Why the Deadheads got it backwards...

One problem with the Deadheads is a clear lacking of objectivity. (And thats fine - nothing wrong with fans worshipping their favorite musicians...)

But the tapes dont lie. No doubt that the Grateful Dead had their great moments, but too often they were listless and sang out of tune. (Damn - just hate sluggish versions of The Wheel. And how can you explain Donna for so long?!?)

Attending the shows - even the less inspired ones - could still be great fun, but thats not what kept everyone coming back. What made the Dead so enduring was simply the songs, and thats where all the other jam bands fall short. Every jam band can jam in E and find a groove... they almost all have good guitarists... and many are way more funky/rockin/exciting than the Grateful Dead. However, what none of the jam bands have ever done was produce a record as good as "American Beauty" and "Workingman's Dead". Its all about the song writing... So many great songs on those early records.

The whole Dead mystic overshadows the greatness of the Garcia/Hunter songwriting team. And even Wier had some good ones... They liked to say "There is nothing like a Grateful dead concert", but if they just stayed in the studio they may have gained more respect from from non-believers.