Saturday, November 02, 2024

Phil Lesh (March 15, 1940 – October 25, 2024) Grateful Dead (7 Albums)

              


PHIL LESH  

                               


Philip Chapman Lesh (March 15, 1940 – October 25, 2024) was an American musician and a


founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career.
                         

After the band's disbanding in 1995, Lesh continued the tradition of Grateful Dead family music with

side project Phil Lesh and Friends, which paid homage to the Dead's music by playing their repertoire, as well as songs of the members of his own group.
                                  

Lesh operated a music venue called Terrapin Crossroads. From 2009 to 2014, he performed in Furthur

alongside former Grateful Dead bandmate Bob Weir. He scaled back touring in 2014 but continued to perform concerts.
                      
 

GRATEFUL DEAD

                        


So much more than just the archetypal jam band, the Grateful Dead grew to become an artistic and cultural institution that existed entirely on their own terms. While the band initially came out of a

psychedelic revolution in the Bay Area's musically and chemically exploratory mid-'60s, they quickly evolved from their acid rock beginnings, incorporating elements of Americana and Bakersfield country into gently majestic albums like 1970's American Beauty. Their live shows were completely separate from their studio output, based on freeform improvisation borrowed from jazz and made up of extended performances and set list variations that ensured no two shows were exactly like.
                 

Though the band recorded only 13 studio albums between 1967 and 1989, an entire counterculture formed around their endless touring, and they even broke through to the mainstream with an unlikely radio hit in the MTV era. The Grateful Dead effectively ended with bandleader Jerry Garcia's death in

1995, but their presence never faded. The Grateful Dead was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area during the rise of the counterculture of the 1960s. The band's founding members were Jerry Garcia (lead guitar and vocals), Bob Weir (rhythm guitar and vocals), Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (keyboards, harmonica, and vocals), Phil Lesh (bass guitar and vocals), and Bill Kreutzmann (drums). Members of the Grateful Dead, originally known as the Warlocks, had played together in various Bay Area ensembles, including the traditional jug band Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions.
                    

Lesh was the last member to join the Warlocks before they changed their name to Grateful Dead, replacing Dana Morgan Jr., who had played bass for a few gigs. Drummer Mickey Hart and non-performing lyricist Robert Hunter joined in 1967. With the exception of McKernan, who died in 1973,

and Hart, who left the band from 1971 to 1974, the core of the band stayed together for its entire 30-year history. Other official members of the band included Tom Constanten (keyboards from 1968 to 1970), John Perry Barlow (non-performing lyricist from 1971 to 1995), Keith Godchaux (keyboards and occasional vocals from 1971 to 1979), Donna Godchaux (vocals from 1972 to 1979), Brent Mydland (keyboards and vocals from 1979 to 1990), and Vince Welnick (keyboards and vocals from 1990 to 1995). Bruce Hornsby (accordion, piano, vocals) was a touring member from 1990 to 1992, as well as a guest with the band on occasion before and after the tours.
                  

The roots of the Grateful Dead lie with singer/songwriter Jerry Garcia, a longtime bluegrass enthusiast who began playing the guitar at age 15. Upon relocating to Palo Alto, California, in 1960, he befriended


Robert Hunter, whose lyrics later graced many of Garcia's most famous melodies; in time, he also came into contact with aspiring electronic music composer Phil Lesh. The Warlocks made their electric debut that July; Ken Kesey soon tapped them to become the house band at his notorious Acid Tests, a series of now-legendary public LSD parties and multimedia "happenings" mounted prior to the drug's criminalization.
                 

As 1965 drew to its close, the Warlocks rechristened themselves the Grateful Dead, the name

taken from a folk tale discovered in a dictionary by Garcia; bankrolled by chemist/LSD manufacturer Owsley Stanley, the bandmembers soon moved into a communal house situated at 710 Ashbury Street in San Francisco, becoming a fixture on the local music scene
and building a large fan base on the strength of their many free concerts. Signing to MGM, in 1966 the Dead also recorded their first demos; the sessions proved disastrous, and the label dropped the group a short time later.
              

In San Francisco on January 8, 1966 the Grateful Dead played at the Trips Festival, a three-day psychedelic rock weekend party and event produced by Ken Kesey, Stewart Brand, and Ramon Sender, that, in conjunction with the Merry Pranksters, brought the nascent hippie movement together for the

first time. As 1967 mutated into the Summer of Love, the Dead emerged as one of the top draws on the Bay Area music scene, honing an eclectic repertoire influenced by folk, country, and the blues while regularly appearing at top local venues including the Fillmore Auditorium, the Avalon Ballroom, and the Carousel. In March of 1967 the Dead issued their self-titled Warner Bros. debut LP, a disappointing effort which failed to recapture the cosmic sprawl of their live appearances; after performing at the Monterey Pop Festival, the group expanded to a six-piece with the addition of second drummer Mickey Hart.
                  

The Dead's response to the situation was to bow to the demands of fans and record their first live album, 1969's Live/Dead; highlighted by a rendition of Garcia's "Dark Star" clocking in at over 23

minutes, the LP succeeded where its studio predecessors failed in capturing the true essence of the group in all of their improvisational, psychedelicized glory. It was followed by a pair of classic 1970 studio efforts, Workingman's Dead and American Beauty; recorded in homage to the group's country and folk roots, the two albums remained the cornerstone of the Dead's live repertoire for years to follow, with its most popular songs -- "Uncle John's Band," "Casey Jones," "Sugar Magnolia," and "Truckin'" among them -- becoming major favorites on FM radio.
                 

Hart took time off from the band in February 1971, after his father, an accountant, absconded with much of the band's money;[48] Kreutzmann was once again as the sole percussionist. Hart rejoined the Grateful Dead for good in October 1974. Tom "TC" Constanten was added as a second keyboardist

from 1968 to 1970, to help Pigpen keep up with an increasingly psychedelic sound, while Pigpen transitioned into playing various percussion instruments and vocals. After Constanten's departure, Pigpen reclaimed his position as sole keyboardist. Less than two years later, in late 1971, Pigpen was joined by another keyboardist, Keith Godchaux, who played grand piano alongside Pigpen's Hammond B-3 organ. In early 1972, Keith's wife, Donna Jean Godchaux, joined the Grateful Dead as a backing vocalist.
                       

Following the Grateful Dead's "Europe '72" tour, Pigpen's health had deteriorated to the point that he could no longer tour with the band. His final concert appearance was June 17, 1972, at the Hollywood

Bowl, in Los Angeles; he died on March 8, 1973, of complications from liver damage. Despite increasing radio airplay and respectable album sales, the Dead remained first and foremost a live act, and as their popularity grew across the world they expanded their touring schedule, taking to the road for much of each year. As more and more of their psychedelic-era contemporaries ceased to exist, the group continued attracting greater numbers of fans to their shows, many of them following the Dead across the country.
                    

Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux left the band in February 1979, citing artistic differences. The early '80s were a time of considerable upheaval for the Dead -- the Godchauxs had been dismissed from the lineup in 1979, with Keith dying in a car crash on July 23, 1980. Still, the Dead were widely regarded

as little more than an enduring cult phenomenon prior to the release of 1987's In the Dark; their first studio LP since Go to Heaven, it became the year's most unlikely hit when the single "Touch of Grey" became the first-ever Dead track to reach the Top Ten on the pop charts.  Not only did concert tickets become increasingly tough to come by for longtime followers, but there were also more serious repercussions -- the influx of new fans shifted the crowd dynamic considerably, and once-mellow audiences became infamous not only for their excessive drug habits but also for their violent encounters with police.  
                  

Shortly after Mydland found his place in the early 1980s, Garcia's health began to decline. He became a frequent smoker of "Persian," a type of heroin, and he gained weight at a rapid pace.

He lost his liveliness on stage, his voice was strained, and Deadheads worried for his health.
After he began to curtail his opiate usage gradually in 1985, Garcia slipped into a diabetic coma for several days in July 1986, leading to the cancelation of all concerts in the fall of that year. Garcia recovered, the band released In the Dark in July 1987, which became its best-selling studio album and produced its only top-40 single, "Touch of Grey," Also, that year, the group toured with Bob Dylan, as heard on the album Dylan & the Dead.
    

Jerry Garcia died on August 9, 1995. A few months after Garcia's death, the remaining members of the Grateful Dead decided to disband. Since that time, there have been a number of reunions by

the surviving members involving various combinations of musicians. Additionally, the former members have also begun or continued individual projects.  In 2012, Phil Lesh opened a venue in San Raphael, California, called Terrapin Crossroads, where his band Phil Lesh & Friends often played, as well as a variety of Dead-related acts. It would be the hub of his creative activities until it closed in 2021, though Lesh continued to book concerts periodically. Phil Lesh died on October 25, 2024, at the age of 84.
               

1. GRATEFUL DEAD - GRATEFUL DEAD 1967 (50th ANNIVERSARY 2CD DELUXE EDITION 2017)

                   


The Grateful Dead is the debut studio album by the American rock band the Grateful Dead, released by Warner Bros. Records on March 17, 1967. According to the biographies of both bassist Phil Lesh and

drummer Bill Kreutzmann, the band released the album as San Francisco's Grateful Dead. Though the album was considered "a big deal in San Francisco", it did not see much airplay on AM radio stations outside of the Bay Area. The freeform FM radio format that favored bands like the Dead was still developing.Warner Bros. held an album release party on March 20, 1967 at the Fugazi Hall in North Beach.
         

Grateful Dead – The Grateful Dead
Label: Rhino Records – R5 557478
Format: 2 x CD, Remastered, 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Jan 20, 2017
Country:US
Released: 1967
Genre: Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Blues Rock

CD1.

                     

              
01. The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)   2:12
Written-By – Kreutzmann, Weir, Garcia, McKernan
02. Beat It On Down The Line   2:33
Written-By – Fuller
03.Good Mornin' Little School Girl   5:50
Written-By – Williamson
04. Cold Rain And Snow   2:31
Arranged By – Weir, Garcia, Lesh, McKernan
Written-By – Trad.
05. Sittin' On Top Of The World   2:08
Written-By – Carter, Jacobs
06. Cream Puff War   2:31
Written-By – Garcia
07. Morning Dew   5:09
Written-By – Dobson, Rose
08. New, New Minglewood Blues   2:37
Written-By – Kreutzmann, Weir, Garcia, Lesh, McKernan
09. Viola Lee Blues   10:16
Written-By – Lewis

Flac Size: 219 MB

CD2.  P.N.E. GARDEN AUDITORIUM, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA   7/29/1966

                    

 

  
01. Standing On The Corner   3:23
Written-By – Kreutzmann, Weir, Garcia, Lesh, McKernan
02. I Know You Rider   3:14
Arranged By – Weir, Garcia, McKernan
Written-By – Kreutzmann, Lesh, Trad.
03. Next Time You See Me   3:37
Written-By – Harvey, Forest
04. Sittin' On Top Of The World   3:47
Written-By – Carter, Jacobs
05. You Don't Have To Ask   5:14
Written-By – Kreutzmann, Weir, Garcia, Lesh, McKernan
06. Big Boss Man   4:16
Written-By – Smith, Dixon
07. Stealin'   3:37
Arranged By – Grateful Dead
Written-By – Cannon
08. Cardboard Cowboy   2:56
Written-By – Lesh
09. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue   5:23
Written-By – Dylan
10. Cream Puff War   7:52
Written-By – Garcia
11. Viola Lee Blues   10:03
Written-By – Lewis
12. Beat It On Down The Line   2:47
Written-By – Fuller
13. Good Mornin' Little Schoolgirl   5:47
Written-By – Williamson

P.N.E. GARDEN AUDITORIUM, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA   7/30/1966    

      
14. Cold Rain And Snow   3:14
Arranged By – Weir, Garcia, Lesh, McKernan
Written-By – Trad.
15. One Kind Favor   4:23
Written-By – Bihari, Hopkins
16. Hey Little One   5:39
Written-By – Vorzon, Burnette
17. New, New Minglewood Blues   3:23
Written-By – Kreutzmann, Weir, Garcia, Lesh, McKernan

Flac Size: 491 MB


LINE - UP

                


Bass Guitar, Vocals – Phil Lesh
Drums – Bill Kreutzmann
Lead Guitar, Vocals – Jerry Garcia
Organ, Harmonica, Vocals – Ron "Pigpen" McKernan
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir

2. GRATEFUL DEAD - ANTHEM OF THE SUN 1968

                     


Anthem of the Sun is the second studio album by American rock band the Grateful Dead, released on July 16, 1968, by Warner Bros-Seven Arts. It is the first album to feature second drummer Mickey Hart. The band was also joined by Tom Constanten, who contributed avant-garde instrumental and studio

techniques influenced by composers John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen. The album was assembled through a collage-like editing approach helmed by members Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh (along with soundman Dan Healy), in which disparate studio and live performance tapes were blended together to create new hybrid recordings. The band also supplemented their performances with instruments such as prepared piano, kazoo, harpsichord, timpani, trumpet, and güiro. The result is an experimental studio amalgam that is neither a pure studio album nor a live album.
         

Grateful Dead – Anthem Of The Sun
Label: Rhino Records (2) – R2 74393, Warner Bros. Records – R2 74393
Format: CD, HDCD, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Digipak
Country: US
Released: 1968    
Genre: Rock
Style: Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock

                      TRACKS


01.That's It For The Other One    (7:40)

01.I. Cryptical Envelopment
Written-By – Jerry Garcia
01.II. Quadlibet For Tender Feet
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Ron McKernan, Bob Weir
01.III. The Faster We Go, The Rounder We Get
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir
01.IV. We Leave The Castle
Written-By – Tom Constanten
02New Potato Caboose   8:25
Written-By – Phil Lesh, Robert Petersen
03.Born Cross-Eyed   2:07
Written-By – Bob Weir
04.Alligator   11:20
Written-By – Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter, Ron McKernan
05.Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)   9:50
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Ron McKernan

BONUS TRACKS        

    
06.Alligator (Live)   18:43
Written-By – Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter, Ron McKernan
07.Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) (Live)   11:38
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Ron McKernan
08.1.Feedback (Live)   4:01
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, Ron McKernan, Tom Constanten
08.2.(no audio)    2:57
09.Born Cross-Eyed (Single Version) [Hidden Track]   2:55
Written-By – Bob Weir

LINE - UP

              



Bass, Trumpet, Harpsichord, Guiro, Kazoo, Piano, Timpani – Phil Lesh
Drums, Bells [Orchestra], Gong, Chimes, Crotales, Piano [Prepared], Finger Cymbals – Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart
Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Kazoo, Vibraslap – Jerry Garcia
Organ, Claves [Celesta] – Ron McKernan
Piano, Piano [Prepared], Tape [Electronic] – Tom Constaten
Rhythm Guitar, Twelve-String Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Kazoo – Bob Weir

Flac Size: 486 MB

3. GRATEFUL DAED - AOXOMOXOA 1969 (50th ANNIVERSARY 2 CD DELUXE EDITION) 2019

                 


Aoxomoxoa is the third studio album by American rock band the Grateful Dead, released on June 20, 1969, by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. It was one of the first rock albums to be recorded using 16-track


technology. The title is a meaningless palindrome, usually pronounced /ɒksə.məksˈoʊə/.
Rolling Stone, upon reviewing the album, mentioned that "no other music sustains a lifestyle so delicate and loving and lifelike". The album was certified gold by the RIAA on May 13, 1997.[3] In 1991 Rolling Stone selected Aoxomoxoa as having the eighth best album cover of all time. It was voted number 674 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).
              

Grateful Dead – Aoxomoxoa
Label: Rhino Records – 603497856121, Rhino Records – R2 573668
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered, (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
Country: US
Released: Jun 7, 2019
Genre: Rock
Style: Blues Rock, Country Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Experimental
                       


CD1. ORIGINAL 1969 MIX        

                

  
01. St. Stephen   4:26
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
02. Dupree's Diamond Blues   3:39
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
03. Rosemary    2:04
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
04. Doin' That Rag   5:14
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
05. Mountains Of The Moon   4:10
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
06. China Cat Sunflower   4:15
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
07. What's Become Of The Baby   8:25
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
08. Cosmic Charlie   5:24
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter

1971 REMIX            


09. St. Stephen   4:25
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
10. Dupree's Diamond Blues   3:32
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
11. Rosemary   1:58
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
12. Doin' That Rag   4:41
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
13. Mountains Of The Moon   4:01
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
14. China Cat Sunflower   3:40
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
15. What's Become Of The Baby   8:11
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
16. Cosmic Charlie   5:29
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter

Flac Size: 427 MB
         
CD2. AVALON BALLROOM SAN FRANCISCO (1/24-26/69)

             

  
01. New Potato Caboose   13:59

Written-By – Phil Lesh, Robert Petersen
02. Dupree's Diamond Blues   4:41
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
03. Doin' That Rag   5:42
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
04. Alligator   9:09
Written-By – Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter, Ron McKernan
05. Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)   7:11
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, Ron McKernan
06. Feedback   3:46
Written-By – Grateful Dead
07. And We Bid You Goodnight   2:39
Arranged By – The Grateful Dead
Written-By – Trad.
08. Clementine   11:05
Written-By – Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
09.Death Don't Have No Mercy   9:57
Written-By – Rev. Gary Davis

Flac Size: 393 MB

LINE - UP

              


Bass Guitar, Vocals – Phil Lesh
Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia
Keyboards – Tom Constanten
Keyboards [Pig Pen] – Ron McKernan
Percussion – Bill Kreutzmann
Musician – David Nelson (tracks: 1-1 to 1-16), Marma-Duke (tracks: 1-1 to 1-16), Peter Grant (tracks: 1-1 to 1-16)

4. GRATEFUL DEAD - LIVE DEAD 1969

             


Live/Dead is the first official live album (and fourth overall) released by the rock band Grateful Dead. Recorded over a series of concerts in early 1969 and released later the same year, it was the first live

rock album to use 16-track recording. To assuage debt accrued with their record label from their recent album Aoxomoxoa, as well as fulfill their record contract, the band decided to record a live album. They were also interested in releasing an album more representative of their live performances and actual musicianship, as opposed to the in-studio experimentation of previous albums. The band's soundman, Owsley "Bear" Stanley, asked electronics designer Ron Wickersham to invent a microphone splitter that fed both into the PA and the record inputs, with no loss in quality. The songs were recorded with an Ampex 16-track machine.
              

The Grateful Dead – Live/Dead
Label: Warner Bros. Records – 1830-2
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered
Country: US
Released: Sep 6, 1988
Genre: Rock
Style: Folk Rock, Country Rock, Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock

TRACKS

                


01. Dark Star   23:15
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
02. Saint Stephen   6:45
Written-By – Garcia, Lesh, Hunter
03. The Eleven   9:39
Written-By – Lesh, Hunter
04. Turn O Your Love Light   15:30
Written-By – D. Malone, J. Scott
05. Death Don't Have No Mercy   10:30
Organ – Pigpen
Written-By – Rev. Gary Davis
06. Feedback   8:52
Written-By – McGannahan Skyjellyfetti
07. And We Bid You Goodnight   0:36
Written-By – Traditional

LINE - UP

             


Tom Constanten – organ
Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals
Mickey Hart – drums, percussion
Bill Kreutzmann – drums, percussion
Phil Lesh – electric bass, vocals
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan – vocals, congas, organ on "Death Don't Have No Mercy"
Bob Weir – guitar, vocals
Robert Hunter – spoken word on "Dark Star" (single version)

Flac Size: 392 MB

5. GRATEFUL DEAD - WORKINGMAN'S DEAD 1970

          

         
Workingman's Dead is the fourth studio album (and fifth overall) by American rock band Grateful Dead. It was recorded in February 1970 and originally released on June 14, 1970. The album and its

studio follow-up, American Beauty, were recorded back-to-back using a similar style, eschewing the psychedelic experimentation of previous albums in favor of Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter's Americana-styled songcraft. In 2003, the album was ranked number 262 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, 264 in a 2012 revised list, and 409 in the 2020 list. It was voted number 371 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.
            

Grateful Dead – Workingman's Dead
Label: Rhino Records – 8122-74396-2, Warner Bros. Records – 8122-74396-2
Format: CD, HDCD, Album, Reissue, Remastered
Country: Europe
Released: 2003
Genre: Rock
Style: Blues Rock, Country Rock, Psychedelic Rock

TRACKS

     


01. Uncle John's Band   4:42
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
02. High Time   5:12
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
03. Dire Wolf   3:11
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
04. New Speedway Boogie   4:04
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
05. Cumberland Blues   3:14
Acoustic Guitar – David Nelson
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh
06. Black Peter   5:41
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
07. Easy Wind   4:57
Written-By – Robert Hunter
08. Casey Jones   4:24
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia

BONUS TRACKS

    
09. New Speedway Boogie (Alternate Mix)   4:06
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
10. Dire Wolf (Live)   2:32
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
11. Black Peter (Live)   9:07
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
12. Easy Wind (Live)   8:10
Written-By – Robert Hunter
13. Cumberland Blues (Live)   4:52
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh
14. Mason's Children (Live)   6:33
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh
15. Uncle John's Band (Live)   6:51
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia

LINE - UP

               


Bass, Vocals – Phil Lesh
Drums – Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart
Guitar, Steel Guitar [Pedal], Vocals – Jerry Garcia
Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir
Keyboards – Tom Constanten (tracks: 10 to 14)
Keyboards, Harmonica, Vocals – Pigpen

Flac Size: 498 MB

6.  GRATEFUL DEAD - AMERICAN BEAUTY 1970

             


American Beauty is the fifth studio album (and sixth overall) by American rock band the Grateful Dead. Released in November 1970, by Warner Bros. Records, the album continued the folk rock and

country music style of their previous album Workingman's Dead, released earlier in the year. Upon release, American Beauty entered the Billboard 200 chart, ultimately peaking at number 30 during a nineteen-week stay in January 1971. On July 11, 1974, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, and it later reached Platinum and Double Platinum certification in 1986 and 2001, respectively. In 2003, the album was ranked number 258 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, 261 in a 2012 revised list, and 215 in a 2020 revised list.
         

Grateful Dead – American Beauty
Label: Rhino Records – R2 74397, Warner Bros. Records – R2 74397
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered
Country:  US
Released:1970
Genre: Rock
Style: Country Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Classic Rock

TRACKS

           


01. Box Of Rain   5:17
Written-By – Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
02. Friend Of The Devil   3:21
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, John Dawson, Robert Hunter
03. Sugar Magnolia   3:17
Written-By – Bob Weir, Robert Hunter
04. Operator   2:22
Written-By – Ron McKernan
05. Candyman   6:10
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
06. Ripple   4:10
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
07. Brokedown Palace   4:06
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
08. Till The Morning Comes   3:07
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
09. Attics Of My Life   5:10
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
10. Truckin'   5:03
Written-By – Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter

BONUS TRACKS            


11. Truckin' (Single Version)   3:14
Written-By – Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
12. Friend Of The Devil (Live)   4:21
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, John Dawson, Robert Hunter
13. Candyman (Live)   5:15
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
14. Till The Morning Comes (Live)   3:20
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
15. Attics Of My Life (Live)   6:28
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
16. Truckin' (Live)  9:03
Written-By – Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
17. Ripple (Alternate Take)    3:01
18. American Beauty Radio Spot    1:10


LINE - UP

             


Bass, Guitar, Piano, Vocals – Phil Lesh
Drums – Bill Kreutzmann
Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar, Piano, Vocals – Jerry Garcia
Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir
Harmonica, Vocals – Pig Pen (Ron McKernan)
Percussion – Mickey Hart
Songwriter – Robert Hunter

WITH:


Guest [With] – New Riders Of The Purple Sage
Guest [With], Bass – Dave Torbert (tracks: 1)
Guest [With], Electric Guitar – David Nelson (tracks: 1)
Guest [With], Mandolin – David Grisman (tracks: 2, 6)
Guest [With], Organ – Howard Wales (tracks: 5, 10)
Guest [With], Piano – Howard Wales (tracks: 7), Ned Lagin (tracks: 5)

NOTES


This album was originally issued as Warner Bros. #WS-1893 (11/70). The original tape from which the live version of "Truckin" was taken is missing the opening chorus.

Flac Size: 471 MB

7.  GRATEFUL DEAD -  GRATEFUL DEAD (SKULL & ROSES) 1971

          


Grateful Dead is a live album by rock band the Grateful Dead. Released on September 24, 1971 on

Warner Bros. Records, it is their second live double album and their seventh album overall. Although published without a title, it is generally known by the names Skull and Roses (due to its iconic cover art) and Skull Fuck (the name the band originally wanted to give to the album, which was rejected by the record company). It was the group's first album to be certified gold by the RIAA[4] and remained their best seller until surpassed by Skeletons from the Closet.

                


Grateful Dead – Grateful Dead
Label: Rhino Records – R2 74398, Warner Bros. Records – R2 74398
Format:    CD, HDCD, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo   2003
Country: US
Released: 1971
Genre: Rock
Style: Blues Rock, Country Rock, Psychedelic Rock

TRACKS

         


01. Bertha   5:40
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
Organ – Merl Saunders
02. Mama Tried   2:42
Written-By – Merle Haggard
03. Big Railroad Blues   3:33
Written-By – Noah Lewis
04. Playing In The Band   4:39
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Bob Weir, Mickey Hart
Organ – Merl Saunders
05. The Other One   18:03
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir
06. Me & My Uncle   3:03
Written-By – John Phillips
07. Big Boss Man   5:11
Written-By – Al Smith, Luther Dixon
08. Me & Bobby McGee   5:43
Written-By – Kris Kristofferson
09. Johnny B. Goode   3:41
Written-By – Chuck Berry
10. Wharf Rat   8:31
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
Organ – Merl Saunders
11. Not Fade Away / Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad    (9:12)
11.1.Not Fade Away

Written-By – Charles Hardin, Norman Petty
11.2.Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad
Arranged By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan

BONUS TRACKS

    
12. Oh, Boy!   2:50
Written-By – Bill Tighman, Norman Petty, Sonny West
13. I'm A Hog For You   4:08
Written-By – Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller

LINE - UP

             


Bass, Vocals – Phil Lesh
Drums – Bill Kreutzmann
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir
Lead Guitar, Vocals – Jerry Garcia
Organ, Harmonica, Vocals – Ron "Pigpen" McKernan

Flac Size: 491 MB

23 comments:

  1. The death of Phil Lesh a good opportunity to bring the G. Dead.
    There is so much literature about the Dead that i could hardly say anything new. Therefore a few personal memories. The Dead were one of my favorite bands when i was young. I met Aoxomoxoa at the beginning of 1970 together with the J Airplane Crown of Creation. A friend stole the two lps from a bookstore. But he didn't particularly like them, especially the Aoxomoxoa it was too extreme for him. I was electrified by both lps and took them over from him. This began my search for West Coast music. The problem was that i could only listen to this music during this time. Everything from the UK was forgotten for the time being. However after American Beauty i lost interest in the band. The follow-up records were too disappointing for me.
    The Dead made a great contribution for the Flower Power movement. Not only to support various project but especially through their music and life style. During this time, all the current that the subculture created emerged. LSD-music, drugs, sexual freedom, turn on, tune in, drop out. Freedom movements, peace marches, provos, guerilla theater, communes, astrology, occultism, underground newspaper, psychedelic art...
    My favorite phase, as i once mentioned, is the time from anthem of the sun summer 67 to spring 68. There is this fantastic concert at the Carousel Ballroom Feb. 14. 1968 which is my absolute high light

    Very nicely done, Kostas is a feast for the eyes with the many posters. Thanks.

    If you have told me yesterday that you would be bringing the Dead, my report would have been 3 times as long. I would have prepared something.

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  2. When I read about Phil's death I decided to upload a beautiful post for The G. Dead. I like your story about all the groups you followed when you were in USA and many thanks for the comment. This entry wasn't in programme. I was working for the next post about an old Prog Rock band. Anyway, later on is coming even the Lemon Pipers post.

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  3. This music is primarily the music of the American West. You can listen to Dead 1969. Very slow and relaxed and extensive movements and images that this music conveys. Or Quicksilcer Messenger Service Shady Grove images of emotion that no other medium can create.

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  4. Wow! What a great post and how much work you did for this. Your blog is the most awesome of all.
    Frankie.

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  5. These days UNI BOYS from California are getting, both. On the cover from the 1st cd, the band look like bored teenagers from the crappy suburbs who can't get along with their divonced parents. Teenager desert.
    Their music is real Power Pop from the 70s.
    Like The Cars, The Romantics, The Knack, 20/20...with this band the Power Pop of 70s has returned !

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    1. I made a mistake here. With a list of representative Power Pop 70s bands.
      Cars is neither Power Pop nor are they any good, on the contrary, they're a piece of shit.

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  6. Well done Kostas my friend. Awesome tribute to a great innovator of the bass guitar and it would seem all round ‘nice bloke’! A fitting and most welcome addition to all those tributes - will do the usual of course! bestests as ever

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  7. On the back side of the album Aoxomxoa the Dead is pictured with some people from the Olompali commune sitting under a tree in their park. The municipality bought the ranch from the Dead in 1967, who previously lived here. It was the perfect oasis. The property had 280 hectares, a great swimmingpool and in which you could keep horses. But i won't retell the history of this commune now. In any case, it burned out sometime in the late 60s.
    Some of the community have found accommodation in other communities others habe started a middle class life. I just wanted to mention this in case anyone was wondering who the people on the cover are. And very few people know this story.

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    Replies
    1. Well its been well documented for nearly ten years guys, since Courtney Love claimed to be one of the children but it isn’t her. The hippie commune The Chosen Family leased the Olompali house to the Dead for about 8 months and they all used it for Leary acid tests and fun. Most of SF heads dropped by at one time or another. The only commune members are the girls in the foreground of the photo with Alex

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    2. I got my information from a member of the community and she told it as i described above.

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    3. No doubt but the band clearly rented it from the Band for a few months only and my only real issue is with your saying it is rare info, it isn’t! It is well know and has been documented since at least 2015 There is even a full identification chart as to who is who (produced most to discredit a mistaken Courtney I would imagine) Hey ho! ;)

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    4. If that's a problem for you, it's not for me. Then you just have a better source.

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  8. A Real Labour of Love sharing Excellent Music and writeup with photos,, Hats Off!

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  9. I'm taking 'Anthem Of The Sun' and 'Aoxomoxoa' because I have never heard them!!?? Many thanks for them both.

    Brian

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  10. Election in the USA soon. This election will decide whether authoritarian regimes in the world will gain the upper hand over democratic systems. That's why it's a very important election and not just for the USA but for the whole world. The dilemma is that you have to choose beetween the very right and in this case a fascist party and the center right. In the USA a Bernie Sanders is already considered a communist, here in Europe he is at best a social democrat and even a Kamala Harris ( unbelievable). In general only someone who is millionaire or very rich and receives the necessary financial support can become president there. What a corrupt country and it calls itself the largest democracy in the world.

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    1. Hey you, Whitehouse, haha, charade you are.
      You house - proud town mouse, haha, charade you are.
      Gotta stem the evil tide and keep it all on the inside.
      PINK FLOYD (FROM THE ALBUM: ANIMALS)

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    2. I know this is not a political forum (let's rather enjoy the music), but America is a Constitutional Republic, not a "Democracy".

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    3. Opinions differ here. Yet the USA fits most description of a democracy.

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  11. I like that. Words of a good European.

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  12. Thanks for the tribute to Phil Lesh. His approach to the bass taught me a lot as a young musician all those years ago.
    Aoxomoxoa is such a great album. I've had that vinyl forever it seems. Looking forward to trying out the re-mix version.

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  13. WoW a touching tribute Kostas! My dead head friend said his favorite song is 'Box Of Rain' which opens American Beauty. Thanks Josef for your inputs bringing up things I didn't know I like 'Two From The Vault" when it came out and actually lost one of the CD's FIrst exposure was my older brother who only collected tapes gave the Greatest Hits to me. I was punk in High school when they toured with Dylan so rejected the show...good thing as I heard sound was terrible. But I love the MN local bands they influenced and saw them every week at the Cabooze bar like Gooney Birds and Mango Jam and of course my little brother's band KIND that I posted. I love the culture though and have grown to appreciate the music quite a bit.

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    Replies
    1. I have hundreds of hours live beetween 66-71. And the Dead were above all a live band. What's unique is how documented this band is. That's what you would want from a lot of bands.

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