Grateful Dead
Rock's longest, strangest trip, the Grateful Dead were the psychedelic era's most beloved musical ambassadors as well as its most enduring
survivors, spreading their message of peace, love, and mind-expansion across the globe throughout the better part of three decades. The
object of adoration for popular music's most fervent and celebrated fan following -- the Deadheads, their numbers and devotion legendary in
their own right -- they were the ultimate cult band, creating a self-styled universe all their own; for the better part of their career orbiting well
outside of the mainstream, ...read more
Rock's longest, strangest trip, the Grateful Dead were the psychedelic era's most beloved musical ambassadors as well as its most enduring
survivors, spreading their message of peace, love, and mind-expansion across the globe throughout the better part of three decades. The
object of adoration for popular music's most fervent and celebrated fan following -- the Deadheads, their numbers and devotion legendary in
their own right -- they were the ultimate cult band, creating a self-styled universe all their own; for the better part of their career orbiting well
outside of the mainstream, the Dead became superstars solely on their own terms, tie-dyed pied pipers whose epic, free-form live shows
were rites of passage for an extended family of listeners who knew no cultural boundaries.
The roots of the Grateful Dead lie with singer/songwriter Jerry Garcia, a longtime bluegrass enthusiast who began playing the guitar at age
15. Upon relocating to Palo Alto, CA, in 1960, he soon befriended Robert Hunter, whose lyrics later graced many of Garcia's most famous
melodies; in time, he also came into contact with aspiring electronic music composer Phil Lesh. By 1962, Garcia was playing banjo in a variety
of local folk and bluegrass outfits, two years later forming Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions with guitarist Bob Weir and keyboardist
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan; in 1965, the group was renamed the Warlocks, their lineup now additionally including Lesh on bass as well as Bill
Kreutzmann on drums.
The Warlocks made their electric debut that July; Ken Kesey soon tapped them to become the house band at his notorious Acid Tests, a series
of now-legendary public LSD parties and multimedia "happenings" mounted prior to the drug's criminalization. As 1965 drew to its close, the
Warlocks rechristened themselves the Grateful Dead, the name taken from a folk tale discovered in a dictionary by Garcia; bankrolled by
chemist/LSD manufacturer Owsley Stanley, the band members soon moved into a communal house situated at 710 Ashbury Street in San
Francisco, becoming a fixture on the local music scene and building a large fan base on the strength of their many free concerts. Signing to
MGM, in 1966 the Dead also recorded their first demos; the sessions proved disastrous, and the label dropped the group a short time later.
As 1967 mutated into the Summer of Love, the Dead emerged as one of the top draws on the Bay Area music scene, honing an eclectic
repertoire influenced by folk, country, and the blues while regularly appearing at top local venues including the Fillmore Auditorium, the
Avalon Ballroom, and the Carousel. In March of 1967 the Dead issued their self-titled Warner Bros. debut LP, a disappointing effort which
failed to recapture the cosmic sprawl of their live appearances; after performing at the Monterey Pop Festival, the group expanded to a six-
piece with the addition of second drummer Mickey Hart. Their follow-up, 1968's Anthem of the Sun, fared better in documenting the
free-form jam aesthetic of their concerts, but after completing 1969's Aoxomoxoa, their penchant for time-consuming studio
experimentation left them over 100,000 dollars in debt to the label.
The Dead's response to the situation was to bow to the demands of fans and record their first live album, 1969's Live/Dead; highlighted
by a rendition of Garcia's "Dark Star" clocking in at over 23 minutes, the LP succeeded where its studio predecessors failed in capturing the
true essence of the group in all of their improvisational, psychedelicized glory. It was followed by a pair of classic 1970 studio efforts,
Workingman's Dead and American Beauty; recorded in homage to the group's country and folk roots, the two albums remained the
cornerstone of the Dead's live repertoire for years to follow, with its most popular songs -- "Uncle John's Band," "Casey Jones," "Sugar
Magnolia," and "Truckin'" among them -- becoming major favorites on FM radio.
Despite increasing radio airplay and respectable album sales, the Dead remained first and foremost a live act, and as their popularity grew
across the world they expanded their touring schedule, taking to the road for much of each year. As more and more of their psychedelic-era
contemporaries ceased to exist, the group continued attracting greater numbers of fans to their shows, many of them following the Dead
across the country; dubbed "Deadheads," these fans became notorious for their adherence to tie-dyed fashions and excessive drug use, their
traveling circus ultimately becoming as much the focal point of concert dates as the music itself. Shows were also extensively bootlegged, and
not surprisingly the Dead closed out their Warner's contract with back-to-back concert LPs -- a 1971 eponymous effort and 1972's Europe
'72.
The latter release was the final Dead album to feature Pigpen McKernan, a heavy drinker who died of liver failure on March 8, 1973; his
replacement was keyboardist Keith Godchaux, who brought with him wife Donna Jean to sing backing vocals. 1973's Wake of the Flood
was the first release on the new Grateful Dead Records imprint; around the time of its follow-up, 1974's Grateful Dead From the Mars Hotel,
the group took a hiatus from the road to allow its members the opportunity to pursue solo projects. After returning to the live arena with
a 1976 tour, the Dead signed to Arista to release Terrapin Station, the first in a series of misguided studio efforts that culminated in
1980's Go to Heaven, widely considered the weakest record in the group's catalog -- so weak, in fact, that they did not re-enter the
studio for another seven years.
The early '80s was a time of considerable upheaval for the Dead -- the Godchauxs had been dismissed from the lineup in 1979, with Keith
dying in a car crash on July 23, 1980. (His replacement was keyboardist Brent Mydland.) After a pair of 1981 live LPs, Reckoning and
Dead Set, the group released no new recordings until 1987, focusing instead on their touring schedule -- despite the dearth of new
releases, the Dead continued selling out live dates, now playing to audiences which spanned generations. As much a cottage industry as a
band, they traveled not only with an enormous road crew but also dozens of friends and family members, many of them Dead staffers
complete with health insurance and other benefits.
Still, the Dead were widely regarded as little more than an enduring cult phenomenon prior to the release of 1987's In the Dark; their
first studio LP since Go to Heaven, it became the year's most unlikely hit when the single "Touch of Grey" became the first-ever Dead
track to reach the Top Ten on the pop charts. Suddenly their videos were in regular rotation on MTV, and virtually overnight the ranks of the
Deadheads grew exponentially, with countless new fans flocking to the group's shows. Not only did concert tickets become increasingly tough
to come by for longtime followers, but there were also more serious repercussions -- the influx of new fans shifted the crowd dynamic
considerably, and once-mellow audiences became infamous not only for their excessive drug habits but also for their violent encounters with
police.
Other troubles plagued the Dead as well: in July 1986, Garcia -- a year removed from a drug treatment program -- lapsed into near-fatal
diabetic coma brought on by his continued substance abuse problems, regaining consciousness five days later. His health remained an issue in
the years which followed, but the Dead spent more time on tour than ever, with a series of dates with Bob Dylan yielding the live album
Dylan & the Dead. Their final studio effort, Built to Last, followed in 1989. Tragedy struck in October of that year when a fan died
after breaking his neck outside of a show at the New Jersey Meadowlands; two months later, a 19-year-old fan on LSD also died while in
police custody at the Los Angeles Forum.
As ever, the Dead themselves were also not immune to tragedy -- on July 26, 1990, Mydland suffered a fatal drug overdose, the third
keyboardist in group history to perish; he was replaced not only by ex-Tubes keyboardist Vince Welnick but also by satellite member Bruce
Hornsby, a longtime fan who frequently toured with the group. In the autumn of 1992 Garcia was again hospitalized with diabetes and an
enlarged heart, forcing the Dead to postpone their upcoming tour until the year's end; he eventually returned to action looking more fit than
he had been in years. Still, few were surprised when it was announced on August 9, 1995, that Garcia had been found dead in his room at a
substance abuse treatment facility in Forest Knolls, CA; the 53-year-old's death was attributed to a heart attack.
While Garcia's death spelled the end of the Dead as a continuing creative entity, the story was far from over. As the surviving members
disbanded to plot their next move, the band's merchandising arm went into overdrive -- in addition to Dick's Picks, a series of archival
releases of classic live material, licensed products ranging from Dead T-shirts to sporting goods to toys flooded the market. Plans were also
announced to build Terrapin Station, an interactive museum site. In 1996, Weir and Hart mounted the first Furthur Festival, a summer tour
headlined by their respective bands Rat Dog and Mystery Box; in 1998, they also reunited with Lesh and Hornsby to tour as the Other Ones.
In spirit if not in name, the Grateful Dead's trip continued on. « hide |
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| LPs |
 | Built to Last
1989
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 | In the Dark
1987
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 | Go to Heaven
1980
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 | Shakedown Street
1978
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 | Terrapin Station
1977
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 | Blues for Allah
1975
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 | From the Mars Hotel
1974
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 | Wake of the Flood
1973
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 | American Beauty
1970
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 | Workingman's Dead
1970
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 | Aoxomoxoa
1969
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 | Anthem of the Sun
1968
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 | The Grateful Dead
1967
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| Live Albums |
 | RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 6/10/73
2023
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 | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/9/81
2022
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 | Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 12-10-71
2021
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| Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR (5/19/74)
2018
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 | Pacific Northwest '73-'74: The Complete Recordings
2018
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| Dave's Picks Volume 27
2018
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| Dave's Picks Volume 26
2018
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 | Dave's Picks 2018 Bonus Disc
2018
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 | Fillmore West 1969: February 27th
2018
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| Dave's Picks Volume 25
2018
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 | R.F.K. Stadium, Washington, D.C., July 12 & 13, 89
2017
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 24
2017
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 23
2017
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 | Cornell 5/8/77
2017
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 | May 1977: Get Shown The Light
2017
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 | Dave's Picks 2017 Bonus Disc
2017
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 22
2017
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 21
2017
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| Kingswood Music Theatre Maple Ontario June 21St 19
2017
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 20
2016
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 19
2016
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 | July 1978: The Complete Recordings
2016
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 18
2016
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 | Dave's Picks 2016 Bonus Disc
2016
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 | Capital Theatre, Passiac N.J. 4/25/77
2016
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 17
2016
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| Shrine Exposition Hall, Los Angeles, CA 11/10/1967
2016
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 | Fare Thee Well
2015
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 16
2015
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 | 30 Trips Around The Sun
2015
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 15
2015
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 14
2015
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 | Dave's Picks 2015 Bonus Disc
2015
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 13
2015
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 | Houston, Texas 11-18-1972
2014
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 12
2014
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 | Spring 1990 (The Other One)
2014
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 | Wake Up To Find Out
2014
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 11
2014
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 | Dave's Picks 2014 Bonus Disc
2014
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 10
2014
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 | Live at Hampton Coliseum
2014
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 9
2014
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 | Family Dog at the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA
11/29/2013
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 8
11/01/2013
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 | Sunshine Daydream
09/17/2013
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 7
08/01/2013
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 | May 1977
06/11/2013
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 6
05/01/2013
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 | Dave's Picks 2013 Bonus Disc
05/01/2013
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 5
02/01/2013
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| Winterland: May 30th 1971
11/23/2012
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 4
11/01/2012
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 | Spring 1990
08/31/2012
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 3
08/01/2012
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 | Dave's Picks 2012 Bonus Disc
05/01/2012
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 2
05/01/2012
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| Dark Star
04/21/2012
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 | Dave's Picks Volume 1
02/01/2012
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 | Road Trips Volume 4 Number 5
2011
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 | Europe '72: The Complete Recordings
2011
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 | Road Trips Volume 4 Number 4
2011
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 | Road Trips Volume 4 Number 3
2011
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 | Road Trips 2011 Bonus Disc
2011
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 | Road Trips Volume 4 Number 2
2011
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 | Road Trips Volume 4 Number 1
2010
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 | Formerly The Warlocks
2010
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 | Road Trips Volume 3 Number 4
2010
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 | Road Trips Volume 3 Number 3
2010
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 | Crimson White & Indigo
2010
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 | Road Trips Volume 3 Number 2
2010
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 | Road Trips Volume 3 Number 1
2009
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 | Winterland June 1977: The Complete Recordings
2009
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| May 12, 1977, Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
2009
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 | Road Trips Volume 2 Number 4
2009
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 | Road Trips Volume 2 Number 3
2009
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 | To Terrapin: Hartford '77
2009
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 | Road Trips Volume 2 Number 2
2009
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 | Road Trips Volume 2 Number 1
2008
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 | Rocking the Cradle: Egypt 1978
2008
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 | Road Trips Volume 1 Number 4
2008
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 | Road Trips Volume 1 Number 3
2008
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 | Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings
2008
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 | 12/4/73 Cincinnati Gardens, OH
2008
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 | Road Trips Volume 1 Number 2
2008
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 | Road Trips Full Show: Spectrum 11/5/79
2008
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 | Road Trips Full Show: Spectrum 11/6/79
2008
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 | Road Trips Volume 1 Number 1
2007
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 | Three from the Vault
2007
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 | Spirit of '76 — Live at the Cow Palace Bonus Disc
2007
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 | Live at the Cow Palace: New Years Eve 1976
2007
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 | Download Series Volume 12
2006
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 | Download Series Volume 11
2006
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 | Download Series Volume 10
2006
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 | Download Series Volume 9
2006
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 | Download Series: Family Dog at the Great Highway
2005
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 | Download Series Volume 8
2005
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 | Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings
2005
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 | Download Series Volume 7
2005
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 | Download Series Volume 6
2005
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 | Dick's Picks Vol. 36
2005
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 | Download Series Volume 5
2005
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 | Download Series Volume 4
2005
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 | Download Series Volume 3
2005
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 35
2005
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 | Download Series Volume 2
2005
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 | Truckin' Up to Buffalo
2005
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 | Download Series Volume 1
2005
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 34
2005
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 33
2004
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 32
2004
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 | Rockin' the Rhein with the Grateful Dead
2004
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 | Academy of Music, New York City March 1972
2004
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 31
2004
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 | The Closing of Winterland
2003
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 30
2003
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 29
2003
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 28
2003
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 | View from the Vault IV
2003
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 27
2003
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 | Go to Nassau
2002
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 26
2002
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 | View from the Vault III
2002
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 25
2002
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 | Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead
2002
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 24
2002
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 23
2001
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 | Nightfall of Diamonds
2001
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 22
2001
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 | View from the Vault II
2001
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 21
2001
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 20
2001
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 19
2000
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 | Fillmore East: April 1971
2000
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 18
2000
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 | View from the Vault
2000
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 17
2000
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 16
2000
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 15
1999
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 14
1999
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 13
1999
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 12
1998
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 11
1998
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 10
1998
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 | Live at the Fillmore East 2-11-69
1997
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 9
1997
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 | Terrapin Station (Limited Edition)
1997
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 8
1997
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 7
1997
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 6
1996
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 | Dozin' at the Knick
1996
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 5
1996
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 4
1996
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 3
1995
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 | Hundred Year Hall
1995
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 2
1995
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 | Dick's Picks Volume 1
1993
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 | Two From the Vault
1992
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 | Infrared Roses
1991
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 | One from the Vault
1991
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 | Without A Net
1990
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 | Dead Set
1981
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 | Reckoning
1981
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 | Steal Your Face
1976
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 | History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One
1973
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 | Europe '72
1972
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 | Grateful Dead
1971
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 | Historic Dead
1971
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 | Vintage Dead
1970
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 | Live/Dead
1969
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| Compilations |
 | Pacific Northwest '73-'74: Believe It If You Need
2018
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 | The Best Of The Grateful Dead Live
2018
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| Smiling on a Cloudy Day
2017
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| Long Strange Trip Soundtrack
2017
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| 30 Trips Around The Sun: The Definitive Live Story
2015
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 | The Best Of The Grateful Dead
2015
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| Spring 1990: So Glad You Made It
09/18/2012
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| Europe '72 Volume 2
2011
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| Flashback with the Grateful Dead
2011
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| Eternally Grateful
2007
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 | Fillmore West 1969
2005
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 | Rare Cuts and Oddities 1966
2005
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 | The Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack
2004
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| Beyond Description (1973–1989)
2004
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 | The Very Best of the Grateful Dead
2003
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 | Birth of the Dead
2003
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 | Postcards of the Hanging
2002
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| The Golden Road (1965–1973)
2001
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 | So Many Roads (1965-1995)
1999
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 | So Many Roads (1965-1995) Sampler
1999
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 | Fallout from the Phil Zone
1997
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 | The Arista Years
1996
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 | Grayfolded
1994
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 | What a Long Strange Trip It's Been
1977
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 | Skeletons From The Closet : The Best Of
1974
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| Pop History Vol. 23
1972
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| History of the Grateful Dead
1972
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