Grateful Dead Vs. The Dead

[tiki_god7]

Just curious here....I saw the dead last year and am going to again in a week.....am too young to have experience the grateful dead though.....has anybody here experienced both? and care to compare?

[HappyChild]

The Grateful Dead Vs. The Dead
No comparison.

The Grateful Dead (60's and 70's) VS. The Grateful Dead (80's and 90's)
No comparison.

[GoodKarma]

I work with a guy that refuses to see the Dead because he feels it's sacreligous (spelling?) without Jerry Garcia...he use to follow the Grateful Dead. I am looking forward to seeing the Dead for the first time at Bonnaroo. I have been a fan for a long time but never got the chance to see them when Jerry was still here. But I have to say...I am extremely happy to get to see them now...will probably get teary eyed...lol.

[FunkyPhreshMama]

I work with a guy that refuses to see the Dead because he feels it's sacreligous (spelling?) without Jerry Garcia...he use to follow the Grateful Dead. I am looking forward to seeing the Dead for the first time at Bonnaroo. I have been a fan for a long time but never got the chance to see them when Jerry was still here. But I have to say...I am extremely happy to get to see them now...will probably get teary eyed...lol.

i will bring tissues............

[avacado_salesman]

I admit there is a little something missing without Jerry there, but you can still feel him. He aint playing now, he's out there wiggling his butt with the rest of us now!!!!!!

[mamasoul]

no comparison...."the dead" are not grateful dead..............

with that being said, i still go.....maybe its because i was too young to really catch grateful dead.....maybe its because i'm not as bitter as some.....

i still go, i still enjoy it, but when i want that real family vibe, well, its time to look elsewhere.........
it can be found on dead lot occasionally, but i truely belive that the future of our scene is in the smaller festivals and shows.....

[Psilodelix]

I think it's a given to say that 'The Dead' will never be the that close to the 'Grateful Dead' because Jerry's cosmic presence is no longer resonating through the notes...

[dirtybongwater]

Just listen to a Cd from the 60's / 70's followed by one from last years tour. There is no comparison. I still went last year and am still going this year (august 7th at the tweeter center) The way i see it is that the remaining members are all still worthy musicians. Jerry was special but i love grateful dead as a whole, so minus one band member doesn't change that for me.

[alice_d_millionaire]

aren't you guys forgetting about pigpen? he was the backbone of the grateful dead, and when he died in 73, their music took a whole new direction. it was still good, but it lacked a little soul.

i agree, no comparison. but hey, they still kick ass!

[crummyrummy]

I dunno,I have always favored the Brent Years over the Pigpen Years. Yeah I I agree about them moments though, you just go, DAMN...I miss Jerry....but then you get back into it cuzz the energy only shifted, it didnt fade away.

[mmmnuggets]

no comparrison.for me...i dont like the way the dead have rearranged some of the tunes they play live...it messes up my groove...i still love 'em but they dont wow me...i like phil and freinds more..Brent was the shit i was fortunate enough to see the grateful dead 45-50 times 1988-94 so there my 2cents

[HappyChild]

However...no one can deny that Jimmy Herring is the man!
Probably one of the greatest "replacements" I've ever heard in a band!
He's not Jerry, but
Sometimes if you close your eyes...................

[mmmnuggets]

Not if i close these eye I felt like i lost a good freind when Jerry died..I think its so embeded in my pyche that hes moved on that its so different to me...do not get me wrong hes awesome truly a great player and blend well with the others i just miss my freindHowever...no one can deny that Jimmy Herring is the man!
Probably one of the greatest "replacements" I've ever heard in a band!
He's not Jerry, but
Sometimes if you close your eyes...................

[maryjaneguitargurl]

I just saw a documentary about them. They have a really neat band. R.I.P jerry Garcia


peace
chickens

[FunkyPhreshMama]

i never saw em with jerry but I just saw em (the dead) for the first time last weekend and they rocked my socks. Wish I was able to see em with Jerry but he passed away before I got the chance, I remember reading it in the paper and clippin the article and putting it on my wall, i was so sad...................


I will definately be seeing the dead again this summer!!

[moonlightdelerium]

Yeah, what about Pigpen? He was so important with his uncontrolled passionate bluesy voice.

*Hey now pretty baby, just can't help myself* Just keep on singing with Pigpen and playin' with Jerry and they'll never REALLY leave.

[tiedye0420]

The dead is cool, they still carry the torch of experimentation, which is what jerry and the grateful dead is all about. Nothing like the old jerry shows though, i would not wanna see JGB without jerry, but the dead without Jerry, WE NEED to be grateful for.

there were times (I saw them new years ,both nights in oakland) when bobby would throw both arms up inthe air, while keeping eye contact with the band, and reach ,and bring down jerry, it was cool The sound would warp out and Jerrys spirit would be channeled by one of the guitaurists, mark karan i believe. It was cool, I mean the whole show he would be "standing on the moon" watching over all of us, but when bobby did this he would bring jerry to earth to jam a little while.

You see, jerry was a heavy believer in christ, he belonged to a presbeterian church in marin. Just listen to "bid you goodnight" or "cryptical development" you will know. He is a lot like jesus now, although not actually a god, he hangs out up there and watches over us. I have the mind link with him at times, It's been a loooooong strange trip indeed..
"there is only one in ten thousand who come for the show" (Bobby)
tiedyebruce

[avacado_salesman]

However...no one can deny that Jimmy Herring is the man!
Probably one of the greatest "replacements" I've ever heard in a band!
He's not Jerry, but
Sometimes if you close your eyes................... I agree. It seemed like the opener was intentionally play askew to make sure you knew Jerry had moved on, then they just got right back into the groove I came to find. I still LOVE THE DEAD!!!!!!!!




Oh Yeah, go See the DARKSTAR ORCHESTRA too. they Rock.

[FunkyPhreshMama]

He is a lot like jesus now, although not actually a god, he hangs out up there and watches over us. I have the mind link with him at times, It's been a loooooong strange trip indeed..

tiedyebruce
i completely agree with you on this one. i wold love to beleive he was my guardian angel, once we were driving along and the cd player in the car was turned completely off, all of a sudden my dead cd came on and sure enuff it was jerry singing.................... very awesome!!

[DoDaMan]

Just like others have said, "There is no comparison". Then again, I have attended over 50 Grateful Dead shows, so there is no way I could compare the two..............



~namaste~

[wildfire]

well i have never seen a grateful dead or dead concert. hopefully i'll get to see the dead this summer though.

[freedbypeace]

I saw the dead saturday and they rocked! I only wish I was alive to see the real thing!

[dhs]

I saw the Grateful Dead about 30 times between 89' and 95' and I've seen The Other Ones, Phil and Friends, and The Dead a few times each. As it has been a very soul defying experience with the band since being blown away by my initial introduction at 9 years of age - Grateful Dead music has always been about evolution and that is the central component to their longevity. NO BAND, has had the kind of staying power completely absent of nostalgia than the Boys. When I go today, its not to relive my wonderful experiences when Jerry was alive - it's always been about hmmm, what is the next special moment that I will experience.

Someone posted early, there's no comparison between 60's - 70's Grateful Dead and 80's - 90's Grateful Dead.

I would take that a step further though - the beauty of this music, whether it is the beginning years with Pigpen all the way through Jerry's passing and beyond has always been about evolution. If you're a student of the band you can really sense / hear a difference in all of the music in periods of 18 months to 2 years and in some cases far shorter intervals - these small intervals were generally the result of a change at the Keys during the Grateful Dead era, but not always. Take a listen to 1979 then 1980 - very different sounds - 79' was somewhat Disco / Funk Dead, then they sorta swayed towards a more folk / rock approach. For me, the song that truly captures the evolution of the band is Eyes of the World - from the spacey jammed out versions of 73' - 74' to the more funky versions from 77' - 78' to somewhat shorter and punchier versions of the 80's and then the mellower often times longer meandering version of the 90's. 10/17/94 Eyes was over 25 minutes, I literally cried 3 times throughout the song during that wonderful night at MSG - I'm actually getting goose bumps thinking about it.

So, in essence, there really is no sense in comparing except to admire the beauty of the evolution and it is for this reason......



The Music Never Stopped

[freedbypeace]

my friend's dad- 66 shows

[wildfire]

i think that i inherited my liking for the greatful dead and frank zappa from my father. see the good thing about this is that if you are ever caught smoking pot or doing anykind of drugs they have absolutely no grounds what so ever to yell at you on.

[avacado_salesman]

I liked Brent.

[freedbypeace]

got my cd form the concert today! it rocked!

[GanjaPrince]

I used to see jerry manifest on the astral plane, his spirit is everywhere, and when the dead play he is there, dancing, tune into the astral plane of limitless possibilities, and his presence with be there.

It's all a cosmic joke!

[darkstar8413]

The Grateful Dead isn't like any other band; they are the same as they were in '65 as they are today, playing as The Dead. It's not a question of the music and how the sounds go. Like someone said above, of course the music evolves. The Grateful Dead will always be the same miraculous band they always have been. I don't know about others but i sure as hell see AND feel Jerry and Ron EVERYtime The Dead play. I always see posts on here or hear people talking about The Grateful Dead and The Dead as if they are 2 totally different bands. How can we forget about Bobby and Phil and Mickey and Bill, just to name a few. They might be getting old physically but that doesn't change this group. The energy doesn't change or leave.

[BlackBillBlake]

Living in the uk I get a different point of view. I saw the Grateful Dead only once, in 1982. It was great, but even then i felt the energy they had in the 60's and which comes through on the records, was fading. I doubt i'd go to see them now should they ever venture over here. In the USA perhaps the whole Dead phenomenon has long ago gone beyond music - seems to me as an onlooker that it's more a kind of whole culture.....no doubt though that they are some great musicians, and I expect even without Gerry they blow nearly everyone else off the map!


Love

BBB

[littlewing88]

There definately is no comperison...The Greatful Dead of the 60'/70's is totally far-out and way more origional and I just love Jerry Garcia man. He's the best. He was a totally groovy guy man. He was a beautiful humanbeing.

[burkie]

With the G.D. I came for the music first and the friends and party second. With the Dead I go for the friends and party first and the music second. I can hardly wait for their Chinese tour to begin......

[Jack_Straw2208]

Just curious here....I saw the dead last year and am going to again in a week.....am too young to have experience the grateful dead though.....has anybody here experienced both? and care to compare?
if anyone like the dead more than the greatful dead, they're wrong.

[avacado_salesman]

cant be wrong about your own personal tastes. I like GD better, but that doesnt mean others dont.

[sprout]

I saw The Grateful Dead 3 times. All in 95'. My first show was in Birmingham,AL on spring tour and then we jumped on summer tour a few months later in Highgate,VT and I saw them there and then again in East Rutherford,NJ. Birmingham was sparkling! A very fine first show indeed. During the second set they gave us one of these

"That Would Be Something>Uncle Johns Band>Mathilda>Drums>"

Insanity!


....but ...uh...OH Yeah! As I was saying. The Grateful Dead with Jerry was something to behold even if the last years had moments where they struggled a bit. As DHS was saying earlier in the thread. If you really love them and pay attetion you notice all the changes that have taken place over the years. I could go on and on.......

The Dead on the other hand are a completely differant experience. I still think they are great, the jams are alot shorter but the setlists are something that you probably would never seen outta The Grateful Dead. I mean, on this last tour they played "The Golden Road"! Thats fucking insane!

You can see where age is still seeping in but everyone still knows exactly what they are doing. In fact I firmly believe that Billy and Mickey are getting better and tighter with age! I mean they fuckin' nailed it down! BAM!



I love these guys!

[avacado_salesman]

I saw them 3 times in 95. no wait, I decided to do the lot one day. I saw them twice in 95. they were coming to my home town when Jerry Died. mail order had already started

sigh. Heroine sucks.

[Bohemian_Child]

im too young to have seen the Grateful Dead... well i guess im not but i never have, especially not in their peak. Though i have seen and heard recordings.


But either way, are you kidding? How can you even ask. Grateful Dead all the way. No comparison. Im a Dead fan too, dont get me wrong, but its all about the GD

[LaurelBayTree]

I saw the dead about 3 weeks ago with a friend of mine in Raleigh. We enjoyed it tremendously! We grooved to the jam sessions. I think my favorite part was the drum solo. Even though I did not get to see the Grateful Dead I will still treasure this because I did get to see a performance by some of the members. Another favorite part of mine was the people. They gave off such a groovy vibe. It was wonderful!

[DrSpaceman]

I saw the Grateful Dead once only. It was in 1970 at Temple Stadium. Maybe they got Owsley to do their "light show," because the stage lit up with pyrotechnics when they came out.