Grateful Dead Music Forum

I mean albums done completely in the studio, not like europe 72 which is a little live and a little studio

mines gotta be blues for allah, the first time i REALLY indepth listened to it i was driving around town in the rain and during the intense spacy part of the title song this fog starts to cover the road, it was such an intense experience i have stopped listening to blues for allah permanently so i can preserve the momory

either Blues for Allah, American Beauty, or Aoxomoxoa, depends on my mood

The easiest selection would be Workingman's Dead or American Beauty but I think I would go with Wake of the Flood even though it is not such a great production it has all the elements of what I like about the Dead. WOTF has all those Americana influences of blues, ragtime, and country etc., some extended playing, bobby's experiments with structure on weather report suite, lovely pedal steel parts and no real dud songs.
For me Blues for Allah with its weaving musical themes and jamming is a great example of the band's ability to play experimentally but it is limited to only that aspect of the band's palate and does not show the other parts of the band as well as WOTF.

I really like Aoxomoxoa and their first album, with workingman's close behind.

Wake of The Flood by far, I have to agree with Chief on this one.

Has a great "underproduced" sound which is actually not easy to get in the studio.

It is basically a Jerry's Greatest hits album, Eyes, Row Jimmy, Stella, 1/2 Step. Throw Keith a little bone as well but also feature the Weir/Barlow masterpiece "Let It Grow" in its entirety.

When my wife and I brought home our newborn son from the hospital, I had a mix CD ready to go in the car that had pretty much all the Jerry tunes from Wake on it.

Here is the playlist.

It's a Boy - The Who
Row Jimmy
Eyes
Unbroken Chain (all from Wake)
Terrapin (studio)
Bird Song (Garcia, Garcia)
Here Comes Sunshine (Wake)
Simple Twist of Fate - Pure Jerry 3
Masterpiece - Pure Jerry 2

4 and half months later, the kid loves him some Jerry.

Crazy 9.5 Fingers wrote:4 and half months later, the kid loves him some Jerry.

thats how i got into the usic i listen to, my dad used to play the dead, allmans, ween and dylan. 14 years later i was in the car with my dad, and he had on jerry and kahn oregon state prison 82', and ripple came on. and i started to rember all the times he played it when i was real lil, and ive been hooked ever since (bout a year now)

i like workingman's, aoxoamoaxa, and american beauty, depending on my mood

I'd have to say Mars Hotel as of current, mainly because of Phil's two masterpieces: Unbroken Chain and Pride of Cucamonga. Too bad he rarely broke out either of these songs live until Phil and Friends. Although I have yet to hear a live Pride of Cucamonga. The other highlights for me are Loose Lucy and Money Money (I don't get why everyone hates that song). Wake of the Flood and Blues for Allah trail close behind though.

American Beauty is my favorite, it probably makes my top five of all time.

Then comes probably Workingmans Dead followed by any of Wake of the Flood, Blues For Allah, Mars Hotel, AoxomoxoA and Anthem all tied for third(depends on mood).

Working Man's Dead and American Beauty. Weren't they really supposed to be one album, or at least made at the same time?

No.

Workingmans Dead was recorded in Jan-Feb of 70 and American Beauty was recorded in Sept-Oct of 70. At different studios.

Most of the songs were written around the same period of course.

I'd say Athem if it wasn't for all the live stuff mixed in, ...probably Blues for Allah....

yea, mars hotel too
scarlet begonias is currently one of my faveorite songs (and my ringtone), pluse the phil stuff. i got my dad the cd with the bonus tracks for fathers day this year, and i like the acoustic of unbroken chain where he names the chords to play during the instrumental

Ace is a good album, got all the boys on it


But I'll go with Wake of the Flood

i must admit that I haven't heard many of the studio albums, but of the 4 that I have heard - aoxoamoaxa, american beauty, working mans' dead, and Terrapin - American Beauty is my favorite.

Looks like I need to pick up Wake of the Flood and Blues for Allah on my next trip to America.