Why the Grateful Dead were so popular

Matt Flynn · #1 08-09-2005, 06:22 PM

In response to the Dead suck thread:

The Grateful Dead originally served as occasional house band for the Merry Pranksters, Timothy Leary's group that spearheaded LSD. The Dead were extra well received because they played long sessions. Acid lasts for several hours. Were you to drop acid just before a typical concert, the concert would be over with hours of peaking left to go. With the Dead one just kept on listening. Apparently the Grateful Dead's music matches the acid experience well. I've never done drugs so someone else will have to corroborate that.

LSD was mostly made in Marin, CA just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. The Grateful Dead tour became the primary distribution network for LSD in the United States. They were popular in significant part due to the drug network around them.

"What did the Grateful Dead fan say when he ran out of drugs?"

"This band sucks!"

The heir to the Grateful Dead is Phish. If you want acid, go to a Phish concert.

Matt

Slow Play Ray · #2 08-09-2005, 06:25 PM

Okay, I like the Dead and all, but how many freakin Dead posts do we need?

Also, Phish doesn't tour anymore, so we can't go to a Phish concert for acid...any other thoughts?

Victor · #3 08-09-2005, 06:26 PM

ive never took acid and listend to the dead yet i still like their music

trying2learn · #4 08-09-2005, 06:30 PM

[ QUOTE ]
ive never took acid and listend to the dead yet i still like their music

[/ QUOTE ]

you are one of the very, very few.

Slow Play Ray · #5 08-09-2005, 06:32 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
ive never took acid and listend to the dead yet i still like their music

[/ QUOTE ]

you are one of the very, very few.

[/ QUOTE ]

i never did either. (honest)

Los Feliz Slim · #6 08-09-2005, 06:42 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
ive never took acid and listend to the dead yet i still like their music

[/ QUOTE ]

you are one of the very, very few.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's an entire group of people dedicated to NOT doing drugs etc at Dead shows.

Linky

moondogg · #7 08-09-2005, 09:00 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
ive never took acid and listend to the dead yet i still like their music

[/ QUOTE ]

you are one of the very, very few.

[/ QUOTE ]

i never did either. (honest)

[/ QUOTE ]

Me three.

The OP is asinine. It's dumbass premise may explain their initial popularity, but that was 40 years ago. It does not explain the following 30 years of being the most consistently popular musical acts of all time.

Some may not like their music, but get over it already.

NutzyClutz · #8 08-09-2005, 09:14 PM

The Grateful Dead aren't Just the best at what they do, they are the only ones who do what they do.

Tape trading, recording section. Every concert had a special section, where "bootleggers" were encouraged to record the show, as well as jack into the audio.

The "Wall of sound"

Slow Play Ray · #9 08-09-2005, 09:15 PM

[ QUOTE ]
The "Wall of sound"

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Was there more coming here...?

man · #10 08-09-2005, 09:23 PM

the Dead were also one of the first bands to have commercial success with their touring while having so-so record sales (or so the new yorker tells me). maybe it was the acid thing. which means that any band that wants to succeed today should study what they did (again, an idea stolen from the new yorker.. I would try to get a link but I think you have to have a paid online subscription to read noncurrent issues... I'll look if anyone cares to read it)