[phreaker]

Phil Lesh is a very avant-garde musician, he plays the bass as if he invented it! His compositions were often complex and dense. But always different. I compare his songs to Stanley Kubrick movies, you might have to wait a long time for one but when it comes you know it's something special and offering something different

If phil had darker hair in the early days, he could have easily been a droog.

nice post shaggy, *cyber space high five*

thought i'd contribute my opninion on the best dead album. right now im listening to anthem of the sun and wake of the flood a lot. anthem really captures what the dead were all about in the haight days. that and alligator is just plain good.

i think jerry sounds better on wake of the flood than he did on any other album. plus, i think the songs off wake of the flood were the best live songs they did in that era. Mississippi half step, row jimmy, weather report, etc..

[SmokeStack]

Shaggy I have to agree with you on the GD albums. I believe some incredible stuff was done in the studio and enjoy almost every studio tune (I am biased though The studio gives any musician a chance to experiment with gear, multitracking, sounds, and vocals with the Dead not being an exception. The boys obviously enjoyed live performance which gave them freedom to roam so to speak. I wouldn't take anything away from the studio work and always lend my ear to it. Peace

[amyjared]

amyjared, I know the chords to cripple creek, but I'm trying to figure out a good way to play those funky little notes the organ and guitar trade off on. think you could help me out

Spilly, I saw your message and have been busy, but haven't forgotten. I am at work now, but I always played around on the 5th and 7th fret with little triads of A, D and E. Is that what you're looking for? -amyjared

[hesgone95]

I'd have to vote for American Beauty and Workingman's. I really agree that nobody pulled off the 'americana' quite like the dead did, and I think they really inspired a 'movement' as it were in that era. I think bands with that country/folk/rock sound that sprung up around that time like, Poco or Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, really owed something to the boys.

Also it was a very transitional time personally for several of the members as well, and that really comes through in the songs. ie, Phil's dad was dying (BOR) and Jerry's mom died as well around that time. Beyond that the boys were becoming adults and all that that entails in your worldview (Brokedown, Attics). I believe that influences your music. At least it has for me. The last few years of my twenties and now into my early thirties has had a profound effect on my own compositions as well as the songs I want to cover. That's my opinion at any rate.

That said...let's talk about Tom Waits. He's one of the BEST songwriters of the 20th century hands down. If not the best. Heart Attack and Vine was the album that got me into him, the lead guitarist in a old band was a huge fan and turned us all onto him so we could cover the title track. We also used to cover Diamonds on my Windshield, from Heart of Saturday Night.

I think he's one of those where it's hard (impossible?) to pick a best or fave. Everything has been phenomenal. Granted, some more accesible than others. I'd list the following in my 'top' list:

Closing Time
Heart of Saturday Night
Blue Valentine
Heartattack and Vine
Frank's Wild Years
Nighthawks at the Diner
Raindogs (can any favorite album list not include this?!)
Bone Machine
Mule Variations

What are your opinions on these? I'd could chat for DAYS about any of them, esp. Closing Time. The trumpet melody line on the title track is soooo beautiful, I get goose bumps just thinking about it. And can you get anymore poignant than 'Martha' or 'I hope that I don't fall in love with you'? Who can't realate to those lyrics?

Also fave or top Dylan albums?

Peace.

[spilly]

amyjarod- thanks man, it's a strp in the right direction

[amyjared]

Heart Attack and Vine was the album that got me into him, the lead guitarist in a old band was a huge fan and turned us all onto him so we could cover the title track

Can you do up a tab of the song!?! I would love to learn Heartattack and Vine!!

As for the Dead albums, I really respect you folks (not always sure why.. ) and so I gave a few another listen and frankly I don't see it. I think Music From Big Pink sounds better than say Workingman's. Each time I hear a dead album I can't help but think of the live versions I heard over the years and think that the studio stuff lacks the feeling that the songs were played with live. I guess going to 300+shows just ruins it for me. I have the albums, but don't usually play them when I can put in a live show. I realize all the things people have said but I still think they lack feeling. Sorry.

Favorite Dylan albums is always fun. I'll start:
Blood on the Tracks and Desire

[Shaggy]

Phil Lesh is a very avant-garde musician, he plays the bass as if he invented it! His compositions were often complex and dense. But always different. I compare his songs to Stanley Kubrick movies, you might have to wait a long time for one but when it comes you know it's something special and offering something different

If phil had darker hair in the early days, he could have easily been a droog.

nice post shaggy, *cyber space high five*

thought i'd contribute my opninion on the best dead album. right now im listening to anthem of the sun and wake of the flood a lot. anthem really captures what the dead were all about in the haight days. that and alligator is just plain good.

i think jerry sounds better on wake of the flood than he did on any other album. plus, i think the songs off wake of the flood were the best live songs they did in that era. Mississippi half step, row jimmy, weather report, etc..

Wake of the Flood is another fine album I like alot, a great collection of songs, as is Mars Hotel, though that might not sit together as well as some others since there are a number of different type of songs on there. It's one of there best sounding efforts. I also think very highly of Blues for Allah, it's very out there.

The Grateful Dead were two different bands, the live version and the studio version. They tried to re-create live into the studio and couldn't do it(it's clearly an impossible task(time limits if nothing else!) and in many ways you can't get the voices down and some of the finer more subtle touches live, then they could in the studio. I look at there studio work as them attempting something different to what they attempted to do on stage. I think they were at there best in the studio when they weren't trying to re-create themselves live.

[hesgone95]

Can you do up a tab of the song!?! I would love to learn Heartattack and Vine!!

I haven't played the song in like 10yrs, and I'm sure our version was off. I don't really remember what I played. I knew I'd disappoint someone as soon as I posted that. Sorry...Really. But here is a link to the tab on OLGA. What we did was pretty close to this tab. The guitar is pretty minimal, just alot of distortion

http://www.olga.net/dynamic/browse.php? ... d_vine.tab

Favorite Dylan Albums:

Desire
New Morning
Nashville Skyline (Dylan & Johnny duet--lovely)

Peace

[Shaggy]

I've never been able to get into Tom Waits much to be honest.

My favourtite Dylan album is Blood On The Tracks. I really love the mid 60's landmark stuff like Highway 61 and Bring It All Back Home but I think Dylan had matured into his peak with the songs on Blood On The Tracks.

[fum84]

i love pretty much all the deads studio stuff. but im going with american beauty or wake of the flood. technically wake of the flood is the better album. but there is nothing in the world like the attics of my life on american beauty, parts of it just make you drop your jaw and other parts wake you wanna cry.
and as far as dylan goes i love BIABH and new morning alot.

[ebick]

Dylan........

Noone has mentioned Infidels?

so mentioned.

[hesgone95]

Shaggy--I'd have to agree with the midsixties stuff. Nothin like BIABH or Blonde on Blonde. I dunno though, I think Desire is a little more mature than BOTT. I think it was his best effort as a storyteller. Each song/story just grabs me and sucks me in. I mean where does a story like Isis come from? When did Dylan every study Anthropology or Archeology? It's what I studied, so it kinda makes me smile Or Black Diamond Bay? Personally my fave on the album. And you gotta love the reference to Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands in Sara. Both two of my favorite Dylan songs.

A question to all:

Any fans of early Jackson Browne? I'm a weak junkie for his first three albums. The poignacy of the songwriting is amazing for a kid who was 22-24 or so when he put those albums out. Peace

[Shaggy]

Yes, I like a touch of Jackson Browne, he's done some nice stuff.

Of a similar ilk I also like early James Taylor alot and the three Nick Drake albums were all very good too, Pink Moon is a favourite of mine. He was one hell of a guitarist.