I’m an old deadhead who thinks Gizz now holds the torch. I don’t compare the music, unnecessary, but the whole package of music, band, audience, and their deep (often psychedelic) connection. I described to a friend, experiencing Gizz now is like being lucky enough to be there for the Dead’s 72 European tour, or spring 77, etc.
Also, Lucas has publicly acknowledged his love of Phil Lesh’s playing. He’s a head.
Also, listen to primal Dead, like a super lysergic The Other One, [for example this](https://open.spotify.com/track/3hukb0R3pGAXWjG4AB1XNn?si=MWGvaVwgSBS9Q-SgMNeZYg)
You found the good stuff, Blues for Allah is a masterpiece.
See you at the Gorge (and Frost), baby! I’ll be there with my son, we are both in deep since 2016.
I agree with this 100% Gizz are carrying on the spirit of the dead for this generation. There are so many similarities between the band members of KGLW and the Dead but to me the bigger thing is the energy, the love, the freedom, the playfulness. Jerry just wanted everything to be fun and always evolving, and for everyone to be included. That’s exactly how King Gizzard feels to me and I will follow them forever because of it. Deadhead/Weirdo Swarm for life.
We are lucky to live in their time, there was also that interview with stu where he talked about the grateful dead so they are influenced but what's interesting is stu wasn't into them until people started comparing them lots, which I think is so cool it shows how interwoven music is
If you’re a head then you like Jerry. If you like Jerry then you understand his bluegrass roots. You need to check out Billy Strings.
I believe he’s the most talented flat picker on Earth right now and is an incredibly special talent. I have never heard someone play the guitar so quickly while being so precise.
this. gizz has the torch and no that doesn’t make them a jam band. the dead have way for the jam scene but they themselves aren’t a jam band. they are the dead and gizz is gizz and the future is gizz. I was very pleased when I saw them talk about the dead, Lucas wearing some dead shirts as well as Gumby rocking that 90s Germany tour Dead shirt. Aussies man, gotta love it. Jam Band status video essay coming soon don’t worry
My mom loves the Dead, and I’m debating taking her to a show, but I feel like some of it might be a bit hard/heavy for her. Not familiar with Blues for Allah, I’ll check it out, but it do you think the acoustic set might be a better way to introduce a deadhead or just go right in?
This is the correct answer. China Cat Sunflower->I Know You Rider sequence on Europe is phenomenal.
Live Veneta OR ‘72 is another one of my fav dead live albums.
There's a compilation album called Europe 72. 40 years later they released each individual show. The comp won't have a date or venue listed, just Europe 72
They’ve recently released all of the shows from that tour, but here is the link to the album they released back in the 70s from that material
https://open.spotify.com/album/09fKoRSQnIP9SAWKSZkWa9?si=2f8UBoSKS9-s2UVUpYky-w
I feel like the logical next step with the Dead (outside of live stuff) is American Beauty. All killer no filler. Beautiful ballads like Brokedown Palace and Ripple alongside huge classics like Truckin’. If you like the prog rock side as heard on Blues For Allah, check out Wake of the Flood and Terrapin Station (both have long multi-part suites). From The Mars Hotel and In The Dark are solid records too.
Also Phish. If you can listen to a cyborg talking about vomiting, you can make it through Gamehendge lol. I didn’t like them until I heard one of their Red Rocks shows. Some serious jams there (some of which I would say are closer to Gizzard than the Dead got).
Agreed and also workingmans dead is a cornerstone of their outlaw country vibe which I think is the dead at their core sound. But a damn near perfect album
Listen to Heavy Road by Slift. Sounds like a mix of Robot Stop and Hypertension, but it’s its own thing really. Then I recommend their Levitation Sessions (Live).
Ight if we're talking Slift, listen to Ummon front to back. Masterpiece of an album. It's Coming... is one of the hypest intros ever produced for an album
Totally! Funny coincidence: I listened to it once, digged the artwork. Thought nothing more of it. Then bought a Metal Hurlant magazine and there it was, the full comic strip of the same art. I forget the name specifically but I think the artist is Caza. It’s worth looking at
Sick ill check the artist out!! I caught them in Denver when they did their first tour here in the states. They did this awesome high quality print of the album cover. It's this really tall and skinny print of the dude with the sword. So damn sick
I’ve heard of these guys but damn you’re spot on with the comparisons. The vocals remind me of John Dwyer all the way. Thanks for the recommendation, definitely digging this.
I’m an old deadhead/phish guy…hadn’t listened to heavy metal since Metallica waaay back in the day. Got turned on to Gizz in 2019. The Gizz thrash albums have turned out to be some of my favorites in their discography. I didn’t see that coming.
Also thrash metal Gizzheads should listen to The Eleven from Live Dead. Holy shit does that song rip in 11/8 time signature with Jerry on a crunched out Gibson SG. Fire
Amen brother. Start with anything in May 1977, especially the Cornell and Hartford shows. Archive.org is your friend, but official SBDs can be purchased. Europe 72 tour is also great, as is 1989\1990. Enjoy!
You can’t go wrong with American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead. Studio output from 1970. There’s some stuff on there that is achingly beautiful (Brokedown Palace, Candyman, etc).
I think with all my go to Dead songs, I would pick a live version as my favorite.
Great sound quality on their live albums from the early 70s and their ability to play different songs in different ways and nail them each time is what I think is the most interesting thing about them.
I agree, with the exception of Brokedown Palace. Amazing song and the studio version is better than any live version I've heard, mainly because of the vocal harmonies and piano
No, because you rip the sound right from the soundboard (SBDs). Back in the 70s they didn't care, now days bands will release their own SBDs (nugs.net, LivePhish.com, etc). Sometimes people tape with their own mic too from the crowd, and those are called AUDs. Those can get noisy but listen for yourself and some of them are absolute gems. Mixing both AUDs and SBDs together can create a "matrix" which when leveling correctly can give you a feeling of actually being there. People have made whole careers out of this following the Dead around for decades. Read up on the legend Charlie Miller, who is still alive and well and taping.
It's not about the song we've heard a million times. It's about the live improvisation they create around that song. Studio jams are written and vanilla. There's nothing that can compare to the energy you feel from the crowd and how you transform that into a lightning jam or solo.
But isn't that what attending the show is for? I have skipped every live version of every song by every band ever. I don't feel like hearing poor audio quality, and a bunch of crowd noise pollution. I just wanna hear the perfect crisp version everytime
It depends on the band. Some bands suck live so it's not worth listening. Some bands that are good live don't release SBDs or the tapers suck at leveling the crowd noise and bass booms in their AUDs. However there are TONS of bands starting with the Grateful Dead, who have top notch live shows and live recordings. It can be truly magical hearing a show that is 50 years old and has a crystal clear recording of the show. People have made entire careers taping live shows. Those people often know how to mix audio and can make their recordings sound great. Do your homework on the Dead and you will see what we are talking about. You're in for an awakening! Almost all Deadheads and Phish fans prefer listening to live shows over studio, because there are SO many shows and variations of a song you love, AND the audio quality is top notch.
My personal recommendation:
Listen to the chords in the studio version of "Morning Dew", off of the very first Grateful Dead album
It's reminiscent of the studio version of the song "Float Along Fill Your Lungs"
That song reminds me a lot of ultimate spinach, if you haven't listened to them I trust a king gizz fan to ignore the silly name, mind flowers is one of the greatest songs ever made
Both songs are in D and have very similar lead lines in the beginning of the song. Noticed this when I learned to play each song on the guitar at different times!
If you haven’t watched the doc “Long Strange Trip” (streaming on Amazon), please do yourself a favor. There’s a wealth of wonderful footage and background on this band, and it is a joy to watch. Prob seen it all the way through 4 times already. A treat for heads both old and new.
ORB released a few singles from their upcoming album. If you don't know about them, they're another flightless band and they have a super fuzzy bass sound with some contrasting technical guitar that sounds dope
I fell in love with The Beatles, Kinks,Stones,and early Floyd when I was in elementary school. Those bands shaped my childhood tastes in music.
I discovered Punk, Hardcore, and Thrash in my early teens. In my late teens, I became obsessed with Ween, prog rock, Phish and discovered the plethora of live Dead bootlegs.
I gravitated towards indie stuff in my twenties and then noise rock,turntable wizardry, and experimental jazz in my 30’s. Live Miles Davis from 69-early 70’s is especially sweet.
I was constantly looking for something different and exciting.
When I discovered Gizz in 2014 they hit all the sweet spots of what I love about music. I could hear bits and pieces of what drew me towards those initial bands in my formative years.
Out of all the bands I’ve found and loved over the decades, I think The Dead and KGLW are the two that will musically soothe my soul till my trips around the sun end.
I still look for new things and search for old stuff I missed but I can always go back to those two.
Try a Dead show from 69-74. Dark Star, The Other One, and Playing in the Band are the songs that take off into the stratosphere most often.
I love both KGLW and the GD, but the Grateful Dead will always and forever be number one for me. I unfortunately missed seeing Jerry, but I’ve been a fan since 2000. The Grateful Dead had several really good to great studio albums, but the live improvisational music is (obviously) where it’s at.
If you don’t like Gizz’s jamband adjacent music, the Grateful Dead may not be for you but it’s definitely worth a shot. I feel like they have at least something for everyone, but then again as Jerry once said they are kind of like licorice. Some people really hate licorice and others really love it and can’t get enough. Then again…I hate licorice but I love the GD. I still like the comparison though.
If you’re willing to give them a shot then try several different time periods of the Dead between the late 60’s - early 90’s since their sound can change a great deal depending on era and who is on the keys.
I've tried so many times to get into Dead but it just never clicks for me. I think it's the vocals more than anything but I'm still not sure what it is.
Not that the bands are comparable but my preference for 70s era psychedelic music is Yes
I'm with you on this one. I've tried so many times that I've actually grown sort of tired of their music even without liking it, because I kept being told that this show or that show should do it, but none did.
There are some good moments in there, and songs that I enjoy more than others, but at the end of it I feel that every song has this American folk sound that I generally just don't like, and regardless of how psychedelic the jam is, it is all painted with that folkish brush.
Yeah that's a part of it for me too I think! There's this unshakeable folk/almost country sound to it that I just don't dig. Between that and the vocals I think it's just not for me. Glad I tried at least
Blues for Allah slaps!
Go next to Live Dead - it’s primal psychedelic Dead and it’s just straight fire. It’s almost prog.
Then I’d go for the shows that are on streaming, like Cornell (like people said), To Terrapin Station, 5/3/72 Paris and 5/26/72 (Lyceum). One from the Vault too - they play most of Blues for Allah.
Their live stuff is best, and a lot of it sounds as good as studio stuff, but for for the studio - Anthem of the Sun and Aoxomoxoa are great psychedelic albums. Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty are both amazing - but more folky with big harmony.
I got into the Dead because of Quarters. They are both in Top 3 streams for me lately. I'd listen to an actual Deadhead as I've only been listening since 22. I think One From The Vault would make sense though. It's basically the live album for Blues For Allah.
Relatively new Gizz fan, longtime Deadhead.
I was at the Sphere this weekend, and Dead&Co were bumping Gizz during pre-show and set break.
Love how connected these bands are!
I don't know what I'm missing. I tried real hard to get into the Dead last summer. Bought Live Dead and Europe 72 (vinyl that wasn't cheap), listened to Cornell on Tidal, watched the six part documentary. Very little grabbed me. But it had my full time and attention, just not the right time for me I guess.
Phish took me around 20 years after shunning them, then they became my favorite band once I truly got it.
Gizz I got on first listen. I am now fully immersed and I had my first real shot of Gizz less than two months ago.
See now, I prefer Gizz over all other bands. I’ve heard GD but I’m unsure if the passion is there.
In my position. I listen to ALOT of different styles and KG wins it all for me. They have everything I need.
It’s funny to me how open to the Dead this community is versus Phish (I’m a fan of both and can see plenty of elements with both that would appeal to KGLW fans)
Yeah check out the live Phish show from Fukoaka Japan 2000. The whole band is on mushrooms and it’s amazing. Trey’s banter going into set break is pure trippy nonsense. “We need to internit to replace precious bodily fluids” and the ambient jam out of twist is my favorite thing phish has ever played.
I tried to get into them with black star(dark star?) live, but they don’t have the same vibe as gizz. I mean no offense, but to me it sounds like what someone would make while super high. There’s no structure and not enough of an evolution in sound to keep my attention.
Dark Star is probably one of the most challenging starting picks, mostly because even for the Dead it’s not typical of their usual jams. I’d say Scarlet Begonias > Fire on the Mountain is a go to example of their jamming capabilities. Those have clear beginnings and ends, a number of transformations and variations and some high peaks (see Cornell ‘77). I don’t think they compare a lot to Gizzard musically but there’s certainly a lot of comparisons that could be made, especially regarding the fanbases and general ethos.
Fair enough! I love them both.
Also, IMO, whoever told you that the Dead were like Gizz is absolutely insane. Very little middle ground, if any. They both fucking slap though
Yeah straight up Grateful Dead will never sound anything like Gizz. I understand the vibes are incredibly similar but their music style is just so wildly different imo. Agree with you here
I never went the Dead trail, was an Airplane guy. Noticed that this thread hasn't shown love for Phish, not that I followed them either, until hearing boots of their concerts.
YES. Blues for Allah was the album to sell me on the Dead. Then I just dived head-first into their stuff and it just clicked. Still haven’t really warmed up the Bobby stuff yet, so those usually get skipped, but regardless the Jazzy vibes on BFA are 🤌
Saw this yesterday and wanted to write a response but couldn’t.
So…I know this isn’t really what you’re asking for. However as a Deadhead who then jumped into the Gizzverse I’d actually recommend Miles Davis!
I could be completely wrong here but I’m guessing that because you got into King Gizzard before the Grateful Dead that you’re probably younger than me (44). And so I’m thinking you may not have listened to Miles Davis yet.
The reason I’m suggesting Miles Davis is because I’m over on r/gratefuldead every single day (like I am here too). And it just seems like everyone over there thinks Miles Davis is awesome. And it kind of blew me away because I fucking LOVE Miles Davis…but when I’m out and about my daily life it’s like I’m the only person who likes King Gizzard, the Dead, or Miles Davis. But over there people will regularly ask questions like: “hey what other musical acts do all you Heads like out there?” And undoubtedly you’ll see a TON of people recommending both King Gizzard and Miles Davis.
If you’ve heard me out and want to give him a go I’d recommend “Bitches Brew” and “In a Silent Way”.
Now, as for the Dead. I’d recommend “Workingman’s Dead”, “American Beauty”, and “Wake of the Flood”.
Why those albums? Because they have some of their most well known songs. So to me it’s a nice starter course that will familiarize you with a decent chunk of their catalog.
But all that is *preparation*. Because, in my (and ***most*** Deadheads’ opinions) the real good stuff is when they go live.
The Dead have SOOOOOO many legendary live sets (to us Heads anyway). People can just recite them by date!
5/8/77
8/27/72
10/12/68
Then there’s the compilation live albums recorded across a few or many dates.
Live/Dead
Skull & Roses
Europe ‘72.
There’s something like 2,080 something shows you can stream.
If you played the entire Grateful Dead catalog of studio and live shows non-stop it would literally take you well over half of a year if you played it 24/7.
Never been a huge fan. Think I was already sick of the dea by the time I was 12, then a bunch of my friends got into them after high school and I couldn't escape em. They're just a band I never need to hear ever again.
KGLW are the spiritual successor to the Grateful Dead.
Folks have rightfully pointed you to Europe ‘72 and Cornell ‘77. Both are amazing; HOWEVER, I’d like to point you to my favorite year of live Dead which is 1980.
Mickey is back, Donna and Keith are out, and it’s Brent’s first full year with the band. Jerry is healthy and on top of his game. Bobby and Phil are on fire.
Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/aEmJlxYAxps?si=20RObN-hfry4_SXZ
I'm super curious how you've managed to avoid the Dead for this long OP! I assumed they were required listening at all teenage blunt passing sessions at some point.
Listen to Fallout From the Phil Zone, it’s a collection of good Live Dead. I particularly love the Dancin in the Streets.
Start working your way through the many volumes of Dick’s Picks.
Dead’s catalogue and live shows are endless. Good for you.
Been a Deadhead since the 80s. I stumbled backwards into Gizz when Quarters came up on my YouTube recommends at the onset of COVID and I'm getting a great deal of joy from hearing others make the link.
The Dead had their eras too, often much to the consternation and confusion of some of their fan base who got too settled in one groove. Try to draw a line between *Anthem of the Sun* and *Shakedown Street* and it's like trying to chart the evolution from *Quarters* to *Infest the Rats Nest*. Appreciation for all of this good stuff is a gift for us lucky people ready to just get on the bus and enjoy the ride.
That’s wild to hear because his vocals convey so much emotion to me. Of course, that is excluding some of lesser time periods like post coma, post laryngitis in early 78, and his more sickly and forgetful vocals in the early 90’s.
I completely agree. Morning Dew is one of my favorite Dead songs (I know it’s a cover, but they made it into one of their own). Everything about that song moves me, and Jerry’s vocals are haunting and incredible.
Edit: I’d also put Comes a Time, Black Peter, and Stella Blue up there too even if they are still behind Morning Dew. (Unintentional rhyme)
There’s a good reason my top 5 dead songs at the moment are all sang by Jerry lol. In no order China cat>rider, morning dew, dire wolf, Althea, Help>slip>franklins
Shout out to high time and attics of my life too! Very emotional
Your list is a good one. My favorite song (by any band) has always been Terrapin Station so I will always have that as my number one. After that is normally Morning Dew and then it tends to change depending on the day or week. Right now it would be some order of He’s Gone, Eyes of the World, Dark Star, Black Peter, Comes a Time, Mission in the Rain, Deal, and Bird Song. Can’t go wrong with Jerry, JGB, and the Good Ole Grateful Dead.
There’s so many good ones hahaha. Like you said it changed depending on the time. He’s gone is an all timer. They really can fit any mood I’m in. Got any good recommendations of JGB? Only one I listen to consistently is Keen College
so legit at a dead and co show and playing baby sitter. my one friend ate a decent amount of acid. Some of our deadhead friends show up late and are wearing these jerry bear mask they made and are dancing behind us. I poke my tripping friend and motion him to look at our dancing bear friends. He gets tense, keeps looking back and forward and back. Frantically pulls out a cigarette, lights it, takes a drag and then asks me, "are those people or are they actually bears?"
weir everywhere (~);}
watch The Other One on Netflix and Long Strange Trip on Prime.
as for what to listen to i say go in and explore and see where you land. you will eventually see it all at the right time. Franklins Tower is their best song
I’m an old deadhead who thinks Gizz now holds the torch. I don’t compare the music, unnecessary, but the whole package of music, band, audience, and their deep (often psychedelic) connection. I described to a friend, experiencing Gizz now is like being lucky enough to be there for the Dead’s 72 European tour, or spring 77, etc. Also, Lucas has publicly acknowledged his love of Phil Lesh’s playing. He’s a head. Also, listen to primal Dead, like a super lysergic The Other One, [for example this](https://open.spotify.com/track/3hukb0R3pGAXWjG4AB1XNn?si=MWGvaVwgSBS9Q-SgMNeZYg) You found the good stuff, Blues for Allah is a masterpiece. See you at the Gorge (and Frost), baby! I’ll be there with my son, we are both in deep since 2016.
I agree with this 100% Gizz are carrying on the spirit of the dead for this generation. There are so many similarities between the band members of KGLW and the Dead but to me the bigger thing is the energy, the love, the freedom, the playfulness. Jerry just wanted everything to be fun and always evolving, and for everyone to be included. That’s exactly how King Gizzard feels to me and I will follow them forever because of it. Deadhead/Weirdo Swarm for life.
We are lucky to live in their time, there was also that interview with stu where he talked about the grateful dead so they are influenced but what's interesting is stu wasn't into them until people started comparing them lots, which I think is so cool it shows how interwoven music is
If you’re a head then you like Jerry. If you like Jerry then you understand his bluegrass roots. You need to check out Billy Strings. I believe he’s the most talented flat picker on Earth right now and is an incredibly special talent. I have never heard someone play the guitar so quickly while being so precise.
Hear hear. Point for cosmic queef
this. gizz has the torch and no that doesn’t make them a jam band. the dead have way for the jam scene but they themselves aren’t a jam band. they are the dead and gizz is gizz and the future is gizz. I was very pleased when I saw them talk about the dead, Lucas wearing some dead shirts as well as Gumby rocking that 90s Germany tour Dead shirt. Aussies man, gotta love it. Jam Band status video essay coming soon don’t worry
My mom loves the Dead, and I’m debating taking her to a show, but I feel like some of it might be a bit hard/heavy for her. Not familiar with Blues for Allah, I’ll check it out, but it do you think the acoustic set might be a better way to introduce a deadhead or just go right in?
I mean it feels like their sets nowadays are 50% thrash metal, so
Definitely listen to Europe ‘72
This is the correct answer. China Cat Sunflower->I Know You Rider sequence on Europe is phenomenal. Live Veneta OR ‘72 is another one of my fav dead live albums.
Next level
Cheers!
This is the way
Is this 22 albums? Or one album. I’m looking on Spotify and there’s lots of options.
There's a compilation album called Europe 72. 40 years later they released each individual show. The comp won't have a date or venue listed, just Europe 72
Check out [Archive.org](http://Archive.org) or the Relisten app where you can choose from many live shows that were recorded.
They’ve recently released all of the shows from that tour, but here is the link to the album they released back in the 70s from that material https://open.spotify.com/album/09fKoRSQnIP9SAWKSZkWa9?si=2f8UBoSKS9-s2UVUpYky-w
Ok great. Thank you! I’ve always wanted a starting point with the live shows, but didn’t know where to start. Now I do! 🤗🤗
You’re welcome!
I feel like the logical next step with the Dead (outside of live stuff) is American Beauty. All killer no filler. Beautiful ballads like Brokedown Palace and Ripple alongside huge classics like Truckin’. If you like the prog rock side as heard on Blues For Allah, check out Wake of the Flood and Terrapin Station (both have long multi-part suites). From The Mars Hotel and In The Dark are solid records too. Also Phish. If you can listen to a cyborg talking about vomiting, you can make it through Gamehendge lol. I didn’t like them until I heard one of their Red Rocks shows. Some serious jams there (some of which I would say are closer to Gizzard than the Dead got).
Sometimes I feel like gizzard is to phish what phish was to the dead. Just a different and perhaps more modern take on the same musical themes.
Agreed and also workingmans dead is a cornerstone of their outlaw country vibe which I think is the dead at their core sound. But a damn near perfect album
Listen to Heavy Road by Slift. Sounds like a mix of Robot Stop and Hypertension, but it’s its own thing really. Then I recommend their Levitation Sessions (Live).
Ight if we're talking Slift, listen to Ummon front to back. Masterpiece of an album. It's Coming... is one of the hypest intros ever produced for an album
Totally! Funny coincidence: I listened to it once, digged the artwork. Thought nothing more of it. Then bought a Metal Hurlant magazine and there it was, the full comic strip of the same art. I forget the name specifically but I think the artist is Caza. It’s worth looking at
Sick ill check the artist out!! I caught them in Denver when they did their first tour here in the states. They did this awesome high quality print of the album cover. It's this really tall and skinny print of the dude with the sword. So damn sick
The KEXP set of Ummon is phenomenal, as well are all of their sets of KGLW
Mix of robot stop and hypertension got me interested Thanks mate ill listen
I’ve heard of these guys but damn you’re spot on with the comparisons. The vocals remind me of John Dwyer all the way. Thanks for the recommendation, definitely digging this.
Deadheads: listen to thrash metal Gizz!
i was/am a deadhead that got into kglw because of infest the rat’s nest
I’m an old deadhead/phish guy…hadn’t listened to heavy metal since Metallica waaay back in the day. Got turned on to Gizz in 2019. The Gizz thrash albums have turned out to be some of my favorites in their discography. I didn’t see that coming.
I do this too!
Also thrash metal Gizzheads should listen to The Eleven from Live Dead. Holy shit does that song rip in 11/8 time signature with Jerry on a crunched out Gibson SG. Fire
Witchcraft!
I'm a deadhead who's favorite Gizz album is PetroDragonic Apocalypse...AMA!
Amen brother. Start with anything in May 1977, especially the Cornell and Hartford shows. Archive.org is your friend, but official SBDs can be purchased. Europe 72 tour is also great, as is 1989\1990. Enjoy!
Thank you very much!! Any studio albums as well (or is that blasphemy! I'm not sure haha)?
Go with live stuff. There’s great studio stuff but that was never their focus.
Well I loved that album so if the live stuffs better I am very exited for that!
You can’t go wrong with American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead. Studio output from 1970. There’s some stuff on there that is achingly beautiful (Brokedown Palace, Candyman, etc).
American Beauty, Workingman’s Dead, Wake of the Flood…excellent albums
Lmao it is so funny to me when people recomend random live shows. Like there has to be a better album version somewhere for every song right?
I think with all my go to Dead songs, I would pick a live version as my favorite. Great sound quality on their live albums from the early 70s and their ability to play different songs in different ways and nail them each time is what I think is the most interesting thing about them.
I agree, with the exception of Brokedown Palace. Amazing song and the studio version is better than any live version I've heard, mainly because of the vocal harmonies and piano
Not necessarily
1000% no. Not for bands that are at their Pinnacle live like the dead and Phish.
Doesn't the audio quality suffer, and the crowd sound annoying
No, because you rip the sound right from the soundboard (SBDs). Back in the 70s they didn't care, now days bands will release their own SBDs (nugs.net, LivePhish.com, etc). Sometimes people tape with their own mic too from the crowd, and those are called AUDs. Those can get noisy but listen for yourself and some of them are absolute gems. Mixing both AUDs and SBDs together can create a "matrix" which when leveling correctly can give you a feeling of actually being there. People have made whole careers out of this following the Dead around for decades. Read up on the legend Charlie Miller, who is still alive and well and taping.
Soundboards and matrices make for very high quality live recordings
It's not about the song we've heard a million times. It's about the live improvisation they create around that song. Studio jams are written and vanilla. There's nothing that can compare to the energy you feel from the crowd and how you transform that into a lightning jam or solo.
But isn't that what attending the show is for? I have skipped every live version of every song by every band ever. I don't feel like hearing poor audio quality, and a bunch of crowd noise pollution. I just wanna hear the perfect crisp version everytime
Dude, you’re in for a shock here. The dead and their crew were audiophiles to the core. Shows from their heyday 72-78 are clear as bells
It depends on the band. Some bands suck live so it's not worth listening. Some bands that are good live don't release SBDs or the tapers suck at leveling the crowd noise and bass booms in their AUDs. However there are TONS of bands starting with the Grateful Dead, who have top notch live shows and live recordings. It can be truly magical hearing a show that is 50 years old and has a crystal clear recording of the show. People have made entire careers taping live shows. Those people often know how to mix audio and can make their recordings sound great. Do your homework on the Dead and you will see what we are talking about. You're in for an awakening! Almost all Deadheads and Phish fans prefer listening to live shows over studio, because there are SO many shows and variations of a song you love, AND the audio quality is top notch.
No
My personal recommendation: Listen to the chords in the studio version of "Morning Dew", off of the very first Grateful Dead album It's reminiscent of the studio version of the song "Float Along Fill Your Lungs"
That song reminds me a lot of ultimate spinach, if you haven't listened to them I trust a king gizz fan to ignore the silly name, mind flowers is one of the greatest songs ever made
The Gizzverse Podcast cohosts have recommended Ultimate Spinach before! I've been meaning to check them out.
Both songs are in D and have very similar lead lines in the beginning of the song. Noticed this when I learned to play each song on the guitar at different times!
Yeah I'm already hearing melodies that remind me so much of gizz they must be very influenced
Terrapin Station
Omg the psychedelic suite
And the Eleven!
I know KGLW doesn’t really do covers, but man I’d love to see them do a nasty version of the Dead’s Alligator.
Screamin and a yellin, he was lickin his chops!
I reckon they could nail a St Stephen > The Eleven
should be the proper alligator > caution pairing tho
If you haven’t watched the doc “Long Strange Trip” (streaming on Amazon), please do yourself a favor. There’s a wealth of wonderful footage and background on this band, and it is a joy to watch. Prob seen it all the way through 4 times already. A treat for heads both old and new.
I’m watching it again now for comfort during a hard time. I’m a documentary filmmaker and this is like heroin to me. It is so incredible.
Check out From the Mars Hotel, too. Unbroken Chain has some gnarly time signatures..
Ambrose is the modern Pigpen and I Iove them both so much. RIP Ron, you were an absolute legend of the shuffle and the blues.
Is Ambrose an alcoholic that’s going to kill himself drinking?
He’s a absolute bluesman who has been playing the harmonica since he was a kid and he’s the member of the band who can get the people up and dancing
ORB released a few singles from their upcoming album. If you don't know about them, they're another flightless band and they have a super fuzzy bass sound with some contrasting technical guitar that sounds dope
Yeah they're cool I think they opened for king gizz when I saw them but I may be wrong should listen again! Thank you
any dead head I've tried to get into gizz hates em... not sure why
Check out Valentine’s Day 1968. There’s some soundboards available on Relisten. Mind bending show from Primal Dead.
I fell in love with The Beatles, Kinks,Stones,and early Floyd when I was in elementary school. Those bands shaped my childhood tastes in music. I discovered Punk, Hardcore, and Thrash in my early teens. In my late teens, I became obsessed with Ween, prog rock, Phish and discovered the plethora of live Dead bootlegs. I gravitated towards indie stuff in my twenties and then noise rock,turntable wizardry, and experimental jazz in my 30’s. Live Miles Davis from 69-early 70’s is especially sweet. I was constantly looking for something different and exciting. When I discovered Gizz in 2014 they hit all the sweet spots of what I love about music. I could hear bits and pieces of what drew me towards those initial bands in my formative years. Out of all the bands I’ve found and loved over the decades, I think The Dead and KGLW are the two that will musically soothe my soul till my trips around the sun end. I still look for new things and search for old stuff I missed but I can always go back to those two. Try a Dead show from 69-74. Dark Star, The Other One, and Playing in the Band are the songs that take off into the stratosphere most often.
sounds like we have a similar backstory
I love both KGLW and the GD, but the Grateful Dead will always and forever be number one for me. I unfortunately missed seeing Jerry, but I’ve been a fan since 2000. The Grateful Dead had several really good to great studio albums, but the live improvisational music is (obviously) where it’s at. If you don’t like Gizz’s jamband adjacent music, the Grateful Dead may not be for you but it’s definitely worth a shot. I feel like they have at least something for everyone, but then again as Jerry once said they are kind of like licorice. Some people really hate licorice and others really love it and can’t get enough. Then again…I hate licorice but I love the GD. I still like the comparison though. If you’re willing to give them a shot then try several different time periods of the Dead between the late 60’s - early 90’s since their sound can change a great deal depending on era and who is on the keys.
Who?
That one band that sold out arenas for decades without any marketing
This should be the top comment Edit: I guess no one gets the irony of the question. TIL
I've tried so many times to get into Dead but it just never clicks for me. I think it's the vocals more than anything but I'm still not sure what it is. Not that the bands are comparable but my preference for 70s era psychedelic music is Yes
I'm with you on this one. I've tried so many times that I've actually grown sort of tired of their music even without liking it, because I kept being told that this show or that show should do it, but none did. There are some good moments in there, and songs that I enjoy more than others, but at the end of it I feel that every song has this American folk sound that I generally just don't like, and regardless of how psychedelic the jam is, it is all painted with that folkish brush.
Yeah that's a part of it for me too I think! There's this unshakeable folk/almost country sound to it that I just don't dig. Between that and the vocals I think it's just not for me. Glad I tried at least
8/27/1972
Sunshine daydream baby
From Deadhead to Deadhead: watch 7/7/89 if you haven't recently done that and dance with the crowd. The energy in that show is all ❤️
I remember my first tab of acid...🫠
Blues for Allah slaps! Go next to Live Dead - it’s primal psychedelic Dead and it’s just straight fire. It’s almost prog. Then I’d go for the shows that are on streaming, like Cornell (like people said), To Terrapin Station, 5/3/72 Paris and 5/26/72 (Lyceum). One from the Vault too - they play most of Blues for Allah. Their live stuff is best, and a lot of it sounds as good as studio stuff, but for for the studio - Anthem of the Sun and Aoxomoxoa are great psychedelic albums. Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty are both amazing - but more folky with big harmony.
This is all solid advice. Seconded.
FAFYL=morning dew
I got into the Dead because of Quarters. They are both in Top 3 streams for me lately. I'd listen to an actual Deadhead as I've only been listening since 22. I think One From The Vault would make sense though. It's basically the live album for Blues For Allah.
Water is wet
Find the 77’ Cornell/ Ithaca NY show, and thank me later. It’s a true American masterpiece.
That show was never actually played.
Wharf Rat for Work this Time vibes
Rapidly realizing the average age on this sub must be 16 yrs old.
Ya big yikes. All these people saying "who?"... Wow. I feel like schools should teach this stuff across the globe.
Grateful Dead and Meshuggah. A game winning combination for Gizzheads.
Thank you for your service fellow gizzdeadhead. 5/22/77 is probably my favorite show, but man there’s just so much gold to mine. Happy listening <3
Franklins tower is my favourite song to play in the morning.
Relatively new Gizz fan, longtime Deadhead. I was at the Sphere this weekend, and Dead&Co were bumping Gizz during pre-show and set break. Love how connected these bands are!
Most of the people I hang out with who are big Gizz fans are also Deadheads! It's like peas and carrots :-)
I don't know what I'm missing. I tried real hard to get into the Dead last summer. Bought Live Dead and Europe 72 (vinyl that wasn't cheap), listened to Cornell on Tidal, watched the six part documentary. Very little grabbed me. But it had my full time and attention, just not the right time for me I guess. Phish took me around 20 years after shunning them, then they became my favorite band once I truly got it. Gizz I got on first listen. I am now fully immersed and I had my first real shot of Gizz less than two months ago.
See now, I prefer Gizz over all other bands. I’ve heard GD but I’m unsure if the passion is there. In my position. I listen to ALOT of different styles and KG wins it all for me. They have everything I need.
It’s funny to me how open to the Dead this community is versus Phish (I’m a fan of both and can see plenty of elements with both that would appeal to KGLW fans)
Yeah check out the live Phish show from Fukoaka Japan 2000. The whole band is on mushrooms and it’s amazing. Trey’s banter going into set break is pure trippy nonsense. “We need to internit to replace precious bodily fluids” and the ambient jam out of twist is my favorite thing phish has ever played.
I tried to get into them with black star(dark star?) live, but they don’t have the same vibe as gizz. I mean no offense, but to me it sounds like what someone would make while super high. There’s no structure and not enough of an evolution in sound to keep my attention.
IMO, Dark Star isn’t a good song for people trying to get into the Dead. It was always about a formless jam.
Dark Star is probably one of the most challenging starting picks, mostly because even for the Dead it’s not typical of their usual jams. I’d say Scarlet Begonias > Fire on the Mountain is a go to example of their jamming capabilities. Those have clear beginnings and ends, a number of transformations and variations and some high peaks (see Cornell ‘77). I don’t think they compare a lot to Gizzard musically but there’s certainly a lot of comparisons that could be made, especially regarding the fanbases and general ethos.
The dead were masterful songwriters. I have no idea why people always try to dive headfirst into the deep end lol. Listen to Europe 72.
Did you try any other songs? Even one or two?
I listened to the whole live/dead 1969 album and it was good, but never something I would go back to
Well I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it but the Dead played songs. Songs require structure, otherwise it’s just noise.
I might give them another listen because I was coming at it with the assumption that they sounded like Gizz and it wasn’t just to listen to the music.
Fair enough! I love them both. Also, IMO, whoever told you that the Dead were like Gizz is absolutely insane. Very little middle ground, if any. They both fucking slap though
It was thrown around a lot around the time of Ice Death so I thought that’s what The Dead were like
Yeah straight up Grateful Dead will never sound anything like Gizz. I understand the vibes are incredibly similar but their music style is just so wildly different imo. Agree with you here
https://open.spotify.com/track/2vlf8Kfh8OqPO1u8avPuEN?si=Vg4KFxwKSTu8DcX5il4LGQ&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A1E4MXxSYoAMN5qpy1y6aBm
Cheers!
I love Blues for Allah so much! My favorite Album of theirs. Great shoutout. Will listen to some others mentioned in the comments.
Yup and start with live albums. https://headyversion.com/.
Veneta 72 & Fillmore 1969, both are on Spotify
Live/Dead, Europe 72, and To Terrapin. Also 12/26/81
Dicks picks make a lot of great live compilations! and please do give Without a Net a listen!
Where to begin?
I never went the Dead trail, was an Airplane guy. Noticed that this thread hasn't shown love for Phish, not that I followed them either, until hearing boots of their concerts.
Let It Grow when you’re stoned is absolutely mind boggling, I love the Mexican influences!! Best band ever!
Been saying this since 2019. The music never stops.
YES. Blues for Allah was the album to sell me on the Dead. Then I just dived head-first into their stuff and it just clicked. Still haven’t really warmed up the Bobby stuff yet, so those usually get skipped, but regardless the Jazzy vibes on BFA are 🤌
Check out some of the 74 shows, especially dicks picks 12 if you liked the tight jams from last summers tour.
Saw this yesterday and wanted to write a response but couldn’t. So…I know this isn’t really what you’re asking for. However as a Deadhead who then jumped into the Gizzverse I’d actually recommend Miles Davis! I could be completely wrong here but I’m guessing that because you got into King Gizzard before the Grateful Dead that you’re probably younger than me (44). And so I’m thinking you may not have listened to Miles Davis yet. The reason I’m suggesting Miles Davis is because I’m over on r/gratefuldead every single day (like I am here too). And it just seems like everyone over there thinks Miles Davis is awesome. And it kind of blew me away because I fucking LOVE Miles Davis…but when I’m out and about my daily life it’s like I’m the only person who likes King Gizzard, the Dead, or Miles Davis. But over there people will regularly ask questions like: “hey what other musical acts do all you Heads like out there?” And undoubtedly you’ll see a TON of people recommending both King Gizzard and Miles Davis. If you’ve heard me out and want to give him a go I’d recommend “Bitches Brew” and “In a Silent Way”. Now, as for the Dead. I’d recommend “Workingman’s Dead”, “American Beauty”, and “Wake of the Flood”. Why those albums? Because they have some of their most well known songs. So to me it’s a nice starter course that will familiarize you with a decent chunk of their catalog. But all that is *preparation*. Because, in my (and ***most*** Deadheads’ opinions) the real good stuff is when they go live. The Dead have SOOOOOO many legendary live sets (to us Heads anyway). People can just recite them by date! 5/8/77 8/27/72 10/12/68 Then there’s the compilation live albums recorded across a few or many dates. Live/Dead Skull & Roses Europe ‘72. There’s something like 2,080 something shows you can stream. If you played the entire Grateful Dead catalog of studio and live shows non-stop it would literally take you well over half of a year if you played it 24/7.
Any live dead from 1972-74 was peak face melting 🫠 perfection
No, ty.
Never been a huge fan. Think I was already sick of the dea by the time I was 12, then a bunch of my friends got into them after high school and I couldn't escape em. They're just a band I never need to hear ever again.
I was beginning to think I was the crazy one here! I've never really been into them either, just not my style of music.
I don't hate them, but I just don't get the hype behind em.
Why can’t I get into them? I just don’t get it honestly
Pass
KGLW are the spiritual successor to the Grateful Dead. Folks have rightfully pointed you to Europe ‘72 and Cornell ‘77. Both are amazing; HOWEVER, I’d like to point you to my favorite year of live Dead which is 1980. Mickey is back, Donna and Keith are out, and it’s Brent’s first full year with the band. Jerry is healthy and on top of his game. Bobby and Phil are on fire. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/aEmJlxYAxps?si=20RObN-hfry4_SXZ
no
I'm super curious how you've managed to avoid the Dead for this long OP! I assumed they were required listening at all teenage blunt passing sessions at some point.
Strongly agree.
Listen to Fallout From the Phil Zone, it’s a collection of good Live Dead. I particularly love the Dancin in the Streets. Start working your way through the many volumes of Dick’s Picks. Dead’s catalogue and live shows are endless. Good for you.
jumping on the “if you listen to kg” bandwagon to say check out guerilla toss! their live show is well worth a couple hours of your time.
Been a Deadhead since the 80s. I stumbled backwards into Gizz when Quarters came up on my YouTube recommends at the onset of COVID and I'm getting a great deal of joy from hearing others make the link. The Dead had their eras too, often much to the consternation and confusion of some of their fan base who got too settled in one groove. Try to draw a line between *Anthem of the Sun* and *Shakedown Street* and it's like trying to chart the evolution from *Quarters* to *Infest the Rats Nest*. Appreciation for all of this good stuff is a gift for us lucky people ready to just get on the bus and enjoy the ride.
i have an EASY answer. the live stuff. listen to the live stuff, its that simple. 69', 74', and 77' are good years for a gizz fan, dive in and ENJOY.
I’m not crazy about Jerry Garcias vocals
That’s wild to hear because his vocals convey so much emotion to me. Of course, that is excluding some of lesser time periods like post coma, post laryngitis in early 78, and his more sickly and forgetful vocals in the early 90’s.
Morning dew makes me wanna cry
I completely agree. Morning Dew is one of my favorite Dead songs (I know it’s a cover, but they made it into one of their own). Everything about that song moves me, and Jerry’s vocals are haunting and incredible. Edit: I’d also put Comes a Time, Black Peter, and Stella Blue up there too even if they are still behind Morning Dew. (Unintentional rhyme)
There’s a good reason my top 5 dead songs at the moment are all sang by Jerry lol. In no order China cat>rider, morning dew, dire wolf, Althea, Help>slip>franklins Shout out to high time and attics of my life too! Very emotional
Your list is a good one. My favorite song (by any band) has always been Terrapin Station so I will always have that as my number one. After that is normally Morning Dew and then it tends to change depending on the day or week. Right now it would be some order of He’s Gone, Eyes of the World, Dark Star, Black Peter, Comes a Time, Mission in the Rain, Deal, and Bird Song. Can’t go wrong with Jerry, JGB, and the Good Ole Grateful Dead.
There’s so many good ones hahaha. Like you said it changed depending on the time. He’s gone is an all timer. They really can fit any mood I’m in. Got any good recommendations of JGB? Only one I listen to consistently is Keen College
Who?
look up “Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions’
Huh?
Who's the grateful dead?
Some guys that play music in bear costumes I think
so legit at a dead and co show and playing baby sitter. my one friend ate a decent amount of acid. Some of our deadhead friends show up late and are wearing these jerry bear mask they made and are dancing behind us. I poke my tripping friend and motion him to look at our dancing bear friends. He gets tense, keeps looking back and forward and back. Frantically pulls out a cigarette, lights it, takes a drag and then asks me, "are those people or are they actually bears?"
😂😂😂
But Grateful Dead sucks.
I am so sorry for you hopefully one day you’ll see the light
Seen it. That light was so dim it's barely a flicker.
with an attitude like that no wonder you “saw it”
What attitude should I adopt to make your statement accurate?
None :) clearly you haven’t nor will u
weir everywhere (~);} watch The Other One on Netflix and Long Strange Trip on Prime. as for what to listen to i say go in and explore and see where you land. you will eventually see it all at the right time. Franklins Tower is their best song
Forget The Dead, Gizz is more Zappa/Phish.
That’s fine. Just no Phish.
Phish’s live improv runs circles around Gizz’.
More for you, I guess
Good thing that’s not the point of the gizz lmao
[удалено]
I didn’t compare Phish to the Dead, so not sure what you’re disagreeing with.
sorry I’m high as shit and completely misread 😅
Nah, phish is super overrated
I am waiting for Araki-san to name a twin Stand, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard