Originally posted by walkonby:
 i think its because that most people just think ratdog is nothing more than a dead cover band.  he hates that.  
But they   
are  a Grateful Dead cover band.  Look at this setlist: 
 Jam > Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Loser* > Bird Song+ > Loose Lucy+ > Bertha+, Looks Like Rain@, A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall@#, West L.A. Fadeaway > Ashes and Glass > Stuff > Morning Dew
 E: Not Fade Away 
 That's 10 "Dead" songs (counting Dew and NFA).  7 of those are songs Jerry used to sing and 1 of them is an instrumental.  I only see 1 original song here - unless "Stuff" is an actual song, which would make it 2 originals. 
 I think the naming thing is less about ego and more about marketing.