What are you listening to right now??? (3 Viewers)

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Who plays Clapton better than Clapton?

Derek Trucks and Clapton.... That boy makes the guitar make me weep... amazing guitarist.

 
All us kids are listen'n to this!

 
 
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?
 
Grateful Dead, must be stoned. Fun easy listening that I almost never listen to. Just me, don't hate them.
 
Switched to Greensky Bluegrass on Pandora
 
Grateful Dead, must be stoned. Fun easy listening that I almost never listen to. Just me, don't hate them.


Yeah I don't "hate" them either. Just was surprised I didn't like any of their top ten songs since a dead head will tell you over and over that they are the best band ever.

Must be the stoned thing or the life style thing? who knows....

I'll have to ask the next person I see wearing their shirts this question.
 
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
 
The best way to explain the Grateful Dead or any band for that matter: “If you need it, use it; if you don’t, just pass it on.”

Reasonably simple. There is no need to over analyze it. It’s for some people; it’s not for others.

Just like Land Cruisers, etc.

Caveat: Yes, I loved the GD at one point in my life. I needed it. That said, I haven’t listened to the GD currently in over 4 months. Don’t need it or the worldview.

And yes, I spent time touring on the road with the GD in 1994 and 1995. The GD culture is, ironically, very similar to the LC tribe.
 
I started going to Dead concerts in 1976 and went to many with all my buddies, many were dyed in the wool Dead Heads. Ramon pretty much narrowed it down. I stopped going in probably 1982. I fell asleep at a Dead show once, during a Garcia endless solo. I woke up and he was playing a solo again, different song. I still pick up on some tunes on the radio but most are lost to obscurity.
 
@mtweller nailed it.

I saw the dead once at carter Finley. I preferred widespread. The difference is I also like Eminem, boogie down productions, ice cube and public enemy and many more old school rap artist. Just depends on the activity as to wg
 
Hippies singing "Friend of the Devil" What's so hard to understand :)
 
Here is a Dead Head story for you. A guy I grew up with, Barry was a major Dead Head. So one day he comes to me all excited and shows me a picture of Jerry Garcia playing guitar left handed...
He paid a lot for it, forget the price. He is all hyped up about it.

Well Jerry Garcia was missing part of his middle finger on his right hand. I noticed his pick hand was still missing a digit, meaning the negative was flipped. Barry was not happy. He later sold it to another Dead Head.
 
This is what is needed. I dont really hear the talent in the music but I can completely understand and appreciate the "if you need it and it speaks to your soul, current state of mind...." argument that @mtweller and @beno talk about. There is 100% music that I normally wouldnt like or might not be viewed as great by others that talk to my soul because of my state of mind in life when I first started listening to it.


Funny thing Ramon being from the UK i love folk music, English, Scottish. Welsh, Irish, etc.......

I used to hate bluegrass because in my west coast mind I'd think it was just another version of country music. But after you, Greg and Keefer beat me down I realized it us really the spiritual child if UK folk music and really love it now.

I dont hear it much in the dead music but maybe that's just because they tried to add to much classic rock on top.

Like I said to each his/her own and can now appreciate more why people like them.

:cheers:
 
 
 

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