since a couple hours ago i have changed my fave to "shakedown street."
there was a fight at my local pub tonight that started suring the song and it fit so perfectly! when i make my new film (totally amatuer style) i need to choreograph a fight scene to that song.
Im far from a Dead Head indeed. But they really have wrote some wonderful songs over the years they truly have. They could have had many top 40s hits if they choose to go that route. But at the heart they were the quintessential jam band. And unlike jazz player they were either very good or awful depending on the condition and mood of the band members that particular night. I would have paid money to see them 20 years ago.
I love a lot of the Grateful Dead's music but some of it takes a little getting used to. Back in the '80s I had a ton of their albums but I hardly listened to them. So, I got rid of 'em. Then a couple of years ago I bought all of their albums on CD (thanks to the box sets "The Golden Road (1965-1973)" and "Beyond Description (1973-1989)." It was almost like hearing the songs for the first time, and a lot of 'em are fantastic! Like this one, for example:
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6HDUxPH4LMA&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6HDUxPH4LMA&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
"Box Of Rain"
I'm still pissed off at Jerry Garcia, though, ha ha. The band was supposed to be coming to Phoenix in August of 1995 but Jerry decided to die instead, so I never got to see them perform. Anyway, to answer the original poster's question, yeah, I love the Dead. I'll prove it: