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Poster: high flow Date: Aug 8, 2008 4:38pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Pre-76 Dead Education?

I think the beauty of what came before 76 lies in the somewhat drastic changes in the bands style from 66-76. This makes recommendations for new listeners challenging....... Here's how I see it....off the top of my head...these forum knuckle-heads will most certainly correct any errors and provide insight on omissions... 66-67 Dance Hall Dead - Some of the all-time recordings can be found right here....in the very beginning. 68-69 Powerhouse psychedelic schtuff - Starting very grungy in 68 and finishing very slick in 69. 1970 The Crossroads - Coutry, psychedelic, powerful blues. Truly a bridge from the last decade and on to the 70's. 1971 Straight-forward Grateful Dead - The performances are great, the recordings are too. But 1971 offers fewer experimental, improvisational moments than any year pre-76. That said, you'll find hot versions of many songs in 1971. 1972 Smoothe the edges - The catalog has grown and so has the musical taste of the band. A new kind of experimental rock is born.......Grateful Jazz..... 1973 Pastoral Dead rises - All that jazz and improv of 72, along with the(now massive) catalog the band plays some of the most epic concerts in the history of the world.(remember, this is ALL opinion) 1974 Is really 1973 Part II, The Wall of Sound - The band hauls out the kitchen sink nearly every show. 1975 Just get the new Egypt stuff or One From the Vault. If you already know 1976, then you have an idea of what began in 1975. Although, the exploration of pre-76 GD will undoubtedly offer wonderful new perspective. Enjoy.:)
This post was modified by high flow on 2008-08-08 23:33:11
This post was modified by high flow on 2008-08-08 23:38:44

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Poster: Tidewater four ten O nine Date: Aug 8, 2008 9:06pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Pre-76 Dead Education?

high flow - you're not wrong. 1) It's all only opinion, & 2) your opinion is a pretty damn good one.

I am a '72 man 'cos of what they were during the run-up (70-71) plus the addition of Keith on piano so, as well as the stellar guitars, there are additional keyboard breaks as well (2) as Pigpen underpinning the sound on organ. If Pigpen was still around during '73 I'd opt for '73 as the music became more refined (but still with plenty of rough edges!) and they took things to another level. But as he wasn't, it has to be '72. To be totally honest, although the extended Pigpen numbers (Lovelight, Good Lovin', etc.,) gave the rest of the band plenty of opportunity to jam, it's the shorter, first set numbers that really appeal to me ........ but it's all just opinion, personal preference. Oh, and another thing, if only Keith had been able to sing or he had come without the baggage (i.e. the RBD factor), what a band ............ But, still, what a band ......... Never has, never will be another like them.

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Poster: elbow1126 Date: Aug 16, 2008 7:05pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Pre-76 Dead Education?

Kewl analysis.

I pretty much agree although i think '74 is different from '73 because of the addition of new songs. The wall of sound was being built in '73 as they were using it as a monitoring system at least by the summer of that year. I love '73 although i really love the late fall shows after they stopped adding the horns to promote the release of WOTF. As already mentioned, its just one person's opinion.

Also the Egypt shows were in '78 but i think 1ftv proves your point just fine.