Topic: I wish I was a headlight....

...on a northbound train.

I've just been revisiting (for the first time in years) a load of live Dead files I got from Napster and they sound absolutely brilliant! The Deadhead I used to be decades ago got reawakened.

So I had a look at their huge Wikipedia entry and saw that they re-formed some years ago (what's left of the originals anyway) and have been playing regularly around the US as The Dead. What I'd like to know is if any of you here have seen them or have an idea how they sound now. Any input appreciated.

RIP Iron Man

Rock On and keep the Faith

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

It's just not the same without Jerry. I'm not even sure if they are gonna tour as the Dead any longer. It's been awhile since they did and now it's pretty much Phil Lesh & Friends or Bob Weirs band Ratdog if you want a Dead fix.

                                                                                       The Fatman Rocks,

                                                                                       J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

i just did 10 nights of phil and friends at the nokia . good shows . also saw ratdog a bunch this year also some good shows ..i did get to see the dead almost 400 times . if anyone is looking for any shows i have been uploading all my 1985 and 1986 shows on bt.etree.org i'm almost done with 1986 and then i will move on to 1987 and so on ....get them while there hot .....joe

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

joebeacon wrote:

i just did 10 nights of phil and friends at the nokia . good shows . also saw ratdog a bunch this year also some good shows ..i did get to see the dead almost 400 times . if anyone is looking for any shows i have been uploading all my 1985 and 1986 shows on bt.etree.org i'm almost done with 1986 and then i will move on to 1987 and so on ....get them while there hot .....joe

Thank you, thank you, and.....thank you!

I've started with Oakland '86. Any particular ones you'd recommend?

RIP Iron Man

Rock On and keep the Faith

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

Amsterhammer wrote:
joebeacon wrote:

i just did 10 nights of phil and friends at the nokia . good shows . also saw ratdog a bunch this year also some good shows ..i did get to see the dead almost 400 times . if anyone is looking for any shows i have been uploading all my 1985 and 1986 shows on bt.etree.org i'm almost done with 1986 and then i will move on to 1987 and so on ....get them while there hot .....joe

Thank you, thank you, and.....thank you!

I've started with Oakland '86. Any particular ones you'd recommend?

take your pick there all good . each show has a different feel the 1986 hampton ,va when they broke out box of rain after all those years is a great show ......joe

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

Deadhead here!!! smile I simply LOVE the Grateful Dead...thanx for the thread on them! smile. Jerry's passing meant the death of a huge part of psychedelic/jamming rock. GD were something else with Jerry on guitar, but I DO appreciate what the Dead are doing today....the important thin is they haven't in any way wimped out on us....Jerry would have wanted it that way! smile smile

"ONCE A DEADHEAD ALWAYS A DEADHEAD"
"MAY YOUR D O G S BE WITH YOU"

Check it all out here.....http://www.dead.net/

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

We'll have to stop meeting like this, Dragster.

I only ever saw them live at open air festivals in England. It always rained and we were always ankle-deep in mud, though it never seemed to matter too much as we were also always out of our heads. big_smile

RIP Iron Man

Rock On and keep the Faith

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

Yeah, right on , heheheheheheeeheheheheh smile....GD were the IN thing alright!

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

I have nothing against the Dead and enjoy their music. I just never understood the mania.

"Rock ON & Keep the Faith"

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

Bill S wrote:

I have nothing against the Dead and enjoy their music. I just never understood the mania.

I have no idea how old you are Bill, but I can only say that you had to be in the right age group to have had that experience at that time. Dead-mania was totally different to say, Beatle-mania. It was certainly also to do with being stoned or tripping at their gigs, though it was also much more than that.

RIP Iron Man

Rock On and keep the Faith

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

Amsterhammer wrote:
Bill S wrote:

I have nothing against the Dead and enjoy their music. I just never understood the mania.

I have no idea how old you are Bill, but I can only say that you had to be in the right age group to have had that experience at that time. Dead-mania was totally different to say, Beatle-mania. It was certainly also to do with being stoned or tripping at their gigs, though it was also much more than that.

I just turned 51 and in my early days, I certainly "fit the profile". Back then, I couldn't understand the legion of fans that followed the Dead around the country and probably the world.
Some people I know look at me now and don't get my "Bonamania", so I'm on the other side of the fence now.

"Rock ON & Keep the Faith"

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

Bill S wrote:

Some people I know look at me now and don't get my "Bonamania", so I'm on the other side of the fence now.

I know what you're saying, Bill. It's funny how things go sometimes. I honestly can't remember how I first got into the Dead, but it was certainly in the early 70's when I was at university in England. I got hooked by the music...and the lyrics, Jerry's playing, Bob's fragile voice and the different 'feel' (at the time) of long, rambling songs interspersed with wonderful solos.

I probably became a different sort of 'Deadhead' than many in the US were at the time, if for no other reason than because our 'experience' was very different. We were a minority at university and thinking of ourselves as 'Deadheads' was, no doubt, a sort of bonding. Also, when the Dead came to England it was usually to appear at one open air festival, so we generally only saw them once, invariably in the rain and mud.

I have no idea why, since the music was not really in the same 'bag', but most of our little group of Deadheads also became Feat freaks in the early 70's. (So much to say about Little Feat, I may have to start a separate thread.)

Finally, on the subject of manias, in particular Bonamania - I turned a young (31) friend of mine on to Joe. He came to the Paradiso show with me and was as knocked out as I was. He subsequently turned his father (my age), who lives in Spain, on to Joe. His father is so knocked out that he will be joining us at several of Joe's gigs here next March! big_smile

RIP Iron Man

Rock On and keep the Faith

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

I was born in good 'ol 58, born and reared in Australia where we got all the BEST vibes from the USA. My mates' bigger bros were REAL Deadheads and some of them even followed the Dead around the world!! smile. I have some pix of that, but they're back home in Australia and I haven't had time to scan them............yet!!
I believe the Dead-mania was NOT a fad or trend, but an actual state of mind and way of life; you can still see that because many of the 'had-boiled hippies and Heads of the 60s are still there diggin' everything Dead! smile. I'm on the official Grateful Dead forum and I can tell you there's no better place to pick up what was going on in the 60s than that forum.

"Once a Deadhead always a Deadhead"

Rob

14 (edited by Amsterhammer 2007-12-03 11:18:12)

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

dragster wrote:

I believe the Dead-mania was NOT a fad or trend, but an actual state of mind and way of life; you can still see that because many of the 'had-boiled hippies and Heads of the 60s are still there diggin' everything Dead! smile. I'm on the official Grateful Dead forum and I can tell you there's no better place to pick up what was going on in the 60s than that forum.

"Once a Deadhead always a Deadhead"

Rob

You're 10 years younger than I am Rob, so I guess I'd fit in with the older brothers you refer to!

Hit me with a link to the forum please and I'll join you there. big_smile

George

Edit - never mind, I found it.

RIP Iron Man

Rock On and keep the Faith

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

I was never a Dead Head, but I did "get" them. My 24y/o nephew and his friends are very into the Dead. They have gone to see RatDog and loved it. But George, if you want to talk about Little Feat..well I was definately a Feathead!!!!!!       Cathy

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

cathysiler wrote:

I was never a Dead Head, but I did "get" them. My 24y/o nephew and his friends are very into the Dead. They have gone to see RatDog and loved it. But George, if you want to talk about Little Feat..well I was definately a Feathead!!!!!!       Cathy

Excellent Cathy!

It was 'Feat Freak', by the way. Ok, Feat topic coming up later. cool

RIP Iron Man

Rock On and keep the Faith

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

Cathy and George:

Little Feat for me too but with Lowell George. After he died,  for me it was over.

Andre Wittebroek.

Re: I wish I was a headlight....

I agree Andre...and if George was into Zappa too...well we'll know he's "one of us"   Cathy