Do you ever wonder?

"I'm a member of that club."

Me too - but I get the feeling that I'm missing something.

Not a big fan either but there are 4 or 5 albums that most folks will enjoy IMO.

I'm partial to American Beauty, Workingman's Dead, and In the Dark.

Garcia's solo work is very interesting as well.

YMMV

I'd toss "Mars Hotel" and at least side 2 off "Terrapin Station", the full side "Terrapin Station" suite, which is fabulous.

entire books should be (and probably have been) written about the whole grateful dead cult phenomenom. i've been subjected to their interminable live shows and bootleg tapes, which is my idea of hell. now, i don't think their whole ouevre is entirely worthless--workingman's and american beauty are good country rock lps--but seldom has more adulation been poured over less musical substance. some of my less drug-addled deadhead friends have theorized that (sorta like the rocky horror picture show)artistic merit isn't the point; rather the whole communal let's drop-acid-and-buy-the merchandise-together vibe is the draw; all in all they're a fairly benign place for like-minded aging white people to gather and avoid reality.