Tag: Grateful Dead Live Albums

Live Albums by the Grateful Dead

I always think it’s useful to know the timing of the studio albums before looking in detail at the live albums. However the Dead have issued many, many more live albums than studio albums so picking one that’s close to a favourite studio album isn’t a reliable guide.

Studio Albums by the Grateful Dead

1967 The Grateful Dead
1968 Anthem of the Sun
1969 Aoxomoxoa
1970 Workingman’s Dead
1970 American Beauty
1973 Wake of the Flood
1974 From the Mars Hotel
1975 Blues for Allah
1977 Terrapin Station
1978 Shakedown Street
1980 Go to Heaven
1987 In the Dark
1989 Built to Last

Live Albums by the Grateful Dead

Where do you start talking about the live albums by this remarkable band?

I ask fans to vote in a poll to find the best live albums by the group. The Grateful Dead’s best live album poll has over 120 commercially available recordings in it and I’m not at all sure that I’ve included them all.

If you’re new to the band, then the poll results are the best place to begin your experience because it will help guide you to the albums that are recognised as their finest although individual Deadheads will argue strongly for their personal favourites.

If you’re already a big fan, then again I think the poll is a good place to start because I want your recommendations as well. Unless you’re a complete addict, you’ll probably find that you’ve missed an album that’s getting popular support and you can move from the poll to the high ranking albums of interest to you.

>>> Best live albums by the Grateful Dead

Grateful Dead Live Albums Featured

1968 Two from the Vault
1968 to 1993 Grayfolded
1969 Live/Dead
1969 Fillmore West 1969 The Complete Recordings
1969 Live at the Fillmore East 2-11-69
1970 Dick’s Picks Volume 4
1970 History of the Grateful Dead Volume One (Bear’s Choice)
1970 Dick’s Picks Volume 8 Harpur College Binghamton NY May 2, 1970
1971 Skull and Roses
1971 Ladies And Gentlemen The Grateful Dead
1972 Europe 72
1972 Europe ’72 Volume 2
1972 Steppin’ Out with the Grateful Dead: England ’72
1972 Hundred Year Hall
1973 Winterland 1973 The Complete Recordings
1974 Steal Your Face
1974 The Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack
1975 One From The Vault
1976 Live at the Cow Palace
1977 To Terrapin Hartford ’77
1977 Winterland June 1977 The Complete Recordings
1978 The Closing of Winterland
1980 Reckoning
1980 Go To Nassau
1980 Dead Set
1989 Nightfall of Diamonds
1989/90 Without A Net
1990 Dozin’ at the Knick
1990 Wake Up To Find Out: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY

Here is that poll if you’d like to vote in it. I realise that you (probably) won’t have heard them all but I see a vote as a recommendation so please vote for the albums that you love.

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How Many Live Albums By The Grateful Dead Should You Own?

How many is enough? For general rock fans I think somewhere between one to five is reasonable but keen fans will want many more.

I have five – Live/Dead from 1969, Ladies And Gentlemen The Grateful Dead from 1971, Europe 72 and Europe ’72 Volume 2 and To Terrapin Hartford ’77 from 1971.

Live/Dead catches them as a psychedelic band but, with their 1970 studio albums, Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty, they’d turned into a country rock band who liked to extend some songs with jamming. Finally, by 1977 they’ve lost their overly countryfied sound and (perhaps) moved into classic rock territory but still with the desire to jam. I’m sure the thought of the Dead as classic rock will horrify some fans.

The original Europe album is the one that I play the most and I think it’s a good starting point if you want your Dead as a psychedelic country band and Live/Dead is the most likely to be swapped. What for I don’t know yet but it’s one of those classic live albums that I haven’t really taken to.

The Best Live Albums Of All Time

The Grateful Dead feature in two of my main genre polls – Psychedelic/San Francisco rock and country rock. I have to admit that I was surprised at how much country music was built into Europe 72 when I first heard it. I see these polls as useful for showing how the Dead fit in to other music around but I see their own poll as a better guide for finding their best live albums. I’m thinking of another poll for jam bands.

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You can get these albums from Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk

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You can get these albums from Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk

Grateful Dead Europe 72

Europe 72 is a live album by Grateful Dead which captures the group in concert in Western Europe in April and May 1972.

A second volume of recordings Europe 72 volume 2 has been released in 2011. There is even a release of the complete Europe ’72 shows – all 22 concerts on 73 CDs.

Grateful Dead had released two of their most popular and critically acclaimed studio albums – Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty – which go back to the roots of American music.

This may be too “country” for music lovers primarily looking for guitar improvisations. Most of us are going to find this much more approachable and easier to listen to because of the strong song structures.

Grateful Dead Europe 72

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Grateful Dead Live/Dead 1969

Live/Dead is the first official live album released by the American rock band, Grateful Dead. It was recorded between January and March 1969 and was released in November 1969.

This is the last albums featuring Tom Constanten on the organ.

Grateful Dead Live/Dead

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What Are The Best Live Grateful Dead Albums?

This page includes readers polls to help find the best live Grateful Dead album and the best Grateful Dead album recorded in the studio.

What Are The Best Live Grateful Dead Albums?

As a blog about live albums with readers polls as the main feature, I had to turn my attention to the Grateful Dead.

I believe most rock fans are intimidated by the Grateful Dead and the extreme loyalty of the Deadheads. I know I am.

Below is a poll to collect votes to find the best live albums by the Grateful Dead. Continue reading What Are The Best Live Grateful Dead Albums?