American Beauty

You might know American Beauty from Freaks and Geeks. If you’re like me, you know it as the response every Deadhead will give when confronted with the fact that the Dead were not a good studio band (as in: “but American Beauty, maaaan”). So here it is, the sole documented successful studio outing from one of the most overrated bands in American history. Let’s rewind a little, though. The Dead rose to prominence as regular performers at Ken Kesey’s Acid Tests. If you’ve ever taken LSD, you’ll know that the bar for entertainment while tripping face is low. I once watched a friend try and tape a kaleidoscope to his head, so he could spend the entire night looking through it while on LSD. It was the funniest thing in the world to me that night and if I’m being honest, I still find it extremely funny, but that’s because it’s a pretty dumb thing to try to do and I got to witness it. He had a full head of hair and tried to duct tape a kaleidoscope around it. Zero thought was given to what would actually happen when he had to take the tape off his head, he just wanted stare through a kaleidoscope all night. As a result of the Acid Tests, or maybe before (I don’t know for sure and don’t really care enough to get the timeline straight, it’s ancillary to my point), The Dead linked up with Owsley Stanley, audio engineer and America’s foremost manufacturer of LSD at the time. Stanley built the Dead’s Wall of Sound and was their live sound engineer. So, the Dead were touring the country with the nation’s supplier of LSD, turning every concert into their own Acid Test, but people, to this day, will swear that the Grateful Dead were such a cultural phenom because they were master musicians and that the drugs were secondary. Remember when Bach used to give out absynthe at his concertos? Those master musicians, always getting their audiences off their gourds in order for their music to be “truly” appreciated. …and in order to fully “appreciate” what a great live band the Dead were, you’ll have to go through thousands of hours of bootlegs and find the ones where they weren’t an omnishambles on stage. When the Dead were bad, they were baaaaad. Regarding their studio work, Jerry Garcia and the band have admitted in interviews that the Dead never really got it right in the studio and couldn’t capture their live energy in the studio environment. They did this shit for nearly 30 years and couldn’t get it right in the studio. Let that sink in. American Beauty is probably the closest they got to making a “great” studio album. At the least, it’s an album you can sit through and not be too terribly bothered by most of the songs. Most of the songs aren’t especially tuneful, however: they’re overly busy with guitar licks and the vocals leave much to be desired. At best, it’s a mid-tier early 70’s Americana/roots rock outing. 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. You could even argue that The Kinks’ Muswell Hillbillies does it better and more interestingly…and those dudes are from England. The Dead are vastly overrated and mythologized. American Beauty, the crown jewel of their studio output, is no exception.

Groovy, good vocals harmonies

Good folky rock, not as special as I expected.

I’ve always had a hard time getting past the Phil Lesh’s vocals on Box of Rain and the harmonies are not tight. I can be more forgiving of their vocals and harmonies live but I think they could’ve gotten some better takes. I like their later 70’s albums and their live stuff better - never been a fan of their blues songs or their folky stuff. I do like David Grisman’s mandolin playing. Phil Lesh’s bass playing is so weird on friend of a devil. I like Brokedown palace .

Some of these songs are super nostalgic for me, like friend of the devil and truckin. Brokedown palace is cool. I think they write some great songs but the performance is not exciting to me. The vocals are not good

My favorite was Brokedown Palace. I enjoyed it but I don’t understand why they have such a crazy following. A lot of the songs remind me of church songs.

Good shit

3.5 I’m not a dead head but good music is good music.

fairly bland considering the deads reputation, however luckily for this album it popped up on to the list a couple of days after i'd been on a day trip to Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco. listening to this hot on the heels of knocking about in their home town and the birthplace of the whole hippy counter culture thing it sort of works a bit better, even if the haight is now a bit of a tourist hippy pastiche. everything this album does was done better by love with arthur lee.

Heard it was shit

I was expecting a lot more from this. The Grateful Dead are such a legendary part of '60s counter-culture but on the evidence of this bland, middle of the road take on Americana I am struggling to see why.

One of my all-time favorites.

Can see why people like it. Just wasn’t anything special after first listen. Never have listened to Grateful Dead though. Sounds like many of the bands of that time.

A little bit too much country, GDead did other greater things

Aardig, maar sommige zeikerige nummers

For one of the most influential and inventive bands of the '70s, this is a pretty boring album. Should have included one of their live albums instead

I tried and have tried a number of times to listen and/or get into the Grateful Dead. I just can't do it. I understand their cultural/counter cultural relevance and I get it but it just doesn't do it for me. I wouldn't be upset if I was at a BBQ and it was on but listening to it in isolation it's a bit meh.

Gets a little better each time I've tried. I do find every Grateful Dead album fairly dull though. The mythology of the band does not match their output. That is not to say that they are not talented or are not sonically pleasing. There is just not enough to hook me and there's a lack of energy. Jack of all trades but master of none (3.0)

As someone who has never understood the (mass) appeal of the Grateful Dead, I can say this album...did nothing to change my mind. There are a few OK songs, enough to warrant the 3 star rating (Ripple, Truckin, Friend of the Devil, Sugar Magnolia), but for the most part what I've always thought of them holds true: boring musically and lyrically, sup-par vocally, just all around uninteresting.

I haven't listened to this band a ton, but when I do they always surprise me. I'm always expecting something more raucous, but there's an intricacy and depth to the music that's very compelling. Feels like there's a world behind the songs, a marker of great art.

The absolute pinnacle of The Dead's studio albums and probably the best starting point for someone new to their music. Rather than continuing to get lost in studio experimentation, they perfected the approach they began with "Working Man's Dead," where they focused on distilling their songwriting skills and myriad influences into these tight, well-crafted anthems. These songs would then of course go on to become mere starting points for further musical explorations in live settings on subsequent tours - particularly their 72 European tour (my personal favorite). For a band who isn't necessarily best known for their studio albums, this is a nearly flawless masterpiece. 5 stars for "Ripple" alone. Seriously, that is one the most timeless pieces of music I've ever heard. It's up there with things like "Amazing Grace" to me. Beyond Rock and Roll, or any genre for that matter.

I wish I liked Grateful Dead more, they are tight and sound great but the folk psych/rock is a bit boring for me. It's stereotypical but if I smoked a huge bowl I would likely definitely enjoy it more. 3 for enjoyment but 5 for legacy of sorts, so I'll go to 4.

Nothing special, I done think I will willingly go back to it

Tough one- brokedown place is a top 5 dead song easy. This album is full of amazing songwriting. Still, I’d put a live version of any of these tunes on before the album cut. Can’t wait to give 5s to Reckoning and Workingman’s Dean, but this one is a 4

I'm a huge fan of the Dead but mostly listen to their classic live material and hadn't heard this CD start to finish in a while. There's some incredible songs on here. But a lot of this material is just OK in the recorded LP format. "Operator" at least is mercifully brief. Overall the album has a bit of a thin sound and is awfully ballad-heavy. Their vocal harmonies on songs like "Box of Rain", "Ripple" and "Attics of My Life" carry through well, but the instrumental sound on most of the ballads is not that strong. The three rockers ("Sugar Magnolia", "Till The Morning Comes" and "Truckin'") all get a nice full sound, as does "Friend of the Devil" (the mandolin counter-melody on that one is delightful), but the others are mixed practically like A Capella. And overall the album lacks energy, in part from the mix, in part from how few rockers it has, and in part from how little Jerry's guitar is featured. I would've given "Europe 72" a 5. For whatever reason it's not on this list (there's a Grateful Dead / "before you die" joke to be made in there somewhere). I thought about giving this one a bump up as a make-up call but doesn't seem sporting. As recorded it's an average-quality album.

Bunch of really great tracks here, including Ripple, which is my favorite Dead song. In fact, as someone who only knew the band kind of tangentially, I think this album has almost all of the songs I was familiar with. Anyway, Ripple, Truckin', Sugar Magnolia, Friend of the Devil, all great.

Well.. outdated to some extent. Does not catch me

4/5 Ripple is the best song

Nice folksy stuff. Nothing special.

baita som

This is not a very exciting album. Just some Americana, trundling by, not making much of an impact. I'd hoped to be surprised and excited by finally getting round to the Grateful Dead, but I find myself sitting here thinking, I don't get it?!

Blómabarnatónlist, kom á óvart.

I’ve heard so much but my first listen to this band - just what this project is all about. I was expecting something more muddy, chaotic and psychedelic but this is the sound of The Coral - one of my top bands. Pleasantly surprised- beautiful melodic guitars, easy listening, mellow, harmonies, steel guitar, harmonica, dreamy, good rhythm section, surprisingly uplifting for a stoner band. The reviews for this are outstanding, I’ve never seen a 10 on Pitchfork.

The most striking element is the vocal harmonies. The music is a nice mixture of country, folk and rock making it a very pleasant listen. Most Dead albums feature long jams whereas this is a lot more song based.

Terrible

It wasn't what I remembered, but I remembered it being awful so that's a bit of a bonus

A load of reckless white boys roaming the American suburbs at the end of the 60s. What's to like?

This sucks - most songs just aren't great while others are OK at best. These guys should always sing in harmony so to obscure the poor singing quality... totally laughable singing. How on Earth was this band able to amass such a huge following? 3/10.

4/5. A mostly solid album of nice folk rock songs. Songs on here that are going to be on repeat for me. Some songs I will skip every time. Good ones outweigh the bad.

That was ok, it doesn't have the tight harmonies of say Crosby, Stills and Nash but it was pleasant enough in its own warbling way.

Clas west coast America hippie vibes. Listen again.

Not quite a dead-head just yet but this was cool

Love this album.

strong aversion

I listened but don't actually remember much about it

pretty dull

I feel like it's always too late to "get into" Grateful Dead – their catalogue is intimidatingly massive. I've listened to this album before though, and it seems like they've departed quite of bit into the jam band genre. Although this is early in their career, to my minimal knowledge and exposure, it's much more straight-forward than other music they've released. I do respect their cult-like following, and I like aspects of the GD aesthetic, but their music overall doesn't do much for me.

This was alright! I've never listened to Grateful Dead before, and this album wasn't what I was expecting; it was much lighter. I do like this brand of light acoustic rock with folk and country influences. A couple songs towards the end caught my attention but overall, I found this to be kind of bland and forgettable.

I'm sure they were fun to see live (or was it the drugs?) but overall I think the Grateful Dead were pretty mediocre as a band. Sometimes I like the way their voices blend together - a bit reminiscent of the Band's harmonies but not as good - but otherwise their music is pretty boring. This was okay. 3 stars.

It's fine. The dead head thing has never got me? What draws people to this band over other folky rock bands like the byrids or the band. Dunno was fine.

It's inoffensive but I fail to see why deadheads are so fanatical.

Mid

Esto fue bastante aburrido

Kinda dull but not so bad

Rating: 6/10

Re listen later didn't finish

•Truckin’ and Till the Morning Comes are the only real standout songs from the album, and even then. Favourite song: Truckin’

pretty good album fun to listen to.

Surprisingly mellow and pleasant. Not sure why, but I thought it was going to be more rock.

Yeah, not gonna listen this time. Good long run late to tacos, angst and emotions so we’re going to bratt. Some conversations are worth letting the ice cream melt

Just a snooze fest. Can’t do it.

masterpiece. brooks is a freak.

I enjoyed this, It's my first full Grateful Dead experience.

A decent album. The Dead just don’t spark joy in me.

This is a pretty good collection of songs let down by poor production. Lacking oomph in places.

It was pretty good.

really liked friend of the devil

5th August 2022 Listened in the morning while pottering. Chilled at Jake’s Friday night watching the first game of the season. They’re a band I could definitely get in to more, this album is very well made with gorgeous vocals and exceptional musicianship.

What a weird album. I either hated or loved every song on it. All the hits were great. “Operator” and “Candyman” were complete garbage. I’m giving it 3.5 stars but it could have easily been 1 or 5 depending on which songs they kept.

Too soft/countryish for me

Grateful Dead were an acquired taste for me, but I love this album so much now.

Els discos d'estudi de Grateful Dead sempre han semblat la nina lletja de la seva discografia, exceptuant uns pocs clàssics. Aquest és un d'ells, continuació d'un altre ('Workingman's Dead'). Rivalitzant amb The Band pel títol de la gran banda d'arrels nordamericana, títols com la indispensable 'Truckin'', 'Attics of My Life', 'Sugar Magnolia' o la reivindicació de Bob Weir a 'Box of Rain' van ajudar a fer d'ells la institució en la cultura del país com ja fa temps que se'ls considera

kjedelig

Kjedelig af

Country. Ni fu ni fa.

it’s good but i don’t really have anything else to say about it. ive never heard of this album before but i will no doubt listen to it again.

Groovy vibes.

Very good!

Didnt really grab me at any point, a couple of alright tunes.

Never really got in to the dead, and have just always had varied associations with them. This record is objectively great, the middle set of Candyman, Ripple, and Brokedown Palace is excellent and I can see how this album has been so enduring for so long. Up there with any of the best of the classic American music records.

Mon premier Grateful Dead. Écouté en travaillant, rien ne s'est vraiment démarqué. Faudra peut-être que j'y revienne.

kjedelig

Really liked this one actually

Didn't realise this was country, awful

Kinda sounded like the Beatles mixed with Lynnard Skynard mixed with CCR.

Overall a pretty bland listening experience. The songs just kind of chug along with nothing really happening, and many of them feel indistinguishable from one another. Nothing offensively bad, just feels very unengaging to listen to.

Aptly named. This is a beautiful album of genuine Americana rock. Such a lovely, folksy, rocking album. And it doesn't even have any of my favourite Dead songs on it!! But damn, it's just so good. Jerry can take the wheel any time, I know I'm in good hands. Ripple is a standout track, and Truckin' is the ultimate ode to road trippin', but Friend of the Devil is a powerful ditty too. I can see why people tossed their lives aside to follow these guys and jam all day long. What a cool, chill way of life. Wish I'd been able to do the same. Rest in power, Jerry! Fucking love you dude. And the rad ice cream you inspired too :)

Very 60’s. Hippie music. To be expected. Listened to the whole album. Not a Deadhead.

I'm apathetic. I like classic rock but this is just hippie spiel.

Ihan lepposa levy. Ei ehkä nyt soittolistoille pääse, mutta kuunteli kivasti läpi.

Tää kantri ei vaan puhuttele. Ihan jees toki

Never listened to Jerry and the band much, if ever, before. I was excited to hit the grateful dead train. This left me a little underwhelmed. Maybe I needed a tie-dyed shirt ..

A nice spot of acid-tinged rock. My dad asserts it's a 5 but I beg to differ.

Loved it. The harmonies were amazing.

Definitely overhyped. People say that Grateful Dead were at their best when performing live... too bad I'm not a fan of live music. As is American Beauty is a weird mix of americana, country and psychedelic rock that's just fine but doesn't excel at any of thise particular genres.

p206. 1970. 2 stars. Bland late 60's/70's CSN&Y wannabees with no redeeming features. Sounds like the less talented younger brothers of the Band. Well done of its kind, but utterly forgettable. Not essential listening.

Som muito bom de ouvir, do Country a pegada estilo Beatles. Truckin com um baixo bem legal

I quite enjoyed this one. Hadn’t listened to much grateful dead before. Might listen to some more.

First time for everything etc. Actually, I get the appeal. But I don't get the fanaticism. Nor the line in The Boys of Summer. So what if a Deadhead wants to drive a Cadillac? We all succumb to the dark side eventually, one way or the other...

Grateful Dead was another of those that I didn't have a strong opinion either way on. Not terrible, not great, unlikely to listen to it again.

Nice, gentle, country folk style stuff. A couple of recognisable songs (Friend of the Devil and Ripple), but was all a bit chilled. 3/5, pleasant enough to listen to but not particularly memorable.

I just cannot get into this band. They bore me to death. Is it terrible? No. Will I ever like it? Probably not.

very notable standard. Appreciated the folk sound.

Literally my first time listening to the Dead. A band I always had low on my list to check out, but never got around to. Well, now I have. Don't have much great things to say. Passable, jammy country tunes with a steel guitar or acoustic. Harmonies that don't always sound great. Tunes that just aren't for me.

This is not the best of the Dead. In fact, some of these tracks are just poorly executed. Disappointing, because the highs are really high. Best track: Truckin'

Before today, I have heard of The Grateful Dead but I'm not sure I could name any of their biggest hits. I am excited to listen a "new" band. I love this album and the whole folksy style. Very easy to relax and listen to. I am eager to listen to the rest of their discography.

American Beauty is supposed to be the best studio album of Grateful Dead. It clearly shows that for something spectacular you have to listen to the live stuff. This album is tame and the songs are ok, not great.

A really nice album. The whole thing has a very warm and sunny vibe to it. 7/10

Got into this originally from the final scene of Freaks and Geeks. Listened to it ever since. Perfect summer album

I was never a big Dead fan, though when a friend put Friend of the Devil on a mix tape it swayed me to consider that I hadn’t given them a proper chance. Still not entirely my thing, but listening to this now I can see that there is a resonance that transcends its genre and era.

I've never gotten the whole Grateful Dead phenomenon. I've tried, even when I worked at an outdoor goods store where lots of people where into them. Didn't get into either with a roommate with tons of recordings of live shows. But this album is nice and of its time.

Truly one of the greatest albums ever made. Friend of the devil is one of my favorite songs ever

Friend of the devil and truckin live rent free in this head

GOAT jam band

Too country for me

Like.

6/10 Best Song - Candyman

yee-haw Prefs: Box of Rain, Sugar Magnolia, Attics of My Life, Truckin' Moins pref: Ripple

Two of the loveliest songs every written are on this album. Ripple and Brokedown Palace come on the same tracklist as other popular songs Friend of the Devil, Sugar Magnolia and Truckin'. The Grateful Dead are a polarizing band, you either like them or you don't, there is no in between. Their songwriting and musicality are simplistic at best, but don't let a studio recording convince you of their influence and impact without listening to them live. The time to see them live with Jerry at the helm has passed, but their spearheading of a new genre within rock and roll has kept their style of music going since the late 60s. You can't really argue with an impact like that. 4/5.

Still not a deadhead, but worth a listen

A pretty boring album by the Greatful Dead. Felt like any other country rock from the 70s. Best: Truckin' Worst: Candyman

This is the first time I ever listened to a Grateful Dead album. I find that shocking since they are a well known band with lots of die hard fans. In fact I just met someone last week who talked about a vacation in the 90s when he went to a number of Grateful Dead shows. I previously said that it's hard to like more than a handful of folk bands. You need to dedicate time to really get to know them. These guys deserve one rating in the 4/5 category since they are legendary but this isn't the album to dole it out.

It's a bit hard to believe that so many people, Americans, jumped on this hippy/country/folk sound in 1970. There's a strong CSNY influence. I prefer the songs that feature a single lead vocalist.

This wasn't bad, but it's really not my jam so I couldn’t get thru it. But what I heard was a solid 2

Vjerojatno njihov najbolji studijski album

snoozefest

Lekker albumpje

Best Song: Truckin'. The layered vocals are nice here, and the rhythm is real rhythmic. Despite the name, doesn't actually feel like driving music. Driving montage music, maybe. Worst Song: Candyman. So slow. So staccato. So wispy in the vocals. Overall: I'd never listened to the Grateful Dead before. All I knew was that they had a cult following unlike any other band. If this album is indicative of what their stuff is like, then I really don't understand. It isn't bad, but it certainly isn't interesting enough to warrant a cult. Sleepy dad rock.

Soft rock/country. It has a country feel but is lacking any real soul or tunes. Like a guitar with no strings. Best Tracks: Box of Rain; Friend of the Devil; Truckin'

Great sound and definitely something I like, but I feel like it was missing something that would really make them as legendary as they are.

Entertaining and very easy listening. Definitely could feel the relaxed, California-vibe. Enjoyable album although it's lacking real stand-out songs

just dull, sounds like a bar band playing CSNY but forgetting how the melodies work

I don’t know nothing about whatever this will be ( hope it’s good)… The album starts off with box if rain I like how the other peoples vocals get placed on here the song really lacks a hook until right at the end but lots of intro tracks don’t have any so it’s fine. Friend of the devil is a good song I like how the verses get faster throughout it’s very folky but very good. Sugar magnolia is a small step down from the first two it’s still a good track but just maybe tone down the “doo do do’s”. Operator is a good song fells like it’s used to bridge the gap a little being the album’s shortest song also there’s some annoying screwing sounds ( probable least favourite.) Candyman is great a nice slow closer to side one, I can’t say for certain but it seems like the song is either about some sorta creep or at least something dodgy going on. Ripple has a good intro also I like the extra guitar works on the chorus to sound… well like a ripple and the outro is cool. Brokedown palace is not the best but its a really nice slower song but specially I like the buildup on this song. Next up is till the morning comes a song that brings back the energy, if I were in the shoes of this group I may have swapped this and brokedown palace. Now the penultimate track attics of my life , the song starts off with quite a cool guitar part then goes into these sorta heavenly vocals.Around 2 mins in the energy builds up ever so slightly which works well. And while the song lacks any hook it’s still my favourite. Finally truckin probably another favourite I may have swapped this and attics of my life but I get that the band would want to put it’s only real single on the album in quite a significant position. Well it’s sure a treat! Some very good songs, fine I would prefer a different running order for side two but it wasn’t an unlistenable order just something I might change on spotify.

Thought I liked Grateful Dead but found dis a bit boring.

I listened to this album and Workingman's Dead on repeat almost exactly a year ago in spring, and I haven't revisited it much beyond that following summer. A lot of people like the live albums of these jam bands, but I really enjoy these two polished works. In a lot of ways they remind me of CSNY. The jangly guitar, those harmonious vocals, and the cheery hippie lyrics. No bad tracks, and there's something I enjoy about each of them. All the tracks have a good length. If you want longer, there are the live albums. There's a lot of classics here. It took some time for me to appreciate the bluegrass "Friend of the Devil," but eventually it all grew on me: the fast pace, Garcia's everchanging vocals, and that twingly guitar solo. "Ripple" is by far my favorite Grateful Dead song. Beautiful melody and songwriting. Inspirational, excellent use of imagery and metaphor, each line hits you one after another. "Truckin" is their biggest pop hit (if you exclude their 80s comeback), and it's an outlier as their bluesiest and most passionate vocals, as well as Weir's rockabilly performance. I especially like that last minute finish. The small things - like the distant country guitar in the background of "Sugar Magnolia", the harmonica in "Operator", the ghastly mood of "Candyman", the grooviness of "Till the Morning Comes" - establish each songs' character, engraving each of them in my mind. When the Grateful Dead performed at my school in 1970, they brought along a student to play piano on this album's recording of "Candyman," my favorite country song on the album, which I find really cool.

Holds some of Grateful Deads best songs.

Good album, influences are clear, and much of their sound has influenced a bunch of other people. Truckin' was my favourite, but it was pretty solid all the way

I will never willingly listen to this.

Lilting folky rock with slightly darker lyrical themes

Peut-être pour pas cher (trop vedge)

boring af

unremarkable

I've never listened to a whole Grateful Dead album, so that was a worthwhile check on my list. It's got a good folksy sound and I get the appeal of the mellow ambiance it creates as a whole. Nothing really there to grab your attention and pull you away from that vibe.

Never had the motivation to be on the Grateful Dead bandwagon. Nothing really ever appealed to me. Listening today, the music was nice enough and more of the tracks were familiar to me than I expected. Still not driven to become a fan, but I enjoyed the album today.

I've managed to avoid listening to Grateful Dead all this time. Not sure why I was so hesitant but I liked this quite a bit.

The Grateful Dead was one of the groups that came to mind when I signed on to this site. I had never listened to an album from either and thought I should listen to an album from them. And so here is AMERICAN DREAM. The country-folky sound at first surprised me, but after a few seconds I realized that I shouldn’t be surprised. I sat back and loved this album! Really nice music. Great early 70s sound. No complaints here! I knew the song “Truckin’” and when I heard “Box of Rain” it was very familiar. Really enjoyed “Operator” with what I believe to be a guiro as a great addition to the percussion (we had a guiro as a child that I loved playing… but I had to do a little research today to figure out what that thing was called). The spacey “Candyman” was really nice. I enjoyed it all.

I just loved it

I bash hippies and their ilk a lot. I generally hate their music and their...ways. A lot of my ratings here use the term and never positively. Surprisingly I do not and never did hate Grateful Dead. Well, their studio music anyway. I don't need an 18 minute drum solo or whatever nonsense. I'm the guy who hates live Dead and is fine with studio stuff. Odd in a way. American Beauty is ok. I'm very casual about this band. I like some stuff, other stuff kinda bores me. I like the country rock sound. When done right it's pleasant. A 3 seems fitting. I guess a friend of the devil is a friend of mine after all.

There’s no lack of late 60s early 70s folk-rock-americana on this list, but this is a particularly pleasant example. Why do I know Ripple so well? As soon as it started, I was humming along but I’ve not heard this album and apparently it’s not in a film… Maybe it’s just an all time classic but it’s now my favourite song I didn’t know I knew.

The first few tracks (and Truckin') are awesome but it definitely loses me in the middle when it gets too slow and meandering.

Easy listening like I was on an old VW bus.

A chill, pleasant album. It gives me “summer afternoon barbecue” vibes. No particular song rose above the rest, but I wouldn’t complain if one showed up on a playlist.

Not gonna lie, I know this album reasonably well from my teenage years, so hard to disentangle it from nostalgia for me; but Box of Rain, Friend of the Devil, Sugar Magnolia, Ripple, are all great songs and definitely enjoy the vibes of this.

I enjoyed it. I listen to these while working so they are mostly background music and I am not analyzing each song or getting super invested. That being said, this is much more my speed and was GREAT for just playing in the background. However I do like songs with a bit more weight and musical oomph. Found it a little bland. Very easy to tune out. There was nothing memorable about it at all.

Interesting, seminal country-rock. Very easy listening.

I've never been a dead head. Bed head, yes. They do have good harmonies. And some pretty iconic songs that remind you of the 60s and 70s, because you've mostly forgotten what they were.

A couple of known songs, but sounds very samesy and boring (duplicate album in my review history).

I actually haven't listened to a lot of Grateful Dead albums, so I didn't know what to expect. This one has several songs I'm familiar with and it has a nice mellow country-rock vibe throughout. I'll probably listen to more albums around this time period because I quite like it, but I'm not interested in becoming a Deadhead anytime soon.

An absolute classic. Not perfect, but have very fond memories of listening to this one in days gone by

When I read I was gonna listen to 'American beauty' by the 'Grateful dead' I expected some kind of metal band with lots of criticism for the state of humanity. This was just an easy listeb and bop. Not to say I didn't like it, but it's just much less.... Eventful than I expected

Good vibes.

Friend of the Devil is a classic and the Mumford and sons cover is sweet also

Ganzo. Però anche troppo country e mi smaga un pochetto.

An alright album. Not a big fan of grateful dead

Not for me.

Comienza bien pero va desacelerando hasta llegar a un paso tranquilo que a mi gusto se estanca y no varia sino hasta el final. De la canción 5 a la 9 pareciera el mismo track y me terminó aburriendo. Tienen un sonido agradable pero nada que me interese volver a escuchar. 2.5 que baja a 2 porque pese a haber escuchado el nombre muchas veces y pensar que era una banda que tenía "pendiente" no me quedaron nada de ganas de conocer más de ellos o volver a escuchar este disco.

Jipis piojosos de los que esperaba un poco más… Tienen mucha fanaticada y muchos músicos que me gustan los citan como sus influencias y les hacen covers, pero la neta es que se necesita un poco del mood San Francisco con olor a tapete quemado para que el disco te llegue. No significa que no me haya gustado; de hecho "Friend Of The Devil" se me hace una gran rola, pero si prefiero un poco más de acción.

Yeah it this was quite pleasant but I wonder if it needed more of my attention. it didn't massively stand out to me in any way but I appreciated pretty harmonies in the singing

I like the Grateful Dead and know they are a legendary band but just didn't quite click with this album like I have with others of theirs and I don't really know why. Maybe just not in the mood for it!

Miten bändi, jolla on näin hc nimi, voi olla näin kantria? Ihan söpöö mellow-musaa, mut eipä tää tunteita juuri herätä.

Get on the bus

I know the Grateful Dead were famous for being a live band so I guess it's hard to evaluate their albums because this is just bland. Also the mixing sucks.

J'ai décidé d'accorder un quatre à ces gars-là pour leur banane et leur bonne humeur contagieuse. Des personnes extrêmement sympathiques. Passons maintenant au dossier épineux que doit traiter Robert très rapidement, vous avez bien compris de quoi je veux parler. Aujourd'hui, eltrapeze a violé le septième commandement du décalogue de Robert "7. Tu n'écouteras les albums qu'après leur génération, quand bien même tu les connaîtrais déjà." Il s'est rendu coupable d'avoir écouté l'album Heroes de David Bowie, évidemment partie intégrante de la liste des 1001, sans que celui-ci n'ait été généré au préalable. Le dossier est pris très au sérieux par Robert et pourrait observer un dénouement très prochainement, je vous partagerai toutes les informations qui me parviendront dans les jours qui viennent.

Je m'excuse auprès de tout le monde pour cette série d'albums insipides que nous devons nous coltiner, j'en suis le principal responsable comme expliqué dans mon review précédant. Tout devrait revenir dans l'ordre dès demain, puisque Robert nous a promis un album de Radiohead pour repartir sur les chapeaux de roues après cette punition bien méritée. Le firewall anti virus robien a été rétabli sur mon générateur pirate, aucune nouvelle erreur ne surviendra de mon côté, ce qui nous permettra de profiter pleinement de l'expérience offerte par Robert.

Fantastic

Easy listening, country

not my thing

Un bon divertissement. Bonne musique qui fait très 70s au soleil en roadtrip au US.

The Dead are pretty good for being dead.

Good vibes

I'm not a deadhead, but this is a nice-sounding album. 3/5. Standouts: Truckin' Other: Box of Rain, Friend of the Devil, Ripple,

Has some good songs has some weaker ones.

Dehär va rockin fr

If there’s any Grateful Dead album you have to listen to before you die, it would be a concert recording. This is a good album, however

Helt swag, älskade Trucking

At first, I pegged this as disappointingly square, given that my one Grateful Dead album (the debut) is as loose as a pocketful of change and totally wild. But after a few songs the squareness started sounding tight, and tightness has merits of its own. They pick pretty and sing straightforward, the wooden rhythms still have forward motion, and from the lyrics I picked out there's something going on in every song. And then I checked the run times. Four 5+ minute songs? If they can keep shit sounding tight at those lengths, this can't be the downhill slide I feared.

Good album. I have some emotional memories mixed up in a couple of these songs.

A bit on the slow side but a very enjoyable album. It truly felt like listening to "an slice of America" from the late 60s early 70s.

The Dead make folded music, which I happen to like, and it's easy to listen to in its folk clothes. If American Beauty stuck to the high points of the opener and Till the Morning Comes, occasionally dipping into territory like the closing track, it would be a great album. As it slowed down, though, I found myself merely liking it. The musicians are playing with something as the tunes unravel, but not with something as complicated or rewarding as one would hope.

more like the basedful dead 10/10 some of the lyrics are kind of stupid but I still think it has a lot of value and heart

Pleasant enough, but no more, with one or two exceptions

Meh, never could get into the dead. Was hoping now I would but still can't. Only song I like is the last song "Truckin". Have to go take a shower now.

I find Grateful Dead quite an intriguing band that capture my imagination. I have a soft spot for this album which seems to feature in quite a lot of American film/ TV and fits that really well.

One of those influential bands I keep reading about but I've not heard much of their work. Whenever I do, I'm always surprised it's not some heavy gothic rock music... I don't think it's really for me. Some nice foot-tapping bits but 'nice' is about as far as it goes - I found it fairly bland. Supposedly they meld lots of disparate genres but maybe the whole is less than the sum of its parts?

I love this. I have given it multiple listens now. Not nearly as psychedelic as I was expecting. It's a band of fantastic musicians (but not self indulgent), clear crisp vocals, and catchy melodies. I wouldn't call myself a Deadhead just yet, but I'm on my way!

Lovely guitar. Must listen again

Classic Dead album. I always liked their sound.

Nope, can't do this... nope. nope. nope...

For how much time I spent around hippies living in Boone, NC for 5 years, I really don't know the Dead. This album was totally unrecognizable. None of the songs were familiar. The sound, on the other hand, was familiar. It sounded like pretty typical southern rock. There was some other Cali band we listened to that also did the southern rock sound... ah, it was CCR! Anyway, the CCR album stood out in that genre more than "American Beauty" did. I didn't get any sense of what made the Grateful Dead special from this album. I then checked out some of the Dead's most popular songs, and I recognized most of them (though not the ones from this album). But I didn't really recognize them as Grateful Dead songs usually. It was more of an "I know this one... this is the Grateful Dead!?" kind of thing. So I'm surprised how little I really knew the Grateful Dead. And also surprised how little I cared for this album, though the other popular songs were a bit better.

I would have told you I didn't know any Grateful Dead songs but I did surprisingly know a few of these, the best of which was Friend of the Devil. I was glad to listen to an album with normal length tracks. The live albums and 25 min of jamming for one song are unbearable. Since this album was pleasant and concise by comparison, it gets an extra star.

The first time I heard Truckin’, it blew my mind. High school me was hooked. I’ve had my chips cashed…all-in…since then. I love this album. It’s easily in my top 15, probably top 10. After several years pursuing psychedelic rock (read: jamming), The Grateful Dead got back to their blues and folk roots, with both American Beauty and it’s preceding album Workingman’s Dead, at the urging of David Crosby. In an effort to save money on studio time, the band rehearsed more before recording, resulting in a more streamlined and well organized arrangement. The efforts paid off handsomely. Truckin’ is still great after all these years and yes, the band did get setup and busted for pot in New Orleans. Ripple is a special, special song. It’s a simplistic, yet profound song about finding your own path in life. Friend of the Devil tells the tale of an outlaw trying to out run his mistakes and rueing them nightly. I can’t get enough of this song as well as Box of Rain, Sugar Magnolia, and Attics of My Life. The harmonies amongst Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, and Phil Lesh on Attics of My Life always get me. It’s beautiful stuff. I’ll finish with the one blemish on American Beauty, Candyman. No doubt Candyman it is a let down. It’s not horrible, but just a filler track. The biggest knock is that it is also the longest track on the album. BONUS!!!!!!!!!! The band worked on their throw back sound and released Workingman’s Dead just 4.5 months before American Beauty. The songs that were done were released on Workingman’s Dead in June while those still in flux were saved for American Beauty in November. Effectively, these form a double album. Workingman’s Dead is not on the 1001 list. It deserves a review, so I’ll tack it on here. The Grateful Dead, especially Jerry Garcia, we’re not confident about the sound of their voices. Crosby, Stills, and Nash to the rescue. CSN showed The Dead how to stack vocal tracks to blend and smooth out their voices. They didn’t get it quite right all the time on Workingman’s Dead as you can hear in High Time when they sing “high tiiimmmeee.” It’s harsh. They seem to have figured it out by American Beauty though. Of all the tracks on both albums, Uncle John’s Band is my favorite. The harmony throughout is on point. When the chorus shifts to a cappella near the end, I get chills…every…single…time. The lead guitar chimes in here and there to provide apt, short, fill-in licks. Perfectly timed, not over done. And the percussionist adds some kind of ratchet sounding thing that is well-placed. None of the other songs on Workingman’s Dead are as good as half the tracks on American Beauty, but they are all better than Candyman and Operator. I savor New Speedway Boogie, Easy Wind, Cumberland Blues, and really all 8 songs. Jerry Garcia’s pedal steel guitar is fantastic throughout the album. It gives Workingman’s Dead a more bluegrass-y sound than American Beauty. Overall the sound of both of these albums is reserved, not over ambitious (a good thing), and tight. These are not hallmarks of The Grateful Dead, who are mostly known for musical (aided by chemical) experimentation in an unstructured setting. It takes me back to albums like The White Stripes’s Elephant or xx by The xx. Those albums obviously have completely different sounds, but they share commonalities in their arrangement methods. Often times less is more, which applies here too. And this is what frustrates me personally about The Grateful Dead’s musical choices. These two albums demonstrate their extreme talent. These two albums are accessible and soooo remarkable. I am certainly grateful they were made, but at the same time I am left wishing the band had pursued more albums like them.

Such a fun, funky, folksy album. Love the mashup of bluegrass, funk, country, blues. It's no wonder people followed them all over the country

Nothing stuck out too much to me. Felt very country.

Listened Before: N Alright, man! The Dead! Pros: This album was great! Mellow and good harmonies. Wonderful guitars and a very peaceful mood. I will definitely be looking into more Dead later on. Cons: It drags a bit at the end. In particular I found "Attics of My Life" to be a slog to get through. Too sleepy. Maybe I'm not stoned enough. Good thing "Truckin'" comes after to wake me up. Added to Collection: P Songs added to playlist: Friend of the Devil, Truckin'

Folk country with a bit of psychedelic stuffs. Where did this album took me? Along the generic landscapes of the countryside of America? With Fields so green one can smell it? With a forest that is thick enough to cool the place but not thick enough to conjure funny images at night? Wooden house with beer barrels? I could go on, but this whole thing feels like coloring a greyscale photo. The place where this album took me felt colorless, and it only gains those greens and browns when I let my imagination paint the scene. Perhaps I'm too colorblind as of now to see the "American Beauty". I'm not sure if this is a good representation of Americana music, and I don't even know why is this so popular both among the critics and the listeners. I'm definitely colorblind at these stuffs.

Warm & wonderful. Like old friends playing in a basement. I'm later to The Dead party by decades but love this. Added.

скипнул

Not bad, but not really my bag. Sorry, fellas.

I did not enjoy listening to this album. My instinct has always steered me away from the Grateful Dead and I guess there's something to that. I feel like this album belongs to a certain time and place. Outside of that, it feels like a museum exhibit.

Hi- Box of Rain Lots of lovely 70's style hard-pan, less swampy swamp rock than CCR, well executed folk-rock. Not bad!

Best boomer music so far! Very relaxed, will definitely come back to this for porch drinkin

American Beauty lacks thrill and does not bode well for the impatient listener. Less thrill and more chill would be an appropriate assessment of the listener that this album appeals to. Background music is the best quality this album can conjure as nothing really seems to set itself apart. Perhaps a generational chasm separates this listener from the capability of real appreciation for the Grateful Dead's contribution here, but the context of this list does enable a sort of respect for this album. The album lends unsolicited advice to the bored listener to 'come back later' and the advice seems like a good piece.

Nice one

Meh

pretty chill rock has some country influence but you can hear why people want to hear this live

Not really for me

Twang

wasnt what i expected at all i heard the name a few times in the past and i expected it to be angrier? it reminds me of when i worked in that toy store and the boss would only play this one bruce springsteen cd on repeat and at some point it started sounding uncanny. theres nothing really wrong with it, just not for me

Not sure what else can really be said about this one.

Loved it

A classic for sure! So many great songs, here. I bought this one in high school. Alas, the stars never aligned so that I could see them live. I think I would have enjoyed that.

Very grateful and mesmerizing although it doesnt grip me all the time

2021.12.03

This is the best music Grateful Dead's ever put out and it still blows

good stuff! 4/5

much better than I expected, I don't know them so much somehow.

Good music but not my style.

This was shit

White people tacos night

I'm 26 years old, and this is my first time listening to Grateful Dead. This will not be my last. I absolutely love the harmonies.

3.5/10 Country Dead is pretty good

Really nice album, beautiful and fun

Really, really good shit. Peak dead and so smooth. I'm a weirdo in liking some of their album stuff better than their live stuff, and this is the dankest.

I dig it a lot, a lot

My favorite Grateful Dead album. Timeless.

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Ripple Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: I have a couple deadhead friends and I won't say they're wrong I'll just say that I don't get it myself. Guess you had to be there.

Imao sam tu neku fazu gdje sam ih baš htio zavoliti, pasao mi taj stil u to vrijeme, taj neki zabiti osjećaj da si negdje na zapadu, slušaš ovaku glazbu negdje kod benzinske stare. Taj stari folk/country rock. Zapravo mogu reći da album bolje zvuči sada, nego tada, više mi je sada ušima drag. Iskreno mogu i bez Truckin', možda da je Attics of My Life zadnja pjesma, e to bi bio poso (ujedno i favoritna).

Ja nakon šećerne magnolije: Mama pusti me, ja sam od sada grateful dead fan 👈😎👈

Enjoyable, easy listening!

Not what I was expecting, never listened to them before. You would think dead heads would rock a little harder

Enjoyable listen. Turns out I knew a few Grateful Dead songs without knowing it!

The music of this album is not complex by any means, which makes it to be an easy going listen. It gets a bit boring at times but overall a good album to relax to.

It was fine, nothing really stood out. I thought it was going to be more catchy or groovy, but it was very flat.

My only experience of 'the dead' was through their collaboration with Dylan at the end of the 80's. Listening to this I can see why they were a good match as there are echoes of The Band and The Wilbury's in this, but nothing truly lands unfortunately.

Never really listened to Grateful Dead before always imagined them to be somewhat rebellious. This was just spineless.

To my ears it seemed very generic and not really something I enjoyed all too much. It's like something some random garage band out in the midwest could have come up with. Nothing really stood out. 4/10

Excellent, Dead Americana and folk. Many great songs.

Meh.

I tried. I really tried. It's just way too folksy. No angst, no fire, too cute and self-absorbed. Not a fan!

Excellent album from the Dead. It's a solid listen, with a great chill vibe and beautiful guitar work. Fave Songs: Truckin', Box of Rain, Sugar Magnolia, Ripple

It all kind of blended together but it was tighter and more enjoyable than I expected.

A very good Americana album. I was surprised how many acoustic guitars on the album. I enjoyed most of the songs, the first and last being hilights 4 🌟

I just cannot get into this band. Even with the connection to my hometown and the rich history there....I just do not get it. It's a bit boring.

A tale of two albums. I I listened to this album in two different sittings. The first I was in relatively good spirits and it felt like a warm blanket. I was brought back to laying in the grass on a warm spring afternoon, enjoying the final years of being a youth. On the second listen I was a bit crabby and the music reminded me of loathsome prep school trustafarians. I would give this a 3.5 if that were an option. The album drags a bit in the middle section, but also has some stone cold classics.

My favorite Dead album. I had this on CD and know all the songs by heart.

Folksy, meditative, surprising

Classic Dead sound!

'Friend Of The Devil', 'Sugar Magnolia' and 'Till The Morning Comes' are the pick here, the rest of this album was a slog. Also people who say that the harmonies on this record are great obviously haven't heard a Beach Boys or Crosby, Stills & Nash record.

A little upset at liking this more than I thought I would... Guess this is getting older. Maybe it's time to try some live albums... Sigh

Kicks off with some enjoyable folksy guitar and decent tunes, then follows the template to diminishing returns as the album progresses. I’d rather listen to CSNY. That song about calling the operator was a bit much.

This is so easy to listen to. Soothing, rolls over the skin and senses. I cant say I'm 100% invested, but I have no desire to run away screaming either.

This album was a slog. Too country. But I like Sugar Magnolia and Brokedown Palace was decent.

Here we have another album that has no bad songs yet no songs that really stand out from the rest. It’s just a competent, solid Grateful Dead album. Fav songs: candy man, truckin

Country rock music. Está bien. No me ha encantado muchísimo, pero está bien. Un 4.

It's no wonder they all got fucked off their tits on this at Woodstock. Unadulterated hippy.

Eh. Never understood the Dead or the love for them. Not wired to, I guess.

Not vibing with it unfortunately :/

God, I really can't stand the Grateful Dead. I've never understood the hype. And this apparently 'legendary' album...why anyone would choose to listen to 45 minutes of janky country-ish songs with off-key vocals is nothing short of deranged to me. I don't get it. Sue me.

I have already listened to it and I liked listening to it again. Gives me the feeling of driving in the car with my brothers.

Weirdly combines lots of elements I like, country, banjo picking, stoner rock, but it didn’t really click. Maybe needs a few more listens, or just not for me.

Probably a grower

Never listened before – not what I expected. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Leuk rustig album

Oh aan zo een album had ik nood!

Not my vibe unfortunately… just beige country rock; by Americans for Americans!

Worth another listen

2/5 nope.

no idea why people followed this band around. you can do drugs at any show folks

Nice. like country music with weird lyrics.

Boring

I feel this must have been a seminal album at the time, but it just sounds dated. For stuff that was coming out at the time, like the Beatles, or Rolling Stones, this one just feels sort of lacking. Nothing really all that interesting which would be fine but lyrically it didn't seem inspirational either.

Альбом приятно звучит, но ничего кроме этого не запоминается. Помню в текстах что-то про кокаин и какое-то название у песни забавное, но его я уже не помню.

reminds me of the drive to go camping, nostaligic almost

It was ok. Not exactly my kind of music.

Joskus aikoinaan koitin kuunnella jotain Grateful deadia, mutta ei tuolloin uponnut ja en ymmärtänyt bändin kulttiasemaa ja bändiä kiertueella seuranneita faneja. En ymmärrä edelleenkään mikä tässä niin erityisesti puhuttelee. Ihan ok taustamusaa, ei siinä mitään, mutta ei tästä mitään erityistä mieleen jäänyt.

Nyt tuli genre puskista, kaikkea uutta sitä oppiikin. Jostain syystä olin kuvitellut Grateful Deadin olevan jotain 80 -luvun progemetallia. Tämähän olikin mukavan leppoisaa country/folk/americana -meininkiä. Ei mikään täyskymppi genressään, mutta taustamusiikkina meni oikein sujuvasti läpi pariin kertaan. Ehkä levyn alkupään biisit jäivät eniten mieleen. Lopussa kappaleiden keskinäinen samankaltaisuus alkoi vähän puuduttamaan.

This album is so relaxing, it would be perfect for chilling around a campfire or going for a stroll in the park on a sunny day. Nothing bad on here, but nothing sticks out as a standout on the first listen through. Definitely gonna listen to this again.

Pretty good american folk rock. Very pleasant. A 3.5 for me. For most of the album I thought I would round that up to a 4, but the last two tracks were pretty bad. Especially Attics Of My Life was horrible. Therefore rounded down.

First Listen. Very good stuff. Better than expected.

Too sleepy for me

If grateful dead are known for playing 12 hour concerts - this album is what they play at 2 am when everyone is asleep

Good, classic. Who doesn't like the dead?

Pretty good album. Favorite of their first five. 7/10

Never got on the Grateful Dead wavelength. Suspect that requires green stuff.

snore

So good, was really into this when I was 18/19 for some reason and haven't listened to since but still stands up.

Mellow country sound. 3 stars

Guess I'd prefer their more psychedelic side.

Would like to give this a five since it got me listening to more Grateful Dead, but I think a four is most accurate for me… really solid jam album

Pleasant album. I wouldn’t be upset if someone threw it on in the car, but I’m not going out of my way to listen to it