Music opinion/question of the week...

[Dr. Medulla]

I can understand becoming a Deadhead back in the 60s—people got fucked up and latched on to all kinds of weird things in the spirit of the times. But there is no acceptable reason for anyone born after, say, 1963 to find that stuff palatable.

When they had their 50th anniversary back in 2015...I mentioned on Facebook that maybe it was time I give their music a try. Not sure why I said it...I'll blame going through a divorce and probably too much drink...but I had several friends get super excited. It's like they were all thinking, "Awesome! Here's someone we can convert" and within days I was getting recommendations of which eras I should get into and they were sending concert recording after concert recording. I actually tried to get into it...but I just couldn't. They have a handful of okay songs...but I don't think I'll ever understand the adulation they continue to get...which is even crazier they now have fans who were not even alive when Jerry Garcia died!?

I could not name one Grateful Dead song if you had a gun at my head, let alone hum one.

You probably know that surprise hit, "Touch of Grey," from the late 80s.

Nope.

Lucky you. A crappy song that got an absurd amount of airplay because, I'm sure, it would appeal to middle-aged Boomers. It would be like if Journey suddenly had a new hit—something that would make asshole Xers pay attention to the charts because it's something from their youth.

[Marky Dread]

I can understand becoming a Deadhead back in the 60s—people got fucked up and latched on to all kinds of weird things in the spirit of the times. But there is no acceptable reason for anyone born after, say, 1963 to find that stuff palatable.

When they had their 50th anniversary back in 2015...I mentioned on Facebook that maybe it was time I give their music a try. Not sure why I said it...I'll blame going through a divorce and probably too much drink...but I had several friends get super excited. It's like they were all thinking, "Awesome! Here's someone we can convert" and within days I was getting recommendations of which eras I should get into and they were sending concert recording after concert recording. I actually tried to get into it...but I just couldn't. They have a handful of okay songs...but I don't think I'll ever understand the adulation they continue to get...which is even crazier they now have fans who were not even alive when Jerry Garcia died!?

I could not name one Grateful Dead song if you had a gun at my head, let alone hum one.

You probably know that surprise hit, "Touch of Grey," from the late 80s.

Nope.

Me neither I've never bothered to check them out. But maybe I should because I expect there will something of theirs I would like in a catalog so huge.

[matedog]

Their ambivalence or even distaste for the Dead partially makes up for their Oasis/Robbie Williams obsessions.

[JoseUnidos]

My brother is 4 years older than me and worked at his college radio station (c.1977-1979) so he should have been a point of discovery of new music for me, but he wasn't - he was more into Boston, Supertramp, and Billy Joel. I didn't find good music until college when a few of my dorm-mates introduced me to punk rock and beyond.

[JoseUnidos]

When they had their 50th anniversary back in 2015...I mentioned on Facebook that maybe it was time I give their music a try. Not sure why I said it...I'll blame going through a divorce and probably too much drink...but I had several friends get super excited. It's like they were all thinking, "Awesome! Here's someone we can convert" and within days I was getting recommendations of which eras I should get into and they were sending concert recording after concert recording. I actually tried to get into it...but I just couldn't. They have a handful of okay songs...but I don't think I'll ever understand the adulation they continue to get...which is even crazier they now have fans who were not even alive when Jerry Garcia died!?

I could not name one Grateful Dead song if you had a gun at my head, let alone hum one.

You probably know that surprise hit, "Touch of Grey," from the late 80s.

Nope.

Me neither I've never bothered to check them out. But maybe I should because I expect there will something of theirs I would like in a catalog so huge.

I've tried a couple of times to get into the Dead but I just can't connect with it, especially the live stuff. To my ears it's just lazy music.

[Heston]

Their ambivalence or even distaste for the Dead partially makes up for their Oasis/Robbie Williams obsessions.

My feelings about those two are well documented here. It was as if this nation was infected by some collective madness in the latter half of the Nineties.

[WestwayKid]

I can understand becoming a Deadhead back in the 60s—people got fucked up and latched on to all kinds of weird things in the spirit of the times. But there is no acceptable reason for anyone born after, say, 1963 to find that stuff palatable.

When they had their 50th anniversary back in 2015...I mentioned on Facebook that maybe it was time I give their music a try. Not sure why I said it...I'll blame going through a divorce and probably too much drink...but I had several friends get super excited. It's like they were all thinking, "Awesome! Here's someone we can convert" and within days I was getting recommendations of which eras I should get into and they were sending concert recording after concert recording. I actually tried to get into it...but I just couldn't. They have a handful of okay songs...but I don't think I'll ever understand the adulation they continue to get...which is even crazier they now have fans who were not even alive when Jerry Garcia died!?

I could not name one Grateful Dead song if you had a gun at my head, let alone hum one.

You probably know that surprise hit, "Touch of Grey," from the late 80s.

Nope.

I think this was probably the first time I ever heard the Dead.

[Dr. Medulla]

Their ambivalence or even distaste for the Dead partially makes up for their Oasis/Robbie Williams obsessions.

My feelings about those two are well documented here. It was as if this nation was infected by some collective madness in the latter half of the Nineties.

Blame Diana for getting in the car.

[WestwayKid]

When they had their 50th anniversary back in 2015...I mentioned on Facebook that maybe it was time I give their music a try. Not sure why I said it...I'll blame going through a divorce and probably too much drink...but I had several friends get super excited. It's like they were all thinking, "Awesome! Here's someone we can convert" and within days I was getting recommendations of which eras I should get into and they were sending concert recording after concert recording. I actually tried to get into it...but I just couldn't. They have a handful of okay songs...but I don't think I'll ever understand the adulation they continue to get...which is even crazier they now have fans who were not even alive when Jerry Garcia died!?

I could not name one Grateful Dead song if you had a gun at my head, let alone hum one.

You probably know that surprise hit, "Touch of Grey," from the late 80s.

Nope.

Me neither I've never bothered to check them out. But maybe I should because I expect there will something of theirs I would like in a catalog so huge.

Yeah, there is some interesting stuff in their catalog...it just takes some effort to find it!

[Flex]

Yeah, there is some interesting stuff in their catalog...it just takes some effort to find it!

I'm on record as being in favor of their first couple of albums and early live material. Anyone who's a fan of psych-rock will probably find something of value in their early days. Can't really vouch for 95% of their career, though.

[WestwayKid]

Yeah, there is some interesting stuff in their catalog...it just takes some effort to find it!

I'm on record as being in favor of their first couple of albums and early live material. Anyone who's a fan of psych-rock will probably find something of value in their early days. Can't really vouch for 95% of their career, though.

I like their American Beauty/Working Class Dead era.

[Dr. Medulla]

The best thing I can say about the Grateful Dead is that they warned the Altamont organizers that hiring Hell's Angels was an awful idea for the exact reasons as what transpired.

[Flex]

The best thing I can say about the Grateful Dead is that they warned the Altamont organizers that hiring Hell's Angels was an awful idea for the exact reasons as what transpired.

maybe if they weren't a bunch of no-account filthy hippies, the organizers would have listened. Jerry Garcia is ultimately responsible for Altamont, when you think about it.

[Dr. Medulla]

The best thing I can say about the Grateful Dead is that they warned the Altamont organizers that hiring Hell's Angels was an awful idea for the exact reasons as what transpired.

maybe if they weren't a bunch of no-account filthy hippies, the organizers would have listened. Jerry Garcia is ultimately responsible for Altamont, when you think about it.

And here I've been blaming Mike Love all these years.

[Wolter]

I wish I could say I never heard the Dead, but my hometown is loaded with hippie college students.