 Mar 2016, 02:24 am »

'77 Winterland has always been a great listen.

pconley2 · « **Reply #27 on:** 20 Mar 2016, 06:53 pm »

i'm not a big Donna fan, but interestingly enough, she is a background vocalist on Boz Scaggs first solo album, recorded in Muscle Shoals with Duane Allman and the Muscle Shoals studio band, who played on more hits than I can count.

BTW, of the "official" Live Dead albums, my favorite is Skull and Roses, killer version of Not fade away/going down the road.

Kenneth Patchen · « **Reply #28 on:** 20 Mar 2016, 07:18 pm »

I know sq sets the criteria for this discussion but for the newbie deadhead let's not forget the HUGE number of Dead shows available for free download from the Internet archive, with mini-reviews and a 5 star rating system. The sq for some shows is excellent.

https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?&sort=-downloads&page=2

http://archive.org/browse.php?collection=GratefulDead&field=%2Fmetadata%2Fyear

pconley2 · « **Reply #29 on:** 20 Mar 2016, 09:42 pm »

to add to KP's list, here is the site that I used to figure out which of the many live albums to buy. I think most reviews are by Barry Small and every one that he graded an A+, I have bought and a few that he didn't rank that high, he was spot on in every instance. It is broken down by eras: Pigpen, without pigpen, with Keith and Donna, with Brent Myland, pick your favorite era and go to town.

Any that is rated A+ is amanzing

http://www.thebestofwebsite.com/Bands/Grateful_Dead/Grateful_Dead_Live.htm

Kenneth Patchen · « **Reply #30 on:** 20 Mar 2016, 10:01 pm »

Quote from: pconley2 on 20 Mar 2016, 09:42 pm

to add to KP's list, here is the site that I used to figure out which of the many live albums to buy. I think most reviews are by Barry Small and every one that he graded an A+, I have bought and a few that he didn't rank that high, he was spot on in every instance. It is broken down by eras: Pigpen, without pigpen, with Keith and Donna, with Brent Myland, pick your favorite era and go to town.

Any that is rated A+ is amanzing

http://www.thebestofwebsite.com/Bands/Grateful_Dead/Grateful_Dead_Live.htm

Oh, didn't know about the Barry Small list. I'm sure that will prove to be an extremely helpful reference resource. Thanks PC!

pconley2 · « **Reply #31 on:** 21 Mar 2016, 01:09 am »

Oh, didn't know about the Barry Small list. I'm sure that will prove to be an extremely helpful reference resource. Thanks PC!
[/quote]

No Problem KP, happy to pay you back for the many great albums you have reminded me of.

wgscott · « **Reply #32 on:** 21 Mar 2016, 03:46 am »

Quote from: rajacat on 17 Mar 2016, 06:10 pm

I'm interested in bulking up my Grateful Dead collection with sound quality being a top priority. The quality of the performance is also important but I'm not particularly interested in cd/vinyl that doesn't meet a relatively high standard.
I'm only interested in vinyl if it is the only option available for a specific recording otherwise CDs' are my preference.
I recently purchased one of the GarciaLive Volumes and thought the the SQ was fairly good but not great. What are the best GD remasters nowadays?

Thanks,
Roy

In terms of studio albums, many of them kind of suck, except for "Go to Heaven," which really blows chunks. In terms of SQ, the 24 bit 96 kHz "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty" are superb. (I have a personal preference for WD). "Reckoning" is only available as redbook, but is of very high quality. Pretty much anything Owsley Stanley had a hand in is going to be good sound quality. But the best Dead is what is live. If you like the later stuff, the absolute best high-res sound quality is this:

http://www.dead.net/store/1990s/wake-find-out-nassau-coliseum-32990-3-cd

which is excerpted from this:

http://www.dead.net/store/1990s/spring-1990-other-one-box

I own the first of these, and am struggling to resist buying the second.

The recent blu rays from the 2015 Grateful Dead 50 Chicago shows has a superb 5.1 audio track, and the 2-track sounds very good as well. These are 24/96 as well.

[The so-called high-res 30 trips around the sun is sold out, but just as a warning, both it and the best of collection are up-sampled, and not real high res.]

This one is also quite good, from 1977:

http://www.dead.net/store/1970s/terrapin-hartford-77-cd

This is not meant to be an exclusive list by any means.

wgscott · « **Reply #33 on:** 21 Mar 2016, 03:56 am »

Quote from: santacore on 20 Mar 2016, 02:24 am

'77 Winterland has always been a great listen.

This is a good one. You can also get the video on DVD.

steve in jersey · « **Reply #34 on:** 21 Mar 2016, 11:47 am »

Not being an actual "Deadhead", I'd have to say any album that the producers checked to see if the music sounded like someone cared about the pitch of the instruments (& more importantly Bob Weir's voice)

After hearing a good bit of "Dead Music" covered by local players, I was pretty shocked to find out how much of the original music was a "letdown" compared to the "covers". "Uncle John's Band" is a great song when all the layered voices are in pitch (Unless it was just the Bootleg Albums that sounded like this ; as they weren't my albums that my "Deadhead" friend would play for me )

rbbert · « **Reply #35 on:** 21 Mar 2016, 12:39 pm »

Quote from: wgscott on 21 Mar 2016, 03:56 am

This is a good one. You can also get the video on DVD.

I think you are confusing this with the Closing of Winterland 12/31/78

Mike B. · « **Reply #36 on:** 21 Mar 2016, 03:13 pm »

My preference are the Vault and Dick's picks of early performances. I live in a area that was their second home back in the 1960's and into the 1970's. They often stayed at Ken Kesey's farm and played small gigs here. They were a jam band and could weave amazing sets together if you were under the influence. I guess you had to be there to understand?

jriggy · « **Reply #37 on:** 22 Mar 2016, 12:58 pm »

Quote from: Mike B. on 21 Mar 2016, 03:13 pm

My preference are the Vault and Dick's picks of early performances. I live in a area that was their second home back in the 1960's and into the 1970's. They often stayed at Ken Kesey's farm and played small gigs here. They were a jam band and could weave amazing sets together if you were under the influence. I guess you had to be there to understand?

Thats awesome that you were able to see some of those early "house band" party gigs. Must of been great times... But... and excuse my opinion here, but its kind of a cheap thought to say that one had to be 'high' to see or understand their amazing skills at weaving together a set or that the only way to understand this music is if you were there, and under the influence of something. The fact that there are multiple active threads on music and audio forums, about whats what within the 100+ GD releases, proves they are more than a "had to be there" band.

Being there at a live show IS a big part of music for any band and a much different experience than listening at home but it is far from manditory to understand it. Hell, some of those early sets are some of my favorites to disappear into, at home on my own system...and sober.

Maybe I am misinterpreting your statement but if not, I think it deserves stating that the ol' cliche of needing to be high to 'get it' is simply not true. Its obvious that the Grateful Dead had and still has long lasting appeal. Even to many that never were able to see them. I still run into young people that were not old enough to see Jerry but love the shows available and love listening in their car or at home on a stereo system.

::sensitive deadhead rant over::

dodgealum · « **Reply #38 on:** 22 Mar 2016, 01:35 pm »

I would agree that the MOFI 45rpm versions of "Workingman's" and "American Beauty" are among the best Dead on vinyl. I have an early issue MOFI of "Mars Hotel" which is pretty good sounding as well--just love to hear Phil's bass line on "Unbroken Chain". You might also check out "New Riders of the Purple Sage" self-titled LP which features Jerry on various instruments--his pedal steel work is amazing. There is a Joe Gastwirt remaster of this album on CD that sounds pretty darn good as well. I'm not a big fan of most of the live recordings that have been released over the years--very muddy, bass heavy and very often lethargic playing.

rbbert · « **Reply #39 on:** 22 Mar 2016, 06:04 pm »

Quote from: dodgealum on 22 Mar 2016, 01:35 pm

I would agree that the MOFI 45rpm versions of "Workingman's" and "American Beauty" are among the best Dead on vinyl. I have an early issue MOFI of "Mars Hotel" which is pretty good sounding as well--just love to hear Phil's bass line on "Unbroken Chain". You might also check out "New Riders of the Purple Sage" self-titled LP which features Jerry on various instruments--his pedal steel work is amazing. There is a Joe Gastwirt remaster of this album on CD that sounds pretty darn good as well. I'm not a big fan of most of the live recordings that have been released over the years--very muddy, bass heavy and very often lethargic playing.

Posts like this one point to a question not well answered by the OP; what is it about the Grateful Dead's music that appeals to you?