Grateful Dead

I have to throw a couple of historic 'live' albums in the ring too! They were released just right before the Dick's Picks series was incarnated and the Dead were still actively touring.
Top of the list is 'One from the Vault', that classic (complete show) 1975 San Francisco premiering, and apparently a widely traded cassette tape from back in the day. I heard it was broadcast over the radio waves, so anyone could've taped it!
Next is "Without a Net" which is perhaps one of the pinnacles of all 'chop shows' & certainly set the bar for late Brent era releases till "Spring'90" in 2012 & 2014.
I also agree with "Live Dead" and "Europe'72" and don't forget the "Skull & Roses" album. Them last few are good primal and early Keith era. Yada, yadda,..

... all should be commercially available and not too expensive - there's loads beyond this, obviously:

1. Live Dead
2. Europe '72
3. Reckoning (to get the acoustic flavor, Ripple and other 'historical' tracks)
4. Nightfall of Diamonds (an excellent example of later era Dead)

Cheers, All

Very thoughtful post, daverock, IMHO. I hear what you say. I'd have to think hard whether any introductory samples blocked further interest in a band. Why yes, I don't dig Keller Williams (looping's not my thing). I may have heard like one or two Phish trax and not really interested. (Vguy won't jump on me for that, will he??) Yet other bands I persisted on and became, um, a freak about. On the GD front, my brother got American Beauty and Skull and Roses upon release and seriously wore out the grooves -- so that was a propitious start to a career as a rabid Deadhead. However, per my prior post, I'm kinda sorta exiting the rabid phase after only 54 years and, frankly, my (and possibly our) days are numbered. So now my strategy is selectivity.

I'm guessing this old forum will quiet down a bit when that Big Box hits mailboxes. Meanwhile, here's to spirited discussion!

HF

I'm not suggesting that out tastes should be dictated by other people, just that if we are interested in listening to a new artist there might be better starting points than others. To pick someone I know absolutely nothing about, lets say, Mozart. If I was going to buy a cd of his music tomorrow, would there be a few that might be recommended ? Or are they all equally good as a starting point? Bearing in mind that this purchase might be the only piece of music I will ever hear by him - or might be the start of listening to everything he ever wrote.
I would think that if someone was curious about The Dead, they wouldn't listen to shows from every year of their existence. More likely that they would pick something out - if they like it, look for more, and if they don't just forget about them.
Maybe it depends on whether we think artists have peaks or not.

Well, I have to think that the kind folks behind the curtain heard that customers wanted to know precisely what they're getting and delivered the disc by disc setlist. Well played. They listen! I'm grateful.

I don't....... hey Oro, when you say something will "grow logarithmically" I feel like I gotta look for growths on my body! Doooooooood! You're killing me! I laughed (in a nice way).

Hey, I'm with ya in regards to disregarding others' tastes, except when it opens things up rather than turn 'em off.

Along those lines, I attended many GD shows in the '80s and got crazy at some of them due to the excellent music. Some, poor Jer was not in peak form. I have to admit that, at this juncture, I have only so much time for many pursuits, only one of which is listening to GD tapes in context with so much other music and other activities -- so that to be clear, I can enjoy almost any era but now have to focus more on my sweet spot. Hell, I've heard 90s tapes that sounded pretty hot. So I'm skipping the box as I'll never have time for it all and its pricey. I don't buy clothes, furnture, etc., but CDs and books are my kryptonite. (You don't think that has anything to do with why I'm, uh, single, do you?)

That said, someone will help me out with the choice Grease era. You know who you are, there's more than one of you and thank you.

Anyway, lovin' the recent addition of many commenters and their angles. Listen: Oro is right. Don't let anyone convince you that your ears are "wrong." Especially me! (See below.) Just enjoy.

Hey, even HF digs the Curtis Knight tapes, just not as much as the Timothy Leary tapes. (Tee hee...) At least the Curtis Knight tapes include live sets with Jimi in ~65-66, just before he popped as a star in his own right. In fact, Jimi's straight ahead R&B sets with Curtis have a lot of real nice Jimi on rhythm and lead. The studio stuff, not so much.

Cheers! Rock on! Resist!

HF

Higazo: thanks, but no that’s not it, which is what’s frustrating because at purchase the shipping cost of 60 something is stated, but not how it will be shipped: UPS, FedEx, USPS etc…I know not a thought/problem to most of the millions that receive home delivery, but for those that can’t/don’t, receiving ANYTHING is a stupid, stressful, frustrating experience, that frankly, doesn’t have to be!
They know the cost since it’s stated, so guessing they know how it’s getting shipped?Starting to seem like passive/aggressive nonsense about some of this…maybe riling up the hand that feeds is funny or something?

Daverock: I love ya, but I totally disagree. I get you mean well, but you yourself would say “who’s peak”? (And intent is here is just friendly conversation like we’re at the pub with a pint)
I rank certain peaks extremely high that you wouldn’t even listen to, so who’s right? I’d say we both are…and maybe Pancho will determine something else completely.
Your already trying to bias the dude. Let ‘em like what HE likes, not what YOU like, or THINK is “best”, one one man gathers what another man spills!
I mean who cares if 89% of the population says “this is terrible” but someone thinks it’s the best, so what, if they dig it, why do you care?
I mean honestly, your kinda being hypocritical after all the words you’ve written over the years saying basically same thing?
I think folks should go on their own adventures and figure out what they like, not what Daverock, Hendrixfreak, Doc, PF, VGUY, Jim, Me or even DL likes (just for example, certainly no offense ment to anyone and I do enjoy their, as well as most opinions, just not when it turns into politics/dogma) “That’s crap, this is great” or worse, etc…my favorite: there’s absolutely nothing worth listening to after 197? fill in the blank. But hey, to each his own eh!
As the old saying goes, beauties in the eye/ears of the beholder.
And, I also think there’s so much inaccurate bias saturating the Net that many folks miss out on stuff that THEY might have found extra enjoyable, because they just excepted what they read, without even trying to find out for themselves.
Why does listening to the Dead so often have to end up a contest?
There is no right or wrong, best or worst, only opinions that attempt to make it so. Or so I’ve had forced down my pie hole for years: “every opinion counts”.
So it’s great that we all love the band/music beyond description so much, and it’s fun to compare notes etc, maybe let’s not love it to death lol ; )
Again, just one and probably only one opinion lol
(Poor guy be all mixed up by the time we’re through with him lol)

Edit: philosophical question. If you hadn’t heard the lessor Hendrix, perhaps Lectric Ladyland wouldn’t have had as profound effect? Hell, what would be wrong if “someone” thought the lessor one was their favorite?

GRATEFULGERD

...ist doch kein problem

I understand the issues folks have with the cassette, and there’s a lot more comments about it on the other (SH) site. Honestly, it’s not a big deal to me. I have an old deck, but I’m not sure I’d put the tape in it, as I haven’t used it in years. I’m sure I’ll find someone that could rip it for me. Either that, or I’ll eventually find a digital version that I can download. In any event, I’ve waited almost 56 years for it to be released. A few more months won’t matter much.

YeeeeaaaaH! They're posted now, and that 1982 filler looks killer, Shakedown Street!
Speaking of which I need to sort of add on to Poncho's ponderings about specific songs. Regarding any 1980s Dead, the Brent shows, I look for "Shakedown Street(s)" and "Feel Like a Stranger(s)" feverishly. As they were newer era songs of the time that weren't overly long 'jams' of 2nd set nature but these were not short snappy tunes neither.
Both songs had varying lengths of instrumental codas and were focal points of shows, mainly 1st & 2nd set openers. This 60th Big Box seems to be heavy on the "Shakedowns" which is cool because the song itself is a rarity in the Dave's series.

I was eagerly awaiting the responses to Poncho's question since I have only been a subscriber the past five years, though a long time head. I've got a handful (shelfful) of the yearly Big Boxes too.
I gotta say I am truly Grateful & dig all the insight from all who post here. Also I totally agree with Daverock about 1960s acid test long jam Dead and the mention of full Help~Slip~Frank(s). Though I would also add "Birdsong" from any {applicable} era {Keith & Donna, Brent, or Vince} Dead. It's another good mid range jam song not too long or short.

****{edited for accuracy}****

I'm not so sure about all that. You don't think The Dead had an identifiable peak - or several peaks more like- that people who haven't heard them before would be best off checking out first ? Just thinking of other artists - if you were to pick a random album out by Dylan or The Stones you could pick one that wasn't too good, or one that was amazing. If you already like those artists, then all of what they do is of interest, but not if you are just starting out.

The first Hendrix album I got was a budget one called "The Eternal Fire of..." with Curtis Knight. Great cover photo of the man in all his psychedelic glory - but the music enclosed was recorded well before he found his style. Luckily I heard Electric Ladyland next...