Streaming the Classics: Grateful Dead in Concert
Here we take a new approach to the Audiophilia's Streaming the Classics series. Instead of highlighting top recordings of a classical work we shift to popular music to explore the live catalog of the Grateful Dead on high resolution streaming services.
During their 30 year career from the mid-sixties to the mid-nineties, the Grateful Dead evolved from a psychedelic garage band to the ultimate jam band and became loved worldwide for their myriad contributions to music and popular culture. Although the music itself is quite approachable, the vast discography of the Grateful Dead can be overwhelming.
The purpose of this list is to provide a guide for new or casual ‘Deadhead’s to explore the Grateful Dead’s extraordinarily deep live catalog on high resolution streaming services. All the Dead’s universally available studio records 1967-1972 will be rewarding for new listeners. There are also three excellent contemporary live albums from this period that provide a taste of the Dead in concert. For some listeners this discography is plenty. For many more, it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
For most of the Grateful Dead’s career, their live shows were taped and shared among fans. In the ‘90s, official CD releases of archived performances became common but most are now out of print and quite expensive. Eventually, thousands of audience and soundboard recordings found a natural home on The Internet Archive. All these were available to download in FLAC format, but since 2005 the higher quality soundboard recordings have been limited to streaming only. So, the live catalog of the Grateful Dead has always been available but the proliferation of high resolution streaming services has finally made it simple to access best material in high fidelity. The challenge becomes deciding where to start.
Deadheads who add the recordings listed here to their collection of studio and contemporary live albums can feel confident they have a well rounded discography that spans the entire career of the Grateful Dead.
Photo credit: Wall Street Journal
Why Live?
The appeal of the Dead’s live catalogue is manifold. First the band constantly grew and evolved. From raucous garage and R&B to psychedelia to Americana, the Dead were always adding influences to their sound without diluting their unmistakable identity. This glorious evolution is captured even more fully in their hours-long concerts than in their studio records. The live recordings provide vivid snapshots of their experimentation, creativity, growth and imperfections. Especially interesting are the live sets recorded around the release of studio albums where the band were unafraid to tinker with new music in front of their fans. Additionally, the band had numerous original songs (and covers) in their repertoire that never made it onto a studio record.
Audiophile Credibility
It is worth noting here, despite their hippy reputation among the general public, there are many achievements of the Grateful Dead which earn them undeniable audiophile credibility. First, much to the dismay of their record label, the Dead insisted on producing their own albums. No doubt psychedelic drugs contributed to a learning curve, but by their third album, Aoxomoxoa, the band were studio wizards.
They also took the sound quality of their live performances extremely seriously. Perhaps more so than any band before them. Their dissatisfaction with venue sound systems led to the creation of the ‘Wall of Sound’ PA system consisting of 75 tons of McIntosh electronics and JBL speakers. John Curl, now well known for his work with Parasound, was a contributor to this system.
The Grateful Dead also have the distinction of releasing the first 16-track live rock recording, the 1969 classic Live/Dead. Music from that same run and other early 16-track recordings are included in this list.
A Few Criteria
Retrospective live albums only
Available on high resolution streaming services
Listed in chronological order of recording date
Dick’s Picks Volume 22
Recording Date: February 23-24 1968
Venue: King’s Beach Bowl, Lake Tahoe, CA
Line Up: Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann
Track Highlights: ‘Viola Lee Blues’, ‘Morning Dew’
Dick’s Picks 22 is a raw recording that captures the explosive energy of the acid test era Grateful Dead. The set list is a fantastic mix of blues covers and early psychedelic originals. Almost every song here became a part of the permanent repertoire. The recording itself is relatively low fidelity, but given the frenetic energy of the performance it should not detract from the enjoyment in the least. This is a powerful musical document. If you love the Dead but find the sound is too rough to enjoy on your system then consider rearranging your system or your priorities.
Fillmore West 1969
Recording Date: February 27 - March 2, 1969
Venue: Fillmore West, SF, CA
Lineup: Garcia, Lesh, Weir, Pigpen, Hart, Kreutzmann, Tom Constanten
Track Highlights: ‘I'm a King Bee’, ‘Dark Star’ > ‘St. Stephen’ > ‘The Eleven’ >’ Death Don't Have No Mercy’
This three disc set is compiled from the same run as Live/Dead, which, when released in 1969, was the first 16-track live rock record. Live/Dead is a classic but it only contains a few tracks. Fillmore West 1969 showcases the band performing psychedelic tracks from Aoxomoxoa along with fine versions of blues favorites. The band were dialed in and grooving hard. Listeners who love the sound of the band from this era can seek out Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings.
Dick’s Picks Volume 16
Recording Date: November 8, 1969
Venue: Fillmore West, SF, CA
Lineup: Garcia, Lesh, Weir, Pigpen, Hart, Kreutzmann, Constanten
Track Highlights: ‘Dark Star’ > ‘The Other One’ >’ Dark Star’ > ‘Uncle John’s Band Jam’ > ‘Dark Star’ > ‘St. Stephen’ > ‘The Eleven’
A little later in 1969, the Dead began incorporating folk oriented songs from their upcoming studio release, Workingman’s Dead, into their psychedelic and blues repertoire. Most of those tunes come in the first set of this recording. The exception is an instrumental ‘Uncle John’s Band’ jam tucked into ‘Dark Star’. While the sound and playing may not be as polished as on Fillmore West 1969, this is nonetheless a great snapshot of the band in a transitional phase.
Dick’s Picks Volume 4 [Writer’s Choice]
Recording Date: February 13-14, 1970
Venue: Fillmore East, NYC
Lineup: Garcia, Lesh, Weir, Pigpen, Hart, Kreutzmann
Track Highlights: All of them.
This release contains selections from a two night run at the Fillmore East. A flawless performance from beginning to end, Dick’s Picks Volume 4 captures a high watermark for the Grateful Dead. The band sings with rich emotion; harmonies in ‘High Time’ are some of the best they recorded in concert. They play with precision; interplay is telepathic and improvisation is endlessly expressive throughout. And they rock with conviction; just feel the power of ‘Not Fade Away.’ New listeners need not be intimidated by the three half-hour extended jams. ‘Dark Star’, ‘The Other One’ and ‘Turn on Your Lovelight’ are among the best available.
Writer’s Choice
Unlike previous Streaming the Classics entries, the favorite selection here will be just a single release. Afterall, in terms of listening time Dicks Pick’s Volume 4 does equal a few symphonic works. More importantly, there is just so much to experience in this recording. Repeated listening will surely be rewarded. It’s just as exciting to me as it was when I first borrowed the 3 CD box from the public library over 15 years ago. Readers scanning for one top recording from this list might as well start and end here.
Dick’s Picks Volume 8
Recording Date: May 2, 1970
Venue: Harpur College, Binghamton NY
Lineup: Garcia, Lesh, Weir, Pigpen, Hart, Kreutzmann
Track Highlights: Acoustic Set: Tracks 1-11
The Harpur College show is noteworthy for it’s unplugged first set which includes three songs from the soon to be released Workingman’s Dead. The second set is great as well.
Ladies & Gentlemen . . . the Grateful Dead
Recording Date: April 25 - 29, 1971
Venue: Fillmore East, NYC
Lineup: Garcia, Lesh, Weir, Pigpen, Kreutzmann, Constanten
Track Highlights: ‘Loser’, ‘Hard to Handle’
Another 16-track document of a legendary run. There’s four discs worth of music in this set but don’t let that be intimidating. The band is consistently tight with a great energy throughout. Mellow when they need to be, hard-rocking when they need to be.
Sunshine Daydream: Veneta, OR, August 27th, 1972
Recording Date: August 27, 1972
Venue: Old Renaissance Fairgrounds, Veneta, OR
Lineup: Garcia, Lesh, Weir, Kreutzmann, Donna Jean Godchaux, Keith Godchaux
Track Highlights: ‘Dark Star’, ‘Playing in the Band’, ‘Sing Me Back Home’
Sunshine Daydream features some notable lineup changes from the earlier entries on this list. Mickey Hart was temporarily exiled, Pigpen had recently left and Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux joined the band. Despite the shakeups the Dead were in top shape for this performance on a blistering hot day in the middle-of-nowhere, Oregon. The ‘Dark Star’ is excellent. The other track highlights feature Godchaux’s back up vocals which range from sublime (‘Sing Me Back Home’) to shrieking (‘Playing in the Band’).
Cornell 5/8/77
Recording Date: May 8, 1977
Venue: Barton Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Lineup: Garcia, Lesh, Weir, Hart, Kreutzmann, Donna Jean Godchaux, Keith Godchaux
Track Highlights: ‘Scarlet Begonias’, ‘Fire on the Mountain’, ‘Estimated Prophet’
Cornell ‘77 is frequently cited as the definitive Dead show, if such a thing is even possible. The performance is indeed immaculate but two other factors make this a great set for new Deadheads. First, the setlist is brilliantly curated, and packed full of accessible songs with no spaced out experimentation. Second, the recording quality is excellent. Mastered right from the legendary Betty Cantor-Jackson soundboard recording, Cornell 5/8/77 easily deserves audiophile status.
Red Rocks: 7/8/78
Recording Date: July 8, 1978
Venue: Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
Lineup: Garcia, Lesh, Weir, Hart, Kreutzmann, D Godchaux, K Godchaux
Track Highlights: Eyes of the World, Franklin’s Tower
Anyone who has had the privilege of attending a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre just outside Denver, CO can attest to the incredible acoustics and palpable mystic energy of the venue. Both those elements are reflected in the effortless playing captured here. The audio quality is damn fine, too.
Spring 1990: So Glad You Made It
Recording Date: Various, 1990
Venue: Various
Lineup: Garcia, Lesh, Weir, Hart, Kreutzmann, Brent Mydland
Track Highlights: West L.A. Fadeaway, Bird Song
By the ‘90s, the Dead had developed a laid back, spacey, yet polished sound. This compilation captures their mature sound on two discs of material recorded throughout the Spring of 1990. By then, the Dead were truly a jam band comfortable in their own skin. Some of the MIDI synth effects used on the Brent’s keys and Jerry’s guitar are artifacts from the 80s that date the performance a bit. There is still a lot to love from this era and So Glad You Made It provides a good introduction.
