Grateful Dead - Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack (44 tracks) +Album Reviews

DEADHEAD'S DELIGHT! I CAN'T CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT!

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 03/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Some people won't believe me, but I swear, I swear it's true! Just two days ago I watched The Grateful Dead Movie I rented (from an online movie rental company) and I really wanted to get the CD soundtrack from the movie! Imagine my surprise when I just found out this remastered five CD set/soundtrack is actually a BRAND NEW release! I ran out, bought the set and after a listen I felt compelled to write this review from sheer enthusiasm! GRIN! Ecstasy, man!

First of all, if you've ever been to a Dead concert or heard your friends talk about the group you know they were first and foremost a live performance band. (But yes, they put out many albums, too.) They were also well known for their generous many hours' long concerts-and you know what? This five CD set of live performances reflects again the group's generosity! Just as they gave us so much more than the standard two hour concert length many groups after them began to give, there are FIVE CDs here with not only the movie soundtrack but with 32 bonus songs! Making this set even more valuable to fans and collectors is that these songs were recorded in 1974 at San Francisco's legendary Winterland when The Grateful Dead were far more than just kinetic and mesmerizing! All in all everything here makes for a "DeadHead's Delight" and this set is a must for any serious rock fan.

The film is just over two hours so there wasn't time to show the band performing the full length versions of these songs during the movie. But on this set you get it ALL! This CD set more than makes up for that with a 32 minute awesome "Playing In The Band!" and the entire 60-minute blockbuster jam featuring "Sugar Magnolia," "He's Gone," "Jam," "Caution Jam," "Drums," "Space," "Truckin'," "Black Peter," and "Sunshine Daydream." "Not Fade Away," and "Dark Star" are both here, as well as classics many people know even if they aren't serious fans of The Grateful Dead: "Casey Jones," "Uncle John's Band," "Truckin'" and an electric performance of "Johnny B. Goode!"

The set includes some great photos and memorabilia from the movie presented in a 24 page booklet. A good plus!

Simply put, if you're a rock fan and especially if you're a Dead fan you just can't go wrong with this five CD set. It is very reasonably priced for five CDs-you're gonna be thrilled to say the least! A grand slam home run by the best! POW!

"

I Second the motion

Birdman | Minnetonka, MN USA | 03/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To second Mr. Sherwin's motion, this is an unusually fine vintage Dead release, better perhaps than the movie on which the recording is based.

Those who love the band know all the songs and so many permutations. What they haven't heard is how very polished the band could be in extended performance: tight and musical and inventive and lovable.

As for the engineers who produced this release, words are insufficient. There is wide dynamic range here, solid definition of all pieces and voices. As for value, five superb discs at this price is almost ridiculous.

Just as Bach taught the world counterpoint, the Dead taught rock the way of improvisation, and they teach it more effectively here than on any other concert reccording, Dick's Picks or compilation I've heard in years.

A release that makes you feel glad you're alive, and that reminds you quietly and with dignity, that the world was aactually a little better once.

A fabulous live release. Easily one of my top-10 live releases -- period.

Buy it, or wonder what you missed."

Superb collection

Adam Jensen | Kitchener, Ontario, Canada | 03/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack is an excellent collection for both long time Deadheads and those new to the boys. It is taken from a period in time (Oct. '74, just before they took a touring break) when the Dead were really smokin'. Those familiar with the Grateful Dead will know how great the songs are from the movie, and the extra tracks are just as good. There are the familiar crowd pleasers (Truckin', Casey Jones, etc.) as well as the long jams (Dark Star, Playing in the Band, etc.) and everything in between in this huge collection. Some of my personal favourites include Eyes of the World (the same version as on the So Many Roads box set, but shortened from 18 to 13 minutes due to tape damage), a 31 minute Playing in the Band, a great The Other One > Spanish Jam > Mind Left Body Jam > The Other One segue, and Weather Report Suite. In all, a great set and a great price considering it's 5 discs, all packed with tunes. My only complaint is that the booklet has pictures but no text, but that is very minor. Check this out; you won't regret it!"

Aaahhh....................

griphfunk the rock nasty | provo ut | 10/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"'74 is by far one of my favorite performance years in the Dead's touring history. other greats are '68, '70, '72, and '77. This is strange considering I was born in '79, but thats why I love the Dead's commitment to releasing archival live recordings, because I can familiarize my self with every era. I have over 100 Dead albums and live performances and I can definately say this is a top five collection. This is collection of the Dead at their jazziest.

Disc 1:

The set begins with well played versions of US Blues and One More Saturday Night just as they are featured in the Grateful Dead Movie. We are then treated to an energetic China>Rider. Eyes of the world is jazzy and flows nicely into a peaceful China Doll. It that isn't enough we get a nearly 32 minute version of "Playing In the Band." The jam section of this tune is other worldly and never dull.

Disc 2:

Scarlet Begonias is a welcome addition to any collection. Jerry's guitar playing is always sooting on this tune and I actually enjoy Donna's ooohing on this version, it kind of gives the tune an ethereal feel. The rest of the cd is all jam, beginning with He's Gone through some strange and spacey stuff that leads nicely into a rumbling version of The Other One which calms into a beautifully performed Stella Blue.

Disc 3:

This disc begins with a great version of Weather Report Suite. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe '73-'74 was the only time this tune was performed in its entirety. Later versions just began at Let It Grow. This disc is also a jam heavy affair with an excellent Dark Star, Morning Dew, and the always great combo of Not Fade Away and GDTRFB.

Disc 4:

Uncle John's Band is a great performance as usual. However disc 4 contains the collection's only low point in Tomorrow Is Forever. This tune and its performance just plain sucks. The rest of the disc is flawless. The jam begins with Sugar Magnolia and continues into another version of He's Gone. This is where the jamming becomes very interesting. As He's Gone closes it flows nicely into a Caution Jam that teases at Truckin' before moving toward space. The drums follow before we hit an early performance of Space which does decsend back to the Truckin' that was hinted at earlier. The performance is pure improvisational magic.

Disc 5:

After all the great music contained on the first four discs its hard to imagine that disc 5 could be any better, but it is. Mickey Hart rejoins the band after nearly a three year absence and the band is clearly energized by Mickey's presence. It truly shows in the percussive performances of Not Fade Away and The Other One. These are sandwiched between portions of another fantastic Playin' In the Band.

All in all I just can't get enough of this collection. So much of the jamming is truly exploratory and you can hear something new every time you listen. At nearly six hours in length most probably won't listen to it all in one sitting, but it is fantastic nonetheless. Buy this collection along with Dick's Picks 4 and you will have two of the greatest live albums that the greatest live band of all time have released. (Dick's Picks 4 Dark Star>Thats It For the Other One>Turn On Your Lovelight combine for ninety minutes of continuous jammed out ecstasy. nuff said)

"

Must get

Ricky Steamboat | Connecticut | 10/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have to get this. I have heard pieces of it and it sounds great. They did and excellent job of mixing the sound of the hall to really give it a great live feel. Winterland was notorious for being a big cavernous hall where sound would bounce all over the place. There is an extraordinary amount of music on this for the price. Any Dead fan will tell you this was a revolutionary period for the band. Their playing had reached such a peak. I agree with the one poster that Garcia's playing had really matured by this point from say the 68-70 period. He now was much more smooth and less frantic. I think it's funny the one guy that posted about the "atrocious female singer". Yeah that's Donna, we know. It's not her fault, she really could sing but could never hear herself onstage therefore resulting in horribly out of tune singing, screeching whatever. One drawback to the wall of sound was the vocal mikes, though effective in blocking out outside noise by having one on top of the other, they were really meant to be instrument mikes and didn't lend themselves to giving the vocals a very warm tone at all. The vocals always kind of sounded tinny. I think I am going to purchase this today now that I have it in my mind. This is vintage Dead, it is almost too bad they stopped playing for a year and a half here, 1976 kind of chugged along but they found their stride again in '77. 1978 was a little more inconsistent. After that things were never as fresh. Good shows here and there definitely but the magic had faded in my opinion."

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