“Going to the opera, like getting drunk, is a sin that carries its own punishment.”
- Hannah More
The question I saw recently was, “What band is universally loved but never clicked for you?”
That's an easy one. The Grateful Dead have never worked for me. I think it was early exposure to their song Truckin'. It was in heavy rotation on stations I often listened to and it just irritated the hell out of me. You know how it is. There are some songs that make you reach for the dial as fast as you can to get them turned off. Truckin' did that to me. So annoying.
To be fair, I have done almost zero investigation into the Dead's catalog so there's a good chance I'm missing out. It wouldn't be the first time I've been late to the party. It was the same with Little Feat. Their song Dixie Chicken grated on me and I dismissed them because of it. Somewhere along the way, though, I discovered the brilliance of Lowell George and I turned into a bit of a fan.
If you are a Dead lover, I apologize. Maybe you can coach me on where to start and I'll give it an honest go. I know how it is when someone hates on a favorite artist. One time I was with a female acquaintance and Refugee came on the radio. She said, “I just hate Tom Petty!” I had to do a cartoon head shake. “What?” It was something I'd never entertained, the idea that someone could hate Tom Petty. Be indifferent, maybe, but hate? That would be like hating the sound of laughter. That's been twenty years ago and it still bothers me. So I get it if you're a huge Dead fan and I've hurt your feelings. But for what it's worth, I do like A Touch of Gray.
Who never clicked for you?
Here are three songs that reference the Dead at least: