American Beauty

Country blues near its finest. A long way from their acid jams.

music is love

4.5/5 Other Grateful Dead albums: Workingman's Dead (1970) 5/5

I keep coming back to Grateful Dead to give them another chance. I think it's a talented enough group, with good stories and great vibe. And I just can't connect to them. Ripple

I can appreciate the musicality behind it, nonetheless, it's not my cup of tea.

I like a lot of 'classic rock' bands but strangely I've never heard the Grateful Dead. That I can remember anyway. So when this came on I was very surprised. It wasn't what I expected based on reputation. No jamming, no psychedelia just come country folk. This could have been the Byrds I suppose. It was fine but maybe gets an extra point for the surprise element.

increible

Me gustó, muy chill le doy 3 estrellas porque esta lindo pero no me mató

Anyone who dismisses the Dead simply as a jam band has no idea what they're talking about. Some absolutely beautifully written and performed songs on here. One of the best of the year. 5/5

Very good

4/10 Ah, the Grateful Dead, the most famous jam band in the world, with their dedicated army of “Deadheads” who follow them around for months at a time. But how well does that translate to a record when there’s not thousands of people tripping balls in a field, indulging and revelling in a 45 minute rendition of a 4 minute song? The sound is somewhere in the ballpark of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Bob Dylan, with a bit of Beatles and Beach Boys thrown in for good measure. While that sounds like a pretty promising blend, I did find that they struggled to really land on any particularly engaging hooks or melodies that opened the door for me to walk through. The playing was all great, the production was clean and allowed you to full engage with every element of the sound, but I felt that far too often, they sort of rambled around a point rather than making one directly. There were moments when I started to get a bit more into the vibe, but the flow of the album also seemed a little bit unfocused, with a slight lack of evenness from track to track. The shifting between different lead vocalists, particularly on side one didn’t really help with tonal consistency either. The worst aspects of this album were probably when they slowed down to a complete crawl. A couple of the tracks, Brokedown Palace and Attics Of My Life were practically glacial in their pace and while some of the musical content was fairly pretty, the complete lack of momentum made them a pretty hard listen. It feels a bit harsh to criticise this too much, as their musical skill is pretty apparent, but ultimately, while there were moments in there that I did enjoy, there wasn’t really any tracks that have stuck with me after repeat listenings, and I certainly can’t imagine wanting to spend my time listening to any of these songs in their super-extended live jammed variations on the road. I guess I just wasn’t built to be a Deadhead. Box Of Rain - This is quite pleasant with some really nice harmonies. I really like a couple of moments in this, with a couple of great chord progressions and rhythmic touches. I don’t think Phil Lesh is a particularly strong lead singer, mind and there are a few places where things get a tiny bit sketchy. Despite being fairly pretty, it does meander a bit and drag on a little longer than necessary. Not a bad opener though. Friend Of The Devil - The swing and zip of the beat here is pretty decent, and it has a nice push and pull to the groove. The interweaving guitar, bass and mandolin lines are good too. It’s very twee and there’s no particularly hooky moments that grab you and demand your attention, but it’s another reasonably entertaining track. Sugar Magnolia - This one’s a bit more meandering and feels like it lacks a bit of focus. There are some good moments in there and it feels a little bit like a Beach Boys b-side written by Al Jardine, rather than any of the Wilson brothers. Ok, well performed, but not vastly interesting. Operator - Another that’s a bit rambling. It’s got a bluesy folk vibe to it that isn’t bad, but it’s just fairly unremarkable and if you played it to me next week, I probably wouldn’t even remember that it was on this record. Candyman - This is very plodding and rhythmically uninspiring. The vocal harmonies during the chorus aren’t bad, although they do sound like they’re stretching for some of the higher notes, but I’m struggling with the lack of momentum and drive here. It just doesn’t feel like there’s anything particularly substantial to grab on to and it sort of floats along being a little bit dull. It’s too long too. Ripple - Ah, sweet Americana. Totally not my bag and it sounds like a very generic country song to my ears. The melody isn’t bad through the chorus though and the performances and production are very clean. It has a hymnal quality as it develops and that adds a little depth, but I’m struggling to be particularly invigorated by any of this. Brokedown Palace - And as if to reaffirm my last comment, this feels ludicrously slow paced. It sounds like they’ve smoked so much weed that they can only just summon up the enthusiasm to play their instruments and each strum is a bit of a struggle. Harmonically, it’s actually quite nice and there’s some really good playing in there across the piano and lead guitar, but it feels like it drags so much that it’s hard to fully engage with those higher quality elements. Till The Morning Comes - They’ve woken up again and this feels a bit Beatles inspired. Not as good, of course, but there’s a bit more nuance to the composition and production, with some nice dynamic range and a good groove that has its moments of push and pull that add to its feel. This is actually pretty good, and it feels like there’s quite a lot going on across the instrumentation, but it’s all nicely centred around the core song. Not bad. Attics Of My Life - There are some lovely vocal harmony stacks in here, but it’s another that has practically no tempo at all. It drags so much that I’m not getting as much out of those harmonies as I otherwise would have done, because everything else just feels like it’s crawling along. It’s a shame, because some of the harmonic content is rich and well structured. Truckin - This is one of their most well known tracks, I think. It’s got more of a groove to it and while it does meander around a little, it feels a little more focused centre. The band are tight and well controlled, and there are some really nice moments here and there. It’s one of the better tracks on the album, but Im still finding it hard to pick out anything that really grabs me and hooks me in, not for the lack of trying.

Absolute stinking pile of shit, would rather listen to fingernails on a chalkboard for the rest of my life.

5 / 10 - Okayer Country Rock - Holt mich nicht so wirklich ab

boring af….

Wann kommt Deutsche Schönheit von Reinhard Mey?

Pretty good, more tame than I expected.

American Beauty is a mixed bag; five of the songs are great and the other five are skippers. Amazing threefer to start and strong finish with Truckin’. Ripple saves a very mediocre middle making this album a tough listen in the seventies. At the time, The Dead were always associated with burnouts, junkies, long hairs, low life’s, and the other undesirable dregs of society - basically trouble. They were known for their long jamband concerts, so I believe one of their live albums will make the 1001 Must Hear List. (3.4*s) Lately it occurs to me…

With the high praise and decades of supportive fans, the Grateful Dead have been an icon in music...I just never got into it. But this is some folk rock I can. The long, hippie jam sesh dead doesn't do it for me as much. American Beauty is good though with a couple hits that still hold up. Not recognizing the top played track on Spotify, "Ripple", was a surprise. It's not the best track, that being "Truckin'" with "Friend of the Devil" and "Sugar Magnolia" close behind. Whole album is listenable and I dig it. Stereo Rick and many others are so great full for the dead and with this album, I can see why some of the swoon is deserved. Truly the Grateful Dead now with no original members left having lost Bob Weir this year makes the timing of this popping up on the list serendipitous. Feeling pretty good at 3.14 stars but look closer.

At one point in high school I tried to give Grateful Dead an honest shot. I was familiar with a couple of hits (Casey Jones, Touch of Grey, maybe a couple others) and figured given their expansive career and reputation as a legendary jam band I hoped there might be something interesting buried in the mix. I rented a box set from the library and started churning through tracks. An hour in I realized none of it was moving the needle for me. I continued Truckin' but only ended up with a pretty limited few songs that made the cut beyond a single listen. I returned the box set and haven't really thought of them much since beyond classical comparisons to Phish and other jam bands. While I ultimately confirmed Grateful Dead isn't really my thing, I've understood over time why they are perfect for an aging stoner hippy crowd. They are a casual folk jam band with some chill vibes that have earned their dedicated fanbase. For what it's worth American Beauty is probably the best Grateful Dead has to offer (outside of a live show I assume). They mostly stay in their lane and hit the folk rock sound that forms the basis of their long form jam band nature. It's fine in the right place, but not somewhere I personally find myself ever really. I don't often go to the Grateful Dead well, but I was surprised how many songs off of American Beauty I was actually familiar with. Box of Rain, Friend of the Devil, Sugar Magnolia, Ripple and Truckin' were all songs I knew and was surprised by how much I enjoyed. The remainder of the tracks were a little too snoozy and slowed down but still not bad. I've never had a reason to argue for or against Grateful Dead because to me they are just one of those bands that have been around and have their place. They have their culture, their fans, their history, etc. and that's OK. I didn't mind American Beauty, and I won't mind if I hear some of those singles again. American Beauty was a good entry as it offered me the best version of the Dead and exceeded my expectations. 2.69 stars

Having only known “The Dead” from snippets of their misic and images of their fans I was completely prepared to hate this album. I didn’t! I disliked it, but appreciate what others saw in it. It’s gentle and mostly upbeat and happy (or at least hopeful). Truckin’ is actually kinda fun. But I can’t see following this band across the country. Or, for that matter, ever listening to them again. C’est la vie.

Between getting Live/Dead and not getting it last August and now, I've caught the Dead bug. Watch the documentary Long Strange Trip.

This album is very similar to a lot of the other older albums on this list that I’ve heard so far. Box of Rain, Friend of the Devil. These were both solid tracks. I like the guitars and vibes of this album. Sugar Magnolia I liked a lot. For a shorter track, Operator was really good. I liked the harmonica at the end. I wanted to do a track by track for the rest of the album but it all kind of blended together for me. Attics of my life was slow, melodic, and almost made me fall asleep. I did enjoy the closer with Truckin. Anyway. 2.5 ⭐️ cause a good portion of it blended together. 87/1089

I'd given this album a good listen about a decade ago, so I knew I liked it. But I never went back to it until now. I'm definitely not a Deadhead though have always thought of The Dead phenomenon as kind of fascinating and appreciated it for what it likely meant to true heads. And I know this is a proper studio album. I think it retains a shambling groove despite being confined to more traditional pop/rock song structures. I just think it is a stellar collection of songs. The harmonies are great and so is the production. A standout for me is Attics of My Life. Just beautiful. The chorus to Brokedown Palace is about as good as good as it gets.

Noodle masters go average folk country.

An American classic.

Hell yeah!

okay, so this band i know of because of annual TIL Reddit posts how they've sponsored Lithuania's olympic basketball team lol. The vocals are very pleasant,general vibe reminds me of Lou Reed a bit. Whole album is very chill, some hippie melodies, last one is straight rock'n'roll. Nothing memorable, but an alright listen

タイプじゃないが、良いアルバムとは分かる

Not bad

Classic Grateful Dead

Собрание городских легенд и философских размышлений.

First ever Grateful Dead album and first ever time spending time with this band it was a solid album didn’t quite persuade me to give up on my life and travel with the band, but I can definitely return to this album for a good listen

A quick enjoyable listen while I was working. A sound i enjoy and am familiar with. No saves on the first listen but perhaps it deserves a revisit one day.

It took me a long time to get into the Dead, and I'm still bewildered by much of their live output but I always enjoy this.

Hasn’t clicked with me, but i can appreciate how clean all the instrumentation is, they’re clearly very talented. I’m aware that the band is supposedly stronger on their live albums so i’ll give them a shot, cause i’m not totally sold here. Standouts are maybe Sugar Magnolia and Truckin? I wasn’t overly in love with them to be fair Side note: this album would slap while playing Fallout New Vegas

My exposure to the Grateful Dead is quite limited, despite their status in classic/psychedelic rock. This was very easygoing, more Americana-like than I was expecting. I understand now that the group was fairly seasoned at this point, opting to pursue a more rootsy and acoustic sound compared to how they got started. The songwriting shines more as a result, thanks to the collaboration of Garcia and Hunter. This album won't rock your socks off, but it's a pretty easy listen that features harmonies to (almost) rival Crosby, Stills & Nash, as well as some tight guitar/bass playing.

One of the first albums I owned. One of my favorite Grateful Dead albums. Box of Rain my favorite GD song, also Brokedown Palace.

Damn hippies

As far as an album by the Grateful Dead, it’s not a terrible jam, headache inducing, nightmare, but it is boring and the sounds of their vocals are grating. It’s interesting because I don’t mind similar music from the byrds or the flying burrito Brothers but something about this just bothers me.

Album Review 093 American Beauty by Grateful Dead (1970) Rating 1.5/5 I know very little about the grateful dead aside from their reputation that they were very much a live band whose studio work never lived up to the highs of their shows. American Beauty is the first album by them I’ve listened to in full, and what I hear is a poor-man’s Crosby, Stills & Nash and, although it pre-dates the Eagles by a couple of years, they’re the closest comparison I can draw to their sound without just labelling it boring, Americana dross.

What a classic!!🎸🎸

Classic sing-along album

Well it was the Grateful Dead. Sounded just like them

I'm not a deadhead, and the concept of following a band around just to listen to mediocre dad rock and folk rock while high on a wide range of drugs seems like a good weekend but in no way an actual lifestyle. It just got boring most of the way through. Maybe because I wasn't in a chemically altered state, but this is just boring. Ripple is good but it doesn't save the album, just makes me want to have a better album to go with it.

Eh. Not a Grateful Dead guy but this wasn’t too bad

Grateful Dead at their most palatable. I’m a Freaks and Geeks fan so of course Ripple is a classic. The other two hits are pretty good as well but that’s about it. Isn’t it the worst when someone says they like rock and then you find out they’re a jam band bro. Rating: 2.8

I like Grateful Dead💜

No notes. So great.

3 - I hate to say it, but I've never gotten as into the Grateful Dead as I wish. This albums still really really good, Friend of the Devil is one of the greatest of all time.

4.6/5 one of the best from the dead

Never heard any grateful dead before. Wasn’t expecting this. It’s innofensive and completely uninteresting

This was a boring drag of my ears through some dusty playing, and that ugly sounding bass tone didn't help.

Easy listening.

I’m not too familiar with the Grateful Dead’s catalogue but I have heard and enjoyed a few things here and there. I think their somewhat soft sound in the roots/folk/blues vain kind of made yhe somgs go over my head but upon listening to this, for maybe my second time ever, the songs on this album presented me with some very interesting choices in the way they wrote and arranged the songs. They seem to be riding a certain feel on each song and letting the verses go for however long they need to depending on how they want to sing the lyrics. It may not be so arbitrary though and may actually be the product of constantly refining by feel. This makes me think that they are actually kind of a progressive roots rock band. These songs do have such a nice sound to them and it did help to relax me after a stressful day. I’m now looking forward to checking out the rest of their album discography. Yes I know how their live shows go, which is a whole world on its own, and I’m guessing that diving into that world would be more rewarding with some knowledge of their album songs. Looks like I’m finally on my way to becoming a Deadhead!

Pretty good

Devil

It's like a less interesting Electric Mayhem.

This was ok. I listened to it a few times and it was pleasant background music. But there was nothing that really got it's hooks in me.

played a round of Death Road to Canada to this

It's good. I'm not sure what I was expecting (OK, I expected a more psychedelic, hippy guitar-noodling blast) but this seemed surprisingly straight country rock. Doesn't outstay its welcome.

Is a single Grateful Dead studio album worth being on this list when nearly their entire legacy is their live performances? Do music fans, or even Grateful Dead fans for that matter, listen to their studio albums all that often? Let’s not pretend their studio music is what bought them lifelong careers and a dedicated cult following. There’s some classic Grateful Dead songs on here, sure, but does that make this essential to hear? This album is fine, but I’m struggling to hear what separates it from some of their others to warrant its inclusion here, other than it becoming the consensus pick for “Best Grateful Dead studio album”.

Excellent album. Pretty solid all the way through. One of Grateful Dead's best albums.

Different than what I was expecting. Thought it would be punk rock or death metal. Didn’t love it tbh

dig the hits here (Truckin, Friend of the Devil, Ripple). The others I could take or leave

Pretty lovely ! I think all songs should sound like this

Best Song: Brokedown Palace I've owned this since the 90s and have probably listened to it 1000s of times. Its the most popular of the Grateful Dead studio recordings and, in my opinion, second only to Workingman's Dead but that is splitting hairs. For a band known for being incredible live, they sure can put out a great studio album to boot. RIP Jerry and Bobby. 5/5.

I went into this album fairly open minded. Althea, while not being on this album would be one of my favourite songs at the moment. Unfortunately it also seems to be the only Grateful Dead song that I enjoy, as there isn’t a SINGLE track on this album (or other GD albums for that matter) that have a remotely similar feel. I’m writing this review a few days after listening to this album and while each of the songs individually are objectively decent songs they’re all so hugely unmemorable that I would struggle to pick out a favourite. I guess my only comment about this album is that it feels very of its era, could easily imagine some of these tracks slipping into an Eagles playlist of mine as a bit of filler. Could imagine, but won’t happen. Objectively decent music, just not a huge fan. (Also what is with the gorp synth????)

I LOVE THIS ALBUM YEASSSSS

I don't think I've ever heard a song by this band. This is a band I've only ever vaguely heard about, and I actually thought they were more modern, like king gizzard (another band I basically know nothing about), until I read "remarkably bright creatures" last year and realized they like super old. Even the genre tags are surprising to be, I didn't expect these guys to be Folk/Country. I'm really not sure if i'll like it or not, but only one way to see... 1. Box of Rain - is the one voice supposed to only be in one ear? I don't think it's my headphones. songs fine, nothing special otherwise. 2. Friend of the Devil - it's fine I think unless I'm like blown away by a song, or hate it, I'm not gonna go one by one anymore "Candyman" - Okay, I really hate this one, thanks "Til the Morning Comes" - actually not too bad, so far the only one I can see myself coming back to. thank fuck i'm almost done tho okay, "tuckin" isn't too bad. I mustve heard it somewhere before Overall - this is fine, I guess. It just got more boring as it went on. The only song I can see myself coming back to is "Til the Morning Comes", and maaaaybe "Truckin'" if I'm in a really odd mood, but everything else idk. It's just fine. Not offensive to my ears, but not stimulating in any way

Y'know, if you'd asked me an hour ago if I considered myself a Grateful Dead fan, I would have shrugged and said something along the lines of "...eh, maybe? I like one or two songs, when I'm drunk or on a road trip or something?" And then I added over half of American Beauty to my Liked Songs. And I'm sober, and in my bedroom. I don't know anymore.

This is tough to rank. On one hand, the Grateful Dead is one of the most overrated bands ever. So much of their fame is based solely on being in the right place to become the face of the acid movement and creating a following of hippies and burnouts who wanted a sound to get high to. However, they did manage to have a handful of decent songs, almost all of which seem to be on this album. I’m sure any Best Of album would contain at least six songs off of here. Ripple in particular has always been my favorite Dead song. But as good as the “good” songs are, it’s really easy to see why they other songs didn’t get any radio play. They tend to just slog on and on. The second to last track was especially painful. If I’m being objective, I would probably rate this a five for it’s significance in the history of music. But the best u can do is , which is still higher than I ever expected to give a Dead album.

Sure is country. Yep. Hard to refute that. No further notes, thank you, your honor.

Never listened to any Dead before. Pretty banging. I could definitely spend a decade or 2 following these guys around the country. If you told me they were a bluegrass band formed in montana in 2016 I'd absolutely believe it. It's just that good, folksy, bluesy timeless sound.

I'm one of the few who likes the Grateful Dead more for their studio recorded stuff vs the live albums. The music just feels joyous; it's like a blanket on a cozy day. Seems like the guys are just having a great time when they're making the record. Love this album.

Another band I've never understood the hype for, but this wasn't terrible.

Big disappointment. These are the famed psych rock legends right? Their live album came up earlier on the list and it was good. This one... was not. Country, slow, shit.

Not an original thought: even though this is claimed by many as their best studio album if you really want to get to know the Dead and hear them at their best then seek out one of the countless official bootlegs. Especially one that includes a really long version of Dark Star. This is amiable enough, sounding like a meeting of The Band with Crosby, Stills and Nash but with less memorable songs.

It was nice and folky and I liked it. It just got a little boring.

3/5 Fun album, but I don't think anything really stood out to me. Maybe it's just not entirely my style.

Lovely. It makes me think the cult classics of the 60s and 70s were classic for a reason-especially very satisfying harmonies and instrumental prowess. You just don't get music like that anymore.

5 - fantastic album

- no ihan kivaa näppäilyä joo mutta ei

The Dead, but a studio album. Includes some classic Dead hits. Pitchfork: 10.0 Rolling Stone: Top 500 Albums #215 Best Songs Friend of the Devil Sugar Magnolia Ripple Truckin'

groovy

nunca han sido de mi agrado

5/10

Not as bad as I expected

Not as bad as the last grateful dead I listened to, but still too jam band and does nothing for me

Haven’t been much of a Dead fan. The music is ok, but just feels anemic to me.

Fun listen

This was a solid album. 4/5

I don’t really know why these guys are/were so popular. Bland

A bit slow for me

This whole album gives you the urge to make a big road trip without a destination. I decided to listen to this album again (last time was around 3 years ago) out of respect for the moustached legend Rob Weir, and I must say it was the best decision I made this late in the evening. I am very much into everything ’70s, with some of my favourites being Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and The Band, which this album fits perfectly into. The highlights for me include the amazing openingtrack "Box Of Rain", "Friend Of The Evil", "Ripple" and my personal favorite "Truckin'" which has such a great energy and tempo. Most of these songs were made with such relaxing comfort that I can listen to this nonstop for weeks. Although the album wavers sometimes, the overall feeling it gives to the listener is far more important. 8.5/10.

I just can’t get into the dead. Either they’re too jammy or like this album it’s very straight forward songs without much jam. And this album is more down tempo. Would have thought when they play different I would enjoy it but I just don’t.

Every once in a while I listen to some live Dead and it's okay, but not spectacular. Album Dead doesn't move me at all.

Great album continuing what Workingman’s Dead started. The pain you hear in Brokedown Palace that was influenced by Jerry’s mother passing is perfection. I should listen to this album more, but with all the live material, I rarely get a chance. Peak studio dead.

So, this was an interesting listen, but didn't really blow me away. I get why it's a big deal in their discography, they toned down the crazy psychedelic jams and went for a more mellow, folk/country/bluegrass vibe. Songs like "Friend of the Devil" and "Ripple" are cool, and the production makes it easier to get into than their live stuff. It definitely has that classic Americana feel, kinda chill. But, even though I respect it as a piece of music history, it just wasn't my vibe. Some of the songs got a bit repetitive, and the whole hippy vibe felt a little background-y. The harmonies were a bit rough around the edges at times, and I found myself zoning out during some of the tracks. It's a fine album, and I'm glad I checked it out, but I probably won't be revisiting it anytime soon.

Apparently you need to be on LSD to enjoy the Grateful Dead. Pretty average country rock.

You know what, I fuck with country. And this was country but nothing special so three stars from me.

While a respectable album without any total stinkers, I just can't really find anything that wows me. Guess I'm just not really here for softer, country-tinged rock, especially when compared to the louder, more bluesy sound I previously knew them for via the '69 Live/Dead album. 7.5/10

decent folk rock, nothing popped out to me

7/10 It's good folk music I guess, it's just that nothing here really stood out on a first listen.

just forgettable for me

Pleasant and inoffensive enough. I enjoyed the harmonica on Operator, but generally this album just passed me by, without really grabbing me. For an album that came out in 1970 in feels ver 70s America. Truckin is the clear star with the contrasting, sounding in places like The Ballad of John and Yoko. Ultimately i think this is a fairly middling album and would have naturally attracted a 2.5/5 marking had it been available

Compared to the previous album I was forced to listen to by the Grateful Dead, this was just delightful (make of that what you will). They’re out of their psychedelic phase and in a more mainstream rock phase, meaning their songs no longer feel like a panic attack nor do they last 23mins. But they’re still not for me.

I passionately hated the previous Grateful Dead album the Generator provided. This wasn't that bad, but it wasn't good either. It just didn't seem that interesting - songs came and went without leaving much of an impression at all. I think my high point was liking the backing vocals in a few songs, like Till The Morning Comes. Bits of the vocals were a bit Beach Boys in places too. All in all, I cannot see me listening to this again. 2/5

Miðað við hvað ég hef mikið dálæti á andanum og lífsháttunum sem tengjast Grateful Dead, án þess þó að hafa sjálfur orðið rokkhippi, þá finnst mér þeir bara allt í lagi band. Ekkert sem stendur upp úr og mér finnst önnur bönd í svipuðum dúr betri

Not my style

Peak Dead.

The best GD Album 5

Not bad per se, just quite repetitive. I really don't understand the massive hype around these guys, it’s just generic folk rock. Standout Songs: Sugar Magnolia Till the Morning Comes

Cool, Grateful Dead. I know these guys are prominent, though in what genre I'm unsure. The only familiarity I have with Grateful Dead's music is through a niche bit of gaming trivia. "Peaceful Rest Valley" in EarthBound was originally named "Grateful Dead Valley" in the Japanese release. The dissonance between those two names has always been amusing to me, though I've just now realised that the English name is meant to be a play on "rest in peace". Anyways, I've no clue what genre this album belongs to. Hard rock seems to be my best bet, though I suspect these guys would be a bigger name if they put out such music. Regardless, I'm locking in hard rock. "Folk rock". "Country rock". "Psychedelic rock". I suppose those genres also make sense. This was kind of a subpar listen, not gonna lie. The sound of this album just bores me - it's too mild and restrictive. The guitars are pretty lifeless and deflated, and the same goes for the stylistic influences which are showcased on this album - they just feel flat. Not much in the way of catchy songwriting, either. The songs trail on directionlessly and end unceremoniously. All that being said, this was a more-than-appropriate listen for a Sunday afternoon while I try and catch up on album debt. In that respect, I didn't mind unwinding to this album. Book time. "...the definitive album by the group". Influenced The Coral and The Zutons, which is funny as I pulled the Zutons' album one roll ago. Wikipedia says this album charted decently, sold well, and has a small, if glowing reaction from critics. If this truly is their best album, then I'm in favour of it making it on here. I cosign this inclusion.

So many soothing sounds and uplifting melodies

Folk rock album, not my kind of music.

довольно приятный и местами с интересными мелодиями, но всё же меньше чем за день надоел, не быть мне дедхедом

fav songs: sugar magnolia truckin’ road music, dull, predictable 20/100

i have no comments! it's really good!

Don’t ever do this to me again

Out of respect for my friends who love the Dead I'm giving this 3 stars instead of 2. It just doesn't work for me. And I've tried. I've REALLY tried for like 40 years. I just can't connect with it. I can appreciate 2-3 songs of theirs, none of which are on this album. It all sounds like poorly recorded country music with weak singing.

I've always had some trepidation when approaching any Grateful Dead music. I thought it was "too hippy", or just a really long jam session. This was not that at all. This was a solid ride and I'll gladly take it again.

Fine but unmemorable

Laid-back, rootsy grooves built from gently strummed acoustic guitars, relaxed harmonies, meandering bass lines, and easygoing vocals move this folk-rock album like walking an endless country road where every bend looks familiar—pleasant in tone, but so repetitive and unhurried that it starts to feel like it might never actually end.

A solid album, but not quite my favourite from the Grateful Dead.

an absolutely perfect album.

Pretty laid back. Didn’t recognize any songs but listenable.

Grateful dead has never interested me. I get it for the folks who enjoy the genre but they've never been my cup of tea

nice background - bit boring but I like the vocals

-this is some DRY music. Literally, there's almost no reverb anywhere on the album. But also, it gives the feeling of when you've taken too many drugs and forget to drink water and you're suddenly dehydrated and have a headache. -as a lapsed punk, I'm basically obligated to hate the Dead, but I gave this a fair shake and ended up (mostly) enjoying it. I like the Byrds a lot, and this is in the same post-psychedelic country rock lane. But by the time Truckin hit, I was ready to be done. Not sure I could enjoy listening to this for hours on end like some of my friends do. -this is essentially "feel good" music, which makes sense because it attracts 3 main groups of listeners: 1) people who want to drop out of society and twirl around all day, 2) regular people who work shitty jobs and just want to unwind while taking a bunch of drugs, 3) Republicans who want to quiet their conscience. This is vibes-based music, not art designed to stir your passions or activate you.

Ein rundes, angenehm entspanntes Country‑Rock‑Album, das die Grateful Dead 1970 von ihrer zugänglichsten Seite zeigt. Die warmen Harmonien und akustischen Arrangements funktionieren hervorragend, auch wenn kein Song wirklich heraussticht oder das Album auf ein höheres Level hebt. Insgesamt bleibt ein starkes, aber unspektakuläres Werk.

not my style, but good, 3

I have to say, after listening to this album, along with two others from the Dead, my perception of the band has definitely changed. I used to associate them with never ending jam sessions and the image of dirty hippies who smelled like cat piss and patchouli oil. And sure, maybe their live shows lean into that, but their studio albums? I was surprised by how much I genuinely enjoyed them.This album in particular leans more into Americana and folk rock, with a strong rootsy feel, compared to the more psychedelic vibe of the other two I heard. Overall, this was a solid listen, and I’m glad I gave it a chance.

Could fall asleep to this

Never really “got it” when it comes to the Dead. I give them their props for their legendary live shows, but as someone that was too young at the time to experience those and had to take in the dead based on their recordings alone I have to confess I found them rather mid to be honest. None of the music is bad, but the vocals are actually pretty lame and uninspiring. Three stars for respect but this album is a 2 really.

nothing offensive, the singer annoys me a tad, but beyond that its fine

This was alright, though nothing really special. As with many of the recent albums I was studying whilst listening to it so I hadn't got my full attentions on the songs, but I picked up enough to give it a rating. The songs felt somewhat generic, they were fine but it didn't feel like there was a huge or interesting difference between them, the album kind of just kept going. Again that's not to say that any of the songs were particularly bad, most were fine, but just that there was little change. Surprised to find out that between listening to this and the previous Grateful Dead Album the final living member Bob Weir passed away. I suppose at least they're living up to their namesake now. 59/100

Just a bit boring. It was okay background music, at times more interesting.

You can’t go wrong with the Grategul Dead. A solid listening experience.

This is a lot better than their other album I listened to off this list. Decent enough but nothing unique

Thought grateful dead were a punk band. Enjoyed this

Nice warm feeling to this one, thought the Grateful Dead were a heavy band

I never knew they were supposed to sound like this. Decent enough

Good cookin' jams

The Grateful Dead are one of those bands that I've heard of but couldn't name a single song. After listening I'd say I would have enjoyed it more if I was American or stoned

Campfire type shi

Boring ahh country rock folk idfc!!!!!!

Listenable, but nothing worth hearing before going 6 feet under. I've never understood the need to mix rock and country like this, it's not right.

This teeters on the country music that I don't like. Only 2 tracks on here caught my attention. The rest of the album didn't really excite me or keep my attention. Favourite Track(s): Friend of the Devil Least Favourite Track(s): Candyman

Sure is a Grateful Dead album. Not great, not terrible. Just...there.

Lately it occurs to me what a long, strange trip it’s been

A banger of an album. Seriously tight musicianship with lots of funky, jazzy elements, masquerading as a simple country album. Beautiful vocal harmonies throughout. Honky tonk at its most technically-gifted.

3.5

objectively good

why did I not know the Grateful Dead had albums??? I just thought they improvised all of their songs at concerts???

I have been listening to this album since before I was born so it's really hard for me to be objective. I appreciate The Dead as they have been prominent on the sound track of my life and I have a lot of memories that were made to this music. Also, I like the shorter, more melody-focused album versions of the song better, like this.

Pretty good. Not as life changing as a Dead Head would have you believe. But still good.

Not my cuppa.

there's a reason _american beauty_ continues to be the main dead album people know. it's fantastic. three songs from this show up on the remarkable tribute album _deadicated_. may need to listen to that again after this listen "box of rain" is a beautiful mid-tempo folky-rock song "friend of the devil" is forever perfect "ripple" ditto "truckin'" is a classic rock radio staple for a reason

My lifetime weed consumption is significantly below the threshold required to think that Grateful Dead are amazing.

70’s Rock ⭐️Brokedown Palace

Good

It was a calm one, nothing objectively great nor bad

There’s a certain type of male vocal harmony that the Yanks do so well, think America, Eagles etc and there’s a bit of that on here. I really enjoyed this album and have played it several times and will deffo play it again!

Favorite songs: Box of Rain, Friend of the Devil, Sugar Magnolia, Ripple, Truckin’

Nice harmonies and guitarwork. My favourite was Friend of the Devil.

Review - I've never listened to this band, and always thought all their albums were big psychedelic jams recorded live. Instead I was pleased to hear some good country rock songs with normal running times. I feel inspired to look into more of their work. Rating - 7.5/10 Need to hear? KINDA

Kind of amusing. Friend of a Devil is a really fun song. A lot of it wasn't too standout for me tho

I don't take enough LSD to fully enjoy this. Do people even still do LSD? Maybe it should make a comeback.

Never really been a Grateful Dead fan, but will say they are the ultimate good weather summer band. Mostly this album does nothing for me, but Box of Rain is easily the best track.

Smooth music to clean a room to

The greatest American band of all time.RIP Bobby

Trying to remember the album a day later to review and can’t think of any memorable song.

Rounding up to five stars but couldve used some half stars here.

The reviews are as expected. A casual fan will never “get” the GD by listening to studio albums. You had to be there, to see them live in a dark arena to get it. Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty are folksy / country rock albums. They’re also fantastic, when taken in context to the times and everything else the Dead had done and would do in the decade around those albums.

Psychedelic gelme artık pls

This is the legendary Grateful Dead? The album is so sleepy. It feels very old, not "made several decades ago" old, more like "this is and has always been music for grandpas" old.

Great album.

Ya know I’ve just never been able to properly get into the dead. It’s good but doesn’t hit me where I live.

First time I listened to a Grateful Dead's album and, fuck no, you should have let me die without doing that. I can't imagine a single reason why anyone would produce or listen to such boring shit (back then and now). It's just 42 minutes but it felt like 3 hours, I had a hard time getting through it. I was shocked seeing that "Ripple" (one of the blandest and most unimaginative stuff I recently heard) has got almost 100 millions listening on spotify. People, get a life.

Pleasantly surprised by how sweet and pure this sounds

I don't know the Grateful Dead for 'short and snappy' but this album sailed by. I think it repeated 3 or 4 times during the course of my workday. 2.5

when you give these guys the constraints of the studio it goes from interminable noodling to mostly inoffensive, passable 70s rock and roll

Y'know, this is not what I thought the Greatful Dead sounded like

Wowww this was actually listenable

Amazing

So many favorites here. And others I didn’t know well before.

Expected more rock less country

last year when my mom asked me if i had listened to grateful dead and i was like uhhh.. the metal band?? can't believe i went 26 years of my life completely delusional🥀 ily grateful dead ❤️‍🩹 bruh their guitarist just died rip 💔

yawn

First ever Grateful Dead album, and all j could think of while listening was: Really? This is it? This is the PHENOMENON?

06/01/2026 1. box of rain - bass is really nice :) like the country guitar... lyrics are nice as well. reeaaally like the dreamy, surreal vibe. read some of the reviews on here before listening and i don't get all the complaining about his voice. it's nice! really liked this one. assumed they were more rock from the name, didn't know it was so americana/country :) 2. friend of the devil - great guitars in the intro. bass still really great! drums are nice as well. love the lyrics. country ballad. 3. sugar magnolia - ooooh. liking the start. bass is really phenomenal.... like the maraca at the end... *4. operator - guitar at the start is realllllllllyy great. all the instruments are really nice :) harmonica! *5. candyman - loving the vocals in this one, especially with the guitar. as much as i'm really liking these songs, it doesn't grab me compared to how someone like neil young does. more mellow i guess? loving the guitar solo. realllllly sweet :) organ in the back is reallly great. loving how the intensity is building..... *6. ripple - bass is reaally great again. love the chorus... really lovely lyrics and vocals. *7. brokedown palace - piano! wasn't feeling the mellow, folksy-country vibe at the start of listening, but have fully gotten into it now. loving the lyrics of these songs <3 8. till the morning comes - drums and bass are realllly nice..... more rockier than the other songs. 9. attics of my life - the start is reallllllly nice. very soft... like a choir. the lyrics are really sweet again.... 10. trucking - bluesier!! as someone who isn't american or raised by hippies, i had no idea what to expect from the grateful dead. somewhere along the way of hearing about them, i just assumed they were a rock/metal band (i think because of the name??). really liked the country sound though! started liking it more as the album progressed, will have to go back and listen again later - especially the first few songs :)

I had a lot of preconceived ideas about this band without ever really hearing their music before. I liked it better than expected, but still didn't love it.

This feels like very of the time rock/folk/whatever they are. It didn't wow me, nor did it inspire me to buy a van and follow the band around.

only halfway thru and i think i have added every song loveee

My second favorite Dead album.

maybe i’m too european for this but this was extremely boring. Some songs are not even that bad, “Friend of the devil”, “candyman” and “truckin” were okay but i felt nothing during the whole 40 minutes.

Genre: Hippy Shit

Most people know Grateful Dead for their extended psychedelic live jams, but I actually never got into that side of them (at least, not yet). As a teenager, I found "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty" -- a pair of immaculately produced country rock albums -- in my dad's CD collection and fell in love with them. Both albums are classics, though I gravitated a little more toward "American Beauty." The songwriting is phenomenal. The opening trio of songs is incredible: "Box of Rain," "Friend of the Devil," and "Sugar Magnolia." They're so catchy and light, but there's a real depth of feeling and emotion in them too. "Sugar Magnolia" is particularly close to my heart. I've always thought it perfectly captures the feeling of early romance, of falling in love. The production is stellar. I love when country is clean and sharp like this. Everything feels perfectly balanced in the mix. The songs are already a pleasure to listen to, and the recordings make them go down like lemonade on a hot day. "Truckin'" is a great closer. I love a closing track like this. Sometimes an album needs a big, epic closer. Sometimes it needs a soft lullaby. But my favorite is when an album can end with an easy-going, low-key, fun song.

The songs are nice but the Grateful Dead just aren't a band that gets me going. I find a lot of their tunes to be particularly flavorless, with the compositions never daring or even teasing dissonance. It's all very vanilla, very major pentatonic. Like a writer who makes stories that don't have antagonists or conflict. With that being said, the tunes are listenable, and this album has what I think is one of their more popular songs- "Friend of the Devil", and I can't hate it too much since they are such a well known and influential band. It's a 3, I think, because a 2 is unfair to the magnitude of the Grate Dead. Every time I listen I know what I'm about to get and I still leave feeling pretty meh.

Dont really like the genre 5/10

Has not been a fan but understand influence it’s had

Welcome 2026! Like the Grateful Dead so what a nice surprise to have it as my first of the year. While this is the most normie of the Dead studio albums, this is still pretty decent with plenty of the more well-known songs.

very americanah that 70s show energy makes me want to eat in a dinner and go on a cross country road trip

This album has all the qualities on paper of greatness (lush instrumentation on dynamic songs performed well, in a (mostly) varied track list,) but somehow I didn’t vibe with it. 3/5

Is This Someone’s Favorite Album? Definitely. Most Deadheads start out with either this or Workingman’s Dead as their favorite before moving onto live stuff.

American beauty might just be the best jam album ever released

Good songs without all the "jamming"

Folk Rock, 1970 -> 3

This is probably the best it’s gonna get for me and the Dead, but that’s ok cause this has the most accessible, gorgeous songs of theirs so far. I don’t know that I’m ever going to love this band but there’s songs here that hit the absolute right vibe, a mix of country, psych and folk that just washes over. Still it’s pretty middle of the road and while I respect these guys I don’t know that I’ll need to hear much more than these handful of songs again.

I liked the first two songs…

Not bad by any means. The vocal harmonies were quite interesting, and I liked some of the guitar work. However, I found this boring, especially by the end. I appreciate it for being an objectively good album, but for me it was just fine. 3/5.

I absolutely love this band - very chilled out, great lyricism and some absolute classics. I can understand people not being into it but for me it hits the spot on a quiet monday morning

There's people who are into the Dead and there's everyone else. I've seen Attics of My Life covered live by other artists and much preferred that.

Good record. This is like a 3,7

Folk. 2/5

I’m very embarrassed to admit that until listening to this album, I thought Friend of the Devil was a Counting Crows song. Feel free to judge me.

I never understood the appeal of this band, or any jam-band (Phish) outside of the Allman Brothers, who aren’t really a jam band but get lumped in that genre. Still, this is a pretty good album of straightforward songs. Outside of the “hits” (Truckin’, Ripple, Friend of the Devil, and Sugar Magnolia) the other stuff is blander, but Brokedown Palace is quite nice. A 3.5 rounded up to 4 since it had a nicely done surround sound mix on Apple Music.

never understood the grateful dead hype beyond good branding but this album is decent

Blind album, I am finding myself not bored per se, but sinking in my chair slowly listening to this to a point where i know i should get up and I think I do.

Meh

Obviously a band more known for their live output. I knew that this was pretty much their most well-regarded studio album, I was expecting something a bit more impressive. Ended up as a pretty regular folk rock album. Not sure I get what got Lindsay Weir so excited to change her life after listening.

First few songs are the strongest, then the music settles into more typical and predictable style, but it's still good at what it's doing, and the opening impact is still valued

I was in a pretty foul mood and this really picked me up. Lazy and awkward in it's own beautiful way while in retrospect, feeling a bit like a side project. Really more like a 4 but I'm giving an extra star for personal enjoyment and nostalgia.

4/10

A very "meh" album for me. I found the constant group harmonies to be tedious and the music to be pretty underdeveloped/underwhelming. Not horrible but not my vibe. 2.4/5 -> 2/5

Another classic I’ve listened to dozens (more)? Of times, between albums, cassettes discs & streams. Just about every tune is good or great.

I have never been able to get with this band, I think it's because they're so committed to being nice and chill and mellow and peace. Are you never aroused, angry, excited, anything? I love the cover I don't know why there's a Vote sticker on it

Album #365! One year into this project!!! 🥳 I don't understand all the hate for the Dead? Maybe I'm just biased since they're my dad's favorite band and they remind me of him, but even still this album is great! This is some mellow country rock perfect for any roadtrip. All of the band's best songs are here. "Box of Rain", "Friend of the Devil", "Ripple", "Truckin", etc. Yea this is a banger, I don't care what anyone else says. Favorite track: Friend of the Devil

3.5/5

Bij een bandnaam als dit verwachtte ik Iron Maiden-achtige death metal, maar het blijkt een clubje nog jonge country-boomers, gemoedelijk samenzingend met de gitaar in de hand, als een stel reserve-Eagles. Leuk, maar krijgen ze van mij punten omdat ze niet Björk, Pere Ubu, Sonic Youth of Ice T zijn? Of omdat het echt goed en origineel is? Als ik diep van binnen kijk, moet ik toegeven dat dit toch ook niet echt memorabele muziek is, ondanks het sympathieke genre. Dan liever de echte Eagles.

Dat 'American' in de de album-titel herkennen we gelijk. Maar dat 'Beauty' iets minder. Het is ten opzichte van de vele concurrenten in deze lijst niet beter uitgevoerd en zeker niet origineler gekleurd. Dat maakt het nog saaier dan de rest...

Grateful Dead is zo'n naam waar je wel eens van hebt gehoord, maar ik zou geen enkel nummer van ze op kunnen noemen. Er staan 'slechts' 2 albums van ze in, dus ik ben benieuwd of ik iets herken. Vooralsnog begint het met 70s americana in de trant van Eagles en Crosby Stills en Nash. Maar in tegenstelling tot die bands, die samenzang en zuiverheid tot in de perfectie beheersen, is dit net niet zuiver gezongen en ook niet allemaal perfect in harmonie. En dan lijkt het meer op huismerk en een stel jolige hillbillies in de kroeg of aan het kampvuur. Uiteindelijk ken ik nog steeds geen enkel nummer (heel misschien het laatste nr Truckin') en ik vind het ook niet zo bijzonder allemaal. Dit hebben andere bands uit die tijd veel beter gedaan. Prima dat het in de 1001 staat overigens hoor, want het is qua naam wel bekend en we zijn hier toch ook om dit soort dingen eens een keer te horen. Maar ik vrees dat het niet meer dan een doorsnee 3 oplevert en dan ben ik nog mild omdat ik het genre wel kan waarderen op de vroege ochtend.

Tedious and boring; knew “Friend of the Devil” from Tom Petty’s cover; would be best as one of those easy-listening, dinner party albums

sweet but a little too similar sounding across all the tracks. easy to listen to. really love truckin' omg. more of a 2.5. saved: friend of the devil, sugar magnolia, ripple, brokedown palace, truckin'.

*1970. *I didn't expect to like this, but I mostly dug it. *I haven't listened to much Grateful Dead, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but the whole album was consistent with the two big hits here (Friend of the Devil and Truckin') - pleasant, easy listening, and a little southern charm. *I think I like the Grateful Dead. Huh. RATING - 7/10

Just another Country music album. Nothing special or noteworthy.

Heard it before. To this day I have no idea why they're so popular and why people were so crazy about them back in the 70s. With a name like that you would think they at least make some extreme/experimental music (like Death Grips, for example). But no, they make nothingburger folk music that could've been made by anyone really 2/5

Я блять что 10 лет не понимал эту группу, что сейчас. Блеклый рок из пиндосской глубинки.

I get why my uncle has a personality around this.

Smor x2

It's reminiscent of Crosby Stills and Nash in terms of the harmonies, though I think CSN does that style better (their harmonies are tighter). I understand the two bands spent time together so that makes sense. Also, it sounds like this was the other side of the Workingman's Dead album, and yeah the two have a similar sound. All in all it's a pleasant enough listen but not a standout album for me.

I sometimes wonder if the Deads reputation as a stoner/hippy band hurts their broader popularity. Because seen as strummy, AM-radio road music, they are quite enstrumming, Also, never having seen them live, I definitely prefer their studio albums to the live albums I've heard.

4.2/10

Chill

I’ve never heard Grateful Dead before but I am aware of their reputation. So, I was expecting something far out and psychedelic, worthy of a freak out or a happening, man. But this is just dull. What is all the fuss about?

I’ve heard that Grateful Desd are one of the all time greats. I feel lied to because this album was the most middle of the road country album I’ve ever heard. It was boring tbh. The reviews say that the Dead are a better live band and maybe that’s true, I’ll never experience them high off my mind in the 60s so maybe I’ve just missed out.

Pour un groupe avec un aura aussi puissante, j’ai toujours trouvé leur musique underwhelming, genre c’est correct mais sans plus, donc pourquoi j’vois leur logo partout?

If I never hear another Grateful Dead album before I die I will be tremendously grateful

I knew about the band merch but didn't listen to their music till now. This was good all things considered I expected worse but I enjoyed the listening experience. The production was the main standout for me, it still sounds fresh for 1970! top 3: friend of the devil, ripple, and brokedown palace 3.50/5

Perched on the edge of the train car as we pass through infinite sable fields, the wind whips my hair into a tornado trailing my wake – faster than my worries, thankfully, which I feel dropping away with ever golden horizon we surmount. It’s a dream, and I know it. But it’s alright. America’s band, or that America’s band at least. I’d rather leave it to the ears of corn than push it again against my own; but somewhere, blinking through that mythic wash of yellows, I can see the appeal.

One of the greatest folk albums ever made

If I knew the way I would take you home

It sounds like the Eagles. And I friggin' hate the Eagles.

Was not super familiar with work from Grateful Dead heading into this. Did know this album a bit, though, smooth and easy to listen to. Nothing earth-shattering or that makes you jump out of your chair, but also comes together very effortlessly, and something you can run back multiple times.

Good band, been around since the late 60’s. Showed the test of time by getting more fans as the years went on. Deadheads everywhere.. Good for them. Shame losing Jerry Garcia at such a young age.

Pleasant listen. Very folky. I recognized a couple songs.

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would! I liked side two more than side one - ripple was a highlight! A high 3 rounded up to four

I don’t know why I always think I’m going to hate the Grateful Dead. Everything I’ve heard from them I’ve enjoyed, and this album is no exception. Just solid Americana/folk rock top to bottom. This is 4.5 stars for me, but I’m rounding down. While I really enjoyed this album, I don’t see myself keeping it on heavy rotation, though I’m sure I’ll revisit it from time to time.

Truckin' is one of those singular songs, like Sultans of Swing, that stands head and shoulders above everything else on the album and a highpoint in the whole damn art form. Otherwise I've never listened to a whole Grateful Dead album, just songs here and there that never really grabbed me. I'd love to hear them live but this very tame record as an unenhanced experience just doesn't do it for me.

IDK about this one. I listened to most of it and no track really caught my attention. Maybe I'm missing something but I didn't get much out of this listen.

I don't think I've listened to the Grateful Dead before. I'm not offended by this album, but I didn't find it very impactful either. The image/aura of the band led me to expect bolder musical choices, but this feels like very standard folk rock. The one track that stands out to me is Attics of My Life. It has a more unique, almost ballad-like sound and showcases the close vocal harmonies well. Truckin' is a fun track too. Maybe you need to be high on psychedelics to love this album as much as Dead Heads do? It's a nice, mellow album, but I'm not sure I would listen again. I will say the band's visual art is pretty sweet though. The bears and skeletons are iconic and I stumbled across the music video for Ripple, which is super cool. It's basically an animated journey through a tarot reading - definitely worth checking out! The video actually made me appreciate the song more. 6/10.

Wow! I now understand why the Grateful Dead have some die hard fans. This was a virgin listen for me and I was very impressed. The music production and mastering were a total delight to listen too. I drank my morning coffee and just sat down experiencing the music. Would recommend hearing this album before you die.

I thought this was a fun album. I've never listened to a grateful dead album from to back. It was enjoyable. Not all of the songs I absolutely loved. But, it was all enjoyable to listen to

Ahhh what a classic album. The Grateful Dead have greatly grown on me over the years. Ive always loved their vibe, the name, the art, the little rainbow bears, the skeleton musicians, all fantastic. I remember soooo wanting to love their music so that I wasn't a poser if I were to ever get one of the trendy bear shirts (I never did, but maybe now I can!!). I remember first listening to one of their albums and just thinking wow, this is do mid... But after letting their tunes simmer for a few years, I now love their sound a whole lot more. Ages like a fine wine. Was a pleasant surprise seeing this one pop up. Truckin is a favorite of mine, and so is Friend of the Devil, banger songs. But the rest of these fade together into the equivalent of driving across Manitoba, lovely but kinda plain at times. But still lovely, great and close to my heart. 7/10, 8.5/10 if I were a semi driver.

A good album, I liked Friend Of The Devil and Ripple the most.

it's 3.5 but i'm not too peace&love for a 4.

Standouts Friend of the Devil Brokedown Palace Truckin'

Better than the film adaptation 🌹🌹🌹

(53/100)

Lots of good songs

The dead try playing actual songs

First time listen. Boomeritis: The Album frfr. Auditory equivalent of Eliade's Shamanism. Tried to imagine myself tripping on lsd as it played, marginally improving the experience.

muy bueno, como para tomar un trago en un bar de texas a las 22 (jamas fui a texas) ah me falto q me acompañaria con un marlboro gold

Don't mind it.

Maybe I have to be in the right mood for this one because I just couldn’t get very into it this time. It’s very chill and pleasant, but very little really grabbed me.

Hyvin svengas hipit. Truckin....

Odotin parempaa country bluesia.

Ihan kivan kuuloista kamaa!

Was expecting a lot more from this album, but it’s just twangy country. Not even that psychedelic.

I’d always taken Grateful Dead for granted. They’re so ingrained in American classic rock canon and discussion that I never really bothered to check them out. They were just some jam band with extremely dedicated followers. I’ll put my clown nose on now because this album is really good. Solid songwriting and sweet, breezy performances. Everything just fits together. I can dig it.

Pleasant enough and gentle. But not really something that excites me particularly. And I generally enjoy this type of music.

Never been a fan of The Dead.

I get you kinda have to put one Grateful Dead album here considering how big of a deal they are but idk man. Maybe if I saw them live cause this was eh. Nothing grabbed me. 4/10

okay, not horrible

Solid

I guess if I know all the words, I like it. Weakest song that almost tips it into a 4 is Attics of My Life…but then it ends with Truckin. Wonder if Robert Hunter knew the power of the “what a long strange trip it’s been” line?

I don’t think I’d ever listened to a Grateful Dead record before, and it surprised me how soft and country their tracks were. I found this album just ok, maybe 2.5 stars. The musicianship I’m sure is very good, but none of the songs grabbed me and they all seemed to blend into each other.

It's...fine? I've listened to my fair share of Grateful Dead over the years. Just not my thing.

Some good songs, some nice harmonies, but I’d sooner watch paint dry

a beauty in all the countries of the world!

I’m the closest thing this group has to a resident Dead Head and I’m here with the novel take of: the live stuff is better.

oh well, very much your typical SF sound.

I always panned the Dead and my friends who were Deadheads going to their concerts (one in his orange VW bus with Empire Strikes Back curtains), but it's taken me 40+ years to appreciate them, and I find this album is simply amazing. So glad I bought the latest reissue on vinyl.

Sublime

boring honestly

box of rain- 5 friend of the devil- 5 sugar magnolia- 5 operator- 5 candyman- 4 ripple- 4 or 5 brokedown palace- 5 til the morning comes- 5 attics of my life- 4 truckin- 4

Classic 60/s 70/s hippie album. Killer guitar rifts throughout, great pop tracks and just a banger of a flashback.

Folk & Country Rock from 1970.

Let's do some LSD and dance in a field. Peaceful and calming. I enjoyed it. FS Ripple

Decent folksy rock. Not something I would listen to regularly, but enjoyable.