Jubilee Offer: Patriotic Classics for £2.50 |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Track Listings
| 1. Uncle John's Band |
| 2. High Time |
| 3. Dire Wolf |
| 4. New Speedway Boogie |
| 5. Cumberland Blues |
| 6. Black Peter |
| 7. Easy Wind |
| 8. Casey Jones |
| 9. New Speedway Boogie |
| 10. Dire Wolf |
| 11. Black Peter |
| 12. Easy Wind |
| 13. Cumberland Blues |
| 14. Mason's Children |
| 15. Uncle John's Band |
| 16. Radio Spot |
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
While not wishing to enter into any kind of discussion with reviewers who have expressed disappointment with this record, one can see how this can come about and it points out the need for a little research when beginning to listen to such a long-lived, prolific and diverse band.
In my opinion this is an excellent record giving sustained listening pleasure and, along with "American Beauty" of lasting interest and importance. Freaky space rock it certainly ain't, but who else could have produced a song like "Uncle John's Band" as well as the epic "Dark Star". The answer is, of course, no one else and maybe that's why The Dead are so well loved and followed even after all this time.
Getting into The Grateful Dead is a big, big adventure and what we have here is one of the many good places to start. May I also highly recommend, as a good companion to this CD the "Anthem to Beauty" DVD from the Classic Album series which gives much helpful and entertaining background material and insight into the creative processes of the band at that time.
In my opinion this is an excellent record giving sustained listening pleasure and, along with "American Beauty" of lasting interest and importance. Freaky space rock it certainly ain't, but who else could have produced a song like "Uncle John's Band" as well as the epic "Dark Star". The answer is, of course, no one else and maybe that's why The Dead are so well loved and followed even after all this time.
Getting into The Grateful Dead is a big, big adventure and what we have here is one of the many good places to start. May I also highly recommend, as a good companion to this CD the "Anthem to Beauty" DVD from the Classic Album series which gives much helpful and entertaining background material and insight into the creative processes of the band at that time.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Any ill-informed Dead Head who bought this upon its release in June 1970, expecting more of the acid-drenched blues and psychedelia of such recent predecessors as Anthem Of The Sun and Aoxomoxoa, must have had a considerable shock when they dropped the needle into the groove, and track one, Uncle John's Band, began to play.
The hallmark guitar was augmented by mellifluous pedal steel and banjo, and in the place of all the weirdness and experimentation came beautifully-recorded, clean sounding, almost traditional, timeless songs, song after song with three-part harmonies and tunes you almost felt you knew already. The Dead had gone back to their roots, the music they grew up with, and their lyricist, Robert Hunter, had risen to the challenge with songs about miners and engineers that belonged within a rich musical tradition, largely forgotten, that was being re-invented by artists like the Band and Ry Cooder. When they entered the studios behind the Fillmore for two weeks in February 1970 they had been coached in harmony by Crosby, Stills and Nash, knew all the songs they were to record and even the order they were to appear on the album, and were completely focused on their mission. This, and its equally inspired sequel American Beauty, expel the myth that the Grateful Dead were a live band whose studio work was of secondary importance, and can stand up proudly against any other record.
This 79-minute edition, re-mastered in HDCD, doubles the length of the original album with live material and one alternative take. The live recordings, mostly from 1970, are all songs from the album plus one song that had been intended to close side two but was eventually not used (Mason's Children), and show how the Dead were both able to integrate the new material into their set and to play it so convincingly well. The earliest recording here is Dire Wolf, from Santa Rosa CA in June 1969, showing they were previewing their new direction alongside their existing set a full eight months before they entered the studios
The hallmark guitar was augmented by mellifluous pedal steel and banjo, and in the place of all the weirdness and experimentation came beautifully-recorded, clean sounding, almost traditional, timeless songs, song after song with three-part harmonies and tunes you almost felt you knew already. The Dead had gone back to their roots, the music they grew up with, and their lyricist, Robert Hunter, had risen to the challenge with songs about miners and engineers that belonged within a rich musical tradition, largely forgotten, that was being re-invented by artists like the Band and Ry Cooder. When they entered the studios behind the Fillmore for two weeks in February 1970 they had been coached in harmony by Crosby, Stills and Nash, knew all the songs they were to record and even the order they were to appear on the album, and were completely focused on their mission. This, and its equally inspired sequel American Beauty, expel the myth that the Grateful Dead were a live band whose studio work was of secondary importance, and can stand up proudly against any other record.
This 79-minute edition, re-mastered in HDCD, doubles the length of the original album with live material and one alternative take. The live recordings, mostly from 1970, are all songs from the album plus one song that had been intended to close side two but was eventually not used (Mason's Children), and show how the Dead were both able to integrate the new material into their set and to play it so convincingly well. The earliest recording here is Dire Wolf, from Santa Rosa CA in June 1969, showing they were previewing their new direction alongside their existing set a full eight months before they entered the studios
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ok, so this was the first Grateful Dead album I heard. I bought it way back in the days of vinyl supremacy, well CDs had not been invented and the 8 track cartridge had just been declared extinct.
I was listening to the Damned, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Devo, Motorhead and so on, a varied diet of rock/punk etc....music with a dominant beat. I had read about the Dead and was expecting something entirely different to this. As one other reviewer has stated, Jerry looked like a real rocker, and here is this almost shaky thin voice that sounds at odds to his appearance.
I could only stand to listen to Uncle Johns Band, Cumberland Blues and Casey Jones as I was looking for an adrenaline rush, not contemplation and music that requires patience and an attentive ear for the lyrics. The rest sounded like country and western, an abomination to my rock orientated ears.
Many years have passed since that first encounter and I have slowed down a bit, lost a bit of hair, got kids and am a less hasty sort of chap. I asked for recommendations for the best version of Dark Star and was steered towards a couple of live albums that got me thinking back to this one. I got the remastered version to replace the vinyl one that got sold on years ago.
The sound quality is superb and I have a greater appreciation of the bigger picture presented, the twang of the pedal steel guitar, the harmonies, the double drumming and the emotive style of Jerrys singing. I miss the size of the artwork on the vinyl sleeve. This card cover comes close, but bigger was better. I love the overall sepia tone of the artwork and the mood of the cover shot, even if Bill Kreutzman had had enough and just cleared off to sit in the shade and get away from the hassle of posing on the street corner.
The only song that eludes my understanding is Dire Wolf, with its chorus of "don't murder me", whats that about???
It is a superb album and is a pleasure to listen to. The bonus tracks are great, unlike some on other albums these add to the overall picture.
I was listening to the Damned, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Devo, Motorhead and so on, a varied diet of rock/punk etc....music with a dominant beat. I had read about the Dead and was expecting something entirely different to this. As one other reviewer has stated, Jerry looked like a real rocker, and here is this almost shaky thin voice that sounds at odds to his appearance.
I could only stand to listen to Uncle Johns Band, Cumberland Blues and Casey Jones as I was looking for an adrenaline rush, not contemplation and music that requires patience and an attentive ear for the lyrics. The rest sounded like country and western, an abomination to my rock orientated ears.
Many years have passed since that first encounter and I have slowed down a bit, lost a bit of hair, got kids and am a less hasty sort of chap. I asked for recommendations for the best version of Dark Star and was steered towards a couple of live albums that got me thinking back to this one. I got the remastered version to replace the vinyl one that got sold on years ago.
The sound quality is superb and I have a greater appreciation of the bigger picture presented, the twang of the pedal steel guitar, the harmonies, the double drumming and the emotive style of Jerrys singing. I miss the size of the artwork on the vinyl sleeve. This card cover comes close, but bigger was better. I love the overall sepia tone of the artwork and the mood of the cover shot, even if Bill Kreutzman had had enough and just cleared off to sit in the shade and get away from the hassle of posing on the street corner.
The only song that eludes my understanding is Dire Wolf, with its chorus of "don't murder me", whats that about???
It is a superb album and is a pleasure to listen to. The bonus tracks are great, unlike some on other albums these add to the overall picture.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Dead
Jerry Will Never Die, The Grateful of them All, Garcia.
I Just have to say, if you are a ignorant and want to
move into a KNOWLEDGE. This is a GOOD record to start with!
I Just have to say, if you are a ignorant and want to
move into a KNOWLEDGE. This is a GOOD record to start with!
Published 13 months ago by Erne E
Antithesis of psychedelia,but good stuff.
If,like me,you came to the Dead via their live shows and the acid rock jams and noodling,"American Beauty" may be a bit of a shock. Read more
Published 19 months ago by PygmyTwylyte
The second country-folk classic from 1970...
Apart from their contributions to the soundtrack to Zabriskie Point, the only Grateful Dead records I own are American Beauty and its follow up Workingman's Dead- their second... Read more
Published on 13 Aug 2003 by Jason Parkes
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
