Good Ol' Grateful Dead

[cookie]

On a GD jag tonight. It got kicked off by "Truckin'" which is one of (if not *the*) theme song(s) of my life. It's got that great swingin' shuffle and I live a little like that song. I'm thinking of writing an arrangement of it for my college group because it has great imagery and rhythm to play with. And I dig a rockin' shuffle. I play it several times a year at least. It is a conscious part of my adult life. Just keep truckin' on.....


So that was followed up by "Uncle John's Band", then "Brokedown Palace" (for which I have named my blue'n'green Ithaca estate), and now "Ripple."

I know I'm going to listen to more. I will play "Friend of the Devil" and admit that it still scares this fundy-raised girl a little. For now, a little "Casey Jones."

I love the Dead and miss them. Really enjoyed the "jam" sections of the few shows I saw. Appealed to the free musician in me.

[Scott Dolan]

Do you have their motion picture soundtrack?

Man, that has become my favorite over the years.

[kenny weir]

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

Do you have their motion picture soundtrack?

Man, that has become my favorite over the years.

Oh YES - I too play it often, both discs.

On the extras, the fact there is a great-sounding China Cat/Rider by a classic GD lineup in existence makes me feel all gooey inside.

And I never get sick of the movie, either, even the colour elements.

The whole trips seems to have aged really well - or more likely it's just that things have gone full circle several times since then.

In any case, I thrill to a crowd just absolutely digging thir music with such uninhibited joy.

About a year or so ago, on one of our "good nights", I sat my ex down with the movie with a view to giving her some clues about who and what I actually am.

Ha ha - like water off a duck's back, baby!

Now playing while I, ahem, work: Dick's Picks # 3

Now wearing: GD American Gothic.

[lazarus]

Grateful Dead!

The greatest american prog-group ever!!!!
Long live progressive rock!!!

[kenny weir]

Originally Posted by lazarus

Grateful Dead!

The greatest american prog-group ever!!!!
Long live progressive rock!!!

R-i-i-i-i-g-g-h-t!

()

[Gary Sisco]

Cookie -- When I croak, at the memorial I want "Truckin'" played and all present to sing the lyrics. After that, Do as thou wilt!

[Dr Dave]

Gary, I admire your forgiving nature. The Grateful Dead, the guys who created the template for the whole jam band phenomenon...I just can't get past it. Even as we speak, some idiot with a Gibson is noodling away endlessly, thinking he's carrying on a tradition...the horror...the horror...

[Gary Sisco]

Doc -- I held an irrational prejudice against the Dead for years because of my allergic reaction to the blind adulation of tour-heads. A couple of years ago, I went back and listened to the early records I liked at the time. They still hold up well. In the end, I found it necessary to judge them by the music they made rather than what other people did or didn't do with it or because of it. I have *Live Dead,* *Workingman's Dead,* *American Beauty,* and *Europe '72.* I like them all. I don't much care for later stuff. But their place in rock and roll and my generation's history is established forever.

Kind of like The Beatles, it's not necessary, really, to listen to the records again. For anyone my age they're permanently engrained in the brain, but I listen to them, still, from time to time, for the fun of it.

Lately it occurs to me
What a long, strange trip it's been

[Chris D]

One man gathers what another man spills.

[Monte Smith]

I like their studio records, which are tight and nicely inflected with American roots and country music. I hate the concerts.

[steve(thelil)]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

I like their studio records, which are tight and nicely inflected with American roots and country music. I hate the concerts.

Did you go to any or are you talking about the concert records?

Europe '72 is very tight. It contains the definitive version of Sugar Magnolia, which I envision blasting from speakers through dorm windows on beautiful Spring days; the perfect soundtrack to kids throwing frisbees and softballs around.

I also have a picture I took with Jerry Garcia when a friend tipped me off he would be arriving at Albany airport on a certain flight.

Jerry was very nice about it. Jerry and I smiled for the camera as my friend Slime had trouble with the Polaroid. Jerry patiently (and still smiling) told Slime that he had to hold the button down until the camera snapped.

[Monte Smith]

I went to two shows in the early 90s, but it is the concert records that I have listened most closely to, in a Dr Dave-like fever of detestation. The jam stuff is garbage. There is a GD-only station on Sirius radio. Whenever I tune in, it's live material--endless, rambling, shambolic.

The records that are among my faves are the early ones, particularly Workingman's Dead, American Beauty, and the spacey but still controlled Aoxomoxoa. Also, the disco era of Shakedown Street and the Terrapin saga are pretty good.

[lazarus]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

The jam stuff is garbage.

Really? I had no idea. Thank you for telling us.

[steve(thelil)]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

I went to two shows in the early 90s, but it is the concert records that I have listened most closely to, in a Dr Dave-like fever of detestation. The jam stuff is garbage. There is a GD-only station on Sirius radio. Whenever I tune in, it's live material--endless, rambling, shambolic.

The records that are among my faves are the early ones, particularly Workingman's Dead, American Beauty, and the spacey but still controlled Aoxomoxoa. Also, the disco era of Shakedown Street and the Terrapin saga are pretty good.

Part of the problem with the Dead's amazingly large and loyal base of fan/collectors is that recordings of all 54,000 hours of their live concerts will eventually be released or at least distributed. And sometimes the acid wasn't good and they rambled. But not always, by any means.

If you haven't, you really should check out Europe '72 for recordings of some of their best written songs, like Truckin and Sugar Magnolia and Mister Charly performed cleanly and with the energy that a good live performance can add.

[shrugs]

Actually most of their concerts are available in streaming format at the internet archive website.

http://www.archive.org/search.php?qu...only%3A%281%29

[shrugs]

Those shows used to be downloadable. Now only the audience recorded shows are downloafable.

But it was too late.

Too many websites with soundboard quality shows just ripe for the picking.

[shrugs]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

Gary, I admire your forgiving nature. The Grateful Dead, the guys who created the template for the whole jam band phenomenon...I just can't get past it. Even as we speak, some idiot with a Gibson is noodling away endlessly, thinking he's carrying on a tradition...the horror...the horror...

Uh, Jerry didn't play Gibsons his whole life.


http://dozin.com/jers/guitar/history.htm

What about creating a relationship between composer and lyricist that would last for decades.

Garcia/Hunter, baby

Hunter is one of the best songwriters ever.

[Gary Sisco]

My brother once worked and rode to a work with a Deadhead, the kind that has 380 shows on cassettes. Every morning they'd burn one on the way to work and every morning one of those cassettes would be playing in the car. One morning my brother said, "This music really sucks." His friend said, "Yeah, I know, but it was such a great show!"

[shrugs]

Originally Posted by steve(thelil)

Europe '72 is very tight. It contains the definitive version of Sugar Magnolia, which I envision blasting from speakers through dorm windows on beautiful Spring days; the perfect soundtrack to kids throwing frisbees and softballs around.

I believe that Sugar Mag comes from this show:

Grateful Dead - April 14, 1972
Tivolis Koncertsal - Copenhagen, Denmark

[lazarus]

Originally Posted by shrugs

Grateful Dead - April 14, 1972
Tivolis Koncertsal - Copenhagen, Denmark

I have this on DVD. Great concert!

[shrugs]

Originally Posted by lazarus

I have this on DVD. Great concert!

The audio has just been repictched. I am downloading it right now. It has some patches, but they are from a [FM -> Master Reel -> Cassette -> Cassette -> Dat -> CD] supplies source.

Full setlist:

Set 1:
d1t01 - Bertha
d1t02 - Me And My Uncle
d1t03 - Mr. Charlie
d1t04 - You Win Again
d1t05 - Black Throated Wind
d1t06 - Chinatown Shuffle
d1t07 - Loser
d1t08 - Me And Bobby McGee
d1t09 - Cumberland Blues
d1t10 - Playing In The Band
d1t11 - Tennessee Jed
d1t12 - El Paso
d1t13 - Big Boss Man
d2t01 - Beat It On Down The Line
d2t02 - Casey Jones

set 2:
d2t03 - Truckin'
d2t04 - It Hurts Me Too
d2t05 - Brown Eyed Women
d2t06 - Looks Like Rain
d3t01 - Dark Star ->
d3t02 - Sugar Magnolia ->
d3t03 - Good Lovin' ->
d3t04 - Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) ->
d3t05 - Who Do You Love? ->
d3t06 - Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) ->
d3t07 - Good Lovin'
d3t08 - Ramble On Rose
d4t01 - Not Fade Away ->
d4t02 - China Cat Sunflower Tease ->
d4t03 - Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad ->
d4t04 - Not Fade Away

Encore:
d4t05 - One More Saturday Night

[shrugs]

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

My brother once worked and rode to a work with a Deadhead, the kind that has 380 shows on cassettes. Every morning they'd burn one on the way to work and every morning one of those cassettes would be playing in the car. One morning my brother said, "This music really sucks." His friend said, "Yeah, I know, but it was such a great show!"

They sounded like shit on a lot of these cassettes that circulated. I only managed to get sound board quality a few times.
Most were audience recorded and many generations of dubbing had occurred before it landed in my hands.

[Scott Dolan]

Originally Posted by kenny weir

Oh YES - I too play it often, both discs.

On the extras, the fact there is a great-sounding China Cat/Rider by a classic GD lineup in existence makes me feel all gooey inside.

And I never get sick of the movie, either, even the colour elements.

The whole trips seems to have aged really well - or more likely it's just that things have gone full circle several times since then.

In any case, I thrill to a crowd just absolutely digging thir music with such uninhibited joy.

About a year or so ago, on one of our "good nights", I sat my ex down with the movie with a view to giving her some clues about who and what I actually am.

Ha ha - like water off a duck's back, baby!

Now playing while I, ahem, work: Dick's Picks # 3

Now wearing: GD American Gothic.

The movie soundtrack is four discs.

[lazarus]

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

The movie soundtrack is four discs.

The DVD is two discs.

[Dr Dave]

Originally Posted by shrugs

Uh, Jerry didn't play Gibsons his whole life.

You should know better than to make that kind of blanket declaration.



He played a lotta different guitars.

Anyway, the brand of guitar was hardly my point.

[Cem]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

Gary, I admire your forgiving nature. The Grateful Dead, the guys who created the template for the whole jam band phenomenon...I just can't get past it. Even as we speak, some idiot with a Gibson is noodling away endlessly, thinking he's carrying on a tradition...the horror...the horror...

It's sad that only those obvious links are focused on, usually. I'm not at all impressed with the jam band thing.

There are many great artists, who were inspired, influenced and moved by the Grateful Dead. Here's Dylan's eulogy, for one, from Jerry's funeral:

"There's no way to measure his greatness or magnitude as a person or as a player. I don't think eulogizing will do him justice. He was that great - much more than a superb musician with an uncanny ear and dexterity. He is the very spirit personified of whatever is muddy river country at its core and screams up into the spheres. He really had no equal. To me he wasn't only a musician and friend, he was more like a big brother who taught and showed me more than he'll ever know. There are a lot of spaces and advances between the Carter Family, Buddy Holly and, say, Ornette Coleman, a lot of universes, but he filled them all without being a member of any school. His playing was moody, awesome, sophisticated, hypnotic and subtle. There's no way to convey the loss. It just digs down really deep."

You might say "that's Jerry", but for me Jerry Garcia was the Grateful Dead. Or, more accurately, without Jerry, there's no Dead.

Also, many in the jazz and creative music worlds had strong connections with the band. I laughed my ass off, when I read in Coda years ago about Cecil & Ornette running into one another backstage at a Dead show.

Not to mention, many heads like me who got turned on to creative music and jazz through the band's open ended approach to playing music. So, I won't allow anyone blaming the Dead for the jam band thing. After all, a lot of shitty music came from great music. Nobody blames Chuck Berry or the Beatles for later rock'n'roll or pop catastrophes by others inspired by them.

[Gentle Giant]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

I went to two shows in the early 90s, but it is the concert records that I have listened most closely to, in a Dr Dave-like fever of detestation. The jam stuff is garbage. There is a GD-only station on Sirius radio. Whenever I tune in, it's live material--endless, rambling, shambolic.

The records that are among my faves are the early ones, particularly Workingman's Dead, American Beauty, and the spacey but still controlled Aoxomoxoa. Also, the disco era of Shakedown Street and the Terrapin saga are pretty good.

Wow, I have to say I almost completely agree with this. But I went to three shows, as well as two Jerry shows (which I enjoyed much more). I would also agree with the fave studio records, although I don't care for Shakedown at all (a low moment for both the Dead and Lowell George). I would also add Side One of Blues For Allah.

I disagree that the jam stuff is garbage; to me, it's just boring. It's like panning for gold, the nuggets are there but you have to sift through so much silt to find them. To me, Drums/Space is only slightly preferable to waterboarding. And I think the Dead are great musicians, they just did a lot of aural diarrhea in my opinion.

And I know from whence I speak, so please don't tell me what I should go out and buy and listen to. Many of my friends are Deadheads > Phisheads > Govt. Fucking Muleheads and I've been subjected to tapes for eons. Funny that my friends are so into jamming but they don't dig jazz. I guess what they really like is playing that lasts as long as their highs do.

[kenny weir]

Count me as another with no time for the jam band scene - or what I've heard of it.Blech!

Tho' I do like the New Orleans Radiators, but oddly enough - as opposed to the live GD stuff I love - I like the Rads' studio stuff better. Not as wild as the GD, but good hooky rock. I have very fond memories of seeing them live many times.

I reckon there's too many sweeping generalisations about the GD.

There are a lot of spaces and advances between the Carter Family, Buddy Holly and, say, Ornette Coleman, a lot of universes, but he filled them all without being a member of any school.

The above quote is very eloquent for me.

[John L]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith
I went to two shows in the early 90s, but it is the concert records that I have listened most closely to, in a Dr Dave-like fever of detestation. The jam stuff is garbage. There is a GD-only station on Sirius radio. Whenever I tune in, it's live material--endless, rambling, shambolic.

The records that are among my faves are the early ones, particularly Workingman's Dead, American Beauty, and the spacey but still controlled Aoxomoxoa. Also, the disco era of Shakedown Street and the Terrapin saga are pretty good.

Originally Posted by Gentle Giant

Wow, I have to say I almost completely agree with this. But I went to three shows, as well as two Jerry shows (which I enjoyed much more). I would also agree with the fave studio records, although I don't care for Shakedown at all (a low moment for both the Dead and Lowell George). I would also add Side One of Blues For Allah.

I disagree that the jam stuff is garbage; to me, it's just boring. It's like panning for gold, the nuggets are there but you have to sift through so much silt to find them. To me, Drums/Space is only slightly preferable to waterboarding. And I think the Dead are great musicians, they just did a lot of aural diarrhea in my opinion.

And I know from whence I speak, so please don't tell me what I should go out and buy and listen to. Many of my friends are Deadheads > Phisheads > Govt. Fucking Muleheads and I've been subjected to tapes for eons. Funny that my friends are so into jamming but they don't dig jazz. I guess what they really like is playing that lasts as long as their highs do.

I have just the opposite opinion. The studio albums have never excited me very much. True, the Dead penned a good number of fine songs that are on those albums. But I much prefer longer live versions where Jerry takes the time to dig deeply into the melodies and work his guitar magic. As for the really long jams, sometimes they did get a bit tedious, but they usually delivered quite a bit in golden decade of 1968-1978. I love it. The music has become a part of me. I don't listen to very much Rock, but the Dead are the one big exception. I just play the concerts too, not the studio albums any more. The latter have become redundant (IMO).

[kenny weir]

Originally Posted by John L

golden decade of 1968-1978. I love it. The music has become a part of me. I just play the concerts too, not the studio albums any more. The latter have become redundant (IMO).

I'm with you - I have little or no interest in the studio albums. To me they're pretty much workshopping exercises that deliver up goodies for the wider/live/touring repertoire.

As far as Workingman's/American Beauty go, they just don't do it for me, even as a country rock thingie.

Same dates for me, too. Tentative experiments with post-1978 material has left me severly under-whelmed.

********

I know there are a lot of GD fans with wide electic tastes in music. But, too, there an awful lot for whom the Dead is IT. Too many, in fact.

There's a reason I only yabber about the Dead with selected Melbourne nutjobs AND jazz fans online.

As big a part as they play in my musical world, I was listening to Elmore James and Hank Williams and old-time country and so BEFORE I got to the Dead. And even if I hadn't, I can't imagine listening to a zillions versions of, say, Turn On Your Lovelight and not definitely going out of my way to hear Bobby Blue Bland do it.

That insularity of the Dead community is one of its less appealing aspects, IMO.

************

Now up for ordering at the Dead site:

WINTERLAND 1973: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS

Track Listing

Disc 1: 11/9/73
1. “Promised Land”
2. “Brown-Eyed Woman”
3. “Me & Bobby McGee”
4. “They Love Each Other”
5. “Black-Throated Wind”
6. “Don’t East Me In”
7. “Mexicali Blues”
8. “Row Jimmy”
9. “The Race Is On”
10. “China Cat Sunflower” >
11. “I Know You Rider”

Disc 2: 11/9/73
1. “Playing In The Band”
2. “Here Comes Sunshine”
3. “Me & My Uncle”
4. “To Lay Me Down”
5. “Big River”
6. “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo”
7. “Greatest Story Ever Told” >
8. “Bertha”

Disc 3: 11/9/73
1. “Weather Report Suite”
a. Prelude
b. Part I
c. Part II (Let It Grow)
2. “Eyes Of The World” >
3. “China Doll”
4. “Around And Around” >
5. “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad” >
6. “Johnny B. Goode”

Disc 4: 11/10/73
1. “Bertha”
2. “Jack Straw”
3. “Loser”
4. “Looks Like Rain”
5. “Deal”
6. “Mexicali Blues”
7. “Tennessee Jed”
8. “El Paso”
9. “Brokedown Palace”
10. “Beat It On Down The Line”
11. “Row Jimmy”

Disc 5: 11/10/73
1. “Weather Report Suite”
a. Prelude
b. Part I
c. Part II (Let It Grow)
2. “Playing In The Band” >
3. “Uncle John’s Band” >
4. “Morning Dew” >
5. “Uncle John’s Band” >
6. “Playing In The Band”

Disc 6: 11/10/73
1. “Big River”
2. “Stella Blue”
3. “Truckin’” >
4. “Wharf Rat” >
5. “Sugar Magnolia”
6. “One More Saturday Night”
7. “Casey Jones”

Disc 7: 11/11/73
1. “Promised Land” >
2. “Bertha” >
3. “Greatest Story Ever Told”
4. “Sugaree”
5. “Black-Throated Wind”
6. “To Lay Me Down”
7. “El Paso”
8. “Ramble On Rose”
9. “Me & Bobby McGee”

Disc 8: 11/11/73
1. “China Cat Sunflower” >
2. “I Know You Rider”
3. “Me & My Uncle”
4. “Loose Lucy”
5. “Weather Report Suite”
a. Prelude
b. Part I
c. Part II (Let It Grow)
6. “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo”
7. “Big River”

Disc 9: 11/11/73
1. “Dark Star” >
2. “Eyes Of The World” >
3. “China Doll”
4. “Sugar Magnolia”
5. “Uncle John’s Band”
6. “Johnny B. Goode” >
7. “We Bid You Goodnight”

Bonus Disc: Cincinnati Gardens, 12/4/73 (for orders placed before April 30th)
1. “China Cat Sunflower”
2. “I Know You Rider”
3. “Truckin’”
4. “Stella Blue”
5. “Eyes Of The World”
6. “Space”
7. “Sugar Magnolia”
8. “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad”
9. “Casey Jones