Unpopular opinion... I don't think Eric Clapton is very great.

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Agreed. Snooze. His best stuff is stolen from JJ Cale, Bob Marley, and innumerable bluesmen. 
 

I once heard a story about Billy Corgan‘s father telling him to ignore Clapton. Listen to Zappa, Hendrix and maybe Jerry Garcia? But his point was that there was nothing creative or innovative in Clapton‘s playing. 
 

Of course, this line of criticism could easily go to far. There is definitely some redeemable stuff on Slowhand and 461 Ocean Blvd.

 

But, if I was building out my desert island milk crate of albums, I would pack JJ Cale, Bob Marley, Stevie Ray Vaughn, David Gilmore, Muddy waters, Steve Winwood, Jimmy Page long before Clapton

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On 3/4/2021 at 9:35 AM, Solstice380 said:

Cancel culture at its best.  Just eliminate everything you don’t like, huh?  TDS much?

 Bullsh!t, strawman argument. Calling out wrongs in the world is not “cancel culture.” Blatant racism is not something to simply not “like”…it is morally wrong. And no one is “eliminating” Clapton. People are simply choosing not to listen to him as an artist. 

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On 3/28/2021 at 10:05 PM, Allan F said:

Yeah, right, Eric Clapton just a journeyman guitar player:

 

Yawn. Here he is, blues blasting away on someone else’s song. A fine musician. Sure. But what exactly did he ever do to push the boundaries of anything? He stuck to one genre (blues) and didn’t really even innovate within that genre. He’s a fine player. Smooth, great tone, technical, soulful. Fine. But where is the innovation? Where is the creativity? As Garcia used to say, Being a talented player is fine, but do they have anything to SAY?

 

By the way, if you are looking for the real cover of this great George Harrison song (with an actually creative solo), here you go…
 

 

 

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On 3/23/2021 at 6:00 PM, Samuel T Cogley said:

If you are part of The Woodstock Generation, you're way more likely to "get" The Dead.  I know lots of people who have been sober their whole lives who put their music on quite a pedestal.  While consumption of hallucinogenics was a cultural touchstone of The Dead, it's intellectually lazy to simply dismiss The Dead as "an acid band".

 

This is dead-on. (Pun intended.) The Dead has always been my band and I know better than to fall deeply down a rabbit hole on a forum like this defending them, BUT I do object to this dismissive idea that they are just drugged out hippies playing to a gullible audience. 
 

I appreciate the crowd on this forum as an intellectually curious, open minded (sometimes), opinionated (always) group of music fans. If the Dead isnt to your taste, fine. But do not kid yourselves by thinking their popularity is some sort of swindle or scam, or that it is all about drugs. 
 

A few points to consider:

NO BAND has effectively integrated so many genres or influences into rock and roll. Bluegrass, country, 50’s rock (not Elvis, but Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry, the Beatles, Stones, Dylan, classical, and world music,….then played with the improvisational ethic of jazz. 
 

There are countless stories of other musicians either playing with the Dead or on the same bill and commenting later about how focused and responsive the audience was. They actually listen! This was probably best captured by Miles Davis. After Bill Graham put him on a bill with the Dead and Steve Miller Band, Davis commented that Miller was a “pathetic white cat“ (he might’ve said the same about Clapton) but that the Dead and their audience really “got it.“ They embraced the risk and openness in jazz. They wanted to be pushed. 

 

Whereas we can all easily, immediately identify Clapton‘s influences (BB King, Jonny Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy), I would argue that Garcias are far more nuanced and, frankly, interesting. After decades of listening to his music closely I would name his top influences as John Coltrane, Django Reinhardt, Chuck Berry, and Bill Monroe.
 

David Crosby called them “electric dixieland.” That works. You have two guitars, bass, and keys involved in a musical ongoing conversation during each song. Sometimes it works better than others. It is a MUCH riskier proposition than going out night-after-night and recreating the same songs in the same way (like virtually all other rock bands). 
 

The Dead have a notoriously loose rhythm section. Phil Lesh constantly improvising in counterpoint to Garcia’s lead, running scales on a 6-string bass while two drummers create a bed of sound. It doesn’t have the strong backbeat that is typical of rock n roll. It can be disorienting to most rock drummers. It is a rhythm section built around a guitar player, designed to ebb and flow as the music and moments demand.

 

Other casual listeners don’t get hooked by the signing. Fair enough. No incredibly beautiful voices in this band. Regardless, they learned to use what they have and their are plenty of high-points to point to. Example:

I would also argue that Robert Hunter certainly deserved his honor by the Songwriter’s Hall-of-Fame as one of the best lyricist in rock ‘n’ roll history. (Example: find a copy of the eulogy he wrote for Jerry Garcia in the 48 hours after his passing.)

 

I was listening to last night with a friend who was never that into the Dead. This track broke through for him. Live in ‘89 or ‘90 with guest Branford Marsalis on stage. Encourage any of you to give it time to listen actively. (Maybe headphones with a better source ;-). Listen to Garcia and Branford trade solos throughout the song, culminating in an apex where Garcia’s guitar emulates a wooden flute through MIDI (around 9:27, but PLEASE listen to the entire song). Listen to Phil Lesh’s rapid endless, counter-punctual bass playing, the soft bed of rhythm created by the drummers, the melodic key embellishments from Brent Mydland, and the Scottie Pippenesqe color and support from Weir’s rhythm guitar. Note that Garcia is not the egoist lead guitar god who hogs the spotlight,…ever willing to play the support role or do whatever needed to support the song. 
 

 

 

People get turned off by the lightness of the Beach boys. But Paul McCartney once commented that it if someone did not recognize the genius behind pet sounds, they were simply “musically uneducated.“ I’d apply the same description to those who quickly dismiss the Dead. 

 

Not your jam, fair enough. But do not be so cynical as to dismiss legions of dedicated fans as drugged out marks or to argue that their music is simplistic or they are not talented. That is just not the case. 
 

If anyone out there is truly curious to understand what the Dead is really about, I will offer the following: tell me a little about your favorite style of music, maybe some of your favorite artists. I will hit you back with some suggested, relevant entry points to the Dead‘s music. They may not be for everyone, but I can guarantee you there is much more there to discover then you think.