I’ve always been a casual fan of the Grateful Dead, but I decided this year I would go all in and listen to the whole Dick’s Picks series. I wanted to find something I can really lock in and listen to for long stretches.
The project appeals to me on several levels. I enjoy the distinctly Americana themes and motifs of the lyrics, I like all the elements of the Dead’s sound, and I love the iterative nature of their canon. For most artists the canon is the studio discography. Not the Dead. So many versions of songs with big and small differences, so many cool improvisational setpieces. I finished this one early today. 1972 has the Dead riding a songwriting hotstreak and entering what many consider the finest years of their career.