Live Dead - Bloody Awful

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Some fine Colombian, perhaps?

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That's probably the key point, 'cos I can't see me enjoying this album any other way.

"who on earth thinks anyone wants to listen to 10 minutes of feedback"

Better than 33. I got a copy of Arc by Neil Young last year and although I'm a great fan I'd rather listen to a Carl Palmer drum solo........scratch that I'm exagerrating now!!

BTW I've no Dead, whats to be considered essentual?

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Originally posted by Bosh:
"who on earth thinks anyone wants to listen to 10 minutes of feedback"

Better than 33. I got a copy of Arc by Neil Young last year and although I'm a great fan I'd rather listen to a Carl Palmer drum solo........scratch that I'm exagerrating now!!

BTW I've no Dead, whats to be considered essentual?

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Try here, here and here for a start.

Cheers

Keith.

I just played Live Dead. I rather like it, including the feedback....

(And that was with Gold Blend!)

Paul

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BTW I've no Dead, whats to be considered essentual?

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I would definately recommend:
American Beauty
Workingman's Dead

If you like country tinged rock.

Their early albums including Live Dead are nothing like these, and in the case of Live Dead Rubbish.

As the old saying goes, you are either on the bus or off the bus.

Live Dead IMHO is not only not rubbish, it is one of the finest, no sod it, THE finest album by anyone at anytime, but you have to 'get' it, like those stereogram posters of a few years back.

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Live Dead IMHO is not only not rubbish, it is one of the finest, no sod it, THE finest album by anyone at anytime, but you have to 'get' it,

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Jez, yes I've heard this many times, and was hoping that I to would 'get it' obviously I just don't.

The question is I can't even understand what there is to get?. There are other albums that I don't particularly like but I can appreciate what other people do like about them. With this I just don't agree with the oft stated 'telepathic understanding' between the members!

Greeny, I've had this frustration all my life, some people go apeshit for it, but most people think it is incomprehensible and or boring. Even for people who like other stuff I like. I've never understood this. To me it sounds like a shimmering multi layered, multi coloured roller coaster ride, others think it is aimless noodling and those that love it must be drug crazed deaf morons. Perhaps it's because people try to listen to it with 'rock music' ears.

All I can suggest is that you play it a number of times in the background to let it seep in, and then come back to it for a serious listen in a couple of weeks.

Shall we go, you and I while we can? Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds.

Greeny-

While it is possible that this music is just not for you, I would make two small suggestions for listening. "Dark Star", which is really THE quitessential Dead jamming vehicle can be appreciated at lower volumes, however, to really get a sense of the power of the Dead as a whole group, you must try "St.Stephen" and "The Eleven" up loud. This music was played in a small dance hall in early 1969, and it should inspire at least those mythical toes to tapping. If you like the blues, do give "Lovelight" another try. This will introduce a forgotten aspect of the early Dead. In that era, Jerry Garcia was not really their main performer, Pigpen was the showman, and he is best appreciated on "Lovelight" of the songs on "Live Dead". This is the most wildly experimental period for the Dead, and it is essentially pyschedelic dance music. For me, I think that "Live Dead" is perhaps the best extant recording of sixties jamming rock, but you may prefer the later incarnations of the Dead, which were admittedly far more polished than those wide eyed, fire breathing dragons captured on Live Dead. A good example of late era Dead that somewhat bridges the country rock era with their improvisational instrumentals would be "Dozin' At the Knick", a live CD taken from an excellent tour in 1990.

Happy trails...