Can someone explain to me why the Grateful Dead are so popular.
Back story: My boss was in town a week ago and brought up somehow in conversation, being in Seattle, that he had somehow never heard a Sound Garden song to his knowledge.
So it got us all thinking what major/huge/popular band have you never heard a song from. I realized last night after thinking about it off and on for a week that to my knowledge i'd never heard a Grateful Dead song. Then I thought well maybe I just can't name one I listen to classic rock all the time. So on the way to work I pulled up the 10 most popular dead songs on Spotify and out of the 10 there was one that was very very faintly familiar. But at the same time I then couldn't understand whey they are so popular.
I can appreciate music that isn't my kind of music as good. I hate country music but I can still admit when a song has talent (as I have to
@custyota on a few occasions) and can understand why it is liked. Same goes for rap, pop, etc....
And i'm not saying it was terrible music just not great, nothing shows amazing talent on the instrumental or vocal side. I was preparing myself to be blown away and say "why am I only just hearing this music now?"
But instead I was underwhelmed and am very confused why they have a huge following and have soooo many people proclaiming them to be the best band ever.
Not knocking them or anyone who likes them just confused.
As you are our resident music guru (or at least I think so) I need to say "Help me
@JohnVee you're my only hope"
Maybe I need to be super high and eating come Cherry Garcia Ice Cream?
In short the Grateful Dead is as much a culture as it is music. I've listened to 1000's of hours of the Dead, especially since getting XM in my 200. They were very "anti-institution", "free mind and spirit", "love and peace" blah blah blah. But, I'll say that unless you have some of that hippie mindset, you aren't likely to start listening to GD in your 30's and like it out of the gate.
While a lot of fans are stoners, the GD were originally surrounded by a drug culture that was anchored mainly in psychedelics (LSD, mushrooms, etc). Many of their early live shows included no planning, set lists, or any form of structure. They would jam for hours and really only have a handful of songs built in there. This often goes hand and hand with the hippie culture (tell me about it Mr Obvious) but I think their culture eventually transcended that and became far more inclusive. There are many fans that don't use psychedelics (like me), but most of us are tolerant and appreciate how it influenced the music and culture.
Musically, they were collectively VERY talented. Vocally, eh, I'll not comment. Jerry on lead guitar was magical and Bob Weir revolutionized rhythm guitar (partially not to get lost in the background if I'm being honest). Phil Lesh basically turned a bass guitar into a lead at times - amazing to me. Mickey on drums - dude's a Grammy winner. I fully realize this is completely subjective.
The foundation of GD music is folk and bluegrass. Many of their songs are Ole' Time traditional tunes, other originals link to those type of tunes, and much of the first couple decade were somehow tied to that storytelling structure. Again, unless you are drawn to folk or bluegrass in some capacity, doubtful the layer or rock and roll / blues on top of it is going to turn you on.
//HIPPIE RAMON ON
While the band members didn't write most of the lyrics themselves, many of the songs provide inspiration during rough times or maybe even just helping us appreciate all the wonderful things we are blessed with. For instance:
"once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right",
"Without love in the dream it will never come true",
"The grass ain’t greener, the wine ain’t sweeter, either side of the hill."
"Can't talk to you without talking to me We're guilty of the same old things Thinking a lot about less and less And forgetting the love we bring"
Could go on and on.
I backed my way into the GD and didn't "get on the bus" until 1995. I had plans to see GD that fall in DC, but Jerry died in August. I was listening to Phish mainly at the time and realized how at live shows, during the jams, I went to my own little world and seemed to find real peace. I worked out many life issues during those times, without consciously trying to think about anything. Still holds true today with my newfound love for Greensky Bluegrass (about 20 shows in now) It's not something easy to explain and honestly I feel pretty goofy trying. I'm not one into yoga, meditation, or most of the hippie stuff... so most are probably getting a good chuckle out of reading this, which is fine
Just trying to respond to what you are asking, while fully understanding how someone just turning them on might not appreciate the music.
//HIPPIE RAMON OFF
