I just got the gd box set and it got me thinking about the similarities between the two bands. I\'m sure there’s many more:
The Grateful Dead vs. Psychedelic Breakfast: the first five years
GD - 1965 the warlocks forms
PB - 1998 Psychedelic Breakfast forms
GD - 12/5/65 first show as GD, ACID TEST
PB - 10/31/98 first show as PB, BUTTERFILED
GD - Total acid tests – 12 (12-11-65 through10-2-66)
PB - Total butterfield – 7 (10-31-98 through3-30-01)
GD - 12-10-65 1st fillmore
PB - 4-2-99 1st toads place
GD - 9/3/67 1st dark star
PB - 12/16/98 1st grand scheme
GD – 1967 ‘The Grateful Dead’ released
PB – 1999 ‘Psychedelic Breakfast’ released
GD – 1968 ‘Anthem of the sun’ released
PB – 2001 ‘Deuce’ released
GD – 1969 ‘Aoxomoxoa’ released
GD – 1969 ‘Live/Dead’ released
PB – 2002 ‘Bonna Fide’ released
GD – 1970 ‘Workingman’s Dead’ and ‘American Beauty’ released
PB – dec 2003 starts work on new album
The whole point it this: PB is either in studio or going into the studio soon. Everybody’s been talking about how much PB is changing. The whole name thing, the newer pb songs sound completely different and the \'selling out\' arguments. I never would have expected \'vera st. from pb when I first heard them, but I doubt a GD fan from 65\' would have ever expected \'friend of the devil\' when they first heard it. Regardless, both songs kick ass!
After the dead released their first live album, the very next thing was the double whammy of workingman’s dead/American beauty. Both these albums were a complete turn from the sound and direction that GD had been heading. Most of the songs were short 3-5 min, with heavy influence on harmony, and they pulled from the GDs roots of country and bluegrass heavily. It probably alienated some of their fans who wanted the next dark star or eleven, but it brought thousands of new fans to the band, and made them huge.
I\'m not saying that this is what will happen to PB (though it\'d be sweet), but rather that even if they do change there name and sound or whatever the hell they decide to do, if it brings more fans, awesome, and they\'ll still be playing the old songs live. remember change is good.