Quick, name the first thing that pops into your head when I say The Grateful Dead. Let me guess, dirty hippies, stoners playing hacky sack, and old burnouts reliving the glory days of rock? Sure, when a band is that steeped in drug culture, all of that’s bound to come to mind. Do you know what you didn’t think of? The freaking music! While not everyone’s cup of tea, The Dead have been a major part of my life’s soundtrack since I was 15. One of my brothers, who was lucky enough to be able to see The Dead live, introduced me to them through his tapes of their live shows. I was hooked. Granted, they have a history immersed in the drug culture (they cut their teeth at Ken Kesey’s acid tests), but you don’t have to be high to enjoy their music (though admittedly, I was quite high for most of my teenage years). With such a variety of musical sounds and influences in all of their songs, you’re bound to find a few that sink their hooks into your soul. I have so many favorites I couldn’t begin to list them all, but here are a few suggestions to get you started. Keep in mind, there is a huge difference between studio and live versions, from track length to overall feel and vibe. These guys would change it up at every show!
Song title (Album title):
Uncle John’s Band (Workingman’s Dead)
Dire wolf (Workingman’s Dead)
Casey Jones(Workingman’s Dead)
Box of Rain (American Beauty)
Friend of the Devil (American Beauty)
Truckin’ (American Beauty)
U.S. Blues (From the Mars Hotel)
Scarlet Begonias (From the Mars Hotel)
Ship of Fools (From the Mars Hotel)
Fire on the Mountain (Shakedown Street)
Althea (Go to Heaven)
St. Stephen (Aoxomoxa)
