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It has often been said that the Dead were never able to capture the excitement of a live show in the studio environment. However, I think this sells the studio albums short. Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty are critics favorites, but here are my Top 5 excluding the before-mentioned:

5. In the Dark – I’m going to be very bold here and suggest an album from the 80’s is one of the Dead’s best studio albums. Well, In the Dark certainly was the group’s best selling album of their career thanks to the success of the radio hit, “Touch of Grey”. Okay, all you Dead haters out there. You can get over yourself, “Touch of Grey” is a great song with one heck of a memorable video. Other worthy tunes on the record include “Hell in a Bucket,” “West L.A. Freeway,” “Throwing Stones,” and “Black Muddy River”. Sure, they weren’t on the level as their work in the 60’s and 70’s, but they still held up and were performed throughout the 80’s and 90’s, proving that the Dead were more than a mere nostalgic act late in their career.

4. Shakedown Street – Shakedown Street is probably the least favorite album of musical critics. However, I’m not quite sure why. Sure, it is the Dead taking on disco. But the end result is surprising effective. It’s funky, danceable, and has great lyrics like “Nothin’ shakin on Shakedown Street, used to be the heart of town. Don’t tell me this town ain’t got no heart, you just got to poke around”. I love it. Unfortunately, Shakedown also contains “France” one of the Dead’s worst songs, with lead vocals by the only female member of the band, Donna Jean Godchaux. Some Deadheads have a strong distaste for Godchaux participation in the band from `72 – `79. I never minded her live but she released some pretty bad tunes under the Grateful Dead moniker. Shakedown also contains the popular live number “Good Lovin’,” a cover from The Young Rascals. I never cared for either version. However, what I did care for on Shakedown were numbers like “Stagger Lee,” “I Need a Miracle,” and “Fire on the Mountain”. It also contains the under-appreciated Garcia lead “If I Had the World To Give”. When I was getting into the Dead, this was the album I was most afraid of hearing. It was also one the albums that surprised me the most. Worst Dead album? Not even close.

3. Blues for Allah – This was the Dead’s attempt at a jazz fusion record. But don’t let that scare you away. Blues for Allah starts off strong with the “Help on the Way/Slipnot>Franklin’s Tower” suite. This would be played multiple times in concert, but I never felt like they captured live what they were able to do in the studio with the opening riffs from “Help on the Way”. Those opening chords get me every time. We also get the “Crazy Fingers,” a lazily reggae influenced tune with a wonderful lead from Garcia. And then there is “The Music Never Stopped,” which could be the Dead’s ultimate anthem. Like most of the Dead studio albums, there are hiccups. The biggest misstep here is the title track, which is overly long and pretentious (something that the Dead weren’t often accused of) and frankly to trying of an affair for the audience. However, the song does fair better live on One from the Vault despite being twice as long. Go figure.

2. Anthem of the Sun – Anthem might be the Dead’s sophomore release, but it feels more like their true debut. While the Dead’s first album, The Grateful Dead or San Francisco’s Grateful Dead, did rely heavily on songs being played live at the time, the numbers were severely edited to short lengths uncommon for the band. On Anthem, the Dead took control of the studio and produced their most psychedelic album of their career. Songs stretch to their normal lengths (Alligator is over 11 minutes) as recordings are blended from studio and concert recordings. Most impressive is the mix which is engulfing with sound attacking from all directions. This is an album best heard on headphones to be truly appreciated.

1. Grateful Dead from the Mars Hotel – Mars Hotel was the Dead’s seventh studio album, and their second under their own label. It is also probably the most enjoyable as a straight listen (minus the annoying “Money Money”). The album blasts off with the rousing U.S. Blues (which would be a favorite live) and continues with the odd, but captivating Phil Lesh number “Unbroken Chain” (later to be sampled by Animal Collective as the only authorized sample allowed by the Dead). Next up, Garcia’s fragile number “China Doll,” which is probably the Dead’s most lovely song. Other highlights are the rockin’ “Loose Lucy” and the ballad “Ship of Fools”. It also has “Scarlet Begonias” which is probably my favorite Grateful Dead song, especially when performed live when it melds into “Fire on the Mountain”. If you get one studio album from the 70’s Dead, this is the one.

Fifteen years ago, Jerry Garcia died.

Did that sink in?

The year was 1995. I had just graduated high school. And was about to start my freshman year of college. I had begun working on a feature film that would prove to be my first foray into the audio profession. For me, it was a time of new beginnings and new experiences. For others, it was the end of an era.

First off, let me say that it took me 33 years to appreciate the Dead. My first introduction to the band was when I was about fourteen and listened to a cassette of 60’s Hits that belonged to my friend Aaron’s parents. The song on the compilation was Truckin’ (even though song was released in 1970). I thought it was a great song but dared not say anything when Aaron began making fun of the lyrics:

Truckin’ like the doodah man…

“What is a doodah man?” asked Aaron. I shrugged my shoulders.

My second introduction was during art class in high school. While we worked, we were allowed to listen to the radio. One day, Touch of Grey came on. It was such a nice relaxing groove that I never wanted it to end.

We will get by, we will get by…

When it did, I moved on.

Probably the same year, I bought the soundtrack for Fillmore: The Last Days. At the time, I was a huge fan of the rock promoter Bill Graham. For those who don’t know, Graham was responsible for the concert venues the Fillmore East and Fillmore West as well as Winterland. Name any major act of the 60’s, and there is a good chance he promoted them. One of the Graham’s favorite band was the Grateful Dead. Even that didn’t make me a fan, but I did appreciate the Dead’s contributions to the album, Casey Jones and Johnny B. Goode.

This is the one that it’s all about… (intro to Johnny B. Goode)

One day, a cassette of the Grateful Dead’s greatest hits album, Skeletons from the Closet appeared in my car. I really don’t know whose it was or how I came into possession of it. But I would listen to it some days as I was driving to and from school. My favorites were Turn on Your Love Light (which would sometimes reach 30 minutes live) and Rosemary (the Dead’s shortest song at under 2 minutes). I still didn’t consider myself a fan. Or admit that I was a casual listener.

When I was a senior in high school, I decided I would make an honest effort to become an actual fan of the band. I purchased a CD of American Beauty which was considered their best studio album. Yes, it was good. But I felt it was bit overrated. Or at least I convinced myself of it.

That same year, Jerry Garcia would die. I still remember that one of their last concerts was at the Pyramid in Memphis. And I knew someone who went to it. I was even a little jealous. Still, Garcia’s passing had little effect on me as say Kurt Cobain’s did a year prior.

A year later, I would visit my hippie cousin Hal in Oregon. He traveled with a garbage bag full of Grateful Dead bootlegs and a dog named Ripple. During our road trips, his musical choice would be David Grisman where as mine would be the Pixies, Sonic Youth, and the Magnetic Fields. It seemed that my chance to really get into the Dead had passed me by.

Or so I thought.

Then out of nowhere, I become a Deadhead at 33 years old. I don’t even know how it exactly started. But when it did, it was intense. And like Lays Potato Chips, it’s hard to have just one. So, I have accumulated far too many Dead shows from Internet Archive. And have probably spent way too many hours listening to the same ole songs.

So what is it about the Dead? Well, the boys are relaxing. Listening to the Dead is like laying on the couch watching college football on a cool autumn day. That’s a compliment.

Without a doubt, the core the Dead was Jerry Garcia. And when he died, the Dead died too. Sure, there have been many incarnations of the Grateful Dead (some that are actually quite good) but they all pale in comparison to the contributions of the original architect. Garcia might have had a drug habit and a poor diet. But he was also an extremely talented, disciplined musician. He was also a kind individual that had a quirky sense of humor.

Check out this hilarious video of Garica joking around with comedian/politician Al Franken about his missing finger that he lost when he was 12 years old:

Tonight, the San Francisco Giants are honoring the musical legend as part of a Jerry Garcia Tribute Night with members of the Dead throwing out the first pitch and singing Take Me Out to the Ball Game. The event is sold out:

I wish I could be there. Finally, I wouldn’t be too embarrassed to show my love.

– Expect a few more posts throughout the day as I finally admit my admiration for the Grateful Dead.