The Grateful Dead Listening Project

The Idea: After several years of consideration and collecting, I've finally decided to start on a linear journey through the history of the Grateful Dead. I hope to experience as much as can be experienced through the historical record they left behind. If it's out there, why not listen to it? All of it.


The Method: I am starting with the earliest Garcia stuff I can find. I plan to include all concerts of the GD, JGB, Old and in the Way, etc that I can find, as well as all studio albums. I'll listen to them in order, based on the date performed. Records will fit in by the date in which they were released. If I am able, I will also insert other famous recordings where they fit, such as Sgt Peppers by the Beatles, Surrealistic Pillow by the Airplane, Cheap Thrills by Big Brother, etc.


The Madness: For someone who wasn't "on the bus" from '65/'66 forward, I want to gain a better understanding for the path that the music of the Grateful Dead went on. Like any historical period spanning 40+ years, there were many twists and turns in the Dead. I find it interesting to search for those subtle changes in time. How early did the group-think begin? Where did their folk background start to gain influence in their acid-rock? What truly was the best year or tour of the Dead? I also want to keep this blog, tracking each show I've listened to, providing links & ideas about the music. Hopefully I can get some followers.


The Caveat: In an undertaking like this, there are certainly going to be holes. I am not an audiophile, like some Deadheads, and will be listening to the shows in mp3 format on my IPOD. I am not fooling with lossless or any other form of audio that is superior in quality. When the shows happened, the sound from the band was often not "lossless" as distortion & crowd noise would certainly occur. I am also not deliberate in the sourcing of a show. I get what sounds good to me, and don't worry about who taped it, where it came from, etc. I will list any information I have. Finally, the Grateful Dead grew together in a time where there was neither technology nor the money to record every note of every show. Therefore, there are many holes in the historic record in terms of available audio, or complete setlists and show dates. I am going to do the best that I can to keep my project complete in terms of music known to be in circulation. If you have something that I have missed, PLEASE let me know. I will go back and give the file a listen. This is not a science, merely an interesting trip.

For the record, project started 9/28/11