Reviews (page 5 of 9)
The Dead suck. I hate them. I’ve tried. “Box of Rain” is a pretty good song I suppose.
(33 known/74 new)
There is a song on here I dislike, but otherwise it's great song after great song. Is one dead spot enough to make a five a four? I think not....
Good album, but never really understood the Grateful Dead hype
🌹
Tight harmonies and good tunes equals a good album
Pretty good.
I know these guys are best enjoyed live than on record, even still people say this is their best studio album, yet..... I can't help but feel bored so much by this. the songs are melodious and slow in the exact way I don't enjoy, they have all these harmonies and ideas that feel very of the hippie era and I just don't particularly enjoy or care for. Hopefully one of the live albums change my mind but I don't have my hopes up.
I think this might be my most listened to album of all time, and I’m always happy to give it another spin.
Gear: Grado Hemp Artwork: 🪵🗳️🌹 Production (2013 Remaster): 🤔😐👍 Music: 🇺🇸🌄🍃🌞🛤️🕊️ Rating: 🌹🌹/5
That was fun as hell! It's just my kinda of music. 5 stars.
Felt like music from a simpler time, most of the songs sounded the same and had similar muted harmonized vocals. 3/5
I am a pretty big King Gizzard fan and I know these bands fans have a big overlap, but I've never really listened to the grateful dead before. Sorry to say but it was a little too country for me. Still fine though. Mid 3.
Love Peace Classoc
This rating is actually more 2.5 stars than 2 stars. It’s still not very interesting though. Just a collection of older country rock that could honestly be made by any other band of this nature. There were some good songs, but overall pretty boring.
Many years ago I had a teammate who sheepishly told a private story about going to a Dead concert in New Orleans. He dropped acid and got arrested going into the concert. I dislike the dear enough to think he got the better end of the deal in the end.
Enjoyed
Again country stuff. It's too popular. I can tolerate it in the background but that's it.
it was okay
listened to again classic Dead
Disco casi redondo, cortito y con mucho estilo. Los temas que mas me gustaron fueron: it aint hard to tell (sample de michael GOD), the world is yours, life’s a bitch
If you’re a newcomer to the dead, It’s an alright starting point, but it’s easily trounced by the plethora of live tapes out there. The appeal of this band has always been the more free quality of their live output. Rating: 3.5
I never quite understood the appeal of The Grateful Dead. Now, having listened to what's considered their best studio album... I still don't get the appeal of The Grateful Dead after the first listen. I guess the way it mixes rock, bluegrass and country is kind of interesting. And clearly they hung out with some of the best American musicians of the era, like David Crosby, Neil Young, Santana and Jefferson Airplane. And yet, I don't know. Maybe it's just a bit too jam-band for my taste. Given their massive reputation, I just kind of expected something more. More innovative, more psychedelic, more counter-culture. And maybe it's the result of hearing it 55 years after it was first released. In this challenge, I'm often able to put myself in the mindset of a fan hearing it for the first time the year it came out. But this one, I just couldn't find anything special to match the very famous cult following that the Dead had and continue to have. On my second listen, my adjusted my expectations to just listen for a well made album. And it is, but it still doesn't quite blow me away I'm afraid. Apologies to Jerry Garcia. I really wanted to like this more, but it just didn't click.
I a chill listen, but I wouldn't base my whole personality on it 🧙♂️
Pretty mellow, easy listening, nothing stood out
Love this album
I get why Linda Cardellini dropped out of high school to go watch these guys or whatever the hell happened in Freaks and Geeks
At first I thought hmmm, quite nice, but soon I found it an exercise in patience
No true dead head would choose a studio album as the “go to” but as far as albums recorded in a studio and released by a label, this would be the place to start. It was my introduction to the dead when I got it for a penny on Columbia house lol
Classic Dead! Great album!
pretty mid. not my thing unfortunately
It was fine but that's all.
Not sure which I like less - Grateful Dead or Patchouli? Jane's Addiction does a pretty good cover of Ripple though.
I just don't groove with the Dead and kept wanting to listen to something else.
Have never understood why so many people worship the Dead. I mean, they're fine, but there are loads of other bands that are just as talented.
How this band became popular is beyond me. Boring song after boring song makes for a boring album.
I didn’t realize that Grateful Dead had such countryesque vibes. I remember them being more a psychedelic jam band but this albums vibe was completely different. 5/10
The harmonies reminds me of The Eagles
Good vibes throughout this album. Relaxing and easy to listen to rock. Not something I would listen to every day but I can see it playing in the background on a summer day while outside relaxing.
Perfectly written and beautifully composed, how could I not give it a 5!
Awesome all the way through
Pretty good album, but I felt the more downbeat Candyman didn’ jarred a bit. Very CSNY.
For a band that every boomer of a certain background raves about, I expected a bit more from this - all I got was country rock that sort of meandered to a point eventually, and left me cold when I asked for a bit of oomph out of it. I don't think it's awful, but I don't think it's good.
Not as bad as it should be and not as good as it could be.
A bit too scrappy for my liking.
point7.
24/04/2025 Yeah it was an alright album.
I don’t understand the greatness of this album, as there are no songs I feel like relistening to. But I don’t hate it either. Ok backgroundmusic 5/10
I never understood the stature of the Dead in music history. I grew up with sort of hippy parents who weren't really fans but would put on this album and a few others from time-to-time. I'm not really sure what to classify the music as, I can't seem to tell what I am supposed to be feeling while listening, the tunes aren't super narrative, and I just don't get the hype. I've got plenty of friends who really respond to them as a group and I sincerely wish I didn't feel like I was missing out. I will say that it is a well-structured album and the basic tunes are fine. I do not hate it, but, merely wish I could engage with it further.
The Grateful Dead are so confusing to me because sometimes they'll do something interesting and then never use that part again in the song. The best lick in the song passes by so quickly you can miss it if you aren't actively listening. I also always thought they'd be way more trippy but they're a pretty straight forward country-ish rock band with noodly guitars.
own
It was all right. Music has come such a long way since that experimental sound that it kind of fell into the background, and no matter what I always wanted to be doing something else while I was listening to it.
"American Beauty" is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Grateful Dead. A decent description of the musical style is "a fusion of bluegrass, rock and roll, folk and country" and "a continuation of the folk and country rock from their previous album "Workingman's Dead." The album wad produced by Steve Barncard and the band. The band was Jerry Garcia (guitar, pedal steel, piano, vocals), Mickey Hart (percussion), Robert Hunter (lyrics), Bill Kreutzmann (drums), Bob Weir guitar, vocals), Phil Lesh (bass, guitar, piano, vocals) and Robert "Pigpen" McKernan (harmonica, vocals). Commercially, the album reached #30 in the US and was critically very well-received. Guitar, piano, bass and soft drums open the album in "Box of Rain." Phil Lesh with vulnerable lead vocals and the band with great harmonization. Very melodic. It's a song Phil wrote with Robert Hunter to his Father who was dying with terminal cancer. And, they certainly are tremendous lyrics: "such a long, long time to be gone and a short to be there." Way up there with my favorite Dead songs. The hits keep on coming with "Friend of the Devil." Acoustic guitar, bass and Jerry Garcia on lead vocals. Dave Grisman on mandolin. Jerry's running from the devil, girlfriends his wife and the sheriff. It's Bob Weir's turn to take over lead vocals in his song "Sugar Magnolia." Percussion, layered guitars and more excellent harmonies. A noticeable country rock and bluegrass guitar. Weir and Hunter wrote this song about Weir's girlfriend. "Ripple" opens side two with that signature mandolin melody. Clear vocals by Jerry and great harmonies. Some more excellent lyrics about freedom of choice and walk your own path. No, I wasn't singing "la da da da" at the end. The album ends with "Truckin.'" A pyschedelic guitar riff, Jerry leading the harmonies with Weir on lead vocals. It's a song based on a drug raid at the band's hotel while they were playing in New Orleans. It's bluesy with the organ and there is a boogie element to it. It also delivers their classic slogan: "What a long, strange trip it's been." What can I say? Great musicianship, harmonies, lyrics and above all else music. The Dead had been hanging out with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young who had just released "Déjà Vu" and it's evident of their influence on the harmonies in this album. The band sounds great. The songs are focused. Who doesn't like the Dead noodling around but that's not here. The melodies are throughout and they've created some memorable singalong choruses. They even managed to create a gospel vibe on a few of these songs. It's an American beauty and classic for sure.
Good stuff! I’ve always wondered what makes Grateful Dead such a loved band. Lyrically, this is a lot of fun. Good music.
Best Song: Friend of the Devil Worst Song: Operator
It was nice, no comment
Idk just not for me. Kinda boring and I didn't really get through it
Mystic country, lightly baked
Not a Dead fan, but this was good. Their reputation as a jam band isn't really on display here- for the better. Just a nice set of good tunes.
There was always this risk of this being dodgy 70s rock, but its not really, its actually got quite a lot of more acoustic songs and layered vocals. The songs definitely feel more 'finished' than the live album from earlier, but I think that one is slightly better, because its just more impressive. That doesn't mean this is bad by any means, its not. Some vocal layers remind me a lot of the beach boys (especially sugar magnolia/till the morning comes). There's also some more classic rock ones on here which aren't that bad. Only downside is I guess some songs don't really go anywhere, and the slow beats make those songs a bit boring and aimless. Favourite songs: box of rain, friend of the devil, ripple, brokedown palace, till the morning comes, attics of my life, truckin'. Overall around 7/10
Enough
Good ole Americana hippie shit
1 stern
Hmmm.
Pretty good.
7.5/10 Favorite Tracks: Sugar Magnolia, Truckin’, Attics of my Life Least Favorite: Box of Rain, Candyman, Ripple
Better when you're fucked up, I'm sure.
Never really listened to the Grateful Dead before this but I know about them. It sounds exactly like I would have thought.
Never been a huge Deadhead but this is a solid album
Haven’t heard a ton of greatful dead. I enjoyed it
Undir meðallagi kántrí kjaftæði. Ofmetið band.
Boring
I always thought Grateful Dead was a rock band ... This album was a little bit dead
American Beauty showcases the Dead at their most emotionally resonant and compositionally refined. It’s an album that doesn’t require you to be a full-blown Deadhead to appreciate — it speaks to anyone who’s ever been on the road, felt lost, fallen in love, or sought meaning through music.
American Beauty with Workingman’s Dead marked the move of the band from psychedelic roots rock to a more folk/country approach. I find they almost have to be listened to together and both are as strong as each other. American Beauty has great pedal steel and vocal harmonies.
I mean its alright like
Not too bad. Quite liked this one.
A classic album by a band not known for the studio recordings. Hard to go wrong with some Grateful Dead.
Really good Americana rock. Very easy to listen to. Would listen to again
I like singing harmonies but that's all
This folk rock Americana stuff is really hard for me to get into. It always has its moments, but this album didn’t have many of those. I don’t really get what’s so special about the Grateful Dead—at least for me, there’s just nothing there.
I've ment to listen to The Dead for a long time and I'm so dissapointed with this album. It's the same folk country shit like the others on this list and I can't stand any of these. The psychedelia is not in the music, it's in the drug use and audience interaction, which never occurred to me beforehand in the slightest. And I'm not listening to live performances, I've no interest in country 'n folk, whatever the context.
Before I start this review, I have to acknowledge one thing about this album project. There are 1089 albums total on this list. Half of that is 544.5. This album, American Beauty by the Grateful Dead, is my 545th album, thereby making this album the halfway point of the album project. I'm halfway done. On one hand, I feel like I've already gone through a lot of albums. At the same time though, I also have that sort of "How am I only halfway done?!" feeling as well. I don't have much else to say about that. I just have to acknowledge that I've now gone through 50% of the days for this project. Anyway, let's talk about this Grateful Dead album. It's good! I liked Live/Dead somewhat, but it definitely wasn't my favorite. Maybe it being a 75 minute live album just didn't work out for me and my taste. American Beauty isn't that though. This is a nice and tight 42 minute studio affair. Now, of course, this does mean that some of the Grateful Dead's appeal is lost for some with American Beauty, as their nature of being a jam band is part of the appeal for Deadheads. However, I am not a Deadhead. I like what I've heard, but I certainly wouldn't say I'm a huge fan. Still, American Beauty has things to appreciate. The style is a lot more refined in this album, which I personally like. The instrumentation is still quite good. I think the writing is mostly solid. I wasn't huge on one of the songs, but the others were pretty nice. If you're wondering, that song was "Candyman." The others are all pretty good though. These guys definitely had a lot of talent. The Grateful Dead is a band that I don't know a ton about, but through my experiencing of both a live album and studio album, I think I get the appeal. They're good, and this album shows that. Light 4/5.
I have never listened to any Grateful Dead. I got bored fast.
het is officieel.. ik ben geen deadhead
I was surprised at how many songs I knew. Still, it’s the dead and I only really enjoyed them that one time I heard them live.
Rating: 3/5 | Favorite Track: Friend of the Devil --- Totally bored by this release. All of the tracks blended together into this bland, homogeneous, generic country sound I did not care for.
A soft 4. I think overall, it's enjoyable, but it was rather lackluster and nothing in particular stood out. Good instrumentals with decent vocal work. 'Operator' was my fave.
Calm relaxing folk with mostly all acoustic instruments and pretty male harmony Friend of the Devil Ripple Truckin' (radio hit) that sounds like The Beatles' The Ballad of John and Yoko
My favorite Dead album.
I still don't really get the hype around the Dead, *but* I enjoyed this album so much more than the live one I got earlier in this list. This has some actual, tight songs with rich instrumentation and catchy riffs. I could get into this, but as I understand it this was the pinnacle of their studio albums so I still don't think I'll ever really get into them as a band.
This is a tough call, but I think it earned just enough to earn a fourth star. It's nice to see the band evolve out of the psychedelic '60s motif into something more authentic and guitar-based.
Wow that was boring, what a snoozefest
i like their voices
Expected more psychedelia but why is it more country??? especially for a band that was followed (literally) by hippies on acid all around. There are some other works by them that are waay better than this one imo. 3.5/5
The Grateful Dead are one of those groups I've heard enough songs in passing to be familiar with, but I would not consider myself a Deadhead, as the fans are called. They're a solid rock band with elements of folk, country, and psychedelia that have become the pioneers of jam bands worldwide. American Beauty, their most well-known album, is very much representative of their sound. Through their combined efforts in songwriting and musicianship, the band delivered a decent collection of tunes. I already heard "Friend of the Devil", "Sugar Magnolia" and "Truckin'" beforehand, but I can now add the likes of "Box of Rain", "Ripple", and "Brokedown Palace" to the songs I enjoyed from them. That said, the most I can say about this album is that it's solid and decent. Perhaps the enjoyment is best found in the simplicity and sweetness of their sound, and maybe that's enough for fans to hold onto. There could have been stronger hooks or tighter compositions. Also, while I acknowledge that the production is warm and organic for easy-listening, I wish there could have been more audible impact from the rhythm section to make these songs pop off more. As is, American Beauty is a pleasant collection of songs to have in the background or played in a live setting that I can at least appreciate.
Better than I thought it would be. My impression of The Dead is influenced by "Truckin'" (which I hate). It's definitely not the best song on this album. Overall I'd rate this 7/10 rounded up.
Yawn.
More country than I would have expected from Grateful Dead, but a decent album overall. 3/5
What a comforting sound. Friend of the Devil and Attics of my Life in particular. Random sound associations: Wilco, fIREHOSE, Beach Boys
Normales "Oldies" Album mit nem weichen Sound, weich gewaschen maybe? Hatte nichts was mich vom Hocker riss, aber war auch nicht anstrengend zum anhören, klang halt alles gleich
Ganz nett, weniger Rockig als ich erwartet habe
I love this album, my only problem is the Dead are singing. I have recreated this album with covers as a play list.
Probably my favorite dead album. Sugar Magnolia, Ripple, and Truckin' are my favorites but solid throughout.
Much the same way Matt just DOESN’T like Radiohead, I just DONT like Grateful Dead
Fine. Wouldn’t listen again tho
I remember trying to get into the Dead when I was in middle/high school. This album was one that I dove into. I didn't really care for it much at the time...but now that I am older the country rock sounds resonate a bit more, and I appreciated it for more than just the "hits". 4/5
First grateful dead listen and i get the hype! Its pretty good
Top album
What do you want me to do? To do for you? To see you through? I'll write this honest review. It's perfectly fine hippie folk music. Ripple is a nice tune. The Dead were better live from what all the boomers have said but it's interesting to hear the framework and song forms that they'd use to launch into long ago, drifting jams for their followers. With that in mind I appreciate that these passable tracks are passing by faster. Sounds like two stars to me.
I don't know why everyone hates this. Never listened to them before but it was kind of jam.
Once I got over the hump of thinking, "Oh my god, this is gonna be another hippie VW bus album, isn't it?" I was able to hear elements of things that I enjoyed. Not lyrically, but instrumentally. If these come on shuffle I won't skip. Especially "Attics of MyLife."
Sorry Deadheads. It’s just not for me. I’ve heard too much country folk rock in my life. Just don’t like the style. I can see value in their musicianship.
Two versions of the Grateful Dead exist in my mind: the first is the live band who jammed out these intricate psychedelic rock songs that took audiences for a ride; the second is the studio band who took notes from Bob Dyland and CNSY for a more folksy-inspired rock sound. American Beauty is a great example of that second band's output. Mellow and enjoyable, every song on this album sways in a summer breeze on a hammock. Recreational drugs? Optional, but likely enhances the overall mood of this wonderful piece of work.
This is the first album that I've already listened to, and the easiest 5/5 yet. Choosing a favorite track is hard because almost all of them are top-tier, and "Friend of the Devil", "Box of Rain", and "Truckin'" are all among my favorite songs. However, in the end, I don't think anything can beat the track I ended up choosing. Favorite Track: Brokedown Palace
Listening to this you realize just what over hyped means. The songs are all decent, but not extraordinary. Production is shoddy. The saddest part is that this mid tier album is considered their best.
Dick's Picks volume 73 (triple cd) or 40 minutes of tuneful, concise folk and country-tinged rock? I'm obvs not a Deadhead as the answer is the latter, and you know what Workingman's Dead is like this better than the legendary Cornell university 75 set or whatever.
I don’t get the cult following behind the Dead. To me this is standard folk/rock, I can’t pick anything about them that speaks to my soul.
Perfect album
Hippies were eating well back in the day
Giving 60s road trip vibe. Very comforting.
Dislike the culture that grew up around them and can't be in a room where their live music is playing. But when they focused on songs and leaned into their country/bluegrass roots they were undeniably great. This is an adorable collection of songs recorded beautifully; though the songs their fans most identify with - the hippy/dippy shuffle of Truckin' and Sugar Magnolia - are my least favorite. Afterthought: how in the world can four people who can barely hold a note create such sweet harmonies?
No thanks, basically a worse version of sweetheart of the rodeo by the byrds, slow ahh songs as well
Started fairly strong, but ended up being somewhat dull folk-rock. Not bad, but felt longer than it actually was.
Several huge tracks on this album, and the remaining songs are no slouches either. I was never big on the Dead until a couple years ago, I went to see Dead & Co with some friends. ‘Ripple’ is one of my favorites but ‘Friend of the Devil’ and ‘Sugar Magnolia’ also find regular plays on my chill playlists. Pretty easy 5/5 from me today
Nope, not a Grateful Dead fan. This album was mid, but still not my cup of tea
With a name like Grateful Dead you'd expect heavy rock, something mean, a bit snarly. This was nothing like that though, It wasn't bad, it was just very soft - like Simon & Garfunkel with a few extra band members. As I said before, it wasn't bad, but it was disappointing.
I enjoyed this - more than I thought. Not memorable but would listen again
I feel like 24 years into life is an awful time to say that I've never listened to a Grateful Dead album before. I don't have a real reason why, I just never got around to it. With this being my first, it was a damn good first. My brain keeps locking in on the guitars throughout this one. I think the tones fit so perfectly with the wind-in-your-hair vibe, and the whole album just feels like a calm October day. Favorites were Sugar Magnolia, Candyman, and Ripple
I’ve always been told that the life material from the Dead is better than anything they did in the studio, and I guess I’ll have to check some of that out because I enjoyed this. A couple songs I recognized. Ideal album to listen to in a rental van driving across the country. Favorites were Box Of Rain, Friend Of The Devil, Ripple, Till The Morning Comes, and Truckin’.
Aika american joo. Olin valmis irvistelemään, mutta ei onneksi tarvinnut. Jäi kyllä minusta tasapaksuksi ja keskikastin tuotokseksi, ei herättänyt mitään tunteita, vaikka tosiaan oletin, että edes vähän olisin inhonnut - tai toisaalta huvittunut liioittelusta. Olisivat menneet siihen suuntaan.
Ei kuulosta hirveältä (onhan vuosiluku oikea, ja folk rockilla on potentiaalinsa), mutta odotan jatkuvasti.. jotain: melodiaa, riffiä, koukkua, ihan mitä vain. Ja jotain tulee, mutta harvoin: Friend of the Devil on kova biisi, ja se saa minut antamaan toisen mahdollisuuden muillekin. Matala 2.
This should have been right up my street, and I am familiar with the name and odd song, but good grief this was boring. Plodding along, everything sounded the same.
It's kind of rock n' roll country, which really isn't my jam. It's just a bit boring. I don't want to go too hard in on it though, as it's not too offensive. It's nice enough in places. I like the track with the mandolin, that's nice. But the rest.. mostly forgettable. 2.5 rounded down.
I'm not that into the Dead, but I've always enjoyed this album. It has more heart that I can get invested in. Musically it's fun and doesn't drag.
I actually enjoyed this grateful dead album. Most of the songs were familiar to me from my childhood, but I liked that the album felt cohesive and tight without too much jamming.
Perfectly competent country-tinged folk rock. How this can be anyone's favorite band will forever be beyond me, though.
My first memory of this album is of seeing it in record stores as a kid in the 90’s. I had heard of the Grateful Dead and had maybe heard Uncle John’s Band, but what the Dead sounded like was largely a mystery to me. I finally listened to this album in college and it pretty much immediately became one of my favorite albums from this time period. Box Of Rain is just a brilliant, beautiful song. It’s probably my favorite Dead studio track. It’s a song that will almost certainly make be weep one day whenever it’s my fathers time to pass. Friend of the Devil is of course amazing, as is Sugar Magnolia, Ripple, Brokedown Palace, and the seminal Dead song Truckin’. It’s one of the all time great American rock and roll albums.
I listened to this album one time and my room now stinks. Thank god I didn't listen to the deluxe version, is all I'll say.
Friend of the Devil is great.
I don’t like the Dead but even I can’t deny this is a hell of an album.
Mellow folky and bluesy tunes...vocals are kinda meh Highlights: "Friend of the Devil", "Sugar Magnolia", "Till the Morning Comes" (has a CSN&Y vibe with the harmonies), "Truckin'"
this was chill af
Outside of "Touch of Grey," "Truckin'," and that Roseanne episode where Jerry Garcia's ghost appears, I don't really know much about the Grateful Dead. I'm not really big on psychedelic rock from this era, so I don't have really high hopes for this album (the negative reviews are hilarious). Here's hoping my expectations will be defied! Well, the Grateful Dead isn't really for me, or at least this album isn't. This album was pretty boring in my opinion, and I didn't think the Grateful Dead did anything particularly well on this album. The music was bland and completely devoid of anything unique, and the songwriting felt generic and uninspired. I don't understand how these guys developed such a devoted following; their live shows must be completely out of this world, because this effort was a chore to make it through.
Kinda baffled by this album. Like it truly feels like any folksy twangy band could have made this. But maybe made it better. Like…if you were into this stuff at the time did you just have your fists clenched listening to Creedence doing the same thing way better and way more interesting.
Frickin' love this.
Dad rock at its finest – or at least at its most "daddish". Happy harmonies abound, backed by pleasant instrumentals that invariably consist of electric and acoustic guitars, bass, and light drums. A couple of times you can hear an organ or piano dropped into the mix to add a religious or honky-tonk feel, but in general all the songs here sound very similar. Similarly good! There's a general lack of interesting hooks to really separate the tracks from one another, but the atmosphere is so warm and fuzzy that it doesn't matter too much. I would've liked to hear some songs in a minor key, maybe some kind of experimentation on any instrument. I noticed that the performance is a bit unpolished in places, and the production is questionable. But that, in my opinion, adds to the album's humanness where countless other touted masterpieces lack it. (My dad's admiration of the Grateful Dead is definitely colouring my view here. I completely understand the 2- and 1-star reviews.) The cover art is a little rough. Very difficult to read the text, apart from the "VOTE" sticker, which is an odd choice given that the album was released in a non-(major)election year. The colour palette is pretty bad too. The dull yellow and rusty green on wood isn't a good combo. 3/5 Key tracks: Friend of the Devil, Sugar Magnolia, Ripple
Miekkie woodstockowe granie, pitu pitu
Perfectly lovely americana rock album, Truckin' is an earworm that might linger
Nothing special, just some okayish soft country. It's really listenable, wish I could rate it 50 stars
Thought this was going to be a blues band this sucks even more than I thought it would
Album hoes is lekker relevant, alhoewel net iets te laat. Maar deze muziek, mijn god zeg, ik heb zelden zo'n saai en slap album gehoord. Dit is een van de meest zaaddodende albums die ik ooit in mn leven heb geluisterd. Het voelt als folk/kerk muziek, maar dan zonder de bonus dat je na het luisteren tenminste naar de hemel gaat. Ik begrijp dan ook echt helemaal niet waarom dit zo'n geliefd en sterk beoordeeld album is? Misschien dat reviewers tijdens het luisteren in slaap zijn gevallen en daardoor wakker werden met andere, ongetwijfeld betere, muziek weer aan. FAVO:
Super!
This was fine, I guess if I was high, and not doing anything it would be great. But neither of those things are the case right now. Bummer.
The mix is terrible. I can't even hear John Mayer at all. [pause for laughter] Just kidding, folks... The Dead have never been known as a great studio band. The focus has always been on the live experience. This album, however, is generally regarded as an exception. For sure, it's one of their few strong studio outings ("Terrapin Station" is probably the best.) The Folk-Americana vibe lends itself to shorter, tighter arrangements and results in a more accessible package. Missing are the lengthy jams that set the Dead apart from vocal harmony bands like Crosby, Stills, and Nash. I prefer the Dead when they are stretching out in a more experimental way. I'm knocking off a half-star for this unpopular opinion: I really, really, really can't stand "Box of Rain." It has never, ever been sung on key, and this version (to open the album, no less) is no exception.
This album completely change the coarse of my musical journey back in middle school.
Never really got into the Dead. I like Truckin and a couple other tracks here.
Inoffensive ciuntry rock. I don't get The Grateful Dead - the albums show no signs of the extended, hard rockin', drug fuelled, guitar solos that their live gigs are famous for. This just seems lame.
One of the better studio albums for The Dead. But they aren't really known for their recordings...I had some time so ended up doing a tune by tune rundown as I was listening to it: It's sacrilegious to say this - pour one out for Phil, playing great bass and singing awfully here, I'm told about his recently deceased father, which I guess makes this even more poignant given his recent passing - but I don't like Box of Rain. They played this one of the two times I saw them and my friends made it clear I was supposed to feel blessed for being so lucky. Nah Friend of the Devil is a hauntingly beautiful theme song that captures Jerry's tragically tormented spirit better than probably anything else he's done. Sugar Magnolia is a great tune but this version feels flat compared to any of the hundreds (thousands?) of the kickass live performances you can find in about ten seconds in YouTube. Also, Bobby sorta creeps me out after an old friend claimed that he hit on her backstage when she was tripping balls at 14 or 25. She would lie sometimes but she was also a huge Deadhead and seemed seriously conflicted about it decades later. I don't know if I believe her or not but if you look at Bobby and imagine he's a pervert his moustache takes on a whole new resonance. Operator doesn't really do it for me. Another case where the studio version feels flat. In this case it's Pigpen, in what I imagine must have been one of his last studio appearances. Candyman is great but again, more interesting live, when they would stretch out in interesting ways. Jerry's guitar solo (I think pedal steel, possibly through an organ speaker?!? Not sure tbh) is awesome though. What a tone! Ripple. Aww! How can you not love this hippie anthem? The best thing Jane's Addiction did was a killer cover of this. Hard to fuck it up if you mean it. https://youtu.be/ibfykjinvh8?si=yYKd5pUAZhlz6WCD Brokedown Palace. Another tune you're supposed to like but bores the shit outta me. Same with the next two. And Truckin's a classic. Don't even try to pretend. I liked to imagine it was a tribute to Hunter S Thompson. The band sounds really good - loose and groovy - and the singing doesn't ruin it.
I'm a bit shocked that this is the first Grateful Dead album I've gotten after nearly 400 albums, and equally shocked that there are only two in total of their albums in this collection. I'm not really complaining, though, as I'm not a big fan (or connoisseur), but given the legions of Deadheads I figured we'd get as many or more of their albums than, say, the Beatles or David Bowie. Seems like a fine album to me, and what I kind of visualize as what a Dead album would sound like, albeit with less noodling and endless tracks than I figured was a fixture for them (but maybe that's due to a more folk/country focus than other albums? Or maybe they reserved the endless songs to live shows? I must admit that "Attics of my life" *felt* endless regardless...). The Dylanesque "Friend of the devil" and the quasi-Cash-like "Operator" were probably my favorites, and it was nice to get some of their enduring hits like "Ripple" and "Truckin".
Sometimes an album is a great one not because the music is great or the lyrics are brilliant but because it occupies a particular musical slot uniquely, perfectly, and definitively. This is such an album. If you want to listen to his album and can't find it, there's really nothing else that's nearly as consistently good or satisfying.
Otroligt mediokert album, och om detta ska vara ett av det bästa bandet gjort behöver jag inte bemöda mig att lyssna på resten
There's a 5-star 45 minute album's worth of material distributed across this, Workingman's Dead and the first Garcia and Weir solo albums representing the pinnacle of the Dead's Americana era. Alongside CSNY, the Byrds, the Band etc - other bands who're better songwriters and recording artists - this is a major album in the hippy turn towards country and folk. Even though it's a favorite band's best (or 2nd best after Workingman's Dead?) studio album, I never listen to as none of what I listen to the Dead for is here - the dark intensity of their psychadelic blues, the bright exploratory improv of their jazzy jams. It's their slow twangy Americana era, fairly conventional songs (arranged interestingly, and performed expertly) with some cool - albeit saccharine - harmonies and lots of pretty guitar parts - it's gentle easy going feel good, sometimes plodding, music - perfectly stoned and relaxed, but lacking the audience heat and high-wire risk that animates their live performances.
cute 😊 yeehaw
Ripple is bice
I was expecting much more given the album cover...
Fedt navn, kedelig musik.
Det var meget mindre syret end jeg havde regnet med. The Greatfull Dead er et af de bands jeg altid har kendt af navn og rygte men aldrig har fået hørt. Jeg havde forventet noget mere udflippet hippie trip. Det her var ret tamt og pænt med vokalharmonier og klimptende guitarer. Ikke decideret dårligt. Bare ret kedeligt og lidt for country-agtig.
Loved it more than I expected! Wanted to listen again right after I finished it. Think this will enter my regular rotation. 5 stars.
Not for me
I appreciate the dead just not big into folk jam band.
Liked it more than I thought I would
Great chill album. Classic.
Riding a getaway bus out of Portland
Makes you want to hippie dance for sure.
Typical Dead
Solid album with a few well loved hits on it.
Love this album for the most part. My only issue is some of their harmonies are off
I like Friend of the Devil and Ripple, and Truckin was pretty fun. I'm not a hippie in a field doing LSD though. So once again, an album I can't get the authentic experience of. It was a pleasant listen, but a little lightweight. 3 stars.
Day389 - fantastic album full of my favorite grateful dead songs
Eu estou absolutamente surpreso com isso. Só conhecia a banda pelo nome e jurava ser heavy ou black metal. Não sei se estou votando na banda pela surpresa, mas de qualquer maneira achei super agradável o som da banda, vibe de um som para cair na estrada sem rumo.
Take away the confluence of drugs and the zeitgeist of the times during which this band came up and they'd probably be a pretty minor footnote in rock history. I like country tinged rock but the off-key singing and harmonies, not so much. Their legendary appeal and following are lost on me but I could get on board with 1 or 2 songs on this album.
Solid Americana that is 20% better high, 20% better live, 20% better when dancing like a jellyfish. The recording is well polished, well mixed, jammy and delightful. But deadheads can’t argue that the real appeal of this band was the gathering. The juggalos of classic rock.
Pretty dull album.
Like for many, this was my introduction to the Dead. Unlike others who also love this album, no other Dead work ever really clicked with me the way American Beauty did. That’s including their live albums, and I’ve listened to my fair share of them. Don’t get me wrong, they are a lot of fun, but they are much better for background sound than active listening time. With that said, American Beauty is an absolute classic. Most of the time I can easily listen all the way through, but sometimes they lose me halfway through Side B. An easy 4.5/5.
great listening
I’m enjoying the Dead.
i've already listened before, but this album really brings out the folksy country americana elements of grateful dead. the first album to utilize David Grisman, and leans more away from the Bakersfield sound and more into major key progressions, less guitar solos from Garcia, and more harmonies.
Maybe the best example of something that I don't get the appeal of. This bores me so much
Some songs sounded like shit?
Gorgeous record. Lush harmonies and great vibes. Always remember being surprised that a band called The Grateful Dead sounded like this rather than a heavy rock n roll biker band. Box Of Rain, Truckin, Friend Of The Devil and Sugar Magnolia all fantastic but this time round Attics Of My life really floored me
I’m not a deadhead. Their rambling non directional noodling needs substances I’ve never done. But here is the exception. This is the dead at their absolute best. The only dead album worth hearing really. They are terrific musicians and this album demonstrates that. Focused, disciplined and with the game changing legendary mandolinist David Grisman on a couple of tracks, this is what I would have wanted them to be. This is a better album than the excellent workingmans dead. 10 stars.
849 albums into this project, and finally the moment I have been dreading has arrived: the Grateful Dead. I never got the appeal of the Grateful Dead, and believe me, I've tried. I could never quite work out the scenes in Freaks & Geeks where various people praised the amazing impact of American Beauty. Were they serious? Was it really that life-changing? Or is it just a piss-take of the kind of thing that an old hippy guidance counsellor would recommend? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgmcqKDlygg) It seems to poke fun at hippies, but then we do get wistful footage of Lindsay Weir dancing around her room to Box of Rain, and she ultimately skips her academic camp to follow the Dead. I think they want us to imagine that the Grateful Dead _could_ change your life. But, in my opinion, if the Grateful Dead are opening your mind, that is a very narrow aperture. When I listen to this, all I hear are bland platitudes and musical cliche. If you want rock inflected with country/bluegrass/folk/whatever, then you could listen to Gram Parsons or the Byrds or the Band or any number of similar vintage bands that incorporate the same influences in a more compelling way. I mean, I find everything that people praise in this album absolutely enervating; boring tunes, cliched aphoristic lyrics, strained harmonies, directionless soloing, and most of the playing is workmanlike midtempo stodge at best. But opinions around the Dead are like a cult; if you've drunk the kool-aid, then everything they do is fucking genius, but I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. I would rather listen to the Eagles; and I fucking HATE the Eagles. Now, my mate Dave L. is going to come back at me with "I like this; it's got Dave Grisman on it!" Yeah, but he plays in the background of only two songs. I appreciate your love of Dave Grisman, but if you want to listen to Dave Grisman, go play a Dave Grisman record! I guarantee you will enjoy it more than this load of boring, tepid, directionless, semi-masticated jam-band mediocrity. As a non-American, I can't really understand the American fascination with the Grateful Dead — admittedly not all Americans, but it is notable that the Dead don't really have the following in any other market. I suspect that everyday experience of enduring racism, capitalist exploitation, creeping fascism and gun violence is so soul-destroying that that it is a welcome respite to put on a tie-dyed t-shirt, smoke dope, drop acid, and hang out with a few thousand like-minded souls while you chill out and dance to non-threatening musical noodling. Hard to blame anyone for that, but please don't make me listen to it. I am bored and befuddled, but at least this isn't hateful. Two stars.
Pretty chill, guitar, piano?, drum, vocals. Unplugged sound. Some use of harmony/layered vocals (Attics of my Life). Country ish? (Tempo, twangy guitar) Maybe have heard some of these (dr. clr) Box of Rain seems like a (minor key) inspiration to Don't you Forget About Me? Guitars in Sugar Magnolia sound a little Elvis-y but lowkey. Ripple seems familiar. Bass notes go back and forth (slow polka?). Like the more uptempo sound of Till the Morning Comes. Like the triplets of Truckin, sounds familiar.
Sconcertante il nome del gruppo ma la musica è bella.
Forse… sono nato per ascoltare country…
Another enjoyable album. I'm not sure how exactly they transform these songs into hour long performances just yet, but we'll see what happens I guess. Probably an 8
I like the more roots rock sounding tracks but overall this is just a bit too Country for me. I wanted to like it due to their similarities in many ways with Gizz, but it just wasn’t my thing. Also first few tracks plus Truckin’ are the best.
pohodové, fajn na jazdu autom po krajine.
Quite a nice album. I'm not massively familiar with The GD beyond the deadhead / jam band thing, so this wasn't really I expected from their most successful studio record. Nice harmonies and guitar playing, very chilled out hippy vibes. Not a huge fan of Jerry Garcia's vocals but they're ok. Don't know if I'd listen to this repeatedly but I would play some of the tracks again
I’ve honestly never actively listened to the Grateful Dead. I really liked this album.
Dreamy, smooth AND chunky. I love pretty much everything ever played by a jam band and this is no exception. Standout track is “Ripple”.
Really enjoyed this one -especially the remastered album which helped on the sound quality. Torn between giving it a 3 or 4 stars. So wish for those 1/2 stars! Since the songs are still in my head (in a good way) one day later, it gets that extra push into the higher level.
This was a pretty nice album to listen to although it can be a bit forgettable or bland at times. Low 4/5
I liked all the songs (except for Operator) on this album-the songwriting and instrumentation are solid. I don’t care (and never did) for the vocals on this album. It’s a nice lazy Sunday morning in a cabin in the Santa Cruz mountains kinda album.
Brave muziek uit de '70s. Prima te luisteren, maar klinkt op den duur ook een beetje eentonig.
I enjoyed it! Not my favorite but definitely up my alley. I think if I listened to it again I’d probably like it even more, but as it stands it’s a 3 for me. But like a heavy, strong 3.
Not really a fan. Feels too slow and unorganized. Maybe sounds better when I am drunk
They must have been very charismatic. The music is nothing special. It’s neither bad nor great. 2nd rate Crosby Stills and Nash with some skynyrd. Favorite song: till the morning comes.
I have grown into liking and respecting the Grateful Dead more as time goes on. But it doesn’t mean I can dig a whole album from them, turns out.
I'm sure seeing them live is an incredible experience, but as a studio album this was just average 70's folk rock. Sugar Magnolia was the stand out for me and I wish it was more songs like that.
Nice mellow and polished folky rock , i don’t see a ton of replay value for me as the album doesn’t differentiate itself from its time but a good listen and could make for some fun late night mellow listening
Very very pleasant. I honestly had zero idea what the grateful dead sounded like, zero. This isn't exactly what I thought, but its definitely way better than I thought. Very chilled out, nice voice, good playing. All good
3 - I've never really understood why Grateful Dead have such a massive following. They are okay, but nothing really that blows me away. Maybe you really just need to be really high on shrooms
Uninspiring in a very Grateful Dead way 3.2/5
Dull
78/100. A very chill rock/Americana album. The lyrics are well-written and sung beautifully. There’s nothing to complain about—it’s a well-executed album.
many reviews on here are bombing this record because it didn't live up to a preconceived notion the listener entered with. like maybe they were hoping, by listening, they would understand what devotees have come to love, and so they're lashing out. i don't really have that issue. i just think this album is boring in a boring way. "friend of the devil" is pretty solid though.
I almost gave this album four stars, but then I found myself humming multiple songs from this album later in the day. It seems fair to grant five stars in those circumstances. My parents played this album a lot when I was a kid so that might be some baked in bias there. Many classic songs on this album.
For years, the Dead seemed like an insurmountable obstacle or a cult I hadn’t consumed the Kool Aid for. But in recent years I’ve tried again, and while I’m not a superfan, I can’t deny this is top-shelf 60s rock. Some better than others but like Ripple has been pleasantly burbling in the back of my head all day.
My favorite Dead album, which isn’t exactly unique, I know. I had the pleasure of seeing Dead & Company at The Sphere and it was a great experience.
It's not bad but why are people obsessed with them? idgi Box of rain is a beautiful song Almost at the end and I'm bored now.
Nice.
Agree with the message
Another classic Dead Album. It's not my favorite but still has solid tracks. Truckin' is an all-time banger. Favorite Song: Truckin' Least Favorite Song: Candyman
IT’S THE VOCALS!!! The vocals are out of tune! It’s cringe-inducing bad country music, falling far short of the profundity to which it aspires. The upbeat stuff is just goofy sounding and the slow stuff is banal and hits like old gum on the bottom of my shoe and I’m just too tired to do anything about it. You really need two drummers for this? As a drummer I can tell you, you might not even need one. Not even going to write about the lyrics. God help us. Sugar Magnolia is alright. This is what you think of when you think Grateful Dead. A rare tight performance, and I think it’s Bob Weir singing actually hitting the notes pleasantly enough. Still awful. Now that that’s over I’m gonna sit down and “patch my bones” WHAT THE LITERAL FUCK
Could make a Dead Head out of me yet
not for me 😃
One of my favorite Grateful Dead albums. Truckin, Ripple, Friend of the Devil. So many good tracks. I prefer this style of Dead over the more psychedelic rock records, might be an unpopular opinion but that’s just me. Love this album.
This is my favorite album by my favorite band. I remember listening to it for the first time in college. I'd heard some of the songs previously, but never knew it had such a country/Americana sound to it. It was great listening to it yesterday and still enjoying it as much as day 1.
Some of the most beautiful lyrics rest within American Beauty. Its endearing charm has already lasted generations. The Dead are a completely different experience live, that makes studio albums a more acquired taste for me. This one isn’t my favorite, but I’m forever grateful.
Started great but tailed off
Not for me. 1/5
Grateful Dead is a band that took me a long time and many different approaches to finally begin to appreciate and enjoy some of their music. American Beauty is one of their more accessible albums and for that reason I do enjoy this one a lot. This album, Terrapin Station and Blues For Allah are the three Dead albums that I can say I revisit and enjoy from time to time.
Well, not a huge fan of these guys, but we must do what we must do. Hopefully, these shrooms will kick in soon and carry me through til the end. Look, they're all good at their instruments, but I just find this uninspiring. I can't put my finger on why I don't like it, but I have a strong desire to not listen to this ever again. 2
As I listened to this, I thought of the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, which extolls the virtues of and finds beauty and merit in that which is imperfect, broken, and worn. Because every element of this album seemed imperfect somehow, with flaws (for lack of a better term) that jumped out at me in vocal delivery, instrument playing, and production technique. Now I can sometimes find overly produced music off-putting, but ideally there's a sweet spot between competency and feeling natural. I feel like this weird more towards the "feeling natural" side of the spectrum because there was just something about it that seemed a little less polished, and it was almost becoming distracting but I decided that this was "vibes music" and so I should just focus on the vibes. I feel like they're similar to the Rolling Stones in that they just get together and have fun playing and don't aim for precision, so that's nice for them, I guess. The songs were pleasant enough but there was nothing that felt super groundbreaking or timeless, so it's a solid 3 for me.
Was never a huge Grateful Dead fan, but I enjoyed this album a lot more than I thought I would. I still don't quite get the seemingly rabid cult following though.
Sleepy, dull, not my taste. Yet another album I don't think is remotely essential, though I'm sure Dead fans would disagree.
i was bored by this unfortunately
Ålreit, men litt lite minneverdig. Hørte på det lørdag, det er søndag nå og har egentlig ikke så mye å skrive om føler jeg
Meget easy listening med litt psykedelisk vibe. Svinger mer med litt alkohol i blodet. Minner litt om sen Beatles for øvrig. Standouts er Box of Rain og Ripple.
A beautiful album that means a lot to a dear friend. Candyman and Truckin' both superb world class tracks
Surprisingly dull. I expected more from the Grateful Dead, tbh!
No necessarily a bad album, but it left no lasting impression at all
mid
Good album but I prefer Live Dead.
Only a couple of tunes with listening to on this one ... Sugar Magnolia and Truckin'. Never understood the draw these guys had on so many, but I never saw them live. Like some reviewers mentioned, maybe the acid helped!
I like it but idk that I would call it an instant classic. Plus I think the dead is best live (or on their live records)
boring
I like "Truckin'," and "Ripple" is okay, but I'm pretty indifferent about the rest. 2.5 stars.
I was expecting to be annoyed by this since I don't care for folky stuff, but this was really nice. 3.5 stars.
As one half of iconic duo Houmous & Chutney I know a thing or two about being in a band with a misleading name! A name that evokes thoughts of various levels of metal but a band that delivers something very different. 3.4
My understanding is that you have to see them live to really understand. That makes sense, because this was kind of boring. The last song, "Truckin'", was fun though.
This is #day105 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... here's to some country, folk, and blues with a tiny dash of psychedelic rock. I'm kind of fine with it as long as it doesn't drag as much as on this record. I'd rather go check out some of Grateful Dead's '60s works, which should be more acid and, I believe, is still lying ahead in this list. For now, it's the third consecutive 2 out of 5 this week. Looking forward to #day106.
Well I thought Grateful Dead were a heavy metal band, not a mediocre folksy troupe.
Ganz nett. Klingt teils ein wenig nach Country.
It's fine if a little boring, my old coworker was in love with them. I get that this is a huge live band so I guess deserves some representation on this list. Will I listen to again: 10%
I can see how the Grateful Dead have fans, but no idea how they got their huge cult following. It's fine. Nothing to write home about.
These guys straddle perfectly between folksy and rockish. I thoroughly enjoyed the upbeat songs. I did not enjoy the slow songs at all.
доста добро, 4-5
Pleasant and harmless, this record evokes the voice of my German friend Lars when I tried to sneak on the stereo some Neil Young - “Zuma” - at a party, and he called it out immediately: “what is this hippy shit?” My instinct is to sacrifice this to my old friend Lazer, whom I haven’t seen in years, and likes to watch cars burn. Yet I managed to listen to this four times today, never stirred, but at ease. There’s a place for comfort.
Just dull, sounds like a bar band playing CSNY but forgetting how the melodies work
-I had never really listened to the Grateful Dead before now but had heard Many Things about them and their adoring fans… this is sure as hell not what I was expecting -but I liked it, for the most part. it had a sort of peaceful and comforting vibe which I enjoyed after a long stressful day -Favorites are Friend Of The Devil, Ripple, and Truckin’
Quite liked this.
Never been a Dead fan. Listening to this does not change that fact.
**An ok album. Nothing exciting and not too boring
It’s ok
it’s okay
Already in my library. A classic.
OK
Kjedelig
I've never listened to the Grateful Dead before, my understanding was that their studio stuff wasn't really worth the listen. I didn't find this half-bad.
So this is Grateful Dead. Not as eclectic as their reputation would lead you to believe, but I know that most of that reputation is from their “jam band” style live shows. This was just very Crosby-Stills-Nash-esque. Truckin is a classic, my favorite on here is Ripple though. Not too shabby
Solid summertime lounge music. I feel like you don’t really get the “need to follow them around” feeling from the albums, but I did like it.
Boring
Hmm yeah, the production is weird, there's a lot of intricate musicality going on here which you can barely hear, which leads me to wonder if that's because it was shitty, or simply they had no idea what they were doing. Was enjoying the first track a fair bit and then some of the vocal harmony choices were just...strange. not in a good way. It's just all very odd. Like there's a clear Americana sound here but it's sort of like a mirror image reflected back off another mirror. It's just a bit wrong. Like how an AI might do it now. Production gets less terrible as well progress but the music is very much meh. Checking in on my rating for Live/Dead it seems I thought it was fine. This album has very much disappeared into the background. Attic of My Life is alright to be fair, but it's too little too late I am afraid.
Upbeat rhythm and melodies. Really fun songs. Bit of blues and country. Guitar focused. Enjoyable.
Not a big Dead fan, this is probably the album I like the most. Americana like music, an American band. RIP Phil.
Pretty good.
There is a certain crowd that embraces this kind of performance.... Me too
a bit lame, very dated
Didn't feel a connection, forgettable songs that felt shallow.
Is an okay album.
Dull and sloppy. There's better 60-70s Americana in the Byrds, CCR & the first Eagles album and Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris and The Band. Better psychedelic Americana in The Flying Burrito Bros and CSN(Y). A good set of their better songs, but still not a compelling as that mentioned above.
I get the appeal, some tracks are really catchy, and others I just find meandering and kind of dull. But some really cool stuff going on
Maybe I would like it at another time in my life
Some maybe feel nostalgic or something. Well, I don't. It's some cheesy ballads. Normally I like ballads, but here everything is very repetitive. 2.5/5.
I really don't get the hype. How did this cause so many people to live in vans and do drugs?
eh
Decent.
Es un disco re acústico de estos muchachitos que hacen todo psicodélico. Está muy bueno realmente, por ahí demasiaaado tranquilo.
Grateful Dead sounding like the Grateful Dead.
Probably their best studio album. One of those rare times the title says it all; it is a magically beautiful set of Americana-style tunes. Really just a perfect album.
Beauty
Rock, country, blues. Well done but not my thing.
3 out of 5. Middle of the road for me.
As said elsewhere in this review section, "The Byrds, The Band, and Creedence Clearwater Revival all put out much better and more interesting records along similar lines in the same timeframe as *American Beauty*". And by my count, there has been around 30 LPs released in 1968 that are probably better than this record will ever be. The thing is, do those pretty uncontroversial statements make this album a bad one per se? 1968 was a *stellar* year for music, after all... My father-in-law is a big fan of The Byrds and the members of CSNY. But as much of a fan of sixties Californian hippie country-rock he is, there is no *American Beauty* to be found in his extensive record collection. I suspect it's because of the partly unwarranted critical bad rep the band received at the time where he discovered those other great bands, diverting him from the genuine interest he could have given to The Grateful Dead. I gotta ask him about that one day... Sure, some of those tunes sound pretty standard or even quaint from today's vantage point. Yet I would lie if I said I've not grown fond of "Box Of Rain", "Friend Of The Devil", "Sugar Magnolia", "Operator" or "Truckin'" over the last couple of years. There's definitely something endearing in those songs, including their patchy and "unprofessional-sounding" vocal parts at times. And many chord changes, the few mandolin touches, or that phased-out guitar solo in the middle of "Candyman", all bring something valuable to the table musically speaking. I think I wish to tip the karmic balance to the other side now, maaaaaaaaan -- and this after so many decades during which The Grateful Dead have mostly been considered in quite a derisive fashion for no tangible reasons. Hence why I'm definitely tempted to include this record in my list... Fuck it. Those vocal harmonies in "Antics Of My Life* are so pretty. 4.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 5. Which translates to a 9.5/10 grade for more general purposes (5 + 4.5). Number of albums left to review: 43 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 413 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 241 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 306
I do enjoy country-style rock better in this album better than their original classic rock style
American Beauty has a lot of the Grateful Dead's radio hits on it, with Box of Rain being my favorite. That being said, I'm giving it a 4.
Great listen on the commute home! Album length gets bonus point for ending as I walked into my apartment! Fan of the album very easy to listen to with some of their biggest hits. No complaints fromme; classic jam band and a great album!