Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Chill and easy listening, though some of the songs meandered on too long. 3.5/5
This is good dead, but not great dead.
I never liked the vocals of the Dead. They make songs sound like nursery rhymes than anything else. ("St. Stephen," for example.) Still, their jams are effective. "Dark Star" reminds me a bit of Pink Floyd's "Echoes". I thought "Eleven" was pretty cool too. But things like "Turn On Your Lovelight" I could have done without. It just felt like a riff that went on and on. "Feedback"... I don't know if they could possibly reproduce this on stage WELL. It obviously would sound different each time. Still, it was interesting they kept it in. "Dark Star" and "Eleven" were probably the two I enjoyed the most, but that was half of the album. The rest... meh.
Seeing the very bad rates, I guess I'm in a contrarian streak because I liked it. I mean, for me grateful dead was bad dad country rock but this album was nothing like that, so yeah, I liked it.
Startet mit einem anstrengend langem (24 Min.) Song “Dark Star” und verlangt damit dem Zuhörer schon viel ab - aber es lohnt sich nicht die Skip-Taste zu drücken. Auch die übrigen Songs sind länger und sehr tiefgründig. Ein bisschen Door‘s („Death Don’t“)ein bisschen Lärmbelästigung („Feedback“). Alles in allem eine recht durchschnittliche Platte.
Live albums should not be included on the list. GD is perhaps an exception as their songs are live so different etc. This album was ok.
This is a quite unique live performance, I assume, so I can see why it is on the list. Some thorough jamming going on.
It shouldn't be understated the impact that Grateful Dead has had on the music industry. People love them, and people also hate them. But their model for creating and marketing themselves was something that had not been done until that point, and has yet to be replicated since. At least not on the scale at which they were running it. They are the most prime example of a work horse band. Fans of the group do not go around praising their work because of the studio recordings. It's the live recordings. The hundreds of hours there are of them, too. People made it their lives to follow the band around the country and catch every show. A feat which is near impossible now considering ticket prices. It begs the argument of whether we can really consider the Grateful Dead more of a band than a subculture or movement. Deadheads are rampant, and their "culture" has even invaded my own life. I own tie-dye Dead shirts that | never wear, and I got a Rolling Stone magazine about the band from my grandfather that I haven't read one page of. Yet I have never heard their music. I've actually attempted to check them out in the past though. But I just found it far too difficult. When a band has multiple series, spanning over 20 volumes each, of just live recordings, which are each one to two hours in length, I get overwhelmed. I actually like jam bands too. My favorite band ever is considered by many to be one. And the whole jam band thing really was the appeal of this band. Each night you could expect something new. I'm willing to admit that I admire this ability, and I know it's not something easy. To go on stage every night and play in a manner where you aren't sure what's coming next from either your band mates nor yourself is impressive. This was their first like album ever, and that chemistry between the members is definitely present. Their skill to take something like Dark Star, which is as short as 2 minutes, and expand it out to nearly 6 times its own length is wild. But especially considering how long this is, after a certain point I zoned out, and what I was hearing became background noise. I think that first song is really cool and engaging, but it is by and large the most interesting thing this album has to offer. Rating: 5/10
Ikävä laulu + Musiikki, mutta objektivistin tuska kolmonen..
I guess you had to be there? Best Tracks: St. Stephen; The Eleven; Turn On Your Love Light
Very jammy. Enjoyable throughout. Makes me want to go re-listen to the live Allman Brothers album, which I thought was a much greater blues jammy album. Torn between 3 and 4. I’ve given 3’s to albums I like more than this but also given 4’s to albums I like less than this
Not the biggest jam band fan here but some of this is actually not bad.
Different to what I thought, expected more psychedelic, weird sound. Definitely rooted in pysch, but I always thought theyd be much weirder. Did quite enjoy it though, long jamming riffs with The Doors’ keyboard. Lots of improv going on, worked canny. Probably give these another go
I've been meaning to give the grateful dead a listen for ages so was glad this came up. Not sure a live album is the best place to start though.... All style no substance comes to mind. So meandering. Kept imagining myself at these gigs and just standing around listening to these solos wanting something to happen! There were bits and pieces that I thought were good though and I hope there is a studio album on the list to really see what they're like. Heard a lot of good things about them.
A lot of this feels like floating. The live tracks stretch and bend, with loose, jazzy improvisation. It kind of feels like early Santana but slower, with more room to breathe. There are moments where it drifts too much, though. It’s good for background, but it’s easy to lose focus on.
Songs are good at first but go on too long, must be in the mood
I always forget that grateful dead are some wee hippies instead of original punks. This was fine fir what it was, just distorted self indulgence, not something I’d listen to again though.
20 minute opening jam track. I wasn’t very interested by what I heard in this live performance. Maybe I didn’t pay enough attention to it. Not a bad album. I did like the ending song. It was like a short campfire song. Standouts: St. Stephen and Turn on Your Love Light.
I wanna say I loved it, but I listened to it early in the morning and I was definitely not 100% in the mood for it.
This live album opens with what sounds like a band tuning up at a sound check, then bit by bit they all start noodling around a theme, someone randomly starts singing and before you know it twenty minutes have passed. I always thought that the Grateful Dead were a rock band, but this is closer to free jazz with extended improvisations. I can see the attraction of following them around to listen to this while getting stoned in a field somewhere. Hippytastic!
skillful noodles, fun, weird, but not really my shit
It's ok. It does meander quite a bit, but there are times where things really come in to focus. People compare it to a conversation, but I'd liken it to getting high (seems apt for the dead). For a large portion, you're just wandering around, feeling a bit strange, experiencing new sensations. But then, briefly, your soul is lifted up from the body. A transcendental experience. Of course, the focused moments never reach a height like that, but I believe that's what they were going for. The noodling really accentuates the good bits. Also, feedback is really cool, but I'm a fan of noise. Much cooler than the first track. Maybe the album would've been better if they started there.
A bit too much jamming for me
I've never listened to the Grateful Dead before, so this was a brand new experience. Making music out of pure jams is certainly an interesting approach, and very brave. However, good god. I felt like my ears were being personally attacked at first. There is some clear individual musical skill with the guitar playing on Dark Star, but there is no joy in an aimless jam that never ends. If you're going to make a 20 minute song, at least have it be a journey like Echoes by Pink Floyd. Anyway, I feel like the songs following Dark Star are much better, but still suffer from an aimless feeling at times. It deserves a three I think, especially with how much better it gets by Death Don't Have No Mercy.
A bit long, but pretty good
Very great full
I see that this is a very critically acclaimed live album, and it was ok, but it didn’t move me. I just haven’t been able to board the Grateful Dead train.
Oh boy, our second from the Grateful Dead and, of course, it's a live album. Granted, I know these guys are known for their live music moreso than anything in the studio - the Dead Head lore for concert tapes is crazy. This one's not bad though, I mean I wouldn't return to it because I don't like live albums (or the Grateful Dead) to begin with, but a couple tracks on here that I dug. It's all really long jam session tracks too, which is neat I guess. Decent album, wouldn't put it on this list personally but it's all good. Favorite tracks: Feedback, Dark Star, The Eleven. Album art: This one's cool, old English type font and design going on, and there's an image of a woman rising out of a coffin draped in sheets. Solid cover, not super memorable but I like it. 3/5
Good enough. Don't really feel the dead.
Nothing is bad about this record, but nothing is memorable either. I usually don't like long songs. It doesn't bother me on this record. Except Feedback. What the hell is that about?
That band sure is jamming.
me, listening to this album, reading this album's description on Apple Music about how a combination of an appetite for jazz rock in the late 60s and the Dead's own unique influences from a variety of other styles made this album stand out: 😃👍 me, listening to the feedback jam: 😠👎
Chill rock album and the recording quality is stellar for being a live album. Maybe a little bit to jammy.
According to the fans Grateful Dead is the greatest live band. This should be one of their greatest live albums. I'm a bit disappointed as it is ok, but not as special as i expected it to be.
149/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
Jam bands. Honestly, it was a lot of fun.
Oh well. Don't know if it's a hot take here, but as of now, I think I prefer when Grateful Dead was performing their quote-unquote "psychedelic" noodling, as in this live recording, to their subsequent "Americana / country-folk" phase--as exemplified by *American Beauty* (more quaint to my ears at times, even if some songs and arrangements in it are great). I'm not gonna lie, some moments in *Live / Dead* sound beautiful to me, even if it's in a "jam-rock" realm that will never *fully" fulfill me... Another potential hot take of mine would be to favor Grateful Dead's *Live/Dead* over Quicksilver Messenger Service's *Happy Trails*, contrary to what a prominent review in this section posits. It seems to me this live record is more expansive and also leads to more meditative states than *Happy Trails* when you open your mind to it. That Haight / West Coast hippie scene that propelled both bands to the foreground is such a cliché in itself anyway... Maybe I listened to too many punks ridiculing it in my youth to have a somewhat fair assessment of its musical qualities. It's funny because I think I have opened my shakras since my teenage years, especially when it comes to sixties / early seventies bands. Yet it's also true that there's still something lacking to my ears in this sort of music, as nice as some of its spots can be... So for once, call me decisively undecided on this one. Maybe one day... I think it's one of those cases when you needed to be there at the time to really, really "get" it, with or without drugs. One thing's for sure, I don't want to howl with the wolves anymore. Seems to me that this record doesn't deserve the bad rep it still routinely gets, as exemplified in some of the reviews in this section... In all honesty, anyone who had ever tried their hand at an improvised rock jam can relate to what was happening during those gigs. Such endeavors are never about perfection, they're about "feelings". And I think *Live / Dead* has some interesting ones to spare... 3/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential albums". 8/10 grade for more general purposes (5+3) Number of albums left to review: 123 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 380 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 225 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 283
I guess this is just jazz 👍🏻
Had a lot of fun with this! Have always shied away from The Grateful Dead because of their daunting oeuvre and because I had mostly heard that they were goofy, meandering and noodly. Which I forgot I love!
First time lister of the band ienjoe the long ballads of keyboarding guitar riffs and drum playing it was trippy for me
A few listenable tracks if you have the time and attention span. Tough for me to get through.
I don't think this album would change anyone's mind about the Dead. I don't know how well this translates the live experience, but there is a LOT of jamming.
There were times listening to this that I could sort of see how some people get into jam bands. But then the first song drags out for 20+ minutes and reminds me why I don't like jam bands. Some of the blues licks were pretty good. And a lot of people don't like Feedback at all, but I thought that one was at least interesting (but that may be some of my Grunge upbringing peeking out.) Overall fine. Probably a 2.5 but I'll round up to a 3.
Didn't mind this. I have avoided the Grateful Dead mainly because a subset of their fans creep me out and partly because I don't know where to begin. Maybe a bit too jammy for my tastes but overall a bit cleaner sounding and driven than I was led to believe. So am I now a Dead Head? Not but I do have a better appreciation of the band
i liked it was very jammy, the only part i didn’t care for was the length of the songs
I love the Dead but 12 minutes of feedback is too much for even me.
It's okay ! Lots of jam, classic rock and rambling
3. Too much noodling.
Its ok, if you’re high, I suppose
I’m by no means a dead head, but I don’t hate them as much as a lot of other people seem to on this website. There were some boring parts where it just sounded like random noodling, but some fun parts too.
I was thinking to myself, this sounds really improvised, and not so suprinsingly, it mostly is. I think its okay, something for the background
Not bad but just Not my thing. Too long winded.
Not my favorite Dead album since it starts off weak
It took me nineteen days to rate this. Longest 1hr 15m you'll ever sit through. Luckily 50% of this album goes hard as background noise.
it was ok. i liked a lot of what i heard but it was hard to grab my attention. i'd like to check out their other stuff just to make sure i'm not writing them off completely.
I spent quite a bit of today wondering why the Grateful Dead had the following they had—still have, even. What was their "secret sauce?" Turns out, even Deadheads don't know what it is. There's just this "intangiable 'X Factor'" about their live music, as I've read. "Vibee," in other words. It's just vibes. All vibes. The way I've heard "Dark Star" described in particular that's stuck with me is that it doesn't "start," per say—you "enter it." Conversly, it doesn't "end"; you "exit it." Like it's not a song but instead some field of energy you briefly entangle yourself in. Basically, you're supposed to lose yourself in the jams and improvisations, appreciating the near-psychic link the band members have between each other. And if you don't match up with those "vibes," then it's just a lot of pointless canoodling. Myself... I mean, I think I've listened to too much Phish to say I don't like jam bands or what they do. As "vibes" music, it's fine. Just not mind blowing like I imagine it still is to a lot of the OG Deadheads. Of course, if I wanted to hear what they do, I'd probably have needed to actually catch them live. Not 100s of times like some of these fans have, but at least once. Unfortunately, it's a bit too late for that now, so judging the music for its own sake... I get it. I just don't love it.
Fine
Though my jam band tolerance has increased, this is still a loooonnnngggg time to jam out and the songs feel like they go on forever.
i heart jam bands
Canciones demasiado largas para mi gusto pero que suenan muy bien.
Around two years ago, I did a deep dive into the Grateful Dead, listening to all of their albums and any live album I could find on streaming. I did this because although I had loved Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty for a long time I had never really understood the pipe Around the band. During my deep dive, I really fell in love with much more of their music, and it took a lot of listening to live albums to understand what they were all about live. I think live/dead is a good album, but more so as a time capsule of the band at that time good album to listen to. It could very well be the streaming quality on Spotify, but the recording quality seems pretty bad compared to albums like Europe 72. Dark Star is a great song as is Saint Stephen and 11 but outside of these tracks, I don’t love this album and think that it is probably overrated in terms of quality. I don’t know this for sure but I think it was unusual to have a live rock album at the time, so it was, unique in that way when it came out. Obviously a live Grateful Dead album that is an official release will be highly regarded by the deadhead, but they would agree. I think that there are much better. Examples of the bands live work. it’s an interesting lesson but one that I’ve heard many times and still can’t find love for.
Not sure why this is on here when they have much better live albums from later. They definitely got a lot better and sometimes sound like they are still kind of figuring some of it out. More intense less relaxed sounding than other jams but they may be stepping on each others toes sometimes. Sometimes the bass is too busy. Transitions from st Stephen to the 11 to love light was cool. Apparently this was the first live record made on a 16 track but not a great sounding record. The two guitar sound is too much guitar sometimes. Vocals on here are sub par even for the Grateful Dead and It doesn’t have any of my favorite songs. 11 was probably my favorite track. Last song was one of my favorite parts wish that as longer and feedback was shorter. Tough one to rate 2.5
Dark Star 3.4 St. Stephen 3.6 The Eleven 3.7 Turn On Your Love Light 3.8 Death Don't Have No Mercy 3.3 Feedback 2 And We Bid You Goodnight 2.5 Score 3.185714286
I'm not sure I understand the appeal of listening to a live album for a jam band in an audio-only format. On one hand, it's cool to hear what they sound like live, I guess. But half the appeal (for me, not that I'm a big jam band person to begin with) is *seeing* the band jam — watching their interactions with each other, watching them play their instruments, witnessing the audience react and hanging out with other fans, etc. Listening to it from my living room doesn't have the same feeling. This album is also really, really long. The first track is 23 minutes, and you're not even 1/4 of the way through when that's over. I found it hard to keep my focus and was kind of wishing for the thing to end, even though the music itself isn't bad. I respect this album for how groundbreaking it was — they invented special recording tech just to make it possible. And it is impressive that they can jam for that long and sound good. A lot of it is very heavily influenced by the blues, though, so it's not like it's the most innovative or unique music ever made. After never really getting the fuss about the Grateful Dead, I can now say that their music can be pretty enjoyable — but I still don't really get the fuss. I'm never going to be the kind of person who follows them around the country. 3.5/5 rounded to 3. It's decent, but I'm probably not going to listen to it again, at least not in full.
Not my personal taste but good for what it is
3.8 - Unfortunately, I've never seen the Grateful Dead or any of its tribute acts live. I've also never listened to their music under the influence of any psychotropic/delic substances. So I still feel like an outsider to this colorful sub-culture. Having read Tom Wolfe's vivid accounts of the Dead's genesis in "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test", I'm intellectually invested in the lore surrounding this band. My mind remains a fertile ground to get swept up in this mania. I could imagine, for example, taking an extended road trip with some buddies and if, for some reason, this is the only CD in the car, it'd end up ruling my life for a solid 2 weeks. Having given this record 4+ listens this past weekend, I can point to a few moments of brilliance. First and foremost, "Feedback" makes me feel like an unborn baby in the womb, preparing for my journey of birth. Second, there is a certain hushed majesty to how "Dark Star" begins -- it almost sounds like a religious incantation the way the band improvises towards a vibration before locking into a collective energy. Third, Jerry Garcia's quiet, crystalline blues picking at the beginning of "Death Don't Have No Mercy" lay down wild textures I've never heard in rock music.
Ok
didn’t hate this as much as others seemed to. Something I didn’t mind putting on in the background and just being creative… tuning out. Turn on your love light was pretty great.
The jams are good. Probably would be 4 stars without Feedback.
Country. Ni fu ni fa.
I think it’s one of those things I probably had to be there for.
A me problem that comes up in jazz as well as jam bands: i cant follow the plot, climaxes tension of the solos. It just sounds like noodling. Especially noticeable on dark star. The rest actually has some tight arrangements and transitions evident in st steven to elevens. Not a me problem : the singing is not great. And i love limited voices in rock eg mick bob tom verlaine. Its tight when he yells in death mercy though. They slways pick tight songs but Reverend Gary Davis and the other originals generally do it better. Feedback hilariously just that, no cobain esque explosion at end. Farewell hymn is a nice touch
Good!
Aso nachem letschte Album chas ned schlimmer werde und ich hoffe würklich eif chli musig für d seel z becho will im moment fühli mi garned guet nachdem letschte züg uff. Ich wür zuedem mis vote vom letschte album gern uf es -1000 setze. Danke. Anyway es fangt schomal ganz guet ah! Ich ha wieder bitz lebensfreud und farb im gsicht, s cha nurno besser werde. Isch groovy, isch ganz okay!
It's not really my type of music but I enjoyed the album. Of course The Dead's reputation preceded itself but I was unprepared for the opening song Dark Star which was basically jazz-fusion. There were lots of stylistic changes and the sound is quite pristine. Not sure if it captures the live Dead experience but it does make for a satisfying listening experience 3.5 stars
Ok
Twenty-minute-tracks of late 60s bluesy jamming really aren't my thing, but I do acknowledge the talent behind this.
I didn't love this. I never had a desire to see the Dead live...and this didn't help. I also didn't hate it.
I wasn't really looking forward to this one, especially because it came at me while I was on a short vacation so I was playing catch-up and really prefer short albums when that happens. I will say that this exceeded my expectations music-wise and I found the first three sides of the album quite good, inducing a sense of peace and ease. Once we got to side four though, I'd kind of had enough and was just glad to get it out of the way.
Not a band I was ever into. It's fine. 3/5
Meh
moments in there, but there is hella widdle
Just noodling for an hour. Really on one ear and out the other. Sometimes it’s just ok, other times there’s ok sense of cohesion whatsoever. It’s meh, a real mixed bag.
Just so long and boring - I imagine it would be great if I was high the whole time
3/5. Jam album, full stop. The solos do go pretty hard but I think this is definitely have to have been there vibe, with additional supplements to assist in the listening experience. It's still enjoyable but goes a little too long. Light does bring the energy the album is missing but really only that one.
I would have been a roadie...
Psychedelic jam rock not really my thing. I like the subculture of the Grateful Dead though, the idea that once the band plays the music, it belongs to the fans not the bands, and allowing fans to record their concerts and trade recordings with each other. All that grassroots stuff is really cool. Unfortunately I'm not that interested in the music, but that's just me!
Fairly typical droning Grateful Dead music. Probably sounds a lot better if you're on LSD. Not horrible, just meh.
meh
Big Dead fan, but this particular selection of songs was too jammy and uneventful.
I feel underwhelmed by this album. Nothing about it was bad, but it was definitely a lot more boring than anticipated.
jam rock.
Genre: Acid rock, psychedelic rock, jam rock 1969, Live album Standouts: St. Stephen, Dark Star, Turn on Your Love Light. Never been a dead-head. The music fine, if a bit boring. Maybe it gets better with age (more listens). 3/5
It's The Dead! Mindless drugged-out noodling. ZZZZZzzzzzz…
When they get their groove on it’s awesome
Now this is one of the albums of all time. It's fine. The musical contents are respectable. The guitar work is nice. Jerry Garcia's a good guitarist, but he's not the kind of guy whose tap water I should be drinking, at least according to a certain anthropomorphic gecko. The writing, when it's there, is serviceable. I can see some ideas in there. I have a big problem with this album. It just goes on and on. It feels like 75% of this album sounds like a jam session. That's it. There is no reason why this needs to go on for 75 whole minutes. There also isn't a reason for this album to be on this list. Well, okay. This album does have some technical accomplishments, and I genuinely forgot that this was made in 1969. However, it's a live album that doesn't really come with the limited pros of a live album. While I can respect the sound and improvisational work of the album, I just don't really think I want to go back to it all that much. Light 3/5.
Wow, an album with 7 songs...oh wait, its over an hour long.
Long songs, and they're alright. This one would be amazing in a live crowd but on my own I wasn't able to get into the "flow" that this music is supposed to induce. Still appreciate it. 6.5/10
jam rock.
I can certainly appreciate a good jam band, and these guys are the OG jam band. It's rock and roll equivalent to jazz. I just don't love it. If a song is 23-minutes long, it should be better structured, not just random sound. But hard to come down too hard on the originators of jam band rock. I'm going with 3.5. Just cannot give it the 4 star treatment. Maybe there are better, later Dead live albums.
(Almost too) slow rock. Enjoyed, the music, but the vocals were really boring. Would have enjoyed it more as an instrumental.
didn't even realise it was a live album until I read the description. super chill rock and something you can imagine getting lost in, not usually a fan of guitar solos but can appreciate what they're going for here.
Not my fav genre but I enjoyed the album
Un autre album de ce band me fait réaliser que c'est vraiment overrated. Il y a des très bon passages progressifs qui rentrent dedans, mais pour avoir ces passages on doit endurer des longs passages de jam qui sont vriament fastidieux et ennuyants. Beaucoup d'artistes prog méritent plus de reconnaissance qu'eux selon moi. 5/10
I'm just not a fan. Not something I like, but they are iconic.
Nothing much to say, enjoyable but boring at the same time 3*
Fun to have running in the background. This album comes off as being MUCH more enjoyable should there be a little bit of reality altering substances involved. Not a lot of substances mind you, as there is considerable complexity in the playing. Otherwise it was honestly just "meh" for me.
If I'm honest I enjoyed listening to the first five minutes of pretty noodling while reading all the one star reviews, wondering why all the visceral backlash. I enjoyed listening to the Analyse Phish podcast with Harris Wittels (RIP) and going on that journey even though Phish are clearly shite. I'm still enjoying it 12 minutes in tbh, although it's a shame I don't have this on a day I'm working as it would be good to have in the background. I looked the whole first track, all 23 minutes. After St Stephen started I'm on the I'm Our train, much more jam band nonsense like Phish with silly lyrics. Things are back on track with The Eleven. Bass, drums and guitar all intermingling nicely. I can't argue with this at all. Basically all the time noone is singing this is pretty good. Enjoyed some of Turn on Your Love Light but there was far too much bullshit coming out the mouth of the big man. Think I'm going pretty solidly down the middle here, and that's before the 7 minutes of feedback I know is coming, doubt that will sway me either way (as it turns out it was far mellower and nice than I expected). Decent while it was on, very much doubt I'll be back to any of it particularly.
Jam bands aren't a favorite of mine but I can understand why folks who are jam band friendly would like this album.
Jazz. Rock
Definitely a vibe
I like it. I think jam bands have their place and I’m glad to hear good call and response in the recording
I realised pretty quickly that 23-minute live tracks are next to impossible to focus on for the entire duration. So, beware; this is not an album for close listening. I also imagine this would've been pretty painful to listen to live. That being said, it's excellent background music. The jams are mellow and laid-back without sounding too egregiously noodly. The melodies are unmemorable but not bad. The instrumentation and musical skill being showcased is fairly strong. Can I see myself giving this album a 3, on par with Hearts and Bones, Born in the USA, and Natty Dread? Sure - but no way it's getting higher than that.
Maybe being familiar with the studio versions would make this better for me. Some interesting bits but a solid middle of the pack experience.
Jam sessions...
I like Grateful Dead. Noodling jam bandy stuff isn't my favorite so, as much as they're hailed as a live music experience, I'll happily just take their studio tracks. This was alright though.
To be entirely honest, I don't usually like listening to the Dead's live albums: they meander and can go on forever (6 songs -not counting the last and seventh, clocking in at a mere 37 seconds - totaling 1:13:09...seriously?), and each performance is of variable quality depending on the crowd, the set list, and the how high the group was; BUT here we have a 1969 recording, which means Jerry and Pigpen (on harmonica) are still with us, and the band is just revving up to their cult status while playing small free shows in The Haight. That alone warrants a listen. The album cover is gorgeous, and as we open with Dark Star (at the Fillmore, no less), a sense of peace and dreamy wonder come over me. The Grateful Dead's music is evocative in a way that so much rock is not: it has such a strong milieu and encapsulates the loving, tripping heart of the hippie movement and of the Summer of Love. Very soothing and trance like. Probably a dope trip for the audience and performers alike. Each song feels like a movement. The second half is darker than expected, dabbling in the blues and the erotic, warped distortion of LSD and heroin. One can imagine the kaleidoscopic liquid light show that might've accompanied and illuminated the concert. A serious showcase of the band's musical abilities and an early hint as to how deeply and lovingly they would change the landscape of rock n roll. Standouts: St. Stephen, Turn on Your Love Light, Death Don't Have No Mercy.
I was kinda dreading this one, but there are a lot of fun and interesting moments here. There is, of course, also plenty of self-indulgence: the feedback track alone drags down the score. All things considered, they’re a notable act and it’s worth experiencing their very famous live sound, even if it’s a pass for you. Best song: Turn On Your Love Light
Rating: 6/10
I'm a fan overall of the Dead and these are classic older Dead songs played in the legendary Fillmore venue. 1969 must have been an amazing year to see this and to hear these songs. My favorite era of Dead is later, but still there is a beauty here. Turn on Your Love Light and Dark Star are stand outs that Dead fans continued to love for decades.
I can see the appeal of The Dead Show, where you're just hanging out with friends in a cow pasture, drinking beer and getting high with these guys playing in the background. That doesn't sound too bad. But to recapture that experience and drop it into a 12" plastic disc and call it a 'live' album just doesn't work.
Although "Live/Dead" was recorded just one year before "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty," but the style differences are distinct. Though "Live/Dead" and "American Beauty" are the only Grateful Dead albums on the 1001, I think it's "Workingman's Dead" that I'm most familiar with. And so I'm most familiar with the folk and Americana version of the Grateful Dead. "Live/Dead" is my first exposure to a more psychedelic and blues influenced Dead. The middle of "Live/Dead" is its strength, but to get there you have to make it through 23 minutes of "Dark Star." That opening track just goes on and on, embodying the jam band reputation that the Dead would later fully embrace. But the tracks that follow are more focused, led by the standout bluesy "Turn on Your Love Light."
My previous railings against improvisational music, I’m primarily looking at you jazz, also apply some to The Grateful Dead. I actually like The Dead, like a lot. Strangely however, I do not like their signature acid rock where 20 minute songs are the norm and tripping balls is a baked in requirement. Instead rather, I love when they focused in the studio and recorded songs like their follow on albums Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty. I conveyed my affection for these two albums in my American Beauty review. I give a bit of leeway for a live album because that’s part of the magic. Seeing this album performed live, sans acid, would significantly improve the experience. I give a bit of leeway as well because recording equipment was not what it is today in 1969. The Dead were somewhat at the cutting edge of recording technology. Case in point, this album was the first live one to be captured on a 16 track recorder. The Dead were also one of the first bands to double track their vocals the soften and broaden their sound. They used to experiment with all kinds of strange sound generating methods too. Having said that I love The Dead but not their well known explorations, they do hit some extended grooves that I enjoy. And I love Turn On Your Love Light. That song is fun and playful. I don’t despise the improv stuff as much as I do with jazz. While 73 minutes is far too long for a 7 song album, the visceral reaction is not present.
jam rock
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but there's no worry of my becoming a deadhead anytime soon.
No me gusta. People I like and respect are Dead Heads, and I think I understand the attraction, but for me it was very self indulgent and something of a let down. All the songs are longer than they need to be, and there is way to much of what sounds like jamming to me.
First track incredibly boring. Picks up speed.
Cherry Garcia
3.5 stars. Love some dead but this wasn't my favorite live stuff to listen too.
I expected to like this a lot more. The feedback song to end the album doesn't really make sense to me. I can deal with dissonance in small doses, and when properly timed its a great way to build tension, but this one wasn't it. I don't think this album would get someone to be a fan of the Dead.
I can see why they say this is "All one song" it was very easy to get lost and have no idea where I was in the album. This made me want to rip some ice cold fattys and dance around in some sort of cloth. The jams sure were crunchy in this live album for sure. I especially liked the end of Death Don't have Mercy. And while I don't listen to Dead enough I like it when I do. Also I have to pay my respects because they have influenced so many of my favorite bands today.
It was alright as chill background music, but I really didn't need the last two tracks.
Meandering
lmao the top reviews fucking *haaaaate* this, and even the overall global score's pretty mediocre. Meanwhile I'm like "eh pretty good, but not quite as layered as Phish songs tend to get"
psy rock pas méchant 5.5/10
I get the hostility towards the Dead and still maintain my POV that live albums should be minimal in count and amazing in quality to belong on this list. Does this one meet both thresholds? Close, but no. I'm no Dead fan, but do appreciate the Dead and their live music. 3/5.
Not bad. Little too instrumental for me at times.
A bit cheeky
I'm neither a fan of the Dead, nor of far rambling live albums with extensive jamming. But this is a pretty excellent album, by any standard. I enjoyed it. Carefully crafted yet improvisational, surprisingly innovative. "Feedback" nearly did me in, but this is still one of the better live albums I have heard. Fave Songs: Death Don't Have No Mercy, The Eleven, St. Stephen
Mostly enjoyed this one so 3*
jam rock
I really liked the dead in undergrad, but man I really did not enjoy this album. Either I was listening to quite not dead stuff back then or I’ve changed. Either way, blegh
Just kinda washed over me
it’s fine but I will never understand why people worshipped this in any state of mind
Live/Dead is the first live album (and fourth overall) released by the American psychedelic rock band Grateful Dead. It was recorded and released with the intentions of showcasing the band's live performances while also fulfilling their contract and paying off debts to the record company Warner Bros. Critics loved this album and noted that it was the next best thing than actually listening live at a Dead concert. Grateful Dead popularized jam rock with their style of music and this album is no exception. It fuses genres of rock, blues, jazz, folk, country, bluegrass, hard rock, gospel, reggae, and world music along with psychedelia to give it a nice spin. The album is one of the best of psychedelic rock from the 60's and created a generation of cult followers. Finally, I'm reviewing a Grateful Dead album. I always hear so much about this band, but rarely do I listen to their music. The music is beautiful, but it almost feels sacred - like you're supposed to listen to it in a certain setting with people you love or fellow dead heads. The live album really captures the energy from a Grateful Dead concert, which I'm told you need to experience at least once. This band will go down in history as having the most psychedelic accessible music that anyone can jam to in any head space. Give it a listen and let your worries melt away.
The Dead have never been my thing. It was good to finally give this album a try, but I found my mind wandered a lot as I listened. Each jam was too long to draw me in and keep me invested. 3 for now, May re review at a later date.
Grateful dead was good background music while I painted. I just don't find myself listening to much grateful dead on my own
I saw the Dead once, sometime in the early 90s. We were all hippies for a year, I think, and so we went to their show. They played a few songs I knew and that was cool. But I wasn't high so the only thing that really made the whole trip worth it was the girl I had a crush on being there, too. The music was all fine background to that - pretty top notch background, really.
Midt på 3 lenge mellom jeg hørte den og skriver
Wanky
Je comprends comment on peut s'y perdre, mais me paraît un peu vieilli.
Seeing how this is a live Grateful Dead album, I expected quite a bit of jam band shenanigans. I didn't expect the album to begin with a 22 minute noodling around session (Dark Star), and end with 8 minutes of just noise (Feedback). But what's in between is really good, so just take tracks 2, 3, 4, and 5, make it a single length live album and you are good to go.
This is a good older live show.
Chill music, cool guitar licks, but drags on and does not provide too much else.
The same old discussion with live albums again and I'm sure this must have been a very cool experience to see live but for somebody who isn't a Grateful Dead fan, this provides little to nothing tbh. The songs are sometimes quadrupled in length versus the studio recording and often just filled with jamming
The Dead have some great shows. I don't know why this one was selected. It's alright but is FAR from them at their best.
This might be a hot take but I don't really enjoy live albums. Doesn't do much for me to listen to some dudes riffing for 23 minutes in my living room. Having said that, the music wasn't bad, it just didn't pique my interest. Probably wouldn't listen again unless I was looking for random background music
Is actually a great album in the 2/3's of it where they aren't doing overly self indulgent jamming
17th July 2023 Listened a day late on the drive to London. Worked from home and had Mary-Ruth, Stephen and Freddie over for supper. Jazz, blues and folk riff freely off each other for an hour.
Oikein nautinnollista. Vinskana voisin pyöritellä useamminkin.
Ihan jees instrumentaalivoittoista menoa 3/5
Strikes me as "fans only" material, not "hear this before you die" material. Three strikes right off the bat - live album, long album, and long rambly jam tracks. However, it sounds like the importance of this album is that it captured their live performance sound, which is fundamental to why they have such a strong fanbase in the deadheads. On another positive note, it also strikes me that, although the tracks may be rambly, they're not noodly - their skill is evident within the improvisation.
I'm one of the odd Dead fans that actually prefers the studio versions.
Just way too damn long, but I'm not a fan of the Grateful Dead so this may be best for fans. Definitely captures their essence though and it sounds overall very nice. Ironically enjoyed "Feedback" the most.
This was quite intense psychedelic rock which though I enjoyed elements I did find it quite dense at times. Some of the drawn out sections I probably struggled with for the same reason as jazz, sort of that meandering... Which I bet I like at times but it didn't always hit the spot here but overall I thought it was very good. Hard to rate
So of the pysch stuff was a bit much for me but when it got more bluesy I loved it.
I may have related this before but I mostly discounted the Dead until a close friend turned me on to a few tracks that, while not making a superfan out of me, did open my eyes to their value above the whole traveling hippie drug festival thing. I'm not hugely impressed with this live collection. A lot that strikes me as akin to noodley jazz scales with slacker instrumentation, a good chunk of lazy blues meandering, and the not quite 8 minutes of feedback can absolutely go stuff itself. Can't deny some standout sections that truly capture a band perfectly in sync and jamming on a shared frequency with their audience.
Juu dehär e en trea for suuure
Gillade Dark Star en massa o sen va de lite neråt tbh... death dont have no mercy va o helt bra
This drug infused elongated jam session proved surprisingly effective background to my weekend afternoon book reading… But yeah, Grateful Dead isn’t my jam.
Guitar noodling! And lots of it! I’ve mostly only listened to a few studio albums by Grateful Dead but they stretch out and jam much more live. Like the Allman Brothers live album we had a while back, this is perfect music to put on in the background while cooking. Bright, cheerful, pleasant music. Wait, “Feedback” is really 7+ minutes of experiments with guitar feedback? Surprised that one made the cut for the live album. Gets kinda cool in the second half of the song though.
I mean, with all due respect, I couldn't possibly be unbiased to a Dead live album. I had a coworker who, when given control of the radio, would only play shit like this. So it's soaked into my conscious at this point. There was one time, he and I were speaking on hologram performers (a la Tupac). He said to me, "Y'know, if they did a one night only Jerry hologram... I might go." Brian, you would've killed someone for a ticket to that. Anyway. Favorite track: "Death Don't Have No Mercy"
I could smell it.
This was an interesting album to sit down and experience. Dark Star might possibly be the longest song (of one single part) I've heard so far on the list. The transcendental, "tune-out to it" feel of this one felt very much like the same feeling I get from some jazz music. Honestly it seemed like jazz on an electric guitar. "Jazz-rock", I guess. It was an interesting live album for sure, I'm not if I'll come back to it again any time soon though - Dark Star was cool but I wasn't so invested in the other tracks here. Favourite: Dark Star
Most fans of the Dead I’ve encountered have this weird thing about them. They don’t love music as much as they just love the Dead. That fact has always kind of soured me on these guys for some reason. Now, I’ve listened to my fair share of their live stuff over the years, and if I had the change to see them back in ‘69-‘72, oh absolutely I’d have been there. Garcia is undeniably one of the greatest talents in psych rock history. But boy oh boy do these songs just go on and on. I think for me it’s almost easier to not think of these as songs, just an extended jam of some buddies who have good chemistry. In which case, this album kicks. It’s like a nice piece of warm toast that you save half of for later, then come back to it and it’s a bit stale.
Lotta noodlin'. Never got to see them live. I kept saying "next time". And then there wasn't a next time. One of my life's regrets.
This album worked as some really nice background music for me with some really stellar guitar work. Think I would have enjoyed it more high as a kite.
Long mostly bluesy jams, some a little psychedelic (and 7 minutes of feedback to ignore - helpfully labelled “feedback”). Not bad.
Sure, it's an early and important artifact, but it's not early as interesting, rich or enjoyable as the later records, including the live ones. Perhaps the editors didn't want to go down the rabbit hole of Dick's Picks, from the vaults, etc. but this is not even in the top 5 of live records that got broad release. One gets it, but this is a lazy choice given that it's almost primitive compared to all that was to come. Consider how later versions of "Space" and "Epilogue" are vastly better (plus weirder) than the "Feedback" here. And later bangers are much more richly textured and tuneful (and less bangy-clangy) than "Love Light."
Interesting live album. The Grateful Dead are one of those iconic bands that people almost make a pilgrimage to see. A bit before my time and I've never really jumped onboard though.
It was so good to get this album this week. I'm listening to a favourite podcast at the moment and the latest episode is on The Grateful Dead. They are one of the 60s bands that has passed me by, somehow. I enjoyed this but I'd love to check out some of their studio albums. They are way more blues rock than I thought they'd be
The Dead are kinda like rimjobbing. It seems like a good idea at first, but the more time you spend on it, you realize it stinks.
:'( I really thought I'd like this more.
Je m'attendais à un véritable défilé de clébards tous plus dégueulasses les uns que les autres, il n'en sera finalement rien. Tout juste un ou deux saint-bernards, et bien brossés qui plus est.
Quel plaisir de reprendre le générateur sur cet album après un super week end de 4 jours !
Unusual album. It started as psychedelic rock with some pretty awesome passages here and there, very interesting stuff, so atmospheric, no need for drugs to trip. Then a bit of interludes, and we're off to Elvis Presley impersonation? I was actually thinking that somehow the album finished and something else started. Very surprising, took me off-guard for sure. And finally another slightly psychedelic song with a long noise outro, which was not as fascination as the song in the beginning. Overall impressive record, a bit all over the place and pretty long, I think it would work much better, if they would split it into two albums. But not a bad start for my first listening to Grateful Dead.
Tocan una masa, cantan muy poco. Se vuelve eterno por partes, pero hay calidad.
Pop-rock sesentero con abundancia de instrumentalización. Guitarrero y en ocasiones psicodélico
PREFS : Saint Stephen, The Eleven, Turn on Your Love Light MOINS PREF : Feedback
I would describe myself as a fan of the Grateful Dead generally. They have some flawless albums, but they also have some duds - for me this one sits somewhere in the middle. Plenty of appealing musicianship throughout and good vocals, but even I have my limits with their jams. Listening to this did prompt me to go back and revisit to some of my other favourite live stuff they recorded. Fave track: St Stephen
Átti ekki von á miklu, og þetta var svo sem ekki mikið. Langar djammsessionir og lög sem renna saman í eitt, en þetta var samt ekki leiðinlegt. Allt í lagi. Næsta plata.
To Marty's chagrin I've never been a huge deadhead but I do appreciate them! That being said I feel like a different live album would have been better suited for this list. Nothing to dislike, just nothing exactly blew me away? Eminently listenable just not as memorable as others I've heard from them!
I don’t think it’s out of line to give this a 3. I respect the musicianship and there’s a lot to like in this (dark star and the eleven were highlights), but jamming loses a lot of its charm when it’s recorded, and the dead lose a lot of their charm when you’re sober. Is an 8 minute song if feedback really necessary? I’m sure this would wonderful to see live but as an album listening experience it left a lot to be desired.
This is the best and worst of the Grateful Dead. A lot of discordant sounds like people playing difftsongs at the same time. The feedback track was completely unnecessary. That said both St Stephen and Love Light we’re fantastic!
Time has not been this album's friend. It was leading recording technology at the time but over 50 years later it's hard not to think "Could've fooled me" Dylan and the Mothers kicked off rock and roll double albums a couple of years before this and by 1969 a double LP seemed to be the thing to do. Zappa's double also had a side with only one song although this practice didn't hit its stride on studio albums until the prog rockers. The Dead decided to have two songs that each took a full side on this album. This hasn't aged well. The Allman Brothers did the same on their live at the Fillmore East album a couple of years later but the Allmans had Duane and Dickey trading licks so were better equipped to pull this off; even with the two of them, those sides of that Allman Brothers' album sound a bit tired these days. This album shows us that Gerry can play and validates the Deadheads complaints about how far down he is on the various lists of greatest guitar players. Regardless, time has made sides with just one song tedious. Experimenting with noise was what the cool kids were doing in the late 60s but the experimentation with nearly 8 minutes of noise on "Feedback" is terrible even when compared to other late 1960s experiments like "Revolution 9" or VU's "White Light / White Heat." At least there's not a 5+ minute drum solo.
The Dead are always best experienced live. Pretty neat that they apparently got someone to invent the microphone splitter required to record them while playing a live show, to the benefit of all live recording since. I'm not the type of person to give up my job and follow the dead around while they're on tour, but I will jam out to these tracks any day. Fav Tracks: Dark Star, The Eleven, Death Don't Have No Mercy
amo la musica de abuelo que tomaba lsd en su juventud
Chill background music
First Listen Favorites: Dark Star Turn On Your Love Light The Eleven
I expected worse based on the reviews, but it still didn’t convince me of the grateful dead hype. You hear so much about their loyal fan base following them around, but the music doesn’t represent this seeming awe that people have for them. I personally don’t get it
It’s not a bad track, but I think I’d have preferred to hear the studio version. Two stars…
Hard to get into
I was looking forward to this since the Grateful Dead has a huge reputation, with a huge audience even today. I was pretty disappointed! It hardly even sounds like music. It's fairly sparse fragments of songs. I feel that the megafans of this are bringing a lot of their own stuff to the table here and seeing a reflection here. I don't get a sense of feeling or skill behind this.
Just what I thought it was. I cannot comprehend this meandering non sense. Did not finish 3/10
I've never understood the following this band is able to produce. I always thought it was a mindless group who enjoyed the company rather than the music. This album is proof of that idea. Musically, they can play the instruments, but it's not thoughtful and together.
I briefly dabbled with the Dead years ago and just didn't get it. I still don't get it. I liked the parts that were more distinguishably songs and not just long sprawls of sound that happened to be recorded. There's no one minute of any one track that I can really point to and go "that sounded bad and I didn't like it" because it's all just kind of nice and easy to have on. Except for Feedback, which sucks from start to finish and ends an otherwise pleasant album on a visceral sour note. Having suffered through Chicago's 7-minute track of guitar feedback just two weeks ago, another one starts to feel like a targeted attack by the 1001 gods. Within moments I'd gone from "I guess that album was OK" to "that album was shit on a plate". I do admire the band's prolific live-album output and how they were the blueprint for Pearl Jam's "official bootleg" scheme and diligently archived live culture. But I'm just not enough of an old stoner to really love this music. It seems like a fun cult to be in but it's not for me.
If I had been in a pub with this band performing this double album I could have enjoyed my evening by hopefully ignoring them whilst talking to my drinking companions. Unfortunately, I was at home and wasted an hour and a quarter trying to find something in this collection to appreciate or even something worth commenting on. I didn’t. Sub-standard pub/jam rock performed in a 3,000 seating venue is/was just poor. I remember dipping into various Grateful Dead albums over the years and giving up. The fact they had a pretty big following by some in the ‘70s (I clearly remember their name was one of those bands scratched into my first wooden desk-top at secondary school!) made me think I was missing out. This confirms I wasn’t. As I’d never heard any live Grateful Dead before I had hoped this would have more energy and change my view of them. False hopes. Considering this is a live album the audience were very quiet for most of it. Probably asleep. I also disagree with the concept of “Death Don’t Have No Mercy”. It would have saved me from the following track called “Feedback”.
Noodly nonsense but it moves and there’s a certain charm to their brand of stoned shuffling. At least until ‘Feedback’, which is entirely pointless and dreadful
I just cannot enjoy listening to endless guitar solos by bearded hippies on acid. No thanks
This album is already pretty annoying, then Feedback is a thumb in the listener's ear at the end. I love the Dead, but I do not enjoy the experience of this album, despite some of the good moments buried in this.
I’m pretty neutral to positive on the Grateful Dead in general but these are mostly inferior versions of songs I like and I found the 6 minutes of noodling to start the album to be offensive
Meandering nothing
I get why people followed the bad doing acid with them
1,5/5
Love Light was fun, liked the jazzy sound, but it carried on too long. St. S also ok. Overall just not for me.
Live/Dead entstand aus Mitschnitten dreier Konzerte im Januar und Februar 1969 im Avalon Ballroom und im Fillmore West in San Francisco, gemixt im dortigen Muggles-Gramophone-Studio, und erschien noch im selben Jahr auf Warner Bros. Records – als erstes Livealbum einer Band, die auf der Bühne längst zu etwas anderem geworden war als im Studio. Für eine Gruppe, die ihre Identität im Moment des gemeinsamen Improvisierens fand, war das kein Nebenprodukt, sondern die konsequenteste Form, sich selbst zu dokumentieren. Im Zentrum steht die gut 23-minütige Version von "Dark Star", die sich von jedem Songbegriff löst und stattdessen wie ein offenes Gespräch zwischen den Musikern klingt – gefolgt vom Medley "St. Stephen" / "The Eleven", das die Band fast wöchentlich spielte und dabei nie zweimal gleich interpretierte. Mit "Turn On Your Love Light" und "Death Don't Have No Mercy" verschiebt sich der Ton spürbar, hin zu Pigpens erdigem R&B und Garcias düster-blueshaftem Ausdruck, ohne dass das Album seine Kohärenz verliert. Was Live/Dead bis heute besonders macht, ist die Ehrlichkeit seiner Machart: keine nachträgliche Politur, sondern ein 16-Spur-Mitschnitt, der die Band so einfängt, wie sie tatsächlich war – tastend, riskant, im besten Sinne unfertig. Es ist ein Album, das man nicht nebenbei hört, sondern das Zeit verlangt und sie mit Zinsen zurückgibt. Selten hat ein Livealbum eine Band so treffend porträtiert wie dieses.
Ive been into the jam scene for a long time...but I never understood the appeal of the dead, probably because I came well after their heyday. To me, theyve always kind of been a boring folk band. I want to like them and dig their scene snd appreciate what they did, but it all sounds so thin and boring to me. Do more!
I have not heard this before, at least I do not think I have heard this before. A very good friend of mine in college was a huge fan of the Dead and played lots of their records when we were hanging out to get me into them so it’s possible this was in the mix of all his various bootlegs. Upon listening to this I still don’t know if I’ve heard it before because it sounds like a lot of other concert tapes I’ve heard. I don’t hate jam music and there is some that I really love, however I like a longwinded solo to have some semblance of structure—not that it needs to be free from improvisation or even thought out at all, just not aimless. The first song is over 20 minutes of guitar noodling with no verb to the solo. I gotta have a verb to the solo, it can’t be all noun. One standout is a section of maybe 7 minutes of guitar feedback noise at the end, which is usually my bread and butter and not real typical of Dead bootlegs, and even that is aimless. It sounds like they are just standing still and not manipulating the noise at all, and having the same feedback noise going on for that long becomes tedious. Underneath all of this, there are a few good songs among the shorter ones that at least have a plan for ending the jam, and it closes with a song less than a minute that is a nice cap on the whole thing. I definitely don’t need to hear it again.
Good moments, but far, far, far, too long, even for a jam band. Huge portions of this were completely unnecessary and added nothing except time to the album. 1.5/5.0: Bad
4/10
Look, I GET it. But I don’t LIKE it.
Dead / Dead
So so. Not my thing.
Eigentlich ganz ok aber 1h und 13 min quasi nur psychadelic Instrumentals ist schon sehr abverlangend. Und dann kam Feedback... 2/5
I have Spotify, I have headphones. What I don't have is the huge bag of weed needed to fully unlock the full potential of this live album. Moments of musical cohesion pop up occasionally and surprise you but most of the time it's an extended jam session. Said jamming is rambling, often not that interesting musically and sadly leaves you in no doubt that they're improvising as they go. Probably fantastic if you're lying in a field getting stoned but otherwise not something I'd recommend. All that being said, it's an easy enough listen and I wasn't desperate for it to end
Over an hour long? Check. Only 7 (really 6) tracks because it’s a jam band? Check. Live album? Check. This is the trifecta of shit I hate. And yet… even I have to admit that the jams are pretty tasty. And the worst parts of live albums (hollering fans, clapping off rhythm, talking interludes, etc.) are largely muted. But then I got to “Feedback” which is exactly what it sounds like. Sorry, but you can’t assault my ears like that and not get dinged for it. 2/5
Favorite songs: St. Stephen
23 minute instrumental? 7 minute all feedback?! 15 minute songs... Can't deny the talent and I love a few I've heard over the years, but this one was a bummer.
I went through all sorts of ratings throughout the listen. It isn't brutal but it also doesn't really do that much. It's overly long. I didn't hate it.
This is not a great album, but I'm kind of a fan of it. I enjoy the fact that it's a bit of annoying. I really only enjoyed the song The Eleven. I'd be willing to listen to this again in the future. It has it's moments.
Boring
I don't get it
LONG! So long. There were parts I enjoyed but in general I'm not a fan of a jam album. 4/10
Birds sing. There’s not a cloud in the sky. August 8th is a beautiful day. I see a bunch of hippies crying. Yeah August 8th is a beautiful day.
I’ve been a Deadhead for 34 years. I’ve never cared for this album. There are significantly better live Grateful Dead albums than this.
Live/Dead captures the Grateful Dead at their experimental peak, though whether that peak is a summit or a sheer cliff depends entirely on your patience for the "long jam." The album is a polarizing masterclass in psychedelic exploration, moving from the cosmic, jazz-inflected wanderings of "Dark Star" and "The Eleven" to the gritty, blues-driven soul of "Turn on Your Lovelight." While the drumming is undeniably sharp and the haunting atmosphere of "Death Don't Have No Mercy" rivals the gloom of early Pink Floyd, the album’s indulgent runtimes and the abrasive, avant-garde noise of "Feedback" make it a challenging sit for the uninitiated. It is a vivid time capsule of 1969 ballroom culture—perfect if you want to lose yourself in a sonic trip, but potentially tedious if you’re looking for a concise, memorable hook.
Nie wiem za dużo nie posłuchałem niestety, ale nie było to raczej nic szczególnego.
I guess you had to be there.
I like the Dead at their best. This is not that though. I’m glad that they got the jams down eventually but it’s clear that they don’t have it down here. Disjointed, poorly mixed, and admittedly I don’t love Dark Star as an opener either.
This mostly makes me feel like we’ve made Industrial Revolution-level advancements in jamming since the 60s. The four actual songs on this album aren’t enough to justify the double album.
Love Grateful Dead but I cannot believe they listened to "Feedback" and thought it would be good to add to this album
Number: 133 Date: 05/17/2026 Artist: Grateful Dead Album: Live / Dead Year: 1969 Style: Psychedelic Folk Rock Familiarity: Familiar (3) Rating: 2 Before: ======= I had friends that were really into them and even went to a couple of shows in the late 80s and camped out at one of them. It was OK but I never did really get what the appeal was. I'm was much more of a punk rocker myself and just could not relate. During: ======= 2 Dark Star 3 Saint Stephen 2 The Eleven 3 Turn On Your Love Light 3 Death Don't Have No Mercy 1 Feeback 1 And We Bid You Goodnight ----------------------------------------------------- 2.31 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) After : ======= They were obviously a very important American band, but imo their significance comes more from the cultural phenomenon they created than from the music itself. So this album a little difficult to rate for suitability and impact. Apparently Live/Dead is considered the most faithful representation of what their late‑’60s concerts actually felt like, so I gave it a 4 for suitability. But musically, I don’t think it was that different from what other bands were doing at the time and had limited impact on the music that followed. 2 my personal rating 4 suitability for this list 2 impact ----------------------------------------------- 2.7 composite rating
Ужас как долго.
there are some good parts between...something the chances that i love a live album from this decade are actually nearly non existent
It was chill but live jam albums are tiring. No highlights
3/10 Overall a decent listen but I'll probably never listen to these 8-23 minute songs again.
Shoutout Nitrous for allowing people to enjoy this pinnacle of mediocrity.
whole lotta noodling goin on. there would be like 30-40 seconds where I'd be feeling it, and then it would be back off into the noodly murk. the presence of vocals seldom improved the situation. there are a couple rockin minutes of "St. Stephen" and "The Eleven" that I dug. I also enjoyed some portions of "Feedback" and the simplicity within noise. I can't hear the vamp from "Turn On Your Love Light" without thinking of the Blues Brothers movie, "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" a lot of Deadheads talk about the freedom of their live shows, and I'm sure that's liberating for a lot of people in-person with the community around you, but the only thing I was compelled to do after hearing this album was to never spin it again.
This album was not for me. It went on forever, and ever, and ever...
He spent his entire summer drifting from venue to venue, sleeping in the back of his van, heating cans of Beefaroni over a campfire, and searching the trash-strewn grounds outside arenas for pocket change that might fill his gas tank just enough to get him to the next stop, wearing the same filthy clothes until they practically carried their own shape. Body odor, shaving, and haircuts were no longer priorities. After enough nights pressed against the stage and enough hours lost in clouds of purple haze and feedback, the music itself stopped sounding like separate songs; it became one long, shapeless jam that only paused long enough for the band to catch their breath before tumbling right back into itself again. Somewhere in the middle of it all, he quietly wondered what kind of life would still be waiting for him once the tour finally ended. I can’t believe people traveled all over the country following Grateful Dead on tour just to hear them play the same fucking song for an hour and thirteen minutes. That’s the first impression — and maybe the only impression — I get listening to their first live album, Live/Dead.
The Dead have always been considered a live band by most people. After listening to this I can't understand their allure unless you have a copious amount of drugs flowing through your system. Jam bands bore the shit out of me. There are some Dead songs that I find enjoyable, but this...... this is just garbage coated garbage with garbage filling. Most of these tracks are a cornucopia of madness because each member is playing a different song all at the same time. The rest like "Feedback" are just noise with no inkling of becoming anything more. When he does sing, Garcia's vocals sound like he's having stomach spasms and is about to vomit at any moment. Just not worth the time lost.
Very boring dad rock.
Ugh… painful
Not for me.
Aw shit. Refreshed page lost my review. I’m not rewriting it. I got more expansive, but the gist was that this is not as good as their fans think, and the Dead aren’t good enough to pull off the improvisations they do. I can listen without drugs to 4x side-long tracks of Miles Davis, electric in the 70s, but that’s because he wouldn’t let any musician of Grateful Dead calibre anywhere near his stage; shit-hot or forget it. The summary was that it’s “ok” and I’m sure that’s the worst insult a deadhead would want to hear. Santana are better.
The first track was so bad it made the second track sound like a masterpiece. I didn’t like the second track. The Eleven was tolerable but I felt the jamming went on too long. Turn on Your Love Light marginally better. Death Don’t Have No Mercy my favourite. But overall just not my thing. Despite my head I’m not a head. 2.
Confession. I didn’t finish it. I found this very, very dull.
Zuhause, Gerstetten, Deutschland Nicht meine Tasse Tee.
Love the Dead and the Dead live. This recording is tedious though. Several much better live recordings out there. Rarely do I hear the Dead come on and look at my watch. I did while listening to this one. Do like the rendition of St. Stephen though. Overall, mediocre at best. Not sure why THIS particular recording ended up on here (give me Barton Hall, Cornell ‘77 or Without a Net, or one of the many other mindblowing shows).
One of my favourite songs of all time is «Anesthetize» by Porcupine Tree. That song is 17.46 minutes long, but it is so good because of the theme changes, the buildups (and downs) something is happening all the time… The first song of this album is 22 minutes long, but it feels like an eternity because it’s just the same thing over and over again. After that song I had another 50 minutes or so of aimless jamming to look forward to. I kind of lost my will to live… I think I would enjoy it more if it wasn't live.
First track starts off cool, then turns into an almighty slog to get to the end of it, which funnily enough sets the theme for the rest of the album. First of all, the absolute audacity to start a live album with a 23 minute song. Secondly, if you’re going to do that, make it vibrant and interesting. Unfortunately this album falls flat on all fronts for me and fails to hold my attention long enough to enjoy any of the tracks. It gets some points for the instrumental work being decent at points, and that's being generous.
Listen, I get the genius of these guys, but this album was mostly random strumming. Maybe if I was very high, the almost 8 minutes of feedback would maybe seem like more of a must listen than it ended up being.
Robert Christgau said this album "contains the finest rock improvisation ever recorded". I think I agree, and it also reminds me of this one time we went over to some friends' house. They had a pizza oven and were making home made pizzas for us. I myself cannot eat gluten, and they lovingly prepared a gluten-free option for me. It was made with care and the ingredients were best in class. They asked me how it was. I told them this was the finest example of a gluten free pizza I've ever eaten....then after a short beat, added: which puts it slightly below a Domino's pizza that has been sitting on the counter all night. That's how I feel about rock improvisation....even if its the finest example ever.
A live album that takes 15 minutes to get going, lasts for hours, and can only really be described as unremarkable. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★☆☆☆ (4/10) Total reviewed : 299 Already owned : 68 Purchased : 15 To buy : 3 Nope : 213
Sometimes, I’m shown an album and my first thought is, “Oh no.” This was one of those times. My mood about this was not improved by the first song being a million years (or twenty-three minutes) long. I realized that I was being a bit sore about this and tried to get a better outlook on it. I realized that it was no worse than any random band playing at a festival. So there’s that.
I cannot handle hippies or the Grateful Dead I'm sorry .
Rambly psych rock
It probably goes crazy to just be able to make stuff up like this with the homies and play it and have it sound half decent. I liked a little more than I thought I would but the positive bits don’t outshine the excessive length and directionless nature of this album. It won me over enough to see the appeal but this genre is really just not for me.
First time listening to Grateful Dead in any meaningful capacity. There’s a lot of times that I’m enjoying what I’m hearing, but a lot of other times that it’s a bit of a mess. I’m ultimately left with not wanting to revisit this particular album but the right one might hit for me.
Random thoughts: * I swear I like the Grateful Dead but this one was a slog to get through. * there was so much to get through to get to something recognizable. * I gotta think there are better Dead albums to have on this list * This one seems like you had to be there and you had to be on acid to really get this one.
Welp, this was the first time listening to the Grateful Dead, and the experience was exactly what I thought it would be. I guess if you listen to the Dead it has to be a live album, but I’ve said it before - they shouldn’t be on this list. This album was pretty miserable. The only thing that made it better was not having to be at a live show with all the Dead Heads.
2/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the-grateful-dead/live-dead-17/ Too. Much. Jamming.
Forgettable..
Grateful Dead do nothing for me. I am left freezing cold by their 'cosmic' meandering.
A Grateful Dead live album is going to be a "love it or hate it" proposition and I'm not sure there is a way around that. The listener either really likes 23-minute songs and extended jams or the listener does not enjoy 23-minute songs and extended jams. For the history of music, does there need to be a live album from the Grateful Dead included in this book? No matter my thoughts on the music, there is a compelling argument one of the most popular live bands of all-time (and a band that the studio cannot appropriately display the virtues of) probably should have a live album as part of the 1001 albums to be heard before we all leave this mortal coil. If you are looking for long jams with a 7-minute song that is just feedback, then this is the album for you.
There are at times some cool riffs and groves but they are few and far between. In between those moments are a bunch of musicians noodling in a manner closer to jazz than a jam band. You have to be high to like this because it’s honestly not great. They might be iconic but it doesn’t mean that they are great.
I might just be getting a little impatient in my final days of this project, but I really struggled to get through another double album. A jam band double album. A LIVE jam band double album. With an 8 minute long track of random feedback sounds. Is this the worst thing I've heard in the past three years? Not at all. But I just felt really bored for a lot of this one, which is one of the worst experiences I can have in this challenge. Bad but interesting is always better than boring. The Grateful Dead had a place on the list already, this was fair. But they really didn't need this one too. I get that they have a rabid fanbase and I'm happy for them that they have so much material to choose from. But it's just not my cup of tea.
So it's just an hour and thirteen minutes of noodling huh
Just not for me. Found it to be a slog to listen to with some parts here and there being enjoyable, but not a cohesive performance
un tanto ruidoso
I do not like the Grateful Dead. I find them boring and pointless. Jam bands can be fun in person, or on enough drugs to where you’re just feeling it, but nothing on this album was noteworthy to me. It was generic and just felt like one long song. Also, as I’ve said before, I don’t like live albums, so this was a doomed experiment from the start. I will say, I’m giving it a 2 because this was fine as background music. But gods is it boring as an active listening exercise.
Never fully dug The Dead. There's nothing on this that I liked. Nothing awful, just ... dull.
I am guessing this band had such a following because the live shows were a drug induced communal event. This recording doesn't showcase any of that. An hour of disjointed aimless noodling. Most of it sounds like everyone is playing something that doesnt mesh and then every once in a while it lines up and is really good for like 2 minutes then off we go on our separate ways again.
Comparatively listening to Dead live sets is usually preferable to their studio output, but this collection is not essential. I'd say spin Cornell 77 instead, but you could find better examples of this Dead era without much effort. Pro tip: do not add a 7 minute Feedback track if it's not 7 minutes of cool Feedback.
From Mr. Show: "I know my best friends used to charge me 35 bucks to listen to them dick around on guitar."
I've tried to get into the Dead many times, and they do have a few gems, but this album feels like a meandering stoner practice session
You can only listen to this when you're high - when you play it sober it's just a recording of someone "what are you doing playing Grateful Dead sober? Go get high"
DNF Its not unlistenable, but i totally have no interest in continuing this album.
No standouts
It was alright I suppose... I'd hate to see a whole concert of it though...
I put Live/Dead on as background music and got annoyed after 5 minutes or so. Later in the day I focused on listening and at times even enjoyed what I was hearing. I'll never listen to this again though.
This was an opportunity to listen to a group that many hold in high esteem (one that I have never really explored). I left this massively underwhelmed. This was a compilation of live sauntering jam songs.
First, I will say that if I attended a concert and had to sit through 20 minutes of “Dark Star”, I may have walked out. I’m not much of a fan of drawn out jamming, and this album is full of it. I am not the biggest fan of the Dead anyway, but I just didn’t think this was a very good album…a lot of waste in it. Two stars.
The instruments are fine. The singing is just stupid. why is this an hour and 13 minutes? It just sounds like one extremely basic song. Why is this band popular? I'm mad I had to listen to this.
I mean, I guess I respect how this album helped create jam rock. But the songs meander (of course), significantly overstaying their welcome in comparison to the innovation/experimentation they offer.
I just...don't get the appeal
All fine- not memorable
Live albums suck. I remember liking Grateful Dead more than any of the stuff in this album, so I'm not giving it a one, but if it were a band I'd never heard of I'd probably give it a one. silly of me.
This album is a lot like golf. Absolutely boring to spectate, but kinda fun when you’re actually there doing it. Maybe more accurate, this album is like drugs. Hearing about someone’s trip is often underwhelming and hard to connect to. But doing drugs? Hooboy. This probably smacked if you were a white 20 something in the crowd, high as all hell. As a headphone listen, it is a bad test of patience at best. I had brief moments of enjoyment with “Death Dont Have No Mercy”, but that’s it. Almost a 1/5
Ugh, a live album. I will say this one did not really sound like a live album so I'll give it more than 1 star - very chill - I get why people are so into these guys.