Customer Reviews

The Grateful Dead: Dead Ahead

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

So I netflixed this, man am I glad I did. The sound quality is incredible as is the song selection. The video is great for something that was filmed in 1980, you can tell they really cleaned it up, and the many different camera shots made me feel I was right there. The Skits in between were fun, the cameo bits with the band members.

The best part of this DVD? The special features. The 5-6 extra songs included are the best ones on the DVD!

If you're a fan just go get this. Really great show - although I think it's a compilation of different nights - not sure about that.

Either way, a very unique and entertaining Dead DVD.

I have read some of the bad reviews on this website, so I went and bought Dead Ahead!! This rocks, the people that are compalianing about poor sound quality... go buy a new sound system, sweet set list, great cinematography.... Do yourself a favor find yourself on the better end of a good time, and get yourself dead ahead.

A truly rewarding concert experience that showcases the endless talents of one of rock & roll's most storied bands, The Grateful Dead. All of the concert footage is culled from a series of concerts performed at New York City's Radio City Music Hall in 1980. This film is especially vital because it offers both the avid fan and the uninitiated listener an opportunity to experience the full spectrum of the Grateful Dead experience. The first set is comprised of beautiful and highly improvisational (of course) acoustic renditions of Grateful Dead standards while the second set focuses mainly on the electric and psychedelic aspects that Grateful Dead fans are more familiar with. This film, however, is vital not only because of the superb musical craftsmanship, but also because it re-familarizes Grateful Dead fans with a period that has been much forgotten, sandwiched as it is between the earlier days of pure 60's psychedelia and the neo-hippie late 80's resurgence of the band. A must-see for any music fan truly interested in sonorous nirvana.

This video is worthwhile for the single acoustic set that it contains. The electric sets that make of the rest of the video are pretty lackluster, with only minimal jamming. Hats off to the director for focusing on the band, though - I've seen a couple other Dead videos that focus way too much on the audience and don't even show many songs in their entirety. If you like the acoustic playing in this video, check out "Reckoning", the live album that was made from the same series of concerts from which Dead Ahead was created.

The release of "Grateful Dead: Dead Ahead" to the DVD format has brought a flood of liquid memories coursing through the various synapses in my brain. I had originally gotten on 'the Bus' (with gusto!) at a Merriweather '82 concert. Thus begun my "Looong Strange Triiipp" of following Jerry & the boys during the Ronald Raygun (ZAP!) years of the '80s. I have hazy college memories of duping a VHS to VHS copy of "Dead Ahead" at an off campus apartment, not far from Towson State University.
Fast forward over twenty years later. There's now a lot less hair on top of my head and a bit more (O.K. a lot more) belly on my frame (Shades of Jerry!). Still lovin' the Dead, but I'm getting a little snobby in my old age, mainly listening to their '70s material these days. I'm taking down the family Halloween decorations, while my brand new copy of "Dead Ahead" is hitting the DVD laser. This grabs my 4 year old's attention, because the TV lights up with an opening, trippy montage of band members, skeletons and other symbols (which fascinates him). For those not up on their Dead History, in 1980 the Grateful Dead did a month long stint at both the Warfield in S.F. and Radio City Music Hall in NYC. "Dead Ahead" captures a Holloween night, when the band kicks back on the Radio City stage (made up like a folksy, country porch at dusk) and reaches back to their folk/jugband roots with acoustic instruments. Thats right! The Dead were going unplugged, way before it became hip and the insideus weasles in the MTV Marketing Dept. co-opted the concept. Well as I'm getting my work done (with one eye on the TV) I suddenly realize that I'm humming the tunes and getting into the show! There are just beautiful versions of songs like "Uncle John's Band" and "Ramble on Rose". I especially love Jerry's guitar parts on "Bird Song", which just seem to magically go on forever. By the time "Ripple" ends the acoustic portion of the show, I'm in DeadHead Heaven! Bravo GD! The rest of the show is an electric set, which pretty much sums up the band's '80s concerts. It features fine versions of "Lost Sailor/St. of Circumstance", "Franklin's Tower" and "Fire on the Mt". Emceeing the show is SNL comedy team 'Franken & Davis'. While they might not be everyone's 'cup of tea' I always found their persnickity, smart a** sense of humor, to be right on target to the Grateful Dead sensibility. I especially found their 'Henry Kissinger gets caught bootlegging a GD show' (featuring Mr. Bill Kreutzmann) bit, pretty darn hilarious! As for the DVD itself, not too bad. Love the DVD menus featuring the original concert artwork (infamously hated by the Radio City management) of two giant skeletons hanging out on the iconic venue. The picture quality and sound is OK and it's the best your going to do with over twenty year old video tape. The DVD's bonus section features 50 more minutes of material, not included in the show's original release. This includes a beautiful acoustic/instrumental version of Bob Weir's "Heaven Help the Fool" (which I always thought of as a vastly underrated song). For a laid back evening of wonderful music, I highly recommend "Grateful Dead: Dead Ahead".

If you have the VHS, scrap it and upgrade to the DVD. The 50 minutes of additional footage is well worth it...Not to mention the awesome 5.1 sound! It sounds like you're actually in the audience. I highly recommend this DVD!

This is the best Dead video I've seen. Jerry is really alive on this one. 1980 was a great year for them.

Original title: Just OK, but enjoyable once or twice
Man, I remember those days so well...evrybody was excited about the acoustic sets, and when Reckoning came out, hoo! I still love that record.
These visuals, frankly, don't add much to the experience, IMO. It still bugs me to see Weir in the Izod shirt.

ps added later: Still enjoyable after 4-5 times. Musically, the Closing of Winterland DVD is far superior IMO. But here you've got Brent and the acoustic tunes.
I just had to laugh at the reviewer who is still miffed 25 years later about those rude Deadheads STANDING during the show! Strikes me as a little unclear on the concept.

I think on reflection this is a good buy for sure. Any dead head will of course snap anything up like this as i have, but it wouldnt be a great place to start to get a feel for the deads great live experience. I think the set is pretty good, id like to have seen more of an acoustic set with more volume. I dont think Bird Song is a great way to start. Things really warm up later on when we get into Mexicali Blues and for me the hightlight being St Of Circumstance followed straight after by Franklins Tower which i have to say i think is quite possibly the best live version ive ever heard, you finally get a feel for Jerry's ringing, horn-like guitar sound. But then just as im getting into it its time to say bye! As a deadhead i love it of course but it dosent touch other release's from that era at all such as Reconing. I think this was the start of a bad period for the Dead, i think too many years on the road were telling, this release isnt great..but as a great fan of theres its still very satisfying.

Because of the location, i'm still into this dvd. however, the editing, sound and video all get 3 stars in my book. I was also upset that Uncle J's Band is not an actual live performance in the set. I really love the acoustic stuff that is here though. Can't hear jerry's vocals well enough . . .