American Beauty

Can someone please explain the hype behind this band? They really don’t seem that special.

Classic hippie music, wasn't bad. I don't really get why they had such obsessive fans, the music seems good and the instrumentals are deceptive in that when you really start listening close you can see how much is going on with them.

Boring

Fantastic Americana from the best band in the world

I don’t get it

Had never heard of them, a pleasant discovery nonetheless.

:)

Forgettable 3

Didn’t enjoy at all

This music is all reds and greens and I’m sitting here colorblind.

Good listen. Friend of the devil is my highlight.

Smooth!

A great, laid back album. Friend of the Devil is an all time classic song, and the rest of the album is just a good time. Lots of acoustic and very cool harmonies.

Very nice sounding album. A bit too country for me

Boring

A mellow, lovely Grateful Dead album. I'm not always a fan of the Grateful Dead, but I can see myself listening to this again! Especially loved Box of Rain and Friend of the Devil.

Not bad, but I didn’t love it.

Not a fan

Beautiful vocal harmonies; jangling guitar; laid-back, feel-good melodies. I was already pretty familiar with this album, and while I wouldn't rank it among my favorite albums, I'll put it on every once in a while e.g. for a peaceful break on a long drive.

Good classic rock stuff.

first GD studio album I've listened to as opposed to live recordings. Still not a fan. Reminds me of a less likeable version of crosby/stills/nash and or neil young. Meh.

Why are their songs so...repetitive? It’s fine. One song I really liked - “Friend of the Devil”. This is kind of like Christian music without the Christians. On the plus side - Grateful Dead don’t suck as much as I assumed they do.

Ok, but folk is not my thing

Overall, it was an enjoyable album. Some songs seemed to drag a bit. Wren danced to every song. Mostly on her new beanbag chair.

A little too much folk for me. Great production and musicianship, and the lyrics are wonderful. But I'd rather listen to the Allman Brothers...

I don't have the qualms rusty has with the "folk/country rock style". that part i think is genius. mixing blues, folk, and psychedelic rock is - A OK with me. love it! I've tried time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time (oh wait this isn't a jam session or a record skip) again to get into the "dead". its always the same for me: vocals kill me. not just lead, but harmony too. i've spent a time or TOO in church choir. the serious yet still off pitch, but trying so hard to harmonize. in church choir it's all about THUH GEEEZZZUUUSSS. the dead sing so seriously about love and heartbreak and being alive. beautiful topics. just cant deal with the lack of vocal execution<PERIOD>

I own this one. Long time favorite. Fun listen, as I hadn't played it in years.

I was happy when I saw this album as today's recommendation. I own this album, and it is my favorite album from the Grateful Dead. The songs have elements of folk, americana, and country. My two favorite tracks are "Box of Rain" and "Ripple". I've learned to play both on the guitar (with varying success). Individually, each of these tracks would get 5 stars from me. "Box of Rain" and "Ripple" have lyrics that tumble around in my head every time I listen to them. I would not say that I know exactly what the lyrics mean, but at the same time they feel meaningful to me. All together, the album works as a whole and is definitively a 5 for me. (Perhaps 4.6 to 4.75 at the lowest?)

Not my vibe but I get the hype!

Nope. That was dull.

A classic from a band not known for their studio recordings. Standouts include Friend Of The Devil, Sugar Magnolia, Beautiful sounding album recording and engineering wise. The clear separation between guitars and vocals is impressive for 1970. "What a long strange trip it's been"

Nice but not outstanding would listen again

A folk rock album from the psychedelic Grateful Dead. Easy listening and good vibes are side effects from this album. Can't go wrong with some classic Grateful Dead!

Excellent album from a band that simply has the "jam band" label. This showed their early work and lyrics rather than just instruments

через пару часов после прослушивания поймал себя на том, что один мотив засел в голове и постоянно напевается. а потом понял, что это песня из альбома саймона и гарфункеля. А благодарный дед — ну не альбомная это группа, я хз. Так же как и с Крэмпс, это, вероятно, был мощный экспириенс живьем (хотя я тут послушал пару их живых тем, каждая по длине как этот альбом, если честно довольно унылый перфоманс), но в музыкальном плане никакого откровения не вижу от слова совсем. Ну да, кантри-роцк, даже психоделики, коей якобы отцами являются, не особо увидел. Без негатива, но переслушивать вообще не тянет, не моё. 5/10

Тот случай, когда понимаешь, что, вероятно, просто музыка не для тебя, но ты её понимаешь, и при этом слушать вообще не хочешь. Ну не, к такому снисходительно решил перестать относиться. Нормальное музло всё же не должно наталкивать на мысль вырубить. А тут просто уныль пустая. Эстетика которой, вероятно, так плотно вошла в культурный код, что воспринимается как generic, не вызывает эмоций, не интересна, скучна. Значит, проверка временем не пройдена. Значит - не одобряем.

Большую часть своей сознательной жизни думал, что Grateful Dead - это нечто сродни Black Sabbath, только пуще погруженное в оккультную тематику. Отсюда и незнание такой приятной музыки. В целом без откровений, но альбом было слушать в удовольствие.

Hmm

Proper Noel rock. Reminds me of the kind of music he'd stick on when we used to drive to the local swimming pool when I was like 6. I can't put my finger on what it is I really like about this album. I'd rate it somewhere between a 3 and a 4. Been meaning to check out Grateful Dead for a while, after someone recommended it a while back - I'll be listening to this one again

I always expect more out of the dead than I ever seem to get. Just okay at the end of the day.

Gefällt mir

Well the Grateful Dead are great, but mostly as a live band, probably should've looked for a live version of this album, but oh well.

Interesting. Shows it’s age a bit.

Wie Homer Simpson sagen würde: Laaaangweilig.

Hinter dem Bandnamen würde man ja eher Metall vermuten als Ohrwurmhippies. Kann man mal hören, ein paar richtig gute Tracks sind dabei, Friend of the Devil zB. Insgesamt vllt etwas seicht und eintönig.

I realised today that despite them being extremely well known and famous, I’ve never actually heard a single Grateful Dead song In my life. God knows why, I assume I just thought they were a bit of a shitty ‘yer da’ band but boy was I wrong. This album blew me away. It feels like a perfect blend of Simon & Garfunkel, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks. Such a perfect album to be out biking in the sun on a lovely Swedish spring day. I particularly liked Ripple even though it has the exact same structure as Country Roads and the same lyric scheme as Band Aid. Overall thoroughly surprised and impressed. A well deserved 4/5.

Great album, not listened to gd b4. Impressed

Meh. reminded me of a cell phone ring tone

Had some classic tracks on there that I didn’t realize were Grateful Dead songs. Good easy listening album

Really surprised my this. Didn’t realise GD were so folky.

I'm been putting of this review for a few days because slaughtering sacred cows makes me uneasy, but here goes: American Beauty's standing in the pop music canon is more due to it's place in the cultural zeitgeist of 1970 and the ferocious loyalty of The Grateful Dead's fans than any intrinsic musical value. The harmonies are wobbly, as are the lead vocals, instrumental performances, arrangements, and compositions. If any of these guys had sung in church, the choir director would have slipped them a quarter not to sing. The music itself is an amalgam of early rock 'n roll, country, folk, and most importantly bluegrass. That's crucial because the Dead were the only high profile band to incorporate bluegrass into their music at the time (the Byrds and others of their ilk stuck to country). Together with the shambolic vocals and performances, this lent the music a ramshackle stoned charm that resonated with counter cultural audiences of the time. I know because I was part of that audience, even if I wasn't much of a fan. I can't count the number of times I heard Box of Rain or Sugar Magnolia or Friend of the Devil sung around a campfire or played at a party or on an eight track cassette in a Volkswagen van with a bunch of kids getting stoned. Actually, the more bluegrass oriented songs, like Friend of the Devil, tend to be the strongest. (An offshoot of the Dead, Old And In The Way, went on to make a very good bluegrass album five years later.) I actually find the music charming in a low key way, but a bona fide classic this is not. Frankly, the biggest accomplishment of American Beauty is that it made bluegrass cool to a whole new generation. My guess is that Bill Monroe owes his latter day career resurgence in large part to the Dead.

I wish I hadn't listened to this already so I can experience listening to it for the first time all over again.

LOVED IT felt like a country man on a long drive back to my farm 10/10 stuff

Yeah

It was OK, but I'm not a fan of the Dead

Very nice

70s rock so a bit country, not too bad.

This was not what I was expecting but I found it enjoyable. Quite folksy and a 60s vibe. ***

Enjoyed it, especially some of the guitar work and vocal harmonies.

My cousin has a restaurant called Sugar Magnolias. I’m not a big Dead fan myself, but this was a good listen.

Nothing grabbed me.

Me deja un poco indiferente aunque tiene alguna buena

Listened through three times. Was not particularly impressed first run through but it did grow on me.

Bland, plodding, some noodly guitar that adds nothing to the mid-tempo dullness

Very of it's time. Was half dreading it as the only previous time ive heard them was 'dylan and the dead' which is shite. Bit bland, but ripple is fantastic. Overall, i enjoyed it but wouldn't rush to fire on again. 6.7/10

Ripple and Friend of the Devil were the standouts - pleasant but not incredible.

Never picks up from the slow pace. Dull to my ears

Inoffensive and a bit bland

Hippie music. Some nice jams if you're in the mood. Ripple," "Attics of my Life," and "Brokedown Palace" are all pretty good.

Hated it. Total drivel.

Bland plodding folk rock, most of it sounds like it should be montage music for 70’s American TV shows.

Bit of a slog, two stars

Reeks of west coast America, some nice harmonies and twangy guitar in places. I know they were huge in the U.S. not so much in the U.K.

Much better if I was smoking a doobie presumably

Enjoyable and easy to listen to. Nothing that rocked my world. But I liked it! Favorite track: truckin'

Dull

American Beauty just seemed too happy for me The songs weren’t necessarily indistinguishable, but nothing stood out, and before I knew it, the album was over. It’s completely inoffensive music that I could listen to while in line at a coffee shop that wouldn’t get me riled up or wind me down.

Not bad. Nice to drive to Aldi playing in the background

sounds like grateful dead. pleasant background what i'd call folk rock. i will return when i'm specifically in the mood but otherwise would make great playlist filler

Easy listening. Nothing to take offence too.

All a bit meh.

Klasyczny material wdziecznych truposzakow, jak dla mnie jedna z takich plyt ktora definiuje gatunek folkowego rokowania z domieszka kountry, nie wiem czy przemawia przeze mnie glownie sentyment do tego konkretnego albumu, ale dzwieki tych akustykow brzmia wyjatkowo cieplo, zwlaszcza na trakach takich jak ripple, jeden z moich ulubionych gratefulowych jamow, ciekawa sprawa jest to, ze praktycznie kazdy czlonek bandy mial swojego jama na tym albumiku, wiec nie ma tu klasycznego glownodowodzacego singera i grajkow, a raczej wymieniaja sie tym zadaniem, sprawa ma sie podobnie z pisaniem tekstow, bo banda wystepowala w tym czasie w 5 osob, ale jednak mieli dodatkowego czlonka, pana Huntera, ktory byl z Garcia filarem, jesli chodzi o tworzenie slow, przewinelo sie tez troche studyjnych muzykow przez ten album, bo jednak dodatkowe harmonijki, mandoliny, czy organy to jednak feature kountry, lirycznie album nawiazuje do swojego tytulu, bo to z hamerykanskich tradycji czerpie inspiracje, kawalki o tej jedynej kobiecie, miejscu do ktorego chce sie wracac, staruszkach ktorych szacunek starszkowy sie nalezy, zycie i zbrodnia jak na outlawa przystalo, wszystko to sie przewija, pojawiaja sie tez watki bardziej osobiste jak na otwierajacym box of rain, ktory pomimo tego, ze brzmi melodycznie jako szczesliwy jamik, to jest jednak lirycznie dosc smutna i stara sie walczyc z tym smutkiem, otwarcie drugiej strony plyty rowniez ma w sobie motyw wodny, bo jak sam tytul wskazuje ripple, sam kawalek jest chyba jednym z najbardziej spersonalizowanych trakow jakie slyszalem, bo spiewane jest o tym dlaczego w ogole jest spiewane oraz o tym jak ciezko jest spiewaniem przekazac to co sie chcialoby, a jeszcze trudniej zrozumiec to tak jak chcialby ten kto przekazuje informacje swym spiewem i nie tylko spiewem, mialem na plejke nie dodawac nic nowego, bo juz polowe albumu tam mam, ale jednak dodam jeszcze truckina, czyli zamykajacy kawalek i zarazem singiel promujacy plytye, ktory jest jedynym trakiem poruszajacy ladowanie po kablach na tym materiale, glownie jego negatywne efekty, przed tym przesluchaniem jakos mi to ucieklo z radaru, przy dodawaniu na plejke rozcil mi sie w oczy rowniez niezly pierdolnik jakie panuje na profilu trupiakow, naliczylem okolo 160 albumikow, z czego pewnie polowa to beda live materialy, ale najgorsze jest szukanie konkretnej wersji danego albumu, bo american beauty mozna znalezc w 5 wersjach remastera, powinno to byc podlinkowane pod konkretny album i tam sobie wybierac, zakladka na live albumy, jak jak na single rowniez bylaby dosc milym dodatkiem

Nice, relaxing sound - not blown away but would definitely have it on in the background

4/5

Innoffensive enough, but just... not memorable. Nothing that really makes it stand out, but I can imagine how it laid the roots for things that followed it.

I can understand why Grateful Dead is known less for their studio albums - the mix on some of these tracks is a letdown. Percussion parts too forward, guitars buried in the background where they can barely be detected. The vocal harmonies are rough at parts - phrases not ending crisply, not nailing certain parts, etc. Admittedly, these same warts likely add to the overall human charm. Despite my gripes, this is an amazingly strong collection of songs - just a happy listen from start to finish.

Excelente! Buen sonido. Que bueno descubrir nuevas canciones. Gracias.

5

Blindspot filled for sure! I like this for more relaxed driving music.

Con melodía y ritmo. Muy de su época. Gratificante escucharlo

Nice beattles vibes!

You will never find me consuming the devils lettuce with other dead-heads

Not a Deadhead but not too shabby. I’ll take a Box of Rain to go.

Pretty good! Nice vibes

Chill rock, quite good

(Folk rock / Americana) Decent and consistent album, well-regarded among psych rock fans. 6/10

Enjoyed!

Not back light listening.

Didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped. Too upbeat or something. Like they deluged a fart of music and called it an album.

An album I didn't remember from Grateful Dead, the remaster in Spotify has good quality. I liked Bow of Rain and Candyman but the whole album could be signed by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Not really in the mood for that music so I will listen to it at another time

A bit too mellow. 5/10

No es la octava maravilla, pero suena muy bien. Una calidad de sonido que no esperaba de un disco de 1970. Tiene canciones entretenidas: Box of Rain, Sugar Magnolia o Till the Morning Comes.

Un classique des classique. L’album d’une generation tan qu’a moi. J’yai meme redecouvert fes tounes. 5*

Another album I just couldn't get into. It's absolutely musically competent, but I didn't find anything here that engaged me. Your mileage may vary

un poquito country

Meh

Entirely too much country for me

Utter drivel.

so, so meh. barely noticed it was on. i get that it must have been great at the time, and influenced lots, but it felt like a pale shadow

It's fine

Why did I think the Grateful Dead were a heavy metal band? Pleasantly proven wrong

i was hyped because i hear about the dead a lot, but i wasn’t that impressed.

A couple of known songs, but sounds very samesy and boring.

Creative and satisfying instrumentation

i've never loooooved the dead. i appreciate them as well as i can, and i definitely have fond memories with people who did loooooooove the dead, but it's never been for me. that said, this was a great album, and i will always always love ripple.

just not a deadhead, need to smoke more for that.

Pleasant, pleasant, pleasant.

Nice one

Excelente

Hmm ok... not my usual cup of tea but I can see why folks see this as a classic.

🇺🇸

rootin' tootin'

I did not care for this. The music is so simple and they can’t sing.

not my vibe liked one of the songs

true classic

This album is packed with GD hits, but they don't really command too much attention. Good in the background. Ripple is probably my all-time favorite GD track.

So many classic tunes, and such weird songwriting. Jerry is a truly unique mind. Sounds like one of the funnest bands to be in. The guitar solo on candyman is one of the most beautiful things ever.

I will never understand how such a mediocre band became so monstrously popular. The tracks here aren't bad, moreso forgettable - there's only so many ways you can arrange a major blues scale and noodle over it. Also some majorly uncomfortable vibes on 'Til the Morning Comes'

Classic Grateful Dead. Hmmm... why there is a helicopter next to the bay where I live?

I’ll listen 2day at the gym

Great stuff from the Dead in 1970.

Band I'd never listened to before. A mellow mix with a mild country twang. Would take more than one listen to do it justice.

Wonderful album. Really nostalgic.

Probably the best Dead album for the non-Head.

Awesome mix of folk americana and jam sesh stuff. Beautiful lyrics in some cases.

Not bad, just not really my style. Just sounds like music from that era.

Day 43 of Albums You Must Hear brings the 1970 album American Beauty from Grateful Dead. I know a lot of “Dead Heads” and I’m familiar with how much of an impact The Dead have had on musical culture worldwide. I don’t, however, know a whole lot about this band and their music. When I was younger, I wrote this band off as ‘Hippie music’, whatever I really thought that meant. Listening to American Beauty was a treat. It doesn’t get too rowdy or excitable, it’s more or less what we could call “chill music” or “good vibes”. On American Beauty, Grateful Dead use a mix of rock, bluegrass and country, to my surprise. My favorite songs on American Beauty are Friend Of The Devil, Ripple, Truckin’ and Box of Rain. The version of American Beauty I found was the 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, with 23 bonus live songs, which, for time purposes I’ll have to save for another time. Grateful Dead was one of those rare bands that actually welcomed the recording of the audio of their live shows by fans, even allowing some folks to connect right into the soundboard. There are a lot of really high quality tape recordings out their of this band. This tactic really helped the band to grow their fan base over the years. I agree that this album is a must hear, and I look forward to more music from The Dead.

A favorite but sometimes painfully nostalgic.

Groovy

This album was a little slow for me. This just is grateful dead style. I did like friend of the devil and ripple.

Here's another album that there's absolutely nothing wrong with except the fact that I don't like the musical stylings -- kind of a folk/country rock style with lots of harmonizing. This one hovers between 2 and 3 stars for me, and I'm feeling generous. 3 it is! rusty, i love that i finally know about this site. also i figured out you can only be in one group at a time and there's no security on user accounts whatsoever. glad to see toddles started rating yesterday. he would also be abysmally disappointed in the securitIIIIEEE! The extra notes REMAIN! :D

В целом -- неплохо. Очень качественная запись. Как по мне, ей не хватает скорости. Все как-то вяло. Возможно у американцев такой стиль жизни. Больше всего понравилась последняя песня "Truckin", ибо была быстрее, нежели все остальные.

Somewhere between country and rock I guess. Has its place but I won't seek it out.

Meh, was expecting more from such a hype band

It's got its moments, but there there are lots of other moments when I wonder when this album is going to finally end 3/5

I never realized their music was so mellow

Visste inte att dem körde folk/country

Was okay! Laid back tunes and a good vibe. Not something that blew me away though

Chill album. Obviously great for the time, unsure if I’ll crave listening to it

country road take me home sounding

Meh. Never was a big fan.

Listened through to Candy-man, not bad. Makes me think of Nate Miller. Old times on Lake Wallenpaupack. 5/10

4/5

Tyckte om detta. trevligt att lyssna på, goa röster, skönt proddad. Lagom trippy. en fyra!

Mehhhhh

Meandering

Absolute cracker - ripple!!!!

Ok background country music

Över förväntan. Ett trevligt album

Just awful.

While I'm apparently the oddball and prefer their studio work to their live stuff. I'm just not in the mood for this level of chill in my music right now.

I knew this would come up eventually. I feel like I've been held hostage by recordings of live shows for the Grateful Dead so much, I have a soft spot in my heart for them. At the same time, I could go the rest of my life not hearing another. Gorgeous harmonies, and I can enjoy this when I know the songs aren't 20 minutes long for no reason. Favorite tracks: "Ripple", "Box of Rain", "Truckin'"

Very enjoyable rock, certainly could understand why people would think it's better than similar material from the same year. But it's gonna be a while before I can understand the obsession so many fans have with this band.

12/22 Very woodsy, very rural, barefoot, psychedelic music. Standout Tracks: Friend Of The Devil, Sugar Magnolia, Operator, Attics Of My Life, Truckin'

I absolutley love the first 2 songs, but the rest of the album loses me a bit. Still a pretty good album though, closer to a 3.3

i like this genre, the chill guitar strums and occasional harmonica <3

The grateful dead has an awesome name but their music is boring. This is no exception. I know they're like the dictionary entry on hippie rock, but... eh? This just sounds like that half country folk rock shit, same as the rest. 3/5 because I have no good excuse to give it less.

From this, you would barely recognise them as a 'jam band', the songs are tight and the three part harmonies steal the show. Brilliant.