Shug Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Did you ever waken to the sound of street cats making love and then realize it was Bobby playing a slide part in LIttle Red Rooster? Link to post Share on other sites
winterland121072 Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Lesh took a "lead" after the main part of Eyes of the World 73-74 and would trade off leads with Jerry...(see, e.g., the 19 October 1974 version shown during the Grateful Dead movie). Link to post Share on other sites
Vacant Horizon Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 Lesh took a "lead" after the main part of Eyes of the World 73-74 and would trade off leads with Jerry...(see, e.g., the 19 October 1974 version shown during the Grateful Dead movie). Love that version and love Phil's solos. Was there ever a name for that key change riff jam they did after Eyes in 74? We always called it the Nine Jam. I also wonder if that was part of the original song, but was not recorded to make room for Bob's opus. Link to post Share on other sites
winterland121072 Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 Good question. The original tapes I had back in the 80s listed: Eyes of the World > Stronger Than Dirt > Song (e.g., China Doll). It certainly is not King Solomon's Marbles... I still within my head refer to it as "Stronger Than Dirt." I think it is ok... Link to post Share on other sites
jw harding Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 I'm not totally sure what you mean by trading solos, but maybe you are talking about this kind of stuff? There are not a lot of times, to my ears, when Bobby plays what I'd call lead guitar or takes a solo, other than the at-times horrendously off-key slide solos he'd take in the blues tunes (Minglewood, Rooster, Walkin' Blues, etc). But when he did play a lead or solo or just a picked counter phrase (as opposed to his rhythm strumming) it could be really good. He had a prominent lead part in China Cat, as you mentioned, that could really make or break the version, IMO, that was clear and strong in the early years but got increasingly lazy and sloppily played later on. I think the best China Cats were in '72 - '74. He also did some pretty strong guitar leads in Here Comes Sunshine, my faves being 12/19/73 and 3/23/74 http://headyversion.com/song/118/grateful-dead/here-comes-sunshine/ But take a listen to Bob's guitar in hot versions of Easy Wind in 1970, he usually took the first solo after Pig's harmonica solo and then Jerry took the second solo. This one is my fave https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ozp2P_ENBoAnother good one is https://archive.org/details/gd70-09-20.aud.remaster.sirmick.27583.sbeok.shnfWas just looking for a few more examples where Bobby plays a lead solo, followed by or preceding one by Jerry. Rather than the abstract McCoy Tyner's left hand rhythm stuff. No need for reminders on Bobby playing slide. Oy. Maybe in one of his blues tunes, but no need to ruin Althea or Sugaree or whatever. A few other random thoughts: Feel like the transition from China into Rider is the peak/essence of the Grateful Dead. In some of those 74 versions, Bobby puts on a country guitar clinic, playing every riff in the book, followed by a melodic/ecstatic solo by Jerry, with the band barreling down the tracks along with them. Magic. Love the guitar interplay between Jerry and Bob in Morning Dew, particularly the version from Europe 72. Listened to that coming down one time. What a build up and peak. Link to post Share on other sites
Shug Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 I'd say what Bobby played on Easy Wind in 1970 is probably the longest "traditional" picked-note lead guitar solo (while Jerry did some rhythm stuff in the background) he ever did with the Grateful Dead. Sure wish he did more of it, because when he did, it was killer. And I agree about the importance of his little filigree part in China Cat and in the transition into Rider. When Bobby was on that, playing tight and articulate like he did in '72-'74, is was a peak moment of Dead music. Did you listen to the Easy Winds and the Here Comes Sunshines? In HCS, Bobby is doing a lot of plucked-note counterparts to Jerry's stuff, but simultaneously. Not really a solo, more of collective ensemble soloing, but the interplay and the organic guitar tones sound so good to me. https://archive.org/details/gd1973-12-19.107984.sbd.dan.patch-97361.flac16 Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 The '73-' '74 China->Rider ("Feelin' Groovy") jam is probably my favorite "thing" the band did.... Link to post Share on other sites
mountain bed Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 The '73-' '74 China->Rider ("Feelin' Groovy") jam is probably my favorite "thing" the band did....That's hard to argue. The "Tighten Up" jam (5/2/70 Dancin, 10/31/71 Dark Star) is right up there, as is the Mind Left Body Jams in '73-'74 as well. Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 18, 2016 Author Share Posted February 18, 2016 And whatever that Jam is from 10/31/1971 after Dark Star. . . Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 And whatever that Jam is from 10/31/1971 after Dark Star. . .That's the "Tighten Up" jam.... Link to post Share on other sites
jw harding Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 That's the "Tighten Up" jam....Always loved that jam, haven't listened to it since I became aware that the Tighten Up jam was a recurring thematic jam. Great song, love they use it as a launchpad. https://youtu.be/uN7vm-k-AaA https://youtu.be/B4jOqjRA49c Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 18, 2016 Author Share Posted February 18, 2016 I call it the Pretty Cool, Dude or Nice Story, Bro Jam. Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 I can never keep the names of the these jams straight. Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 18, 2016 Author Share Posted February 18, 2016 I thought that one I mentioned was called The Spanish Jam until just now. Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 I can never keep the names of the these jams straight.Tighten Up jam is based on the old tune Tighten Up (I forget who wrote it) and Feeling Groovy jam is based on Simon & Garfunkel's beat of the same name. Mind Left Body based on a n Airplane tune, I believe, etc. Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 18, 2016 Author Share Posted February 18, 2016 Archie Bell and The Drells (1968) Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Archie Bell and The Drells (1968)That's it! The "Spanish Jam" I've heard is based on a Miles Davis tune, actually. Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 18, 2016 Author Share Posted February 18, 2016 That's right. Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Just found this. Kind of a cool place to see the history of a lot of the named "jams":http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2010/01/deads-early-thematic-jams.html Link to post Share on other sites
NoJ Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Ya know, I have Sketches of Spain on vinyl and I've listened to "Solea" to hear the influence of the Spanish Jam but I couldn't discern anything. Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Maybe you're not listening to it right...? Link to post Share on other sites
Shug Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Oh, shit you got your Spanish jam spilled in to my Tighten Up jam! ha ha ha! Tighten Up jam is believed to possibly be based on the song Tighten Up by Archie Bell and The Drells. Some think the Spanish jam, like in 2/11/70 Fillmore East between the Dark Star and the Lovelight, is based on Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain. Here's an impressive essay from the always impressive Light Into Ashes dude on this topic. Should clear things up if you are up for the reading/listening! Oops,. I see Lammy you already found it! http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2010/01/deads-early-thematic-jams.html Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 18, 2016 Author Share Posted February 18, 2016 Just found this. Kind of a cool place to see the history of a lot of the named "jams":http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2010/01/deads-early-thematic-jams.html It is also up at Archive.org: The Dead's Early Thematic Jams Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 So, I've always preferred the '72 China>Riders to any other era. Which ones from '73-'74 would you fanatics recommend as the best? Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 Providence '74, Winterland 2.24, 74, Winterland 11.11.73 definitely..... Link to post Share on other sites
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