DU Dead Heads - need advice!

[Initech]

So I've decided I want to explore the Grateful Dead's music, and I understand that I could easily spend a lifetime collecting Dead releases. But which live show ( has to be officially released and one I can buy in a store) or album would you recommend to a beginner?

[ALago1]

1. This is totally subjective, but...

I tend to like 70's era Dead most, so I'd recommend picking up any of the Dick's Pick's live series and I'd guarantee it'd be a rockin show.

Otherwise, if you are into studio albums, my vote goes to American Beauty.

[ohiosmith]

2. The one that has that song on it. Oh man you know the one where

Garcia sings the part that the guy that died sang before he died.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. I'd post that question in the Deadhead group

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=290

You'd probably get more responses there

[Taverner]

4. Well a lot of Deadheads LOOOOOOOOVE 5/8/1977

That show has a ton of energy, the playlist is really good and there are many crystal-clear recordings of that show out there. 1977 has a lot of good shows for some reason.

I personally like 10/20/1974, simply because they do some amazing jams. Eyes of the World is a case in point.

[necso]

5. There are many free Dead downloads available,

without relying on illegal filesharing.

For example, http://www.archive.org/details/GratefulDead has many downloads (and some recordings that can only be streamed).

Some are good recordings, others are not. There are user ratings, and the site describes (?) the recording setup.

I just experimented with "I Know You Rider", and it took me a number of tries to get a good copy (one I liked; tastes differ -- Hartford Civic Center on 1983-10-15) using (sort by) user ratings (on the concert; the more ratings the more accurate, maybe) as a starting point.

(I also picked up a nice Nobody's Fault But Mine: Barton Hall, Cornell on 1981-05-16.)

The Dead are not one of those groups that sound (more-or-less) the same every time. Combine this with extremely variable recording quality, and it can take a little hunting, but some of these recordings are better than those on Dick's Picks (again, a matter of taste).

Even if you want to buy some recordings, check them out for free first.