A few people have asked me recently how I stay relaxed. One way I relax is by listening to music and some of my favorite tunes are from history’s greatest improvisational band, the Grateful Dead. Though my generation came later and I’ve never taken the psychedelic drugs that fueled the development of their music, I remain a big Dead fan. Many times, I’ve gotten a stress headache and been cured of it (without taking anything) just by listening to these songs.
We have a lot of Steem members from countries beyond the Western world, where the Grateful Dead was not well known. And its reign was from 1965-1995, a thirty year period that predates many people on this platform. Since the Grateful Dead’s best music came in its live performances, it’s hard to get into the band without hearing its past concert recordings or watching the few good quality YouTube videos that exist of the Dead playing at its creative peak.
The Grateful Dead in Concert in 1980. Creative Commons via Wikimedia.com by Chris Stone.
Therefore, I feel it is my duty to introduce this band to anyone who may try and appreciate its music. Music like this means something different to each person. If you’re able to get in tune with it, it can be quite powerful.
Here are three of my favorite songs, which are chosen partly because they help relax me. And I think these three can appeal in different ways to a larger audience, while many of the band’s improvisational tunes (such as Dark Star) require a deeper love of jam. One of the most relaxing tunes ever written or played is the Grateful Dead song called Ripple, but given that a detestable quasi-cryptocurrency took that name, we’ll go with three other songs.
Each recording is a snapshot of that time and place, but you can listen to the same song performed 10 different times and it will never be the same. Dead songs were always organic and always changing. As John Perry Barlow, who wrote one of these songs with the band, once stated: “Grateful Dead songs are alive. Like other living things, they grow and metamorphose over time. Their music changes a little every time they're played. The words, avidly interpreted and reinterpreted by generations of Deadheads, become accretions of meaning and cultural flavor rather than static assertions of intent.” http://www.litkicks.com/BarlowOnNeal
These choices merely scratch the surface. Beyond them, if you have more than a passing interest in discovering the Dead, there is much, much more. Enjoy.
China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider
The video above is one of the few concert films from the band’s early years. It was recorded at a live show in 1970. Generally, you’re fortunate enough to find an audio recording of a live song from back then; videos are very rare. But here, you can listen to their raw sound and see what a young Grateful Dead looked like, fronted by Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir.
This two-song combination was a common staple in the band’s live shows. It came to be known as China Cat->Rider. The band’s seamless transition from one song to the next included an improvisational bridge that was never played exactly the same way twice. If you get into listening to any of the longer tunes, you’ll notice there’s usually a recognizable core, surrounded by jamming that was utterly unique to that moment in history. At times, you would hear strains creeping in from bluegrass, jazz, Spanish guitar, R&B, and other influences.
As for understanding these lyrics, don’t bother trying… just enjoy the song. People have written entire websites and theses trying to decode the meanings of these songs, China Cat being a popular target. The song’s writer, Robert Hunter, was an early test subject for LSD research at Stanford University (which, according to Wikipedia, was secretly funded by the CIA) and he was high when he wrote this song. Yes, there was meaning (and sometimes double meaning) in some of his lyrics and they made references to other songs and poetry that influenced the band. But Hunter himself said that if China Cat was what people wanted, he could spin out lyrics like this in about 10 minutes. So analyze it all you will, but it’s a dreamy stream of consciousness more than it is anything profoundly meaningful.
Cassidy
Cassidy was an unusual song for the Grateful Dead. And yet, it became one of their signature pieces. Beloved by fans, it impacted a number of people who were not necessarily Deadheads themselves.
The song presented a duality between old and young, male and female, and other opposites. The song was partly a tribute to Neal Cassady, a friend who the band had known who had passed away. He was a carefree soul who influenced many of them with his freewheeling life. His counterpart in the song is Cassidy Law, at the time a new baby who had been born to two well-loved members of the band’s circle. So the song is about one life lived and another beginning. The band gave the rights to this song to Cassidy’s mother.
As for this song’s greater impact, legions of Deadhead fans named their children after its namesake. In the 1970s and early 1980s, there were two other Cassidy figures that were popular in American culture. First, there was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a late 1969 movie that probably influenced the Grateful Dead, among others. Butch Cassidy was an Old West rebel hero; the Dead also were fighting against the establishment and conformity of their age. Second, there was the actor/singer David Cassidy from the Partridge family TV show.
And yet, the Wikipedia entry for the name Cassidy credits the Grateful Dead song (first played live in 1974 and recorded in 1981) with popularizing it as a first name for children. Prior to the 1970s and 80s, Cassidy was a family name only. Indeed, if Butch or David Cassidy were influences, one would think there would be at least as many boys named Cassidy as girls. Instead, look at these statistics. The name was used briefly for boys, though not that much.
A search for "Cassidy" on babynamewizard.com.
But there was a huge baby boom for girls named Cassidy right around the time of the Grateful Dead song’s release. The name Cassidy's popularity continued into the 1990s and had an unexplained bump later, but has been declining in use ever since. To humanize this statistic, please see the many comments on the YouTube videos of Grateful Dead Cassidy songs; about half of the comments are from people who say they were named after the song. That’s pretty neat.
Uncle John’s Band
This is a feel-good song. It’s hard to hate, aside from the one swearword in it, which rankled authorities when it came out in 1969. It’s a song about non-conformity, but also about peace during a violent time (“ain’t no time to hate”). If you listen carefully, you’ll hear references to counterculture bands of the past and present. There’s a folksy structure and the vocals are sung in a close harmony. It’s actually brilliantly written.
As always, don’t try to interpret the lyrics too much. The song’s writer Robert Hunter once said that this was a song about trained circus fleas, which turned out to be a joke, but it showed he wasn’t overthinking the matter. Just enjoy it and the song will create its own meaning for you.
References
Robert Hunter and China Cat Sunflower: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hunter_(lyricist)
An example of some of the lengthy analysis of a Dead song (China Cat): http://artsites.ucsc.edu/GDead/agdl/china.html
Baby Names (“Cassidy” search in graphic above): http://www.babynamewizard.com
Uncle John’s Band: http://artsites.ucsc.edu/GDead/agdl/uncle.html
Writer John Barlow on Cassidy Song: http://www.litkicks.com/BarlowOnNeal
Wikipedia’s entry on the first name Cassidy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassidy_(given_name)
Wikipedia’s entry on Uncle John’s Band: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_John%27s_Band
Analysis of Uncle: http://www.dead.net/features/greatest-stories-ever-told/greatest-stories-ever-told-uncle-johns-band-0
Top image: Scan of album artwork, Creative Commons via Flickr.com by Wickenden.
I didn't know this about you @donkeypong . I just bit the bullet and did something I never thought I'd do. I bought my tickets for Dead & Co in Los Angeles. I went to shows in the 80's and do Grateful Dead Karaoke on Friday nights lol.
Wonderful! Have a great time. Here, I'll help buy your ticket (via vote).
You rock. And not just because we seem to have similar taste in music :)
I just saw this. You are sooooooooooo awesome @donkeypong.
My favorite dead song is "Eyes of the World" when you think about it we are the eyes of the world.
"Sunshine Daydream" is pretty great
So many good ones that it's hard to choose favorites!
c'est la vie, well look out if your'e ever on shake down street bruh
Wow, Tom @lynncoyle1 made me check your post as she knows I am a crazt dead fan. I growing up in Niagara falls being both canadian and american was a fan of these boys. My favorite song wake up little susie and I also love Chilliwack, similar style. You know that Mr Garcia in our home is a legend in Canada
So much good music!
My cure for everything is also music. I can't imagine a world without music. I hear music in any sound I hear. But of course, there are some artists that can bring the best out of me. When feeling down I also prefer old songs and bands, but in particular the jazzy ones, like Ella Fitzgerald or Louis Armstrong.
Never heard of Grateful Dead before, but they have a nice vibe, they somehow make one feel at ease.
P.S: Ripple is still a great song even if the coin is shitty.
There is some great old music from that era. Thanks for the comment!
Thank you, Tom, to bring back what is to my taste was the most creative years in music and arts in general. I may plug my guitar after listening to it :)
Keep making good music!
I love music, and this is the first band I heard them. The Grateful Dead Band. Nice :)
I like Casey Jones, nice write up.
In fact, I think Casey Jones was the counterpart single to Uncle John's Band. I'm fairly sure those were released together. One used a swearword and the other mentioned cocaine. Politicians at the time loved it (not really)!
The Grateful Dead played my neighbor's house when I was a kid.
Amazing.
I was a little kid and I remember being up all night because of the music and the next day I asked my mother and she was like "Oh, the Grateful Dead were over at Gunner's last night"
this post is great, it made me remember those afternoons that my father listened to music in the room while resting, I also remember a band called lynyrd Skynyrd I have many good memories of them.
Skynyrd is good when you need some energy!
I still sing to lynyrd skynyrd from time to time. I'm 24 btw. 😂😂😂😂
I guess it has to do with the influence of video games back when I was younger, the first time I dig their song was listening to Free Bird in a game about stealing cars and shooting guns.
And then Sweet Home Alabama somehow become a trend in my local bar.
There's just something about the 60s songs.
Although I was born in 1965, I grew up with the Grateful Dead and thoroughly enjoyed this walk down memory lane! And as usual, you taught me something new; I had no idea this was the reason that I taught so many darn Cassidy's in my career! :)
I was looking at the comments on one of those YouTube versions of that song and literally half of them said something like "I was named after this song." Then when I looked up the name on Wikipedia, it mentioned the Dead song was a possible reason for the number of girls named Cassidy. The stats lined up pretty well with that.
That's crazy! Something I never would have even considered but I started researching myself a bit and found some others like Beth (KISS of course) and Angie (Stones), but get this one...Jaynie ("Jaynie's Got a Gun" Aerosmith) haha A bit strange to name a sweet lil' baby after that one :)
Have a great day!
Oh, that is strange because it was a song about abuse. Very interesting.
Exactly my point. I can only assume those parents didn't really listen to the lyrics. I hope!
I've been listening to them a lot lately too.
Good idea!
It is just the first time I heard them @donkeypong The Grateful Dead band is mentioned in some videos that i have seen but I never seem to see how the played music.
I myself just listen to m favorite music. oddly enough i listen to them over and over again. A good way to relax and forget for the meantime my medical maladies, sigh.
Artists of earlier times understood the problems of the people. They used to highlight the many problems that happened in human life through their songs. The people used to mug them in the song and would have spoiled their bad habits. As you've been able to get rid of drugs by mugding songs. Indeed, their songs are still alive in our eyes, even though the person is not in our midst. Because of their songs they have been great and due to them today and they make them grow.The song was cassidy and was a dead song that many people returned from the way of death through the song. Their songs are not comparable. Then whoever said uncl jhon brand it was a brand that most of the time the songs were created with feelings. After listening to these people's minds were soft.
I'm used to relax to slow songs
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NY8IS0ssnXQ
But some days I need something to wake me up and dance a little
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rgpeZehATH4
But what i really like to listen everyday is Creedence Clearwater Revival
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L5V9nK7-OkM
Good stuff!
How can singing about dead or singing in dead mood or having skulls present in everything make us peaceful ? I have never understood that ?
It's just a name and some symbols.
Ooh, Thank you, so it is the form, only...
I have heard Casidy....Its so superb right....
I remember the lyrics
Thanks for reminding me of The Greatful Dead:) as I really forgot them lately...I think a year or two since I last heard them...
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@donkeypong, I heard whole songs of you uploaded here. It's given various experience to me. Musics wanna mind relaxation, cooling and blasting mentally equipment. Music also human's god. I prefer to listen mind relaxation and meditation classical songs. Also probably hear rock parts. Not at every time. Your favorite songs gave superb active to my mind. I most of prefer to hear China Cat Sunflower's song. It's perfect dead song to mine. Thanks for shared most interesting title early morning for me and my little baby.
Very special songs really made me go back to memory
Thank you for making me live moments that were beautiful in my life
I was at this show, one of the best I ever saw. The Dead was always at their best when playing on their home turf. Hard to believe Jerry has been gone for 20 years. Miss those days but glad I had my chance to be there, great memories forever.
these guys there in there prime so young but so Good this is the grateful dead at is best you better in hold on this is the shit I wish I seen this I went on tour in 86 the best time of my life thank you guys love music and you gave it to me no show was the same duke was smiling thanks
I had no idea about this band greatful dead. But I know one thing that music has got so much power in it which can cure some problem.It helps us to lessen our stress,it helps us to calm our mind.The choice of music may be vary person to person. But all the music has got that power.Now I am going to listen music from this band for sure.Thanks for the post.
The Dead are one of the bands I never got into as I don't think they got played so much on UK radio when I was growing up. I know there's a vast archive of live recordings online. I'll check out these songs and try to explore their music some more
I totally agree with you @steevc. The Dead didn't also arrive to Spanish Radios. At least is what I've heard from people who were listening to rock music those days. To find Grateful Dead's vinyl wasn't easy.
I have listened to the anniversary show of every dead show on the highly celebrated holidays they have played on. I'd like to say i'm being nostalgic but, this show was played 5 years before I was born. My favorite show was 7-4-89 at rich stadium, and of course all the New Years shows have been great. It's funny, how my tastesin music take me from Jam bands in the "hippieish" culture, to Death metal, to orchestral, to bluegrass... Only two times in my life have I experienced such a profoundly unique energy of band and fan brotherhood. First at a dead show when I was 6 or 7, and at an A7X show. Now my favorite musician out of each band is gone... RIP Jerry, RIP Jimmy "the rev".
I'm from South America and I never listen to Grateful Dead. but it sounds great since I heard the music when I read.
Sometimes music relaxes the mind because it transports us to the past when our adolescence was great. Listen to good music It makes the heart happy. Maybe the Grateful Dead songs will inspire you to feel better about yourself, both mentally and spiritually.
Music is an art.
Its magical
It runs through and i feel it within my veins.
I have not heard any of grateful will make sure i do
@donkeypong, read your post, I get happiness not just watching the music videos you include, the more interesting is the way you parse the knowledge about the music you are discussing.
Hello @donkeypong.
I didn't know this band. I clicked on this post because of the initial image, I started reading it and when I got to the videos, wow. I didn't understand the title, China Cat Sunflower, but it was still contagious to see people dancing and enjoying the music. But Cassidy was the one I liked the most, maybe because today I am in a more acoustic mood :)
We have two type of song one u can understand the lyrics but tunes not so good and other is you can feel tunes but u cant understand about lyrics .
In both case you have just listen song .
Enjoy only one thing which make you relaxed and calm . just enjoy it @donkeypong
It is really great to know you have a life that exist outside the chain and you have a time for relaxation.
I'm @mediahousent from Steem Music Box show wishing you good tidings.
I have never heard of them, but the way you talk about them piqued my interest.
I fall in love with my favorite songs from the first time I hear them.
Let's see what happens with these.
https://www.gofundme.com/shelters-for-homicide-victims
Grateful Dead is without a doubt one of the best rock bands that have ever existed, the most impressive and curious thing about them is that they manage to fit into different genres without losing their identity and that personal touch that makes them special.
It's one of our favorite bands, maybe you could enjoy listening to other less known bands like Camel, Yes and Genesis.
Although my dialect is Spanish I have always had good inclinations towards music in English and I like this genre very much. I had not listened to it. I am going to take my time to listen to them more quickly, very good friend, thanks for sharing.
Music is that medicine which can heal your pain and make you energetic and lively.It has that power which makes you practical and positive towards lives by enriching your heart and soul .Nice to hear from you ,steemians like you also a great lover of songs and symphony.
I am a music addict too.
I love rock, and this concert is absolutely amazing.
Fell in love with this
Without the world music is lonely, empty and monotonous because the music is able to melt the atmosphere, relax the heart and stimulate the human mind as the cast of life story :) Thank you @donkeypong.
Hey @donkeypong, i like the guitars!
I could score some of the songs, would be good to sing them with you since you really like Dead
It is interesting because I also like the music to relax, especially with a good cup OF coffee! Read the post and find wonderful hand content with the music is the best
I relax is by listening to music
Really appreciate your this sentence
Good post sir
thanks brother
You're a lot better posted
I can teach a lot about your post
All your posts are pretty much beautiful
The Grateful Dead are aband that will forever hold a place in history equal to any other. They were to music of a generation. Although I enjoyed the music I wouldn’t call myself a huge fan but I know many a person who could listen all day long. I still remember the way the world mourned the day Jeff Garcia died. A legend had passed and it was felt immensely.
Tune means a kind of beauty. Which is a gift from the creator. So birds sing songs. We also love birds songs.
Great to know that these songs really heal you at times and the amazing thing is, as you said when you have heavy headache you listen these songs and that headache vanishes and that's purely reflecting your deep relationship with the music and music is magic if we can feel it.
And music is so powerful and combination of music, sounds and words can just can make you to travel from multidimensional world or it can make you travel to world of different emotions. For example, at the same time music can make you laugh, cry, motivate, can generate aggression, help us to stay cool, born memories, helps in forgetting memories. So music is like an Time Travel.
Music plays great role in my life and i like to dance till until i move from one phase means, whenever i feel the demotivation or negative thoughts then i use dance like can tool to heal myself and after music is on then i leave my body as free to move to move out of the phase of depressive thoughts.
So, in my opinion in this world music can do some stuff which any medicine cannot do and just we have to feel the music because music is greatest aspect of feeling and that's why we all are engaged with music in one or other way.
Thanks for sharing this post with us and wishing you an great day. Stay blessed. 🙂
I've never heard of this band, but the picture on the cover of your post attracted me. I don't know why but the illustrations in this style are very impressive for me. It's something inside me, something unconscious and stirring. As you feel the impact of this music and overcome the stress, so I am inspired and energized by such pictures. Definitely, this music and these pictures are something psychedelic and maybe even narcotic)
Grateful Dead have never been one of my favourite bands, but can't deny them the title of "fathers of the Jam bands". I like actual bands that drink from their heritage, like Gov't Mule or Drive by Truckers. I have also listened to Jam bands like Moe or Phish.
Thanks for the post, I'm gonna listen again to some Dead songs.
By the way, just today I posted the 18th round of Album Covers Contest, and one of the covers featured is "Live Dead"!
Cheers!
Excellent! I liked that complete and exciting presentation about the dead songs. I congratulate you @donkeypong on that post and I hope to continue reading your publications from now on
Ooooooo..... So that's where the term Deadhead come from..
These songs would play right around when my dad was in his teens and teens. probably his staple during his days.
I miss my dad.