Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Aggressively generic classic rock
This is fine. I'm struggling to say anything other than "this is fine". I think everything from Box of Rain to Operator is solid, then somewhere around Candyman it gets a little too country for me. 100 albums in, and I don't think I'm starting to vibe with "this is fine" anymore.
For how devoted a fanbase Grateful Dead has, this was a very middle of the road record
Significantly more middle-of-the-road (again) than I was expecting. I thought more Jefferson Airplane, but this is more Allman Brothers (but more structured). It was fine, is the best I can say about it. Sounds like it was made in a tinny bathroom.
A bit too country for me
I've never quite understood the appeal of the Grateful Dead. Just a bit middle of the road, really.
I guess I'm just not a Grateful Dead fan.
I give up. I can't get into Grateful Dead. I just don't get it.
meh. pretty boring
Rock de pai divorciado. 2/5
Didn’t feel any of the psychedelic jam band feeling, it felt like very repetitive country songs. I still liked it but it wasn’t what I was expecting at all
The Good: We get to watch a movie! The Bad: Wait, didn’t that actor get cancelled? The Ugly: Guess there goes the beauty part… I met a bunch of dead-heads in my lifetime, a couple of them even went so far as to follow the band around for over a year… how many blowjobs does one have to give to be able to afford taking that time off? Anyway, Grateful Dead… they’re a live band, aren’t they? This album was, I don’t know, a chore to sit through… I ended up dialing in a 80s-90s pop radio channel to wash away the bad taste in my mouth… You guessed it, I am no Dead Head… Never have been able to understand them… then again, never dropped acid either. 2*
I want to scream. Dear diary, today 'm grateful for this album has a quick end.
Listening to this album with no knowledge of the Dead, one would have to assume that this band went nowhere. Compared to much of the other popular music at the time, this is exceptionally bland and repetitive. The songwriting, singing, and guitar playing are all mediocre by comparison to contemporaries, and there are only a couple songs I’d consider coming back to more than once or twice.
Of all of the Grateful Dead discography this is in my opinion their best work and Jerry Garcia was an underrated guitarist. Here is my favorite part about the Dead: 2 stars
# Album Name: American Beauty # Artist: Grateful Dead # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Pretty boring. Didnt enjoy it. # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? No
not bad, but not all that appealing. very reminiscent of late 60s early 70s hippy music
Fine listen but no standouts
I don’t see how even being on acid would make this any better. Kinda figures, though, that this soulless banality would be what turned the hippies away from revolution and inward towards apathetic selfishness. Extra star because I have fond memories of singing “Ripple” in summer camp.
I have never understood the appeal of the Grateful Dead. Perhaps it because I have not smoked ripe since I was a child. Perhaps the appeal of sitting outside with a bunch of other drug addled denizens smoking dope and listening to what amounts to electrified folk rock with harmonies is not that appealing to a kid from the Yukon. Perhaps wild animals would be attracted if this record was played in a forest. Likely not. Anyway, a good effort but still dull as fuck.
CHATO P CRLLLLLLLLLLLLL mas ok tho
I like both folk and country, but it doesn't really work on this album. Most songs are lame, and the vocal harmonies don't seem to fit too well. The singer's thin voice doesn't help either. Notable exception: Sugar Magnolia.
Rating: 2.5/5 Favorite: Truckin Least favorite: Attics of my life/Candyman
Wasn't terrible. And that's about as much good as I can say about it. Can hear Beatles and Young inspiration.
A few good songs, but this album is pretty mid. It’s like The Band made an album with zero interest in anything but LSD.
No my thing really
Not feeling the country vibe
I don't know what I was expecting from this. Maybe something louder? Harder? The dissonance between my expectations and experience was quite jarring. I didn't dislike this album, but I didn't really like it either.
Zzzzzz
Boring
This album confirms what I've long suspected, that I'm not a Dead fan. They might have been a great band to see live (and high), but as a studio band they are subpar. I was surprised at how bad the vocals are, these dudes definitely can't sing.
I had never really listened to the Grateful Dead before, and now I kind of see why. It was definitely a little too country for my taste. I understand they're really a jam band, and any album they put together is just a sample of what they're doing, but I didn't care much for the sample. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't my thing at all.
itt: people rating deadheads instead of the album. the album isnt that much better though
Nice to listen to and sort of sway back and forth. I guess the loose feeling is to be expected with a jam band. I can't give more than a 2 because I fell asleep. Not because it was boring though! Kinda lulled me to bed. I was tired and the music was peaceful without being ambient. That said, listening through the rest did confirm that everything is pretty samey and that likely didn't help me stay up either.
Too folky and countryish There was one song I really enjoyed, but I think only because I heard it on Freaks and Geeks years ago, and even then it was a bit of a drag. 2 stars.
This is like going to the county fair and getting lost. One minute you’re at a petting zoo, chilling with some llamas, next thing you can’t find your dad (you’ll later come to learn he has gone to find moonshine). An elderly woman with minimal dental hygiene and a dress that you think has been worn at least four times since it was last washed comforts you while you wait for a parent to pick you up. They are very welcoming, and all of a sudden you wonder if this is how carnies join this travelling band. Oh shit, this might be your life now.
Nisam baš očekivala da će bend koji je sponzorisao litvansku košarkašku reprezentaciju i dao im one kul dresove zvučati ovako bljutavo. Prvi put da čujem i pjesmu od njih i bio mi je totalni šok.
Based on their cult like following of tie-die clad Deadheads claiming you just have to experience them live maaaaaan, I always assumed the Grateful Dead made some sort of out there psychedelic rock that could only be fully appreciated high as a kite. But this...this is just boring.
NO. 2/5
I heard three of The Beatles and both Simon and Garfunkel in here but nothing that would make me want to remember the sixties, even if I'd been there man.
I like the Dead on Studio album about as much as I like them live, which is to say not very much at all. This felt long at 40 minutes
I have tried and failed to make myself appreciate this but I just don't like it and I can't get around that. So much of the album is built around featuring their harmonies and I don't like any of their voices.
I think I’d rather listen to their live albums that I like less because they’re more interesting. Like, their live stuff is emphatically not for me but I can at least try to get past that and see if I can come round the other side. that’s fun and challenging and rewarding. This is smoother and less rambly and more controlled and easier to listen to and those qualities are not wholly positive It’s ok.
Had no idea what to expect, knew they had a cult following (live at least) but had no idea why, and now I am still perplexed. Sub-par Eagles. Well, I guess you had to be there.
Its been a while since I got a good album. Im getting sour.
Aggressively eh
Not at all what you'd expect from their band name
This was perfectly fine. I’d only previously heard Live/Dead, which I enjoy and far prefer to this. But yeah, it’s good for what it is. Their music doesn’t accurately reflect the dedication of their fans though, in my opinion - it’s hardly that special, yet there is essentially an entire culture based around it which I find intriguing.
I’ve never been a big Grateful Dead fan, usually just because my attention span is much too short for their drawn out jams. I was surprised this album fit 10 tracks into 42 minutes- maybe I would like this? Well, no. There is some really ponderous stuff on here. They must have been on some serious downers. It felt like a struggle to get through most of the tracks they were dragging so much. Truckin’, the last track, was a relief because they finally picked up the pace! So yeah, this album did nothing to make a Dead head out of me.
I simply found this utterly boring and uninspiring. I can't say that I actually actively disliked any of this, but I just can't even fathom how these guys are considered the American counterpart to The Beatles, who are so clearly the superior band and it's not even close. This is nothing more than super average and somewhat generic American country rock, really nothing hugely special about it at all.
I’m not a Dead Head
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.
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.
Noodle masters go average folk country.
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.
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.
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.
It's like a less interesting Electric Mayhem.
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”.
Sure is country. Yep. Hard to refute that. No further notes, thank you, your honor.
Another band I've never understood the hype for, but this wasn't terrible.
- no ihan kivaa näppäilyä joo mutta ei
nunca han sido de mi agrado
Not as bad as the last grateful dead I listened to, but still too jam band and does nothing for me
I don’t really know why these guys are/were so popular. Bland
A bit slow for me
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.
Apparently you need to be on LSD to enjoy the Grateful Dead. Pretty average country rock.
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
Not my style
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.
Folk rock album, not my kind of music.
Fine but unmemorable
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
Could fall asleep to this
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.
Campfire type shi
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
Not my cuppa.
70’s Rock ⭐️Brokedown Palace
I don't take enough LSD to fully enjoy this. Do people even still do LSD? Maybe it should make a comeback.
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.
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.
when you give these guys the constraints of the studio it goes from interminable noodling to mostly inoffensive, passable 70s rock and roll
Has not been a fan but understand influence it’s had
I liked the first two songs…
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.
Folk. 2/5
Meh
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
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...
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'.
Just another Country music album. Nothing special or noteworthy.
Smor x2
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.
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.
(53/100)
Was expecting a lot more from this album, but it’s just twangy country. Not even that psychedelic.
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
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
boring honestly
Folk & Country Rock from 1970.
The musicianship is solid, the vibes are peaceful, but the excitement level hovers somewhere between “watching paint dry” and “listening to someone describe their sourdough starter.” All in all, a bit meh—but at least it didn’t offend my ears. Just gently bored them.
Was good, very country feel to is. Slow and smooth
Top track: Ripple / Truckin' / Till The Morning Comes A nix of influences, but a bit slow and boring.
Quite dull
mehh
Jam and more jam
Vantar allt fútt í þetta
Litt kjedelig rett og slett
Much better than expected. The live album is got last was torture. This was almost bareable.
Have to admit I was a little excited to see a Grateful Dead album come up as I have never listened to them before but knew of their impact in music. Unfortunately I am very disappointed it’s all a bit bland and samey really. That’s a real shame.
I discussed this album with ChatGPT, and this was part of the response I got. I think it sums up the album and the band well. "To modern ears, their sound can feel like a bunch of noodly white guys playing endless guitar solos for other white guys on drugs. Which, to be fair, isn’t wrong. "If their sound bores you, that’s valid. A lot of it is slow, meandering, and steeped in a kind of self-satisfied looseness that doesn’t always translate. Their influence is maybe more interesting than their actual tracks—on jam bands, internet fandom, and even business models of fan engagement." I've always thought that much of the Grateful Dead's success was because of their live shows and the community they formed, not so much the music. If the Dead had not toured, I predict they would have mostly been forgotten.
Not going to make any friends with this take but every time I listen to Grateful Dead, I feel like I'm hearing a jam band whose lead singer was sick so they threw a microphone in front of the bassist... Touch country for my tastes but there's still a nice sound to be found here and there on this record. A 2.5 feels more accurate than a 2 but here we are..
Decent enough but painfully boring. This 45-minute album somehow felt like it was 2 hours long. No thanks
I just don’t get the Grateful Dead. They should be right up my alley as the cover of “Rubin and Cherise” by Bonnie Prince Billy is one of my favorite songs. Whenever I listen to the Grateful Dead I just get bored though. The only track that broke my boredom was the final one, “Truckin’,” and that was too little, too late.
i just can't really get much out of this jammy stuff. probably goes down easier than one of their live albums, since there's real songwriting here. but firmly in the "not for me" camp deserves to be one of the 1001? it's important enough so yes
American Beauty I was sure, going in, that I disliked American Beauty immensely. And, certainly, it is tediously neat. Hardly, the work of actual hippies who drop acid and take to the road. It is clear that American bands - and faux American bands, like Cream - often confused country with psychedelia and blues with psychedelia and any boring procedural music with psychedelia, so long as it had guitar solos and vocal harmonies. As time as passed, I’ve grown to like country more, so I didn’t dislike American Beauty so much as remembered. However, it is too American and too conventionally beautiful to expand the mind as the fabled Dead were reported to do. 2 American Beauty - The Grateful Dead The child seemed to enjoy listening to this in the car. I don’t blame her - it’s very nice. Especially Ripple. Still, the best thing here as with anything by the Grateful Dead is their excellent band name which they never could have lived up to. 2/5
The movie was better
Ok as background music but otherwise very mediocre american country folksy meh
did it make me want to be a deadhead? no! did it make me wish i were dead? slighhtly!
Whildt i enjoyed the more up tempo tracks, but other times it meandered and I've never been a fan of the Hammond organ
Not a lot to say about this, i found it incredibly one note… not a terrible note but I prefer more variety from my albums.
It’s a lot of nothing really
I remembered the Grateful Dead differently. I didn't like this country album. I was expecting much more rock-oriented music. So I found the album disappointing. 2/5
Eh
A bit too lame and old-fashioned and middle of the road for my taste. Expected much more from this popular name.
nah, decline with thanks
I have enjoyed some Grateful Dead songs. They are not in this album. ★★
01) Box of Rain - 6,5 02) Friend of the Devil - 6,0 03) Sugar Magnolia - 6,0 04) Operator - 7,0 05) Candyman - 5,5 06) Ripple - 6,0 07) Brokedown Palace - 6,0 08) Till the Morning Comes - 5,5 09) Attics of My Life - 5,5 10) Truckin' - 6,0 TOTAL: 6,00 (60/100)
Grateful Dad songs...
Nie umiem sobie wyobrazić, że to kogoś ulubiony album
I have never heard the Grateful dead, I had heard a lot about them and had high (lol) expectations. As someone who has delved the depths of the Pink Floyd catalog and stared at the stars wile Jim Morrison took me on a trip, I was expecting something next level. What I got was so middle of the road I am shocked. I could imagine this being the band in the corner at some small country bar that drones on in the background.
Forgot all about this and I only listened to it yesterday
Meh. I have done my best to give artists I haven't cared for in the past a fair shake when their albums come up. In some cases I have been pleasantly proven wrong and enjoy the music more than I expected. This was not one of those times.
This boring-ass music is why people followed a band around as their full time job? I don't get it. Incredibly underwhelming.
Truckin' is good.
Hippiemusik! Tamborin! Hört sich an wie frühe Beatles, aber mit weniger Ohrwurm-Melodie. Gute Produktion, langweilige Lieder. Nichts für mich
For jammy for mig. Deres vokalharmonier lyder godt, men hvis jeg ville høre sådan noget her ville jeg bare finde Crosby Stills and Nash frem
It's the Grateful Dead. It's rarely gonna be better than Meh.
The value of this album eludes me.
I know they have their super dedicated fans, but for the life of me I don’t get it at all.
Their fifth album. Folk Rock / Country. A huge band with a huge following. 'Dead Heads' are world famous. This album though, it's very bland, generic, Hippy long hair music. Boringly inoffensive. Diddly Doo, Diddly Dee, far out man, let's get some Scooby Snacks.
I guess the whole thing just doesn't translate well to an album?
Det er vel live-platene som smeller....
I've never understood the Grateful Dead. I love acid rock--groups like the Doors, Hendrix and early Jefferson Airplane, who often toured with the dead have always been among my favourites. So I always thought I should love the Dead. But man, I struggle even to get through these albums. They just sound like twangy near country rock without much soul. I've been told that their live albums are much better, and have tried some of those as well, but still don't get it. Or the crazy following. The Dead aren't bad, they are just underwhelming. And I mostly love everything else around the late 60s culture, music, books on and about Kesey etc. Anyway, back to this album. It's twangy, bland, and the singing sucks on almost any level. Like not even good on the Dylan "bad voice" level. These guys just sound like lazy, under qualified musicians. I really don't get how people go apeshit over this stuff. 2/5 not because it's terrible, but because the blandness is overwhelming.
Bland, repetitive, simple melodies
At best, 'fine'. Utterly inoffensive and uninteresting. Won't listen again. 3/10
Too dolly, no bite, just a bit dull
Never listened to the Grateful Dead before. Not sure what I was expecting but I was a little underwhelmed - perfectly pleasant country rock. Listened to it 3 times - but nothing stuck. I doubt I will return.
The dead should be grateful not to have to listen to this. Largely drab and instantly forgettable.
I had it in my head that The Grateful Dead were this legendary psychedelic rock band, however, this album is just full of boring country and folk songs. I guess it is inoffensive but nothing grabs me at all.
What a bloody let down! Supposed legends of the San Fran psych scene who I’ve never (for reasons unknown given I love that scene) got round to listening to are just a bunch of average country blues rockers. Not a single impressive song on this one. Did I say Bloody hell.
Somehow meeh. They nailed it when realizing they never captured their live spirit in studio. What they did not tell you is that GD live spirit typically means endless doodling in its bad way. Some nice songs and one really good one (friend of the devil), mostly plain country. I cannot understand how this was called highly innovative. Maybe it just hasn't aged well. Or I have a bad mood, or this simply cannot be understood undrugged.
Boring. So so boring
I don’t believe I’ve ever listened to more than one song consecutively, and after listening to this entire album I believe I know why. All I got from this was boring monotone BLAH that made me tired and very bored. I was definitely expecting a lot more upbeat given the amount of success and fame they have, and the crowd their fans consist of. I have to say I am disappointed. I do recognize their significance and there influence, but I can’t really get behind the why.
2.2 What on earth. I thought the Grateful Dead were meant to be this super psychadelic acid-enthused band, and that was... pretty crap. Most of it sounded like a terrible Americana band you'd find down the pub in a random small town playing to 18 people, half of which are having a shouted conversation over the top about whether they should head somewhere else. Not for me.
The Dead suck. I hate them. I’ve tried. “Box of Rain” is a pretty good song I suppose.
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.
Gear: Grado Hemp Artwork: 🪵🗳️🌹 Production (2013 Remaster): 🤔😐👍 Music: 🇺🇸🌄🍃🌞🛤️🕊️ Rating: 🌹🌹/5
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.
Again country stuff. It's too popular. I can tolerate it in the background but that's it.
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
At first I thought hmmm, quite nice, but soon I found it an exercise in patience
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.
How this band became popular is beyond me. Boring song after boring song makes for a boring album.
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.
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.
A bit too scrappy for my liking.
point7.
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.
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
Idk just not for me. Kinda boring and I didn't really get through it
Enough
Hmmm.
Undir meðallagi kántrí kjaftæði. Ofmetið band.
Boring
I always thought Grateful Dead was a rock band ... This album was a little bit dead
I like singing harmonies but that's all
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.
I have never listened to any Grateful Dead. I got bored fast.
het is officieel.. ik ben geen deadhead
Wow that was boring, what a snoozefest
Much the same way Matt just DOESN’T like Radiohead, I just DONT like Grateful Dead
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.
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.
No thanks, basically a worse version of sweetheart of the rodeo by the byrds, slow ahh songs as well
Nope, not a Grateful Dead fan. This album was mid, but still not my cup of tea
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.
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.
Friend of the Devil is great.
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.
Miekkie woodstockowe granie, pitu pitu
Nothing special, just some okayish soft country. It's really listenable, wish I could rate it 50 stars
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.
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.
Not for me
I appreciate the dead just not big into folk jam band.
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.
Pretty dull album.
Brave muziek uit de '70s. Prima te luisteren, maar klinkt op den duur ook een beetje eentonig.
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.
Dull
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 was bored by this unfortunately
No necessarily a bad album, but it left no lasting impression at all
I like "Truckin'," and "Ripple" is okay, but I'm pretty indifferent about the rest. 2.5 stars.
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.
**An ok album. Nothing exciting and not too boring
Kjedelig
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.
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.
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
Not for me
Just a bit bland. Would never choose to put it on.
Americana dirge
Always known of The Grateful Dead just had no idea why, Truckin is a classic but I don’t think I’d go out of my way to listen to this for anything else
Nice, easy listening country blues, rock album. Nothing spectacular here. 5/10
2,5
its not bad, but im always confused as to how people really get into this. Seems pretty run of the mill oldies music to me.
Eh, some songs are fine, some are a little long… not my favorite.
Not a huge fan of The GD (or Jammy type bands in general). This was fine -- I liked it more than I thought I would. It certainly helped that this wasn't a live show recording and during a part of their "back to the land" phase.
Meh. If this is the dead then I’d rather be…
Ok
I’d been meaning to get into Grateful Dead for ages, felt like it was a real gap in my music knowledge. So I really enjoyed listening to this album because it showed me that I was never really missing out.
Boring old man music for boring old men to listen to (NOT me)
I'm always surprised that outside of Dead Heads, the widespread (heh) recognition of this band's music is almost non-existent. Then I hear their albums and it makes total sense. I heard a friend say once something along the lines of, "Phish fans don't really care for music...they just like Phish." I think broad strokes, the same can be said about Mr. Garcia and his boys.
All I’m saying is that the bands I like to listen to ON drugs still sound good OFF drugs…
Huh... I can appreciate how great this band was live when Jerry was kicking, but this album is dull. Ripple, Operator, and Friend of the Devil are all great tracks but this whole thing is lacking. I think they just don't translate. Wanted to love this but I barely liked it.
I don't understand the cult obsession of this band. Nothing too interesting here that hasn't been done better by their contemporaries
Ugh.
I have to confess that this is the first time I've ever listened to a whole Grateful Dead studio album. They aren't exactly known for their studio work. Now I can see why. This album is boring. I've always found their live recordings to just be so-so anyway but this is almost unbearable. It's like a shitty country album where most of the songs are played too slowly and there are never any changes. Terrible vocals. Sloppy instrumentation. Poor production. It must be a lot easier to like after you've dropped acid continually for years. The one saving grace is Truckin' which is decent, or is it just the only mediocre track on an album otherwise full of absolute trash? 2/5 for Truckin' and the use of real instruments, albeit poorly played.
Pretty chill, nothing bad to say, but nothing stood out.
inoffensive but terribly boring
..
This album has som..zzZzzZzzzzZzz
Never really understood the hype around this band. Pretty standard "not that good" americana to me. Oh well...
It took a lot of coffee to finish this one. And when I say a lot, it means A LOT OF COFFEE.
Ich bin kein amerikanischer trucker
Sounded like something I would imagine playing in a bar in America. Fine but unlikely to revisit in many circumstances.
Mmm. Author’s favourite genre
Cozy but mostly forgettable.
music that some may use their ears to hear.
It's an ok album, kinda one note/bland overall, certainly not indicative of their jam band reputation. Feel like this is another questionable addition on this list, but I'm sure this isn't intended for everyone to love everything (see: Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells..).
2.5/5
Tried to go into this with an open mind. I've hated the Dead most of my life, based mostly on how much I despised the deadheads in high school and college I had to endure, and honestly NOT based much on the very limited amount of their music I had heard. Box of Rain was actually a really solid track! Maybe this will be OK... Well, that was short lived. This just takes a huge nosedive after the opener. I hate the harmonies and I hate the easy-country feel. Nothing about this rocks and I feel justified in my 40 years of dismissing this band and everyone who worships them.
WHERE HAS THE WEIRD GONE? Least Graeful Dead sounding album I've heard.
Kinda boring
a pretty chill, though a bit too much maybe... not really my cup of tea, though I appreciate the overall early-70's folky vibe
Saai, niet mijn ding. Nummers niet echt boeiend, alleen Truckin' is nog wel aardig.
I liked this, but I just wasn't in love with this. Maybe I had super high expectations. It's the kind of album I wouldn't skip on shuffle but wouldn't seek out voluntarily. If a 2.5 rating existed, that's what it would get. I don't feel like it's a 3 (because I gave Dusty Springfield that when I genuinely enjoyed most of the album) but I don't feel like it's a 2 (because I gave Eminem a 2 solely for the nice beats). Welp. Favorites: Operator, Till the Morning Comes
tja, 70er, folk, country - tönt ein wenig wie bee gees und beach boys auf valium.
I suddenly understand why a lot of people turn 30 and start listening to the Grateful Dead as background music to help them focus on their spreadsheets at their white collar 9-to-5 jobs. I was pleasantly surprised by how pleasant this is on vibes alone. And if you want some vibes ✌🏻☮️, this is full of them. But then I started to put on my ✨active listening✨ ears, and all that positivity crumbled to the ground, because Jesus fucking Christ is this unstructured. Everyone is playing a radically different part that doesn’t even sound like the same song. The lyrics are meandering, and there’s barely a semblance of pop song structure here, only a paper bag wisp of a chorus-like melody. This metaphorically sobered me up quick, and I realized I was listening to an ugly band all night!! And realizing this aspect made it hard to fall back into the vibes I felt earlier, and when I did, it instead gave me a whole different vibe 😴 I’m almost impressed by this. How can a band be so sloppy, yet, if you’re only kind of paying attention/are intoxicated, they sound not only tolerable but enjoyable? And I think this is just the nature of jamming, where everything is “correct” but never overpowering enough to be distracting. So a part of me sees the value of this record, but another part of me knows I’ll never revisit it, so maybe praising it for being “good background music to listen to passively” is actually a slight, even if I mean it more positively.
Few good songs but not my cup of tea.
It’s ok. Friend of the Devil is great but I like Tom Petty’s and the Counting Crows’ version much more. Very little diversity in the sound.
I'm confused. I always thought that the Dead were a rock band - one of the loudest bands around at the time - but this is at best folk rock, similar to what CSNY were doing. Quite pleasant, but nothing to write home about. My favourite tracks were "Attics of My Life" and "Truckin'".
Bland folky rock. Not terrible but not memorable in any way. 2 stars
I'm GRATEFUL that this type of music is DEAD Ara en sèrio, vaya pal tu. És un estil que normalment m'encantaria i m'ha semblat avorridíssim avui. Del pitjor que he escoltat en aquesta llista d'àlbums. Era com que l'escoltava i pensava "M'hauria d'estar agradant molt però no puc esperar a que acabi". Li poso 2 perquè sé que en un altre dia ho hagués gaudit més, però n'hi posaria 1 si no. Expected Lorenzo Rating: 3
Puh - this sounds so old. Is it country or western? 😇🤣
I know it's now in vogue to dismiss the Grateful Dead and I might just be piling on, but man this was so middling and forgettable. It feels like the least interesting version of Americana, a genre I do in fact like.
Truckin is the best song on the album. Much faster tempo and enjoyable. The rest of it is just a slow crawl through the doldrums.
not my thing
never got the hype, still don't box of rain ripple truckin'
Не понимаю за что их хуесосят, но и не понимаю за что возводят в ранг святых. Обычный фолк от объëбанных кислотой хиппарей для таких же хиппарей.
Don't know if it was my expectations of a such famous band, this album was decidedly mediocre. Maybe even a bit less than mediocre. It's a whiff of folk, mixed with white people blues, with a sprinkle of country and some psychedelics. And it excels in none. This is so incredibly bland that I now have to read up on how this became such a household name in counter-culture. Because it can't have been the music.
Никогда не слышал эту группу, но она была в жоже, а значит Араки большой фан. Ноооо честно скажу, я ожидал чего-то... потяжелее? А это какой-то оч лайтовенький рок-н-ролл. Ну совсем не то, а где мертвецы благодарные? Если они и есть, то они какие-то диснеевские, чёт там выплясывают на заднем плане, шмувят, трясут костями. Не зачёт!
I’ve enjoyed the occasional Grateful Dead song. But they feel so much like background music. Nothing urges me to relisten to them. And I certainly won’t be coming back to this. But also it isn’t really bad. It just kinda exists. 2.5/5
"American Beauty" by the Grateful Dead is a country/folk rock album. While this album is regarded as one of the group's best studio albums, it leaves a lot to be desired. Some people are fanatical about Grateful Dead but the magic does not come across in this record.
It’s rock somehow (but it isn’t)
Bore off mate
Nothing really interests me here. Folk rock us not my style. Truckin is the best song here, and that's not saying much. At least it is a mellow album.
Hätte ich gerne mal live gesehen. Aber so, ne...
HIPPY BALONEY!!!
Never heard a Grateful Dead album before. Probably not going back.