HungryHippo

To be honest, I haven't downloaded the song yet. I was just infatuated with the picture. But you should just have to click the link at the bottom that reads, Jeff Tweedy- I'll Be Your Baby Tonight and then follow the SendSpace regular/ free download options to download it. You may have to wait 30-60 seconds for the download to initialize but you shouldn't have to pay for it.

Analogman, I am like you and find those songs from John Wesley Harding to be a bit of a drag. In fact, I am not fond of the 2nd side of that album. After St. Augustine, it kinda looses its momentum for me

It's been 10 years since I last saw Bennett play. Damn shame.

I never got the chance to see him live but do miss the conversations we shared toward the end of his life. He was such an enthusiastic guy who had so much left that he wanted to do. We discussed how cool a book of his artwork would be (especially with a CD of tunes one could listen to while looking at the art) but of course that won't happen now. I have been enamored with his solo work since '04 but cannot listen to it now. I usually don't struggle with death all that much but Jay was definitely not ready to go yet. Look at his output towards the end. He was working on Kicking at the Perfumed Air when he decided to write and record Whatever Happened I Apologize and those 2 records could easily be the best of his career. All we can do now is look back and enjoy what he left us. There will never be another Jay Bennett.

!!!

via Expectingrain.com:

Jeff Tweedy Will Be Your Baby Tonight

Awesome thread! I was driving home from work a week ago and was forced to listen to the radio as I had left my iPod at home. Somehow I came across this obscure station I was unfamiliar with which was playing this amazing song. I was convinced it was some sort of Christian station based on the lyrics. They played like 3 of his songs back to back. I made a mental note of some of the lyrics so I could do a Google search when I got home. I was surprised to find out it was Nick Cave that I had been listening to. Needless to say, I downloaded The Boatman's Call the other day and will be sure to pick up the reissue ASAP. The guy's amazing. Thanks for the heads-up

The Graduation Ceremony is out today! It's been getting great reviews so far. The French Rolling Stone gave it 4/5 stars.

For some reason, I got all teary-eyed watching those videos. I was in London at the time of the Live 8 reunion but did not go to it as some friends and I were leaving for Paris that day. Coincidentally, I befriended a guy in Paris then who played the "Syd" character in the film, Remember a Day. He told me that he had bumped into Roger Barrett at a shopping mall once, casually approached him and said, "Hello, Syd." He said that Syd replied with a very enthusiastic hello and then walked away, lol. I was really holding out for Syd to pop up on stage at Live 8 but it did not happen. Anyway, I am glad to see the guys putting their differences aside for the music. If this gesture doesn't prove their feelings toward their fans, I don't know what else will.

NPR is now streaming Jo's new album, The Graduation Ceremony. NPR: The Graduation Ceremony stream

It's so great to hear a completely new solo album from Joseph. He has not released one since 2006, although there have been a handful of EPs, band/ side projects, miscellaneous blog postings, etc.

I am a few songs in and am REALLY impressed with this. I've heard a lot of these songs over the years at shows and online, yet nothing can beat these proper studio versions.

when i read this earlier today, i thought the site might have been hacked. it doesnt seem like anything bob would do. plus, the style of writing doesnt seem like his. i thought he'd be busy getting together with family and friends for his big shebang next week

It does seem odd for Dylan to write something like this. Perhaps he was pressured by someone in the US government to explain, in his words, everything that went down regarding the gigs in China. I could see such an issue putting a strain on US/ China relations even if it is a slight strain. I'm sure China doesn't care for the entire western world to think that they forcibly censored a legend such as Dylan. So, perhaps Dylan is simply a pawn in their game (sorry, had to throw that in!)

Hahaha, that last paragraph is classic Bob. 70 years into the game and he still has that sense of humor

In the Dylan/Hunter Houston tune, there is the below line:

 

 

 

The Mexican War was between 1846-48. Benson was county sheriff of Harris County, Texas, from Dec. 1918 to Jan. 1, 1937.

This would make the Candyman character in his 80s, if he was at least 10 years old during the war, which is possible, I guess.

Good point! I overlooked this fact. Unless Hunter intended on using Mr. Benford for his own purposes (similar to the way he used Jack Straw.) Now that you mentioned this, perhaps IYEGTH is narrated by an older, elderly Candyman. It sounds like a reflective song. While this song has always been my favorite song on Together Through Life, it doesn't really feel like a complete Hunter/ Dylan song, rather an extension of something else. Even if these songs are not connected, it's kind of fun to look at them as a linear progression

This may sound completely crazy, but I have been thumbing through my copy of The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics and drew a connection between Candyman and the Bob Dylan/ Robert Hunter song, If You Ever Go To Houston and feel like these songs may share the same narrator. That narrator being the Candyman. Here's my reasoning behind this.

Robert Hunter was inspired to write Candyman in part by the old song, Midnight Special. That song contains the lines:

"If you ever go to Houston

You know you better walk right

You know you better not stagger

You know you better not fight

Because the sheriff will just arrest you

You know he'll carry you down

And you can bet your bottom dollar

Oh Lord, you're penitentiary bound"

In other versions of this song, the sheriff is referred to as Sheriff Benson. And we all know the famous lyric in Candyman:

"Good Mornin Mr. Benson

I see you're doin well

If I had me a shotgun

I'd blow you straight to Hell"

After drawing these comparisons, I looked at Candyman and If You Ever Go To Houston on their own and it appears that they are telling similar stories. Perhaps the narrator of If You Ever Go To Houston is in fact the Candyman? And for those wondering what a "candyman" is, here's what the dictionary says:

"Candyman n. 1. CANDY KID 2.Narc. a seller of illicit drugs, esp. in capsule form.

Candy kid 2.a. a fellow who is lucky, successful, or held in high favor, esp. with women."

It is also interesting to note that Midnight Special contains lines VERY similar to If You Ever Go To Houston. We know that Hunter "borrowed" and lent Mr. Benson out as the villain in Candyman and we also know how much Dylan likes to "borrow" lines, imagery and melodies from old folk/ blues songs.

Could all of this be a coincidence? Who knows. I would not put something like this past Robert Hunter or Bob Dylan. The majority of Hunter's lyrics are nods to old songs, poems, nursery rhymes, etc. If anything, it's cool being able to at least imagine that this may be the case!

I haven't listened to much live Wilco in the past 2 years or so, but it seems that their sound has developed into something more clear and concise. Not that it wasn't before. They all seem so confident up there and it shows.

That was crazy!

Edit- Jeff is totally channeling '66 era Dylan.

Shot in the Arm sounds GREAT! The quality of this stream is fantastic.

Anyone else watching this now? Looks/ sounds great!

I love your impressions. They are some of the most heartfelt recollections I have read by a concert attendee. Maybe because it's due to you being new to the band. Enjoy the rest of your mini tour. Look forward to more entries!

Since they are close, I propose that Jeff call up President Obama and have him direct us when it comes to standing and sitting during shows. Obviously, he'll have us sit when Country Disappeared plays but we'll all stand for I'll Fight. This is the most diplomatic resolution I can come up with. Wilco shows are a little too socialistic now and we all know that ideology does not work, just read the 5 pages in this thread...

Thanks for that timeline, Winterland. From what I've listened to from some of the years you mentioned, I totally agree with your assessment.

Lammycat, after listening to some of those '89 shows, it's easy to see that the entire band respected Brent. Truckin' Up to Buffalo was my first GD DVD and I would watch that like once a week. I still listen to the audio on a consistent basis.

I could be wrong, but I don't think there are any, or many, Dick's Picks from '89. It seems like they overlooked this year and jumped to mid 90's material.

I ended up reading Betty's story last night. That whole deal sounds unfortunate for all parties involved. As some have speculated, this could be a reason why Cornell '77 and the Old Renaissance Faire, Veneta, OR '72 have yet to be released. I was impressed to hear that she took the initiative to record these shows on her own equipment. I get the impression that recording gigs for her was a labor of love project and not something she did for money.

Thanks for the recommendations everyone! I will be checking some of these out after work tonight. Analogman, I forgot about those taper's books that are now out of print. It would be nice to track those down at affordable prices. And what's the story behind the Betty tapes?

where to start..., wait, i'm not qualified....

 

paging analogman.

analogman, please pick up the grey (brown-eyed?) courtesy phone.

Do you have any favs, dagwave? I just discovered that dead.net has a Jam of the Week page on their site which features an unspecified jam each week. Of course, the first couple of posters always post the track listing which spoils some of the fun, but it is interesting regardless!

Jam of the Week

While I have been into the GD since I was 13, I have only recently started devouring their live shows. I was just wondering what some of your favorite jam sequences are? I am currently enjoying the Playing in the Band> Uncle John's Band> Morning Dew> Uncle John's Band> Playing in the Band from 3/23/74 (Dick's Picks 24.)

I'd like to go see the movie next Wednesday. It would be cool to see the dancing girl in the U.S. Blues sequence up there on the big screen.

Did anyone catch the movie? Tickets were slightly more expensive than standard films, $12.50 here, but it was well worth the 20 minute drive and ticket price. I've never watched the movie before and enjoyed it beyond words. My only complaint is that He's Gone was listed during the credits but was not played during the film. Ah, well. However, thanks to that rad opening sequence, I am now a fan of U.S. Blues

Edit- Yes, Analogman, it was nice seeing the dancing girl up there, haha. I also think I developed a small crush on Donna.

Just listened to a song she did with the Dex Romweber Duo a couple of years ago. Looking forward to anything new she puts out

I kind of enjoy those Class Mythology songs. Here's some impressions I have of the 4 songs:

1. Go Ahead And Rain- A slowed down version with different lyrics of the Sunflowers And Rain/ Go Ahead And Rain which appeared on Pax-Am's digi-single #1. Features the line, "Crimson and Clover is my favorite song when I'm taking a bath." Gotta love DRA! This song reminds me of Memory Lane.

2. Invisible Red- Starts off like a slower metal song and you think you're listening to Metallica's new album until Ryan's vocals come in. Pretty neat song, although it's easy to see why it was not included on Cardinology. Just doesn't fit in with those songs.

3. Your Name Is On Fire- Love this song! Why this wasn't included in Cardinology is beyond me. It belongs on that album and has all the markings of a solid Cardinology number. It's def. no Crossed Out Name or Stop, but it rivals Sink Ships and Go Easy.

4. Future Sparrow- This sounds like it belongs on Cold Roses. The earthy imagery of the lyrics and the Dead-like riffs make for an excellent closer of this mini EP set. Features some cool back-up vocals by Mr. Casal. This is arguably the best song included here.