Back in middle school I tried tried tried to like the Dead, if nothing else but to fit in (for some reason in the mid-90s- and this was pre-Garcia's death- there was a huge Dead revival amongst youngsters of my generation) and I just couldn't. I even bought a Steal Your Face patch for my backpack, and tried every substance I could while listening to someone's tapes. By high school I was basically done trying, but later I discovered American Beauty, which I will say is one of the best rock albums of the 20th century