Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: pauldo on August 20, 2009, 06:39:25 AM

Title: One Dead Album
Post by: pauldo on August 20, 2009, 06:39:25 AM: I have always really enjoyed In the Dark the whole album is packed with solid material. I realize that there are Dead albums out there that I have not heard completely - hence the question:

If you had to recommend just one Grateful Dead album - which one would it be?

(Message edited by pauldo on August 20, 2009)
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: dadabass2001 on August 20, 2009, 06:47:08 AM: Oof! Not fair, coz there's too many great ones...
Alright my personal fave is still possibly Skull and Roses (their second live album) no overdubs and Phil's tone is phenomenal!
Also a good blend of songs that became signatures for years.
Mike
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: smokinbear on August 20, 2009, 07:15:36 AM: American Beauty. Some of the best songs are on this alblum and Phil's tone is simply perfect for the mix. But in reality all of the alblums are great listening but to really get on the bus give archive.org a listen cause a live Grateful Dead show is really where the music shines.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: pas on August 20, 2009, 07:15:52 AM: Europe '72
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: bassman10096 on August 20, 2009, 07:49:07 AM: Europe '72 edges out Skull and Roses simply because it has more music. Either would be fine with me and suitable to recommend to anyone.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: sonicus on August 20, 2009, 07:54:10 AM: But you said JUST ONE! oh well_ I just can't follow directions , SORRY I could not pick just one _______
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: sonicus on August 20, 2009, 08:02:46 AM: Ok then will compromise a bit!

Studio work; WORKINGMAN'S DEAD
LIVE ; LIVE/DEAD
Love the Dark Star on that_
The transitive nightfall of diamonds has a new special significance to me.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: David Houck on August 20, 2009, 08:09:36 AM: Paul; if you had to play with just one string on your bass, which string would it be? If you had to live in a house that only had one wall, which wall would it be?

Ok; so I'll pick Mars Hotel. And since I don't like your pick only one rules, I'm not going to tell you why I picked Mars Hotel. So there!

Hee hee !!
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: pas on August 20, 2009, 08:41:41 AM: Dave,

I'm not sure I'm correctly understanding your somewhat cryptic query to me - perhaps you could clarify?
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: David Houck on August 20, 2009, 08:50:15 AM: Hah! There are two Pauls in this thread! Sorry about that, I was responding to the initial post that asked that we recommend just one Grateful Dead album; thus my one bass string, one wall response.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: pas on August 20, 2009, 09:00:20 AM: Stay between the lines Dave...the lines are your friends...
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: elwoodblue on August 20, 2009, 09:28:16 AM: Yeah, that's a tough one, like saying would you rather have water or air.

I love the recordings from Radio City Music hall 1980 .
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: phylo on August 20, 2009, 09:48:46 AM: Sticking to studio albums, it's Wake of the Flood.

For live albums check out Dozin at the Knick, it's more of your preferred late model era.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: glocke on August 20, 2009, 10:29:30 AM: If I had to chose one dead album to live with forever it would be Europe '72.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: terryc on August 20, 2009, 10:47:05 AM: dave..apart from keeping us all in line I sometimes think you are on something and whatever it is can you send some to me(LOL)
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: David Houck on August 20, 2009, 10:59:32 AM: Terry; your request has been filled and was shipped today at 1:58pm EDT.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: dnburgess on August 20, 2009, 02:11:34 PM: I'm not really a Dead Head - but American Beauty will always be special for me because we used to use the Mobile Fidelity pressing as a demo record in the hifi store in which I worked as a teeenager.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on August 20, 2009, 02:35:30 PM: Just one? I couldn't do it. Different Dead for different moods. I can tell you In The Dark wouldn't be it. If you want me to recommend one album for someone else, I'd need more info. Into exquisite songs? Working Man's Dead. Into full-blown jamming? Live/Dead. Can't decide? Europe '72 (Like Bill said, only because it has more music than Grateful Dead/Skeleton & Roses/Skullf**k). Looking for the flat-out best bass tone ever recorded? S&R. But the best advise I coukld give is don't ask for one - ask what order to buy them all in. (My actual current favorite is an audience recording of Alpine Valley '82, with John Cippolina & a percussionist name escapes me sitting in - it was great then & it's great now. And there was this girl in the next car in the parking lot.....my buddy & I still talk about her in reverent tones.)

Peter
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: David Houck on August 20, 2009, 03:42:12 PM: I agree with Peter. Your life will be more complete if you own several Grateful Dead albums.

Of course, I also couldn't just pick three.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: lbpesq on August 20, 2009, 04:21:18 PM: Pick one Dead Album? No way, won't do it, wouldn't be prudent. lol

Dave: Ugly Rumors?

As I write this, I'm sitting on the very western edge of the continent, about 100 yards from the Pacific watching whales swim by. Life is good.

Bill, tgo
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: David Houck on August 20, 2009, 04:32:37 PM: Life is indeed good, Bill!
Which rumors?
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: lbpesq on August 20, 2009, 06:58:22 PM: Mars Hotel - Ugly Rumors in the mirror.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: pauldo on August 20, 2009, 07:51:04 PM: This is good - I appreciate the efforts in attempting to pare it down to just one.

This gives me some idea of what to look for, as mentioned earlier I am familiar with alot of the 'greatest hits' from the dead. Currently I only have Terrapin Station and In the Dark - the later seems to get poo-pooed by some folks (not just here) in off site discussions with others they indicate it as a 'sell-out'. ?

Skulls and Roses and Europe 72 seem to be the best bets.

Peter - I was at the Alpine Valley show in 82!
Did I see you there? I was the guy with the real shiny eyes!
Don't remember too much from it(something funny slipped into my drink):-` I do know it was really coooool.

Dave - D-string and North side wall (just because those neighbors are so loud!) :-p
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: David Houck on August 20, 2009, 08:32:12 PM: Bill; Hah!! I never knew that! (Or if I did, those storage cells are gone) So no, that's not why I'm recommending Mars Hotel, but deciphering record covers certainly works as a good reason, or at least it did back when record covers were big enough to decipher. We used to spend quality time with a magnifying glass and some Roger Dean covers. My guess as to why I'm so partial to Mars Hotel may be that when it came out I often resembled the folks on the back cover while listening to it.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: tom_z on August 20, 2009, 11:09:05 PM: Paul - here's a link to a streamable live performance from 05-08-77. It's considered by many to be a peak performance in a peak year. The audio quality of the recording is A+.

http://www.archive.org/details/gd77-05-08.sbd.hicks.4982.sbeok.shnf (http://www.archive.org/details/gd77-05-08.sbd.hicks.4982.sbeok.shnf)

Enjoy!
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: jerryme on August 21, 2009, 05:00:00 AM: If it means anthing I have about 2000 hours of live Grateful Dead, and I only own two albums; American Beauty and Workingman's Dead

Colin
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: sonicus on August 21, 2009, 05:21:35 AM: I heard a tape from a 1971 show at the Harding
Theater . Phil was playing his Alembic modified Gibson EB-3. That was an awesome performance that day, I will never forget the fire and furry that I heard in Phils playing that day! You could sense the fire and hear his intellect going to work.I liked the sound that Bass had.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: sonicus on August 21, 2009, 05:27:22 AM: I find that the live recordings from the late 1960's to mid 1970's to have a certain magic to my ears.

(Message edited by sonicus on August 21, 2009)
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: spose on August 21, 2009, 08:37:58 AM: the dead made albums?
heh..

my favorite is If Only I could Remember My Name by David Crosby(1971)
maybe not an offical Dead album, but read the credits!
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: pas on August 21, 2009, 08:59:04 AM: I have that one...on vinyl, no less.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: spose on August 21, 2009, 09:26:21 AM: pas,
the bass tones on that album slay me. What basses do you think are on that record? I hear early Alembic tones(with flats) from both Lesh and Casady. I want to ask Crosby first hand when he comes to my town next month.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: pas on August 21, 2009, 09:54:24 AM: It was recorded in '70, released in '71. I'm guessing that Lesh was using the Godfather & Casady was using the Guild Starfire with Alembic guts. I don't know about Lesh, but I don't think Casady was using flat wounds. I'm going to see Hot Tuna on 08/25...I'll ask Jack if he used flats in the last millenium.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: afrobeat_fool on August 21, 2009, 10:33:28 AM: Hey, spose. I'll be at that show next month, wanna jam? I know a monster drummer that lives in Eugene named John Mahalic. Groovy cat, studied alot of Indian drumming and can really groove..
My fave studio is Wake of the flood. First album I got of the Dead in 78' I was 9yrs old and my brother gave it to me with There is one in every crowd, by Clapton. I have a cool brother. He also took me to see the Who in 79 or 80 when there was a bit of a seating problem at the Cincinnati, coliseum, and he held me above the fray. Love you Ter.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: spose on August 21, 2009, 10:46:48 AM: afrobeat fool
I would love to jam!

contact me thru email to set something up.

alembicseriesoneplayer at yahoo
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: edwin on August 22, 2009, 02:58:22 AM: I think that If I Could Only Remember My Name was the EB3. I don't think the Godfather was ready until late '71. Jack probably played a Guild of some sort. Probably the one with the magnesium channels.

Ace is another great GD album. The Playing jam on it is just about perfect.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: sonicus on August 22, 2009, 03:22:09 AM: As I recall Phils EB-3 had 2 GUILD / HAGSTROM pick ups installed . Alembic did some work on it .What other ALEMBIC modifications did it have ????? I really liked the sound of that Bass _ yes I have said that before !
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: sonicus on August 22, 2009, 03:38:40 AM: Hi pas ,
In that era for those Bass players popular flat wound strings as per your post might have been Pyramid Gold, Framus and Guild

Just may be_______
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: dadabass2001 on August 24, 2009, 07:26:37 PM: I loved all of those albums (and have /had them all as well)! Paul said only 1, but any of these will shake the earth. I think Phil's playing was most amazing (for the period) on Live Dead. Talk about lead bass! He and Jerry were two sides of a twisting, flipping coin! I still don't know how he got that almost sitar-like sound in the middle of Dark Star.

You can see Phil playing the EB-3 on the DVD Festival Express, plus a lot of other great bits of musical history as well.
Mike

(Message edited by dadabass2001 on August 24, 2009)
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: sonicus on August 24, 2009, 09:39:27 PM: I still find as much joy in Dark Star and even more appreciation as a 53 year old , then as the first time I heard it when I was 16.There is always a new treasure to find.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: lbpesq on August 25, 2009, 08:01:03 AM: There is much to be discovered within the transitive nightfall of diamonds.

Bill, tgo
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: sonicus on August 25, 2009, 08:23:00 AM: Their illumination will guide you safely to the gifts of the universe.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on August 25, 2009, 02:40:36 PM: That's a big 10-4 on the Dark Star, Wolf - and may I recommend the version form Paris, 5/4/72 (%20http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-05-04.sbd.miller.77294.sbeok.flac16)? I forget if it was Jerry or Mickey, but I read an interview where one of them said they believed that Dark Star was always playing somewhere in the universe, and sometimes they tapped into it so we could hear.

Peter
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: sonicus on August 25, 2009, 04:14:17 PM: Peter ,Thanks for the link info!
I could not get the link to link so I looked at the URL on the server and found it at www. archive.org . Olympia Theater Paris 5/4/72 . I am listening on a separate computer that I use for this that has a good sounding sound card as I type on my email computer. They have not gotten to DARK STAR yet . I am enjoying the performance from the beginning .__

Wolf ____
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: benson_murrensun on August 27, 2009, 01:46:30 PM: I like the Skull and Roses album best - even though Mickey is not on it. I believe the original name for the album was Skullf***.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: glocke on August 28, 2009, 09:09:33 AM: Speaking of the 1972 paris shows, the 5/3/72 show was probably the first show I ever heard of the dead (pn tape, i was 5 when that show happened). Still one of favorite shows, and contains some of the most pyschedelic jamming Ive ever heard.

http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-05-03.sbd.masse.6453.sbeok.shnf (http://www.archive.org/details/gd1972-05-03.sbd.masse.6453.sbeok.shnf)
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: lbpesq on August 28, 2009, 09:41:54 AM: So I rented a car yesterday while my Highlander is in the shop. The car had XM radio. I fiddled around and found the Grateful Dead station just as they announced they were going to play the entire show from May 25, 1974, at U.C. Santa Barbara. I was at that show! This XM stuff is pretty cool. I'm going to have to see about getting one in my Highlander.

Bill, tgo
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: benson_murrensun on August 28, 2009, 01:37:46 PM: I know a guy who listens to the Dead channel all day long, every day, at work. I love the Dead, but enough is enough! Yikes.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: briant on August 28, 2009, 02:36:19 PM: I have tried unsuccessfully for years to find the allure in the Grateful Dead?s music. There was a dude I used to work with who is a rabid fan and he was always trying to convince me that they were the ?best band ever? and would rave about how they were ?amazing improvisers? with their long extended jams.

Not hearing it.

I challenge you ? enlighten me.
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: David Houck on August 28, 2009, 03:32:54 PM: Brian; scroll back up to Tom's post 589 and click on the link. When the player loads, scroll down to number 14, Estimated Prophet. Oh, and I hope you're not listening through laptop speakers; a good stereo or headphones would be helpful.

Of course it depends on what kinds of things you like. I chose this one because of, among other things, the composition. It's all in seven (although some parts are more easily counted in fourteen). I think the composition is wonderful; the different parts blend well. The mood that the song elicits is almost tangible; it puts you in a pretty interesting place. There is spaciousness. Phil's bass line helps set that mood, and moves the song through space and time in a rather unusual but very effective fashion. And Jerry's playing is very nice.

Edit: I thought I would add that perhaps it would help to not just casually listen; don't just play it as background music to whatever else you happen to be doing. Run it through a good sound system, turn the volume up, and turn the lights off, and just listen. Hold no preconceptions. Just be there with the music.

Let us know what you think.

(Message edited by davehouck on August 28, 2009)
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: lembic76450 on August 29, 2009, 07:34:39 AM: Dave,
I always found it easier to count some of the sections as 4/4-3/4 and others as 3/4-4/4. It seems like they reverse the chorus part. I really need to stop counting and just let it flow.
Oh, one album...

On a slightly different line...For you singers out there, is it just me or do most of the vocals, lead and harmony, seem to be sung by Jerry on Workingmans Dead?
Title: One Dead Album
Post by: benson_murrensun on August 31, 2009, 09:33:05 AM: I wasn't a Dead fan until a buddy played the Skull and Roses album for me. I found it to be different than the ultra-spacey stuff I had heard before; it seemed tighter and more rockin', which I liked. After that I started listening to other things they did and I got into the music that way. Also, there was that certain je ne sais quois (psychedelic drugs) that entered the equation for me at that time...
And yes, Dave, Estimated Prophet is a great tune, and stuff that's not in fours is always a little more interesting. BTW, I saw Rat Dog last night in Boulder. It was a tad disappointing because it was all well-known Dead songs (except for Easy To Slip), and I was hoping to hear some of that great Weir stuff like Lost Sailor, Saint of Circumstance, or even some of the heavy blues that band used to play. I guess you can't please everyone...