KVR Audio

thecontrolcentre · Post by **thecontrolcentre** » Mon Jan 12, 2026 1:04 am

Bob Weir, guitarist, singer and founding member of the Grateful Dead, has died at age 78. A statement released on Saturday confirmed the passing of one of America's rock legends. He died of “underlying lung issues” following his cancer diagnosis in July 2025.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/other/ ... cbec&ei=28

Old Joad · Post by **Old Joad** » Mon Jan 12, 2026 1:22 am

cryophonik · Post by **cryophonik** » Mon Jan 12, 2026 1:57 am

I was never a big fan of the Grateful Dead’s music, but big respect for what they did and how they did it. They all seemed like really cool dudes, too, especially Bob. Sad news.

CrystalWizard · Post by **CrystalWizard** » Mon Jan 12, 2026 5:28 am

RIP Bobby

Winstontaneous · Post by **Winstontaneous** » Tue Jan 13, 2026 5:37 am

Fare thee well, Bobby! I've been listening to the Dead for 40 years now and still don't really know what he was doing on guitar, but his energy, positivity and curiosity were so abundantly evident!

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Tue Jan 13, 2026 2:40 pm

How you know you're an icon

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Tue Jan 13, 2026 5:52 pm

cryophonik wrote: Mon Jan 12, 2026 1:57 am I was never a big fan of the Grateful Dead’s music, but big respect for what they did and how they did it. They all seemed like really cool dudes, too, especially Bob. Sad news.

Same. Quality music, but not for me. A good run, though. Bet he saw twice as much as most of us during his life. Some of it was actually real.

CrystalWizard · Post by **CrystalWizard** » Wed Jan 14, 2026 12:48 pm

I doubt many people here would know this. Between 1978-1995 the Grateful Dead did more consistent live electronic music than all the other bands i know of. They had a segment of their live show called drums/space. It started with the two drummer/percussionists (the Rhythm Devils) which lasted from 10-20m and segued into "space" which was 10-20m of free form, improvised, electronic music. These segments are mostly hacked off their live recordings. I encourage anyone who likes this form of music to seek out and explore "space."
Jerry Garcia played more live synthesizer than any guitar player i know of, he was an early adopter of guitar synth with a customized rig. The GD were pioneers of the modern sound system. Phil Lesh, the bass player, was a big fan of electronic music in the early 60s. Don Buchla, the synth pioneer, attended the Merry Pranksters' Acid Tests which is where the Grateful Dead formed into a psychedelic band. The GD were almost incapable of studio recording anything like their live concerts (i can't listen to most of their LPs). They weren't a "country rock" band (like i thought they were, until someone gave me a ticket to see them, i wouldn't have paid).

CrystalWizard · Post by **CrystalWizard** » Sat Jan 17, 2026 12:09 am

I forgot to mention Seastones
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seastones
Early computer controlled synthesizer by Ned Lagin, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart. Engineered by the GDs engineers. There's live versions on Archive.org

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Sat Jan 17, 2026 5:20 am

You can't know the Dead's music without the experience of a live show. I first heard them on an album in 1972. did nothing for me. I tend to think none of the albums would. I don't dislike the country rock and Americana aspect but it hasn't a lot of appeal for me. I went to one concert in my life and it's easily in my top 4 which include Zappa, Mahavishnu and Shakti.

The sound quality and the mix are unequaled anywhere in my experience. What I heard in that hockey rink was miraculous; the wall of sound is no joke. Owsley: "I'm not a chemist, I'm the sound man for the Grateful Dead." I heard everything completely distinctly. The interplay between Lesh, Weir, and Garcia blew my mind. AFAIK they weren't always ON like that.

(Valentines, 1994 with Henry Kaiser. You might want to click on the URL for what may surprise):

WHAT?

Bob Weir, of the Grateful Dead, has died.