introducing a newbie to the grateful dead

man weirdly a friend of mine is like yeah grateful dead is sick i listened to some of their stuff and he goes oh man send me some of their best shit so I'm like fukkit alright but wait what do you want? And he's like some of your favourites but that's where it gets weird. See I don't have common fave grateful dead songs, my favourites aren't finished I haven't finished my very slow pondering labour across the extend of their music. I like to get to really know the songs. And my favourites can be uncommon, but then tbh whose aren't in some way.

So like what should you recommend to a newbie?

 

Hmm, I'd go with China/Rider from Without a Net.. quite a bit of improv but it's more accessible to a newbie.
Then St Stephen, the studio version, along with Bertha, Playing in the Band and pick a random version of Dark Star.

EDIT: oh, and Cassidy from Without a Net (can you tell it's my fave Dead album?)

 

My first dead song was Sugar Magnolia, that can be quite good.
.

 

hand them "Skeletons in the Closet" it will give them a taste of what they do. then hand them some dicks picks from the 70's...

 

Yeah I agree with "skeletons in the closet" and dicks picks.

Also "What a Long Strange Trip It's Been"

 

scarlet>fire
china>rider
estimated profit
row jimmy
dancing in the streets
loser
deal.... should get your friend started

 

yeah i would say skeletons from the closet too.....at least that was my first dead album....it is still one of the gratest albums in my opinion

 

In the beginning it was easier for me to listen to simple stuff like althea, stagger lee, peggy-o, a lot of the songs from american beauty, bertha, etc. These songs were easier to listen to. After a while as I began to love the band and appreciate each member of the band for their unique styles, I was able to appreciate lots of the other stuff.

 

Start em off with anthem of the sun and American beauty and workingman's dead, and mabey blues for Alah. After they appreciate that good shit, make em listen to some good live shows.

 

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You just gotta take baby steps. When a person is used to listening to the same old shit, you cant expect them to dig a mind left body jam or like a long playin' in the band jam. You need to keep listening and explore the huge catalog of music that they offer. Basically id download a show that got good reviews and then click on a song i knew and liked. Eventually the next song would come on and id be like wow this is sick too. and then the next...and the next...

First GD show?
1971-12-10
Archive that shit and you'll fall in love. The first spine-tingling, eyes teared, "wow", song i had heard was sittin' on the tap of the world from that show blasted from some high quality headphones.

Follow my instructions and your life will be changed.

 

^^^

good advice. i have that problem when trying introduce people to Phish, because i love the crazy shit and its way too much for most people. like the 50+ minute tweezers....they just fuck some people up...i just eat it up!!

 

Dead Set