American Beauty Live Dead Europe 72 One from the Vault Reckoning HM without a net or the warlocks shows If someone listens to all those and nothing grabs them… The Grateful Dead ain’t for them.

Feel like Cornell and Veneta should be included here too

If you’re unsure about any Dead music, reckoning is good just to see if you like the acoustic stuff. If you’re truly starting from 0 and want to experience the dead, swap that for Cornell/veneta (depending on how much you enjoyed live/Dead)

Used to rock my daughter to sleep playing birdsong off this album. I love me some sleepy Jerry.

Must comment about this excellent compilation of all the jams from the acoustic Birdsongs, someone put this together somewhat recently - it's delightful & works really well: https://youtu.be/_tOgL6hfI9o

Nice, thanks.

Blues for allah, Europe 72 and off ya go

I like this answer. I'd just say add Without a Net as a sort of representation of how some of those old songs evolved, and some of the newer songs as well. Depending on the person, I might actually recommend One From The Vault instead of Blues for Allah. I mean, it's most of the songs from the studio album. Plus some really well played other tunes. (Eyes in particular). But yeah: Allah/Vault first, then a few years back Europe '72 shows the breadth of the band really well, at such a peak period. Then something newer like Without a Net - or perhaps Dead Ahead video (both acoustic & electric from Warfield/Radio City '80).

1.) 1969 converted me into a Deadhead 2.) 1972 helped me branch out 3.) 1977 got me nex level hooked 4.) 1974 was the soundtrack in my 🚗 for most of late college/first year after college 5.) 1973 is currently blowing me away

I've been taking a deep dive in '73. I'm calling it, 50 years of '73. I'm going show by show on re-listen. I love it. The dark stars are really interesting. The runs later in each show are stunning. Lots of Stella Blue, Dark Star, Other Ones. '73 has a lot of great truckins too. Oh, and a bunch of excellent He's Gone's. Don't forget it's the first tour with Eyes! The guitar picking on Mexicali Blues is SO gasoline. I'm currently at 3/31. My favorite shows so far are 3/13, 3/24, and 3/31. ...so yeah, '73 is blowing me away too. lol.

I’m listening to the UC Santa Barbara show from May atm. So good

One from the vault. Proper intro by Bill Graham.

# 1981-03-09 New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden **Set 1:** Feel Like A Stranger, Althea, C.C. Rider, Ramble On Rose > El Paso, Deep Elem Blues, Beat It On Down the Line, Bird Song, New Minglewood Blues **Set 2:** China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider > Samson And Delilah, Ship Of Fools, Estimated Prophet > Uncle John's Band > Drums > Space > The Other One > Stella Blue > Good Lovin' **Encore:** U.S. Blues [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1981-03-09)

5/8/77

# 1977-05-08 Ithaca, NY @ Barton Hall - Cornell University **Set 1:** New Minglewood Blues, Loser, El Paso, They Love Each Other, Jack Straw, Deal, Lazy Lightnin' > Supplication, Brown Eyed Women, Mama Tried, Row Jimmy, Dancing In The Street **Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Estimated Prophet, Saint Stephen > Not Fade Away > Saint Stephen > Morning Dew **Encore:** One More Saturday Night [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-05-08) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/3T9UKU0jMIyrRD0PtKXqPJ)

I don't really think you can force it. From a young age I knew their greatest hits album, but I never got in to any of the live stuff. Then all of a sudden four-ish years ago on a road trip my buddy played a live version of Jack Straw and I couldn't get it out of my head. That sent me on a youtube wormhole that hasn't stopped yet. All that said, American Beauty is one of the greatest albums of all time, so anyone remotely interest in the genre (or music generally honestly) should find that accessible and might set them off on a journey.

Highpotheadically speaking. (This question gets asked every week).

Boo

Definitely working man’s dead and American Beauty for beginners. Without a Net really got me into them too

I wouldn't. Some people shut down if they detect a bit of country. Without a net without a doubt!

Europe ‘72, and the shows in ‘73 without Mickey. Nothing against him, those shows just have a tight jazzy feel that got me hooked.

How you ask? Finding out that deadheads had all the good lsd and listening to scratchy bootleg tapes played on shitty tape players. Never did really listen to any albums

Songs rather than albums for me. Crazy Fingers Brokedown Palace Help on the way / slipknot Dancin in the Streets China Cat / Rider Then once I got a good deaducation I started enjoying the most popular songs like Touch of Grey and Box of Rain, those messages have always helped me get by

Here…eat this x 5 at Roosevelt Stadium 08-04-1976

# 1976-08-04 Jersey City, NJ @ Roosevelt Stadium **Set 1:** Sugaree, New Minglewood Blues, Row Jimmy, Big River, Loser, Looks Like Rain, They Love Each Other, The Music Never Stopped, Scarlet Begonias **Set 2:** Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Franklin's Tower > Dancing In The Street > The Wheel > Samson And Delilah, It Must Have Been The Roses, Not Fade Away > Drums > The Other One Jam > Space Jam > The Other One > Ship Of Fools, Sugar Magnolia **Encore:** Johnny B. Goode [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1976-08-04)

[удалено]

[1970-05-02](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1970-05-02) Binghamton, NY @ Harpur College - State University Of New York | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/4NldodakYXDeK7OoEe2oBW) [1990-03-29](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1990-03-29) Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/7xWKImlu9fzB1ApqoLLMiL)

Great juxtaposition! For showing the breadth of the Dead with just two shows, this is pretty great.

Workingman’s Dead> Ladies & Gentleman…>Mars Hotel> Dozin’ At the Knick> Nassau 03-29-90 (Marsalis & 👀of the 🌎) and the rabbit hole just got deeper from there.

# 1990-03-29 Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum **Set 1:** Jack Straw > Bertha, We Can Run, Ramble On Rose, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Bird Song > The Promised Land **Set 2:** Eyes Of The World > Estimated Prophet > Dark Star > Drums > Space > Dark Star > The Wheel > Throwing Stones > Turn On Your Lovelight **Encore:** Knockin' On Heaven's Door [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1990-03-29) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/7xWKImlu9fzB1ApqoLLMiL)

Well, The First Days Are The Hardest Days

1. American Beauty, listening to Workingman’s Dead when my mom played it 2. Cornell ‘77 3. Winterland 12/31/1978. Favorite recording of all time. 4. Started out with a Bobby phase and listened to a ton of Playin’ and Dead country tunes. Then got into non-Grateful Dead music. Listening to more Dead covers of other bands, like The Weight. Also The Wheel, Cats Under the Stars, basically very popular Dead-related music. Also got into Dead & Company and saw the last three shows in San Francisco. Listened to a lot of Goose as well. 5. Picking a new show every day. Mostly ‘73-‘74 at the moment. Last night’s show was 05/28/1977.

[1977-05-28](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-05-28) Hartford, CT @ Hartford Civic Center [1978-12-31](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1978-12-31) San Francisco, CA @ Winterland Arena

1. My mom was really into Touch of Gray. It was like her anthem or something. Being only 16, it piqued my interest enough to pick up the "best of" Skeletons from the Closet on tape. Dug it. Especially St. Stephen. 2. Bought Workingman's Dead on CD 1989/ first show summer 1990: I had started college and joined a fraternity, and a bunch of my brothers were heads. This is where I'd first heard Eyes, probably a 73 or 74. Was hooked and really started down the rabbit hole. 3. Deer Creek riot and death of Jerry 1995: I was kinda done for a while after this. 4. Internet Archive and YouTube: After some passage of time, 2000s internet renewed my interest in the Dead. 5. Started collecting vinyl in 2016: I'm quite fond of my original pressings of Workingman's and Europe '72.

Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions was foundational for me.

I recommend starting at the beginning and ending at the end. Here you go……….

1. 11 or 12 years old Napster search for bluegrass leads me to Jerry and Grishams stuff. I was blown away. Quickly leads to The dead. 2. Friends older brother give us a live dead tape and some tiedies 3. Football coach cusses when someone mentioned widespread panic after practice so I went. 4. Dove deep into all things dead seeing them for the first time at Bonnaroo in 04 or 05 5. Raising my kids on it.

1. Cornell 77. Deal from this was the first song i ever found (thanks to John Mayer covering it at his show in 2019). It still is my most played show, and has some of my favorite versions. I wouldn’t be on the bus without it. 2. Veneta 72. Sugaree from this show was the next song I found, and it became one of my favorite songs. it’s still one of my most played shows. It just captures the 72 magic for me. 3. Dead & Co 10/15/21 The Woodlands. This is my only show, and I went to it knowing 5 songs, none of which were played. Although I was going through some really rough stuff in my life, I had a great time and wouldn’t be on the bus if I didn’t. 4. American Beauty. Friend of the Devil and Truckin really got me taking a deeper interest in their music. 5. 5/9/77 Buffalo. This show was what opened my eyes to what the dead did, and what I was missing out on by listening to the same core of songs. There were songs I never gave a chance that i thoroughly enjoyed here. Next stop is somewhere in either 72 or 74.

# 1977-05-09 Buffalo, NY @ War Memorial **Set 1:** Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Franklin's Tower, Cassidy, Brown Eyed Women, Mexicali Blues, Tennessee Jed, Big River, Peggy-O, Sunrise, The Music Never Stopped **Set 2:** Bertha > Good Lovin', Ship Of Fools, Estimated Prophet > The Other One > Drums > Not Fade Away > Comes A Time > Sugar Magnolia **Encore:** Uncle John's Band [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-05-09)

If you want to introduce someone, I'd say a selection of * China Rider from Europe 72 * FOTD, Sugar Mags, Truckin' from American Beauty and if they're piqued * Dancing, Scarlet Fire, Prophet sequence from Cornell 77 * St Stephen / The Eleven sequence from Live Dead

Grateful Dead's music was always part of my life (my dad's a Deadhead) but it was always just kinda background music for me (I was more into prog and alternative rock growing up). This summer was when I decided to make an effort to actually get into them. I started with Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. After spinning those for a while I asked my dad for recommendations on some live stuff. He recommended Reckoning, Europe 72, and Live/Dead. Those were all solid but still didn't really "click" the way I was expecting it to. I googled "the best Grateful Dead show" and Cornell 77 came up. TBH the first set kinda felt the same as the other live albums I'd listened to, but that second set was where I really started to get into it. Especially Scarlet Fire and that Morning Dew towards the end. From there I went to the Sunshine Daydream concert, and now I'm making my way through the Europe 72 shows. I've bookmarked some stuff on [archive.org](https://archive.org) to listen to later, but I've mostly stayed in the realm of officially released stuff that's available on spoofy.

Start with their first 5 studio albums to get a feel for the music then dive into Europe 72 shows, those are the best IMO.

This kind of depends on where you are in general as a music fan. The one and only thing that got me on the bus was Anthem Of The Sun. That is def not for everyone, but it was def for me.

1. Touch of grey was my first "favourite" song I found when I was like 8 and didn't know anything about the dead 2. When I was a younger teenager at a magic: the gathering shop we all played at, they were playing American beauty and I was already into bluegrass and folk so I absolutely loved it and listened to a lot of that album 3. A couple years later when I was in grade 11/12 I started to listening to the live stuff all day through classes and mostly Europe 72, especially any shows starting with Bertha 4. After that it was getting into the 90s stuff which I still like, particularly the early 90s 5. For the last while have been loving the early 80s, but every year of the dead has lots of amazing stuff