What I think about most when I hear the Dead is really Jerry Garcia. The other members brought a lot to the game, but Garcia was the leader. His guitar playing is just so fluid. Yes, the noodling went on too long at times, but he was a consumate, possessed musician. He HAD TO PLAY constantly, never really taking a break. When the Dead weren't playing, he would find some other folks to play. He was tireless. He could play banjo and played wicked pedal steel. Who doesn't love the pedal steel on those early New Riders of the Purple Sage albums?
I don't think you have to be a Deadhead to "get it". I was never a Deadhead. To me, it's just another large body of music worth exploring. I just found that I could listen to a lot more of it than I would with many other bands. The times I saw the Dead, it didn't do that much for me, but I came late to the game. Seemed like too much hype by the 80's. I do like Phil Lesh & Friends and Ratdog. If you want to experience some of the early feeling of the Dead, go see some of the bands like Zen Tricksters and Dark Star Orchestra.
I do like going to shows with some of these old bands and seeing all the old hippies and just regular folks in their 40's, 50's, 60's enjoying timeless music of the 70's. I also see younger kids enjoying these old bands. I see some of parents bring their sons and daughters. I dabbled in the 80's music a little, but it went poppy-disco pretty quick. My heart is in the 60's and 70's. Could be Grateful Dead, Hot Tuna, Neil Young, Little Feat, NRPS, Jefferson Starship, Allman Bros., Richie Havens, Zappa, or whatever. I don't spend a whole lot of time judging it. All those groups hold a lot of value for me and as old as they are, they can still bring it and take you back. I just can't get enough music altogether. It's like anything else, the more you experience it, the more you want, the more you appreciate it.
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