American Beauty

If someone were to ask me if I like the Grateful Dead, I would say yes, absolutely, but the truth is this is really the only album of theirs I regularly listen to and I don’t dabble in their live bootlegs. I love this album. But maybe I don’t really love the band. I’d just as soon listen to Jerry with David Grisman or New Riders of the Purple Sage. This album, though, hoo-boy. A stone cold classic.

Ok

It's alright. A bit snoozeworthy, but pretty alright.

Grateful Dead studio albums are great, this one perhaps even better than most of their Live works. Noodling on Dark Star for 20 minutes is cool and all, but this one is a Country Rock classic. Even though I've had a few similar albums the past few weeks, this one still stands out. It sounds soft and the Guitar playing especially is great. I really like Friend of the Devil and Truckin' in particular. Live versions are still cool but knowing this album through and through helps elevate those Live versions.

I got married at a house in California where the Dead actually used to stay and rehearse in during the 70s. I quite love the band and thought that was such a cool fact. My wife didn’t really care that much about it. She doesn’t like their music that much and I’ve learned that the Dead are one that I listen to on my own time. That’s fine, more americana jams for me. Anyway American Beauty is their best studio album and has a lot of great songs. It’s laid back but groovy and fun

Box Of Rain - 86
Friend Of The Devil - 87
Sugar Magnolia - 85
Operator - 78
Candyman - 75
Ripple - 88
Brokedown Palace - 79
Till The Morning Comes - 81
Attics Of My Life - 75
Truckin' - 79

American Beauty - 81

Another folk-rock album, but 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 is not quite the record I expected from a band so closely associated with Haight-Ashbury and the San Francisco psychedelic scene. Instead of sounding trippy or chaotic, it is remarkably earthy: acoustic guitars, country influences, warm harmonies, and an almost pastoral atmosphere.

That contrast is probably the most interesting thing about the album for me. The songwriting is consistently solid and the relaxed mood is pleasant, but it rarely becomes especially exciting. I enjoy the atmosphere more than I remember the individual songs.

A well-crafted record, just much closer to pastoral Americana than the psychedelic San Francisco I had expected.

Sounds nice, but didn’t really catch my attention

better than i expected

Nå vet jeg hvordan The Band og The Byrds ville hørtes ut om de skrev kjedelige låter.

Jeg bør vel kanskje sjekke ut noen av konsertalbumene til The Dead før jeg avskriver dem helt.

I enjoyed it a fair bit. But dragged out a bit and not sure I’ll go back to it. Might be one I change later

I thought these guys were weird psychedelic jam band hippies. This is just great folk rock.

Has a consistent sound and was overall more enjoyable than what I was expecting. Between a 6 or a 7/10 on a good day

Just a great album. There’s a bit of a lull about 2/3 of the way through, but even the less great songs are still pretty solid. I think Box of Rain is my favorite song on the album, Friend of the Devil is close though. But from Rain to Ripple is such a satisfying run of songs. And then truckin’ to end it is so good.

3.5

This is the band people always go on about? Am I missing something? Even if I give them the benefit of the doubt, I just don't think this was very interesting. It sounded like every other country rock album I've had so far.

A number of decades ago I had a bunch of lovely friends who were Deadheads, and this record reminds me of them, and the interesting things we got up to back in those days.

If you’ve read some other of my reviews here, you may be surprised by my fondness for this popular American album from the early 70s, but I still like a lot of stuff by the Dead, and this record in particular. It’s also an absolutely solid album, with music that ranges from roadhouse blues and bluegrass to quiet songs that sound like a hymn, and many of the lyrics are the kind that don’t make immediate sense and make you think a bit, which I always like.

“Ripple” in particular is a great song; it makes me cry every time I hear it for some reason I can’t quite put my finger on. And while we all may have heard “Truckin’” a million times, it’s a great ending to the album. There are times when I get sick of hanging around and I’d like to travel, but then there are other times when I get tired of traveling and want to settle down. I appreciate the Dead writing a song reminding me that that’s ok.

Я б сказав що кантрі-американа грейтфул дед це скоріш не моє, ніж моє.

Але тут теж є хороші пісні типу наприклад хіта Friend of the Devil.

Коротше трійка стабільна.

I haven't listened to the Dead in such a long time so this is nice to remember. I used to like them quite a bit, this is great road music. However in recent times I feel I outgrew them just a little bit. Anywhere between super strong 3 and good 4 stars, might be 4 if I am feeling generous tomorrow morning!

I give up. I can't get into Grateful Dead. I just don't get it.