A Beginners Guide To The Grateful Dead || A Brief History & Albums To Start With!

[@philipgior3312]

I've often been oddly surprised when I come across British folks who are intensely into the Dead, since they are such a quintessentially American band, kind of similar to the phenomenon of Americans who are intensely into The Jam and Paul Weller - which I count myself as one. Anyway, I know I, like so many others who frequent your channel, could talk for hours with both yourself and your dad about music., you both have such an eclectic, open-minded taste. Love all your videos, great stuff!

[@robertholmes7467]

There is nothing better than when a "Grower" comes to fruition. I don't know much about Grateful Dead so thanks for this beginners guide.

[@MKE_Mike]

My cousin used to follow The Dead around America supporting himself by selling LSD and tie dyed t-shirts. There was a whole informal "infrastructure" built up around Dead shows. A very unique sort of community Deadheads are.

[@planetgong23]

Yeah you could mail order summer tour tickets from them and sheets of acid if I recall correctly. The scene outside the shows was its own socio - economic creation. Went downhill big time though in the 90s when the bad drugs changed the vibe bigtime.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Yeah that was thing. I made bumperstickers, it was quite an experience on many levels. The psychedelic aura around the concerts was unique and beautiful

[@MKE_Mike]

@@Hartlor_Tayley Funny you should say that, I was working in a small printing shop in '86 and my cousin hit me up to print some stickers for him but we didn't do that sort of thing.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@MKE_Mike I was working in small print shop too. We did decal and and silk screen jobs so it was cheap for me. I mostly just exchanged with other sticker people. Leave with a hundred all the same and Come hone with a hundred stickers all different.

[@birdiegirl7065]

Brokedown Palace is one of my favorite songs of all time. So beautiful and makes me cry everytime I hear it. It reminds me of my Dad, who will always hold a special place in my heart.

[@chazblitz]

My brother introduced me to the Dead. Going with him to see them many times more for the party and to hang with him and his partners in lysergic madness than for the music. But that said, I saw them do some unbelievable things musically. I do believe that their studio stuff pales in comparison to their live music. To witness them take a song like Fire on the Mountain and turn it into a 45 minute journey was just unbelievable. Live Dead was always the best Dead. My opinion of course. Great show you two!

[@jerrygarciaisgod4409]

I was lucky enough to catch a few shows in 94 and 95. I love their studio albums and seeing them live is indescribable, they are a band beyond description!🤣 I have always been fond of the saying that being a dead head is a way of life much more than a fan of the dead's music.

[@iamfrankbiesta]

The microphones work great! Super video too - leads me to re-listen to some of the Grateful Dead stuff. Thanks!

[@davidellis5141]

My favourite Grateful Dead related musical contribution is the excellent work Jerry Garcia did as " Spiritual Advisor " on the iconic Surrealistic Pillow album by The Jefferson Airplane. His guitar is heard throughout this must own album.

[@glassslide]

Fantastic video!! Life-long Grateful Dead fan so loved hearing your Dad's insights, wonderful way to spend a Saturday with a coffee, cheers and congrats on the new equipment, continued success to you!! Ps Terrapin Station has always been my favorite Dead record, side 2 is just timelessly great. Agree they were the first "jam band".

[@aaronapitius4775]

This man just listed off like a dozen names, what they played, and when they joined the band. Then he forgot one dudes name and he goes "Krikey my memory is awful". ????? Thats a ton of information to have perfectly memorized i am impressed

[@Steve-jl8pq]

very good video, the sound is really professional. Always enjoy hearing your dad speaking about music, and have been intrested in discovering a starting point for the Grateful dead, as your dad speaks highly of them, looks like someone has had a haircut

[@johnwilding4664]

The only time I ever saw the Dead was Friday, July 4, 1986 at Rich Stadium in Buffalo-headlined by Bob Dylan with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I recognized a couple of tunes: I Need A Miracle off Shakedown Street-I recognized this one as they played it on Saturday Night Live in 1979. They also did a desultory version of CC Rider. Very interesting, I appreciate your ole dad's perspective, but they were never a band that did it for me.

[@jackrussell108]

Saw jerry on pedal steel.. Dead/Dylan 1987 Foxboro Mass ✌️✌️🤙 and still on The Bus…

[@baldpipesmoker1780]

Thanks for taking the time to make this video! I've never really listened to the dead so this helps me very much! Take care guys!!

[@kristofftaylovoski60]

Another collaborative effort with Dead members involved is David Crosby's "If I Could Only Remember My Name"... A must for die hard fans.

[@shaynewest8757]

Jerry plays pedal steel on Teach Your Children too.

[@TheDman216]

dont forget jerrys sidetrips recordings with howard whales - space funk!!

[@TheDman216]

and of corse JBG

[@mickboreham8482]

If I Could Only Remember My Name is an essential album from that era.

[@grahamreid7836]

Hi Niamh and Dad Fantastic! Great full Dead, the only thing I have realy Listened to was Gerry Garcia and Howard Wales, Hooter Roll Excelente, Cheers Everyone Niamh And Dad Fantastico Contigo Graham.

[@MrVjjorge]

I was blessed to see them 2 days Wembley 1990 just after Brent passed away it was a somber vibe and it came through the sets... without a net , Dead set and Reckoning are also amongst my faves

[@jhillst]

Good video. I play in a band that does a lot of Grateful Dead covers, and although I'm not as big of a fan as my bandmates are, I do appreciate their music a lot. Of the songs we cover, my favorite ones to play are "Bertha," "Shakedown Street" and "Eyes of the World," although from what I've heard, my favorite song of theirs is either "Terrapin Station" (easily their proggiest work) or "Saint of Circumstance."

[@paulobrienmus]

The microphones are an improvement. I love the Bodhrán on the wall, very romantic. 😊 👍 ☘️

[@alexbillington6813]

Thank you for the video, i have recently bought my first Grateful Dead album entitled, From a Mars Hotel on Vinyl, that i am looking forward to listening to very soon, certainly their live albums i am interested in exploring further.

[@thevfxmancolorizationvfxex4051]

The Dead are probably best listened too live. Workingman's Dead and American Beauty are probably the only 2 Studio efforts worth listening to, but that's just my opinion

[@skijumpnose]

This will be interesting, I only know the song Casey Jones. Awesome shirt Niamh, You have lots of cool shirts 👍

[@harizonflamingice3167]

Weirdly enough, my introduction to the Grateful Dead was Alabama Getaway, and I only remember that because it was on the Rock Band 2 soundtrack. I've met some people here and there who are fans of them, but my knowledge is quite limited, so this video is quite useful.

[@carstenselberg1255]

Saw them live in 1981 in the Grugahalle in Essen Germany.

[@ronnieguitar99]

Bruce Hornsby, against all odds, is still alive. As far as I know.

[@jimmycampbell78]

I think that was who Dad was trying to think of at 5:10

[@robertharris6727]

Hi guys love the vids I've just become a Deadhead @ the grand old age of 70 heard a cover of Another Saturday Night by a pub rock band I thought I'd check them out ....then you guys popped up very informative.....and on your recommendations I shall be purchasing more ... much love Robert

[@ronnieguitar99]

"Going Down The Road Feeling Bad" from Live Dead 2 (Skull&Roses). Garcia's guitar solo just goes off into outer space. And of course the 70s, Wake Of The Flood, Blues For Allah, Terrapin Station, (what's up with Mars Hotel? I like "Scarlet Begonias" but the rest of it?). Yeah, Working Man "Don't murder me, I beg of you don't murder me!"

[@martyhopkirk6826]

I got into them by listening to Anthem of the Sun when I was sixteen in1982. It astonished me: I had no idea that anyone made music like that. I’ve been into them hugely since. Saw them at Wembley in 1990. Seeing them play Dark Star in front of me was genuinely one of the highlights of my life. One of the biggest regrets of my life, however, was that I once spent an afternoon at a very sedate party, and there was a raddled old hippy there. I only found out later that he was Sam Cutler, the Dead’s old road manager. Think of the conversation I could have had with him!

[@mickboreham8482]

Niamh, it’s all your Dads fault -in the nicest possible way that I have been mainlining the Grateful Dead for the best part of a year. When I discover a band I always begin with the debut album and work forward. The Dead did not click for me until I watched this excellent video (worth repeated viewing) and dug into the live elements of the Dead’s catalog. Wow it’s night and day. This is exactly what I was looking for. My record haul over the last 10 months has been dominated by live Dead albums So thank you to both you and your Dad, if there is ever a review of the Dead solo albums in the works I am there. Thanks again, keep rocking!

[@timbucktwo4128]

I'm so glad you made this video, the Grateful Dead is my favorite band of all time and we need videos like this to gain more deadheads!!!

[@runscoot4596]

love this, thankyou! just getting into the dead thanks to this video

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

I think the greatest thing about those main studio albums is the lyrics. I think Robert Hunter (and others) contributions can’t be over emphasized. There is an authentic American musical tradition in these songs with a surrealistic other worldly quality that just makes these album seem like an antique shop full of curiosities of the past but from a parallel dimension. The songs themselves are enough of a reason to check out the Grateful Dead. The live shows are legendary and available to anyone willing to take that long strange trip.

[@20yearwritersblock]

I like his catchphrase “Have a good week!”

[@allentenderfoot8712]

Jerry Garcia thumbing through the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Put his finger down onto a page to see the sentance with Grateful Dead in it.

[@bryanmcguiness3998]

A hot day in the garden A glass of white wine and Dark Star live at Winterland All 23minutes Bliss😀

[@perryjulian2135]

Love this and love the dead also nice thanks guys keep it coming 👍

[@friedrichboekhoff7794]

I totally agree with your dad. I discovered Grateful Dead late. My key experience was the 1981 Rockpalast concert in Essen. You can see that on youtube. Grateful Dead is part of my radio show "Rock ohne Grenzen" (Rock Without Limits), which will be on air on Sunday, April 18th, 5 -7 pm UK time (UTC + 1). Also with Santana, ELP, Alan Parsons, Birth Control, Lynyrd Skynyrd and many more. If you like, tune in the livestream on www.oeins.de/radio .

[@jimled50jl49]

I will be honest with you. I have never heard their music. It just never crossed my path although their name definitely has. I have actually paused your video and listened to two tracks via u.tube which I have to say reminds me a little of the group "America" which I love...[ eg; Horse With No Name ] and I do also love C.S.N & Young and The Doobie Brothers so that's the vibe I am getting. The live stuff has got me curious hearing you talk about these jam type sessions extending tracks, so I will definitely be checking some out. Thankyou for yet another insight into some music that never reached my radar. I'm dead grateful.....[ sorry - hope that wasn't too corny. Lol ]

[@thunderhorse6666]

Wow that's so funny what were saying at the beginning of the video about first hearing a certain band and thinking it's not really your thing but you persist and they end up being one of favorites. I couldn't tell you how many of my favorite bands I said the exact same thing about

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

The song Shakedown Street will please everyone. Not a typical Dead style but it has a Bee Gees, Steely Dan sound and good lyrics.

[@phil5743]

Can I take this opportunity to thank your dad. At the age of 58 I'm discovering the amazing world of Pfish. Completely escaped my radar until he mentioned them on your channel. Brilliant!

[@JimGobetz]

Great stuff as usual. I was lucky to have seen the Grateful Dead many times back in the day and it was always said "There's nothing like a Dead concert". I hope this gets some prog fans to give them a listen.

[@oldjack-mi8gk]

One of my most indelible Dead memories is their reaction to Marty Balin getting beaten up by the Hell’s Angels at Altamont and their subsequent refusal to go on stage.

[@TheDman216]

knocked him out cold with the fat end of a pool cue

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Who would ever want to hurt Marty Balin. He was a sweet guy.

[@138misfi]

My dad is responsible for most of my music taste. He used to play the dead around me a lot and over the past 4 years I have been listening to them and am hooked. He is now taking me to a Dead & Co. concert soon. I love john mayer too! I'm so exited. The Dead helped me during surgery recovery when I was in a lot of pain. That's why I will always love the Dead

[@skallagrimr_kveldulfsson]

I just listened to the Terrapin Station longtrack. Really nice! I didn't expect that. Good video. The sound through the microphones is very good.

[@nicko6650]

Congratulations on reaching 13K subscribers👏

[@the_prog_nerd]

Thank you !!

[@D34DH34D4LYF]

According to the history of the Dead display at the UC Santa Cruz Grateful Dead Archives, the name came from a dictionary, which the museum has under glass open to the page in G.

[@theyuwipi1209]

That was great fun and very informative. I have to admit that I only own 2 Dead albums, Europe '72 and Skull & Roses, and that I missed the train with them back in the day. Have really grown to appreciate their music over the last twenty years or so. Don't want to get on Dad's bad side, but the "best" treatment of "Me and Bobby McGee" - although Joplin would win in a landslide I absolutely love Gordon Lightfoot's cover. Always a great time watching the vids, thanks much. A quick Dead story - Not sure if this was '94 or '95. Was working in the vicinity of Giants Stadium (NJ, US) and had to open the warehouse at 7 each morning. I pull into the parking lot and it's half full of tepee's and tents, sleeping bags and some unusual looking people. I can't type the words that came out of my mouth on seeing this, but found out later that the Dead were scheduled to play two nights and this was the early arrival of their caravan of Dead Heads. It was still 13 hours to the first show. Gotta give 'em credit for dedication.

[@StephaneGallay]

Thanks for the great episode, lots of recommendations. And congrats on the new mikes! This works very well, especially when you show records (they don't block the sound anymore). If I may offer a couple pieces of advice, first to lower the recording levels to avoid the sound peaking when you dad has a burst of enthusiasm (and you add gain in post), second would be to add some dampening material on the walls to kill the echo.

[@jaybone23]

Congrats on the growth of the channel! Insane!

[@electrolytics]

As far as Live recordings go with the Dead, we trade "Jam quality" for increased canon(set-list variation) along the timeline. As a general rule. It's almost an even trade, at least up to 1977-78. In my opinion "Peak Jam Quality" was between 1971 and 1974 but the addition of "Mars" "Blues for Allah" and "Terrapin" introduced a bevy of new music that really SUPERCHARGED their setlists. But funny enough, they could have wrapped it up in 1975 like they almost did, and that would have been good enough.

[@David-Ellis]

Nice post-lockdown trim dad - looks great! I’m off to listen to American Beauty now. I’m a dead novice! Better sound and a new camera perhaps? The video looks lovely and sharp. Thank you both.

[@ukrocksounds3419]

I wonder if Niamh has explored Joni mitchell late sixties and seventies period, without doubt the best singer songwriter in the history of music. Dad has a great collection of music. .

[@AllMediaReviewsPodcast]

also the fact Jaco Pastorius played with Joni, may appeal to her.

[@c.fitzpatrick12]

Great Saturday with dad video. Terrapin Station was my first Dead album and it is full of great songs plus the epic title track. Europe '72 is my favorite live album. Blues for Allah is one that the first side is great but the second side is weird. I own most of their albums and Working Man and American Beauty are great, there is so much great music. Someone gave me hundreds of audience recorded live bootlegs, didn't really want some much material as I will never get to listen to 90% of it but I can say I have a massive collection. Great video Niamh and your dad, well done.

[@daremcadams1868]

☺️ ..we have one G D record, ...called InfraRed Roses....like the song.. Silver Apples on the Moon,..its All.what one likes....went to one Dead show i3/17/ 1992... in Phila, Pa , ...friends tell me I had a rare treat , 🤣🤣🤣 because they played a song called He's Gone & a Cream song Spoonful...which is rare..HA! I tell them if you say so, I' ll agree,.😂..very entertaining to feel peeps Luv for Bands...I get it, little too laid back for me, extremely popular band..papa Niamh here knows his G D...Luv this channell...😁

[@georgesvennesson6322]

for the person who loves Grateful Dead I advise to listen too Chris Robinson Brotherhood it's excellent ! Love your Channel Greetings from Paris France

[@stevebarnes7353]

One of the greatest American bands in music history, in my opinion. Great video.

[@spaghetti.lee-69]

Dead Heads in the U.K ?? Awesome We Are Everywhere!! Stick with Live material. Keep Listening. Greetings from New York USA

[@collettewhitney2141]

My personal favourite the greatful dead album is The golden Road My 2nd favourite workingmans dead 3rd throwing stones Take care you both Prog rock forever far out 👍😎🌟🌟🌟🌟❤️🎸🎸

[@iang1]

A band I've always felt I should investigate but so much music didn't know what to start with so this is very useful, thanks

[@70sgemsconnolly34]

Both looking fresh

[@mikelabelle1145]

Terrapin is their musical master piece and in my opinion, thier best album at least musically. Also has some monster tracks on them! Fillmore East BTW.

[@comeonuirons]

Ive tried twice , I shall try again to get into them .You mention about long tracks being challenging for me one of the greatest ever rock album tracks is Liberation by Chicago from CTA - I still play that album and especially that track to this day.RIP Terry Kath

[@darrenrogers9416]

Ordered American beauty of vinyl last week after it kept popping up on your videos loved it ! Will be Looking at others.thanks

[@kristofftaylovoski60]

There is a weird "primitive mix" for Aoxomoxoa that came first in 1969 and was later "cleaned up" at the insistence of Phil Lesh for later versions of the record.

[@peterfitton4529]

Can't really argue with any of your dad's picks. All excellent places to start. There used to be, might even still be, a Dark Star real ale. Was that your dad's business (without meaning to pry, of course!)? Good video.

[@the_prog_nerd]

Nope it wasn’t alcohol related! I’ll have to ask!

[@sakblabbath3715]

American Beauty was my entry level of Grateful Dead. Workingmen Dead is kinda my second. Blues for Allah third. Then I got into the Psychedelic 2 Albums.

[@planetgong23]

When I saw them in Buffalo in '89 they opened with Bertha. Pigpen liked the organ and the Blues. Brent Mydland did as well. Keith was more into the piano and jazzier riffs. All good though. BUT...you have to admit when it comes to one's favourite live Dead....it's ALL available. Dick's Picks for example has SO many live shows. When I was blessed to see them I was recently emerging from Punk Rock and didn't really know their songs. Within a year I'd moved to the west coast, dreads a growing and my roommate turned me on to Anthem of the Sun along with some very good LSD. The song Alligator remains one of my faves. Pigpen's organ is just crazy good. And Jerry always had the ability to reach your soul with his guitar. I giggled when I noticed you omitted Shakedown Street and their stab at disco. Although Fire on the Mountain was always great live.

[@Lightmane]

Love your channel. Love you both.

[@davidrobinson2776]

I first became aware of the Dead through my love of Janis Joplin and her relationship with Ron Pigpen McKernan. In fact there is a great clip of Janis sitting on a train with Jerry, Ron and the guys. Jerry and Janis are loving the whole atmosphere, maybe due to having a shandy or two. I believe it’s the only footage of Janis singing Me and Bobby McGee. Great episode, Niamh. Please don’t turn off your comments. Anyone who actually takes the time to write something negative must have a pretty sad life. Or they might be just arseholes.

[@KirkeBenusi]

Great Show!

[@terryjohnson5275]

Thanks for this one, they're one of those bands that I've always thought I need to check out - same with lots of those US bands coming out from the mid to late 60s like Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, Crosby Stills and Nash and then CSN and Young. That era is one of the big holes in my collection - and there's been a lot of albums your Dad has championed in the last few months that I feel the need to at least listen to - like Phish for example. So I'll need to set aside some time to explore. Problem is I then tend to go down a rabbit hole in trying to search out and listen to everything, or as much as possible, a band did - at least with the internet music library that is Spotify thats more possible and less costly these days, unlike a number of years ago when I first heard Horslips and then had to buy up their whole back catalogue at a time when they werent that readily available.

[@rogerlacaille3148]

Once again, a wonderful Saturday with Dad,thanks Dad,thanks Niamh 😉

[@killslay]

Thanks for this! I've been struggling away trying to learn "friend of the devil" on guitar and thought I should maybe listen to some more of their stuff.

[@robertgarrick9121]

The only two albums I own by The Grateful Dead are American Beauty and Workingman's Dead . So I'm really glad you did this video because I wasn't sure what to buy next . Thanks for the recommendations ,. I would love to see your Dad do a similar video about The Allman Brothers Band . They're a band I love and I know from previous videos your Dad does as well. Your channel has great content one of my favourites keep them coming .👍

[@Love_Street]

I needed this Dead video. I have no GD albums. btw ..I just got Tarkus because of your dads recommendation.

[@the_prog_nerd]

Yay! Great album!

[@Love_Street]

@@the_prog_nerd yep you’re correct, I was missing out. Back in the day people kinda picked thier bands to buy and get into Mine were Yes instead of ELP and Zep instead of Sabbath. I dunno if it was like that over there 👉

[@davidryan6441]

Great Vid As Always....Just Purchased The Dead's Ready or Not Album, Along With Dicks Picks Volume 7 Which has music from The Alexander Palace Concert that Dad mentioned a Few Weeks ago. If Not Already in Dads Collection , They Are well Worth having.

[@JayMil365]

Fantastic band, music geniuses.

[@TheDman216]

anthem of the sun is what started me

[@nolongerthere]

Btw, I recently heard in an interview that it is not actually Courtney Love on the back picture of Aoxomoxoa. That rumor got started somehow and has made the rounds despite being untrue.

[@buzzbabyjesus]

Aoxomoxoa, American Beauty, Workingman's Dead, "Skull And Roses", and Garcia are amazing albums full of terrific songs. Things started going downhill after Jerry got into heroin in 1974.

[@abelincoln95]

Niamh, you have an intense glow about you today.... New mics are nice.

[@nolongerthere]

I have loved the Dead since I first saw them in 1978, my own "road to Damascus" experience. They were great musicians and far more capable than the caricature druggie image that followed them would indicate. To my mind, the Terrapin Station title suite is one of the greatest pieces of music and sorely underrated- sadly, by Deadheads themselves, which limited interest from others. I agree with Niamh's dad: it is prog-rock!

[@AllMediaReviewsPodcast]

TERRAPIN!..I got a dubbed cassette from a guy named Larry Finklestein in 1996 from Arizona who included The Residents, Hawkwind's Levitation, Syd Barrett's studio albums, and TERRAPIN STATION (I gave him some rare Rush bootlegs in exchange). Terrapin still remains the 1 Dead record I own and love. I do enjoy some of their radio songs, and Dark Star, but Terrapin takes the cake. I wonder if Niamh's dad has seen Dark Star Orchestra who recreate Dead shows.

[@backwards7]

I have a strong love/hate relationship with The Grateful Dead. No one can dispute how musically accomplished the players in the band are/were, both on their own terms and in the way they were able to braid their individual performances together and create something that was by-far greater than the sum of its parts. They harboured a deep, intuitive love and understanding of folk and blues, and they excelled at building engaging pieces of music on the fly. Then there is the side of the band that brings out my inner J Edgar Hoover (minus the cross-dressing of course - I don't look good in a little black dress - I accept that now). Growing up with parents who were teenagers during the 1960s, I have an extremely low tolerance threshold for the valueless currency of hippie wisdom unsupported by meaningful action, that occasionally rears its head, not only in the Dead's 1960s output, but across their career. I have always gravitated towards the more ambiguous, less preachy terrain of Dark Star, Terrapin Station and the jazzy psychedelia of Blues for Allah. I am far less enamoured by songs like Truckin' which feels like a condescending sermon given by a patchouli-scented, future poster boy for peyote poisoning, who believes himself wise beyond his years. The first Grateful Dead album I purchased was their studio swansong - Built To Last. I think that even ardent fans of the Dead would probably regard this as a bad introduction. At first listen, the record appears to be hopelessly out of step with the band's identity. However, upon further reflection it is exactly the kind of music you would expect to be produced by a wealthy collective of ageing hippies, weighed down by drug habits that they are carrying into middle age, who have dipped their toe into the 1980s just as the decade ends, but who have the other foot planted firmly in the 1970s. The songs on Built To Last all seem incredibly and undeservedly pleased with themselves. 'Foolish Heart', for example, exemplifies the kind of new age platitudes you might find embroidered onto the interior of a carbon-neutral yurt at Glastonbury. It's very similar to kind of unintentionally funny songs that Crosby, Stills & Nash were putting out around this time (seriously, listen to 'Tomboy' and try not to imagine the subject of the song kicking Stephen Stills' arse around the room). There are two narcotics-referencing numbers - Bob Weir's Picasso Moon describes a visit to the area south of Market Street in San Francisco; a notorious convergence point for whatever the collective noun is for a large group of junkies. Whether this song is about scoring dope is left ambiguous. A lot of people assume that Victim or the Crime, with it's opening line “patience runs out on the junkie,” was written about Gerry Garcia. My understanding is that the lyrics came together piecemeal over several years. The album ends with what is, in my opinion, the worst song ever written, not only when measured against the artistic achievements of our own species, but also when taking into account the creative output of other civilizations elsewhere in the multiverse, across the breathtakingly-immense span of the past, present and future. I speak of Brent Mydland's saccharine lullaby, 'I will Take You Home' - a song that should have stayed in the nursery, but was instead elevated to the status of unworthy career coda for a band who deserved deserved a far better send off. When you think that Jim Morrison bowed out with 'Riders on the Storm', Lou Reed waved a characteristically self loathing goodbye with 'Junior Dad' and David Bowie glided wistfully off stage with 'I Can't Give Everything Away', it is genuinely shocking. I suppose the lesson is to always make sure the final track on your album is decent, in case it turns out to be your last word. One doesn't like to speak ill of the dead (neither the band, nor of dead people in general) none-the-less I am going to put the boot into the late John Petty Barlow and the late Brent Mydland whose collaborations punch a bloody great big hole in the side of Built to Last. Just a Little Light and Blow Away have the air of songs exhumed from a coked-out, mid-1970s Eagles studio session. The pair guide the album to its execrable zenith with an overwrought, self-flagellating eco ballad titled 'We Can Run' where, during the middle-eight, a clamour of voices enthused by their own naked greed are brought to their senses by the sound of one child crying. This is followed by a head shaking verse where Mydland bemoans the hole in the ozone layer. There is something about this kind of empty hand-wringing that always grates for me, perhaps because it comes out of the mouth of a counter culture that espoused high ideals but that also embodied superhuman indolence. Putting that mindset into the context of music, the grunge bands of the late 1980s / early 90s - who were made up of the troubled, under-parented, overly-medicated children of the peace and love generation - are mostly gone now, their members cut down by suicide and utterly miserable declines into drug addiction and death. Even Mydland, for all the cloying reassurances of I Will Take You Home, died not long after recording the song, overdosing on a speedball at the age of 37.

[@KindOfBird]

Don’t sleep on Spring 1990. Great year!

[@TheDman216]

4/2/1973 Boston Garden . Brown Eyed Women is bigtime groove

[@cafe.cedarbeard]

Aoxomoxoa my intro, 1989, me 15. Neptune was conjunct my Sun. I do a cover of Mountains Of The Moon. I dig that album. I like trippy things.

[@Dave-mb7kb]

Europe 72 is the album that go me into the Dead. Everything on it is great - I especially love the version of Morning Dew. Also, Blues For Allah is a fantastic album and well worth investigating.

[@mibutler]

Nice haircut Niamh. Looks like dad got one too.

[@ラジオファン]

I start to listen to The Grateful Dead.

[@bjrnegillarsen1380]

Workingmans dead was my first Dead album, grandma had bought it thinking it was a country album from the cover so I had the opportunity to make a tape from it first, then I got the album itself when she decided it wasn't really her cup of tea

[@ashbright6416]

Hi Niamh, love your videos. On the subject of jam bands, I remember that your dad mentioned Phish and was wearing one of their t-shirts in a previous video. Well, I also discovered Phish in the early part of last year and they've since become one of my favourite bands. Where did your dad get his shirt from? Was it from their online store or another retailer? Their merch is hard to come by on this side of the pond!

[@peterburnett4332]

Hi Niamhs dad here. I buy my Phish merch from their site which is in the states just Google phish merch

[@peterburnett4332]

Anything over in the UK I don't think will be that good as they are not that popular over here unfortunately

[@ashbright6416]

@@peterburnett4332 Thanks ever so much for replying, Peter. I'll give it a shot and cross my fingers that customs don't whack on a massive charge, haha

[@MayorGoldieWilson825]

I love British people. Sounds like they've got a mouth full of water or marbles when they talk. I love accents. And the Dead.

[@JohmathanBSwift]

Hard to pick which one, but Wake of the Flood does get a lot of play.

[@arti2909]

My first GD experience was "Live/Dead" album. I bought it because I knew it should be somewhat psychedelic and the duration of the tracks looked promissing too as I was into Pink Floyd "Meddle" & "Ummagumma". Well, it turned out it was something different than Pf but.. I was so enchanted

[@shaynewest8757]

Terrapin Station is such sn underated album thats every bit as good as American Beauty and Workingmans Dead. Reckoning and 100 Year Hall are great live albums. Could never get into Blues For Allah unfortunatly.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Hundred year hall. Oh yeah.

[@jukeboxcowboy]

Big fan of Terrapin Station here. Put it on just yesterday. It's actually my go-to. Regardless of what you think of the music on Blues for Allah, You got to admit that's one heck of an album cover. It reminds me of going to the mall in the 70s and getting an iron-on transfer of it put on a t-shirt!

[@jwdebok2333]

Again thanks, what does your father think of Dead and Company (John Mayer's role)

[@peterburnett4332]

I like dead and company a lot a john mayer is a fantastic guitarist

[@ggparma1]

More Dead please!!!!

[@AdamLB]

Noice!

[@eduardocalvo9631]

I'm against being envious towards fellow human beings, but cannot help being envious of Peter as an attendant to the Wembley 72 concert. Like we say where I'm from, it's envy, but of the good kind. While archival and released fairly recently, I think Cornell 77 is up there with Live/Dead and Europe 72 as seminal live Dead.

[@livingtribunal4110]

DICK´S PICKS Vol. 1 - 36 !!!! Especially anything from ´69 and ´74 when they used the ´Wall Of Sound´ PA system: Vol 1, 2, 7, 12, 19, 26, 28 and Egypt ´78