The Grateful Dead & The Wall of Sound

[deathtosmurfs]

The Hell's Angels have always been vicious assholes. This is just further proof. On a happier subject, I would like to say that I don't understand why people are always putting down the wall of sound. They all say it sounds muddy. That might have been true for a few concerts, but every one I was at the sound was perfect. Even in such horrible venues as the Indianapolis Coliseum, or that place in Kansas City (can't remember the name) where they hold livestock shows. All props to Macintosh amps.

[muddack]

this video is in my left speaker only?? why is that. it doesn't really support an awesome thing like "the wall of sound"

[JonXVX]

Roy Orbison is tuning the piano-- very cool

[getgoodusa]

I bet Phil's bass weighed a ton....

[getgoodusa]

Rest in peace Owsley Stanley, thanks for everything

[sirlonghair]

Macintosh amps Maid in Binghamton N.Y.absolutely the best quality amps maid in the world

[bacculus]

Piano tuner guy getting annoyed at Phil's showing off bass sounds....classic.

[fassman316]

Aint no bass, man. That's a goddamn spaceship.

[dacypher22]

Poor roadies! Think of how many live shows the Dead did, and look at what they went through to get this monster hooked up!

[Deadfreeeak]

which one is owsley? anyone?

[dacypher22]

@Deadfreeeak

No guarantee he is there. Stanley *designed* it, but these are roadies putting it together.

[2Emos1Razor]

@dacypher22 Well obviously, do you know how long it would take ONE person to set up all that?

[percommode]

Saw it in use only once Sept1974 at Alexandra Palace and never heard anything like it before or since. Years ahead of its time.

[wobbly585]

@percommode I was at that show. There was a loud bang during one of the songs, I forget which one but in the main it worked out very well. Happy new year to you and all Dead Heads every where. XX

[percommode]

@wobbly585 We only saw the second one of the 3 (Dicks Picks 7) but, my oh my, what a show. Happy New Year back at ya!

[debtortomercy]

The first time I saw the Dead was around 1974, I think they had just stopped using it. I never got to see this sound marvel. Thanks for the video

[Youenjoymyself88]

*uck the Hell's Angels.... they just followed around the hippies so they could scare them into giving them drugs

[synesthesia67]

the end is cool...the camera feedback goin through the bass...!!..yeehaw

[NealMcProblem1]

"hey I know man... cuz that would be the hippest" - claaaaaaaaaaasssic JG line

[sirlonghair]

McIntosh Mc 1000 Amps I worked at Mac just as they brought the Amps in for the last tune up like 24 or 34 of them @7-8 grand each

[pablosonicterrorist]

I've been putting on raves / techno parties in the UK for 10 years and this shit puts us to shame:)

[pablosonicterrorist]

I've been putting on raves / techno parties for 10 years and this shit puts us to shame:)

[theslantmusic]

Steve Buscemi 3:25 haha

[irondaddymac]

all that gear and they still sounded like ass

[mooiegarage]

'I talk to you like you're a person, because you look like a person even with that camera'

ha ha ha ha. Talk about being experienced at handling paranoia.

[ejc1974]

Phil rocks. : )

[spayspay]

Is Owsley in this video?

[bakerface]

yeah he's the one in the cowboy hat talkin to jerry around 1:30

[Excalromano]

@bakerface I'm pretty sure that's not Owsley in the cowboy hat.

[samuelson2112]

Phil Lesh reminds me of Garth from Wayne's World. Does anyone agree?

[ManyGodz]

Drool,lust....whatta RIG !

[rocket88bass4]

wtf look at phils bass at 3:21 , funky wiring

[1Anonymouse]

i'm pretty sure that's to support the quadraphonic system they ran with his bass. it allowed each string to play on it's own separate channel.

[rocket88bass4]

yeah, phil is an awesome bassist

[zambiland]

@1Anonymouse The electronics also provided a state variable filter for each pickup where you can blend the filtered sound with the direct sound. The Alembic Superfilter provides essentially the same function. Probably the best bass tone control invented.

Apparently this bass is sitting in a closet somewhere in Chicago, stripped of most of the electronics and lots of holes routed and drilled in it for bridge and other experiments that were done in the late 70s. Bummer.

[thelawya]

@rocket88bass4 holy ssshhhhhhiiitt

[fkthsh]

I want to make a whole song off of bass feedback lol.

[mooghammondb3]

Owsley Stanley is a genuis.

[wrombola]

Your lucky to have caught that Miami 74 show. There is a beautiful audience tape that was recorded of that show must have been nice to hear it in person.

[russ32151]

Miami Jai Alai 1973 or 4. I remember walking into the fronton and not really beliving my eyes. the system FILLED the court from floor to ceiling and one side to the other. The Dead played two nights.They were my first two shows. My last was Tampa in 1995. A long and wonderful trip. Peace.

[alexkickscan]

thats how jerry lived his life, whatever would be the hippest. rip jgar

[spudco06]

look at all thouse Mac 2300's....mmmmmmmmm

[SteveCarras]

I love tbheir tire wheels BEAR logo. (asnd old one going back to 1921.)

[nlandess]

hey - is the breast feeding woman Betty Cantor? Just wondering.

[skiingisgoodforyou]

Yeah, that's her. She's smokin' hot, I bet she still is!

[nlandess]

royalnash - The Dead hadn't used the Wall of Sound since 1974 - so no, I don't think anyone has used it since Jerry died.

[royalnash]

i wonder if any bands use the wall of sound since jerry died and all

[skiingisgoodforyou]

Today's Line Array systems are better than the Wall of Sound.

[royalnash]

im 23 i never been to a show but i bet it was a lot of fun good drugs and musci and a wall of music.  my fave dead albums american beauty and anthem of the sun

[skiingisgoodforyou]

If you like Anthem of the Sun then you're surely a Dead Head. That album drips with LSD.

[rainbowpagun]

back in the day oh wee

[Porkeypyne]

.oh.myyyyyyyyyyyy.!!

I remember (yeah, I know, if you remember, you really weren't there) those shows. Lesh had a set with Seastones during the Dead show.....some tormented soul screamed "STOP IT, YOU'RE F*****G WITH MY HEAD!!" Mission accomplished! Those were the daze....

[MoGreensEye]

Check out the book "Grateful Dead Gear" - covers instruments, sound systems, etc.

[Giantsonicmonster]

Fantastic vid, I'm looking for more info on the wall of sound itself, anyone got any concert footage of it is action?

[rockmedty]

the wall of sound was built in Danville Ca thinking it was mid 70's i remember cutting class to just drive by the studio where it was being built we knew about it cuz we were hangin' out with a dead head who was lucky enough to work on it. for more tech. ifo see wikipedia

[lynyrd01skynyrd13]

in the grateful dead movie which is what this clip is taken from they use it during the hole show

[ackerman69]

gold clip