I was born in the late 1960s, dad always had great music. Lots of 8-tracks and vinyl through the years. I was exposed to lots of his favorites. Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Melanie, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Willie Nile, Wings, etc. The Grateful Dead was never heard in my house and maybe that’s the reason that I don’t get them.

The Grateful Dead is still discussed and people still tell me they love them. When I ask why there’s never really an answer beyond “they’re the Dead”. :shrug: They came up again today and i figured I’d ask.

I don’t get their popularity or why they are considered among the greats. Who can explain them to me? I really want to understand.

Well, first you have to get really high, and then you'll understand...

It's not the music.

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Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Well, first you have to get really high, and then you'll understand...

That can’t be it though. I’ve never been high and I love Bob Marley and Pink Floyd.

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Originally posted by parabellum:
It's not the music.

But people collect every album and even seek catalogs of bootleg tapes and set lists and such.

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Originally posted by mark123:

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
It's not the music.

But people collect every album and even seek catalogs of bootleg tapes and set lists and such.

Mostly so they can say they're a Dead Head and put a cool bumper sticker on their Prius.

I knew a gal in college who was infatuated. Even she admitted that their music wasn't all that great...it was more the lifestyle. This gal had followed them around the country living that lifestyle and going to their concerts. Claimed it was the best time of her life. Hippy culture, drugs, alcohol, debauchery, etc....

You had to be there. It is not the music. It is the experience. A period in time that certain people find significant in their lives. Besides for most Deadheads it was during their Youth and was romanticized.

Same with the Beatles. I never understood the mania.

Maybe the original jam band? I like quite a bit of their music, but there's a ton I haven't heard. They have a massive catalog and much of it live. I think their live act is what really created their popularity.

They fit in well with other 60's bands from Laurel Canyon, CA and you can hear influences back and forth between them.

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Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
You had to be there. It is not the music. It is the experience. A period in time that certain people find significant in their lives. Besides for most Deadheads it was during their Youth and was romanticized.

I was there, and yes that period was extremely significant in my life, it's a large part of what I am today.

And speaking strictly for me, the Dead sucked. I never did understand why people liked them.

OTOH, I wasn't a loader, so maybe that was it.

I was a teen back in that era and some of my friends were big fans, but I just never was really into them. I had one 8-track by them, can't even remember what it was now. Way too much better music back then.

I don't know how to explain it. Any band that covers Marty Robbins and Merle Haggard can't be that bad.

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Originally posted by Patriot:
Same with the Beatles. I never understood the mania.

But there’s talent there. Even if you don’t like them, their ability is quantifiable.

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Originally posted by 6guns:
Maybe the original jam band? I like quite a bit of their music, but there's a ton I haven't heard. They have a massive catalog and much of it live. I think their live act is what really created their popularity.

They fit in well with other 60's bands from Laurel Canyon, CA and you can hear influences back and forth between them.

Hit me With some example. I do wonder if it’s lack of exposure or at least to the right stuff.

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Originally posted by Flash-LB:
… I wasn't a loader …

That’s a new one. Can I assume it means “burnout”?

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Hit me With some example. I do wonder if it’s lack of exposure or at least to the right stuff.

try this

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Originally posted by parabellum:
It's not the music.

This. It’s more of an attraction to the counter culture. Graduating in the 80’s, it’s nostalgic music to me but many see it as the escape from the bullshit reality we have to face everyday.

I saw a dead show in 1985 and ended up leaving before the show was over. Cupfuls be cause my buddies bailed after night one (I was there for night 2), was not high enough, or (actually) I got bored.

It’s like punk music. There is a subsection of people that want to fit in, and they chose the Dead to be in that group.

Like Don Henley said, ‘I saw a dead head sticker on a Cadillac, and knew I could never go back’…

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Originally posted by mark123:

quote:

Originally posted by 6guns:
Maybe the original jam band? I like quite a bit of their music, but there's a ton I haven't heard. They have a massive catalog and much of it live. I think their live act is what really created their popularity.

They fit in well with other 60's bands from Laurel Canyon, CA and you can hear influences back and forth between them.

Hit me With some example. I do wonder if it’s lack of exposure or at least to the right stuff.

It's a tell order because there is so much out there. Grateful Dead purists poo poo the Terrapin Station album, but I think it's pretty accessible and not totally the jam band type music....though the title track is. I'll link a few.

Yesteryear's Dave Mathews Band?

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Originally posted by mark123:

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Originally posted by Flash-LB:
… I wasn't a loader …

That’s a new one. Can I assume it means “burnout”?

It's a term from the 60s. It means a doper, MJ user, druggie.

Edited to add:

In those days, someone would say "let's go get loaded" meaning high on drugs.